Current Events in February 2016

If you're retiring this year, congratulations. Life will get better if you've planned well, but remember that taxes can play a huge role in your financial future during retirement.

Once you are no longer working full time and depending mostly on Social Security and retirement savings accounts, your tax situation can change. Dara Luber, senior manager of retirement at TD Ameritrade, says retirees – and those soon to be retired – need to pay closer attention to aspects of the tax law that can help or hurt.

“You need to be aware of how Obamacare and tax penalties related to the Affordable Care Act might have tax implications,” Luber told ConsumerAffairs. “You need to know whether tax brackets are changing.”

You also need to be aware of advantages that are available to older consumers, like changes to catch-up contributions. Ignoring legal changes could mean missing out on tax-favorable, last minute catch-ups to a retirement fund.

Changes at 65

When you turn 65, the way you file your taxes may change. You may be eligible for certain credits and deductions, and will be able to take a higher standard deduction, which may be more advantageous than claiming itemized deductions. Tax planning may change, especially if you are withdrawing funds from a tax-deferred retirement account.

“You may want to take into consideration things like your required minimum distribution if you are 70 and a half, you may want to take into consideration some state tax benefits in terms of your Social Security, and how that's taxed,” Luber said.

At the same time, certain credits or deductions you've enjoyed in the past may no longer apply. You may need to consider paying estimated quarterly taxes once you hit retirement.

Luber says there is no cookie cutter retirement plan, but you can take into account some fairly general assumptions by asking yourself some questions.

“Do you think taxes are going up? What do you think will happen with Social Security and Medicare? The answers can affect your tax planning,” she said.

Resources

Fortunately, there are many resources to help retirees deal with tax issues. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) provides an extensive resource for retirement issues. TD Ameritrade also maintains a 2016 Tax Resource Center that may prove helpful.

Finally, Luber says it is important to consult with a tax professional as you transition into retirement. If you have been doing your own taxes each year, it might be wise to obtain the services of an enrolled agent—a tax professional who is licensed by the IRS, at least for the first year.

If your retirement involves a move, you may want to check with your new state's CPA society, the Accreditation Council for Accountancy and Taxation, or the National Association of Enrolled Agents.

The important thing is to make sure you are aware of all the benefits and responsibilities that come to a retired taxpayer. Retirement will likely change many of the ways you live your life, including the way you manage your finances and taxes.

“It's really a balancing act, trying to figure out how you limit your taxes and keep more in savings and still have enough to live on in retirement,” Luber said.

While DraftKings and FanDuel battle with New York and other states that have accused the daily fantasy sports leaders of running illegal gambling operations, one state has moved in the other direction.

The Virginia General Assembly passed a measure on Wednesday setting up a legal framework for daily fantasy sports games. It was sent to Gov. Terry McAuliffe. who is expected to sign it.

Should he do so, Virginia would become the first state to formally recognize the popular games as legal.

DraftKings responds

"Today the Virginia General Assembly took an important step toward ensuring that fans in Virginia can continue to enjoy fantasy sports contests with thoughtful and appropriate consumer protections in place,” DraftKings' spokesman Grifin Finan said, in a statement emailed to ConsumerAffairs. “We thank Delegates Jackson Miller and Marcus Simon and Senator Ryan McDougle for their leadership in bringing a common sense regulatory framework through the legislature. We are grateful for their support and are actively engaged with dozens of legislatures around the country to replicate this success.”

According to DraftKings, more than 56 million Americans and 1.2 million Virginians play fantasy sports each year in a variety of sports, including football, baseball, basketball, hockey, and golf.

Bipartisan support

The legal framework measure cleared both houses of the Virginia legislature with bipartisan support. The measure would require daily fantasy companies to register with the state and pay a $50,000 application fee.

The Virginia action stands in stark contrast to New York, where Attorney General Eric Schneiderman has sued both DraftKings and FanDuel, charging them with violating New York's gambling laws.

In early January, Schneiderman amended his complaint, asking the court to order the two companies to pay civil damages and make restitution to New York players who lost money. An appeals court is currently considering the case.

The prices of houses in the U.S were up in the final three months of last year for the 18th quarter in a row.

According to the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index (HPI), prices were up 1.4% from the third quarter of last year and 5.8% from the fourth quarter of 2014.

"Instability in financial markets did not seem to put much of a drag on home prices in the fourth quarter," said FHFA Supervisory Economist Andrew Leventis. "The fourth quarter 1.4% increase for the U.S. was in line with the extremely steady -- but historically elevated -- appreciation rates we have been observing for several years now."

The HPI is calculated using home sales price information from mortgages sold to, or guaranteed by, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

While the purchase-only HPI posted a year-over-year gain of 5.8%, prices of other goods and services fell 0.8%. The inflation-adjusted price of homes rose approximately 6.7% over the latest year.

Report highlights

• Home prices rose in every state and in the District of Columbia between the fourth quarter of 2014 and the fourth quarter of 2015. The top five states in annual appreciation were: 1) Nevada 12.7%; 2) Colorado 10.9%; 3) Idaho 10.7%; 4) Washington 10.7%; and 5) Oregon 10.6%.
• Among the 100 most populated metropolitan areas in the U.S., fourth-quarter price increases were greatest in the San Francisco-Redwood City-South San Francisco, Calif., metropolitan statistical areas district, where prices increased by 20.7%. Prices were weakest in New Haven-Milford, Connecticut, where they fell 1.5%.
• Of the nine census divisions, the Pacific division experienced the strongest increase in the fourth quarter, posting a 2.1% quarterly increase and an 8.0% advance since the fourth quarter of 2014. House price appreciation was weakest in the Middle Atlantic division, where prices rose just 0.6% from the previous quarter.

The full report may be found on the FHFA website.

Jobless claims

In other economic news, first-time applications for state unemployment benefits moved sharply higher last week.

The Department of Labor (DOL) reports seasonally adjusted initial claims totaled 272,000 in the week ending February 20, -- up 10,000 from the previous week.

Even with that increase, which was not affected by any special factors, the number of claims remains at the lower end of the 250,000-300,000 range that has prevailed since July 2014.

The four-week moving average, which lacks the weekly tally's volatility and is seen by economists as a more accurate gauge of the labor market, was 272,000, down 1,250 from the previous week.

The complete report is available on the DOL website.

Toyota's 2016 Highlander has earned a good rating in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's (IIHS) small overlap front test -- improving from acceptable -- to clinch a 2016 TOP SAFETY PICK+ award.

Last year's model was also a TOP SAFETY PICK+, but the criteria for the award was tightened for 2016. Previously, an acceptable rating for small overlap protection was enough, but now a good rating is required. Toyota made structural modifications to improve small overlap performance for 2016.

During the test of the 2016 Highlander, the dummy's movement was better controlled than in the test of the earlier model. The head hit the front airbag, which stayed in front of the dummy until rebound. The dummy in the previous test slid off the airbag's left side.

To qualify for TOP SAFETY PICK or TOP SAFETY PICK+, a vehicle must earn good ratings in all five crashworthiness evaluations -- small overlap front, moderate overlap front, side, roof strength, and head restraints.

TOP SAFETY PICK winners also have an available front crash prevention system that earns a basic rating; vehicles earning the "plus" have an “advanced” or “superior” rating. The Highlander's optional front crash prevention is rated “advanced.”

Toyota Motor Company is recalling 25,706 model year 2013-2016 Toyota Scion FR-S vehicles manufactured March 13, 2012, to January 14, 2016 and equipped an automatic transmission and ignition key. Vehicles with a push-to-start button are not affected.

In the recalled vehicles, it may be possible to remove the ignition key without the transmission being in the "Park" position. As such, these vehicles fail to conform to the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention."

If the key can be removed from the ignition when the transmission is not in the "Park" position, the vehicle could roll away increasing the risk of a crash and occupant or pedestrian injuries.

What to do

Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the ignition key/transmission interlock wiring connections, correcting them as necessary, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on March 1, 2016.

Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is G0E.

Volkswagen Group of America is recalling 1,037 model year 2009 Volkswagen Routans manufactured February 7, 2008, to August 28, 2008.

The air bag control units may corrode and fail resulting in failure of the air bags may to deploy in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of occupant injury. Additionally, the air bags may inadvertently deploy, increasing the risk of a crash.

What to do

VW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the air bag control unit, free of charge. The manufacturer has not yet provided a notification schedule.

Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298.

Sales of new single-family houses fell for the first time in four months in January.

In a joint release, the Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development report that sales plunged 9.2% last month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 494,000. That's 5.2% below the January 2015 rate of 521,000.

Prices were mixed last month. The median sales price of new houses sold in January was $278,800 -- down $13,200 on a year-over-year basis. The average sales price was $365,700, a gain of $9,700 from January of last year. The median is the point at which half the houses sold for more and half sold for less.

The seasonally adjusted estimate of new houses for sale at the end of January was 238,000, which translates to a supply of 5.8 months at the current sales rate. That's the highest inventory since last September.

No concerns

The January decline does not present a concern for the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). Chief economist David Crowe, in an interview with ConsumerAffairs, characterized the drop as “an adjustment after three very good months. He said the January decline may have come as prospective buyers, fearing that mortgage rates would be on the rise, pushed to complete their purchases in December.

Crowe said he expects the housing market to continue to “move modestly ahead.”

The complete report is available on the Commerce Department website.

American Honda Motor Co. is recalling 42,129 model year 2016 Civics manufactured September 22, 2015, to February 3, 2016 and equipped with 2.0L engines.

The recalled vehicles have engines with piston assemblies that may have been manufactured without a piston wrist pin circlip or with an incorrectly installed piston wrist pin circlip.

If a circlip is missing or incorrectly installed, the piston wrist pin may not be secure and may drift and damage the engine cylinder causing the engine to seize, and increasing the risk of a crash or a fire.

What to do

Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the piston assemblies, as necessary, free of charge. Parts are expected to be available in the Summer of 2016. Owners will be mailed an interim notification beginning March 15, 2016, and will be mailed a second notice when parts are available.

Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-800-999-1009. Honda's number for this recall is JX9.

When pain strikes, what do you reach for? It can be confusing to walk up and down the pain reliever aisle at the drug store.

We've all heard of the brands through advertising, but what is in them and what do they do? Dr. David Maine, Director of The Center for Interventional Pain Medicine at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, gets these questions all the time.

Maine says there are two common types of pain relievers that get the most use today. One is ibuprofen and the other is acetaminophen. The two drugs, he says, are very different.

Of course, you don't go to the drug store to pick up a bottle of acetaminophen. Instead, you reach for the brand name product, Tylenol. Tylenol is what you take when you have a headaches and Maine says it is also used to treat pain in children.

On the other hand, if you have an aching back, you might reach for a drug containing ibuprofen, like Advil. Ibuprofen drugs attack inflamation in the body.

Potential side effects

Both ibuprofen and acetaminophin are effective against pain, but both come with potential side effects.

"I don't think there's a specific medication when you think about Tylenol or non-steroidals such as ibuprofen that one is necessarily safer than the other," Maine said in a release. "I think ibuprofen and non-steroidals in general are more effective for treating pain conditions, but safety lies in how you're taking the medication and dose and they can both cause significant problems if taken excessively in doses that are not recommended."

Common ibuprofen side effects may include upset stomach, mild heartburn, nausea, vomiting, bloating, gas, diarrhea, constipation, dizziness, headache, nervousness, mild itching or rash, or ringing in your ears.

Ibuprofen can also be problematic for people with heart conditions, since it can increase your risk of fatal heart attack or stroke, especially if you use it long term, take high doses, or if you have heart disease.

Easy to overdose

Acetaminophen can be dangerous if you take more than recommended, and that's easy to do because it's in so many other drug products you might be taking at the same time.

In 2013, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned that acetaminophen could cause serious skin reactions, a danger that was already described in product labeling.

It is a good idea to discuss both drugs with your doctor if you are taking more than just an occasional tablet. Even though they are sold over-the-counter, both are powerful pain relievers and might even be substitutes for more powerful opioid painkillers that have the potential to become addictive and be abused.

What about old fashioned aspirin? It is still used to treat mild pain, as well as reducing inflammation and fever. Some doctors have also recommended a daily low dose of the drug to prevent heart attacks.

Maine stresses that if you are already taking pain medication, be wary of combination drugs, like cold medications, that can may contain painkillers, so you don't take too much.

Volkswagen may have a long way to go until it can fully regain the consumer confidence it lost due to the diesel scandal. But if the company’s January deliveries and sales are any indication, then perhaps it is on its way.

Reuters reports that deliveries at VW’s core autos division grew in January after posting a decline in 2015. A rebound in sales numbers were also distributed along several different brands, including luxury brand Audi and Czech unit Skoda.

Chief executive officer Matthias Mueller told German news agency DPA on Tuesday that he is confident that VW will win back customers as time goes on.

“We are quite confident by regaining the trust of our customers, of the public and of our remaining shareholders, we will have a good year 2016,” he said.

Despite the positive sales numbers, VW still has a long way to go in the U.S. before its diesel scandal can be put to rest. There is still no technical fix for the 600,000 vehicles in the country, and the legal ramifications still continue to pile up. Mueller admitted that things certainly do look bleak for VW on this front. “We will certainly be a loser in the U.S.,” he said.

AARP, formerly known as the American Association of Retired Persons, and Young Invincibles recently hosted an event called "Cheers to Your Future: A Happy Hour on Millennials’ Economic Outlook" in support of “Secure Choice” -- a legislation that would give working New Yorkers of every age the option to save at work via payroll deduction.

The legislation could be a positive step towards helping Millennials save for retirement. Compared to earlier generations, Millennials haven’t had it so easy when it comes to saving for retirement; a nationwide survey showed that Millennials have less wealth overall than earlier generations, and over half of low-income Millennials lack access to workplace retirement savings programs.

Savings plans like Secure Choice can go a long way towards helping an individual become self-reliant in retirement. But what other steps might a young person take to help them prepare for retirement?

To answer this question, we spoke with Michelle Perry Higgins, Principle and financial planner at California Financial Advisors, San Ramon, Calif. She advises young people to learn to balance the funds coming in so they don’t go out too quickly.

Visualize buckets

“You might be in awe of your paycheck and ecstatic to have money coming in regularly,” says Higgins, “But be smart with your money.”

She recommends visualizing various buckets: one for retirement, one for emergency reserves, one to pay down debt, and one for day-to-day expenses (yes, including some fun!). Keeping these buckets full can help ensure funds stay balanced -- which may also help you resist the urge to splurge while out shopping.

“Remember,” says Higgins, “Budgets are sexy. Budgets are cool. Budgets breed confidence and self-respect.” Buying a new pair of shoes may produce momentary happiness, but your self-respect will be shot if you can’t make rent because you splurged on the shoes.

20% for retirement

Higgins also recommends saving 20% of your income for retirement. Even though retirement may feel like a million years away, it’s a mistake to think, “I just graduated. I’ve got plenty of time,” says Higgins.

“Be savvier than that,” she says. "Once you get in the habit of saving 20% of your income for retirement, you’ll never miss the money."

You can also check and see if your employer offers a retirement plan (some will even match a percentage of your contribution). It’s a painless way to save, says Higgins, because the money is deducted directly from your paycheck.

Once a year, Higgins recommends checking in with a fee-based financial planner. With clear goals in place, you’ll never question your financial position.

More money-saving tips for young people can be found in her book, "College Poor No More! 100 $avings Tips for College Students."

Jimmy McMillan, who founded New York's Rent Is Too Damn High Party, was just a little ahead of his time.

Raising the issue of skyrocketing rents, both before and after the financial crisis, McMillan has had the issue pretty much to himself. Now, urban activists are wondering why the issue doesn't come up in presidential debates.

The Center of Opportunity Urbanism (COU), a think tank in Houston, says skyrocketing rents, growing much faster than incomes, threaten the economy and American households.

Housing supply crisis

“America faces a growing crisis in housing supply unseen since the aftermath of the Second World War,” COU Executive Director Joel Kotkin, said in a study of the issue.

Kotkin says the cost of housing is driving families out of many regions, particularly along the ocean coasts.

The study finds housing costs – particularly skyrocketing rents – are largely absent from the 2016 presidential campaigns. The campaigns, Kotkin says, call for lower taxes and higher minimum wages, but they fail to recognize how a housing crisis contributes to, and is at the root of, the country's socio-economic problems.

"You would think that housing affordability would be the number one issue in this year's presidential contest, in light of the concern candidates from both parties have shown over the plight of America's middle class," said Kotkin. "But nowhere amongst the campaign rhetoric do we hear anything about this nation's very real housing crisis. If they care about middle-class Americans, they should put solving this growing problem at the top of their agendas."

Financial crisis marked a change

In the wake of the financial crisis, banks made it much harder to qualify for a mortgage. As a result, homes for sale went begging while consumers competed for rental properties. The increased demand sent rents soaring.

The real estate industry has also tried to call attention to the plight of renters. In 2014 Zillow warned that rental affordability was currently much worse than mortgage affordability, largely because rents didn't experience the huge drop seen in home values during the recession. Instead, rents continued to climb. As a result, renters have continued to pay a dangerously high percentage of their income for housing.

Zillow economist Stan Humphries warned that skyrocketing rents would eventually drag down the real estate market.

"As rents keep rising, along with interest rates and home values, saving for a down payment and attaining homeownership becomes that much more difficult for millions of current renters, particularly millennial renters already saddled with uncertain job prospects and enormous student debt,” Humphries said at the time.

The COU study, meanwhile, says the rent crisis is contributing to a number of housing trends, including more diverse suburbs, aging Baby Boomers remaining in their homes, and gentrified – and very expensive – urban neighborhoods.

Consumers have turned bearish about the economic situation.

The Conference Board reports its Consumer Confidence Index, after posting a moderate gain in January, turned downward this month, dipping from 97.8 to 92.2.

The decrease was led by the Present Situation Index, which fell from 116.6 to 112.1, and the Expectations Index, which dropped to 78.9 from January's reading of 85.3.

“Consumers’ assessment of current conditions weakened, primarily due to a less favorable assessment of business conditions,” said Lynn Franco, director of economic indicators at The Conference Board. “Consumers’ short-term outlook grew more pessimistic, with consumers expressing greater apprehension about business conditions, their personal financial situation, and to a lesser degree, labor market prospects.

Franco said continued turmoil in the financial markets may be rattling consumers, but their assessment of current conditions suggests the economy will continue to expand at a moderate pace in the near-term.”

Consumers’ assessments

The percentage of consumers saying business conditions were “good” decreased from 27.7% to 26.0%, while those who think they're “bad” increased from 18.8% to 19.8%.

Consumers’ appraisal of the labor market was also negative, with those who say jobs are “plentiful” falling from 23.0% to 22.1%, while those who think jobs are “hard to get” rose to 24.2% from 23.6%.

Consumers were more pessimistic about the short-term outlook than in January. The percentage of consumers expecting business conditions to improve over the next six months dropped from 15.9% to 14.6%, while those who look for conditions to worsen jumped to 12.0% from 10.7%.

Labor market outlook gloomy

Those anticipating more jobs in the months ahead decreased from 13.4% to 12.2%, while those expecting fewer jobs inched up from 17.0% to 17.2%.

The proportion of consumers expecting their incomes to increase fell from 18.6% to 17.2%, while the proportion expecting a reduction rose from 10.7% to 12.5%.

The monthly Consumer Confidence Survey, based on a probability-design random sample, is conducted for The Conference Board by Nielsen around what consumers buy and watch. The cutoff date for the preliminary results was February 11.

Sales of previously-owned homes rose slightly, but hit their highest annual rate in six months during January, with prices increasing at the fastest clip since last April.

According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), total existing-home sales -- completed transactions that include single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums, and co-ops -- crept up 0.4% last month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.47 million. Sales are now 11.0% higher than a year ago -- the largest year-over-year gain since July 2013.

Existing sales kicked off 2016 on solid footing, rising slightly to the strongest pace since July 2015. "The housing market has shown promising resilience in recent months, but home prices are still rising too fast because of ongoing supply constraints," said NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun. "Despite the global economic slowdown, the housing sector continues to recover and will likely help the U.S. economy avoid a recession."

Prices and inventory

The median existing-home price for all housing types in January was $213,800, up 8.2% from January 2015. Last month's increase was the largest since 8.5% in April 2015 and marks the 47th consecutive month of year-over-year gains.

Total housing inventory at the end of the month increased 3.4% to 1.82 million existing homes available for sale, but is still 2.2% lower than a year ago. Unsold inventory is at a 4.0-month supply at the current sales pace, compared with 3.9 months in December 2015.

"The spring buying season is right around the corner and current supply levels aren't even close to what's needed to accommodate the subsequent growth in housing demand," said Yun. "Home prices ascending near or above double-digit appreciation aren't healthy -- especially considering the fact that household income and wages are barely rising."

Sales by region

• Existing-home sales in the Northeast increased 2.7% last month to an annual rate of 760,000. They are now 20.6% above a year ago. The median price -- the point at which half the homes sell for more and half for less -- was $247,500, 0.9% above January 2015.
• In the Midwest, sales rose 4.0% to an annual rate of 1.30 million. They are now 18.2% above January 2015. The median price was $164,300, up 8.7% from a year ago.
• Sales in the South were at an annual rate of 2.24 million in January, the same as December. They are 5.7% above the same month a year ago. The median price jumped 8.5% from a year earlier to $184,800.
• The West was the only region to show a decline -- 4.1% -- to an annual rate of 1.17 million, but sales are still 8.3% higher than a year ago. The median price was $309,400 -- up 7.4% from January 2015.

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing is recalling320,409 model year 2003-2006 Toyota Land Cruiser and Lexus LX470; 2005-2006 Toyota Tundra and Sequoia; and 2004-2006 Toyota 4Runner and Lexus GX470 vehicles equipped with side curtain-shield-air bags.

The recalled vehicles have an air bag control module that may be improperly programmed, causing the side curtain-shield-air bags to deploy inadvertently and increasing the risk of occupant injury.

What to do

Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the air bag control module with one that has improved programming, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin April 2, 2016.

Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-271-9371. Toyota's number for this recall is G0C and GLB.

For millennials, it’s the little things in life: same-day delivery, craft brews, the ability to express an entire thought using only emoji. Other groups may view them as entitled, but ironically, it doesn’t take much -- or much square footage -- to make a millennial happy.

As we reported, the “tiny house” movement jives rather well with the budget constraints and lifestyle of young people -- but they’re not the only ones getting in on the trend. Older people, both single and partnered up, have also enjoyed the budget-friendly nature and practicality of small space living.

Now, it appears small space living is taking on city life, in the form of micro-unit apartments and condominiums. As rents go up in the nation’s most expensive markets, some developers are finding there is a market for apartments smaller than 400 square feet.

The National Association of Realtors (NARS) notes that small space living is not a new concept, of course. New Yorkers are used to coming home to just a few hundred square feet, as are residents of other big cities like Tokyo, Paris, and Singapore to name a few. But as the practicality of small space living begins to outweigh its perceived encumbrances, more consumers all over are happily snapping up teeny tiny spaces in big cities.

Health concerns

There is a health component to small space living, however -- one which has left many wondering how small is too small. Cramped conditions can take a toll on one’s mental and physical well-being, experts say.

“Micro-apartments might be fantastic for young professionals in their 20’s,” says Dak Kopec, director of design for human health at Boston Architectural College and author of Environmental Psychology for Design. “But they definitely can be unhealthy for older people, say in their 30’s and 40’s, who face different stress factors that can make tight living conditions a problem.”

Home is supposed to be the safe space on the other end of a day spent enduring cramped office buildings and crowded streets -- the light at the end of the tunnel. But if that mental reprieve gets taken away, there can be consequences. Too much crowding-related stress has been shown to increase rates of domestic violence and substance abuse, Kopec tells The Atlantic.

While micro-apartments may address the need for affordable housing in cities, the task of imbuing them with some mental breathing room presents a whole new challenge.

Views and amenities

The East 27th Street building in New York City -- winner of a 2012 competition to design and build a residential tower of micro-units -- does a good job rounding out the concept of small space living. What residents lack in physical space, the building makes up for in views and amenities.

Units boast nine-foot high ceilings, while the building itself offers a gym with floor-to-ceiling park views, a lobby with a public garden and a Juliet balcony. Eric Bunge, a principle at nArchitects, says features like these can help reduce the risk of claustrophobia and balance the discrepancy between housing standards and actual housing conditions.

When this balance is achieved, most city officials agree that small space living can play a big role in cities. In declaring affordable living options crucial to the health of the city, former Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn shares the sentiment of Mayor Bloomberg in New York.

“It’s not good for the health of the city to create jobs here and not create places to live,” said McGinn.

Too much sugar has been a problem for many consumers looking to lose weight, but putting more of it into your body may help in other ways. Scientists have developed a new imaging technique for magnetic tomography exams that utilizes sugar to assess the malignancy of tumors in cancer patients.

The new method was developed by Linda Knutsson and a team of researchers at John Hopkins University. They found that injecting a small amount of sugar into a tumor can determine how malignant it is -- basically, the more sugar the tumor consumes, the more malignant it is.

The scientists believe that the new technique could be beneficial in a couple of different ways. By using sugar over other contrasting agents, patients could be put more at ease. Knutsson explains that it could “have a positive psychological effect and make patients calmer.”

Additionally, using a sugar-based contrasting agent is much less expensive than using the metal-based agents that are currently used. One drawback, however, is that patients affected by diabetes cannot use it.

This is the first use of a non-synthetic contrasting agent for magnetic resonance tomography exams, and researchers believe that the results are encouraging. Results show that sugar consumption is much lower in healthy tissue. Tests have been conducted on three patients with brain tumors and four healthy people, with results being published in the journal Tomography in December. 

Maytag Dairy Farms of Newton, Iowa, is expanding its earlier recall Maytag Raw Milk Blue Cheese.

The product may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

The expanded recall adds lot # 150482, which includes roughly 1,100 pounds of cheese, some of which has been distributed to retail locations prior to the initial recall, which was for lot # 150481.

There have been no reported illnesses linked to the product to date.

What to do

Customers who purchased this product should not consume it.

Customers may call Maytag Dairy Farms at 800-247-2458 or 641-791-2010 to arrange for a refund and return of the product.