Current Events in July 2018

Samsung users are grumbling about their Galaxy S9 and Note 8 phones randomly sending out photos and texts to people in their contact list. The glitch reportedly leaves no record of anything ever being sent.

News of the problem started showing up in Samsung’s community support forums and spread quickly across the techsphere. While Samsung hasn’t released an official explanation, people who’ve experienced the mishap report the fault rests with Samsung Messages, Galaxy devices’ default messaging app.

"S9+ sent my entire photo gallery to my girlfriend last night, wrote one Galaxy S9 owner on Samsung’s support forum. "Last night around 2:30 am, my phone sent her my entire photo gallery over text but there was no record of it on my messages app. However, there was record of it on tmobile logs. Why would this happen?" As hard as he tried to find an answer, the user said no one in the comments section of the forum could figure out why it happened.

However, there are plenty of theories elsewhere as to why this is happening. Some of the complainers say they’re T-Mobile customers, which led techies to question if the issue was related to one of T-Mobile’s RCS (Rich Communication Services) updates. When ConsumerAffairs asked T-Mobile for comment, a company spokesperson referred us to Samsung.

Another hypothesis is that the problem affects only shared plans because some customers report the photos had been sent only to partners or family members.

Is there a fix?

In a statement to ConsumerAffairs, Samsung said that it will be continuing to monitor the issue.

"Samsung has reviewed this matter thoroughly these past few days; however, there were no hardware or software issues found to be relevant to this particular case. While there have been no known similar customer reports globally, we will continue to investigate this issue further. We encourage any customers who may have questions or concerns to contact their local Customer Service center at 1-800-SAMSUNG," a company representative said

While Samsung has yet to report a definitive fix, but TechCrunch reported two possible fixes for those concerned about their Galaxy S9 and Note 8 phones.

The first solution involves going into the phone’s "app settings" and turning off Samsung Message’s ability to access your storage. The upside is that taking that step will prevent the phone from sending anything -- including photos -- that’s stored on your phone. The downside is that you’ll have to turn permissions on again if you want to send photos or files through the Samsung Messages app.

The second solution is to stop using Samsung Messages until the company says the issue has been resolved and switch to a third-party messaging app instead.

When Uber purchased the dockless electric bikeshare company Jump earlier this year, CEO Dara Khosrowshahi explained at the time that the company’s ultimate goal is “making it easier to live without owning a personal car.”

Lyft, the closest thing that Uber has to a direct competitor in the rideshare business, has clearly heard that message loud and clear.

The popular, albeit smaller, rideshare service on Monday announced that it was purchasing Motivate, the most widely used bike share company in the United States, for an estimated $250 million.

Motivate is the company behind New York City’s Citi Bike program, Washington D.C.’s Capital Bikeshare, and Boston's Blue Bikes, to name just a few of the nine cities where the company operates under private-public partnerships.

Going dockless?

Motivate’s business model of placing bike docks activated by a credit card in strategic locations across major cities proved to be a winning formula, with New York City reporting a massive uptick in bike commuters last year thanks in part to the Citi Bike program.

Motivate’s business model in recent years spawned imitators who opted to ditch the bike docks all together, with companies like Lime Bike and Ofo ushering in a new phase of dockless bike pile-ups, dockless bike vandalism, dockless bike fights, and general dockless bikewars in cities such as Dallas and San Diego.

Jump, Uber’s bikeshare investment, has said that their electric, dockless bikes will come equipped with a lock that must be attached to a fixed object, rather than itself, in order to prevent people from dropping their bikes wherever they please once they are done. The company’s service is currently being tested through a pilot project in San Francisco.

It’s unclear if Motivate also plans to go dockless or if they will stick to their current model under Lyft’s ownership.

“Lyft and Motivate have both been committed for years to the same goal of reducing the need for personal car ownership by providing reliable and affordable ways to move around our cities,” Lyft co-founder and president John Zimmer said in a statement.

The growing bike-sharing industry

It’s not Lyft’s first partnership with a bike share company. In February the service announced that it was spearheading a $270,00 pilot program in Baltimore, in which electric-assist bikes could be parked at docks located near popular pick-up and drop-off spots for Lyft passengers. The hope was to create what Lyft described as a “multimodal transportation future.”

Meanwhile, on Monday, the same day that Lyft announced its acquisition of Motivate, Uber invited customers to join a subscription service that would include access to one’s own personal electric bike for $12 a week, a fee that would include “unlimited use of your own dedicated JUMP Bike and charger” and free repairs.

There are several things consumers can do to raise their credit score, but carrying a credit card balance is not one of them.

Yet, a new survey from CreditCards.com shows 22 percent of consumers have carried a balance on the mistaken belief that it would add points to their credit score. All they got was a higher interest charge.

Having a credit card account does help your credit standing. Consumers get points when a lender extends them credit.

They get even more points when they use credit wisely. Paying off the balance each month makes a consumer look responsible in the eyes of a lender. On the other hand, utilizing too much of their credit line on an ongoing basis can drag down a credit score.

New idea

The idea that carrying a balance raises a credit score may be relatively new. The survey showed the younger you are, the more likely you are to believe it.

Education also plays a role. Twenty-seven percent of cardholders without a college education have carried a balance, thinking they'll help their credit score. Only 12 percent of college graduates have done so.

"It's painful to know that so many millions of Americans are essentially attempting to pay their card issuers to improve their credit scores," said Matt Schultz, CreditCards.com's senior industry analyst. "The fact of the matter is that carrying a balance will never improve your score."

With interest rates now rising, Schultz says consumers should make every effort to pay off their credit card bills in full each month. At the very least, they should pay on time.

Pay on time

Paying bills on time is one of the most important factors affecting credit scores. Paying on time will raise the score, missing a payment or paying late will drag it down.

Yet 42 percent of the consumers in the survey admitted to being late in paying their credit card bill -- with 24 percent doing so more than once. Schultz says many of these late or missed payments might have been avoided with a little organization.

Seventy-one percent of cardholders who said they missed a payment did so because they forgot to pay it, were busy, or were out of town. In addition to damaging a credit rating, a late payment can be costly, since most credit card companies assess a late fee of $30 or more.

Unfortunately, there are other reasons consumers missed credit card payments. Among those who are habitually late in making their payment, the most often cited reason is not having the money.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce issued a report on Monday arguing that President Trump’s trade tariffs could risk a global trade war that could negatively affect U.S. consumers, Reuters reports.

The group, which is comprised of three million members, put together a state-by-state analysis of how consumers in each state would be affected by retaliation from U.S. trading partners. The analysis drew its findings from data from the U.S. Department of Commerce and government agencies in the countries hit with the new tariffs.

Texas, for example, could see nearly $4 billion worth of exports targeted by retaliatory tariffs. Tennessee could see $1.4 billion targeted, and South Carolina could see $3 billion targeted.

Trump has levied tariffs on billions of dollars worth of steel and aluminum imports from China, the European Union, Canada, and others in what he says is an effort to even the playing field and offset “unfair trade practices.” He is also considering imposing an import tariff on all cars assembled in the European Union.

The tariffs have prompted retaliation against U.S. products and drawn concern over the potential impact on American consumers.

Three nations have pushed back

On Friday, Canada said it plans to issue tariffs on $12.6 billion in U.S. exports. China has threatened to retaliate with its own tariffs on U.S. goods -- including soybeans, orange juice, and salmon. Mexico said it is planning to set tariffs up to 20 percent on U.S. pork.

"The administration is threatening to undermine the economic progress it worked so hard to achieve," Chamber President Tom Donohue told Reuters. "We should seek free and fair trade, but this is just not the way to do it."

Back in December, the Chamber of Commerce supported Trump’s business tax cuts and has historically cooperated with Republican presidents. However, on Monday, the group launched a campaign against the president’s recent tariff policy.

Although the group has historically sided with Republicans, this isn’t the first time the group has clashed with the president. Last month, Donahue issued a statement demanding that Trump end his “zero tolerance“ policy that separated children from their parents at the U.S.-Mexico border.

At the end of May, Sears announced that it would be closing 63 stores from a total of 100 underperforming stores. Now, the retailer has added ten more Sears and Kmart stores to its list of locations slated to shut down in September.

Sears Holdings said it told employees last week that it would be closing an additional nine Sears stores and one Kmart in late September. Liquidation is set to begin as early as July 13.

In total, 62 Sears and 16 Kmart locations were identified as “non-profitable.” All 78 will close in September.

Eddie Lampert, the company’s CEO, told Vanity Fair earlier this year that the retailer was “fighting to survive.” Sears Holdings has closed more than 500 stores over 15 months as a result of increased competition from online retailers and decreased foot traffic in shopping malls.

Store closings

Sears said the additional closures are part of the company’s “ongoing efforts to streamline the company's operations and focus on our best stores.” First quarter sales were $2.9 billion this year, compared with $4.2 billion last year. The company reported a net loss of $424 million in the first fiscal quarter.

"We continue to evaluate our network of stores, which are a critical component in our transformation, and will make further adjustments as needed and as warranted," Sears said in a statement announcing its first-quarter results.

Here are the ten stores that have been added to the company’s previous list of stores scheduled to shut down.

• California -- Newark: Sears at 6000 Mowry Ave; Thousand Oaks: Sears at 145 W Hillcrest Drive

• Florida -- Altamonte Springs: Sears at 451 East Altamonte Drive

• Michigan -- Troy: Sears at 300 W. 14 Mile Rd.

• Montana -- West Havre: Kmart at 3180 Highway 2

• New York -- Clay: Sears at 4155 State Route 31

• Oklahoma -- Oklahoma City: Sears at 4400 S Western Ave

• Virginia -- Virginia Beach: Sears at 4588 Virginia Beach Blvd; Chesapeake: Sears at 1401 Greenbrier Parkway

• Wisconsin -- Madison: Sears at 53 West Towne Mall C

Just weeks after completing its acquisition of Time Warner, AT&T is boosting the price of one of its video streaming services by $5 a month.

During the acquisition process, and the court case in which the Justice Department attempted to block the merger, AT&T dismissed claims that the combined companies would have too much pricing power and would lead to higher costs for consumers.

But over the weekend, AT&T began informing DIRECTV NOW subscribers that the monthly cost of most packages would go up by $5 a month.

DIRECTV NOW is a mobile streaming service providing subscribers access to live television on their smartphones. The basic package, with 60 or more channels, will go from $35 a month to $40. The top tier package, with over 100 channels, is rising to $65.

'Pay for enhancements'

DIRECTV, owned by AT&T, said the price increase will help pay for recent enhancements to the service, such as its True Cloud DVR, which allows users to record and play back programs.

"In order to keep enhancements like this coming, we're adjusting our prices," the company said in a statement.

The price increase applies to both new and existing customers. New customers will begin paying the new rate July 26. Existing customers will see the new rate based on their billing cycle.

Shortly after closing on its deal to acquire Time Warner, AT&T announced it was raising its administrative fee for most subscribers. The fee only went up by about $1.23 a month, but it is expected to raise about $800 million a year in revenue.

Deep in debt

That could be important, since AT&T increased its debt by an estimated $60 billion to acquire Time Warner.

The rising costs were predicted shortly after AT&T announced its intention to purchase Time Warner in 2016. Both then-candidate Donald Trump and Democrat Bernie Sanders voiced opposition to the deal, warning it would give the telecom company too much power. They were joined by various consumer groups, which expressed similar concerns.

In December 2016, the Consumer Federation of America urged the government to block the proposed merger, claiming the average household is already overcharged $45 a month for telecom and video services. It said further consolidation would only give providers more pricing power.

As it raised the price of DIRECTV NOW, AT&T is offered a lower cost option for its wireless subscribers. The company introduced WatchTV two weeks ago, which allows users to stream 30 or more channels for $15 per month. The service also includes a huge library of video content on demand.

Nueske's Meat Products of Wittenberg, Wis., is recalling approximately 12,946 pounds of pork products.

The products may contain brown rice flour and glycerin, ingredients not declared on the label.

There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products.

The following fully-cooked items, packaged between February 24, 2017, and May 23, 2018, are being recalled:

• 1-lb. 6-oz. (22 oz.) vacuum-sealed packages containing “NUESKE’S BRAISED PORK MEDALLIONS in a mushroom pork demi-glace” with lot codes 700053, 600342, 700055, 700145, 700243, 700250, 700261, 800039, 800066 and 800114.
• 2.5-lb. (40 oz.) vacuum-sealed packages containing “NUESKE’S BRAISED PORK SHANK In Pork Demi-Glace” with lot codes 700035, 700047, 700098, 700166, 700228, 700238,700242, 700256, 700262, 700144, 800032, 800046, 800087 and 800108.

The recalled products, bearing establishment number “EST. 20341” inside the USDA mark of inspection, were shipped directly to consumers nationwide via the internet and mail order sales.

What to do

Customers who purchased the recalled products for a refund or replacement may contact Nueske’s customer service department at (800) 720-1153.

Consumers with questions about the recall may contact Tammy Beran at (715) 253-4058.

BRP U.S., of Sturtevant, Wis., is recalling about 13,300 model year 2018 Can-Am Outlander and Renegade all-terrain vehicles (ATVs).

Fuel can spray from the fuel tank when opening the gas cap, posing a fuel leak and fire hazard.

The firm has received six reports of fuel spraying out of the fuel tank. No injuries or fires have been reported.

This recall involves model year 2018 Can-Am Outlander and Renegade ATVs sold in a variety of colors.

Can-Am and the model name are printed on the side panels of the vehicles.

The vehicle identification number (VIN) is printed on the frame under the seat in the middle and on the frame behind the right front wheel.

The following models are included in the recall:

The ATVs, manufactured in Mexico, were sold at Can-Am dealers nationwide from June 2017, through June 2018, for between $6,000 and $16,500.

What to do

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled vehicles and contact a BRP Can-Am ATV dealer for a free repair. BRP is contacting all known purchasers directly.

Consumers may contact BRP toll-free at 888-272-9222 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (ET) Monday through Sunday or online at www.can-am.brp.com for more information.

A United Airlines jet was potentially minutes from disaster Sunday when the cabin filled with smoke, prompting an emergency evacuation.

The Washington Airports Authority said the Houston-bound regional jet, an ERJ-170, was on the runway and preparing to take off when smoke began to fill the cabin. The crew stopped the aircraft and ordered an evacuation, using the plane's emergency slides.

Philip Rucker, White House Bureau Chief at the Washington Post, posted video on Twitter of the plane stopped on the tarmac and passengers leaving the aircraft. At the time, Rucker believed that the plane had just landed.

In a statement to the media, United said the cause of the smoke was not immediately known. It occurred aboard a Mesa Airlines flight, operating under the United Express brand. The airline said all passengers evacuated safely and an investigation is underway to determine what happened.

Fire in the sky usually deadly

Fire aboard an aircraft mid-flight is particularly dangerous. According to Skybrary, an aviation safety website, an airborne fire is one of the most hazardous situations a flight crew can face.

The site presents data showing that from the first indication that there is a fire on board, the crew has no more than 17 minutes to safely land the aircraft. It says that once a fire has become established, the crew will probably not be able to extinguish it.

In 1983, 23 passengers were killed aboard an Air Canada DC-9 jet when a fire broke out on a Dallas to Toronto flight. Despite losing control of key electronics, the crew was able to make an emergency landing at Cincinnati and evacuate most of the passengers.

The incident led to new international flight safety regulations, which included the installation of smoke detectors aboard all commercial aircraft.

Seattle has become the latest city to crack down on the use of single-use plastic products.

On Sunday, the city implemented a ban on plastic straws, utensils, and cocktail picks at all food service businesses -- including restaurants, grocery stores, delis, coffee shops, food trucks, and institutional cafeterias.

Businesses that violate the order could face a $250 fine. The ban states that food service businesses can opt for straws and utensils made from more environmentally friendly materials.

“Compliant options include durable or compostable utensils, straws, and cocktail picks. Compliant straws include those made of compostable paper or compostable plastic,” Seattle Public Utilities said in a letter. “Utensils banned include disposable plastic forks, plastic spoons, plastic knives, and plastic cocktail picks.”

The city also suggests that businesses only provide approved utensils upon request.

Fighting pollution

About 500 million straws are used by Americans each day, according to the National Park Service. Single-use straws are a major contributor to marine water pollution, since a majority aren’t recycled.

A number of businesses and cities have set out to reduce their negative impact on the environment through banning one-time use straws.

In March, the City Council of Malibu, California voted to ban single-use plastic straws and cutlery within city limits by June 1. In May, a legislation was proposed that would ban plastic straws and stirrers in all venues across New York City.

McDonald’s announced earlier this year that it would start phasing out straws in 1,300 of its U.K. restaurants and replacing them with paper straws. The company followed that up in June by announcing plans to test the use of paper straws at select U.S. locations later this year.

The initiatives come amid expert predictions that there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean by 2050.

Seattle’s new ban on plastic straws and utensils follows other efforts made by the city to reduce the amount of waste it produces. In 2009, Seattle banned Styrofoam. The following year, the city made it a requirement that "food service items" -- with the exception of straws and utensils -- be either recyclable or compostable.

“Plastic pollution is surpassing crisis levels in the world’s oceans, and I’m proud Seattle is leading the way and setting an example for the nation by enacting a plastic straw ban,” Mami Hara, the general manager of Seattle Public Utilities, told KOMO News.

Google is continuing its drive towards seamlessness between browsers and devices by introducing "Messages for Web" for Android phone users.

For mobile users who’ve felt tied to their phone to send and reply to texts, Android users can now send text messages from a web browser on their laptop or desktop and those conversations will synch and update automatically on both platforms. Just like with text messaging, the web version also integrates animated gifs, Smart Reply, and inline previews of any links users want to share.

"Over the past few years, we’ve been working on improving the messaging experience on Android -- from working with carriers to upgrade their networks to RCS to building new features," said Google’s Product Management Director, Sanaz Ahari.

"With Android Messages, we're creating a messaging experience that's available on multiple devices, lets you share whatever you want to share, and makes it easy to take action on your messages with Google AI (artificial intelligence)," Ahari said.

RCS stands for "Rich Communications Services," a richer, multimedia-friendly communication protocol that’s quickly replacing the old text-only messaging system. At present, RCS is only available on Google and Microsoft operating systems.

How to set up Messages for Web

Setting up Messages for Web requires users to follow the following 8-step process:

1. Download Android Messages for your Android phone. Not every Android phone comes automatically equipped with the app, so it’s best to double-check.

2. Follow the app installation instructions.

3. On your laptop/desktop, go to https://messages.android.com in your computer's web browser.

4. Open the Android Messages app on your phone.

5. Tap the menu button in the top-right corner -- the one with the three vertical dots.

6. Select "Messages for Web."

7. Tap on "Scan QR Code."

8. Point your phone toward the QR code on your computer screen. If your phone doesn’t react to the scan, then you may need to restart your phone.

If all goes according to plan, your messaging between work, home,  mobile, and computer will now be seamless.

Android is on a roll

If it seems like Google is going for the jugular of Apple’s iPhone, it very well may be. Over the last few months, Google released Google Podcasts for Android, amped up the capabilities of Google Assistant, released a hyperlocal news app called Bulletin, and added the power of AI to Google Photos so users can scan documents and making photo-sharing more efficient.

The company says its responsibility as a global corporate citizen isn’t lost on its technological advancements. Its focus on improving digital lives has led to training 25+ million people -- a metric Google expects to exceed 60 million over the next five years.

"We are at an important reflection point in computing, and it’s exciting to be driving technology forward" commented Google’s CEO Sundar Pichai at the company’s 2018 I/O Developer Conference. "It’s made us even more reflective about our responsibilities. Expectations for technology vary greatly depending where you are in the world or what opportunities are available to you."

"For someone like me who grew up without a phone, I can distinctly remember how gaining access to technology can make a difference in your life. And we see this in the work we do it around the world. See it when someone gets access to a smartphone for the first time," said Pichai.

Tesla has struggled this year to hit its goal of producing at least 5,000 Model 3 vehicles per week, but the company has finally achieved that milestone.

“I think we just became a real car company,” Musk wrote in an email to employees, obtained by Reuters.

The company previously said it would reach its goal of producing 5,000 Model 3 cars per week by the end of the second quarter of 2018, but it missed the deadline by just a few hours. Tesla factory workers reported that the 5,000th Model 3 car finished its final quality checks and left the Fremont, Calif. factory at about 5am Pacific time on Sunday morning.

Although the milestone was achieved five hours after the deadline, Musk still praised employees and celebrated the feat.

“We did it!!” Musk proclaimed in the email to employees on Sunday. “We either found a way or, by will and inventiveness, created entirely new solutions that were thought impossible. Intense in tents. Transporting entire production lines across the world in massive cargo planes. Whatever. It worked.”

The company even hit a production record by making a total of 7,000 cars in seven days, which included the 5,000 Model 3s plus its usual output of Model S and Model X vehicles, Musk said in the email.

Many delays

The road to hitting the production target has been peppered with problems and setbacks, including bottlenecks on the assembly line and battery issues.

Musk has regularly referred to the early stages of production as “hell.” In April, the CEO revealed that he was sleeping on the factory floor to oversee Model 3 production when the company was trying to increase production by over 2,000 units per week.

As the end of June drew closer, Musk said he would be at the factory “almost 24/7” to make sure teams that were behind got “as many resources as they can handle.” The company also set up a new assembly line in a tent outside the main factory.

The company expects to produce 6,000 Model 3 sedans a week “next month,” although experts say it remains to be seen whether the company can consistently produce 5,000 Model 3s per week.

Millions of Americans are hitting the road this week for the Independence Day holiday, and they'll pay less for gasoline than they did on Memorial Day.

But the lower prices may not last, since oil prices appear to be headed higher due to surging demand and declining supplies. The supply might go even lower in the wake of the Trump administration's decision to reverse the Iran nuclear deal. The U.S. is pressuring its trading partners to not purchase oil from Iran.

The loss of Iranian oil on the world market would contribute to the continuing shortfall from Venezuela, where political and economic turmoil has significantly reduced that oil-rich country's output.

Pressuring the Saudis

Over the weekend, President Trump tweeted that the Saudis had told him they would increase their production to make up for the shortfall. The White House later clarified that the Saudis had only said they could produce more oil, "if needed."

But in an interview with Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo,” Trump suggested he had some leverage with the leaders of Saudi Arabia.

“Don’t forget the one negative to the Iran deal is that you lose a lot of oil, and they got to make up for it. And who is their big enemy? Iran. Okay. You think of it. Iran is their big enemy, so they are going to have to do it,” Trump said.

Oil prices started the week slightly lower, but Brent Crude is closing in on $79 a barrel. Last week's price was the highest in four years.

Late last week, the U.S. Energy Information Administration reported the largest one-week drop in crude oil inventories in the last five years. Oil inventories are more than 92 million barrels lower than at this time last year, contributing to the upward price pressure.

Reflected at the pump

The surge in oil prices is being felt at the gas pump, but there will likely be greater pain in the coming weeks. For holiday travelers this week, fuel prices should be fairly stable.

The AAA Fuel Gauge Survey shows the national average price of regular gasoline is $2.85 a gallon, just a penny more than the previous week. But on Memorial Day, the price was closer to $3 a gallon. A year ago, holiday travelers were only paying $2.23 a gallon.

Travelers in the West will pay the most for gasoline this week. The statewide average is $3.66 a gallon in California. The lowest gas prices are found in the Southeast. The average price of regular is 2.52 a gallon in South Carolina and Alabama.

In a 747-page document released to Congress on Friday, Facebook acknowledged that it had data-sharing agreements with 52 hardware and software companies.

The information provided in the document was intended to answer the hundreds of questions members of Congress asked CEO Mark Zuckerberg back in April, but some lawmakers say the responses raise even more questions.

In the document, Facebook said it shared information with major tech firms including Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, and Qualcomm. Facebook also shared information with China-based Huawei and Alibaba, as well as device makers Samsung and BlackBerry.

Security concerns

The company said in the filings that it had made the data-sharing deals so that hardware and software makers could ensure Facebook was compatible with their devices and systems. However, Facebook’s agreements with Chinese device makers have given rise to security concerns.

"Lawmakers have taken special issue with Facebook’s relationships with Chinese device makers, particularly Huawei, which Democrats and Republicans have alleged is too closely intertwined with the country’s government, posing even greater privacy and security risks to users,” the Washington Post noted.

Facebook said in the document that 38 of its 52 data-sharing partnerships have ended, with another seven scheduled to end by the end of July. Fourteen agreements are still ongoing, the Wall Street Journal reported. The partnerships that will continue include those with Amazon, Apple, and Alibaba.

"We engaged companies to build integrations for a variety of devices, operating systems and other products where we and our partners wanted to offer people a way to receive Facebook or Facebook experiences," the company said in the documents. "These integrations were built by our partners, for our users, but approved by Facebook."

Questions remain

The social networking giant said in 2015 that it discontinued the practice of sharing information with outside companies. In the filings, Facebook said it gave 61 app developers a six-month extension after a May 2015 deadline to comply with its stricter access policies.

Although the document was provided in response to questions asked by lawmakers during and after Zuckerberg’s testimony in April, the answers did little to alleviate privacy and security concerns.

“After initial review, I am concerned that Facebook’s responses raise more questions than they answer,” Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr.,  the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s top Democrat, said in a statement.

“It appears Facebook still doesn’t have an effective system in place to find other ‘Cambridge Analyticas’ or even who Cambridge Analytica shared users’ data with,” Pallone said. “It’s disconcerting that four months after this scandal became public Facebook still has no idea how many others have its users’ data and how that data is being used today.”

The Canadian government has slapped new tariffs on a range of U.S. exports, retaliating for the Trump administration's tariffs on steel and aluminum.

The U.S. tariffs, which took effect last month, hit Canada particularly hard because the U.S. currently gets most of its steel north of the border.

To retaliate, Canada has slapped a 10 percent import tax on more than 80 U.S. exports, mostly food products. The country has also imposed a 25 percent tariff on more than 40 U.S. steel products.

It may not be coincidental that some economists have begun expressing concerns about a possible recession, precisely at the time the U.S. has imposed tariffs on its major trading partners, including Mexico, China, and the European Union.

Warning sign?

The economy is still strong and so are corporate earnings. Unemployment is near a record low. Yet the gap between the yields on the two-year and 10-year Treasury bonds has been narrowing -- often viewed as a sign of an impending recession.

A recession is defined as two consecutive quarters of negative growth, and we haven't had that since the Great Recession, which ended in mid-2009. Some economists think we're overdue, since these business slowdowns occur about every 10 years or so.

A trade war can be a contributing factor, because slapping tariffs on a wide range of products raises prices for consumers all over the world. Companies importing Canadian steel will have to pay more for it. These companies will either have to absorb that extra cost, perhaps laying off employees, or raise its prices.

The same is true for Canadian distributors importing Kentucky bourbon. They'll have to raise the price to cover the tariff, so they'll probably sell less, and therefore import less from the U.S.

Cascading effect

All of this has a cascading effect, as governments around the world essentially raise taxes on businesses and consumers. Commerce tends to slow down, leading to a recession.

It's happened before. In 1929, as the economy was roaring, Congress debated the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act, which started out as a tariff on agricultural products but was expanded to other imports. After the stock market crashed, Congress passed it by a narrow margin and other countries retaliated.

While economists say it didn't cause the Great Depression, they say it certainly didn't help. It wasn't until 1934 that Congress began to relax some of its protectionist measures, but the economy didn't recover until after World War II.

Helmets R Us of Tacoma, Wash., is recalling about 9,700 Rollerblade helmets.

The helmets do not meet the federal safety standard, posing a risk of head injury.

No incidents or injuries have been reported.

This recall involves Rollerblade-branded Helmets R Us helmets, used in schools’ physical education programs. The recalled helmets are white and Rollerblade is printed on the side in black.

They were manufactured from September 2011, through April 2017. Model 16, SK-501N and the manufactured date (in MM/YYYY format) are printed on a label on the inside of the helmet. “Distributed by: Helmets R Us” is printed on another label inside of the helmet.

The helmets, manufactured in China, were sold to schools nationwide for use in physical education programs from September 201,1 through April 2018, for about $16.

What to do

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled helmets and contact Helmets R Us to receive a free replacement helmet. Helmets R Us is contacting all known purchasers directly.

Consumers may contact Helmets R Us toll-free at 877-777-9287 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (PT) Monday through Friday, by email at helmet.recall@helmetsrus.net or online at http://helmetsrus.net for more information.