Current Events in March 2021

Security researchers are warning that four zero-day vulnerabilities in Microsoft Exchange are now being used in attacks against thousands of organizations. 

Microsoft said Exchange customers should apply the emergency patches that it recently released as soon as possible because "nation-state actors and criminal groups will move quickly to take advantage of any unpatched systems."

Over the weekend, the Department of Homeland Security's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) said it was "aware of widespread domestic and international exploitation" of the vulnerabilities. 

Easy to exploit bugs 

The bugs -- which are being tracked as CVE-2021-26855, CVE-2021-26857, CVE-2021-26858, and CVE-2021-27065 -- are being used in attacks by a Chinese espionage group known as “Hafnium,” researchers said. The group was found to have deployed “web shells” on compromised Microsoft Exchange Servers with the aim of stealing data and installing malware. 

“Hafnium primarily targets entities in the United States across a number of industry sectors, including infectious disease researchers, law firms, higher education institutions, defense contractors, policy think tanks, and NGOs,” Microsoft said. “HAFNIUM has previously compromised victims by exploiting vulnerabilities in internet-facing servers. Once they’ve gained access to a victim network, HAFNIUM typically exfiltrates data to file sharing sites like MEGA.”

Chris Krebs, the former director of CISA, believes state and local government agencies and small businesses will be more widely affected by the attacks than large enterprises. 

"Incident response teams are BURNED OUT & this is at a really bad time," Krebs wrote. 

Around 30,000 organizations in the U.S. have been affected by the attacks, according to Brian Krebs of KrebsOnSecurity.com. 

"The intruders have left behind a ‘web shell,’ an easy-to-use, password-protected hacking tool that can be accessed over the Internet from any browser. The web shell gives the attackers administrative access to the victim's computer servers," Krebs said. 

Apple has partnered with Common Sense Media to launch curated collections of podcasts for children and families. 

Four collections of podcasts geared towards kids are available starting today. The first four collections include: podcasts recommended by kids, mysteries and dramas, story-driven shows that “transport kids into a world of imagination,” and Common Sense Media’s “all-time favorite” picks. 

Apple said it plans to update its podcasts listings for kids on a monthly basis. Future collections will be grouped by popularity and pertinent themes, such as Back to School and Women’s History Months. The shows will come from Tinkercast, American Public Media, WNYC Studios, Rebel Girls, and Nickelodeon, among others. 

Common Sense will provide age group recommendations for the podcasts. 

Apple’s collaboration with Common Sense comes amid ongoing competition between Spotify and Apple. Unlike Spotify, Apple hasn’t corralled kid-oriented content into separate apps and experiences. 

The company’s partnership with Common Sense coincides with a pandemic-driven increase in the popularity of podcasts suitable for children. Starting today, users can find the podcasts suggestions on Apple Podcasts’ main homepage carousel. 

Google has announced that it will be distributing $25 million in grants to nonprofits and social enterprises focused on empowering women and girls. 

The company announced its new “Impact Challenge” on International Women’s Day, saying the grants are intended to help remove systemic barriers faced by women during their entrepreneurial pursuits. 

"Women and men remain on unequal footing -- and these inequalities have worsened in the wake of COVID-19," Jacquelline Fuller, president of Google's charitable wing Google.org, said in a blog post published Monday. 

Empowering women

Google has put out a call for applications from teams with a feasible plan for a project or innovation that will “create pathways to prosperity for women and girls or empower them to reach their full economic potential.” Applicants should have a proposal that is “grounded in research and data about the problem and the solution,” the company added. 

Grant recipients could receive between $300,000 and $2 million, as well as opportunities for mentorship and additional support from Google. 

"Whatever these teams need, we are going to be alongside them and help carry out their vision," Fuller said. 

The tech giant has started accepting applications from teams aligned with its mission. The deadline to submit is April 9. Applicants will be judged by a panel that includes U.S. Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman, Google Chief Diversity Officer Melonie Parker, musician Shakira, and others. 

Sometimes things aren’t as they appear to be. After word from Google headquarters suggested that it was planning to axe third-party tracking cookies and stop selling ads based on tracking in its Chrome browser, reports are circulating that targeted ads aren’t disappearing completely. 

“You’re 100 percent still being targeted,” Elizabeth Renieris, an affiliate of Harvard University’s Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society, told Yahoo Finance. However, Google approaches its detour a bit softer. 

"People shouldn't have to accept being tracked across the web in order to get the benefits of relevant advertising,” wrote David Temkin, Google's director of product management, ads privacy and trust. “And advertisers don't need to track individual consumers across the web to get the performance benefits of digital advertising," 

Renieris said that while Google won't replace cookies with other tools that track you individually, she believes the company is looking at alternatives that will lump users into bigger groups that have similar interests, which advertisers can buy ads for. An example might be a cosmetics blog where Revlon could take the contextual ad approach and pitch products like lip gloss.

Paying for content?

Privacy purists can moan about this all they like, but the fact remains that advertisements are the lifeblood of almost every site you visit. If there were no ads at all, it’s likely that websites would either have to set up paywalls for content or go to a subscription model. 

"The simple fact is that subscription and paywalls don't work for all publishers, and perhaps more importantly, they don't work for all consumers. Based on a recent survey we conducted on 5,000 U.S. residents as part of research for our 2021 adblock report, only 15 percent of respondents said that they are likely to purchase a paid subscription to access content,” Blockthrough’s Vishveshwar Jatain told ConsumerAffairs.

What Google’s decision means for your browsing habits

The first thing we should clear up is the difference between a “first-party cookie” and a “third-party cookie.” First-party cookies are issued from the site that you’re visiting, and their intent is pretty harmless. Let’s say you visit EPSN.com frequently. Your computer will be sent a cookie from the website that notes what your preferences are (e.g. your favorite team) so that you don’t have to drill down and find the news you’re specifically interested in each time you visit the site.

“On the other hand, advertising firms place third-party cookies on websites to track your online activities,” Yahoo! Finance’s Daniel Howley explains. “These advertisers use the information gleaned from those cookies to follow your activities across the web and feed you ads that line up with your general interests — a practice known as targeted advertising. These cookies can, in theory, be useful too, as they’ll serve ads for products you might actually want to buy.”

Howley says that the change in cookies for Google Chrome users might not be as glaring as it sounds. “If you want an idea of what Chrome will be like when it dumps third-party cookies, go check out Mozilla’s Firefox browser or Apple’s Safari, which have blocked third-party cookies since 2019 and 2020, respectively. It’s not exactly all that different,” Howley said.

At the end of the day, Google’s decision to ditch third-party cookies should still give end users a little more peace of mind when it comes to privacy. 

“Google's decision to kill third-party cookies is at least in part driven by the growing consumer discontent about being tracked online,” Jatain said. “Following this period of necessary change ahead of us, advertising will eventually become more privacy-focused, but it will still continue to play a pivotal role in supporting a free and open internet."

General Motors has committed to producing no gasoline-powered cars by 2030; Ford says it will only sell electric vehicles in Europe by 2035.

You’d think that consumers must be clamoring for electric vehicles if automakers are making such an abrupt pivot from vehicles powered by fossil fuels. But a report by The Wall Street Journal says they aren’t. In fact, the report found that car dealers are concerned that the industry’s sudden embrace of electric vehicles, pushed by government mandates, could result in a radical drop in new car sales.

Brad Sowers, a GM dealer in St. Louis, says he has yet to see any enthusiasm among his customers for electric vehicles. Last year his dealership sold 4,000 Chevrolets, but only nine were the all-electric Chevy Bolt.

“The consumer in the middle of America just isn’t there yet,” Sowers told The Journal. 

‘Concerned for automakers’

Dealers who have to sell the cars that manufacturers turn out don’t seem all that enthusiastic about electric vehicles, despite governments demanding their production.

The government mandates have caused about 180 GM dealers -- about 20 percent -- to decide to drop their Cadillac franchises rather than incurring the cost of the upgrades that GM has required to sell its planned line of electric cars.

“Frankly, we’re concerned for automakers,” said Kristin Kolodge, executive director of driver interaction & human machine interface research at JD Power.

J.D. Power’s 2020 Mobility Confidence Index Study, released in April, flashed a warning sign to the auto industry. It warned that manufacturers are plowing ahead producing cars that, so far at least, most consumers have not asked for.

While it is true that the technology is evolving quickly, the survey found that even consumers who have previously owned an electric vehicle aren’t really interested in buying another one. They cite the lack of charging infrastructure, the cars’ limited driving range per charge, and the purchase price as their main objections.

The researchers also fault the industry for its efforts to educate consumers about electric vehicles. They note that 70 percent of consumers have never ridden in an electric vehicle, and 30 percent know nothing about them.

Researchers continue to discover how detrimental exposure to air pollution is for consumers’ heart and lung health. Now, a new study conducted by researchers from the University of California at San Diego has explored the risks associated with exposure to pollutants emitted from wildfires. 

According to their findings, fine particulate matter (PM2.5) emitted following a wildfire is more harmful to consumers’ respiratory health than exposure to PM2.5 emitted from other pollution sources. Wildfires have been plaguing California for years, and as climate change intensifies and these events become more common, it’s important for consumers to understand the health risks. 

“As conditions in Southern California become hotter and drier, we expect to see increased wildfire activity,” said researcher Tom Corringham. “This study demonstrates that the harm due to wildfire smoke may be greater than previously thought, bolstering the argument for early wildfire detection systems and efforts to mitigate climate change.” 

The role wildfires play in respiratory health issues

To understand how pollution specifically derived from wildfires can impact consumers’ respiratory health, the researchers focused their analysis on PM2.5 levels in Southern California. They utilized the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA’s) Hazard Mapping System, which highlights smoke exposure and compares that with levels of PM2.5 during seasons without wildfires. The team then compared those figures with hospital admissions data. 

The researchers found that a relationship emerged between PM2.5 levels and respiratory-related hospital admissions -- as pollution levels increased, hospital admissions also increased. However, exposure to wildfire smoke caused hospital admissions to rise even higher. 

“There is a daily threshold for the amount of PM2.5 in the air that is considered acceptable by the country and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA),” said researcher Rosana Aguilera. “The problem with this standard is that it doesn’t account for different sources of emission of PM2.5.” 

The study showed that hospital admissions jumped from one percent when emissions levels increased independent of wildfires to as high as 10 percent when emissions levels increased due to wildfires. Though the effect of wildfire emissions on consumers’ health seems clear, the researchers are still unsure why these differences in hospitalizations exist. 

The researchers anticipate that climate change will lead to even more wildfires -- especially in the Southern California region. They hope that these findings highlight the health risks linked with these environmental events. 

Ford Motor Company is recalling 79,017 model year 2021 F-150 and model year 2020-2021 F-250, F-350, F-450, and F-550 Super Duty trucks.

During manufacturing, the windshield may not have been properly bonded to the vehicle, allowing it to detach in a crash.

A windshield that separates from the vehicle in a crash can increase the risk of injury.

What to do

Ford will notify owners, and dealers will remove and reinstall the windshield free of charge.

The recall is expected to begin April 6, 2021.

Owners may contact Ford customer service at (866) 436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21C06.

Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) is recalling 36 GLA250s.

The ground connection for the front passenger airbag may not be mounted properly, which could result in an inadvertent deployment.

Inadvertent airbag deployment can increase the risk of injury for an occupant in the front passenger seat, and increase the possibility of a vehicle crash.

What to do

MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the ground connection for the passenger air bag and correct it -- if necessary -- free of charge.

The recall is expected to begin April 23, 2021.

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

J&J Distributing of St. Paul, Minn., is recalling multiple Taco, dip and sandwich products.

The products may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

No illnesses have been reported to date.

A list of the recalled products, sold in retail stores nationwide, may be found here.

What to do

Customers who purchased any of the recalled products should not consume them, but return them to the place of purchase for a full refund.

Consumers with questions may contact the company at (651) 221-0560, Monday through Friday, 7 am to 5 pm.

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

Total U.S. confirmed cases: 28,832,196 (28,763,373)

Total U.S. deaths: 520,518 (518,530)

Total global cases: 115,781,179 (115,331,329)

Total global deaths: 2,572,353 (2,562,739)

Gallup: Most Americans think the worst is over

We’re a year into the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and millions of people are getting vaccinations. That’s leading Americans to have an increasingly sunny outlook. For the first time in the Gallup Poll’s trend, a majority of Americans -- 60 percent -- say the situation is getting better.

“This record-high optimism likely reflects the steep decline in new COVID-19 cases in the U.S. in late January and early February,” the polling organization said in a statement.

Gallup said it had previously found a strong relationship between changes in coronavirus infection rates and Americans' assessment of the situation. When the percentage of new COVID-19 cases spiked in the summer and fall, majorities of Americans said the situation was getting worse.

‘Light at the end of the tunnel’

Dr. Anthony Fauci is one of those optimistic Americans. The director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID) told WTOP Radio in Washington, DC that it’s important for Americans to know that the pandemic will end.

“I want them to know that there is light at the end of the tunnel, particularly that we have multiple, highly efficacious vaccines,” he said in an interview.

Fauci said he’s basing a lot of his optimism on the fact that there are now three COVID-19 vaccines in the U.S., from Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson. Fauci said you should take any of those vaccines as soon as they’re available.

Job market showed new signs of life in February

The nation’s economy produced 379,000 jobs in February, and the labor market showed new signs of life. The Labor Department reports that the nation’s unemployment rate was little changed at 6.2 percent.

Most of the new jobs occurred in industries that are expected to reopen this spring as the pandemic finally begins to ebb. Most of the job gains occurred in leisure and hospitality, with smaller gains in temporary help services, health care and social assistance, retail trade, and manufacturing. 

Employment declined in state and local government education, construction, and mining. 

When can you expect that $1,400 stimulus payment?

At this point, it seems clear that Congress will pass and President Biden will sign a $1.9 trillion stimulus bill. The Senate got past a key procedural hurdle Thursday and could pass the measure over the weekend.

Because of changes made in the Senate, including a reduction in the extra jobless benefit, the measure has to go back to the House for some tweaking. However, lawmakers are still confident they can pass it by March 14, when enhanced unemployment benefits expire.

That means the Internal revenue (IRS) could start sending out payments to Americans before the end of the month.

Wells Fargo pays employees to get a shot

Wells Fargo is the latest big bank to offer employees paid time off to get a COVID-19 vaccination. The bank will give employees up to eight hours of paid time off beginning March 8 to encourage everyone who is eligible to get COVID-19 vaccines.

“While we understand that choosing to be vaccinated is a personal decision, we encourage you to consider getting the vaccine when it’s available to you,” the bank said in a memo to employees.

Wells Fargo joins JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, and Citigroup in making the offer. A number of the nation’s retailers are also paying employees to get vaccinated.

Around the nation

• Minnesota: The Minnesota Vikings have turned over their Eagan practice facility to the state to administer vaccinations today. An expected 13,400 state residents are expected to receive the shots before the day is over.

• Ohio: Gov. Mike Dewine says he is not ready to lift the state’s mask mandate, as Texas and some other states have, but he has said what it will take to move in that direction. DeWine says that when Ohio gets down to 50 coronavirus cases per 100,000 people for two weeks, all health orders will come off.

• Virginia: It’s not a ranking where you want to be dead last. A new WalletHub study ranked the Commonwealth of Virginia in fifty-first place when it comes to how well the state has handled the pandemic and how many people are being vaccinated.

Highway traffic deaths surged in 2020, according to preliminary estimates from the National Safety Council.

In a year when accidents, injuries, and deaths should have been dramatically lower because of the pandemic, 42,060 people are estimated to have died on American highways in 2020. That’s an 8 percent increase over 2019.

There was less traffic last year -- miles driven plunged 13 percent. Despite that, the preliminary estimated rate of death spiked by 24 percent over the previous 12-month period. According to National Safety Council data, that’s the largest increase in 96 years, when Americans were just learning to drive.

"It is tragic that in the U.S., we took cars off the roads and didn't reap any safety benefits," said Lorraine M. Martin, president of the National Safety Council. "These data expose our lack of an effective roadway safety culture. It is past time to address roadway safety holistically and effectively, and NSC stands ready to assist all stakeholders, including the federal government."

Dangerous states

It was more dangerous to drive in some states than others last year. Highway deaths increased by 26 percent in Arkansas, 22 percent in Connecticut, 33 percent in Washington, DC, 33 percent in South Dakota, and 32 percent in Vermont.

Meanwhile, traffic deaths fell by 20 percent in Hawaii, 13 percent in Wyoming, 11 percent in Delaware, 9 percent in Nebraska, and 7 percent in Idaho.

Deaths nationwide increased as highway traffic fell sharply. Major auto insurance companies announced early in the pandemic that they were providing rebates to customers to offset the expected drop in claims.

Risky behavior

The insurance companies were correct that there would be fewer cars on the road, but they apparently miscalculated how those cars would be driven. Officials at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) attribute the increase in deaths to drivers taking too many risks when they encountered less crowded highways. 

“Preliminary data tells us that during the national health emergency, fewer Americans drove, but those who did took more risks and had more fatal crashes,” the agency said in a January statement.

In addition to the sharp rise in traffic deaths, the National Safety Council estimates that 4.8 million Americans were seriously injured in crashes last year at an estimated cost to society of $474 billion. 

With the release of its data, the Council is urging President Biden and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to commit to zero roadway deaths by 2050 – a call that NSC and more than 1,500 other organizations and individuals made in January in a letter to the new administration.

As climate change creates a better global environment for mosquitoes to thrive, and the risk of insect-borne diseases increases, finding a safe and effective bug repellent will become even more important. 

Now, a new study conducted by researchers from Northwestern University has found that catnip could be a potential solution for consumers to get rid of bugs in and around their yards. 

“We discovered that catnip and its active ingredient Nepetalactone activates the irritant receptor TRPA1, an ancient pain receptor found in animals as diverse as flatworms, fruit flies, and humans,” said researcher Marco Gallio. “We now think catnip is so aversive to so many insect species because it activates this widespread irritant receptor.” 

Reducing the risk of mosquito-borne illness

The researchers put catnip to the test by exposing it to several different kinds of insects. The team paid particular attention to mosquitoes and analyzed how it affected the bugs without posing any risks to human exposure. 

The study found that when mosquitoes and other bugs came into contact with catnip, it activated the TRPA1 receptor. Humans and other animals also have this receptor, and it’s activated by foods or plants with really strong, pungent smells. Once the receptor is activated in bugs, it triggers pain or itchiness, which is what deters them from staying near the affected areas. 

“What is particularly interesting is that, unlike wasabi or garlic compounds that also activate these receptors in humans, catnip appears to selectively activate the insect receptor,” Gallio said. “This explains why humans are indifferent to it, and provides a serious advantage for its use as a repellent.” 

In terms of efficacy, the researchers found that catnip was equally as effective as products that contain DEET -- one of the most widely used active ingredients in many popular insect repellents. 

A cost-effective and safe option

These findings can be helpful to consumers because catnip is easy to come by and it’s cost-effective. While the researchers have yet to figure out how catnip can be used to ward off bugs without attracting local cats, they think it can act as a natural and safe way for consumers to protect their yards from bugs. 

“Mosquitoes, in particular those that act as a vector for disease, are becoming a bigger problem as climate change creates attractive conditions for them farther north and south of the equator,” said researcher Marcus C. Stensmyr. “Plant-derived compounds represent a new emerging approach to developing insect repellents, as plants have long known how to protect themselves from insect pests.” 

The Biden administration has added a valuable consumer advocate to its staff -- one of Big Tech’s harshest critics, Tim Wu. Wu’s specific job for the Biden team will be Special Assistant to the President for Technology and Competition Policy.

Wu may not exactly be a household name, but he does come with some impressive credentials in the digital communications sphere. His most recognizable consumer contribution was coining the phrase “network neutrality” and working to keep internet service providers (ISP) from doing things like charging more money for faster service.

He also served as senior enforcement counsel at the New York Office of the Attorney General, where he launched a successful lawsuit against Time Warner Cable for promising internet speeds that it knew it couldn't deliver. He has been an outspoken critic of the telecom industry and what he sees as its mistreatment of consumers. In 2019, he was also a leading advocate for an antitrust lawsuit directed at the breakup of Facebook.

A significant move

Wu’s appointment was praised by several tech pundits. “The choice of Wu is a significant one, signaling that the Biden administration is looking to more aggressively try to curb the ever-growing power of big technology companies like Apple, Amazon, Google, and Facebook,” writes TheVerge’s Chaim Gartenberg. 

Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) supported Wu’s appointment as an indication that the Biden administration is “serious about promoting technology in the U.S.” 

“He has been a leading thinker on technology and competition policy issues, from his work on net neutrality to his recent scholarship on the monopoly power crisis. I look forward to working with Tim to modernize antitrust enforcement, strengthen our economy, and protect workers and consumers,” Klobuchar said in a statement. 

On the flip side, Wu’s appointment also raised concerns about his “anti-bigness” stance. Aurelien Portuese, the director of antitrust and innovation policy at the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, said Wu’s “anti-bigness” stance may pose a risk to American innovation.

"Fighting bigness irrespective of innovation incentives may harm American competitiveness. These two risks may however not materialize thanks to a more moderate, innovation-based perspective on competition matters,” Portuese said in a statement to The Hill.

A COVID-19 variant out of Brazil has now made its way to five U.S. states, according to a new report from the Minnesota Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 

Doctors are concerned that it’s more contagious than the prevailing strain and has the ability to re-infect the previously sick. 

The first case of the new variant, known as the P.1 variant, was detected in Minnesota in early January. It was brought to the state by a Minnesotan who had recently traveled to southeastern Brazil, the report said. 

The CDC said the person was hospitalized for nine days; another person in their household also developed symptoms and was diagnosed with P.1. Contact tracing efforts didn’t reveal any other infections among people who flew with the person or the health care professionals who cared for them.

Reinfections possible

The P.1 variant has now spread to five states: five cases are in Florida, two are in Minnesota; and there is one case each in Alaska, Maryland, and Oklahoma. It’s rapidly spreading across Brazil and has also been detected in 24 other countries, the New York Times reported. 

It originated in the Amazonian city of Manaus and quickly dominated the city, in part due to its increased contagiousness. Health experts are warning that P.1 isn’t as responsive to vaccines. It has also been found to reinfect people who previously contracted COVID-19 and developed some level of immunity after recovering.

"The P.1 variant is particularly notable because of its ability to evade both vaccine-induced and natural immunity," said Dr. Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar with the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, in Baltimore. "However, it is important to remember that when it comes to this variant, vaccines -- while they may not be able to stop symptomatic infection -- halt what is important: serious disease, hospitalization and death.” 

Although breakthrough COVID-19 infections haven’t occurred yet (and may not occur), Adalja said it’s “important to study alternative vaccine strategies for this variant.” 

A new study conducted by researchers from the University of Pittsburgh has identified a potential risk factor for heart disease in menopausal women. 

According to their findings, large increases in weight gain -- especially around the abdomen -- during menopause may increase women’s likelihood of developing a cardiovascular condition.

“We need to shift gears on how we think about heart disease risk in women, particularly as they approach and go through menopause,” said researcher Samar El Khoudary, PhD. “Our research is increasingly showing that it isn’t so important how much fat a woman is carrying, which doctors typically measure using weight and BMI, as it is where she is carrying that fat.” 

Health risks of abdominal fat

For the study, the researchers analyzed data on more than 360 women enrolled in the Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation (SWAN) Heart study. At several junctures throughout the study, the researchers tested two primary risk factors: carotid artery thickness, which has been found to be associated with heart disease risk, and abdominal fat. 

The researchers learned that carotid artery thickness and abdominal fat affected each other, and both led to an increased risk of heart disease for menopausal women -- regardless of general menopausal weight gain or BMI score. They found that carotid artery thickness increased as abdominal fat increased, and both factors were linked with a greater likelihood of heart disease. 

“Almost 70 percent of post-menopausal women have central obesity -- or excessive weight in their mid-section,” said researcher Saad Samargandy, PhD. “Our analysis showed an accelerated increase of visceral abdominal fat during the menopausal transition of eight percent per year, independent of chronological aging.” 

Taking precautions before menopause

While obesity can put a strain on the heart and increase women’s risk of cardiovascular issues, the researchers hope that these findings highlight that there are more factors for medical professionals to consider for menopausal women. Weight and BMI aren’t the only indications of future health concerns; the distribution of that weight plays a key role. 

The researchers recommend that women keep a record of their waist measurements, as any significant increases will signal potential threats to heart health. 

“Historically, there’s been a disproportionate emphasis on BMI and cardiovascular disease,” Dr. El Khoudary said. “Through this long-running study, we’ve found a clear link between growth in abdominal fat and risk of cardiovascular disease that can be tracked with a measuring tape, but could be missed by calculating BMI. If you can identify women at risk, you can help them modify their lifestyle and diet early to hopefully lower that risk.” 

Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) are calling on the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to combat stalkers’ exploitation of people search websites. 

In a letter to the agency, the senators said there’s a clear need for action to protect people who have been, or may become, victims of abuse and stalking as a direct result of information gleaned through people search sites. 

“We write to express serious concerns about recent reports that data brokers are publicizing the location and contact information of victims of domestic violence, sexual violence, and stalking,” the senators wrote. “We have serious concerns that third-party data brokers play a role in revealing [a] protected address and providing access to personal information that can lead to continued abuse.”

The senators suggested the possibility of introducing measures to help people remove their addresses from data brokers like WhitePages and Spokeo, which market themselves as tools akin to digital phone books. The sites offer phone numbers, email addresses, physical addresses, and more. 

Easily accessible information

Getting information taken down from sites like these (of which there are dozens) can be time consuming and often require the submission of personal data via physical letters or even faxes. The fact that people search sites automatically scrape personal data complicates matters further. 

"One in four women and one in nine men experience intimate partner violence," the senators wrote in the letter, adding that victims “often are forced to relocate to a relative’s house to find safety.” 

“The availability of this data makes it difficult or impossible for victims to safely relocate with relatives,” they added. 

Klobuchar and Murkowski want the FTC to come up with a plan to work with other agencies to keep violent abuse perpetrators from accessing personal information. They also want to help educate victims about data broker services and offer resources on what to do if their information falls into the wrong hands. 

The senators also asked if the FTC has plans to prevent brokers from “collecting, buying, or selling lists of vulnerable populations.”