James R. Hood

AI/Privacy

Meta goes on trial to face charges it purposely made Instagram and Facebook hard to turn away from

Meta faces a potential penalty of $1.4 trillion in case brought by four states. Attorneys say it could equal or exceed the tobacco settlements of the 1990s.

FTC probes company behind MyChart, which tracks millions of health records

* The Federal Trade Commission is investigating Epic Systems, the giant health-records company behind MyChart and software used by providers treating more than 280 million Americans. * Investigators are reportedly examining whether Epic improperly restricts competitors’ access to patient data — potentially limiting competition in a market at the center of modern

Consumer Protection

Amazon brings back forced arbitration — and makes it harder for customers to sue

Amazon has reinstated binding arbitration for U.S. customers, largely shutting the courthouse door on new consumer disputes.

Recalls

Millions of cars can catch fire while parked — leaving owners with few good options

More than 3 million vehicles are under unusually urgent “park outside” recalls because they can catch fire even when turned off.

Travel Watch: Americans trade down rather than stay home

Travel prices are up but Americans aren't staying home. One reason may be stubborn mortgage rates.

Consumer Protection

CFPB will stop publishing consumers' stories about banks and lenders

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau says it will stop publicly posting the detailed narratives consumers submit with complaints about banks, lenders, credit bureaus, debt collectors and other financial companies.

Health

Sprinting vs. running: A few hard minutes may trigger surprisingly big changes in the body

But the study does not show that three minutes of sprinting provides the same overall health benefits as 90 minutes of running — and all-out sprinting isn't appropriate for everyone.

Food safety alarms grow as produce outbreaks trigger lawsuits — and new FDA guidance

New FDA regulations, a flood of lawsuits and updated consumer safety information are the latest in the food crisis.

Insurance

Your auto insurance may not protect you as well as you think

Auto insurers failed to pay 45% of the liability and medical claims they resolved last year, up from about 35% a decade ago, according to a Wall Street Journal investigation.

Insurance

7 ways to keep your car insurer from denying your claim

You car insurance may not cover everything you think it does. This can cause big problems if you have an accident.

Consumer Protection

CFPB examiners warned against being 'too aggressive' with the firms they're supposed to regulate

An internal CFPB email obtained by Reuters warned examiners that there could be "most unpleasant" consequences if they were overly aggressive in their dealings with financial institutions.

Consumer Protection

Homeowners got cash with ‘no interest.’ Lawsuit says the real cost was their home equity

A new class-action lawsuit accuses Unison of disguising high-cost mortgage loans as “home equity investments” with no interest or monthly payments.