More than 40,000 people will receive a refund as a result of the Federal Trade Commissions settlement with Cerebral, Inc, an online mental health service provider that allegedly billed consumers despite their requests to cancel their subscriptions.
The refunds stem from a settlement of FTC allegations that Cerebral:
required its clients to navigate a complex, multi-step, and often multi-day process to cancel their subscriptions;
continued to charge consumers while slow-walking their cancellation requests, despite promising consumers they could cancel anytime;
disclosed consumers sensitive personal health information and other sensitive data to third parties for advertising purposes; and
violated the Restore Online Shoppers Confidence Act by failing to clearly disclose all material terms of their cancellation policies before charging consumers.
An independent refund administrator, Epiq Systems, is sending payments totaling more than $5 million to 40,249 affected consumers. Most of these consumers will receive a check in the mail, which they should cash within 90 days, as indicated on the check.
Eligible consumers who did not have an address on file will receive a PayPal payment, which should be redeemed within 30 days.
Payments will go to consumers who submitted a request to cancel their subscription on or before May 2022, but who Cerebral continued to charge.
Consumers who have questions about a payment or their eligibility for a payment should contact the independent refund administrator at 1-888-884-6036 or via email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
. The Commission never requires people to pay money or provide account information to get a refund.
The Commissionsinteractive dashboards for refund data provide a state-by-state breakdown of refunds in FTC cases. In 2024, FTC actions led to more than $339 million in refunds to consumers across the country.
The FDA has authorized four new electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS) products for sale in the U.S., bringing the total number of authorized vaping products to 45.
The newly approved products include fruit- and menthol-flavored e-cigarettes made by Los Angeles-based Glas.
Public health advocates criticized the move, warning the products could increase youth vaping despite FDA safeguards.
During the first Trump administration, health officials cracked down on vaping, especially flavored vapes popular with teenagers. In the second administration, officials are taking a different tack.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has expanded the number of legally marketed vaping products in the United States by authorizing four new electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS) products from vape manufacturer Glas.
The agency said the authorization allows the products to be marketed to adults aged 21 and older after determining that the products met the legal standard of being appropriate for the protection of public health. The FDA stressed that the authorization applies only to the specific Glas products reviewed and does not represent a blanket approval for other vaping products made by the company.
With the latest decision, the FDA has now authorized 45 ENDS products for sale in the U.S. The authorized products are currently the only vaping products that may be legally marketed nationwide under FDA rules.
Age-verification tech
According to the FDA, the newly authorized products include mango, blueberry, and menthol-flavored vaping products. The agency'sreview found that age-restriction technology and marketing limitations could help reduce youth access to the products. The system requires users to verify their age with government-issued identification and pair the vaping device with a smartphone using Bluetooth technology.
FDA officials described the technology as a potential breakthrough in limiting underage vaping. Bret Koplow, acting director of the FDAs Center for Tobacco Products, said device access restrictions are a potential game changer in helping prevent youth use.
The decision marks the first time the FDA has authorized fruit-flavored vaping products, signaling a significant shift in the agencys approach to regulating flavored e-cigarettes. In previous years, the FDA rejected more than one million flavored vaping products because of concerns that they appealed to teenagers.
Pushback from anti-tobacco groups
The authorization immediately drew criticism from anti-tobacco groups. Theywarned that this could reverse the progress our nation has made in reducing youth e-cigarette use.
Public health organizations also urged the FDA to closely monitor how the products are marketed and used.
The FDA emphasized that no tobacco product is safe and warned that people who do not currently use tobacco products should not start. The agency also said it will continue enforcement efforts against unauthorized vaping products, including operations targeting illegal imports and retailers selling products that appeal to youth.
Use Amazon Outlet: Find overstocks and clearance deals in the hard-to-find Outlet with discounts often reaching 30%70% off the original price.
Stack extra savings: Try to combine sale prices with Amazons hidden coupon page and promo codes for even bigger discounts.
Shop Amazon Resale: Open-box and returned items in Like New condition can offer major savings for much less. (And there's no-risk, as you have a 30-day return window.
Shopping for clearance deals on Amazon can often feel like a no-win game. You search deals, scroll forever, and still end up paying close to full priceor the sale price is the same price its been for sixmonths.
But the truth is Amazon does actually have a solid clearance system; its just scattered across multiple hidden sections. Once you know where to look, you can consistently find 30%70% off without relying on Prime Day to make it happen.
Heres the smart shoppers Amazon playbook.
Start with Amazons hidden Outlet
Most people never find this or dont even know it exists.
Amazons Outlet section is where overstock items go when Amazon is trying to clear out inventory. Think of it like a physical outlet store, except its all online.
In the Outlet youll find:
Brand-new items (not used)
Seasonal clearance
Overstock from big brands
Discounts often up to 70% off
They dont really advertise the Outlet on their homepage. Heres how to find it:
Search Amazon Outlet in that actual Amazon search bar
Or go to Todays Deals then tap on Overstock Deals or Outlet
Some of the top brands you can find in the Amazon Outlet include Apple, Adidas, Calvin Klein, KitchenAid, Nike, UGG, JBL, and Kate Spade.
Stack deals with their secret coupon page
Even fewer shoppers know about the coupon section on Amazon.
Amazon has a hidden digital coupons page where you can clip extra discounts before checkout. They make no mention of this coupon section on the homepage, and most shoppers have no idea it exists.
What makes their coupons powerful:
Coupons stack on top of sale prices
Discounts apply instantly at checkout
New coupons rotate constantly
How to use it:
Visitthis page and bookmark it, or search Amazon Coupon before you shop.
Once you're on the coupon page, you can filter your search by category or price.
On the product page, click the Coupon price" box to activate the offer (see screenshot above).
Im a huge fan of the website Koupon.ai as they do a great job posting and verifying Amazon promo codes in real-time. They categorize all the Amazon products that currently have a coupon available, andthis makes it very easy to find 30-50% off deals on the products youre shopping for.
Also, if a promo code is tested and found to not be working, its removed instantly from their site and app.
Use Amazon Resale for open-box steals
Amazon Resale is where some of the biggest clearance discounts tend to live.
Pro tip: Filter for Used Like New or Used Very Good condition first. Thats where you get near-perfect items at deep discounts.
Use the '% off'Amazon search trick
This is one of the most underused Amazon search hacks.
You can actually force Amazon to show you only heavily discounted items by editing the URL on your desktop or laptop.
For example:
After doing a search on Amazon, try adding &pct-off=50- to the end of the URL (in your browser search bar) to see all the items being sold at 50% off or more.
Or add &pct-off=70-90 to find extreme 70-90% off clearance items.
Pro tip: Try combining this hack with category searches like:
kitchen &pct-off=60-
headphones &pct-off=50-
Youll find that by adding this, it often cuts out 90% of the junk listings instantly.
Time your shopping withclearance patterns
Amazon doesnt run traditional markdown schedules, but clearance patterns still exist.
Remote work opportunities are expanding for people without a bachelors degree.
Many employers are prioritizing skills and experience over formal education.
Jobs in customer service, tech, admin, and marketing can offer flexibility and competitive pay.
For years, a college degree was viewed as the main ticket to a stable career. But in todays job market, thats starting to change especially in the world of remote work.
More companies are shifting toward skills-based hiring, focusing on experience, certifications, and practical abilities instead of requiring a four-year diploma.
Thats good news for job seekers looking for flexibility, better work-life balance, or a chance to work from home without spending years and thousands of dollars earning a degree.
According to career platform FlexJobs, many remote-friendly positions are open to applicants with a high school diploma, associate degree, or relevant work experience.
Putting the list together
For this list, FlexJobs identified remote jobs that typically do not require a bachelors degree and are commonly available as fully remote positions.
The jobs span a wide range of industries and salary levels, showing theres no single path into remote work anymore. Experts say employers are increasingly valuing transferable skills, communication abilities, and real-world experience over traditional credentials.
The list
Here are 20 remote jobs that generally dont require a college degree:
Delta will stop offering snacks and beverages on about 450 daily flights under 350 miles starting May 19.
Passengers in Delta First will still receive full service, even on shorter routes.
The airline says the move is meant to create a more consistent onboard experience across its network.
For many travelers, getting a small bag of snacks or a complimentary drink has long been part of the flying experience even on quick trips. But thats about to change for thousands of Delta passengers.
Coming up in just a few weeks on May 19, Delta Air Lines will eliminate all food and beverage service on hundreds of short-haul flights, a move that has sparked debate online among frequent flyers and casual travelers alike.
What flights are affected?
The change will affect all Delta flights that are less than 350 miles long. Delta shared more of the specifics with People Magazine.
Customers traveling in Delta Comfort and Delta Main on flights 350 miles and above will now receive full beverage and snack service, while shorter flights will no longer offer food and beverage service with the exception of Delta First which always receives full service," a Delta spokesperson told PEOPLE.
Why the change?
Delta says the adjustment is part of a broader effort to simplify and standardize onboard service.
The airline noted that passengers on flights 350 miles and longer will now receive full beverage and snack service, including some routes that previously only had limited express service.
This change isn't a total surprise for Delta travelers, as the airline had already stopped offering food and beverage service on flights under 250 miles back in 2015. Then, in 2017, Delta later introduced scaled-back service on certain short routes.
How will travelers respond?
There are several things to consider from the traveler point of view.
On the one hand, some passengers may questionwhy service reductions are happening while airfare prices remain high.
However,short flights are so brief that cabin crews often have limited time to complete service anyway.On top of that, turbulence and shorter flight times can make onboard service more difficult to manage safely and consistently.
For consumers, the biggest takeaway is simple: travelers on shorter Delta flights may want to plan ahead. That could mean bringing a water bottle, grabbing snacks in the airport before boarding, or checking flight distance when booking if onboard service matters to them.
The scam: A traveler lost $12,000 after calling a fake airline customer service number found through a Google search.
How it works: Scammers use fake sponsored ads that look official, especially during flight delays and schedule changes.
How to avoid it: Use the airlines app or official website directly and never pay huge fees to fix a flight.
According to a recent report from The Wall Street Journal, a seasoned traveler lost more than $12,000 after falling for a surprisingly simple scam tied to a routine flight change.
The mistake? He contacted a scammer posing as an airline customer service representative.
This type of scam is exploding right now, especially as airlines deal with delays and schedule changes. Scammers know many travelers (even experienced travelers) are stressed and in a hurry, and they use that against you.
Heres what actually happened, and how to make sure it doesnt happen to you.
What went wrong
After getting a real email from Lufthansa about a flight change, the traveler tried to rebook, but the link didnt work.
So, he did what most people would do in this situation. He simply Googled the airlines customer service department and called the first number that popped up.
Thats where things fell apart.
Scammers had placed fake sponsored ads on Google that appeared at the top of the page, before the actual Lufthansa link.
Theylookvery similar to theofficial airline link,so he clicked on it. He thencalled the phone numberand spoke to someone pretending to be a real Lufthansa agent.
They then did the following:
Asked for his confirmation number
Offered to fix the flight
Charged him over $12,000 for the change
The worst part was that he was told that the money would be refunded, but it wasnt.
Because he actually authorized the charge, getting the money back has been a long, uphill battle.
Why this scam works so well
This isnt just a random phishing email. Its specifically targeted toward travelers in a hurry.
Scammers rely on:
Urgency (your flight is changing, act now)
Trust (it looks like a real airline phone number)
Convenience (you just click the first result)
And with AI and better fake websites, its getting harder to tell whats real.
How to protect yourself (starting now)
1. Never Google airline phone numbers in a rush
Its important to realize that sponsored search results can be fake. Instead, do this:
Use the airlines official app
Go directly to the airlines website (type it in yourself)
Save customer service phone numbers in your phone ahead of trips
2. Dont trust inbound linksgo direct
Even if the email looks real:
Dont click the link if something feels off
Open a new browser and go to the airline site yourself
Log in and manage your booking there
3. Know what airlines actually charge
Major red flag:
Huge fees for basic changes
Pressure to pay immediately
In many cases, schedule changes are:
Free to fix
Eligible for rebooking or refunds
If someone asks for thousands of dollars, stop immediately.
4. Double-check email domains and confirmations
Look closely at:
Email addresses (not just the name)
Confirmation details
Payment descriptions
Even small differences can signal a scam.
5. Slow downthis is your biggest advantage
Scammers win when you panic and you rush your decision because you're worried about being stranded at the airport.
Always take the couple minutes required to:
Verify the source
Cross-check contact info
Think through the request
That pause alone can potentially save you thousands of dollars and potential major headaches.
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