COVID-19 Vaccines and Effective Communications Strategies
The U.S. distribution of safe and efficacious vaccines to prevent COVID-19 has increased exponentially since December 2020. The average daily rates of vaccines administered in the U.S. has reached 3.3 million in April. On April 14, the U.S. reached more than 194.8 million total doses administered with 76.7 million persons (23.1% of the total U.S….
Federal Consumer Protection News and Other Items of Interest: March 2021
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB or Bureau) sued payment processor BrightSpeed Solutions Inc. and its former CEO Kevin Howard for supporting Internet-based tech-support scams. The CFPB alleges the defendants knowingly processed more than $71 million in payments for clients who tricked consumers, often older Americans, into purchasing expensive and unnecessary…
Consumer Chief of the Month: Phil Carlson, Assistant Attorney General, Nebraska Attorney General’s Office
I want to begin this month’s “Chief of the Month” section by saying that I take great joy in my family and to thank them publicly for their willingness to tag along with me in this crazy journey I’m going to tell you about. My wife, Jean, is a stay-at-home mom who wrangles me, our…
The Impact of Recent Tax Law Changes on Consumer Protection Settlements
On January 14, 2021, the IRS promulgated final regulations in connection with the tax laws and reporting requirements found in 26 U.S. Code § 162(f) and 26 U.S. Code § 6050X which impact consumer protection settlements and state attorney general offices. These final regulations, found at 26 C.F.R. § 1.162-21 and 26 C.F.R. § 1.6050X-1,…
Attorney General Consumer Protection News: March 2021
Multistate Actions Led by California Department of Justice and the Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson, 48 attorneys general announced a $186 million multistate settlement with surgical mesh manufacturer Boston Scientific Corporation to resolve deceptive marketing allegations. A bipartisan group of 24 attorneys general expressed disappointment in the Purdue Pharma restructuring plan submitted in bankruptcy court. …
Attorneys General Lead National Discussion with Congress on State Responses to Domestic Terrorism
Following the events of January 6th at the U.S. Capitol and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence’s March 2021 report warning that domestic violent extremists pose an elevated threat this year, it was no surprise that the House Homeland Security Committee’s Intelligence and Counterterrorism Subcommittee’s first hearing of the 117th Congress was focused…
Current Status of COVID-19 Vaccines Rollout Nationwide: March 2021 Update for the Attorney General Community
The distribution of three safe and efficacious vaccines to prevent COVID-19 has continued to ramp up both globally and domestically. Here in the U.S., average daily rates of vaccines administered has increased from 1.5 million at the end of February to close to 2.5 million in March. On March 24, the U.S. reached over 130…
The Defense Production Act and Implications for the COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout
Since the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued authorizations for the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines to prevent COVID-19, millions of doses of both of these safe and effective vaccines have been administered throughout the United States. On February 27, the FDA authorized a third vaccine from Janssen, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson. An…
Interpreting Elder Exploitation Data in the Age of a Global Pandemic
This is the first in a series of articles about financial exploitation of older adults related to the coronavirus pandemic. Learn more about elder justice. The coronavirus pandemic sweeping the world since early 2020 has claimed more than 500,000 lives in the United States, infected millions more in the country, and has transformed the way…
Information about the Federal Extended Residential Eviction Moratorium
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) nationwide temporary residential eviction moratorium has been extended, effective January 31, 2021, through March 31, 2021 by virtue of 86 Fed. Reg. 8020 (the Order). The original temporary eviction moratorium, which was published on September 4, 2020, expired on January 31, 2021. In addition to extending the…
