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New video shows how filtering graphic movies could protect children and families from real-life viol
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The Suicide Squad, featuring Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn and Will Smith as Deadshot, are a special forces team of small-time super villains tasked with completing dangerous tasks for the government. - photo by Herb Scribner
he Protect Family Rights Coalition released a new video Thursday that pointed to how movie-filtering could reduce graphic violence and protect children and families.

The PFRC said the new video serves as an example of how movie filtering can reduce graphic violence in movies aimed at teens.

The video, which you can watch below, depicts the popular 2017 film Suicide Squad, which was rated PG-13 by MPAA.

The video is a prime example of the kind of violent content that Hollywood has blocked parents from being able to filter, the PFRC said in a statement.

Bill Aho, the executive director of PFRC and former CEO of ClearPlay, said in a statement that streaming can help teens avoid violent scenes.

No one thing is going to solve this problem. But the less graphic violence our kids are exposed to, the better and healthier they will be. This is an easy step for elected officials from both parties to support families, oppose violence and move our country in the right direction, he said. We call on elected representatives in both parties to take immediate action and pass legislation that will allow American families to have unfettered access to any platform offering parents the tools to address this serious issue.

Watch the video here.

The PFRC video comes a week after a lone gunman killed 17 people and injured several more at a high school in Parkland, Florida. The shooting has led to a nationwide discussion on gun violence.

President Donald Trump said this week that violent movies, the internet and video games might be to blame for real-life violence, according to USA Today.

"We have to do something about maybe what they're seeing and how they're seeing it. We may have to talk about that also," he said.

Filtering content has been a subject of debate between streaming services, like VidAngel, and Hollywood executives for years. Trump called for a better rating system in the aftermath of the recent shooting.

According to a 2013 study from the Annenberg Public Policy Center, gun violence has been on the rise in PG-13 films.

In the wake of the Las Vegas shooting last fall, Disney CEO Bob Iger said that America needs to confront gun violence

The Parents Television Council called on Hollywood to take gun violence seriously and evaluate how much viewers see it in films.

We agree with Disneys Bob Iger that gun violence should be taken seriously, and in that vein, we are calling on the entire entertainment industry to evaluate its own incessant, and ever-more-realistic daily rehearsals of gun violence and graphic violence in general on its TV shows and in its movies. Hollywood needs to take seriously its own role in contributing to normalizing violence," according to the Parents Television Council.
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New Medicare cards are in the mail and scammers are on the prowl
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The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has begun mailing new Medicare Health Insurance ID cards. The program no longer uses Social Security numbers to identify people. - photo by Lois M Collins
The federal government is beginning to send out new ID cards to the 58 million Americans who benefit from Medicare. But since many of the people who will receive them don't know they're coming or why, scammers are already gearing up to take advantage.

An AARP survey shows as many as three-fourths of Americans 65 and older have no idea the cards are coming, so some individuals may be duped with claims that they're supposed to pay a fee or provide personal information that will be used, instead, to defraud them.

The new cards are the first reissue in years, and the most striking part of the redesign is that the cards no longer carry the beneficiary's Social Security number. Congress mandated the removal of that number as an identifier for Medicare beneficiaries by next April. Instead, the card has a Medicare Beneficiary Identifier number, an 11-digit combination of numbers and letters.

The new Medicare cards are now being mailed out in batches, starting with the Eastern seaboard and moving west. Most Medicare beneficiaries will receive their cards over the next six months, as long as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has their correct mailing address. Once the cards are in hand, people can share the new identification number with their health care providers. During a transition period, either card is valid.

The old cards, which used Social Security numbers as the personal identification number, should be destroyed.

AARP recently launched an education campaign to warn consumers about scams related to the new Medicare cards.

The membership organization's "Fraud Watch" consultant, Frank Abagnale reformed con man, scammer and the subject of the movie and book "Catch Me If You Can" tells senior citizens the only time they need to carry the actual Medicare card is to health care appointments. Otherwise, it should be left in a safe place. If they want to carry one in their wallet or purse, he says, make a copy and black out the first seven numbers.

Since the cards were announced, scammers have already:

  • Called seniors and asked for their bank account information so that money on their old card could be returned. There is no money on the old card and CMS never asks for personal information over the phone.
  • Offered to send the new card after Medicare beneficiaries pay a $25 fee to cover expenses related to the card. The card is free.
  • Said the card will be mailed out as soon as the older person verifies his or her Social Security number, mailing address and other personal information. CMS already knows the beneficiary's Social Security number and it's no longer being used in conjunction with health care.
AARP and the Federal Trade Commission will hold a free online seminar about the cards and the fraud attempts they have spawned on Thursday, April 19, at 7 p.m. EDT. Register at: www.aarp.org/FraudWebinar. CMS also offers a "frequently asked questions" guide to the new cards.

The AARP Fraud Watch Network says consumers can sign up for its Watchdog Alert emails that deliver breaking scam information, or call a free helpline at 877-908-3360 to speak with volunteers trained in fraud counseling. Abagnale also hosts a weekly podcast for AARP, called The Perfect Scam.
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