Current Events in March 2016

Nissan North America is recalling 46,859 model year 2013-2015 LEAF vehicles manufactured November 19, 2012, to July 31, 2015.

In very cold temperatures, the relay inside the electronic brake booster may freeze, requiring the driver to exert more effort to slow the vehicle down. Longer distances or additional brake effort required to stop the vehicle could increase the risk of a crash.

What to do

Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the Intelligent Brake Control Unit software, free of charge. The manufacturer has not yet provided a notification schedule.

Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.

Cruising is ranked as one of the best overall vacation options. How else can you can travel to multiple countries or cities and unpack just once? A vacation bargain, it’s all-inclusive, offering a variety of food, lodging, and entertainment.

If you have yet to cruise, join the over 24 million passengers planning to set sail this year. While the Caribbean and Mediterranean are the two most popular destinations, unique travel experiences await you all over the world. If ports aren’t your thing and you just wish to relax, there are a myriad of larger-than-life ships that are the destination themselves.

How to Choose a Cruise Line

With so many different cruise lines, ship sizes, price points, and amenities, it is fair to wonder, is one cruise line better than another? The answer depends on what you are looking for. Most travelers choose their cruises and cruise line based on four criteria:

Loyalty - Sticking with the same cruise line is comfortable; you are familiar with the line, ships, and itineraries. Frequent cruisers get free and upgraded perks.

Port of embarkation - The cruise departs from a particular location that makes it more accessible or less expensive for travelers.

Itinerary – The cruise travels to a desired destination and stops in ports of particular interest.

Dates – Sometimes travelers have specific dates/weeks they either want or are limited to travel.

General Comments

For every cruise line there are passengers who love the line and/or the ship(s) and there are detractors who have either had a bad experience or are hard to please.

Read reviews of both the cruise line and the ship. Do an online search for cruise reviews or search with the cruise line name + “cruise reviews.” While reviews are helpful, be aware there will always be some reviews where passengers are picky and difficult to satisfy.

Besides published reviews, you should talk to experienced cruise-goers. I polled some of my fellow cruisers about each cruise line mentioned here and their collected comments appear after each section.

Decide what it is you want to do and make a plan. If you want to put your feet up and read, do just that and don’t feel guilty that you’re missing a lecture or dance lessons.

Realize that if your cruise goes to desirable destinations you will spend your days in port off the ship. Don’t be disappointed if your cruise experience is busy rather than relaxing.

Pool seats are at a premium on all cruise lines. If you want to sit by the pool, get there early.

Cruise Lines

There are many cruise lines but those listed here account for the vast majority of cruises each year. Each has its own personality. This listing should help you find the one that's best for you.

Carnival

Carnival Cruise Lines, calling its fleet of 24 ships the "Fun Ships,” offers three- to 16-day cruises to the Bahamas, the Caribbean, Europe, the Mexican Riviera, Alaska, Hawaii, Canada, New England, Bermuda, Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands. It attracts adults/couples, families, and multi-generational families.

What to know and tips:

• Offers The Carnival Great Vacation Guarantee. If you’re not happy with any three- to 14-day Carnival vacation you take to The Bahamas, the Caribbean, the Mexican Riviera, Bermuda, Canada/New England or Alaska, let Carnival know within 24 hours of your departure. They’ll refund 110% of your fare and their Guest Services will get you back to your home, free of charge. 
• Provides kids and teens programs.
• Has two new Cruise ships in the works: Carnival Vista will debut in 2016, and a second ship will be unveiled in 2018.
• Is affordable, which is especially attractive when traveling with a large group.
• Offers “Chef’s Table,” a special culinary experience. Book early as reservations fill quickly.
• Provides foam egg crates for your bed. You can get them by asking your cabin attendant.
• Provides a “Fun Hub” app, a messaging system through smartphones so couples and families can stay in touch with one another for just $5 each for the full week. Also gives the events of the day so you don’t miss anything.
• When available, “Faster to the Fun” for $50 allows you to bypass the hours of lining up with thousands of others waiting to get onboard.
• Check out the online store; really cute gifts for adults, children, and teens, cabin decorations for a variety of celebrations, and “Seuss at Sea” with all kinds of Dr. Seuss products.

“While nowhere near as elegant as some of the other cruise lines, we had excellent food on Carnival, amazing service, and the kids all had a great, great time. The babysitting was wonderful and easy to use.  The rooms were nice.  Clean.

Seriously, nothing to complain about.  Easy on and off at each port of call.  Great ports of call that necessitated no additional excursions, which was nice for those on a budget. 

Loved the casino.  The younger people enjoyed the shows. It was the family trip of a lifetime and everyone still talks about it.”

Celebrity

Celebrity Cruises, with its beautiful contemporary spaces, describes its 10-ship fleet as “modern luxury.” It offers 2-3 to 20-night cruises to all continents. It attracts couples/adults, families, and multi-generational families.

What to know and tips:

• On the newest ships, 90% of the staterooms have outside views and 85% of the staterooms have verandas.
• Its ships offer attractive and comfortable cabins.
• Solstice class ships offer a "Lawn Club" experience; a lawn of green grass on the uppermost level where passengers can play lawn games, practice their putts, or just relax.
• Interesting specialty restaurants, including the Lawn Club Grill, can be found on the Celebrity Reflection and Celebrity Silhouette, where diners can make flat bread and cook their own dinner side-by-side with Celebrity chefs.   
• Provides kids and teens programs. Separate fees may apply.
• Save money by purchasing a specialty restaurant package for your cruise.
• Two new cruise ships are in the works as part of a new class of ships (EDGE), with delivery fall 2018 and early 2020.
• Avoid the crowds at the buffet in the Ocean View Café at embarkation; lunch is served in the Bistro on Five for $5.00 and check out the AquaSpa Café as well.
• Café Bacio charges for their specialty coffees and teas, but all the treats in the cases are at no charge.
• There is a self-serve full afternoon tea each day in the Ocean View Café; check your daily bulletin for times.

“Celebrity is our favorite, especially after cruising on other lines.  The ships are gorgeous with open spaces, good flow, and never seem crowded.  Cabins are comfortably designed with plenty of storage space. Attentive staff and interesting itineraries.

Especially love Cafe Bacio for coffee to go in the morning and for relaxing in the afternoon. The Aqua Spa Cafe is our favorite spot for lunch.”

Cunard

Cunard Line and its three-ship fleet are celebrating its 175th anniversary this year. It prides itself on delivering White Star Service, “Standards of service that go above and beyond, exceeding the expectations of our guests.” It offers two-night to multi-month world tour experiences to all continents as well as transatlantic crossings from New York City to Southampton and back. It attracts couples/adults and families who seek a more formal experience.

What to know and tips:

• Offers comfortable accommodations with attentive service. Excellent meal service in the dining room for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
• Includes diverse shows, plenty of space around the ship, and more activities than you can possibly do.
• Provides kids and teens programs.
• Has an extensive library, bookstore, and the Cunard Book Club.
• Traditional afternoon tea can be had each day in the Queens Room on all ships. It can be busy, so line up at least 15-20 minutes early for a good spot.
• Provides kennels for your dog and cat on the Queen Mary 2 Transatlantic Crossings between New York and Southampton in either direction.
• Cunard adheres to its formal evening policy; if you are not interested in dressing in formal attire on those evenings you will be restricted in where you can eat and spend the evening.
• If there is a Black and White Ball, they mean for you to wear black and white so bring appropriate attire.
• Actors from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (RADA) perform and offer classes.

“The Queen Mary 2 was gorgeous with well-maintained and elegant spaces. Loved the quantity and quality of 101 things to do; enjoyed the planetarium show, iStudy classes, classes and performances by the RADA (Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts), traditional British afternoon tea, and some of the best shows I’ve seen on a cruise. Enjoyed all our meals in the dining room and cocktails accompanied by live music in a cozy lounge.”

Disney Cruise Line

Disney Cruise Line describes its four-ship fleet experience as “Stunning vessels that pay homage to the grand era of the luxury ocean liner.” With Port Canaveral, Florida as the homeport, it offers three- to 12-night cruises to the Caribbean, the Bahamas, Hawaii, Alaska, and Europe, among others. It attracts families, multi-generational families, and adults/couples who enjoy the Disney experience.  

What to know and tips:

• Has a wide-ranging variety of shipboard activities, including: cartooning classes, karaoke competitions, first run feature films, and a broad array of Disney character experiences.
• Disney has a private island, Castaway Cay in the Bahamas.
• Offers unique and special Disney-inspired ship interiors, attentive staff, excellent meal service, and memorable theme nights like Pirate Night with fireworks.  
• Passengers rotate and eat in a different dining room each evening and your assigned waiter rotates with you.
• Provides nighttime dining experiences and separate areas of the ship just for adults.
• Check your “Personal Navigator” (the ship’s daily activity bulletin) carefully once you’ve embarked for limited-access activities that require a sign up.
• Use the “Disney Cruise Line” app to stay on top of activities and offerings.
• Many cruisers do not mind waiting in line for hours to get their photo taken with characters or autograph books signed. For those who do not want to spend valuable vacation time in lines, bring a blank 5x7 or 8x10 mat for a photo frame and leave it at the front desk for signatures. Pick it up on the last day before you disembark the ship for a stress-free memento.

“We enjoyed our Disney cruise a lot. We were amazed at how Disney crazy most people (parents and kids) were and we really felt like novices even though I had done some online research.

We saved a lot of money getting a cabin on a lower deck with no window. We hardly spent time in the cabin except to sleep so I would do that again. Would love to go on another cruise now that kids are older!”

Holland America

Holland America Line invites its passengers on its 15-ship fleet to “Savor the Journey.” It offers one-day to extended Grand Voyages to the Caribbean, Alaska, Europe, Mexico, South America, the Panama Canal, Australia, New Zealand, Asia, the Amazon, and Antarctica. It attracts couples/adults and families.

What to know and tips:

• As You Wish Dining allows passengers to choose a restaurant and time, either for a specific time for the duration of the cruise or as you like it, any day.
• “The Culinary Arts Center, presented by Food & Wine® magazine” offers a range of culinary programs featuring a variety of hands-on, participatory, and lecture-style experiences, both free and fee-based.
• Provides kids and teens programs.
• Longer cruises tend to attract an older crowd; shorter cruises, holidays, and summers attract more of a mix of passengers.
• Offers free computer classes.
• A new cruise ship, the ms Koningsdam, will debut in April, 2016.
• If you sign up for mailings, you can snag some great prices and promotions.  
• The specialty restaurant The Pinnacle Grill serves lunch.
• On the longer voyages there is a reasonable laundry and pressing service available. Prices can change, but in 2015 it was $20 for a bag of laundry (a ship-provided laundry bag that can stuff in as much as it will hold) and an unlimited pressing service at $96 for a 32-day cruise to press any items in your clean laundry.
• Debuting Spring 2016, “Rijksmuseum at Sea, created by Rijksstudio, brings the beauty and wonder of Amsterdam's grand museum onboard.”

“I enjoy sailing Holland America. The cabins are very comfortable and they include a couch or love seat as well as a bath tub/shower combination. The food is better than other cruise lines I have sailed. They have free computer classes and I always take them to keep me up to date on the latest versions.

We particularly enjoy the live music in the Explorers Lounge, before and after dinner. One thing we especially like is they always have a Catholic Priest onboard every sailing. They also have an excellent library with lots of volumes, magazines, and comfortable chairs.

Norwegian

Norwegian Cruise Line describes its 14-ship fleet experience as “Freestyle Cruising,” allowing passengers to create their “ideal cruise vacation.” Offers three- to 42-night cruises to Alaska, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, the Bahamas, Florida, the Caribbean, Canada, New England, Europe, Hawaii, the Mexican Riviera, the Pacific Coast, the Panama Canal, and South America. It attracts adults/couples, families, and multi-generational families.

What to know and tips:

• Passengers have no fixed dining times or pre-assigned seating, giving them a choice on how and where they want to eat.
• Norwegian has two private islands; Great Stirrup Cay in the Bahamas and, opening November 2016, Harvest Caye in Belize.
• Breakaway Class ships offer Broadway shows, such as Rock of Ages and Legally Blonde.
• There is a service charge per guest; other cruise lines call this onboard gratuity.
• There is a convenience charge of $7.95 for room service. The continental breakfast menu that is a hang card in the cabin is available at no charge.
• Provides kids and teens programs.
• Offers a special section in the buffet for children with smaller chairs and a buffet line especially for children.
• Nine ships are scheduled for renovation by 2018.
• The freestyle option includes dress; while you can dress cruise casual or dress up, the ship offers a Night Out dress up during the cruise.
• You might want to bring an all-white outfit for the “White Hot Party.”
• Avoid the crowds on embarkation day by eating in the main dining room or O’Sheehan’s Neighborhood Bar and Grill.
• For extra storage, the couch in many of the cabins has drawers built underneath.

“I’m a frequent cruiser and love sailing Norwegian because with free-style cruising, I can do a lot or as little as I want. As big as the ships are, they never feel crowded and there are plenty of quiet places to relax.

I enjoy the variety of restaurants. The big ships have 14 or 15 dining choices! There’s a diverse selection of entertainment with lots of traditional venues but also night spots, pubs with music, comedy shows, and more."

Princess

Princess Cruises describes its 18-ship fleet experience as “when you step aboard, you are setting a course for a world of wonderful new discoveries.”

Offers three- to 94-day cruises to the Caribbean, Alaska, the Panama Canal, Europe, Mexico, South America, Australia/New Zealand, the South Pacific, Hawaii, Tahiti/French Polynesia, Asia, India, Africa, Canada/New England, and world cruises. It attracts adults/couples. families, and multi-generational families

What to know and tips:

• The Princess Cruise ship, Pacific Princess, played a starring role in the 1970’s comedy “The Love Boat."
• Has a “Movies under the Stars” program with complimentary blankets and popcorn.
• Provides kids and teens programs.
• Will unveil a new ship, a "Royal Princess" class vessel, with delivery expected in the Spring of 2017.
• Offers Military Cruise Benefits Program, with up to $250 free onboard spending money (depending on the length of your cruise) for veterans as well as active, retired, or disabled military personnel.
• If taking a honeymoon cruise, check out The Princess Cruises Honeymoon Wishes Registry; friends and family members can contribute to your cruise experience and it will be added to your onboard credit.
• If you’ll miss your book club or you just love to read, check out the Princess Cruises Book Club with a reading discussion list for the oncoming months.
• Princess can accommodate food allergies if you inquire. For example, you can get gluten-free bread at the buffet if you ask for it and you can order gluten-free pizza 24 hours in advance at the pizza stand.
• Some ships have an International Café that is open 24/7, offering snacks and small salads.

“We actually liked everything about our Princess cruise.  The maître d willingly complied to our table requests.  The food was very good in the regular dining room and the upgrade restaurants were excellent, especially the seafood/Italian one.

Our room was amazing, and we booked on the “all suites” level, so we got great service.  We saw a few shows and thought they were fairly good.  In the evenings it felt like there was a lot of space to do what you wanted to do – noisy or quiet (we liked the Piano bar the best).”

Royal Caribbean

Royal Caribbean describes its 25-ship fleet experience as “when you step aboard, you are setting a course for a world of wonderful new discoveries.”

Offers three- to 24-day cruises to Alaska, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, the Bahamas, Bermuda, Canada/New England, the Caribbean, Europe, Hawaii, Mexico, the Pacific Northwest, the Panama Canal, and South America. It attracts adults/couples. families, and multi-generational families.

What to know and tips:

• Offers ice skating shows, water shows, Broadway musicals, ice skating, rock climbing, sky simulator, bumper cars, roller-skating, circus school, miniature golf, a carousel, and more.
• Provides kids and teens programs.
• Will unveil two new ships: Harmony of the Seas, which will be the world’s largest cruise ship, and Ovation of the Seas, with delivery expected in 2016.
• Oasis Class ships have a “seven neighborhood concept, including Central Park, Boardwalk, the Royal Promenade, the Pool and Sports Zone, Vitality at Sea Spa and Fitness Center.”
• Use cruise planner to pre-book shows, dining, spa appointments, and more before you sail.
• Royal Caribbean Connect provides a wealth of online articles on technology, travel, food, family, lifestyle, and more.
• Exclusive destination, Labadee®, on the north coast of Hispaniola and private island CocoCay® in the Bahamas.
• Special rates for police/fire department and military on select cruises.
• Most Royal Caribbean ships will offer special prices for dinner in their specialty restaurants the evening of embarkation day.
• Book three or more specialty restaurants and you’ll get back 30% of the total cost of the specialty restaurants as an onboard credit.

“We sail Royal Caribbean a lot. We’ve sailed the Allure twice and love the ship. It’s beautiful with lots of fun places to explore. We loved the boardwalk and Central Park areas. The shows were very good; we especially enjoyed the diving and aerial shows. We did the zip line across the deck.

There is a really cute deli in the Central park area that has great sandwiches and salads made to order.  On the boardwalk there is a doughnut shop with yummy chocolate doughnuts. The ship is huge but it never felt crowded. There were never lines for anything! The ship really is a destination.  It's hard to see and do everything in one week.”

It's your choice

Remember, it's up to you to choose the experience and then pursue that experience. Don't complain if you choose a package that doesn't suit your tastes. If you look at cruisecritic and so forth you see a lot of negative comments but they're all unverified and I dont think that's fair. 

The cruise lines, ships, destinations, food, activities, and excursion choices are extraordinary. No matter what cruise or destination you choose, you have the opportunity to create a personalized and memorable travel experience. Don't pass it up.

The Federal Communication Commission (FCC) will consider new rules for Internet service providers (ISP) that would limit their ability to use consumer's browsing habits to narrowly target ads.

Currently, when consumers browse online, looking at cars, furniture or books, ads for those kinds of products follow them around the Internet, popping up on other websites they visit. That's because consumers' browsing habits are a product, sold to marketers who want to make their ads more effective.

FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler has released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to give consumers tools to determine how that information about them is used and shared by their ISPs.

New privacy requirement

Under the proposal, the privacy requirements of the Communications Act would apply to the Internet. The proposal will be voted on by the full Commission at the March 31 Open Meeting. Assuming it is adopted, it will be subject to a comment period.

The proposed rule would allow ISPs to continue to use customer data for marketing and other communications-related services by their affiliates unless the customer opted out. If the ISP wanted to continue selling customer data to third-party marketers, it would have to get the customer's permission through an opt-in process first.

Wheeler also says the rule would place stronger security requirements on ISPs, noting that security protections are crucial to protecting consumers’ data from breaches.

Privacy group input

A number of privacy advocates have urged the FCC to implement stronger Internet privacy safeguards. In a recent letter to the agency, the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) lobbied for opt-in consent for the use of all customer data for marketing purposes. It said an opt-in framework would better protect individuals’ rights, and is consistent with most United States privacy laws.

The letter noted that the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, Cable Communications Policy Act, Electronic Communications Privacy Act, Video Privacy Protection Act, Driver’s Privacy Protection Act, and Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act all require individual consent before gathered information can be used for any secondary purpose.

Verizon Wireless settlement

Earlier this week the FCC reached a settlement with Verizon Wireless over its use of customer data and so-called “super cookies.” The settlement contained some of the same features contained in the proposed new rule.

Verizon Wireless agreed to allow customers to opt-out of its internal use of gathered customer data. It also agreed to an opt-in feature, saying it would not sell that information to third parties without a customer's consent.

Flying coach is about to get a little more uncomfortable. United Airlines has confirmed to USA Today that it is adding a seat to each row on 19 of its 74 Boeing 777 wide-bodied jets.

Currently, United's 777s have 9 seats per row. Since it is impossible to make the aircraft any wider, adding a seat to each row is going to make all other seats a little more cramped.

But United isn't setting the pace in making customers more uncomfortable. It's simply catching up with an industry trend. Several other airlines have already moved to the ten abreast seating on the 777 to make each flight a little more profitable.

And profit is what is driving the effort to move more people with fewer flights. Adding seats raises the profit margin on each flight, making stock in the company more attractive to shareholders.

According to USA Today, American Airlines, Emirates, All Nippon Airways, Air New Zealand, KLM, and Air France are just some of the carriers that have ordered Boeing 777s with 10 seats per row.

Flying high

A few years ago airlines were bouncing in and out of bankruptcy. Now, profits are flying high. CBS News recently reported that U.S. airlines made almost $18 billion in profit in the first three quarters of 2015.

Lower fuel costs are helping, but it was the addition of fees for things like checked bags, meals, and pillows that have helped carriers move from red ink to black.

CBS News quotes airline industry spokeswoman Jean Medina as saying consumers benefit when the airlines rack up profits because the airlines are reinvesting those profits back into the business.

Perhaps. But they're not adding flights. They're apparently adding seats to the existing ones.

Anchor Industries of Evansville, Ind., is recalling about 350 safety pool covers.

The brass-plated snap hooks used to connect the cover’s cables to the wall can break, posing a drowning risk.

The firm has received 20 reports of snap hook failure. No injuries have been reported.

This recall involves mesh and solid-material Anchor 5-Star, Anchor Mesh, Classic Solid and Defender Mesh brand custom safety pool covers. The covers’ cables are connected to the pool wall using brass-plated snap hooks with a gold-tone spring tab, a seam and a hook end with a bezel.

The date of manufacture appears on the warning label on the underside of each pool cover. Manufacture dates of “Sep 14,” “Oct 14” and “Nov 14” are subject to the recall. “Manufactured by Anchor Industries, Inc.” also appears on the label.

The pool covers, manufactured in the U.S., were sold at independent pool supply stores and dealers nationwide from September 2014, to November 2014, for about $3,000.

What to do

Consumers should immediately contact their pool cover dealer to schedule an inspection and replacement of the snap hooks.

Consumers may contact Anchor Industries toll-free at 800-255-5552 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (CT) Monday through Friday or online at http://anchorinc.com/products/safety-pool-covers/safety-pool-covers for more information.

President Obama has his critics, but the refrigerator industry loves him. That's because his drive to clean up power plant emissions is making refrigerator sales red hot.

Utilities like Dominion Virginia are offering to give customers a $50 incentive towards a new refrigerator and will also pick up and recycle their old refrigerators and freezers at no charge.

"This energy conservation program has proven to be popular with our customers, with thousands of them participating since it began last summer," said Brett Crable, director-New Technology and Energy Conservation. "It not only helps save energy costs, but lessens the environmental impact of appliance disposal."

It also helps Dominion as it tries to meet Obama's goal of cutting power plant emissions by 32 percent from 2005 levels. The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers estimates there are 10 million old, inefficient refrigerators still chugging away in consumers' homes, burning excess energy and running up consumers' power bills.

Replacing those 10 million obsolete refrigerators and 5 million more that will become obsolete over the next few years would save 36 million metric tons of emissions over five years and shave consumers' power bills by $50 to $100 per year, $6.8 billion nationwide.

Today's refrigerators use half the energy of models offered 20 years ago and are prime targets for carbon-cutting efforts. 

Obama's Clean Power Plan is currently under review by the Supreme Court, but five states -- California, Colorado, New York, Virginia, and Washington -- are still pursuing its goals, at least for now.

What to do

If you live in any of those states, it might pay you to contact your local utility and find out if it is offering a similar refrigerator replacement plan. Here are some programs we found. There may be others, so be sure to check with your local utility or state utilities commission. 

• In New York, a program called EmPower does Dominion one better, providing free refrigerators, light bulbs, and insulation to qualifying homeowners and renters. 
• Southern California Edison is offering free refrigerators, insulation, and other energy-saving premiums to qualifying lower-income customers.
• In Northern California, PG&E is offering a $50 rebate and free pick-up and installation, similar to the Dominion plan. 
• In Washington State, Puget Sound Energy is also offering the $50 rebate plan. 

Over 29 million people in the U.S. have diabetes, and over eight million who have it are undiagnosed, according to a 2014 statistical analysis. Although the disease affects so many, it has been hard for scientists and researchers to nail down a cure. This is due, in part, to the fact that the disease can take different forms, and there are still some things that researchers do not know about them.

However, a recent study conducted at the University of Pennsylvania has shed some light on type 2 diabetes. Researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine believe that they have finally found the cause of insulin resistance, which is characteristic of this particular type of the disease.

Excess fat

Many people attribute insulin resistance to fluctuating sugar levels in the body, but researchers say that it also has to do with the amount of fat in the body. In particular, too much fat inside of skeletal muscle is one main cause of insulin resistance.

With this in mind, scientists went about trying to find out how excess fat could be removed from skeletal muscle. If this fat could be removed, they reasoned, then it would also be possible to prevent insulin resistance from occurring. But in order to do that, there were some questions that had to be answered first.

“This research sought to answer a few large questions. . . How does fat get into skeletal muscle? And how is the elevation of certain amino acids in people with diabetes related to insulin resistance?” asked Dr. Zoltan Arany, senior author of the study. “We have appreciated for over ten years that diabetes is accompanied by elevations in the blood of branched-chain amino acids, which humans can only obtain in their diet. However, we didn’t understand how this could cause insulin resistance and diabetes. How is elevated blood sugar related to these amino acids?”

New way to treat diabetes

In order to answer these questions, Dr. Arany and his team began examining amino acids and what happened when they broke down. They found that when these compounds broke down, a byproduct called 3-HIB was created. After being secreted by muscle cells, 3-HIB activated certain cells which resulted in more fat being stored in skeletal muscle tissue.

Researchers observed this phenomenon in mice and saw that when it happened it led to insulin resistance. By blocking 3-HIB from synthesizing, researchers were able to keep excess fat from going to the skeletal muscle and insulin resistance was no longer a problem.

Dr. Arany is quick to note that 3-HIB byproducts are also plentiful in humans who have type-2 diabetes, so although there will need to be more research to prove that there is a link, he is confident that one may be discovered in the future.

“The discovery of this novel pathway – the way the body breaks down these amino acids that drives more fat into the muscles – opens new avenues for future research on insulin resistance, and introduces a conceptually entirely new way to target treatment for diabetes,” he said.

The full study has been published in Nature Medicine. 

As we previously reported, it seems 2016 will be the year of consumers favoring better-for-you snacks that can be consumed on the go.

In a blog post, MarketResearch.com echoed this finding and noted that 2016 will also see the influence of a few other food trends. Among them: asian noodles, plant proteins, and an emphasis on avoided ingredients.

Asian noodles

As consumers begin to walk on the wild side a bit more when it comes to their food choices, they’re finding Asian noodles are the perfect out-of-the-ordinary option. As a result, restaurants are getting creative with how they serve up Asian noodle dishes.

While some still take an authentic approach to their Asian noodle offerings, many restaurants are coming up with new and innovative ways to feature the dish on their menus.

Experts say the potential is great for this highly versatile food. The presence of Asian noodles on both mainstream American and non-Asian ethnic menus -- whether in its authentic form or with a new twist -- will help expose the dish to more diners.

Plant proteins

The spotlight is on soy this year, as environmentally and economically-conscious Americans turn to vegan, vegetarian, and flexitarian lifestyles.

More than ever, consumers seem to be taking note of the resource-depleting nature of the average meat-based lifestyle. Thirty-seven percent of consumers ages 25 to 39 are likely to seek out proteins, according to a survey by Packaged Facts. The survey also found that half of respondents said they've eaten less meat in the past several years.

The growing number of plant protein options in stores could also be swaying more Americans to go a little easier on the meat consumption front. In response to consumers' rising interest in plant-based proteins, retailers are taking a new approach towards marketing meat and poultry.

According to the report, Meat and Poultry: U.S. Retail Market Trends and Opportunities, grocers and restaurants have already begun featuring locally produced meats and “free from” products.

Avoided ingredients

Growing numbers of people with gluten intolerance and celiac disease have more Americans focusing on what’s not going into their bodies. Gluten-free foods, non-GMOs, and ancient grains have been big money makers in the food industry recently, and consumers seem happy with the added presence of such foods in restaurants and grocery stores.

Fifteen percent of consumers said they have chosen a gluten-free product while dining out without three months of buying a gluten-free product at the store, according to the report, Gluten-Free Foods in the U.S., Fifth Edition.

Non-GMO items are also in high demand. An estimated $200 billion was spent on non-GMO items in 2014, and analysts expect sales to increase by 65% in the next three years.

Rest assured that the projected growth of the non-GMO industry hasn’t gone unnoticed by marketers. They’re already busy marking items as non-GMO -- including products that have not ever been sold with GMOs.

Phishing scams are usually pretty easy to spot. An email arrives in your inbox telling you some urgent action is required and providing a handy link to take you where you need to go.

Of course, where you end up is at the scammer's look-alike site where you are told to enter sensitive information, which the scammer then steals. Or, you click on a link and download malware.

In any event, more people are aware of these schemes and look for the tell-tale signs like misspelled words, incorrect grammar, and broken syntax.

The email that arrived in my inbox this morning was a clear departure from the norm, and I have to admit I did a double-take. It appeared to be from Amazon.com security.

“At Amazon we take your security and privacy very seriously,” it began. “As part of our routine monitoring, we discovered a list of email address and password sets posted online. While the list was not Amazon-related, we know that many customers reuse their passwords on several websites. We believe your email address and password set was on that list. For your security, we have assigned a temporary password to your account.”

For real?

At first glance, that might be plausible. And nearly everyone in the world has an Amazon account.

The rest of the email told me I needed to reset my password by going to the Amazon.com site. It didn't tell me to click on a link, but in the body of the email, everywhere “Amazon.com” appeared, it was in the form of a link, which would have been easy enough to spoof. Many people might simply click on one of the links, rather than type in the URL.

But wait a minute, could my years of consumer reporting be making me overly paranoid? Couldn't this be real?

Maybe, except for one thing. I have several email accounts. This helpful email arrived at an address I have never associated with my Amazon account.

Password not changed

I also went to a computer I had never used to access my Amazon account and had no problem logging in using my existing password. It had not been changed, as the email claimed.

I have forwarded the email to Amazon's real security department, at stop-spoofing@amazon.com and asked that it confirm the email is not from Amazon. If it turns out to be real, I'll be both surprised and embarrassed.

But perhaps it goes to show the level of sophistication and cunning employed by today's fraudsters that many consumers are reluctant to trust anything.

Meanwhile, Amazon – which is a frequent object of phishing scams – has this advice for trying to figure out whether an email is real.

Volkswagen CEO Michael Horn's sudden resignation this week is the prelude to an even bigger drama coming up at the end of the month. That's when VW lawyers must appear before a federal judge and explain how the carmaker plans to fix nearly 600,000 “clean diesel” cars in the U.S. that cheat on emissions tests.

Meanwhile, automotive site Autolist has presented more evidence of a damaged VW brand and how U.S. automakers are benefiting.

Autolist is an online automotive marketplace where cars are listed for sale. Autolist has monitored recent search traffic and concluded that, as the VW emissions cheating scandal has unfolded, Volkswagen has fallen in the eyes of the American consumer while the status of U.S. carmakers has risen.

VW prices at all-time lows

The site says its most recent analysis of 42 million bits of data shows that list prices for Volkswagens among the 600,000 models tainted by the scandal have fallen to all-time lows. The price of those cars are 6.4% less than expected while the list price of VW models not involved in the scandal are down 2.4%.

It's also taking a lot longer to sell a Volkswagen. The Autolist report shows the time spent on the market by scandal-tainted cars is 88% above average, at 178 days. But even the VWs not touched by scandal are taking longer to sell, 13% above average at 106 days.

Good news for Detroit

Volkswagen's losses appear to be American carmakers' gains. Chevrolet and Ford are both selling faster since the diesel scandal, with Chevy selling 13.5 days faster and Ford shedding 14.5 days on the market.

Autolist says that trend might continue for a while, since public opinion about U.S. brands is on the rise. Again, it appears to be Ford and Chevrolet that have benefited most.

When it comes to searches for specific brands, Autolist says volume for comparable Fords and Chevrolets have increased 14% and 12.3% since the scandal. At the same time, the VW search line is on a downward trend.

Once upon a time, moms could only embarrass their children in person. But these days, a kid doesn’t have to be at a family gathering or social event in order for their parents to embarrass them. It’s all online, preserved for all eternity.

Parents have taken to social media to share thoughts, recipes, and photos -- lots of photos -- of their brag-worthy children. But according to a new study, kids often feel their parents overshare photos of them.

The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Washington and University of Michigan, asked 249 families with children between the ages of 10 and 17 questions about their home’s most important technology rules and expectations.

Oversharing concerns

The researchers discovered that many children wished their parents wouldn’t share quite so much about them on their social networks.

"Twice as many children as parents expressed concerns about family members oversharing personal information about them on Facebook and other social media without permission," said co-author Sarita Schoenebeck, assistant professor in the University of Michigan's School of Information, adding that many children felt embarassed and frustrated when their parents continued to do it. 

And oversharing comes with concerns other than the embarrassment of one's offspring. In this digital age, protecting a kid's digital footprint is more important than ever. Parents looking to share photos of their children without the risk of Facebook data mining may find an ally in apps like Notabli. Notabli allows users to share photos and videos of their children privately, with only their inner circle.

Be present

The study also found that children often wished technology would encroach a little less on their quality time with parents. Parents and children alike struggled with the idea of setting boundaries for internet and device use.

Kids wished their parents would:

• Be more present. As in, no technology at all in certain situations, such as when a child is trying to talk to a parent.
• Use technology in moderation. Children wanted parents to balance their use of technology with other activities.
• Not text and drive. They wanted their parents to refrain from texting while driving or while sitting at a traffic light.
• Be less hypocritical. Kids wanted parents to practice what they preach. That “no phones at the dinner table” rule, for example, should be followed by everyone; not just the kids.

Opportunities for apps

The across-the-board sentiment that it can be challenging to sideline technology during certain situations points to missed opportunities for app and device designers, the researchers said.

There is currently a window of opportunity for technical fixes that could help a user better balance technology with real life. The researchers say this could include anything from a “family time” button that disables notifications for a period of time to news feeds that allow users to digest content in smaller segments.

"If app and device designers were more open to fostering healthy technology habits, they probably would make their current customers happier," said co-author Julie Kientz, UW associate professor of Human Centered Design and Engineering. "And they might bring in more families who've decided the rule is not to use it at all."

A new report from the real estate industry explores two myths about Millennials – that they aren't buying homes and that they wouldn't be caught dead in the suburbs.

Reality, it seems, is a bit different.

The research by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) shows that Millennials have been the largest generational segment of homebuyers for the last three years and increasingly, they're heading for the burbs.

Those are just some of the findings contained in the annual report, which takes a look back at the major housing trends that shaped the market, and potentially could influence it in the future.

Not a shock

The fact that Millennials are buying homes shouldn't have come as a shock. They're getting older and forming households. And it's been seven and a half years since the financial crisis. In short, they're getting on with their lives.

They are also the next population bulge. The Baby Boomers are heading off into retirement and, because of that, the NAR says it has broken that generation in half – younger and older Boomers.

Younger Boomers make up 16% of recent homebuyers and older Boomers 15%. However, they're buying different types of homes. Younger Boomers are more likely to buy a larger house as a multi-generational home. Older Boomers tend to be downsizing into smaller single-family homes or condos.

When it comes to sellers, Gen X makes up the largest segment, at 25%. The report suggests that's because Gen X homeowners are doing better and ready to trade up to more expensive homes. Gen X also makes up the largest segment of underwater homeowners who would like to move but can't, because they owe more than their homes are worth.

First-time buyers hanging in there

Rising prices and a lack of inventory have been headwinds for first-time buyers, making it more difficult to become homeowners. Despite that, the NAR reports shows 32% of home sales went to first-time buyers last year, just one point lower than 2014.

Last year's typical buyer was 44 years old and earned around $86,000 a year.

The overwhelming majority of homes purchased last year were existing homes. That's not surprising since new home construction has fallen off since the financial crisis. New homes were just 16% of sales last year while existing homes made up the rest.

The report also underscores the ongoing changes in the way real estate is bought and sold. Nearly all generations' first step in the search for a home was to look online, either through online classifieds or a real estate website. The most likely to search first online were older Boomers, followed by younger Boomers.

Volkswagen still said how it plans to fix all those diesel powered cars with software designed to help them fool U.S. emissions test. And it will be up to a new CEO to figure out how to do it.

Michael Horn, president and CEO, Volkswagen Group of America, has resigned effective immediately. A statement from the company said the decision was mutual.

Hinrich Woebcken, another top VW executive, will assume the duties of CEO. He will have a tough task in preparing the automaker to meet a court-imposed deadline to explain by March 24 how it plans to repair nearly 600,000 cars in the U.S. that fail to meet emissions standards.

Last month, U.S. District Court Judge Charles Breyer gave the German automaker one month to come up with a plan to bring the offending vehicles into compliance. As it stands now, the cars do not meet U.S. clean air standards.

30 days notice

At the hearing last month. Breyer reminded VW's lawyers that with each day without a fix, the cars are belching excess pollution into the air. As we reported in late February, MIT researchers conclude that the extra diesel pollution from the non-compliant cars will directly contribute to 60 deaths in the U.S.

If the offending cars are recalled in the short term, the researchers said another 130 premature deaths could be avoided.

In September, Volkswagen apologized and stopped the sales of “clean diesel” vehicles in the U.S., after it was shown that the onboard software was programmed to trick emissions testing equipment, to show the cars were in compliance with clean air standards, when in fact they were emitting 40 times the allowed pollution.

Since then, the Volkswagen brand has taken a hit as the company has struggled to find a way to make the vehicles perform within emissions standards.

Wonderful Pistachios is recalling a limited number of flavors and sizes of in-shell and shelled pistachios.

The products may be contaminated with Salmonella.

The products, distributed through several retailers across the U.S. and in Canada, can be identified by a 13-digit lot code number that can be found on the lower back or bottom panel of the package.

The specific products and lot codes are:

What to do

Customers may return the recalled for a refund by sending the product back or bottom portion of the package that contains the lot code to Wonderful Pistachios, 13646 Hwy 33, Lost Hills, CA 93249.

They may also return the product to the store from which it was purchased for a refund. The nuts should be discarded prior to the return of the entire package or lot code panel to the retail store.

Consumers with questions may call (844) 505-3844, 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.

There are many traps that await students seeking to finance their college education. One of the most common involves co-signers, usually the student's parents or grandparents.

Since they're a generation or two ahead of the student, it's not uncommon for co-signers to die before the loan has been paid off. When that happens, many lenders automatically declare the loan to be in default, leaving the borrower to either pay it off immediately or ruin their credit.

This, says an official at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, may amount to an unfair and deceptive practice. 

Speaking at a Consumer Bankers Association conference in PhoenixTuesday, CFPB student loan ombudsman Seth Frotman said the bureau has found that many student loan contracts don't clearly spell out what happens if a co-signer dies or declares bankruptcy, the Washington Post reported.

Auto defaults

The so-called "auto defaults" often come as a complete surprise to the borrower, often when the lender refuses to accept a monthly payment and instead demands payment in full.

Frotman said the issue has come up before and some lenders have agreed not to enforce auto-default provisions in their contracts. But that promise is often hollow, he said, because loans are bought and sold regularly and future note holders may not abide by such promises.

“If the status quo persists, I am afraid we will continue to hear from borrowers who are subjected to this practice, and we will be having this same conversation for years to come—a situation I believe none of us want,” Frotman said, according to the Post report. 

No more bull

In a separate session at the bankers' conference, CBA president Richard Hunt said the bankers are tired of being kicked around by politicians on the campaign trail. 

"It is time that we shout from the tallest mountain and to the deepest valley, retail banking is alive and well, and we will not take any more bull from any politician who says otherwise," Hunt said. 

The bankers' choice

And lest you think that all bankers are raging free-market conservatives, Hillary Clinton edged out Donald Trump 52% to 48% in a mock election at the CBA conference. Eighty-five percent of the bankers, however, said they were uncomfortable with both candidates.

"I was relieved that Clinton won," said Alan McCabe, a senior vice president at Frost Bank who attended the conference. "Between Clinton and Trump, I'd vote for Clinton."

The post-Baby Boomer shift is currently underway, and it’s bringing with it some interesting changes to workplace environments.

As the youth bubble continues its rapid expansion, the workplace is set to be comprised of less than 20% boomers and more than 20% second-wave millennials by the year 2020.

What does this mean for managers and leaders? Bruce Tulgan, founder and CEO of RainmakerThinking, Inc., says this shift in numbers will cause a change in the very nature of the employee-employer relationship.

He describes this “Great Generational Shift” as a long-anticipated turning point with a whole new set of challenges for employers.

Strong leadership

Tulgan says that along with the influx of young employees comes a new set of behaviors and employee expectations. The generation -- described as having been raised by “helicopter parents on steroids” -- is a notably high-maintenance one, with its own ideas of what makes a good leader.

“Millennials are the most likely to question or challenge employers’ rules, managers’ instructions, employment conditions, and established rewards structures,” says Tulgan, who says that weak leadership can lead to diminished employee productivity.

For a manager to be most effective amid the demographic shift, Tulgan says they’ll need to be strong and highly-engaged. This will entail working hard to provide each worker with regular guidance, support, and coaching. The more structure the better.

“Strong,” he says, “means doing more for some workers and less for others, based on their performance.” Rewarding discretionary effort is especially important in the post-Boomer workforce.

High-maintenance employees

In addition to being more likely to question employee policies, Millennials are also more likely than previous generations to make specific requests regarding work conditions, said Tulgan in a white paper. 

According to Tulgan, managers will need to be ready to field questions and demands pertaining to the assignment of tasks, problem solving, scheduling, work location, dispute resolution, coaching, recognition, and promotions. A leader who is highly-engaged with his or her employees will be able to draw forth a millennial’s best efforts, enabling them to thrive in the workplace.

For more information on managing millennial employees, check out Tulgan's books on the subject: Bridging the Soft Skills Gap and Not Everyone Gets a Trophy: How to Manage the Millennials. 

Economists and stock market prognosticators appear sharply divided. Things are about to get really bad, or maybe not.

True, the world economy isn't growing much. The U.S. economy, outside of the oil industry, isn't doing too badly. And even oil prices have risen lately, leading some to speculate that the market has bottomed.

Personal finance website CardHub.com uses consumer's household debt data to chart economic progress. In it's latest study, the site is issuing some warnings.

Credit card binge

The study authors say in the second half of 2015, consumers went on the biggest credit card binges in the history of the annual review. Total credit card debt for the year rose by $71 billion.

One particularly troubling statistic – consumers took on as much new debt in the last three months of last year as they did in all of 2014.

At the end of the year, CardHub found that the average household had credit card balances of $7,879. The authors say that is “perilously close to a tipping point” that sinks consumers under the increasing weight of debt.

To CardHub, the fourth quarter of last year was the killer. Consumers added $52.4 billion to their credit card balances, the largest buildup in that quarter since the Great Recession. It was twice the amount consumers put on their plastic in the prior three months.

Significant surge since 2012

Credit card balances in the fourth quarter of 2015 were 24% greater than 2014, 77% greater than 2013, and 95% greater than 2012. That suggests one of two things. Consumers are either feeling more confidence in their ability to repay debt, or economic circumstances are prompting them to rely more on credit to maintain their standard of living.

Other data, showing consumer incomes have remained static for several years, suggests the latter scenario.

CardHub offers several tips for managing debt that some you may have heard before, like making a budget and sticking to it and building up an emergency fund.

Others are more novel, such as the “island approach” to credit cards. That's a strategy of using different cards for different purchases.

If you use a credit card for day to day expenses, make sure that gets paid off at the end of every billing cycle. Transfer balances to a 0% credit card and don't use it until it's paid off.