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SD public defense duties shift from counties to state; SCOTUS appears skeptical of restricting government communications with social media companies; Trump lawyers say he can't make bond; new scholarships aim to connect class of 2024 to high-demand jobs.

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The SCOTUS weighs government influence on social media, and who groups like the NRA can do business with. Biden signs an executive order to advance women's health research and the White House tells Israel it's responsible for the Gaza humanitarian crisis.

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Midwest regenerative farmers are rethinking chicken production, Medicare Advantage is squeezing the finances of rural hospitals and California's extreme swing from floods to drought has some thinking it's time to turn rural farm parcels into floodplains.

Congressional Committee Dials Up Anti-Robocall Legislation

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Wednesday, July 17, 2019   

LANSING, Mich. – Those annoying robocalls that drive people crazy are the targets of a bill before the U.S. House Subcommittee on Communications and Technology today.

The "Stopping Bad Robocalls Act" would require the Federal Communications Commission to adopt consumer-protection rules, forcing telecom companies to install technology that would identify and block more of the calls.

Maureen Mahoney, a Consumer Reports policy analyst, said many come from scammers who manipulate caller ID displays to make it look like their call is coming from a local number.

"Many of these calls have spoofed caller ID, and that makes it trickier to block these calls," she said. "So, by requiring technology that would authenticate caller ID, phone companies will be better enabled to automatically block calls with confidence."

The bill, which has bipartisan support, also would make it easier to pursue violators. According to the company You Mail, which tracks spam calls, Americans received almost 48 billion robocalls in 2018, an increase of more than 56% over the year before.

Mahoney said the Do-Not-Call Registry has failed to protect consumers, especially from calls coming from outside the United States or from debt collectors or political campaigns. She said some phone companies already are offering to help their customers with this issue.

"Some phone companies have started to implement free tools that will help identify and block robocalls before they reach the consumer," she said. "So, I would reach out to your phone company and ask them what tools they offer for free that are advanced and effective in stopping these calls."

The legislation also would prevent phone companies from charging customers for the anti-robocall technology.

The text of HR 3375 is online at energycommerce.house.gov.


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