Current Events in January 2016

Volkswagen is extending its emissions compensation program to owners of 3.0-liter diesels, offering $500 in cash and $500 credit to owners of 2009-16 diesel-powered Touaregs. Audi says a similar program is in the works for its larger diesels.

It's a goodwill gesture intended to mollify consumers who thought their "clean diesel" VWs met or exceed emission standards, only to find out they were equipped with deceptive software that reduced emissions only when the cars were being tested. The rest of the time they emitted as much as 40 times the legal limit of pollutants.

VW had earlier extended a similar "goodwill" offer to hundreds of thousands of owners of smaller 2.0-liter diesels. The compensation extended to 482,000 owners of 2009-15 2.0-liter diesel cars. 

Speaking at the Detroit auto show today, VW of America CEO Michael Horn said 265,000 owners of cars equipped with the 2.0-liter diesels have signed up for the $1,000 credits and 135,000 have received them.

The housing market this year could be a lot like it was last year. More expensive homes, fewer homes to choose from, and continued low mortgage rates.

Jonathan Smoke, Chief Economist at realtor.com says the market will punish indecision.

“Buyers looking to close this year need to keep an open mind and be prepared to move quickly when they find a home that meets their needs,” he said. “For sellers, it’s about understanding the ins and outs of their local market so they can optimize the price of their home and close quickly.”

Despite the Federal Reserve's move in December to raise a key interest rate for the first time in nine years, mortgage rates have actually gone down in recent days, to near historic lows. However, qualifying for a mortgage might be a little harder.

Decline in credit availability

The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) reports that credit availability decreased last month, falling 2.4%.

"Credit availability declined in December 2015. A decline to the index is generally indicative of tightening lending standards,” said Lynn Fisher, MBA's Vice President of Research and Economics.

“However, this month, a large part of the decline was driven by a technical issue related to implementation of affordable, low down payment, loan programs. Many investors discontinued existing low down payment loan programs only to replace them with new iterations of similar programs that were discontinued."

Tips

That may create challenges for both buyers and sellers this year. Smoke offers these tips for buyers:

• Jump early: over 85% of buyers who plan to purchase in the next year intend to buy in the spring or summer of 2016. Instead of competing for those listings, Smoke suggests exploring the possibilities early in the year, when there are more listing and fewer buyers.

• Shop around for mortgages: rates are low now, but Smoke says they could go up 3% per year over the next couple of years. A lower interest rate can make the difference in qualifying for a home and save thousands over the life of the loan.

• Consider a new home: home builders will be busier in 2016, adding to  what is now a tight inventory of homes. Smoke says buyers should consider the new home options in their market; they are likely to have less competition and to enjoy a broad selection of homes.

While sellers face less competition to move their homes, they need to do all they can to ensure the deal will close. Smoke offers these tips for sellers:

• List during peak season: unlike buyers, demand benefits sellers. The more people who are looking for homes, the better. Prime home buying season begins in April and reaches its peak in June.
• Be realistic in your pricing: regardless of what you think your home is worth, other people have to agree. Not only does the buyer have to agree, so does the appraiser. Even if someone agrees to pay what you want, and it doesn't appraise for that amount, you could lose the sale. Also, overpricing your home by just a few thousand dollars can drastically reduce traffic.
• Offer incentives: in 2015, Smoke says 37% of all sellers offered incentives to attract buyers. Sellers who are open to negotiating beyond price are more likely to find scenarios that result in wins for both sides, resulting in a potentially faster sale and more seller profit.

When it comes to raising babies, sometimes handing the baton over to technology can do wonders for exhaustion levels. Books and instinct can go a long way, but tech gadgets can certainly help eliminate unnecessary fuss. So what new products are making life easier for moms this year? 

Pregnancy and parenting resource The Bump, together with Living in Digital Times, producers of the new Baby Tech Summit at CES 2016, announced the winners of The Bump Best of Baby Tech Awards at CES.

Results were based on a compilation of online votes, in-person votes at CES, and a panel of expert judges. "The winners underscore that technology is redefining everything from conception to how we care for and raise babies,” said Jill Gilbert, producer of the Baby Tech Summit.

By category, the Bump Best of Baby Tech Award Winners are:

• Baby eats: Freemie Freedom Pump and Collection Cups allows moms to pump hands-free.
• Baby learn & play: The Starling by Versa Me word-tracking system nourishes a child's brain during the most rapid stage of development through activities that encourage talk and feedback between parent and child.
• Baby on the go: Evenflo Advanced Evenflo SensorSafe™ Embrace DLX Infant Car Seat reminds the driver that there is a baby in the car upon arrival of their destination.
• Baby safety: Owlet Baby Monitor is a smart sock monitor that uses hospital technology—pulse oximeter—to alert parents if baby stops breathing or heart rate fluctuates.
• Fertility & pregnancy: Univfy IVF Prediction Tests are online tests that provide fertility patients with personalized probabilities of their likely success with in vitro fertilization (IVF).
• Healthy baby: Kinsa Smart Ear Thermometer uses the latest technology to take a one-second, one-button temperature reading that syncs wirelessly to a smartphone to keep a record of your child for yourself, a caregiver or doctor.

A complete list of the winners can be viewed here.  

Off-highway vehicle (OHV) accidents claimed at least 504 lives in the U.S. in 2015, according to data collected by the Consumer Federation of America (CFA).

CFA and affiliate organizations maintain a database of fatalities to raise awareness of how dangerous these vehicles can be if not operated properly.

The information comes from from news reports and other sources collected by CFA’s Off-Highway Vehicle Safety Coalition which is composed of ATV safety advocates, academics, and medical professionals. The group says 504 fatalities may be an underestimate.

While most people are familiar with all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), the category of OHV also includes recreational off-highway vehicles (ROVs) and utility task vehicles (UTVs).

Other types of off-road vehicles

ROVs are off road vehicles that have four or more low pressure tires, bench or bucket seating, automotive type controls, rollover bars, occupant restraints, and a maximum speed over 30 mph.

UTVs have the same design elements as ROVs, but UTVs have maximum speeds of 30 mph or less.

The CFA says most of the OHV deaths occurred on roads in 2015. Despite the fact that these vehicles are specifically designed to be used off-road, 58% of the fatalities last year occurred as the result of highway accidents. That's about the same percentage as in 2014.

The percentage of victims under 16 increased from 18% in 2014 to 21% last year. Eleven percent of the fatalities were under age 12, up from 9% in 2014.

Not for children

“This new data once again reinforces CFA’s key safety messages for OHVs: do not operate OHVs on roads; and these vehicles are not toys; do not let children operate vehicles that are too large and powerful for them to control,” said Rachel Weintraub Legislative Director and General Counsel for Consumer Federation of America.

In 2013, CFA raised an alarm, saying more states have modified traffic laws to allow ATVs on public roads. In a report, the organization evaluated laws from all 50 states and the District of Columbia and found that despite warnings from manufacturers, federal agencies, and consumer and safety advocates that ATVs are unsafe on roadways, for several years an increasing number of states have passed laws allowing ATVs on public roads.

Information from ATV manufacturer manuals, required warning labels, and consistent messages from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) unambiguously warn against the operation of ATVs on public roads.

Not designed for highways

The design of ATVs makes them incompatible with operation on roads. ATVs have high centers of gravity, and narrow wheel bases, which increase the likelihood of tipping when negotiating turns. The low pressure knobby tires on ATVs are explicitly designed for off-road use and may not interact properly with road surfaces.

CFA's Michael Best says the new data underscores the need to keep OHVs off the highways, as their name implies.

The federal government enacted a new rule in 2010, penalizing airlines if they keep planes full of passengers stranded on the airport tarmac for extended periods of time.

The rule followed several highly publicized incidents in which passengers complained of being stranded for hours, with no food or water and with highly unsanitary conditions.

Government data shows that tarmac strandings are now fairly rare, but like many rules, this one may have had unintended consequences. A study by Dartmouth College and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) finds more passengers now encounter other types of delays.

The study, supported by Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) National Center of Excellence for Aviation Operations Research (NEXTOR II), concluded that it now takes most passengers far more time to arrive at their destinations.

Significantly increased delays

"Overall, the rule is estimated to have significantly increased passenger delays, especially for passengers scheduled to travel on the flights that are at risk of long tarmac delays," said Vikrant Vaze, an assistant professor at Dartmouth's Thayer School of Engineering.

The rule requires commercial aircraft to take off or allow passengers to leave the plane no later than three hours after the cabin door closes at the departure airport. At the other end, passengers must be allowed to depart the aircraft no later than three hours after touchdown at the arrival airport. Airlines that fail to meet that requirement face hefty fines.

The researchers say the consequences of the tarmac rule could have been predicted. Now, when it is evident that a flight will not be able to take off on time, the airline is likely to cancel it before passengers can board, heading off potential fines.

When the flight is cancelled, the passengers must then scramble to make alternate travel plans, often delaying their arrival at their destinations.

Recent data contradiction

It should be pointed out that recent government transportation data shows just the opposite. As we recently reported, the FAA shows no three-hour tarmac delays occurred in July, while the month also experienced very low percentages for delays and cancellations.

The Dartmouth-MIT researchers say they studied actual flight schedule and delay data from 2007 before the rule was enacted, then compared these delays to those estimated for hypothetical scenarios with the rule in effect for that same year.

While the rule has been highly effective in decreasing tarmac delays, especially long delays, their research shows each passenger-minute of tarmac time saving is achieved at the cost of an increase of approximately three passenger-minutes in total passenger delays.

The researchers attribute these delays primarily to the increase in flight cancellations, resulting in passengers requiring rebooking and often leading to extensive delays in reaching their final destinations. The researchers say the tarmac rule should be tweaked.

"We concluded that a better balance between the conflicting objectives of reducing the frequency of long tarmac times and reducing total passenger delays can be achieved through a modified version of the existing rule," Vaze said. "This modified version involves increasing the tarmac time limit to 3.5 hours and only applying the rule to flights with planned departure times before 5 p.m.”

To cut the airlines a little more slack, the researchers say the penalty clock should stop when a stranded aircraft begins returning to the gate instead of when passengers are allowed to get off.

Hankook Tire America Corp. is recalling 46,968 Ventus S1 Noble 2 tires, size 245/45R18 96W, manufactured May 20, 2013, to February 14, 2015, and size 245/40R19 94W and 275/35R19 96W tires manufactured May 22, 2013, to February 14, 2015 supplied for 2015 Hyundai Genesis vehicles as well as being sold as replacement tires.

The recalled tires may develop cracks in the tire sidewall, resulting in a loss of air, which may cause tire failure and a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.

Hankook will notify the purchasers of the replacement tires and Hankook dealers will replace the tires, free of charge. Owners of affected Hyundai vehicles will be notified by Hyundai and Hyundai dealers will replace the tires, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin in January 2016.

Owners may contact Hankook customer service at 1-800-426-5665.

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling 60,107 model year 2015 Jeep Compass and Patriot vehicles manufactured January 1, 2015, to May 11, 2015.

During assembly, the power steering hose retention clamp may have been installed at an incorrect location, resulting in the detachment of the low pressure return hose.

If the power steering fluid return hose detaches, it would leak fluid and increase the risk of a fire.

Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the return power steering hose clamp, repositioning the clamp as necessary, free of charge. The manufacturer has not yet provided a notification schedule.

Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is R68.

New York Style Sausage Co., of Sunnyvale, Calif., is recalling approximately 4,040 pounds of pork sausage products.

The products are encased in sheep casings, which are not listed on the product label and may result in allergic reactions in those allergic to sheep proteins.

There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products.

The following pork sausage item, produced between July 1, 2015, and Jan.7, 2016, is being recalled:

• 5-lb. bulk boxes containing packages of “Golden Gate Meat Company Ernesto’s Pork Sausage.”

The recalled product, which bears establishment number “EST. 9027” inside the USDA mark of inspection, was produced for a single distributor in California for institutional use.

Customers who purchased the recalled products should not consume them., but throw them away away or return them to the place of purchase.

Consumers with questions about the recall may contact the company at (408) 745-7675.

Shakti Group USA of New Brunswick, N.J., is recalling 50-gm and 100-gm sizes of L.G Compounded Asafoetida Powder, both coded with Lot Number 2323.

The product may be contaminated with Salmonella.

No illnesses have been reported to date.

The recalled product, packaged in a white screw cap plastic bottle with UPC 840222000149, Lot Number 2323, was sold in retail stores in Ohio, New Jersey, Virginia, New Hampshire and Pennsylvania.

Customers who purchased this product should return it to the place of purchase for a full refund.

Consumers with questions may contact the company at 1-609-357-9181 between 8am - 5pm (EST), from Monday - Saturday.

Hyundai Motor America is recalling 155,000 model year 2011-2012 Elantras manufactured October 29, 2010, to October 25, 2011.

Due to an electronic stability control (ESC) sensor malfunction, the brakes for one or more wheels may be applied unexpectedly and the engine power may be reduced. These symptoms will be accompanied by illumination of the ESC indicator lamp in the instrument cluster.

If the one or more of the brakes are inappropriately applied, control of the vehicle may be lost, increasing the risk of a crash.

Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will verify the proper operation of the ESC sensors, and update the ESC system's calibration, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin February 19, 2016.

Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's number for this recall is 137.

United Airlines has been fined $2.75 million for its treatment of disabled passengers and for lengthy tarmac delays. 

“It is our duty to ensure that travelers with disabilities have access to the services they need, and that when significant tarmac delays happen, travelers are not left on the plane,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx.  “We will make sure that airlines comply with our rules and treat their passengers fairly.”

The Department of Transportation (DOT) began investigating United after noting a "significant increase" in the number of disability-related complaints it was receiving. 

In one of the most dramatic incidents, a passenger with cerebral palsy had to crawl off a United flight when the airline failed to provide a wheelchair.

The complaints from disabled passengers involved incidents at Houston International Airport, Chicago O’Hare International Airport, Denver International Airport, Newark International Airport, and Dulles International Airport; they mostly concerned boarding and disembarking from airplanes and moving through the terminal.

The investgation found that in numerous instances United "failed to return passengers’ wheelchairs, other mobility aids, or other assistive devices in a timely manner or in the condition in which the airline received them," the DOT said.

Besides a $2 million fine, United has agreed to spend $650,000 to train personnel and develop a pilot program to help disabled passengers order wheelchairs and other assistance. United said it is already testing a smartphone app that would do just that.

Tarmac violations

United is also being fined $750,000 for five lengthy tarmac delays that took place at Chicago O’Hare International Airport on December 8, 2013 and one lengthy tarmac delay of a flight that was diverted to Houston Hobby Airport on May 20, 2015.

Investigators said United's gate mismanagement caused five flights to sit on the tarmac for longer than three hours without passengers being given an opportunity to deplane.

Under DOT rules, U.S. airlines operating aircraft with 30 or more passenger seats are prohibited from allowing their domestic flights to remain on the tarmac for more than three hours and their international flights to remain on the tarmac for more than four hours at U.S. airports without giving passengers an opportunity to leave the plane. Exceptions to the time limits are allowed only for safety, security, or air traffic control-related reasons.  

The rules also require airlines to provide adequate food and water, ensure that lavatories are working, and, if necessary, provide medical attention to passengers during long tarmac delays. 

A German newspaper report says Volkswagen may buy back about 115,000 cars in the United States as a result of the "dirty diesel" scandal. Another 450,000 will need extensive retrofitting to meet U.S. emission standards, the report said.

The Sueddeutsche Zeitung said that VW expects it will have to either refund the purchase price or offer owners a new car at a significant discount. It's thought that would apply to older cars that would be too expensive to retrofit.

Even newer cars will require extensive -- and expensive -- work, as parts of the exhaust system will have to be rebuilt, the report said. 

Although Volkswagen says it will continue producing diesels for the U.S. market, it is also talking up plans to build more electric cars. At the Consumer Electronics Show, it displayed mock-ups of an electric model that's a modernized remake of the VW minibus. 

Reports earlier this week said VW was apparently doing some behind-the-scenes maneuvering to reduce its liability to class-action lawsuits. A bill in Congress, dubbed the "VW bail-out bill" by critics, would make it harder to assemble large groups of consumers to pursue class-action cases.

The measure is sponsored by Rep. Bob Goodlatte, a Virginia Republican. Volkswagen's U.S. headquarters is in Virginia, near Dulles Airport.

We have become a data-driven culture. We desire information about all aspects of life, including the eight hour or so a day when we're not awake. Some of the new wearable health monitors provide sleep data.

Here's a non-wearable monitor that does the same thing – the REM-Fit, from Protect-A-Bed, introduced at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. It even comes with a pillow.

The company says the device uses sensors to monitor heart rate, breathing, and motion. The next morning you can open an accompanying mobile app and take a look at your sleep analysis. It will show, among other things, how often and when you tossed and turned during the night, along with a SleepScore based on how efficiently you slept.

Fits under the sheet

To use the device, you place it under the fitted sheet directly on the mattress. Featuring a thin design, the tracker is designed to go undetected while a user sleeps. The REM-Fit is the result of collaboration between Protect-A-Bed and Sleepace, which produces products to help people sleep.

"When we first entered the sleep technology industry last year with our REM-Fit Active sleep and activity tracker, we couldn't anticipate the level of enthusiasm we would receive," said Warrick Bell, director of product development for REM-Fit and Protect-A-Bed. "The Sleepace partnership allows us to utilize their technology to provide insights for users to get a better night's sleep."

REM-Fit is just the latest product designed for consumers to help them sleep. Cable TV viewers know there is no shortage of commercials promoting beds, pillows, and other items to promote a more restful sleep.

Smart Hat

Other somewhat unusual sleep aids include the Smart Hat Sleep System, available through Sharper Image. It's billed as a natural, drug-free sleeping device that monitors your brainwaves, and then plays specially engineered biofeedback tones to help you relax and fall asleep.

This product consists of a stretchable nylon hat that includes a pair of high-fidelity speakers. The tones reportedly fade away once you have reached a sleep state, but come back on again should you awake during the night.

With all these products designed to promote and analyze sleep – and we haven't even touched on sleeping pills – it would be easy to conclude that Americans have a sleep problem. And apparently we do.

A 2015 poll by the National Sleep Foundation found that people who suffer chronic or acute pain have the most trouble with sleep. But 35% of those without pain reported at least some sleep problems.

“Sleep quality and duration should be considered a vital sign, as they are strong indicators of overall health and quality of life,” said the foundation's Kristen Knutson. “Extremely long or short sleep durations are associated with more specific conditions, but for many people who are close to getting the recommended seven to nine hours of sleep, getting just 15 to 30 minutes more sleep a night could make difference in how they feel.” 

The nation's job creation machinery was running in high gear last month.

The Department of Labor (DOL) reports total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 292,000 in December, with the gains coming in several industries, including professional and business services, construction, health care, and food services and drinking places.

At the same time, though, the unemployment rate was unchanged at 5.0%.

As it released its December report, the DOL revised its payroll employment figures for October to show a gain of 307,000 jobs from 298,000 to 307,000. The change for November was revised from +211,000 to +252,000.

With these revisions, employment gains in October and November combined were 50,000 higher than previously reported. Over the past three months, job gains have averaged 284,000 per month.

Who was hiring and who was not

The professional and business services category was December's big winner with the addition of 73,000 jobs. Also adding to payroll positions were construction (+45,000), health care (+39,000), food services and drinking places (+37,000), and transportation and warehousing (+23,000).

Payroll employment growth totaled 2.7 million last year, compared to 3.1 million in 2014.

Employment in mining continued to decline last month (-8,000). Manufacturing employment was little-changed, as were wholesale trade, retail trade, financial activities, and government.

Total employment

Among the major worker groups, the unemployment rate for blacks dipped to 8.3%, while the rates for adult men (4.7%), adult women (4.4%), teenagers (16.1%), whites (4.5%), Asians (4.0%), and Hispanics (6.3%) showed little or no change. 

The number of people out of work in December was 7.9 million, essentially the same as the month before, with the jobless rate at 5.0% for the third month in a row. Over the past 12 months, the unemployment rate and the number of unemployed persons were down by 0.6% and 800,000, respectively.

The number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks or more) was essentially unchanged at 2.1 million in December and accounted for 26.3% of the unemployed. The number of long-term unemployed has shown little movement since June, but was down by 687,000 over the year.

The civilian labor force participation rate, at 62.6%, has shown little movement in recent months. In December, the employment-population ratio, at 59.5%, changed little.

The average work week for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls was unchanged at 34.5 hours in December, and average hourly earnings for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls was down a penny to $25.24, following an increase of 5 cents in November.

Over the year, average hourly earnings have risen by 2.5% percent.

The complete December employment report is on the DOL website.

Mazda North American Operations is recalling 374,519 model year 2003-2008 Mazda6 vehicles manufactured May 29, 2002, to May 5, 2008, 2006-2007 Mazdaspeed6 vehicles manufactured July 1, 2005, to June 29, 2007, and a limited production of model year 2004 RX-8 vehicles manufactured June 25, 2003, to June 30, 2003.

The inflators in the front passenger air bags are susceptible to rupture in the event of a crash necessitating the deployment of the front passenger air bag.

A rupture could result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants, potentially resulting in serious injury or death.

Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger's frontal air bag with a new one, free of charge.

Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500. Mazda's number for this recall is 9015L.

Office Depot of Boca Raton, Fla., is recalling about 300,000 Crawley II executive chairs.

The seat plate weld can break, posing a fall hazard.

The company has received eight reports of the seat plate weld cracking or breaking. No injuries have been reported.

This recall involves Crawley II executive chairs. The black, high-back, adjustable chairs have a black base with five wheels.

The affected chairs have Office Depot SKU number 493822 or OfficeMax item number 23324118 and “US REG. No. PA 25917(CN)” printed on a label located on the underside of the seat cushion.

The chairs, manufactured in China, were sold at Office Depot and OfficeMax retail stores nationwide and online from October 2012, through September 2015, for about $140.

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled chair and contact Office Depot to receive a free replacement seat plate that can be installed at home.

Consumers may contact Office Depot toll-free at 855-743-7701 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (ET) Monday through Friday, or visit the firm's website at www.officedepot.com then click on “Customer Service” for more information.

Popular food and nutrition writer Michael Pollan says it all in a few words: “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), on the other hand, goes on at great length to say pretty much the same thing in its latest set of dietary recommendations, the first it has issued since 2011.

Basically, the USDA would like to nudge everyone towards the so-called Mediterranean diet, which emphasizes consumption of fruits and vegetables, nuts, and legumes and such vegetable fat sources as olive, nut, canola, and soybean oils.

The new guidelines are a little more permissive than some would like, basically giving the go-ahead to eat eggs and other cholesterol-rich foods in moderation. On the other hand, they recommend limiting sugar and saturated fat each to 10% of daily caloric intake.

Strong evidence

The guidelines note that there is strong evidence that diets with less meat are associated with reduced risk of heart disease and stroke. Moderate evidence indicates that those eating patterns are associated with a reduced risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and some types of cancer. Teen boys and adult men also “need to reduce overall intake of protein foods by decreasing intakes of meats, poultry, and eggs and increasing amounts of vegetables or other underconsumed food groups,” according to the guidelines.

“The advice presented in the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans is sound, sensible, and science-based,” said Michael F. Jacobson, president of the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest. “If Americans ate according to that advice, it would be a huge win for the public’s health."

Not everyone is pleased, however. The Environmental Working Group issued a statement claiming the guidelines don't go far enough in urging Americans to reduce their meat intake.

"The new 2015 Dietary Guidelines should have clearly called on consumers to eat less meat – both to protect their health and to reduce the harm that meat production does to the environment. Producing meat is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions, and growing the feed for livestock is a leading cause of farm runoff that pollutes our drinking water.

The Dietary Guidelines also fail to detail the risk of mercury exposure from canned tuna, a major health risk especially for children and pregnant women."

Egg men at work?

A physicians' group took even greater umbrage, filing suit against the USDA and the Department of Health and Human Services.

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine charged that the egg industry influenced the USDA's advice that eating eggs is all right as long as it's done moderately.

It said as many as four of 14 experts on an outside panel that made recommendations to the USDA came from institutions that receive generous bequests from the egg industry.

The American College of Cardiology didn't go that far, but nevertheless made it clear that eating more meat, eggs and other cholesterol-laden foods is not a great idea.

"People do not need to obtain cholesterol through diet and should eat as little as possible," said Dr. Kim Allan Williams, president of the cardiologists' professional association.

So far there's little controversy about one of the USDA's revised recommendations, giving the go-ahead for healthy individuals to drink up to five cups of coffee a day. 

The problem has been well-documented. Too many doctors and other healthcare providers are suffering from “burnout” due to long hours and the stressful demands of the job.

When that happens, everyone suffers – including patients.

Dr. Sandra Argenio, faculty member at the Institute for Healthcare Excellence, is working on a solution. She says there are two systemic changes that have significant potential to prevent burnout, which can sometimes lead to depression. Both revolve around improving communications.

On the surface, they are deceptively simple. One is “being present and mindful” when with the patient. The other is active listening.

If that sounds a lot like old fashioned “bedside manner,” Argenio says that's exactly what it is.

Bedside manner can be learned

“In the past, the feeling was, either you had it or you didn't,” Argenio told ConsumerAffairs. “But it isn't one of those things that either you have it or you don't. It's almost like any other talent. Some people have a lot of it, and other people can learn.”

Argenio believes learning the time-honored bedside manner is a key to preventing burnout, which she also calls “compassion fatigue.”

“People need to be able to keep their compassion, but its hard to do if you're overworked and tired, not eating and missing your family,” she said. “So, to turn around and say, what are we doing, we need to be doing this in a safer manner, not just for us but especially for our patients, that's one of the positive things I've seen in the last 10 or 20 years.”

Argenio says doctors, especially newly minted physicians just entering the practice of medicine, are receiving training in communication skills. They are learning how to listen to patients and shut out other pressures and concerns, at least for that patient visit.

In search of resiliency

“When we started to do our communication training, we realized that if people treated each other a little differently, interacting and communicating a little better, it produced a safety net that allowed better interaction, allowed people to feel more connected and produced a sort of resiliency,” Argenio said.

She says that providers who are resilient are better able to carry compassion into their daily work. They are also better able to leave their practice at the office or hospital at the end of the day, allowing them to have more rewarding lives with family and friends.

The Institute for Healthcare Excellence operates a program to teach physician and allied health leaders how to train their own teams. These teams then bring their knowledge and skills to their institutional colleagues, and by doing so, lessen the burnout of compassion fatigue.

Argenio says it really is that simple.

“The whole idea is of being present in the task you are in, the relationship you are in, being mindful of what's going on right then instead of feeling the pressure of yesterday or the uncertainty of tomorrow,” she said.

Sitting a child down with a coloring book can often help calm and focus them — but did you know it could do the same for grown-ups?

For over a decade, researchers and art therapists alike have backed the calming benefits of coloring. The first commercially successful adult coloring books were published in 2012 and 2013, but only recently have adult coloring books become popular — a full-on trend, even.

Everyone from researchers at Johns Hopkins University to the editors of Yoga Journal suggest that coloring produces benefits similar to meditation. From stress reduction to a means of creative expression, the health benefits of coloring are staggering.

Health benefits

As a way to focus on the moment, adult coloring books can be a valuable tool, experts say. Just like meditation, coloring allows us to switch off our brains from other thoughts, helping to alleviate free-floating anxiety. 

"Coloring definitely has therapeutic potential to reduce anxiety, create focus or bring [about] more mindfulness," says Marygrace Berberian, a certified art therapist and the Clinical Assistant Professor and Program Coordinator for the Graduate Art Therapy Program at NYU.

Groundbreaking research in 2005 showed that anxiety levels dropped when subjects colored mandalas, which are round frames with geometric patterns inside. Simply doodling, though, had no effect in reducing the other subjects' stress levels.

Safe creative outlet

For people who aren't comfortable with more creatively expressive forms of art, it can be particularly effective, according to Berberian. 

A giant blank canvas may be a little intimidating to an anxiety-ridden overthinker. But an eight-by-ten piece of paper with guidelines? That's a little more manageable. 

"My experience has been that those participants who are more guarded find a lot of tranquility in coloring an image. It feels safer and it creates containment around their process," Berberian told CNN.com

Similar to therapy

It's important to note that adult coloring books are not exactly the same as completing an art therapy session; people dealing with significant mental or emotional issues will find art therapy to be more effective. 

"Coloring itself cannot be called art therapy because art therapy relies on the relationship between the client and the therapist," said Berberian. But people who are just looking for a way to relax may find these books to be just the ticket. 

As Berberian puts it, "I truly believe that people should be engaging in activities that make them feel restored."

Coloring books for adults can be found at bookstores and craft stores, usually for around $10-$15 each. Amazon’s list of bestselling adult coloring books can be found here.