Howard Schmidt had an incredible American life. He was cyberczar to two presidents – a Republican and a Democrat. Before that, he ran security at Microsoft, and later practically rescued eBay when it was turning into a cesspool of fraud. He was a soldier (Air Force, then the Army Reserves), [Keep reading]
Several major online job listing sites potentially discriminate against older job applicants because of age limitations built into their software, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan alleged on Thursday. Menus that let users create resumes and profiles prevent would-be applicants from entering years beyond a certain date, in some cases prohibiting [Keep reading]
A stunning number of Americans say they’ve been victimized by a digital crime, like credit card fraud (41 percent). But even more say they write their passwords down on a piece of paper (49 percent). In fact, Americans have a lot of bad digital habits. Some 41% say they have [Keep reading]
Before there was fake news, there was the “pseudo-event.” Fake news, the concept, is hardly new. Some argue that it dates back as far as the Golden Spike which completed American’s first transcontinental railroad, back in 1869. One could argue that the thing which finally unified America set the stage [Keep reading]
Instead of demanding that presidents produce their tax returns, maybe we need to be asking for their credit reports instead. After all, it’s not what a person has, or what a person earns, that creates a real conflict of interest. It’s what — or who — that person owes. Debt [Keep reading]
In December, I told you about the creepy coming “Internet of Toys” — and a hot new doll named My Friend Cayla that consumer groups warned could spy on your children. This week, Germany authorities banned the doll and warned parents not to allow it in their homes. “The Bundesnetzagentur has [Keep reading]
Chart from Macrotrends.net – my annotations. Click for data. Whatever you think about President Donald Trump, the stock market sure likes him — at the moment. Stocks are up about 10% since the election, and this three-month run-up simply cannot be ignored. The question is: Is it a rally [Keep reading]
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau won a significant legal victory Thursday when an appeals court agreed to re-hear the case that threatened to fundamentally change the agency’s structure and imperiled its leader, Richard Cordray. A Washington D.C. circuit court of appeals ruled last fall that the bureau’s structure was unconstitutional. It found [Keep reading]
One woman sent this Prince Charming $90,000. Several bought wedding dresses, planning for the big event when their solider boyfriend returned from his overseas deployment. He showered them with poetry, cards, flowers, stuffed animals, and chocolates. They mailed him laptop computers, cell phones and tablets — things he needed for his “mission.” [Keep reading]
These numbers are staggering: During the span of about two generations, Americans who rent their homes have become twice as likely to be “house poor.” In 1960, 24% of renters were “cost burdened;” today, that figure is 50.6 percent, according to ApartmentList.com. This, at a time when America has [Keep reading]
Bob Sullivan