Monthly Archives: July 2019

prnewswire press releases

Apple to Acquire Majority of Intel’s Smartphone Modem Business Intel Sharpens Focus on Network Transformation and Compute at the Edge

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News Release

Apple to Acquire Majority of Intel’s Smartphone Modem Business

Intel Sharpens Focus on Network Transformation and Compute at the Edge

SANTA CLARA and CUPERTINO, Calif., July 25, 2019 – Intel and Apple have signed an agreement for Apple to acquire the majority of Intel’s smartphone modem business. Approximately 2,200 Intel employees will join Apple, along with intellectual property, equipment and leases. The transaction, valued at $1 billion, is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2019, subject to regulatory approvals and other customary conditions, including works council and other relevant consultations in certain jurisdictions.

Combining the acquired patents for current and future wireless technology with Apple’s existing portfolio, Apple will hold over 17,000 wireless technology patents, ranging from protocols for cellular standards to modem architecture and modem operation. Intel will retain the option to develop modems for non-smartphone applications, such as PCs, internet of things devices and autonomous vehicles.

“This agreement enables us to focus on developing technology for the 5G network while retaining critical intellectual property and modem technology that our team has created,” said Intel CEO Bob Swan. “We have long respected Apple and we’re confident they provide the right environment for this talented team and these important assets moving forward. We’re looking forward to putting our full effort into 5G where it most closely aligns with the needs of our global customer base, including network operators, telecommunications equipment manufacturers and cloud service providers.”

“We’ve worked with Intel for many years and know this team shares Apple’s passion for designing technologies that deliver the world’s best experiences for our users,” said Johny Srouji, Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Technologies. “Apple is excited to have so many excellent engineers join our growing cellular technologies group, and know they’ll thrive in Apple’s creative and dynamic environment. They, together with our significant acquisition of innovative IP, will help expedite our development on future products and allow Apple to further differentiate moving forward.”

Advisors
Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC served as financial advisor to Intel, and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and Sullivan & Cromwell LLP served as legal advisors.

About Intel
Intel (NASDAQ: INTC), a leader in the semiconductor industry, is shaping the data-centric future with computing and communications technology that is the foundation of the world’s innovations. The company’s engineering expertise is helping address the world’s greatest challenges as well as helping secure, power and connect billions of devices and the infrastructure of the smart, connected world – from the cloud to the network to the edge and everything in between. Find more information about Intel at newsroom.intel.com and intel.com.

About Apple
Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Apple TV. Apple’s four software platforms — iOS, macOS, watchOS and tvOS — provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay and iCloud. Apple’s more than 100,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth, and to leaving the world better than we found it.

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements relating to the pending sale of the majority of Intel’s smartphone modem business to Apple, including statements regarding the benefits and the timing of the transaction, as well as forward-looking statements relating to Intel’s future plans and expectations, total addressable market and market opportunity, future products and technology and the expected benefits of such products and technology, and anticipated trends in Intel’s businesses and the markets relevant to them. Words such as “anticipates,” “expects,” “intends,” “goals,” “plans,” “believes,” “seeks,” “estimates,” “continues,” “may,” “will,” “would,” “should,” “could,” and variations of such words and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements included in this release are based on management expectations as of the date of this release and, except as required by law, Intel and Apple disclaim any obligation to update these forward-looking statements to reflect future events or circumstances. Forward-looking statements involve many risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements. Such risks and uncertainties include the outcome of regulatory reviews of the transaction, the outcome of works council consultations and other relevant consultations in certain jurisdictions related to the transaction, the ability of the parties to complete the transaction in the time expected or at all, litigation or regulatory matters affecting the closing of the transaction, and other risks detailed in Intel’s and Apple’s SEC filings, including the companies’ most recent reports on Form 10-K, Form 10-Q, and Form 8-K, which are available at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Copies of Intel’s SEC filings may also be obtained by visiting Intel’s Investor Relations website at www.intc.com, and copies of Apple’s SEC filings may be obtained by visiting Apple’s Investor Relations website at investor.apple.com.

prnewswire press releases

World Bank Mobilizes US$300 Million to Finance the Ebola Response in Democratic Republic of Congo

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PRESS RELEASEJuly 24, 2019

World Bank Mobilizes US$300 Million to Finance the Ebola Response in Democratic Republic of Congo

WASHINGTON, July 24, 2019—The World Bank Group today announced that it is mobilizing up to US$300 million to scale up support for the global response to the Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The announcement follows the declaration by the World Health Organization (WHO) that the current outbreak constitutes a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.

“Together, we must take urgent action to stop the deadly Ebola epidemic that is destroying lives and livelihoods in the Democratic Republic of Congo”, said World Bank Chief Executive Officer Kristalina Georgieva. “The communities and health workers on the front line of this outbreak urgently need more support and resources from the international community to prevent this crisis from worsening inside the country and from spreading across borders.”

The US$300 million in grants and credits will be largely financed through the World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA) and its Crisis Response Window, which is designed to help countries respond to severe crises and return to their long-term development paths. The financing package will cover the Ebola-affected health zones in DRC and enable the government, WHO, UNICEF, WFP, IOM and other responders to step up the frontline health response, deliver cash-for-work programs to support the local economy, strengthen resilience in the affected communities, and contain the spread of this deadly virus.

This amount is approximately half of the anticipated financing needs of the Fourth Strategic Response Plan (SRP4), which is expected to be finalized in the coming week by the Government and the international consortium of partners working on the response. The World Bank has been supporting programs to combat DRC’s ongoing battle with Ebola since May 2018, with resources going to the frontline response, health system strengthening, and preparedness to reduce the risk of spread.

The US $300 million in World Bank financing announced today comes in addition to the US$100 million disbursed by the World Bank and the Pandemic Emergency Financing Facility (PEF) in response to the current Ebola Outbreak in DRC since August 2018. Details on the Bank’s total financing for the DRC Ebola response to date are available here.

Ebola has spread across communities already beset by the severe hardships of extreme poverty and insecurity. The World Bank’s engagement in DRC is focused on investing in people, supporting communities, strengthening services and systems, which are all critical steps to stamping out this crisis—and to tackle the underlying sources of poverty and inequity that have helped fuel this deadly outbreak.

PRESS RELEASE NO: 2020/018/HD

Contacts

In Washington
Sheryl Silverman
+1 (202) 473-3297

ssilverman@worldbankgroup.org

For Broadcast Requests
Huma Imtiaz
+1 (202) 473-2409

himtiaz@worldbankgroup.org

USCIRF Vice Chair Nadine Maenza Calls for Release of Iranian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani

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USCIRF Vice Chair Nadine Maenza Calls for Release of Iranian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 25, 2019

USCIRF Vice Chair Nadine Maenza Calls for Release of Iranian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani

WASHINGTON, DC – Nadine Maenza, Vice Chair of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), today called on Iranian authorities to drop all charges against and to release Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani. One year ago this week, plainclothes Iranian security forces invaded Pastor Nadarkhani’s home, reportedly tasered his son, and took Pastor Nadarkhani to fulfill a ten-year prison sentence for evangelizing and promoting “Zionist Christianity.”

“Iran must release Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani and ensure freedom of religion for all citizens of Iran,” said Vice Chair Maenza, who adopted Pastor Nadarkhani as part of USCIRF’s Religious Prisoners of Conscience Project in 2018. “The Iranian government has vilified and deprived the basic rights of Pastor Nadarkhani and of many other Iranians simply for exercising their freedom of belief. This must stop. I call on the government of Iran to live up to its commitments to its citizens under international law.”

Since 2006, Iranian authorities have consistently harassed and detained Pastor Nadarkhani and his family. In 2010, the authorities sentenced him to death for apostasy before acquitting him in 2012. His current prison sentence stems from his arrest on May 13, 2016, when authorities detained him and his wife before releasing them later that day. On July 6, 2017, Pastor Nadarkhani was ultimately sentenced to 10 years imprisonment.

 

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The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is an independent, bipartisan federal government entity established by the U.S. Congress to monitor, analyze and report on threats to religious freedom abroad. USCIRF makes foreign policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State and Congress intended to deter religious persecution and promote freedom of religion and belief. To interview a Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at Media@USCIRF.gov or Kellie Boyle at kboyle@uscirf.gov or +1-703-898-6554

department of justice news

Bronx Man Arrested for Attempting to Provide Material Support for Terrorism Delowar Mohammed Hossain was Arrested at John F. Kennedy International Airport While Allegedly Attempting to Travel Overseas to Join the Taliban in Order to Kill Americans

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Department of Justice
Office of Public Affairs
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, July 26, 2019

Bronx Man Arrested for Attempting to Provide Material Support for Terrorism

Delowar Mohammed Hossain was Arrested at John F. Kennedy International Airport While Allegedly Attempting to Travel Overseas to Join the Taliban in Order to Kill Americans

John C. Demers, Assistant Attorney General for National Security, Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Michael McGarrity, Assistant Director of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division, William F. Sweeney Jr., the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the FBI, and James P. O’Neill, the Commissioner of the Police Department for the City of New York (NYPD), announced that Delowar Mohammed Hossain was arrested today at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK Airport) in Queens, New York. Hossain was charged in a criminal Complaint today with attempting to provide material support for acts of terrorism, specifically in support of killing U.S. nationals located overseas.  Hossain was presented today before Magistrate Judge Stewart D. Aaron in Manhattan federal court.

“As alleged, Hossain planned to travel overseas and join the Taliban in order to kill American soldiers,” said Assistant Attorney General Demers.  “The threat of terrorism at home and abroad remains, and the National Security Division is committed to preventing individuals from carrying out deadly plans such as this.  I want to thank the agents, analysts, and prosecutors who are responsible for this case.”

“As alleged, Delowar Hossain plotted to travel to Afghanistan to join the Taliban, specifically so he could commit acts of terrorism,” said U.S. Attorney Berman.  “Hossain wanted to kill Americans, and particularly wanted to target members of our armed forces, serving our nation overseas.  The excellent work of the FBI and NYPD stopped Hossain’s alleged deadly plan to join the Taliban before he took flight, and he now faces federal terrorism charges.”

“The criminal complaint in this case reveals Delowar Hossain had a despicable goal. He wanted to make his way to Afghanistan, join up with Taliban forces, and kill Americans,” said Assistant Director McGarrity.  “But he failed because members of the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force interrupted his plans. The FBI is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to stop those who want to commit acts of terrorism here in the U.S. or overseas.”

“The lure of radical ideologies comes from many sources, and just because the Taliban may seem like an old and out of vogue extremist group, it shouldn’t be underestimated,” said Director-in-Charge Sweeney Jr.  “The FBI New York Joint Terrorism Task Force stopped Mr. Hossain from traveling overseas to allegedly support a deadly organization, and kept him from his alleged plan to kill innocent people.”

“As we continue to see time and again, attempting to support terrorist attacks will lead to arrest,” said NYPD Commissioner O’Neil.  “I commend the dedication of the NYPD detectives and FBI agents who, through the Joint Terrorism Task Force, remain relentless in their focus to keep New York City and our nation safe.”

As alleged in the criminal Complaint filed today in Manhattan federal court, beginning in the fall of 2018, Hossain expressed his desire to join the Taliban and fight against American forces.  Over the months that followed, Hossain attempted to recruit a confidential source of the FBI (CS-1) to travel with Hossain from the United States to Pakistan, and then to cross the border into Afghanistan to join the Taliban.  Hossain told CS-1 that his purpose was to “fight the American government from there . . . combined with the Taliban,” and that “I want to kill some kufars [non-believers] before I die.”  Hossain described to CS-1 steps he had taken to prevent detection of his plan, such as planning to reach Pakistan by first flying to Thailand, which Hossain believed would conceal his ultimate goal of joining the Taliban.  At the same time, Hossain made preparations to fight in Afghanistan, including buying equipment such as walkie-talkies and trekking gear and instructing CS-1 to save money “to buy weapons” after reaching Afghanistan.

Hossain purchased an airline ticket for a flight scheduled to depart on July 26, 2019, from JFK Airport, to Thailand, for the first leg of the route to Afghanistan that Hossain had described to CS-1.  On July 26, Hossain traveled to JFK Airport, where the FBI arrested him after he attempted to board that flight.

Hossain, 33, of the Bronx, is charged with one count of attempting to provide material support for terrorism, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.  The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.

Assistant Attorney General John Demers and U.S. Attorney Berman praised the outstanding efforts of the FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, which consists principally of agents from the FBI and detectives from the NYPD.

This prosecution is being handled by the Office’s Terrorism and International Narcotics Unit.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys David W. Denton, Jr. and Michael K. Krouse are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorney Jennifer Burke of the Counterterrorism Section.

The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Topic(s):
National Security
Component(s):
National Security Division (NSD)
USAO – New York, Southern
Press Release Number:
19-814
Updated July 26, 2019
department of justice news

U.S. Attorney’s Office Continues to Promote Elder Justice Initiative by Partnering with Meals on Wheels

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Department of Justice
U.S. Attorney’s Office
Eastern District of North Carolina
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, July 29, 2019

U.S. Attorney’s Office Continues to Promote Elder Justice Initiative by Partnering with Meals on Wheels

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina continues to promote the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Elder Justice Initiative (EJI) throughout the Wake County area.  On July 22, 2019, the Eastern District partnered with Meals on Wheels in Wake County to conduct Phase II of its outreach to approximately 1,300 seniors in the area to raise awareness about DOJ’s Elder Justice Initiative and provide facts about financial exploitation and how seniors can protect themselves from falling victim.

Below are some facts shared with the community about financial exploitation:

  • Examples of financial exploitation include:
    • Using ATM cards without permission
    • Forging a signature on a check or property title (wills, deeds)
    • Using a power of attorney to benefit oneself rather than the older adult
    • Unauthorized sales, such as a family ring or the family farm
    • Threats to harm precious property if money is not handed over
  • How to protect yourself from financial exploitation
    • Check your financial statements each month
    • Store financial materials in a locked drawer or out of sight
    • Talk to your bank about age-friendly banking options
    • Contact a civil legal attorney before signing documents
    • Visit ftc.gov every year to get your free credit reports

The mission of the Elder Justice Initiative is to support and coordinate DOJ’s enforcement and programmatic efforts to prevent and combat elder abuse, neglect, financial exploitation and scams that target our nation’s seniors by promoting justice for older adults; helping older victims and their families; enhancing state and local efforts through training and resources; and supporting research to improve elder abuse policy and practice.

For more information about DOJ’s efforts to prevent and combat elder abuse, please visit the Elder Justice Website at https://www.justice.gov/elderjustice.  Elder fraud complaints may be filed with the FTC at www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov or at 877-FTC-HELP. You can also contact the Victim Connect Hotline between 9am-6pm, Monday through Friday, at: 1- 855-4VICTIM (1-855-4842846), or contact the Elder Justice Coordinator at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina at (919) 856-4530.

Topic(s):
Elder Justice
Component(s):
USAO – North Carolina, Eastern
Updated July 29, 2019
department of justice news

Justice Department Settles with T-Mobile and Sprint in Their Proposed Merger by Requiring a Package of Divestitures to Dish

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Department of Justice
Office of Public Affairs
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, July 26, 2019

Justice Department Settles with T-Mobile and Sprint in Their Proposed Merger by Requiring a Package of Divestitures to Dish

Divestiture Will Enable DISH’s Entry as a Fourth Nationwide Facilities-Based Wireless Competitor and Expedite Deployment of High-Quality 5G for American Consumers

The Department of Justice announced today that it and the Attorneys General for five states reached a settlement with T-Mobile and Sprint regarding their proposed merger.  The settlement requires a substantial divestiture package in order to enable a viable facilities-based competitor to enter the market.  Further, the settlement will facilitate the expeditious deployment of multiple high-quality 5G networks for the benefit of American consumers and entrepreneurs.

The Department’s Antitrust Division, along with the offices of five state Attorneys General (Plaintiff States), filed a civil antitrust lawsuit today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to block the proposed transaction.  At the same time, the Department and the Plaintiff States filed a proposed settlement that, if approved by the court, would resolve the Department’s and the Plaintiff States’ competitive concerns. The participating state Attorneys General offices represent Nebraska, Kansas, Ohio, Oklahoma, and South Dakota.

Under the terms of the proposed settlement, T-Mobile and Sprint must divest Sprint’s prepaid business, including Boost Mobile, Virgin Mobile, and Sprint prepaid, to Dish Network Corp., a Colorado-based satellite television provider.  The proposed settlement also provides for the divestiture of certain spectrum assets to Dish.  Additionally, T-Mobile and Sprint must make available to Dish at least 20,000 cell sites and hundreds of retail locations.  T-Mobile must also provide Dish with robust access to the T-Mobile network for a period of seven years while Dish builds out its own 5G network.

“With this merger and accompanying divestiture, we are expanding output significantly by ensuring that large amounts of currently unused or underused spectrum are made available to American consumers in the form of high quality 5G networks,” said Assistant Attorney General Makan Delrahim of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division.  “Today’s settlement will provide Dish with the assets and transitional services required to become a facilities-based mobile network operator that can provide a full range of mobile wireless services nationwide.  I want to thank our state partners for joining us in this settlement.”  Delrahim added, “In crafting this remedy, we are also mindful of the significant commitments T-Mobile, Sprint, and Dish have made to the Federal Communications Commission.”

The Department and the Plaintiff States said that, without the divestiture, the proposed acquisition would eliminate competition between two of only four facilities-based suppliers of nationwide mobile wireless services.  According to the complaint, T-Mobile and Sprint both operate mobile networks and offer nationwide coverage to consumers, and they are particularly close competitors to each other for the roughly 30% of retail subscribers who purchase prepaid mobile wireless service.  The combination of T-Mobile and Sprint would eliminate head-to-head competition between the companies and threaten the benefits that customers have realized from that competition in the form of lower prices and better service.

T-Mobile US Inc. is a Delaware corporation headquartered in Bellevue, Washington.  In 2018, T-Mobile posted revenues of more than $43 billion.  Deutsche Telekom AG, a German corporation headquartered in Bonn, Germany, is the controlling shareholder of T-Mobile US Inc.

Sprint Corporation is a Delaware corporation headquartered in Overland Park, Kansas.  In 2018, its posted revenue was over $32 billion.  Sprint is controlled by SoftBank Group Corp., a Japanese Corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.

As required by the Tunney Act, the proposed consent decree, along with the Department’s competitive impact statement, will be published in the Federal Register.  Any person may submit written comments concerning the proposed settlement within 60 days of its publication to Scott Scheele, Chief, Telecommunications and Broadband Section, Antitrust Division, U.S. Department of Justice, 450 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 7000, Washington, D.C. 20530.  At the conclusion of the 60-day comment period, the court may enter the final judgment upon a finding that it serves the public interest.

Attachment(s):
Download Complaint
Download Proposed Final Judgment
Download Stipulation and Order
Download Explanation of Tunney Act Procedures
Topic(s):
Antitrust
Component(s):
Antitrust Division
Press Release Number:
19-812
Updated July 26, 2019
department of justice news

Press Release: Detroit Man Sentenced To 20 Years In Prison For Selling Drugs In A Detroit Park

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Department of Justice
U.S. Attorney’s Office
Eastern District of Michigan
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, July 29, 2019

Detroit Man Sentenced To 20 Years In Prison For Selling Drugs In A Detroit Park

Danny Lee Woods, 46, of Detroit, Michigan, was sentenced on July 23, 2019, to a total of 20 years in federal prison by U.S. District Judge George Caram Steeh, III, for possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, announced United States Attorney Matthew Schneider. Woods pleaded guilty on February 27, 2019.

Schneider was joined in the announcement by James M. Deir, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and Detroit Police Department Chief James Craig.

According to court records, Woods, who was on parole at the time, was selling crack cocaine and heroin that was mixed with fentanyl at Sasser Playground, a neighborhood park located in Detroit. While making the sales, Woods had a loaded pistol in his waistband, which Woods later hid behind a tree inside the park. Woods was being surveilled by officers of the Detroit Police Department and was subsequently arrested. The case was adopted for federal prosecution.

As part of his plea, Woods agreed that he qualified as a Career Offender under the Sentencing Guidelines.

“Parks should be a place where families feel safe to gather,” said United States Attorney Matthew Schneider. “We will continue to work closely with our local police

partners to prosecute violent offenders who threaten us, so we can protect innocent children and families who just want to enjoy a nice day at the park.”

“Danny Lee Woods put innocent lives in danger when he chose to sell drugs and toss a handgun in a public park,” said Special Agent in Charge James Deir. “Instead of improving his life following previous felony convictions, Woods continued to break the law. ATF stands with our law enforcement partners to rid our community of dangerous individuals.”

“We certainly appreciate the partnership of our federal partners and commend the great work by the men and women of this department,” said Detroit Police Chief James Craig. “Our families deserve to have safe and drug free parks and we will not tolerate behavior that will compromise the well-being of our residents. We will continue our efforts in working with our federal agencies in attacking the drug epidemic that plagues our society and dampens the quality of life within our communities.”

This case was investigated by special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and officers of the Detroit Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys J. Michael Buckley and Trevor Broad of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan.

Topic(s):
Drug Trafficking
Component(s):
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
USAO – Michigan, Eastern
Updated July 29, 2019
consumer news logo

PRESS RELEASE: CONSUMER FINANCIAL PROTECTION BUREAU RELEASES REPORT ON THIRD-PARTY DEBT COLLECTIONS

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
July 18, 2019

MEDIA CONTACT:
Office of Communications
Tel: (202) 435-7170

CONSUMER FINANCIAL PROTECTION BUREAU RELEASES REPORT ON THIRD-PARTY DEBT COLLECTIONS

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (Bureau) released a report today that found that more than one-in-four consumers with a credit report have at least one debt in collection by third-party debt collectors.

Today’s report, which covers 2004 to 2018, is drawn from the Bureau’s Consumer Credit Panel (CCP), a nationally representative sample of approximately 5 million de-identified credit records maintained by one of the three nationwide credit reporting companies. Close to 900 third-party debt collectors furnished collection tradelines in the CCP. A tradeline is information about a consumer account that is sent, generally on a regular basis, to a credit reporting company. Tradelines contain data such as account balance, payment history, and status of the account.

Today’s findings show that more than one-in-four consumers (28 percent) with a credit report in the CCP in 2018 had at least one third-party collections tradeline on their file. The study also found that more than three-out-of-four third-party collections tradelines are for non-financial debt. More than half (58 percent) of these tradelines are for medical debt and another 20 percent for telecommunications or utilities debt. Positive payment information is generally not furnished for medical or telecommunications debt.

Banks and other original creditors may collect their own debts or hire third-party debt collectors. In some instances, the original creditors may sell the debts to debt buyers. The buyers may try to collect on these debts, or hire other third-party debt collectors. There are approximately 9,330 debt collectors and debt buyers in the United States.

“Market Snapshot: Third-Party Debt Collections Tradeline Reporting” can be found at: https://content.consumerfinance.gov/data-research/research-reports/market-snapshot-third-party-debt-collections-tradeline-reporting/

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is a 21st century agency that helps consumer finance markets work by regularly identifying and addressing outdated, unnecessary, or unduly burdensome regulations, by making rules more effective, by consistently enforcing federal consumer financial law, and by empowering consumers to take more control over their economic lives. For more information, visit consumerfinance.gov.

department of justice news

Michigan Defendant Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Defraud the IRS and Steal From an Organization Receiving Federal Funds

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Department of Justice
Office of Public Affairs
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, July 15, 2019

Michigan Defendant Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Defraud the IRS and Steal From an Organization Receiving Federal Funds

A Boca Raton, Florida, resident pleaded guilty today in Flint, Michigan, to conspiring to impede the lawful functions of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and conspiring to steal from an organization receiving federal funds, announced Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division.

According to court documents, from January 2013 through December 2017, Scott Jawetz and his co-defendants executed a scheme, using the company Blue Horseshoe Consulting Inc. (Blue Horseshoe), to obtain police reports, stolen from the Detroit Police Department, which contained automobile crash victim information. Jawetz and his co-conspirators used the stolen information to solicit automobile accident victims for medical and chiropractic services. Jawetz and his co-conspirators also underreported to the IRS gross receipts they received from Blue Horseshoe business operations and the total wages Blue Horseshoe paid to its employees.

United States District Court Judge Matthew F. Leitman scheduled sentencing for Jawetz for Jan. 15, 2020. Jawetz faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each of the two conspiracy counts. Jawetz also faces a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties.

Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Goldberg thanked special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Tax Division Trial Attorneys Mark McDonald and William Guappone, who are prosecuting the case.

Additional information about the Tax Division’s enforcement efforts can be found on the division’s website.

prnewswire press releases

National Indian Gaming Association Chairman Ernie Stevens, Jr., issues a statement as the House passes bill condemning President Donald Trump’s divisive comments

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 17, 2019

National Indian Gaming Association Chairman Ernie Stevens, Jr., issues a statement as the House passes bill condemning President Donald Trump’s divisive comments

Washington, D.C. – July 17, 2019 –National Indian Gaming Association Chairman Ernie Stevens, Jr., issued the following statement after the passage of House Resolution 489, regarding President Trump’s divisive comments directed at Members of Congress.
“The National Indian Gaming Association denounces the comments directed towards respected female Members of Congress. They are American citizens, duly elected by their fellow citizens, and they deserve better treatment from the Office of the President. Coming off of a historic election where the first two female Native Americans were elected to the Congress, we should be honoring the strength of this Country represented by one of the most diverse Congress’ in this Nation’s history.
The idea of America would not have been possible if it weren’t for the fact that Native Nations welcomed the first European settlers fleeing their home countries for a better life. The original sin of slavery and hatred directed at groups of immigrants stunted our growth.
For Indian Country, the violation of treaties, theft of lands, and devastating genocide against Native peoples left an indelible stain on the Nation’s honor. The xenophobic federal policies of forced assimilation authorized the government-sanctioned separation of Native children from their families where they were forbidden from speaking their language or practicing their religion.
Urging certain groups to return to their countries of origin conjures up the dark images of this Nation’s past injustices and intolerance.
Today’s United States of America is better than our past. We are a Nation of diverse and multi-racial citizens who seek the common goal of Equality and Dignity as a united people.
While our government has not always adhered to it, the foundation of the United States rests on a notion that all people are created equal with the ability to determine our own destiny. We owe it to all of our ancestors, indigenous and immigrant, to strive every day to live up to the inherent promise of our Nation’s foundation: The United States is a home for all who strive for equality regardless of color, sex, or ethnicity. May the Creator bless the United States of America and its enduring principles shared by all citizens of this great Nation.”

About the National Indian Gaming Association

The National Indian Gaming Association (NIGA), established in 1985, is a non-profit organization of 184 Indian Nations with other non-voting associate members representing organizations, tribes and businesses engaged in tribal gaming enterprises from around the country. The common commitment and purpose of NIGA is to advance the lives of Indian peoples economically, socially and politically. NIGA operates as a clearinghouse and educational, legislative and public policy resource for tribes, policymakers and the public on Indian gaming issues and tribal community development.

PRESS RELEASE: Valley Fever Prisoners Appeal to the Supreme Court

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Valley Fever Prisoners Appeal to the Supreme Court

Fatal Valley Fever Fungus

Washington, DC (Law Firm Newswire) July 5, 2019 – 117 prisoners appealed to the US Supreme Court on Friday in an action challenging California’s failure to move them out of harm’s way during a 2004-2014 valley fever epidemic in Central California. The disease ravaged the population in two facilities, Pleasant Valley State Prison and Avenal State Prison. The lead defendant in the action is former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. His administration did nothing.

In cases that are not fatal, it causes a continuum of adverse health complications starting with impediments to breathing (such as choking, coughing blood and feelings of suffocation), skin lesions, erosion of bones and joints, blindness, and colonization of other organs particularly in the spine and brain. Death is usually by some form of meningitis.

During the epidemic, contraction rates spiked to 600 times the danger level experienced in the rest of the state. These risks were consistently 10-50 times higher than the surrounding geographical area, known as the “hyperendemic zone,” which was already itself 10 times more dangerous than other areas of the state.

Nevertheless, Governor Schwarzenegger’s administration did nothing, affirmatively ignoring the recommendations of its own health experts. As a result, over the course of 10 years, the disease infected thousands of people. Today, the plaintiff pool reports mass health devastation.

Half of the infected inmates have been released and are now private American citizens. These former prisoners have families and otherwise lead a reformed life. They paid their debt to society. But they are saddled for life with management, hospitalizations, medication side effects, and other complications. The state incurred a debt to them and it has not been paid.

Prisoner lawsuits began in 2007 in federal court in Fresno, California. The US Supreme Court’s 1993 decision in Helling v. McKinney, 509 U.S. 25, 33-34 clearly requires officials to protect prisoners from diseases, or upon such failure, to compensate them for the resulting medical expenses and misery. The epidemic here represents a textbook case of cruel and unusual punishment in violation of the Eighth Amendment.

As a result of their inaction, approximately $100 million of taxpayer money was wasted in treating valley fever cases that could have been prevented. California prison management has repeatedly been cited by the courts for its failure to run a safe and efficient operation, especially in the area of prisoner over-crowding and medical care. The medical system was placed under receivership in 2005 and remains so today.

During World War II, US authorities holding captured German soldiers in Arizona agreed to move them out of harm’s way from the risk of valley fever. At the same time, in 1940, a Stanford scientist published criteria and other safety rules to minimize the disease’s epidemic impact.

That was 80 years ago.

Yet, Schwarzenegger’s administration has successfully argued in this case that its officials did not know that valley fever presented a risk that required it to do anything. Numerous formal warnings, medical alerts, inmate protests, and expert recommendations given to officials from 2004-2007 – and standard common decency – counseled them to implement a battery of precautions, including moving at-risk prisoners out of the Central Valley prisons.

However, as a political matter, all that could be accomplished at the time was for California’s prison construction industry to not build any more beds in the hyperendemic zone. The national mass incarceration effort was still in effect.

Even in spite of direct warnings to Governor Schwarzenegger, he held a press conference in September, 2007 announcing that despite the pending and ongoing epidemic, the state would “go ahead and build.” Schwarzenegger was later quietly overruled, but nothing was done about the prisoners already in harm’s way.

In response to their subsequent lawsuits, California has insisted that without prior specific instructions relating to valley fever from the courts, and despite all the warnings, Schwarzenegger and his officials were entitled to stand idly by and watch the epidemic play out, with the most severe consequences landing on African-Americans.

 

 

Their argument is founded in a legal doctrine called “qualified immunity,” which means in practical effect total unaccountability. The plaintiffs’ case was dismissed on this basis without any discovery, without a jury, and without a trial. In any other context, epidemic danger as depicted in the photo above, in which a business, government or other institution subjects a population to dramatically-elevated health risk, would require a trial and undoubtedly result in liability.

In 2012, Cal-Trans ignored a valley fever risk for workers on a Kern County highway project. A jury returned a verdict for four of the victims in the total amount of $12M, or $3M each.

Given the magnitude of Schwarzenegger’s mistakes, the current California government structure is looking to find any loophole to avoid a jury and to avert responsibility for the quantum of harm and personal human wreckage the 2007 administration inflicted on the prison population.

According to their legal position, Schwarzenegger and his officials are entitled to qualified immunity because no court case previously informed them of exactly what to do about valley fever. Yet the Supreme Court had published Helling v McKinney in 1993, directing government officials to take reasonable measures to protect prisoners from significant diseases. The government works around Helling by claiming it was not specific enough.

This is akin to the state arguing that while it was notified as a traffic matter to avoid oncoming cars, it was not specifically warned to avoid oncoming Toyotas. Ergo, it should be held unaccountable for the head-on collision it caused with the inmates’ Camry.

It is a rocky contention at best, but one that has been validated by the Ninth Circuit to date and one that will probably not be corrected because of the Supreme Court’s impossibly busy docket. It only has the capacity to accept 1 percent of the cases presented to it.

For plaintiffs like Theodore Parker, it’s hard news to hear. Serving time in Pleasant Valley in 2010 for theft of a cell phone, he watched as other inmates became seriously ill. He pleaded with authorities to move him out. Those protests were met with pressure on him to abandon the grievance.

Soon he became infected as well, formally diagnosed in 2012 and released in June, 2014. Since then, he, his wife and his daughter have left California for a less controversial life in Portland. His youthful indiscretions are behind him, but he still lives with the disease. Last year alone, he was sick for eight months straight, coughing uncontrollably. Despite the prospect of a lifetime of complications, “the worst part of it was the psychological stress when they refused to move me.”

Despite the continuing challenges with the case, he and the other plaintiffs are resolute. Most filed their petition to the High Court on June 24, 2019 (Case No 18-1590), and if that fails, some like Parker can litigate their own round of appeals back at the 9th Circuit next year. Barring a change of heart by the Ninth Circuit, a second petition to the US Supreme Court will be filed in 2022, lasting another year or two.

If there is no luck in the American courts, the prisoners intend to press their case against Schwarzenegger and California prison officials in the United Nations, through approximately 2026. The argument there is that his administration committed acts of cruelty in violation of Article 5 of the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

In summary, litigation over valley fever was initiated by prisoners twelve years ago, in 2007. By the time all of the victims are completely out of options it will be roughly 2026, or 19 years later.

For American businesses, governmental authorities and other institutions, the message is this. Upon detection of a risk of valley fever, or initiation of any outdoor industry in the hyperendemic zone of California and Arizona, the maximum number of precautions, including exclusion of high-risk persons and environmental suppression, should be implemented immediately and aggressively.

If farm workers, construction personnel, truck drivers, wards, or any other subordinates under a business or institution’s care get infected, the best case scenario is a lawsuit and possibly spend two decades in court, while the worst case scenario is that a lawsuit, and after five years in court, pay $3,000,000 per victim.

Benjamin Pavone, Esq.
Attorney for the Prisoners
619 224 8885
bpavone@cox.net

Contact:

PAVONE & FONNER, LLP
501 West Broadway, Suite 800
San Diego, California, 92101
Phone: 619 224 8885
Fax: 619 224 8886
Email: bpavone@cox.net
Website: https://www.pavone-fonner-llp.com/