Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) is recalling 13,799 model year 2020 GLE350s, GLE350 4MATICs, GLE450 4MATICs, GLS450 4MATICs and GLS580 4MATICs.
The rear door window trim may detach and become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and fasten the rear door window trim, as necessary, free of charge.
The recall is expected to begin December 3, 2019. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at (800) 367-6372.
Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) is recalling 13,799 model year 2020 GLE350s, GLE350 4MATICs, GLE450 4MATICs, GLS450 4MATICs and GLS580 4MATICs.The rear door...
Pride of Florida of Raiford, Fla., is recalling approximately 64,797 pounds of raw beef products.
The products may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7
There are no confirmed reports of adverse reactions.
The following items, produced from September 23 to October 10, 2019, are being recalled:
The recalled products, bearing establishment number “EST. 18506” inside the USDA mark of inspection, were shipped to commercial distributors and a cold storage warehouse in Florida.
Distributors who have these products should not distribute them., but discard or return them to the place of origin.
Consumers with questions may contact Denise Kiminki at (813) 324-8733.
Pride of Florida of Raiford, Fla., is recalling approximately 64,797 pounds of raw beef products.The products may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7...
Hyundai Motor America is recalling 48 model year 2019 Ioniq Hybrids and model year 2020 Elantras. The right-side rear wheel lug nuts may have been insufficiently tightened, allowing the wheel to detach from the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, tighten the lug nuts free of charge.
The recall is expected to begin December 27, 2019.
Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at (800) 251-0871. Hyundai's number for this recall is 184.
Hyundai Motor America is recalling 48 model year 2019 Ioniq Hybrids and model year 2020 Elantras. The right-side rear wheel lug nuts may have been insuffic...
Leaving kids home alone for the first time can be stressful for parents, and many are unsure when they should trust kids to be by themselves. A new study conducted by researchers from the American Academy of Pediatrics could be helpful in aiding these decisions.
The researchers determined that if children are going to be unsupervised in the home for more than four hours, they should be at least 12 years old. The team notes that leaving children under that age alone at home could be considered neglect -- though there could be more factors that come into play.
“We found that social workers who participated in the study were significantly more likely to consider it child neglect when a child was left home alone if the child had suffered an injury, as compared to when they did not,” said researcher Dr. Charles Jennissen. “The level of neglect is really the same whether a child knowingly left home alone is injured or not, and such situations should be handled the same by child protective investigators.”
The researchers turned to experts on childcare and neglect, surveying nearly 500 social workers who specialized in family and child practices. The survey provided these professionals with several different situations in which children would be left home alone, factoring in age, overall well-being, and what, if any, laws there are regarding children being left home alone.
Two factors ultimately greatly influenced whether the social workers deemed it neglect to leave children home by themselves: laws mandating a parent or guardian be home with a child and whether a child was injured.
While some states have created formal legislation around what age children should be before being left home alone, others don’t have anything in writing. When laws were put in place, or when the child was injured, the social workers considered it neglectful for parents to leave their kids home alone up until the age of 14.
The overall consensus got murkier the older children got, as it wasn’t so clear cut for the participating social workers to deem it neglect when 12- to 14-year-olds were left home alone. Over 80 percent agreed that it was neglect when the child was eight or younger, and roughly 50 percent felt the same way when the child was 10 or under.
Moving forward, the researchers are primarily concerned about the well-being of young children, as accidents and injuries are more likely to happen when kids are left alone. The team said it would like to see more uniform laws when it comes to the appropriate time to leave children alone.
“This study recognizes that there are critical connections between safety laws, advocates, and professionals in child welfare, and families with small children,” said researcher Gerene Denning, PhD. “It takes partnership between all those to prevent childhood injuries.”
Leaving kids home alone for the first time can be stressful for parents, and many are unsure when they should trust kids to be by themselves. A new study c...
The number of deaths attributed to the vaping-related illness recently named “EVALI” (short for “e-cigarette or vaping product use associated lung injury”) has risen to 34 people, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported Thursday.
More than a hundred new cases of the illness have been reported over the past week, bringing the total number of cases to 1,604. The deaths and illnesses are spread across 49 states, as well as the District of Columbia and the Virgin Islands.
While the severe lung illness responsible for these deaths and illnesses seems to have a clear link to vaping, health officials are still trying to find out exactly what is it to manifest. No one product or ingredient has so far been involved in all of the cases. However, a majority of patients have reported vaping THC.
“The latest national and state findings suggest products containing THC, particularly those obtained off the street or from other informal sources (e.g. friends, family members, illicit dealers), are linked to most of the cases and play a major role in the outbreak,” the CDC said.
Though most people reported using a THC-containing product prior to getting sick, 10 percent of patients said they only used nicotine-containing products. Health officials still haven’t identified what in the products is making people sick.
“At this time, FDA and CDC have not identified the cause or causes of the lung injuries in these cases, and the only commonality among all cases is that patients report the use of e-cigarette, or vaping, products,” the CDC said.
Symptoms of the lung injury connected to vaping include chest pain, shortness of breath, and vomiting. Last week, the CDC released guidance for clinicians on the diagnosis, management, and follow-up of the illness.
In the guidance, the CDC recommended that doctors consider testing all patients with symptoms of EVALI for influenza and other respiratory illnesses.
“It is unknown if patients with a history of EVALI are at higher risk for severe complications of influenza or other respiratory viral infections if they are infected simultaneously or after recovering from lung injury,” the guidance says.
While state and federal health officials continue to investigate the illness, the CDC has urged people not to use e-cigarette or vaping products that contain THC.
The number of deaths attributed to the vaping-related illness recently named “EVALI” (short for “e-cigarette or vaping product use associated lung injury”)...
Big tech continues to feel the heat from Washington. In the latest blast, two members of the U.S. Senate are questioning whether Amazon violated federal law in connection with the Capital One data breach.
Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), who is seeking the Democratic presidential nomination, have asked the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to investigate the matter. They want to determine whether Amazon adequately secured its AWS cloud servers prior to the attack.
In July, Capital One reported what may be the nation’s second-largest hack, revealing that a hacker accessed the records of around 100 million consumers in the U.S. and Canada.
The bank said the breach may have occurred in March of this year. It came to light on July 17, when an external security researcher reported a configuration vulnerability that the company confirmed two days later. An arrest was quickly made and Capital One said it was “unlikely that the information was used for fraud or disseminated” by the suspect.
Amazon enters into the picture because its AWS service owns the servers and leased space to the Virginia-based bank. The hack occurred with the use of a popular cyberattack technique known as a “server-side request forgery” (SSRF).
“Amazon knew or should have known, that AWS was vulnerable to SSRF attacks,” the lawmakers wrote in their letter. “Although Amazon’s competitors addressed the threat of SSRF attacks several years ago, Amazon continues to sell defective cloud computing services to businesses, government agencies, and to the general public. As such, Amazon shares some responsibility for the theft of data on 100 million Capital One customers.”
Wyden and Warren say the matter falls squarely under the FTC’s jurisdiction since it has the authority and responsibility to investigate unfair and deceptive business practices. They want the agency to determine whether AWS’ vulnerability to an SSRF attack constitutes an unfair business practice.
Amazon did not immediately respond to media requests to comment on the lawmakers’ letter. According to Reuters, both Capital One and the FTC declined to comment.
Big tech continues to feel the heat from Washington. In the latest blast, two members of the U.S. Senate are questioning whether Amazon violated federal la...
On Thursday, Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) unveiled a proposal to help the United States transition from gas vehicles to electric ones through the distribution of cash vouchers.
Under the plan, large rebates of $3,000 or more would be given to individuals who trade in an older gas-powered vehicles for a cleaner, electric one. The plan would also entail building out an EV charging network and providing grants to businesses to rework their manufacturing facilities to support the production of EVs and batteries.
Schumer estimates that the plan will cost $454 billion over the course of 10 years and would result in 63 million fewer gas-powered cars on the road by 2030.
“Critics have long said that bold action on climate change would cost America money and jobs. This is not true,” Schumer wrote in an op-ed for the New York Times called "A Bold Plan for Clean Cars.” “My plan is estimated to create tens of thousands of new, good-paying jobs in this country and should re-establish the United States as the world leader in auto manufacturing.”
The plan starkly contrasts the Trump administration’s August proposal to roll back Obama-era fuel efficiency requirements through 2026.
Schumer said he plans to introduce the proposal as an element of "bold and far-reaching" climate legislation in November 2020. Supporters of the plan include the Sierra Club, the Natural Resources Defense Council, the League of Conservation Voters, the United Automobile Workers, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Ford, and General Motors.
On Thursday, Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) unveiled a proposal to help the United States transition from gas vehicles to electric ones through the distribut...
All four major wireless carriers have issued a press release saying they are teaming up on a project called the “Cross-Carrier Messaging Initiative” (CCMI).
Through the initiative, Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile have agreed to “develop and deploy [a] standards-based, interoperable messaging service” known as Rich Communication Service (RCS) messaging, which may eventually replace standard SMS messaging that consumers use now. The carriers are endeavoring to bring RCS to Android smartphones in 2020.
The companies said CCMI has been designed with the aim of ensuring that carriers enable the same RCS features that the upcoming industry standard promises. Those features include high-quality pictures and videos, better group chats, and more.
In the announcement, Verizon said the CCMI service will:
Drive a robust business-to-consumer messaging ecosystem and accelerate the adoption of Rich Communications Services (RCS)
Enable an enhanced experience to privately send individual or group chats across carriers with high-quality pictures and videos
Provide consumers with the ability to chat with their favorite brands, order a ride share, pay bills, schedule appointments, and more
Create a single seamless, interoperable RCS experience across carriers, both in the U.S. and globally
RCS has for years been touted as promising replacement for SMS, which could bring features found in iMessage and WhatsApp to texting. However, support among carriers has been limited, and those that have adopted it “sometimes did so without adhering to the international standard for interoperability called the ‘Universal Profile,’ The Verge notes.
The publication spoke with Doug Garland, the general manager of CCMI, who confirmed that there will be a standalone app for Android phones that supports the standard by next year. Garland added that the CCMI aims to make sure that user chats are “private” and that the app being developed delivers “an experience [customers] can trust.”
All four major wireless carriers have issued a press release saying they are teaming up on a project called the “Cross-Carrier Messaging Initiative” (CCMI)...
Not getting enough sleep can be a problem for consumers of any age, but a new study is exploring the sleeping patterns in one of the youngest demographics.
According to researchers from the American Academy of Pediatrics, children who get the recommended nine hours of sleep per night were more likely to do well in school and show other signs of positive growth and development. However, the team says that only half of children are actually meeting that benchmark.
“Chronic sleep loss is a serious public health problem among children,” said researcher Dr. Hoi See Tsao. “Insufficient sleep among adolescents, for example, is associated with physical and mental health consequences including increased risk of depression and obesity and negative effects on mood, attention, and academic performance.”
To understand how sleep affects children and teens, the researchers looked at over 49,000 responses to the National Survey of Children’s Health.
Parents with children between the ages of 6 and 17 reported on the number of hours their child slept on a typical weeknight. They also gave answers on other behaviors, like completing homework assignments or showing interest in learning new things, that would clue the researchers in to how sleep was affecting them in their day-to-day lives.
The study revealed that roughly 52 percent of the children involved in the study weren’t getting at least nine hours of sleep on weeknights, and the effects of this were felt during waking hours.
As Dr. Tsao explained that getting the recommended amount of sleep per night allows kids to not only do better in school, but also care about doing well in school. This was reflected in the survey, as children sleeping nine hours per night were nearly 30 percent more likely to want to excel academically.
Moreover, the children who slept more were more likely to see projects through to the end, complete all of their assigned schoolwork, and showed an overall higher curiosity in things that were new compared to those who weren’t sleeping as much during the week.
Moving forward, the researchers urge parents to make some alterations around bedtime, which could include limiting screen time before bed, which has been found to disrupt healthy and normal sleep cycles.
“Interventions like these may help children demonstrate more measures of childhood flourishing, enhance their development, and give them brighter futures,” said Dr. Tsao.
Not getting enough sleep can be a problem for consumers of any age, but a new study is exploring the sleeping patterns in one of the youngest demographics....
KeyBank reports that nearly one-third of the consumers who signed up for its secured credit card were eligible for an unsecured card after just one year.
A secured credit card is often used by consumers with poor or no credit. They make a deposit with the lender which secures their credit line. For example, if they deposit $500, they have a $500 credit limit on the card.
KeyBank promotes it as an effective tool to not only build up a credit score but also establish good money-management habits. The lender reports that 30 percent of its secured credit card customers became eligible this month for an unsecured card. Of that number, KeyBank says 65 percent are millennials.
“Millennials, many of whom came of age during the 2008 recession, are saddled with debt and looking for ways out of it," said Mitch Kime, head of Consumer Payments in KeyBank's Enterprise Payments group. "Our Secured Credit Card helps them overcome the barriers they face to establishing a strong credit history that makes financial achievements, like renting their own apartment, a reality."
KeyBank says it offers support to its secured credit card customers by reviewing accounts twice a year. Customers are then offered advice on how they can better manage their credit and improve spending habits. According to the lender, young adults and recent college graduates between the ages of 21 and 25 make up the largest segment of Secured Credit Card customers.
Selecting a secured credit card is a lot like deciding on any other type of card. It’s best to find one with no annual fee. Some secured cards even offer rewards, such as cashback on purchases.
While the credit limits tend to be low -- after all, they’re determined by how much money you deposit as security -- that tends to be beneficial since it prevents consumers from running up large balances. In most instances, consumers using a secured card need to pay the balance in full each month to have any available credit the following month. That’s a good habit to establish.
ConsumerAffairs has researched secured credit cards and come up with this list of the best ones.
KeyBank reports that nearly one-third of the consumers who signed up for its secured credit card were eligible for an unsecured card after just one year....
It appears that if you’re one of Twitter’s big time pied pipers -- the kind with oodles of followers -- your fans aren’t exposed to as many advertisements as followers of smaller Twitter accounts.
If you’re asking if that means Barack Obama followers (109.5 million followers), Katy Perry fans (108 million), or Justin Bieber devotees (107 million) are being spared a glut of ads, then the answer is yes, and Twitter has confessed to as much.
In a report by CNBC, the social media company admitted that, yes, it tilted its platform because it was trying to give popular users a better experience and, with that, an extra lure to hang around on its platform a little longer.
“Historically, users with high follower counts have seen fewer ads,” a Twitter spokesperson told The Verge. “Recently, we’ve shifted our approach to showing ads to everyone who uses Twitter and as a result, some will notice an increase in the number of ads they’re seeing.”
Whether CNBC pulled the confession out of Twitter or the company just provided a quick explanation on its own is unconfirmed, but it’s safe to say the problem is “fixed.”
“We fixed these issues on August 5, 2019,” is Twitter’s side of the story. “We know you will want to know if you were personally affected, and how many people in total were involved. We are still conducting our investigation to determine who may have been impacted and if we discover more information that is useful we will share it.”
Aside from checking a user’s settings -- where users can opt in or out of several layers of ad personalization -- Twitter says there’s nothing else to do.
“You trust us to follow your choices and we failed here. We’re sorry this happened, and are taking steps to make sure we don’t make a mistake like this again. If you have any questions, you may contact Twitter's Office of Data Protection through this form.”
It appears that if you’re one of Twitter’s big time pied pipers -- the kind with oodles of followers -- your fans aren’t exposed to as many advertisements...
Motorists continue to see relatively stable fuel prices as the summer driving season passes farther in the rearview mirror.
The AAA Fuel Gauge Survey shows the national average price of regular gas fell four cents a gallon in the last week to $2.61. That’s four cents cheaper than a month ago and is 22 cents lower than at this time last year. The average price of premium is down four cents a gallon in the last week to $3.22. The average price of diesel fuel has remained stable since the end of the summer at $2.99 a gallon.
A 10 cents a gallon drop in California over the last week helped lower the national average. California prices had been inflated by a series of supply bottlenecks last month, and the state’s average gas price remains well above neighboring states.
Fuel prices have been slow to fall over the last few weeks because gasoline supplies have remained fairly tight. On Thursday, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported gasoline stockpiles declined by 3.1 million barrels in the previous week.
At the same time, demand has picked up. That’s normally a recipe for higher prices at the pump, but crude oil prices have been a mitigating factor. Oil prices are trading in the mid-$50 range due to concerns about a slowing global economy
These states currently have the highest prices for regular gas, according to the AAA Fuel Gauge Survey:
California ($4.10)
Hawaii ($3.66)
Washington ($3.42)
Nevada ($3.40)
Oregon ($3.36)
Alaska ($3.14)
Arizona ($2.90)
Idaho ($2.86)
Utah ($2.78)
Colorado ($2.75)
The survey found these states currently have the lowest prices for regular gas:
Louisiana ($2.25)
Mississippi ($2.26)
Texas ($2.27)
Alabama ($2.29)
South Carolina ($2.29)
Missouri ($2.29)
Arkansas ($2.30)
Virginia ($2.30)
Oklahoma ($2.30)
Tennessee ($2.32)
Motorists continue to see relatively stable fuel prices as the summer driving season passes farther in the rearview mirror.The AAA Fuel Gauge Survey sh...
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing is recalling 928,203 of the following vehicles:
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing is recalling 928,203 of the following vehicles: Model year 2010-2016 4Runners Model year 2003-2006 Tundras...
Hyundai Motor America is recalling 744 model year 2020 Elantras.
The lower control arm ball joint fasteners may have been insufficiently tightened allowing the ball joint to detach from the lower control arm.
A detached ball joint can cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, as necessary, tighten the ball joint fasteners free of charge.
The recall is expected to begin December 27, 2019.
Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at (855) 371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 185.
Hyundai Motor America is recalling 744 model year 2020 Elantras.The lower control arm ball joint fasteners may have been insufficiently tightened allow...
Forty-two apps full of adware and 8 million downloads to consumers’ digital devices. What’s that spell? Trouble.
Threat detection software company ESET published a report on Thursday that its data scientists had uncovered a massive, year-long adware scheme involving Google Play. The scheme centers around adware-laden apps disguised both as games and utility apps. The researchers say the apps worm their way into a device’s configuration data and then display ads that the attacker profits from.
If you’re an Android/Google Play user, you can breathe a sigh of relief. Half of the 42 apps no longer exist on Google Play. When ESET reported the issue to Google, the company immediately yanked the remaining half from the store.
If you’re an Apple-leaning consumer, there’s also good news. The ESET researchers did find apps from the same developer in the Apple App Store, but, interestingly, none contained adware functionality.
Because of the pervasiveness and the can-do-anything ability of mobile platforms, it’s a natural hunting ground for money-hungry cybercriminals.
“Delivering adware, for example, enables them to monetize affected devices while attempting to be innocuous,” says Ecular Xu, a mobile threat response engineer at TrendMicro. “And while they may be viewed as a nuisance at best, mobile ad fraud -- and adware-related incidents became so rampant last year that it cost businesses hefty financial losses.”
As hard as Big Tech and threat detection software developers try to fight off cybercrime activity, it’s a losing game at the moment.
In 2018, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) processed more than a million fraud activity reports that cost consumers $1.48 billion in losses. On average, cybercriminals attack digital devices more than 5,000 times a month.
Despite that, the consumer world is starting to get wise to fraudsters. “The Identity Theft Resource Center predicts that consumers will become more knowledgeable about how data breaches work and expect companies to provide more information about the specific types of data breached and demand more transparency in general in data breach reports,” writes Rob Douglas, a ConsumerAffairs contributor.
However, fraudsters find out where the gullible are and keep going after them, Douglas says. “People who have previously been affected by identity theft are at a greater risk for future identity theft and fraud...7-10 percent of the U.S. population are victims of identity fraud each year, and 21 percent of those experience multiple incidents of identity fraud.”
When perusing any app store, be it Android or Apple, consumers should pay close attention to the word “free.”
“There are two main ways by which adware sneaks onto your system. In the first one, you download a program -- usually freeware or shareware -- and it quietly installs adware without your knowledge, or permission,” says Malwarebytes.
“That’s because the program’s author signed up with the adware vendor. Why? Because the revenue generated by the advertisements enables the program to be offered gratis (although even paid software from an untrustworthy source can deliver an adware payload). Then the adware launches its mischief, and the user learns there’s a price to pay for ‘free.’”
Forty-two apps full of adware and 8 million downloads to consumers’ digital devices. What’s that spell? Trouble.Threat detection software company ESET...
Since October 1, a number of AT&T customers have reported problems accessing their voicemail. An inability to access voicemail has been reported by both iPhone and Android users in several states, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Nevada, and North Carolina.
Android users have complained of seeing error messages when trying to access voicemail while iPhone owners have said they’re experiencing problems accessing Visual Voicemail.
In response to complaints posted in a 40+ page thread on the carrier’s support forums, representatives for the company claimed that the issues stem from a "vendor server problem.” A statement given to The Verge on Wednesday was similarly light on details.
“A recent software update to some devices may be affecting our customers’ voicemail,” the company told The Verge. “We are working with the device manufacturer to issue a patch to resolve this and apologize for any inconvenience this has caused.”
At this time, no timeline has been given for the deployment of the patch.
For now, AT&T is advising customers experiencing the issue to either wait patiently for the fix to roll out or have their mailbox rebuilt. The latter move would result in the deletion of any saved messages or messages received during the outage, The Verge noted.
Since October 1, a number of AT&T; customers have reported problems accessing their voicemail. An inability to access voicemail has been reported by both i...
Tesla is set to launch a third version of its solar roof tile this week. During the company’s third-quarter earnings call on Wednesday, CEO Elon Musk said that an official announcement about the product -- including how it’s different from the last two versions -- is coming at an event Thursday afternoon.
"Tomorrow afternoon we will be releasing version three of the Tesla solar roof," Musk said. "I think this is a great product. Versions one and two we were still figuring things out — version three is finally ready for the big time."
Earlier this year, Musk promised that the third iteration of the product would last 30 years.
“We are about to complete version 3 of the solar roof,” he said. “This is actually quite a hard technology problem to have an integrated solar cell with a roof tile, have it look good, and last for 30 years.”
The launch of the new solar tiles comes in the wake of legal issues stemming from the company’s solar panels. In August, Walmart filed a lawsuit against Tesla claiming that its solar panels caught fire on the roofs of seven Walmart stores between 2012 and 2018.
Musk said that the issue was caused by failures in a “small number” of parts that help regulate the amount of energy flowing into a solar panel. In a joint statement, Walmart and Tesla said they “look forward to addressing all issues and re-energizing Tesla solar installations at Walmart stores, once all parties are certain that all concerns have been addressed.”
Musk said on the call that Solar Roof V3 will boast improved performance, which will help consumers save money and offset the cost of the purchase for the new roof.
"There's no money down and you instantly save on your utility bill and there's no long-term contract," Musk said. "It's really a no-brainer. Do you want something that prints money? And if it doesn't print money, we'll fix it or take it back."
Tesla is set to launch a third version of its solar roof tile this week. During the company’s third-quarter earnings call on Wednesday, CEO Elon Musk said...
On Wednesday, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg attempted to defend Facebook’s planned cryptocurrency “Libra” in the face of bipartisan criticism of the project.
Asked why he believed partners including PayPal, Mastercard, and Visa had recently withdrawn from the project, he said he thought it was because Libra is a “risky project” that has come under intense regulatory scrutiny. However, he highlighted the cryptocurrency’s positive potential in saying that it could lower the cost of electronic payments and make it easier for people without bank accounts to transfer money.
Representative Maxine Waters (D-Calif), chairwoman of the House Financial Services Committee, has previously demanded that Facebook halt its Libra development efforts. She’s noted that Facebook’s past blunders don’t bode well for the possible impact of the currency.
"As I have examined Facebook's various problems, I have come to the conclusion that it would be beneficial for all if Facebook concentrates on addressing its many existing deficiencies and failures before proceeding any further on the Libra project,” Waters said.
She added that “given the company’s size and reach, it should be clear why we have serious concerns about your plans to establish a global digital currency that would challenge the U.S. dollar.”
In prepared remarks, Zuckerberg acknowledged that the company has “faced a lot of issues over the past few years, and I’m sure people wish it was anyone but Facebook putting this idea forward.” Still, he underscored his belief that Libra must be built.
Waters responded that she remains unsure of exactly what Libra aims to accomplish because it hasn’t been “adequately explained.”
“To simply say that you’re organizing Libra because you’re concerned about the unbanked and it’s going to have payments systems does not answer the questions for me,” Waters said.
Zuckerberg said that Facebook wouldn’t launch Libra until all of the U.S. regulatory entities involved had given their approval. He added that even Facebook “would be forced to leave the [Libra] Association” if other companies attempted to launch the digital currency without being given the green light from regulators.
At the end of the six-hour testimony, several lawmakers indicated that they were unhappy with the answers provided by the CEO.
“Frankly, I’m not sure that we’ve learned anything new here,” said Patrick McHenry (R - N.C.), the top Republican on the House Financial Services Committee, at the end of the testimony, according to CNBC.
Following the hearing, Waters told reporters that lawmakers will need to get together and “basically review what happened here today and make some decisions about how we go forward with the strategy.”
On Wednesday, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg attempted to defend Facebook’s planned cryptocurrency “Libra” in the face of bipartisan criticism of the project...
Target is preparing for the holiday shopping season by increasing its payroll by $50 million and bringing on additional personnel in stores and in fulfillment centers.
The retailer says the additional store employees will be deployed during peak shopping times, and it is doubling the number of its team members assigned to fulfillment. The extra help may be needed to provide services to Target Circle members, who now number 25 million.
"This season, we're making our biggest investment in holiday payroll to ensure our team members will be ready to assist our guests when they are shopping most,” said Target CEO Brian Cornell. “Coupled with the tremendous response we're seeing to Target Circle, our suite of same-day delivery services and compelling assortment, I'm confident Target will be America's favorite place to shop this holiday and beyond."
Target Circle, the company’s loyalty program, rolled out in early October after an initial test period. Target says members will get early access to some Black Friday deals, as well as first crack at deals for children through most of November.
In addition, Target Circle members can earn 1 percent back on every trip to Target, which can be redeemed on the next visit. The company says Target Circle members will also have a voice in directing the company’s charitable giving in their local communities.
In preparation for the holidays, Target said it will offer a curated group of exclusive brands, partnerships with national brands like Disney and Levi's, and an assortment of gifting options. Exclusive brands include Hearth & Hand.
The Disney store-within-a-store will operate in 25 locations this holiday season; the “Disney digital experience” can be accessed at Target.com. The company also says it will offer an expanded toy selection that includes exclusives from Disney's Frozen 2 and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
Target also says it’s bringing back its “Gifts Under $15,” which it says has proven popular with shoppers with lots of people on their lists. That kicks off in earnest the second week of November, with a curated collection of gifts available for less than $15.
Target revealed its plans as rival Walmart announced an expansion of its holiday shopping period, with deals rolling out online Friday.
Also this week, Amazon revealed an expansion of Counter, which allows consumers to pick up their Amazon purchases at participating locations. New locations include GNC, Health Mart, and Stage Stores.
Target is preparing for the holiday shopping season by increasing its payroll by $50 million and bringing on additional personnel in stores and in fulfillm...
As the debate over driverless cars continues to rage on, researchers from the University of Adelaide say that the technology could cause more traffic in the future.
According to the researchers’ survey, which spanned over 500 commuters in an Australian city, autonomous vehicles will completely shift the conventional way consumers are used to thinking about driving. While sharing rides will be a major component of this change, this could become problematic where traffic is concerned.
“The key factors affecting the transition to autonomous vehicles are commuter attitudes to car ownership and wanting to drive themselves, rather than have technology do it for them, as well as the price of new technology, and consumer attitudes to car sharing,” said researcher Dr. Raul Barreto.
“Our evidence suggests that as riders switch to autonomous vehicles, there will be an adverse impact on public transport. With most commuters not interested in ride sharing, this could increase peak period vehicle flows, which is likely to increase traffic congestion over the next 30 years.”
The researchers’ survey analyzed the effect that driverless cars would have on public roads by surveying both driving commuters and public transit commuters
The survey covered topics such as current attitudes towards traditional and autonomous vehicles and ride sharing. Participants were also asked about their current vehicle ownership status and how often they got behind the wheel.
Taking the responses from the survey, the researchers were able to compare them with models that predicted how traffic would flow and change based on the introduction of autonomous vehicles on the road. Their findings revealed that it may be hard to contend with consumers’ current views on traditional vehicles, as they don’t anticipate seeing many benefits from driverless cars for quite some time.
“Under both scenarios we tested, the number of vehicles overall will eventually drop,” said Dr. Barreto. “However, total vehicle trips may increase, and some of the predicted benefits of autonomous vehicles may not eventuate until a lengthy transition period is complete.”
The researchers were encouraged by these findings, saying they provide further insight into how consumers feel about autonomous vehicles. They said that their work could impact how new research on this subject is approached in the future.
“Autonomous or driverless vehicles are likely to have profound effects on cities,” Dr. Barreto said. “Being able to understand their impact will help to shape how our communities respond to the challenges and opportunities ahead.”
As the debate over driverless cars continues to rage on, researchers from the University of Adelaide say that the technology could cause more traffic in th...
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