U.S.A.'s interesting news

The cold winter months are among us. Take the time to make sure your business is prepared in the event of a winter storm. You'll also get tips on how to keep your employees and family safe. Learn more   Free Course: A Guide to SBA's Disaster Assistance Programs Take this free self-paced training course for an overview of SBA's disaster assistance programs which provide low-interest disaster loans to help businesses of all sizes and homeowners recover from declared disasters. Launch the course Get Inspired: Small Business Success Story Transitioning back into the workforce after serving 20 years in the Washington Army National Guard had proven to be more difficult than Jessica Harris had anticipated. Ten months after moving to North Carolina, Jessica was laid off. She then decided to pursue her indoor dog park idea she toyed with throughout her service and enrolled in the SBA's Boots to Business Program.  Read Jessica's story Ask the Experts: Live Q&A with the Masters of Marketing December 13, 2018 | 2:00pm ET/11:00am PT Looking for expert answers to your small business marketing questions? Our Masters of Marketing webinar brings you access to the best and most successful “celebrities” of digital marketing, Seth Godin and Ramon Ray. Seth Godin is a Marketing Hall of Fame inductee, and Ramon Ray is the founder of Smart Hustle Magazine. They are both global speakers, best-selling authors, serial entrepreneurs and leaders and experts in marketing as recognized by their peers and industry publications. In this Q&A session produced by SCORE, a resource partner of the U.S. Small Business Administration, there will be no scripts, no pitches, and no letup. Just a full-hour dedicated to taking your marketing questions—LIVE. Submit your questions via the registration form or bring them to this interactive Q&A session, where any and all types of marketing questions will be addressed. Register here Credit Inquiries: What You Should Know About Hard and Soft Pulls Did you know every time someone, including you, reviews your credit report a credit inquiry is added to your report instantly? A credit inquiry is a request that’s made by a “legitimate business” to check credit report information on an individual from a credit reporting agency. There are two types of credit inquiries you should know about. Learn more

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Hints for Creating a Happier Holiday

Caring for someone with Alzheimer's disease can be challenging — especially during the holiday season. Busy times and altered routines can lead to extra confusion. Learn how you and your loved one with Alzheimer's disease can get the most enjoyment out of this holiday season. How to Resolve Debit and Credit Card Issues You may use your credit or debit card at some point over the holiday season to buy something. But do you know what to do if your card gets lost or stolen, you get charged for the incorrect amount, or face other issues? Learn how to protect your money and about the laws in place to help limit your liability for debit and credit billing issues.   How to Safely Give Back This Holiday Season The holidays are a good time to give back by donating money or items to help someone in need get food, clothes, or medical treatment. Make sure to plan ahead when thinking about charitable giving, research organizations to avoid scams, and keep records of your donations for your taxes.   , Learning about the U.S. Government Looking for a fun way to teach your child about how our government works? Check out “Ben’s Guide to the U.S. Government” to take them on a learning adventure. Read through fun resources tailored to different age groups that include online activities, a glossary of common words, and video games! Facebook Live with NIH Director Is your middle schooler fascinated by science? Join a Facebook Live with National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Francis Collins on Monday, December 10 at 3:15 PM ET about becoming a scientist. Make sure to tune in to learn about biomedical research and get your child's career questions answered!  Holiday Volunteering Volunteering is a great way for your kids to give back to the community or fulfill high school graduation requirements during the holidays. Use these resources to find opportunities near you, and learn of different ways to give back, like cleaning up our national parks or supporting your local Veterans Affairs center, this holiday season.  Brought to you by USAGov, we connect teachers, kids and parents to  government, schools and educational organizations' information and services. Two Defendants Settle Allegations in ‘Money Now Funding’ Credit Card Charge Laundering Scheme Two defendants charged with laundering millions of dollars in credit card charges through fraudulent merchant accounts have settled with the Federal Trade Commission. Under the proposed settlement order, the defendants, Nikolas Mihilli and Dynasty Merchants, LLC – a company created by Mihilli to launder fraudulent transactions – are prohibited from engaging in credit card laundering. They are also banned from telemarketing, and from acting as payment processors, independent sales organizations, or sales agents. According to the complaint filed by the FTC, the defendants arranged for a deceptive operation known as Money Now Funding to obtain and maintain merchant accounts that allowed the operation to process almost $6 million through the credit card networks. The FTC charged Mihilli and Dynasty Merchants, LLC with violating the Federal Trade Commission Act and the Telemarketing Sales Rule. A monetary judgment of $5.8 million has been suspended due to the defendants’ inability to pay. If the court finds that either defendant misstated or omitted the value of any material asset, the judgment will immediately become due. Mihilli and Dynasty Merchants, LLC were two of a dozen defendants charged in 2017. In March 2018, Michael Abdelmesseh and KMA Merchant Services LLC were the first to settle with the FTC. Litigation continues against the remaining eight defendants. In 2013, the FTC sued Money Now Funding for telemarketing worthless business opportunities to consumers and falsely promising thousands of dollars in income. In 2015, the court entered summary judgment and default judgments against certain Money Now Funding defendants, finding that the business opportunities were a complete fraud and that consumers who bought these opportunities lost thousands of dollars each, resulting in $7,375,258.84 in total consumer injury. Each of the remaining defendants settled in 2015. The Commission vote approving the stipulated final order was 5-0. The FTC filed the proposed order in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona on Dec. 11, 2018. NOTE: Stipulated final orders have the force of law when approved and signed by the District Court judge. FTC Proposes Amendments to Improve Usability of the Energy Labeling Rule The Federal Trade Commission has approved a Federal Register notice seeking comments on proposed non-substantive changes to the Energy Labeling Rule (Rule). The proposed amendments would organize the Rule’s product descriptions to make it easier for stakeholders to identify relevant covered products, particularly for categories (such as lighting) that contain several different product types and exemptions. Next, the amendments would divide the Rule’s primary labeling provision into several sections to make it easier to identify the labeling requirements for specific products. Finally, the proposed changes would remove obsolete, unneeded references to products last produced and sold decades ago. The FTC first issued the Rule in 1979, under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975. The Rule requires energy labeling for major home appliances and other consumer products to help consumers compare the energy costs of competing models. It also contains labeling requirements for refrigerators, refrigerator-freezers, freezers, dishwashers, water heaters, clothes washers, room air conditioners, furnaces, central air conditioners, heat pumps, plumbing products, lighting products, ceiling fans, and televisions. The Rule requires manufacturers to attach yellow EnergyGuide labels to many of the covered products and prohibits retailers from removing these labels or making them unreadable. It also directs sellers, including retailers, to post label information on websites and in paper catalogs from which consumers can order products. The proposed amendments have no substantive impact on the Rule’s requirements, but will improve its organization, eliminate obsolete provisions, and generally make it easier to use. The Commission vote authorizing publication of the notice of proposed rulemaking in the Federal Register was 4-1, with Commissioner Christine S. Wilson dissenting and issuing a dissenting statement. Comments must be received within 60 days after publication in the Federal Register. Instructions on submitting public comments can be found in the “Supplementary Information” of the notice. Comments also can be filed electronically. (The staff contact is Hampton Newsome, Bureau of Consumer Protection, 202-326-2889.) Defendant in Fraudulent Business Coaching Scheme Settles with FTC One of the defendants involved in MOBE, a massive internet marketing and business coaching scheme alleged to have bilked hundreds of millions of dollars from consumers worldwide, has agreed to settle with the Federal Trade Commission. In June 2018, the FTC charged the MOBE enterprise and three individuals with orchestrating the “My Online Business Education” program in violation of the FTC Act. According to the complaint, the defendants falsely claimed that their business education program would enable people to start their own online businesses and earn substantial income. Touting a “proven” 21-step system, the defendants preyed on U.S. consumers—including service members, veterans, and older adults—through online ads, social media, direct mailers, and live events held throughout the country, according to the FTC. The complaint further alleged that the MOBE defendants made false or misleading refund guarantees to consumers. The settling defendant in this case, Susan Zanghi, allegedly helped operate and perform acts crucial to the MOBE enterprise, including opening up bank accounts and merchant accounts in the United States. Under the settlement order, Zanghi is permanently banned from selling or marketing business coaching or investment opportunities. In addition, she is prohibited from making or assisting in the making of any misrepresentations about any product or service. The settlement order also requires Zanghi to turn over $33,400 in frozen assets under her name and to immediately surrender to the FTC all control over funds held in the name of the MOBE corporate entities. The Commission vote approving the settlement order against Zanghi was 5-0. The U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida entered the order on Dec. 6, 2018. (FTC File No. P063000; the staff contact is Sung W. Kim, Bureau of Consumer Protection, 202-326-2211.) 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