Current Events in November 2019

A critical Windows vulnerability known as Bluekeep has been exploited by the hacking community. 

Over the weekend, security researcher Kevin Beaumont found that the vulnerability was being used after creating several Windows machines that were vulnerable to BlueKeep and connected to the internet. Following a few months of inactivity, the machines created by Beaumont — nicknamed “honeypots” — were broken into by a cryptocurrency miner who was exploiting the vulnerability. 

Earlier this year, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) warned that the BlueKeep vulnerability could pose security risks similar to the WannaCry attacks of 2017.

Microsoft issued a warning about the vulnerability in May, but not all machines have been updated with a fix. According to recent figures, roughly 700,000 Windows machines that have the Remote Desktop Service feature activated — including Windows 7, Vista, and XP machines, as well as Windows Server 2003 and 2008 systems —  are still vulnerable. 

The flaw is considered wormable “because malware exploiting this vulnerability on a system could propagate to other vulnerable systems,” CISA explained. “A BlueKeep exploit would be capable of rapidly spreading in a fashion similar to the WannaCry malware attacks of 2017.”

Serious threat 

After Beaumont’s analysis was published, the exploitations appeared to stop. However, security researchers say the threat is still present.  

"So far the content being delivered with BlueKeep appear to be frankly a bit lame—coin miners aren't exactly a big threat," Beaumont wrote in a blog post. “However it is clear people now understand how to execute attacks on random targets, and they are starting to do it. This activity doesn’t cause me to worry, but it does cause my spider sense to say ‘this will get worse, later’.” 

The finding serves as another warning to those who haven’t patched the flaw to do so as soon as possible. An attacker who exploited the BlueKeep flaw would be able to take control of the machine to view, alter, or delete data or to install new programs. 

The National Security Agency (NSA) warned in June that a vulnerability of this nature could have a big impact. 

"We have seen devastating computer worms inflict damage on unpatched systems with wide-ranging impact, and are seeking to motivate increased protections against this flaw," the organization said.

Microsoft's website has links to the patches that can mitigate the flaw. 

With e-cigarettes dominating headlines, it’s more important than ever for consumers to know about tangible ways they can rid themselves of their nicotine habit. 

A new study conducted by researchers from the Society for Neuroscience found that pioglitazone, a drug typically used to treat diabetes, could be effective for consumers struggling with nicotine withdrawal symptoms 

How the drug works

The researchers tested pioglitazone on mice that were struggling with nicotine addiction to see how the diabetes drug could be effective in easing nicotine withdrawal symptoms. 

Withdrawal from nicotine can affect the body physically with symptoms such as nausea and increased cravings, but it can also affect consumers mentally by increasing anxiety, depression, and altering mood overall. 

The mice had pioglitazone injected into the hippocampus and amygdala areas of their brains. The former controls impulses, self-control, and how the body responds to certain stimuli, and the latter controls how we respond emotionally and make decisions. 

In both instances, the mice responded better overall, overcoming many of the most troubling symptoms associated with nicotine addiction. The researchers noted improvements in their mood, as well as reduced tremors and jitters. 

Though pioglitazone is designed to treat type 2 diabetes, the drug was successful in helping nicotine withdrawal because it targets receptors in the brain that are most commonly associated with drug addiction. 

Based on their findings, the researchers believe that the drug could serve as a complement to those struggling to quit smoking. 

Bank of America (BA) promised its employees an increase to its minimum wage by early 2021. But the company says it will implement the $20 an hour minimum wage in the first quarter of next year, a year ahead of plans.

While there is growing pressure in all industries to increase basic pay, the bank said it’s decision has more to do with the bottom line. To be profitable, companies — banks included — need good people. But with unemployment at record low rates, the competition for good employees is fierce.

BA says it can deliver “sustainable, responsible growth” by making employment at the bank more attractive. The current minimum wage is $17 an hour, so the increase to $20 an hour amounts to around $6,000 a year.

“As part of our commitment to being a great place to work, we are saying thank you, and sharing our success with our teammates who serve our clients and communities every day,” said Sheri Bronstein, chief human resources officer at Bank of America.

The increase was announced in April

BA announced the increase in the minimum wage back in April and increased the base pay to $17 per hour the following month. At the time, CEO Brian Moynihan said it was important for the bank to share its growing success with its employees.

The minimum wage is a hot button issue since many people complain that it’s extremely difficult to make ends meet on the current federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. For that reason, several large employers, including Walmart, Target, and Amazon, have instituted minimum wages that are well above the federal requirement.

In July, Democrats who control the House of Representatives approved a bill to raise the minimum wage from the current $7.25 an hour to $15. The 231-199 vote was largely symbolic, however. Though the House measure drew three Republican votes, the GOP -- which controls the Senate — has not taken it up.

Some who support higher pay for employees at the bottom of the pay scale worry that a big jump in the minimum wage could have negative repercussions by speeding up automation that would eliminate jobs.

The last minimum wage increase took effect just over 10 years ago. Adjusted for inflation, $7.25 in 2009 is equivalent to $8.66 today.

Homeowners are staying in their homes a lot longer than they used to, and aging-in-place may be driving the trend, according to a new report from real estate brokerage company Redfin.

In 2010, the typical homeowner spent eight years in their home before moving on. Nine years later, the Redfin report found that the average homeowner was staying 13 years in one place. The measure of time spent in the median home went up in all 55 metros Redfin studied.

Homeowners have increased the time they remain in their homes the most in Salt Lake City, Houston, Fort Worth, San Antonio, and Dallas, with homeowners in those metros staying in their homes for more than 20 years on average.

"In Dallas, there are many neighborhoods that were built in the 1950s and 1960s where most of today's residents are still the original homeowners," said Dallas Redfin agent Christopher Dillard. "Because prices have been going up, and folks are gaining more and more equity, it's hard to justify selling when there aren't many if any affordable options."

And one reason there aren’t that many affordable options is the fact that people are waiting longer to sell their homes. That has contributed to declining inventory, which has hit first-time buyers especially hard.

Older homeowners are reluctant to move

The report indicates that older homeowners appear especially reluctant to move. Over the years, many local jurisdictions have enacted tax policies that have made it more affordable to retire in place.

In Texas, homeowners over the age of 65 can defer property taxes until their home is sold. According to Redfin, that’s one reason Texas homeowners tend to move the least.

Many baby boomers have expressed a strong desire to “age in place,” staying in their homes instead of moving into assisted living facilities. They’re invested in major renovations, such as enlarged bathrooms with safety features and amenities like walk-in tubs.

That adds to the housing market’s acute shortage of homes. By Freddie Mac’s calculations, homeowners between the ages of 67 and 85 are holding onto their homes longer, creating a shortage of 1.6 million homes for sale.

San Francisco is a case in point

Redfin says the median homeowner in San Francisco, one of the country’s most expensive housing markets, has been in their home for 14 years. Not coincidentally, there are about half as many homes on the market in San Francisco than there were in 2010. That helps make the homes that are on the market a lot more expensive.

Finally, homeowners who live in desirable neighborhoods are less likely to put their homes up for sale. Homes with walkable access to shops and parks are desired by young couples who would like to buy them for the same reason they are valued by the older people who still live in them. They’re convenient and add to their quality of life.

Microsoft is among the employers experimenting with the work week and reported positive results by shortening it on a trial basis.

Over the centuries, the time companies require employees to be on the job has gotten smaller and the five day, 40-hour week has been the norm for several decades. But in August, a Microsoft subsidiary in Japan closed its offices every Friday. Employees worked Monday through Thursday.

Not only did employees not fall behind in their work, the company reports productivity rose nearly 40 percent over August of 2018. By reducing the number of days worked from five to four, the company hoped it could improve employees’ work-life balance and promote creativity.

The company adopted other measures, including more flexible hours and won praise from nearly everyone by limiting meetings to 30 minutes.

Microsoft is hardly the first firm to experiment with a four-day work week but different companies take different approaches. Some stay with the eight-hour day, reducing the work week by eight hours. Employees at other companies put in four 10-hour days, staying with the 40-hour week.

Both seem to be popular with employees, with many pointing out they often end up putting in 10-hour days anyway. They say it’s a small price to pay for a three-day weekend every week.

A way to attract talent

“In this intensely competitive labor market, employers are figuring out that to attract talent, they have to start offering incentives that differentiate them from competitors,” Ian Siegel, CEO of ZipRecruiter, recently told USA Today.

But it’s possible this novelty could become standard in the not-too-distant future. In September, the AFL-CIO released a report containing the union’s “vision for the future of work.” It proposed a four-day week as standard — a total of 32 hours, not 40. Richard Trumka, head of the AFL-CIO, also believes businesses will eventually go along with it.

“We are very serious about this,” Trumka told Vox. “If we’re going to free up jobs for more people, then we have to go there.”

It sounds like Microsoft is becoming a believer in the shorter work week, especially after its trial run. The company said during its experiment in Japan it cut its electricity bill and preserved other resources. Paper consumption plunged as printing decreased by more than 58 percent.

General Motors is recalling 638,068 model year 2015-2020 Chevrolet Suburbans, Tahoes, & Yukons, and model year 2014-2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500s and GMC Sierra 1500s vehicles equipped with a 5.3-liter engine, a 3.08-ratio rear axle and four-wheel drive.

If a wheel-speed sensor fails, the Electronic-Brake Control Module (EBCM) software may activate the driveline-protection system.

Unintended activation of the driveline-protection system will cause unintended braking on the wheel on the opposite side of the failed sensor, causing the vehicle to pull to one side unexpectedly, increasing the risk of a crash.

What to do

GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the EBCM free of charge.

The manufacturer has not yet provided a notification schedule.

Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at (800) 630-2438 or GMC customer service at (800) 462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N192261050.

Ford Motor Company is recalling 18 model year 2019 Ford Expeditions and Lincoln Navigators.

The rear toe link fastener may not have been tightened properly during assembly and become disconnected while the vehicle is being driven, increasing the risk of injury or crash.

The automaker is not aware of any reports of accident or injury related to this condition.

What to do

Ford will notify owners, and dealers will verify that the rear toe-link-to-frame fasteners are tightened to the correct torque, check and adjust the rear toe alignment and inspect the rear tires for abnormal wear and replace, if necessary, free of charge.

Owners may contact Ford customer service at (866) 436-7332. Ford's reference number for this recall is 19S36.

A new study shows that more than half of millennial credit card holders (52 percent) believe that the holiday season a sufficient reason to go into debt. 

The report from CreditCards.com also finds that older consumers -- both the Gen X’er and the baby boomer -- are less likely to think that piling up credit card debt during the holidays is acceptable, although those two groups still go into holiday debt, just not as far as millennials.

Consumers taking on holiday debt

As with other studies, a lack of financial literacy is at the core of many millennials’ thinking. 

“Many young people have not been properly educated on how to deal with debt -- or even basic money management techniques -- so the consequences of accumulating debt don’t resonate with them because they probably haven’t had to deal with its fallout in their lives yet,” deduces Matt Edstrom, CMO of GoodLife Home Loans. 

Drilling down further into the report’s metrics, other cardholder groups willing to take on extra debt are:

• Consumers who already have existing debt. “Credit cards typically have some of the highest interest rates of any type of debt, meaning that the longer you maintain a balance, the larger the debt you’ll accumulate,” says Judith Corprew, executive vice president at Patriot Bank, who also notes that this kind of thinking is also prevalent with the younger demographics.

• Men. Scott Gillespie, owner of SG Financial Coaching, said the reason men are more willing to add to their debt load than women is probably driven by the emotional need to feel like they’re the “provider” in the family. “But to go deeper in debt is to do the opposite of providing,” Gillespie said, “It’s taking away from their livelihood by loaning away their future for the novelty of a holiday.”

• Parents with children under age 18. If you’re someone who buys holiday gifts to please your children, you’re not alone -- 38 percent of the survey respondents said they took on the added debt to make their kids happy as well.

Consumers should think about the long term implications

You know that old axiom about planning -- those who fail to plan, plan to fail? One credit counselor says that failure bites consumers where it hurts more than any other aspect.

Mike Sullivan, director of education at Take Charge America, a nonprofit credit counseling service, says consumers who have a real plan to pay off their debt is an oddity, and that planning doesn’t come into play until the consumer realizes that paying the monthly minimum on their credit card debt is nearly impossible. 

“Regardless of how they pay off this debt, few consumers seem to realize that carrying credit card balances is likely to increase the cost of holiday spending by 10 percent if they are very vigilant and way more if they are careless,” Sullivan said.

The batteries installed in Tesla vehicles are undergoing scrutiny by federal regulators following a string of complaints of battery fires and problems stemming from a software update. 

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said it has received at least two dozen reports of issues with Tesla’s electric vehicles. In one report, a Chicago man said his 2014 Model S85 lost about 30 miles range after he installed a software update last May. 

The software update was pushed out to Tesla drivers after reports of battery fires in Tesla vehicles began surfacing. Last year, a parked Model S caught fire while sitting unplugged in a residential garage. 

Following the reports, the company said it revised the charge and thermal management setting in an update that was designed to “improve battery longevity.” Tesla added that it was working to improve how the update was executed while acknowledging that a small subset of owners may have experienced a sudden reduction in range. 

Attorneys for the plaintiff argued that the move lacked transparency, as car owners weren’t told the update could result in lost range. 

“Under the guise of ‘safety’ and increasing the ‘longevity’ of the batteries of the class vehicles, Tesla fraudulently manipulated its software with the intent to avoid its duties and legal obligations to customers to fix, repair, or replace the batteries of the Class Vehicles, all of which Tesla knew were defective, yet failed to inform its customers of the defects,” the plaintiff’s lawyers wrote in the lawsuit.

NHTSA requests information

The NHTSA has asked the automaker to provide information about battery fires in its Model S and X cars made between 2012 and 2019 and provide details on the software update at the root of the consumer complaints. The agency is seeking to determine if the updates were issued because of the fires. 

In a letter to Tesla’s lawyers dated October 24, the federal agency requested that the company turn over the following information:

• All consumer complaints and reports of property damage, fire, injuries or fatalities; 

• Information on any legal cases, even if they were handled in arbitration or settled out of court;

• Details about all software updates related to battery charging from 2017 to the present; and

• Any test results or analyses the automaker has done on users’ car batteries, including data it receives directly from the cars.

Tesla has been given until November 28 to provide the information requested. Failure to do so could result in a fine of up to $111 million.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is investigating a small outbreak of Salmonella poisoning that it hopes to keep small.

The agency says that one person has died so far, and at least eight others have been hospitalized after eating tainted ground beef. The affected consumers live in California, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, and Iowa. The death occurred in California.

The CDC said it has not yet been able to trace the outbreak to a single ground beef supplier, but it strongly suspects that is the case. It’s urging consumers to be cautious when preparing ground beef. While the Salmonella pathogen is highly toxic, it can be killed when exposed to high temperatures. Thoroughly cooking ground beef normally neutralizes the threat.

“CDC is not advising that consumers stop eating thoroughly cooked ground beef, or that retailers stop selling ground beef,” the health agency said.

In interviews with the CDC, the people who have gotten sick report eating different types and brands of ground beef purchased from a number of different locations. Lab tests have identified the outbreak strain of Salmonella Dublin in repackaged leftover ground beef collected from an ill person’s home in California.

Salmonella symptoms

Symptoms of Salmonella poisoning can vary in severity depending on the strain. Most patients report diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps 12 to 72 hours after being exposed to the bacteria. The illness normally lasts up to a week, and people often recover without seeking medical treatment.

Symptoms may be more severe in young children and people older than 65 because their immune systems may not be as strong as a healthy adult’s. The infection is dangerous because it can spread from the intestines to the bloodstream and then make its way to the body’s other organs.

Medical professionals say that consumers should always keep raw meat separate from foods that won’t be cooked, such as salad ingredients. Wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds after touching raw meat and before touching other things in your kitchen.

It’s also important to thoroughly wash kitchen countertops, cutting boards, plates, and utensils with hot, soapy water or a bleach solution after they come in contact with raw meat or its juices to avoid contaminating other foods and kitchen items.

Consumers are increasingly shopping at Walmart instead of Amazon, according to a new survey by First Insight. The retail analytics firm polled 1,000 consumers and found that 55 percent prefer shopping at Walmart rather than Amazon.com. 

In 2018, the same survey found that 47 percent preferred Walmart. First Insight found that the percentage of people who favor Amazon has fallen to 45 percent from about 53 percent last year. 

“The excitement of the Amazon box coming to your house is kind of dwindling off,” First Insight CEO Greg Petro told CNBC. “I think the novelty of Amazon is wearing off.”

Going head-to-head with Amazon

Walmart and other retailers have been struggling to keep up with Amazon, which earlier this year promised even speedier deliveries. The company also recently announced plans to start delivering grocery products for free within a two-hour window to Prime members in regions eligible for its Amazon Fresh service. 

Prior to the announcement that Amazon Fresh would become free for eligible members, Walmart announced that it had begun testing a program that delivered groceries directly to people’s refrigerators. The retailer has also established more than 2,700 grocery pickup locations for online orders across the U.S.

″[Walmart’s] speed is allowing them to leapfrog and get hyper-competitive with Amazon in a short period of time,” Petro told CNBC. 

Holiday deal battle

The publication noted that the “true test” could come this holiday season. 

Walmart and Amazon have both already started offering deals ahead of the holiday season, which is a few days shorter this year due to a quirk in the calendar. Black Friday falls on November 29, leaving 25 days before December 25.

Walmart unveiled its holiday shopping deals online on October 25 -- the earliest any major retailer has begun rolling out its discounts normally reserved for the days leading up to Black Friday.

“Saving our customers time is also paramount at this time of year, especially with fewer days to get ready for big family meals, parties and gift-giving,” Steve Bratspies, executive vice president and chief merchandising officer of Walmart, said in a statement. “We’re making sure this season is the easiest yet for our customers with nine tech-enabled ways to shop for everyone on their list – when and how they want.”

Amazon still preferred by some consumers

While Walmart appears to be winning over -- or winning back -- many shoppers, some consumers have said Amazon’s online marketplace has an edge over Walmart’s. 

ConsumerAffairs reviewer Martine of Hempstead, New York said last month that while Walmart has good prices, “their search engine is horrible and cannot seem to process more than 1 or 2 filters without messing up the search results.” 

“Furthermore, better prices can often be found on Amazon and the items are often coming from the same third party seller,” Martine added. “Walmart is trying to compete with Amazon with their next day delivery, but I haven't been able to get my time right in terms of ordering early enough to get that option even if the items are marked 'next day delivery' eligible; also, Walmart's 2 day delivery isn't as good as Amazon's.” 

New York’s Supreme Court has rejected Uber’s bid to overturn the cap on the number of ride-hailing vehicles allowed to cruise the city’s streets without passengers.

Uber previously argued that the law, which was implemented in August 2018 as a way to ease traffic congestion, represented an overstep of the city’s authority. The ride-hailing giant contended that placing limitations on cruising time would undermine its entire business model and asked for the law to be voided. 

However, a judge has found that the city acted within its rights in imposing the law, which also halted the issuance of new licenses to drivers for 12 months. 

Uber disappointed by decision

A spokesperson for Uber said the company is “disappointed that the [city Taxi and Limousine Commission’s] cap that punishes drivers who are forced to rent vehicles will remain in effect.”

At this time, the company hasn’t decided whether it will appeal the ruling. 

Taxi drivers, who have been increasingly burdened by debt and thus have supported measures like the cap on for-hire vehicles, celebrated the ruling. 

“This cap has been life saving and the basis for any group of drivers — Uber or yellow cab — to come out of poverty and instability,” New York Taxi Workers Alliance director Bhairavi Desai said in a statement. “Uber and Lyft have saturated the streets on drivers’ backs. They lost on this issue and need to stop wasting everyone’s time and money fighting it.”

Save A Lot, a discount supermarket chain, is teaming up with Amazon to allow its customers to make Amazon purchases at its stores and pay with cash.

Amazon has taken a huge share of online sales, but there is one customer segment it has difficulty reaching -- consumers who don’t have credit cards. Save A Lot’s customer base is largely made up of low- and modest-income consumers, many of whom are unbanked and don’t have credit.

The grocery chain says its new services will allow shoppers to pay for and pick up Amazon packages in stores through Amazon PayCode, which shoppers can use to pay for their Amazon purchases.

The new service will roll out first at several Save A Lot locations in the St. Louis market. Those participating stores will also offer Amazon Hub Locker, a place where Amazon customers can receive and pick up their purchases. It can also be used for returns. Save A Lot said it plans to expand both services to more than 400 stores by the end of next year.

"We are focused on improving our customers' lives through innovation," said Ian Bone, senior director of Corporate Development at Save A Lot. "Our work with Amazon is only the first example of how Save A Lot is delivering unmatched value to our local communities with leading-edge technologies and strategic partnerships."

Trying to reach consumers without credit cards

This is not Amazon’s first time reaching out to consumers who lack debit or credit cards. The online retailer currently offers Amazon PayCode at 15,000 Western Union locations. Consumers can go to these locations, look online for the Amazon product they want, order it, and then pay for it in cash. When checking out, customers can click on “Amazon PayCode” when asked for a payment option.

Amazon will also ship purchases to Amazon Hub Locker locations at no extra charge. Consumers may pick out a locker at the most convenient location, which will then be used as the shipping address. When the purchase has been delivered, the customer will get an e-mail and a barcode that they'll use to pick up their package during store hours.

Save A Lot says it is embracing the partnership as a way to add services and convenience to its customers. For Amazon, the arrangement opens the door to a market that is mostly unserved by online retailers.

That market could be quite large. The Federal Reserve has estimated that 55 million consumers are unbanked in the U.S., meaning they lack credit or debit cards. That accounts for about 22 percent of U.S. households.

If you’re doing anything online that you don’t want anyone to know about, you’re probably out of luck.

The Washington Post reports a number of websites, from mainstream news outlets to porn sites, are using a hidden code to run a check to find out who you are. Accessing or deploying browsing features like “private browsing” may make no difference at all. In fact, because you’ve turned on a feature like “do not track” may make you more likely to be tracked, security experts say.

Some of these programs that track you online don’t appear to be that intrusive at first glance. The programs extract mostly innocent-looking data about your computer, such as your screen resolution or the version of the operating system your device is running.

It’s called “fingerprinting,” with the web taking a photograph of your browsing habits. With this information, a program can know what sites you’ve accessed in the past and create profiles of your behavior. It’s one of the reasons that ads seem to follow you around on the internet.

The Post report says most of the sites it contacted said “fingerprinting” web users is now  industry standard practice. But one analyst told the Post that “fingerprinting” is user-hostile, with the fact that web users who ask not to be tracked become even more valuable tracking commodities.

‘Growing threat’

According to the Post, Google, Apple, and Mozilla have all agreed that “fingerprinting” is a growing threat to consumers.

It’s not that websites you’ve visited have your name, address, or any other personal information about you in a database. It’s all a matter of putting information into a pattern.

As internet users access a website, the site’s code begins asking your computer for things that aren’t part of the usual process of pulling up a page. Knowing what operating system you’re running, what fonts you have installed or what your address is on your internal network distinguishing characteristics.

If you have turned on “do not track” the site may take a special interest in you. Different websites use different data points to assemble your fingerprint, which is part of what makes it so hard to control. 

Some websites say they use fingerprinting to protect their customers. They contend that fingerprinting lets them improve online security, such as fighting attempts to use stolen credit cards or passwords.