POLA and POLB Marine Terminal Gates Closed on Thursday, April 6, 2017, from 5 p.m. - PierPass
PierPass Inc. has been notified that the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) will observe a stop work meeting for union business on Thursday, April 6, 2017, starting at 5 p.m. As a result, no marine terminal gates at the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach will operate between the hours of 5:00 p.m. on April 6 through 3:00 a.m. on April 7. There will be no OffPeak shift Thursday night April 6.
Please check with individual terminals for substitute or alternative gates.
This labor shutdown falls under Rule 5 of the Marine Terminal Operator Schedule No. 1, which is available at:
http://www.pierpass.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/WCMTOA-Schedule-As-of-12-10-16.pdf
FTC Testifies Before Senate on Efforts to Combat Fraud - Federal Trade Commission
In testimony before Congress today, the Federal Trade Commission described its efforts to fight fraud, noting that during the past year the agency has obtained judgments totaling more than $11.9 billion to consumers harmed by deceptive and unfair business practices.
Testifying before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation’s Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Data Security, FTC Acting Chairman Maureen K. Ohlhausen and Commissioner Terrell McSweeny described law enforcement work to stop pernicious frauds that often harm those who can least afford to lose money.
The testimony stated that the FTC’s wide-ranging targets include imposter scams, where fraudsters call people and pretend to be government agents, well-known businesses, family members, or others, tricking consumers into sending money. The testimony described how the agency works with other federal and state law enforcement agencies as well as international partners to fight these frauds, including efforts against a massive fraud ring in India that took hundreds of millions of dollars from U.S. consumers.
The Commission continues to target telemarketing scams that harm consumers, such as technical support scams that falsely claim consumers’ computers are in need of repair, and robocall schemes that blast millions of prerecorded messages pitching fraudulent goods or services. The testimony noted that last year the Commission led a multinational crackdown with nearly 40 cases against operations responsible for billions of illegal robocalls.
The FTC also combats scams that harm small business owners and entrepreneurs. The testimony discussed two recent actions against companies charged with deceiving small businesses into paying for services that were not as represented. It described a recent case involving a deceptive patent promotion scheme, and the FTC’s case against Herbalife in which the FTC alleged that the multi-level marketer deceptively stated that people who joined its ranks would earn substantial income. The FTC obtained a settlement order requiring Herbalife to fully restructure its U.S. business operations and pay $200 million for consumer redress.
The testimony also described the agency’s efforts against a range of other frauds, including: 1) fake prize promotions, 2) “free” trial offers with recurring fees for products or services consumers never ordered, 3) scams aimed at people struggling to pay their mortgages and other debts, and 4) abusive debt collectors. It also mentioned the FTC’s work to stop deceptive and fraudulent schemes involving car purchases and refinancing, and noted the $10 billion settlement against Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. for deceiving consumers, and its historic $586 settlement with Western Union for its involvement in money transfer scams. The testimony noted the creation of an Office of Technology Research and Investigation to help the agency keep abreast of technology changes affecting consumers, and its consumer and business outreach and education programs that reach tens of millions of people and businesses each year.
In addition, the testimony stated that, as the agency has long called for, repealing the FTC Act’s common carrier exception, which puts common carriers subject to the Communications Act beyond the FTC’s enforcement authority, would improve the Commission’s ability to protect consumers from unfair or deceptive acts or practices.
The Commission vote approving the testimony and its inclusion in the formal record was 2-0.
USITC: News Releases - U.S. International Trade Commission
- 1,1,1,2-Tetrafluoroethane (R-134a) from China Injures U.S. Industry, Says USITC [3/23/17]
The United States International Trade Commission (USITC) today determined that a U.S. industry is materially injured by reason of imports of 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane (R-134a) from China that the U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) has determined are sold in the United States at less than fair value.
Chairman Rhonda K. Schmidtlein, Vice Chairman David S. Johanson, and Commissioners Irving A. Williamson, Meredith M. Broadbent, and F. Scott Kieff voted in the affirmative.
As a result of the USITC’s affirmative determination, Commerce will issue an antidumping duty order on imports of this product from China.
The Commission also made a negative finding with respect to critical circumstances with regard to imports of this product from China. As a result, goods sold at less than fair value that entered the United States prior to October 7, 2016 (date of Commerce’s affirmative preliminary determination), will not be subject to retroactive antidumping duties.
The Commission’s public report 1,1,1,2-Tetrafluoroethane (R-134a) from China (Investigation No. 731-TA-1312 (Final), USITC Publication 4679, April 2017) will contain the views of the Commission and information developed during the investigation.
The report will be available by April 26, 2017; when available, it may be accessed on the USITC website at: http://pubapps.usitc.gov/applications/publogs/qry_publication_loglist.asp.
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JAMAICA, N.Y. – This arriving passenger thought she had framed a picture-perfect concealment method, however U. S. Customs and Border Protection officers at John F. Kennedy International Airport exposed her plan.
On March 21, Ms. Fabiola Guerrero Mendoza, a Mexican Citizen, arrived at John F. Kennedy International Airport from Mexico City, Mexico and presented herself to CBP for inspection.
CBP agriculture specialists conducted a physical search of her baggage, and discovered three wooden frames that displayed an anomaly while being x-rayed. agriculture specialists consulted with CBP officers who then probed the picture frames revealing a white powder that tested positive for cocaine.
In total, approximately 14 lbs. of cocaine filled wooden picture frames were seized. Due to the concealment method, a street value cannot be determined at this time.
“CBP Officers remain ever vigilant in protecting the United States from the distribution of these dangerous drugs, regardless of the concealment methods employed by these would-be smugglers,” said Leon Hayward, acting Director of CBP’s New York Field Operations.
Ms. Mendoza was turned over to the Port Authority Police Department and will be prosecuted by the Queens County District Court for narcotics smuggling charges.
All defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Eating Fish: What Pregnant Women and Parents Should Know - Food & Drug Administration
FDA and EPA have issued advice regarding eating fish. This advice is geared toward helping women who are pregnant or may become pregnant - as well as breastfeeding mothers and parents of young children - make informed choices when it comes to fish that is healthy and safe to eat.
The advice includes a chart that makes it easier than ever to choose dozens of healthy and safe options, and a set of frequently asked questions & answers.
Learn more about this initiative in the Press Release and the Federal Register Notice Announcing the Advice.
FMCSA Declares Georgia Truck Driver to be an Imminent Hazard to Public Safety - Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has declared Georgia-licensed truck driver Christopher M. Speyrer to be an imminent hazard to public safety and has ordered him not to operate any commercial motor vehicle (CMV) in interstate commerce. Speyrer was served the federal order on March 10, 2017.
On October 16, 2016, Speyrer, a commercial driver’s license (CDL) holder, placed an emergency call for medical assistance from his parked tractor-trailer located at a truck stop in Greenwood, Louisiana. En route to the nearby hospital, Spreyrer admitted to the ambulance personnel that he had been using a Schedule II controlled substance, which use is prohibited by federal safety regulations.
Speyrer further claimed to the ambulance staff that he had been using the same Schedule II controlled substance, and consequently, had not slept for the previous five days.
Speyrer, instead, continued to operate a tractor-trailer.
On November 20, 2016, while operating a truck along Interstate 64 in Henrico County, Virginia, Speyrer was responsible for a multi-vehicle chain-reaction crash when he struck the rear of a car that had stopped due to traffic conditions. A Virginia court subsequently found Speyrer guilty of driving under the influence of alcohol
FMCSA’s imminent hazard out-of-service order states that Speyrer’s continued operation of a commercial motor vehicle in interstate commerce “ … substantially increases the likelihood of serious injury or death to you and the motoring public if not discontinued immediately.”
Failure to comply with the provisions of a federal imminent hazard out-of-service order may result in action by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for equitable relief and punitive damages. Civil penalties of up to $1,782 may be assessed for each violation of operating a commercial motor vehicle in violation of the order. Knowing and/or willful violation of the order may also result in criminal penalties.
Speyrer also may be subject to a civil penalty enforcement proceeding brought by FMCSA for his violation of the agency’s safety regulations.
FDA Approves First Treatment for Rare Form of Skin Cancer - Food & Drug Administration
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today granted accelerated approval to Bavencio (avelumab) for the treatment of adults and pediatric patients 12 years and older with metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC), including those who have not received prior chemotherapy. This is the first FDA-approved treatment for metastatic MCC, a rare, aggressive form of skin cancer.
“While skin cancer is one of the most common cancers, patients with a rare form called Merkel cell cancer have not had an approved treatment option until now,” said Richard Pazdur, M.D., acting director of the Office of Hematology and Oncology Products in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research and director of the FDA’s Oncology Center of Excellence. “The scientific community continues to make advances targeting the body’s immune system mechanisms for the treatment of various types of cancer. These advancements are leading to new therapies—even in rare forms of cancer where treatment options are limited or non-existent.”
According to the National Cancer Institute, approximately 1,600 people in the United States are diagnosed with MCC every year. While the majority of patients present with localized tumors that can be treated with surgical resection, approximately half of all patients will experience recurrence, and more than 30 percent will eventually develop metastatic disease. In patients with metastatic MCC, the cancer has spread beyond the skin into other parts of the body.
Bavencio targets the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway (proteins found on the body’s immune cells and some cancer cells). By blocking these interactions, Bavencio may help the body’s immune system attack cancer cells.
Bavencio received an Accelerated Approval, which enables the FDA to approve drugs for serious conditions to fill an unmet medical need using clinical trial data that is thought to predict a clinical benefit to patients. Further clinical trials are required to confirm Bavencio’s clinical benefit and the sponsor is currently conducting these studies.
Today’s approval of Bavencio was based on data from a single-arm trial of 88 patients with metastatic MCC who had been previously treated with at least one prior chemotherapy regimen. The trial measured the percentage of patients who experienced complete or partial shrinkage of their tumors (overall response rate) and, for patients with a response, the length of time the tumor was controlled (duration of response). Of the 88 patients who received Bavencio in the trial, 33 percent experienced complete or partial shrinkage of their tumors. The response lasted for more than six months in 86 percent of responding patients and more than 12 months in 45 percent of responding patients.
Common side effects of Bavencio include fatigue, musculoskeletal pain, diarrhea, nausea, infusion-related reactions, rash, decreased appetite and swelling of the limbs (peripheral edema). The most common serious risks of Bavencio are immune-mediated, where the body’s immune system attacks healthy cells or organs, such as the lungs (pneumonitis), liver (hepatitis), colon (colitis), hormone-producing glands (endocrinopathies) and kidneys (nephritis). In addition, there is a risk of serious infusion-related reactions. Patients who experience severe or life-threatening infusion-related reactions should stop using Bavencio. Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should not take Bavencio because it may cause harm to a developing fetus or a newborn baby.
The FDA granted this application Priority Review and Breakthrough Therapy designation. Bavencio also received Orphan Drug designation, which provides incentives to assist and encourage the development of drugs for rare diseases.
The FDA granted accelerated approval of Bavencio to EMD Serono Inc.
The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, and products that give off electronic radiation, and for regulating tobacco products.