Current Events in September 2016

Whether they do so by choice or at the behest of their parents, kids often sign up for one too many after-school activities.

Extra activities such as music lessons or sports may help kids become more well-rounded, but keeping a kid too busy can put a strain on the whole family. Overbooked families are usually stressed, worn out, and tend not to spend much time together, says Josh Klapow, Ph.D., clinical psychologist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

To keep a kid’s schedule from impacting the family, Klapow suggests educating kids on what certain activities will entail, balancing adult and kid activities, and carving out dedicated family time. In addition, parents should be sure to watch for signs that their child may be feeling a bit overcommitted.

Questions to ask yourself

A too-busy kid may be tired, irritable, nervous, easily distracted, or frequently complain of headaches or stomach aches. They might also struggle to keep their grades up.

Before allowing kids to sign up for multiple activities, Klapow says parents should ask themselves the following questions:

• How many hours per week should be spent on extracurricular activities?

• What activities is your child interested in?

• What will your child’s homework load look like?

• Is it practical to have more than one activity per season?

• What are the means for transportation to and from each activity?

• What activities are your other children involved in?

• What are your activities, and how do these play into scheduling?

• What are your commitments professionally?

Striking a balance

Parents should make sure kids know exactly what they’re signing up for, as well as what school demands they will also be expected to keep up with.

“Be upfront with your kids,” Klapow said. “If the activities require that the child be at practice right after school, note that this will cut into their play time with their friends, as homework will need to be completed when they get home before dinner.”

Additionally, parents should know what will be required of them should their child choose to participate in an activity. If juggling transportation and attendance demands in addition to your normal work schedule doesn’t sound feasible, it may not be worth it.

“Driving your health into the ground in order to accommodate your child’s schedule is simply not a smart thing to do,” Klapow said, adding that in this busy world, “sometimes the best means less.”

Aside from last spring's huge security bottlenecks at some airports and a computer outage or two, airline passengers have had a pretty good 2016.

Ticket prices are 6% lower than last year, but consumers who plan to fly during the holiday period need to prepare for higher costs and limited seats. At least, that's the assessment from Dean Headley, Airline Quality Rating (AQR) co-author and associate professor of marketing at Wichita State University.

Headley says demand for airline seats has been strong throughout the year, a product of a slowly improving economy. But prices tend to rise during the holiday travel period and Headley says consumers need to take that into consideration.

Book earlier than normal

He expects demand to be even stronger this year than in 2015. Book earlier than you normally would, he says, to ensure your travel plans. And don't overlook fees.

"Ticket prices may appear to be reasonable to slightly lower, but when the fees hit you, you truly feel that the overall cost of travel has gone up," said Headley.

In fact, the cost of air travel is going up, but airlines compete for passengers by posting the lowest fares. But the fare is not the bottom line cost of a ticket.

"A year ago the average price was $375, but with $75 in fees for bags and seat assignments, that ticket seems noticeably more expensive,” Headley said.

If you are traveling with family members, those fees can quickly raise the cost of air travel. Headley says at some point, consumers need to decide whether getting there by air is worth the cost and the hassle. And make no mistake, there will be hassle during the holidays.

Things that can go wrong

All it will take is for a major snowstorm to sock a wide area of the eastern U.S., or for an airline computer system to suffer a glitch, and holiday air travel can become a nightmare. Despite improving performance as an industry, the travel experience for consumers has become more stressful and uncertain, especially during the holiday travel period.

"During the past several years, the holiday travel period has continued to be a challenging time for travelers, and with industrywide seat capacity adjustments, the possibility of bad weather and possible system outages, it will remain a stressful travel experience," said Headley.

Travelers may also face additional challenges due to the continued consolidation in the airline industries. When two airlines become one, consumer choices usually shrink. Headley says Alaska merging with Virgin America, United with Continental, Southwest with AirTran, and American Airlines with US Airways, has continued to change consumers' available options, as well as affect airline performance.

Sticking with airlines that have a good performance track record can improve your odds of trouble-free holiday flights. According to Headley, last year's best-performing airlines were Virgin America, JetBlue, Delta, and Hawaiian.

Hawaiian was best in getting there on time. JetBlue was best in avoiding overbooking. Virgin America was best in baggage handling. Alaska had the lowest rate of customer complaints.

Pagani Automobili SpA is recalling 32 model year 2014-2016 Huayra vehicles manufactured April 21, 2014, to July 29, 2016.

The driver side front air bag may not remain secured adequately to the steering wheel during deployment, and therefore the air bag may deploy improperly increasing the risk of injury in the event of a crash.

What to do

Pagani has notified owners, and dealers will change the fasteners on the steering wheel air bag assembly, free of charge.

The recall began August 16, 2016. Owners may contact Pagani customer service at 1-415-350-7220.

When you shop for a new credit card, there may be several deciding factors. You may want a card with specific types of rewards, or you may want the lowest interest rate.

But how will you know which card to select if the applications aren't clear and transparent, presenting the positives and negatives in plain language?

That's why personal finance site WalletHub compiles an annual study of the credit cards with the clearest applications. The study evaluated online credit card listings from the websites of the 10 largest banks and 10 biggest credit unions. The sites were judged on how clearly they spelled out important information.

Can you understand the rewards program?

For example, the applications were judged on how clearly they presented information about rewards and how a consumer could redeem them. It looked at how prominently information about an annual fee was displayed.

Could the average consumer, the authors asked, figure out the annual cost of financing new purchases using an introductory rate? How was information about balance transfers presented?

On the plus side, the study gave high marks to Capital One, U.S. Bank, Bank of America, State Employees Credit Union, Boeing Employees Credit Union, Pentagon Federal Credit Union, and Navy Federal Credit Union.

On the other hand, the authors said Wells Fargo and San Diego County Credit Union finish at the bottom when it comes to clean, transparent credit apps.

Most improved application

Navy Federal Credit Union took the honors for most improved application. The study found Navy Federal's online credit card listings improved 18 points over last year. It credits the improvement to new-purchase and balance-transfer financing clarity.

While credit unions have the reputation for being more consumer friendly than banks, the WalletHub study found banks stepped up their game in 2016 and are now about as transparent with their credit card applications as credit unions.

The area where financial institutions are most vague tends to be about balance transfer fees and how cardholders go about using rewards.

It's important for consumers to remember that most cards that offer a 0% introductory rate for balance transfers usually charge a 3% fee to transfer a balance. When considering one of these cards, consumers should look for that information, and if the financial institution has a clear application, that fee should be readily apparent.

The good news? WalletHub says banks and credit unions continue to improve their applications. It says transparency is now at its highest point since the annual study began in 2010.

Nordstrom is harnessing the power of GIFs and emojis in an effort to win over Millennials. The retail chain, which has struggled with sluggish growth in recent quarters, hopes attracting younger consumers will boost its numbers.

Earlier this year, Nordstrom conducted a contest on Snapchat in which students at five universities could compete to win an on-campus shoe party and free shoes to be worn at job interviews. The move garnered the eyes of many Millennials and increased its Snapchat following by 60%.

Now, Nordstrom is once again targeting college-aged consumers by teaming up with Topshop to create a new line of fashion and lifestyle emojis. The co-branded keyboard app will include 95 emojis and nine GIFs.

Taking advantage of social media

The emojis, which were designed to resemble actual products sold at Nordstrom, can be used in text messages, emails, and other smartphone messaging platforms.  

The launch of the new emoji keyboard falls in line with Nordstrom’s continued efforts to improve its digital operations. For a retailer that gets 21% of its business online, social media presence and mobile-consciousness are both vital to success.

In addition to amplifying its Snapchat presence and rolling out new emojis, Nordstrom tried something different for its spring campaign. The video for its “See Anew” campaign showed a lighter, more free-spirited version of Nordstrom.

“Our hope is that the work touches a different spirit and connects with a younger customer than we have in the past,” Brian Dennehy, chief marketing officer at Nordstrom, said in a statement.

By crafting Millennial-targeted campaigns, Nordstrom may even tap into the future buying power of Generation Z.

For the estimated 300 million people who suffer from asthma, a cure can’t come soon enough. While there may not be one yet, researchers have discovered a way to cut the risk of a severe asthma attack in half.

The results of a double blind, placebo-controlled study showed that vitamin D made asthma a little easier to live with. Participants who took a vitamin D supplement in addition to their standard medications experienced mild-to-moderate asthma, instead of severe asthma.

"Vitamin D, or the sunshine vitamin, as well as enhancing bone development, helps the development of at least 35 other tissues and white blood cells,” said lead author Dr. Adrian Martineau. “This can boost immunity against other illnesses and dampen down inflammation.”

‘High quality’ evidence

Taking the supplement didn’t improve daily asthma symptoms, but it was not found to cause any harm. In fact, the researchers found ‘high-quality’ evidence that vitamin D can help keep asthma sufferers from ending up in the hospital due to acute asthma attacks.

Additionally, the team found that vitamin D was able to halve the number of asthma attacks requiring treatment with oral steroids.

"We found that taking a vitamin D supplement in addition to standard asthma treatment significantly reduced the risk of severe asthma attached, without causing side effects. This is an exciting result, but some caution is warranted,” said Martineau

More research needed

Soaking in the sunlight or popping a vitamin D supplement won’t worsen your asthma symptoms, but doing either doesn’t mean you should leave your emergency inhaler at home.

Researchers say further research is needed to determine whether the effect of vitamin D applies only to asthma sufferers with low levels of vitamin D. Martineau explains that the dosages given to participants (which were much higher than the recommended 25-50 micrograms per day) may not help every individual.

"We don't know whether these heightened dosages will benefit all asthma patients or just those who already have low levels of vitamin D. Also, about three quarters of asthma patients do not suffer from exacerbations, and we need to do further trials to discover whether the supplements can benefit other groups."

Another increase -- the second in a row -- for mortgage applications.

The Mortgage Bankers Association reports its weekly survey shows applications edged up 0.9% in the week ending September 2.

The Refinance Index rose 1%, taking the refinance share of mortgage activity to 64.0% of total applications from 63.5% a week earlier.

The adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) share of activity dropped to 4.3% of total applications; the FHA share was off 0.2% to 9.5%; the VA share of total applications fell from 12.5% the previous week to 11.9%; and the USDA share of total applications was unchanged at 0.6%.

Contract interest rates

• The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages (FRMs) with conforming loan balances ($417,000 or less) inched up to 3.68% from 3.67%, with points increasing to 0.37 from 0.33 (including the origination fee) for 80% loan-to-value ratio (LTV) loans. The effective rate increased from last week.
• The average contract interest rate for 30-year FRMs with jumbo loan balances (greater than $417,000) rose three basis points -- from 3.53% to 3.66%, with points increasing to 0.30 from 0.27 (including the origination fee) for 80% LTV loans. The effective rate increased from last week.
• The average contract interest rate for 30-year FRMs backed by the FHA dipped to 3.52% from 3.54%, with points decreasing to 0.35 from 0.36 (including the origination fee) for 80 % LTV loans. The effective rate decreased from last week.
• The average contract interest rate for 15-year FRMs was unchanged at 2.96%, with points increasing to 0.34 from 0.31 (including the origination fee) for 80% LTV loans. The effective rate was unchanged from last week.
• The average contract interest rate for 5/1 ARMs fell three basis points to 2.87%, with points increasing to 0.30 from 0.24 (including the origination fee) for 80% LTV loans. The effective rate decreased from last week.

The survey covers over 75% of all U.S. retail residential mortgage applications.

Polaris Industries of Medina, Minn., is recalling about 13,000 recreational off-highway vehicles (ROVs). The figure includes 2, 230 vehicles recalled in December 2015.

The vehicles' engine can overheat and turbo system’s drain tube can loosen, posing a fire hazard.

The company has received 19 reports of the ROVs catching fire, resulting in six reports of burn injuries. One of the reported fires occurred in Utah’s American Fork Canyon, which led to a young child suffering severe burns and 15 acres of forest land being destroyed.

This recall involves all model year 2016 Polaris RZR XP Turbo and RZR XP 4 Turbo recreational off-highway vehicles. The ROVs were sold in blue, gray, orange and red and have two or four seats and a rear box. “RZR” is printed on the rear box or on the right and left rear fenders and “Turbo” on the hood or on the right and left front fenders. “Polaris” is stamped onto the front grill.

All model and Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) are included in this recall.

The ROVs, manufactured in the U.S. and Mexico, were sold at Polaris dealers nationwide from August 2015, through July 2016, for between $25,000 and $27,500.

What to do

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled ROVs and contact Polaris to schedule a free repair. Consumers will receive an extended warranty on each repaired RZR Turbo and a discount towards the purchase of a new vehicle.

Consumers may contact Polaris at 800-765-2747 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. (CT) Monday through Friday, or online at www.polaris.com and click on “Off-Road Safety Recalls” on the main page for more information.  

The disastrous Louisiana floods not only took lives and destroyed homes and businesses, they also damaged an estimated 100,000 insured cars and trucks, many of which may find their way into the used-car market.

It gets worse. The National Insurance Crime Bureau says the total number of damaged cars may be twice that high, since owners often drop coverage on aging vehicles. While cars are often damaged beyond repair by flooding, that doesn't stop unscrupulous resellers from trying to pass them off as cream puffs. Carfax estimates that as many as half of flood-damaged cars eventually return to the marketplace.

Flood-prone Louisiana enacted strong anti-fraud measures after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. When an insured vehicle is found to be flood-damaged, it is towed to an auction lot and given a new title that indicates it has been water-damaged. If the damage is severe, the inspector may issue a Certificate of Destruction, which requires that car to be crushed or sold for parts. The VIN number is entered into databases that consumers can check for damage.

Those measures have helped stop the flow of flood-damaged cars out of Louisaina, assuming they were insured. But uninsured cars are a different matter. The insurance group says they are often cleaned up to hide the damage and sold to unsuspecting consumers.

“It’s buyer beware,” said Louisiana Commissioner of Motor Vehicles Karen St. Germaine.

What to do

The insurance group advises that before buying a used car anywhere in the country, consumers should:

• Look for water stains, mildew, sand, or silt under the carpet, floor mats, and dashboard, and in the wheel well where the spare is stored. Look for fogging inside the headlights and taillights.
• Do a smell test. A heavy aroma of cleaners and disinfectants is a sign that someone's trying to mask a mold or odor problem.

• Get a vehicle history report. Check a trusted database service, like Carfax.com. You can also check NICB’s free VINCheck database. There are also reliable services that charge a small fee for history reports.

• Have a trusted mechanic inspect the car’s mechanical and electrical components, as well as systems that contain fluids, for water contamination.

Dealers damaged too

It's not just cars that were destroyed by flooding. As many as 80 car dealerships were damaged or destroyed, with many losing their entire inventory of cars. 

Besides the economic costs and loss of jobs, the disruptions at dealerships makes it harder for Louisiana consumers to replace their cars.

New research from the University of British Columbia could allow those suffering from Crohn’s disease to find some relief. Scientists say they may have found the genetic cause of fibrosis, a serious complication of the disease which affects the intestines. Based on their findings, the researchers believe that they can develop therapies which can help prevent this condition.

“We found what we think are the inflammatory cells that drive fibrosis. . . The gene that was defective in those cells is a hormone receptor, and there are drugs available that may be able to block that hormone receptor in normal cells and prevent fibrotic disease,” said Kelly McNagny, co-author of the study.

Crohn's disease and fibrosis

Fibrosis is a condition characterized by the thickening and scarring of tissues within the body. For those with Crohn’s disease, it affects tissues in the intestines and can cause bleeding, cramps, constipation, and a host of other symptoms. Treatment can often require multiple surgeries.

Fibrosis isn’t unique to Crohn’s disease; it can be symptomatic of several different illnesses, injuries, or even just the aging process. As such, finding the cause of the condition could be beneficial to a wide range of patients.

“Fibrosis is a response to chronic inflammation, but it is also a process that occurs during normal aging. If you can reverse this, you’ve essentially found a way to promote regeneration rather than degeneration,” said Dr. Bernard Lo, lead author of the study.

Reversing fibrosis

The researchers came upon their discovery while observing mouse models. Certain mice in the study were infected with a type salmonella that mimics the symptoms of Crohn’s disease. However, some mice eventually showed a gene mutation that stopped them from developing fibrotic symptoms.

The researchers tracked this development to a hormone receptor that the mutation had “switched off.” They found that the receptor was responsible for stimulating the body’s immune response, which in turn prompted inflammatory cells to go to work.

By blocking this receptor, the researchers say they can halt the work of inflammatory cells and prevent the development of fibrosis. McNagny, Lo, and their colleagues are now working on testing drugs that can help stop or reverse fibrosis in mice models.

The full study has been published in Science Immunology.

Unsold food from restaurants and bakeries typically get thrown away, left to contribute to the estimated 40% of food wasted here in the U.S.

Now, a new app may help mitigate the problem of perfectly good food ending up in landfills. It's called Too Good To Go, and the way it works is simple. 

Users select a restaurant, choose what they would like to eat off of a list of items the restaurant usually has an excess of at the end of the day; and then purchase the leftovers at a discounted price (often as low as half the original price).

Apart from the fact that you have to pick up the food yourself, Too Good To Go is like “Seamless for food waste,” says Business Insider.  

Keeping food out of landfills

It’s currently only available in the UK, but American consumers are eager for a similar solution to come to the U.S.

“This concept is brilliant! And it's a win-win. The customer gets inexpensive food and food waste around the world would decrease exponentially,” one reviewer said.

The creators of the iOS and Android app do have plans to expand to other countries in the future. Their mission: “To save food, save money and save the planet by placing the lost value back onto food as humankind’s most valuable energy resource.”

“It’s a problem that doesn’t need to exist,” says Too Good To Go, “And we’re determined to help solve it.

SAHN Designs of Vancouver, Canada, is recalling about 3,600 SAHN Classic bicycle helmets solld in the U.S. and Canada.

The helmets do not comply with the impact requirements of the federal safety standard for bicycle helmets, posing a risk of head injury.

No incidents or injuries are reported.

This recall involves SAHN Classic SH523 adult bicycle helmets. “SAHN” is printed on the outer shell of the helmet on the right side. The production date and “SH-523 Classic” are printed on the white sticker label on the inside of the helmet.

The helmets come in matte and gloss colors. Matte colors include black, white, blue, tan, grey, green, cream and brown. Gloss colors include black, white, blue, tan, cream and green.

The helmets, manufactured in China, were sold at authorized boutique bicycle dealers from May 2013, through December 2015, for about $130.

What to do

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled bicycle helmets and contact SAHN Designs for a free replacement helmet.

Consumers may contact SAHN Designs at 800-642-7086 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. (PT) Monday through Friday or online at www.sahn.cc and click on “Recall Notice” at the top of the page for more information.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today banned antibacterial soap, saying manufacturers failed to demonstrate that the products are safe and effective.

“Consumers may think antibacterial washes are more effective at preventing the spread of germs, but we have no scientific evidence that they are any better than plain soap and water,” said Janet Woodcock, M.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER). “In fact, some data suggests that antibacterial ingredients may do more harm than good over the long-term.”

The FDA's rule applies to consumer antiseptic wash products containing one or more of 19 specific active ingredients, including the most commonly used ingredients – triclosan and triclocarban.

These products are what is commonly called soap. They're intended for use with water, and are rinsed off after use. The new rule does not affect consumer hand “sanitizers” or wipes, or antibacterial products used in health care settings.

Side effects

The issue has been frothing since at least 2010, when the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) filed a lawsuit to pressure the FDA into regulating antibacterial soaps, claiming that the chemicals they contain can cause a number of undesirable side effects, including damage to reproductive organs and lower levels of sperm and thyroid hormone.

Antibacterial soaps are most often sold in liquid form, but not all liquid soap is classified as antibacterial. Antibacterial soaps are often sold in traditional bars.

The earliest antibacterial soap brand is Dial, developed after World War II for use in industrial environments. In its 1966 TV commercial, Dial linked the removal of bacteria from the body with its deodorant powers.

Health risks

The FDA has been considering the ban since 2013, when some data suggested that long-term exposure to certain active ingredients used in antibacterial products — for example, triclosan (liquid soaps) and triclocarban (bar soaps) — could pose health risks, such as bacterial resistance or hormonal effects.

The agency asked manufacturers to provide additional data on the safety and effectiveness of ingredients used in over-the-counter consumer antibacterial washes, including any data from clinical studies demonstrating that these products were superior to non-antibacterial washes in preventing human illness or reducing infection.

Antibacterial hand and body wash manufacturers did not provide the necessary data to establish safety and effectiveness for the 19 active ingredients, the agency said. 

Manufacturers have one year to comply with the new rule. The FDA has deferred rulemaking for one year on three additional ingredients used in consumer wash products – benzalkonium chloride, benzethonium chloride and chloroxylenol (PCMX) – to allow for the development and submission of new safety and effectiveness data.

Soap and water

Washing with plain soap and running water remains one of the most important steps consumers can take to avoid getting sick and to prevent spreading germs to others.

If soap and water are not available and a consumer uses hand sanitizer instead, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that it be an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol.

With a new school year comes new books, binders, and notebooks. And with new school supplies, of course, comes the need for a well-fitting backpack.

When kids go through the school year with the wrong backpack, they could be at risk of facing injuries such as strains, fractures, or even spinal curvature. To prevent injuries like these from occurring, parents should make sure they know what constitutes a good backpack.

“An ill-fitting pack can be a pain in the back for everyone involved,” said Supriya Sen OTD, MS, OTR/L, Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy at the University of the Sciences. “It is important to make sure you find one that is the right size with the right cushioning for your son or daughter.”

Backpack buying tips

A sparkly, cartoon character covered backpack may be your child’s idea of the perfect backpack, but parents should ultimately bring home a backpack that also checks the following boxes.

• Right size. A backpack that is too big or too small can cause muscle strains or excess shoulder pressure. According to the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), the bottom of the backpack should rest in the curve of a child's lower back.
• Properly padded. In addition to being appropriately sized, the right backpack should have well-padded shoulder straps. Without padded straps, kids may feel too much pressure on their shoulders and necks.
• Two straps. Messenger bags or packs with a single strap can cause kids to lean to one side, which can cause pain. Backpacks with two straps are best for a child’s spinal health and comfort, according to the AOTA.
• Comes with buckles. Backpacks with waist belts can help distribute the weight of a full load of books and school supplies evenly, which can help keep back pain at bay.

Loading the backpack

After you’ve found a backpack that fits the bill, it’s important to teach kids how to load the backpack correctly.

Keep an eye on the weight of your child’s backpack. If it weighs more than 10% of your child’s body weight, ask if everything being brought home from school is necessary to complete the day’s homework.

Finally, parents can teach children to put the heaviest items closest to their backs or to consider carrying a book in front of them if the backpack feels too heavy.

What a difference a year makes.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) says it's now a lot easier to secure your child in a late-model vehicle than it was just 12 months ago.

In the institute's LATCH ease-of-use ratings of child seat installation hardware in vehicles for June 2015, the majority of the 102 vehicles rated were poor or marginal. This year, a total of 170 current models were evaluated, and most were good or acceptable. In fact, three models -- the Audi Q7, the Lexus RX, and the Toyota Prius -- earn the top rating of good+, a distinction that no vehicle achieved last year.

LATCH, which stands for Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children, is intended to make it easier for caregivers to install child restraints properly. Child restraints installed with LATCH are more likely to be put in correctly than restraints installed using the vehicle safety belt, IIHS research has shown. A properly installed, age-appropriate child restraint can protect a child much better in a crash than a safety belt alone.

"Frustrating child seat installations have become a familiar rite of parenthood," said Jessica Jermakian, an IIHS senior research engineer. "Unfortunately, these frustrations lead to mistakes that can have real consequences in the event of a crash. We're pleased to see automakers taking this issue seriously and making improvements in response to our ratings."

The ratings

In the IIHS ratings system, LATCH hardware is considered good if it meets the following criteria:

• The lower anchors are no more than ¾ inch deep within the seat bight or slightly deeper if there is open access around them.
• The lower anchors are easy to maneuver around. This is defined as having a clearance angle greater than 54 degrees.
• The force required to attach a standardized tool representing a child seat connector to the lower anchors is less than 40 pounds.
• Tether anchors are on the vehicle's rear deck or on the top 85 percent of the seatback. They shouldn't be at the very bottom of the seatback, under the seat, on the ceiling, or on the floor.
• The area where the tether anchor is found doesn't have any other hardware that could be confused for the tether anchor. If other hardware is present, then the tether anchor must have a clear label located within 3 inches of it.

To earn a good rating, two LATCH positions in the second row must meet all five criteria, and a third tether anchor must meet both tether criteria. The good+ rating is for vehicles that meet the criteria for a good rating and provide additional LATCH-equipped seating positions.

The good+ designation is intended to encourage manufacturers to give parents greater flexibility when seating children in a vehicle.

Vehicle ratings

Here's how the vehicles that were tested are rated:

Southeast Toyota Distributors (SET) is recalling 425 model year 2010-2015 Toyota 4Runners manufactured September 3, 2009, to December 1, 2014.

The vehicles may be equipped with accessory exhaust tips installed by SET or SET dealers that may contact people and possibly burn them while they are standing behind the vehicle.

Contact with an exhaust tip may result in personal injury.

What to do

SET will notify owners, and dealers will install a re-designed exhaust tip that is smaller in diameter and is more recessed behind the bumper, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin September 15, 2016.

Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET's number for this recall is SET16D.

Food safety is something consumers contend with several times a day, whether they realize it or not. Food can be contaminated with bacteria or other toxins, or it can contain unlabeled allergens.

Back in 2010, Congress passed the Food Safety Modernization Act that, among other things, required the Food and Drug Administration to prepare standard recall notices that grocery chains would be required to post in order to alert consumers to recalls.

More than five years later, the FDA has still not finalized the rule, and supermarkets are on their own.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) recently studied supermarkets' practices and, not surprisingly, found wide variations from one chain to another.

“Supermarkets are clearly doing an uneven job, and the FDA is taking far too long to implement the notification system that the law requires,” said CSPI senior food safety attorney David W. Plunkett. “There’s no fool-proof approach, but in-store notification of recalled foods should be one of several overlapping systems aimed at helping Americans reduce their risk of eating contaminated food.”

No fool-proof approach

Most chains that responded to the study said they do post notices but placement varies. Some put them at the store entrance, some at check-out lanes, and others on the shelves where the recalled items had been displayed.

The nation's three largest supermarket chains -- Walmart, Kroger, and Costco -- all said they post food recalls on their websites, in their stores, and email them directly to customers who have provided their email address as part of the stores' membership or bonus club process. 

Some stores like Publix, H-E-B, and Whole Foods don’t have loyalty programs that collect data. Of the chains that do collect data, Food Lion, Cub Foods, and Winn-Dixie didn’t disclose whether they use it to notify consumers about recalls.

A few chains -- notably Whole Foods and Aldi -- refused to disclose their policies. One -- Giant Eagle (not to be confused with Giant Food) -- does not post recall notices at all, CSPI's report said. 

In a letter to FDA Deputy Commissioner Stephen Ostroff, CSPI wrote that it is concerned by the agency’s lack of progress on this particular provision of the FSMA.

CSPI recommends that consumers keep an eye out for recall notices in supermarkets and safely dispose of or return recalled products. Consumers should also ensure that grocery stores with membership cards or customer loyalty programs have accurate contact information.