PRC Commissioners Pay a Visit to USPS Processing Plants in Georgia

Parade magazine, the supplement that has for 80 years run in newspapers nationwide, will publish its last print edition on November 6. The family oriented magazine will now appear in digital editions only. The news comes just months after The Arena Group acquired Parade’s parent, AMG/Parade, for $16.3 million. The Arena Group announced the shift to digital in an email to newspapers that carry Parade.

In an interesting and potentially significant move for the scholarly publishing world, the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada has granted a preliminary injunction against a major journal publisher and conference organizer in response to a complaint by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The injunction was granted on the basis of the Court’s analysis of evidence provided by the FTC and its finding that the FTC’s complaint, if allowed to proceed, “is likely to succeed on the merits” and that the public interest would be served by granting it. The FTC alleges that OMICS Group and its affiliates iMedPub LLC and Conference Series Ltd have engaged in a variety of “unfair and deceptive practices with respect to the publication of online academic journals and organization of scientific conferences,” including: •Falsely claiming to provide rigorous peer review of articles submitted for publication in their journals; •Claiming as “editors” individuals who never received manuscripts to review or edit, or who never even agreed to be appointed as editors — some of whom say that OMICS ignored or refused their demands that they be removed from journal mastheads; •Sending solicitations to potential authors on behalf of other academics, without the latter’s permission or knowledge; •Giving their journals names “nearly identical to other respected journals, which has led to consumers mistakenly submitting articles to Defendants’ journal”; Click Read More below for additional information.

In an increasingly digital world, Keep Me Posted recognizes that many of us still prefer to receive bills, medical records and other important, confidential communications in paper format. Many consumers report difficulties in using new payment technologies and many require paper communications. This can include older adults, disabled people, low-income earners (who can’t afford costly broadband internet) and those with no home internet (often located in rural areas) or computers. Even for those who prefer digital communications, storing or accessing sensitive documents online could lead to disaster in the event of data breaches and identity theft which are becoming more common every year. Yet each day, more companies are forcing us to go paperless and even charging us inflated fees for online access to critical personal and financial documents. One study also revealed that new utility customers paid significantly later when they received bill invoices by email. If this happens, you might be charged late fees and harassment from debt collectors – and even your credit rating could suffer. In a recent survey, 90% of people said they’d like to have the right to choose how they receive communications (printed or electronic). It’s time to make our voices heard.