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2020 Holiday Happenings At The Aquarium Of The Pacific
OC Health Care Agency Ramps Up Efforts Encouraging Testing
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Go to AnaheimPress.com for Anaheim Specific News M O N D AY, N O V E M B E R 30 - D E C E M B E R 6, 2020
V O L U M E 6, N O. 48
Remember March Madness and No Toilet Paper?
AG Becerra Secures $17.5M Settlement With Home Depot
Are we panic buying again? TERRY MILLER STORY & PHOTO
T
he possibility of a new stay-at-home order may be looming as coronavirus cases increase, so the public’s panic shopping spree has started. Just shop before 10 p.m. per the curfew in purple tier counties. We’ve already noticed some half-empty shelves, but we’re optimists and hope that the shelves are half-full, with all we need. If you take to heart what Reader’s Digest wrote in October, “you'll want to stock up on ASAP.” In a recent market trip, this reporter was stunned yet again to see empty shelves where simple paper products such as toilet paper and paper towels seem to have vanished into thin air. Household products —
- Courtesy photo
- Photo by Terry Miller
including paper towels and Clorox wipes — have been difficult to find at times during the pandemic, and if grocery stores aren't stocked up and prepared for a second wave this winter, runs on products and short-
ages could happen again. Part of the reason for the shortage is people keep hoarding them: There was a massive surge in sales of Bounty paper towels in July, Procter & Gamble (PG) reported, as
customers swept them off store shelves. Bounty paper towel sales surged in July as people began scrubbing down their homes and washing their dishes more often during the pandemic.
Two Charged in Killing of Man Whose Body Was Found in Mojave Desert A San Gabriel man was charged with killing a 21-year-old college student whose body was found in a remote area of the Mojave Desert, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced. Assistant Head Deputy Habib Balian of the Major Crimes Division said Ethan Kedar Astaphan (dob 6/1/93) faces one count of murder in case BA491591. Co-defendant Sonita Heng (dob 5/10/00) of Harbor City faces one count of accessory after
the fact. Victim Juan Hernandez disappeared on September 22 and his body was found on November 15 in the desert in San Bernardino County, the prosecutor said. Astaphan faces a possible maximum sentence of 25 years to life in state prison if convicted as charged. Heng faces three years in prison. The case remains under investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department.
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California Attorney General Xavier Becerra announced a $17.5 million multistate settlement with The Home Depot, Inc. (Home Depot), resolving allegations that the retailer failed to adequately protect the payment card information of approximately 40 million customers compromised in a 2014 data breach. California will receive more than $1.8 million from the settlement, which includes injunctive terms that require Home Depot to tighten its information security program to prevent future breaches. “Families should always have peace of mind that their personal information is safe and secure while they shop. Every company like Home Depot that collects confidential personal data must put its house in order and provide reasonable data security,” said Attorney General Becerra. “As today’s settlement makes clear, companies that don’t adequately secure data face serious consequences.” In 2014, Home Depot reported a payment card system breach. Attackers used stolen credentials to access Home Depot’s network, then installed malware on pointof-sale devices at Home Depot’s stores. The breach resulted in the compromise of payment card information from approximately 40 million customers. The multistate investi-
gation revealed that Home Depot failed to carry out basic security procedures that would have fixed known technological vulnerabilities, and did not properly monitor suspicious activity occurring on systems that maintained personal information. The company also failed to stay apprised of evolving security standards. The injunctive terms require Home Depot to comply with robust data security improvements to prevent future breaches, including implementing a comprehensive information security program to protect the integrity and confidentiality of consumers’ personal information. The settlement also requires Home Depot to provide security awareness and privacy training to all personnel with responsibility over consumer personal data or the company network. Home Depot will also tighten policies and procedures around an array of security features including payment card security technologies. The settlement underscores Attorney General Becerra's commitment to hold companies accountable for protecting customer information. Late last month, Attorney General Becerra secured an $8.69 million settlement against Anthem, Inc., resolving similar allegations that
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