Current Events in July 2021

Chalk one up for AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon in the fight against robocalls. On Wednesday, the phone carriers stated that they are now fully compliant with the Federal Communication Commission’s (FCC) anti-robocall STIR/SHAKEN protocol. Wednesday was the deadline for major phone carriers to make sure the new protocol was in place.

Going forward, there will be some awfully sad scam artists trying to hoodwink consumers into buying extended warranties and soliciting illegal solicitations. Within the U.S. wireless segment, AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile have nearly 270 million subscribers who are now supposedly out of reach of robocallers.

Add to that customers who use other carriers. As an example, T-Mobile provides STIR/SHAKEN implementations with AT&T, Comcast, Spectrum Voice from Charter Communications, and UScellular. Verizon Wireless does the same with Altice USA, Bandwidth, Brightlink, Clear Rate, Google Fi, Inteliquent, Intrado, Magicjack, Peerless, and Twilio.

What does STIR/SHAKEN mean and how does it work?

STIR/SHAKEN are acronyms for the Secure Telephone Identity Revisited (STIR) and Signature-based Handling of Asserted Information Using toKENs (SHAKEN) standards. 

In simple terms, what that means for consumers is that any call coming through a phone network would have its caller ID "signed" as legitimate so that anyone getting a call knows it’s a real person, not a robocaller, on the other end.

"It's great that the largest carriers are finally doing more to protect their customers. Frankly, most providers could have done more years ago, but here we are. Let's celebrate where we're at,” Teresa Murray, Consumer Watchdog, at the Public Interest Research Group told ConsumerAffairs.

Robocalls are still a threat

Murray said consumers shouldn't think that all illegal robocalls are going to magically stop overnight. The reason is because the majority of phone calls pass through multiple networks. 

“Think of it like a relay race, with the baton being handed to the next runner. Most calls get handed off to more than one carrier. So unless every part of the network is using the required caller ID verification, it's possible for some illegal robocalls to slip through,” she said.

ConsumerAffairs asked Murray what consumers can do to add a further layer of protection against getting scammed by a robocall. Here’s what she offered:

• Never confirm or provide personal information to any caller you weren't expecting. Not your name, your ZIP code, your shoe size ... Nothing. If you think the call could be legitimate, call the company back at a number you look up independently.

• Don't be fooled by what the caller ID says. Bad guys can still spoof their numbers to look like it's a local call or coming from a known business.

• If you do pick up the phone and realize it's an illegal robocall, just hang up. Don't push any buttons to be taken off their call list. Pressing buttons just confirms that they've reached a live person.

• Don't be tricked if a caller knows your name, address, family members' names, or even your Social Security number. All of this information was exposed for half of the adult population in the Equifax data breach of 2017.

• Don’t provide your full name on your voicemail message. There’s no sense in giving a scammer more information than they may have had already.

• Never pay bills or debts with gift cards. Period. Full stop. Gift cards are for gifts or to make a purchase for yourself. No legitimate operation accepts gift cards to pay for an obligation.

• If someone calls you and says you’re supposedly a victim of fraud, or you’re behind on taxes, or your grandchild is in jail, call someone you trust before you do anything. Just saying what’s going on out loud can help someone realize it’s a scam.

• Register all of your phone numbers with the federal Do Not Call Registry. It won't stop most illegal calls because con artists generally don't care whether they break the rules. However, your ability to lodge a report about the call with state or federal officials can start with showing that the caller violated the DNC List.

• Report illegal robocalls or DNC List violations to the FTC. You should note the number on your Caller ID and any number left on the message that you’re supposed to call back. You should also report illegal calls to your state attorney general.

Lastly, Murray recommends that consumers contact their carrier if they feel like they’re getting an abundance of robocalls. You can ask whether the company is compliant with STIR/SHAKEN protocols and see what else can be done to stop the unwanted calls. 

“I'd recommend people use the terminology 'STIR/SHAKEN' because the carriers know darn well what you're talking about and they can't dodge your question with some fluffy, ambiguous answer about how much they focus on their customers,” Murray said.

The Independence Day holiday weekend is normally a busy time at car dealers, with widespread promotions and discounts to draw in customers.

This year is a little different since dealers face a shortage of cars and attractive deals are much harder to come by. But that doesn’t mean they don’t exist.

“As the pandemic threat subsides, we're seeing interesting ripple effects," said Kelsey Mays, Cars.com consumer news editor. "There is an inventory shortage driving people long distances to find their desired vehicle; a resurgence of vacations with more domestic travel by car; and the normalization of in-person shopping with a continued focus on 'buying local' to support the American economy."

And while many dealers are charging more than the sticker price for a new car, researchers at Cars.com have found a few attractive Fourth of July deals on cars built in the U.S. For example, the Honda Passport, an SUV built in Alabama, comes with a $1,250 cash discount down payment or lease assistance. 

Or, creditworthy customers can secure 0% financing for 36 months from Honda's financing arm. Just be prepared to pay the sticker price of between $32,500 to $48,500. The offer ends July 6.

Up to $2,000 cash rebates

Car shoppers may also find relatively attractive terms on Hyundai Sonata, also built in Alabama. Participating dealers are offering $1,500 to $2,000 off in most markets, depending on the trim level. 

Buyers who finance at standard rates through Hyundai can get another $500 off in most regions. Again, creditworthy customers can get 0% financing for 60 months plus $1,000 bonus cash and in some regions of the country. 

Best of all, shoppers may find a better selection of Sonatas than some other models. Cars.com reports the Sonata is spending an average of 95 days on dealer lots.

The Toyota Avalon, assembled in Georgetown, Ky., may also offer a buying opportunity over the holiday weekend. Participating dealers are knocking $1,500 to $2,000 off Toyota's full-size sedan. However, some deals may require buyers to finance through Toyota at standard rates.

In most areas of the country, shoppers who finance or lease their Avalon can also get another $1,000, although some areas restrict the bonus to select trims. Alternatively, creditworthy shoppers can get 0.9% financing for 60 months in most regions, though a few areas have higher rates or no offers at all, so it pays to shop around.

Used car bargains are scarce

Finding a good deal on a used car or truck might be even harder this holiday weekend. In some cases, a used vehicle can cost nearly as much as a new one.

"Finding the right used car can be challenging - not only are some models in short supply, but the average age of a used car on the road today is about 12 years old," said Brian Moody, executive editor at Autotrader. "A lot has changed in terms of performance, technology and safety in those 12 years.”

Moody says that’s why used car buyers should make sure the used vehicle they purchase at a premium price is reliable. On Autotrader’s short list of good used vehicles are:

• 2016-2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500

• 2017-2020 Ford Mustang

• 2016-2020 Ford F-150

• 2017-2020 Honda CR-V

• 2015-2020 Jeep Wrangler

• 2020-2021 Kia Telluride

• 2016-2020 Lexus IS

• 2018-2020 Nissan Leaf

• 2016-2020 Subaru Outback

• 2016-2020 Toyota Highlander

Keep in mind that these models may be in short supply so comparing prices at more than one dealer may help you find a better deal. Click the links above to read thousands of verified ConsumerAffairs reviews.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has announced that officials from 130 countries have agreed to a global minimum tax on corporations. Collectively, the nations represent about 90% of global GDP.

In a statement, Yellen said the agreement -- reached Thursday during a virtual meeting -- marks a “historic day for economic diplomacy” as it signals that the global “race to the bottom” is coming to an end. 

“For decades, the United States has participated in a self-defeating international tax competition, lowering our corporate tax rates only to watch other nations lower theirs in response. The result was a global race to the bottom: Who could lower their corporate rate further and faster? No nation has won this race,” said Yellen.

“Lower tax rates have not only failed to attract new businesses, they have also deprived countries of funding for important investments like infrastructure, education, and efforts to combat the pandemic.”

New tax plan

The governments of countries included in the plan will now seek to pass laws ensuring that companies headquartered in their countries pay a minimum tax rate of at least 15% in each of the nations in which they operate. The plan is expected to significantly reduce opportunities for tax avoidance.

In the U.S., the agreement will “ensure that corporations shoulder a fair share” of the tax burden, Yellen said. She added that the plan will allow America to “enter a competition that we can win; one judged on the skill of our workers and the strength of our infrastructure.” 

"We have a chance now to build a global and domestic tax system that lets American workers and businesses compete and win in the world economy,” she said. 

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) describes the agreement as a “two-pillar solution to address the tax challenges arising from the digitalisation of the economy.” The OECD said details of the plan, such as when and how it will be implemented, will be finalized in October. 

"After years of intense work and negotiations, this historic package will ensure that large multinational companies pay their fair share of tax everywhere," OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann said in a news release.

Facebook, Google, TikTok, and Twitter have pledged to build solutions that will help combat online abuse and improve women’s safety on their respective platforms. 

During the UN Generation Equality Forum in Paris, the four tech giants agreed to sign onto a pledge led by the World Wide Web Foundation (WWWF). The initiative was created to fix flaws that make it more likely for women, and people who identify as women, to have negative experiences online.

The pledge aims to give women more control over who can interact with them online, as well as a better system for reporting abuse. In developing the initiative, the WWWF worked with more than 100 experts from tech companies, governments, and civil society. Women affected by online abuse were also directly involved in the process. 

More than a third of women experience abuse

The Foundation said 38% of women have experienced online abuse. Among Gen Z and millennial women, the figure is higher at 45%. The group found that worse abuse is often experienced among women of color and those in LGBTQIA+ and other marginalized communities.

“For too long, women have been routinely harassed, attacked and subsequently silenced in online spaces. This is a huge threat to progress on gender equality,” said Azmina Dhrodia, WWWF’s senior policy manager. 

In a letter, the WWWF said online platforms are currently falling short in protecting women. 

"Rather than a one-size-fits-all experience, women should have more control over who can interact with them on tech platforms, as well as more choice over what, when, and how they see content online. Current tools need to be improved so women can easily report abuse and track the progress of these reports,” the letter stated.

“For example, dashboards that show users the status of all their reports in one place, features to guide them through the reporting process, and tools that offer women access to additional support when it's needed, could make a huge difference.”

Settings to curate safety

The tech companies agreed and have promised to introduce settings to help tackle abuse. They will focus on two key areas: offering more control over who can see, comment on, reply to, or share posts; and offering simple and reliable reporting systems for flagging online abuse. 

The companies also promised to enable “greater capacity to address context and/or language" and to provide “more policy and product guidance when reporting abuse."

“With their resources and reach, these four companies have the power to curb this abuse and improve online experiences for hundreds of millions of women and girls,” Dhrodia said. The commitments the companies have made “should be celebrated as a major win and act as a springboard for companies to tackle abuse against women as a top priority.”

More than a year after the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic devastated its business, Hertz has emerged from bankruptcy under new ownership and with a new board of directors.

Under the bankruptcy deal, Knighthead Management, Certares Capital Management, and its co-investors are buying the bulk of Hertz’s equity for roughly $2.8 billion. Shareholders and bondholders backed a roughly $1.6 billion equity rights offering, while Apollo is purchasing $1.5 billion in preferred equity.

The newly reorganized rental car company is emerging from bankruptcy with significantly less debt. It got more than $5.9 billion from its new investors and has seen its stock rise above its fundamental value, thanks to retail traders organized on Reddit. As a result, Hertz says it has reduced its corporate debt by nearly 80% and significantly enhanced its liquidity to fund operations and future growth. 

"Faced with the epic and unprecedented challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, and unfazed by early leadership changes, we stayed focused on stabilizing the business and seizing opportunities to mitigate losses and create value for our stakeholders,” said Henry Keizer, chairman of Hertz's outgoing board of directors.

Implementing better practices

As part of its revamped operations, Hertz says it is intent on streamlining operations and improving the customer experience. It will employ technology to “optimize demand forecasting” to better manage its fleet of vehicles.

The company also plans to adopt other technology to smooth the rental process, including the launch of an app allowing customers to check in without standing in line.

When the pandemic hit in late March 2020, the travel industry came to a screeching halt, along with the rest of the economy. Hertz was the hardest-hit rental car company and filed for bankruptcy protection two months later.

Car shortage

As the pandemic continues to fade and Americans begin to travel again, Hertz and other rental car companies face new challenges -- having enough cars to meet demand. Because of the shortage of both new- and late-model used cars, some consumers have been turned away from the rental car counter.

The Wall Street Journal reports that the rental car shortage is especially severe in the most popular tourist destinations like Hawaii. With all cars booked well in advance, some visitors to the islands have resorted to renting personal vehicles from locals.

A new study conducted by researchers from the University of Texas at Austin evaluated the effects of physically punishing kids for bad behavior. 

According to the team, getting physical with children isn’t likely to lead to improved behavior. Instead, corporal punishment may negatively impact children’s overall well-being and ultimately lead to poorer behavior long term.  

“There is no evidence that physical punishment is good for children,” said researcher Elizabeth Gershoff. “All the evidence indicates that physical punishment is harmful to children’s development and well-being.” 

Avoiding physical punishment

To understand the effects of physical punishment, the researchers analyzed nearly 70 earlier studies that dove deeper into the topic. The team learned that there were no benefits associated with parents physically punishing their children. Though the practice remains legal in the U.S., children’s behavior didn’t improve when their parents used physical force as a means of discipline. Instead, the analysis showed that bad behavior remained for longer periods of time, and the children were more likely to experience neglect. 

“Parents hit their kids because they think doing so will improve their behavior,” Gershoff said. “Unfortunately for parents who hit, our research found clear and compelling evidence that physical punishment does not improve children’s behavior and instead makes it worse.” 

The researchers found that the longer the physical punishments lasted, the worse the outcomes were for the children’s overall well-being. Moving forward, the researchers hope these findings help change the laws surrounding physical punishment. 

“This is a public health issue,” said researcher Anja Heilmann. “Given the strength of the evidence that physical punishment has the potential to cause harm to children, policymakers have a responsibility to protect children and legislate to end the use of physical punishment in all settings.” 

A new study conducted by researchers from the University of Colorado at Boulder explored a new technique that may help consumers lower their blood pressure. 

According to their findings, a five-minute breathing exercise known as High-Resistance Inspiratory Muscle Strength Training (IMST), which requires consumers to breathe through a device that provides resistance, can lower blood pressure and benefit heart health.

“There are a lot of lifestyle strategies that we know can help maintain cardiovascular health as they age,” said researcher Daniel Craighead. “But the reality is, they take a lot of time and effort and can be expensive and hard for some people to access. IMST can be done in five minutes in your own home while you watch TV.” 

Blood pressure benefits

For the study, the researchers had 36 adults with high systolic blood pressure between the ages of 50 and 79 involved in the study. Over the course of six weeks, half of the group performed IMST regularly and the other half used a placebo breathing device. The researchers monitored the participants’ blood pressure to track any changes. 

The team learned that using the IMST device six days a week for 30 inhalations per day was associated with lower systolic blood pressure readings -- even six weeks after the participants stopped using it. Ultimately, the systolic reading dropped by as much as 9 points, which the researchers explained can be significant in terms of consumers’ long-term health. 

The findings were also positive because those who used the IMST device were consistent with the treatments 95% of the time. This is important because staying on top of the breathing exercise can yield the best health outcomes for consumers. 

“We have identified a novel form of therapy that lowers blood pressure without giving people pharmacological compounds and with much higher adherence than aerobic exercise,” said researcher Doug Seals. “That’s noteworthy.” 

The researchers believe that IMST can help relax the blood vessels, which is what ultimately helps lower blood pressure. Moving forward, the team hopes to make IMST devices more widely available to consumers. 

“It’s easy to do, it doesn’t take long, and we think it has a lot of potential to help a lot of people,” said Craighead. 

California Terra Garden of Commerce, Calif., is recalling all cases of Seafood Mushrooms, imported from China.

The product may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

No illnesses have been reported to date.

The recalled product, which comes in a 5.3-oz clear plastic package with the description “Seafood Mushroom” in English and French, and Guan’s logo in the front with UPC code, 859267007501 and product code is 3460 at the back top right, was sold in retail stores nationwide.

What to do

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

Consumers with question may contact the company at (323) 597-0346, Monday through Friday. 9 am -- 4 pm.

American Honda Motor Co. is recalling 274 model year 2022 Odysseys.

The second-row outboard seats may have deformed seat rail locking mechanisms, which could prevent the seat rails from locking into place.

A seat that is not locked into place can move unexpectedly, increasing the risk of injury.

What to do

Dealers will replace both second-row outboard seat frames free of charge.

Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed July 19, 2021.

Owners may contact Honda customer service at (888) 234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is YBE.