Current Events in January 2017

Kids with autism are more than 3.5 times more likely to suffer from gastrointestinal problems, such as constipation or chronic diarrhea, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

Children with autism might limit their diets to just a few foods, which can often lead to constipation and belly pain. Now, new research suggests that these gastrointestinal issues may occur in response to elevated stress hormone levels.

After administering a short stress test, researchers from the University of Missouri School of Medicine found that the bodies of children with autism tend to release higher than average levels of cortisol in response to stress.

Heightened response

"Our findings suggest there may be a subset of patients for which there may be other contributing factors. More research is needed, but anxiety and stress reactivity may be an important factor when treating these patients," said lead author Dr. David Beversdorf.

Beversdorf, an associate professor at the University of Missouri-Columbia’s Thompson Center for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders, says laxatives are often used to treat constipation and other lower gastrointestinal issues in patients with autism.

But knowing more about the relationship between cortisol levels and gastrointestinal symptoms could help physicians determine a better course of action.

Higher cortisol levels

In the new study, the parents of 120 young people with autism provided information about their children’s gastrointestinal symptoms. Overall, 51 children had these issues and 69 did not.

A 30-second stress test was used to evaluate the children’s stress response. Researchers looked at saliva samples collected before and after the test to measure the children’s cortisol response.

Findings revealed that children with gastrointestinal problems had higher cortisol levels in response to the stress test than those who didn’t have these symptoms.

"We know that it is common for individuals with autism to have a more intense reaction to stress, and some of these patients seem to experience frequent constipation, abdominal pain or other gastrointestinal issues," Beversdorf said in a statement.

"To better understand why, we looked for a relationship between gastrointestinal symptoms and the immune markers responsible for stress response," he explained. "We found a relationship between increased cortisol response to stress and these symptoms."

The study was published in the journal Brain, Behavior, and Immunity.

Airline companies have come to rely on computer systems in order to keep things running smoothly, but a lot can go wrong when those systems break down. Consumers may remember the technical glitches that affected Southwest Airlines and Delta Airlines last year, which led to thousands of canceled flights and millions in lost revenue.

Now, another airline company has been plagued by its own technical problem. According to a Reuters report, United Airlines was forced to ground all of its domestic flights for around an hour last night due to an “IT issue.” The company announced the ground halt in a tweet at 9:06 EST and apologized for the inconvenience.

However, stranded fliers lashed out at the company both online and in person. “This has been the worst customer service experience and worst flying service ever experienced in 30+ years,” one traveler said. The airliner offered to waive change fees and provide travel waivers to affected passengers, but the damage had been done. After about an hour, the company announced that it had lifted the ground stop and resumed flights.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said that no international flights were stopped by the computer glitch but was unsure of how many domestic flights had been affected.

What’s also uncertain is how much the ground halt will end up costing United. The reparations paid to travelers, the loss of business, and the potential drop in unit prices could certainly add up. Experts estimated that Southwest lost between $54 million and $82 million as a result of its computer glitch in July, so the losses might not necessarily be chump change.

A jury in Greenboro, N.C., has awarded plaintiffs with a $20.5 million verdict against DISH Network. The class action case stems from alleged violations of the Do Not Call law.

The jury found that DISH was liable for more than 51,000 telemarketer calls placed by a DISH dealer to consumers who had placed their numbers on the national Do Not Call list. In the end, the jury said DISH was responsible for the violations and awarded the plaintiffs $400 per violation of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act.

"This case has always been about enforcing the Do Not Call law and protecting people from nuisance telemarketing calls," said Dr. Thomas Krakauer, the class representative. "I am thrilled with the jury's verdict, and thrilled we were able to win this enforcement action."

'Corporate shell game'

Attorney Brian Glasser, part of the team representing the plaintiffs, said the case was won on the strength of the DISH witnesses. He argued in court that the satellite TV provider's order entry retailer program amounted to a "corporate shell game," allowing the company to sign up new customers through illegal telemarketing practices but avoid legal responsibility.

"We believe this is the first and only jury trial for a certified class of consumers alleging Do Not Call violations," said attorney John Barrett, another of the plaintiffs' lawyers. "This was a strength-in-numbers case, one we could only bring as a class action, where we tried 51,000 claims in a single, five-day trial. We're particularly pleased with the message this verdict sends about the importance of the Do Not Call laws, the most popular consumer protection law in U.S. history."

Telephone Consumer Protection Act

The Telephone Consumer Protection Act was passed by Congress in 1991. It primarily restricts telemarketing and the use of robocallers. In 2003, it was updated to include a Do Not Call registry where consumers may register phone numbers that telemarketers may not legally call.

There are exceptions, however. In the case of a business, if you have had contact with the company as a recent customer, or requested information, the company is allowed to call you for a limited time afterward.

Charities, pollsters, and political organizations are also exempt. That's why consumers need to be on guard against a telemarketer who begins by conducting a survey but evolves into a sales pitch.

If you are on the Do Not Call list and receive a pitch for a some kind of product or service, most likely it is a scam, operating from outside the U.S. and beyond the reach of the law.

Ford Motor Company is recalling a total of 654,695 vehicles with an airbag inflator issue.

Included are model year 2012 Ford Fusions and Mustangs and Lincoln Zephyrs and MKZs 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,” Ford is recalling certain 2009 Ford Rangers, Edges, Fusions and Mustangs, Lincoln MKXs, MKZs and Zephyrs and Mercury Milans 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."

Additionally, unless included in "Zone A" or "Zone B," Ford is recalling certain 2007-2008 Ford Rangers, Edges and Lincoln MKXs, 2006-2008 Ford Fusions, Mercury Milans, Lincoln Zephyrs and MKZs, 2005-2008 Ford Mustangs and 2005-2006 Ford GTs 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.

These 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 passenger front airbag, 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

Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger front airbag inflator, free of charge. Interim letters informing owners of the recall and that parts are not yet available are expected to begin February 27, 2017. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available.

Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 17S01.

Daimler Vans USA (DVUSA) is recalling a total of 11,279 vehicles with an airbag inflator issue.

Included are model year 2012 Freightliner 2500 and 3500 Sprinter and Mercedes-Benz 2500 and 3500 Sprinter 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, DVUSA is recalling certain 2009 Dodge 2500 and 3500 Sprinter and Freightliner 2500 and 3500 Sprinter 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."

These 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

DVUSA will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger airbag module, free of charge. Interim letters informing owners about the recall and telling them that parts are not yet available are expected to be mailed in February 2017. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available.

Owners may contact DVUSA customer service at 1-877-762-8267.

Mazda North America Operations is recalling a total of 8,018 vehicles with airbag inflator issues.

Included are model year 2009 RX-8 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."

Additionally, unless included in "Zone B,” Mazda is recalling model year 2005-2006 MPV and 2005-2008 RX-8 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.

These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag 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 passenger frontal airbag, 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

Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger side air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin March 7, 2017.

Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500. Mazda's number for this recall is 0617A.

Start the clock. It's Day One of the Donald J. Trump Administration. As the oath of office was recited on a typically dreary Washington morning -- rain, clouds, fog -- Republicans for the first time in years had control of the White House and both houses of Congress.

Eight years ago, Barack Obama was inaugurated on a promise of hope. Today, Trump has promised change -- more jobs, less regulation, a more assertive foreign policy.

It's the "less regulation" part that may get tricky for consumers. In campaign remarks and tweets, Trump and his allies have taken aim at a number of regulations that are supposed to be consumer protection measures but that are fervently disliked by the corporations whose activities they sometimes inhibit. 

A few prime examples include:

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Trump himself has not said much about this, but lobbyists for car dealers, payday lenders, and other financial service providers have vowed to gut the agency.

Created early in the Obama Administration, the CFPB has sued a long list of companies that it says gouged and mistreated consumers, including Wells Fargo, major student loan companies, and car dealers.

The CFPB is unique among agencies in that it has a single director who cannot be removed except under extreme circumstances. More common are commissions like the Federal Trade and Federal Communications Commissions, which have several commissioners who are appointed by the president and serve more or less at his pleasure. If they can't eliminate the entire agency, critics would like to decapitate it and remove its hard-charging director, Richard Cordray.

• Effect on consumers: Higher interest rates and fees, fewer protections regarding disclosures, a return to the free-wheeling days that preceded the Financial Crisis.

Among Trump's likely early financial  targets are new rules affecting the multitrillion-dollar retirement-savings industry. The new "fiduciary" rules require financial advisors to act with their client's best interests in mind, rather than putting their own sales goals first. The rules are set to take effect in about six months unless Trump can short-circuit them.

• Effect on consumers: Fewer protections against overly enthusiastic sales of annuities, mutual funds, and other financial products, possibly leading to higher fees and lower returns.

The Federal Communications Commission. Trump has expressed disdain for the "net neutrality" rules championed by outgoing FCC Chairman Charles Wheeler and adopted last year at the urging of the Obama White House. Trump's appointee to chair the FCC is likely to repeal them.

• Effect on consumers: Repealing the rules could allow broadband carriers to favor their programs and services over those of their internet competitors. 

The FCC, along with other federal agencies, is also weighing the proposed $85 billion merger of AT&T; and Time Warner, a deal Trump has promised to block.

• Effect on consumers: Hard to say. Most may not notice.

The Environmental Protection Agency. For a guy from Queens, Trump sure does like coal. He has pledged to roll back restrictions on mining and burning coal to generate electricity. He has also pledged to trash most other climate-change provisions enacted during the second half of the Obama Administration.

• Effect on consumers: A reversal in the trend towards clean energy, which itself produces many high-paying jobs. More pollution, adverse health effects. 

Automakers are hoping Trump will ease up on mileage standards, although last-minute moves by the Obamaites have locked in tough goals that won't be easy to undo.

• Effect on consumers: Allowing less efficient cars and trucks would cost consumers at the pump and might not save them much when buying or leasing a car. 

Automobile Safety. Trump hasn't said much about this, but the federal government has played an increasingly active role in policing the safety of cars and other vehicles. Most recently, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration stepped up safety recalls and imposed heavy fines on manufacturers while also developing new rules for self-driving cars.

Trump's Transportation Secretary-designate Elaine Chao hasn't said much about this either, preferring to talk about "infrastructure," which in Washington terms means the concrete and asphalt lobby.

• Effect on consumers: Better bridges and highways would be nice but smart self-driving cars could get more miles out of existing infrastructure, many experts think.

Healthcare.  Perhaps Trump's signature pledge is the repeal of the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. This is already underway but isn't likely to happen as fast as some might hope, mostly because no one quite knows what to do with the millions of people who rely on it for their health insurance.

• Effect on consumers: Uncertainty bordering on financial ruin for those unlucky enough to contract a serious illness or disability. Lack of health insurance also inhibits entrepreneurs, who are reluctant to quit their day job to start a new business and leave their families unprotected.

On the other hand, Trump may actually come up with something better. He recently proclaimed that "everyone" should be covered. If he finds a way to do that, even Obama has said he would support it.

Trump has also said drug prices are too high and has vowed to do something about it. He hasn't said just what it will be.

• Effect on consumers: Lower drug prices are an urgent necessity, especially for seniors and those with chronic conditions and orphan diseases. Anything Trump can do in this department will be a plus. 

Day Two

To be quite honest, this story is just your typical Washington thumb-sucker, something that fills up space on a day when nothing much is really happening beyond ceremonies, speechifying, and arm-waving.

Donald Trump's election, we're told, was partly a reaction against just such drivel so in the interests of public service and self-preservation we'll stop here and wait for Day Two to dawn. 

That's when things should really start to happen. Maybe. 

A skin cream used to treat cancer in people has been linked to five dog deaths, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The agency is warning pet owners who have this drug -- known as 5% Fluorouracil cream USP (or 5-FU) -- to use care while storing and using the topical medication.

The skin cancer cream is dangerous to pets in even the smallest amounts, the FDA warns. In one recent case, two dogs died after having simply punctured a tube of fluorouracil. Shortly thereafter, they began vomiting and having seizures. Twelve hours later, the pets died, reports NBC News.

Cats also at risk

Fluorouracil is a topical chemotherapy drug used to treat precancerous sun-damaged skin as well as some basal cell skin cancers, according to the American Cancer Society. It is also sold under the names Carac, Effudex, and Fluoroplex.

Although no reports of cats suffering adverse events after being exposed to the medication have surfaced, the FDA says felines are also likely to be extremely sensitive to the drug. While cats may be unlikely to sink their teeth into a tube of the medication, they can be poisoned in other ways.

For instance, if you apply the cream and then touch your cat, the cat may ingest the medication when grooming itself.

What to do

Pet owners who use Fluorouracil cream should take the following measures to keep pets safe:

• Store fluorouracil and all other medications where pets can't get to them.

• Safely discard or clean any cloth or applicator that may contain medication. Don't leave any residue of medication on hands, clothing, carpeting or furniture.

• If your pet is exposed to fluorouracil, contact a veterinarian immediately. If a pet shows signs of medication exposure such as vomiting, seizing, or other illness, seek immediate veterinary care and be sure to provide the details of the exposure.

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing is recalling a total of 543,326 vehicles with airbag inflator issues.

The recall includes model year 2012 Toyota 4Runner, Corolla, Corolla Matrix, Sienna, Yaris, Scion xB, Lexus ES350, GX460, IS-F, IS250, IS350, IS250C, IS350C, and Lexus LFA 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," Toyota is recalling model year 2009 Toyota Corolla, Corolla Matrix, Yaris, Yaris HB, Scion xB, Pontiac Vibe, Lexus, ES350, IS250, IS350, and IS-F 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," Toyota is recalling model year 2006-2008 Lexus IS250 and IS350, 2007-2008 Lexus ES350, Toyota Yaris, Yaris HB, and 2008 Lexus IS-F and Scion xB 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.

These vehicles are equipped with air bag 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 passenger front airbag, 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

Toyota will notify the Toyota, Scion and Lexus owners. General Motors will contact the Pontiac owners. Depending on the model, dealers will replace the passenger front airbag inflator or the airbag assembly, free of charge.

Interim letters informing owners that parts are not yet available are expected to begin January 30, 2017. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available.

Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331, or Pontiac customer service at 1-800-762-2737. Toyota's numbers for interim notification for this campaign are G1P (Toyota Zone A), G1R (Toyota Zone B), H1A (Toyota Zone C), G2G (Lexus Zone A), G2H (Lexus Zone B) and H2A (Lexus Zone C). Toyota's numbers for final remedy for this campaign are G0P (Toyota Zone A), G0R (Toyota Zone B), H0A (Toyota Zone C), GLG (Lexus Zone A), GLH (Lexus Zone B) and HLA (Lexus Zone C).