Current Events in March 2017

Robocallers have been around for years. You answer the phone and, after a pause, a recorded voice starts telling you your business has just been approved for a big loan, or some similar scam.

Most consumers know its a recording and quickly hang up, but robocallers have gotten more ambitious and increasingly are using artificial intelligence to hide the fact that you're talking to a machine. And if you ask if it's a machine, the machine will lie to you.

Currently, one robocaller pitching a free vacation -- most likely a timeshare ploy -- is using a pretty sophisticated software. When you answer the phone, the voice of a perky young woman says "oops, my headphone fell out," before she launches into her pitch.

When you respond, she responds like a human being, but with preprogrammed conversation -- like you were talking to Amazon's Alexa. But just like Alexa, when you say something not in the script, she gets confused.

'I didn't hear you'

"No, I don't think so, we just got back from a vacation to Italy and we have too much work to catch up on," you might say. To which the robovoice will say something like "I'm sorry, I didn't hear you."

This isn't exactly a new wrinkle but it is becoming more common. Back in 2012, a blogger for Daily Kos reported an encounter with what he determined was an experimental robocaller AI. The blogger said he started whistling and the voice asked what he had said. The blogger replied "I didn't say anything, I was just whistling."

A human being might have asked why in the world he was whistling, but the robocaller said "I'm sorry, I didn't hear you."

Cloud-based technology

A couple of years ago ARS Technica described the technology as cloud-based outbound interactive voice response and noted that it is increasingly being deployed by telemarketers.

"Outbound IVR is the latest evolution of the robocall—a telemarketing system that uses the technology of voice response systems we've used to navigate through the call queues of insurance agencies and banks and turns it around to make pitch calls," the report said. "These calls can be on voice-over-Internet protocol (VoIP) lines or other connections that mask the source of the call."

Robocalls are dangerous enough. The technology allows one scammer to target thousands of victims in the time a human could reel in one.

The addition of AI is likely to make this a more potent and dangerous weapon, since some people are less inclined to hang up if they think a real person is on the other end of the line.

In most cases, there isn't, so just hang up.

As expected, the Federal Reserve's Open Market Committee announced Wednesday that it is boosting the Federal Funds Rate for the second time since December. The benchmark rate is now going to be somewhere between 0.75% and 1%.

By historical standards, it's still very low. But since the Fed maintained a near 0% rate for almost a decade, actually charging anything to borrow money is bound to have an impact.

Consumers carrying large balances on credit cards are likely to feel it the most. That's because credit card issuers take their cue from the Federal Funds Rate, and according to CreditCards.com, the average credit card rate is already at a record high 15.51%.

A holding pattern

In its last report, the card comparison site noted that most card issuers spent the last couple of weeks in a holding pattern, apparently waiting for the Fed to act. It reports Citi raised the annual percentage rate (APR) on the Citi Thank You Preferred card a half-point, but it didn't affect the national average. However, consumers applying for the card are now offered an APR ranging anywhere from 13.99% to 23.99%.

The rate charged on credit card balances will affect how quickly consumers are able to pay down those balances. As rates rise, more of the monthly payment goes to pay interest and less goes against principal. To maintain a steady pace of debt reduction, a consumer will need to increase the amount of the payment each month.

Car loans may get more expensive

The interest rates on car loans may go up slightly. Many are pegged to a bank's prime rate, and banks often respond to a Fed rate hike by boosting their prime rate.

Rising interest rates on car loans will make monthly payments a bit more expensive. Consumers are already responding to increasingly expensive new car prices by turning to leases.

The Fed rate hike will have less impact on home mortgage rates. That's because mortgage rates are closely aligned with the rate on Treasury bonds. Those rates have been going up in the last few months, independent of Fed action.

Will consumers with savings accounts finally start earning some interest? Probably not right away, but over time the chances are very good. Rising rates make it more profitable for banks to lend money, so they will need to compete harder to attract your savings. To do that, they'll need to offer more attractive rates on savings products.

Getting off the ground was a major challenge in some areas if you were flying anywhere during January.

According to the Transportation Department's (DOT) Air Travel Consumer Report (ATCR), airlines reported 30 tarmac delays of more than three hours on domestic flights and 12 delays of more than four hours on international flights.

Fourteen of those long domestic delays and eight of the delays on foreign flights international were at occurred at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida on January 6 because of a security incident. That may have had a ripple effect at other airports on this date. DOT is investigating all reported extended tarmac delays.

During the same month, carriers posted an on-time arrival rate of 76.0%. While that's not as good as the 81.3% on-time rate a year earlier, it is a bit better than December's 75.6% mark.

The airlines also report canceling 2.0% of their scheduled domestic flights in January, an improvement over the year-ago rate of 2.6%, but worse than the 1.6% rate chalked up a month earlier.

The ATCR, which is found on the DOT website, also includes data on chronically delayed flights, and the causes of flight delays, and other problems with baggage, reservation and ticketing, refunds, customer service, disability, and discrimination. 

Home builders took advantage of the warm spell the country enjoyed last month as housing starts rose 3.0% from the revised January level to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.288 million.

At the same time, the Commerce Department revised the previous month's report to a rate of 1.251 million from 1.246 million.

Construction of new single-family homes were up 6.5% to a rate of 872,000, with gains posted in all regions but the South. The rate for apartment buildings dropped 7.7% to 396,000.

Building permits

Although the February construction numbers were encouraging, the outlook for the next few months isn't.

Building permits were issued last month at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.213 million -- down 6.2% below the revised January rate of 1.293 million.

The decline came primarily in authorizations for multi-unit buildings, which plunged 26.9% to a rate of 334,000. Permits for single-family homes were up 3.1% to a rate of 832,000.

Only the Midwest showed an increase in overall permits issued.

The complete report may be found on the Commerce Department website.

Jobless claims

Initial applications for state unemployment benefits were lower in the week ending March 11 after rising a week earlier.

The Department of Labor (DOL) reports new claims totaled 241,000, a drop of 2,000 from the previous week's unrevised level.

The four-week moving average rose 750 from the previous week to 237,250. Because of its relative lack of volatility, this tally is seen by many economists as a more accurate gauge of the labor market.

The full report is available on the DOL website.

Whole Foods Market is expanding its recall of cheese products made by Vulto Creamery to include Andes, Hamden and Walton Umber cheeses sold in eight stores in Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York.

The products may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

While Vulto has reported six illnesses and two deaths, Whole Foods Market has not received any reports of illnesses or injuries from consumers who purchased the recalled products.

The recalled products, cut and packaged in clear plastic wrap with scale labels beginning with PLU codes 0200307, 0201357 or 0206308 and "sell by" dates from January 2, 2017, to April 2, 2017, were sold at the following Whole Foods Market stores:

• 94 Derby Street, Hingham, Mass.
• 1255 Raritan Road Unit 150, Clark, N.J.
• 300 Bergen Town Center, Paramus, N.J.
• 238 Bedford Ave, Brooklyn, N.Y.
• 1095 Avenue of the Americas. New York, N.Y.
• 270 Greenwich Street, New York, N.Y.
• 4 Union Square South, New York, N.Y.
• 575 Boston Post Road, Port Chester, N.Y.

What to do

Customers who purchased the recalled products should bring their receipts to the store for a full refund.

Consumers with questions may call 607-222-3995 Monday-Friday, 9:00 am - 4:00 pm (ET) or email vultocreamery@gmail.com.

Hyundai Motor America is recalling 977,778 model year 2011-2014 Sonatas and model year 2011-2015 Sonata Hybrids.

The seat belt linkages for both front seat belts may detach from the seat belt anchor pretensioners, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.

What to do

Hyundai will notify owners and dealers will inspect the connection between the seat belt linkages and the seat belt anchor pretensioners, repairing them as necessary, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin April 7, 2017.

Owner's may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for the recall is 160.

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling 278 model year 2017 Fiat 500X vehicles.

When the vehicle has a tire with low tire pressure, the tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) warning light may not illuminate.

As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 138, "Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems."

Driving a vehicle with an underinflated tire may result in tire failure and increase the risk of a crash.

What to do

Fiat will notify owners, and dealers will update the instrument panel software, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin April 21, 2017.

Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is T16.

It was the attack that helped bring down a doddering giant -- the 2014 hacking of Yahoo that gave cyber criminals access to more than 500 million user accounts and may lead to a $350 million cut to what Verizon will pay for Yahoo's core business. Now, three years later, a federal grand jury has indicted four defendants, including two officers of the Russian Federal Security Service who are part of a unit that is the FBI's point of contact with Russian law enforcement.

One of the defendants is in custody in Canada. Another was briefly in custody in Europe but escaped, and the other two remain at large.  

Investigators allege that the four used the stolen information to break into user accounts not only at Yahoo but also at Google and other webmail providers. In some cases, the data theft appeared to have intelligence goals, involving Russian journalists, U.S. and Russian government officials, and prominent business figures. 

In others, the goal was simply theft. One of the defendants in particular pursued financial gain, the indictments allege, by searching Yahoo user emails for credit card and gift card account numbers, redirecting a subset of Yahoo search engine web traffic so he could make commissions and enabling the theft of the contacts of at least 30 million Yahoo accounts to facilitate a spam campaign.

The defendants are:

• Dmitry Aleksandrovich Dokuchaev, 33, a Russian national and resident;
• Igor Anatolyevich Sushchin, 43, a Russian national and resident;
• Alexsey Alexseyevich Belan, aka “Magg,” 29, a Russian national and resident; and
• Karim Baratov, aka “Kay,” “Karim Taloverov” and “Karim Akehmet Tokbergenov,” 22, a Canadian and Kazakh national and a resident of Canada.

“Today we continue to pierce the veil of anonymity surrounding cyber crimes,” said FBI Director James Comey. “We are shrinking the world to ensure that cyber criminals think twice before targeting U.S. persons and interests.”

Acting Assistant Attorney General Mary McCord said it was "beyond the pale" that two of the defendants were assigned to the FSB unit that coordinates cyber crime enforcement with the FBI. 

Red Notice

According to the indictments, the FSB officer defendants, Dmitry Dokuchaev and Igor Sushchin, enlisted criminal hackers, including Alexsey Belan and Karim Baratov, to obtain access to private email accounts.

At the time, Belan had been publicly indicted and was named one of the FBI’s "Cyber Most Wanted" criminals in November 2013. An Interpol Red Notice seeking his immediate detention has been lodged (including with Russia) since July 26, 2013. Belan was arrested in a European country on a request from the U.S. in June 2013, but he was able to escape to Russia before he could be extradited.

Instead of acting on the U.S. government’s Red Notice and detaining Belan after his return, Dokuchaev and Sushchin used him to gain unauthorized access to Yahoo’s network.

In or around November and December 2014, authorities allege Belan stole a copy of at least a portion of Yahoo’s User Database (UDB), a Yahoo trade secret that contained, among other data, subscriber information including users’ names, recovery email accounts, phone numbers, and certain information required to manually create, or “mint,” account authentication web browser “cookies” for more than 500 million Yahoo accounts.

Belan also obtained unauthorized access on behalf of the FSB conspirators to Yahoo’s Account Management Tool (AMT), which was a proprietary means by which Yahoo made and logged changes to user accounts. Belan, Dokuchaev and Sushchin then used the stolen UDB copy and AMT access to locate Yahoo email accounts of interest and to mint cookies for those accounts, enabling the co-conspirators to access at least 6,500 such accounts without authorization, the indictments allege. 

When Dokuchaev and Sushchin learned that a target of interest had accounts at webmail providers other than Yahoo, they tasked their co-conspirator, Baratov, a resident of Canada, with obtaining unauthorized access to more than 80 accounts in exchange for commissions, prosecutors said.

Baratov was arrested in Canada yesterday. The other three remain at large.

State agriculture officials and executives at a major poultry operation have announced thousands of chickens at three farms have been euthanized over the suspected presence of bird flu.

The company, Aviagen, said it found the presence of virus antibodies in a flock, even though none of the chickens displayed symptoms of the disease. Officials were on high alert because the operation in Northern Alabama is just across the state line from a Tennessee farm where bird flu was detected last month.

According to Reuters, the company euthanized the flock and destroyed the eggs that had been collected from the chickens. Reuters quotes Alabama State Veterinarian Tony Frazier as saying about 15,000 chickens, out of a flock of around 153,000, were killed.

Alabama.com, a local news website, reports Frazier has issued a "stop movement" order for some poultry in the affected area. Officials so far believe the suspected outbreak is confined to a limited area.

Preliminary test results

Preliminary test results have confirmed bird flu at three sites, but further testing by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will determine the strain of flu and its severity.

Last week the USDA completed testing on bird flu samples from Lincoln County, Tenn., confirming the strain as H7N9 HPAI. All eight gene segments of the virus show that the virus originated among North American wild birds.

USDA took pains to point out the strain is different from the severe H7N9 virus that impacted poultry and caused illness among humans in Asia.

"USDA continues to work with the Tennessee Department of Agriculture on the joint incident response," the agency said in a release. "Birds on the affected premises have been depopulated, and burial is in progress. An epidemiological investigation is underway to determine the source of the infection.

Bird flu spreads quickly among animals but so far can only be transmitted to humans who come in contact with an infected bird. There have been no confirmed cases of human to human transmission of the virus.

Consumer Reports magazine is warning that three similar-looking off-brand carbon monoxide alarms failed critical performance tests and have been rated Don’t Buy: Safety Risk. All three were purchased from online retailers:

• NetBoat WB_H3110061 LCD Portable Security Gas CO Carbon Poisoning Monitor (Amazon)
• Foho YJ-806 LCD Portable Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Monitor Alarm (Amazon)
• GoChange 882 LCD Portable Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Monitor Alarm (eBay)

Although they were sold on major retail sites, none of the alarms had been UL tested. 

The magazine said it is not aware of any deaths or injuries linked to the alarms but noted that an average of 148 people die in the United States each year from accidental exposure to carbon monoxide produced by consumer products such as gas furnaces and ranges.

Because carbon monoxide alarms are a critical line of defense against accidental poisoning, it’s imperative that they work properly. Consumer Reports said it tests CO alarms for their sensitivity at different concentrations of carbon monoxide because even a relatively low concentration can be dangerous if the exposure is over a long enough period of time.

The GoChange and NetBoat alarms failed to sound when exposed to carbon monoxide at a concentration of 100 parts per million; an alarm should sound within 40 to 165 minutes at that level of exposure.

Additionally, the GoChange alarm failed to sound when exposed to carbon monoxide concentrations of 400 parts per million—a level at which an alarm should sound within 4 to 15 minutes. The NetBoat model did sound an alarm at this higher concentration, but did so after an average of only 30 seconds, instead of the recommended 4 to 15 minutes, which poses a different risk.

“Models that alarm too quickly make it more likely that a consumer would remove the batteries or disconnect the alarm to stop nuisance alarms,” says Bernie Deitrick, a Consumer Reports test engineer. “That can leave people unprotected in dangerous situations.”

For more information and the complete story visit: www.CR.org.

If you ever wonder where some of that super-cheap merchandise you see online comes from, here's the answer: it's stolen.

Want evidence? New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman has it -- a 41-count indictment naming 12 alleged members of what Schneiderman says is a massive criminal theft and fencing ring that has operated in New York and 27 other states for years.

Schneiderman says the ring victimized retail operations including Staples, Office Depot, BestBuy, and others, lifting merchandise and reselling it at below-retail prices on Amazon, eBay, and other online sites.

During “Operation Sticky Fingers,” a ten-month investigation conducted by the Attorney General’s Organized Crime Task Force with support from the New York State Police, law enforcement seized more than 5,300 stolen electronics and ink cartridges from the enterprise’s alleged kingpin, Richard Rimbaugh, and from various alleged members of the theft crews. In addition, investigators seized more than $7.7 million from the defendants’ homes, financial institutions, and Amazon and PayPal merchant accounts.

Schneiderman says the ring has been operating for more than 20 years, stealing electronic goods, printer cartridges, and other products. Since 2012 alone, the ring has sold more than $12 million in stolen goods via Amazon and eBay internet marketplace, the indictments charge. 

"Brazen ring of criminals"

“As we allege, this brazen ring of criminals methodically stole millions from stores across 28 states – resulting in one of the largest-ever busts of a retail theft ring,” said Schneiderman. “Retail theft is becoming increasingly organized, with crime rings preying on businesses and creating a vicious cycle that ultimately harms consumers, when the costs are passed on in the form of higher prices."

The indictments allege that Rimbaugh, known to members of the enterprise as the “General,” instructed several theft crews to steal specific printer ink cartridges, computer software, and other consumer retail electronics based on his ability to resell those stolen goods on Amazon and eBay. 

Schneiderman alleges that Rimbaugh dictated the price that the theft crews would receive for the stolen merchandise, typically paying between 30-50% of the retail value. Rimbaugh then allegedly resold the stolen merchandise on the internet through his business, American Media Soft, which he operated out of his Manhattan apartment. 

At his apartment, Rimbaugh received, sorted, catalogued, and shipped the stolen merchandise for resale and met with theft crew members to pay them for the stolen merchandise, the indictments charge.

In fact, when the Attorney General’s office was executing its search warrant on Rimbaugh’s home, five packages of stolen merchandise arrived, Schneiderman said.

Booster gear, kryptonite

George Athanasatos, known as the "Field Marshall," ran the theft crews, providing them with coded maps detailing target retail locations and equipping them with “booster” gear, such as custom-made vests known as “bazookas,” the indictments charge. When worn underneath regular clothing, “bazookas” can conceal large amounts of merchandise.

When departing the stores, the crews allegedly used “kryptonite” devices to deactivate security alarms at store exits, as well as short-wave radios, which made it easier for the crews to eavesdrop on store security in order to warn one another about the presence of security or law enforcement. 

The 41-count indictment, unsealed in New York Supreme Court today, charged the 12 alleged co-conspirators with enterprise corruption, money laundering, criminal possession of stolen property, and conspiracy. If convicted, each of the defendants faces between 8 to 25 years behind bars.

Defendants named in the indictments, their nicknames, and "titles" include:

• Richard Rimbaugh, a/k/a “The General,” 64, Fence of the Enterprise, New York, NY
• George Athanasatos, a/k/a “The Field Marshall,” 62, Manager, Brooklyn, NY                              
• George Rapatsouleas, a/k/a “Skipper,” a/k/a “Nipplehead,” 31, Captain, Brooklyn, NY
• Krissylee Harris, a/k/a “Princess,” 35, Lieutenant, Brooklyn, NY                                       
• Nusret Srdanovic, a/k/a “Monte,” 23, Sergeant, Brooklyn, NY
• Roger Ringhiser, a/k/a “Captain Rog”, 53, Captain, Long Beach, NY
• Frank Albergo, 59, Lieutenant, Oviedo, FL
• Kevin Cerrato, 22, Sergeant, Elmont, NY
• Gregory Anastasiou, a/k/a “Captain Frank”, 38, Captain, East Stroudsburg, PA
• Joseph Pooler, a/k/a “Baby Arm Johnson”, 41, Sergeant, Stroudsburg, PA
• Robert Scarano, a/k/a “Reno”, 56, Captain, Las Vegas, NY
• Giovanna Bonello, 28, Lieutenant, Staten Island, NY

Members of the criminal enterprise are set to be arraigned before New York Supreme Court Justice Maxwell Wiley beginning today.

The widow of a Vermont man who died after eating raw milk cheese has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against a New York creamery, alleging his death was caused by Listeria-contaminated cheese.

Richard Friedman, who died Nov. 2, 2016, was one of two fatalities resulting from a multi-state Listeria outbreak traced to a soft raw milk cheese made by Vulto Creamery, according to a Food Safety News report. Six others were hospitalized between Sept. 1, 2016, and Jan. 22, 2017.

Vulto has recalled a total of eight raw milk cheeses that were sold nationwide after an investigation of the outbreak was conducred by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The lawsuit says the Friedmans bought the contaminated cheese in early October. Friedman was first treated at Brattleboro Hospital, then transferred to Dartmouth-Hitchock Medical Center. He later suffered a massive stroke at a rehab center in Vermont and died a short time later.

“People think of food poisoning as inconvenient rather than really dangerous,” said William D. Marler, a Seattle attorney representing Friedman's widow, according to Food Safety News. “But the reality is that what you eat can seriously damage or even kill you. Food providers have a responsibility to protect the lives of their customers, especially when producing raw milk products, which pose a higher risk to consumers.”

Listeria causes an estimated 2,600 cases per year of the severe invasive illness called listeriosis.

Cheese recalled

Vulto Creamery, Walton, New York, is recalling all of its cheeses which include by name the following: Ouleout, Miranda, Heinennellie, Willowemoc, Hamden, Walton Umber, Andes, & Blue Blais due to potential contamination of Listeria monocytogenes.

Consumers who have any of these cheeses from Vulto Creamery should return the cheese to the purchase location for a refund. Food and cheese wholesalers and retailers with any Vulto Creamery cheeses on hand should immediately remove these products from common storage coolers and quarantine these cheeses in a secured area of a cooler. 

Raw milk risks

The FDA cautions that raw milk products can harbor dangerous microorganisms that can pose serious health risks.  According to an analysis by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), between 1993 and 2006 more than 1500 people in the United States became sick from drinking raw milk or eating cheese made from raw milk.

CDC has reported that unpasteurized milk is 150 times more likely to cause foodborne illness and results in 13 times more hospitalizations than illnesses involving pasteurized dairy products.

Raw milk is milk from cows, sheep, or goats that has not been pasteurized to kill harmful bacteria. This raw, unpasteurized milk can carry dangerous bacteria such as Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria.

These harmful bacteria can seriously affect the health of anyone who drinks raw milk, or eats foods made from raw milk.

During sleep, our bodies are generally still, but our minds are busy consolidating memories and getting rid of toxins accumulated throughout the day. Studies have shown that a good night’s rest can help a person retain information and perform better on memory tasks.

With all that happens during sleep, it’s no wonder growing children require so much rest. But what happens when kids don’t get enough sleep? A morning meltdown or fussy day may be just the beginning.

New research suggests that children ages 3 to 7 who don’t get enough sleep may be more likely to have behavioral problems in later years. Too little sleep in preschool years can lead to problems with attention, emotional control, and peer relationships in mid-childhood, said lead researcher Dr. Elsie Taveras.

Decreased mental functioning

"We found that children who get an insufficient amount of sleep in their preschool and early school-age years have a higher risk of poor neurobehavioral function at around age 7," said Taveras, chief of General Pediatrics at Massachusetts General Hospital for Children in Boston

"The associations between insufficient sleep and poorer functioning persisted even after adjusting for several factors that could influence the relationship,” she noted.

To reach these findings, the researchers looked at data collected as part of Project Viva, a long-term investigation involving a group of children recruited for the study before birth. The mothers of 1,046 Project Viva kids reported, via regular questionnaires, how much sleep their children routinely got.  

By age 7, the children who regularly received poor sleep from age 3 onward exhibited “poorer ability to pay attention, poorer emotional control, poorer executive function in general, and more behavioral problems,” Taveras said.

Vital to developing brains

The observational study may not prove a direct cause-and-effect link between sleep and children’s behavior, but previous studies have suggested that insufficient sleep can lead to chronic health problems -- including obesity -- in both mothers and children.

"The results of this new study indicate that one way in which poor sleep may lead to these chronic disease outcomes is by its effects on inhibition, impulsivity and other behaviors that may lead to excess consumption of high-calorie foods,” said Taveras.

“It will be important to study the longer-term effects of poor sleep on health and development as children enter adolescence, which is already underway through Project Viva,” she added.

Children 3 to 5 years old need 10 to 13 hours of sleep each day, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Parents can help their kids get better sleep by establishing a consistent bedtime routine, such as “bath, book, bed,” Taveras said. Light-blocking curtains and a cool, quiet bedroom can also set the stage for a good night's rest.

The full study has been published online in the journal Academic Pediatrics.

What if you could drink your sunscreen instead of slathering it all over your skin? A Colorado company claims you can do just that, but Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller says in a consumer fraud lawsuit that the company has no basis for its claims.

Osmosis LLC and Harmonized Water LLC, and their owner, Benjamin Taylor Johnson, MD, all of Evergreen, Colorado, market their “UV Neutralizer” as the “world’s first drinkable sunscreen,” claiming that the solution generates "scalar waves" that "vibrate" above the skin to block carcinogenic UV radiation.

Miller says the company initially made the claims without any valid testing and later conducted “seriously flawed” testing that “recklessly gave consumers hollow assurances that they were protected from known health hazards.”

Although Osmosis advertisements emphasize Johnson’s status as a doctor, Miller notes they do not disclose that he surrendered his Colorado license to practice medicine in disciplinary proceedings in 2001 and never got it back.

“We allege that Johnson and his companies put consumers at considerable risk by claiming that spraying UV Neutralizer into their mouths will provide hours of sun protection,” Miller said. “These defendants admit that this product’s only ingredient is water, and we allege they can’t support their highly questionable claims that they can specially treat ordinary water to take on a wide range of health-enhancing properties.”

“It’s flat-out dangerous to consumers to make them think without any proof that this water protects them from what we know is proven—potentially cancer-causing exposure to the sun,” Miller said.

"Harmonized water"

The defendants sell other so-called “Harmonized Water” products. Each small bottle, which retails at $30-$40, claims different beneficial effects depending upon its unique “frequency.”

Some products supposedly clear acne, relieve infertility, reduce hair loss, or relieve pain. Another product, “Harmonized H2O Mosquito,” is sold as a mosquito repellent and consistutes a very real health hazard, Miller charged. 

“Mosquitos in Iowa can carry West Nile Virus, and mosquitos in many vacation destinations can pose a Zika virus risk,” Miller said. “It is inexcusably and dangerously reckless to profit by exposing customers to these risks without adequate proof of effectiveness.”

“It’s bad enough when a consumer wastes money on a product that doesn’t work,” Miller said. “But it’s much worse when someone relies on a product to prevent serious harm, and it just doesn’t deliver.”

The medical community has exhaustively researched how concussions affect consumers. Past studies have suggested that recently concussed drivers should stay off the road for longer periods, and some experts have been hard at work trying to develop a potential therapy for the ailment. However, one of the main focuses for consumers is how these injuries affect our nation’s young people.

High school sports are part of the foundation of schooling in the U.S., but research has shown that it is also one of the biggest sources of concussions among youths. Most of these injuries tend to happen in practice, and they can happen to anyone, but new research shows that female athletes may be especially susceptible.

A new study from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) shows that high school girls have significantly higher rates of concussions compared to boys. Viewed alongside past research about the long-term health consequences of head injuries, the researchers say that school officials need to take a hard look at how to keep young athletes safe.

"While American football has been both scientifically and colloquially associated with the highest concussion rates, our study found that girls, and especially those who play soccer, may face a higher risk," said lead author Dr. Wellington Hsu. "The new knowledge presented in this study can lead to policy and prevention measures to potentially halt these trends."

Higher risk of concussion

Every year, approximately 300,000 high school athletes suffer concussions or mild traumatic brain injuries (TBI). The consequences can be far-reaching and acute, and include symptoms like headache, memory loss, confusion, and dizziness, amongst others.

As part of the study, AAOS researchers examined injury data reported in the High School Reporting Information Online injury surveillance system for the years between 2005 and 2015. In all, they found over 40,000 reported injuries and approximately 6,400 concussion cases.

After analyzing the numbers, the researchers found that high school girl athletes experienced substantially higher rates of concussions compared to boys. In fact, the rate became so high in the 2014-2015 school year that girls’ soccer concussions outnumbered boys’ football concussions – no small feat.

Other findings showed that although participation rates increased by a factor of 1.04 over the study period, concussion rates jumped by 2.2 times. The sports with the greatest concussion increases during the period were boys’ baseball and girls’ volleyball.

Lack of protection and stricter enforcement

The researchers believe the jump in concussion rates for female soccer players is attributable to a distinct lack of protective headgear and an increased emphasis on in-game contact and “heading” the ball. Additionally, they say that the enforcement of stricter TBI laws have provided first responders with greater awareness of the issue, leading to more diagnoses.

“By identifying differences in the proportion and rate of concussions in high school sports, this study may help to inform future work aimed at examining specific risk factors and developing targeted measures to reduce concussion incidences,” the team concluded.

The findings of this study were presented at the 2017 AAOS Annual Meeting.

Motorists have gotten accustomed to seeing the price of gasoline go up at this time of year. Late winter to early spring is the time oil refineries do maintenance and switch over the summer grade fuel, reducing output and generally raising prices.

But in the last week or so prices haven't been going up. In fact, according to the AAA Fuel Gauge Survey, they've actually gone down a bit.

The survey shows the national average price of regular self-serve is $2.29 a gallon, down more than a penny from a week ago. The national average price of premium is $2.81 a gallon, also down one cent from last week.

Big drop in oil prices

What's behind this pause in the seasonal price rise? Most likely it's the price of crude oil, which is falling like a rock. West Texas Intermediate crude is selling at around $48 a barrel, down from close to $55.

Wall Street speculators were so sure oil supplies would get smaller because of OPEC's agreement to cut production they have lately bid up the price, which oil refiners have passed along to consumers in the form of higher prices at the pump. Now, Wall Street appears to be concerned that oil supplies aren't falling as much as they thought.

As oil prices rose over the last few months, U.S. oil producers got busy, and output has been quickly rising. As OPEC supplies get smaller, U.S. supplies could get larger.

The question consumers might be asking is, will it be enough to counter the seasonal rise in prices at the pump? Probably not. That's baked into the cake at this point. There can be plenty of oil to make fuel, but if refiners have made less fuel, the law of supply and demand would suggest the price would rise.

Rise should be less dramatic

But the rise should only be temporary and perhaps not as dramatic as in years past. Normally, prices peak around Memorial Day weekend. By then the refineries are usually back at full speed. That's when lower oil prices will begin to pay off for consumers.

Meanwhile, not all parts of the country are seeing a temporary dip in seasonal gas prices, at least not yet. In California, the statewide average is $3 a gallon, about a penny higher than a week ago.

But some states have seen a more dramatic decline. The statewide average in Illinois is $2.31 a gallon, down from $2.36 a week ago.

When electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) appeared in the marketplace a few years ago, it caught anti-smoking advocates by surprise.

Cigarette smoking was on the decline. Now there was another product that looked like a cigarette, delivered nicotine, but contained no tobacco. Was it safe? Would it lead to a resurgence of smoking?

Since then, opposition to e-cigarettes among these groups has hardened. The devices are said to deliver harmful chemicals and serve as a gateway to cigarettes, hooking young people on nicotine.

Questioning conventional wisdom

While the health effects of e-cigarettes are still being studied, new research calls into question the contention that they are a gateway to tobacco. Researchers from the University at Buffalo (UB) and University of Michigan flatly assert the evidence isn't there.

“The national trends in vaping and cigarette smoking do not support the argument that vaping is leading to smoking,” said Lynn Kozlowski, the paper’s lead author and a professor at UB.

Kozlowski says that existing research shows that as use of e-cigarettes has increased, overall smoking rates in the U.S. have declined. Kozlowski says the research team looked for the link between e-cigarettes and tobacco but didn't find it.

Questioning previous research

But what about previous studies that contend there is a link? Kozlowski and his colleagues say these studies have flaws. In particular, he says these studies don't clearly define what "smoking" is.

“Measures of ‘at least one puff in the past six months’ can mean little more than the experimenting vaper was curious how cigarettes compared,” Kozlowski said.

Kozlowski says the study only looked at the risks associated with moving from vaping on an e-cigarette to becoming a regular cigarette smoker. Critics of e-cigarettes, meanwhile, have worried that young people are increasingly vaping, and will develop a nicotine dependency that will eventually only be satisfied with tobacco.

Different ideas across the Atlantic

As we noted in 2015, the UK and U.S. have different ideas about e-cigarettes. Public health officials in the UK had just released a report saying e-cigarettes were 95% less harmful than cigarettes.

"My reading of the evidence is that smokers who switch to vaping remove almost all the risks smoking poses to their health," said Professor Peter Hajek of Queen Mary University, a co-author of the report.

The report also concluded there was no evidence that people who used e-cigarettes later took up smoking. Kozlowski says efforts in the U.S. should focus more on product safety.

“The public deserves accurate information on the health risks of e-cigarettes versus cigarettes,” Kozlowski said. “From the best evidence to date, e-cigarettes are much less dangerous than cigarettes. The public has become confused about this.”