Current Events in August 2012

First the Midwest, now the West Coast. Gasoline prices are set to surge in California and the west, you can take it to the bank.

The reason is a fire at Chevron's Richmond, CA, refinery, which produces as much as 10 percent of gasoline for the West Coast states. The fire is out, but the refinery will be off-line while officials determine the extent of the damages and make repairs. On a normal day, the facility refines 245,000 barrels of gasoline.

When you reduce supply and demand remains the same, any economics student knows the price goes up. Just ask the consumers in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan and Wisconsin.

Surging prices

Prices at the pump shot up between 30 and 40 cents a gallon in those five states in a week's time after a pipeline had to be shut down and problems reduced output at three regional refineries. As a result, Illinois now has the second most expensive gasoline in the nation. The other four states are not far behind.

Although it isn't known how long operations at the California refinery will be curtailed, some industry analysts suggest it could be several months. The resulting price hike, they predict, could be about 20 cents a gallon. But that would be low compared to what the Midwestern states are experiencing.

California already has expensive gasoline. The statewide average is about $3.85 a gallon. To the north, the average price is $3.67 in Oregon and $3.70 in Washington. All three states should see sharply higher prices in the coming days.

For the last quarter-century there's been a law on the books that requires hospital emergency rooms to treat uninsured, critically ill patients instead of turning them away or transferring them. Despite that, a study says the practice of “patient dumping” continues.

How widespread the practice is remains uncertain. The study by researchers at the George Washington School of Public Health presents five case studies of patients who had been denied care or transferred in an unstable condition to Denver Health, a large, urban safety-net hospital.

The researchers conclude not only that such “patient dumping” occurs under the current interpretation and enforcement of the law but that Denver Health is hardly alone.

Lack of enforcement

“Federal and state investigators must do a better job of identifying violators of the law and enforcing the ban on patient dumping,” said GW Professor Sara Rosenbaum, lead author of the study. “If we do not start aggressively enforcing the law, millions of uninsured Americans will continue to get no care at all or incomplete care.”

The study found that it's not just for-profit hospitals that engage in “patient dumping.” It says non-profit hospitals seem to do it just as much. It's not only a violation of the patient's rights, the researchers say, but it places a huge burden on the hospital-of-last-resort that receives the dumped patients -- usually an under-funded urban facility.

The law in question is the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA), which was passed in 1986. It requires hospitals to provide appropriate medical screening and stabilizing care to uninsured patients with emergency conditions. These conditions include illnesses as well as the result of accidents.

Law has been weakened

The study concluded that court rulings, regulations and other factors have allowed hospitals to skirt the intent of the law. For example, the 2003 regulations say that patients have to arrive at a “dedicated emergency department” and that EMALTA does not apply when a critically ill patient shows up in another department.

In order to stop this practice, the federal government must develop a more effective system for reporting non-compliance with the law, the authors say. They also argue that federal and state regulators must establish clearer standards to make it easier for hospitals to avoid violations.

For uninsured patients, knowing your rights is an important step in making sure you get timely treatment. If a hospital emergency department attempts to turn away an uninsured patient, the patient or loved one should reference the EMALTA and tell those in charge they expect treatment.

Remember all that money we dumped into American International Group, Inc. (AIG) a few years ago? Well, we’re getting some of it back. 

The U.S. Department of the Treasury says it expects to receive an additional $750 million from its underwritten public offering of AIG common stock. The underwriters have exercised their over-allotment option in full to purchase approximately 24.6 million additional shares of AIG common stock at the public offering price of $30.50 per share. 

Last week, Treasury agreed to sell approximately 163.9 million shares of AIG common at $30.50 per share in an underwritten public offering for expected proceeds of approximately $5.0 billion. The exercise of the over-allotment option increases Treasury’s expected proceeds from the public offering to approximately $5.75 billion and the total number of shares sold in the offering to approximately 188.5 million. 

Reduced stake 

Overall, the offering is expected to reduce Treasury’s remaining investment in AIG to approximately $24.2 billion, consisting of approximately 871.1 million shares of common stock; and reduce Treasury’s percentage ownership of AIG’s outstanding shares of common stock from 61 percent to 53 percent. 

During the financial meltdown, overall support for AIG through Treasury and the Federal Reserve totaled approximately $182 billion. After giving effect to the offering, the government’s remaining investment of approximately $24.2 billion would represent a nearly 87 percent reduction from that original $182 billion commitment. 

In addition to principal repayments, which have reduced the government’s remaining outstanding investment to $24.2 billion, the Federal Reserve and Treasury have also received additional income beyond that from interest, fees, and other gains. 

That additional income beyond principal repayments totals $14 billion, including approximately $13 billion from the Federal Reserve’s investment and approximately $1 billion from Treasury’s investment. 

This latest move is part of Treasury’s efforts to wind down the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP).  Nearly 83 percent ($344 billion) of the $416 billion funds disbursed for TARP have already been recovered to date through repayments and other income -- before including any expected proceeds from today’s announcement. 

Last week's July employment report showed a surprising 163,000 new jobs last month. Anecdotal evidence also suggests the economy is doing better than expected.

Traveling through the Midwest last weekend, a ConsumerAffairs reporter observed full hotels, stores and restaurants, as well as major highway construction projects in a number of states. Still, it's too early to turn bullish on the economy, warns Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke.

Consumers are struggling

In a recorded speech for a conference in Massachusetts, Bernanke said behind all the encouraging indicators, the average consumer is still struggling to keep up.

"Even though some key aggregate metrics, including consumer spending, disposable income, household net worth and debt service payments, have moved in the direction of recovery, it is clear that many individuals and households continue to struggle with difficult economic and financial conditions," Bernanke said.

When looking at facts and figures, such as Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and consumer spending, Bernanke said it is hard to get the full picture. There are groups of consumers, types of businesses and even communities that are falling behind and through the cracks. And not just financially.

The Fed Chairman says perhaps a better measure of how we are doing as a nation would be to measure happiness, not wealth.

"We should seek better and more-direct measurements of economic well-being," Bernanke said in the taped speech, adding that promoting well-being is "the ultimate objective of our policy decisions."

Not that happy at the moment

And from what he sees, Bernanke said it's clear that many people are not really happy right now. Unemployment remains stubbornly high at 8.3 percent. Since the start of the Great Recession, many people have left the labor force, many giving up on finding a job. The number of Americans going on disability has surged in the last few months.

To help him gauge happiness, Bernanke said he would like to know how secure consumers feel about their jobs, how confident they are about future job prospects and how prepared they are for future financial shocks.

If you are among seniors subscribing to Medicare prescription drug plans, here ‘s some good news: premiums are projected to remain constant in 2013. 

The average 2013 monthly premium for basic prescription drug coverage is expected to be $30, according to Health and Human Services (HSS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. Average premiums for 2012 were projected to be $30 and ultimately averaged $29.67. At the same time, since the law was enacted, seniors and people with disabilities have saved $3.9 billion on prescription drugs as the Affordable Care Act began closing the “donut hole” coverage gap. 

“Premiums are holding steady and, thanks to the health care law, millions of people with Medicare are saving an average of over $600 each year on their prescription drugs,” said Sebelius. 

The projection for the average premium for 2013 is based on bids submitted by drug and health plans for basic coverage during the 2013 benefit year, and calculated by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Office of the Actuary. 

Enrollment period approaching 

The upcoming annual enrollment period -- which begins Oct. 15 and ends Dec. 7, 2012 – allows people with Medicare, their families and their caregivers to choose their plans for next year by comparing their current coverage and quality ratings to other plan offerings. New benefit choices are effective Jan. 1, 2013. 

Because of the Affordable Care Act, out-of-pocket savings on medications for people with Medicare continue to grow, according to HHS.  Last month, CMS announced that more than 5.2 million people with Medicare have saved over $3.9 billion on prescription drugs in the Medicare Part D donut hole since the law was enacted.  In the first half of 2012, over 1 million people with Medicare saved a total of $687 million on prescription drugs, averaging $629 per person this year. 

Looking ahead 

Coverage for both brand name and generic drugs in the coverage gap will continue to increase over time until 2020, when the coverage gap will be fully closed.  This year, people with Medicare received a 50 percent discount on covered brand name drugs and 14 percent coverage of generic drugs in the donut hole. 

In 2013, Medicare Part D’s coverage of brand name drugs will begin to increase, meaning that people with Medicare will receive a total of 52.5 percent off the cost of brand name drugs (a 50 percent discount and an additional 2.5 percent in coverage) and coverage for 21 percent of the cost of generic drugs in the donut hole.

An increasing number of PC users have had to deal with the frustrating “Police Virus” this year. Security software company PandaLabs says the Trojan was leading malware issue it dealt with in the second quarter of the year.

The Police Virus is a type of virus known as ransomeware. Its objective is to intimidate and blackmail users whose PCs are infected and persuade or force them to pay for having the malware removed or neutralized.

A PC gets infected when the user visits a particular Website. The Trojan then downloads to the victim's computer, inserting a registry entry to make sure that it will be run every time the PC boots up. It then displays a picture and a message that fills the screen and essentially locks up the computer. the only way to unlock it is to pay. Hence the name “ransomware.”

Bogus Microsoft message

At first the messages claimed to be from Microsoft, saying it had detected an illegal version of Windows on the victim's computer. The malware seized various documents on the user's computer and would not release them until payment was made.

Later versions claimed to be messages from law enforcement agencies, customized for individual countries. In the U.S., for example, it would claim to be from the FBI. The message would declare that illegal files, such as child pornography, had been detected on the user's computer and demanded payment.

The PandaLabs report notes that the Police Virus has lately begun to evolve, suggesting the hackers plan to keep it going for a while. According to various technology and security sites, newer variants of the virus have been modified to used highly sophisticated encryption techniques and overwrite key memory functions.

Six million new malware samples

In the second quarter of 2012 PandaLabs counted more than six million new malware samples. The company said that's about the same as the first quarter of the year. But there was some good news.

Despite the proliferation and increased sophistication of malware, the percentage of infected PCs worldwide fell in the second quarter -- from 35 percent to 31.63 percent. Asian countries had the most infected PCs, with South Korea the overall leader, followed by China and Taiwan.

There is no fool-proof way to avoid this virus because the hackers use a wide variety of sites to download their malware. A consumer's best hope is to have a good anti-virus program and keep it up to date.

Reichel Foods of Rochester, MN, is recalling a limited amount of Dippin’ Stix Sliced Apples & Caramel with Peanuts and Armour Active Packs Cheese Pizza Lunch Kits. The products have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. 

The organism can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women. 

The products were distributed to retail and convenience stores throughout the United States. 

The products subject to recall are: 

• 2.75 oz. single serve trays of Dippin’ Stix Apples & Caramel with Peanuts. The affected case code dates are 09/01/12, 09/02/12, and 09/03/12. The affected single serve tray code dates are USE BY 01SEP2012, USE BY 02SEP2012, and USE BY 03SEP2012.
• 5.6 oz. packages of “Armour Active Packs Cheese Pizza” Package Code 1026090112 or Case Code 27815-17996. 

Consumers who have purchased any products with the code dates listed above should dispose of them immediately or return them to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers with questions may contact Reichel Foods at (866) 372-2609 (7:00 am to 4:30 pm CST) or visit the company Website.

Alexis Wholesale of Gardena, CA, is recalling approximately 6,210 pounds of 10-lb. boxes of "Salvadorian Brand Chorizo" sausage because it is misbranded in that it contains monosodium glutamate (MSG), which is not declared on the label. 

The recalled product bears the establishment number "EST. 44823" inside the U.S. Department of Agriculture mark of inspection. It was produced July 2-27, 2012, and was sold to a distributor in Los Angeles. 

MSG is a sub-ingredient in the chorizo spice blend and was not listed on the final product label. There have been no reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about a reaction should contact a healthcare provider. 

Consumers with questions about the recall should contact the company's owner, Yesenia Lopez, at (310) 538-5020.

In case you weren't aware, there has been a guy running around bragging to people that he's figured out a way to cut your monthly energy costs by 75 percent.

He also says that by following his instruction, your home will no longer suffer from power outages, blackouts, storms or domestic emergencies.

Who is this mystery man?

His name is John Russel and he's created a product called Power4Home, which is a solar energy help kit that he claims can be followed by anyone.

He says anyone who has completed the third grade and can handle a basic screw driver can build their own solar power mechanism within a day or two in their backyard. Now, building home solar panels on your own isn't a new thing, but it's not something your average Harry Homeowner thinks of.

Nevertheless, most of us have been looking for ways to lower those monthly electricity bills for quite some time. Besides cost savings, there's the little matter of cutting carbon pollution and saving the planet (or, at least, saving ourselves).

Let's just get one thing clear upfront: Power4Home is not a solar power "kit." It's an information package consisting of books, manuals, DVDs, etc. It is protected by the First Amendment.  This is a tactic certain rather notorious infomercial kings have adopted to steer clear of legal problems.

It's illegal to sell, let's say, phony cancer cures and the feds will come after you. But if you write a book that claims to reveal "secret cures" instead of selling the pills or potions yourself, you're protected by the free speech provisions of the Constitution.

Just saying ... 

Not cheap

One could easily hop over to a do-it-yourself store and purchase all of the solar paneling fixings themselves, but costs can be quite steep.

On the Home Depot website for example, prices for solar panel equipment range from around $97.00 to the high thousands, and that's not even including  the wind turbine that's needed in most areas to supplement what comes from the sun.

Russel says that not only is his solar paneling kit a no-brainer to install, but it's cheaper than hiring an expert to do it, or buying a commercial system. Power4Home is now $49.97 on the company's website. 

Does all of this sound too good to be true? Well, sort of — but more on that in a bit.

Russel says he's been a working electrician for most of his adult life and he believes the big power companies have been lying about how much it really costs to light, heat and power your home.

He also says he first got the idea to start the Power4Home company during a vicious blizzard that left him and his family without power.

Shortly after, Russel says he first thought of buying a bigger generator, but didn't want to incur the gas bill prices on top of what he was already paying for electricity.

Then he went shopping for commercial solar power systems, but found prices to be way too steep. Finally he built what he needed from scratch and put up his solar panel and wind turbine in just a few days.

In the first month he claims his energy bill was reduced by 74 percent.

Salesmanship

In Russel's Power4Home sales video he talks about his product with both passion and salesmanship. After listening to this guy for a few minutes it’s hard to ascertain whether he's really figured out a way around paying high energy bills, or if he's just figured out a clever way to make a nice piece of change.

But that can be hard to determine with any product or salesperson.

The informational kit can be purchased on the website, and for the cost one gets three informational guides that walk you through installation, three instructional DVDs, a list of where to get all the materials you'll need for the lowest price, over 80 tips on how to save money on your monthly bill, and other items that Russel says will help with the process of building the system and saving money.

While there's no current feedback from ConsumerAffair readers about Power4Home, general Internet opinions show both good and bad things about this product.

The good

First the good:

Many have said the instructional manual is easy to follow and is extremely helpful for non-experts wanting to build a home solar power system.

The kit also provides some unique insights on big power companies in terms of how they work and how they make their profits. Keep in mind, though, that power companies are heavily regulated by state agencies and must justify the rates they charge. 

Power4Home offers a 60-day guarantee if you’re not satisfied, or if you don't see a substantial amount of savings within two months. Of course, nearly everybody offers a guarantee but that doesn't always mean much.

A good portion of consumers have said the solar panel kit was fairly priced, and low enough that they didn't mind taking a risk and investing their money on it.

The bad 

The bad things about Power4Home?

Apparently, most of the information that Russel has gathered and placed in the manuals can be gathered online for free. Although Russel says he is an  electrician, some critics say he seemingly just pulled instructions from the Internet and combined them into a series of manuals and instructional videos.

Secondly, many people have complained that trying to get their money back was a difficult task, and they only received a refund after numerous attempts and legal threats.

But even after all of that, many people have still found Power4Home a good buy, and here's why:

Although one can spend the time to gather this information on the Internet, some would rather have all of the needed instructions accumulated for them, especially if it's done by an expert.

It's similar to consumers paying more at the supermarket for produce that's pre-sliced and packaged -- or buying a newspaper instead of traveling around the world yourself to find out what's going on.

Sure anyone can Google the info and jot it down or print it, but if you can have someone willing to slice, dice and package the info for you, it can be helpful.

The overall Internet dialogue about Power4Home is centered around refunds issues and being able to access the instructions for free. But for the most part, there weren't too many stories about the product not working properly if followed correctly.

Good investment?

So should one really invest their dollars in Power4Home?

Well, it's only $50 or so. But before getting too excited, consumers should do a bit of research to determine what laws are in place for building a solar power system and what permits will be required.

For example, in Montgomery County, Md., a homeowner will need to fill out a series of forms and include documents that show the details of your planned work.

One will need a building permit, they'll need to submit information about the materials they’re using, and also hand in copies of the site plan. The state will also need to know other things, like details of the field space where you intend to put the paneling and wind turbine.

After phoning the Department of Permitting Services at the Montgomery County Government, a representative sent ConsumerAffairs two different applications that would need to be filled out by homeowners wishing to construct a solar powering unit. The application also came with a pretty extensive instructional sheet.

One application was for an electrical permit that would be needed; the other was an application for a residential building permit.

There's a $90 processing fee for the application as well as extra costs for wind turbine generators, which cost anywhere from $90 to $230, depending on the amount of amperages the solar powering system will use.

Electrician required

In addition, installing the power inverter will require the use of a professional electrician, and once it's installed you'll have to send in details about the inverter along with your application.

According to the application, the inverter will have to comply with the requirements of certain regulations that are established by a nationally recognized testing laboratory.

It's not a bad idea to ease into it -- maybe build or purchase a smaller system to help reduce the cost of your energy bill, instead of trying to go entirely off the grid.

But for those who have the patience and desire to power their home by wind and sun, they should definitely look forward to not only lower electricity bills, but maybe even a check made out to them by the power company.

In most states, if you are able to generate more power than you need, you can sell it back to the power company and get paid for it, or at least get a discount from your base monthly charges. 

So do a little additional research on John Russel and Power4Home, and also read up on the concept of home solar powering, especially for those who are not familiar with its benefits and hassles.

That way you can truly decide if you rather pull the instructions yourself, purchase Russel's kit, or just properly budget and be mindful of the electricity you're currently using.

Storms and droughts can be scary, especially the ones that seem to stretch on for long periods of time. But fortunately, they all end eventually. There are signs the long jobs drought may finally be coming to an end.

A recent report released by the job site Simply Hired finds that the U.S. is experiencing a 4.5 percent growth in job openings month-over-month and a 9.9 percent increase year-over year.

The report also finds the current job market ratio is three unemployed persons for every one job opportunity.

ConsumerAffairs spoke with Simply Hired's CEO Gautam Godhwani, to get an idea if the recent increase in job openings is an indication of the economic storm finally ending.

“This month's report shows an increase in job openings across the nation for the third month in a row,” he said. “Which shows that companies across the nation have increased their hiring and need to fill positions. The prospect of adding new jobs across the U.S. is definitely promising for today's economy.”

For the second consecutive month, job openings increased in each of the 50 major metro areas, according to the report.

In Grand Rapids, Mich., job openings grew by 9 percent. In the Ohio cities of Cleveland and Akron, new positions grew by 8 percent. Salt Lake City, Utah also saw a job growth of 8 percent, and these increases were the highest in the United States.

Smaller cities

Although these cities are all considered major metro areas, one would think the biggest job growths would be in larger cities like Los Angeles, Chicago or New York.

Godhwani says smaller areas tend to have companies that offer a very specific service, so their hiring patterns differ from bigger cities. 

“As we start to see progress in the economy, smaller cities that have strengths or concentrations in specific industries often experience a jump in growth as those industries heat up,” he explained.

“For example, the auto industry is starting to pick up and Grand Rapids' economy has a large focus on auto parts suppliers. As such, they are experiencing a good amount of growth at this time.”

“Larger cities are more homogeneous with many businesses and industries across the board, and that sometimes doesn't lead to large growth gains,” he said.

The report also shows the hospitality (11 percent) and non-profit industries (9 percent) saw the most job growth among the top 50 metro areas. In the month of July alone, 14 out of 18 industries experienced a rise in job growth.

The industries that saw the least amount of increase was retail at -6 percent, with media, construction and manufacturing all seeing only a -2 percent growth.

Public safety

The positions that had the most jobs being offered were law enforcement and fire and safety workers at 15.8 percent respectively. Engineers saw a 14.1 percent increase, not including positions for computer engineers.

Perhaps with a drop of irony attached, jobs in education were the only positions that continued to go down month after month at -2 percent. This may be surprising to some since many school districts say they need an increased amount of qualified teachers.

In fact, there are several TV commercials and ad campaigns that are trying to get people to teach, because many schools are lacking a high number of quality educators, so they need to get the word out.

Godhwani says there are a few factors that contribute to the education industry's lack of growth.

“Education is an area that has struggled quite a bit — largely due to funding issues in public schools and institutions,” he said.

“Job openings in education were down in July only slightly at -2 percent. In addition to funding, you also have to consider the season; many schools are beginning classes in just a few weeks and many education positions have been filled in preparation of the new school year.”

Rural areas

But what about those areas that aren't near a major city? How are job prospects looking for them?

“The major metros are often an indication of the nation as a whole,” said Godhwani. “So smaller areas will likely see job opening growth as well.”

As far as what advice Godhwani would give someone who has been unemployed for a long time: “Be mobile,” he said. “Be open to go places where there is better job growth.”

He also says to invest in training, and take courses that will help you in the careers that offer long-term prospects and have a lot of need. Godhwani also tells job-seekers to tap into their network contacts.

“Leverage personal and professional connections, as 50 percent of all hiring is via referral,” he said.

Godhwani also expresses a level of optimism, as he says there's a likely chance that the recent job growth will carry itself through the coming months.

"[Our] report has showed nationwide job openings increasing for the third month in a row,” he said. "This consistent growth offers an improved outlook for those who are unemployed, as it's clear that companies across the US are looking to hire now. In turn, there is the potential that confidence within the job market will increase in the short term.”

Bev, of Austin, TX, responded to a promotional email from Southwest Airlines over the weekend, taking advantage of a reduced fare to take a spur of the moment trip.

“I purchased a single ticket and no, I did not press 'submit' repeatedly,” Bev wrote in a post on ConsumerAffairs. “Southwest has taken out the charge for single my ticket 18 (EIGHTEEN) times in a single evening. I have been trying to reach them all evening. I got a busy signal at first and now the phone has rung, telling me that I will be on hold for one hour and fifteen minutes to one and a half hours. Don't ever use a debit card with Southwest.”

It turns out Bev was not alone. What should have been a celebration for Southwest over the weekend – reaching three million Facebook friends – turned into a nightmare for the airline's customer service staff. Many customers ended up with a dozen or more bookings when they were simply trying to buy one ticket.

The airline said it can be blamed on a computer glitch that created a booking every time a customer refreshed the Web page. By Sunday the problem was fixed and Southwest was issuing refunds.

The problem with a debit purchase

Bev's advice to never use a debit card to book with Southwest could be expanded to include any online purchase. The Southwest problem provides a good reason why.

If Bev had used a credit card, the multiple purchases would have simply gone onto her credit balance and been removed before her billing cycle was up. The double-billing would, in essence, have no impact.

But because Bev used her debit card, each of those ticket purchases will come out of her bank account. Until the airline issues the refunds, and it could be several days, Bev will not have use of her money. Worse still, 17 extra airline tickets probably overdrew her account, resulting in overdraft fees.

Fortunately for Bev and others who used debit cards, Southwest has stepped up and said it will address that issue.

Will pick up fees

“For those customers who used debit cards and have received overdraft fees as a result of the additional charges, we will process a reimbursement for all overdraft fees that were caused by duplicate charges from Southwest for a single purchase,” the airline said in a statement. “If you incurred overdraft fees, please fax documentation of those fees via a letter from your bank or a copy of your account showing the fees to 877-506-0154.”

Southwest said refunds are currently being processed but the speed in which money is returned to accounts will depend on the customers' individual banks.

The yipping and yowling of coyotes is well-accepted in the West but East Coast residents are getting a reminder that the Eastern Coyote is well-established in their midst and not going anywhere.

In fact, pet owners in the Washington, D.C., area have recently been put on alert to bring their pets in at night and to be careful on the wooded trails that wind through many suburban neighborhoods.

In one recent incident, three coyotes attacked an 85-pound golden retriever that was being walked by its owner on a wooded trail near busy U.S. 50 in Fairfax, Va. The owner managed to chase off the critters and the dog survived but was badly bitten.

In Pasadena, Maryland, two coyotes attacked a cat named "Tiger" and injured it so badly it had to be euthanized.

The Eastern coyote, by the way, is bigger than its Western counterpart, weighing about 35 pounds, having been cross-bred with wolves. They are not as noisy as the Western coyote, so it's a little harder to know when they're around.

Although they're thought of as pack animals, coyotes tend to hunt in pairs. They usually hunt at night but will sometimes come out in the daytime. They're very fast and can reach speeds of more than 40 miles per hour.

Coyotes generally prefer to eat small mammals including squirrels, rabbits and mice but are known to attack cats and dogs, even dogs on a leash, when they are unable to find anything else. 

Pet owners in the East are need to take a tip from their Western counterparts and keep a close eye on their pets. Small dogs should not be left alone in yards and all pets should be brought inside at night.

Not all bad

While they're regarded by many as the juvenile delinquents of the canine family, coyotes serve many useful purposes, according to Fairfax County Park Authority biologist Earl Hodnett. He says the coyotes help keep rats and Canada geese under control. Both have become overgrown lately because of a lack of natural predators.

“Coyotes will help clean up the high rat population and other rodents as well, which is a welcome activity,” Hodnett said. In the case of Canada geese, coyotes like eating goose eggs (and occasionally a goose dinner). The Canada geese have become a nuisance to humans and a threat to aircraft.

What should you do if you spot a coyote?

“Nothing,” Hodnett said. “Coyotes generally aren’t confrontational and would rather avoid humans and run away than get in a fight, although they might get into a tug-of-war if you tried to grab away their catch,” he said.

Gasoline prices are headed up again, but maybe not as much as the statistics seem to suggest. Surging pump prices in five Midwestern states may be distorting the picture.

Last week motorists in Illinois and Indiana were shocked as gas prices jumped more than 40 cents a gallon almost overnight. There were similar price surges in Ohio, Michigan and Wisconsin.

While consumers fumed, industry analysts explained a pipeline rupture and equipment problems at three regional refineries were mostly responsible for the hike. While gas prices were rising in most states, the increases were nothing like these five states experienced.

On Sunday the average price of self-service regular was $4.05 a gallon in Illinois. That makes Illinois gasoline the second most expensive in the nation, behind Hawaii.

The price increase in these five Midwestern states has pushed the national average price of gas higher than it might have been otherwise. The AAA Fuel Gauge Survey puts the national average price at $3.61 a gallon. That's up 12.5 cents a gallon in the last week.

Prices rising just about everywhere

While the affected Midwestern states have seen prices at the pump rise at an abnormally rapid rate, prices elsewhere are rising, just at a more moderate pace. States like South Carolina and Mississippi, where prices are lowest, have seen price hikes in the last week of about 13 cents a gallon.

But in expensive states like Oregon, the price hikes have been even slower. The state-wide average price in Oregon is up three cents in the last seven days. The average price in North Dakota hasn't budged in the last week.

Analysts say prices in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Wisconsin and Michigan should fall just as quickly as they went up. When, however, remains less certain. Prices generally begin going down after Labor Day.

As Amazon gears up to offer same-day delivery in major metro areas, local retailers are worried. In response, eBay has put together something called eBay Now, a same-day shopping service for consumers who've purchased items from local stores.

The service started over the weekend in the San Francisco area. Purchases of $25 or more from local stores can be delivered the same day for a $5 shipping charge. 

As eBay tells it, San Francisco residents can place orders between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday, as long as orders are placed at half an hour before the store selling the merchandise closes.

Got that?

Stores participating include Macy's, Toys 'R' Us, Target and Best Buy.  The service is accessible through an iOS app that will work on either the iPhone or iPad.

As ConsumerAffairs reported last month, Amazon is making a deal with the devil -- caving in to states' demands that it start charging sales tax, a move that makes it easier for Amazon to locate its distribution centers in the major metro areas it has largely avoided until now.

The likes of The Home Depot, Target and Best Buy have been complaining that Amazon has an unfair advantage because it doesn't charge sales taxes in many states. The question is whether the advantage of same-day delivery will outweigh the sales tax issue with consumers.

eBay Now could provide an escape hatch for bricks-and-mortar retailers, giving them a way to economically answer Amazon's expedited delivery.

Weight training was linked with a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes in a study of male health professionals, and those men who engaged in weight training and aerobic exercise for at least 150 minutes a week had the greatest reduction in risk, according to a report published Online First by Archives of Internal Medicine, a JAMA Network publication.

Another study found that diabetes patients who maintain a high activity level have a lower risk of death.

Regular physical activity is a cornerstone in the prevention and management of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), but the role of weight training in the primary prevention of the disease is largely unknown, according to the study background.

Anders Grøntved, M.P.H., M.Sc., of the Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, and colleagues examined the association of weight training with the risk of T2DM in 32,002 men observed every two years for 18 years as part of the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. They evaluated whether the association with weight training was independent of aerobic exercise and they studied the combined association of weight training and aerobic exercise with disease risk.

Researchers, who documented 2,278 new cases of T2DM, suggest that engaging in weight training or aerobic exercise for at least 150 minutes per week was associated with a lower risk of T2DM of 34 percent and 52 percent compared with men doing no weight training or no aerobic exercise respectively, according to the results.

“These results support that weight training serves as an important alternative for individuals who have difficulty adhering to aerobic exercise,” but the combination of weight training with aerobic exercise was associated with an even greater benefit, the authors comment.

Men who adhered to the current recommendations on aerobic exercise (≥150 minutes per week) and engaged in weight training of at least 150 minutes per week “had the greatest reduction in T2DM risk,” the study results indicate.

However, the authors note their results may not be generalizable to women and other ethnic or racial groups of men because the study comprised only men who were working as health professionals and were mostly white.

“Further research should examine the effect of duration, type and intensity of weight training on T2DM risk in greater detail,” the authors conclude.

Lower death risk

In another study, higher levels of physical activity were related to lower risk of death in patients with diabetes, according to a report published Online First by Archives of Internal Medicine, a JAMA Network publication.

Increased physical activity (PA) has long been considered a key element in diabetes management. Patients with diabetes are at higher risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and premature death, so researchers note it is important to determine whether higher activity levels can produce similar beneficial effects in this high-risk population. While other studies have suggested that higher activity levels were associated with reduced CVD and total mortality rates, conclusive high-level evidence is lacking, according to the study background.

“[E]vidence from the present study and from previous studies summarized by meta-analyses supports the widely held view that PA is beneficially associated with lower mortality in people with diabetes,” the study's authors commented. “Also, because not many patients with diabetes adhere to this advice, future research should elucidate the determinants of physical inactivity and design successful strategies to promote active lifestyles.”

Diewertje Sluik, M.Sc., of the German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbrücke, Nuthetal, Germany, and colleagues sought to investigate whether PA (total, leisure time and walking) was associated with CVD and total mortality in a large group of patients with diabetes as part of a prospective cohort study and meta-analysis. The study included a group of 5,859 patients with diabetes at baseline.

Zyrtec is a popular over-the-counter drug for coping with seasonal allergies. While it appears to work well, like all drugs, it can have side-effects.

The most common side-effects are drowsiness, dry mouth and stomach pain. But for some consumers like Karen, of Memphis, TN, there can be a rather ironic side-effect -- an allergic reaction when you stop taking it.

“I stopped taking it and the incessant itching started,” Karen wrote in a ConsumerAffairs post. “I literally itched everywhere and places that I didn't even know could itch. I have been trying to get off ever since and somehow, I think the manufacturers knew that these side effects would happen and didn't notify the public or add it to their notices on the bottle.”

Persistent itch

Actually, the itching reaction is well-known, although it doesn't affect all that many people. But plenty of consumers have reported it to ConsumerAffairs.

“Five days ago, I stopped taking it since the allergy season is pretty much over and the pollen count is finally low,” Andrea, of Debary, FL reported back in May. “And it started. The itching, my scalp, my hands, feet, my torso and armpits. Literally everywhere. I am so miserable.”

Sandra, of Ontario, Canada, reports a similar experience.

A real mess

“I am in a real mess,” she wrote. “I either suffer the horrible itching when I stop taking it, or keep having dry eyes. Wow, what a great product. Not.”

Karen reports her doctor devised a “step-down” approach to get her off the medication and is hoping that it works. Anyone suffering from a similar side-effect should also consult a doctor for help in dealing with the side effects.

In the meantime, it would be helpful if Karen and other consumers having this problem let the Food and Drug Administration know about their level of difficulty.

Zyrtec was formerly a prescription antihistamine but is now over-the-counter in both the U.S. and Canada. It reportedly was the highest-grossing new non-food product of 2008 in the U.S.

A study led by the Department of Veterans Affairs found no difference in survival between men with early-stage prostate cancer who had their prostate surgically removed and those who were simply watched by their doctors, with treatment only as needed to address symptoms if they occurred. 

“The study results have significant implications for a great number of Veterans in our care,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. “This study is a prime example of how VA’s research program is advancing medical knowledge in areas that are top priorities for Veterans.” 

The findings appeared in the July 19 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. 

"Our data show that observation provides equivalent length of life, with no difference in death from prostate cancer, and avoids the harms of early surgical treatment,” said lead author Dr. Timothy Wilt.  Wilt is with the Center for Chronic Disease Outcomes Research at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center, and the University of Minnesota. 

The study 

The randomized trial involved 731 men and took place at 44 VA sites and eight academic medical centers nationwide.  Eligible trial participants voluntarily agreed beforehand that to take part in the study they would be randomly assigned to one treatment or the other. 

Known as the Prostate Cancer Intervention Versus Observation Trial, or PIVOT, the study was conducted and funded by VA’s Cooperative Studies Program, with additional funding from the National Cancer Institute and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. 

The first trial group had a radical prostatectomy -- surgical removal of the walnut-sized prostate.  Surgery is generally performed in the belief it can lower the risk of prostate cancer spreading and causing death.  Evidence had been lacking as to the treatment’s effectiveness, especially for men whose cancer was initially detected only on the basis of a blood test -- the prostate specific antigen (PSA) test. In most cases, these tumors are not large enough to be felt during a doctor’s exam and do not cause any symptoms. 

The second trial group was the “observation group.”  In this approach, physicians generally do not provide immediate surgical or radiation therapy.  Rather, they carefully follow men and provide treatments aimed at relieving symptoms, such as painful or difficult urination, if and when the cancer progresses and causes bothersome health problems. 

The trial followed patients between eight and 15 years. 

No difference 

When Wilt and colleagues analyzed the results, they found no difference in death rates between the two groups, either from any cause whatsoever or specifically from prostate cancer. 

In terms of quality of life for men in the study, the surgery group experienced nearly double the rate of erectile dysfunction -- 81 percent versus 44 percent -- and roughly three times the rate of urinary incontinence -- 17 percent versus 6 percent. Bowel dysfunction was similar between the groups, 12 percent versus 11 percent. 

While PIVOT found no difference in overall mortality or prostate cancer deaths between the two groups for men who had cancers with a PSA value of 10 or less, the authors say there may be a survival benefit to surgery for men with PSA scores above 10, or other clinical results indicating more aggressive, higher-risk tumors. 

Only about one in five men in PIVOT had tumors classified as high-risk.  Wilt said this proportion is representative of U.S. men with an early-stage prostate cancer diagnosis based on PSA testing and follow-up biopsy.  

Prostate cancer is usually slow-growing, and most men with PSA-detected prostate cancer do not die from the disease or develop health problems related to it, even if it is not treated with surgery or radiation. 

If you like to buy your fruits and vegetables as fresh as they can possibly be, you’ll appreciate this: there’s been a 9.6 percent increase in National Farmers Market Directory listings. 

 The U.S. Department of Agriculture's directory -- a database published online -- identifies 7,864 farmers markets operating throughout the United States. The information collected in the directory is self-reported data provided voluntarily by farmers market managers through an annual outreach effort. Last year, USDA's directory listed 7,175 markets. 

Critical ingredient 

"Farmers markets are a critical ingredient to our nation's food system," said Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan. "These outlets provide benefits not only to the farmers looking for important income opportunities, but also to the communities looking for fresh, healthy foods. The directory is an online tool that helps connect farmers and consumers, communities and businesses around the country." 

The top states, in terms of the number of markets reported in the directory, include California (827 markets), New York (647 markets), Massachusetts (313 markets), Michigan (311 markets), Wisconsin (298 markets), Illinois (292 markets), Ohio (264 markets), Pennsylvania (254 markets), Virginia and Iowa (tied with 227 markets) and North Carolina (202 markets). Together they account for nearly half (49 percent) of the farmers markets listed in the 2012 directory. 

Geographic regions like the mid-Atlantic (Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia), the Northeast (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont), and the Southeast (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee) saw large increases in their listings, reporting, 15.8, 14.4 and 13.1 percent more markets, respectively. 

Helping the little guy 

USDA has taken several steps to help small and mid-sized farmers as part of an effort to support local and regional food systems, and increase consumer access to fresh, healthy food in communities across the country. For example: 

• USDA's Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), is outfitting more farmers markets with the ability to accept SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly food stamps), announcing $4 million dollars in available funding to equip farmers' markets with wireless point-of-sale equipment. Currently, over 2,500 farmers markets are using Electronic Benefit Transfer technology.
• USDA recently released the 2.0 version of its KYF Compass, a digital guide to USDA resources related to local and regional food systems. The updated version includes new data sets to help consumers locate local food resources, such as farmers markets, and plot them on an interactive map. 

Many markets will host fun activities to celebrate National Farmers Market Week including pie contests, festivals, cooking demonstrations, events for kids, raffle drawings and giveaways. USDA officials will visit markets around the country between Aug. 5 and Aug. 11, to honor growers and commemorate National Farmers Market Week. 

Users can search the directory for markets based on location, available products, and types of payment accepted, including participation in federal nutrition programs. Directory features allow users to locate markets based on proximity to zip code, mapping directions and links to active farmers market websites. Customized datasets can also be created and exported for use by researchers and software application designers.

A U.S. medical study has raised serious questions about the effectiveness of a mainstay of cancer treatment. Its conclusion? Chemotherapy, in some cases, might make cancer worse.

The research team, co-led by Peter Nelson of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, was trying to find out why cancer sells were so hard to kill when they were growing in the human body but were so easy to kill in a laboratory setting. What they found was stunning, they said.

Damage to DNA

They collected tissue samples from men with prostate cancer who had undergone chemotherapy treatment. They discovered what they said is evidence of damage to DNA in healthy cells after the treatment. The damage, they said, makes the cells more vulnerable to cancer.

The team has published its findings in the medical journal Nature Medicine.

Chemotherapy has, for years, been one of the most common treatments for cancer. It works by killing cells that divide rapidly, which is a common characteristic of cancer cells. But some healthy cells also divide rapidly and chemotherapy drugs can't tell the difference.

The research team said it found that healthy cells damaged by chemotherapy treatments produced an abundance of a protein called WNT16B, which acts almost like a fuel for cancer cells, promoting their growth and survival. It also acts as armor for cancer cells, protecting them from subsequent treatment.

Damage could lead to tumor growth

"Our results indicate that damage responses in benign cells may directly contribute to enhanced tumor growth kinetics," the research team wrote in its report.

Though the researchers say they were surprised by their findings, many in the medical community have often expressed misgivings about chemotherapy and its potential to cause harm. The medical Website LiveStrong.com cites the American Cancer Society as saying doctors are careful not to describe chemotherapy as a cancer cure.

"Although chemotherapy can provide some relief for some types of cancers, the decision to partake is this treatment should not be taken lightly because it also presents dangers," the site warns.

Alternative medicine

Some alternative medicine groups take an even stronger position against chemotherapy but the American Cancer Society says chemotherapy has helped many patients live full lives.

"The chemo drugs your doctor or nurse gives you have been tested many times," the group says. "Research shows they work to help kill cancer cells."

The researchers, meantime, say their findings could lead to improvements in chemotherapy. They suggest adding an antibody to WNT16B to the chemotherapy drugs could prevent what they see as the treatment's harmful side-effect.