Employee-pricing with no money down promo extended

By Truman Lewis of ConsumerAffairs

Amazon and Walmart have also gotten warnings

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• FTC targets deceptive "Made in USA" claims with warning letters to four companies.

• Amazon and Walmart notified over suspect product listings by third-party sellers.

• Agency reaffirms strict compliance with "Made in USA" labeling standards.

Since taking office, the Trump administration has taken steps to encourage U.S. manufacturing, even placing tariffs on products made elsewhere. The Federal Trade Commission sent out a wave of warning letters this week to companies it says are stretching the truth in that regard.

The agency cautioned four manufacturers and sent notices to retail giants Amazon and Walmart regarding potentially deceptive labeling practices by third-party sellers on their platforms.

FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson underscored the significance of accurate labeling in a statement accompanying the announcement.

Made in the USA is not just a slogan its a sign that a product connects us to the workers and businesses that make America great, Ferguson said. Consumers want to have confidence that when they buy something labelled Made in the USA they are actually supporting American workers and the American economy. Companies that falsely claim their products are Made in the USA can expect to hear from the FTC.

Companies named in the warning

The warning letters target four businesses whose products are allegedly mislabeled or insufficiently substantiated as U.S.-made:

• Americana Liberty, a flagpole retailer

• Oak Street Manufacturing, LLC, a footwear manufacturer

• Pro Sports Group LLC, a football equipment company

• USA Big Mountain Paper Inc., a personal care product maker

The companies were reminded that under the FTC Act and the Made in USA Labeling Rule, any product marketed as Made in USA must be all or virtually all made in the United States. The FTC instructed them to either halt such marketing or provide clear substantiation.

Failure to comply can result in legal consequences, including subpoenas, federal lawsuits, injunctive actions, and civil penalties.

Amazon and Walmart are also under scrutiny

In addition to targeting individual manufacturers, the FTC sent letters to Amazon and Walmart, emphasizing that their platforms host third-party sellers making questionable Made in USA assertions. The agency warned that such representations may violate both the FTC Act and the platforms own seller policies.

The letters serve not only as a warning but also as a guide, reminding online marketplaces of

The FTC said the regulatory action is part of the FTCs broader July campaign to reinforce the importance of accurate origin labeling. The agency said it is promoting consumer trust in American-made products while ensuring companies adhere to federal standards.

New study reveals concerning trends in U.S. children's well-being

• A new study found that more than one in five U.S. children now have multiple chronic health conditions.
  

• The study also found that developmental, behavioral, and mental health issues are all rising.
  

• Overall child health improved from 2016 to 2020, then reversed during the pandemic.
  

A new study led by researchers at Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) has uncovered a troubling trend: children's overall health in the United States is getting worse.

Published in JAMA in July 2025, the study shows that more American children are facing a combination of physical, mental, and developmental health issues than in years past.

While there was a period of progress between 2016 and 2020 where rates of chronic conditions and disability went down researchers found that this progress stalled and then reversed during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings raise concerns about the long-term impact of the pandemic on childrens health and well-being, especially among those from lower-income households.

In the course of conducting this study, there wasnt a single statistic that was startling, but instead comprehensive data over several years including millions of children all pointed to the same trends, which was an overall decline in the health of children and youth, senior study author Christopher B. Forrest, M.D., Ph.D., said in a news release.

The study

The research team analyzed data from the National Survey of Childrens Health, which includes parent-reported health information on over 200,000 children aged 0 to 17.

They focused on three main categories of child health:

1. Chronic physical conditions (like asthma or allergies)

2. Developmental or behavioral conditions (like ADHD or learning disabilities)

3. Mental health conditions (like anxiety or depression)
   

Researchers then grouped children by how many types of conditions they had: none, one, or two or more. They tracked these trends from 2016 through 2021 to see how things changed over time.

Importantly, the study didnt just look at medical diagnoses it also considered broader impacts like disability, access to care, and how many children were affected across multiple areas of health.

The results

The results were concerning. In 2021:

• Nearly one in fourchildren (23.6%) had two or more health conditions, up from 20.4% in 2016.

• Children with no health conditions dropped from 45.3% to 39.4%.

• Mental health conditions, especially among teens, were on the rise.

• Children in lower-income households were more likely to have multiple chronic health issues.
  

The study also highlighted how progress in children's health from 2016 to 2020 was essentially erased during the pandemic. In fact, some health indicators have now worsened beyond pre-pandemic levels.

Researchers say these findings should be a wake-up call for policymakers and health care providers. The growing number of children dealing with complex, overlapping health issues means that the current pediatric health system may need to evolve to better support families.

Children are naturally resilient and adaptive, Forrest said. If we can improve the ecosystems that surround them and meet the challenges we identified in this study, we can lay the foundation for a healthier future for our nations youth.

The rule would have made it easier and simpler to cancel unwanted subscriptions

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• Federal appeals court strikes down FTCs click to cancel rule, citing regulatory overreach
• Consumer advocates warn the decision could make canceling subscriptions harder for millions
• Legal uncertainty looms for subscription-based businesses as industry braces for next steps

Companies that provide services long ago learned that if they could persuade customers to subscribe and pay a monthly fee, they would be assured of a constant revenue flow. Many that took that step did not make it easy to unsubscribe.

Enter the Federal Trade Commission, which last year finalized the click to cancel rule, requiring companies that sold subscriptions to make it easy for customers to cancel. But what seemed like a victory for consumers has now been overturned by the courts.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit on Tuesday struck down the FTCs click to cancel rule, finding the FTC had exceeded its authority under Section 18 of the FTC Act.

The rule and the ruling

The now-defunct rule, finalized in March 2024, required businesses to provide a straightforward online mechanismoften a single click or clearly labeled buttonfor customers to cancel subscriptions and recurring charges. It also prohibited companies from obstructing the cancellation process with unwanted prompts, retention offers, or long call center wait times.

But in a 2-1 decision, the court ruled that the rule constituted a significant expansion of the Commissions rulemaking powers without explicit congressional authorization.

The Commission cannot create sweeping mandates that transform how businesses operate without a clear legislative directive, the justices wrote.

Industry cheers, advocates warn

Business groups and subscription-based platforms welcomed the ruling as a check on what they characterized as heavy-handed regulation. The National Retail Federation and Chamber of Digital Commerce, which had both filed amicus briefs in support of the challenge, praised the decision as a victory for regulatory balance and innovation.

However, consumer protection groups reacted with alarm, pointing out that companies have deployed a well-documented practice of using dark patterns and deceptive practices to keep consumers paying for a service they no longer want or need.