Current Events in April 2014

Be honest now. If you were shopping for a car, would Beijing Auto Group (BAIC) spring to mind? 

No, probably not. But although it is almost completely unknown in the West, BAIC is Daimler's partner in China and bought some of the assets of Saab, formerly owned by GM, a few years back.

China's fifth-largest automaker, BAIC already makes Mercedes and Hyundai-branded cars for sale in China. It also makes and sells cars that are basically Saabs but can't sell them under that name.

BAIC has been looking for a way to break into the U.S. and Western Europe but recognizes that its brand is unknown outside China. Building a new brand from scratch is a long process, unless you're Elon Musk, so BAIC is looking at a speedier option -- buying an existing brand.

The company said last year that it was looking to buy a European brand and Reuters now reports the search has been extended to the United States.

"We have candidates," the news service quoted BAIC executive Dong Haiyang as saying. 

The recessions in Western markets have weakened many automakers, especially those in the crowded mid-price market.

Dong didn't specify which companies he was eyeing.

The owners of a debt collection firm that focused on Hispanics have agreed to pay more than $3.3 million to provide partial refunds to victims of its allegedly illegal practices.

Rincon Debt Management's owners, Jason R. Begley and Wayne W. Lunsford, are also also are permanently banned from the debt collection business under terms of a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

Litigation continues against several companies that Begley and Lunsford used as part of their debt collection scheme. The Corona, California-based operation collected debts nationwide.

The settlement resolves FTC allegations that from April 2009 until October 2011 when a judge shut down the operation at the FTC’s request, Begley and Lunsford deceived and abused Spanish- and English-speaking consumers – making bogus threats that consumers had been sued or could be arrested over debts they often did not owe.

“These debt collectors focused on Spanish-speaking consumers and other people who were strapped for cash, and preyed on them by using abusive collection tactics in violation of federal law,” said Jessica Rich, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection.

The FTC said the defendants violated the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act by calling consumers and their employers, family, friends, and neighbors, posing as process servers seeking to deliver legal papers that purportedly related to a lawsuit. In some instances, the defendants threatened that consumers would be arrested if they did not respond to the calls. 

The defendants and their employees also masqueraded as attorneys or employees of a law office – demanding that consumers pay “court costs” and “legal fees” – even though the operation did not file lawsuits against consumers, the FTC alleged.  Also, in many instances, consumers did not even owe the debt the defendants were trying to collect.

Employers announced plans to cut 34,399 jobs in March -- the second lowest monthly total since January 2013. The only month to see fewer cuts during that period was December, when just 30,623 job cuts were announced.

Figures released by outplacement consultancy Challenger, Gray & Christmas show the total for last month was 18% lower than the 41,835 planned job cuts reported in February and down 30% from a year ago when job cuts totaled 49,255.

First-quarter plunge

The big drop in March means that during the first quarter of 2014, employers announced 121,341 job cuts -- down 16% from the first three months of 2013 and the fewest first-quarter job cuts in 19 years.

“The first quarter typically experiences some of the heaviest job cutting of the year,” said John A. Challenger, chief executive officer of Challenger, Gray & Christmas. “Since we began tracking planned layoffs in 1989, the first quarter is only slightly lower than the fourth quarter when it comes to the pace of downsizing, with an average job-cut total of just over 205,000. Employers are well below that pace this year, suggesting that layoffs continue to decline in a recovery that is approaching its five-year anniversary.”

Where they cut

First quarter job cuts were led by the retail sector, where employers announced 18,231 terminations through the first three months of 2014 -- including 2,989 in March. The financial sector followed closely with 15,306 cuts over the first three months of the year.

Neither retail nor financial firms saw the heaviest job cuts last month, however. The top job-cutting sector in March was health care, which announced plans to reduce payrolls by 5,768, bringing its year-to-date total to 10,984, which ranks fourth among all industries.

“We continue to see downsizing in the health care sector, as hospitals adjust to lower Medicare reimbursements and cutbacks in Medicaid funding, Challenger noted. “There has also been a surge in job cuts among the workers hired to sign-up Americans for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act. With the sign-up period ending on March 31, call centers around the country have been purging their payrolls of these temporary employees.”

Job cuts within the telecommunications industry have risen sharply so far this year. The 11,277 job cuts announced by these firms ranks third among all industries and marks a 225% increase from the 3,471 telecommunications job cuts recorded in the first three months of 2013.

Initial jobless claims

Separately, the government reports an uptick in the number of people filing initial claims for state jobless benefits.

After posting decline the previous week, the number of first-time applications jumped 16,000 -- to 326,000 in the week ending March 29, a little higher than the 320,000 projected by a Briefing.com survey of economists.

The claims number appears to have escaped the range of 330,000-340,000 where it had been locked for several months. Analysts believe the current range suggests monthly job creation of about 200,000.

We'll get a better idea of that on Friday, when the government releases its employment report for March.

Meanwhile, the 4-week moving average, which is less volatile than the weekly number and considered a better gauge of the labor market, came in at 319,500 -- up just 250 from the previous week.

The full report is avaliable on the Labor Department website.

February was a good month to be a homeowner.

Property information and analytics provider CoreLogic reports home prices nationwide -- including distressed sales -- rose 12.2% in February from the same time a year earlier.

This change in the CoreLogic Home Price Index (HPI) represents 24 months of consecutive year-over-year increase. On a month-over-month basis, prices inched ahead 0.8%.

At the state level 14 states enjoyed double-digit year-over-year growth in February, with Colorado, Nebraska, North Dakota, Texas and the District of Columbia reaching new home price highs. In addition, 22 states were at or within 10% of their price peaks.

“February marks two straight years of year-over-year gains in national prices across the United States,” said Anand Nallathambi, president and CEO of CoreLogic. “The consistent upward movement in home prices should ultimately prove to be an important stimulant for higher levels of sustained market activity and growth in the housing economy.”

Report highlights

The February report also showed:

• Including distressed sales, the five states with the highest home price appreciation were California (+19.8%), Nevada (+18.5%), Georgia (+14.2%), Oregon (+13.8%) and Michigan (+13.5%).
• Excluding distressed sales, the five states with the highest home price appreciation were California (+15.9%), Nevada (+14.6%), Florida (+13.1%), Washington (+11.5%) and Hawaii (+11.5$).
• Including or excluding distressed sales, no state posted home price depreciation in February 2014.
• Ninety-six of the top 100 Core Based Statistical Areas (CBSAs) measured by population showed year-over-year increases in February 2014. The four CBSAs that did not show an increase were Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, Ark., Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, Wis., Rochester, N.Y. and Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, Va.-N.C.

Looking ahead

Including distressed sales, CoreLogic projects prices to increase 0.5% in March, and that prices -- including distressed sales, will show a year-over-year increase of 10.5%. Excluding distressed sales, home prices are poised to rise 0.4% month over month, and 9.3% year over year from March 2013.

“As the spring home-buying season kicks off, house price appreciation continues to be strong,” said Dr. Mark Fleming, chief economist for CoreLogic. “Although prices should remain strong in the near term due to a short supply of homes on the market, price increases should moderate over the next year as home equity releases pent-up supply.”

American Outdoor Products of Boulder, Colo., is recalling approximately 633 pounds of dehydrated Fettuccini Alfredo with Chicken.

The products were made with milk and wheat, allergens that are not declared on the product label.

There are no reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products.

The following product is subject to recall:

• 7.5-oz. foil pouches of “Backpackers Pantry Fettuccini Alfredo with Chicken”

The product was produced July 2, 2013 and have the product code “07/02/2020” printed on the pouch. The product, which bears the establishment number “P-4933” inside the USDA mark of inspection, were sold wholesale, online and to retail establishments nationwide.

Consumers with questions about the recall may contact Elaine Sims at (303) 800-1404 or by e-mail at: elaine@backpackerspantry.com.

The winter of 2014 just doesn't seem to want to give up. It has already overstayed its welcome, as spring officially arrived days ago.

So what do you call it when spring and winter overlap one another? Dr. Clifford W. Bassett, Medical Director of Allergy and Asthma Care of New York, calls it “spwinter,” combining wintry conditions with springtime's allergy misery.

"Nearly 45 million Americans are living with nasal allergies and 25 million have asthma," Bassett said. "Allergy and asthma patients already have a chronic sensitivity to things like pollen, mold and other airborne allergens, but they can also be more susceptible to rapid changes in temperature, moisture, and air quality."

High risk

It all means that when you blend winter and spring more people are at risk of multiple symptoms simultaneously. If you tend to suffer from spring allergies, chances are this season is going to be particularly bad.

Some regions of the country will be worse than others. Each year the Asthma Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) lists its 100 most challenging cities to live in with allergies.

Allergy capital of the U.S.

Louisville, Ky., tops the list this year, up from number 5 last year. Breaking into the top 10 are Dallas, jumping from 23rd to 7th; Richmond, Va., moving from 22nd to 8th; and Birmingham, Ala., rising from 14th to 9th.

But “spwinter” conditions are making allergies worse just about everywhere, Bassett says. He notes that trees began producing pollen in February and that winter conditions such as frost, freeze and snow have hung around over the past several weeks causing record rain or snow and temperature changes of nearly 50 degrees in just one day.

The result, he says, is an increase in mold in the moist regions of the country, mixing in with the tree pollen. For someone with asthma or allergies, it just isn't a healthy combination.

Pollen vortex

Chicago-area immunologist Dr. Joseph Leija, who issues the annual Gottlieb Allergy Count, is predicting a rough allergy season for the Windy City.

"The polar vortex will likely cause a pollen vortex, with mold, tree and even grass pollens happening simultaneously due to the final break in the weather and all the nourishing moisture,” Leija said.

His advice to allergy sufferers? Keep windows closed to preserve indoor air quality. Consult an allergist about taking a proactive allergy medication. Above all, be prepared.

“If you’re sneezing and itching, you’re having allergy symptoms,” he said.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) says allergies cause symptoms ranging from a runny nose and sneezes to rashes and swelling. Treatments include over-the-counter medications as well as allergy shots.

Amazon today unveiled its new TV set-top box, dubbed "Fire TV," the latest addition to its Kindle line of products. As reporteda few weeks ago, the device will compete with Roku, Chromecast, Apple TV and gaming consoles such as Microsoft's Xbox.

“Tiny box, huge specs, tons of content, incredible price — people are going to love Fire TV,” said Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com Founder and CEO. “Voice search that actually works means no more typing on an alphabet grid. Our exclusive new ASAP feature predicts the shows you’ll want to watch and gets them ready to stream instantly."

Fire TV starts at $99 and is available for immediate ordering, Bezos said. The device would include Amazon Instant Video, Prime Instant Video, Netflix, Hulu Plus and other popular streaming services.

In an effusive press release, Amazon said Fire TV's quad-core processor has more than three times the processing power and four times the memory of Apple TV, Chromecast, or Roku 3 for "exceptional speed and fluidity."

Predictive delivery

Amazon not long ago hinted it was working on a "predictive delivery" system, meaning that it would prepare and ship items that its software has decided customers are about to order. Fire TV is the first product to include that feature, dubbed ASAP (Advanced Streaming and Prediction).

Amazon said ASAP "predicts which movies and TV episodes you’ll want to watch and buffers them for playback before you even hit play."

The device also includes games like Minecraft, Monsters University, The Game of Life, The Walking Dead, NBA2K14, Asphalt 8, Riptide GP2, Despicable Me: Minion Rush, among others, at an average price of $1.85. 

Another feature, called Amazon FreeTime, lets parents choose what their kids see and set time limits for types of content and times of day — no more negotiating for one more show before bedtime.

"Customers who subscribe to FreeTime Unlimited — Amazon’s all-you-can-eat content subscription designed for kids ages 3 to 8 — will get unlimited access to thousands of movies and TV shows," Amazon said.

No set-up

Fire TV comes automatically pre-registered, which Amazon said allows consumers to get started with no set-up hassle.

"Just plug it in and start watching. All of your previously purchased movies and TV shows from Amazon, as well as personalized recommendations and your Watchlist, will be there waiting for you when you turn on Fire TV," the company said.

It's barely been a day since federal regulators finally got around to issuing rules for mandatory backup cameras on cars, so it may come as a shock to learn that Tesla and an auto industry lobbying group want to ditch side mirrors.

There have, after all, been side mirrors almost as long as there've been cars. But Tesla, which likes to turn established practices upside down, argues that there's really no need for side mirrors now that we have these little devices called cameras.

Tesla and the 12-member Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, which represents such companies as General Motors, Toyota and Volkswagen, filed a petition today with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration seeking permission to take that leap, Automotive News reported.

Aerodynamic gains

Getting rid of the mirrors would produce aerodynamic gains for cars, which translates to better gas mileage or, in the case of Tesla and other electric cars, longer running time on a single charge.

“In light of future greenhouse gas and corporate average fuel economy requirements beginning in 2017, camera-based systems represent an opportunity to increase vehicle fuel efficiency through improved aerodynamics by eliminating externally mounted mirrors,” Tesla and the Alliance argued in a petition filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Not only that, but the mirrors are an annoyance to those trying to squeeze their way through rows of parked cars and they can even be a safety hazard to pedestrians. Every now and then, some poor walker or jogger gets clobbered by the side-view mirror on a passing car or, more often, truck.

They also tend to clip roadside mailboxes and other obstacles, often resulting in high repair bills for both mirror and obstacle.

Logical extension

The petition is a logical extension of an existing trend. Many new cars have cameras that trigger an alarm if you stray into an occupied lane or change lanes without signaling. Nissan and Mercedes-Benz each offer cars with 360-degree mirrors that are intended to help avoid parking-lot mishaps.

But for now, those cameras will only be allowed to supplement, not replace, the traditional side-view mirror, which is required under Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 111. 

Considering it took NHTSA and the Department of Transportation six years to draft a rule requiring backup cameras -- and a rule that, mind you, won't be fully effective until 2018 -- it doesn't seem likely that side mirrors were soon be something we see only in our mind's rear-view mirror.

UPDATE: On April 3, Orbitz spokespeople responded to our request for comment with the following email:

“Due to an error by our hotel partner of loading the right price but wrong currency (ILS instead of USD) into a backend system that displays rates on our site, the wrong price appeared on Orbitz for David Dead Sea Resort. Our hotel partner honored rates for guests traveling that weekend as to not interrupt immediate travel plans but advised us to cancel reservations for any hotel stays further out as rates would not be honored. Orbitz has provided a full refund to the credit cards used by affected customers.”

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This was surely a typographical error or technical glitch rather than a deliberate April Fool on Orbitz's behalf, but a number of American tourists hoping to celebrate springtime at an Israeli vacation resort instead had an unhappy reminder that sometimes, the convenience of third-party booking websites is offset by the confusion that arises when hotels and booking sites suffer miscommunications.

Orbitz did not respond to our email seeking comment, but it appears that due to some misunderstanding regarding prices, a number of people who used Orbitz to buy spots at David's Dead Sea vacation resort had their vacations ruined by last-minute cancellations instead.

Bear in mind: nobody and nothing is perfect, and with a business the size of Orbitz, of all those millions of transactions it oversees, one or two of them are bound to screw up along the way. So if you look through our archives of complaints various readers had about Orbitz, you'll see that usually it's a steady trickle: every couple weeks or so, a lone Orbitz customer will write to complain of a billing error, lost reservation or other annoyance.

Torrent of complaints

Suddenly, on March 29, that “steady trickle” of complaints became a “torrent.” Rather than a complaint or two every week or so, we got 14 complaints from March 29 through April 1. All but one of those complaints were from people who said they had made (and paid for) an advance reservation through Orbitz, which was canceled at the last minute due to an unspecified “technical error.”

Of those 13 people who complained of these last-minute cancellations, six did not specify which hotel, spa or resort they'd intended to visit, but the other seven all mentioned David's Dead Sea Resort in Israel. They said they had made and paid for reservations via Orbitz, only to receive a last-minute technical-error cancellation.

JJ from Boca Raton wrote on March 31 about what he calls the “Dead Sea Hotel Blame Game:” after making, paying for and then losing the reservations, “I contacted hotel and hotel blames Orbitz. Orbitz blames hotel. While they play the blame game, consumer is left without the advertised product and ruined vacation plans.”

Hot potato

Micah from Culver City reported a similar game of hot potato when he wrote on April 1; Orbitz and the hotel each blame the other. “I made reservations for a Dead Sea Hotel through Orbitz. Orbitz wrote me an email canceling it and declaring that the hotel is unwilling to honor the reservation. Having spoken to hotel management, they told me they OF COURSE are willing to honor the reservation, but that Orbitz ITSELF is on the hook for the difference in pricing because Orbitz put a lower price.”

Nicole from Far Rockaway, New York, did not name a specific hotel when she wrote us on March 31 to complain of an Orbitz “technical error” resulting in a last-minute reservation cancellation, but did say: “They may have made a price mistake, but that is their responsibility. And now I need to change my plans and find a new hotel, not to mention that hotels are now even more expensive than they were at the time of booking.” Another Far Rockaway resident, Eli, had pretty much the same complaint, over a canceled reservation at David's Dead Sea.

Yitz in Brooklyn didn't name the hotel when he wrote us on March 31 to complain of his canceled reservation and share the email he got from Orbitz: "Due to a technical error, the rate quoted for your reservation was not correct and will not be honoured by the hotel. As a result, we have been instructed by the hotel to cancel your reservation, and provide a complete refund to the credit card used for this booking."

That's the exact same email Civia from Cedarhurst, Tavy from Paris, Brooklyn residents Rochel and Yehuda, and Leah from Nesher all received on March 30. Leah also noted, “Furthermore, I have YET to be refunded by Orbitz!!! Orbitz is blaming the hotel, the hotel is blaming Orbitz. This is just bad business,” a complaint which appeared several times using different words in the past three days.

Orbitz did not respond to our request for information regarding the reservation problems at the David's Dead Sea Resort, though it appears the customers whose reservations were canceled will, eventually get their money refunded — just not necessarily in time to salvage what's left of their vacation.

It isn't enough for fast food restaurants to offer healthier fare for children. They have to present the healthier food in ways that kids can recognize it.

So says a new study by researchers at the Dartmouth Hitchcock Norris Cotton Cancer Center. The study gathered a group of kids, age 3 to 7, and showed them screen grabs from a number of fast food TV commercials.

The commercials for McDonald's and Burger King promoted kids' meals that included healthier contents -- things like milk and apple slices.

Not sure what they're seeing

But the researchers discovered that was completely lost on many of the children viewing the advertising images. Some were unable to recognize the milk in the McDonald's ad.

Others consistently misidentified the apple slices in the Burger King ad as French Fries, as graphically illustrated in the video below.

The reason for the children's confusion is understood when you look closely at the apple slices container. While it bears the picture of an apple, it is nearly identical to the container traditionally used for fries. The point is driven home by the last child in the video, who identifies it as “French fries in an apple bag.”

Trying to be helpful?

But maybe the fast food companies consciously designed the apple slices to look like fries to make them more palatable to children. After all, kids like fries – maybe they'll like apple slices if they look like fries.

The study's authors aren't buying it.

"Burger King's depiction of apple slices as ‘Fresh Apple Fries' was misleading to children in the target age range," said Norris Cotton's James Sargent, MD, the principal investigator for the study. "The advertisement would be deceptive by industry standards, yet their self-regulation bodies took no action to address the misleading depiction."

Push for healthier food

Both McDonald's and Burger King have offered healthier food choices in kids meals since 2010 amid pressure to take steps to help reduce child obesity. The researchers began studying the television ads for those products that same year.

They say that of four four healthy foods depicted in the ads, only McDonald's apple slices were recognized as an apple product by a large majority of the target audience. The other three depictions, they say, were poorly communicated.

Fast food companies might react to this criticism with an air of exasperation. After all, they've altered their menus to offer children a healthier choice and promised to de-emphasize toy giveaways, long a staple of marketing to children.

But Sargent and his colleague say children need to be aware of the choices, and pictures of apple slices that are confused with French fries don't help.

"The fast food industry spends somewhere between $100 to 200 million dollars a year on advertising to children, ads that aim to develop brand awareness and preferences in children who can't even read or write, much less think critically about what is being presented," Sargent said.

Self regulation

A 2013 study funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which also funded this most recent research, was sharply critical of the industry's voluntary approach to advertising regulation. The Children's Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative (CFBAI), formed in 2006, is a voluntary program run by the Better Business Bureau.

CFBAI includes 17 food and beverage companies that have promised to devote all of their child-directed advertising to healthier foods and lifestyles.

The study, however, found that fast-food restaurants tended to emphasize toy giveaways and movie promotions when marketing to kids on TV, a move counter to the industry's promise.

If you're a restaurant owner wondering why your delicious offerings always generate such negative commentary on review sites like Foursquare, Citysearch and others, well – maybe the problem is that your restaurant isn't as great as you think it is, sure.

But maybe the problem boils down to bad location, or even bad weather—say, if your restaurant's a failure in a rainy city like Seattle, maybe you'd do better in the Sun Belt. Or at least figure out a way to only operate on warm sunny days, when your customers are most likely to be happy.

A doctoral student at Georgia Tech (working with researchers from Yahoo Labs) inspected restaurant reviews from all over the country at all times of the year, and found a distinct correlation between the quality of restaurant reviews and how nice the weather is.

Foodies are also weather people

The published study, titled “Demographics, Weather and Online Reviews: A Study of Restaurant Recommendations,” basically concluded that restaurant reviews written when it's rainy or snowy, “too cold” or “too hot” tend to be overwhelmingly more negative than reviews written on nice days, even when other variables are taken into account.

The study's lead author, doctoral candidate Saeideh Bakhshi, said: “People love to describe themselves as foodies. But in the end, it looks like we’re all weather people, whether we realize it or not …. The best reviews are written on sunny days between 70 and 100 degrees. Science has shown that weather impacts our mood, so a nice day can lead to a nice review. A rainy day can mean a miserable one.”

Of course, restaurant and food reviews are inherently subjective anyway—even if two people agree “food ought to taste good,” there's still disagreement regarding just what “tastes good” actually means. But if Bakhshi's findings are any indication, the weather shapes your food preferences more than you even realize.

Even when babies are nestled all snug in their beds, they may be exposed to high levels of potentially dangerous chemicals, a University of Texas study finds.

A team of environmental engineers from the Cockrell School of Engineering at UT-Austin found that infants are exposed to high levels of chemical emissions from crib mattresses while they sleep.

Analyzing the foam padding in crib mattresses, the team found that the mattresses release significant amounts of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), potentially harmful chemicals also found in household items such as cleaners and scented sprays.

The researchers studied samples of polyurethane foam and polyester foam padding from 20 new and old crib mattresses. They found:

• New crib mattresses release about four times as many VOCs as old crib mattresses.
• Body heat increases emissions.
• Chemical emissions are strongest in the sleeping infant's immediate breathing zone.

Graduate student Brandon Boor became motivated to conduct the study after finding out that infants spend 50 to 60 percent of their day sleeping. Infants are considered highly susceptible to the adverse health effects of exposure to indoor air pollutants.

"I wanted to know more about the chemicals they may inhale as they sleep during their early stages of development," he said. "This research also helps to raise awareness about the various chemicals that may be found in crib mattresses, which are not typically listed by manufacturers."

The researchers concluded that, on average, new crib mattresses emitted VOCs at a rate of 87.1 micrograms per square meter per hour, while older mattresses emitted VOCs at a rate of 22.1 micrograms per square meter per hour.

At present, not much is known about the health effects that occur from the levels of VOCs found in homes, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The researchers identified more than 30 VOCs in the mattresses, including phenol, neodecanoic acid and linalool. The most abundant chemicals identified in the crib mattress foam, such as limonene (a chemical that gives products a lemon scent), are routinely found in many cleaning and consumer products.

Chemist and indoor air quality expert Charles J. Weschler, adjunct professor in environmental and occupational medicine at Rutgers University, said he does not think the levels of chemical concentration found in the mattresses are alarming, but he considers the research valuable.

"It's good to be alerted to the fact that crib mattresses are a significant source of chemicals in an infant's environment," said Weschler, who noted crib mattresses might one day be analyzed for noxious chemicals as a result of such research.

The researchers found that VOC levels were significantly higher in a sleeping infant's breathing zone when compared with bulk room air, exposing infants to about twice the VOC levels as people standing in the same room. 

What to do

The researchers said that parents who want to reduce infant VOC exposure could consider using an older crib, while making sure the crib is safe, properly assembled and has not been recalled.

However, reusing an older crib mattress could also be hazardous, since older mattresses might contain toxic substances, such as flame retardants, that have been banned.

An extended airing-out period can be used to reduce emissions from new crib mattresses.

We're constantly being nagged to reduce our salt intake but a new study suggests that the levels recommended by federal agencies are "excessively and unrealistically low."

Besides making food taste like cardboard, the low levels recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) may actually do more harm than good, researchers say.

Dr. Niels Graudal, the study's lead author, says the results are an important extension of the findings of a major 2013 Institute of Medicine (IOM) report, which cast doubt on the current CDC recommendations but failed to establish any specific optimum range of intake.

"Our results are in line with the IOM's concern that lower levels could produce harm, and they provide a concrete basis for revising the recommended range in the best interest of public health," Graudal said.

"The good news," he added, "is that around 95% of the global population already consumes within the range we've found to generate the least instances of mortality and cardiovascular disease."

The study concluded that 2,645 – 4,945 mg of sodium per day, a range of intake within which the vast majority of Americans fall, actually results in more favorable health outcomes than the CDC's current recommendation of less than 2300mg/day for healthy individuals under 50 years old, and less than 1500 mg/day for most over 50 years.

This study was a combined analysis of 25 individual studies, which measured results from over 274,683 individuals.

Analysis of the results found that, as with all other essential nutrients, there was a U-shaped correlation between sodium intake and health outcomes. When consumption deviated from the 2,645 – 4,945 mg range mortality increased, so that both excessively high and low consumption of sodium were associated with reduced survival.

A bit of good news for General Motors for a change.

The Chevrolet Malibu has earned the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) "Top Safety Pick Plus" award for its improved performance in the small overlap front crash test.

In addition to a good small overlap rating, the 2014 Malibu -- a midsize moderately priced car -- also has good ratings for moderate overlap front protection, side protection, roof strength and head restraints and seats. Its optional forward collision warning system earns it a basic rating for front crash prevention.

Structural changes

For the 2014 model year, Chevrolet modified the Malibu's front structure and door sill to improve small overlap performance. The 2013 Malibu rated marginal in the test.

In the latest small overlap test, the driver's space was maintained well, and injury measures recorded on the driver dummy indicated low risk of any significant injuries in a crash of this severity.

The dummy's head made good contact with the front airbag, which stayed in position during the crash, and the side curtain airbag deployed to protect the head from contact with side structures.

In the crash, 25% of a vehicle's front end on the driver side strikes a 5-foot-tall rigid barrier at 40 mph. It replicates what happens when the front corner of a vehicle strikes another vehicle or an object like a tree or a utility pole.

To qualify for Top Safety Pick Plus, a vehicle must earn a good or acceptable rating for small overlap protection, a good rating in the IIHS's other four tests and a basic, advanced or superior rating for front crash prevention.

Applications for new mortgages were down in the week ending March 28 -- the second decline in as many weeks.

According to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey, the Market Composite Index -- a measure of mortgage loan application volume -- dipped 1.2% on a seasonally adjusted basis from the week before.

The Refinance Index dropped 3%, taking the refinance share of mortgage activity lower for the eighth straight week -- to 53% of total applications from 54% the previous week. The adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) share of activity was unchanged at 8% of total applications.

Contract interest rates

• The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages (FRMs) with conforming loan balances ($417,000 or less) was unchanged at 4.56%, with points increasing to 0.31 from 0.29 (including the origination fee) for 80% loan-to-value ratio (LTV) loans. The effective rate increased from last week.
• The average contract interest rate for 30-year FRMs with jumbo loan balances (greater than $417,000) rose 1 basis point -- from 4.45% to 4.46% -- with points remaining constant at 0.27 (including the origination fee) for 80% LTV loans. The effective rate increased from last week.
• The average contract interest rate for 30-year FRMs backed by the FHA increased to 4.21% from 4.16%, with points decreasing to 0.15 from 0.23 (including the origination fee) for 80% LTV loans. The effective rate increased from last week.
• The average contract interest rate for 15-year FRMs was unchanged at 3.62%, with points dipping to 0.23 from 0.24 (including the origination fee) for 80% LTV loans. The effective rate was also unchanged from last week.
• The average contract interest rate for 5/1 ARMs was 3.25% -- up 5 basis points, with points increasing to 0.38 from 0.32 (including the origination fee) for 80% LTV loans. The effective rate increased from last week.

The survey covers over 75 percent of all U.S. retail residential mortgage applications.

March appears to have been the best month for job creation in quite a while.

According to ADP, the payroll processing firm, private sector employment rose by 191,000 jobs from February to March. That's considerably better than the revised total of 178,000 reported for February. The initial report for that month was 139,000 jobs.

The March total is “slightly above the twelve-month average,” said Carlos Rodriguez, president and chief executive officer of ADP. “Hopefully, this could be a sign there is more growth to come.”

The ADP National Employment Report is produced in collaboration with Moody’s Analytics and is derived from ADP’s actual payroll data, measuring the change in total nonfarm private employment each month on a seasonally-adjusted basis.

Goods and services

Goods-producing employment rose by 28,000 jobs in March, compared with the upwardly revised pace of 25,000 in February. Most of the gains came from the construction industry which added 20,000 jobs over the month. Manufacturers added 5,000 jobs in March -- the same as February.

Service-providing employment shot up 164,000 jobs in March from the upwardly revised 153,000 the prior month. Professional/ business services contributed the most to growth in service-providing industries, adding 53,000 jobs. Trade/transportation/utilities payrolls grew by 36,000, while the 5,000 new jobs in financial activities marks the strongest pace of growth in the industry since November 2013.

A slowing in small business payroll growth

Payroll growth for businesses with 49 or fewer employees slowed slightly in March, adding 72,000 jobs -- 4,000 fewer than in February and an average of 83,000 during the past 12 months.

In contrast, job growth accelerated over the month for both medium and large firms and was at its strongest since last November.

Employment among medium-sized companies with 50-499 employees rose by 52,000 and employment at large companies -- those with 500 or more employees -- increased by 67,000.

Moody’s Analytics Chief Economist Mark Zandi believes the job market is picking up after a dormant winter. “Job gains are consistent with the pace prior to the brutal winter,” he said, with the gains “broad based across industries and business size classes. Even better numbers are likely in coming months as the weather warms.”

Chrysler Group is recalling 644,354 model year 2011-2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango vehicles manufactured from January 5, 2010, through September 8, 2013.

The vehicles being recalled have a brake booster with a center shell that may corrode and allow water to get inside. The water inside could freeze and limit the braking ability of the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will add a water diverter shield to the booster after the booster has been tested to confirm it can hold an acceptable amount of vacuum pressure. If the booster inspection confirms an unacceptable loss of vacuum pressure, the booster will be replaced. Repairs will be made free of charge.

The recall is expected to begin in May 2014.

Owners may contact Chrysler at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's recall campaign number is P14.

AdvancePierre Foods of Enid, Okla., is recalling approximately 8,730 pounds of frozen chicken breast products..

The products were formulated with milk and soy, which are not declared on the label.

The following products are subject to recall:

• 10-pound bulk cases of “Our Down Home Style Chicken Breast Fritters for Chicken Frying” with Lot Code 5440730403 or 5440800403, produced March 14 and 21, 2014.

Only these lot codes and dates are affected.

The recalled products bear the UPC Code 36541 and establishment number “P-2260Y” inside the USDA mark of inspection.

The products were distributed to food service establishments in Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah and Virginia.

Consumers with questions about the recall should contact Julie Moeller, Customer Service Manager at (580) 616-4364 or (580) 977-6948.

Lao Thai Nam Corp., of Dallas, Texas, is recalling Number One Sompa Salted Fish, because it has the potential to be contaminated with Clostridium botulinum.

The bacterium can cause life-threatening illness or death. Consumers are warned not to use the product even if it does not look or smell spoiled.

No illnesses have been reported to date.

The recalled product was distributed through retail stores in the Irving and Houston areas of Texas prior to March 31, 2014.

Number One Sompa Salted Fish comes in a clear vacuum packaged pouch, which contains red and black lettering with a fish logo on the left hand portion. The 7-ounce package contains a whole processed Tin Foil Barb fish, UPC: 8 8433200019 4.

Consumers who have purchased the recalled product should return it to the place of purchase.

Consumers with questions may contact the company at 469-213-8718, Monday – Friday, 7am – 3:30pm, CDT.