Current Events in November 2020

Ulta Beauty announced Tuesday that it will open smaller versions of its stores inside hundreds of Target locations nationwide. 

Target CEO Brian Cornell said shoppers will start seeing these mini Ulta stores -- dubbed “Ulta Beauty at Target” -- starting in the second half of 2021. The stores will be about 1,000 square feet and will feature a “curated” selection of makeup, skincare products, and fragrances available in Ulta’s standalone locations. 

“We couldn’t be happier about bringing these two trusted brands together to redefine retail beauty experiences,” Cornell said in a statement. “This matchup brings Ulta Beauty’s coveted prestige beauty assortment, category expertise and guest loyalty together with Target’s high-growth beauty business and the ease and convenience of our industry-leading fulfillment services.” 

Products can be purchased in the store, brought to a customer’s car using the retailer’s curbside pickup option, or delivered to a customer’s home through Shipt. 

The "planned locations will complement Ulta Beauty’s current store footprint, welcoming new guests to the brand and building upon Target’s existing assortment of beauty options,” Target said in a news release. 

‘Shop-in-shop’ concept

Ulta CEO Mary Dillon said in the release that the concept "reflects further evolution in our omnichannel strategy, rooted in unlocking the potential of our physical and digital footprints, creating more seamless shopping opportunities for our loyal guests and continuing to lead the beauty industry."

The pandemic took a financial toll on Ulta after it was forced to close stores in the spring, but Dillon said the retailer is now “embracing a time of change to innovate and to lead.”

The new Ulta locations in Target stores will have COVID-19-friendly virtual try-on features. 

“The shop-in-shop is expected to be enhanced with Ulta Beauty’s immersive, in-store digital discovery tools such as GLAMLab, a virtual try-on tool that provides safe trial across beauty categories,” the news release said. 

Ulta’s smaller shops will initially debut at more than 100 Target locations and online next year, but the two stores have plans to "scale to hundreds more over time." 

Bad news landed on the doorstep at Amazon’s headquarters early Tuesday. The European Commission has informed the online retailer that it feels the company has breached European Union (EU) antitrust rules by “distorting competition in online retail markets.” 

The Commission’s biggest problem with Amazon is that it supposedly gleans non-public business data about independent sellers on its marketplace and uses that information to the benefit of its own retail business, which directly competes with those third-party sellers. 

The value of that information could easily catapult Amazon’s own version of a product to the front of the line. The Commission said that Amazon’s insider information on third-party sellers included the number of ordered and shipped units of products, the sellers' revenues on the marketplace, the number of visits to sellers' offers, shipping data, data related to sellers' past performance, and other consumer claims on products.

“We must ensure that dual role platforms with market power, such as Amazon, do not distort competition. Data on the activity of third-party sellers should not be used to the benefit of Amazon when it acts as a competitor to these sellers,” said Margrethe Vestager, the executive vice president in charge of competition policy.

The almighty “Buy Box”

The Commission didn’t let Amazon off the hook with just one indiscretion. It also opened a second antitrust investigation into the possible partisan treatment of Amazon's own retail offers and those of marketplace sellers that use Amazon's logistics and delivery services.

In particular, the Commission will take a deep look into the criteria that Amazon sets to select who’s included in its “Buy Box.” The Buy Box is the white box on the right side of an Amazon product’s detail page where customers can click and add items to their cart.

The rub for the Commission is that only businesses with exceptional seller metrics get a chance to be included in the Buy Box -- and guess what decides who qualifies as “exceptional?” Amazon’s own algorithms.

Eyal Lanxner at BigBusiness said that 82 percent of Amazon sales go through the Buy Box, and the percentage is even higher for mobile purchases. Lanxner says that in mobile, the Buy Box takes on heightened importance because, unlike on a desktop or laptop, the mobile site features the Buy Box directly under the product image.

“If you’re that one lucky seller who gets the ‘Buy Box,’ you make all the sales,” says Christo Wilson, lead researcher of a Northeastern University study of Amazon's algorithmic pricing practices.

“This is very much a winner-take-all system. If you’re that one lucky seller who gets the ‘buy box,’ you make all the sales. So if you want to be competitive for the top-selling products, you pretty much have no choice: You have to be an algorithmic seller.”

The Commission and Amazon’s end game

The two sides now enter the fray hoping for a judgment in their favor. The Commission is going to be leaning heavily on an EU law that prohibits the abuse of a dominant market position. And in the other corner, Amazon will be battling to prove that it plays fair and square with third-party vendors.

“The conditions of competition on the Amazon platform must also be fair. Its rules should not artificially favour Amazon's own retail offers or advantage the offers of retailers using Amazon's logistics and delivery services,” Vestager said.

“With e-commerce booming, and Amazon being the leading e-commerce platform, a fair and undistorted access to consumers online is important for all sellers.”

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has not only raised home prices; it’s also significantly raised rents, which were pretty high to start with.

As the median purchase price of a single-family home has risen nearly every month during the pandemic, The Wall Street Journal reports that the cost of renting a single-family home has risen just about as fast.

It analyzed data from large corporate landlords, such as Invitation Homes and American Homes 4 Rent, describing their business as “pandemic proof.” These large landlords picked up thousands of homes across the nation during the financial crisis of 2009, when home prices plunged.

Many of these homes are in suburban areas of the country that have seen an influx of former city dwellers seeking more room, inside and out. Housing experts attribute this migration to the fact that so many people have been working from home since late March.

“The demand we see today is totally insatiable, and it’s growing,” David Singelyn, chief executive of American Homes 4 Rent, told The Journal. The company reportedly owns more than 53,000 houses in 22 states. Most recently, its monthly rent has averaged just under $1,700 a month.

Rent costs continue to increase

According to The Journal, which cited data from analytics firm Green Street, listed rents for available homes owned by large corporate landlords rose 7.5 percent in October alone. It was the fifth consecutive month of year-over-year increases and the largest on record.

For a household that hasn’t lost income during the pandemic, rising rents are a financial burden but not a crisis. For families where one or both wage-earners are out of work, rising rents may pose quite a large crisis.

Because of the growing shortage of available homes to buy or rent, housing costs have been rising sharply for the last three years. In January, even before the pandemic hit, the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies issued a report showing that rent affordability was beginning to affect even middle-income consumers.

With higher-income households accounting for much of the growth in rental demand since 2010, the report noted that new supply has been concentrated at the upper end of the market. At the same time, demand for rental housing at the low-to-middle income segments of the market took off.

"Rising rents are making it increasingly difficult for households to save for a downpayment and become homeowners,”  said Whitney Airgood-Obrycki, a research associate at the Center and lead author of the report. “Young, college-educated households with high incomes are really driving current rental demand."

That also seems to be the case 11 months later. People with young families have led the wave of new renters, seeking greener pastures in the suburbs amid the COVID-19 pandemic and creating new demand that has put upward pressure on rents.

Continental Tire the Americas is recalling 11,728 Continental and General brand tires sold as original or replacement equipment.

The recalled tires were cured for a time beyond the specification limits.

Tires that are over-cured may develop a break in the sidewall resulting in sudden air loss or a belt edge separation which could lead to a tread/belt loss. Either condition can cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.

The recalled tires include:

• ProContact TX P205/55R16 with DOT code 2420 and Mold number 416290
• ProContact TX 215/60R16 with DOT code 3320 and Mold number 419149
• Conti ProContact P215/60R16 with DOT code 2220 and Mold numbers 214574, 214571, 404245, or 214573
• ProContact GX P225/60R17 with DOT code 0120 and Mold number 218037
• CrossContact LX Sport 235/65R18 with DOT code 0220 and Mold numbers 418538 or 415347
• CrossContact LX Sport 245/50R20 with DOT code 2920 and Mold numbers 421921 or 421920
• CrossContact LX Sport 255/50R20 with DOT code 1020 and Mold number 416221
• CrossContact LX20 EcoPlus+ 255/55R20 with DOT code 0220 and Mold number 421238, DOT code 0120 and Mold number 421241, DOT code 0820 and Mold number 421236 or DOT code 0420 and Mold number 421246
• Reliatrek 205/55R16 DOT code 1120 and Mold numbers 419193 or 419442
• Reliatrek HT 275/65R18 with DOT code 0420 and Mold number 421380
• Altimax RT43 225/60R18 with DOT code 2220 and Mold number 409762 or DOT code 2420 and Mold number 409762
• Altimax RT43 235/55R19 with DOT code 1120 and Mold number 415663
• Grabber HTS60 225/75R16 with DOT code 2720 and Mold number 412441
• Grabber HTS60 LT275/70R18 with DOT code 0520 and Mold numbers 413243 or 412872
• Grabber HTS 255/70R17 with DOT code 3020 and Mold number 418570
• Grabber AT2 265/70R16 with DOT code 2820 and Mold numbers 069114 or 075987
• Grabber X3 35 X 12.50R20 with DOT codes 1120 and Mold number 415373 or DOT code 1220 and Mold number 415373
• Grabber HD LT245/75R17 with DOT code 2420 and Mold number 416034
• Grabber A/TX LT275/70R18 with DOT code 2420 and Mold number 417330 or 417331
• Grabber A/TX LT315/70R17 with DOT code 2520 and Mold number 417395

What to do

Continental Tire will notify the owners who purchased the tires as replacement equipment. Various vehicle manufacturers will conduct recalls to cover the original equipment tires.

The tires will be inspected to verify that they are affected, and will be replaced -- as necessary -- free of charge.

The manufacturer has not yet provided a schedule for recall notification. Owners may contact Continental Tire customer service at (888) 799-2168.

Daimler Vans USA (DVUSA) is recalling 463 model year 2020 Mercedes-Benz Sprinters.

The outer area of the brake hoses on the front and rear axles may have been damaged during production.

Over time, the hose could begin to leak brake fluid, affecting the braking performance of the vehicle, including the potential loss of directional stability when braking, thereby increasing the risk of a crash.

What to do

DVUSA will notify owners, and dealers will check the condition of the brake hoses on the front and rear axles and replace them -- as needed -- free of charge.

The recall is expected to begin November 30, 2020.

Owners may contact DVUSA customer service at (877) 762-8267. DVUSA's number for this recall is VS3MONTLAU.

Taste for Luxury is recalling Raschera DOP (cheese) that may be contaminated with Salmonella.

No illnesses have been reported to date.

A list of the recalled products, sold in Canada's Ontario and Quebec provinces may be found here.

What to do

Customers who purchased the recalled products should not consume them, but discard or return them to the store where purchased.

Consumers with questions may contact the company at (800) 503-1581 or by email at info@tasteforluxury.ca

Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) is recalling 47 model year 2019 GLA250s.

The engine compartment fusebox may come loose over time, potentially damaging fuses and disrupting certain vehicle functions such as engine, power steering assist, electronic stability control (ESP), and Active Brake Assist.

A loss of engine operation, power steering assist, ESP system, or Active Brake Assist can increase the risk of a crash.

What to do

MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the engine compartment fusebox mounting and correct it -- as necessary -- free of charge.

The recall is expected to begin December 29, 2020.

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

Coronavirus (COVID-19) tally as compiled by Johns Hopkins University. (Previous numbers in parentheses.)

Total U.S. confirmed cases: 9,985,509 (9,870,018)

Total U.S. deaths: 237,619 (237,154)

Total global cases:  50,591,307 (49,979,746)

Total global deaths:  1,258,817 (1,252,471)

Pfizer vaccine shows 90 percent efficacy

Pfizer and its partner BioNTech today announced that their vaccine candidate, BNT162b2, has emerged as the most likely weapon to defeat the coronavirus (COVID-19). The vaccine achieved spectacular results in a Phase 3 clinical trial.

Researchers say the vaccine prevented viral infection in more than 90 percent of the test subjects who received it. That sort of efficacy is on par with the smallpox vaccine, which eradicated that disease.

“Today is a great day for science and humanity,” said Dr. Albert Bourla, Pfizer Chairman and CEO. “The first set of results from our Phase 3 COVID-19 vaccine trial provides the initial evidence of our vaccine’s ability to prevent COVID-19.”

Over 237,000 new cases over the weekend

Pfizer’s vaccine news could not come at a better time, as the virus is raging across the United States and Europe. The U.S. has seen its case count surge in the last three weeks, recording 237,000 new cases over the weekend.

An analysis of data from Johns Hopkins University shows there were 105,927 new coronavirus cases reported on Sunday alone. It was the fifth consecutive day that the number of cases exceeded 100,000.

"We're about to see all of these little epidemics across the country, crossed and mixed, and it's going to be an awful lot like pouring gasoline on a fire," Dr. Megan Ranney told CNN.

Biden sets up COVID-19 transition panel

President-elect Joe Biden has appointed a COVID-19 Advisory Board to work during the transition to establish a national response to the pandemic. 

The panel will be led by Dr. David Kessler, who was U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) commissioner in both the George H.W. Bush and Clinton administrations, and Dr. Vivek Murthy, the U.S. Surgeon General during the Obama administration.

“The advisory board will help shape my approach to managing the surge in reported infections; ensuring vaccines are safe, effective, and distributed efficiently, equitably, and free; and protecting at-risk populations,” Biden said.

FDA clears new antibody test

The FDA has authorized the first serology test that detects neutralizing antibodies from recent or prior COVID-19 infections. These antibodies bind to a specific part of a pathogen and have been observed in a laboratory setting to decrease infection of cells. 

The agency issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) for the cPass SARS-CoV-2 Neutralization Antibody Detection Kit, which specifically detects this type of antibody.

"The ability to detect neutralizing antibodies can help us gain additional insight into what the existence of antibodies may mean for patients as we continue the fight against COVID-19," said Tim Stenzel, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Office of In Vitro Diagnostics and Radiological Health.

How to keep your mask clean

Patrick Grant, Ph.D., associate professor of biomedical science at Florida Atlantic University, has designed a compact and portable sanitizing device for masks and other items that can be used at home or at work.

It’s described as a “portable hanging rack device” that has been designed as an enclosed chamber. It has a plastic container with a handle and a stainless steel compartment. The hanging rack and an ultraviolet-C (UV-C) light source is placed within either of these enclosed chambers and is capable of sterilizing up to six masks simultaneously and quickly, killing bacteria, yeasts, mold spores, and viruses.

The device was developed in response to consumers’ repeated use of face coverings. Grant says bacteria from even a healthy wearer’s own respiratory droplets can collect on the inside and outside of a mask, and they could contain airborne pathogens capable of living on its surface.

Around the Nation

• Michigan: State health officials say COVID-19 diagnostic testing has increased over the last couple of weeks, with the state surpassing more than 50,000 daily tests in multiple days. Of concern to doctors is the fact that the positivity rate has also risen sharply.

• North Carolina: Cases of COVID-19 have increased in the urban region of the state known as the research triangle. But state health officials say cases are growing at a much faster rate in rural areas of North Carolina.

• Utah: Gov. Gary Herbert has issued emergency orders to help control the spread of the virus, which is rapidly growing in Utah. Those orders include a statewide mandate to wear a face-covering in public places, a move the governor resisted for months.

The world may be a big step closer to banishing the coronavirus (COVID-19). Pfizer and its partner BioNTech today announced their vaccine candidate, BNT162b2, achieved spectacular results in a Phase 3 clinical trial.

Researchers say the vaccine prevented viral infection in more than 90 percent of the test subjects who received it. That sort of efficacy is on par with the vaccine that eradicated smallpox.

“Today is a great day for science and humanity,” said Dr. Albert Bourla, Pfizer Chairman and CEO. “The first set of results from our Phase 3 COVID-19 vaccine trial provides the initial evidence of our vaccine’s ability to prevent COVID-19.”

A step closer

The news comes as the virus is raging across the United States and Europe. The U.S. has seen its case count surge in the last three weeks, recording 237,000  new cases over the weekend.

“With today’s news, we are a significant step closer to providing people around the world with a much-needed breakthrough to help bring an end to this global health crisis,” Bourla said. “We look forward to sharing additional efficacy and safety data generated from thousands of participants in the coming weeks.”

The Pfizer researchers said the different outcomes for those who received the vaccine and those who received a placebo indicate a vaccine efficacy rate above 90 percent, achieved about seven days after subjects received the second dose.

The company says researchers have not reported any serious safety concerns and have recommended that the study continue to collect additional safety and efficacy data as planned. It said the data will be discussed with regulatory authorities worldwide.

The Phase 3 clinical trial of the vaccine candidate began on July 27 and has enrolled 43,538 participants so far. Pfizer says 38,955 of the subjects have received a second dose of the vaccine candidate as of Sunday. 

Should work for nearly everyone

The trial results suggest that the vaccine should work for nearly everyone, according to Pfizer. The company says approximately 42 percent of global participants and 30 percent of U.S. participants have racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds. 

Just how big is this news? Pretty big, according to scientists who tend to keep their emotions under control and are not given to hyperbole..

“I’m near-ecstatic,” Bill Gruber, one of Pfizer’s top vaccine scientists, told The Guardian. “This is a great day for public health and for the potential to get us all out of the circumstances we’re now in.”

The next step is for Pfizer and BioNTech to apply to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for emergency use authorization (EUA) pending formal approval of the vaccine. Pfizer and BioNTech have already been producing the drug and expect to have 50 million doses on hand by the end of next month. The companies estimate that they can produce 1.3 billion doses in 2021.

President-elect Joe Biden has quickly established his priorities, appointing a COVID-19 Advisory Board to work during the transition to establish a national response to the pandemic that is surging across America.

Members include Dr. David Kessler, who was Food and Drug Administration (FDA) commissioner in both the George H.W. Bush and Clinton administrations and Dr. Vivek Murthy, the surgeon general under the Obama administration, who will serve as co-chair.

They’re joined by Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith, an associate professor of internal medicine at Yale University; Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, who served as a special adviser for health policy during the Obama administration.

Biden was declared president-elect Saturday after the mail-in vote count in Pennsylvania gave him that state’s 20 electoral votes. President Trump has not conceded and announced plans to file a legal challenge to Pennsylvania’s results.

The Biden campaign, however, has already moved into a transition phase, preparing to take power on January 20. In a statement, Biden identified COVID-19 as one of the most important challenges faced by the incoming administration.

“The advisory board will help shape my approach to managing the surge in reported infections; ensuring vaccines are safe, effective, and distributed efficiently, equitably, and free; and protecting at-risk populations,” Biden said.

Possible nationwide mandate

The board may also recommend nationwide mandates, reversing the Trump Administration’s policy of leaving the management of the pandemic to individual states. Under that policy, some states initiated more aggressive mitigation measures than others.

But cases of the virus are surging all across America, even in states with more stringent mitigation rules. Over the weekend the U.S. recorded 237,000 new cases of the virus with the total number of cases approaching 10 million. More than 287,000 Americans have died from the virus.

U.S. health officials are once again worried about the rate of hospitalizations as institutions in the hardest-hit states are filling up quickly.

Biden made clear that any policy changes are likely to be instituted on a national level, and that could require an order that all Americans wear face coverings when gathered in public. The incoming administration said it plans to consult with state and local officials to determine what steps are needed to get the virus under control.

While recent studies have highlighted the health and weight loss benefits associated with intermittent fasting, a new study conducted by researchers from the American Heart Association explored weight loss outcomes based on different restricted eating schedules. 

According to their findings, consuming the majority of calories in the early part of the day isn’t linked with greater weight loss. 

“We have wondered for a long time if when one eats during the day affects the way the body uses and stores energy,” said researcher Dr. Nisa M. Maruthur. “Most prior studies have not controlled the number of calories, so it wasn’t clear if people who ate earlier just ate fewer calories. In this study, the only thing we changed was the time of day eating.” 

Timing isn’t so important

To see how time-restricted eating in the early part of the day affected weight loss outcomes, the researchers had 41 overweight and diabetic participants follow the same healthy diet for 12 weeks, with the only difference being when they ate meals. 

One group was instructed to eat 80 percent of their daily calories before 1pm while the other half was free to eat as they normally would, though half of their daily calories were consumed after 5pm. 

Every four weeks, the researchers evaluated the participants' blood pressure and weight to see how the timing of these diets affected their health outcomes. 

They learned that neither blood pressure nor weight loss were affected by the timing of the participants’ meals. Both measures had improved over the course of the study, but neither group outperformed the other based on when they ate during the day, which came as a surprise to the researchers. 

“We thought that the time-restricted eating group would lose more weight,” Dr. Maruthur said. “Yet that didn’t happen. We did not see any difference in weight loss for those who ate most of their calories earlier versus later in the day. We did not see any effects on blood pressure either.” 

Because both weight and blood pressure play such large roles for those with diabetes, the researchers want to conduct future studies to see how different eating schedules could have an effect on blood sugar and insulin. 

“Together, these findings will help us to more fully understand the effects of time-restricted eating on cardiometabolic health,” said Dr. Maruthur. 

Amazon has launched a new rewards program for its Flex drivers -- independent contractors who make Amazon and Whole Foods deliveries with their own cars and cover their own expenses. 

On its website, the company has added a section called Amazon Flex Rewards. Amazon said the program gives drivers a chance to earn perks through the accrual of points. 

Perks include access to a Flex Debit Card and the ability to reserve preferred delivery shifts. Flex drivers can earn different perks depending on how much work they do for Amazon and how well they do it. 

“Amazon Flex Rewards is a program exclusively for Amazon Flex delivery partners to thank you for all the work you do,” the website states. “With Amazon Flex Rewards, you can earn cash back with the Amazon Flex Debit Card, enjoy Preferred Scheduling and access thousands of discounts as well as tools to navigate things like insurance and taxes.”

More points, different perks

The rewards program gives drivers the opportunity to earn points for each completed delivery. Additional points may be earned based on metrics like on-time delivery rates and overall standing in the app. 

CNBC points out that it can be difficult for Flex drivers to find work. Drivers usually only have a few seconds to “accept” a shift before someone else claims it. The rewards program has a perk to help alleviate some of the pressure to act fast.

Drivers who have earned 650 points can reserve shifts aligned with their preferences, such as their preferred delivery station and time of the day. They will have up to 30 minutes to accept a reserved shift. 

Amazon says it will reset drivers’ points after each three-month earnings period, but drivers will still have access to the perks they earned from the previous period. 

The company told CNBC that it’s in the early stages of launching the program. Eventually, all Flex drivers in the U.S. will have access to it. 

Recent studies have highlighted how limited access to food can affect consumers in a myriad of ways, including increasing the risk of obesity and premature death, and negatively affecting kids in the classroom and their overall development. 

Now, a new study conducted by researchers from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine has found that food insecurity is also linked with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. 

“This research gives us a better understanding of the connection between economic distress and cardiovascular disease,” said researcher Dr. Sameed Khatana. “What’s going on outside the clinic has significant impact on patients’ health. There are many factors beyond the medication we may be prescribing that can influence their well-being, food insecurity being one of them.” 

Improving food access

To understand how food insecurity could lead to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, the researchers analyzed data from both the Map the Meal Gap study and the National Center for Health Statistics. The study broke down six years worth of data about food insecurity and subsequent health outcomes on a county-by-county basis across the country. 

The researchers observed a direct link between increased food insecurity and more cases of cardiovascular disease. They found that the risk of cardiovascular disease was nearly 90 percent higher per 100,000 people in areas where food insecurity was most prevalent. 

Food insecurity has been on the rise since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. On top of concerns about infection, experts have found that more consumers are struggling to put food on the table for their families. Moving forward, the researchers plan to see if targeting food insecurity in the communities most affected by it could benefit heart health outcomes. 

“There has been a growing disparity when it comes to food insecurity, and this data demonstrates that parts of the country are being left behind,” said Dr. Khatana. “Unfortunately, this may only get worse as the country grapples with the ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, interventions that improve a community’s economic well-being could potentially lead to improved community cardiovascular health.” 

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced a settlement with video conferencing platform Zoom on Monday that will require the company to implement a sturdier information security program. The FTC alleged that Zoom engaged in a series of “deceptive and unfair practices” that essentially undermined the security of its users.

The FTC’s complaint dates back to 2016 when the agency alleged that Zoom deceived users by falsely promising that it offered “end-to-end, 256-bit encryption” to secure users’ communications. Regulators said the falsehood created the possibility that other people (including Zoom) could read a user’s content. 

In the FTC’s eyes, Zoom also erroneously told users who wanted to store recorded meetings on the company’s cloud storage that those meetings were encrypted immediately after their meeting ended. Instead, some recordings allegedly were stored unencrypted for up to 60 days on Zoom’s servers before being transferred to its secure cloud storage.

Enter COVID-19

The matter was complicated further during the COVID-19 pandemic. Zoom’s reach skyrocketed from 10 million in December 2019 to 300 million in April 2020, putting even more users’ privacy at risk. 

Earlier this summer, the company attempted to soften the FTC’s angst by improving its security for all users versus only its paying subscribers, but those actions seemingly weren’t enough to appease regulators.

“During the pandemic, practically everyone—families, schools, social groups, businesses—is using videoconferencing to communicate, making the security of these platforms more critical than ever,” said Andrew Smith, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “Zoom’s security practices didn’t line up with its promises, and this action will help to make sure that Zoom meetings and data about Zoom users are protected.”

What changes Zoom users will see

The FTC’s laundry list of changes that Zoom users are supposed to see thanks to the settlement include:

• The annual assessment and documentation of any potential internal and external security risks and develop ways to safeguard against such risks;

• Implementation of a vulnerability management program; and

• Deployment of safeguards such as multi-factor authentication to protect against unauthorized access to its network; institute data deletion controls; and taking steps to prevent the use of known compromised user credentials.

The FTC didn’t stop there, though. On top of those three key changes, Zoom agreed to review any software updates for potential security flaws and must ensure that software updates will not hamper third-party security features. The company has also agreed not misrepresent to the public its collection and use of personal information, and it will have an assessment of security program made by an independent third party every other year.

Nearly 1 in 5 parents in the U.S. considered themselves “vaccine hesitant” in 2019, according to a new government study published in the medical journal Pediatrics. 

Vaccine hesitancy, which was defined in the study as “the mental state of holding back in doubt or indecision regarding vaccination,” was more prevalent among parents with higher education levels. It was also more prevalent among parents with three or more children and parents of Black children. 

The children of these parents were less likely to get a flu shot or shots for other preventable illnesses, which the study authors said was concerning -- particularly ahead of the rollout of a COVID-19 vaccine. 

"Reducing vaccine hesitancy and increasing confidence in vaccinations could help improve vaccination coverage and thus protect children from disease," said lead author Tammy Santibanez, an epidemiologist with the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases.

Concerns about side-effects

Vaccine-hesitant parents often expressed concern about the long-term side effects of vaccines, but fewer than 15 percent of participants said they knew someone who had a long-term problem related to a vaccine.

The researchers recommended that parents have a conversation with their health care provider about the benefits of vaccination, both for individuals and communities. In some cases, parents may have read false information about vaccines through social media. 

The lack of confidence in vaccines has been “exacerbated by social media,” said Dr. Michael Grosso, chief medical officer and chairman of pediatrics at Northwell Health's Huntington Hospital in New York. Grosso said social media misinformation can make it difficult for many people to “discern what is real and what is myth.”

Uber’s business model shift to delivery over ride-sharing has paid off handsomely. With the COVID-19 pandemic causing a 53 percent dip in Uber’s ride-sharing business, its global grocery delivery operation exceeded $1 billion in annual run rate for the second quarter of 2020.

There seems to be nowhere to go but up. While Uber’s grocery delivery offering is in about 10 countries worldwide, its American version is being built out of the early success it started incubating out of Dallas and Miami in July. Prospects look good because 23 million new subscribers returned to Uber’s fold since its pandemic low, prior to the launch of grocery delivery.

Staying flexible

Uber’s ability to easily move into the grocery delivery space suggests that it can move into other delivery segments in much the same way. Grocery Dive’s Sam Silverstein called the company’s foray into grocery-to-home a cornerstone of its ongoing effort to evolve from its ride-hailing roots into a multifaceted logistics organization.

“With a large number of people already signed up to use Uber’s better-established ride-sharing and food-delivery services, the company believes it is in a good position to rapidly scale its grocery operations,” Silverstein commented.

The company is already starting to show just how flexible it is. It recently launched a prescription delivery pilot with prescription delivery service NimbleRx in Dallas and Seattle. 

Uber’s future

Will Uber continue to chase the grocery delivery segment and let ride-sharing find its place organically in the pandemic’s “new normal”? Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi intimated that becoming the go-to choice for consumers wanting their groceries delivered is an opportunity that’s too good to pass up. 

By adding in more delivery segments, Khosrowshahi says the company is seeing “greater engagement, greater retention, higher spend as it relates to these consumers.”

“We have a giant audience in terms of our both mobility business and delivery business. So we're able to build a grocery business with an audience already and really deepen that engagement with the audience,” Khosrowshahi said on the earnings call.

Grocery delivery isn’t the cash cow that ride-sharing is. But despite that, Khosrowshahi called it “a very, very high engagement product with big basket sizes.”

The hotel reservation firm Prestige Software has exposed the data of millions of guests worldwide, Website Planet reports. 

Prestige Software -- a platform that enables hotels to automate their availability on booking websites like Expedia and Booking.com -- reportedly stored files dating as far back as 2013 without any protection in place. 

Exposed information included names, credit card details, ID numbers, and reservation details. In some cases, logs contained personally identifiable information for multiple members included in a single booking.

No evidence of third party access 

At this time, it’s not known how long the trove of data was left unsecured or if any third parties accessed it. If the data was found by a cybercriminal, the party could steal identities, carry out phishing scams, or even hijack a reservation.

“Millions of people were potentially exposed in the data breach, from all over the world. We can’t guarantee that somebody hasn’t already accessed the S3 bucket and stolen the data before we found it,” said researcher Mark Holden. “So far, there is no evidence of this happening. However, if it did, there would be enormous implications for the privacy, security and financial wellbeing of those exposed.”

Website Planet said the firm quickly fixed the vulnerability after being alerted to the issue. 

Holden said that due to the sheer number of hotel and travel websites involved in the breach, it’s “impossible to help anyone already exposed if somebody found the data before us.” Clients of Prestige Software include Booking.com, Expedia, Hotels.com, and many others. 

“If you’re a customer of any of the websites listed in this report and are concerned about how this leak might impact you, contact the company directly to determine what steps it’s taking to protect your data,” Website Planet said.

General Motors is recalling 2,781 model year 2020 Buick Enclaves, Cadillac XT5s, Cadillac XT6s, Chevrolet Traverses, and GMC Acadias.

The fuel pump's jet nozzle may have a plastic burr remaining from the manufacturing process, possibly causing a blocked nozzle and an insufficient fuel supply to the engine.

An insufficient fuel supply can result in an engine stall without warning, increasing the risk of a crash.

What to do

GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump module.

The recall is expected to begin November 30, 2020.

Owners may contact GMC customer service at (888) 988-7267, Buick Customer service at (800) 955-9007, Chevrolet customer service at (800) 222-1020 or Cadillac customer service at (800) 458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N202314760.

The Agriculture Department’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has issued a public health alert for heat treated, not fully cooked, not shelf stable, spaghetti and meatballs in marinara sauce.

The product may be contaminated with extraneous material -- specifically metal.

A recall was not requested because it's believed that the products are no longer available for consumers to purchase.

There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions.

The 15.5-oz. plastic containers of “TAKE HOME MEALS SPAGHETTI & MEATBALLS IN MARINARA SAUCE” packaged from October 17, 2020, to November 1, 2020, have expiration dates of October 25 – November 9, 2020, on the label.

The recalled product, bearing establishment number “EST. 20852” inside the USDA mark of inspection, was shipped to retail locations in Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin.

What to do

Customers who purchased the recalled product should not consume it, but discard or return it to the place of purchase.