New rule protects consumers from unscrupulous debt relief firms (The Starting Point)

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A new Federal Trade Commission rule meant to reign in the deceptive practices of for-profit debt relief services will take effect this week, The San Francisco Chronicle reported.

The Better Business Bureau has received more than 6,000 complaints about debt relief companies since December 2007. Many of these credit counseling, debt settlement and debt negotiation services advertise on late-night television and charge advance fees to cover their marketing costs, The Tulsa World reported.

Beginning Wednesday, the FTC will have the legal authority to ban debt relief firms from charging or collecting these upfront retainers until a debt has been settled and the customer has started to make payments. The new rule also requires these companies to:

* Back up their advertising claims

* Provide a written settlement agreement or debt management plan

* Tell customers how much their services cost

* List all potential penalties

* Explain how long customers will have to wait before seeing results

The government's crackdown on debt relief firms recently forced American Tax Relief to shut down. Earlier this month, federal officials filed a lawsuit accusing the California-based firm of bilking 20,000 customers out of more than $60 million for worthless tax relief services. The suit also claims the company charged customers' credit cards without their authorization and gave few refunds.

"While pushing people even deeper into debt, the owners of this enterprise were living in a house in Beverly Hills worth $3.4 million and keeping a garage full of a Ferrari, two Porsches, two Mercedes Benzes, a Bentley and a Rolls Royce," David Vladeck, director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection, said. "They don't even buy American."

Consumers are urged to avoid these debt relief firms by working directly with their creditors. People who owe back taxes may set up installment payments with the IRS if they can't afford to pay all their debt at once.

What happened overnight

Tariq Aziz, Saddam Hussein's longtime foreign minister, was sentenced to death today for persecuting members of Shiite religious parties in Iraq, The Associated Press reported. Aziz, 74, has 30 days to appeal the ruling. If the Appeals' Court upholds the death sentence and the Iraqi president signs off on the execution order, Aziz will be hanged.

Somalia, Myanmar and Afghanistan have been named the most corrupt countries in the world, Reuters reported. The Berlin-based watchdog Transparency International issued its annual index, which ranks 178 nations for public sector corruption. Denmark, New Zealand and Singapore received the top scores for having the highest level of integrity. The U.S. fell to 22nd from 19th last year.

Indonesia's most volatile volcano has started to erupt, The AP reported. Just before dawn, Mount Merapi began spewing gusts of hot ash 150 feet into the air. Scientists say the pressure building beneath the volcano's lava dome could trigger one of the most powerful blasts in years. On Monday, Indonesia experienced a powerful, 7.7-magnitude earthquake that triggered a tsunami. At the time of this writing, at least 23 people were killed. More than 160 others are currently missing.

Most read overnight

President Barack Obama has appointed more openly gay officials than any other president in U.S. history, The AP reported. Gay activists say the estimate of more than 150 appointments surpasses the previous high of about 140 appointments, which was reached during President Bill Clinton's two terms in office.

Readers were also interested in this AFP obituary for Paul, the oracle octopus. Paul fascinated soccer fans by correctly predicting the outcome of several World Cup games, including Spain's 1-0 win over the Netherlands in the final. Paul died today at the Sea Life aquarium in Germany.

Public opinion

Today's poll: Should voters be required to pass the same test given to immigrants applying for citizenship? Click here to share your thoughts.

Monday's poll: Should overflowing shelters be allowed to euthanize healthy animals? Half of the respondents voted no, 40 percent chose yes and 11 percent said maybe.

Just the facts, ma'am

John E. Potter, one of the nation's longest serving postmasters general, plans to retire in December. --AP

A whale shark has 300 rows of teeth and about 27,000 of them altogether. --National Geographic Channel

The Hotel Arctic is the most northerly 4-star hotel in the world. --Forbes

Today in history

In 1881, lawman Wyatt Earp, his two brothers and "Doc" Holliday confronted Ike Clanton's gang in a gunfight at the OK Corral in Tombstone, Ariz. Three members of Clanton's gang were killed; Earp's brothers were wounded.

Birthdays

* Figure skater Sasha Cohen, 26.
* Actor Jon Heder, 33.
* Writer/producer Seth MacFarlane, 37.
* Actor Anthony Rapp, 39.
* Actress Rosemarie DeWitt, 39.
* Actor Tom Cavanagh, 42.
* Singer Natalie Merchant, 47.
* Actor Cary Elwes, 48.
* Actor Dylan McDermott, 49.
* Actress Rita Wilson, 54.
* Musician Bootsy Collins, 59.
* Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, 63.
* Game show host Pat Sajak, 64.
* Author Pat Conroy, 65.
* Actress Jaclyn Smith, 65.
* Actor Bob Hoskins, 68.

Notable deaths

* Social activist Elizabeth Cady Stanton died in 1902 at the age of 86.
* Mystery novelist Tony Hillerman died in 2008 at the age of 83.

Video of the day

Quote of the day

"The right to be heard does not automatically include the right to be taken seriously." --Hubert H. Humphrey

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2010 North Carolina's 8th District race: Larry Kissell has tough competition vs. Harold Johnson (The Newsroom)

By Christopher Berenger, Associated Content

Republican Harold Johnson pleased Republican leaders by besting primary opponent Tim D'Annunzio, a well-funded but off-message millionaire. Their odds of defeating Larry Kissell, a candidate who lost to former Rep. Robin Hayes by a tiny percentage in 2006 and who still had a close win when President Obama helped many down-state tickets during the 2008 presidential race, are mixed. This is a mid-term in a tough economy, meaning Democrats are disadvantaged in swing districts; all the same, Kissell is slightly favored to win.

Candidates for North Carolina's 8th Congressional District (two-year term)
(This district includes all or portions of Hoke, Cabarrus, Stanly, Montgomery, Union, Mecklenburg, Anson, Richmond and Scotland counties, as well as the cities of Albemarle, Concord and Laurinburg. See a boundary map here.)

Candidate: Larry Kissell

Party: Democrat

Political experience: Kissell was elected to the U.S. House in North Carolina's 8th District in 2008. He serves on the House Agriculture Committee and House Armed Services Committee.

Professional experience: Kissell had a 27-year career in textiles and was a social studies teacher for seven years before becoming a U.S House representative.

Key issues: Kissell has introduced legislation that brought more than $1 billion in funding for the district and $1 million for a USDA Human Nutrition Center at the North Carolina Research Campus in Kannapolis. He's introduced tax deductions for teachers paying out-of-pocket costs on classroom supplies.

In discussing his accomplishments on his website, he says he's also added amendments that call for commodity-trading boards to have greater diversity -- including farmers, ranchers, and grain elevator operators.

Endorsements: Veterans' Vision and the North Carolina AFL-CIO support Kissell.

Chances of maintaining his seat: Funding won't decide the race alone, as Kissell's advantage is only somewhat better than his opponent's, according to fund-raising data on OpenSecrets.org. Both candidates have spent roughly the same amount of money so far on the race, and Kissell has a fair amount more than Johnson. Kissell has $292,993 while Johnson has $81,730. But Kissell is likely to keep his seat this election.

Candidate: Harold Johnson

Party: Republican

Political experience: Johnson has no political experience.

Professional experience: Johnson is a Marine veteran and former TV and radio journalist. He was a four-time Emmy-winner as Mid-South's Sportscaster of the Year.

Key issues: Johnson wants to stop illegal immigration immediately by any means necessary -- a physical fence, a virtual fence, more border patrol officers or National Guard, he says. He is against amnesty and immigration reform.

Based on what he says on his website, Johnson wants to make energy independence for this country a major part of his future legislative agenda. He feels the Gulf oil spill offers lessons on energy independence, such as working on new technologies and renewable-energy sources. However, he is opposed to cap and trade legislation that he calls a job-killer.

Endorsements: Johnson has been endorsed by former North Carolina Gov. James G. Martin, NASCAR Champion Darrell Waltrip, representatives Walter Jones, Virginia Foxx, Howard Coble, Sue Myrick, Patrick McHenry and former Rep. Robin Hayes.

Chances of unseating Larry Kissell: While it will likely be a close election, Johnson got through a bruising primary with a runoff and Kissell had no real difficulty with his primary. While Kissell is a definite target for the GOP, they may choose to spend extra advertising dollars in a more certain market.

Key Differences between Harold Johnson and Larry Kissell

Jobs: Johnson suggests that since Kissell took office, the district has lost 25,000 jobs. He says the only way to improve the economy is to reduce bureaucratic red tape, cut taxes and streamline regulations. He would lower the corporate tax from 35 percent to 25 percent. Kissell defends his record by saying he introduced an act to require the sale of TARP-related assets to be applied to the national debt. He added amendments to legislation that would require national security and TSA purchases to be American-made.

Defense and the military: Kissell says he has added amendments to legislation that helped give a contract to a defense company in the district and requires evaluation of the Pope Airfield in preparation to protect against BRAC. He also backed amendments to require the Department of Defense to consider the overall cost of a weapon systems' life-cycle. Johnson says the system of homeland defense isn't working, and that the borders aren't secure enough. He wants the U.S. attorney general to transfer the 9/11 conspirators and Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the would-be bomber of Northwest Flight 253 in 2009, to military custody for a military tribunal.

North Carolina's 8th U.S. Congressional District

Location: North Carolina's 8th District is located in the southern part of the state along the South Carolina border. It borders Charlotte on the west and Fayetteville on the eastern tip of the district.

2008 results: Kissell received 55 percent of the vote to Republican Robin Hayes' 45 percent.

Demographics: According to the U.S. Census, 57.7 percent of the district is white, 27.6 percent black, 9.2 percent Hispanic, 1.8 percent Asian, and 1.5 percent American Indian and Alaska Native.

The Cook Partisan Index gives the North Carolina 8th District a rating of R+2, awarding a slight edge to Republican candidates in this district. 

Content provided by Associated Content from Yahoo! 
Caption: North Carolina's 8th Congressional District
Credit: NationalAtlas.gov
Copyright: NationalAtlas.gov

Hillary Clinton tries to forget 63rd birthday

By The Associated Press

It was clear that U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton didn't want to be reminded of her 63rd birthday.

When Austrian Foreign Minister Michael Spindelegger told a small group of reporters during a Tuesday meeting with Clinton that it was her birthday, she interrupted saying: "Oh dear!"

As the diplomats and journalists burst into laughter, Spindelegger said: "25th birthday!"

Clinton responded saying: "It coincides with National Austria Day. I'm very excited about that!"

There was more laughter — and then both answered questions about another event being marked on Tuesday, the 10th anniversary of the first U.N. Security Council resolution calling for women to have decision-making positions at every level of peacemaking and peacebuilding.

Clinton and Spindelegger addressed the ministerial meeting of the council.

View the original article here

New York murder rate soars 15% (AAP)

New York's murder rate has increased by more than 15 per cent over the last year, according to the latest figures.