Current Events in June 2013

Connecticut's lawmakers are decisive, but only up to a point. The state's legislature has passed a bill that would require food manufacturers to label food that has been genetically modified. Gov. Danile Mallow says he'll sign it.

But there's a catch: The measure only becomes effective after four other states adopt a similar requirement and, just to narrow things down a bit more, one of those states must border Connecticut. That leaves Pennsylvania out of the running but New York, Massachusetts and Rhode Island are still in contention.

While it may seem like a half-hearted victory, backers of food labeling are hailing it as a big win. 

“Connecticut’s victory marks an important step in the national movement for GE labeling, and signifies growing support for the consumer right-to-know,” said Scott Faber, executive director of Just Label It.

More than 20 other states are considering similar legislation this year, including Washington, Vermont and Maine. A federal labeling bill was recently introduced by Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR).

Faber's group claims that polls show that more than 90% of American consumers "want to know about the food they’re eating, a right held by citizens in 64 countries around the world that already require mandatory labeling of genetically modified foods."

Could be, but polling on the issue is far from unanimous and consumers have not been storming the aisles of supermarkets demanding better food labeling. 

A survey conducted last year by the International Food Information Council (IFIC) found that only 24% of the respondents said they required additional information on food packaging; 69% said they were somewhat or very confident in the level of safety in today's foods, compared to merely 18% that said they wanted better labeling.

Even more daunting, California voters last November defeated 53%-47% a measure that would have required labeling of genetically-modified foods. Of course, the food industry spent $47 million in advertising to inform -- or mislead, depending on your point of view -- the voters.

Voters in Washington state will get their chance to vote on a similar measure this November, after state lawmakers decided not to take a stand on the issue and instead punted it to voters.

Okay, so you've finished college and now you're ready to give the real world a go. Before you dive in, there will be a lot of things to consider. Like where will you live? Are you going to remain in your college town or will you go back home or somewhere else? 

And if you do go back to your hometown, will you move back in with your folks for a while or get a place of your own? 

After asking these questions and a whole lot more, many will go the roommate route and either share a place with someone they know or live with a complete stranger and hope he or she doesn't display any creepiness.

An important decision

But what's the best way to choose a roommate? Because whether you're in or out of college, finding the right person to share your living space with can be just as tricky as finding the right person to date or marry.

Amy Zalneraitis, the author of "Room for Improvement: The Post-College Girl's Guide to Roommate Living," says finding a good roommate after college can be even harder because most people become a little set in their ways when they get older.

"It's not easy at all, especially after college," said Zalneraitis in a TV interview.

Additionally, she said it's important to have more than a conversation or two when choosing a roommate. You should spend actual time together and really try to get to know each other beforehand.

"Getting to know someone before moving in with them [is important]. Hanging out with them, not just having a question and answer session, but really hanging out in social situations," Zalneraitis advised. 

A lot of sharing

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there were 15,000 homes in New York City that had three or more roommates in 2008, just to give you an idea of how many people are sharing their living expenses and their overall space.

But it's not just people living in big cities who decide to get a roommate, it happens everywhere -- smaller towns, the suburbs, rural areas, you name it.

And people just out of college aren't the only ones who want or need to live with a roommate; people in their late 20s, 30s, and 40s find it easier to split their living expenses too.

Take Luke Crane, Rick Brown, Danaher Dempsey and Shyaporn Theerakulstit for example -- four men close to their 40s who decided to cohabit.

Remarkably, they all lived together for a total of 18 years and they told a reporter from The New York Times how living together helped them save money and fund their individual pursuits.

"The freedom this has allowed me to have -- to figure out my own quirks and foibles -- has been much more important than investing in things that might have tied me down to something that would have kept me figuring those other things out," said Dempsey. 

Roommate hunting strategy

Dan Ross, manager of the roommate pairing site Roommate Express, told MSN that when you're looking for a good roommate, you should take a peek into a person's living and employment history.

"You need to know what you can live with and what you can't," said Ross. "The compatibility issue outweighs everything. The future will be dictated by the past. Look at their work history for the last year. If they bounce from job to job, that's bad. If they've lived in four or five places in the last year, that's bad," he said.

When you do find a roommate, experts say to discuss the big and important things right off the bat. Like when and how everyone will pay the rent and their portion of the bills.

You'll have to organize a cleaning schedule too, and figure out who will clean what and exactly when cleaning time will be.

In addition, it's always good to lay out what the rules will be for sharing things like food, each other's appliances and other things in the home. Plus, what will the rules be for overnight boyfriends and girlfriends? And if you have a friend visiting from out of town, will it be okay if he or she stays for a week or will this kind of visit annoy your roommate.

It's best to iron out all of these things before you and your roommate start living together, since you'll probably be able to have a better conversation about what's expected from each other beforehand.

Know yourself

Amy Canevello, Ph.D., a psychologist at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte says knowing what your likes and dislikes are will be of great importance before you start looking for a roommate.

And just because you may have similar personalities or like the same things, doesn't mean that you and that person will be compatible as roommates. Finding someone who you'll be able to easily communicate with should be one of the main things you look for in a potential roommate.

"You're going to be spending at least some amount of time with this person, so it requires communication skills and self-awareness to make it go well," said Canevello. "You want to know what the other person's like, but you have to have at least equal concern about what you're like."

And when it comes to bringing pets into a new roommate situation, Zalneraitis says it's never a good idea.

"It's never a good idea to have pets, because inevitably the roommate ends up taking care of it at one time or another," she says.

And getting a new roommate takes time, explained Zalneraitis, so you never want to make a quick decision, no matter how great that initial meeting or interview might be.

"You have to meet a lot of different people and really get to know them," she says. "It's like a marriage, you have to date first. If you're moving in with someone it's a huge commitment."

Lastly, Zalneraitis says sharing a place with a best friend isn't necessarily the best idea, because again, it's not about finding a person who you have a lot in common with, it's about finding a person who best matches your living style.

There's nothing like taking a trip.

Whether folks are traveling for business or pleasure in 2013, leaving town could end up being the most excitement they'll see all year. 

So a lot of people are making their travel plans, buying their tickets and requesting time off from work. But one thing a lot of people won't do is take the necessary steps to ensure their personal information is secure while they travel.

Beware the ID thieves

Adam Levin, chairman and co-founder of Identity Theft 911, says identity thieves love stealing data from people who are traveling.

"Identity thieves, pickpockets and burglars (cat and otherwise) are looking to strike during moments of distraction, because distraction equals vulnerability," said Levin in an interview with ConsumerAffairs. "When we travel for business or pleasure, we are distracted because we are thinking about the deal or the beach, the pool or the golf course. This is why travelers are the perfect target."

According to statistics by research company Javelin Strategy & Research, cases of identity theft increased by 13% between 2011 and 2012.

Other statistics confirm that business travelers are particularly vulnerable to identity theft, since they're more likely to carry a lot of devices.

Based on figures released by data security company Credant Technologies -- now owned by Dell -- 11,000 mobile devices were lost in airports in 2011; 37.5% of those devices were laptops and 37.2% were smartphones or tablets.

Of course it's not only business travelers who leave themselves open to identity theft, vacationers are just as guilty.

Too much info

Jennifer Leuer of ProtectMyID.com says people should stop using social media to tell everyone they're leaving town.

"The challenge with social networking, that's 500 of your nearest and dearest friends," she said in a TV interview. "And you might not want all of them to know that you're not at home, that you're not checking your online accounts and that you're out spending a lot of money."

And when it comes to who's being more vigilant about protecting their identity, the sexes aren't equal, research shows.

According to Identity Theft 911, 72.1% of females polled said they were very or somewhat concerned about guarding their identity while traveling while 66.8% of men said the same thing.

In addition, the surveyed showed that people in the Northeast section of the U.S. were the most concerned about protecting their identity while traveling.

Surreptitious stealing

Ruth from Texas complained to Amarillo.com that her friends had their information stolen from their devices without the thieves taking their phones, laptops or tablets.

"My friends took a trip to South America. They stayed at several different resorts and visited many parks and other interesting places," wrote Ruth. "Once they returned back home, they found that their phones had been stolen. Not the actual phones, but their account. Someone was able to make changes to the account, adding international features that added large charges onto their bill.

"They also found that their credit-card number had been stolen and used to make large purchases. Since they had stayed at several different resorts, it was impossible to determine where or when their information was stolen."

What to do

Levin says travelers should only take what they absolutely need on their trip and nothing else.

"Chances are that you will not be writing checks, so leave these and any extra debit cards or credit cards that you will not be using at home," he advised. "This will decrease the amount of institutions you will need to contact if they are lost and limits the damage criminals can wreak on your accounts."

In addition, Levin says to make your home looked lived in while you're away, put your mail on postal hold and register for the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program. This program gives you travel alerts,  travel restrictions and a lot of other useful information.

Plus, don't carry your Social Security cards with you when you travel, or any other documents that have your social security number on it.

And most of all, use common sense, says Levin.

"Always be alert and aware of your surroundings, what you are doing, posting or saying, and how it could negatively affect your identity and privacy," he cautions. "Always check your privacy settings on your smartphone and always lock and protect it as well as your tablet, computer and other electronics."

You've been robbed

If you do experience identity theft while on vacation, Levin says there are a few things you can do immediately.

"Check with your financial institution, insurance company, employer, or health insurance provider to see if you have access to low or no-cost identity theft services," he says.

If you're vacationing, really take a vacation, says Levin and leave all of the devices at home. And if you're on a business trip be sure to guard your company's data.

"Use a vacation for what it's for -- relaxing, rejuvenating and unplugging," he says. "If it's a business trip, always guard your employers (and your own) electronic devices and valuables with your life."

Don't be vulnerable

Levin says these are the most common mistakes people make when their traveling:

• Using "free" Wi-Fi: In general, avoid using a free wireless connection for surfing and opt for a paid connection like 3G or 4G instead. You can also count on a virtual private network, which works like a tunnel to encrypt your data.
• Answering phony concierge calls: With these scams, the thief masquerades as a hotel employee -- often as someone from the front desk or the concierge. He or she will ask for your credit card info under the guise that there's an issue with check-out, or a restaurant requires the credit card to guarantee your reservation. In the event you receive such a call, go downstairs to the front desk or the concierge -- in person -- to confirm such a call was official and work out any issue there might be with your credit card.

• Broadcasting travel plans on social networking sites: Don't spread the news of your impending trip or share the highlights of your trip while you're on it. If everyone knows you're out of town, it makes you and your home targets. Put your mail on hold, tell the paperboy to stand down, set the timer on your lights, and ask a friend to house-sit.
• Carrying too much information: Cut the number of credit cards you're carrying to two (one for your wallet and one for the hotel safe), and notify your card issuers and your bank that you will be away (and give them specific dates). Make copies of all pieces of personal information that you will be carrying and leave that information with a family member or trusted friend, or scan the documents into your computer and save them on and encrypted thumb drive that you carry with you, but always store in a secure place, like a hotel safe deposit box.

• Not traveling smartly: If you're staying in a hotel, lock everything you don't need in the hotel safe. Your room is not your castle -- too many people you don't know have access. And if you're changing hotels over your vacation, carry your credit card and identifying information in a secure location, like a zippered waist bag.

Many veteran food inspectors will tell you that they refuse to eat out, having been permanently scarred by the unsanitary, stomach-turning things that they see behind closed kitchen doors.

Now, thanks to a Facebook photo that’s gone viral, diners of all stripes and occupations can experience that nauseating feeling for themselves.

The photo, apparently taken in the kitchen of a California Taco Bell, shows a teenaged employee with his tongue extended -- and pressed up against dozens of hard taco shells.

Shells “used for training”

In a statement posted to its website, Taco Bell said that it “do[es] not believe these employees harmed, or intended to harm, anyone.”

“The taco shells were used for training in March before we launched a new product, and were in process of being thrown out,” the statement says. “Our first question was, were the taco shells served to customers? In short, absolutely not. The taco shells were sent to restaurants for training purposes before the new product launch, so team members could use them to practice making the new product before it became available to the public. These shells were a part of that training, were never intended to be served to customers, and were discarded. This is standard operating procedure, and our franchisee confirmed this protocol.”

The statement added that the franchisor “immediately suspended the employee shown in the photo and is in the process of terminating his employment.”

Better than rats or urine

The incident is actually less disturbing than Taco Bell’s past health-related scandals.

In 2007, a video captured rats running wild inside a Taco Bell-KFC restaurant in the Greenwich Village section of New York City. And last summer, a Taco Bell employee in Indiana tweeted a photo that appeared to show him urinating on a plate of nachos. The employee was fired.

One way you can measure the health of the economy is to observe what consumers are doing with their money. In May, they spent millions of dollars buying new cars. In fact, a number of car makers have reported record sales for the month.

Kia reported its best May ever with sales of 52,327 vehicles. The American-built Optima sedan led Kia sales for the 18th consecutive month. The Sorento CUV, built in Georgia, was a close second in sales.

For Hyundai, last month was its second-best May ever. The Korean car maker reported sales of 68,383 units, up two percent over last May. The company credits, in part, an increasingly strong economy.

“An across-the-board strengthening of key economic indicators and our strong Assurance Connected Care message drove prospective customers to our showrooms in droves to check out the strongest lineup of cars and CUVs in our history," said Dave Zuchowski, executive vice president of national sales. "Our core products – Elantra, Sonata and Santa Fe – all performed exceptionally well. We're selling each of these three U.S-built products as fast as we can build them."

Ford checked in with its best May since 2006, with sales rising 14%. The Ford Escape notched its best month ever, with sales up 26% year over year. The Ford Fusion had its best-ever May, achieving a sales record for a fourth straight month.

Truck sales

The Ford F-Series pickup had its best May since 2005 with sales rising 31%. Since the popular truck is often used in construction, its strong sales can be viewed as an indicator that construction activity may be rising. F-Series sales broke 70,000 for the first time since May 2007, just before the start of the Great Recession.

Chrysler, meanwhile, recorded its 38th-consecutive month of year-over-year sales gains. Eight Chrysler Group vehicles set sales records in May.

The Ram Truck brand's 24 percent increase was the largest sales gain of any Chrysler Group brand in May. It reinforces the idea that construction demand is prompting many operators, large and small, to update their small truck fleets.

Toyota also had a huge month, with sales of more than 207,000 units, a 2.5% increase over last May's total. And consumers weren't just buying Camrys. Toyota's Lexus unit reports sales of more than 22,000, up 3.6% from last year.

Luxury in demand

"Luxury vehicle sales are benefitting from the rise in consumer confidence," said Jeff Bracken, Lexus group vice president and general manager. "The ES and LS are two of the hottest models in the luxury industry with sales doubling in May, and we expect this momentum to carry through the summer months."

May sales at luxury nameplate Mercedes Benz bear that out. Mercedes sold more than 27,000 vehicles last month, an 8.3% increase over May 2012.

"We've seen five consecutive months of best-ever sales in 2013," said Steve Cannon, president and CEO of Mercedes-Benz USA. "Strong momentum carries across the entire product line from our entry models straight up to the high end, which is ahead 24% for the year. We expect to build on that pace as more of our completely redesigned E-Class models roll into dealer showrooms."

The highest Mercedes-Benz volume performers for May were the C, E and M-Class model lines.

Honda

Honda posted May sales of 125,649 units, up 5.2% from May 2012. Light trucks proved to be a strong segment, with sales of the CR-V up 8.4% and the Pilot up 11.3%. The Honda Accord set the pace for sedans with an 11.7% sales increase.

"Virtually every Honda vehicle we sold in May represents a purchase by an individual customer, which means Accord, Civic, CR-V and Odyssey will maintain their industry-leading retail sales performance in 2013," said John Mendel, executive vice president of Sales at American Honda.

Nissan had an exceptionally strong May as well. Strong gains by top-selling models such as Altima, Pathfinder, Sentra and Rogue helped Nissan North America set a new May U.S. sales record, with deliveries up nearly 25%.

The strong auto sales recorded in May is more than just good news for dealers, tire manufacturers and auto workers. New cars tend to be a lot more fuel efficient than older models. It's perhaps no coincidence that as new car sales rise, U.S. gasoline demand continues to fall.

Toyota is recalling 2010 Prius and Lexus HS 250h vehicles to fix a problem with the brake pressure accumulator. The recall affects 86,500 vehicles in the United States, 242,000 worldwide.

The company said the accumulators could develop a fatigue crack due to vibration. No accidents or injuries have been linked to the problem anywhere in the world, the company said.

The recall targets only Prius models manufactured from March-October 2009. The affected HS hybrids were made from June-October 2009.

Toyota said it received its first report of the problem in May 2010.

Detailed information is available to customers at www.toyota.com/recall, the Toyota Customer Experience at 1-800-331-4331,www.lexus.com/recall and Lexus Customer Satisfaction at 1-800-255-3987.

Private sector businesses created 135,000 jobs from April to May, a disappointing number following a downward revision in the April jobs total

Figures released by the ADP National Employment Report were well shy of the 157,000 new jobs economists surveyed by Briefing.com were expecting. At the same time, the payroll processing company revised April’s job gains were downward to 113,000 from 119,000.

The sectors

ADP says the goods-producing sector lost 3,000 jobs last month, although construction payrolls rose by 5,000 on top of an increase of 8,000 jobs in April. The manufacturing industry recorded a total loss of 6,000 jobs in May.

Service-providing industries added 138,000 jobs in May -- 25,000 more than in April. Still, the gains in posted in May are below the average monthly gain of 156,000 during the first quarter. Among the service industries, professional/business services added 42,000 jobs -- more than twice as many as in April. Trade/transportation/utilities recorded a gain of 31,000 jobs, while financial activities added 7,000 jobs.

"U.S. private sector employment increased by 135,000 jobs during the month of May 2013, a slight increase over the previous month of April," said Carlos A. Rodriguez, president and chief executive officer of ADP. "The majority of new jobs in May came from the service-providing sector, which added a total of 138,000 jobs, while the goods-producing sector recorded a loss of 3,000 jobs. Notably, a gain of 5,000 jobs in the construction industry during May was offset by a decline of 6,000 lost jobs in the manufacturing industry."

Mark Zandi, chief economist of Moody's Analytics points out that the job market continues to expand, but growth has slowed since the beginning of the year. “The slowdown is evident across all industries and all but the largest companies,” he said. “Manufacturers are reducing payrolls. The softer job market this spring is largely due to significant fiscal drag from tax increases and government spending cuts."

The biggest gains in May came from the smallest businesses. Those with 49 or fewer employees added 58,000 jobs. Employment levels among medium-sized companies with 50-499 employees rose by 39,000, while employment at large companies -- those with 500 or more employees -- also increased by 39,000.

Looking ahead

Many economists consider the ADP report a preview of the government employment report, which is due out Friday. The expectation from analysts surveyed by Briefing.com is for as many as 175,000 payroll positions, with the unemployment rate holding at 7.5%. In April, the economy cranked out 165,000 new jobs.

Coffee lovers enjoy the rich aroma and strong taste of a freshly roasted cup of java, but could we be missing out on some of the beverage's benefits?

Increasingly, health enthusiasts argue that the properties found in green coffee beans – beans that haven't been roasted – can help you lose weight, along with other health benefits.

TV's Doctor Oz may have popularized the belief last year when one of his shows extolled the virtues of green coffee. He called it “the green coffee bean that burns fat fast.”

Chlorogenic acid is a chemical found in coffee beans. Some scientists believe it affects how the human body processes blood sugar and regulates metabolism.

Neutralized by heat

Unfortunately, the process of roasting coffee beans, giving them their dark brown color and bold rich taste, reduces the amount of chlorogenic acid they contain. Some studies suggest that roasting reduces a coffee bean's fat-fighting properties as much as 90%. But drinking coffee made with unroasted beans doesn't sound very appetizing.

That's why a number of supplement makers have begun marketing green coffee extract (GCE) in pill form. Proponents say just a couple of these pills each day can help you slowly burn fat and shed pounds.

There have been a number of clinical trials in recent years that back this up. Researchers say the green, unroasted coffee bean has powerful antioxidant, anti-aging, anti-cancer and numerous other health benefits which improve your overall health along with burning unwanted fat.

What the experts say

What do health experts say? The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is keeping an open mind but says the clinical trials it reviewed left a lot to be desired. While it found the results from these trials promising, it said the studies were poorly constructed with a high risk of bias. In other words, it questioned their reliability.

“More rigorous trials are needed to assess the usefulness of GCE as a weight loss tool,” the agency concluded.

The fat burning chemical can also be found in roasted coffee beans, but much of it is destroyed in the process of roasting. Its remaining presence has been found to have beneficial effects, though you would have to drink a lot of coffee – and consume large amounts of caffeine – to obtain them.

On the other hand, NIH concludes that evidence from animal studies continues to suggest that GCE does in fact have a helpful effect on weight gain. It says GCE may prove to be an inexpensive and effective way to help overweight adults from becoming obese.

Not exactly cheap

While GCE is less expensive than prescription medication, the pills aren't exactly cheap. A check online found that Green Coffee Ultra sells for just under $50 for a one-month supply. Some brands sell for less –between $20 and $30.

Besides a weight-loss aid, other studies have touted a wide range of health benefits from GCE. Earlier this year scientists at an American Chemical Society publication said coffee, in particular unroasted coffee, may also help prevent type 2 diabetes. But the researchers also pointed out that there are other natural sources of chologenic acid, including apples, cherries, plums, dried plums and other fruits and vegetables.

For consumers who want to try GCE, shop carefully. Competition among manufacturers has increased in recent months, resulting in a number of attractive promotions. Just make sure you understand what you are buying and avoid promotions that offer a “free sample” in exchange for a $2 shipping and handling fee, charged to your charge or debit card. These come-ons usually result in unauthorized charges.

As always, when adding a supplement or changing your diet, discuss it with your doctor first.

Frozen berries are being blamed for an outbreak of hepatitis A that has sickened at least 37 people, including 11 who were hospitalized. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that 19 of the patients reported eating the organic ‘Anti-Oxidant Blend’  from Townsend Farms of Oregon, which has been named as the suspected source of the virus.

The berries were sold at Costco stores in the western United States. Costco has removed the product from its shelves and notified all customers who bought the berries via its automated voicemail system, but Townsend has yet to issue a recall of the berry mix.

The cases reported so far have been in the western U.S., including Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Arizona, California and Hawaii.

Avoid eating the berries

CDC said consumers should avoid eating the Townsend Farms berries. Even if some of the product has been eaten without anyone in your home becoming ill, the rest of the product should be discarded, CDC said.

If you believe you may have eaten the contaminated berries, a hepatitis A  vaccination can prevent illness if given within two weeks of exposure. If you consumed this product in the last two weeks and have never been vaccinated, contact your doctor to find out if you should be vaccinated. If you have already received the hepatitis A vaccination in the past, you are unlikely to become ill with the disease

Illness occurs within 15-50 days of exposure. The CDC said consumers should seek medical help right away if any of these symptoms appear:

• Yellow eyes or skin
• Abdominal pain
• Pale stools
• Dark urine

About hepatitis

Hepatitis A is a human disease and usually occurs when an infected food handler prepares food without appropriate hand hygiene.  However, food contaminated with hepatitis A can cause outbreaks of disease among persons who eat or handle food.

In rare cases, particularly in patients with pre-existing severe illness or immune compromise, hepatitis A infection can progress to liver failure and death.  Persons with underlying liver conditions should be vaccinated.

Moving into a new place can be expensive, with one of the expenses being a security deposit, often equal to one month's rent. The only consolation is you get it back when you move out, maybe.

It's funny how landlords find a way to hold onto some or all of the deposit. But look at it from their perspective.

The deposit probably did not go into a separate account when they deposited it. The money got mixed in with all the rest of their cash flow so that, when it comes time to return the money to you, it feels to them like they are paying you with their money.

Most states now require landlords to make certain improvements to the property – like painting it -- before they place it back on the market. If they can find a way to use your money to offset that cost they'll do it. Your job is to make sure they can't.

Live up to the lease

To get all of your security deposit back, the first step is to make sure you live up to your end of the lease. That means giving the landlord the required notice that you are moving out. Check the lease to see what that notice is.

Keep the place clean while you are living there. The cleaner you keep it the easier it will be to get it into excellent shape when you turn it back over to the landlord. If there is minor damage that you or your guests caused, get it repaired yourself.

Improving your chances of getting your deposit back begins before you move in. When you rent the unit, go on a walk-through of the apartment with the landlord or a representative and make note of any damage. Photograph it and email it to the landlord once the inspection is over. When you move out and are ready to turn over the keys, photograph the unit again.

Final inspection

Before determining whether or not to return your security deposit, the landlord will conduct a final inspection of the unit. Ask to be present during that inspection and make sure the landlord has your new address, where he or she can mail the check.

Once you have given up control of the apartment, your landlord must return all of your security deposit or tell you in writing why they are keeping all or part of it. Different states have different requirements, but the time limit for returning a deposit or notifying you of reasons you won't be getting it can range from 21 to 31 days.

States also have different rules for how a landlord can use your security deposit. Most states allow it to be used to cover unpaid rent. If they have to bring in a cleaning crew to clean the apartment, they usually can keep some of the deposit for that. You should leave the apartment as clean as you found it.

Normal wear and tear

All states allow landlords to use a security deposit to repair damage. However, this does not include normal wear and tear. You should understand what is considered “normal wear and tear” in your state.

If you feel your landlord is being unreasonable regarding your deposit, it's time to escalate. DepositBeast is a new website that helps renters get their deposits back by arming them with a “demand letter” and negotiating with the landlord.

The website's creators – two former renters who've been through the deposit drill a number of times – says the tool is a simple and cost-effective way to show the landlord you're serious and are willing to take legal steps to get what is rightfully yours.

“A good demand letter should contain the exact demands you’re seeking in clear and concise language, Information detailing you’re dispute with the other party, logical reasoning explaining why you are entitled to whatever demands you’re seeking and a stern but inoffensive tone,” said Mike MacKenzie, a spokesman for DepositBeast.

The legal step most open to a renter is small claims court, whose low damage limits fit nicely with most rental security deposits. It costs very little to file – usually $10 to $50.

The landlord has the option of showing up in court at the appointed time and explaining why they didn't respond to your demand for the return of your deposit, or they simply choose not to contest it and mail you the check.  

A consumer group wants the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to prohibit the sale of ginko biloba following a federal study that found the popular supplement causes liver cancer in mice. 

"It used to be the case that the only problems associated with Ginkgo were the unfounded and deceptive claims by manufacturers that it helped memory," said Michael F. Jacobson of the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). "Now we know these make-believe benefits are far outweighed by a real risk of cancer."

Researchers at the National Toxicology Program (NTP) fed the stuff to rats and mice over a two-year period and found that the rodents were more likely to develop thyroid and liver tumors than those who had managed to steer clear of the stuff.

In a shorter, three-month test, rats and mice who were given ginkgo showed early signs of tumor growth.

The supplement industry argued that the NTP used an extract of Ginkgo not used in supplements sold in the United States, but the NTP says the composition of the extract it tested falls within the range of what is sold.

Citing the NTP report, the FDA has already told one beverage maker, Stewart Brothers, Inc., that Ginkgo is not generally recognized as safe in food. It is harder for the agency to remove supplement ingredients from the market, but it may if it finds that an ingredient poses an unreasonable risk of illness or injury.

Ginkgo is found in single-ingredient supplement pills made by Natrol, GNC, Solaray, Now, and Nature's Way, as well as in multi-ingredient products such as Bayer One A Day Women's 50 Plus Advantage.

It is also used in some energy drinks, such as several varieties of Rockstar and Hansen's Energy Pro, Guru, and Steven Segal's Lightning Bolt, and in Redco Foods' Salada "Brain Boost" green tea and Yogi Tea's Ginkgo Clarity.

Between video streaming, using the DVR and watching television the traditional way, there are many ways for people to watch their favorite programs these days.

That's why set-top boxes like Apple TV and Roku have been introduced,  as companies want to get a quick jump on the new way people are now watching TV.

Fan TV

Arguably the biggest buzz about set-top boxes surrounds Fan TV, which is a tiny contraption that resembles a computer mouse that sits on top of your television and offers streaming, DVR and live television all in one shot.

And Fan TV comes with a unique remote control that doesn't have any buttons, which allows users to scroll through content like a smartphone, and click on what they want to watch.

In addition, Fan TV is supposed to replace your cable television service, which is different from the way Roku and Apple TV work.

So far there haven't been any reports that suggest a cable provider has signed on with Fanhattan -- the makers of Fan TV -- which is probably why a release date and price point haven't been announced yet.

Fan TV lets you access web-based content too, so if you're a Netflix subscriber or you use Hulu or Hulu Plus, you wouldn't have to shift back and forth from service to service. Overall, the set-box is supposed to make it easier for you to scroll, search and click on whichever service you want to access.

Fanhattan CEO Gilles BianRosa, says watching television has become a bit of a chore these days, since there are so many different services and shows one can access. 

"It is challenging for consumers to feel they are in control of their entertainment," said BianRosa in an interview with USA Today. "We are trying to bring the magic back to the discovery process."

Trending component

Fan TV has a trending component as well, and it gives users recommendations from industry insiders and other users about what you should be watching.

Additionally, users can update their list of shows they want to watch through their iPad or iPhone and content can be accessed on mobile devices.

The folks at Fanhattan say they want to remove the whole channel surfing thing and make it easier for users to know what's on, what can be watched in the future and which shows are trending at the moment.

But Fan TV isn't the only set-top box that's being anticipated by consumers and tech enthusiasts.

Amazon

The e-commerce giant Amazon is throwing its set-top box into the fray too, and hopes to be the first company to really change the way we watch television -- something that Apple TV and Roku haven't been able to do yet.

 Although there hasn't been an official announcement yet, it's been rumored that Amazon's set-top box will allow users to access both the Amazon Video on Demand store, as well as its instant streaming service.

Additionally, Amazon has been putting together a string of TV pilots to   release its own shows, which will probably be added to the set-top box service as well. 

Users will be able to watch current TV shows too, so it's evident that Amazon is really making some major moves to raise awareness of its existing content and the new shows it's developing for the future.

Jason Krikorian, who co-founded Sling Media, told Bloomberg that Amazon is in the perfect position to offer a set-top box, since it already has millions of users, who seem to already trust the Amazon brand.

"They have a ton of content, an existing billing relationship with millions of users, and existing Android app marketplace that could be leveraged on the box, a reputation for solid hardware products, and a terrific channel through which to promote the product," he said.

More than 3,500 Americans die each year in fires and approximately 18,300 are injured, most of them in fires in the home, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

The kitchen is the most dangerous room in the house from a fire standpoint but with the proliferation of electronic devices and Americans’ obsession with candles, every room must be considered a fire-prone area.

A working smoke alarm is the most basic form of protection and one that is inexpensive and easy to install. You should install smoke alarms on every level of your home, including the basement. Many fatal fires begin late at night or early in the morning, so the U.S. Fire Administration recommends installing smoke alarms both inside and outside of sleeping areas.

Since smoke and many deadly gases rise, installing your smoke alarms at the proper level will provide you with the earliest warning possible. Always follow the manufacturer’s installation instructions.

But this may not be enough. As homes grow larger and families grow smaller, smoke alarms may not provide adequate protection. For one thing, a smoke alarm does no good if no one is home to hear it. You and your family will survive an unattended fire but your pets and personal possessions may not.

Even worse, a smoke alarm wailing in your basement may not be loud enough to reach your sleeping family upstairs.

What’s the solution? Short of ripping up your house and installing a sprinkler system, a modern, whole-house monitoring system is the best way to protect your family’s lives and property.

Traditional hard-wired alarms are expensive and, in some cases, may fail to warn you in time or call for help if a fast-spreading fire disables the alarm wiring or cuts off your phone or electrical service.

LifeShield, a high-tech home security company, owns proprietary technology for a unique fire protection product, the Fire Safety Sensor. No other alarm company offers this type of comprehensive fire protection with no fee for the equipment and no fee for fire monitoring.

The wireless Fire Safety Sensor works with your existing smoke detectors by “listening” for an alarm. When there is smoke or a fire in your home, and the alarm sounds, the Fire Safety Sensor immediately sends a signal for help to the central monitoring station.

The patented Fire Safety Sensor works seamlessly with your LifeShield wireless home alarm system. Professional fire monitoring is always included for free when you get a security system with a Fire Safety Sensor. The sensor even works with carbon monoxide detectors. You can add extra sensors for each floor of your home at any time, for less than $50 each.

See http://www.lifeshield.com/ca/ or call 877-570-4581 to learn more.

Consumers covered by a class action lawsuit against EA Sports  have tripled their winnings without lifting a finger, thanks to a federal judge who has modified the details of a $27 million settlement fund.

The case involves EA Sports football video games. A 2008 class action claimed that EA stifled competing games by partnering with the National Football League, the National Collegiate Athletic Association, the Arena Football League and Collegiate Licensing Co.

They claimed EA monopolized the market for such games, letting it charge more "Madden NFL," "NCAA Football" and "Arena Football League," and gouge customers.

Initially, U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken approved a settlement that would have provided $6.79 to consumers who bought EA football games for the XBox, Playstation 2, PC or GameCube between 2005 and 2012 while those who purchased the titles for XBox 360, Playstation 3 or Wii platorms could claim up to $1.95 per game.

But in modifying the settlement, Judge Wilken ordered that the first gorup of consumers receive payments of $20.37 for up to eight games while those who purchased the games for Xbox 360, Playstation 3 or Wii platforms will get $5.85 per title.

Individual payments could be reduced, however, if total claims exceed the $27 million. 

Details on how to file a claim are available at http://www.easportslitigation.com/

The settlement provides that EA cannot renew its exclusive NCAA and CLC football licenses for at least five years after they expire in 2014. Nor can it acquire exclusive rights to the AFL for five years. It gets to keep its NFL exclusivity.

It's almost impossible to read about food recalls without hearing that the reason for pulling the product from the shelves is Listeria contamination. It can cause serious infection in certain vulnerable groups, resulting in higher rates of hospitalization and death than most other bacteria commonly spread by contaminated food.

A new Vital Signs report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says certain groups are more vulnerable to Listeria food poisoning than others.

Who's at risk

For instance, adults 65 years and older are among the groups most affected: They are four times more likely to get Listeria infection than the general population; pregnant women are 10 times more likely get it and pregnant Hispanic women are 24 times more likely.

These groups -- along with newborns and people with other health conditions that weaken their immune systems -- account for at least 90 percent of reported listeria infections.

The Vital Signs report provides a national snapshot of 2009-2011 illness rates and foods associated with Listeria outbreaks reported to CDC through three monitoring systems. Key findings include:

• More than 1,650 Listeria illnesses were reported to CDC over a three-year period.
• About 20% of infections caused a death. Deaths primarily occurred among older people and as miscarriages or stillbirths. Pregnant women who have Listeria infections often have only mild symptoms or fever, but their infections may result in miscarriage, premature labor and serious illness or death in newborn infants.
• Over three years, 12 outbreaks sickened 224 patients in 38 states. These include the large 2011 outbreak linked to whole cantaloupes from one farm.
• Of the 10 outbreaks with an identified food source, six were linked to soft cheese (mostly Mexican-style cheeses) and two to raw produce (whole cantaloupe and pre-cut celery).

“Listeria strikes hard at pregnant women, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems, sending many to the hospital and causing miscarriage or death in as many as one in five,” said Tom Frieden, M.D., M.P.H., director, CDC. “We need to develop new cutting edge molecular technologies to help us link illnesses and outbreaks to foods faster to prevent illness and death.”

Decades of progress

Since the 1990s, genetic fingerprinting of Listeria through CDC’s PulseNet has helped identify many Listeria outbreaks, which led to food industry and regulatory changes to help make foods like hot dogs and deli meat safer. Rates of illness fell by about 25 percent by the early 2000s; however, rates have since leveled off.

The FY 2014 federal budget proposes spending $40 million for CDC’s Advanced Molecular Detection Initiative, which the agency says would strengthen the U.S. public health system’s ability to protect communities from disease and foodborne illness. Additionally, CDC has plans to test an advanced DNA fingerprinting method on Listeria, called whole genome sequencing, to find and control outbreaks faster.

“The lower rates of Listeria infection attributed to meat and poultry over the past decade point to the success of prevention-based policies and industry best practices,” said Elisabeth Hagen, M.D., undersecretary for food safety, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). “However, important work remains if we hope to continue this momentum. Additional research and continual monitoring of evolving risks will allow us to develop policies that further reduce these illness rates.”

Prevention initiative

USDA and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently analyzed nearly 27,000 ready-to-eat food samples from retailers to help determine the level of Listeria in them. USDA, CDC and FDA also continue to work with several states to examine which handling, storing and preparation practices may lead to cross-contamination of ready-to-eat foods.

Recent outbreaks have been linked to foods not usually linked to Listeria infection, which highlights new opportunities for control measures and highlights the need to identify more foods causing infection and keep listeria from entering the food supply.

“Through the 2011 Food Safety Modernization Act, FDA is developing rules aimed at preventing the introduction of Listeria and other dangerous bacteria into our food supply,” said Michael R. Taylor, deputy commissioner for Foods and Veterinary Medicine, FDA. “We are also working with produce growers, food processors, and our state partners to further implement what we know works to minimize food safety risks.”

What to do

• CDC recommends that no one consume unpasteurized milk or soft cheese made from unpasteurized milk. Soft cheeses can be crumbly, like queso fresco, or soft and spreadable.
• People at higher risk for Listeria infection should also be aware that some Mexican-style soft cheeses, like queso fresco, made from pasteurized milk have caused listeria illnesses, likely because of contamination during cheese making.
• They should always heat hot dogs and deli meat until steaming hot (165° F), and
• Everyone should follow good food safety practices of clean, separate, cook and chill.

If there were four things you could do that would make your heart healthier, would you do them? A no-brainer, right?

According to a multi-center study led by Johns Hopkins researchers, there is a significant link between lifestyle factors and heart health, adding even more evidence in support of regular exercise, eating a Mediterranean-style diet, keeping a normal weight and -- most importantly -- not smoking.

Adopting those four lifestyle behaviors, researchers say, provide protection against coronary heart disease as well as the early buildup of calcium deposits in heart arteries, and reduce the chance of death from all causes by 80 percent over an eight-year period.

Results of the study are described in an online article posted June 3, 2013 by the American Journal of Epidemiology.

Lowering the risk

"To our knowledge, this is the first study to find a protective association between low-risk lifestyle factors and early signs of vascular disease, coronary heart disease and death, in a single longitudinal evaluation," says Haitham Ahmed, M.D., M.P.H., the lead author who is an internal medicine resident with the Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Heart Disease at Johns Hopkins.

"We evaluated data on more than 6,200 men and women, age 44-84, from white, African-American, Hispanic and Chinese backgrounds. All were followed for an average of 7.6 years,” says Ahmed. “Those who adopted all four healthy behaviors had an 80 percent lower death rate over that time period compared to participants with none of the healthy behaviors."

Gauging the risk

Study participants all took part in the continuing Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA), a prospective examination of the risk factors, prevalence and prevention of cardiovascular disease. MESA participants were recruited from six academic medical centers and did not have a diagnosis of cardiovascular disease when they were enrolled.

All participants had coronary calcium screening using computed tomography (a CT scan) when they were first enrolled in the study to see if there were early signs of calcium deposits in their heart arteries that are known to contribute to heart attack risk. As the study progressed, the researchers also assessed whether the participants had a heart attack, sudden cardiac arrest, chest pain, angioplasty or died due to coronary heart disease or other causes.

The researchers developed a lifestyle score for each of the participants, ranging from 0 (least healthy) to 4 (healthiest), based on their diet, body mass index (BMI), amount of regular moderate-intensity physical activity and smoking status. Only 2%, or 129 participants, satisfied all four healthy lifestyle criteria.

Smoking a key factor

"Of all the lifestyle factors, we found that smoking avoidance played the largest role in reducing the risk of coronary heart disease and mortality," says Roger Blumenthal, M.D., a cardiologist and professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, director of the Ciccarone Center and senior author of the study. "In fact, smokers who adopted two or more of the healthy behaviors still had lower survival rates after 7.6 years than did nonsmokers who were sedentary and obese."

Blumenthal, who is also the president of the American Heart Association's Maryland affiliate, says the findings "bolster recent recommendations by the American Heart Association, which call for maintaining a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, nuts, whole grains and fish, keeping a BMI of less than 25, being physically active and not smoking."

"While there are risk factors that people can't control, such as their family history and age," says Ahmed, "these lifestyle measures are things that people can change and consequently make a big difference in their health. That's why we think this is so important."