Current Events in October 2016

No one likes getting sick, but it seems that many Americans are loathe to go out and get a vaccination when flu season comes around. Unfortunately, it might not just be hurting their health, though.

A new collaborative report shows that U.S. consumers spent $5.8 billion on medical costs related to the influenza virus. But monetary problems don’t stop there. In all, Americans spent roughly $9 billion in 2015 on treating diseases that can be avoided by vaccination.

All of this begs the question, what do consumers have against vaccines?

Economic repercussions

The debate over vaccinations became very polarizing and high-profile in recent years after a scientific study stated that they may be linked to autism. The study was later debunked and the findings were retracted, but the notion has stuck with consumers ever since.

While the debate over whether or not a parent should vaccinate their child continues to rage, many adults have stopped getting vaccinations as well. Reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that the majority of U.S. adults avoided getting their flu shot last year, and the study’s authors believe that this hesitance could have major economic repercussions.

“Vaccines save thousands of lives in the United States every year, but many adults remain unvaccinated. Low rates of vaccine uptake lead to costs to individuals and society in terms of death and disabilities, which are avoidable, and they create economic losses from doctor visits, hospitalizations, and lost income,” they said.

Addressing the issue

The researchers admit that increasing the rate of vaccination won’t entirely erase the amount of money lost by consumers. In fact, they even go far as to say that vaccines are not always a 100% guarantee of good health. However, they say that opening the public’s eyes to this growing problem should encourage consumers and lawmakers to look at the problem critically so that it can be addressed.

“By highlighting the tremendous financial burden that unvaccinated individuals place on the economy and the health system, we hope that our estimate will spur creative policy solutions,” they said.

The full study has been published in Health Affairs.

With the thaw in U.S.-Cuban relations, it's easier now for Americans to visit the island nation, and there are even more ways to get there.

CheapAir.com reports it has expanded the number of flights on its site between the U.S. and Cuba. It says it now offers 36 routes from 11 U.S. cities to 10 Cuban destinations, adding over 280 weekly flights that have been approved by the Department of Transportation.

Americans can fly to Cuba on eight major airlines – JetBlue, American Airlines, United, Delta, Alaska, Spirit, Frontier, and Silver Airways. In addition, CheapAir users may also access a Miami-Havana flight on Public Charters, operated by Havana Air.

Direct flights

Currently, there are direct flights to Cuba from Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Charlotte, Newark, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, and Atlanta, to destinations that now include Havana, Santa Clara, Camaguey, Holguin, Cienfuegos, Vardero, Cayo Largo del Sur, Manzanillo de Cuba, Santiago de Cuba, and Cayo Coco.

In the future, CheapAir said it will have direct flights from Orlando, Tampa Bay, and Minneapolis.

“Last year, when the rule changes for travel to Cuba opened up a historic opportunity, we jumped on it,” said Jeff Klee, CEO of CheapAir.com. “We haven’t had enough inventory to accommodate the demand, so we’re thrilled to have all these new flights. We’ll continue to offer more ways to travel to Cuba than any other site on the internet.”

Even though the U.S. And Cuba have re-established diplomatic relations, it doesn't mean Americans can travel to that country for any reason. Tourist travel is still outlawed.

Only 12 reasons you can visit

However, the U.S. Embassy in Havana says there are 12 categories of travel that are permissible. They include:

• Family visits
• Official business of the U.S. government, foreign governments, and certain intergovernmental organizations
• Journalistic activity
• Professional research and professional meetings
• Educational activities
• Religious activities
• Public performances, clinics, workshops, athletic and other competitions, and exhibitions
• Support for the Cuban people
• Humanitarian projects
• Activities of private foundations or research or educational institutes
• Exportation, importation, or transmission of information or informational materials
• Certain authorized export transactions.

Tech support scams keep popping up, just like the pop-up ads that are often used to rope in unsuspecting victims. In the latest case, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has charged a group calling itself Global Access Technical Support with deceiving consumers.

The defendants allegedly used deceptive pop-up ads to scare thousands of consumers into paying hundreds of dollars each for unnecessary technical support services.

The ads led consumers to think there was something wrong with their computer and, secondly, that the pop-ups originated from Microsoft, Apple, or other reputable technology companies.

The ads often included loud alarms or recorded messages warning of the apparent dire threat to consumers’ computers and “hijacked” consumers’ browsers, leaving consumers unable to navigate around the ads or close them. The ads prompted consumers to contact a toll-free number.

Call center

According to the complaint, once consumers called the toll-free number, they were connected to a call center in India and pitched by telemarketers who claimed to be affiliated with or certified by a major technology company.

Consumers were told that in order to diagnose the problem, they must provide the telemarketer remote access to their computer. The telemarketers then showed consumers otherwise innocuous screens and directories on their computers, deceiving them into believing they were evidence of problems that require technical support services to repair.

The complaint alleges that the telemarketers pressured consumers to spend anywhere from $200 to $400 for repair services that could take hours to complete and which were at best useless, and in some cases could actually harm consumers’ computers.

The FTC’s complaint alleges that the defendants violated the FTC Act. The defendants are Global Access Technical Support, LLC (also doing business as Global S Connect, Yubdata Tech and Technolive); Global sMind LLC (also doing business as Global S Connect); Source Pundit LLC (also doing business as OneSource Tech Support); Helios Digital Media LLC; VGlobal ITES Pvt. Ltd.; Rajiv Chhatwal; Rupinder Kaur; and Neeraj Dubey.

You can't get rich leaving your money in the bank, but it beats losing it to get-rich-quick schemes promoted by scam artists. That's the lesson too many consumers learn too late.

In one of the latest such incidents, a federal district court in Arizona has shut down a telemarketing scheme that the Federal Trade Commission says bilked more than $9 million from thousands of consumers, many of them seniors or military veterans.

The defendants allegedly cold-called consumers and urged them to invest in popular e-commerce websites like Amazon.com. They promised lavish returns and assured the consumers that their investment was "risk-free" and came with a "money-back guarantee," the FTC complaint charges.

Of course, no investment is risk-free or guaranteed. Even experienced investors lose money. Also, it's not necessary to deal with a cold-calling telemarketer to invest in Amazon or other publicly-traded companies, since their stock is sold on stock exchanges.

Nevertheless, consumers responded with payments ranging from a few hundred dollars to more than $20,000 and were then assured that their "account" was earning substantial returns. After 90 days, the FTC said, the telemarketers broke off all contact with their victims, who received neither returns nor refunds.

Defendants named

The FTC’s complaint names the scam’s three owners and operators, Susan Rodriguez, Matthew Rodriguez, and William “Matt” Whitley, along with their six corporations, Advertising Strategies LLC, Internet Advertising Solutions LLC, Internet Resource Group Inc., Network Advertising Systems LLC, Network Professional Systems LLC, and Network Solutions Group Inc. They are charged with violating the FTC Act and the Telemarketing Sales Rule, including calling numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry.

The complaint also alleges that the defendants use mail-forwarding services to disguise their location, and that they have changed their business name and mailing and physical addresses to avoid detection by law enforcement.

For example, when the Arizona Attorney General’s office summoned Susan Rodriguez to testify about the defendants’ business at a Phoenix address, the defendants promptly closed that office and moved to a different location, and Rodriguez failed to appear to testify, according to court documents.

The defendants most recently have done business as  Titan Income. They have previously done business as Building Money Network and buildingmoney.cash, Prime Cash and Primecash.net, and Wyze Money and wyzemoney.net.

Under the terms of the temporary restraining order granted by the court, the defendants have temporarily ceased operations and their assets are frozen for potential consumer redress.

What will be on consumers’ plates in 2017? A new culinary trends forecast by Sterling-Rice Group predicts we’ll continue to see an increased interest in wellness, the environment, and alternative forms of proteins.

Additionally, diners will continue to be swayed by their desire to connect with international cultures through cuisine. Restaurants may offer customers the experience of watching a master noodle-smith hand pull the noodles that will become part of their vietnamese pho or japanese ramen dish.

The 2017 forecast also predicts that consumers will warm up to the idea of kicking off their day with cake and desserts. As surprising as this new trend may sound, it comes as a result of consumers re-thinking their meals in the wake of new research that supports the idea of eating dessert after breakfast.

Sardines and goat

With meat fading in popularity due to consumers’ growing interest in sustainability, the array of plant-based protein options is expected to continue expanding rapidly.

Soy and seitan will be joined by alternative protein options made from chickpeas, legumes, and fungi. Protein and omega-3 rich sardines are also expected to be a unique new snacking choice in the year ahead.

Where non-plant based proteins are concerned, consumers may be seeing goat featured as a protein source. Low in calories, fat, and cholesterol, goat could be incorporated into dishes such as empanadas and lasagna.

Waste not

Consumers have become increasingly aware of the fact that approximately 40% of food in the U.S. is wasted. Subsequently, food waste and its impact on the environment will drive culinary trends in 2017.

Sterling-Rice believes more restaurants will attempt to cut down on waste by creating food options that use the entire fruit or vegetable, not just a small portion.

Other trends in 2017 include:

• Mocktails. Restaurants may promote nonalcoholic happy hours and create special mocktail menus to provide consumers with a way to enjoy a hangover-free drinking experience.
• Food as medicine. Eating for health will be a popular theme in 2017. As a result, turmeric will continue to appeal to consumers who are looking for health benefits and a savory flavor.
• Connected eating. Chefs and home cooks are expected to tap into the benefits of the sharing economy by using smartphone apps like Eatwith and Etsy for dinner. Chef Mark Rosemary explains that “our tech-driven society may feel virtually connected, but we actually yearn for real-time interaction.”

As we continue to march through October, consumers across the country are gearing up for the coming holiday season. In fact, many have already begun shopping for end-of-the-year events, and the National Retail Federation (NRF) believes that this will be a big year for retailers.

The organization made a prediction earlier this month that sales -- excluding those made in the automotive, gas, and restaurant spheres -- would be 3.6% higher in November and December than they were last year, accounting for $655.8 billion in spending. That mark would beat the current 10-year average of 2.5% growth, and would even put sales above the current 7-year growth average of 3.4%, the period of time since economic recovery began in 2009.

“All of the fundamentals are in a good place, giving strength to consumers and leading us to believe that this will be a very positive holiday season. . . This year hasn’t been perfect, starting with a long summer and unseasonably warm fall, but our forecast reflects the very realistic steady momentum of the economy and industry expectations,” said NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay.

If the prediction proves to be true, it would be a continuance of positive growth for the economy during the holiday season; in 2015, sales increased by 3.2% over the previous year. Over the course of this year, consumers seemed more willing to pay down purchases with credit, which is a positive sign for future sales figures.

“Consumers have seen steady job and income gains throughout the year, resulting in continued confidence and the greater use of credit, which bodes well for spending throughout the holiday season,” said NRF Chief Economist Jack Kleinhenz. However, he notes that both global and domestic political uncertainty, along with unseasonably warm weather, could still negatively impact consumer confidence going forward.

In addition to a positive sales forecast, the NRF is predicting that seasonal employment will also stay on track in 2016. The organization believes retailers will hire between 640,000 and 690,000 workers this holiday season, in line with the 675,300 employees hired last year. Recent reports that Amazon will hire 120,000 holiday workers may pad those numbers even more.

The combined power of the U.S. Congress and social media has prompted the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to rethink its proposal to criminalize the use of kratom, a coffee-like plant that some believe could help stem the opioid epidemic.

More than 50 members of the House and Senate wrote letters in recent weeks, criticizing DEA for its sudden and unilateral move to reclassify kratom as a “Schedule I” substance, putting it in the same category as heroin. That would subject people in possession of the plant to severe criminal penalties.

Kratom does, in fact, have some of the same effects on the brain as opioid drugs, which is why it is used by some as a natural pain reliever. The plant, which is native to Southeast Asia, can be purchased online and inserted into capsules or brewed as a tea. Some grind the leaves into a powder and mix it into a drink.

Some health policymakers have said the plant could prove useful as a way to prevent opioid addiction and overdose deaths. Two of the lawmakers signing the letters to DEA are doctors.

Waiting for public comment

According to a preliminary document posted online, the DEA has now agreed to wait to get more input from the public before taking any action, a move that surprised but delighted kratom advocates.

The move is "shocking," according to John Hudak, a drug policy analyst at the Brookings Institution, who told The Washington Post the DEA action is out of character.

"The DEA is not one to second-guess itself, no matter what the facts are," he told the newspaper.

In explaining its action, the DEA said it had received “numerous comments” from the public since it published its notice of action on kratom. Before rendering a final decision, the agency said it will also receive a scientific and medical evaluation of the drug from the Food and Drug Administration.

The public will have until December 1 to submit comments to the DEA through the Federal Docket Management System.

As a general rule, consumers don’t much appreciate being told what they should or shouldn’t be eating or drinking. As such, regulation in the food and beverage industry is often met with resistance. One recent example can be seen in a lawsuit submitted by the beverage industry, along with residents and businesses in the Philadelphia area, who want to stop the city from imposing a soda tax.

However, regulators and health agencies applaud such efforts and believe that they should be implemented more often. Now, a new report from the World Health Organization (WHO) is pushing for countries around the world to follow Philadelphia lawmakers’ example and impose taxes on sugary beverages. The organization believes that doing so would go a long way towards reducing health risks like type 2 diabetes and obesity.

“Consumption of free sugars, including products like sugary drinks, is a major factor in the global increase of people suffering from obesity and diabetes. . . If governments tax products like sugary drinks, they can reduce suffering and save lives. They can also cut healthcare costs and increase revenues to invest in health services,” said Dr. Douglas Bettcher, director of WHO’s Department for the Prevention of Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs).

Health crises

WHO’s report was released on World Obesity Day to draw attention to how much the condition is affecting consumers around the globe. According to the report, the prevalence of obesity more than doubled worldwide between 1980 and 2014, with roughly 39% of adults over the age of 18 fitting that description by the end of the period.

Further, the report states that childhood obesity has become a very real problem; an estimated 42 million children under the age of 5 were diagnosed as being obese in 2015, up 11 million over a 15-year period. Those living with diabetes also went up from 108 million in 1980 to 422 million by 2014, and 1.5 million deaths were attributable to the disease in 2012 alone.

These disturbing upward trends are the primary reason why WHO is pushing for the reduction of free sugars in food and drink products. The organization points out that any added sugar is actually unnecessary.

“Nutritionally, people don’t need any sugar in their diet. WHO recommends that if people do consume free sugars, they keep their intake below 10% of their total energy needs, and reduce it to less than 5% for additional health benefits. This is equivalent to less than a single serving (at least 250 ml) of commonly consumed sugary drinks per day,” said Dr. Francesco Branca, Director of WHO’s Department of Nutrition for Health and Development.

Fiscal recommendations

The fiscal changes that WHO recommends countries undertake come from a meeting of global experts that took place in mid-2015. The recommendations primarily focus on giving incentives for healthier alternatives and curbing excess sugar consumption. They include:

• Subsidies for fresh fruits and vegetables that reduce prices by 10-30%, which could increase fruit and vegetable consumption.
• Taxation of certain foods and drinks, particularly those high in saturated fats, trans fat, free sugars, and/or salt, which could reduce their level of consumption.
• Excise taxes that apply a specific amount of tax on a (1) given quantity or volume of a product, (2) a particular ingredient, or (3) a certain percentage of the retail price.
• Generation of public support for the taxes by putting the earned revenue towards improving health systems.

Thus far, many countries have already taken steps to curb the amount of sugar in its foods and beverages. Mexico has implemented an excise tax on non-alcoholic beverages with added sugar; Hungary has placed a tax on packaged products with high levels of sugar, salt, and caffeine; and countries like South Africa, the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland, and the Philippines have announced intentions to impose taxes on sugary drinks.

There is no question Amazon has been a disruptive force in the economy, finding ways to sell more things to consumers, often using technology to do it as efficiently as possible.

The online behemoth is now going about disrupting music, announcing a new service, Amazon Music Unlimited. It's a direct shot across Apple's bow, which itself disrupted the music industry more than a decade ago.

The company says Amazon Music Unlimited will provide users with tens of millions of songs and thousands of curated playlists and personalized stations, played on Echo, the Amazon speaker, controlled by voice commands through Amazon Alexa.

Subscriptions start at $7.99 a month or $79 a year for Prime members and $9.99 a month for non-members. The company is offering an exclusive “for Echo” subscription plan for $3.99 a month, with full access to Amazon Music Unlimited on a single Echo, Echo Dot, or Amazon Tap.

Takes requests

“And if you want a sense of the future of voice-controlled music, go ahead and ask Alexa for a free Music Unlimited trial, and play around on your Echo,” said Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos. “If you don’t know the name of a song but know a few lyrics, if you want to hear songs from a specific decade, or even if you’re looking for music to match your mood, just ask.”

That last part – the intuitive voice command response – may be the most truly groundbreaking aspect of the service. If you want to hear a particular song, a particular artist, or a particular genre, you just ask. Those of us who can only identify a song by a few words of the lyrics only have to repeat those words and the system will find the song, Amazon says.

Convenience stores too

If shaking up the music industry weren't enough for this week, The Wall Street Journal quotes knowledgeable sources as saying Amazon plans to open a number of brick and mortar convenience stores, with the first slated for Seattle.

The stores will reportedly carry only perishable items – things like milk and meat – but while in the store you can use your phone or a kiosk to order non-perishable items that will be delivered to your door the same day.

According to the report, Amazon will even introduce a feature allowing shoppers to order the items from their smartphones ahead of time, and have the purchases ready for pick-up when they arrive. A license plate reader at the store, according to the sources, will cut the wait times.

The Journal says Amazon hasn't commented on the report, but very few doubt it sounds like something a disruptive enterprise would do.

Another retailer reports a cyber attack that may have compromised consumers' credit and debit card information.

Vera Bradley, an upscale handbag and fashion retailer, said hackers apparently penetrated the company's payment card network at its stores between July 25 and September 23. Cards used at store locations during that time may have been compromised. Cards used for online payments were not affected, the company said.

“On September 15, 2016, Vera Bradley was provided information from law enforcement regarding a potential data security issue related to our retail store network,” the company said in a statement.

“Upon learning this information, Vera Bradley immediately launched an investigation with the assistance of a leading computer security firm to aggressively gather facts and determine the scope of the issue and promptly notified the payment card networks.”

Installed malware on the network

Vera Bradley said the investigation showed that hackers made unauthorized access to the company's payment processing system and installed malware that specifically looks for credit and debit card information.

The program is designed to grab the data on the card's magnetic strip, potentially containing the card number, cardholder's name, expiration date, and internal verification code. The company said it believes that is the extent of the breach and that no other customer data was put at risk.

What to do

If you used a debit or credit card at Vera Bradley in this time frame, there are a couple of things you should do. First, be on the lookout for fraudulent activity by carefully reviewing your most recent statements. If you see unauthorized charges, report it immediately to your card issuer.

Additionally, notify your card issuer that your card may have been compromised at Vera Bradley and request a new one.

Credit card data breaches have become distressingly common in recent years. There were high-profile breaches at Michaels craft stores, Target, and Home Depot in recent years. The move to the embedded-chip EMV card was supposed to stop these kinds of data breaches, but the transition to chip only cards has been painfully slow.

Not all retail locations have switched to chip card readers and even the new EMV cards contain the old magnetic stripe.

A lot of people go out of their way to eat extra protein. Dieters, in particular, think that eating more protein helps them stave off hunger and prevent the loss of muscle tissue that often comes with weight loss.

But is this really a good idea? In a study of 34 postmenopausal women with obesity, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis found that eating too much protein eliminates an important health benefit of weight loss -- improvement in insulin sensitivity, which is critical to lowering diabetes risk.

"We found that women who lost weight eating a high-protein diet didn't experience any improvements in insulin sensitivity," said principal investigator Bettina Mittendorfer, PhD, a professor of medicine. "However, women who lost weight while eating less protein were significantly more sensitive to insulin at the conclusion of the study. That's important because in many overweight and obese people, insulin does not effectively control blood-sugar levels, and eventually the result is type 2 diabetes."

A good marker

In fact, the researchers say, insulin sensitivity is a good marker of metabolic health, one that typically improves with weight loss. In their study, the women who lost weight while consuming less protein experienced a 25 to 30 percent improvement in their sensitivity to insulin.

Many dieters think that consuming extra protein can help preserve lean tissue -- muscle, in other words -- allowing them to lose fat without losing muscle. But Mittendorfer's findings don't support that belief.

"When you lose weight, about two-thirds of it tends to be fat tissue, and the other third is lean tissue," Mittendorfer said. "The women who ate more protein did tend to lose a little bit less lean tissue, but the total difference was only about a pound. We question whether there's a significant clinical benefit to such a small difference."

While the difference in muscle mass loss was slight, the same wasn't true of metabolism. The women who ate the recommended amount of protein saw big benefits in metabolism, led by a 25 to 30 percent improvement in their insulin sensitivity. That can lower the risk for diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The women on the high-protein diet, meanwhile, did not experience those improvements.

"Very big effects"

"Changing the protein content has very big effects," Mittendorfer said. "It's not that the metabolic benefits of weight loss were diminished -- they were completely abolished in women who consumed high-protein diets, even though they lost the same, substantial amounts of weight as women who ate the diet that was lower in protein."

The study included 34 obese women 50 to 65 years old. Although all were obese, none had diabetes at the time of the study. They were placed in three groups for the 28-week study -- a control group, a group that ate the recommended date allowance of protein, and a third group that ate more protein.

It's still not clear why insulin sensitivity didn't improve in the high-protein group, and Mittendorfer said it's not known whether the same results would occur in men or in women already diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. She plans to continue researching the subject.

The findings became available Oct. 11 in the journal Cell Reports.

Navy Federal Credit Union has been ordered to pay $23 million to victims of improper debt collection activites. It was also ordered to pay a $5.5 million fine by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).

The CFPB said Navy Federal made false threats about debt collection and unfairly restricted account access when members had a delinquent loan.

“Navy Federal Credit Union misled its members about its debt collection practices and froze consumers out from their own accounts,” said CFPB Director Richard Cordray. “Financial institutions have a right to collect money that is due to them, but they must comply with federal laws as they do so.”

Navy Federal Credit Union is a federal credit union based in Vienna, Va. Membership is limited to consumers who are, or have been, U.S. military servicemembers, Department of Defense civilian employees or contractors, government employees assigned to Department of Defense installations, and their immediate family members. It is the largest credit union in the country, with more than $73 billion in assets as of December 2015.

The CFPB investigation found that Navy Federal deceived consumers to get them to pay delinquent accounts. The credit union falsely threatened severe actions when, in fact, it seldom took such actions or did not have authorization to take them.

It said the credit union also cut off members’ electronic access to their accounts and bank cards if they did not pay overdue loans. Hundreds of thousands of consumers were affected by these practices, which occurred between January 2013 and July 2015.

The educational system has been greatly enhanced through technology in recent years. While smartboards, interactive maps, and a plethora of online tools have benefited students in the classroom, having access to something as basic as the internet outside of school also lends a huge advantage.

Unfortunately, not all students are able to go online outside of school. Children of families that can’t afford expensive smartphones or other internet-connected devices can often lag behind, which contributes to ever-widening educational and opportunity gaps. But a new announcement from Sprint may go a long way towards evening the playing field.

The company announced today that it will be giving away one million internet-connected devices and providing four years of internet access to low-income high school students across the U.S. It marks the largest corporate initiative to bridge the digital divide and close the “Homework Gap," according to the company.

“Education is the foundation for our society to prosper, and the internet is an incredibly powerful tool for learning. But it’s a huge problem in America that we have 5 million households with children that lack internet connections. Those kids have a huge disadvantage and we are failing them. All of us at Sprint are committed to changing this by providing 1 million students in need with free devices and free wireless connections,” said Sprint CEO Marcelo Claure.

Equal opportunity to succeed

Sprint’s new initiative, called the 1Million Project, may go a long way towards giving low-income children an equal opportunity to succeed. A report from the Pew Research Center found that students who come from low-income families are four times more likely than middle- and upper-income students to have no access to broadband internet. This is a big problem, since the report also found that 70% of teachers are assigning homework that requires some kind of web access.

Not having access to the internet also tends to lower parent engagement in their children’s education. Teachers often choose to correspond with parents via email these days, and online grading systems make it possible for parents with an internet access to keep tabs on how their child is doing in class. Not having those connections can result in parents who are simply out of the loop.

And when it comes time for a student to graduate, not having internet access could hamper future prospects. Applicants often have to apply for jobs online, and students wishing to learn more about scholarship opportunities and college applications will find the information on the internet.

Providing devices

In order to accomplish its goal, Sprint will be partnering with various non-profit agencies and manufacturers to provide free devices. Students may choose to receive a smartphone, laptop, tablet, or hotspot device, along with 3GB of high-speed LTE data per month.

For students who go over the 3GB limit, unlimited data at 2G speeds will be available. Students who choose a smartphone will be able to use it as a hotspot and can use the device for unlimited domestic calls and texts while on the Sprint network.

Funding for the initiative will come from donations from device manufacturers and through special events, donation drives, and other events hosted by Sprint and the Sprint Foundation. A pilot program is planned for launch in January of 2017.

If you’re a parent to a child with a food allergy, there’s more to the task of sorting through the night’s Halloween candy haul. In addition to making sure that no suspicious looking candy found its way into your child’s bucket, you may also have to weed out candy that could trigger an allergic reaction.

Halloween can be a stressful holiday for parents of kids with food allergies. Many popular treats contain ingredients that aren’t safe for children with peanut allergies or other food sensitivities. Up to 8% of children have life-threatening food allergies, according to Nationwide Children’s Hospital.

For this reason, adults who plan to pass out candy should consider asking parents and children if food allergies may render certain candies unsafe to eat. Additionally, adults should be aware of the fact that many treats contain surprising ingredients.

Hidden allergens

To keep kids with food allergies safe, it’s important for adults on both sides of the trick or treating equation to know about hidden allergens.

You might be surprised by some of the ingredients in common candies, says Dr. Sarah Denny, a pediatrician in the emergency department at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Here are some of the allergens lurking behind the wrappers of a few of Halloween’s most popular treats.

• Tootsie Rolls -- Milk
• Candy corn -- Sesame
• Chewy Sprees -- Egg
• No Bake Cookies -- Peanut butter

Allergen-free treats

Because so many sweets contain allergens, or were processed in a plant with food allergens, adults may want to consider passing out non-edible or allergen-free treats.

Not sure what non-edible alternatives to pass out? The possibilities are endless, and very often inexpensive. A few ideas include: packs of mini play dough, temporary tattoos or stickers, or mini activity books. 

For allergy-free edible treats, consider passing out Nerds, Smarties, Starburst, Surf Sweets gummies, or other allergy-safe candies.

Let trick-or-treaters know you’ve got allergen-free treats at your house by setting out a teal pumpkin, putting green bulbs in your front porch lights, or by putting up a sign that says “allergen-free treats.”

As a consumer, you trust your personal information to countless businesses and organizations.

You trust your doctor to keep your health records private, your mortgage company to protect your financial information, and your bank to secure your money from cyber attack.

However, a new report from Experian Data Breach Resolution presents a mixed picture on whether that trust is misplaced.

On one hand, the report found the number of organizations that have prepared a plan to deal with and prevent data breaches rose from 61% in 2013 to 86% this year. But it also found only 38% have fixed procedures and timelines for reviews and updates.

In fact, 29% of organizations haven't conducted a review or update since the plan was put in place.

No substitute for being prepared

"When it comes to managing a data breach, having a response plan is simply not the same as being prepared," said Michael Bruemmer, vice president at Experian Data Breach Resolution.

Bruemmer said it seems some organizations are simply “checking the box” when it comes to cyber security. He says developing a plan is only the first step in an ongoing process that unfortunately, must evolve to keep current with threats.

Of all the threats out there, ransomware appears to be growing fastest, posing the greatest risk to organizations. Successful hackers who are able to find the weakest link in a corporate network can encrypt all files on the network, making them inaccessible until a ransom is paid.

725 breaches so far this year

The Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC) keeps a running count of reported data breaches in the U.S. As of early October, it had counted 725 successful breaches, with nearly half involving health care records.

These records, which usually include extensive personal history, including Social Security numbers, make it easy for hackers to steal identities.

The Experian report is not all bad news. For example, it shows 58% of organizations have increased their level of preparedness. But Bruemmer says that number needs to be higher to ensure the safety of U.S. consumers.

"Investing in breach preparedness is like planning for a natural disaster,” he said. “You hope it will never happen, but just in case, you invest time and resources in a response plan so your company can survive the storm."  

There is only one drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat Duchenne muscular dystrophy, which generally strikes children between 3 and 5 years of age and severely limits their life expectancy.

Patient advocacy groups fought for FDA approval of the new drug, Exondys51, even though an FDA advisory panel advised against it.

But now, according to an Rx411 report, Anthem is refusing to cover the drug, saying it is “considered investigational and not medically necessary.” A statement on the insurer’s website says it’s uncertain whether Exondys51 has a “clinically meaningful benefit.”

To support this, it points to the FDA’s label indications, which include a statement that a clinical benefit has not been established and continued approval is contingent on continued clinical trials. 

Though research data has shown that that Exondys51 has increased production of the dystrophin gene in Duchenne MD patients, which should result in improved motor function in those patients, that improvement has not yet been shown in a clinical trial.

$300,000 a year

Drugmaker Sarepta Therapeutics will now be required to conduct a clinical trial to confirm that the drug does actually improve those functions.  If that trial fails to verify that clinical benefit, says the FDA, it may start proceedings to withdraw its approval of the drug.

Besides being the only drug approved in the U.S. to treat Duchenne muscular dystrophy, Exondys51 is wildly expensive -- currently priced at around $300,000 a year.

Whether other insurance companies will cover the drug appears to be a mixed bag. Some, including Cigna and UnitedHealth Group, have said they will. Blue Cross Blue Shield is reported to be doing the same. A spokesman for Aetna says they plan to review things further before they make a coverage decision.