DETROIT – Hey! How's it going?
Are you still pumped from the "America's Got Talent" finale? I loved watching the Detroit Youth Choir crush it this season, and it was fantastic to see them get so close to winning it all. It was a great week to celebrate Detroit and let the nation see some great kids who represent our city.
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I was an emcee this week for an Equality Michigan fundraiser. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Sen. Debbie Stabenow and Attorney General Dana Nessel were featured speakers at the event.
It was great to talk to these three major state leaders outside work. Usually when I see them, we get right down to business! It was a great event to be at!
Some of you might already be doing holiday shopping online. If you are, then you're likely getting pop-up or targeted ads everywhere -- even on Facebook and Instagram. We talked with the Better Business Bureau about how to reduce these pop-up ads and also worked to show you how to protect your private information online.
It blows my mind when I search for a flight deal on my work computer and then, I get a targeted ad on the phone while on Instagram. It's annoying and can feel like Big Brother is watching or listening, all to profit off of your purchases.
Purdue Pharma filed for bankruptcy protection. This was not a huge shock, and our attorney general said she expected it. Nessel also said she expects the state to get almost $5 million from a settlement deal. That money goes into the general fund, but the hope is it will also be used to help those with opioid addiction and work to prevent the problem in the first place.
A story we aired this week got a lot of you talking on Facebook and ClickOnDetroit: what you really need to know about "use by" and "sell by" dates. What's the deal? Do you really need to pitch condiments when they reach the dates? There are tools that help you figure that out!
Is it too early to take my daughter to the cider mill? I want her to experience all the great things about fall, but let's be real -- I also just want some cider and doughnuts. Having said that, I think I will wait a week to plant mums in the yard. It doesn't seem like the right thing to do when it's 75 degrees and sunny.
Have a great weekend!
Hank
Email: helpmehank@wdiv.com
@HelpMeHank
Recall of the week
This is a product you likely have in the kitchen. General Mills is recalling bags of Gold Medal unbleached all-purpose flour.
The recall is due to a possible E. coli contamination. This is for all 5-pound bags stamped with a "better if used by" date of Sept. 6, 2020.
If you remember, back in May, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned people that several bags of flour could be contaminated after 21 people across the country were infected.
This recall hasn't been linked to that outbreak as of right now.
Bottom line: If you have this product in the house, just pitch it.
Scam of the week
There's a new twist on the Social Security Administration scam.
The Federal Trade Commission is warning people that scammers are calling and pretending to be from the SSA, saying your benefits are about to end if you don't pay up.
Please, please, please don't fall for this. Tell your parents, grandparents and everyone you know that the SSA won't call you out of the blue and tell you your benefits are about to end if you don't wire them money or buy a gift card. That's just not how it works.
Deal of the week
Walmart is doing its annual car seat trade-in event.
Now through Sept. 30, customers can turn in car seats and get a $30 gift card to use on baby items in return.
The car seats are recycled. It's the plastic equivalent of saving 35 million water bottles from landfills. It's better than throwing them out!