Gas price up, but down from last year

Gas price up, but down from last year

YOUNGSTOWN

Northeast Ohio’s gas increased by 1 cent this week with the average price at $1.984, according to AAA East Central. But the average price this time last year was $3.282. The average price in Youngstown was listed at $1.955.

Verizon receives RootScore award

YOUNGSTOWN

RootScore, which compares networks for consumers to make informed mobile decisions, recently tested the Youngstown market.

Verizon won the overall RootScore award in Youngstown.

The market was tested Dec. 7-11. The last round of testing was in April 2014.

Verizon’s median download speed increased from 10.7 megabits per second to 16.6 Mbps. Its median upload speed increased from 5.5 Mbps to 9.1 Mbps.

Verizon led for its data performance. Verizon and AT&T led for call performance. AT&T and Sprint led for text performance while Verizon came in third.

Wal-Mart offering tax refunds in cash

NEW YORK

Wal-Mart is launching a service allowing customers to pick up their tax refunds in cash at all stores nationwide.

It’s the discounter’s latest move to offer more financial services, which is seen as a path to bringing more shoppers to its stores.

The world’s largest retailer, based in Bentonville, Ark., says the process will take the same time as if customers were to file their returns electronically and then get direct deposit, which could take just a week, says Daniel Eckert, senior vice president of services for Wal-Mart’s U.S. division.

IS hostage video

CAIRO

The Islamic State group threatened to kill two Japanese hostages within 72 hours, demanding a $200 million ransom in a video posted online Tuesday that showed a knife-brandishing masked militant standing over the two kneeling captives.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was traveling in the Middle East, vowed to save the men. But with his military only operating in a self-defense capacity at home, Abe faces a hard choice: openly pay the extremists or ask an ally such as the United States to attempt a risky rescue inside Syria.

Private data sent

WASHINGTON

The government’s health insurance website is quietly sending consumers’ personal data to private companies that specialize in advertising and analyzing Internet data for performance and marketing, The Associated Press has learned.

The scope of what is disclosed or how it might be used was not immediately clear, but it can include age, income, ZIP code, whether a person smokes and if a person is pregnant. It can include a computer’s Internet address, which can identify a person’s name or address when combined with other information collected by online marketing or advertising firms.

Vindicator staff/wire reports