February 09th, 2023
BUFFALO, N.Y. - The Coast Guard reminds the public to exercise extreme caution on ice along Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, the Finger Lakes and the St. Lawrence River.
Each year the Great Lakes region sees multiple accidents due to unstable ice, resulting in people in the water as well loss of personal recreational equipment, such as snowmobiles and ATVs.
Current ice thickness is far below seasonal average, resulting in unstable, weak ice and extremely hazardous conditions. more...
Each year the Great Lakes region sees multiple accidents due to unstable ice, resulting in people in the water as well loss of personal recreational equipment, such as snowmobiles and ATVs.
Current ice thickness is far below seasonal average, resulting in unstable, weak ice and extremely hazardous conditions. more...
January 19th, 2023
LASIK is corrective surgery to a very delicate part of the eye. Millions of people have had LASIK surgery to correct their vision, many with great success.
Advertising is one way LASIK providers attract customers. But like any other purchase, it’s important to do some research. Prices vary, and what may seem like a deal may only be available to select “qualified” patients.
Take the FTC’s case against LASIKPlus, a nationwide LASIK surgery chain. The FTC says that, in its ads, LASIKPlus promoted LASIK as available for “as low as” or “starting at” $250. The $250 price was per eye, although that was not always clearly disclosed. In truth, very few people qualified for the $250 price. more...
Advertising is one way LASIK providers attract customers. But like any other purchase, it’s important to do some research. Prices vary, and what may seem like a deal may only be available to select “qualified” patients.
Take the FTC’s case against LASIKPlus, a nationwide LASIK surgery chain. The FTC says that, in its ads, LASIKPlus promoted LASIK as available for “as low as” or “starting at” $250. The $250 price was per eye, although that was not always clearly disclosed. In truth, very few people qualified for the $250 price. more...
January 11th, 2023
WASHINGTON — The FCC’s Robocall Response Team warned providers with the latest batch of Enforcement Bureau cease-and-desist letters. These warnings tell two more voice service providers to end their apparent support of illegal robocall traffic or face serious consequences.
More than twenty providers have received warning letters, with almost all recipients either demonstrating that the robocall traffic was cut off or notifying the FCC that they would be ceasing all operations. The Enforcement Bureau took more aggressive action against the few that did not take responsive action following cease-and-desist letters. These actions have had a dramatic impact on large-scale robocalling schemes. FCC enforcement staff closely monitors these providers to ensure the robocall traffic does not return.
more...
More than twenty providers have received warning letters, with almost all recipients either demonstrating that the robocall traffic was cut off or notifying the FCC that they would be ceasing all operations. The Enforcement Bureau took more aggressive action against the few that did not take responsive action following cease-and-desist letters. These actions have had a dramatic impact on large-scale robocalling schemes. FCC enforcement staff closely monitors these providers to ensure the robocall traffic does not return.
more...
December 12th, 2022
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) penned an op-ed in the New York Post imploring President Biden to reverse his dangerous military COVID vaccine mandate by swiftly signing the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act into law. The defense bill includes language mirroring Senator Blackburn’s amendment efforts to protect troops from being fired over the COVID vaccine mandate.
Biden’s vindictive military-funding COVID vaccine blackmail harms national security
Senator Marsha Blackburn
Despite his admission “The pandemic is over,” President Joe Biden is refusing to commit to funding our nation’s military unless we continue to force servicemembers to take the COVID shot. In fact, when asked, his press secretary refuses even to say he’ll sign the funding bill.
Our military is suffering a severe recruiting crisis, and Biden’s fixation on a never-ending pandemic and woke military is certainly not helping. As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, I’ve spent the last six months fighting for our men and women in uniform set to be discharged thanks to the draconian Biden vaccine mandate; and for six months, I have fielded nothing but political deflection that betrays the White House’s complete disregard for our military and our national security.
more...
Biden’s vindictive military-funding COVID vaccine blackmail harms national security
Senator Marsha Blackburn
Despite his admission “The pandemic is over,” President Joe Biden is refusing to commit to funding our nation’s military unless we continue to force servicemembers to take the COVID shot. In fact, when asked, his press secretary refuses even to say he’ll sign the funding bill.
Our military is suffering a severe recruiting crisis, and Biden’s fixation on a never-ending pandemic and woke military is certainly not helping. As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, I’ve spent the last six months fighting for our men and women in uniform set to be discharged thanks to the draconian Biden vaccine mandate; and for six months, I have fielded nothing but political deflection that betrays the White House’s complete disregard for our military and our national security.
more...
December 02nd, 2022
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) demanded answers on the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) failure to enforce her bipartisan legislation, the Better Online Ticket Sales (BOTS) Act, and called on the FTC to do so to protect consumers. Read her op-ed in the Tennessean on why the FTC must do more to fight ticket scalpers here.
Marsha Blackburn: Breaking up Ticketmaster won't stop bots, but the FTC can
If Ticketmaster’s Taylor Swift presale catastrophe taught us anything about the state of online ticket sales, it’s that the real market for live music experiences is not the market fans think they’re dealing with.
In the aftermath of the slow queues and last-minute platform crashes that left thousands of fans empty-handed, Ticketmaster blamed a combination of overwhelming demand and bot attacks.
What they failed to explain was why the verification process the company told fans to follow failed so miserably. Unsatisfied, fans and watchdogs erupted in unison with a message for Congress: it’s time to break up Ticketmaster. more...
Marsha Blackburn: Breaking up Ticketmaster won't stop bots, but the FTC can
If Ticketmaster’s Taylor Swift presale catastrophe taught us anything about the state of online ticket sales, it’s that the real market for live music experiences is not the market fans think they’re dealing with.
In the aftermath of the slow queues and last-minute platform crashes that left thousands of fans empty-handed, Ticketmaster blamed a combination of overwhelming demand and bot attacks.
What they failed to explain was why the verification process the company told fans to follow failed so miserably. Unsatisfied, fans and watchdogs erupted in unison with a message for Congress: it’s time to break up Ticketmaster. more...
November 23rd, 2022
IRS impersonators have been around for a while. But as more people get to know their tricks, they’re switching it up. So instead of contacting you about a tax debt and making threats to get you to pay up, scammers may send you a text about a “tax rebate†or some other tax refund or benefit. Here’s what to know about the new twist.
The text messages may look legit, and mention a “tax rebate†or “refund payment.†But no matter what the text says, it’s a scammer phishing for your information. And if you click on the link to claim “your refund,†you’re exposing yourself to identity theft or malware that the scammer could install on your phone.
more...
The text messages may look legit, and mention a “tax rebate†or “refund payment.†But no matter what the text says, it’s a scammer phishing for your information. And if you click on the link to claim “your refund,†you’re exposing yourself to identity theft or malware that the scammer could install on your phone.
more...