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404-445-2005 | www.balamslaw.com October 2024
The Balams Firm Pursuit of Excellence Scholarship
Now Accepting Applications!
The Balams Firm is thrilled to announce that we are now accepting applications for The Balams Firm Pursuit of Excellence Scholarship. We are committed to recognizing talent and rewarding excellence through our scholarship program. The mission of The Balams Firm Scholarship is to provide deserving students with the opportunity to reach their full potential by supporting the cost of higher education. We believe in the power education has to transform lives and communities, and we are excited to help the next generation of leaders achieve their dreams. Scholarship Eligibility Requirements To be considered for The Balams Firm Pursuit of Excellence Scholarship, applicants must meet the following criteria: Legal Residency: Applicants must be legal residents of the United States. Location: Applicants must reside in the Atlanta metropolitan area. Education Plans: Applicants must plan to enroll full time in an accredited college or university for the upcoming school year. Academic Achievement: Applicants must have a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.2 or higher. Recommendations: Applicants must submit one letter of recommendation from a teacher or administrator. Transcripts: Applicants must submit a high school transcript. We are looking for students who demonstrate academic strength, a commitment to their communities, and a passion for their chosen fields of study. Insights From Past Scholarship Winners To give you an idea of the impact this scholarship can have, we’d like to share the stories of two previous winners: Deana Kukhianide, our 2019 scholarship recipient, and Allison Hunter, our 2022 winner. Deana Kukhianide (2019 Scholarship Winner) Deanna encourages anyone considering whether or not to apply for The Balams Firm Pursuit of Excellence Scholarship to just go for it. “There’s always going to be doubt in the back of your mind,” she says. “Well, truth is, you don’t know, and you are your own worst critic. It’s best to conquer that fear right then and there and just apply. You never know what’s going to happen. For me, receiving The Balams Firm scholarship was a little bit of validation because it was the first scholarship I received, and it showed me that I was worth receiving that accolade.”
Today, Deana is thriving in her second year of dental school while she pursues a Doctorate of Dental Medicine. She sets a true example of the power of believing in yourself and taking the leap to apply for opportunities that can change your life. Allison Hunter (2022 Scholarship Winner) Allison Hunter, our 2022 scholarship winner, is currently a sophomore at Harvard University, where she is studying government and African American studies with a secondary focus in educational studies. Allison remains active in her community and dedicates her time to supporting students both on and off campus, including mentoring high school seniors and offering guidance on college preparation and scholarship opportunities. Allison’s journey is just one example of the impact of The Balams Firm scholarship — not just on the recipients but also on the communities they serve. Her commitment to giving back and helping others navigate the path to higher education is truly inspiring! Apply Today! If you meet the eligibility requirements, we strongly encourage you to apply for The Balams Firm Pursuit of Excellence Scholarship. Remember — it’s worth it! As Deana and Allison have shown, this scholarship can be a stepping stone to achieving your academic and professional goals. We are eager to support students ready to shine and look forward to reviewing your applications.
To apply, visit us online at BalamsLaw.com/ community-outreach/scholarship and direct all questions to Scholarship@balamslaw.com.
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Published by Newsletter Pro • www.newsletterpro.com
Battle for Survival TIKTOK IS CHALLENGING THE BAN
The clock is ticking for TikTok, the world’s most popular social media app, as it faces a federal ultimatum: Either the Chinese parent company, ByteDance, sells its stake in the company, or TikTok will be removed from U.S. app stores by Jan. 19, 2025. It is difficult to fathom that an app downloaded tens of millions of times and receiving over $100 million in revenue every month may leave the American market at the start of next year. But this is just the U.S. government’s latest step since TikTok first arrived on the scene. The TikTok Saga Douyin, the predecessor to TikTok, started in China in 2016. In 2017, it merged with Musical.ly, an app for posting lip-syncing videos; at one point, it topped the charts on the Apple App Store and soon rose to global stardom. Then, the app got a new name, TikTok, and a revolutionary algorithm. The algorithm influenced users to binge-watch content and presented videos from various genres and topics to keep them hooked. While gaining popularity stateside, it drew no small amount of scrutiny from government watchdogs and federal agencies. In September 2019, the Washington Post reported that images of democratic protests in Hong Kong were being suppressed, while posts with the #trump2020 tag received millions of views. TikTok denied political favoritism and alleged their app was a neutral platform. Despite TikTok’s reassurance, the Pentagon recommended all U.S. military personnel delete the app from their phones, regardless of whether it was for personal or government work. In January 2020, the Pentagon banned the app entirely on all military phones.
“On its website, TikTok describes the moves it has made to improve data security and privacy. Still, none of these measures have persuaded the federal government of their benign intentions.”
In May 2020, privacy groups began to raise concerns that TikTok posed a threat to children. Just two months later, India banned TikTok following a military clash at their disputed border with China. Despite these hiccups, TikTok claimed to have over a billion monthly users by September 2021. Further problems with the app materialized in 2022 when viral hoaxes and harmful content promoting eating disorders caused outrage nationwide. In December 2022, the FBI warned that the Chinese government could use the app to influence American citizens. In 2024, Congress drafted legislation to ban the app and force ByteDance to sell TikTok officially. The Future of TikTok President Biden signed H.R. 815 into law on April 24, 2024, which contains a provision that “prohibits distributing, maintaining, updating, or providing internet hosting services for a foreign adversary controlled application (e.g., TikTok).” That is strong language and indicates the government is not likely to back down from its demands. Despite this, TikTok has challenged the law, arguing the ban is unconstitutional. More than a dozen social and racial justice groups recently supported TikTok’s cause. On its website, TikTok describes the moves it has made to improve data security and privacy. Still, none of these measures have persuaded the federal government of their benign intentions. In June 2024, in response to the ban being signed into law, TikTok released a letter alleging that the Biden administration had negotiated with the company using “political demagoguery,” or, in other words, in favor of appealing to voters rather than finding an equitable solution. Their case is headed to the U.S. Court of Appeals later this year.
404-445-2005
Published by Newsletter Pro • www.newsletterpro.com
TAKE A BREAK
The Strange Gas Law
Why the 9/10 of a Cent?
Gas prices are often a topic of conversation, but usually for less-than-pleasant reasons. Whenever the subject appears in the news, it is most often because prices have become outrageously high . However, this article will take a different approach. Have you ever wondered why gas price tickers include a 9/10 of a cent at the end? It started nearly a century ago but remains to this day for surprising reasons. Great Depression Decisions The 1930s were a time of great economic uncertainty. The stock market crashed in 1929, and the federal government took extensive measures to balance the budget. Among these was the Revenue Act of 1932. This law introduced several tax hikes, including a more than 20% increase in estate and personal income taxes. However, it also introduced a one-cent tariff on gasoline and fuel oil. While this may not seem like a lot in today’s currency — the average cost of a gallon of gas now is around $3.53 — back then, it was a significant burden on motorists. After all, the average price of a gallon of gas in 1932 was just $0.18, so a one-cent tariff represented a more than 5% increase in price. In today’s money, it would be equivalent to a $0.22 tax per gallon of gas. In 1933, the gas tariff accounted for 8% of the federal government’s tax revenue. Fractional Prices Gas station owners paid the new tariff when purchasing their fuel from suppliers, but they had the option of paying the tax themselves, in full or in part, to take the hit in place of their customers. This is where fractional prices first came into play: Gas station owners would advertise that they were paying, say, half of the one-cent tariff on gasoline, which means their prices would only increase by 5/10 of a cent. Over time, the tariff became less relevant, but fractional prices remained. This has largely contributed to the psychological aspect of paying 9/10 of a cent rather than a full cent — the same thinking behind charging $1.99 rather than $2 for a product.
PUMPKIN PIE FRENCH TOAST Inspired by AllRecipes.com
Ingredients
• 1 tsp vanilla extract • 1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice • 1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts • 8 slices day-old bread • Maple syrup, to taste
• 1 1/2 tsp vegetable oil, or as needed • 1/2 cup half-and-half • 1/4 cup canned pumpkin purée • 3 large eggs • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
Directions 1. Lightly oil a skillet and heat over medium heat.
2. Whisk half-and-half, pumpkin purée, eggs, cinnamon, vanilla, and pumpkin pie spice together in a bowl. Stir in walnuts until evenly distributed. 3. Place 1 slice of bread in the bowl and let it soak briefly to coat both sides. Lift bread to let excess liquid drip back into the bowl, then transfer to the hot skillet. 4. Cook for 2–3 minutes or until golden brown, then flip and cook the other side until done. 5. Stir batter to redistribute walnuts and repeat with other slices of bread, cooking in several batches if necessary. 6. Serve warm with maple syrup.
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PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
404-445-2005 www.balamslaw.com 310 Maxwell Road, Suite 500 Alpharetta, GA 30009 INSIDE THIS ISSUE
1
Achieve Your Potential With The Balams Firm Scholarship
TikTok’s Appeal Against the Ban
2
Pumpkin Pie French Toast
3
The Law About Gas Pricing
The NFL’s Massive Antitrust Fine
4
NFL’S RECENT ANTITRUST RULING What Led to the Historic Fine Over Sunday Ticket
than offering the ability to purchase only the games they were interested in. For instance, if you are a Philadelphia Eagles fan but live in Florida, your local on-air broadcasts are unlikely to show Eagles games. In that case, if you wanted to watch all the Eagles’ games, you’d have to shell out a good chunk of change to access those games. As of 2024, a subscription to NFL Sunday Ticket costs $449 per year. After five hours of deliberation, the jury agreed with the plaintiffs and awarded $4.7 billion in damages to the residential subscribers and $96 million to the business subscribers. Due to federal antitrust laws, those damages can be tripled. That means the NFL may be liable for up to $14.39 billion in damages. The NFL has appealed the decision, but if upheld, each NFL team could be forced to pay nearly $450 million in damages.
with Google’s YouTube TV. However, the NFL’s exclusive deals for Sunday Ticket have come at a cost. After a trial in June that lasted just three weeks, a jury in Los Angeles awarded over $4.7 billion in damages to the plaintiffs in an antitrust class-action lawsuit against the NFL. The Trial The Mucky Duck sports bar in San Francisco initially filed the suit in 2015; an appeals court dismissed then reinstated the case in 2017 before it became a class-action lawsuit. The lawsuit now covers about 2.4 million residential subscribers and 48,000 business subscribers. The plaintiffs alleged that the NFL’s agreement with DirecTV, and now YouTube TV, violated antitrust laws. Notonly did the NFL allegedly overcharge both residential and commercial subscribers, but it also removed competition. It forced fans to purchase access to all games rather
NFL Sunday Ticket, also known as Sunday Ticket, is a sports package allowing purchasers to view regular season NFL games not carried by local broadcasts in their area. Sunday Ticket has been around since 1994, with DirecTV offering it exclusively until 2022 when the NFL signed a seven-year, $14 billion deal
404-445-2005
Published by Newsletter Pro • www.newsletterpro.com
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