New Federal Trade Commission Rule
Targets Fake Business Reviews
A new Federal Trade Commission rule took effect last week that seeks to ban business reviews generated by artificial intelligence or ones that are internally fabricated.
It also created an opportunity for consumer-oriented attorneys and corporate lawyers who defend against consumer lawsuits.
Business reviews often are attached to internet-based listings for businesses. They can bring in new customers or scare them away.
The U.S. Public Interest Research Group estimates that 90 percent of online shoppers base their purchase decisions partly on reviews.
Some businesses use forged reviews to praise their own services as part of a marketing strategy.
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D.C. Whistleblower Employee
Wins $3.4 Million After Firing
A former District of Columbia employee won a $3.4 million award this month after a jury decided she was fired for being a whistleblower about illegal city contracting.
Maureen Hill, a former D.C. Office of Contracting and Procurement employee, was fired months after she told an internal watchdog and her bosses about what appeared to be improper contract splitting.
Contract splitting refers to dividing a large contract into smaller units to avoid stricter oversight of big contracts.
The D.C. Council must approve contracts only if they are valued over $1 million. Councilmembers also monitor performance of the largest contracts.
Attorneys for the D.C. government said in court Hill was fired for poor performance, not whistleblowing.
The Superior Court believed Hill and found that the city violated D.C.’s whistleblower law.
The D.C. Whistleblower Protection Act forbids supervisors from retaliating against employees of the city or its contractors because of the employees’ disclosures of illegal activity or refusal to comply with illegal orders. Employees who suffer retaliation can sue in D.C. Superior Court.
Hill was contract supervisor in the D.C. Office of Contracting and Procurement in 2016. She oversaw D.C. Department of Health contracts.
Months after her appointment, she met with Office of Contracting and Procurement integrity and compliance officials to discuss her concerns about apparent efforts to avoid scrutiny on Department of Health contracts. She also mentioned it to her supervisor.
She told them contracts on information technology and increasing Department of Health staffing were split into smaller contracts with one company.
Judge Releases More Documents
In Trump Election Interference Case
Donald Trump’s reelection campaign is suffering another public relations fiasco after a federal judge in Washington, D.C., overseeing his criminal prosecution for election interference released more incriminating documents.
Most of them are public documents and an appendix but a few of them portray Trump as being unconcerned about the riot he incited at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
The documents are part of the evidence U.S. District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan is using to determine whether Trump should be immune from prosecution. He claims “absolute immunity” because of his status as president at the time.
The special prosecutor filed the documents to demonstrate Trump was acting in his personal capacity – not as president – and should therefore be criminally liable.
The documents show the rally was at least partly privately funded, rather than a government operation.
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D.C. Council Legislation Would Require
More Electric Vehicle Charging Stations
Legislation approved unanimously last week by the District of Columbia Council would make the nation’s capital a leader in installing infrastructure for electric vehicles.
The “right to charge” law would require installation of EV charging stations at multi-unit apartment and condominium complexes. They would have to be set up in parking garages or lots.
Other provisions of the law would require property managers to set aside parking spaces for EV automobiles. In addition, homeowners could qualify for financial assistance to install EV chargers at their homes.
The legislation was written by Democrat Charles Allen, who also chairs the D.C. Council’s Transportation and Environment Committee.
“We need people to go electric – and fast,” said Allen, who also has advocated for Washington, D.C., to play a role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. “This bill sends a clear signal that coming soon, there are going to be a lot of chargers available in places where people live, work, and shop.”
Mayor Muriel Bowser is scheduled to decide whether to sign the bill into law within days.
Sales of the vehicles have struggled because of the high costs, limited range before they need to be recharged and the small number of charging stations.
Nevertheless, they are gaining popularity because of their environmental friendliness.
As of 2023, there were around 8,100 electric vehicles registered in the District of Columbia, an increase of 37 percent from 2022, according to the federal Joint Office of Energy and Transportation.
There are more than one thousand public EV charging ports spread among 317 locations in Washington, according to the D.C. Council.
Allen’s bill would establish a quota for charging stations the city would install. It would be set at 5 percent of the projected number of registered vehicles in any year, which would be likely to result in thousands of new charging stations if current trends in EV ownership continue.
Supreme Court Rejects States’ Plea
To Stop EPA’s Power Plant Rules
The U.S. Supreme Court decided last week that the Environmental Protection Agency can begin enforcing strict new rules on power plant emissions despite efforts by conservative states to block them.
The rules have the effect of moving the nation away from fossil fuels to generate electricity.
"[Fossil fuel-fired power plants] are the nation's largest stationary sources of greenhouse gases," the EPA said in a brief. "Greenhouse gases drive severe, and at times catastrophic, climate change impacts that are manifesting themselves in the form of massive hurricanes, intense heat waves, rising sea levels, extreme weather, and other harms."
Dozens of Republican-led states and utilities filed a request for an emergency stay with the Supreme Court.
They said the rules exceed the EPA’s authority and would hurt their economies, particularly in coal-producing states like West Virginia and Ohio.
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