Current Events in February 2017

The ink had not yet dried on a judge's order fining airbag-maker Takata $1 billion for wire fraud when a class-action lawsuit was filed in Florida charging that Ford, Honda, Nissan, and Toyota had installed the defective airbags in cars for years while knowing they were dangerous.

“For over a decade, Takata lied to its customers about the safety and reliability of its ammonium nitrate-based airbag inflators,” said Acting Assistant U.S. Attorney General Blanco after a Detroit federal court judge imposed the fine Monday. “Takata abused the trust of both its customers and the public by allowing airbag inflators to be put in vehicles knowing that the inflators did not meet the required specifications."

The Florida lawsuit charges that it was not only Takata that knew of the hazards presented by the faulty airbag inflators. It alleged that automakers knew of the dangers but kept pressuring suppliers to keep costs down and continued using Takata airbags even though they knew they were prone to explode and spew deadly shrapnel into the passenger compartment.

At least eleven people have died in the U.S. and more than 100 have been injured by the airbags, and automakers have staged a massive recall of more than 70 million airbags in 42 million vehicles.

The Florida suit was filed by attorney Kevin Dean, who objected to the Takata plea deal and charged that documents filed with the court showed that automakers were not victims of a Takata cover-up but accomplices.

Judge George Caram Steeh approved the settlement anyway, saying that Dean's objections could be handled in a separate civil suit.

Honda strongly denied the allegations in the Florida suit, saying it "reasonably believed" they were safe. 

Commercially bred dogs and cats often exist in poor conditions, and many unadopted shelter animals are put to death each year. But a new ordinance may help to improve circumstances for companion animals on both sides of the equation.

San Francisco has reportedly joined the ranks of cities that have passed bans on the commercial sale of dogs and cats. On February 14, San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors passed an ordinance prohibiting retail stores from selling commercially bred dogs and cats.

Stores are instead encouraged to partner with animal shelters and rescue groups to display adoptable animals. But the new law, which also prohibits the sale of puppies and kittens under eight weeks old, doesn’t make it illegal to breed companion animals.

Prohibits retail sale

People can still legally breed dogs and cats, and San Franciscans can still purchase an animal directly from a breeder where they can “see the conditions in which the dogs or cats are bred or can confer with the breeder concerning those conditions.”

The unanimously-passed ordinance was introduced by District 4 Supervisor Katy Tang. In an editorial in the San Francisco Examiner, Tang wrote that the law is intended to reduce the number of dogs and cats who are killed in shelter facilities each year by decreasing the commercial demand for animals bred in puppy and kitten mills.

“Most animal lovers are horrified at the thought of keeping their beloved family pet in a dirty wire cage for a second -- let alone a week, month or even years," Tang wrote. "Yet, that is the fate of many animals at large-scale commercial breeding operations across the nation, including the mothers of many puppies and kittens sold in pet shops.” 

Stamping out puppy mills

Currently, there are no retail stores selling commercially bred dogs and cats in San Francisco. Tang lauded the city for its humane business practices while noting that the ordinance would help to uphold the city's commitment to animal welfare.

"This ordinance will serve as a deterrent, preventing a business from moving into San Francisco and selling animals from irresponsible mass-producing breeders that churn out puppies and kittens as if they were on an assembly line," Tang wrote.

In 2006, Albuquerque became the first city to pass a ban on the retail sale of commercially bred dogs and cats. Since then, other cities -- including Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston, San Diego, Los Angeles, Austin, and Las Vegas -- have passed similar legislations.

Using a garden stool in the shower sounds like a fairly innocent innovation, but it ended in death for Larry Stick, 61, of Adamstown, Pa. Now his widow is suing Safavieh, the manufacturer of the Isola garden stool.

Lori Stick said she got the idea of using the stool as a shower chair from a program on the cable network HGTV. But when she returned home on Dec. 9, 2015, she found her husband “lying dead on the floor of the shower, surrounded by blood,” according to a Courthouse News Service report.

The coroner's investigation found that Stick, who weighed 175 pounds, had apparently put his right knee on top of the stool while showering, causing the stool to collapse inward and puncturing his femoral artery with sharp ceramic shards.

The suit alleges that Safavieh was negligent in the design of the stool. She said there was no instruction manual or safety warning included with the stool and denied that using it in the shower did not amount to an unintended use. 

The suit was filed in the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas. It seeks punitive damages for wrongful death and product liability.

Consumers who want to travel to a particular destination for a visit usually have a finite amount of money they can, or will, spend on the trip. But depending on when they go, and where they go, the cost can vary quite a bit.

As we have reported, air fares go through significant fluctuation depending on when you book and when you schedule your travel. It turns out hotels are much the same way.

An airline flight has a certain number of seats and a hotel has a certain number of rooms. Once the departure or check-in date comes and goes, unsold seats and unbooked rooms yield nothing for the airlines and hotels.

Most bang for the travel buck

TripAdvisor has conducted an analysis of hotel rates, by date, in a wide range of international destinations. The information it has developed may be helpful to consumers trying to get the most bang for their travel buck.

"TripAdvisor hotel shopping data reveals that some destinations offer significant hotel value this year compared to last, including the Caribbean where hotel prices are down 8%, making it a perfect time for Americans to book a dream trip there." said Brooke Ferencsik, senior director of communications for TripAdvisor.

The Average Nightly Rate (ANR) for Caribbean destinations is $442. While it's a savings, there are destinations where the ANR isn't nearly as high. The analysis shows the ANR in Turkey is $109, down 14% from last year.

In Belize, you can stay for an average of $269 a night, 9% less than last year. In Asia, Taiwan's ANR is $138, a 12% discount from 2016. In Vietnam, it's $118, down 4% year-over-year.

'When' is also important

When you go is also important, price-wise. Combining ANR and average temperature for the destination, TripAdvisor says travelers within the U.S. will get the most out of their hotel budget by traveling in May, June, and September.

For travel to the UK, the best hotel values will be found in May, August, and October. For travel to Italy, going in April, October, and November provide the best value.

The study is based on TripAdvisor pricing data, looking at hotel check-ins from January to June 2017, then comparing it to the same period of 2016.

Are those eggs you're scrambling really from "free-range" chickens? What is a free-range chicken anyway? A federal appeals court has said it's not a question that requires a federal rule-making process. 

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday turned aside an appeal from the Animal Legal Defense Fund and Compassion Over Killing, which have been trying to get federal agencies to impose strict rules on how eggs should be labeled.

The groups say the lack of clear regulations is basically letting egg ranchers mislead consumers about the lifestyles of their hens. The groups have been trying since 2013 to get the feds to require that eggs cartons to be labeled as “free-range,” “cage-free,” or “eggs from caged hens.”

Various federal agencies, including the Food and Drug Administration, the Federal Tade Commission and the Agriculture Department, all have some jurisdiction in the matter but have traditionally enforced labeling on a case-by-case basis.

Sylvan scenes

The groups argued that egg carton labels feature images or phrases that suggest hens are raised outdoors with space to move freely when the hens are in fact raised in restrictive cages.

According to the groups, approximately 95 percent of hens spend their lives in cages with four or five other birds. The tight space prevents the hens from stretching their wings and raising their heads, and osteoporosis from lack of movement is common.

But the appeals court said the agencies had the authority to decide how to handle egg labeling.

“The decision to take enforcement action against misbranded eggs on a case-by-case basis, as opposed to promulgating regulations that would apply to all egg producers, is left to the broad discretion of the FDA,” wrote U.S. Circuit Judge Mary Murguia in the court’s 14-page opinion.

The animal rights groups said they would not give up.

“We are undeterred,” Animal Legal Defense Fund attorney Kelsey Eberly said. “We’re not going to let this loss hold us back.” She said the groups would continue to file lawsuits demanding action by the federal agencies.

Scientists are becoming increasingly concerned about the threat of super bugs – pathogens or bacteria that have developed antibiotic resistance that make them hard to treat. Last May, officials identified an E. coli strain that had such a resistance in Pennsylvania, and other cases have popped up around the country since then.

In response to the growing threat, the World Health Organization (WHO) has published its first ever list of “priority pathogens” covering 12 families of bacteria. The organization says that these particular pathogens present a clear danger to the public and warrant the most extensive research to find suitable treatments.

“This list is a new tool to ensure R&D; responds to urgent public health needs. Antibiotic resistance is growing, and we are fast running out of treatment options. If we leave it to market forces alone, the new antibiotics we most urgently need are not going to be developed in time,” warns Dr. Marie-Paule Kieny, WHO’s Assistant Director-General for Health Systems and Innovation.

Largest threats

WHO officials divided the list into three categories based on which pathogens were the most dangerous to the public. The “Priority 1 – Critical” group is made up of three bacteria that are resistant to several of our strongest antibiotics and pose the greatest threat to consumers in hospitals, nursing homes, and who use ventilators and blood catheters.

The “Priority 2 – High” group is made up of bacteria that are more common but are becoming more resistant to currently used antibiotics. It includes pathogens that cause diseases like salmonella. The last group, “Priority 3 – Medium” is made up of similar pathogens that WHO believe are slightly less threatening but still worrisome, such as bacteria that cause Pneumococcal Disease.

The full list of pathogens, along with their associated group and the antibiotics they are resistant to, can be seen below:

Towards a healthier tomorrow

WHO officials hope that their list will spur innovation and help create antibiotics that can mitigate the threat that these super bugs pose. Government officials and researchers from around the world have affirmed that targeting these bacteria should be a top priority.

“We need effective antibiotics for our health systems. We have to take joint action today for a healthier tomorrow,” stated Hermann Gröhe, Germany’s Federal Minister of Health.

“New antibiotics targeting this priority list of pathogens will help reduce deaths due to resistant infections around the world. Waiting any longer will cause further public health problems and dramatically impact on patient care,” added Professor Evelina Tacconelli, Head of the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of Tübingen.

The a short summary of the WHO report can be found here.

The financial crisis, which deepened an existing recession, was a major blow to the U.S. economy.

Since then, the nation has been on a slow path toward recovery. Today, many consumers are feeling a lot better than they did a few years ago. Baby Boomers, however, are among the least likely to feel that way.

A study commissioned by the Bankers Life Center for a Secure Retirement found only 2% of middle income Boomers think the economy has fully recovered. Sixty-five percent don't think they have benefited at all from the recovery.

And while nearly all the Boomers in the survey said they expect to retire one day, the study found a near universal adjustment to just what form retirement will take.

Savings and earnings have fallen

Here are a couple of reasons why: among the group saying it has not benefited from the recovery, more than half say their money in savings is less than before the crisis. Four out of ten say they are earning less money than they did a decade ago.

Back then, 45% of middle income Boomers said they expected to have no debt in retirement, living in a home with no mortgage. Today, only 34% have that expectation.

Boomers contemplating retirement are also planning to be more dependent on Social Security income. Ten years ago, 40% of Boomers said they expected their retirement savings would be their primary income source. Today, it's 34%.

It's no surprise, then, that many Boomers appear to be reconsidering plans to stop working. The study shows nearly half of Boomers -- 48% -- plan to expect to hold down a full or part-time job after they reach retirement age. Before the financial crisis, it was just 35%.

"Ten years ago, Baby Boomers had a clear vision of what a personally satisfying retirement looked like," said Scott Goldberg, president of Bankers Life. "But today, many are realizing they will not be as financially independent in retirement as they once expected."

What to do

If you are in your 50s or 60s, you don't have the luxury of a lot of time to build wealth for your golden years. But there are steps you can take now to become better prepared. They involve cutting expenses and increasing savings.

First, AARP suggests defining what you want retirement to be. And be specific. If you want to travel, for example, think about what kind of travel. And it should go without saying, you need to be practical.

Next, add up your assets, both financial and personal. If you have developed a skill over the years related to a favorite hobby, maybe that can be a source of income after you quit your day job.

Decide when you want to start collecting Social Security. The monthly payments will be a lot larger if you can put it off until age 70.

Analyze your budget, looking for ways to trim spending. Just a little each month can add up to growing savings.

Lakeview Cheese and Bashas’ Family of Stores are recalling various types of Colby cheese that may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

No illnesses have been reported to date.

The following nine Colby cheese products, including fixed-weight and bulk- cut, random-weight items, are being recalled:

The recalled products, manufactured by Guggisberg Cheese and by Deutsch Kase Haus, were distributed by Lakeview Cheese to Bashas’ Family of Stores, and sold in Bashas’ and Food City supermarkets’ Arizona meat departments under the grocery brands’ private label.

What to do

Customers who purchased the recalled products between September 1, 2016, and February 21, 2017, may return them to the place of purchase for a full refund.

Consumers with questions may call Bashas’ Family of Stores’ customer service department at 480-883-6131.

Takata has reportedly agreed to set up a fund to compensate victims of its faulty airbags, which have been blamed for 11 deaths and hundreds of injuries in the United States. The $125 million fund is part of a plea deal expected to be aired in a federal courtroom in Detroit on Monday.

More than 70 million of the defective airbags have been recalled because their inflator can explode and send deadly shrapnel into the passenger compartment.

The recall process has been seen as painstakingly slow by consumers, although regulators and automakers say they have been working as quickly as possible to remove and replace the defective units.

Last December, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued an order that set deadlines for when automakers must have replacement parts available for customers. 

“NHTSA is doing everything possible to make sure that there are no more preventable injuries or deaths because of these dangerous airbag inflators,” said then-NHTSA Administrator Dr. Mark Rosekind. “All vehicle owners should regularly check their vehicles for recalls at SaferCar.gov and go get them fixed at no cost as soon as replacement parts are available.”

It's not that easy, of course. Consumers and dealers alike have been frustrated by a lack of parts. Some automakers have asked dealers to make loaners available but most have not, leaving consumers with little choice but to drive around with a lethal explosive device just inches from their face. 

The fund is said to be similar to the one General Motors set up in 2014 to deal with the deaths and injuries that resulted from faulty ignition switches on some of its smaller sedans. Press reports in the Wall Street Journal and elsewhere say the fund will be administered by Kenneth Feinberg, who also ran the GM fund and handled compensation for victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

$1 billion total

The fund is part of what's expected to be $1 billion that Takata will pay as part of an agreement to plead guilty to criminal wire fraud for allegedly providing false safety reports to automakers. Much of the remaining amount will be used to reimburse automakers for the expenses they have incurred in conducting the recalls. 

Takata had earlier turned aside a plea by Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) that it establish a fund to compensate victims, saving them the expense and trauma of pursuing legal action against the company. He said Takata only agreed to the action "because they had a gun to their head."

Blumenthal noted that General Motors had set up its fund just months after recalling millions of cars with defective ignition switches, and he called the $125 million "paltry" compared with the automakers' fund.

Settling the court case is thought to be the last hurdle in Takata's attempt to find a buy for the troubled company, which would otherwise likely face bankruptcy.

The federal income deadline is closing in fast, but you still have time to make a contribution to your tax-deferred retirement account and have it count on your 2016 return.

This year, there's an added bonus many taxpayers can receive. It's called the Retirement Savings Contributions Credit.

Notice that it's a tax credit, not a simple deduction. A deduction is subtracted from your gross income. A credit is subtracted from the tax that you owe. Huge difference.

"Eligible taxpayers may be able to reduce their federal income tax by claiming the Saver's Credit, making it an important incentive to save for retirement in a 401(k), 403(b), IRA, or new myRA," said Catherine Collinson, president of the Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies. "Unfortunately, millions of Americans may be missing out on the Saver's Credit simply because they don't know that it exists."

In fact, a survey by the Transamerica Center found only a third of U.S. taxpayers are aware of the tax credit. Here's how it works:

How it works

The tax credit is applied to the first $2,000 of voluntary contributions an eligible worker makes to any eligible retirement funds, which can include a 401(k) at work or a simple IRA or even the new myRA.

A single taxpayer can get a maximum tax credit of $1,000 while it's $2,000 for married couples.

"The Saver's Credit is a tax credit above and beyond the advantage of tax-deferred savings," said Collinson. "Because this double benefit sounds too good to be true, many eligible savers may be actually confusing the two incentives."

Income eligibility

Only taxpayers whose Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) is below a certain level will qualify. For singles, the AGI ceiling is $30,750. It's $61,500 for those married and filing jointly.

You also have to file with the correct form. You can't use Form 1040EZ, also called "the short form." It has to be Form 1040, Form 1040A, or Form 1040NR. With that form you also need to fill out Form 8880.

You can figure out exactly how much of a credit you might receive by filling out Form 8880. You can download it here.

We think of indoor cats as leading a pampered and safe existence. But a new Swedish study finds indoor felines have high levels of brominated flame retardants in their bloodstream.

The study is important because it's not only cats who spend a lot of time exploring their homes and putting things in their mouths. Children do the same, researchers at Stockholm University noted.

"The brominated flame retardants that have been measured in cats are known endocrine disruptors. It's particularly serious when small children ingest these substances because exposure during the development can have consequences later in life, such as thyroid disease," said Jana Weiss of the university's Department of Environmental Science.

Dust to dust 

Brominated flame retardants are added to textiles, furniture, and electronic equipment to prevent the material from igniting, but they are seen as health hazards and some are suspected endocrine disruptors. A number of them have been prohibited in products like electronic goods. However, they are extremely persistent and can leach from the products for many years after they have been produced, ultimately becoming part of the dust that is eventualy inhaled by humans and household animals.

The Stockholm study is said to be the first to find evidence that household cats are exposed to the chemicals found in electronics and furniture. 

In a previous study, the researchers demonstrated that brominated flame retardants were found in higher concentrations in the blood of cats that had developed Feline hyperthyroidism compared to healthy cats. Now, new measurements of healthy cats establish their dust exposure. Paired samples were taken from the same household -- meaning that they took both dust samples and blood samples at the same time.

"By taking paired samples, we have greater insight into the environment that the cats live in. Moreover the cats in the study spent the majority of their time indoors and therefore air and dust in the home is expected to contribute more than the outdoor environment," Weiss said.

The study has been published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology.

Your smartphone is already equipped with the ability to let you know how much battery life it has left. Now, a new app called WakeMode can give it the ability to let you know how much battery you have left.

WakeMode, launching today, can evaluate your fatigue levels based on the quality and amount of sleep you got the night before. Beyond helping users keeping tabs on their “internal battery level,” WakeMode provides tips on how to boost your energy throughout the day and get better sleep at night.

Its sleep evaluation technology was developed by SleepRate, a medical tech sleep solution company. The company claims its sleep monitoring technology has an edge over other sleep trackers because it uses machine learning to create individualized sleep improvement plans.

Fatigue analysis

The app initially uses motion and heart rate to get a feel for your sleep patterns, then it gets to work creating a personalized sleep improvement program. Keeping the app in the loop regarding your sleeping habits and activities, such as when you napped or how much alcohol you drank, boosts the accuracy of its fatigue analysis.

Armed with an accurate sleep analysis and actionable fatigue-fighting tips, users can combat any obstacles standing in their way of getting a good night’s sleep.

“With SleepRate, we gave our users the opportunity to learn about and improve their sleep patterns, but we also wanted to give them a way to be more engaged and understand how better sleep could affect their lives,” said SleepRate CEO and founder, Dr. Anda Baharav.

“WakeMode enables users everywhere to actually see how their sleep habits affect their day and encourages them to commit to an actual lifestyle change in order to improve their sleep habits and alertness during the day.”

Energy updates

The app, which evaluates your fatigue levels on a number scale, aims to keep users perky throughout the day by pinpointing opportunities for fatigue regulation.

Certain times may call for a caffeinated beverage while others may require a nap. To combat a very low internal battery, the app may suggest heading to bed to replenish your battery. Customizable notifications indicate critical fatigue levels and optimal bedtimes.

WakeMode (available for Android or iOS) is also equipped with social sharing, so users can receive motivation from their friends and family.

The airline industry has gone through some changes as of late, the most notable being the inclusion of a “basic economy fare.” While Southwest recently derided the fare as being a “huge mistake,”  companies like Delta, United, and American Airlines have all jumped on the bandwagon.

Now, American has announced an update to its boarding process that will take the new fare into account. The company says that starting March 1, boarding groups will no longer be called by their current name. Instead, travelers will now board as part of a group ranging from Group 1 to Group 9.

The changes may spark some confusion amongst travelers, who are used to the airline only using four groups to designate main boarding lanes. Now, however, groups 1-4 designate priority boarding lanes, while groups 5-9 represent main boarding lanes. Basic Economy travelers will board as part of Group 9.

The full boarding lineup can be viewed below:

There are quite a few science-backed health benefits to getting a daily dose of nature. Taking a walk in the woods (a Japanese custom called “forest bathing”) has been shown to lower stress levels and boost well-being, while gardening has been linked to a number of physical and mental health benefits.

Now, a new study finds that bird watching can have a positive effect on mental health. Researchers in Great Britain found that people who can watch birds from their homes have a lower risk for depression, stress, and anxiety compared to people who live in less leafy areas with fewer birds.

The researchers also found that people reported higher levels of depression and anxiety when they had to spend more time indoors than usual in the previous week.

"This study starts to unpick the role that some key components of nature play for our mental well-being,” said lead researcher Dr. Daniel Cox from the University of Exeter. “Birds around the home, and nature in general, show great promise in preventative health care, making cities healthier, happier places to live."

Afternoon hours

Compared with those who lived in areas with limited bird activity, participants who resided in neighborhoods where they could see birds and greenery around their home were found to have lower levels of stress and depression.

Having the ability to watch birds in the afternoon, specifically, was found to have the greatest stress-reducing effect. Afternoon bird numbers were studied because they are typically lower, the researchers say, which is more in line with the number of birds that people are likely to see in their neighborhood on a daily basis.

Several common types of birds -- including robins, crows, and others -- were included in the study. However, the researchers did not find a correlation between bird species and mental health.

Instead, it was the number of birds that mattered. Watching birds of any species was found to help people relax and feel more connected to nature.

The full study has been published in BioScience.

What's the latest mobile device that's got everyone's attention? It doesn't have a lightning fast microprocessor or HD screen.

But it makes phone calls and sends text messages, along with a handful of other things a smartphone might do.

Nokia has introduced a new phone that's old. CNET, which is covering the Mobile World Congress, says the Nokia 3310 is causing quite a stir in the tech world. It's a remake of the classic "candy bar" phone that Nokia launched around 2000, when the iPhone was just a glimmer in Steve Jobs' eye.

'Modern classic reimagined'

On its website, Nokia calls the 3310 "a modern classic reimagined." At first glance, the lines of the phone are familiar, with a smooth, iconic silhouette. It has a larger screen than the original, but it only takes up about half the phone.

"The custom designed user interface brings a fresh look to a classic, whilst the 2.4” polarized and curved screen window makes for better readability in sunlight," the company said.

Nokia's short video clip (below) demonstrating the phone has gone viral, with nearly 1.8 million views on YouTube at last count.

Month-long battery charge

While your smartphone battery may have to be recharged daily after running countless apps, Nokia says the battery charge on the 3310 should be good for an entire month.

When Steve Jobs introduced the iPhone in 2007, he envisioned the device as a replacement for the PC, designing it to be used like a computer. According to Jobs, a keyboard or keypad should not be taking up half the device since it is rarely needed.

The Nokia 3310 is several steps back from that, going back to the future, when life was simpler and so were phones. But nostalgia may not be the only reason this throwback phone has attracted attention.

Attractive price

While the latest smartphones with all the bells and whistles can cost north of $700, the Nokia 3310 sells for 49 euro, translating into a little less than $52. And there are a couple of upgrades -- Gameloft has updated the original Snake game.

Nokia obviously believes it has a winner on its hands. It originally aimed the phone at developing countries, where many consumers still use old-school cell phones.

But it might also find a market in the U.S., especially among consumers who feel they don't have to be immediately responsive to the latest email from the office. If it's really important, they'll call, won't they?

Researchers have been making headway in the fight against neurodegenerative diseases. Back in December, scientists at Oregon Health & Science University discovered a connection between a certain brain protein and Alzheimer’s disease. And, earlier this month, Dr. Carlos Saura found a potential therapeutic target that could reverse memory loss.

This growing body of research greatly enhances understanding of conditions like Alzheimer’s and dementia, and now researchers from Boston University will be adding to it. In a recent study, they found that prolonged sleep duration could be an early indicator of neurodegeneration and dementia.

“Prolonged sleep duration may be a marker of early neurodegeneration and hence a useful clinical tool to identify those at higher risk of progressing to clinical dementia within 10 years,” the researchers said.

Transition to prolonged sleeping could mean trouble

The conclusion was reached after researchers analyzed 234 cases of all-cause dementia over a 10-year period. The researchers monitored participants’ sleeping patterns and found that those who transitioned to sleeping over 9 hours per night were twice as likely to develop dementia 10 years later.

In an interview with MedicalResearch.com, researcher Matthew P. Pase says that sleeping disturbances are common amongst those who have dementia. However, he says that people who have always slept for longer periods may not necessarily be in trouble.

“We also examined participants’ past sleeping habits and found that persons who consistently slept for over 9 hours each night did not display increased risk of dementia. In contrast, persons who recently transitioned to becoming long sleepers displayed an increased risk of dementia,” he said.

Consumers who slept for slept for shorter periods of time (under six hours per night) were not found to have any significantly increased risk of dementia.

Warning sign, not a cause

Pase explains that transitioning to longer sleeping periods is the result of brain changes that begin early on in dementia. It’s important to note that excessive sleeping is a marker of the disease and not necessarily a cause, so consumers should not try to alter their sleep cycles to counteract the threat.

“Interventions to restrict sleep duration are unlikely to reduce the risk of dementia. Rather, screening for sleeping problems may aid in the early detection of cognitive impairment and dementia. Older persons recently reporting becoming excessive sleepers who also complain of problems with thinking or memory may warrant assessment and monitoring,” Pase said.

The full study has been published in the journal Neurology.

Get ready to order your burgers and fries at Wendy's using a kiosk. The Ohio-based fast food company has disclosed it plans to install ordering kiosks at 1,000 locations by the end of the year.

According to the Columbus Dispatch, David Trimm, Wendy's chief information officer, revealed the kiosk plan last week to investors. Trimm says the push for the machines is coming from franchise owners, who view them as a way to cut labor costs and improve customer service.

Wendy's and Burger King are two fast food franchises that normally have customers form a single line, with often just one cashier taking orders. Trimm says the plan is to install three ordering kiosks in each store, with more allotted for high-traffic locations.

Can still order at the counter

While the company acknowledges the ordering kiosks are mostly preferred by younger customers. For older customers who don't like the machines, Wendy's says there will still be the option of ordering at the counter.

Wendy's is far from the first food service business to embrace ordering kiosks. McDonald's has been experimenting with the concept, especially in Europe, and has signaled it's a direction it plans to take.

Investor's Business Daily noted nearly a year ago that Wendy's has been among the most enthusiastic about the technology. It noted that many of the company's franchise-operated stores are in California, where the minimum wage has risen to $10 an hour and is on track to reach $15.

Growing trend

If you've been to a Panera Bread lately, you know that the fast-casual chain has already installed ordering kiosks at many of its locations, even though it is still taking orders at the counter.

"If you're making labor more expensive, and automation less expensive — this is not rocket science," Andy Puzder, the CEO of Carl's Jr. and Hardee's, told Business Insider last year.

You'll remember that Puzder was President Trump's first choice for Labor Secretary, but bowed out under pressure, in part for his gleeful embrace of labor-saving technology.

In 2014, after the Obama White House proposed a jump in the minimum wage, Puzder penned an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal warning the move would speed up the automation process in the restaurant industry.

Interest rates are on the rise. In the latest report from the Mortgage Bankers' Association, the average rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rose slightly in mid-February to 4.36%. For many people that seems high, since rates have bounced between 3.5% and 4.0% over the last few years.

But exactly how much will rising mortgage rates affect your monthly payment if you buy a home in the next few months? We'll do some math to find out, using two 30-year fixed-rate mortgages -- one for $150,000 and one for $250,000.

If you were fortunate enough to lock in a rate late last year, you might have gotten a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage at 3.8%.

Last November, if you had gotten that 3.8% rate on a mortgage of $150,000, the principal and interest would be $699 a month. On a $250,000 mortgage the principal and interest is $1,165.

These numbers don't include tax and insurance, which are normally rolled into the monthly payment, meaning the actual payment could be $200 to $300 higher. But for comparison purposes, we'll focus solely on principal and interest (PI).

Payments at today's rate

So what does the most recent average rate of 4.36% do to PI in both scenarios? On the $150,000 loan, the PI is $748, an increase of $49 a month from last fall. For the $250,000 mortgage, the new PI is $1,246, an increase of $81.

But the forecast is for mortgage rates to keep climbing, so let's check the payment when it reaches 5%. On the $150,000 mortgage the PI is $805, up another $57. On the $250,000 loan, the PI is now $1,342, up another $96.

Now the $150,000 loan is $106 more a month than if you had locked in during November and the $250,000 mortgage adds $177 to the monthly payment.

Payments at 6%

But might mortgage rates go even higher? They could. After all, during the housing boom rates were around 6%. So what happens to our two monthly payment if rates go up another full point?

The PI on the $150,000 loan is now $899, compared to $748 this month. The PI on a $250,000 mortgage would be $1499, compared to $1,246.

Erin Lantz, vice president of mortgages for Zillow Group, says low rates were a big reason the housing market was able to recover after the crash. But when rates go up, he says buyers will undoubtedly feel the effects.

"As rates rise this year, first-time buyers and those looking to buy in expensive markets where affordability is already an issue will feel the pinch of higher rates on their budget," Lantz said.

And rates aren't the only thing increasing the monthly payment. As home values continue to rise, so will the amount that needs to be financed, presenting buyers with a double whammy when it comes to affordability.