Sixty-eight percent of 50 packaged baby food products contained "worrisome" levels of one or more heavy metals such as inorganic arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury, and 30% may be a "potential health risk" if consumed daily, while all products had at least one heavy metal, according to a Consumer Reports study. The report also showed higher levels of at least one heavy metal, especially inorganic arsenic, in products with sweet potatoes and rice, while organic food products had similar odds of containing heavy metals compared with nonorganic products.
Jobs and finances top the list of stressors cited in a survey by Fidelity Investments, and these stressors correspond to a higher number of days missed at work. "Employee financial-wellness needs are not all the same, so the onus is on employers to ensure programs address a wide range of financial needs -- not just retirement," says Gao-Wen Shao of Bank of America Merrill Lynch.
Knowing about the future salary and job security of careers open to a particular major didn't seem to make much difference in students' choices, according to a study of Rutgers University students. Researchers also found that showing students potential salaries helped them lower their expectations on what they might earn after graduation.
Turkey will retaliate against US sanctions by boycotting electronic products from the US, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says. Deterioration of relations between the countries is among factors that have sent the Turkish lira to a record low against the US dollar.
Hershey Chief Financial Officer Patricia Little will retire next spring, and the company has launched a search for her replacement. The new hire will face a changing market, including consumer preferences for healthier snacking, plus rising costs due to shipping and wages, analysts at Wells Fargo and Berenberg, Gossler & Co. said.
⋅ CNET
Setting up software to install patches automatically, using two-factor authentication, thinking every day about what could go wrong, approaching requests for personal information with suspicion, diligently backing up data and using a password manager are among the top defenses cited by cybersecurity experts at two recent conferences in Las Vegas.
Nine marketing and communications groups including the American Advertising Federation and the Public Relations Society of America have issued a joint statement in support freedom of the press, following the nationwide publication of editorials by news organizations in response to President Donald Trump calling the media "the enemy of the people." The statement stood beside those editorials, stating "we join with our compatriots in the news media to proudly affirm the Fourth Estate as a vital engine of democracy."
Google is planning its first retail flagship in a 14,000-square-foot, two-story space in Chicago's meatpacking district, sources said. Google has thus far relied on pop-ups and in-store shops to display its growing array of gadgets including Google Home, smartphones and tablets.
Major tech brands such as Apple, Google and Facebook have rolled out initiatives to help consumers cut back on the time they spend online as part of a digital well-being program. An example of this comes from Apple, which aimed to limit screen time with a "Do Not Disturb" function in iOS 12, its new operating system.
⋅ CBS News
Thirty-one of 45 children's breakfast foods and cereals, such as granolas, oats and snack bars, had levels of glyphosate, a weed-killing chemical associated with cancer, exceeding what some consider to be safe levels for children, an Environmental Working Group report found. The report also showed that only two products didn't contain glyphosate.
Claims that the rollback of net neutrality regulations would lead to the destruction of the internet have proved to be baseless, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai said at a Senate oversight hearing. Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., suggested that internet service providers were simply laying low while the rollback faces litigation, while FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel agreed that ability and incentive would eventually lead to internet fast and slow lanes.
⋅ CBS News
Tangier Island in Chesapeake Bay faces an existential threat due to changing weather patterns that lead to rising water levels and increased erosion. The Army Corps of Engineers is planning to address erosion on the island with a $3 million jetty, and the Corps is seeking approval for a study examining the best ways to protect the island.
Caesars Entertainment has committed to reduce carbon emissions by 95% of 2011 figures by 2050. Meanwhile, 60% of Caesars' suppliers will set science-based emissions reduction targets by 2023, according to the company.
Educators in Massachusetts will soon work to create a science, technology, engineering and math curriculum that integrates storytelling and students' imaginations into lessons for middle-schoolers. Using a $1.1 million National Science Foundation grant, a school district, Springfield Technical Community College and Smith College will partner on the four-year project with the goal of being the "Harry Potter of STEM education," according to one official.
Hotel security has been beefed up across the US since the Mandalay Bay shooting in Las Vegas last October, but an expert cautions against taking new measures for granted. "By training your employees, adding technology and barriers to fill gaps, creating plans and holding drills, you can force bad actors to look elsewhere for a softer target," said Michael O'Rourke, founder of security consulting firm Advanced Operational Concepts.