Current Events in December 2018

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    The Weekly Hack: Data on tens of millions of Marriott customers and Quora users was stolen

    Hackers may have been mining data from 1-800 Flowers customers for years

    Security experts say that a hack resulting in the passport numbers of 327 million Marriott customers getting stolen would have been worse if their actual, physical passports were stolen. Thanks for your security expertise, captain obvious.  

    "There is a difference between having your passport number stolen and actually having the physical document stolen,"  Eva Velasquez, president of the Identity Theft Resource Center, said in an interview with CNET.

    The publication CNET reiterated for the people in the back that “your passport number is not the same thing as your actual passport.”

    The assurance comes after Marriott Hotels announced last Friday that a “data security incident” involving a Starwood reservations database may have revealed information about 500 million guests.

    “For approximately 327 million of these guests, the information includes some combination of name, mailing address, phone number, email address, passport number...account information, date of birth, gender, arrival and departure information, reservation date, and communication preferences,” the statement from Marriott says.

    Passport numbers are just another tool that can help identify thieves impersonate people. In response to the massive breach, Marriott is enrolling affected people in free identity theft monitoring for a year and setting up a dedicated hotline and website. The chain says that law enforcement is already involved.

    Quora

    Should I vaccinate my 9-year-old against diphtheria? People who turned to Quora to answer that and other pressing questions got more than they bargained for when hackers reportedly stole information belonging to 100 million users.

    Quota announced Monday night that the data includes private messages that were exposed after a “malicious third party” somehow hacked the systems.

    While regular users’ passwords were stolen, people who used the site with anonymous guest accounts were reportedly safe from the breach.  

    “It is our responsibility to make sure things like this don’t happen, and we failed to meet that responsibility,” Quora CEO Adam D’Angelo wrote Monday.  

    “We recognize that in order to maintain user trust, we need to work very hard to make sure this does not happen again.”

    1-800 Flowers

    Something that might not bode well for an on-time flower delivery: it took 1-800 Flowers four years to discover that data pertaining to its Canadian customers was hacked.

    The breach affected 75,000 Canadian orders made from August 15, 2014 to September 2018, and the data included names and credit card information. The service says it takes the attack “very seriously” and adds that its United States customers are not affected.

    Security experts say that a hack resulting in the passport numbers of 327 million Marriott customers getting stolen would have been worse if their actual,...

    Laws banning drivers' use of cell phones are saving motorcyclists' lives

    Researchers suggest that states with stricter laws have lower fatality rates

    Though cell phones have come to permeate essentially every area of our lives, the use of these devices while driving has become particularly problematic. Amidst several campaigns urging consumers not to text or call while driving, the issue continues to lead to fatal car accidents.

    However, a new study conducted by researchers from Florida Atlantic University found that motorcyclist fatalities have been on the decline in states that have instituted strict bans on using cell phones while driving.

    “In the case of motorcycles, these laws seem to be effective,” said Dr. Gulcin Gumus. “While it’s not clear that these laws have had an impact on reducing the overall number of traffic fatalities, when we focus specifically on motorcycles, we find that these laws are having a major impact in reducing deaths among motorcycle riders.”

    Improved safety on the roads

    To see how effective these laws have been, the researchers analyzed data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System for a 10-year period between 2005 and 2015. They looked at total fatalities, in addition to specifically motorcycle-related deaths across the entire country.

    Because laws are not the same in all 50 states, the researchers broke down the statistics even further to see the differences in states that have banned cell phone use and states that have not. When the team compared the number of fatal crashes in states with cell phone bans with states without bans, the rate of fatalities differed by as much as 11 percent.

    The researchers note that motorcyclists are found to be more distracted while driving, which could be why they are most positively impacted by these new laws.

    “Every day about nine Americans are killed and more than 1,000 are injured in traffic crashes that involve distracted drivers,” said researcher Michael T. French. “While our initial goal was to understand whether these laws save lives on the road, the broader application of our findings is even more powerful.”

    Moving forward, the researchers are hopeful that these findings inspire more lawmakers to consider stricter cell phone laws for drivers, as based on this study, it can only help to save lives.

    “We have a better appreciation for the range of policies across states and years, and what makes texting/handling bans strong and effective, especially for motorcyclists,” French said. “Hopefully these results will facilitate a more informed discussion between legislators, law enforcement officers, and the general public about distracted driving and traffic safety.”

    Epidemic of distracted driving

    Though the risks of texting and driving have been well-documented, many people are still tempted to whip out their phones while behind the wheel. In a recent study conducted by the Center for Injury Research and Policy Nationwide Children’s Hospital, nearly 40 percent of teen drivers were found to text while driving.

    Texting and driving was more prevalent among teens in states with lower minimum driving age requirements, and it was also more common among white teens, as opposed to African American or Hispanic teens. However, the practice was less likely to occur if teens were in the car with an adult.

    Similarly, drivers that have their cars equipped with technology that is designed to reduce distracted driving has been found to do the opposite.

    Esurance conducted a survey at the beginning of this year and found that the majority of adults are aware that using a phone or GPS can be distracting while they drive, but many still choose to do so anyway. Nearly 60 percent of drivers admitted to driving while either texting, using navigation, or talking on the phone.

    “We’re seeing more automakers try to address the issue of distracted driving through semi-autonomous features, but we’re also mindful of the fact that some of these features could distract drivers even more and often give drivers a false sense of security,” said Esurance Director of the Connected Car Department Stephanie Braun.

    Though cell phones have come to permeate essentially every area of our lives, the use of these devices while driving has become particularly problematic. A...

    Walgreens teaming up with FedEx for new prescription delivery service

    The pharmacy chain is trying to stay ahead of Amazon, which recently bought an online pharmacy startup

    Walgreens announced this week that it’s partnering with FedEx to provide speedy drug delivery to consumers.

    Walgreens’ new prescription delivery service, part of Walgreens Express, will enable customers to get prescriptions delivered to their doorstep as quickly as the next day.

    “Next-day prescription home delivery is another convenience-driver, alongside our industry-leading number of extended hours pharmacies and one of the most downloaded digital apps in the category, designed to put care in the hands of our patients,” Richard Ashworth, president of operations for Walgreens, said in a statement.

    Competing with Amazon

    Walgreens’ new partnership with FedEx comes a few months after Amazon announced that it bought pharmacy startup PillPack, an online pharmacy that organizes and sends consumers medications in pre-sorted doses at the beginning of each week. That deal has not yet closed.

    Through Walgreens Express, patients receive a text notification when prescriptions are filled and can choose to get their medications delivered to their home or pick them up in one of the pharmacy chain’s locations via an Express pickup line.

    Walgreens already offers same-day delivery in select cities, including New York, Chicago, Dallas, Miami, Tampa, and Fort Lauderdale. The company says it will continue to expand that program in 2019.

    Just days before Amazon announced its acquisition of PillPack, Walgreens’ main rival CVS announced that it would be teaming up with the U.S. Postal Service to launch a service similar to Walgreens Express, which lets patients pay $4.99 for home delivery.

    “The rollout of delivery from nearly all of our 9,800 retail pharmacy locations nationwide represents another step forward for us in delivering innovative omnichannel solutions that help people on their path to better health,” CVS Pharmacy’s president, Kevin Hourican, said in a statement earlier this year.

    Walgreens announced this week that it’s partnering with FedEx to provide speedy drug delivery to consumers. Walgreens’ new prescription delivery servic...

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      Majority of people at risk for heart disease and stroke have excess belly fat

      Researchers suggest this is true even for those who aren’t obese or overweight

      Many consumers work hard to maintain healthy lifestyles by both eating right and hitting the gym in an effort to avoid any health complications.

      However, based on new research, even those of normal weight could be at a higher risk of developing heart disease or stroke because of excess belly fat.

      Based on results from the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) EUROASPIRE V survey, more fat in the belly area is an indicator of an irregular fat distribution, which the researchers note can put a strain on the heart -- regardless of whether or not the person is of normal weight.

      “General practices [GPs] should proactively look for cardiovascular risk factors so that comprehensive treatment and advice can be given,” said researcher Kornelia Kotseva. “GPs need to go beyond treating the risk factors they know about, and always investigate smoking, obesity, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes.”

      Survey results

      The EUROASPIRE survey was conducted over this past year, and its goal is to find solutions to help prevent heart disease and promote better heart health. In this most recent iteration, nearly 80 general practices across 16 countries were involved in the study.

      The survey respondents were all under 80 years old, and they were selected because of their risk of developing heart disease; this was characterized by either diabetes, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol, though none of the participants had a history of any heart conditions.

      All of the participants were interviewed to determine what their lifestyles looked like -- including physical activity, smoking, blood pressure, and diet -- and then had their vitals taken.

      Of the nearly 2,800 participants, just about two-thirds of them had excess belly fat, while approximately 40 percent were both overweight and failed to meet the recommended daily exercise goal of 30 minutes.

      “The survey shows that large proportions of individuals at high risk of cardiovascular diabetes have unhealthy lifestyle habits and uncontrolled blood pressure, lipids, and diabetes,” Kotseva said.

      The researchers also found that though many of the participants were on medication to either control high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or diabetes, many still weren’t meeting recommended health targets. These patients remained at a high risk of later developing more serious heart issues.

      Kotseva and her team encourage healthcare providers and patients to stay committed to this fight, as preventive measures could prevent nearly 80 percent of all cardiovascular diseases.

      “These data make it clear that more efforts must be made to improve cardiovascular prevention in people at high risk of cardiovascular disease,” Kotseva said. “Our analysis highlights the need for health care systems to invest in prevention.”

      Working on belly fat

      For consumers looking to shed some weight around their waistline, a recent study conducted by researchers at King’s College in London might have the answers.

      The scientists found that what we eat -- as opposed to genetics -- is more of a factor in determining how our guts distribute fat. The findings were exciting to the researchers -- and should be to consumers -- as it means that changes can be made to be healthier and leaner.

      “This new knowledge means we can alter the gut environment and confront the challenge of obesity from a new angle that is related to modifiable factors such as diet and the microbes of the gut,” said Dr. Jonas Zierner.

      Diet is so important to losing belly fat that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently went after companies selling diet pills marketed as a get thin fast alternative to consumers.

      “The most effective way to lose weight is to eat fewer calories and exercise more,” the FTC said. “Claims that you’ll lose weight without changing your habits simply aren’t true.”

      Experts say consumers should focus on foods that are low in saturated fats and high in fiber, and anything that’s considered heart-healthy.

      Many consumers work hard to maintain healthy lifestyles by both eating right and hitting the gym in an effort to avoid any health complications.However...

      Romaine lettuce sickens nine more consumers

      More illnesses have been reported in the E. coli outbreak tied to the product

      The romaine lettuce E. coli outbreak first announced in October has sickened nine more people, bringing the total to 52 people across 15 states, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Thursday.

      The latest numbers come a week after health officials declared that some forms of romaine lettuce are now safe to eat in light of the results of an investigation, which indicated that romaine lettuce from northern and central California is the likely source of the outbreak.

      Although the CDC believes it’s identified the region in which the outbreak originated, the agency said it hasn’t identified a “common grower, supplier, distributor, or brand of romaine lettuce” linked to the outbreak.

      “Traceback information from four restaurants in three different states so far has implicated 10 different distributors, 12 different growers, and 11 different farms as potential sources of the contaminated lettuce,” the FDA said Thursday. Even with that information, it’s still the case that, “the outbreak cannot be explained by a single farm, grower, harvester, or distributor.”

      Labels are being added

      The most illnesses tied to E. coli outbreak have been reported in New Jersey and California, with 11 sickened in each state. The tainted lettuce has sickened seven people in Michigan and six each in New York and New Hampshire.

      Other states where illnesses have been reported include Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin, according to the CDC.

      Nineteen people who fell ill were hospitalized, where two developed a type of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome.

      The agency says it has started labeling lettuce that has been deemed safe for consumption with a special label noting its harvest location. The CDC urges consumers to check for those labels to confirm that the product wasn’t harvested in the central coastal growing regions or northern and central California.

      "If the romaine lettuce is not labeled, do not buy, serve, sell, or eat it," the CDC said. Consumers are also advised to throw out any romaine lettuce that is in their refrigerator if they’re not sure where it was harvested.

      The illnesses linked to the current strain of E. coli began in October. This strain is different from another linked to tainted romaine lettuce that occurred earlier this year, but it is similar to one that occured last year, public health officials said.

      The one that occurred earlier this year killed five people and sickened more than 200 consumers in 36 states. It was eventually linked to contaminated canal water in Yuma, Arizona.

      The romaine lettuce E. coli outbreak first announced in October has sickened nine more people, bringing the total to 52 people across 15 states, the Center...

      Target and Walmart pushing the Fed for faster payments

      Retailers want a Fed-backed system that enables faster interbank transfers

      Walmart, Target, and other retailers are asking the Fed to come up with a way to make interbank transfers happen in real time so that they can get paid in real time.

      A service like this could eventually cut out the lag time between when a shopper pays with a debit card and when the funds are received by the retailer, The Wall Street Journal reported.

      The Federal Reserve had discussed potential actions that could pave the way for a faster payment system in October, including the development of a real-time settlement service. Target, Walmart, and trade groups like the National Retail Federation (NRF) have reportedly been pushing the Fed for faster payments for years.

      Can take as long as three days

      A faster payment service could enable shoppers to make payments from their checking accounts without having to wait for credit card companies to process debit card transactions. Currently, retailers often have to wait one to three days to receive funds from debit card purchases.

      However, a faster payment system could also be hard to implement. The Journal noted that consumers like credit cards that offer rewards, which could make it hard to convince them to switch to new payment methods.

      Additionally, payment terminals -- which have already been changed in recent years to accommodate chip-based cards -- may need to be updated again to work with a new system.

      While big retailers are in full support of a faster payment system, banks have their reservations about the idea. Banks rolled out their own real-time payment networks (known as the RTP networks) last year.

      “We just think in real time payments we are meeting the need,” said Steve Ledford, senior vice president of products and strategy at The Clearing House. “We just wonder why the Fed would need to come into a market that is already being served.”

      The issue could cause even more friction among credit-card companies, which currently collect billions of dollars in credit-card fees.

      Walmart, Target, and other retailers are asking the Fed to come up with a way to make interbank transfers happen in real time so that they can get paid in...

      A new plan to rescue MoviePass shows up at the box office

      If you go to the movies only once a month, you might be better off paying as you go

      Here we go again.

      MoviePass is rolling out its umpteenth pricing plan. This time, the movie subscription service swears it’s got it right. Not that the company hasn’t said that before, but it’s holding out hope that there’s still a few believers out there.

      Mind you, there’s a 50-pound can of if’s, and’s, or but’s, but here’s the basics:

      Select plan - $10 a month: Subscribers can see three movies per month, but they’ll have to pick from a menu of titles MoviePass will announce weekly. Subscribers can forget seeing a flick during opening weekends or anything other than standard-issue 2D movies.

      All Access plan - $15+ a month: Same as the Select plan except moviegoers can see their choice of any three 2D movies they like.

      Red Carpet plan - $20+ a month: Like the others, there’s a cap of three movies a month, but subscribers can also see specially-formatted films such as 3D or IMAX.

      Will it work this time?

      "What we announced is a solid business plan that will be profitable,” said Mitch Lowe, MoviePass’ CEO, in an interview with CNN. "It actually accelerates our point of time of being profitable versus the go-to-a-movie-everyday (model)."

      What Lowe seems to be banking on is the 85 percent of consumers who go to the movies three times a month or less. In MoviePass’ way of thinking, the remaining 15 percent go to the movies so much that it jeopardizes the 85 percent that make the model profitable.

      "We already know what the average usage will be in this model and, believe me, it’s closer to one than it is three," Lowe said.

      Casual fan or aficionado?

      If you live in New York City, where the price of going to a movie runs $16.81 a person, or Silver Springs, Maryland, where an average ticket runs $14.42, rolling the dice on a $15 subscription may make sense. But if you live anywhere else, you should weigh the cost of going to see what you want when you want versus having to kowtow to a restrictive plan like MoviePass’ basic tier.

      If there are movie aficionados on your Christmas list, CNN reported that Lowe felt they might be "better served" by AMC’s subscription service, "Stubs A-List."

      Here we go again.MoviePass is rolling out its umpteenth pricing plan. This time, the movie subscription service swears it’s got it right. Not that the...

      Appeals court hears government's bid to break up AT&T and Time Warner

      The Justice Department is challenging the merger that took place in July

      The U.S. government took its appeal of the AT&T and Time Warner merger to a federal appeals court Thursday and got several skeptical questions from the three-judge panel.

      The Justice Department is appealing U.S. District Judge Richard Leon's approval of the merger earlier this year. In a lengthy decision, Leon said the government had not proven its antitrust case and advised the department's lawyers not to challenge his decision in a higher court.

      In their engagement with Justice Department lawyers, the appeals court judges appeared to question the wisdom of the challenge as well. Judge Judith Rogers wanted to know where Judge Leon had erred in granting approval. Judge David Sentelle pointedly told the government lawyers they had to show the merger had caused harm.

      The merger, of course, has already taken place, making the Justice Department's appeal even more unusual. In July, Leon approved the merger after ruling the government did not prove its case that the merger would hurt consumers, either with its arguments or its witness testimony.

      Political issue

      The merger was announced in 2016 and drew strong opposition from then-presidential candidate Donald Trump, then engaged in a feud with CNN, a Time Warner property. While poles apart politically, Trump and Bernie Sanders, a democratic socialist senator from Vermont who was seeking the Democratic presidential nomination, were both against the merger.

      At the time, Sanders urged the U.S. Justice Department to challenge the deal, saying it "represents a gross concentration of power that runs counter to the public good."

      The Justice Department argues that the deal would harm competition because AT&T, which owns DIRECTV, could use ownership of Time Warner's popular cable channels like HBO and CNN to make its competitors pay more, which in turn would raise costs for consumers.

      Undoing the merger

      The government is asking the appeals court to essentially undo the merger, which would be a highly significant step since the two companies have already been integrated.

      AT&T has already announced plans to offer a streaming video service to compete with Netflix by using content it acquired from Time Warner. WarnerMedia’s assets include Turner, Boomerang, FilmStruck, and of course, the treasure trove of Warner Brothers with its library of 100,000-plus hours of programming.

      According to CNN, WarnerMedia is still mulling over specifics like pricing and a name for the new service, as well as how far it will go in tapping its own CNN news programming.

      The U.S. government took its appeal of the AT&T; and Time Warner merger to a federal appeals court Thursday and got several skeptical questions from the th...

      Facebook is ‘looking into’ why it deleted post from an ex-manager who says the platform censors black people

      Mark Luckie wrote that Facebook fails its black customers and black employees

      A former Facebook manager wrote a post on the platform describing how the site censors black users and fails black employees. Then Facebook removed the post, telling Mark Luckie that it violated “community standards.”

      Luckie recently stepped down from his job as strategic partner manager at Facebook. During his run at the company, Luckie says he found that Facebook was “failing its black employees and its black users.”

      Black employees make up just 4% of the workforce at Facebook.  According to Luckie’s original Facebook post, he and others were regularly “accosted by campus security,” as well as discriminated against in more subtle ways at meetings and in other professional venues.

      Posts that black users make discussing racism or related issues are also regularly censored at the request of non-blacks, Luckie said.

      “Black people are finding that their attempts to create ‘safe spaces’ on Facebook for conversation among themselves are being derailed by the platform itself,” Luckie wrote. “Non-black people are reporting what are meant to be positive efforts as hate speech, despite them often not violating Facebook’s terms of service.”

      “Protected categories”

      Shortly after Luckie’s post went live on November 27, he received a generic notice from Facebook that it had been removed.

      “In an ironic twist, I am dealing with this,” Luckie told the Guardian. Facebook’s press team responded that “we are looking into what happened.” The post subsequently returned online.

      ProPublica previously found that Facebook considers only certain people to be “protected categories” when deciding whether to delete a post that promotes hate or that targets a specific group.

      For example, a post last year by a Black Lives Matter activist saying that “all white people are racist” was deleted by the company because white people are considered to be a protected category on Facebook, according to internal documents viewed by ProPublica.

      But a lawmaker’s post calling for people to “hunt” and kill “radicalized” Muslims was not removed because the target of the post -- Muslims who were “radicalized” -- are not a protected category under Facebook’s rules.

      While Muslims are protected because they are a religion, “radicalized” Muslims are considered a “subset” category by Facebook, allowing for looser guidelines when it comes to questionable postings.

      A former Facebook manager wrote a post on the platform describing how the site censors black users and fails black employees. Then Facebook removed the pos...

      Economy added 155,000 jobs in November

      Jobless rate holds steady at 3.7 percent

      Employers showed growing caution last month in managing their workforce. The Labor Department reports the economy added 155,000 jobs in November, below consensus estimates. The unemployment rate held steady at 3.7 percent.

      Job gains were strongest in healthcare, manufacturing, and transportation and warehousing. The number of people out of work was virtually unchanged at 6 million. The number of long-term unemployed declined by 120,000, suggesting that many of the new jobs went to people who had been out of work for more than 27 weeks.

      Average hourly earnings were up by six cents in November to $27.35. On a year-over-year basis, wages were up 3.1 percent.

      The healthcare industry added 32,000 jobs last month, with most of those gains coming in ambulatory services. Hospitals hired 13,000 new people.

      Despite the tariffs and concerns over trade, manufacturers added 27,000 jobs last month, spread fairly evenly across the sector. Employment in transportation and warehousing rose by 25,000.

      Lackluster retail

      Retail had a net gain of 18,000 jobs despite a very strong month for general merchandise stores, whose payrolls grew by 39,000. But despite the holiday season, there were declines in hiring at sporting goods, electronics, and clothing retailers.

      Among major worker groups, there was little change in November. Adult men have the lowest unemployment rate at 3.3 percent, compared to adult women at 3.4 percent.

      The question is how the Federal Reserve will digest the employment report in advance of its December meeting. The Fed is still expected to hike its federal funds rate but data showing an absence of inflationary pressures in the job market could mean less aggressive policy action in 2019.

      Employers showed growing caution last month in managing their workforce. The Labor Department reports the economy added 155,000 jobs in November, below con...

      Gas prices are lower than at this time last year

      It's been 18 months since that was true

      Gas prices continue to fall, but the cheapest fuel has now moved to the nation's heartland, leaving higher-than-normal prices in the Southeast. For the first time this year, motorists in Kansas and Iowa are enjoying some of the lowest prices in the nation.

      The AAA Fuel Gauge Survey shows the national average price of regular is $2.43 a gallon, the cheapest it's been all year. The price is six cents lower than a week ago and is now below the average price of one year ago.

      The average price of premium gas is $3.03 a gallon, also six cents lower than last Friday. The average price of diesel fuel is $3.12 a gallon, five cents lower than last week.

      “Cheap crude oil prices are driving fuel savings at the pump,” said Jeanette Casselano, a AAA spokesperson. “Last week, crude dropped to its lowest point of the year at $50 a barrel. However, this week’s Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) meeting could cause crude oil prices to jump if the organization decides to reduce crude production.”

      Tiny Delaware has the cheapest average gas price of any Mid-Atlantic state, and its annual decline in gas prices is the third largest in the U.S. It also has the third largest year-over-year difference in pump prices in the country -- 18 cents a gallon.

      Some of the biggest price declines during the week occurred in states with the highest prices. Even Hawaii, which remains the most expensive state for gasoline, saw prices drop this week by 11 cents a gallon.

      At the same time, some Midwestern states saw fuel prices go up this week. The average price of regular is up three cents a gallon in the last week in both Ohio and Michigan. It's four cents higher in Kentucky.

      The states with the most expensive regular gas

      These states currently have the highest prices for regular gas, according to the AAA Fuel Gauge Survey:

      • Hawaii ($3.61)
      • California ($3.48)
      • Washington ($3.26)
      • Alaska ($3.18)
      • Nevada ($3.11)
      • Oregon ($3.09)
      • Idaho ($2.86)
      • Utah ($2.84)
      • Wyoming ($2.82)
      • Arizona ($2.77)

      The states with the cheapest regular gas

      These states currently have the lowest prices for regular gas, the survey found:

      • Missouri ($2.01)
      • Oklahoma ($2.08)
      • South Carolina ($2.08)
      • Texas ($2.10)
      • Alabama ($2.11)
      • Kansas ($2.12)
      • Mississippi ($2.12)
      • Louisiana ($2.13)
      • Iowa ($2.17)
      • Delaware ($2.18)

      Gas prices continue to fall, but the cheapest fuel has now moved to the nation's heartland, leaving higher-than-normal prices in the Southeast. For the fir...

      Model year 2018 Volkswagen e-Golfs, Golf Rs, and Audi A3 Sedans and RS3s recalled

      The rear seat head restraints may have reduced stability

      Volkswagen Group of America is recalling 169 model year 2018 Volkswagen e-Golfs and Golf Rs, and Audi A3 Sedans and RS3s.

      The rear seat frame head restraint guide sleeves may be incorrectly welded to the seat frame.

      In the event of a crash, the rear seat head restraints may have reduced stability, increasing the risk of injury.

      What to do

      Volkswagen and Audi will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the guide sleeves for incorrect welds, replacing the rear seat frame, as necessary, free of charge.

      The recall is expected to begin January 11, 2019.

      Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at (800) 893-5298 or Audi customer service at (800) 253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 72H8 (VW) and 72H9(Audi).

      Volkswagen Group of America is recalling 169 model year 2018 Volkswagen e-Golfs and Golf Rs, and Audi A3 Sedans and RS3s.The rear seat frame head restr...

      Mercedes-Benz recalls various vehicles with airbag issue

      The status of the passenger side airbag may not display correctly

      Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) is recalling 104,663 of the following vehicles equipped with Audio 20 head units and automatic child seat recognition:

      Model year 2018 C300 Cabriolets, C300 Coupes, C300 4Matic Cabriolets, C300s, C300 4Matic Coupes, C300 4Matics, C43 AMG Cabriolets, C43 AMG Coupes, C63 S AMG Cabriolets, C350e Plug-In Hybrids, C63 AMG Cabriolets, C63 AMG Coupes, C63 S AMG Coupes, C63 AMGs, C63 S AMG; and

      Model year 2018-2019 GLC300 4Matic Coupes, GLC300s, GLC63 AMG Coupes, GLC300 4Matisc, GLC350e Plug-In Hybrids, GLC43 AMG Coupes, GLC43 AMGs, GLC63 S AMG Coupes and GLC63 AMGs.

      The status of the passenger side airbag may not display correctly.

      If the passenger airbag is incorrectly displayed as 'ON' when it is not, a front seat passenger may be unaware that the airbag will not deploy in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

      What to do

      MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will update the audio head unit software, free of charge.

      The recall is expected to begin January 2, 2019.

      Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372.

      Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) is recalling 104,663 of the following vehicles equipped with Audio 20 head units and automatic child seat recognition:Model y...

      ELM Pet Foods recalls dry dog food

      The products may contain elevated levels of Vitamin D

      ELM Pet Foods is recalling Elm Chicken and Chickpea Recipe dog food that may contain elevated levels of Vitamin D, which when consumed at very high levels, can lead to serious health issues in dogs including renal dysfunction.

      Symptoms include vomiting, loss of appetite, increased thirst, increased urination, excessive drooling and weight loss.

      The following items, with multiple UPC codes manufactured between February 25, 2018, and October 31, 2018, are being recalled:

      • 3lb ELM CHICKEN AND CHICKPEA RECIPE - UPC (0-70155-22507-8) TD2 26 FEB 2019; TE1 30 APR 2019; TD1 5 SEP 2019; TD2 5 SEP 2019
      • 28lb ELM CHICKEN AND CHICKPEA RECIPE - UPC (0-70155-22513-9) TB3 6 APR 2019; TA1 2 JULY 2019; TI1 2 JULY 2019
      • 40lb ELM K9 NATURALS CHICKEN RECIPE – UPC (0-70155-22522-9) TB3 14 Sep 2019; TA2 22 Sep 2019; TB2 11 Oct 2019

      The recalled products were distributed in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland. NJ, DE, MD.

      What to do

      Customers who purchased the recalled products should stop feeding them, dispose of them or return them to the retailer for a full refund.

      Consumers with questions may contact ELM Pet Foods at (800) 705-2111 8am-5pm (EST) Monday – Friday, or by email at customerservice@elmpetfoods.com.

      ELM Pet Foods is recalling Elm Chicken and Chickpea Recipe dog food that may contain elevated levels of Vitamin D, which when consumed at very high levels,...

      The great Christmas tree shortage -- fact or fiction?

      The best deals are on the trees that aren’t as dense as the storybook kind

      Is there a shortage of Christmas trees or not? ConsumerAffairs’ survey of the situation found a real debate.

      “The problem goes back about 10 years. Because of the recession in 2008, farmers stopped planting Christmas trees,” reported Fallon Glick of WDRB-TV.

      California Christmas tree farmer Ellen DeGeorge ditto’ed that, telling Mercury News that there is “a shortage of Christmas tree farmers, we’ve got a shortage of trees. A lot of people don’t want to sit on a farm and wait eight years to collect their payment.”

      However, the National Christmas Tree Association says that reported shortage is an overstatement.

      “There’s a good balance of supply to demand compared to the past when there were too many trees,” Doug Hundley, the association’s spokesperson told ConsumerAffairs.

      Hundley said that if any area has a shortage, it might be the southwest, where the climate isn’t conducive to growing Christmas trees. He said that region’s dependency on Oregon’s production of trees -- which is down compared to previous years -- is also a contributing factor.

      The so-called shortage may be spurred by the Millennial generation’s newfound love for a real Christmas tree. Many empty-nested Baby Boomers have moved to the ease of artificial trees. But, with millennials’ appreciation and bond with natural and organic items, real trees are making a comeback.

      “Walking through a tree farm is a wonderful family experience,” Hundley said. “The experience is half of it. Cutting a fresh always gives an old-fashioned feeling.”

      Deal or no deal?

      On average, Christmas tree buyers report paying an average of $75 for a real tree and $107 for a fake one.

      But, not one to let a good market clamor go unanswered, Amazon has entered the fray and started selling live Christmas trees. While the company will ship it to you for free, the online shopping mecca’s price is anything but a deal, costing between $99 and $110.

      Hundley claims that a consumer’s best bang for the buck are trees that aren’t thick or dense. “Look for the ones with more space between the limbs. Once it’s decorated, the consumer may like it better and it’s also 25 percent cheaper.”

      When asked about any funny stuff tree farmers or sellers are trying to pull on the consumer, Hundley said he didn’t know of anything.

      His best suggestion is that if a consumer has a garden center or nursery they do other seasonal business with, go there.

      Is there a shortage of Christmas trees or not? ConsumerAffairs’ survey of the situation found a real debate.“The problem goes back about 10 years. Beca...

      Britain raises new privacy concerns about Facebook

      Social media company pushes back against 'selective leaks'

      Facebook finds itself once again in the crosshairs as a British parliamentary group released company documents showing the social media giant used member data to help friends and punish rivals.

      A British parliamentary committee released emails that focus on how Facebook operated during the period of its most rapid growth, from roughly 2012 to 2015. The documents show that Facebook executives considered member data to be their most prized commodity and used it to profit from its accumulation.

      The documents also show that CEO Mark Zuckerberg and COO Sheryl Sandberg were intensely involved in decisions that had the objective of keeping members as engaged on the site as possible.

      In one series of emails, Zuckerberg raised the prospect of charging developers for access to user data in an agreement to obtain user data from the developers.

      “It’s not good for us unless people also share back to Facebook and that content increases the value of our network, he wrote. "So ultimately, I think the purpose of (the) platform — even the read side — is to increase sharing back into Facebook.”

      User data issues

      Facebook has been wrestling with user data issues since March when it revealed that user data was unlawfully transferred to a political marketing firm, which used it in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Facebook has said it was slow to respond to that issue but has since increased user data safeguards.

      Facebook had taken steps to keep the documents private. Those materials have been under a court-ordered seal as part of a lawsuit in California involving Facebook and an app developer.

      In a statement Wednesday, Facebook said the documents were selectively leaked to "suggest things that are false." The company says the documents don't tell the full story.

      Congressional response

      Sen. Edward Markey (D-Mass.), a frequent Facebook critic, said it should not be up to Zuckerberg and other Facebook executives to decide who has access to user information.

      "When he testified before Congress, Mark Zuckerberg repeatedly insisted that Facebook does not sell its users’ data," Markey said. "We now know, however, that Facebook executives discussed requiring companies to buy digital advertisements in order to access users’ personal information."

      Markey says if there is any evidence of a pay-for-data model it would "fly in the face" of the statements Facebook has made to Congress and the public.

      Facebook finds itself once again in the crosshairs as a British parliamentary group released company documents showing the social media giant used member d...

      Blood test to help diagnose Alzheimer's in testing stages

      Researchers are confident in the early results

      Testing for Alzheimer’s disease can be a long, costly, and tiresome process for patients, but researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital have been working to make the testing process easier on patients.

      The group has developed a blood test that would evaluate the level of tau -- the leading protein in the brain associated with Alzheimer’s -- before a patient is even showing signs or symptoms of the disease.

      “A blood test for Alzheimer’s disease could be administered easily and repeatedly, with patients going to their primary care office rather than having to go into a hospital,” said Dr. Dominic Walsh. “Ultimately, a blood-based test could replace cerebrospinal fluid testing and/or brain imaging. Our new test has the potential to do just that.”

      Though the test is currently in the testing stages, Dr. Walsh is calling it a “transformative breakthrough” based on the early results.

      How it works  

      Tau is a protein in the brain that is most typically associated with Alzheimer’s. Though tau can develop through a number of different related molecules, the researchers were able to create a model that differentiates between the individual types of tau to ensure that the blood test comes up with the most accurate result.

      The researchers have conducted two trials so far with participants from Harvard’s Aging Brain Study and the Institute of Neurology in London. The first group consisted of 65 participants and the second group had 86.

      Everyone involved in the study donated samples of plasma and cerebrospinal fluid, which helped the researchers look at the breakdown of the tau protein and see exactly what was linked to Alzheimer’s.

      In both tests, the researchers found one strand of tau -- NT1 -- that was effective in predicting and identifying cases of Alzheimer’s.

      The next step for the researchers is to open the test up to larger groups of participants to further test its effectiveness on a wider sample. However, these early results proved to Dr. Walsh and his team that they could be on the right track.

      “We’ve made our data and the tools needed to perform our test widely available because we want other research groups to put this to the test,” he said. “It’s important for others to validate our findings so that we can be certain this test will work across different populations.”

      Fighting Alzheimer’s

      While this blood test could potentially change the way doctors go about diagnosing Alzheimer’s, fellow researchers have made strides this year in an effort to better diagnose and treat the disease.

      In late September, researchers from the Clinical Memory Research Unit at Lund University in Sweden developed a new brain imaging technique that would help doctors make the most accurate Alzheimer’s diagnoses.

      The researchers used a PET scan to evaluate the level of tau in the brain by administering a marker for the protein before the test. The researchers found this new test to be more successful than traditional Alzheimer’s screening methods.

      “If the patient has tau in certain parts of the brain, the marker will detect it,” said researcher Oskar Hansson. “The result -- whether Alzheimer tau is present or not -- is very clearly visible on the PET images.”

      On the treatment front, researchers found success with a clinical trial for a drug being developed to treat Alzheimer’s.

      Amyloid is another protein often found in the brain with Alzheimer’s, and researchers from Biogen and Eisai worked to develop BAN2401 -- an anti-amyloid drug. Though unsuccessful in initial tests, this new and improved version of the drug was found to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s in the study’s clinical trial.

      Testing for Alzheimer’s disease can be a long, costly, and tiresome process for patients, but researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital have been worki...

      Sears Chairman submits $4.6 billion bid to buy Sears

      Eddie Lampert offered to buy 500 of the retailer’s remaining stores

      Two months after Sears Holdings filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, the company’s chairman Eddie Lampert has offered to buy the rest of Sears for up to $4.6 billion in cash and stock.

      Lampert’s hedge fund, ESL Investments, submitted a proposal to pay that amount and purchase 500 stores to help keep the retailer from dying completely. He had previously planned to buy selected stores in the interest of keeping the retailer afloat.

      The bid presented on Thursday could include a combination of cash, equity new loans, and debt swaps, according to the documents. If the offer is approved, it would save about 50,000 Sears and Kmart store jobs.

      “ESL Investments continues to believe in Sears Holdings’ immense potential to evolve and operate profitably as a going concern with a new capitalization and organizational structure,” ESL said in a statement.

      A “last-ditch effort” to save Sears

      Sears filed for bankruptcy on October 15 after struggling under massive debt. Prior to that, the company had closed or announced plans to close hundreds of stores.

      On December 15, a “stalking horse bidder” will be named in bankruptcy court.

      Lampert’s offer is “a last-ditch effort,” Farla Efros, president of HRC Retail Advisory, told Bloomberg. “They want to be able to hold onto any equity that they can actually hold onto, and it’s really about ego and saving face.”

      "Sears is an iconic fixture in American retail and we continue to believe in the company’s immense potential to evolve and operate profitably as a going concern with a new capitalization and organizational structure," Lampert said.

      "Our proposed business plan envisages significant strategic initiatives and investments in a rightsized network of large format and small retail stores, digital assets and interdependent operating businesses."

      Two months after Sears Holdings filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, the company’s chairman Eddie Lampert has offered to buy the rest of Sears for u...

      Lyft files confidential plans for IPO

      The company filed for its initial public offering before its rival Uber

      Lyft has confidentially filed for an initial public offering (IPO), the ride-hailing giant announced on Thursday.

      The company hasn’t determined how many shares will be offered or how far the price will range, but officials said that they have submitted a draft registration statement to the SEC relating to the IPO. More details will be made available after the SEC completes its review.

      The company was last valued at $15 billion, but that figure could increase dramatically under a public offering.

      Lyft began working with JPMorgan Chase & Co, Credit Suisse, and Jefferies as underwriters for the deal in October. The firms have pegged the company’s value at between $18 billion to $30 billion, sources familiar with the matter told Bloomberg.

      The timing of Lyft’s filing puts it ahead of its competitor Uber, which is also trying to get an IPO in the first half of 2019.

      Ahead of its IPO, Lyft has been seeking to diversify its portfolio by expanding beyond traditional ride-hailing. The company recently acquired bike share operator Motivate, which allowed it to add bikes and scooters to its lineup of transportation options.

      Lyft has confidentially filed for an initial public offering (IPO), the ride-hailing giant announced on Thursday. The company hasn’t determined how man...