News in December 2018

Johnson & Johnson continues its vigorous pushback against a Reuters article claiming the company’s talc and baby powder products contain asbestos and that...

The negative health effects associated with obesity make up a lengthy list. This is particularly important for children struggling to stay healthy, as many...

T-Mobile has been granted approval for its proposed merger with Sprint following “several months of negotiation with company representatives,” the Wall Str...

As homelessness continues to inch higher, many of America’s cities wrestle with how to get people off the streets, out of shelters, and into affordable hou...

The farm recently identified as one source of the E. coli contamination in romaine lettuce is also recalling its cauliflower, as well as its red- and green...

If you’ve received a phone call from an obvious scammer this holiday season, you’re in good company. A new report by First Orion shows scam calls are up 12...

Twitter has notified some users that a bug may have exposed their personal data.Those affected had an associated phone number on their account. The dat...

The Commerce Department reports housing starts surged 3.2 percent in November, a report that would appear to suggest a reversal in the recent housing marke...

Though many feelings and experiences from childhood carry over into adulthood, particularly those that are traumatic or stressful, a new study found that a...

Volkswagen Group of America is recalling 12 model year 2018 Audi A5 Sportbacks and model year 2017-2018 Audi A4 Allroad vehicles.A passenger airbag mod...

Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) is recalling 16 model year 2019 E450 4Matic and E63S AMG wagons.The vehicles have a tailgate mounted spoiler that may not be...

Separate class action lawsuits focused on Google’s location tracking mechanism amid claims that the tech titan unlawfully stored user location information...

Facebook has once again notified users that some things not meant to be shared might have been accessed anyway because of a system bug.In this case, Fa...

More Americans are going an entire week or longer without making any cash purchases, according to a recent analysis from the Pew Research Center. As of...

Authorities are warning Netflix customers about a new scam that’s making the rounds, in which scammers attempt to extract users’ personal information via e...

Consumers increasingly rely on the internet to make purchases, but ecommerce continues to evolve. Some of those changes may benefit consumers in the months...

California regulators have dropped their proposal to levy a surcharge on text messages made by state residents. The California Public Utilities Commission...

It’s not the kind of news retailers want to hear just days before Christmas. Consumers appear less confident that they can pay their credit card bills, whi...

For the younger consumers, taking a trip outside the home typically doesn’t require a second thought. However, for older adults, life typically slows down,...

For many consumers, the majority of the day is spent in the company of coworkers. Whether it’s at lunch or during meetings, time spent with colleagues can...

CTI Foods of Owingsville, Ky., is recalling approximately 29,028 pounds of frozen, ready-to-eat pork and poultry sausage links.The products may be cont...

One of the country’s largest charities admitted in Internal Revenue Service (IRS) filings that it sent nearly $1 million to a fraudulent business in Japan...

If this holiday season is anything like 2017’s, more than 400 million folks will be unwrapping phones. And what’s the first thing that people do with a new...

New safety standards for window coverings take effect this weekend. They are aimed at reducing strangulation hazards to children, a threat the Consumer Pro...

Following last month’s broad warning to consumers that romaine lettuce is unsafe to eat, health officials now say they’ve identified one source of the E. c...

A proposal to merge T-Mobile and Sprint is facing new opposition as a group of consumer groups, labor unions, and industry associations have formed the 4Co...

Hitting the gym is an activity many consumers save for the early morning hours, as it’s a great way to jumpstart the day before the sun comes up. And there...

One of the keys to maintaining a healthy weight is portion control. Scaling back on how much of certain foods we’re eating can be incredibly beneficial --...

On Thursday, Starbucks announced that it’s expanding its delivery partnership with Uber Eats to 2,000 more stores across the country. After having oper...

After evaluating more than 5 million leaked passwords from recent breaches, software company SplashData was able to compile its annual list of the Top 100...

Gas prices are giving consumers a Christmas bonus heading into the holidays, as it costs less to fill up this week than last week. In fact, gasoline prices...

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling 23 model year 2019 RAM 1500 trucks.The seat track position sensor on the manually-adjusted passenger seats may come...

The stock market has been a wild roller coaster since October as traders sell stocks just as soon as they rally. Analysts blame the headlines -- China, the...

Amazon has pushed the cutoff date for its free shipping without a minimum purchase promotion. The company announced on Thursday that all customers will hav...

On Wednesday, Amazon brass went before New York’s City Council with a polished backstory of its recently announced move to establish a second headquarters...

A major debt-purchasing operation has reached a settlement with 41 states and the District of Columbia to resolve the states’ investigation into debt-colle...

With technology permeating nearly every facet of our society, it should come as no surprise that most kids are fully entrenched in the realm of mobile devi...

Hemp cultivation would no longer be stymied by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) under a bill that recently passed in both the Senate and House of Represen...

During its “Architecture Day” event on Tuesday, Intel gave details about its upcoming processor lineup. The company’s new Sunny Cove Architecture features...

California is considering enacting a tax for text messaging to help fund a program that makes telecommunications services available to low-income consumers...

A test of caller ID services provided by AT&T;, Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile found AT&T; did the best job of telling which incoming call was legitimate an...

For many consumers, experiencing hearing loss is a sign of old age, though oftentimes, many suspect it’s nothing more serious.However, based on a new s...

Toyota is recalling about 65,000 Toyota model year 2003-2005 Model Year Corollas, model year 2002-2005 Sequoias, model year 2003-2005 Tundras and model yea...

The recent Marriott Hotel cyberattack that gleaned personal data from nearly 500 million guests in the hotel’s database has been tied to China. The Marriot...

After declining to appear before Congress earlier this year, it was Google CEO Sundar Pichai’s turn in the hot seat on Tuesday.Pichai testified before...

Robbie Miller, a manager in Uber’s autonomous vehicle group, wrote a lengthy email to company executives just before a fatal accident in March involving a...

Though this time of year may be many consumers’ favorite, it can be difficult for those trying to maintain a healthy diet or exercise regimen. Being surrou...

Americans buying new solar panels may now be paying millions more on their initial purchase thanks to new tariffs, but that’s no reason to shy away from en...

Starting in January and continuing through June, Lyft will offer transportation assistance to families living in food deserts. The ride-hailing company...

McDonald’s has unveiled its plans to reduce the use of antibiotics in its beef. The fast food chain said Tuesday that it will take two years to decide how...

In an effort to minimize delays and speed up the passenger loading process, Delta Air Lines has revamped its boarding process. Starting January 23, Delta w...

The technology in cars has quickly evolved over the last decade, from backup cameras to in-dash navigation systems to Bluetooth connectivity. But which opt...

The holiday season has many consumers busy with seeing family and friends, and spending tons of time in the kitchen cooking and baking.To make sure wha...

The J.M. Smucker Company is recalling 9Lives Protein Plus wet, canned cat food.The product may contain low levels of thiamine (Vitamin B1).No illne...

Google’s plans to close down its consumer version of its social network Google+ has been escalated thanks to a bug that impacted approximately 52.5 million...

Attorneys General from 40 states are launching an initiative to reduce the number of robocalls made to consumers, many of which are promoting dangerous sca...

The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear two cases challenging state limits on stripping funding from Planned Parenthood.The High Court upheld lower...

Checking blood sugar is a regular day-to-day occurrence for diabetes sufferers, as a simple prick of the finger can reveal important health information....

Starting December 18, travelers flying with Delta Air Lines will no longer be allowed to bring emotional support animals on flights longer than eight hours...

On Monday, Verizon said that more than 10,000 employees (or around 7 percent of its workforce) accepted its buyout offer, first announced in September....

Qualcomm announced this week that it won two preliminary injunctions against Apple that would stop the sale and import of seven major recent iPhone models...

If you've considered enrolling in a financial literacy program, consider this: doing so just might help your credit score.Admittedly, it's a small stud...

Pregnancy comes with several health risks, both for mothers and their babies. Though nine months of pregnancy come with countless doctor’s appointments and...

Volkswagen Group of America is recalling 5,987 model year 2007-2012 Audi Q7s and model year 2009-2012 Audi Q5s.These vehicles were previously repaired...

Amboy Group of Woodbridge, N.J., is recalling an undetermined amount of raw boneless and skinless chicken breasts.The products may contain milk, egg an...

American Honda Motor Co. is recalling 403 model year 2019 Honda Ridgelines and Pilots.The mounting holes for the clip that secures the right center pil...

Skip Hop of New York is recalling about 41,000 Tuo convertible high chairs sold in the U.S. and Canada.The legs on the highchair can detach from the se...

Apple woke up on Monday to a giant problem attributed to its latest iPhone operating software update. Forbes reported that iOS 12.1.1 is "killing" the data...

The Justice Department has launched an investigation into the fake comments that were submitted to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the runup...

In the wake of a massive winter storm stretching across the middle of the nation, Duke Energy is predicting the severe weekend storm has caused as many as...

Amazon is eyeing airports as locations for its cashier-less Go stores, according to Reuters. The e-commerce giant -- which has opened seven Go stores s...

On Thursday, Lyft confidentially filed for an initial public offering set to take place in March or April of 2019. The timing of Lyft’s filing put it ahead...

The state of Georgia says Uber is not paying sales tax as required by state law and is seeking millions from the ride-sharing company.Uber says it beli...

For many parents with young children, germs often spread like wildfire, and keeping kids safe from illness can often be difficult.Now, a new study foun...

When the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced last month that it would crack down on e-cigarette companies that sell their products online or in co...

Getting a flu shot has become pretty standard procedure for many consumers, as it’s a quick and easy way to prevent the flu and its associated health risks...

There's a new survey of millennial renters, and it's not good news for the housing market. Apartment List surveyed 6,400 millennial renters about their pla...

Ford Motor Company is recalling 2,828 model year 2016-2018 Ford Focus vehicles equipped with a 1.0L Fox GTDI engine and a 6-speed manual transmission.T...

Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A. of Foothill Ranch, Calif., is recalling about 1,000 Kawasaki Mule Pro off-highway utility vehicles.The rollover protectio...

Mercedes-Benz (MBUSA) is recalling 5,433 model year 2019 C300 4Matic Cabriolets, C43 AMG Cabriolets, C300 Cabriolets, C300 Coupes, C300 4Matic Coupes, C43...

Security experts say that a hack resulting in the passport numbers of 327 million Marriott customers getting stolen would have been worse if their actual,...

Though cell phones have come to permeate essentially every area of our lives, the use of these devices while driving has become particularly problematic. A...

Walgreens announced this week that it’s partnering with FedEx to provide speedy drug delivery to consumers. Walgreens’ new prescription delivery servic...

Many consumers work hard to maintain healthy lifestyles by both eating right and hitting the gym in an effort to avoid any health complications.However...

The romaine lettuce E. coli outbreak first announced in October has sickened nine more people, bringing the total to 52 people across 15 states, the Center...

Walmart, Target, and other retailers are asking the Fed to come up with a way to make interbank transfers happen in real time so that they can get paid in...

Here we go again.MoviePass is rolling out its umpteenth pricing plan. This time, the movie subscription service swears it’s got it right. Not that the...

The U.S. government took its appeal of the AT&T; and Time Warner merger to a federal appeals court Thursday and got several skeptical questions from the th...

A former Facebook manager wrote a post on the platform describing how the site censors black users and fails black employees. Then Facebook removed the pos...

Employers showed growing caution last month in managing their workforce. The Labor Department reports the economy added 155,000 jobs in November, below con...

Gas prices continue to fall, but the cheapest fuel has now moved to the nation's heartland, leaving higher-than-normal prices in the Southeast. For the fir...

Volkswagen Group of America is recalling 169 model year 2018 Volkswagen e-Golfs and Golf Rs, and Audi A3 Sedans and RS3s.The rear seat frame head restr...

Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) is recalling 104,663 of the following vehicles equipped with Audio 20 head units and automatic child seat recognition:Model y...

ELM Pet Foods is recalling Elm Chicken and Chickpea Recipe dog food that may contain elevated levels of Vitamin D, which when consumed at very high levels,...

Is there a shortage of Christmas trees or not? ConsumerAffairs’ survey of the situation found a real debate.“The problem goes back about 10 years. Beca...

Facebook finds itself once again in the crosshairs as a British parliamentary group released company documents showing the social media giant used member d...

Testing for Alzheimer’s disease can be a long, costly, and tiresome process for patients, but researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital have been worki...

Two months after Sears Holdings filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, the company’s chairman Eddie Lampert has offered to buy the rest of Sears for u...

Lyft has confidentially filed for an initial public offering (IPO), the ride-hailing giant announced on Thursday. The company hasn’t determined how man...

If you were recently rejected when you applied for a credit card this year, you have plenty of company.A report from the Federal Reserve Bank of New Yo...

Although the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has said it’s working on closing the digital divide, new research finds that almost half of the U.S. p...

It won't just be the ugly Christmas sweater your aunt is giving you. A new report predicts half the clothing purchased online this holiday season will be r...

Last month, Wells Fargo admitted in an SEC filing that it wrongly denied mortgage modifications to 870 eligible borrowers, resulting in 545 people losing t...

For many consumers, receiving optimal amounts of sunlight each day is important for mental health and overall wellbeing. Now, researchers have found that l...

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling 52 model year 2018 Jeep Wrangler four-doors.The right rear passenger door latch may not be in the correct location,...

Two U.S senators are reportedly making a last-ditch effort to pass a bill that would allow carmakers to deploy tens of thousands of experimental self-drivi...

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai said it’s a “fact” that there was Russian interference in the public comments filed ahead of the...

On Tuesday, New York City’s Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) passed new minimum wage requirements for drivers working for ridesharing companies such as...

The feel-good moment from the G20 summit in Argentina over the weekend prompted a huge stock market rally on Monday. It didn't last.Second thoughts abo...

Incorporating exercise into a daily routine can often be difficult and tiresome. However, for those consumers who aren’t feeling particularly inspired to g...

Merry Scam’mas!Yep, ‘tis the season to be victimized, and the identity-stealing elves are working overtime.In the last month alone, ConsumerAffairs...

Common foods that are dietary staples, as well as common practices such as flushing the toilet, may increase your exposure to harmful toxins.That's the...

Just a few months after logging its first 10 million autonomous miles, Waymo has launched its first public self-driving service in Phoenix, Arizona.Ini...

The job market in 2018 has been one of the best on record. Unemployment is ending the year at near record lows.But what does 2019 have in store? ADP, w...

In the cold winter months, many consumers lament the loss of the warmth and sunshine they enjoyed during the summer. And with that sadness, many tans begin...

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling 6,136 model year 2017-2018 Alfa Romeo Giulias equipped with GME 280HP engines and All Wheel Drive.The brake fluid li...

American Honda Motor Inc., is recalling 7,016 model year 2017-2018 Honda Civic Hatchbacks and Civic Type Rs, whose owners guide may have incorrect informat...

Question-and-answer website Quora says it was impacted by a security breach which may have exposed the personal data of as many as 100 million of its users...

Marriott says it will pay for new passwords for any Starwood hotel customers impacted by the breach of its reservation system, which began in 2014.On F...

Two new phishing emails hit consumers' inboxes within the last week, serving as a cautionary reminder for people in the midst of...

CVS and Aetna, who announced last week they had closed on their merger agreement, may have overlooked one legal point.The merger, approved by the U.S....

In late October, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that acute flaccid myelitis (ACM) -- a polio-like disease that mainly affect...

“Hey, Gramps, can you send me $1,000? I’m stuck in a bad situation and need some help fast.”Don’t laugh. Gramps gets scammed more often that you think,...

Intense competition is causing non-related retailers to work together and, in many instances, making it easier for time-pressed consumers to shop. As an ex...

Apple has launched an online store that gives discounts to active military and veterans.The online store will let military personnel, veterans, and mem...

For older consumers, it’s not uncommon to be prescribed several different medications.Though doctors prescribe them with the intention of combating cer...

In the future, will all “alternative” transportation companies be controlled by a single entity? The answer is anyone’s guess, but it's safe to say that Ub...

JBS Tolleson of Tolleson, Ariz., is expanding its earlier recall of non-intact raw beef products by more than 5 million pounds -- to a total of roughly app...

ANF is recalling select products of ANF Pet Lamb and Rice Dog Food.The product may contain elevated levels of Vitamin D which, when consumed at very hi...

Volkswagen Group of America is recalling 73,545 model year 2018-2019 Volkswagen Atlas and Tiguan and model year 2019 Volkswagen Jetta vehicles that do not...

Yokohama Tire Corporation is recalling 529 Yokohama RY023 tires, size 295/75R22.5 (14G), with DOT date code 2318.The rubber compound may be incorrect,...

Sprout Creek Farm of Poughkeepsie, N.Y., is recalling four wheels of Kinkead cheese made on May 10, 2018.The product may be contaminated with Listeria...

For parents of small children, car seats are an integral part of day-to-day life. Making sure children are safely buckled and secure is the first step for...

While companies are making more, unemployment is declining, and the cost of living continues to rise, workers are left holding the bagThis year’s Chris...

On the heels of its action against Tesla CEO Elon Musk for alleged market manipulation, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is eyeing celebrities...

A recent report from 9to5Google suggested that Google may be gearing up to shut down its Hangout service in 2020.  Citing a source "familiar with t...

On Friday, two lawsuits were filed against Marriott, which last week announced that hackers had broken into its database. One lawsuit was filed by two men...

Nexstar Media Group has agreed to purchase Tribune Media for $6.4 billion, a deal making it the largest broadcast operation in the U.S.The acquisition...

Amazon is testing its cashierless shopping technology in larger stores, according to the Wall Street Journal.The e-commerce giant -- which has been tak...

Going to the doctor can be stressful for many people. The prospect of an uncomfortable medical procedure or the fear of getting bad news can make a trip to...

Any way you slice it, the housing market has cooled substantially from its active pace earlier in the year.The latest report from the Commerce Departme...

Achdut LTD of Ariel, Israel, is recalling all packages and sizes of its tahini products produced from April 7 to May 21, 2018.The products may be conta...

Suzuki Motor America is recalling 18,673 model year 2012-2013 Suzuki SX4s.The power steering pump may seize causing a loss of steering assist, requirin...