Current Events in September 2012

Forever Cheese Inc. is expanding its recall of all Marte brand Ricotta Salata Frescolina cheese, originally announced earlier in September 2012, due to possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination. 

The cheese was sold to distributors for retailers and restaurants in AL, CA, CO, CT, D.C., FL, GA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MN, MT, NC, NE, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OR, PA, TX, UT, VA, WA between September 1, 2011 and August 31, 2012. Products were sold to supermarkets, restaurants and wholesale distributors. 

The cheese in question is Marte brand Frescolina Ricotta Salata, which is a product of Italy. The expanded recall includes ALL lots and ALL production codes. 

The following lots/production codes may be found on the original wheel. T5086/440220, T5520/440315, T6048/440417, T6528/440519, T7012/440703, T7452/440601, T7939/440822, T8419/441003, T8899/441020, T9425/441202, T9962/441227, U1392/450126. 

Consumers may wish to follow up at the place they purchased the ricotta salata to ensure when it was cut or repacked that it was not relabeled. If the product was relabeled, consumers may not be able to determine if the cheese is Marte brand Ricotta Salata Frescolina. 

There is an outbreak of 15 reported illnesses in 12 states that has been linked to this particular cheese. 

Distributors and retailers are being contacted in an effort to recall any and all remaining product in the marketplace. 

If you believe that you have purchased any of this cheese, contact your distributor or retailer for a full refund. If you have any questions please call Forever Cheese contact Jeff DiMeo at (888)930-8693 between 9 am – 5pm (Monday-Friday) EST and mention “Recall”.

Say it ain't so!!

U.S. consumers are drinking less beer these days. Industry analysts say it's partly because of high unemployment rates among beer's traditional core consumers and the fact that Americans are drinking more wine and spirits.

The consumers who normally prefer beer can't afford to buy as much as they did in the past. The consumers who can afford it prefer to drink something else.

According to the recently released Beverage Information Group's 2012 Beer Handbook, the overall beer industry lost 35.6 million 2.25 gallon cases – a 1.3 percent decline – to end the year at 2.787 billion cases.

Exploring new beverages

The report found that consumers are leaving beer and gravitating to the wine and spirits industries with their new product offerings such as flavored vodkas, category-crossing whiskey liqueurs, sweet reds and high-end blends.

Meanwhile, the report suggests domestic beer saw declines due to its lack of innovation and ability to connect with consumers. With the largest segment, Light beer, losing 39.2 million 2.25-gallon cases, the other beer segments could not make up for the loss.

The Craft and Imported beer segments' continued success helped to offset some of the overall industries' declines, but could not fix the problem.

Americans prefer imports

According to the Beer Handbook, domestic brewers are being pressured by imports. Imported beer saw an increase of 1.3 percent in 2011 and is projected to climb. Consumers are increasingly drawn to imports due to the wide variety of high-end products available, as consumers are trading back up to more premium brands.

The growth in the Craft and Imported beer categories seen over the years is expected to continue, with Imports projected to grow at a slightly slower rate. It remains to be seen if they can offset the declines in the domestic categories.

"We are looking to the Craft segment to continue to spur growth in the beer industry," says Adam Rogers, senior analyst for the Beverage Information Group, Norwalk, Conn. "Consumer interest is at its peak and there is unlimited potential for growth as more craft brewers enter the marketplace."

Craft beer segment still growing

Craft beers, usually brewed in small quantities by "micro-brewers," have a similar appeal as a fine wine. They're generally favored by consumers who have disposable income.

In the past, however, the brewing industry has been carried by its mass-produced domestic brands whose consumers tend to be less discriminating and more value-conscious.

But high unemployment rates, economic uncertainty, rising commodity and fuel costs all affect beer pricing structure and the report suggests the effects are clearly visible in falling beer consumption.

Need a little help keeping track of your calorie intake? The Department of Agriculture's (USDA) SuperTracker may be just the ticket. 

According to Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services Kevin Concannon, the tool  has added a new feature that allows users to set personal calorie goals based on targets prescribed by their nutritionists, dietitians and health care providers. 

"With one in three Americans overweight or obese, resources like SuperTracker play a critical role in helping people to develop good health and nutrition habits," said Concannon. "This update allows individuals to set goals tailored to their specific needs and improve their overall health and well-being." 

Built and maintained by USDA's Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion (CNPP), SuperTracker is free to use and available at ChooseMyPlate.gov. As originally designed, SuperTracker assigned users a calorie level based on information entered in their user profile such as age, height, weight, and physical activity level. 

New feature 

The new feature allows users to tailor their diet and exercise regimens to fit calorie target recommendations made by their physician. To access the new personal calorie goal feature, go to SuperTracker and click on My Features (My Top 5 Goals). 

SuperTracker is also one of ten government projects receiving the 2012 Government Computer News (GCN) Award for IT Achievement, which recognizes government agencies that show creativity and ingenuity in connecting citizens with the government through technology tools. Earlier this month, SuperTracker reached over one million registered users. 

"Within the Federal sector of providing online services to the public, this award is the equivalent of winning an Oscar or a Grammy," said Concannon. "We are extraordinarily proud of the work done by the staff at USDA's Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion and their commitment to improving the health of Americans." 

Family plan 

To help families make healthier food choices, USDA released MyPlate, a new generation food icon acclaimed as a simple, powerful visual cue to promote healthier eating at mealtimes. It is supported by tools and resources at the ChooseMyPlate.gov, and is available for Spanish-language speakers as MiPlato. Over 6,400 community partners have joined together with USDA in helping promote MyPlate in communities across the country. 

SuperTracker was unveiled in December 2011 as a complement to the MyPlate nutrition guidance initiative and First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! initiative. 

SuperTracker is a free online tool that incorporates both the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines to help Americans make and assess daily healthy food and lifestyle choices.

Ever since e-cigarettes came on the scene, offering smokers a tobacco-free alternative to smoking, health advocates have raised questions.

Earlier this month Greek researchers suggested using the device, which delivers nicotine in water vapor, could still be harming the lungs. Now, an anti-smoking group says e-cigarettes are just as obnoxious to non-smokers as real cigarettes.

Criticizes marketing

Americans for Non-Smokers Rights is slamming the marketers of e-cigarettes, claiming they are using press releases and social media to tout the benefits of their product, despite a lack of independent peer-reviewed scientific evidence demonstrating the safety or effectiveness.

E-cigarettes don't just produce harmless water vapor, the group claims. Instead, they say they pollute indoor air with detectable levels of carcinogens and other toxic chemicals.

"What I find most egregious are the direct advertisements with false and misleading claims, including that e-cigarettes are effective smoking cessation devices, that e-cigarette use is permissible in all indoor environments, including venues that are smoke-free, and targeting pregnant women claiming that e-cigarettes are safer and healthier than other tobacco products," said Cynthia Hallett, executive director of Americans for Non-Smokers Rights.

Disputes claims

In a press release of its own, the group disputes e-cigarette manufacturers' claims that e-cigarettes are "safer than commercial tobacco products." It says the contents of the e-cigarette liquid and the "vapor mist" that is exhaled by the user remain undisclosed. E-cigarettes are currently an unregulated product, which leaves a great deal of unknowns not only about the health risks, but also about product manufacturing quality and safety.

The group points to a study recently published in Indoor Air, which measured the contents of exhaled e-cigarette vapor and found that exhaling the vapor releases measurable amounts of carcinogens and toxins into the air, including nicotine, formaldehyde and acetaldehyde.

New source of chemical exposure

The authors concluded that e-cigarettes are a new source of chemical and aerosol exposure and their potential health impact is a concern that should be investigated further. Other researchers have found inconsistent labeling of nicotine content on e-cigarette cartridges -- that cartridges labeled as not having nicotine did in fact contain nicotine, and vice versa -- as well as other signs of poor quality control, including leaky cartridges and defective parts.

A number of states, including California, have sued the marketers of some brands of e-cigarettes for making what officials described as "misleading and irresponsible" claims that electronic cigarettes are a safe alternative to smoking.

E-cigarettes are battery-operated devices with nicotine cartridges designed to look and feel like conventional cigarettes. Instead of actual smoke, e-cigarettes produce a vapor from the nicotine cartridge that is inhaled by the user. Smoking Everywhere, one of the largest e-cigarette retailers in the United States, claims in its ads that the e-cigarettes have no carcinogens, no tar, no second-hand smoke, and are therefore safe and healthy.

The economic outlook may be a little scarey, but that's not spooking consumers out out of their plans to celebrate Halloween 

In fact, the National Retail Federation's (NRF) 2012 Halloween consumer spending survey conducted by BIGinsight finds a record 170 million people plan to celebrate Halloween this year. 

Seven in 10 Americans (71.5%) will get into the haunting Halloween mood, compared with 68.6 percent last year and the most in NRF’s 10-year survey history. Consumers are expecting to spend more too; the average person will spend $79.82 on decorations, costumes and candy, versus $72.31 last year, with total Halloween spending expected to reach $8.0 billion. 

“By the time Halloween rolls around each year it’s safe to say Americans have already spent two months preparing for one of the fastest-growing and most widely-loved holidays of the year,” said NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay. “Retailers know that when it comes to Halloween, new costume ideas for children, adults and pets, and the latest in home and yard décor top people’s shopping lists. We expect retailers to stock their shelves well ahead of time to capture the attention of eager holiday shoppers.” 

What to buy 

When it comes to looking for Halloween costume ideas, consumers say their biggest source of inspiration is what they see in a retail store or costume shop. More than one-third (35.7 percent) will look for new ideas in a store and nearly one-quarter (23.7%) will turn to their friends and family. 

Social media will also play a role in choosing costumes: 15.2 percent will check out Facebook for inspiration and 7.1 percent will scour the visually-appealing Pinterest. Online searches will also be popular with celebrants: 33.3 percent say they will get their inspiration online. Of those buying or making costumes, the average person will spend $28.65 on costumes this year, up slightly from $26.52 in 2011. 

“Almost as soon as people bring down their fall and winter apparel from the top shelves in their closets, Halloween becomes top of mind,” said BIGinsight Executive Vice President, Strategic Initiatives, Phil Rist. “There’s certainly pent-up demand for having some fun this year and shoppers are planning to spend their hard-earned dollars on items that help them get into the Halloween spirit.” 

How we spend

Of the people celebrating Halloween this year, more than half (51.4%) will decorate their home or yard, up from 49.5 percent last year, and 45.0 percent plan to dress in costume, also up from last year (43.9%.) More than one-third (36.2%) will throw or attend a party and 33.2 percent will take children trick-or-treating. Additionally, 15.1 percent will ensure their furry friends are part of the fun too, by dressing their pet in costume. 

Despite record spending figures for this year’s Halloween holiday, one-fourth of U.S. consumers (25.9%) say the state of the economy will affect their Halloween plans. To compensate, most say they will spend less overall (83.5%), while others will make a costume instead of buying one (18.0%), and over one-third (36.1%) will buy less candy.

So you have finally decided to buy a new car. Congratulations. Now, what are you going to do with your old car?

You have a number of options. You could trade it in on the new car. Most people do that because, frankly, it's so much easier. But the dealer counts on that and usually doesn't offer you very much. The dealer, after all, plans to turn around and sell it for more than he paid for it.

Sometimes you can just sell the car to a dealer. Again, you run into the same problem. The dealer needs to acquire the car at a low cost so he can sell it at its market value and make a profit.

Consider making it a hand-me-down

Some people transfer the car to a family member. Hand-me-down cars are a tradition for some families and a good way to provide a known, reliable used car for a young driver.

Some people donate cars to charity. Once upon a time the IRS allowed you to deduct the market value of the car when you donated it. Now, however, you can only deduct the amount the charity resells the car for, making the tax break much less generous.

Finally, you can put an ad online or in the paper and try to sell the car yourself. While a private sale will probably yield the most money, it can sometimes be a time-consuming and rather unpleasant experience.

Time and effort

"Selling a vehicle yourself is not difficult, but it does take time and effort," said John Nielsen, AAA director of Automotive Engineering and Repair. "Pricing the vehicle properly and preparing it for sale are keys to quickly selling the vehicle for a reasonable amount."

If you're going to sell a vehicle yourself, you should take a number of important steps to make sure you get top dollar. First, prepare your vehicle for a buyer by having it professionally detailed.

Remove any personal items from your vehicle, including any stickers you have placed on the exterior. Have your vehicle inspected by a repair shop prior to the sale and ask for a detailed report, which can be shared with perspective buyers.

Next, determine a price. This may require some research. Be realistic in the condition of your vehicle, very few vehicles are in "excellent" condition. Do your homework and keep a list of comparable prices from various vehicle pricing sources for any potential buyers to take with them.

How's your salesmanship?

Marketing your vehicle for sale is another important step to successfully selling your vehicle independently. Use social media technology and online websites to let others know you are selling your vehicle. Facebook, Twitter, AutoTrader.com, Cars.com and eBay Motors are all examples of electronic resources.

Colorful photos and diverse images can help support the description and features of the vehicle. Be sure to include contact information and any other important details pertaining to the sale.

Once you prepare, price and market your vehicle for sale, you should receive inquiries from potential buyers. Use common sense and caution when showing your vehicle. Meet potential buyers in a public location and do not let them test drive the vehicle by themselves.

Be ready for questions, have detailed information readily available, include a CARFAX vehicle history report and keep repair and maintenance documents compiled and organized.

Once you have found a buyer for your vehicle, AAA recommends creating a bill of sale that both parties can sign and have it notarized. Notaries can be located at a bank.

Always secure payment before you transfer ownership. Options for payment include certified checks, cash or money order. AAA suggests completing a transaction at a bank to verify the payment is legitimate. If a buyer is uncomfortable with any part of the agreement, be cautious and use good judgment to avoid the possibility of being scammed.

Maybe you’ve caught it already maybe you haven’t, but surely you’ve at least heard of the reality documentary-styled MTV show “16 & Pregnant” and its  successor “Teen Mom.”

The series first aired in the summer of 2009 and since its debut, reviews of the show have stemmed from, “I kind of like this show, I think it’s helpful for some teenagers," to “This is so exploitive, I’ll never let my child even get a peek at this stupid show.”

Possibly a good mediator between the opposing opinions is a study conducted by The National Campaign To Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy. The non-profit group says that programs like 16 & Pregnant have really helped teenagers by truly depicting how difficult life is for young mothers still in high school.

For those who have never seen the show, it centers on a group of 16-year-old mothers from different parts of the U.S. and each teenage girl is followed by cameras in their own individual story. Both 16 & Pregnant and Teen Mom show portrayals of struggle, as each character faces a bevy of challenges which are all related to being pregnant as a teen.

More good than bad

Most of the characters on the show deal with issues like fighting with  suddenly disinterested boyfriends, to arguing with frustrated parents, to coping with a bunch of financial challenges. And the folks at the National Campaign believe the show does more good than bad when it comes to preventing teen pregnancy. In fact, they believe 16 & Pregnant only does  good for young people.

In a survey of 1,008 kids from ages 12 to 19 who have watched 16 & Pregnant, 82 percent believe the show helps them and other teens grasp the real obstacles of teen pregnancy as well as becoming a parent. The study also revealed that 79 percent of teenage girls and 67 percent of teenage boys said 16 & Pregnant makes them think about the challenges of teen pregnancy, especially if they see a character they like have difficulties on the show.

In addition, 76 percent of teens said a good way to initiate frank sex talks with their parents is by seeing something on TV about relationships, sex or love, and 48 percent of teens said they actually have these types of conversations with their folks after seeing programs like 16 & Pregnant or Teen Mom.

Amy R. Kramer of The National Campaign said 16 & Pregnant does a stellar job of showing realistic portrayals of teenagers having babies, and she feels the show doesn’t exploit young pregnancy; it actually informs teens about  specific dangers.

“The way pregnancy and parenthood are portrayed isn’t glorified or glamorous,” she said about the MTV show. “It’s upfront and honest. I don’t think you can sit through any episode and say, ‘Wow that looks awesome.’ "

Fame and notoriety

Paul Wright, an assistant professor of telecommunications at Indiana University College of Arts and Sciences, says that 16 & Pregnant does depict bits of reality as it pertains to teenagers having children, but the popularity of the show can send the message that becoming pregnant during your teen years could get you a little fame and notoriety.  

“The programs were developed to show young women how difficult it is to be a teen mom,” he said.

“They were intended to be program-length public service announcements discouraging teen pregnancy. But critics said the programs send mixed messages. My viewing of the programs suggested the same. On one hand, the programs do show many of the difficulties teen mothers face. But on the other hand, they sometimes seem to send the message that getting pregnant was all for the best,” Wright said.

However Bill Albert, a spokesman for the National Campaign strongly disagrees with the criticism the show has received, and says television is just the most convenient target to blame for some of society’s most consistent ills.

“Entertainment media is one of the nation’s favorite punching bags, but we have to acknowledge that when we’re talking about teen pregnancies media can be and often is a force for good, and that is particularly true when it comes to show like 16 & Pregnant.”

“Some critics say these shows glamorize teen pregnancy, but our survey data shows that’s not the case. That not only do they not glamorize it, but teens who have seen it suggest it makes the realities of teen parenthood more real to them,” he said.

All-time low

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention teen pregnancy has hit an all-time low, as in the year 2010, 367,752 babies were born to teenage mothers ages 15 through 19, which is a 9 percent drop compared to the previous year.

It’s safe to assume that hardly anybody would say the lower numbers of teen pregnancy is attributed to the folks at MTV, 16 & Pregnant or Teen Mom, but Albert believes at the very least the show is a conversation starter, which could be the highest hurdle to leap for any parent when it comes to discussing sex or pregnancy with their children.

“What you seen on TV as a parent isn’t always exactly what you’d want your teen to know or say or see, but it does deflect the conversation from, ‘What are you doing? To more of an abstract, and that can be a good way to start conversations,” he said. “The fact is this is not your parents sex talk, not a one-time white knuckle conversation, but this should be an 18-year conversation that you’re having with your kids.”

The Consumerist is one of those sites that people either love or hate. Owned by Consumers Union, the not-for-profit publisher of Consumer Reports, the site is a free-wheeling forum where consumers and columnists spin yarns that horrify other consumers and infuriate the companies who are cast as the villains.

But for the last few days, the Consumerist has been absent from the Web and is only now beginning to get itself back together. Consumerist is quite clear about one thing: it's still not quite sure what happened but in a posting this afternoon, Consumerist's executive editor, Meg Marco, said that on Sept. 20, the site began getting reports that some its pages had been altered and were redirecting traffic to spam websites.

"We took the site down as quickly as possible and began investigating," Marco said. While the investigation continues, Marco said a new site was being built at a different hosting provider and would be appearing around the country gradually.

At least for now, the new site will not include comments from readers, Marco cautioned.

"Consumerist feels really strongly about not sharing our user’s personal information with outside organizations who may want to use it for commercial interests. ... While we build something that meets our needs (and yours) Consumerist will temporarily not feature commenting. We are sorry for the inconvenience, and hope to have commenting back soon," she said.

Marco said it's too soon to say whether Consumerist readers' user names and passwords were hacked, but noted that it's always good practice to use a different password on every site.

Marco also said it's not possible to say whether malware was downloaded onto Consumerist readers' sites and recommended that concerned users should check their anti-virus program and go to StopBadware.org for more information on safe browsing.

Readers complain

Consumerist readers have been quick to complain about the handling of the incident and say they were kept in the dark. 

One reader posting on Consumerist's Facebook page said he had emailed the president of Consumers Union, Jim Guest, every day asking for information but had not received a reply.

Noting that Consumerist staffers have not posted or Tweeted, some readers see a conspiracy while others see Consumers Union setting a poor example by leaving its readers -- who must be considered consumers even though they do not pay to view the site -- in the dark about possible threats to their personal information.

"Consumerist.com is truly no better than any other company that they trash on a daily basis. This is an epic fail for the Consumerist and heads should roll over this fiasco," said Jeff Talbert in a Facebook posting earlier today.

Consumerist spokesmen told ConsumerAffairs late today there is no conspiracy of silence and that it has simply been an all-hands effort to identify the problem and pitch in to get at least a skeletal version of the site back online. 

The online video that insults the prophet Muhammad has sparked a crisis in the Middle East and isn't doing much to make life easier for banking customers in the U.S. either.

Cyber attacks blocked Wells Fargo's site in much of the country today and U.S. Bancorp and PNC are said to be next on the list.  Bank of America, Citigroup and JPMorgan Chase were all hit earlier. 

The disruptions were caused by what are known as denial of service attacks, in which massive numbers of computers hit sites simultaneously, flooding them with requests that cause the sites to either go down or operate at a crawl.

A group calling itself the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Cyber Fighters has claimed responsibility for the attacks and says they will continue until that controversial video is taken down.

The Wells Fargo site was completely unreachable for much of today, creating cries of anguish and outrage from many of its 21 million online customers.

Many customers have blamed the banks for the attacks, although experts say there is little that anyone can do to defend against massive distributed denial of service (DDOS) attacks, so called because they use thousands of computers all around the world to mount simultaneous attacks that overwhelm not just the targeted sites but, in many cases, other sites hosted within the same data centers.

Wells Fargo issued a statement apologizing for the outage. 

"We are working to quickly resolve this issue. Customers can still access their accounts through our ATMs, stores and by phone," the bank said in a statement.

How fast is the fastest train you’ve ever ridden? If you’ve been to places like China you have possibly ridden on that country’s 268-mph locomotive or maybe you’ve been to Europe and taken their train that whips through the continent at a cool 200 mph.

Well, if you haven't had the opportunity to ride these trains, you might get your chance right here in the good old U.S. of A, as Amtrak is currently making test runs in the Northeast section of the country with  new trains that go 165 mph, making the trip from Washington D.C. to New York City in less than three hours, reports indicate.

Amtrak is currently making the test runs at 165 mph, which is the current U.S. record for fastest passenger trains, and testing will be conducted from Perryville, Md. to Wilmington, Del.

The company is also testing trains from Trenton to New Brunswick N.J. and if all goes well, the new trains along with an updated track system will be up and ready for business by 2017, Amtrak says.

It’s been some pretty trying times for the government-owned railroad. With the emergence of mom and pop bus companies, along with constant airline deals being offered on travel sites, many people have put Amtrak last on their list when it comes to making their travel plans.

Also, Amtrak’s prices have seemed to only get ridiculously higher, and many passengers believe the raised prices haven’t been used to improve service, or maintain proper scheduling. Some of our readers have experienced this lack of company growth first hand.

“It was my first experience on Amtrak, so I booked the ticket with no prejudice about the company,” wrote Andrea in our ConsumerAffairs Complaints and Review section. “It was a pretty short commute from Trenton (N.J.) to Baltimore (MD), just a one hour and 40-minute ride. Well, in theory it was only a 1:40 trip but because the train had a two hour delay, my supposed time was doubled.”

And “the train was very dirty,” she added. “I don’t think that having a carpet on the floor was a very hygienic idea from the beginning but at least keep it clean. “In short, $109 for a one way ticket with two hours delay, a train as dirty as a Times Square sidewalk after the New Year’s Eve ceremony and no Wi-Fi service was definitely not with it,” she wrote.

A ConsumerAffairs colleague recently took a Northeast regional train from Washington, D.C., to Newark, N.J., and found it excessively bucolic.

"We crept slowly through the countryside, making it possible to count the leaves on the trees," he grumped. "Boaters on the Delaware had time to turn around and 'moon' us as the train made its stately journey northward. Not really the scenery I was hoping for."

$450 million

The new Acela was recently tested from Westerly to Cranston, R.I. and in Massachusetts from South Attleboro to Readville, and after Amtrak’s expected $450 million upgrade it’s hoping to make itself the primary way of travel for passengers, especially for people in the Northeast Corridor.

Critics of the new Acela trains, say the smaller and local train stops will not be able to benefit from the upgraded trains and faster service, since it was reported that the upgrade would only be in major train hubs like New York’s Penn Station or Baltimore’s Union Station.

Todd O’Donnell, who co-owns a train station in New London, Conn., says Amtrak has no plans to make stops with the new Acela in any of the Connecticut cities, which he feels defeats the purpose of even going forward with an upgrade. He also says the state will suffer fiscally as a result.

“This will have a major impact on the economic vitality of southeastern Connecticut going forward,” he said.

According to Amtrak, the upgrade will also consist of new commuter rail tunnels that go beneath the Hudson River to Manhattan, and a new station in New Jersey is also supposed to be constructed. Both projects, collectively known as the Gateway Program, which also includes other upgrades in the New York-New Jersey area is said to be completed by the time the new Acelas hit the tracks.

Next time you feel standing up in your seat and chanting, "We're No. 1," it might be a good idea to define your terms just a little. If it's the Internet you're talking about, the United States is actually No. 2. Iran, Cuba, and China were dead last.

That's according to the annual Freedom House transparency and access report, Freedom on the Net, which found that slow and gentrified broadband access and occasional government intrusion stunted the U.S. to the No. 2 spot, with the tiny Eastern European technological powerhouse, Estonia, taking the gold medal.

What does Estonia have that we don't?

Well, online voting for one thing. Free access to online medical records for another. Not to mention the most widespread broadband access in the world.

“Although the United States is one of the most connected countries in the world, it has fallen behind many other developed nations in terms of Internet speed, cost, and broadband availability,” explains the report. The U.S. lags behind Japan, South Korea, Norway and Sweden in access to blistering fast Internet (average peak speeds in Hong Kong — 49 Mbps — are nearly twice that of the U.S. — 28 Mbps).

Repression increases

The U.S. is also falling behind other nations in how well it protects freedom of speech online.

Brutal attacks against bloggers, politically motivated surveillance, proactive manipulation of Web content, and restrictive laws regulating speech online are among the diverse threats to internet freedom emerging over the past two years, according to the Freedom House report.

And it's not just government agencies that are putting the screws to Internet content.

“The findings clearly show that threats to internet freedom are becoming more diverse. As authoritarian rulers see that blocked websites and high-profile arrests draw local and international condemnation, they are turning to murkier—but no less dangerous—methods for controlling online conversations,” said Sanja Kelly, project director for Freedom on the Net at Freedom House.

The battle over internet freedom comes at a time when nearly one third of the world’s population has used the internet. Governments are responding to the increased influence of the new medium by seeking to control online activity, restricting the free flow of information, and otherwise infringing on the rights of users.

The methods of control are becoming more sophisticated, and tactics previously evident in only the most repressive environments — such as governments instigating deliberate connection disruptions or hiring armies of paid commentators to manipulate online discussions — are appearing in a wider set of countries.

Key trends

The report identified these emerging trends:

• New laws restrict free speech: In 19 of the 47 countries examined, new laws or directives have been passed since January 2011 that either restrict online speech, violate user privacy, or punish individuals who post content deemed objectionable or undesirable.
• Bloggers and ordinary users increasingly face arrest for political speech on the web:  In 26 of the 47 countries, including several democratic states, at least one blogger or ICT user was arrested for content posted online or sent via text message.
• Physical attacks against government critics are intensifying: In 19 of the 47 countries assessed, a blogger or internet user was tortured, disappeared, beaten, or brutally assaulted as a result of their online posts. In five countries, an activist or citizen journalist was killed in retribution for posting information that exposed human rights abuses.
• Paid commentators, hijacking attacks are proliferating: The phenomenon of paid pro-government commentators has spread over the past two years from a small set of countries to 14 of the 47 countries examined. Meanwhile, government critics faced politically motivated cyberattacks in 19 of the countries covered.
• Surveillance is increasing, with few checks on abuse: In 12 of the 47 countries examined, a new law or directive disproportionately enhanced surveillance or restricted user anonymity. In authoritarian countries, surveillance often targets government critics.
• Citizen pushback is yielding results: A significant uptick in civic activism related to internet freedom, alongside important court decisions, has produced notable victories in a wide set of countries. Advocacy campaigns, mass demonstrations, website blackouts, and constitutional court decisions have resulted in censorship plans being shelved, harmful legislation being overturned, and jailed activists being released. In 23 of the 47 countries assessed, at least one such victory occurred.

Big Lots of Columbus, OH, is recalling about 6,900 Wilson & Fisher garden swings. 

The wooden swing’s seat can break while in use, posing a fall hazard to the consumer. Big Lots has received 14 reports of swing seats breaking, resulting in four reports of back pain and five reports of scratches and scrapes. 

This recall involves Wilson & Fisher log-style swing sets sold in a natural wood finish. The swing’s two-person bench seat is suspended between two wooden A-frame supports. Assembly instructions sold with the swings have item number JY1107 and SKU number 210020400 printed on the sheet. 

The swings, manufactured in China, were sold exclusively at Big Lots stores nationwide from March 2012 through June 2012 for about $130. 

Consumers should stop using the recalled swing sets, detach the bench seat and return it to any Big Lots store for a full refund. Consumers should destroy the remaining components. 

For additional information, consumers should contact the firm toll-free at (866) 244-5687 between 9 a.m. through 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday.

If you ask a friend if he texts while driving, he'll likely say "no," or "not much." But after observing him behind the wheel for a while, you might find he checks his phones for messages a lot.

It's common, say researchers at the University of Michigan (U-M). When people check their cell phones without thinking about it, the habit represents a type of automatic behavior, or automaticity, the researchers say. Automaticity, which was the key variable in the study, is triggered by situational cues and lacks control, awareness, intention and attention.

"In other words, some individuals automatically feel compelled to check for, read and respond to new messages, and may not even realize they have done so while driving until after the fact," said Joseph Bayer, a doctoral student in the Department of Communication Studies and the study's lead author.

Safety issue

Texting behind the wheel has become a major highway safety concern as smartphones have proliferated. And it's not just teens who fall victim to the habit; adults can be offenders too.

The U-M study identifies the role of unconscious thought processes in texting and driving, making it different from other research that has focused on the effects of this behavior. The U-M study investigates the role of habit in texting while driving, with a focus on how, rather than how much, the behavior is carried out.

Many people have phones that vibrate when a new message is received. Or, the phone makes a sound. These can be texting cues that people respond to automatically.

"In the case of more habitual behavior, reacting to these cues becomes automatic to the point that the person may do so without even meaning to do it," said Scott Campbell, associate professor of communication studies at U-M.

Automatic tendencies

The study tried to determine subjects' level of automatic response and frequency of texting, as well as their attitudes about texting behind the wheel. The findings show that automatic tendencies are a significant and positive predictor of both sending and reading texts behind the wheel, even when accounting for how much individuals text overall, norms and attitudes. It found that not all drivers pose the same risk.

"Two mobile phone users, then, could use their devices at an equal rate, but differ in the degree to which they perform the behavior automatically," Campbell said.

Bayer says the implications of the study may help provide solutions to texting and driving. He says the current campaigns to stop people from texting while driving aren't as effective if individuals don't realize how much they are doing it.

"By targeting these automatic mechanisms, we can design specific self-control strategies for drivers," he said.

After years of watching the equity in their homes plummet, U.S. homeowners may be a bit skeptical about recent predictions that the housing market is about to turn. But the latest statistics suggest it's true and the Federal Reserve appears determined to give home prices a boost.

The Commerce Department reports sales of new homes decreased slightly from July but the median price of a new home rose to $256,000 -- the highest since March 2007. The day before that report was released the S&P Case-Shiller Indices showed all 20 monitored cities recorded price gains in July.

"We have seen home construction and new home sales soar by twenty percent this year while existing housing demand is up by over seven percent," said economist Joel Naroff, of Naroff Economic Advisers, in Holland, PA. "All this increase in activity is leading a rebound in housing prices."

Rising despite the drag

But unemployment remains stuck over eight percent and mortgage companies, despite record low rates, are making fewer loans because fewer buyers can meet new qualification standards. So why are home prices rising?

Part of it goes back to supply and demand. While demand is less than it once was, it's still there and it's fairly constant month after month. But have you noticed the size of real estate magazines lately? While they were once as thick as a phone book they now are paper-thin.

With a smaller inventory of homes for sale, the consumers who want to buy them have fewer to choose from and less bargaining power. That allows homeowners who want to sell to demand more.

Reasons for falling inventory

Inventory is falling because many homeowners who would like to sell their homes are still under water. They owe more than their homes are worth.

Some homeowners who want to sell eventually are in no hurry, sensing the market is beginning to turn. If they wait to sell, they conclude they'll get more for their homes.

Finally, for whatever reason, fewer foreclosures are coming on the market. Many were held back while major lenders worked out a settlement with the states and the U.S. government. Now that the settlement has been reached, some long-delayed foreclosures are being sold but the number remains subdued in many states.

The Fed's role

The Federal Reserve's latest round of Quantitative Easing (QE) appears aimed, in part, at encouraging these recent trends and boost home values even more. The Fed has committed itself to purchasing massive amounts of mortgage-backed securities for the foreseeable future.

If the Fed is increasing the demand for these securities, it stands to reason that it would be increasingly profitable -- and less risky -- to create more of them. But to create more mortgage-backed securities, banks must first create more mortgages.

To create more mortgages, banks will need to loosen the very tight lending standards they instituted after the housing meltdown. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) has spent the last four years begging the mortgage industry to just use the lending standards that were in place before the housing bubble began to inflate.

If they were to do that, NAR chief economist Lawrence Yun has predicted home sales would surge 15 percent. A pick-up in sales that large would undoubtedly boost home prices even more.

Specialized Bicycle Components of Morgan Hill, CA, is recalling about 12,000 bikes. 

The front fork can break, posing fall and injury hazards to riders. The company has received four reports of front forks breaking, resulting in facial fractures, head and shoulder injuries and cuts. 

This recall involves some 2008 and 2009 models women's and men's Globe model bicycles. 

Recalled models include the Globe Elite, Globe Sport, Globe Sport Disc, Globe Centrum Comp, Globe Centrum Elite, Globe City 6, Globe Vienna 3, Globe Vienna 3 Disc, Globe Vienna 4, Globe Vienna Deluxe 3, Globe Vienna Deluxe 4, Globe Vienna Deluxe 5 and Globe Vienna Deluxe 6 bicycles. 

The bicycles were sold in various colors, including gun, silver, black, khaki, navy, bone, blue, charcoal, burgundy and gold. The brand name "Specialized" is on the lower frame tube and the model name is on various locations on the bicycle frame. 

The bicycles, manufactured in China, were sold at authorized Specialized retailers nationwide from July 2007 to July 2012 for between $550 and $1,100. 

Consumers should immediately stop riding these bicycles and return them to an authorized Specialized retailer for the free installation of a free replacement fork. 

For additional information, contact Specialized toll-free at (877) 808-8154 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT Monday through Friday.

The world may have to make do with less bacon in the future. In fact, Britain's National Pig Association, the trade group representing pork producers, is warning that a world-wide shortage of pork and bacon in the year ahead is "unavoidable."

The association has issued data showing that pig herds in Europe are in rapid decline. Producers have thinned their herds to cope with the high cost of feed, which has been driven up by rising commodity prices.

Pushing for higher prices

But the warning also seems to have something to do with the farmers' standoff with British supermarkets over pricing. The retailers, it seems, have been reluctant to raise pork prices to the extent the farmers say is necessary because it might drive away customers.

Still, the U.S. Agriculture Department (USDA) doesn't completely dismiss the idea of declining pork herds, especially after this summer's drought.

"High feed costs from lower U.S. corn and soybean production is expected to reduce U.S. pork production in 2013," USDA said in a recent Livestock, Dairy and Poultry Outlook. "Per capita consumption of pork products in 2013 are expected to decline by 1.23 percent. Next year, per capita consumption of red meat and poultry is expected to drop below 200 pounds per person for the first time since 1990."

Exports are rising

USDA notes U.S. pork exports increased more than eight percent year-over-year in the second quarter of 2012. In the first 6 months of 2012, China was the third largest foreign destination for U.S. pork products. Exports in 2013 are expected to be about equal to shipments in 2012, meaning there won't be an increase in exports to keep pace with increased demand. It also means any shortage in Europe is not likely to be alleviated by increases in U.S. pork.

In Britain, pork producers say the only way to increase supplies of bacon and other pork products is for consumers to be willing to pay more for it.

"British supermarkets know they have to raise the price they pay Britain's pig farmers or risk empty spaces on their shelves next year," said National Pig Association chairman Richard Longthorp. "But competition is so fierce in the high street at present, each is waiting for the other to move first."

Consumer groups are claiming victory in an encounter with a bank they say evaded the law in collaborating with a payday lender.

The National Consumer Law Center (NCLC) and Center for Responsible Lending (CRL) fired off a letter to the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) in May, claiming that Florida-based Urban Trust Bank (UTB), the issuer of the Insight prepaid cards used by the payday lender CheckSmart, was evading state payday and usury laws.

This week the OCC said it has found “violations of law and regulations and unsafe and unsound banking practices” by the institution.

The OCC said that the consumer groups’ letter “raises several troubling concerns,” including “that the prepaid cards are sold in cooperation with a major payday lender” and have “characteristics similar to predatory payday loans.”

"Banks should not help payday lenders to evade state law,” said Lauren Saunders, managing attorney of NCLC’s office in Washington. “We applaud the OCC for scrutinizing the sordid relationship between Urban Trust Bank and the CheckSmart prepaid card payday loans, and urge the OCC to eliminate payday loans completely from the Insight prepaid cards."

The groups noted that UTB and CheckSmart have discontinued one version of the prepaid card payday loans but continue to offer payday loans presented as overdraft fees of $0.15 per $1 negative balance or $15 per $100 borrowed.

Formal agreement

The OCC has entered into a Formal Agreement with UTB requiring the bank to correct legal violations, to submit an analysis of its prepaid card program that “fully assesses the risks and benefits of this line of business” and to submit for OCC review a business plan that addresses deficiencies in its oversight of CheckSmart.

“Prepaid card payday loans cannot be fixed, and Urban Trust Bank should get out of this business,” said Saunders.

After Arizona and Ohio imposed 36 and 28 percent interest rate caps, respectively, the groups claim that CheckSmart, which is owned by Community Choice Financial, Inc. (CCFI), began disguising its payday loans as a line of credit or overdraft protection on prepaid cards managed by Insight Card Services, which is part owned by CCFI, and issued by Urban Trust Bank.

The loans cost $14 to $15 per $100 borrowed, or an annual rate of about 400 percent, but the groups maintain the costs were cloaked in various fees designed to evade state laws. After the consumer groups criticized the loans, CheckSmart dropped the line of credit and CCFI called off its planned initial public offering of stock.

The Conference Board's monthly Consumer Confidence Index is one way economist keep track of consumer sentiment, and what it might mean for the economy. The latest reading is cause for smiles.

The Index, which fell in August, is back up this month, standing at 70.3 -- an increase of nine points. The Expectations Index increased to 83.7 from 71.1. The Present Situation Index rose to 50.2 from 46.5 last month.

More positive

“The Consumer Confidence Index rebounded in September and is back to levels seen earlier this year, said Lynn Franco, director of Economic Indicators at The Conference Board. “Consumers were more positive in their assessment of current conditions, in particular the job market, and considerably more optimistic about the short-term outlook for business conditions, employment and their financial situation.”

Despite everything, Franco says consumers are slightly more optimistic than they have been in several months.

Why is this important? Because when consumers are not confident, they tend not to spend money. When they don't spend money, economic conditions tend to get even worse. It's been a vicious circle since the economy tanked at the end of 2008.

In truth, consumers have been up and down, month to month, over the last four years. One month confidence will rise, only to fall a couple of months later. Economists hope to see several months of sustained gains in the consumer confidence level.

Housing

One thing that could be helping consumers feel better is an uptick in the housing market. The latest Case-Shiller Home Value Indices show all 20 monitored cities showed price gains in July.

“Home prices increased again in July,” said David M. Blitzer, Chairman of the Index Committee at S&P Dow Jones Indices. “All 20 cities and both Composites were up on the month for the third time in a row. Even better, 16 of the 20 cities and both Composites rose over the last year. Atlanta remains the weakest city but managed to cut the annual loss to just under 10 percent. “

Blitzer says 15 cities and both Composites had stronger annual returns in July’s report. New

York was the only city with a worse 12-month decline in July than June. Dallas and Washington, DC, saw no change in their annual rates. Cleveland and Detroit saw annual rates decelerate in July versus June, although they remain positive for both cities.

“The news on home prices in this report confirm recent good news about housing,” Blitzer said.

According to a study conducted by Microsoft, 82 percent of today’s emails are gray mail, which for most users couldn’t be more annoying when trying to check their messages or when emailing a friend. And just what is gray mail exactly?

“It’s somewhere between spam, which is stuff that you outright don’t want, and your personal or business stuff that you do want,” said Josh Rosenwald, founder of Unroll.me, a company that organizes your inbox and allows you to unsubscribe from companies sending you emails.

“It’s a gray area that we call gray mail -- that’s Groupon emails, things that are subscriptions or newsletters,”

“Once you go to Amazon and you start shopping and you check-out, they sign you up for that newsletter, and that’s gray mail. Daily deals are gray mail, Facebook updates, Twitter updates, those emails are all gray mails. So it’s a gray area that’s not illegal but it’s also not your personal messages that you’re definitely interested in,” he says.

Rosenwald started Unroll.me once he noticed communicating with friends was becoming more of a task due to all of the unwanted messages he received in his inbox on a daily basis.  He and his partners decided to create an easy and effective way to properly gather and organize wanted emails, while making it just as easy to cast out the unwanted ones. 

Take control

“When you log in we scan your inbox for what we would regard as a newsletter or subscription, then right away we give you a list of all the subscription and newsletters you have,” Rosenwald explained. “Then we give you some options. The first option is you can unsubscribe by clicking the minus button next to each subscription, and you’ll be unsubscribed.”

“Once you’re done getting rid of the stuff that you don’t want, all the stuff you don’t need, we’ll put it into a daily digest. So everyday instead of getting 20 or 30 or even 50 different emails, all your Facebook updates, all your box updates, all your Twitter updates, or Groupon newsletter -- instead of getting them throughout the day in your mailbox, you’ll get one email only with all of those emails in it,” he said.

Initial consumer reaction to Unroll.me has been extremely positive, mainly because the site is easy to use, and free says Rosenwald. He also says consumers have been fed-up with gray emails for quite some time and users have found the site to be of great value, since they’re now able to have their inboxes pre-organized and much easier to navigate.

Right now Unroll.me supports Gmail and Google Apps but the company will be working with other email carriers, like Yahoo in the near future Rosenwald says.

Less of a chore

He also explains that his main goal is to not only improve the overall experience of email, but to make it less of a chore-- because there are times when you’re so annoyed after deleting all the subscriptions and updates in your inbox, you don’t even feel like checking your personal messages anymore.

Also by using the site, Rosenwald says, users will never receive another subscription email again once unsubscribed. But if you like, you can always reselect a subscription to be included into the group of the emails you actually want to read. All and all, it's a pretty useful feature to have.