Current Events in November 2018

Southeast Toyota Distributors (SET) is recalling 1,295 model year 2017-2019 Toyota 4Runners that it modified to be equipped with a TRD wheel package.

The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) on the certification label may be incorrect, possibly resulting in the vehicle being overloaded.

An overloaded vehicle can increase the risk of a crash.

What to do

SET will notify owners and mail them corrected certification labels, free of charge.

The recall is expected to begin December 24, 2018.

Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET's number for this recall is SET18A.

If someone asked you how often you reuse passwords and PINs (personal identification numbers), odds are you might confess to using the same ones whether it’s as a passcode on your computer, phone, or bank account.

International Fraud Awareness Week begins November 11, and according to results from the just-released Shred-it’s Consumer Fraud Awareness Survey, consumers are putting themselves squarely behind the data security 8-ball.

The survey results show that more than 50 percent of U.S. consumers admit to using the same security credentials across several platforms, and almost all of those guilty parties admit their security habits make them vulnerable to identity theft, exposure, or worse yet, scams that could sap their bank accounts.

How secure are you?

The Shred-It survey ferrets out the fact that consumers lack the confidence necessary to determine if they were a fraud victim and, if they were duped, don’t understand how to report and remediate fraud/identity theft.

Do your personal security habits put you in the same basket as these findings?

• More than one-third of consumers have been a victim of fraud or identity theft.

• Almost three in 10 consumers concede that they don’t know how to find out if they've become a victim of fraud or identity theft.

• While the majority of consumers think they could determine if an email or phone call they receive is part of a scam, 16 percent say they wouldn’t have a clue.

• Baby boomers are the least likely to believe they could determine if an email or phone call they receive is part of a fraudulent scam or not, compared to Gen Z’s (72 percent) and Millennials (74 percent).

• Women are less likely than men to know how to report and remediate fraud or identity theft.

• When it comes to physical information security, nearly 3 in 10 consumers do not shred paper or physical documents containing sensitive information before throwing them in the trash.

How well do you know how to protect your identity?

The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners is asking consumers to test how well they know the fraudster’s game. If you don’t know the difference between phishing, shoulder surfing, social engineering, or lapping, it might be a good idea to take the quiz.

Consumers aren’t in this alone. Credit card companies and financial institutions continue to step up efforts to beef up fraud protection. However, some consumers say their bank doesn't side with them when they're the victims of fraud. Others say their banks go so far to protect against fraud that it becomes an inconvenience.

"Bank of America's Fraud Department has locked my card at maybe 6 times in my few years of using BofA," wrote one ConsumerAffairs reviewer.

"They have inconvenienced me with this largely, as I have to sit on hold for up to an hour just to ask them to unlock the card. They lock it for buying things I commonly buy. However they didn't catch the time that someone bought Tacos at a place over 100 miles away from me, in a city I've never visited. The fraud department is useless at best, and an inconvenience at worst.”

Shred-It’s survey was conducted in October, 2018, researching 1,200 U.S. respondents age 18+, and qualified respondents with containing the following screener question: "Do you understand what information fraud and identity theft is?"

What can you do to bolster your protection?

Monu Kalsi, VP of Marketing at Shred-It, says that there are plenty of things that consumers can do to better protect their information. He points out that consumers’ lax security habits can often increase their risk of becoming a victim of fraud or identity theft.

Kalsi says the top two things you can do today to take control of your information security are:

1. Be smart with your digital information. “Simply put, don’t reuse passwords across your accounts. Whether it’s social media, email, bank accounts, health apps and more, varying your passwords across all accounts ensures that in the event one account IS breached, the likelihood of bad actors being able to seize more of your information from other accounts will be limited,” Kalsi said.

2. Secure your physical information. “Whether at home or at work, physical paper documents containing sensitive information should be stored in a locked console or cabinet. From medical records, tax documents, bank/credit card statements, mortgage and insurance information and more, all of these documents contain a trove of information and would be considered a gold mine if they got into the hands of a fraudster.”

Wells Fargo still hasn't completely put its bad news behind it. The bank has acknowledged that it didn't offer mortgage modifications to hundreds more borrowers who could have qualified for them. Many of those customers eventually lost their homes to foreclosure.

The bank thought it had put the issue to rest in August when it revealed that it miscalculated fees in its formula to determine whether borrowers were eligible for mortgage modifications. At the time, it determined that it wrongly denied modifications to more than 600 mortgage customers and that 400 of them eventually saw their homes go into foreclosure.

In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission this week, Wells Fargo admitted that an additional 870 mortgage customers were wrongly denied modifications for the same reason. As a result, it said 545 borrowers eventually lost their homes -- more than the number in the initial revelation.

Wells Fargo said the discrepancy is due to the fact that it initially reviewed homes in the foreclosure process between April 2010 and October 2015. The higher numbers resulted from extending the review period.

Affected consumers to be compensated

The bank has said that it has set aside money to compensate those customers who were wrongly denied mortgage modifications, but it is unclear so far how it will be done.

“Our plan is to work with each customer to arrive at a resolution that addresses their particular situation,” a Wells Fargo spokesman said in a statement to the Los Angeles Times. “Every customer situation is different. As a result, we don’t have any details on the amount we expect to pay out in remediation.”

Wells Fargo's troubles began in late 2016 when it reported that employees had opened millions of checking and credit card accounts for customers without their permission or knowledge. As a result, the CEO took early retirement and 5,000 bank employees were fired. Wells Fargo also paid a large fine.

Since then Wells Fargo has revealed that it sold thousands of insurance policies to auto loan customers who didn't need the coverage. It also reported that it accessed improper fees on some mortgage loans.

Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram can put the entire world at consumers’ fingertips with just a few taps. However, it’s easy to forget the significant impacts social media can have on other aspects of day-to-day life.

A new study tackled the way social media could lead to discriminatory hiring practices.

Researchers found that some employers use job applicants’ country or city of origin -- information that was only available on their Facebook profiles -- as an indicator of whether or not to call them back or offer them positions. Though the study was based in France, the results speak volumes for any job market.

Design choices matter

The researchers sent out over 800 job applications from two fake applicants -- one of whom had local origins, while the other had foreign roots. While both applicants sent in resumes and cover letters that didn’t include their hometowns, their Facebook pages revealed their countries of origin to employers.

At the start of the experiment, the researchers found a nearly 42 percent difference in the applicants who received callbacks. The foreign applicant proved to be at a significant disadvantage when it came to being contacted back, compared with the domestic applicant.

However, in the midst of the experiment, the researchers noted a massive change in the layout of Facebook. Once Facebook implemented profile tabs, users’ personal information, like country of origin and languages spoken, were no longer available on the homepage. Instead, the changes required users to click more in-depth into others’ profiles to find that information.

Following the change, when job recruiters could no longer tell with one click what country the applicant hailed from, the researchers noticed similar callback rates between their two fake applicants. This finding was perhaps the most important in the study, as it shows the layout of social media was a major factor behind the discriminatory actions.

The researchers are calling on social media companies to be aware of these findings and keep them in mind when designing future updates or page layouts, as they could have life-changing implications.

“This study illustrates that design choices made by online platforms can dramatically affect a decision like calling back, or not, an applicant for a job interview,” said co-author Dr. Matthieu Manant. “Internet companies should integrate this fact into their design thinking.”

Following its acquisition of health insurer Aetna, CVS Health plans to debut its first concept stores with improved health services and lower medical costs early next year, CNBC reports.

The pharmacy chain’s CEO Larry Merlo said Tuesday that the company expects its $69 billion acquisition of Aetna to be finalized prior to Thanksgiving. Once the deal closes, the combined company will set its sights on the goal of opening concept stores focused on health outcomes and services.

“We’re making the consumer experience, which will be an increasingly important competitive differentiator, and we are hard at work creating a plan to differentiate CVS Health in these patient journeys with the goal of making them simpler and more personalized while making care more accessible,” Merlo told CNBC.

Managing costs

The concept stores will focus on the management of chronic conditions, such as diabetes, asthma, kidney disease, and cardiovascular disease. The company may also look to add more services at its MinuteClinics to help identify and manage chronic diseases.

The retailer is planning to manage costs in several ways, including optimizing and extending primary care. To cut down on avoidable readmissions, the company may combine Aetna's clinical programs with CVS stores to help patients after discharge.

Word of the company’s planned concept stores comes as CVS is testing a program in the Boston area called CarePass, in which customers get free delivery on most prescriptions and online purchases.

This month, Amazon started sending out its first printed holiday shopping catalog. The move follows the demise of Toys “R” Us and marks the latest in a series steps taken by the online shopping giant to compete with traditional retailers.

The toy catalog, titled “A Holiday of Play,” doesn’t include prices, but it does include QR codes so readers can easily scan and pull up links to products. Customers can also scan the product images in the catalog with their Amazon App to bring up more information and add items to their shopping cart.

Toys “R” Us, which permanently closed earlier this year, used to send out a 100-page “Big Book” toy catalog near the end of October as a way to help kids create a wishlist before December. Amazon said in a statement that it’s “excited to offer a new way for customers to shop for toys this holiday season” through the distribution of its new 70-page toy catalog.

Amazon prepares for the holiday season

Amazon acquired Whole Foods in 2017 and has made other moves to expand its brick-and-mortar presence, including opening convenience stores and bookstores.

Ahead of the holiday shopping season, the tech giant also announced this week that it would be doing away with the $25 minimum purchase requirements on “hundreds of millions of items.”

Amazon’s holiday toy catalog, which can be viewed here, will also be distributed at Amazon’s bookstores and 4-star locations.

Exit polls from Tuesday's election show health care was the number one issue for voters, suggesting that consumers are still finding coverage to be expensive and hard to get.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) warns consumers that scammers may try to take advantage of that. The agency says it has secured a court order temporarily shutting down a Florida-based operation that it claims sold consumers more than $100 million in worthless policies.

A federal judge has suspended the operations of Simple Health Plans LLC, its owner, and five other entities until the case can be heard. The FTC is seeking to permanently shut down the company.

An attorney for Simple Health Plans owner Steven Dorfman told the South Florida Sun Sentinel that his client "vigorously denies the allegations of misconduct made by the Federal Trade Commission,” and he “looks forward to having an opportunity to defend himself in the appropriate forum.”

In its complaint, the FTC alleges the health insurance marketers used various websites to entice consumers in search of health insurance coverage. The FTC says consumers were told they were buying comprehensive health insurance that would cover pre-existing medical conditions, prescription drugs, primary and specialty care treatment, inpatient and emergency hospital care, surgical procedures, and medical and laboratory testing.

Not a health insurance policy

It was all the more appealing because the cost was $500 or less a month, and thousands signed up. But they soon discovered they had not purchased health insurance, but a medical discount program. According to the FTC, these consumers were left uninsured and exposed to high medical bills.

“Many consumers were misled into thinking they had purchased comprehensive health insurance, but when they needed to rely on that insurance, they learned they had none of the promised benefits,” said Andrew Smith, the director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “The plans defendants were selling are not health insurance and they aren’t a substitute for health insurance. Get the details in writing and take your time before signing up for any of these plans.”

According to the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud, there are legitimate medical discount plans, but consumers shouldn't confuse them with health insurance policies. These discount plans carry a monthly fee and provide members access to a pool of health providers. The members pay for the services out-of-pocket but at a slightly reduced price.

Some medical discount programs are legitimate

"Many discount medical cards offer legitimate, money-saving benefits. But many cards lie about benefits that don't exist, grossly inflate the potential discounts, and impose hidden fees that can wipe out your savings," the group warns on its website. "The system is rife with fraudulent or misleading discount card providers."

According to the FTC, Simple Health used a series of websites that featured logos of AARP and insurance companies such as Blue Cross Blue Shield plans, even though the company had no affiliation with any of those entities.

Once consumers showed interest by submitting their contact information, the FTC says they were contacted by telemarketers who misrepresented themselves as licensed insurance agents in the consumer's state.

Verizon announced on Tuesday that it is lowering the price of its Prepaid plan, which gives customers unlimited talk, text, and data with no annual contract required. The newly lowered prices are available to customers who use Auto Pay.

The carrier offers several different plans on Prepaid: $65 for Unlimited, $45 for 8 GB, $35 for 3 GB, and $30 for 500 MB. Consumers who set up Auto Pay get $5 per month off the price of the three more expensive plans.

Additionally, customers can have up to 10 lines on their account instead of five. There’s also the ability to add both tablets and mobile hotspots to an account for the same prices as required to add smartphone lines.

“With Verizon Prepaid, you can now also have up to 10 lines (up from five) on your account, and for the first time, add tablets and Jetpacks for the same monthly price as smartphones. All of our smartphone plans include unlimited U.S. talk & text and international text to more than 200 destinations,” the company said on its website.

In April, Verizon made its initial announcement about the unlimited Prepaid plan. At the time, the plan cost $80. The price has come down since then, most recently in response to competition from T-Mobile's Metro unlimited options.

Ahead of the holiday season, Sprint also recently announced that it will launch a “multifaceted advertising and marketing campaign” that will focus on the improvements the company has made to its LTE network.

There are distinct differences between consumers who own Apple iPhones and those who own Android devices, according to a study by Slickdeals, a crowdsource shopping platform.

In short, iPhone users make more money and spend more of it on clothes, cosmetics, and technology. They also tend to be more social.

Some of the findings make sense. Consumers who make more money can more easily afford an iPhone, which is a relatively expensive piece of technology. While there are high-end Android phones, there are also many more that are modestly priced.

A survey of an equal number of iPhone and Android owners -- 1,000 each -- found that iPhone users earn an average of $53,251, while Android owners make an average salary of $37,040. Perhaps because they earn more, iPhone owners spend an average of $117 a month on clothes. Android owners spend about half that.

Gadget spending

Whether it's because iPhone owners are more tech-savvy or because they simply have more disposable income, they spent $101 a month on technology products while their Android counterparts spend exactly half that.

"This survey indicates that Android users are generally more frugal than their iPhone counterparts, and on the hunt for savings when shopping," said Josh Meyers, the CEO at Slickdeals. “Meanwhile, iPhone users tend to spend more, particularly on items related to self-image such as clothing and cosmetics."

The survey shows that iPhone users also use their devices more than Android owners. They take an average of 12 selfies and send 58 texts per day. Android users take an average of seven selfies and send only 26 texts each day.

But the survey also reveals a social difference. Consumers who own an iPhone are more likely to say they enjoy going out, meeting people, and experiencing new things. Android owners, on the other hand, like to stay close to home.

The study authors suggest people who own iPhones tend to be happier than Android owners, based on both groups' general outlook and personality traits.

What's it mean?

What are we to make of these findings? In a recent report, Wired concluded that Apple has abandoned the mass market for smartphones and is now positioning itself as a luxury item. It notes that the average sale price of an iPhone in the most recent quarter was $800.

There are also fewer choices for iPhone owners and all of them carry a high price tag. Android owners can also buy an expensive phone, but they also have many less expensive options.

And just because consumers join one camp, it doesn't mean they stay in it. An August survey by PC Magazine found consumers switch from iPhone to Android and vice versa all the time.

Twenty-nine percent of those switching from iPhone to Android said they did it to save money. Forty-seven percent of those switching from Android to iPhone said they were seeking a better user experience.

Millions of people reach for the coffee pot first thing in the morning -- and continue to do so throughout the day -- to get a jolt of caffeine. While researchers have gone back and forth on whether the beverage is healthy or unhealthy, a new study could have consumers reaching for another cup.

Researchers at the Krembil Brain Institute found that drinking coffee could help to protect consumers from developing both Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

“Coffee consumption does seem to have some correlation to a decreased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease,” said Dr. Donald Weaver. “But we wanted to investigate why that is -- which compounds are involved and how they may impact age-related cognitive decline.”

Beyond caffeine

Dr. Weaver and his team began by testing the effects different blends of coffee -- dark roast, light roast, and decaffeinated dark roast -- have on the brain.

The researchers found the strength of the coffee to be the same across all three blends, so they ruled out caffeine as the component behind the health benefits.

Digging deeper into the chemical makeup of the beverage, the researchers discovered the properties of the compound phenylindane are what could be protecting coffee-drinkers from developing Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Produced during the roasting process, the compound was found to prevent beta amyloid and tau -- two proteins that are linked to the cognitive diseases -- from spreading.

“It’s the first time anybody’s investigated how phenylindanes interact with the proteins that are responsible for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s,” said Dr. Ross Mancini. “The next step would be to investigate how beneficial these compounds are, and whether they have the ability to enter the bloodstream, or cross the blood-brain barrier.”

Though the study’s findings were significant in showing that coffee can do more than just wake consumers up in the morning, the researchers did note that more research is required in this area, and coffee is certainly not a cure for Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease.

The ongoing coffee conflict

For years, researchers have been searching for answers as to whether coffee is beneficial or detrimental to consumers’ health. The debate continues on, as the evidence seems to be ever-changing.

Earlier this year, a consumer group -- the Council for Education and Research on Toxics -- sued the state of California for failing to warn consumers that the chemicals found in coffee should classify the beverage as a carcinogen.

Though a judge initially ruled in favor of the consumer group in March, officials were changing their tunes by June. California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) ruled that the acrylamide found in coffee -- the carcinogenic chemical -- was not enough to pose any harm to consumers. The agency was petitioning for California to reverse the initial ruling.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, researchers found that coffee can improve heart health, help consumers live longer, and reduce the risk of death.  

While keeping up with the risks and benefits associated with drinking coffee can get overwhelming amidst many conflicting reports, ConsumerAffairs has logged findings on the subject here.

Barcelona Nut Company of Baltimore, Md., is recalling 239 cases of roasted and salted in-shell pistachios.

The products may be contaminated with Salmonella.

No illnesses have been reported to date.

The following items, packaged in red, white and blue window plastic film are being recalled:

• 2.75 oz., UPC 030239130001 with expiration date 9/18/2019
• 2.25 oz., UPC 030239149034 with expiration date 9/17/2019 and 10/9/2019
• 1.50 oz., UPC 030239591154 with expiration date 10/9/2019 and 9/17/2019
• 1.25 oz., UPC 030239991060 with expiration date 10/8/2019
• 1 oz. Green plastic film package pictured UPC 030239510148 with expiration dates 10/4/2019 and 10/10/2019.

The recalled products were distributed through retail stores and direct delivery in Washington D.C., Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New York, California, Virginia, Ohio, New Jersey and Georgia.

What to do

Consumers who purchased the recalled products should not consume them, but contact Michelle Ocheltree at michelleo@barcelonanut.com or (443) 552-5366 or (443) 552.5364 to receive a paid postage envelope to return the products for a full refund.

CFMOTO Powersports of Plymouth, Minn., is recalling about 1,800 recreational off-highway vehicles (ROVs).

The throttle pedal can be pushed past the throttle stop and not return to the idle position, posing a crash hazard.

No incidents or injuries have been reported.

This recall involves model year 2018 ZFORCE 500 Trail, 2018 ZFORCE 800 Trail and ZFORCE 1000 SSV CFMOTO recreational off-highway vehicles with 500cc to 1000cc, 4-cycle engines.

The recalled ZFORCE vehicles have “CFMOTO” stamped on the front grille, a “CFMOTO” decal on the bottom of the cab frame and a “ZFORCE” decal located on each side of rear box compartment.

CFMOTO ZFORCE vehicles were sold in orange, blue, red and gray. The vehicle identification number (VIN) is located on the right-side frame rail just forward of the right rear tire.

The ROVs, manufactured in China, were sold at CFMOTO dealers nationwide from January 2018, through July 2018, for between $9,000 and $14,000.

What to do

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled ROVs and contact a CFMOTO dealer to schedule a free repair. CFMOTO is contacting all registered owners directly.

Consumers may contact CFMOTO toll-free at (888) 823-6686 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (CT) Monday through Friday, by email at info@cfmotousa.com or online at www.cfmotousa.com and click on “Customer Care” at the top of the page and then “Vehicle Recall” for more information.

BMW of North America is recalling 44,368 model year 2013-2018 BMW 328ds and 328d xDrives, model year 2014-2018 328d Sports Wagons and 328d xDrive Sports Wagons, model year 2014-2016 535ds and 535d xDrives, model year 2015 740Ld xDrives, model year 2015-2017 X3 xDrive28d SAVs and model year 2014-2017 X5 xDrive35d SAVs equipped with an Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) module with an integrated cooler.

If the EGR cooler leaks internally, the coolant can mix with diesel engine soot. The high EGR temperatures may result in these particles possibly smoldering and melting the intake manifold, increasing the risk of a fire.

What to do

BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the EGR cooler as necessary. If a leak has already occurred, the engine intake manifold will also be replaced. These repairs will be made free of charge.

The recall is expected to begin December 17, 2018.

Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

On the eve of U.S. midterm election day, Facebook pulled 30 user accounts and 85 instagram accounts that engaged in “coordinated inauthentic behavior.”

Facebook’s head of cybersecurity policy Nathaniel Gleicher revealed in a blog post on Monday night that the company was alerted to the suspicious behavior by U.S. authorities.

“On Sunday evening, U.S. law enforcement contacted us about online activity that they recently discovered and which they believe may be linked to foreign entities,” said Gleicher. “We immediately blocked these accounts and are now investigating them in more detail.”

“Almost all the Facebook Pages associated with these accounts appear to be in the French or Russian languages, while the Instagram accounts seem to have mostly been in English — some were focused on celebrities, others political debate,” he said.

Gleicher added that typically Facebook would hold off on announcing its account removal actions until it had gathered more information, but the timing ahead of the election necessitated prompt disclosure to the public.

“Given that we are only one day away from important elections in the US, we wanted to let people know about the action we’ve taken and the facts as we know them today,” he said. "Once we know more – including whether these accounts are linked to the Russia-based Internet Research Agency or other foreign entities – we will update this post."

Combating election interference

Social media companies have been stepping up their efforts to crack down on suspicious behavior in the wake of the 2016 presidential election, in which foreign influence efforts were detected. On Monday, federal authorities said political meddling is still a problem that Americans should be aware of.

"Americans should be aware that foreign actors, and Russia in particular, continue to try to influence public sentiment and voter perceptions through actions intended to sow discord," the Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the FBI said in a joint statement.

"They can do this by spreading false information about political processes and candidates, lying about their own interference activities, disseminating propaganda on social media, and through other tactics.”

The Supreme Court decided on Monday that it will not consider a series of challenges from telecom companies to Obama-era net neutrality rules designed to bar internet service providers from manipulating loading speeds for specific websites or apps.

The ruling is significant because it allows a previous ruling upholding the constitutionality of the regulations to stand, which may be used as a precedent in the future by another administration.

For proponents of net neutrality, Monday’s Supreme Court decision represents a victory. It means that the D.C. Circuit court’s 2016 decision to uphold “both the FCC's classification of broadband as a telecommunications service, and its rules prohibiting broadband providers from blocking or degrading Internet content, remains in place," senior counsel John Bergmayer of consumer advocacy group Public Knowledge said.

"Much of the current FCC’s argument [against net neutrality] depends on ignoring or contradicting the DC Circuit’s earlier findings, but now that these are firmly established as binding law, the Pai FCC’s case is on even weaker ground than before," Bergmayer said.

Two justices recused themselves

Two conservative justices -- Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Brett Kavanaugh -- "took no part in the consideration or decision of these petitions," the court announced.

Amy Howe of SCOTUSBlog explained that Kavanaugh was “expected to recuse himself from voting on the petitions because he had participated in the cases while on the D.C. Circuit, and he did. But Chief Justice John Roberts also recused himself – presumably (although there is no way to know for sure) because he owns stock in one of the companies challenging the rules."

By a 4-3 ruling, the Supreme Court denied petitions brought by AT&T and broadband lobby groups NCTA, CTIA, USTelecom, and the American Cable Association.

The Trump administration overturned net neutrality regulations last year. They have not been in effect since June.

Jessica Rosenworcel, the Federal Communication Commission’s only Democratic Commissioner, noted that the FCC had argued that because the Trump-era FCC had repealed the 2015 rules, the 2016 decision was moot and should be wiped from the books.

“It wasn't enough for this @FCC to roll back #NetNeutrality. It actually petitioned the Supreme Court to erase history and wipe out an earlier court decision upholding open internet policies. But today the Supreme Court refused to do so,” Rosenworcel tweeted.

“Let's call this interesting,” she added.

Since the end of October, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been monitoring hundreds of cases of acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) -- a polio-like disease that mostly affects children.

AFM attacks the nervous system, causing weakness in the arms, legs, and spinal cord. The CDC has information on AFM going back to 2014, and though there are many suspected cases of the infection, many continue to be under investigation, as it’s often hard to confirm.

The CDC has reported 80 cases have now been confirmed across 25 states, and 219 cases are currently under investigation as the infection continues to spread.

CDC is investigating

The causes of AFM are still unknown, and the CDC is still unsure as to why the infection has been on the rise since 2014.

Four years ago, the CDC confirmed 120 cases across 34 states, and in 2016, there were 149 cases across 39 states. Based on trends over the last few years, the CDC has noticed that cases tend to increase around this time of year; experts don’t expect the numbers for this year to get too out of hand.

“I don’t think it’s going to get worse,” Dr. Benjamin Greenberg told the Dallas News. “I’m basing that on what we’ve seen in other years.”

The CDC is closely watching the infection’s activity across the country, and it continues to look for causes and risk factors associated with AFM.

“We are working closely with healthcare providers and state and local health departments to increase awareness for AFM,” the CDC reported. “We are encouraging healthcare providers to recognize and report to their health department patients who they suspect may have AFM, and for health departments to send this information to the CDC to help us understand the nationwide burden of AFM.”

Importance of reporting

As more cases of AFM continue to add up, CDC advisers have been publicly disappointed with the way the agency has been handling the disease.

The advisers note that the agency has been slow in delivering information about potential causes and treatments to healthcare providers, and many parents have reported that emergency room physicians have sent children home after misdiagnosing AFM.

“Physicians are on the front line, and what we’re seeing is really heartbreaking: Children are healthy one day and really profoundly disabled in some cases the next,” Dr. Keith Van Haren, one of the CDC advisers, told CNN.

The CDC is continuing to look for ways to share information about AFM with healthcare officials nationwide in an effort to properly diagnose and treat children.

Preventing infection

Though there is no guaranteed method of preventing AFM, the CDC does suggest ways parents can help eliminate risks.

Getting the polio vaccine is of the utmost importance, as it can protect against poliovirus. Additionally, making sure your hands are clean -- and washing them often with soap and water -- is an effective way to avoid spreading germs. The CDC also suggests consumers protect themselves against mosquito bites, as West Nile virus can sometimes lead to AFM.

The CDC’s AFM investigation page is updated regularly to keep consumers aware of the latest news with the disease.

Lime, one of the most flush firms behind the dockless bike share and dockless electric scooter craze, has often touted that its products help take cars off the road. But that may not be for long.

The company is now trying to implement a ride-sharing program using small electric vehicles, according to an application filed with city officials in Seattle and viewed by the Information news site.

While Seattle officials have declined to let Lime bring its electric scooters to city streets, the company’s dockless bikes are reportedly a major hit in the city -- despite some complaints nationwide over the years that Lime hasn’t taken enough effort to clean up misplaced inventory. Rideshare services are also enormously popular in Seattle.

Lime’s fleet would be made up of the Fiat 500e and the Renault Twizy, both of which are micro-sized electric vehicles. The news comes six months after Fiat Chrysler's late former CEO Sergio Marchionne announced that his company would invest $9 billion in building cars with electric motors and have 30 models available by 2022.

If the rideshare program takes off, it would mark another partnership between the automotive industry and Silicon Valley. The car and tech industries are also currently lobbying together in support of the AV Start Act, federal legislation that would allow the testing of self-driving cars to rapidly expand with little regulatory oversight.

Sprint announced on Tuesday that customers with more recent phones will get access to a faster 4G LTE network, as well as more monthly hotspot data at no additional cost.

Users of the company’s “Unlimited Plus” and “Unlimited Freedom” plans will now get 50GB of 4G LTE data each month. “Unlimited Premium” customers will receive 100GB monthly, up from 50 GB.

The new monthly data allotment comes “just in time for holiday travel” and also as the carrier is turning on its faster 4G LTE Advanced network across the United States. More than 225 cities are now able to access gigabit speeds.

The company says the network upgrades are paving the way to 5G.

"We've supercharged our network with some of the most advanced technologies in wireless to give customers an even better data experience," said Dr. John Saw, Sprint chief technology officer, in a statement. "LTE Advanced is critical for meeting customers' growing demands for data, and it's an important stepping stone to launch mobile 5G next year."

Preparing for 5G

Sprint says most of the latest “flagship” devices it sells -- including Apple's iPhone XS and XS Max; Samsung's Galaxy S9, S9 and Note 9 and LG's V30+, G7 ThinQ and V40 ThinQ -- are compatible with the faster network, which offers customers speeds up to twice as fast as before.

All four major wireless carriers are working toward the deployment of 5G. Verizon has already launched its first version of 5G in four U.S. cities and AT&T plans to launch its 5G network for mobile devices later this year.

Sprint plans to have its first 5G mobile device ready for purchase around March 2019, Roger Solé, Sprint's chief marketing officer, told USA TODAY.

Macy’s and Facebook are going into business together.

Nope, they’re not selling user data. Their partnership revolves around 100 e-commerce brands that will be sold under a shopping umbrella called "The Market @ Macy’s."

The new entity represents a mixture of both emerging and established brands that are being given a unique opportunity to strut their stuff to new audiences in a high traffic, holiday shopping-centered space.

"The Market @ Macy's, a marketplace in select stores across the country where customers will find a rotating selection of unique items in apparel, accessories, beauty, entertainment, experiences, decorative home, stationery, technology, and gifts" is how Macy’s describes the co-venture.

These pop-up shops will be spread across nine Macy’s stores located in New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Antonio, Las Vegas, Fort Lauderdale, Pittsburgh, Seattle, and Atlanta. They will be open from November through February 2, 2019.

"All over the world people are running businesses, big and small, that have inspiring stories and we want to help them succeed," said Michelle Klein, Director of North America Marketing, Facebook.

"Macy’s shoppers will have the chance to meet businesses such as Love Your Melon that sells hats and apparel to help in the fight against pediatric cancer, or Charleston Gourmet Burger Company that started from a backyard barbecue and has expanded to reach customers in all 50 states."

Macy’s appears to like the pop-up angle

Macy’s dipped its toe in the pop-up water earlier this year, trying its luck out in partnerships with Sony Pictures, Bear Mattress, and others.

"Overwhelmingly, what we think makes this so attractive for Macy's and our customers is it continues to drive customers to stores by giving a constant break of discovery," said Marc Mastronardi, EVP of new business development and innovation at Macy's, in a statement to CNBC.

"We have not [before] had a model in which we have provided [Macy's retail service] to a really diverse set of categories coming into our space," Mastronardi commented.

The win-win-win

For a burgeoning brand or even one that doesn’t have its own brick-and-mortar space, Macy’s pop-up concept is a win for both the brand and the store.

For the brand, it’s a chance to be recognized by a new audience; for Macy’s, it offers added insight to consumer preferences, not to mention added foot traffic, and a savings in personnel costs since the brand picks up the tab for paying its helpers.

And the win for Facebook?

While Facebook won’t make a dime off this deal, the good deed for the digital-native brands it’s including in the partnership may pay off in ad dollars spent on Facebook. And while Facebook appears to be all about the number of eyeballs it attracts, at the end of the day the almighty ad dollar is what drives the social media titan.

"Facebook has been a core partner in our growth," commented pop-up’er Bradford Manning of Two Blind Brothers. "For Two Blind Brothers and the majority of businesses participating, the experience will allow consumers to experience our brands and quality in a physical store for the first time ever."