TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Ashley Moody is taking action against Google for multiple violations of federal and state antitrust and consumer protection laws—including anticompetitive conduct, exclusionary practices, and false and deceptive misrepresentations in connection with its role in the multitrillion-dollar online-display advertising industry. Google also made false and deceptive misrepresentations to consumers regarding Google’s privacy practices. Google’s monopolization of online-display advertising involves an anticompetitive agreement with Facebook, making misrepresentations to users and customers, and suppressing competition. Attorney General Moody is joined by a bipartisan multistate coalition of 14 other state attorneys general in the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas.
Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “For far too long, Google has used its size and position as one of the largest tech giants in the world to manipulate and unfairly monopolize the marketplace. The core of American economic success lies on our foundation of capitalism and a free, fair and competitive marketplace.
“Google knowingly and willingly monopolized the products and services used by advertisers in online-display advertising. The company also engaged in false and deceptive acts while buying and selling the online-display ads. Through their monopolization and deceptive acts, Google greatly decreased other publishers’ ability to monetize their content while simultaneously increasing costs to advertisers. Most of all, Google harmed consumers, including the millions of Floridians who use the search engine daily.” Continue reading
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Ashley Moody today issued a Consumer Alert warning Floridians of the possibility of a resurgence in stimulus payment scams as another round of direct payments from the federal government head to Florida. As part of a massive COVID-19 relief package, direct payments from the Internal Revenue Service are headed to the bank accounts and mailboxes of millions of Floridians—creating the potential for new stimulus payment scams. Anytime a government benefit or program rolls out, scammers will try to exploit the situation for their own benefit.
Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “With many Americans set to receive direct payments from the federal government, we expect scammers will devise schemes to exploit the massive spending to trick recipients into parting with personal or financial information. Be smart. Seek out trusted sources of information about when your payment will be received and never respond to solicitations asking you to provide personal information or payment to receive a stimulus check.”
Floridians expecting stimulus payments should know:
The IRS will never call a consumer directly, nor will the IRS send unsolicited emails, texts or social media messages;
Recipients will not be required to make a purchase to receive a stimulus check;
Offers advertising expedited delivery of the stimulus payment for a fee are suspicious and can be scams; and
Solicitations asking receivers to click a link or provide sensitive information are probably scams. Continue reading
Anything that takes your attention away from driving can be a distraction. There is no doubt that the improvement of technology in today’s society has greatly benefited our society as a whole. But, sending a text message, talking on a cell phone or using a navigation system creates hazardous road conditions. These and any other distractions, such as tending to kids or passengers in the back seat, eating, watching an event outside of the vehicle, interacting with passengers, unsecured pets, putting on makeup or grooming, adjusting radio or climate controls, checking your GPS app or daydreaming. These distractions can endanger you, your passengers, and others on the road.
There are three main types of distraction:
- Visual-taking your eyes off the road,
- Manual-taking your hands off the wheel
- Cognitive- taking your mind off driving.
Texting while driving has been proven dangerous beyond dispute due to the fact that it requires all three distractions at once to complete. Taking one’s eyes off the road for the average 5-6 second text, is enough to travel the length of a football field at 55 MPH. Continue reading
FREEDOM SHOT yes I heard a woman in a restaurant interview call her COVID-19 inoculation her Freedom Shot. Anthony Fauci got into a confrontation with Ran Paul over wearing a mask. I think Ran Paul said, “isn’t it just theater?” If you get a Freedom Shot and you can’t spread the COVID-19 and you can’t catch it why would you wear a mask? Ran Paul is suppose to be a very highly respected ophthalmologist. So he can discuss this as a Doctor as well as a Senator.m Rand Paul said to Fauci you have been vaccinated and your still wearing a mask. That is sending a message to the people we will never get back to normalcy.
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I read on the internet there were over 6,000 people died doing the pre 2022 World Cup work. Workers were from Qatar, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, and India. Some say the workers were Exploited and in some cases forced to work! The temperature in Qatar goes well over 100. Investigations are going on, more info in the future.
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Blowing out someone else candle does not make yours shine brighter! It does make you the only person with a light candle! Continue reading
This column was prepared by the CEP and recently ran in Expansion Solutions magazine. It describes why companies are considering relocating to the Ocala Metro.
If the Ocala Metro is not on your company’s search radar, it needs to be! Located at the crossroads of the Florida peninsula, the Ocala Metro is crossed by I-75 and is met by US Hwy 301 and just north of the Florida Turnpike. These intersections create the connectivity to service Florida’s 22 million and growing population as well as providing ease of access to the lower Southeast United States.
Is logistics important to your business? The all important one-days truck drive (6-hours each way) reaches 34 million people when centered on Ocala. This is a 39% premium over the I-4 corridor and connects Atlanta to Miami. This is key logistical fact is a primary reason companies like Amazon, AutoZone, Chewy, FedEx Ground, McLane, and Dollar Tree have opened new distribution facilities in the area in just the last few years.
Ocala prides itself on delivering facilities and permits almost as quickly as we can speed your logistics. Expediting permitting is not only a goal but a standard operating procedure with local governments committed to partnering to ensure your spending time and capital on actually constructing facilities and not battling city hall. Shovel ready sites in the Metro are truly that – shovel ready. With nearly 2000 acres of fully infrastructured, ready to develop industrial sites, your business can find the site it needs today. Continue reading
Dear Friends,
This is the last column of the 2021 Legislative Session and by next month we will be ready to report on what all transpired during our time in Tallahassee. This session may be one of the most impactful years we’ve had in the Florida Senate. Even though we’ve filed less bills than previous years, the substance of the few that we have are some really big lifts. Here’s an update on some of those.
SB 90, a bill filed by your Senator, addresses a number of issues related to election administration and vote-by-mail. Simply put, we’re looking to eliminate potentially weak areas of our voting process and ensure Florida’s citizens that it will be easy to vote, but very hard to cheat. One provision in SB 90 addresses ballot harvesting so that no person may possess a ballot other than his or her own and those of immediate family members. We are eliminating the use of drop boxes so that the ballot harvesting prohibition can be enforced and to prevent bad actors from having the opportunity to spoil ballots. The second largest provision in the bill expands the timeframe for canvassing vote-by-mail ballots, providing that one vote-by-mail ballot request is good for all elections through the next regularly scheduled general election. Current law states that one request is good for all elections through the next two general elections. This change is necessary to provide voters with more flexibility to decide which method of voting they want to utilize, instead of being locked in for two cycles. Continue reading
Apparently there is a growing movement across the USA to give voting citizens the power to ‘veto’
some of the ridiculous actions of elected representatives from the president (regardless of party) on down to state and local government.
There isn’t much space in a column like this, but suffice to refer to what little we know about the recent COVID ‘Bail-Out-Bill’
What was in it?
Over 900 pages stuffed with earmarks, totally unrelated pork – money going to foreign countries and to obscure government agencies that we never heard of.
Unfortunately this is common practice, and the federal Government is the worst offender.
Some activists call their plan the “Single Subject Rule” or “Single Issue Rule”.
The idea is that no proposed law, including Presidential Executive Orders, could cover more than one subject. Continue reading
Meet Martha Hoffman. ”Bringing The World To Your Door, Like Nothing Else You Are Doing, Will!” Martha’s video’s bring you a ground view, a slightly elevated view and a arial view. All in a three dimensional view.
A Banyan Residence open house Ribbon Cutting by Lady Lake Chamber of Commerce. Pictured of the owners in from left Blake, Brandon Anderson and Greg Anderson on the right, the lady standing in the back ground in the red jacket was mayor Ruth Kussard. Many questions were being ask during the many tours so we thought we would do a question and answer story.
- Let me tell you about A Banyan Residence. What services are available at the facility?
- A Banyan Residence is an assisted living and memory care resort that is owned and operated by the founding family. Our family started in assisted living and memory care in 1998 with a unique concept that emphasized an independent and outdoor lifestyle that we’ve built into our design here in The Villages area. By dedicating three full acres to botanical butterfly gardens, waterfall koi fish ponds, walking paths, gazebos, and the like, we find seniors are able to relax peacefully in a home-like and comfortable environment. We also offer a giant clubhouse full of amenities to keep residents active from sun up to sun down. We have amenities such as a movie theater, hair salon, physical fitness gym, ice cream parlor, bistro, crafts room, library, and a state-of-the-art sensory room showing off cutting edge technology geared for senior living.
Beyond the building design itself, we are staffed and trained to provide any necessary assistance to keep our residents independent for as long as possible while still making sure their daily needs are met. Our custom culinary program is designed to provide exquisite meals that would go unrivaled in the industry. Our enrichment program keeps seniors of all types stimulated, active, and social with both on-campus daily events but also in the community, such as attending polo matches, live concerts, restaurant openings, and so on. Finally, our care program allows for seniors to rely on our staff to bridge the gap physically and mentally to achieve independence in their day-to-day lives while maintaining dignity and integrity. Continue reading
Tallahassee, Fla. – Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced more than $4.6 million in awards to communities in Northwest Florida that were impacted by Hurricane Michael through the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity’s (DEO) Rural Infrastructure Fund (RIF). In 2020, the Florida Legislature created a special appropriation for RIF projects in Calhoun, Gadsden, Holmes, Jackson, Liberty, and Washington Counties. These funds were appropriated to bolster infrastructure and promote economic development in these rural communities.
“My administration remains committed to areas still recovering from past storms,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “This $4.5 million will go a long way toward giving some of the rural areas affected by Hurricane Michael the extra boost they need to attract investment and improve their economies.”
The Rural Infrastructure Fund is administered by DEO and provides funding to facilitate the planning, preparing, and financing of infrastructure projects in rural communities. Improving current infrastructure encourages job creation, capital investment, and the strengthening and diversification of rural economies through the promotion of tourism, trade, and economic development.
“I extend my appreciation to Governor DeSantis and the Florida Legislature for their continued commitment to assist Northwest Florida communities impacted by Hurricane Michael through the special appropriation of Rural Infrastructure Funds,” said Dane Eagle, Executive Director of the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity. “We look forward to working with these rural communities to help foster economic development and infrastructure projects in this region.” Continue reading
