The Enduring Popularity Of Print

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) gave an early Christmas present to debt collectors, at the expense of the very consumers they are mandated to protect. Ignoring a mountain of public comments from citizens, cyber security experts and consumer advocacy groups including Keep Me Posted (KMP) detailing the multitude of harms and risks unleashed by its proposed rules, the Bureau plowed ahead and finalized a sweeping deregulation that will subject society to an unwelcome digital deluge of menace and fraud. Under the guise of so-called modernization, the CFPB will give the green light to 3rd-party debt collectors to exploit Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter messaging — as well as emails and text messaging — in their bounty hunting efforts. The new rules would further allow for an unlimited quantity of such unsolicited digital contacting — while simultaneously expanding the frequency of phone calls to 7 times per week per alleged debt. Meanwhile, the safe, secure and discreet practice of mailing paper letters will remain an option for professional firms seeking reliable communications options. To be clear, America’s consumers did not ask for this. And they will not even be given the option to opt-in to any such digital communications they might prefer.

The startup publisher Troo Media this week launched what it describes as the first editorial platform built for the metaverse: a brand called TrooVRS, which delivers content focused on self-care for modern male audiences.The new brand was previewed at Cannes Lions, the festival in Cannes, France, that celebrates creativity in the field of branded communications. Content will target the interests and needs of men from all backgrounds, featuring topics like relationships, work, and physical and mental health. The launch of TrooVRS coincides with Men’s Health Month in June, a designation established by Congress in 1994 and sponsored by the Men’s Health Network, a consortium of health organizations.

A growing number of leading companies are investing in "nature-based solutions" which are actions to protect, sustainably manage, and restore natural ecosystems that benefit both biodiversity and human well-being. These actions target major challenges like climate change, disaster risk reduction, food and water security, biodiversity loss and human health, and are critical to sustainable economic development. To date, print and paper buyers have significantly contributed to forest conservation, biodiversity and climate change mitigation via the Carbon Balanced Paper and Print program and its partnership with the World Land Trust. The program has funded the long-term protection and management of 71,000 acres of highly biodiverse and threatened habitats in Vietnam, Mexico, Ecuador and Guatemala. In total, over 380,000 metric tons of CO2 have been sequestered.