{"id":3784,"date":"2022-08-03T04:20:47","date_gmt":"2022-08-03T04:20:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/bloomingtonnews.online\/?p=3784"},"modified":"2022-08-03T04:20:49","modified_gmt":"2022-08-03T04:20:49","slug":"local-news-headlines-august-3-2022","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bloomingtonnews.online\/?p=3784","title":{"rendered":"Local News Headlines: August 3, 2022"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Duke Energy seeks second consecutive Indiana rate hike<\/strong>
Duke Energy, just a month after implementing an approved rate hike for Indiana customers, is seeking another increase. Duke Energy filed for a 7.2% increase which would be scheduled to begin in October, if approved by the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission. The request is being justified due to \u201ca significant and prolonged rise\u201d of energy prices. Duke Energy says that the typical monthly increase would be roughly $12, although this proposal coupled with other implemented increases will represent around a $40 monthly hike from what customers were paying last Fall.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Indiana leading the formation of nationwide bipartisan Anti-Robocall Litigation Task Force <\/strong>
After years of fighting intrusive robocalls, Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita announced Indiana as a leader of the nationwide Anti-Robocall Litigation Task Force, which will include 50 attorneys general. The task force will investigate and take legal action against the telecommunications companies responsible for bringing a majority of foreign robocalls into our country. This bipartisan national task force has one goal: to stop illegal robocalls. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The new task force, led by Indiana, Ohio, and North Carolina, has issued 20 civil investigative demands to 20 gateway providers and other entities that are allegedly responsible for a majority of foreign robocall traffic. Gateway providers that bring foreign traffic into the US telephone network have a responsibility to ensure the traffic is legal, but these providers are not taking sufficient action to stop robocall traffic. In many cases, they appear to be intentionally turning a blind eye in exchange for steady revenue. The task force will focus on the bad actors throughout the telecommunications industry to help reduce robocallers\u2019 assault on Hoosiers.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the National Consumer Law Center and Electronic Privacy Information Center, over 33 million scam robocalls are made to Americans every day. These scam calls include Social Security Administration fraud targeting seniors, Amazon scams targeting consumers, and many other scams harassing all consumers, including some of our most vulnerable citizens. An estimated $29.8 billion dollars was stolen through scam calls in 2021. Most of this scam robocall traffic originates overseas.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Attorney General Rokita offers the following tips to avoid scams and unwanted calls: <\/p>\n\n\n\n