Current Events in July 2016

The exploding cigar was a mainstay of slapstick humor back in the day. But there's nothing funny about an exploding e-cigarette, according to those who've had the experience.

Dozens of lawsuits have been filed by consumers who say their e-cigs blew up, causing serious and expensive injuries. The Food and Drug Administration has found 134 reports of overheating, fires, and explosions of the devices in the U.S. between 2009 and January 2016, the Wall Street Journal reports. The FDA is phasing in rules covering the devices, which will eventually require government approval before they can be marketed. 

Most of the lawsuits allege that the explosions and injuries were caused by the lithium-ion batteries used in the devices, which are mostly made by Chinese companies. The industry argues that the number of explosions and fires is small considering how many of the devices are in use and says many of the mishaps are the result of user error.

Severe burns

A jury in Riverside, Calif., recently awarded $1.9 million in damages to a woman who suffered severe burns when her e-cigarette exploded while hooked up to a car charger. Like most such suits, hers named the retailer, distributor, and wholesaler rather than the manufacturer, since it's difficult to sue an overseas company.

The Journal article notes another case, that of Rachel Berven of Modesto, Calif. She had been using her vaping device -- as the e-cigs are called -- for about a year. One day she inserted a new battery and when she fired the device up, it exploded, ripping a hole in her mouth and spewing acid across her body, leaving her with three cracked teeth and scars on her legs and elsewhere.

In another gruesome case, a school counselor in California alleges that his e-cig exploded and tore through his eye, smashing two cheekbones and starting a fire.

Joseph Cavins said he was working at his computer on April 15 when his e-cig "suddenly exploded, striking Joseph in the left eye, continuing past his head, hitting the ceiling, ricocheting off the wall and landing on top of the computer station, where it started a fire," according to his complaint in Orange County Court, Courthouse News Service reported. He has sued four distributors and retailers. 

Cavins said the explosion smashed his orbital and sinus bones, "left several pieces of shrapnel inside the eyeball itself," causing doctors to remove the eyeball. He will need more surgery to fix his broken bones, reconstructive surgery on his sinus cavity, and he and his wife have both missed work. He sued four distributors and retailers.

The vaping industry contends that many of the incidents are the result of consumers using the wrong chargers. Others involve the more complex "mechanical mods," which are more customizable than the smaller, cigarette-like e-cigs. 

“When used and charged properly, vapor products pose no more of a fire risk than any other product that is powered by lithium-ion batteries, like cellphones or laptops,” Gregory Conley of the American Vaping Association told the Journal.

Back in April, we reported how the once-prominent sporting goods store Sports Authority was closing its doors and liquidating its assets. That process is still ongoing, but consumers who shopped at the chain may be surprised to learn that their customer information has also been sold off.

According to reports, long-time competitor Dick’s Sporting Goods has bought Sports Authority’s intellectual property at auction for $15 million. That acquisition could be a real steal, considering that the information covers 114 million customer files and 25 million e-mail addresses that were collected by Sports Authority over its business tenure.

Privacy concerns

Consumers who are taken aback by this apparent breach of privacy may remember a similar situation when RadioShack went out of business last year. Back then, the FTC urged the presiding bankruptcy court to protect the businesses customer lists, which included phone numbers.

While a combination of privacy agreements and deals between AT&T; and Verizon ended up sparing a majority of customer data in that situation, experts say that the current acquisition by Dick’s Sporting Goods is a different animal. Unlike the previous case, the privacy statements that consumers agreed to left it open for any and all data to be sold at a later date.

That data may become very useful to the surviving sporting goods chain, who will be able to use it in an attempt to win customers’ loyalty. “It’s extremely valuable data for companies to identify customers who are looking for a new home,” said cybersecurity expert Hemu Nigram in a report to the L.A. Times.

While the deal has been agreed to by the two companies, there are still some steps that need to be completed before it can be finalized. A U.S. bankruptcy court judge still needs to approve the deal, which is scheduled to take place in a court hearing on July 15.

Experts have long expounded on the benefits of getting the proper amount of sleep, as well as the negative impacts that come along with not getting enough or getting too much.

Now, a new study from the Endocrine Society shows that men in particular could face some serious consequences by not getting a good night’s sleep. The group’s findings suggest that men who sleep too little or too much have a greater risk of developing diabetes, a disease that affects 29 million people across the U.S.

Importance of sleep

In general, the amount of sleep that Americans are getting has gone down in recent years. On average, the amount of sleep that people say they get at night is 1.5 to 2 hours lower than it was 50 years ago. Perhaps not coincidentally, the prevalence of diabetes has doubled over the same timeframe.

For the purposes of the study, researchers examined nearly 800 participants and analyzed the relationship between sleep duration and glucose metabolism. Special attention was given to the gender of participants to assess its importance as a major factor – and apparently it is.

“In men, sleeping too much or too little was related to less responsiveness of the cells in the body to insulin, reducing glucose uptake and thus increasing the risk of developing diabetes in the future. In women, no such association was observed,” said Dr. Femke Rutters, senior author of the study.

Differences between genders

The results of the study carry some significance, since it is the first of its kind to find opposite connections of sleep loss and diabetes between genders. However, the researchers are quick to note that the study will need to be validated through repetition, since their study utilized primarily healthy individuals and used instruments that were much more sensitive than those used in past studies.

Nevertheless, the researchers believe that their work represented an important step towards understanding the health consequences behind sleep.

“Even when you are healthy, sleeping too much or too little can have detrimental effects on your health. . . This research shows how important sleep is to a key aspect of health – glucose metabolism,” concluded Rutters.

The full study has been published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. 

For parents of young swimmers, sitting pool- or oceanside may not be such a worry-free experience.

Drowning accidents can happen at any time, even in the presence of a lifeguard. In fact, 88% of drowning accidents happen under adult supervision. Crowded locations can make it especially difficult to spot a struggling swimmer.

Now, a new wearable may help ease parents’ poolside worries. The SEAL Swim Safe wearable, which goes around a child’s neck, was designed to “increase response time in those vital seconds when a child is in peril.”

Drowning detection system

Via signals sent to a hub, the portable swim monitor lets parents know immediately if their child has been under the water too long.

And because each parent’s definition of “too long” may be different, the alarm is customizable. Parents of novice swimmers may choose to program the alarm for 15 seconds, while parents of more skilled swimmers might set the alarm to go off after 45 seconds.

The SEAL Swim Safe wearable is already being utilized by YMCA centers across the U.S., Gizmodo reports.

The collars come in a variety of kid-friendly colors and can be purchased on Amazon.

Car companies make a big deal about their Bluetooth-enabled sound systems that allow you to make and receive mobile telephone calls without ever touching your phone.

But there have been several studies suggesting this is still an unsafe distraction. Now, there's one more study.

Psychologists are the University of Sussex say the problem with a cell phone has never been that it occupies one hand that ordinarily on the steering wheel. Rather, they say the phone conversation occupies the driver's mind and makes him or her less aware of the environment.

The study found that drivers having conversations which triggered their visual imaginations were less aware of road hazards. Their eyes also focused on a smaller area of the road, sometimes causing them to miss road hazards that were right in front of them.

Little difference in safety

Dr. Graham Hole, senior lecturer in psychology at the University of Sussex, says it is difficult to see any difference in distraction level between someone holding a phone and talking and someone on a hands-free device.

“Our findings have implications for real-life mobile phone conversations,” Hole said. “The person at the other end of the phone might ask 'where did you leave the blue file,' causing the driver to mentally search a remembered room. The driver may also simply imagine the facial expression of the person they’re talking to.”

Hole says conversations are more visual than most people believe.What happens, he says, is a driver can enter a “visual world” and be less aware of what's happening in the actual world, with dangerous implications when someone is piloting a vehicle going 60 to 70 miles per hour.

AAA study

Three years ago a AAA study on the potential distractions of advanced infotainment systems in cars made special mention of hands-free phones, saying drivers shouldn't be lulled into the belief they are that much safer.

The study concluded that as mental workload and distractions increase, reaction time slows, brain function is compromised, drivers scan the road less, and miss visual cues. Like the Sussex study, the AAA researchers said drivers run the risk of seeing, but not recognizing things right in front of them, such as pedestrians or stop signs.

“There is a looming public safety crisis ahead with the future proliferation of these in-vehicle technologies,” AAA President and CEO Robert L. Darbelnet said at the time. “It’s time to consider limiting new and potentially dangerous mental distractions built into cars, particularly with the common public misperception that hands-free means risk-free.”

For many consumers, the worst part of buying a new car is dealing with the dealer. There have been scattered attempts to move the whole process online, but they have been only modestly successful so far.

A start-up in California called Roadster thinks it has worked out the kinks and is rolling out something it calls Express Storefront, which takes humans almost completely out of the equation.

Roadster says it enables consumers to shop for a car from their home or office, apply for credit, have their trade-in appraised, and make decisions about down payments, insurance, and so forth.

Once that's done, the dealer delivers the car to the buyer's home or office, the paperwork is signed, and everyone lives happily ever after.

That's the theory anyway and, so far, reports say it's working out pretty well. 

"This is how consumers want to do business. In every other marketplace, consumers are buying things online, not just researching them," said Mike Christian, general manager of Toyota Marin, according to a report by Automotive News.

Roadster has been around for a few years. It initially billed itself as a consumer concierge, helping to close car deals. The initial process required humans on the dealer end to shepherd the deal along, whereas Storefront Express is almost entirely hands-off, the company says. (Concierge service is still available for consumers looking for exotic cars or who want more hand-holding).

An essential element is transparent pricing. There's no haggling and all charges are spelled out on the site.  

Linked from dealer

Consumers can go directly to the Roadster site, but the company expects most customers will come from dealer websites that link out to Roadster using "buy online" buttons.

Roadster and dealers who are on board so far say many consumers prefer the more methodical approach online buying brings to the car acquisition game. Instead of feeling pressure by salespeople and finance managers, consumers can take their time and, at least in theory, put together the deal that's best for them without fixating on price.

"Generally speaking, shoppers spend a disproportionate amount of effort on the up-front price of the car, while not spending enough time and energy on the other aspects of their deal that can be even more impactful to their bottom line. Things like finance or lease rates, trade-in values, or settling for a car that has more features than they really need or want," Roadster's Rudi Thun says on the company's blog. 

For now, the service is only available in California, but if it works, it's expected to spread rapidly.

If you own a home, chances are good that you saw it rise in value -- again.

Property information provider CoreLogic reports housing prices were up in May both year-over-year and month-over-month.

The CoreLogic Home Price Index (HPI) jumped by 5.9% from the same month a year ago, and was up 1.3% from April.

“Housing remained an oasis of stability in May with home prices rising year over year between 5% and 6% for 22 consecutive months,” said CoreLogic Chief Economist Dr. Frank Nothaft. “The consistently solid growth in home prices has been driven by the highest resale activity in nine years and a still-tight housing inventory.”

Looking ahead

The CoreLogic HPI Forecast projects a year-over-year rise of 5.3% for May 2017, and a 0.8% increase from May 2016 to June 2016.

The forecast is a projection of home prices using the CoreLogic HPI and other economic variables. Values are derived from state-level forecasts by weighting indices according to the number of owner-occupied households for each state.

“Housing remained an oasis of stability in May with home prices rising year over year between 5% and 6% for 22 consecutive months,” said CoreLogic Chief Economist Dr. Frank Nothaft. “The consistently solid growth in home prices has been driven by the highest resale activity in nine years and a still-tight housing inventory.”

“Price appreciation continues to be fairly broad-based across the U.S.,” said Anand Nallathambi, president and CEO of CoreLogic. “From a regional perspective, the Pacific Northwest continues to be the hottest area for home-price growth, with Oregon and Washington leading the way. The recent turbulence in financial markets should lead to modestly lower mortgage rates, which will provide even more support to the steadily improving real estate recovery.”

Atlantic Spice Company of North Truro, Mass., is recalling Sunflower Seeds Roasted Salted, Tropical Mix and Cranberry Health Mix snacks.

The products may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

No illnesses have been reported to date.

The following snacks, which come in a 16-oz., clear plastic package and distributed locally in the firm's retail store retail store and nationally through mail orders, are being recalled:

• Product #746 Sunflower Seeds Roasted Salted Lot #1772
• Product #929 Tropical Mix Lot #1771
• Product #1947 Cranberry Health Mix Lot #1751

The lot numbers are found on the bottom right of the package and numbers 15 and 11 are at the top right.

What to do

Customers who purchased the recalled products should dispose of them.

Consumers with questions may contact the company at 508-487-6100 ext. 108, Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm (EST).

My hometown is a tourist spot. When friends and family visit, they get an insider perspective when I share the unique culture, history, landmarks, and food that make my area special. When I travel, those are the same experiences I seek, and I work hard to find a local person to guide me.

The internet has made it easy to scout out travel guidance anywhere in the world. My friend was fortunate; searching online, she found an art history student in Florence who gave her an informative and interesting tour through the Uffizi Gallery.

We weren’t so lucky when searching for a guide to the Kröller-Müller Museum, situated in a remote location outside of Amsterdam. My husband located a so-called art historian online and he provided transportation and showed us through the museum. It wasn’t until he dropped us off at the hotel that we learned his true vocation. While handing us a business card, he suggested we call him if we would like a massage; he was actually a masseuse.

I have had many excellent and knowledgeable private guides since our trip to Amsterdam, but I have learned to practice due diligence. I thoroughly check references and use online sites for recommendations. I suggest you do the same.

Where to find private tour guides

Friends and Fellow Travelers

Nothing beats a recommendation from someone you know and trust. Ask anyone you know who travels if they can recommend local guides and itineraries.

Trip Advisor

Conduct a search on Trip Advisor by entering “private guide” and the city of your choice. The site then lists tour guide names, some contact information, and traveler reviews. You can also do the reverse. If you have found a private guide by other means you can search Trip Advisor to see if they have traveler reviews. The feature has been in operation since 2000.

Travel Blogs

Travel bloggers are generous in sharing their travel stories and resources. Search online for travel bloggers plus the city you plan to visit. You can also email travel bloggers directly and ask for recommendations.  

Viator

Viator, owned by Trip Advisor, helps you find an expert guide. Through their website you can select a destination and guide, connect with your guide, choose a customized itinerary, and book your tour. You’ll be able to read bios of the tour guides, their suggested itineraries, and traveler reviews. Viator joined Trip Advisor in 2014.

ToursByLocals

ToursByLocal does the screening and links you to local tour guides from all over the world. Knowledgeable local guides will provide suggestions on what to see and do and are usually comfortable in customizing a tour to meet your individual needs. You’ll get to choose your own guide, have a private tour, go at your own pace, and see the location through the eyes of a local. It has been in operation since 2008.

If you search online for private tour guides, you will find other websites that help you find them. Do your homework before making a commitment to any site or guide. You want your vacation to be great fun and the right guides can help you do just that.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is making a concerted effort to ensure that older vehicles with Takata airbag inflators -- particularly model-year 2001-2003 Honda and Acura vehicles -- are found and fixed before they cause further injuries or fatalities.

The push comes as a result of new test data, which according to Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx show, “as high as a 50% chance of a dangerous airbag inflator rupture in a crash. Folks should not drive these vehicles unless they are going straight to a dealer to have them repaired immediately, free of charge.”

The higher-risk inflators are in the following vehicles:

• 2001-2002 Honda Civic
• 2001-2002 Honda Accord
• 2002-2003 Acura TL
• 2002 Honda CR-V
• 2002 Honda Odyssey
• 2003 Acura CL
• 2003 Honda Pilot

Manufacturing defect increases risk

The airbag inflators in the above listed vehicles contain a manufacturing defect that, according to NHTSA, greatly increases the potential for dangerous rupture when a crash causes the airbag to deploy.

Ruptures are much more likely to occur in inflators if vehicles have spent significant periods of time in areas of high absolute humidity -- particularly Florida, Texas, other parts of the Gulf Coast, and Southern California. Testing of the inflators from these vehicles show rupture rates as high as 50% in a laboratory setting, the agency stated.

The vehicles in this grouping were recalled between 2008 and 2011. Honda has reported that more than 70% of this higher-risk population of vehicles has already been repaired, but nearly 313,000 vehicles remain unrepaired.

What to do

Drivers of these vehicles should immediately visit SaferCar.gov to check whether their vehicle has any outstanding safety recalls. Those that do should contact their nearest dealer to schedule a no-cost immediate repair. Replacement parts for these vehicles are available immediately.

Nearly 70 million Takata air bag inflators are or will be under recall by 2019, in the largest and most complex auto safety recall in U.S. history.  

Cars are loaded with more safety equipment than ever and safety recalls are at an all-time high. But traffic deaths are skyrocketing, with pedestrians and bicyclists taking the biggest hit.

Preliminary data released today by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) show a 7.7 percent increase in motor vehicle traffic deaths in 2015.  An estimated 35,200 people died in 2015, up from the 32,675 reported fatalities in 2014.

Bicyclist deaths were up 13%, pedestrians 10%. 

“Every American should be able to drive, ride or walk to their destination safely, every time,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “We are analyzing the data to determine what factors contributed to the increase in fatalities and at the same time, we are aggressively testing new safety technologies, new ways to improve driver behavior, and new ways to analyze the data we have, as we work with the entire road safety community to take this challenge head-on.”

Although the data are preliminary and requires additional analysis, the early NHTSA estimate shows 9 out of 10 regions within the United States had increased traffic deaths in 2015, the Northwest states leading with a 20% increase, followed by the Southeast with 14%.

“As the economy has improved and gas prices have fallen, more Americans are driving more miles,” said NHTSA Administrator Dr. Mark Rosekind. “But that only explains part of the increase. Ninety-four percent of crashes can be tied back to a human choice or error, so we know we need to focus our efforts on improving human behavior while promoting vehicle technology that not only protects people in crashes, but helps prevent crashes in the first place.”

NHTSA says it is working to develop new tools that could improve behavioral challenges including drunk, drugged, distracted and drowsy driving; speeding; failure to use safety features such as seat belts and child seats; and new initiatives to protect vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists. 

It's easy to put off saving for retirement since there are so many other day-to-day expenses competing for your money. But starting with just small regular savings will put you on the road to a more secure retirement.

While there is no rule saying you have to save in a designated retirement account, there are advantages to doing so. And setting up an individual retirement account (IRA) is just as easy as opening any other financial account.

Most banks offer IRAs and so do investment firms. So the first decision is where you want to keep your money and what kind of investments you want in your retirement portfolio.

The second decision is choosing what kind of IRA – traditional or Roth. Vanguard has a handy comparison guide that can help you decide. Here are the major points:

Tax deductions

Contributions to a traditional IRA are tax deductible, but contributions to a Roth IRA are not. However, the decision might not be as simple as it sounds.

When IRAs were authorized, it was assumed that consumers needed tax deductions while they were young and in their peak earning years. So contributions to a traditional IRA are deductible and there is no tax on the money's growth, as long as it stays in the account.

But at age 70 and one-half, you must begin withdrawing the money and paying taxes on it as ordinary income. If you are in a lower tax bracket during retirement, maybe you will come out ahead. But many Baby Boomers are finding they are quite wealthy in retirement, and those IRA distributions can be costly at tax time.

With a Roth IRA, you can't write off contributions but you don't pay taxes on the investments' appreciation. If you are in a higher tax bracket when you start withdrawing the money, it doesn't add to your tax bill. Many financial advisers favor the Roth for that reason.

Things that are the same

Some other things about traditional and Roth IRAs are the same. People under 50 can contribute up to $5,500 per year. People over 50 can contribute up to $6,500 per year.

With a Roth IRA, you can keep making contributions as long as you want. With a traditional IRA, you can't make additional contributions after age 70 and one-half.

Once you've decided whether to go traditional or Roth – and you should probably discuss it with a financial adviser before deciding – you need to determine where the account will reside. Just because you open it at one financial institution, it doesn't mean it has to stay there. You can “roll over” one account into another IRA without penalty, as long as you follow the rules.

To open an account, it's simply a matter of filing out the proper forms and making the initial deposit. After that, you need to decide what type of investments make the most sense for your future. You can invest in stocks and bonds, as well as real estate and gold. There are a wide range of options, so it makes sense to get good advice as you start your retirement savings plan.

JetBlue is offering to cover the cost of enrolling in TSA Precheck for its most-frequent fliers, in an effort to reduce wait times at airport security checkpoints. The offer applies to Mosaic TrueBlue members, the airline's highest frequent flier tier.

“Reducing time and the complexity of the security checkpoint makes a big difference for travelers, especially those who are always on their way to catch a flight,” said Scott Resnick, director, loyalty marketing, JetBlue. “[B]y helping the TSA facilitate more fliers in the TSA Precheck lane, we can also speed up the security for all customers.”

The limited-time offer comes as the Department of Homeland Security warns that it will be stepping up security over the July 4th holiday, in response to the terrorist attack at the Istanbul airport that killed 42 people in Turkey.

Extra patrols have been deployed at several major U.S. airports this week, while the TSA has already increased the number of bomb-sniffing dog teams in the wake of the Brussels airport terrorist attack in March.

Shoes on

TSA Precheck helps travelers move efficiently though security by leaving their shoes, belt and light outerwear on, and in most cases keeping their laptop computers and 3-1-1 compliant liquids and gels in their carry-on bag.

TrueBlue members with Mosaic status who currently do not have a Known Traveler Number listed in their loyalty program profile will receive an email from JetBlue by July 1 with a special promotional award code that can be redeemed for a TSA Precheck voucher.

The offer is valid for TrueBlue members who earned Mosaic status before June 30, 2016 and codes are valid for redemption through September 30, 2016, the airline said.

Bancorp South will pay more than $10 million to settle charges that it "redlined" consumers taking out mortgages in minority communities in the Memphis, Tennessee, area. 

The Justice Department and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) charged that the bank discriminated against African-Americans and other minorities in certain neighborhoods in the Memphis area and in neighboring areas of Mississippi and Arkansas. Bancorp South will pay nearly $7 million in relief for victims of the illegal practices and will invest $800,000 in advertising and outreach efforts. It will also pay a $3 million civil penalty. The settlement agreement is subject to court approval.

“When banks discriminate on the basis of race, they violate our civil rights laws and threaten the foundation of a fair economy,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.  “The Civil Rights Division will continue to enforce our nation’s fair lending laws to ensure that qualified applicants and borrowers can access credit and invest in their financial future without facing unlawful barriers.”

“BancorpSouth’s discrimination throughout the mortgage lending process harmed the people who were overcharged or denied their dream of homeownership based on their race, and it harmed the Memphis minority neighborhoods that were redlined and denied equal access to affordable credit,” said CFPB Director Richard Cordray. 

“Today’s action is a reminder that redlining and overt discrimination are not yet remnants of the past, and that federal enforcement is needed to bring real relief to communities and individuals. The Consumer Bureau and the Department of Justice will continue working together to root out discrimination in the marketplace and ensure consumers receive fair and equal treatment under the law.”

The complaint alleges that from at least 2011 to 2013, BancorpSouth engaged in redlining and thereby failed to serve the credit needs of predominantly minority neighborhoods in the region.  

It also alleges the bank had only limited standards in place to ensure that loan officers price mortgage loans fairly and consistently. Such wide flexibility in loan underwriting and pricing resulted in the bank’s denying African-American applicants for mortgage loans at significantly higher rates than white applicants with similar credit profiles. It also resulted in the bank charging African-American borrowers higher interest rates than comparable white borrowers.

Published reports from several media sources say California Attorney General Kamala Harris is investigating the persistently high gasoline prices in her state and has issued subpoenas to oil refineries that supply the region. Neither the attorney general's office nor any refineries have commented on the reports.

California gasoline prices are the highest in the nation, according to the AAA Fuel Gauge Survey. While in the past California fuel prices have always been among the most expensive, Hawaii and Alaska almost always had more expensive gasoline.

But according to AAA, California motorists are currently paying an average of $2.90 a gallon for self-serve regular, compared to $2.82 in Hawaii and $2.67 in Alaska. The national average is $2.28 a gallon.

Patrick DeHaan, senior petroleum analysts for GasBuddy, says California's high prices could well be linked to lower than normal refinery capacity on the West Coast. He notes that for much of May and June, refinery utilization has lagged behind for the rest of the country.

Lowest output in the nation

Low refinery utilization means refineries are producing less gasoline, leading to tighter supplies and thus, higher prices. DeHaan says that West Coast refinery utilization hit a low of 82.6% on June 10. At the same time, East Coast and Gulf Coast refineries were operating at 90.6% capacity, Midwest refineries were at 93.2%, and Rocky Mountain refineries were leading the nation at 97.2%.

“Not a real good reason comes to mind why West Coast refinery utilization should be lower than the rest of the country,” DeHaan told ConsumerAffairs.

Low refinery utilization will affect retail gasoline prices, but DeHaan says the impact is hard to measure.

“When a refinery goes down is when it hits the most, and one must beg the question, if there were more gasoline being supplied and thus more gasoline in inventories during an outage, there would not be nearly the price shock Californians have become used to, or price spikes would be shorter lived, like those in the Great Lakes,” he said. “But then again, the Great Lakes region can receive supply from other places.”

The most recent figures show the West Coast's current refinery capacity is at 96%, but still trailing the rest of the nation.

The manufacturing sector of the U.S. economy grew in June for the fourth time in as many months.

According to the Institute for Supply Management, the Purchasing Manager's Index was up 1.9% from the May reading to 53.2%. A reading above 50% indicates the manufacturing economy is generally expanding; below 50% suggests contraction.

At the same time, the overall economy grew for the 85th consecutive month

The nuts and bolts

The New Orders Index came in at 57%, up 1.3% from May; the Production Index grew by 2.1% to 54.7%; and the Employment Index went from 49.2% in May to 50.4%.

The Prices Index, on the other hand, fell 3% to 60.5%, indicating higher raw materials prices for the fourth consecutive month.

Industry breakout

Of the 18 manufacturing industries, 13 reported growth in the following order:

1. Printing & Related Support Activities;
2. Textile Mills;
3. Petroleum & Coal Products;
4. Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products;
5. Fabricated Metal Products;
6. Apparel, Leather & Allied Products;
7. Paper Products;
8. Miscellaneous Manufacturing;
9. Computer & Electronic Products;
10. Chemical Products;
11. Primary Metals;
12. Machinery; and
13. Nonmetallic Mineral Products.

Three industries reported contraction in June:

1. Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components;
2. Transportation Equipment; and
3. Plastics & Rubber Products.

Marin Foods Specialties is recalling packaged raw macadamia nuts sold in Whole Foods Market stores in California, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington.

The product may be contaminated with Salmonella.

No illnesses have been reported to date.

The recalled product was labeled as “Whole Foods Market Raw Macadamia Nuts” and packaged in 6-oz. clear plastic tubs with “best by” dates of 8/21/16 through 11/6/16, and a UPC code of 99948200132.

What to do

Customers who purchased the recalled product should discard it and may bring in their receipt for a full refund.

Consumers with questions may contact Marin Foods Specialties at 925-634-6126 Monday – Friday 8:00AM – 3:30 PM (PST).

Pinnacle Foods is recalling C&W Early Harvest Petite Peas and C&W Petite Peas that might be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

No illnesses have been reported to date.

The following products, distributed nationally and online, are being recalled:

The “Best by” code can be found on the back of the bag.

What to do

Customers who purchased the recalled products should not consume these products, but return them to the place of purchase for a full refund.

Consumers with questions may contact Pinnacle Foods at 1-888-299-7646.