Current Events in December 2024

TikTok fans and influencers, rejoice. The Supreme Court has agreed to hear the popular site's appeal of an order that it shut down or be acquired by a non-Chinese company by Jan. 19.

The court will hear arguments starting next month, an exceptionally fast track. In another break with procedure, the court did not ask the U.S. government to respond to TikTok's petition but simply granted it and put it on the calendar.

It took the court only two days to respond to the last-minute application asking it to declare that the law requiring TikTok to shed its Chinese ownership violates the First Amendment.

Interestingly, the court did not block the law while the case moves forward, meaning that it could fast-track arguments and issue a ruling before Jan. 19, the deadline that was set by the law passed by Congress and signed by President Biden.

The law came in response to fears that ByteDance is using TikTok to gather surveillance data or, perhaps, poison the minds of American youth with the seemingly frivolous content that has seized the country's imagination.

Much of what makes TikTok so attractive is the work of the so-called influencers and content creators who assemble short bits ranging from political satire to entertainment gossip. Young people feel that TikTok is "theirs" and defend it from accusations that it is part of a Cold War Chinese scheme to subvert U.S. interests. 

The law allows the President to extend the deadline for 90 days but it's not clear whether President-elect Trump is likely to do that. 

Trump's stance on TikTok has evolved over time. In 2020, during his first term, he tried to ban the app due to national security concerns but in his recent campaign, he opposed a ban, noting TikTok's popularity among young voters. 

Trump has suggested that ByteDance could sell TikTok to a U.S. company to address the security concerns. He has also criticized other social media platforms, labeling Facebook as an "enemy of the people."

A federal appeals court recently upheld a law requiring ByteDance to divest its U.S. operations or face a nationwide ban. The court said the law does not violate free speech.

With over 170 million U.S. users, TikTok has become a vital platform for news, entertainment, and small businesses. TikTok claims a month-long shutdown could cost U.S. small businesses more than $1 billion and harm free expression on one of the country’s leading platforms.

Taco Bell has introduced its latest menu item, and it’s one that many customers are sure to recognize from their favorite fast food chains – chicken nuggets. 

Starting on December 19, customers can try Taco Bell’s take on crispy chicken nuggets – which include a jalapeno buttermilk flavor, and a breading that combines tortilla chips and breadcrumbs. 

In addition to the chicken nuggets, Taco Bell is also working with Hidden Valley to create new dipping sauces – the Hidden Valley Fire Ranch sauce, new signature Bell Sauce, and Jalapeno Honey Mustard sauce. 

“As the inventors of Nacho Fries, Taco Bell is fully aware that reinventing an American classic with a Taco Bell twist is a responsibility we don’t take lightly. But in a world dominated by chicken cravings, it was time to show the world how Taco Bell does chicken nuggets – unexpected and undeniably bold,” said Taco Bell’s Chief Marketing Officer, Taylor Montgomery. 

“The Crispy Chicken Nuggets deliver a crispier, more flavorful nugget experience, and combined with the Hidden Valley Fire Ranch Sauce, we hope it will test people’s devotion to their favorite nuggets.”

“We’re thrilled to partner with Taco Bell on the new Hidden Valley Fire Ranch Sauce, combining the bold flavors of Hidden Valley Ranch with Taco Bell's signature heat,” said CC Ciafone, Marketing Director at Hidden Valley Ranch. “Ranch and chicken nuggets are an iconic pairing, so it just made sense to create a ranch perfectly designed for Taco Bell's unique twist on nuggets.”

New meal, deal offerings at Taco Bell

With the introduction of chicken nuggets, Taco Bell has also worked to create new meal offerings around its new menu item. Here’s what customers can expect: 

• 5-piece nugget  + 1 dipping sauce: $3.99

• 10-piece nugget + 2 dipping sauces: $6.99

• 5-piece nugget combo + 1 dipping sauce: $5.99

• 10-piece nugget combo + 2 dipping sauces: $8.99

• 5-piece nugget + 1 dipping sauce, Crunchy Taco, Beef Chalupa, regular Nacho Fries, and a medium fountain drink: $10.49

The combo meal at Taco Bell includes an order of regular Nacho Fries, nacho cheese sauce, and a large fountain drink. 

Taco Bell also explained that the chicken nuggets will only be available for a limited time. To entice customers to try them before they’re gone, the fast food chain has shared a number of digital deals for customers to take advantage of over the next few weeks. 

Here’s a look at how to save on Taco Bell’s newest menu item: 

• Order on DoorDash, UberEats, Postmates, Grubhub, or the Taco Bell app or website between 12/19 and 12/31 to receive a free fountain drink or freeze of any size with the purchase of a 5-piece nugget. 

• Starting January 1 and running through January 22, Taco Bell app users can get a regular order of Nacho Fries for $1 with the purchase of any 5- or 10-piece nugget. This reward will be available once per day. 

• On January 10, orders made on DoorDash, UberEats, and Grubhub will be eligible for a $1 order of a 5-count nugget. 

• On January 21, there will be a coupon available for a $1 order of a 5-count nugget, though only the first 20,000 Taco Bell rewards members will get access to it. 

The death of a homeowner often brings out the worst in a mortgage company, according to a report from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), which found that many homeowners say that mortgage companies try to push them into new, higher-interest loans instead of letting them keep their existing mortgage.

Additionally, homeowners often have to deal with delays and repeated requests for the same documents, sometimes lasting months or even years.

“When someone loses a spouse or goes through a divorce, the last thing they need is their mortgage servicer giving them the runaround or pushing them into an unaffordable loan,” said CFPB Director Rohit Chopra. “Mortgage servicers have clear obligations under federal law to help these homeowners.”

Survivors of domestic violence face extra challenges, such as mortgage companies sending important information to the abuser, putting their safety at risk. Mortgage servicers often blame issues on investor requirements or other technical problems rather than taking responsibility for poor service.

CFPB Director Rohit Chopra said that mortgage servicers are required by law to assist homeowners in these situations. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) also emphasized that surviving spouses of veterans should be able to assume their spouse's VA loan without delay.

Problems cited in the report

The CFPB’s report highlights several problems:

• Homeowners being pressured to take out higher-interest loans even when they can keep their existing loan.
• Long delays in processing paperwork.
• Refusals to release the original borrower from liability, even when the new homeowner has been making payments.
• Risks for domestic violence survivors, with servicers requiring the abuser’s consent for changes.

The Federal Trade Commission has announced the finalization of the Junk Fees Rule, aimed at prohibiting deceptive pricing practices in the live-event ticketing and short-term lodging sectors. The rule targets the use of "bait-and-switch" pricing, where consumers encounter unexpected fees during checkout, inflating the total cost beyond the advertised price.

"People deserve to know up-front what they’re being asked to pay—without worrying that they’ll later be saddled with mysterious fees that they haven’t budgeted for and can’t avoid," said FTC Chair Lina Khan. 

The FTC said the rule is expected to save Americans billions of dollars and millions of hours previously wasted on searching for the true cost of services.

The Junk Fees Rule requires that businesses must clearly disclose the total price, inclusive of all mandatory fees, whenever they advertise prices for live-event tickets or short-term lodging. This requirement aims to simplify comparison shopping for consumers and ensure a level playing field for businesses that adhere to honest pricing practices.

Two years in the making

The rule's development began in 2022, with the FTC seeking public input on the impact of hidden fees. The Commission crafted a rule after receiving more than 72,000 comments. It says the rule not only addresses consumer concerns but also maintains flexibility for businesses. It does not ban specific fees or pricing strategies but insists on transparency and truthfulness in advertising

The FTC estimates that the rule will save consumers up to 53 million hours annually, equating to more than $11 billion over the next decade. The rule requires that the most prominent price displayed in any advertisement be the all-inclusive total price, ensuring that consumers are not misled by partial pricing.

While the rule specifically targets the ticketing and lodging industries, the FTC said it will continue to monitor deceptive pricing practices in other sectors.