What the Senate twice failed to do, the White House is now doing by fiat: President Trump today signed an executive order to undercut several key provisions of the Affordable Care Act and once again transform the nation’s health insurance markets. [More]
here we go again
Don’t Take Equifax Up On Its Credit Monitoring Offer
By 9.11.17
As anyone able to tear themselves away from hurricane bulletins last week knows, credit reporting bureau Equifax shared the news that the personal information of 143 million Americans was compromised earlier this year. Yet while plenty of companies, including Equifax itself, are happy to give or sell you credit monitoring services after such a massive breach, that doesn’t mean you should take them up on it. [More]
What You Need To Know About Senate Bill To Repeal, Replace Obamacare
By 6.22.17
After weeks of secrecy, Senate Republican leaders have finally released a draft version of the budget resolution they intend to use to repeal and replace much of the Affordable Care Act. [More]
Report: Amazon Is Working On An Android Phone (Yes, Again)
By 6.5.17
Not one to let its past spectacular phone failure to get in the way, Amazon is reportedly working on a new smartphone that would run on Android, codenamed “Ice.” Because all know that naming its phone Fire didn’t work out so great in the past. [More]
FCC Chair Ajit Pai Reveals His Plan To Kill Net Neutrality
By 4.26.17 — Updated: 5.10.17
You can say this much for new FCC Chair Ajit Pai: He keeps his word. Unfortunately for people who believe that internet service providers should not be allowed to determine what sites you visit, Pai’s key promise has been to kill net neutrality. Today, Pai pulled back the curtain on his plan to undo all recent efforts to regulate broadband. [More]
Just When You Thought It Was Dead, ACA Repeal Talks Are Back
By 3.28.17
After the Republican effort to repeal core elements of the 2010 Affordable Care Act (ACA) was pulled minutes before it was to be considered for a vote by the House of Representatives, both President Trump and Speaker of the House Paul Ryan indicated that the ACA was the “law of the land” for the time-being, and that there likely wouldn’t be another repeal attempt this year. But now, Ryan and other lawmakers are already indicating that they may work together to target the ACA again sooner than expected.
[More]
Extremely Contagious Bird Flu Found On Tennessee Chicken Farm
By 3.6.17 — Updated: 5.9.17
It’s been a few years since a widespread avian flu outbreak hit U.S. poultry farmers hard, prompting national egg shortages and higher prices for products. Farmers are starting to get worried again, after a highly contagious strain of the flu has been found in a commercial chicken flock in Tennessee. [More]
Delta Systems Outage Leads To Hundreds Of Canceled Flights
By 1.30.17
It’s starting to sound like all too familiar a refrain. Due to an IT error, a major airline has to temporarily issue a full ground stop on all its flights nationwide, causing a cascade of problems. Today’s “winner” of systems glitch roulette is Delta, and travelers this morning may have cancellations and delays to look forward to. [More]
U.S. Poultry Industry Facing New Bird Flu Strain Currently Wreaking Havoc Overseas
By 1.27.17
A very familiar threat could be winging its way toward U.S. poultry farms, and it’s got the industry more than a little bit worried: there’s a new strain of avian flu speeding across Europe and Asia, forcing farmers to destroy tens of millions of infected birds. [More]
Starbucks Raises Prices For Second Time In Four Months
By 11.22.16
Four months after Starbucks surprised customers by accidentally pushing out its annual price increase two weeks early, the company had another shocker for guests: a second price increase for some drinks and food items. [More]
Final FCC Privacy Rule Won’t Ban Pay-For-Privacy, Will Require Some Opt-Ins
By 10.6.16
The FCC certainly is keeping busy this fall. After six months of mulling it over, commission chairman Tom Wheeler announced today that the final version of a privacy rule that would limit what your broadband carrier can do with your personal data is in fact real and on the agenda for the FCC’s October meeting later this month. [More]
British Airways Passengers Worldwide Face Delays Due To Airline Systems Glitch
By 9.6.16
It seems that computer-related disaster isn’t just for Americans anymore. British Airways passengers worldwide — including here in the U.S. — are being hit with delays after a systems glitch took out its check-in systems overnight. [More]
Data Breach At 20 Hotels In 10 States May Have Exposed Guests’ Payment Card Data
By 8.15.16
The operator of several hotels across 10 states and Washington, D.C. — including Starwood, Marriott, Hyatt and Intercontinental locations — says guests may have had their payment data exposed by hackers who targeted the businesses with malware starting last year. [More]
New Massive Frozen Food Recall Includes Walmart, Target Store Brands
By 6.21.16
Nearly two months after CRF Frozen Foods set off a massive recall of vegetables thought to be contaminated with listeria and linked to at least two deaths and eight illnesses, a second frozen vegetable supplier — National Frozen Food Corp. — has initiated a separate recall over listeria concerns, and many of the recalled products are from the nation’s largest retailers. [More]
7M NFL Fans In The Dark Thanks To League, Dish Contract Fight
By 6.17.16
Dish Network has been busy this week, blacking out Tribune Co. channels earlier this week and now, because of another contract dispute, football fans who subscribe to Dish won’t be able to watch NFL Network or NFL RedZone. [More]
Prank Caller Strikes Minnesota Burger King, Workers Break All Windows
By 4.11.16
Back in February prank callers preyed on fast food restaurants like Jack in the Box, Burger King, and Wendy’s, instructing workers to break every window and door or face certain disaster. The prank hit again in Minnesota over the weekend, when employees of a Burger King smashed the store’s windows, following directions from what they thought was a fire department official. [More]
Arizona Wendy’s, Jack In The Box Hit By Prank Calls Instructing Workers To Break Restaurants’ Windows
By 2.4.16
If you work at a restaurant, or any other business with windows, take note: don’t listen to anyone who calls and tells you to break every window and door you can lay your hands on. We already heard about Burger King workers in California who fell prey to that prank recently, and now it seems the staff at both an Arizona Wendy’s and a Jack in the Box have played Simon Says, demolition version, as well. [More]
