In this issue;

- Obama Uses Recess Appointment to Name Cordray CFPB Head

On Wednesday, President Obama used an unprecedented recess appointment—while Congress remained in "pro forma" session—to name Richard Cordray head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”) after the Senate refused to give Cordray’s nomination an up-or-down vote last month.

- AT&T Settles Unwanted Cell Phone Charge Allegations with Florida AG

On December 30, the Florida Attorney General’s office announced that it had reached a multi-million settlement with AT&T Mobility, resolving allegations that the company charged Florida customers’ cell phone bills for a roadside assistance program without obtaining customers’ consent.

- FCC Seeks Disclosure of Corporate Interests in TV News Broadcasts

According to a January 3 Washington Post story, the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) has proposed more stringent regulations requiring the 1,500 commercial TV stations in the United States to disclose any corporate interests involved in their newscasts.

- ERSP Sets High Standards for Body-Shaping Claims

In the January 2012 issue of Electronic Retailer, Venable’s Gregory J. Sater discusses how two recent decisions by the Electronic Retailing Self-Regulatory Program (“ERSP”) highlight the tougher stand the program is taking on the claims marketers make about body-shaping products and the substantiation of those claims.

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