Current Events in May 2019

As concerns about climate change continue to mount, researchers from North Carolina State University explored how children are doing their part to instill concern in their parents.

The study revealed that when kids learn about climate change, they’re more likely to pass the knowledge onto their parents. As a result, many parents also feel a sense of concern about the issue.

“There’s a robust body of work showing that kids can influence their parents’ behavior and positions on environmental and social issues, but this is the first experimental study demonstrating that climate education for children promotes parental concern about climate change,” said researcher Danielle Lawson.

It matters what kids are taught

The researchers were interested to see what effects manifested from educating children about climate change, so they worked closely with science teachers to ensure that middle schoolers were getting this crucial information.

Prior to the researchers implementing a curriculum that included topics on climate change, the participants -- which included nearly 240 students and nearly 300 parents -- completed a survey that was used to gauge attitudes about climate change.

The study involved an experimental group of over 160 students, all of whom were taught about climate change in school; over 70 students in a control group did not get the climate change education. At the end of the study, all of the students and parents completed the same survey so the researchers could see if -- and how -- their attitudes changed.

While the attitudes changed in both the control and experimental groups, the researchers found that the changes were the most prominent when the children were taught about climate change in school.

According to the researchers, there were three groups that experienced the greatest amount of change -- fathers, conservative parents, and parents of daughters. Prior to the study, all of the parents in these groups were characterized as “marginally not concerned,” but their level of concern became “moderate” by the end of the study.

The researchers were impressed with these findings, as they highlight the important role that children play in the overall family dynamic.

“This study tells us that we can educate children about climate change and they’re willing to learn, which is exciting because studies find that many adults are resistant to climate education, because it runs counter to their personal identities,” said Lawson. “It also highlights that children share that information with their parents, particularly if they’re given tools to facilitate communication -- and that parents are willing to listen.”

Keeping kids in the conversation

As this study has made clear, kids are imperative to this ongoing conversation about climate change. Recently, a group of researchers explored how rising temperatures could impact whether consumers have kids.  

The study revealed that location will play a large role in this important decision making, but climate change will soon affect everything from schooling to jobs, and everything in between.

“Our model suggests climate change may worsen inequalities by reducing fertility and increasing education in richer northern countries, while increasing fertility and reducing education in tropical countries,” said researcher Dr. Soheil Shayegh. “This is particularly poignant, because those richer countries have disproportionately benefited from the natural resource use that has driven climate change.”

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling 253 model year 2019 Jeep Cherokees.

The front passenger seat mounting bolts may be loose. In the event of a crash, the seat may move, increasing the risk of injury.

What to do

Chrysler has notified owners, and dealers will tighten the mounting bolts, free of charge.

The recall began April 11, 2019.

Owners may contact FCA US customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is V31.

Back in January, Fiat Chrysler announced that it was settling with the U.S. and California governments over claims that it used illegal emissions cheating devices to make it appear that its diesel vehicles were meeting clean air standards. The company said it would pay $500 million to resolve the issue, including just over $300 million in civil penalties.

Now, a district judge in California has granted final approval for that settlement. Eligible drivers and lessees will be awarded cash payments and extended warranties after their vehicles have undergone a government-mandated vehicle modification.

“We are pleased the Court has granted final approval of this settlement, which will allow consumers to finally receive the vehicle they were promised, plus cash compensation,” said Elizabeth Cabraser, the court-appointed lead counsel for the case. “This agreement accomplishes our goals of holding FCA and Bosch accountable for their diesel emissions cheating, and of compensating consumers while protecting our environment.”

Claims process opens

Current owners and lessees of affected Ram 1500 and Jeep Grand Cherokee 3.0-liter diesel vehicles that were produced between 2014 and 2016 are eligible to file claims related to the settlement. Claims must be submitted within 21 months of when the claims process began, and the mandated repair must be completed within two years.

Most current owners will be eligible to receive up to $3,075 in cash compensation, and most former owners, lessees, and former lessees will receive $990.

Cabraser urges eligible consumers to visit the settlement website to receive more information about the claim submission period and process, as well as further details on the settlement’s benefits. The site will also alert consumers as to when the mandated modifications will become available.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is warning consumers about an unusual telephone scam.

Instead of a telemarketer hoping to get a victim on the line to sell some non-existent product or service, the scammer has no interest in talking to his or her victim. Even so, consumers can end up losing money.

Known as the “one ring” scam, the scammer calls random numbers in the middle of the night, hanging up after one or two rings. After one hang-up a consumer might just think it’s a wrong number. But minutes later the phone rings again. And a few minutes later, the victim’s phone rings again.

At this point, the victim may be frustrated and uses the caller ID on their phone to return the call in order to see who is repeatedly calling and why. And therein lies the scam.

How it works

According to the FCC consumer alert, the number victims call is similar to an overseas 900 number, which carries very high toll charges that will later appear on the victim’s bill.

If you take the bait and try calling the persistent caller back, you risk being connected to a phone number outside the U.S. If that happens, you’ll be charged a hefty fee for connecting, along with significant per-minute fees for as long as they can keep you on the phone. These charges usually show up on your phone bill as “premium services.”

According to recent reports, the calls are originating from the 222 country code of the West African nation of Mauritania. The FCC has gotten reports that many of these scam calls are targeting numbers in New York State and Arizona.

Advice for consumers

The FCC offers this advice for consumers:

• Don’t try to call numbers that are repeatedly calling. Instead, turn off your phone or, if it is a landline, take it off the hook.

• If you never make international calls, ask your phone company to block calls to numbers outside the U.S.

• Check your phone bill for calls you don’t recognize.

• If you’ve gotten these calls, the FCC wants to know about it. Report it here.

The whole purpose of the scam is to trick you into calling an overseas number that can place charges on your phone bill. Variations of this scam rely on phony voicemail messages urging you to call a number with an unfamiliar area code to "collect a prize" or to notify you about a "sick" relative.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently awarded $9.3 million in grants to school districts in 43 states and territories to help replace older diesel school buses. The money will be put towards buying new buses that create fewer emissions to help reduce pollution.

The districts managing the school bus fleets will receive rebates through the EPA’s Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) funding. Applicants who applied for the grant money will receive between $15,000 and $20,000 if they are replacing buses that have model year engines that are from 2006 or earlier.

EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler said that initiative will help protect the health of young children who use the buses to get to school. A total of 473 older diesel models will be replaced under the program.

“Children’s health is a top priority for EPA, and these grants will help provide cleaner air and a healthier ride to and from school for America’s children,” he said. “This DERA funding reflects broader children’s health agenda and commitment to ensure all children can live, learn, and play in healthy and clean environments.”

Reducing emissions

The EPA points out that it has been working to reduce pollutants from diesel vehicles by implementing stricter environmental standards on new vehicles. However, the agency says that many older vehicles with higher emissions rates are still operating on U.S. roads.

A recent study from George Washington University found that current levels of traffic-related pollution have contributed to millions of cases of childhood asthma across the globe. Dense urban areas are hot spots for these asthma cases, and the researchers caution that cleaner vehicles will be needed to reverse this worrying trend.

“Improving access to cleaner forms of transportation, like electrified public transport and active commuting by cycling and walking, would not only bring down [pollution] levels, but would also reduce asthma, enhance physical fitness, and cut greenhouse gas emissions,” said Dr. Susan C. Anenberg.

Amazon has expanded its Whole Foods Market delivery service to an additional 13 U.S. markets, bringing the total number of markets served to 88.

Starting immediately, Amazon Prime subscribers in those markets can order food and essentials and expect delivery as quickly as an hour.

The 13 expansion markets are located in the following nine states:

• Alabama: Huntsville, Montgomery

• California: Palm Desert

• Colorado: Fort Collins

• Florida: Destin, Tallahassee

• Maine: Portland

• Mississippi: Jackson

• North Carolina: Greensboro, Wilmington

• Pennsylvania: Allentown

• Tennessee: Chattanooga, Knoxville

“Prime Now delivery continues to be a hit with our customers and we’re excited to introduce the service to even more Prime members across the country,” said Christina Minardi, Whole Foods Market Executive Vice President of Operations. “It’s just another way we’re making it even easier for more customers to enjoy Whole Foods Market’s healthy and organic food.”

Amazon’s investment in making Prime benefit-driven for the consumer continues. During its recent earnings call, the company announced that it’s in the throes of making free one-day shipping the default scenario for Prime members worldwide.

How Whole Foods delivery works

To be eligible for Whole Foods delivery service, a consumer has to be an Amazon Prime member; that membership currently costs $119 a year. As a Prime member, consumers will receive Prime Member discounts year-round, plus an additional 10 percent off on sale items.

Shoppers can order groceries via www.primenow.com or the Amazon Prime Now smartphone app. Consumers who have an Amazon Echo and interested in Whole Foods delivery can also find out if the service is available in their area by saying, “Alexa, shop Whole Foods.”

At their leisure, Echo users can add items to their basket through the app. When they’re ready to check out, they can use the Prime Now app and choose pickup or delivery.

Floods, tornadoes, and hurricanes usually result in wall-to-wall coverage on the Weather Channel, so maybe it isn’t surprising that most people say the weather is getting more extreme.

But that belief doesn’t translate into preparation.

A survey by The Weather Company, the Weather Channel’s parent company, found 74 percent of people believe there are more severe weather events than in the past. Yet two out of five say they aren’t prepared to deal with one.

The survey was released just ahead of the official start of hurricane season, with The Weather Channel predicting 14 named storms. Forecasters say there is the potential for seven hurricanes and three major hurricanes in 2019 -- a slight decrease in activity when compared to last year. The Atlantic hurricane season starts June 1 and runs through November 30.

"El Niño conditions are expected to continue throughout the North Atlantic hurricane season, which will enable an atmospheric pattern that is not conducive for increased tropical development," said Dr. Todd Crawford, chief meteorologist for The Weather Company.

Warmer-than-normal

Crawford says the North Atlantic Ocean temperatures are warmer-than-normal, and that could bring about above normal weather activity. But the combination should have a stabilizing effect, suggesting a near-normal season that is similar to last year.

“Much like the 2017 weather pattern that produced Hurricane Florence and Hurricane Michael, there is still the potential for intense tropical cyclones in 2019,” Crawford said. “Our teams are focused on providing the data and insights people need to prepare."

The survey found that 43 percent of Americans don’t have an evacuation plan in case of severe weather. Part of any plan should be a place where all family members are told to go in the event of an emergency. But only 19 percent of those questioned said they had set a family meeting place.

Emergency management personnel recommend consumers assemble a disaster kit, but only 15 percent of people in the survey said they keep one packed.

Disaster kit

The American Red Cross says a disaster kit should include:

• Plenty of water for each family member

• Non-perishable food

• Flashlight and spare batteries

• Battery-powered radio

• First aid kit

• A seven-day supply of prescription medications

• Personal hygiene items

• Cell phone with charger

• Blankets

• Cash

The Weather Company says there doesn’t appear to be a strong link between the number of storms and landfalls in the U.S. It says one or more of the predicted storms could hit the U.S. this season or none at all, underscoring the reason consumers should be prepared.

In 2009, college graduates entered a shrinking job market with an unemployment rate of 10 percent. A decade later, the Class of 2019 is finding a market nearly desperate to hire workers and paying more to do so.

According to the Labor Department, the U.S. economy added 263,000 jobs in April, sending the nation’s unemployment rate to a 49-year low of 3.6 percent. At the same time, average hourly pay increased 3.2 percent in the last 12 months, building on the same increase recorded in March.

The biggest job gains last month occurred in professional and business services, construction, health care, and social assistance. Professional and business services added 76,000 jobs during the month, with the lion’s share occurring in administrative and support services and in computer systems design. In the last 12 months, this sector of the job market has added over a half million jobs.

Employees are earning more

“Average hourly earnings of all employees on private nonfarm payrolls rose by six cents in April to $27.77, following a five-cent gain in March,” Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics William Beach said in a statement. “Over the past 12 months, average hourly earnings

have risen by 3.2 percent; the over-the-year percent change has been 3.0 percent or above for nine consecutive months.”

The latest employment numbers contribute to a shifting narrative about the U.S. economy. Since early in the year, the assumption has been that the economy would slow this year, causing the Federal Reserve to back away from its policy of raising interest rates.

Fed Chairman Jerome Powell said last week the Fed had determined economic weakness was “transitory” and that inflation, fed by economic growth, could well pick up speed later in the year.

Good news for job seekers

In its analysis of the latest employment report, The Conference Board, an economic think tank,  said there is no sign of an economic slowdown and that the labor market should remain hospitable for job seekers. In fact, the organization said all the recent economic releases have suggested the economy will produce an inflation rate above the Fed’s target of 2 percent.

“In such an economic environment, and considering the stagnation in working-age population growth, it is not surprising that the labor market continues to tighten,” The Conference Board said in a statement. “The unemployment rate reached 3.6 percent in April, the lowest rate since December 1969. Labor markets will continue tightening in coming months and wages are likely to accelerate further.”

The Conference Board economists say the recovery in the U.S. economy and the ongoing job market squeeze most likely means the Federal Reserve won’t cut interest rates anytime soon.

The negative effects of secondhand smoke have been documented for decades, and now researchers are urging consumers to avoid all smoky environments in an effort to protect their health.

“Avoid exposure to secondhand smoke regardless of whether the smoker is still in the room,” said researcher Byung Jin Kim. “Our study in non-smokers shows that the risk of high blood pressure (hypertension) is higher with longer duration of passive smoking -- but even the lowest amounts are dangerous.”

Reducing health risks

The study included over 130,000 participants, all of whom never smoked. The researchers measured their urine levels to gauge how exposure to secondhand smoke affected their health -- specifically their blood pressure.

The researchers found that participants who had high blood pressure at the start of the study were at a greater risk of feeling the negative health effects of secondhand smoke. Those who breathed in secondhand smoke at work or at home were over seven percent more likely to have high blood pressure, compared with 5.5 percent of participants whose homes and workplaces were secondhand smoke-free.

Similarly, exposure to secondhand smoke at work or at home was nearly 28 percent more likely for those with high blood pressure, compared with over 22 percent of participants who didn’t have high blood pressure.

“The results suggest that it is necessary to keep completely away from secondhand smoke, not just reduce exposure, to protect against hypertension,” Kim said.

Creating better legislation

Exposure to secondhand smoke in several capacities increased consumers’ risk for developing hypertension. For example, a prolonged exposure to secondhand smoke of 10 years or more increased the risk of hypertension by 17 percent, while being exposed to secondhand smoke in the home or at work increased the risk of high blood pressure by 13 percent. Additionally, the researchers found that consumers over the age of 20 who lived with a smoker were 15 percent more likely to develop high blood pressure.

The researchers hope that legislators prioritize consumers’ health and use these findings to craft stricter smoking laws.

“While efforts have been made around the world to minimise the dangers of passive smoking by expanding no smoking areas in public places, our study shows that more than one in five never-smokers are still exposed to secondhand smoke,” said Kim. “Stricter smoking bans are needed, together with more help for smokers to kick the habit. Knowing that family members suffer should be extra motivation for smokers to quit.”

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has submitted a complaint against a company and its owner for allegedly pocketing money that was raised in order to develop high-tech consumer products.

Douglas Monahan and his company -- iBackPack of Texas, LLC -- have been accused by the agency of raking in over $800,000 in donations via crowdfunding campaigns under false pretenses. Consumers who donated thought their money would go towards creating a high-tech backpack capable of charging laptops and phones, as well as providing other high-end capabilities.

“If you raise money by crowdfunding, you don’t have to guarantee that your idea will work. But you do you have to use the money to work on your idea -- or expect to hear from the FTC,” said FTC director Andrew Smith.

Multiple campaigns

The FTC says that Monahan was first able to raise $720,000 for his iBackPack product idea by advertising on the crowdfunding site Indiegogo. But after missing the estimated delivery date for the product, he started similar campaigns on the same site and on Kickstarter that raised tens of thousands of dollars in additional capital for the iBackPack 2.0.

Other campaigns created by Monahan included development for a product called MOJO -- a shoulder bag with many of the same functionalities advertised for the iBackPack products -- and the “POW” Smart cable.

The FTC says Monahan made several false statements to consumers and the crowdfunding sites he advertised on to keep his campaigns active. This included saying that the products were completed and being shipped. However, the agency says that Monahan did not use the funds to develop the promised products, but instead used them for personal expenses and marketing efforts to raise more money.

The case will be decided in court following a unanimous 5-0 vote by the FTC commissioners to submit a complaint.

Whether it’s a sports drink, juice, or diet soda, many young consumes turn to low-calorie beverages to add some variety into their diets.

Now, researchers have found that choosing a low-calorie drink equates to the same calorie intake as those who choose full sugar beverages, while the choice adds 200 extra calories per day when compared with those who choose water.

“These results challenge the utility of diet or low-calorie sweetened beverages when it comes to cutting calories and weight management,” said Dr. Allison C. Sylvetsky. “Our findings suggest that water should be recommended as the best choice for kids and teens.”

Consuming extra calories

The researchers wanted to see how low-calorie drinks affected kids’ and teens’ diets, and they looked at the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2011 through 2016.

Using over 7,000 self-reports of kids’ daily food and drink intake, the researchers were able to get a snapshot of how frequently kids were choosing low-calorie and full sugar beverages. They then used that information to gain a better understanding of what it’s doing to young people’s bodies.

The study revealed many things about how the body processes sugar and calories, but perhaps the most important was that choosing low-calorie drinks added more calories into the daily diet, and it also increased calorie intake from added sugar in foods and drinks.

The researchers found that children who drank both low-calorie and sugary drinks were consuming the most calories, while participants who drank either low-calorie drinks or sugary drinks were found to consume the same amount of calories on a daily basis.

Drinking low-calorie beverages added 15 grams of sugar and nearly 200 calories to children’s diets compared with those who drank water, while drinking both low-calorie and sugary beverages added 46 extra grams of sugar and 450 extra calories per day.

The researchers didn’t notice any excessive weight gain during the course of the study, and they think the jury is still out on whether low-calorie drinks aid in consumers’ weight loss goals. Moving forward, the team suggests following federal health recommendations to ensure a healthy diet, and swapping low-calorie drinks for flavored sparkling water or water with fruit.

Cause for concern

There has been a good deal of conflicting research on artificial sweeteners and whether or not they’re an adequate way to cut calories and aid in weight loss. One recent study found that artificial sweeteners are toxic to the digestive system, while another revealed that they could work to create fat.

Most recently, researchers found that low-calorie drinks could lead to an increased risk of stroke in postmenopausal women.

“Many well-meaning people, especially those who are overweight or obese, drink low-calorie sweetened drinks to cut calories in their diet,” said researcher Yasmin Mossavar-Rahmani. “Our research and other observational studies have shown that artificially sweetened beverages may not be harmless and high consumption is associated with a higher risk of stroke and heart disease.”

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling 1,097 model year 2019 Dodge Charger vehicles.

The driver and passenger sun visors may lack the required air bag warning information.

Failure to provide the air bag warning information could increase the risk of injury.

What to do

Chrysler has notified owners, and dealers will replace the driver and passenger sun visors, free of charge.

The recall began April 17, 2019. Owners may contact customer service at (800) 853-1403.

Chrysler's number for this recall is V35.

McDonald’s is defending the security of its “My McD’s” app after Canadian users reported that hackers broke into their accounts and bought food with stolen credit card information.

One user, a Canadian journalist, said that hackers purchased $1,509 worth of Big Macs, McFlurries, Chicken McNuggets, and poutine with his MasterCard.

“While we are aware that some isolated incidents involving unauthorized purchases have occurred, we are confident in the security of the app,” a spokesman from McDonalds' told Gizmodo. In their statement, McDonald’s also suggested that weak passwords were to blame, an excuse that victims didn’t buy.

“Your mobile app isn’t secure enough, someone got into my account, made 7 separate transactions in a span of 30 mins, in a separate province and never got flagged as suspicious. he even put his own name,” one user wrote on Twitter.

Church

The FBI says that hackers posing as a construction firm convinced employees at the St. Ambrose Catholic Parish in Ohio to wire $1.75 million to a fraudulent bank account.

The church had been working with a construction firm to restore part of its building for a massive $4 million renovation project. On April 16, the construction firm contacted the church to ask why it had not been paid yet. That raised red flags because the church thought it had already paid the construction company. As it turned out, hackers who accessed their email addresses had successfully impersonated the actual firm.

“Please know how very sorry I am that this has occurred in our parish community,” Father Bob Stec said in a letter to parishioners.

Florida voting machines

FBI officials are meeting with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and U.S. Sen. Rick Scott over a potentially explosive piece of news buried in the Mueller report: a claim that hackers successfully accessed a voting machine in the network of “at least one Florida County Government.”

DeSantis told reporters that he wanted more information about the hack.

“They won't tell us which county it was. Are you kidding me? Why would you not say something immediately?" he complained to the Tampa Bay Times.

Healthcare firm

Michigan’s Attorney General says that consumers may have had their addresses and Social Security numbers exposed in a breach targeting the Inmediata Health Group, a Puerto Rico-based firm that provides billing services to other healthcare companies. 

The company said it found no evidence that the data was saved by the hackers, but Michigan’s Department of Insurance and Financial Services is warning consumers to review their credit card statements.

“If suspicious activity is detected, it should be immediately reported to the individual’s financial institution,” state authorities said.

Unspecified company affecting 80 million consumers

Security researchers know that something was hacked. They’re just not sure what it was. An estimated 80 million households in the United States may have had their addresses, names, ages, income level, and other information exposed, according to new research by the firm vpnMentor.

The researchers told PC World they only know that the unencrypted data is hosted by a Microsoft cloud server. The victims are all over the age of 40 and the data seems “to itemize households rather than individuals,” the magazine says, suggesting that the hacking target was an insurance, healthcare, or mortgage company.

Internet infrastructure

A German firm that provides Internet infrastructure to major corporations is reportedly being blackmailed by a group of hackers who accessed sensitive company data.

In a statement to Motherboard, the firm Citycomp confirmed that they have “been hacked and blackmailed and the attack is ongoing.”

For everyone who thinks it’s an overreach for Google to know everywhere you’ve been, the tech giant has decided to yank “Whither thou goest, I will go” out of its phrasebook and add auto-delete controls for users’ Location History and activity data.

In an announcement on Google’s Keyword blog, the company said consumer feedback has been loud and clear regarding personal data.

So, going forward, if a user doesn’t want things like restaurant recommendations or helping the user pick up where they left off on a previous search, they’ll have the option to manage or delete personal data… and, in Google’s words, do it simply.

Here’s how it works

The user picks a time limit that governs how long their online activities can be tracked and saved. For example, if a user picks 18 months, any data older than that will automatically be wiped from their account immediately. As time moves forward, anything past that 18-month line will be deleted as well.

“You should always be able to manage your data in a way that works best for you -- and we’re committed to giving you the best controls to make that happen,” commented Google’s David Monsees, Product Manager, Search, and Marlo McGriff, Product Manager, Maps.

Is personal data finally on the right path?

What personal data digital providers keep has been a constant frustration since Facebook’s Cambridge Analytica blunder. While Europe has had similar options in play with General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the U.S. has been slow to match that pro-consumer move.

“As for the U.S. following in the EU's footsteps, it does look increasingly likely that the U.S. will pass some form of privacy legislation but it's still unclear how closely that will be modeled on the GDPR,” Josephine Wolff, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Public Policy at the Rochester Institute of Technology, told ConsumerAffairs.

”The U.S. will probably chart its own course to some degree; for instance, it may grant some specific exemptions for smaller businesses.”

Apple appears to be on board for similar legislation. In a conference in Brussels last year, Apple CEO Tim Cook said the crisis of data collection is real and “should unsettle us.”

Getting compliant with the GDPR and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) is also on Facebook’s to-do list for 2019.

Tracking is a personal preference

Wolff points out that what data a company collects depends largely on how that company serves consumers.

“For instance, it might make sense that Google Maps or the Weather Channel would collect your location data since the services they provide depend on where you are, but it would perhaps seem less reasonable for an app that provides a game or a set of recommended workout routines to collect your location data.”

“Reasonableness of data collection is dictated by the service that a company provides to its consumers and whether the data is essential to the provision of that service or merely being used as an additional potential revenue stream for instance through advertisement targeting or selling the data to third parties for other purposes.”

The best way to find out whether your data might be sold? Read the app or a platform’s “terms of use.” It’s not the most fun read -- and “I have read and agree to the Terms” might be the biggest lie on the web -- but knowing what data a user gives to a platform is the user’s responsibility.

Facebook has started laying the foundation for a cryptocurrency-based payment platform that could compete with traditional e-commerce, as well as Apple’s payment system, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.

Citing sources familiar with the matter, the Journal said the social media giant has been working on the project, codenamed Project Libra, for over a year. During that time, it’s been making deals with dozens of financial firms and online merchants to help get the digital currency-based payment network up and running.

Facebook is reportedly seeking to raise up to a billion dollars to launch the system, which would center around the development of a coin that could be used for personal transfers and purchases on Facebook and across the internet. Funding from financial institutions like Mastercard and Visa would "underpin the value of the coin to protect it from the wild price swings seen in bitcoin,” the Journal said.

Persuading users amidst privacy scandals

To persuade users to give the payment system a try, Facebook is also considering rewarding users with a fraction of a penny each time they view an ad or shop on its platform.

“One idea being considered is that users could click ads to buy a product and pay with Facebook tokens, which the retailer could then recycle to pay for more ads, one person said,” according to the Journal. Paying users would "reward the kind of genuine interaction that Facebook, beset by bots and hate speech, has been trying to encourage.”

News of Facebook’s planned cryptocurrency-based payments system comes as the company is desperately trying to repair its damaged reputation on the heels of several years’ worth of privacy scandals.

Earlier this week, it was reported that the FTC and Facebook are working together to address the company’s privacy shortcomings. Under the deal, CEO Mark Zuckerberg could be held personally liable for any future issues.  

In a filing, Tesla said it’s seeking to raise up to $2 billion, largely to atone for a significant financial hit in the first quarter of 2019.

The additional capital will come through the sale of a combination of stock offerings and convertible notes; 1.35 billion will come from convertible notes and $650 million will come from new equity, which will include a large purchase from founder and CEO Elon Musk. The filing indicated that Musk plans to chip in about $10 million worth of his own money.

Declining financial state

Musk said last August that he believed Tesla would be “essentially self-funding” going forward, but that plan has apparently changed in the wake of a large cash loss. Earlier this week, Tesla disclosed in a release that it started the year with $3.7 billion in cash but found itself down to a three-year low of $2.2 billion by March 31.

The company fell into its current financial state partly because it had to pay off a $920 million loan in March “because the stock failed to reach the conversion price of around $360 per share,” Reuters noted. A record drop in vehicle deliveries also didn’t help matters.

During an April earnings call, Tesla assured investors that it would return to profitability in the third quarter, according to Bloomberg. Musk added that there was “merit to the idea of raising capital” to fuel growth.

For months it’s been an article of faith that inflation is low and the Federal Reserve will hold off on any further rate hikes.

But one simple comment from Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell has economists -- and the financial markets -- second-guessing that assumption.

Following the Fed’s two-day meeting, Powell told reporters the Fed believes the economy is showing some signs of weakness but said it is because of “transitory” issues. In other words, the Fed doesn’t expect that weakness to last.

That’s actually pretty good news, but the financial markets didn’t see it that way since it is hoping the Fed will actually cut interest rates. Powell made it pretty clear that’s off the table if there is a chance inflation can start to rise. And if the economy gains more traction prices could go higher.

The Fed would like a little inflation in the economy and has set a target of 2 percent inflation as ideal. So far, however, inflation remains well short of that goal at 1.6 percent.

“If we did see inflation running persistently below, that is something the committee would be concerned about and something we would take into account when setting policy,” Powell said.

But Powell said the Fed doesn’t expect that to happen and therefore probably won’t be cutting rates anytime soon.

Tame inflation so far this year

In its most recent inflation gauge, the Labor Department reported the Consumer Price Index, a measure of inflation at the retail level, rose 0.2 percent in February after being flat the month before. In the last 12 months, the CPI is up just 1.5 percent.

But some consumers complain that the prices of some goods and services are moving up at a faster rate. Despite the low numbers for February, government economists said consumers faced higher costs for housing, food, and gasoline.

Food costs were up 0.4 percent, their largest monthly increase since May 2014, as both the food at home and food away from home indexes increased.

The index tracking the cost of gasoline rose 1.5 percent in February, following three consecutive monthly declines. That pushed the overall cost of energy up 0.4 percent despite declines in the electricity and natural gas indexes.

While there are several factors that come into play when analyzing why some people are more susceptible to serious allergies or mental health disorders, a new study explores how our childhood could come into play.

Researchers from the University of Zurich and Lausanne recently explored how the hygiene hypothesis -- which argues that changes to environment and hygiene can introduce our bodies to bacteria at different points in life -- can affect the likelihood of having certain allergies or diseases later in life.

“The findings of the study indicate that the human immune system acts like a switchboard between somatic and psychic processes,” said researcher Vladeta Ajdacic-Gross. “They help us understand why many people who do not have a history of psychosocial trauma get afflicted by mental disorders and, conversely, why traumatized people show a predisposition to chronic inflammatory diseases.”

Timing matters

To get an understanding of how our childhood immune systems affect us in later years, the researchers evaluated data from over 50,000 people born in the mid-1900s, placing their primary focus on the development of mental health disorders, allergies, and bacterial and viral diseases.

The participants were divided into five groups based on their childhood immune systems:

• Neutral (nearly 60 percent of participants)

• Resilient (over 20 percent of participants)

• Mixed (nine percent of participants)

• Atopic (seven percent of participants)

• Childhood trauma (five percent of participants)

The neutral participants had low stakes when it came to developing a childhood disease, while the resilient group had incredibly strong immune systems and were able to stave off childhood diseases like rubella, mumps, and measles, all of which were common and serious when these participants were children.

The study revealed that the majority of participants in the three smaller groups were all born later than those born in the neutral or resilient groups, but they also experienced either serious allergic conditions or were susceptible to serious mental or physical diseases during childhood.

The mixed group consisted of participants who had some kind of allergic condition in conjunction with a bacterial disease, while the atopic group had several allergy issues; the final group experienced some kind of trauma during childhood.

The study revealed that the groups showed different levels of susceptibility to different diseases once they reached adulthood. Those who had experienced childhood trauma were more likely to fight off infections during childhood, but they were more likely to develop both inflammatory diseases and psychiatric issues later in adulthood.

Similarly, both the atopic and mixed groups had an increased risk of both physical and mental health conditions in their later years, while the neutral and resilient groups were more likely to steer clear of any major mental or physical conditions as they grew into adults.

Keeping kids healthy

While one recent study found that childhood health is improving around the globe, mental health continues to be a concern for many young people.

Many studies have explored the body-mind connection, and researchers have found that both infections during childhood and stomach issues are linked to mental health issues in children.