as i said earlier, i can't stand robocalls either. don't think there's anyone who likes them very much. i would point out to you that the do not call list only works so much. it is not fool proof. the fcc this past summer made clear that do not disturb technologies are lawful in order to provide a solution to reduce the number of calls. but you also asked if there is anything congress can do. i will just point to this. the telephone consumer protection act is a law from 1991. it is old. it treats wireless phones and wired phones differently, just as you described. and given that 40% of our households are wireless only, i'm not sure that differential treatment anymore makes sense. it might be something that is worthwhile for this committee to address. >> and of course the trend of the future is we're going to have these tablets with us. and that's how we're going to continue to communicate. and i see that among many of our friends. they don't even have a wire line coming in to their house for a telephone. do not call list is one thing.

in other words, technology that helps block robocalls. we recognize that the do not call list itself is far from fool-proof, we're looking for technological solutions, and so that end, every week now, the fcc will be issuing information about its complaints under the telephone consumer protection act. and it's our hope that by putting more data out there, we will get more innovators to create more technology thanks be easily adopted by telecom providers and also ultimately available to them at no cost. >> i want to, since my time is limited talk a little bit about cramming. as you know, that is the unscrupulous practice by phone companies and wireless carriers who allow third party to place charges on monthly bills, without the authorization of them, without the knowledge of consumers, and often without consumers receiving anything in return for those charges. our report on this committee found wireline and wireless cramming was a serious issue, which caused as much as $2 billion a year in fraud, you're well aware of our details. the carr

robocalls, we should be getting rid of them, not empowering the federal government to make them.i would appreciate your feedback and the commission's feedback on the regulations that you'd be willing to put in place if we go down this, i think, nutty path of -- >> so like you, i detest robocalls, and i know i'm not alone. >> america detests robocalls. >> it is the largest single category of complaints that the fcc gets year in and year out. our friends at the ftc get even more. >> right. >> so i am proud of the work the agency has done to try to improve the possibilities of do not disturb technology, give consumers the right to revoke consent and when and if we have to proceed with the legislation, you just described, we would be perfectly happy to work with your office to make sure that american consumers get a little more of that privacy they deserve. >> i'd like to see a rule that could make one robocall a year for ten seconds. thank you, mr. chairman. >> thank you, senator mccaskill, and my understanding is that i think that provision that's in the budget agreement is somethi

in other words, technology that helps block robocalls. we recognize that the do not call list itself is far from fool-proof, we're looking for technological solutions. and so that end, every week now, the fcc will be issuing information about its complaints under the telephone consumer protection act. and it's our hope that by putting more data out there, we will get more innovators to create more technologies that could be easily adopted by telecom providers and also ultimately available to them at no cost. >> i want to, since my time is limited, talk a little bit about cramming. as you know, that is the unscrupulous practice by phone companies and wireless carriers to allow third party to place charges on monthly bills, without the authorization of them, without the knowledge of consumers, and often without consumers receiving anything in return for those charges. our report on this committee found wireline and wireless cramming was a serious issue, which caused as much as $2 billion a year in fraud. you're well aware of our report so i

it gives lenders the green light to robocall the cell phones of students who are behind on their student loans. that's a change to the current telephone consumer protection act. the act was meant to protect americans from being harassed or inundated with text messages and calls that could run up their cellphone bills. that isn't the only bill going up... 15:58-16:08 the water is a dirty as its ever been and for us to be able to clean it and deliver it to you safely means weer spending more in energy, chemicals and labor and those costs are being passed on to you... last night the des moines water that will cost water customers... on average... an additional 30- dollars per year. the increase takes effect in april. the rate hike comes one month after the water works board approved a six- figure bonus for general manager bill stowe. according to the des moines business record stowe will recieve a half- million dollars if he remains in the postion through 20-20. that's in addition to the 90-thousand stowe will receive for remaining in the job for five years. police are searching for two men

the city sent out a robocall to area residents advising them to stay inside. if you have motion detector lights, please put them on. auburndale area, alert police right away. >>> the arrests coming nearly a month after a marshfield man was found dead inside his home. >> we are learning more about how police tracked down those two suspects. jim. >> reporter: this was a case that shocked and horrified everybody here in marshfield and throughout the south shore. now there are a total of three people under arrest. marshfield police also tell me they might not be finished yet. >> we said it and we meant it. we told them we were coming for them and we did. >> reporter: an emotional marshfield police chief after two more arrests in a vicious murder in its town. back in mid-september, the body of 45 year old robert mckenna was found in his home on a quiet wooded street. he'd been robbed and brutally killed. when police arrested 40 year old james persian gulf late looking for at least two other suspects. now they have them. 32 year old michael moscaritolo and his girlf

notably we found a free robocalling blocking service called no mo robo and it's effect tisch but not available on traditional land lines which is what seniors have. there's no reason why tools to block unwanted calls account be made available on land lines but the three top land line providers don't offer them. so consumers union has an end-robocalls campaign that gathered more than half a million petition signatures. we're soon going to deliver it to the phone companies to demand that free, more effective tools be havered. these. help stem elder scans but mt. be supplemented with education. financial exploitation needs to be part of the financial conversation. we publishedded articles about it. but i'd love to see ahollywood movie on this. it's a plot with position comment stories, heroic investigators and victims. some seniors are willing to speak out. there's an act troup in los angeles called the stop senior scams acting program. the oldest actor ills 97. the write sits dramatizing scams and perform them in senior centers and other locations. some of the actors themselves have be

and often use robocalls and spoof caller i.d.es to reach as many people as possible. in the last year, the ftc has file three cases against defendants engaged in technical support scams where con artists trick consumers into purchasing technical support services and products purportedly to fix problems on their computers. in fact the computer problems are nonexistent the defendants have caused millions of dollars in injury to older consumers. the ftc's actions crucial in halting these practices. similarly, the ftc had filed multibell cases against fraudsters that used practices to sell healthcare related products and services to older americans such as medical alert systems, pharmaceutical benefits, and fake information regarding medicare benefits. in all of thieves cases, the fraudsters pretend an affiliation with a consumer's friend or family member or a well-known bank or government agency in order to gain consumers' trust. law enforcement efforts have banned defendants from telemarketing, making row o'calls, debiting bank accounts and we have recovered money for c

debt collector should not be gifted broad permission to harass people, particularly through robocalls, running up costly charges in many cases. the federal communications commission has limits on the number and duration of calls, and they are not sufficient. in a healthier budget process, this kind of proposal would get weeded out. so i'd like to say to our colleagues in the senate, both democrats and republicans, i'm going to get of the i can to reverse this action in the weeks ahead. finally, mr. president, in my capacity as ranking member of the finance committee, i want to discuss how these fiscal agreements ought to be financed in the future. medicare and social security absolutely cannot become the honeypots that congress raise whenever it needs to pay for legislation. if you go around the country, to oregon, illinois, to georgia, to the decoders, to texas, and to ask a typical americans what they want their representatives in congress to do, protecting medicare and social security is right, right up at the top of the list. i hear it in every town hall meeting i've had more than

it's called section 301, and it allows debt collectors to make robocalls directly to americans' cell phones. here's my view. debt collectors should not be gifted broad permission to harass our citizens, particularly through robocalls, running up costly charges in many cases. the federal communication commission has limits on the number and duration of calls, and they are not sufficient. in a healthier budget process, this kind of proposal would get weeded out. the so i'd like to say to our colleagues in the senate, both democrats and republicans, i'm going to do everything i can to reverse this action in the weeks ahead. finally, mr. president, in my capacity as ranking member of the finance committee, i want to discuss how these fiscal agreements ought to be financed in the future. medicare and social security absolutely cannot become the honey pots that congress raids whenever it needs to pay for legislation. if you go around the country to oregon, to illinois, to georgia, to the dakotas, to texas and you ask typical americans what they want their representatives in the congress to

. >> mark: the next annoying robocaller to light up your phone just might be uncle sam. the senate voted to exempt the federal government from the do not call hillsborough county. the provision in the budget bill would let agencies dial you up money. senators hope the you'd mated calls recover millions in lost tax dollars. precedence, including massachusetts senator, ed markey. >> opens the door to potentially unwanted robo calls, and texts to the cellphones. of anyone with a student loan, or a mortgage. >> washington bureau expects president obama to sign the budget bill into law in the coming days. boston as people head home for the weekend, but chief meteorologist kevin lemanowicz, everyone is looking ahead to tomorrow night. looks like it's going to be a pretty good night for trick-or-treaters, right? >>> just a little chilly out there. but tonight is the colder night leading into your halloween night. temperatures on the frigid side, it's to be reasoned with all the clear skies around new england. the clear nights tent to be the chilliest ones as you get into the co

seven months later joining me to urge that telephone companies offer consumers new tools to block robocalls those are just two examples of how she's helped consumers and the people of connecticut in our country, and also serving as a tireless advocate for public safety officials, helping you update the fcc's 9/11 rules to keep community's safe and protected. for children, as my colleague mentioned, you're also been a steadfast advocate, and you've been in fact the leading thinker at the fcc on creative ways to update spectrum policy for both licensed and unlicensed use. so i join your swift confirmation. i certainly will be working hard on your behalf and honored to introduce you to the committee today. thank you. thanks, mr. chairman. >> thank you, senator. and we'll turn now to the commissioner and welcome you back to the committee and look forward to hearing what you have to say today. >> thank you. good morning chairman thune, and members of the committee, thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today for my renomination as commissioner of the federal communications commissio

reporter: the city sent out a robocall telling residents to stay inside at night and turn on their outside lighting. >> stay inside and if you have pets, please bring them in. >> i think it's a good idea to to bring your pets in especially if there's a bear roaming around. >> you don't want to be outside. reporter: residents are advised, if you see the bear, call police. . >>> the patriots get ready for dallas and heart break as boston college gets so close. >>> sports action next. >> and a live look outside as we head to break. a little crisp but it's going be warmer than yesterday. pamela's got the full forecast at 7:45. kin'. pick up your favorite pumpkin-flavored baked treats and beverages, like the new pumpkin macchiato before pumpkin season is over. that's amazing. it's amazing. this is amazing. that's amazing! real people are discovering surprising things at chevy. we're sold. it's so pretty. beautiful! it feels great. perfect. this is not what i would expect from a chevy at all. get more than you expect for less than you imagined. the 2015 models are going fast. find your tag and g

seven months later joining me to urge that telephone companies offer consumers new tools to block robocallsthose are just two examples of how she's helped consumers and the people of connecticut in our country, and also serving as a tireless advocate for public safety officials, helping you update the fcc's 9/11 rules to keep community's safe and protected. for children, as my colleague mentioned, you're also been a steadfast advocate, and you've been in fact the leading thinker at the fcc on creative ways to update spectrum policy for both licensed and unlicensed use. so i join in usualing your swift confirmation, i certainly will be working hard on your behalf and honored to introduce you to the committee today, thank you. >> thanks mr. chairman. >> thank you senator, and we'll turn now to the commissioner and welcome you back to the committee and look forward to hearing what you have to say today. >> thank you. good morning chairman thune, and members of the committee, than you for the opportunity to appear before you today for my redomination as commissioner of the federal communication