Current Events in January 2017

Home prices across the U.S. edged up 0.5% from October to November rose in November, and posted a year-over-year advance of 6.1%.

At the same time, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) revised its monthly House Price Index (HPI) downward to show a gain of 0.3% instead of the 0.4% increase initially reported.

Regional breakdown

For the nine census divisions, monthly price changes ranged from -0.2% in the South Atlantic division to +1.5% in the Pacific division.

The 12-month changes were all positive, ranging from +4.7% in the Middle Atlantic division to +7.7% in the Pacific division.

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

The complete report may be found on the FHFA website.

Jobless claims

An increase last week in the number of people filing first-time applications for state unemployment benefits.

The Department of Labor (DOL) reports initial jobless claims rose by 22,000 in the week ending January 21 to a seasonally adjusted 259,000. The previous week's level was revised up by 3,000 to 237,000.

The four-week moving average was down by 2,000 from the previous week to 245,500 -- the lowest level since November 3, 1973, when it was 244,000.

The four-week moving average, due to its relative lack of volatility, is considered a more accurate gauge of the labor market.

The full report is available on the DOL website.

Atlas Meat Company of Fort Collins, Colo., is recalling approximately 2,579 pounds of pork sausage products.

The products may contain monosodium glutamate (MSG), which is not declared on the label.

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

The following items, from October 12, 2016, through January 23, 2017, are being recalled:

• 0.80 to 1.5-lb. vacuum-sealed or butcher paper wrapped packages containing “Atlas Meat Pork Breakfast Ssg.”
• 0.80 to 1.5-lb. vacuum-sealed or butcher paper wrapped packages containing “Atlas Meat Pork Italian ssg.”

The recalled products, bearing establishment number “EST. 40306” inside the USDA mark of inspection, were sold directly to consumers at the firm’s Fort Collins, Colo., location and shipped to retail locations in Colorado and Wyoming.

What to do

Consumers with questions about the recall may contact Juan Meza at (970) 224-9210.

Obamacare is not the only piece of Barack Obama's legacy that's under attack. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is fighting a lawsuit that argues its structure is unconstitutional.

Although the agency has returned hundreds of millions of dollars to consumers and cleaned up numerous predatory financial practices, it is not exactly a household word, and its defenders fear that a well-financed campaign by big business will succeed in weakening or even eliminating the CFPB.

Coming to the bureau's aid are the attorneys general of 17 states who have filed a motion to intervene in the federal appeals court case that threatens the CFPB's continued existence.

"The CFPB is the cop on the beat, protecting Main Street from Wall Street misconduct," said Connecticut Attorney General George Jepsen, who is leading the coalition. "It was structured by Congress to be a powerful and independent agency that would protect consumers from the abuses of Wall Street, banks, and other large financial institutions."

The case – PHH Corporation, et al. v. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau – is currently before the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. In an October 2016 ruling, a divided court found the structure of the CFPB unconstitutional. The CFPB filed a petition for a rehearing of the decision, and that petition is currently pending before the court.

"Bitter broken promise"

The Trump Administration has said it intends to curtail the CFPB's authority, Jepsen noted.

"Contrary to his populist rhetoric, the President's failure to support the CFPB would be a gift to powerful financial interests and a bitter broken promise to regular Americans he vowed to defend," Jepsen said. "Should the Trump Administration fail to adequately defend the CFPB in this litigation, state attorneys general – and the public – could lose the benefits of a powerful enforcement partnership."

Among the issues being litigated is the governance of the CFPB. Similar agencies -- like the Federal Trade Commission and the Federal Communications Commission -- are governed by a panel of commissioners who serve more or less at the pleasure of the President. 

The CFPB was structured differently when it was founded in 2010, as part of an effort to make it immune from political pressure. Instead of a panel of commissioners, it has only a single director, in this case Richard Cordray, who was previously the attorney general of Ohio.

Filing the motion were the attorney generals from Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and the District of Columbia.

Please click here to view the motion to intervene filed today. The full text of the motion is available here.

There aren’t many options for consumers who have glioblastoma. These lethal brain tumors are connected to the lowest survival rates after recurrence, at 5% for a five-year period. For the last decade or so, patients have been treated through a combination of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. However, this only extends life for an average of four to six months after tumor recurrence, and there is currently no existing therapy that has been shown to be effective after tumors return.

But now scientists believe there is a way to fight glioblastoma and improve survival outcomes. Researchers at the Peter O’Donnel Jr. Brain Institute and Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center say that targeting a brain protein that drives tumor growth may allow for future treatment of all forms of the disease.

"These findings change our fundamental understanding of the molecular basis of glioblastoma, and how to treat it," said co-senior author Dr. Robert Bachoo. "We may have identified a set of critical genes we can target with drugs that are shared across nearly all glioblastomas."

Finding a new therapeutic target

During their studies, the researchers found that certain master proteins in the brain – called neurodevelopmental transcription factors -- are what ultimately drive glioblastoma growth. These proteins are responsible for the activity of hundreds of genes during brain development, but when they don’t do their job then the resulting mutations can cause tumor formation.

Bachoo explains that these gene mutations in the brain initially allow tumors to grow, but the disease becomes beyond control after a certain point.

"Our work shows that the gene mutations which the pharmaceutical industry and clinicians have been focusing on are essential only for starting tumor growth. Once the tumor has advanced to the stage where patients seek treatment, these mutations are no longer required for continued tumor growth; they are in effect redundant," he said.

This new idea counters previous theories by the medical community, which long thought that glioblastoma growth was driven by brain proteins called receptor tyrosine kinase. It also explains why drugs used to inhibit these proteins were ineffective at stopping tumor growth.

Solution still out of reach

Though a solution may be years away, the researchers have suggested using a chemotherapy drug called mithramycin, which has been out of clinical use for years because it can cause liver toxicity in some patients. They conclude that finding a safer and more effective treatment for brain tumor patients will take time, but having a target for treatment is encouraging.

"Our discovery has the potential for the development of a new therapy that may increase survival time for glioblastoma patients,” said Dr. Ralf Kittler.

The full study has been published in Cell Reports.

You can shop for a home mortgage using a smartphone app, so why not shop for auto financing?

Undoubtedly, that was the question posed by the FinTech company AutoGravity, which has rolled out its vehicle financing app for both iPhone and Android.

The company says consumers in 46 states can use the app to solicit up to four financing offers for new or used vehicles. The mobile aspects not only allow consumers to research loans before they visit a dealership, but also while they are there.

“AutoGravity has brought car finance into the digital age,” said Andy Hinrichs, a former auto loan officers who founded and leads the company. “Our industry-leading technology has been embraced by top banks and captive auto lenders, as well as leading dealer groups who see customers shopping on their smartphones every day."

From hours to minutes

Hinrichs says the car financing experience once took an hour or more. Now, he says it takes just minutes.

AutoGravity said it has built partnerships with the world’s leading banks, as well as car companies' own lenders and U.S. dealership groups. It's not unlike the Rocket Mortgage app, the heavily-advertised Quicken Loans product. When it debuted, Rocket Mortgage created some controversy with its claim of an eight-minute mortgage process.

AutoGravity says it is more about convenience, bringing dealers and lenders together on a single platform.

“To truly empower car buyers with access to every possible vehicle, dealer and finance choice, the AutoGravity platform must be an attractive place for lenders and dealers to do business,” said Serge Vartanov, AutoGravity’s chief marketing officer. “We’ve spent over a year integrating lenders and dealers into the platform, and we’re now ready for customers across the country to start shopping and financing —making AutoGravity a game-changer in the auto-finance industry.”

The company says its app guides consumers through four steps. They select the car they want; select a dealer from AutoGravity's database; search for financing on the selected vehicle; and receive up to four offers within minutes.

Consumers must then go through the approval process after providing financial information.

Snacks and Super Bowl parties go hand in hand, but not all football fare is safe for four-legged fans. Pet owners planning to host a Super Bowl party this year should be mindful of the snacks that can be harmful to pets.

With the television netting the majority of the attention, pets may find it easier than ever to help themselves to a game day snack. But the thrill of acquiring a treat meant for humans may be short-lived if pets sneak a snack that isn’t good for them.  

Before putting out your Super Bowl spread, be aware that some snacks might be best kept far from your favorite companions. 

Snacks to avoid 

To keep pets safe on game day, pet insurance provider Petplan recommends thinking carefully before serving the following: 

• Beer. Some pets have a taste for beer, but fatal respiratory depression may await if they imbibe even a small amount, says Petplan. Party hosts with brew-loving pets may want to ask guests to watch their drinks. Or better yet, consider hosting a “Sober Bowl” party.
• Chicken wings. The fine bones in chicken wings can splinter easily and puncture the GI tract. Additionally, the sauces that often accompany chicken wings are almost guaranteed to cause an upset stomach.
• Onion rings. While onions in any form are poisonous to pets, onion rings pose a double danger since fried foods can cause diarrhea.
• Toothpicks. Toothpicks may be handy skewers for cheese cubes and appetizers, but these pointed sticks can cause severe and potentially fatal damage to pets’ GI tracts if swallowed.
• Nuts. Many nut varieties have a negative effect on dogs’ nervous systems. Walnuts and macadamias are especially toxic and can cause vomiting, paralysis, and even death.

Hosting a pet-safe party 

While keeping your pet safe is likely a top priority, hosting a Super Bowl without food may not sound particularly appetizing. Luckily, there are other ways for pet owners to incorporate game day snacks while also making sure pets stay out of trouble.

If you know your pet isn’t one to resist temptation when faced with a selection of snacks at eye-level, consider making other arrangements before hosting. Pet parents could also kindly ask guests to sit at a table or use snack trays to minimize the risk of fallen food ending up in Fido’s tummy.

Additionally, revelers can avoid pet-related mishaps by keeping an eye on unattended plates and cups and making sure to clean up promptly. To keep furry fans happy, consider keeping a few pet-friendly snacks around.

What's in a number? On Wall Street, traders will tell you the Dow Jones Industrial Average topping the 20,000 mark is not that big of a deal. Mostly symbolic, they say.

Even so, since the market began its post-election rally, there has been anticipation that the Dow milestone would be achieved before the end of last year. However, the rally lost steam in the last two weeks of 2016.

It would be left to 2017 – Wednesday, January 25 to be precise, when the Dow Industrials opened at 20,018, less than a week after the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th President of the United States. The market's march toward 20,000 has been referred to as "the Trump rally," though evidence suggests it slightly predates election day, before anyone anticipated a Trump victory.

The Dow Industrials closed at 17,930 on November 3 and rallied by 2,070 since then, an increase of 11.5% in about two months. At the same time, the S&P 500, a measure of the broader market, rallied 9.3% over the same time.

Big banks led the way

The Dow was led higher mostly on the strength of big bank stocks, whose share prices have languished in a low interest rate environment. Banks surged on the OK belief that rates would rise and that many regulations on banks would be rolled back in the new administration.

The Dow crossed the 10,000 threshold three times – the first time on March 29, 1999, at the height of the dot-com boom. After crossing the 10,000 market in 2002, the market crashed in 2009, finally getting back above 10,000 the following year.

Where does the market go from here? Lots of brave prognosticators are already talking about Dow 40,000. They point out that it took 15 years for the Dow to double from 1,000 to 2,000 and 12 years to go from 2,000 to 4,000.

The state of Florida and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) have reached a settlement with the operator of several debt settlement companies after filing a lawsuit last year.

The state and federal governments teamed up to bring charges against Chastity Valdes and the companies she controlled, Consumer Assistance LLC, Consumer Assistance Project Corp. and Palermo Global LLC.

The charges specifically accused the companies of targeting consumers with student loan debt with illegal debt relief offers.

The suit claimed the companies took up-front fees in return for their promised debt relief and credit repair services. They allegedly promised victims they could reduce the amount of their student loans and repair their credit.

Tough loan to get out of

Student loans, of course, are among the most binding of debts and can't even be discharged in bankruptcy.

Among the laws the defendants were accused of violating are the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act, the FTC Act, the Telemarketing Sales Rule, and the Credit Repair Organizations Act.

The settlement essentially puts the companies out of business. Under the terms of the agreement, they cannot sell debt relief and credit repair services, and can't even make any material claims about any products or services.

They are also prohibited from misrepresenting endorsements, making money from consumers’ personal information, and being careless in the disposal of personal information.

They would also be required to cough up $2.3 million in damages, if they had it. Since they don't, they have to turn over all of their assets to Florida and federal authorities. If it turns out they weren't being truthful about the amount of the assets, the full $2.3 million judgment will be imposed.

Avoiding debt settlement pitches

Debt settlement schemes most commonly target people with large amounts of credit card debt, usually making it sound like it's easy to get credit card companies to agree to accept a fraction of what is owed.

That's hardly the way it works. When a consumer stops making payments, as advised by a debt settlement company, he or she is besieged by debt collectors. In the process, the consumer's credit score craters.

The FTC doesn't say you should never try to settle your debt, but it does say you need to be very, very careful. And you should always avoid doing business with a debt settlement firm that charges an upfront fee, which is illegal.

Remember, you can talk to your credit card company yourself, and will probably have better luck than a debt settlement company will.

Learn more about what the FTC advises on debt settlement here.

Jaguar Land Rover North America is recalling a total of 8,769 vehicles with a passenger front airbag inflator issue.

Included are model year 2012 Land Rover Range Rovers originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan) and the U.S. Virgin Islands, or "Zone A."

Additionally, unless included in "Zone A," Land Rover is recalling model year 2009 Land Rover Range Rover vehicles, originally sold, or ever registered, in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia, or "Zone B."

Further, Land Rover is recalling model year 2007-2008 Land Rover Range Rover vehicles originally sold, or ever registered in Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

The vehicles are equipped with airbag inflators assembled as part of the passenger front airbag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment.

In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the front airbags, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

What to do

Land Rover will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag assemblies, free of charge. Parts are not currently available. Owners will be sent an interim notification around March 3, 2017. A second notice will be mailed when remedy parts are available.

Owners may contact Land Rover customer service at 1-800-637-6837. Land Rover's number for this recall is P082.

Mitsubishi Motors North America (MMNA) is recalling 1,964 model year 2012 and 2014 i-MiEV vehicles.

The vehicles are equipped with airbag inflators assembled as part of the passenger front airbag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment.

In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the front air bags, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

What to do

MMNA will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The manufacturer has not yet provided a notification schedule.

Owners may contact MMNA customer service at 1-888-648-7820. MMNA's number for this recall is SR-17-001.

BMW of North America is recalling a total of 48,380 vehicles with a passenger front airbag inflator issue.

Te recall includes model year 2012 X5 xDrive30i, X5 xDrive35i, X5 xDrive48i, X5 xDrive50i, X5 M, X6 xDrive35i, X6 xDrive50i, and X6 M vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands, or "Zone A."

Additionally, unless included in "Zone A,", BMW is recalling certain 2009 X5 xDrive30i, X5 xDrive35i, X5 xDrive48i, X5 xDrive50i, and X5 M vehicles, 2008-2009 X6 xDrive 35i, X6 xDrive50i, X6 M, and 2009 X5 xDrive35d vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, or "Zone B."

Further, unless included in "Zone A" or "Zone B," BMW is recalling certain 2007-2008 X5 xDrive30i, X5 xDrive35i, X5 xDrive48i, X5 xDrive50i and X5 M vehicles, and 2008 X6 xDrive35i, X6 xDrive50i, and X6 M vehicles originally sold, or ever registered in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

The vehicles are equipped with airbag inflators assembled as part of the passenger front airbag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment.

In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the front airbags, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

What to do

BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger airbag inflator or airbag module, free of charge. Interim letters informing owners that parts are not yet available are expected to be mailed March 1, 2017. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available.

Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Your kids may share a room and toys, but their best friend may have four paws and a tail. A new study finds that children prefer spending time with their pets over their siblings.

Researchers from the University of Cambridge found that dogs, in particular, were associated with high levels of satisfaction and bonding and low levels of conflict.

Findings from the new study add to a growing body of evidence that finds that household pets can have a significant impact on children’s development. The positive influence of animal companions may even be seen in children’s social skills and emotional well-being.

"Anyone who has loved a childhood pet knows that we turn to them for companionship and disclosure, just like relationships between people," said lead author Matt Cassells. "We wanted to know how strong these relationships are with pets relative to other close family ties.

“Ultimately this may enable us to understand how animals contribute to healthy child development,” he added.

Lowest levels of conflict

While siblings may bicker, the relationship between kids and their favorite pet tends to be more harmonious. The study found that kids often get along better with their pets than they do with their brothers or sisters.

This finding was revealed when the researchers asked 12-year-old children from 77 households with both pets and siblings to talk about their relationship with their pets compared to their siblings.

Responses showed that pets -- dogs more than other pets -- provided kids with a low-conflict, high satisfaction relationship. And while girls and boys were equally satisfied with their pets, girls were most likely to feel that they had a friend in Fido.

“Results showed that girls reported more disclosure, companionship, and conflict with their pet than did boys, while dog owners reported greater satisfaction and companionship with their pet than did owners of other pets,” the authors wrote.

Pets don't judge

The inability of pets to talk back to their tiny human friends may even be a plus in the relationship, said Dr. Cassels.

“Even though pets may not fully understand or respond verbally, the level of disclosure to pets was no less than to siblings. The fact that pets cannot understand or talk back may even be a benefit as it means they are completely non-judgmental,” he concluded.

The study was published in the Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology.

Two members of the Citigroup Inc. family have been ordered to pay nearly $29 million for giving troubled homeowners the runaround when they tried to save their homes. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau announced the actions against CitiFinancial Servicing and CitiMortgage today.

The agency said the mortgage servicers kept borrowers in the dark about options to avoid foreclosure or burdened them with excessive paperwork demands in applying for foreclosure relief. The CFPB is requiring CitiMortgage to pay an estimated $17 million to compensate wronged consumers, as well as a civil penalty of $3 million; CitiFinancial Services will also be required to refund approximately $4.4 million to consumers and pay a civil penalty of $4.4 million.

“Citi’s subsidiaries gave the runaround to borrowers who were already struggling with their mortgage payments and trying to save their homes,” said CFPB Director Richard Cordray. “Consumers were kept in the dark about their options or burdened with excessive paperwork. This action will put money back in consumers’ pockets and make sure borrowers can get help they need.”

CitiFinancial Servicing

As a mortgage servicer, CitiFinancial Servicing collects payments from borrowers for loans it originates. It also handles customer service, collections, loan modifications, and foreclosures.

The CFPB said the company:

• Kept consumers in the dark about foreclosure relief options: When borrowers applied to have their payments deferred, CitiFinancial Servicing failed to consider it as a request for foreclosure relief options. As a result, borrowers may have missed out on options that may have been more appropriate for them. 
• Misled consumers about the impact of deferring payment due dates: Consumers were kept in the dark about the true impact of postponing a payment due date. CitiFinancial Servicing misled borrowers into thinking that if they deferred the payment, the additional interest would be added to the end of the loan rather than become due when the deferment ended. In fact, the deferred interest became due immediately.   

• Charged consumers for credit insurance that should have been canceled: Some borrowers bought CitiFinancial Servicing credit insurance, which is meant to cover the loan if the borrower can’t make the payments. Under its terms, CitiFinancial Servicing was supposed to cancel the insurance if the borrower missed four or more monthly payments. But between July 2011 and April 30, 2015, about 7,800 borrowers paid for credit insurance that CitiFinancial Servicing should have canceled under those terms. 

• Prematurely canceled credit insurance for some borrowers: CitiFinancial Servicing prematurely canceled credit insurance for some consumers. Some of those borrowers later had claims denied because CitiFinancial Servicing had improperly canceled their insurance.

• Sent inaccurate consumer information to credit reporting companies: CitiFinancial Servicing incorrectly reported some settled accounts as being charged off. 

• Failed to investigate consumer disputes: CitiFinancial did not investigate consumer disputes about incorrect information sent to credit reporting companies within the required time period.

The full text of the CitiFinancial Servicing consent order is available online. 

CitiMortgage

CitiMortgage is a mortgage servicer for Citibank and government-sponsored entities such as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. It also fields consumer requests for foreclosure relief, such as repayment plans, loan modification, or short sales.

Borrowers at risk of foreclosure or otherwise struggling with their mortgage payments can apply to their servicer for foreclosure relief. In this process, the servicer requests documentation of the borrower’s finances for evaluation. 

However, some borrowers who asked for assistance were sent a letter by CitiMortgage demanding dozens of documents and forms that had no bearing on the application or that the consumer had already provided. Many of these documents had nothing to do with a borrower’s financial circumstances and were actually not needed to complete the application.

The full text of the CitiMortgage consent order is available online.

As we previously reported, moms-to-be don’t necessarily have to include flesh foods in their diet in order for it to be considered “healthful and nutritionally adequate” by experts at the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

When meals are balanced and appropriately planned, plant-based eating habits can even impart health benefits. However, some important nutrients -- such as vitamin B-12 -- can be harder to come by for individuals who avoid meat, eggs, and dairy.

Now, a new study finds that not eating enough food from animal sources may contribute to a vitamin B12 deficiency, which could raise a woman’s risk of having a premature baby by 21%.

Researchers from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology looked at levels of vitamin B12 in more than 11,000 expectant mothers from 11 countries and found that low levels of vitamin B12 are associated with an increased risk of preterm birth.

Vegans at risk

While low levels of vitamin B12 did not appear to affect the baby’s birth weight, the authors found that having a B12 deficiency did appear to raise a woman’s risk of giving birth prior to 37 weeks.

Income levels were also accounted for in the study, but the results were the same regardless of whether the country had a high, middle, or low income.

“Vitamin B-12 is an essential nutrient found only in products of animal origin, such as meat, milk and eggs,” said study author Dr. Tormod Rogne in a statement. “Pregnant women who consume too few animal-derived foods increase their risk of developing a vitamin B-12 deficiency.”

Other explanations

Rogne and his colleagues noted that there may be other explanations for the link, including the fact those with a B12 deficiency may be malnourished in general while pregnant. The team also said that there has been little research on the effect of taking vitamin B12 supplements during pregnancy. 

Vegetarians aren’t as likely to have a B12 deficiency because they consume dairy products or eggs, explained information officer Paul W. Thorbjörnsen from the Norwegian Vegetarian Association.

However, because the body cannot produce this important vitamin itself, he advises vegans to “consume B12 by drinking products such as soy milk or rice milk with added B12" or to take vitamin supplements."

The study was published in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

The stage is now set. The New England Patriots will take on the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI in Houston on February 5.

Now, all you need is a new TV set to watch the game. Even if you're not a fan and don't plan to watch, there will be some very attractive deals on TV sets in the next couple of weeks. Enough fans will decide to spring for a new set that retailers are stepping up the sale pressure to holiday levels.

In fact, BestBlackFriday.com, a shopping site that normally tracks holiday deals late in the year, has issued its report on the best deals on TVs ahead of the big game. Phil Dengler, of Jones-Dengler Marketing, which operates the site, says the average TV set price drops 22% in the two weeks leading up to the Super Bowl.

"I'd say the Super Bowl is a fairly significant event for retailers," Dengler told ConsumerAffairs. "While it is no Black Friday, we are noticing a lot of stores are featuring Super Bowl TV deals on the first pages of their weekly flyers. eBay also created a section for it."

To demonstrate the savings, the site has prepared a side-by-side comparison of TV prices on Black Friday to what they sell for in advance of the Super Bowl.

True, you may find more TV deals on Black Friday, but Dengler says the Super Bowl prices are not that far off. In some cases, you can do better than during the holidays.

Better than Black Friday

"For example, P.C. Richard & Son (an Authorized Partner) has the Sony 65-inch Class Ultra-Slim 4K HDR Ultra HD LED Smart TV XBR65X930D for $1,799.91 for the Super Bowl," Dengler said. "During Black Friday, they sold this same TV for $1,999.91, so this deal is $200 less than Black Friday."

Samsung has a couple of sets that are also cheaper than on Black Friday, though not by much. The 2016 Samsung UN65KS9000 65-Inch 4K Ultra HD Smart LED TV at Amazon is $1,997.99, beating the Black Friday price by less than $2.

The Samsung 40 Inch LED Smart TV UN40J5200 HDTV, along with a $100 Dell Promo Card, purchased at Dell.com is $329.99, $18 cheaper than on Black Friday.

Other sale prices are the same as Black Friday or very close to the Black Friday price. Consumers in Boston and Atlanta may find even better deals, as local retailers may slash prices even more to compete for fans.

Consumer advocates and the real estate industry are struggling to understand President Trump's first official action. Trump, who has vowed to fight for working-class Americans, signed an order during his first hour in office blocking an Obama initiative that would have cut the cost of mortgages for millions of home buyers.

Democrats and consumer advocates denounced the move. "In one of his first acts as president, President Trump made it harder for Americans to afford a mortgage," Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) said in a statement. "What a terrible thing to do to homeowners."

The Obama measure would have reduced the premium on Federal Housing Administration-backed loans by 0.25 percent. That would have saved someone buying a $200,000 home about $29 a month.

The FHA insures about 16 percent of new mortgages in the U.S. under a long-standing program to make home ownership more affordable for middle-class consumers.

First-time homebuyers who might have trouble qualifying for a private mortgage can often get an FHA-insured loan because taxpayers are guaranteeing the loan. This adds a monthly insurance premium to the loan payment but often enables the homebuyer to qualify for a mortgage they might not be able to get otherwise.

GOP blames Obama

There wasn't much in the way of an explanation for Trump's action, although Republicans had called the 0.25 percent reduction "hasty" and said that while it might help consumers, it threatened the stability of the FHA.

At his confirmation hearing as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Ben Carson said he was "surprised to see something of this nature (the premium reduction) done on the way out the door, which of course has a profound effect."

Carson said he would work with financial experts to "really examine that policy."

Consumer groups were taken by surprise.

"I think we were surprised by how quickly this was something that they wanted to look at," said Sarah Wolff of the Center for Responsible Lending, according to a USA Today report. "I think it unfortunately signals that they don’t place as great an emphasis as we would hope on access and affordability of mortgage credit.

Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) had pressed Carson about the solvency of the FHA fund that backs mortgages at his confirmation hearing, saying it was only 16% above the minimum required by law, which he characterized as "very little buffer" while noting that FHA had needed a bail-out as recently as 2013, during the Great Recession.

Toomey has long been concerned with the FHA's financial health. He introduced legislation in 2012 that would have increased FHA premiums. The measure passed the House but died in the Senate.

The FHA insures more than $1.1 trillion worth of mortgages on more than 7 million loans.