Current Events in May 2016

General Motors is recalling 4,789 model year 2016-2017 Chevrolet Silverados; 1500 and 2016 Cadillac Escalades, Cadillac Escalade ESVs, Chevrolet Suburbans, Chevrolet Tahoes, GMC Sierras, GMC Yukons and GMC Yukon XLs.

The front upper control arms may have inadequate welds near the control arm bushing that may allow the control arm to separate from the bushing, compromising steering and increasing the risk of a crash.

What to do

GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the left and right front upper control arms and realign the vehicle, free of charge. Parts are not currently available. Owners will be mailed an interim notification in early May 2016 and will be mailed a second notice when remedy parts are available. Until the repairs have been made, owners are advised not to drive their vehicles.

Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 42190.

The Republic of Tea is recalling Organic Turmeric Ginger Green Tea.

The product may be contaminated with Salmonella.

No illnesses have been reported in connection with this recall.

The following products are being recalled:

• Organic Turmeric Ginger Green Tea – 50 CT Tin, UPC: 7-42676-40355-5 – Best Sipped by March 23, 2018
• Organic Turmeric Ginger – 250 CT Bulk Bag, UPC: 7-42676-30655-9 – Best Sipped by March 23, 2018
• Organic Turmeric Ginger – 250 CT Bulk Bag, UPC: 7-42676-30655-9 – Best Sipped by April 13, 2018
• Organic Turmeric Ginger – 50 CT Refill Bag, UPC: 7-42676-42155-9 – Best Sipped by March 23, 2018

What to do 

Customers who purchased the recalled product may return it to The Republic of Tea for a replacement tea or for a full refund.

Consumers with questions may contact the company at 1-800-298-4832, Monday-Friday between 8:00am-5:00pm (CST) or by email at teasafety@republicoftea.com.

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing is recalling 58,515 model year 2016 Avalons and Camrys manufactured November 30, 2015, to March 4, 2016.

The occupant classification system (OCS) that activates or deactivates the front passenger seat air bag system may have been calibrated improperly. As a result, the front passenger air bag and knee air bag may not deploy as intended in certain crash scenarios. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."

Air bags that do not deploy as intended during a crash increase the risk of injury.

What to do

Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will recalibrate the OCS, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin by May 31, 2016.

Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's number for this recall is G0J.

Thanks to rising oil prices and seasonal refinery slowdowns, the price of gasoline continues to steadily rise. It's now at a six month high, according to AAA.

Today's national average of $2.22 a gallon might seem high, compared to last month when it was $2.05. But compared to a year ago, when the pump price averaged $2.60 a gallon, it's still a bargain.

Will it stay that way? The next few weeks could be telling.

AAA says there are ample gasoline stockpiles and, despite its recent rise, oil is still selling below $50 a barrel. So AAA does not foresee a dramatic gasoline price increase that would catch consumers off guard.

North of $2 for 40 days

That said, the average price of self-serve regular has remained north of $2 a gallon for 40 straight days. Today's increase, though slight, caps an eight cent rise over the last seven days.

The oil price component of the recent rise in gas prices may have run its course, however. There are very few forecasts of oil advancing beyond the $50 a barrel mark anytime soon. In fact, some analysts have boldly predicted that oil prices will drop sharply again.

Part of the reason for that prediction emerged over the weekend, when it was revealed that OPEC producers are pumping more oil than ever, adding to the world supply. Russia has also increased its production.

That news comes on the heels of last week's report that U.S. oil stockpiles at Cushing, Okla., are also sharply higher.

Oil prices won't be a problem

If consumers continue to get hit with rising gasoline prices, oil prices should not be to blame. Even in the face of sharply rising demand, refineries should be able to get all the oil they need at relatively low prices.

Instead, if consumers face rising, rather than falling, gasoline prices over the summer and into the fall, it will almost certainly be tied to refinery issues. Regional bottlenecks, due to accidents or breakdowns, could result in price spikes here and there.

California remains the most expensive place to fill-up this week. The AAA Fuel Gauge Survey shows the statewide average is $2.80 a gallon, up another three cents in the last week. Hawaii, almost always the most expensive state for gasoline in the past, is seeing gas at the relative bargain price of $2.58 a gallon.

Oklahoma, meanwhile, is still enjoying a statewide average below the $2 a gallon mark – at $1.96. Three other states – Missouri, Texas and Kansas, are also below the $2 a gallon average.

Deciding you’re ready to purchase a new refrigerator is easy, but deciding which refrigerator to welcome into your kitchen can be slightly more daunting.

Wandering through aisles of refrigerators can begin to feel overwhelming, and scouring the web often produces similar results. To give you an idea of what’s out there in your price range, we’ve tracked down three highly rated refrigerators representing three different price ranges.

Highly rated refrigerators

These three sleek-looking refrigerators boast energy-saving lighting, food preserving features, and lots of space.

• Maytag French-door bottom-freezer. $2,999. Behind the french doors of this stainless steel refrigerator, you’ll find a roomy and well-lit interior. The LED lights provide bright, white, interior illumination that casts your food in a more natural light that is energy efficient. If long lines at the grocery store cause your fridge-bound foods to get a little too toasty, the PowerCold feature in this refrigerator can quickly get cold foods cold again.
• KitchenAid 25.8 Cu. Ft. 36" Multi-Door Freestanding Refrigerator with Platinum Interior Design. $3,999. This feature-packed refrigerator, which comes in black or regular stainless steel, boasts a five-door configuration (an industry first). Soft close drawers, a three-tier freezer drawer, and herb storage are just a few of this refrigerator’s impressive features. Its Preserva Food Care System can help keep food fresh for longer, while two Produce Preservers handle the task of delaying over-ripening. The unit also comes with an air filter that can help stave off odors. Consumers love the elegance of the platinum gray walls and the undershelf LED lighting inside this unique-looking KitchenAid refrigerator.
• LG LTCS20220S. $1,049. French door refrigerators may be having a moment, but this refrigerator has a top-mount freezer that isn’t lacking in space. At 30” wide, its top freezer is one of the largest in its category. Among other features: two humidity controlled crisper drawers, a full-width pantry door, and rear panels of LED lighting. Aesthetically, it’s more modern looking than your run-of-the-mill top-mount freezer refrigerators. Contoured doors give this refrigerator (which comes in black, white, or stainless) a sleek looking appearance.

For more information and the latest reviews on the best refrigerators for 2016, check out ConsumerAffairs' guide here.

Home buyers face some pretty stiff headwinds this year. Yes, interest rates are low, but home prices have risen sharply since the housing crash. Tight inventories mean there are fewer available homes to buy.

In its latest analysis, real estate marketplace realtor.com finds homes are selling 7% faster than last year and home prices are breaking records.

In April, homes for sale spent a median 68 days between listing and contract, five days fewer than April 2015. That's also six days faster than March.

The sales pace is increasing, despite the fact that sellers are asking more for their homes. The median listing price in April was $245,000 – up 9% from last April and 2% higher than March. Inventory has slightly increased but is still down from a year ago.

Bodes well for sellers

Jonathan Smoke, chief economist at realtor.com, calls it a robust buying season that bodes well for sellers over the next few months.

“Pent-up demand, lower mortgage rates and strong employment continue to power the strongest and healthiest real estate market we have seen in a decade,” Smoke said in a statement emailed to ConsumerAffairs.

“Close to 550,000 new listings came onto the market in April, which helped total inventory grow 2% over March. However, we know that sales are picking up faster than inventory since the median age of inventory fell again by 6 days after falling a whopping 22 days in March.”

Smoke says that works out to 4% fewer homes available for sale compared to last year, helping to explain why they're selling at a faster clip.

Realtor.com says the hottest U.S. housing markets are getting two to three times the number of views on its site when compared to the national average. These markets are seeing homes sell 17 to 45 days faster than the rest of the country.

California markets are the hottest

San Francisco, the nation's most expensive housing market, also remains the hottest, according to realtor.com's April ranking. The median home there spends only 25 days on the market before selling.

California, in fact, tends to dominate the hot market list. It holds six of the top 10 spots.

California markets share the top 10 hot markets list with Denver at number three, Dallas-Fort Worth at number six, Ann Arbor, Mich., at number nine, and Columbus, Ohio at 10. Nineteen days separate number one and number 10 in terms of days on the market.

Moving into realtor.com's top 20 hot housing markets are two Indiana housing markets – Lafayette-West Lafayette and Fort Wayne. They're joined by metro Sioux City, S.D.

Crestor has for years been a huge moneymaker for its manufacturer, AstraZeneca, and a big drain on the wallets of consumers and insurers. Both those conditions should change now that the FDA has approved a generic version of Crestor, one of the most popular statin drugs, taken to lower cholesterol readings.

With annual global sales of more than $6 billion, Crestor has consistently ranked among the top ten drugs worldwide by dollar volume. Ninety pills of 10 mg Crestor have sold for roughly $630 at U.S. pharmacies. While pricing of the generic has not yet been announced, it is expected to be significantly lower.

“The FDA is working hard to get first-time generic drugs approved as quickly as possible so patients can have increased access to needed treatments,” said Kathleen Uhl, M.D., director of the Office of Generic Drugs in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “The FDA requires that generic drugs meet rigorous scientific and quality standards.”

Generic drugs approved by the FDA have the same quality and strength as brand-name drugs. Generic drug manufacturing and packaging sites must pass the same quality standards as those of brand-name drugs.

Crestor and other statins are taken to reduce triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) choldesterol, the so-called "bad cholesterol" that is a known risk for heart attack, strokes, and heart disease.

Cat ownership is a journey marked by mystery. It can be nearly impossible to tell what’s on the mind of that small, furry creature slinking through your home.

Clearly, our opposable thumbs rank high on the list of things cats love -- but how are they feeling when we’re not cracking open a can of cat food? What’s with that strange little chortle, or that trill you’re greeted by when you enter a room?

Temptations Cat Treats wanted to find out. In an effort to create a product that could help cat owners figure out what their cat is saying, the Temptations Lab and London ad agency adam&eveDDB created the Catterbox.

Translates meows

The Catterbox collar contains a microphone, speaker, Bluetooth technology, and Wi-Fi. These four components enable the Catterbox to capture a feline’s meows and translate them into human speech. Cat owners can choose their cat's voice using the Catterbox app. 

"Through research, we learned that an adult cat's meow is their way to communicate with humans and, by investing in this prototype device, we can start to improve understanding between them both -- giving cats a voice for the very first time,” Temptations global brand director Pete Simmons told AdWeek.

While it seems unlikely that the collar can translate, with 100% accuracy, what a cat is trying to communicate, Temptations says the primary goal of the Catterbox is to inject more fun into a cat and owner’s relationship.

Whether you're enjoying playtime or cuddle time with your cat, the Catterbox can give a human voice to the feeling a cat might be experiencing.

The collar is 3-D printed, coated in rubber laquer, and comes in four colors.

The manufacturing sector of the economy expanded in April for a second straight month -- but just barely.

According to the Institute for Supply Management (ISM), the Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) registered 50.8%, down 1.0% from March. A reading above 50% indicates the manufacturing economy is generally expanding; below 50% suggests contraction.

The two months of growth followed five consecutive months of contraction.

A closer look at the PMI shows the New Orders Index was down 2.5%, the Production Index dipped 1.1%, and inventories of raw materials were off 1.5%. The Employment Index, meanwhile, was up 1.1%, and the Prices Index surged 7.5%.

Industry performance

Of the 18 manufacturing industries, 11 reported growth last month:

1. Wood Products;
2. Printing & Related Support Activities;
3. Paper Products;
4. Plastics & Rubber Products;
5. Primary Metals;
6. Fabricated Metal Products;
7. Chemical Products;
8. Machinery;
9. Computer & Electronic Products;
10. Nonmetallic Mineral Products; and
11. Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products.

The four industries reporting contraction were:

1. Petroleum & Coal Products;
2. Transportation Equipment;
3. Miscellaneous Manufacturing; and
4. Furniture & Related Products.

Consumers enjoyed a nice bump in personal income in March and managed to tuck most of it away.

The Bureau of Economic Analysis reports incomes rose $57.4 billion, or 0.4%, with disposable personal income (DPI) -- what's left after taxes -- up $50.4 billion, or 0.4%.

Meanwhile, personal consumption expenditures (PCE) inched up just 0.1%, or 12.8 billion.

Compensation

Wages and salaries shot up $29.2 billion in March, after a rise of just $4.6 billion in February. Of that, private wages and salaries increased by $26.3 billion, while government wages and salaries rose $2.8 billion.

Personal spending and saving

Personal outlays, which consist of PCE, personal interest payments, and personal current transfer payments, rose $11.2 billion in March.

Personal saving -- DPI less personal outlays -- was $735.5 billion in March, versus $696.4 billion in February. The personal saving rate -- personal saving as a percentage of disposable personal income -- was 5.4%, compared with 5.1% the month before.

Enough to make a difference?

"Despite a welcome rise in income, consumer spending remains tepid, boosting savings rather than topline activity with the weakest first-quarter growth rate in two years," said Stifel Fixed Income Chief Economist Lindsey Piegza.

She notes that faster wage growth has been the missing component for consumers who continue to restrict purchases, adding, "even the most recent boost to wages appears to be too little, too late after years of stagnant income growth as consumers now look at the latest bounce with skepticism."

The complete report is available on the BEA website.

Jaguar Land Rover North America is recalling five model year 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2015 XF vehicles manufactured February 6, 2008 to October 20, 2014.

The driver front air bags may be missing a chemical enhancer required for the second stage deployment, resulting in the second stage deploying improperly in certain crashes increasing the risk of injury.

What to do

Jaguar will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver frontal air bag module, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on June 6, 2016.

Owners may contact Jaguar customer service at 1-800-452-4827. Jaguar's number for this recall is J065.

Greencore USA of North Kingstown, R.I., is recalling approximately 1,341 pounds of meat and poultry products.

The products did not undergo federal inspection and were produced outside inspection hours.

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

The the following products, produced on April 7, 14, 18, 21 and 25, 2016, are being recalled:

• 7.7-oz. packages of “STARBUCKS SOUTHWEST STYLE STEAK WRAP” with use-by dates of 4/10/2016 and 4/24/2016.
• 8.2-oz. packages of “STARBUCKS THAI-STYLE PEANUT CHICKEN WRAP” with use-by dates of 4/10/2016 and 4/17/2016.
• 9.5-oz. packages of “STARBUCKS ZESTY CHICKEN & BLACK BEAN SALAD BOWL” with a use-by date of 4/28/2016.
• 7.8-oz. packages of “HANNAFORD ITALIAN PESTO WRAP” with a use-by date of 4/25/2016.
• 7-oz. packages of “HANNAFORD ASIAN-STYLE SALAD” with a use-by date of 4/30/2016.
• 9.9-oz. packages of “TURKEY HILL FRESH TO GO GRILLED CHICKEN RANCH WRAP” with a use-by date of 4/23/2016

The recalled products bear establishment number “P-45540” inside the USDA mark of inspection and were shipped to distributors for retail sale in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York and Rhode Island.

What to do

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

Consumers with questions may contact Greencore USA’s food recall coordinator at (978) 716 -2530 ext. 2543.