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Influencer marketing is booming, and brands spend billions to promote products with a personal touch. But these days, the industry of influencer marketing is completely off the rails. Since 2016, the dollars driving the influencer marketing industry have ballooned from $1.6 billion a year to an estimated $21.1 billion in 2023, according to Influencer Marketing Hub. Marketers, brands, influencers, and platform companies all have opportunities to exploit one another to varying degrees of harm." It's not great for consumersDespite the money flying around, the FTC only provides basic guidelines about disclosure requirements for influencer marketing to protect consumers of their content.
Persons: , Emily Hund, Hund, David Camp, Michael Jordan, George Foreman, Brooke Shields, Calvin Klein, isn't, It's, Kim Kardashian, influencer Chiara Ferragni, Lindsay Lohan, DJ Khaled, Naomi Campbell, Kardashian, Dylan Mulvaney, Bud Light, Ben Shapiro, Donald Trump Jr, Camp Organizations: Service, Business, Social Media, Harvard Business, CBS News, Nike, Salton, FTC, SEC, Consumer, NBC Locations: influencers, California
Read previewFisker employees have been taking parts off pre-production vehicles and existing inventory to fix some customers' cars, according to several people familiar with the issue. Business Insider also viewed several photos of Fisker Oceans with missing parts that sources say were used for customer vehicles. A spokesperson for Fisker told Business Insider the information was false. Related stories"Every day was a fire drill of what car has this part that I need," a former employee told BI. Business Insider viewed an email exchange between a Fisker employee and Burrell that showed the employee offered to fix Burrell's car using a part off another Fisker car.
Persons: , Patrick Burrell, Burrell, Michael Crossen, It's, Crossen, Daniel Blinn, Fisker Organizations: Service, Business, Fisker, Technicians, La, Consumer, Consumer Law, BI Locations: La Palma , California, Palma, La Palma, California, Connecticut
The October report found that around 13% of Americans reported economic hardship over the prior year due to climate change. Climate change could cost Americans born in 2024 nearly $500,000, due to higher taxes and pricier housing and food, among many other factors, ICF, a consulting firm, recently found in a report commissioned by Consumer Reports. Stan Honda | AFP | Getty ImagesOther health effects of climate change reflect more widespread shifts in global conditions. "There are clear interactions between heat waves and health conditions," said Charles Driscoll, a professor at Syracuse University who studies climate change. Climate change leads to droughts, which lead to crop failures, which cause food price spikes.
Persons: Chandan Khanna, Andrew Rumbach, Eva Marie Uzcategui, Wagner, Rumbach, Stan Honda, Charles Driscoll, Driscoll, Ringo H.W, Chiu, Mark Kantrowitz, Gernot Wagner Organizations: AFP, Getty, U.S . Department of, Treasury, Consumer Reports, Urban Institute, Bloomberg, U.S . Census, Insurance, Swiss Re Institute, Health, Natural Resources Defense, Syracuse University, International Labour Organization, Kaiser Family Foundation, of Labor Statistics, Columbia Business Locations: Fort Lauderdale , Florida, U.S, Fort Myers Beach , Florida, Florida , Louisiana, California, Hurricane, Queens, New York, Malibu, Malibu , Calif
The net neutrality regulations adopted Thursday by the Federal Communications Commission prohibit providers such as AT&T, Comcast and Verizon from selectively speeding up, slowing down or blocking users’ internet traffic. And for the first time, the FCC said it would step in to override state or local policies that conflict with the federal net neutrality rule. “The Title II authority will ensure that broadband providers are properly overseen by the FCC like all telecommunications services should be. “These 400-plus pages of relentless regulation are proof positive that old orthodoxies die hard,” said Jonathan Spalter, CEO of USTelecom, a trade association representing internet providers. As a result, the outcome of a legal challenge to the FCC’s net neutrality rules could have potentially broad ramifications for other US regulatory bodies, not just the FCC.
Persons: Trump, Jessica Rosenworcel, Rosenworcel, ” Rosenworcel, , Justin Brookman, Biden, Jonathan Spalter, Brendan Carr Organizations: Washington CNN, Federal Communications Commission, Comcast, Verizon, Democratic, FCC, , Consumer, Trump, Republican, Communications Locations: unwound, Washington, America
So why are we now feeding Lunchables to children as part of the National School Lunch Program (NSLP)? We are proud of Lunchables and stand by the quality and integrity that goes into making them,” Kraft Heinz said. In Canada, for example, a country that often outperforms the US in public health measures such as vaccination rates, there is no national food program for children. Meals that adhered to a higher nutritional standard were also thrown away less, according to a study published in Childhood Obesity in 2015. A modeling study published in Public Health Nutrition in 2022 estimates a 20% tax would reduce purchases of UPFs by 24%.
Persons: Hasan Merali, , Hasan Merali Chris Hartlove, Kraft Heinz, Lunchables, Fresh, ” Kraft Heinz, UPFs, Tony Organizations: of Pediatrics, McMaster University, CNN, Consumer, British Medical, American, Clinical Nutrition, Public Health Nutrition Locations: Canada, Lunchables, America, Colombia, Chile, France
Andrew Aitchison | In Pictures | Getty ImagesIn case you haven't noticed, heat pumps are hot. But there are other reasons why heat pumps are fast becoming popular with homeowners. All of this is transforming Carrier Global , the nearly 100-year-old manufacturer whose founder, Willis Carrier, invented air conditioning. Heat pumps have a history dating back to 1850s The thermodynamic science behind heat pumps was developed in the 1850s, when the first ones were invented, and they've been used in homes since the 1960s. Heat pumps use electricity to transfer heat from a cool space to a warm space, making the cool space cooler and the warm space warmer.
Persons: CARR, Andrew Aitchison, Willis Carrier, David Gitlin, Carrier, Hakan Yilmaz, Yilmaz, they've, Michael Kretschmer, Sebastian Kowalski, Kretschmer, Tobie Stanger, Dave Lis, Viessmann, Milena Oliveira, Oliveira, Mark Prodan, Prodan, There's Organizations: Carrier Global, United Technologies, Solutions, East Trade Policy, Getty, International Energy Agency ., U.S . Climate Alliance, Consumer, Energy Efficiency, Carrier, M, Energy Star Locations: Gardens , Florida, Saxony, Leipzig, America, U.S, Maine, Michigan, Indian, Connecticut, New York State
However, they say immediate actions to reduce climate change could stem some losses in the longer term. Noah Diffenbaugh, a professor and environmental researcher at Stanford University, said the economic damage from climate change will take different shapes. Researchers estimated it would cost the global economy $6 trillion by 2050 to comply with the Paris Climate Agreement—the international agreement among nearly 200 nations to tackle climate change—compared to the study’s estimated $38 trillion economic damage due to climate change. “That’s what’s likely to happen from the global warming that’s already occurred and what’s likely to happen even for small increments of global warming.”The Nature study estimated the economic damage of different regions. The ICF paper said price hikes on essential elements of the cost of living in the US will add up due to climate change.
Persons: , Maximilian Kotz, Leonie Wenz, Noah Diffenbaugh, It’s, Wenz, Bernardo Bastien, Bastien, ” Bastien, , , “ That’s, what’s, won’t Organizations: CNN, United Nations, Potsdam, Climate, Stanford University, Scripps Institute of Oceanography, University of California Locations: Nature, Paris, University of California San Diego, California, North America, Europe, South Asia, Africa, United States
But a new report from Consumer Reports said it recently compared the nutritional profiles of two Lunchables kits served in schools and found they have even higher levels of sodium than the Lunchables kits consumers can buy in stores. The non-profit consumer group said it has petitioned the US Department of Agriculture, which oversees the federally assisted school meal program, to remove Lunchables food kits from school cafeterias, as a result. The introduction of Lunchables in schools came amid proposed changes to school food guidelines by the USDA, which oversees the federally assisted school meal program. The proposed changes aimed to reduce added sugars and sodium levels in school-provided lunches. Food additives are considered “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS) by the US Food and Drug Administration, but not everyone agrees.
Persons: Lunchables, Armour LunchMakers, Oscar Mayer, can’t, , Brian Ronholm, Kraft Heinz, ” Kraft Heinz, Carlos Monteiro, Monteiro, ” Monteiro, Heinz “ Organizations: New, New York CNN, Consumer, Natural Meat, World Health Organization, US Centers for Disease Control, US Department of Agriculture, CNN, USDA, University of Sao, NOVA, US Food and Drug Administration, Center for Science, Environmental, Kraft Locations: New York, University of Sao Paulo, Brazil
But Musk, on a Friday afternoon, when companies tend to bury news, announced on X that Tesla would unveil its robotaxi on August 8. “Tesla Robotaxi unveil on 8/8,” the Tesla CEO (and owner of X) posted. Musk has said in the past that Tesla will make a car without controls for a human to use. Musk has said the system will one day make Tesla cars incredibly valuable. Cruise has paused its testing work after one of its self-driving cars hit and dragged a pedestrian.
Persons: CNN — Elon Musk, Tesla, “ Tesla, Musk, ” Musk, , Kelly Funkhouser, she’s, “ You’re, , Cruise, Waymo Organizations: CNN, Tesla, Consumer, Department of Justice
CNN —For sale: A brand new luxury electric SUV for the holy-grail price of $25,000. The California-based electric SUV company Fisker faces a real possibility of bankruptcy, and its stock is hovering just over 2 cents a share, far below its 2021 peak of $28.50. Prices for Fisker’s Ocean SUV have been cut by as much 39%. His video was titled, “This is the Worst Car I’ve Ever Reviewed.”“Do not buy this version of the Fisker Ocean,” reads the video’s description. Fisker has said that problems with early versions of the vehicles’ software caused some of the negative responses.
Persons: hasn’t, Marques Brownlee, , Fisker, Henrik Fisker Organizations: CNN, American YouTube, Consumer, Magna Steyr, Magna Locations: California, American, Danish, United States, Europe, Austria
CNN —Shares of Fisker, a California-based electric vehicle startup, were halted Monday. Its sole product, the Fisker Ocean electric SUV, was produced in Austria under contract by third-party manufacturer Magna Steyr. Last year, 10,000 SUVs were produced but, in its earnings report, the company said only about half had been delivered to customers. The video was titled, “This is the Worst Car I’ve Ever Reviewed.”“Do not buy this version of the Fisker Ocean,” reads the video’s description. But, besides its own quality issues, Fisker had to deal with much greater competition from established automakers than had existed when the company was established.
Persons: Fisker’s, Fisker, Henrik Fisker, Marques Brownlee, Organizations: CNN, Reuters, Nissan, Magna Steyr, Mercedes, BMW, EV, American YouTube, Consumer, Automotive News, Hyundai, Kia, Ford, General Motors Locations: California, Alaska, Austria, Ohio, American
FCC cracks down on cable TV ‘junk fees’
  + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com   time to read: +9 min
The new junk fees rule requires cable and satellite TV companies to list “all-in” prices to consumers in their billing and marketing materials — including any miscellaneous fees, such as those related to sports programming or local broadcast channels. Between 24% and 33% of the typical consumer’s bill can be attributed to fees, consumer advocates told the FCC. In a separate move last year, the FCC proposed banning certain cable fees altogether, including early termination fees that the agency says hinder competition and prevent customers from easily switching providers. Mending the digital divideIn addition to cable, the FCC also addressed internet availability during its Thursday meeting. Defining high-speed internetThe report also reflects newly adopted revisions in how the country defines high-speed internet, which the FCC voted to approve on Thursday.
Persons: , , Jessica Rosenworcel, ’ ”, NCTA, Dave Wallace, Amira Karaoud, Biden, Rosenworcel, you’re, Anne Neuberger, Neuberger Organizations: Washington CNN, Federal Communications Commission, FCC, Energy Star, National Institute for Standards, Technology, Logitech, LG, Samsung, Consumer, European Union Locations: Kentucky, Louisville , Kentucky, U.S, greenlight, Las Vegas, America
… I’m completely done with smart devices like that.”24-year-old Heather Hines is among the Wyze users whose personal camera footage was viewed during a recent security breach. Henderson, who owns 10 Wyze cameras, said he is starting to replace them with other brands. It also raises the question about whether the value of smart devices is worth the risks. Amazon and Google have experienced security breaches with Ring and Nest security devices in recent years. People can also reconsider how many smart devices they actually need in the home.
Persons: Heather Hines, Hines, , “ I’m, ” Hines, I’m, Eddie Henderson, Henderson, Dave Cosby, Tuck, Paddy Harrington, That’s, Michela, Michela Menting, , ” Harrington, It’s, you’ve, they’ll, ” Menting Organizations: CNN, Wyze, Consumer, Amazon, Walmart, Sears, Federal Communications Commission, US, Forrester Research, Attackers, Google, ABI Research, Consumer Product Safety, White, FBI Locations: Southern California, Nova Scotia, Canada, China, ” Haddington
CNN —Federal regulators finalized a rule on Tuesday to cap most credit card late fees at $8 as part of a broader push by the Biden administration to eliminate junk fees. The new rule applies to large credit card issuers – those with more than 1 million accounts. These companies represent more than 95% of total outstanding credit card debt, according to the CFPB. It also comes as Americans continue to pile on credit card debt, which recently exceeded a record $1.1 trillion. Some borrowers, especially Millennials and those with lower incomes, have been falling behind on their credit card debt following more than two years of high inflation.
Persons: Biden, , Rohit Chopra, , Greg Baer, Joe Biden, “ It’s, Chuck Bell Organizations: CNN, Consumer Financial, White, Bank Policy Institute, Council, Consumer
Researchers said they've found multiple video doorbells with serious security concerns. At least one doorbell sold by a brand was marked as "Amazon's Choice" product. AdvertisementYou might want to double-check that your video doorbell isn't vulnerable to being hacked. Instead, it seems like they're coasting on their reputation and saddling unknowing consumers with broken products," Brookman told CR. BI also reached out to Eken for comment on these issues and details about the brand names through which it appears to sell these video doorbells, but got no response.
Persons: they've, , Tuck, Eken —, Justin Brookman, Brookman, didn't, Temu Organizations: Amazon, Walmart, Service, Sears, Consumer, CR
Wendy’s says it won’t use surge pricing
  + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( John Towfighi | ) edition.cnn.com   time to read: +5 min
It was never our plan to raise prices when customers are visiting us the most.”But the questions over what to call Wendy’s experiment – surge pricing? Dynamic pricing? Surge pricing refers to dynamic pricing, which is a way for businesses to charge more (or less) based on how many people want their products at any given time. “Surge pricing sent the message to everybody that this is mostly about increasing prices. “After considerable public pushback, Wendy’s is now framing their dynamic pricing strategy as discounts during off-peak times instead of surge pricing during peak times,” she wrote.
Persons: CNN —, Wendy’s, , Juan Castillo, Castillo, Chuck Bell, Uber, Mario Tama, ” Bell, ” Castillo, Jonathan Maze, ” Maze, Lindsay Owens, Organizations: CNN, University of Pennsylvania, , Consumer, Los Angeles International Airport, Ticketmaster Locations: Los Angeles , California
Hybrid vehicles led the 2024 top vehicle rankings released Tuesday by influential product testing organization Consumer Reports. Such "electrified" vehicles, including plug-in hybrid models, represented six of the top 10 picks by the nonprofit consumer organization. Toyota's four vehicles in the top 10 rankings were all hybrid or plug-in hybrid vehicles. Both hybrids and plug-in hybrids have a traditional engine combined with EV technologies. Plug-in hybrids typically have a larger battery to provide for all-electric driving for a certain number of miles until an engine is needed to power the vehicle or electric motors.
Persons: Jake Fisher Organizations: Tesla, Consumer, Toyota Motor, Subaru, Ford Motor, Mazda, BMW, CNBC, EV, Toyota Prius
DETROIT (AP) — General Motors is adding about 350,000 miles (563,000 kilometers) of roadways in the U.S and Canada to the area where drivers can use the company's “Super Cruise” partially automated driving system. Super Cruise also has radar in addition to camera sensors, and uses both to spot obstacles, the company said. Tesla's driver monitoring system relies on detecting torque from hands on the steering wheel to make sure drivers are paying attention. Critics say that's not enough to make sure drivers are staying alert. Before the expansion, Super Cruise was able to work on about 400,000 miles (644,000 kilometers) of roads, largely interstate highways or major roads connecting larger cities.
Persons: Tesla, GM, Cruise, Kelly Funkhouser, , Funkhouser, Teslas Organizations: DETROIT, , GM, Consumer, Drivers Locations: U.S, Canada, Fauquier County , Virginia
Streaming companies turned a blind eye to password-sharing for years. Users of the family-oriented streaming platform received emails this week notifying them of changes to the terms of service. The new terms note that different service tiers may permit some degree of password-sharing — if you're willing to pay. Disney's updated terms of service are almost identical to those of Hulu and ESPN+, which were also announced on January 25. Iger's comments came in the wake of Netflix's successful crackdown earlier last year, when the streaming giant announced it would start charging $8 for users outside the household.
Persons: Nice Guy, Hugh Johnston, Johnston, Bob Iger, Netflix's, Nicholas De Leon, We've, De Leon, It's Organizations: Business, Hulu, ESPN, Disney, Netflix, Consumer, Spotify, Costco, Amazon Prime, Apple Locations: Wednesday's
U.S. safety regulators have upgraded their probe into Tesla vehicles over power steering loss to an engineering analysis - a required step before the agency could demand a potential recall. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on Friday said the investigation covers about 334,000 Model 3 and Model Y vehicles from the 2023 model year. Some drivers reported harrowing tales of sudden power steering outages at speeds that nearly caused accidents. Some Tesla owners reported an inability to turn the steering wheel while others reported an increase in required effort. The latest recall includes vehicles across Tesla's various models, including the Model S, Model X, 2017-2023 Model 3, Model Y and 2024 Cybertruck vehicles, the NHTSA said.
Persons: Tesla, couldn't, NHTSA's, Sophie Shulman, Tesla's Cybertruck Organizations: Tesla, Traffic Safety Administration, Reuters, NHTSA, Consumer Locations: Encinitas , California, U.S, United States
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on Wednesday proposed a set of new rules that would slash the fees banks charge customers for withdrawing more than the available funds in their account. Americans have paid an estimated $280 billion in overdraft fees since 2000, according to data from the consumer watchdog agency. "For too long, some banks have charged exorbitant overdraft fees — sometimes $30 or more — that often hit the most vulnerable Americans the hardest, all while banks pad their bottom lines," President Joe Biden said in a statement. Overdraft fees affect some 23 million households in a given year, and the proposed cutbacks would save Americans about $3.5 billion annually, the CFPB says. Much of that money would theoretically return to the pockets of lower income bank customers: Consumer Reports says 8% of bank customers generate nearly 75% of banks' revenue from such fees.
Persons: Joe Biden Organizations: Consumer Financial, Biden, Consumer
Why EVs don’t go as far in the freezing cold
  + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com   time to read: +4 min
CNN —With temperatures bottoming out across the country, electric vehicle drivers are probably noticing their driving range plummeting. Tests by the consumer advocacy group Consumer Reports showed that EV driving range dropped by about 25% in highway cruising, on average, in sub-freezing weather, compared to days with warmer outside temperatures. There are two main reasons for the drop in driving range, or how far the car can go before recharging: The battery, and the driver. That means driving range is reduced. “If you’re in cold weather, it’s actually going to activate the thermal management to heat up that battery,” he said.
Persons: Andy Garberson, , Organizations: CNN, Consumer, EV
New York CNN —Electric vehicles have 79% more problems than other vehicles, according to Consumer Reports’ latest annual auto reliability survey. The problems arise because electric cars are mostly new models, and recently-introduced car models generally tend to have more issues, regardless of what propels them. Besides that, electric vehicles tend to be higher priced models with more sophisticated technology features, from additional safety sensors to more gadgets and doo-dads. Electric pickup trucks, in particular, tended to fare the worst in Consumer Reports’ reliability survey. Not all electric vehicles are so unreliable, though, according to Consumer Reports’ survey data.
Persons: Jake Fisher, haven’t, , Fisher, that’s, It’s, That’s Organizations: New, New York CNN —, Consumer, EV, Tesla, Ford, Nissan, Hyundai, Toyota, Honda, Kia Locations: New York
On average, new EVs had 79% more problems than gasoline-powered vehicles, Consumer Reports' 2023 Annual Auto Reliability survey showed. "For the legacy automakers, (EVs) are really new technologies, so they don't have a lot of experience with batteries, charging and motors." Jake Fisher, senior director of Auto Testing at Consumer Reports, said in an interview with Reuters. Consumer Reports survey covers 20 problem areas including engine, electric motors, transmission and in-car electronics. "Even with monumental shifts in the auto marketplace, what matters most to consumers remains the same: finding safe, reliable cars," said Marta Tellado, President and CEO of Consumer Reports.
Persons: Albert Gea, Jake Fisher, Fisher, Elon, Stellantis, Marta Tellado, Nathan Gomes, Shweta Agarwal Organizations: REUTERS, Electric, Consumer, Auto Testing, Reuters, U.S, General Motors, Buick, Benz, Chrysler, Lexus, Toyota, Thomson Locations: Barcelona, Spain, U.S, North America, Bengaluru
Alexander Spatari/ Getty ImagesIron comes in two different forms: heme iron and nonheme iron. Animal products contain heme iron, which comes from hemoglobin — a protein responsible for transporting oxygen in blood. Roughly 25 to 30 percent of heme iron is absorbed by your body, according to a 2019 study . However, these foods contain nonheme iron — a type of iron that is not as readily absorbed by the body. Witthaya Prasongsin/ Getty ImagesWhite beans are a good source of nonheme iron: A 1-cup serving of canned white beans contains 8 mg of nonheme iron .
Persons: , Alexander Spatari, Prasongsin, it's Organizations: Service, American Society of Hematology, National Institutes of Health, Consumer
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