2010-07-20 CNN
Billy Nungesser says today will mark a pivotal turning point for the first time since the April 20th explosion. Crews may be able to capture more oil than what's actually escaping. Alright, Wall Street reform is now just one signature away from being law. The Senate passed the massive 2300-page bill by a vote of 60-39. And President Obama is expected to approve it next week.
New financial regulations may seem removed from your everyday life, but this could mean some big changes in the way you spend money. Take a look.
First off, cash will be key when you go shopping. Stores will be allowed to require minimum purchases when you use plastic, and that means putting that 2-dollar cup of coffee on your credit card may be a thing of the past. You can also expect to see some stores actually offering discounts for paying up front instead of using credit. The rules also clamped down on so-called swipe fees. The fee banks charge stores when customers use debit cards. Fewer fees mean less revenue for banks and that could translate to fewer perks. And free checking, cash-back rewards, a lot of those offers, they just might disappear. Next step, your loans. Banks will really be making sure that you can afford it especially when it comes to mortgages. You'll also have annual access to your credit score, that all-important number, not just your credit report. And how about those taxpayer bailouts? President Obama says the overhaul will make them a thing of the past. He says the bill gives Uncle Sam tools to crack down on companies that put the economy in danger, but Republicans dispute that and say this is big government at work.
All right, checking news across the country now. A list of alleged illegal immigrants is under investigation in Utah. More than 1,300 people are on the list, along with private information about them, like social security numbers and pregnancy due dates. A letter signed by “concerned citizens” came with it and said people on the list should be deported ASAP. It was sent to media and government offices across the state. Leaders in Salt Lake City's Latino community say the list has stirred up fear.
If I were governor right now, I would ask for an independent investigation of the list. I would go after whoever is putting out this kind of list through the law. And I would condemn the list, which wasn't done by our current governor.
Our community is very concerned, very worried about it. I would say, there, they have been terrorized, many of them. And people are just afraid about what's happening.
Employees acknowledge that they don't have permission, are not permitted to access case records, unless they have a business reason to be there. You just can't peruse the database and look at people's records.
The governor's office is trying to figure out how someone got a hold of that information. Investigators are zeroing in on the Utah Department of Workforce Services.