Current Events in March 2018

Google and Amazon’s feud 

This has not only been a worse-than-usual flu season, consumers are being victimized by fraudulent and unapproved flu treatment products.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says there has been an increase in the number of “bad actors” preying on flu victims and those who fear getting the virus.

"We understand the toll this year's flu season has taken on people’s lives,” said FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb. “As the flu continues to make people sick — and even cause deaths — unscrupulous actors may also be taking advantage of unsuspecting consumers by promoting their fraudulent products that have not been reviewed by the FDA to be safe and effective.”

Gottlieb says most of these products are hawked online, but that some may actually show up in retail stores.

How to spot a fake

It's easier to spot one of these bogus products if you remember that there are no legally marketed over-the-counter (OTC) drugs to prevent or cure the flu. There are legal OTC products that can help a flu sufferer feel better by addressing symptoms like fever, muscle aches, and congestion.

Gottlieb says consumers can avoid a fraudulent flu product if they avoid any product that claims it can cure or prevent the flu. Specific red flags include:

• A product claims it can reduce the length or severity of the flu

• A product says it will boost your natural immunity so that you don't need a flu shot

• A product claims to be an alternative to the flu vaccine

• A product claims it can prevent the flu

If you have the flu, you probably need to see a healthcare professional so you can be treated with antiviral drugs.

Less-effective flu vaccine

The best way to avoid getting the flu is to get a flu shot and to practice safe hygiene, including thoroughly washing your hands on a regular basis. However, this year's vaccine has been less effective, which may have opened the door to more flu-prevention hustlers.

Gottlieb says flu fraud scams are worse that just a waste of money. He says they can lead to delays in getting a proper diagnosis and treatment, and may even lead to more serious injuries or death.

In its latest flu season surveillance report, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says the number of influenza A cases in the U.S. is declining, but the number of influenza B cases is rising.

The proportion of deaths attributed to pneumonia and influenza is still above the system-specific epidemic threshold that national health officials have established.

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing is recalling 55 model year 2018 Toyota Siennas built with a specific lot of 10-spoke alloy wheels from one production facility.

These wheels may not have been cooled properly during manufacturing and may crack in the spokes from an impact while the vehicle is being driven.

If the wheels crack at the spokes, the wheel may separate from the hub assembly causing a loss of vehicle control and increasing the risk of a crash.

What to do

Toyota began notifying owners initially by phone on February 26, 2018 and will mail letters to any unnotified owner starting on April 20, 2018.

Dealers will inspect the wheels and replace them if necessary depending on their production location, free of charge.

Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's number for this recall is J0J.

Carnivore Meat Company of Green Bay, Wis., is recalling 73 cases, of Vital Essentials Freeze-Dried Beef Nibblets Entrée for Dogs.

The product may be contaminated with Salmonella.

There have been no reports of illness.

The following product, distributed in the continental U.S. through independent retailers and online retailers Chewys.com and Amazon.com through direct delivery, is being recalled:

• “Vital Essentials Freeze-Dried Beef Nibblets Entrée for Dogs,” lot #13753.

What to do

Customers who purchased the recalled product should return it to the place of purchase for a refund.

Consumers with questions may call the company at 920-370-6542.

Sure, you never technically asked Equifax to monitor your personal data, but credit checks are a necessary step to securing a home, a loan, or a job. But now that half the country’s data has been stolen, you may be tempted to purchase credit protection elsewhere as a precaution.

There’s just one problem. That other, competing credit protection service may “very well be using Equifax to do the back office part,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren told Marketplace in a recent interview. In other words, Equifax could be profiting off the scare it created from its own breach.

The senator’s allegations, made public in an interview this week with Marketplace, came one day before Equifax announced that it will notify an additional 2.4 million consumers that their data was breached.

The customers were among the 145.5 million people whose identities were already confirmed stolen. But Equifax said it could not confirm the specific of identity of those 2.4 million people until Thursday because only partial driver’s license information was taken.

Now that Equifax has identified who the additional victims are, the corporation promises to offer them free identity protection and credit monitoring services.

Social Security benefits

People filing for their taxes are reportedly getting billed by the IRS for Social Security benefits that they never collected. Even people in the business of filing taxes are affected.

Retired accountant Jim Shambo writes on the American Institute of CPAs website that he received an SSA-1099 for $19,236 in Social Security. But Shambo hadn’t even applied to collect the benefits, he writes, let alone receive the money.

And before he had a chance to alert the Social Security office to the fraud, he says received a letter “congratulating me on initiating my Social Security benefits.”

Experts say the problem isn’t unique. In fact, hackers made off with with $6 million in social security benefits stolen directly from recipients’ bank accounts, a report last year found.

Shambo says that people between the ages of 62 and 70 are vulnerable to the Social Security hack. Victims have little recourse, as one man who was billed for benefits in a similar theft told the Detroit Free Press that it took repeated calls and visits to local Social Security offices to get revised tax forms.

Shambo points to two likely culprits for the breach: the Social Security office website itself and Equifax.

Hacking aliens 

Astrophysicists Michael Hippke and John Learned recently published a paper arguing that any attempt to contact “extraterrestrial intelligence” could place our species at the risk of a widespread hack.

They say that sophisticated telescopes could, in theory, pick up a malicious virus that would affect the world’s computers. In another hypothetical scenario, extraterrestrials could use human communication to mess with the world’s collective minds, perhaps by telling everyone that “we will make your sun go supernova tomorrow.”

“True or not, it could cause widespread panic,” Hippke and Learned write.

In the long run, they argue that attempting to contact extraterrestrial intelligence comes with more benefits than drawbacks, but they say being aware of the negative possibilities is important.

If aliens do exists, “there will be a plurality of good and bad civilizations,” the physicists write, and the bad ones may be all too eager to take advantage of the fragility of humans. Even a threatening text could have what the physicists describe as a “demoralizing cultural influence.”

The paper comes after the New York Times released a bombshell report last year about mysterious sightings reported by army pilots and a resulting, unsuccessful UFO research program funded by the Pentagon to look for answers.

But even if aliens do exist, other experts say they may have bigger fish to fry than our computers or our heads. Retired Army Col. John Alexander, a founder of the Advanced Theoretical Physics Group and the author of a book about UFO sightings and theories, told the New York Daily News that the likelihood if an alien-led computer hack “is so remote as to not be worth any concern, let alone time and effort in countering it."

German Government

The German press is quoting anonymous security officials who claim that Russian hackers placed malware in government networks. The hackers infiltrated the network used specifically by the German parliament and other federal offices, the officials said. The Russian group Fancy Bear was reportedly behind the attack.

Germany's government responded that they are investigating the attack but adds that it “was isolated and brought under control within the federal administration.”

Texas was not hacked

Texas officials are pushing back on an NBC report claiming that state computers were compromised by Russian hackers during the 2016 presidential election. The report did not allege that results were changed, only that the state’s voter registration system was “compromised.”

"We have absolutely no evidence that there was any penetration or any compromise of any of Texas' voting or voting registration systems,” the Texas Secretary of State responded to the station.

Better nutrition and breakthroughs in healthcare mean Americans are living longer. But at the same time, your chances of dying in an accident have never been greater.

That's the sobering word from the National Safety Council, which says your lifetime odds of dying in a preventable accident are one in 25, up from one in 30 in 2004.

Consider this: every 10 minutes, three people are killed, 847 are seriously injured, and society incurs $18.42 million in costs due to accidental events like drug overdoses, motor vehicle crashes, falls, drownings, chokings, or fires.

Injury Facts now online

The National Safety Council is digitizing its Injury Facts publication, which it has compiled annually over the last 98 years, so that it's easily accessible to health researchers and the general public. The group says it hopes the information can be used to help Americans become more aware of the accidental dangers lurking in modern life.

"Good data helps us make better decisions and increases our odds of living a long and healthy life," said Deborah Hersman, the group's CEO. "We hope people will embrace having a wealth of information at their fingertips and use it to protect themselves and their families from the risks that can cause the most harm."

The data shows the most common accidents are not typically the ones people fear the most. For example, here are the most common threats, compared to threats people might fear more:

• Motor vehicle crash (one in 102) versus a plane crash (one in 205,552)    

• Accidental opioid overdose (one in 109) versus an earthquake (one in 124,577)

• A fall (one in 119) versus a dog attack (one in 132,614)

• Being in a pedestrian accident (one in 561) versus dying while riding a train (one in 178,741)

• Dying in a fire (one in 1,506) versus being struck by lightning (one in 114,195)

• Choking on food (one in 3,138) versus being fatally stung by a bee, spider, or wasp (one in 54,093)

According to the National Safety Council, accidents are the third leading cause of death in America. In 2016, they killed 161,374 people, behind only heart disease and cancer.

The Council says your odds of dying are rising primarily because of the massive increases in opioid drug abuse, car accidents -- perhaps due to distracted driving -- and falls.

Toyota announced Friday that it is creating a new company devoted to researching and developing self-driving vehicles and the software that makes them run.

The Toyota Research Institute-Advanced Development (or TRI-AD) is a $2.8 billion joint venture with two of its suppliers that will focus specifically on developing “fully-integrated, production-quality software” for automated driving.

"This company's mission is to accelerate software development in a more effective and disruptive way," James Kuffner, CEO of the new company said in a statement.

"World-class engineers"

The company will have 300 employees to start, with plans to eventually expand to 1,000 employees. Toyota says it will recruit from its own personnel and look for outside talent to fill positions.

"Building production-quality software is a critical success factor for Toyota's automated driving program,” Kuffner said.

“This company's mission is to accelerate software development in a more effective and disruptive way, by augmenting the Toyota Group's capability through the hiring of world-class software engineers. We will recruit globally, and I am thrilled to lead this effort."

Developing reliable software

Experts say autonomous vehicles operated by ride-hailing companies will almost certainly become a reality, which may ultimately lead to a drop in car ownership.

Competition for supremacy in the self-driving technology market has led to a number of battles, including a messy trade secrets lawsuit between Google’s self-driving venture Waymo and ride-hailing startup Uber.

The Toyota Research Institute (TRI) has been developing the company’s own self-driving technology for years and even unveiled its LIDAR sensor-equipped “Platform 3.0” version of its autonomous driving system at CES earlier this year.

Level 3 autonomy requires a backup driver to sit behind the wheel, but Toyota’s new company will likely push it closer to the development of a vehicle capable of fully-automated driving.

A story going viral this week tells the unhappy tale of a man visiting West Virginia who had too much to drink and hailed an Uber to take him back to his hotel. But instead of arrivng there, he was driven to his home in New Jersey, costing him more than $1,600.

But most fares aren't nearly that high, and a new study from MIT shows most drivers don't do nearly that well on a single fare. In fact, the researchers found people who drive for ride-hailing services earn a profit of $3.37 an hour before taxes, well below the minimum wage.

Researchers Stephen M. Zoepf, Stella Chen, Paa Adu, and Gonzalo Pozo performed a detailed analysis of Uber and Lyft ride-hailing driver economics by pairing results from a survey of over 1,100 drivers with detailed vehicle cost information.

Focusing on the hours worked, they determined that the median profit from driving is $3.37 per hour before taxes, and 74 percent of drivers earn less than the minimum wage in their state. Nearly a third of drivers actually lose money once vehicle expenses are included.

"On a per-mile basis, median gross driver revenue is $0.59/mile, but vehicle operating expenses reduce real driver profit to a median of $0.29/mile," the authors write. "For tax purposes the $0.54/mile standard mileage deduction in 2016 means that nearly half of drivers can declare a loss on their taxes."

A spokesman for Uber issued a statement calling the research "attention grabbing" but "deeply flawed," and said the company had tried to contact the researchers to express its concerns and suggest ways to refine their approach.

Standard feature of the gig economy

Working for a ride-hailing service has become a standard feature of the gig economy as many people look to it as a flexible way to supplement their income.

But the researchers point out these drivers face uncertain customer demand and must pay for the maintenance and upkeep of their vehicles. The research projects that the turnover in ride-hailing drivers is between 50 and 96 percent per year.

The median driver in the survey generated $0.59 per mile of driving while incurring costs of $0.30 per mile. As a result, 30 percent of drivers had expenses that exceeded their revenue, losing money for every mile they drove.

Ride-hailing without a driver

It may comes as no surprise that established ride-hailing companies, and companies planning to enter the business, are looking to driverless cars as a business model for the future. Uber is testing driverless cars in Arizona and in Pittsburgh and has reported few problems.

And as we reported last week, Nissan plans to not only make autonomous cars, but operate them in a ride-sharing business model. The Japanese automaker is said to be “preparing for a future in which self-driving cars are anticipated to curb vehicle ownership.”

A Reuters report said Nissan is developing and testing a service it calls Easy Ride, which uses ride-hailing software to control its fleet of self-driving cars and put it in the same business as Uber and Lyft.

To its increasingly diverse array of services, Uber is adding Uber Health -- a non-emergency ride service that lets healthcare providers schedule rides for patients.

Patients will not need to use the main Uber app or even have a smartphone to use the new service. Instead, doctors alert patients to their rides via SMS messages or by printing out a piece of paper.

“A healthcare associate books a ride on demand or for a future appointment, using the Uber Health dashboard to seamlessly coordinate riders for those in need,” the company’s website advertises. A passenger is then contacted via text or call with additional trip details.

Providers cover cost

Doctor’s offices or other health care providers can schedule rides for patients on a digital platform that meets Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) standards.

Health care providers, not patients, will be billed for the ride. Providers will not be charged a monthly subscription fee or any similar fee, just the cost of the ride.

With the new service, Uber Health ultimately hopes to remove the transportation barrier that many people face on the path to obtaining medical care. The ride-hailing company cites federal government research which estimates that more than 3 million people miss medical appointments due to a lack of reliable transportation.

“At Uber, we recognize that the path to health may not be easy, but we know the road to care can be," the company said.

To date, over 100 healthcare organizations have signed on to use the platform, thanks to a private beta that began last July. Regular Uber drivers will be used to facilitate the service, according to the company.

Lyft offers a similar service in partnership with Hitch Health, which also helps in-need patients get to non-emergency medical appointments.

This year, tax refund season may not translate to a boost in consumer spending for retailers. Instead of spending their tax refund dollars, half of consumers plan to use their tax refund to pay down debt, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF).

Findings from the NRF’s recently-released annual tax refund survey showed that 49 percent of those getting a tax refund will place that money into their savings accounts instead of putting it back into the economy.

The NRF says that figure is the highest in the organization’s 12-year history of conducting its survey, edging out last year’s total of 48 percent of participants who said they intended to save their tax refunds.

Saving is a priority for many consumers

Matthew Shay, president and CEO of the NRF, noted that consumers are faced with a choice each year when tax return season rolls around.

“Tax return season is a time when consumers plan and prioritize financially, whether it is paying down debt or saving for a rainy day,” he said.

“With the passage of tax reform and the expectation of more disposable income, we expect to see consumers prioritizing how and when they spend their hard earned dollars, especially during the back-to-school and holiday seasons.”

The recently passed tax law lowered the corporate tax rate from 35 to 21 percent. Although it lowered most individual income tax rates, it also increased the standard deduction, eliminated the personal exemption, and limited or eliminated a number of other deductions.

Where refunds are going

Of the 65 percent of taxpayers expecting a refund, the survey found:

• 49 percent will put the money straight into savings;

• 35 percent will pay down debt;

• 22 percent will spend it on everyday expenses;

• 12 percent will use the money for a vacation;

• 10 percent will “splurge” on dining out, trips to a spa, or apparel;

• 9 percent will invest in home improvements; and

• 8 percent will make major purchases ranging from a television or furniture to a car

Millennials are the least likely age group to use the extra cash to splurge on something fun, according to the poll of 7,657 participants. Many younger consumers said they intend to use their refund money to pay for daily expenses.

“Younger consumers are being more mindful about their hard-earned money, especially those 18-24 who have already filed their taxes this year, higher than any other age group,” Prosper executive VP of strategy Phil Rist said.

“Although this group is focused on allocating a portion of their refunds to savings, they are also more likely to use them for everyday expenses compared with any other age group.”

Southwest Airlines’ “$5 Happy Hour, every hour” is no more. The U.S.-based airline, which has long offered some of the cheapest prices on cocktail and beer selections, is raising its menu prices $1 to $2, though the changes won’t apply to consumers who are part of Southwest’s frequent flier or drink coupon program.

An airline spokesman defended the price increase, telling USA Today that its drink prices are still competitive. The airline has not raised its drink prices since 2009, the spokesman added.

In 2015, Southwest introduced an expanded $5 cocktail menu along with a series of more important service improvements -- like faster internet, better on-time performance, and wider seats. Southwest hasn’t announced whether any of the other features it rolled out at the time will be affected.

The airline famously does not assign seats on flights, but customers can be in the first boarding group for a fee, which Southwest also recently increased.

Lush fliers who don’t want to pay inflated prices for an airplane shot have an even cheaper option, for Southwest or any other airline. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) allows travelers to carry as many airplane shots on board that can fit into one quart-sized, clear, zip-top plastic bag.

Technically, passengers are banned from serving themselves their own booze mid-flight, per FAA regulations. But air travel experts say they found a loophole to get around that. According to travel blogger Gilbert Otto, you can “politely ask a member of the cabin crew if they wouldn’t’ mind serving you the liquor you brought on board."

Wells Fargo may not be out of the regulatory woods just yet.

Whistleblowers within the bank's Wealth Advisory Division, called Wells Fargo Advisors, reportedly told regulators about concerns over product and service sales. It follows 2016's unauthorized accounts scandal.

The Wall Street Journal cites bank insiders in its report, who told the newspaper that the division often made decisions with an eye toward compensation rather than what was best for the client.

The Justice Department has requested that Wells Fargo conduct an independent probe into the charges the whistleblowers laid out, and the bank has reportedly retained a law firm to conduct that investigation.

Unauthorized accounts

This isn't Wells Fargo's first brush with potential impropriety. In 2016, the bank revealed that its employees had opened millions of credit card and checking accounts without customers' knowledge or permission.

Wells Fargo, who fired more than 5,000 employees and sent its CEO into early retirement, was accused of encouraging employees to take the unauthorized action by increasing pressure to meet sales goals.

The bank agreed to pay $100 million in fines to settle the charges and another $110 million to settle a class action lawsuit.

Unauthorized auto insurance

Wells Fargo revealed last year that approximately 570,000 consumers who financed auto purchases through the bank may have been sold a collateral protection insurance (CPI) without their knowledge or consent.

Wells Fargo promised those customers would receive refunds “and other payments” as compensation. The bank estimated total remediation would be in the neighborhood of $80 million.

All auto lenders require borrowers to maintain adequate insurance on financed vehicles to ensure the lender is repaid if the vehicle is stolen or damaged in a crash.

Wells Fargo says its lending agreement allows it to buy a CPI policy from a vendor on the customer’s behalf if there was no evidence — either from the customer or the insurance company — that the customer already had the required insurance. Wells Fargo says it discontinued the practice in 2016.

The third party probe of Wells Fargo's Wealth Advisory Division touches on an issue that become a focus of attention in the regulation of the brokerage industry -- whether recommendations sometimes benefit the broker more than the client.

Under the Obama Administration, the Department of Labor drafted a Fiduciary Rule that required financial advisors to always place clients' financial interests above their own. Under the Trump Administration, many of the enforceable provisions of the rule have been postponed until next year.

Beginning in April, American Airlines will offer trans-Atlantic fliers the option of a lower-priced “Basic Economy” ticket.

The carrier’s overseas partners British Airways, Finnair, and Iberia are also participating in the new fare program.

“We're following the same playbook in this latest expansion as we did for the initial rollout of Basic Economy,” American Airlines commented in an announcement. “That includes training that began this week for Airports and Reservations team members and making it available in a limited number of markets first to make sure we get it right.”

What to expect

For domestic travelers who are used to the Basic Economy option, or regular passengers on low-cost carriers like Southwest and Ryanair, this won’t be much of a switch. But those who expect old-fashioned comfort and service on an international flight or who have never flown Basic Economy might be in for a rude awakening.

Here are the changes:

• Tickets: Non-refundable, but changeable for a fee. American hasn’t announced that fee yet, but it’s currently charging $750 to change an international ticket.

• Boarding: Trans-Atlantic Basic Economy customers will board in Group 8, but Elite and eligible AAdvantage credit card members will get Priority or preferred boarding flying on the new fare. This is the same plan American rolled out for its domestic flights last year.

• Seat assignments: Customers flying trans-Atlantic Basic Economy can purchase a seat assignment at any time or roll the dice and opt for a free, automatic seat assignment when checking in.

• Baggage: A new fee will apply for the first checked bag on trans-Atlantic Basic Economy. American hasn’t released details, but Delta and United charge $25. As for carry-on bags, the allowance will be one personal item and one larger carry-on.

• In-flight service: No change. Basic Economy fliers will have the same experience, including free entertainment, soft drinks, snacks, and meals offered to Main Cabin fliers.

• Upgrades: Not permitted, no matter what your status level is.

How to find your best deal

The majority of fliers – some 56 percent -- looking for the best fares use online travel agencies such as Kayak and Farecompare, according to PhoCusWright, a travel technology firm. Consumers can also sign up for fare tracking updates so they can catch the most attractive fare at the right time.

One key thing to keep in mind is that it’s important to understand what the price includes by reading the fine print. Amenities like extra baggage, seat assignments, and pre-boarding might not be part and parcel of what you assume you’re getting in a “Basic Economy” deal and could cost you a pretty penny should you ask for those items after you book the flight.

Northwest Naturals of Portland, Ore., is recalling frozen chicken and salmon pet food chubs.

The products may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

No pet or human illnesses have been reported to date.

The recalled product, packaged in 5-lb frozen chubs labeled Chicken and Salmon Dog Food with a UPC code of 0 87316 38440 6 and a product best buy date code of 15 082218, was shipped to distributors in California, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas and Washington, and sold thru specialty pet retail stores.

What to do

Customers who purchased the recalled product should return it to the specialty retailer where purchased for full refund.

Consumers with questions may contact Northwest Naturals at 1-866-637-1872, Monday-Friday, from 8:00am to 4:00pm (PST).

The toll is rising.

Equifax has confirmed that an additional 2.4 million consumers were exposed in last year's massive data breach, raising the number compromised by the hack to nearly 148 million.

The company says these consumers were not previously identified because only their partial driver's license information was exposed. By referencing other information in Equifax records that the attackers did not steal, and by engaging the resources of an external data provider, Equifax said it has been able to assign names to that data.

"This is not about newly discovered stolen data," said Paulino do Rego Barros, Jr., Equifax interim CEO. "It's about sifting through the previously identified stolen data, analyzing other information in our databases that was not taken by the attackers, and making connections that enabled us to identify additional individuals."

Will notify affected consumers

The newly identified consumers will be notified by Equifax directly. The company said it will offer these consumers free identity theft protection and credit file monitoring services -- services provided to the other 145 million victims.

Last September, Equifax disclosed that hackers gained access to files on as many as 143 million people over a three-month period earlier in the year. That number was later revised to more than 145 million.

According to the company, the cybercriminals used a vulnerability in “a U.S. website application” to gain entry in mid-May 2017. It provided free credit monitoring services to those affected and waived fees to freeze access to consumers' credit reports.

Credit freeze

Eva Velasquez, President and CEO of the Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC) in San Diego, told us back in September that a credit freeze is the best way to prevent your identity from being stolen, but even that isn't foolproof.

To place a credit freeze, you must contact each of the three credit reporting agencies to request one, then contact them again to lift it when you need a business to be able to access your credit.

Since disclosing the data breach, Equifax has replaced its CEO and faced a number of class action lawsuits. However, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) last month reportedly backed away from a full investigation of the breach.

"We continue to take broad measures to identify, inform, and protect consumers who may have been affected by this cyberattack," Barros said. "We are committed to regaining the trust of consumers, improving transparency, and enhancing security across our network."

Since the shooting deaths of 17 people at a South Florida high school two weeks ago, there have been predictable calls for new limits on semi-automatic weapons.

In a new development, a number of high-profile businesses have thrown their support behind that effort. This week, Dick's Sporting Goods and Walmart have taken definitive action.

"We support and respect the Second Amendment, and we recognize and appreciate that the vast majority of gun owners in this country are responsible, law-abiding citizens," Dick's said in a statement Wednesday. "But we have to help solve the problem that’s in front of us."

The company announced that it would no longer sell semi-automatic rifles, such as the AR-15 -- the rifle used in the most recent mass shootings. It is also raising the age for the purchase of any firearm to 21 and taking all high-capacity magazine weapons off the shelf.

Walmart also announced on Wednesday that it would no longer sell any firearm to anyone under the age of 21. The company ended the sale of semi-automatic rifles in 2015.

Days before, several companies publicly severed their ties to the National Rifle Association (NRA), which has led lobbying efforts against previous gun control efforts. Delta Airlines, United Airlines, Hertz, Met Life, and Symantec are among the companies cutting their NRA ties -- usually in the form of discounts for NRA members.

AR-15 in the crosshairs

Since the Florida shootings on February 14, the AR-15 has become the focus of much of the debate. A gun based on the the M-16 military rifle, the weapon has the appearance of a weapon used in combat, or in a video game.

Far from being a rare commodity, several sources say the AR-15 is the best-selling rifle in America. In 2016, after a gunman used an AR-15 to kill 50 people at a Florida nightclub, CNBC reported that the AR-15 is made by dozens of gun manufacturers and estimated that 5 million Americans own one.

Gun advocates point out that a tiny fraction of these weapons are ever used in crimes. The NRA says there are many reasons civilians want to own an AR-15, including self defense. An article on the NRA website lists "10 Reasons to own an AR-15," including sport shooting, hunting, and disaster preparedness.

"While those who hate guns would have you think the AR-15 is nothing more than a murder machine, in truth it’s the musket of our day—everyman’s rifle, proudly owned by patriotic men and women of all ages, colors and interests," the author writes.

Weapon of choice for mass killers

However, the AR-15 appears to be the weapon of choice of people who, for whatever reason, want to kill the maximum number of people in the shortest amount of time. Its magazine holds 30 rounds that can be fired as quickly as the shooter can pull the trigger.

Since the Florida shooting, there have been renewed calls to ban the sale of high-capacity magazines and semi-automatic weapons. On Wednesday, President Trump stunned GOP lawmakers attending a White House meeting when he said -- on live television -- that he is open to strong gun control measures.

Trump said Congress should pass legislation that would expand background checks to weapons purchased at gun shows, which suggests that lawmakers should also debate a ban on the sale of semi-automatic rifles.

Facebook has announced that it’s expanding the Jobs section of its site to 40 more countries, including Brazil, the UK, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain.

The tool, which was first rolled out last year in the United States and Canada, allows job seekers to hunt for available positions in their local area and apply for jobs directly from Facebook.

“One in four people in the US have searched for or found a job using Facebook,” said Facebook’s VP of Local Alex Himel in a statement. “But 40% of US small businesses report that filling jobs was more difficult than they expected. We think Facebook can play a part in closing this gap.”

Competing with LinkedIn

Job posts appear in several locations on the site, including business pages, Marketplace, and in News Feed. Users can filter job listings by local jobs, job categories, and job type. Businesses can post open positions, manage applications, and schedule interviews.  

Facebook says it won’t show potential employers any information on a user’s profile other than what has been made public by the user.

While LinkedIn connects people with larger employers that require skilled or highly skilled labor, Facebook says its  Jobs section can help fill medium- or low-skill local job positions.

"Local businesses strengthen our communities and create more than 60% of new jobs. We want to help people find those jobs and help local businesses hire the right people," Himel said.

Facebook has already helped many local business owners fill jobs, the company noted.

“Troy, the owner of Striper Sniper Tackle in North Carolina had trouble finding people with the specific skills he needed until he posted the job on his Facebook Page. He received 27 applications immediately, and hired 10 people,” Facebook wrote.

Spotify, the world’s largest music streaming service, has officially filed to go public in a risky approach called “direct listing.” The company will sell shares directly to the public without banks serving as underwriters to set pricing.

The company intends to trade under the ticker name “SPOT” on the New York Stock Exchange and may start doing so as soon as the week of Mar. 26. The price of Spotify shares traded on private markets indicate the company could be worth as much as $23 billion.

71 million subscribers

The filing revealed that the company hasn’t suffered in terms of expansion in recent years. As of December, the company had 159 million monthly active users and 71 million premium subscribers (a figure Spotify claims is "nearly double the scale" of its rival, Apple Music). 

However, the music service has struggled to turn a profit. It lost $1.5 billion in 2017, $1 billion of which was from a non-recurring expense due to convertible notes from a transaction with Tencent in December 2017. 

Last year, the company’s operating loss hit $461.3 million -- up from $425.9 million in 2016.

Overcoming economic challenges

Like other streaming services, Spotify’s profitability challenges can be traced back to its business model. The more money it makes from streaming, the more it has to pay out to music labels, publishers, and songwriters in licensing fees.

Spotify plans to grow its business and make money by investing heavily in “developing our two-sided marketplace with new and better product features and functionality for users and creators.” 

Its growth strategies include entering new markets, further penetrating existing markets, continuing to invest in its advertising business, and expanding non-music content. 

"We set out to reimagine the music industry and to provide a better way for both artists and consumers to benefit from the digital transformation of the music industry," the company said.

"Spotify was founded on the belief that music is universal and that streaming is a more robust and seamless access model that benefits both artists and music fans."