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Monday, March 9, 2009
Mason math whiz scores trip to White House
A William Mason High School senior’s math skills earned him a trip to the White House Monday, as well as a handshake from the commander-in-chief.
Tong Zhan, 16, of Mason, was one of 40 finalists with the Intel Science Talent Search in the nation’s capital for the final’s of this year’s competition. The search, administered by the Society for Science and the Public, is America’s oldest and most prestigious science research competition for high school seniors, according to a press release sent out by the organization. Zhan was one of 1,608 to compete this year and will find out this week whether he won the competition.
Zhan earned his place in the finals by studying Ramsey’s Theory, a branch of mathematics that studies the conditions under which order appear during chaos. He met with Obama on the front porch of the White House, and said Obama talked briefly about the importance of science and math education before adding that his oldest daughter was also interested in science.
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Loans at 680 percent APR legal under Ohio loopholes
Rather than be hemmed in by the new voter-approved short term loan law, payday lenders are turning to two other state statutes that allow them to continue making high-interest, high-fee loans, according to a study released Monday, March 9, by the Housing Research & Advocacy Center in Cleveland.
Last year, lawmakers approved the short-term loan act, which capped payday loans at 28 percent annual percentage rate. The payday lending industry mounted a multi-million dollar campaign to defeat the law through a ballot initiative but the voters approved the law.
But even before the voters had their say, payday lenders started getting licensed through the Small Loan Act and the Mortgage Loan Act, which allow them to make 14-day loans with an APR of 423 percent to 680 percent, respectively, the study said.
Some stores even require that the loan be issued through a money order or check, and then charge a fee to cash the money order or check, the study said.
“While there is a need for short term loans, these kinds of rates are outrageous and shouldn’t be allowed,” said Jeffrey Dillman, author of the study.
State Rep. Matt Lundy, D-Elyria, agrees.
“Obviously that was not the intent or the spirit of the law,” said Lundy. He is working with consumer groups, the state Department of Commerce and the attorney general’s office to draft new legislation that would close off the loopholes, he said.
“We don’t want to be back here doing this a third time,” Lundy said. “We want to make sure we close all the doors and close all the windows.”
CheckSmart Chief Executive Ted Saunders, who runs a chain of pay day lending stores, could not be reached for comment.
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State sues CertifiChecks
Dayton-based CertifiChecks Inc. is being sued by the state of Ohio for failing to honor its gift certificates and for misleading consumers, Attorney General Richard Cordray announced Monday, March 9.
The company is charged with violating Ohio’s Consumer Sales Practices Act for failing to honor gift certificates after accepting payment from consumers. Cordray also charges CertifiChecks with misrepresenting that consumers could submit unused gift certificates for reimbursement.
“This company shut down and left consumers with useless, unredeemed gift certificates,” said Cordray. “Consumers purchased those gift certificates thinking they could be redeemed at participating businesses, only to learn that now they can’t be used at all.”
CertifiChecks shut down late last month and said it would file for bankruptcy.
Consumers who lost money to CertifiChecks may file a complaint with Cordray’s Office at SpeakOutOhio.gov or by calling (800) 282-0515.
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Abortion pill case goes to Ohio Supreme Court
The question of whether Ohio doctors have the flexibility to prescribe RU-486, the abortion pill, beyond 49 days into a pregnancy is going before the Ohio Supreme Court on Tuesday, March 10.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved RU-486 in September 2000, based on clinical trials involving women up to 49 days into their pregnancy receiving a 600 milligram dose plus a second drug two days later.
Since then, doctors have developed “off label” protocols that called for a 200 mg dose plus the second drug three days later for women within 63 days of getting pregnant. Planned Parenthood clinics in Ohio started using this method.
But in 2004, Ohio passed a law limiting doctors to prescribing RU-486 only in compliance with federal laws. It became a felony to do otherwise.
Planned Parenthood of Southwest Ohio sued to block the law and have it declared unconstitutional. Two questions in the case have made it to the Ohio Supreme Court: whether state law limits prescriptions for RU-486 to within the 49 day window and whether different off label doses are permitted under state law.
