News in June 2017

If you carry a balance on your credit cards, it's costing you more to do so. The average rate on 100 popular credit cards has risen to 16%, a record since CreditCards.com has been tracking the average.

The average rate on cards promoted as "low interest" cards is 12.83%, up from 12.09% six months ago.

The rate on cards issued to consumers with "bad credit" rose to 23.4%, from 22.95% six months ago.

The average rate on cash back rewards cards this week is 16.17%, having risen from 15.43% six months ago.

Rates will probably keep going up

The bad news for consumers carrying a credit card balance is those rates are probably going to continue going higher. Since the financial crisis, credit card interest rates have remained fairly stable because they are tied to the Federal Funds Rate, the key interest rate controlled by the Federal Reserve.

At the end of 2008, the Fed dropped that rate to near zero and kept it there for years, in hopes it would help the economy recover. Consumers with credit card balances have gotten accustomed to the interest rate they've been paying the last several years.

The Fed now appears to be ready to "normalize" that interest rate and raised it twice so far in 2017. That's going to have the effect of nudging credit card interest rates higher.

June 14th rate hike

CreditCards.com says this week's average rate increase was tied to the Fed's June 14 rate hike. Since then, several card companies have increased rates by the same amount, including Citi, American Express and US Bank.

The current interest rate environment may make it prudent to transfer a credit card balance to a card offering an introductory period of 0% interest, so that 100% of the monthly payment goes to paying down the principal.

The good news, says the CreditCards.com report, is the average length of interest-free balance transfer offers has increased slightly in the last week.

You can learn more about balance transfer options here.

Parents have been told repeatedly not to leave young children in a hot car, and most by now have gotten the message.

So the mother of four month-old Owen France was very concerned when their United Airlines flight was delayed on the tarmac Thursday afternoon at Denver International Airport and the cabin temperature began to spike.

The child's mother, Emily France, said her son's body temperature rapidly rose to the point that he became overheated. During the nearly two-hour delay, she told the Denver Post it got worse.

"I really thought my son was going to die in my arms," she told the newspaper.

United's response

In a statement issued to NBC News, United said the plane returned to the gate and was met by paramedics, who rushed the baby to a hospital, where he was treated and released.

"This should never have happened,” the airline told NBC News. “We are profoundly sorry to our customer and her child for the experience they endured. We are actively looking into what happened to prevent this from occurring again.”

Tarmac delays are not uncommon, though federal regulations impose penalties on airlines when they extend beyond a certain length of time. The consumer group FlyersRights.org says if a boarded aircraft remains on the tarmac for three hours without taking off, it must return to the gate and allow passengers to get off if they desire.

After two hours, the airline must offer stranded passengers water and food. At all times, the group says, the airline must provide working lavatories and appropriate medical care.

Why so hot?

Why does it get so hot on a plane when it's sitting on the tarmac? Part of the problem, The Economist notes, is that the U.S. tarmac rule does not set any requirement for maintaining cabin temperature during delays.

While most commercial aircraft are able to maintain some level of air conditioning without the main engines running, the air output apparently is not as strong as when the plane is in the air.

If the outside temperature is unusually high, as was the case in Denver this week, the auxiliary power often can't offset the extreme outside temperature.

Increases in personal dividend income and salaries sent overall personal incomes rising by $67.1 billion or 0.4% in May according to figures released by the Commerce Department.

Disposable personal income (DPI) -- what's left after taxes are taken out -- jumped 0.5% or $71.7 billion.

Personal consumption expenditures (PCE), meanwhile, inched up 0.1% or $7.3 billion, due largely to spending for services -- specifically electricity and gas.

Personal saving came to $791.0 billion in last month, up $62.2 billion from April's revised total of $728.8 billion. That pushed the personal saving rate -- personal saving as a percentage of disposable personal income -- to 5.5% from 5.1% the month before.

The complete report is available on the Commerce Department website.

Back in March, U.S. officials announced a laptop ban on certain flights originating from 10 airports in eight countries, a measure meant to address the threat of in-flight bombs being smuggled in electronics.

The new rule was met with an outcry from all corners and did little to ease tensions between the U.S. and foreign countries. But in an announcement yesterday, Secretary of Homeland Security John F. Kelly proposed a new set of security measures that will roll back the restriction, according to a Reuters report.

“We cannot play international whack-a-mole with each new threat. Instead, we must put in place new measures across the board to keep the traveling public safe and make it harder for terrorists to succeed,” he said.

“Today I am announcing a first step toward this goal by requiring new security measures to be applied to all commercial flights coming into the United States. These measures will be both seen and unseen, and they will be phased in over time.”

Increasing security protocols

The new security measures include increased security protocols around aircraft and in passenger areas, expanded canine screening, closer inspection of electronic devices, and additional checkpoints where travelers will need to be cleared before departure.

The new measures would apply to 180 airlines in 280 airports from 105 countries, affecting nearly 325,000 airline passengers on 2,100 commercial flights arriving in the United States daily. U.S. officials say that airlines have 21 days to implement explosive trace detection screening and 120 days to comply with all the other proposed changes.

Kelly said that airlines that do not meet the new security requirements could still face in-cabin electronics bans, but at the same time he expressed confidence that 99% of airlines would comply.

Additionally, officials stated that the 10 countries currently subject to an electronics ban can be removed from that category if they meet the new requirements, but they did not say how long that process might take.

More changes coming

While travelers, especially those who pay for business class seats, may be relieved at the lifting of the electronics ban, industry trade groups have spoken out against the Department of Homeland Security for not working more closely with them in crafting the new policies.

“The development of the security directive should have been subject to a greater degree of collaboration and coordination to avoid the significant operational disruptions and unnecessarily frustrating consequences for the traveling public that appear likely to happen,” said Nicholas E. Calio, Chief Executive of the trade group Airlines for America (A4A).

However, it’s likely that the agency and trade groups will have ample opportunity to work together going forward. In his announcement, Kelly said that these changes are only among the first that will be implemented, with short-term, medium-term, and longer-term improvements slated to take effect over the next year.

They permeate our lives and vanities, but personal care products often bypass safety checks. As a result, a new study finds there has been an increase in the number of reported side effects from cosmetic products in recent years.

From 2015 to 2016, complaints of adverse health events related to cosmetic and personal care products more than doubled. Overall, there were a total of 5,144 adverse events -- however, that number may not be entirely accurate. Researchers suspect many events go unreported.

Hair care products, skin care products, and tattoos were the biggest offenders, according to the analysis, with the most common complaints being hair loss or breakage and local skin irritation. But other serious injuries, including hospitalization and death, were also reported.

Largely self-regulated

What’s behind the sudden increase in the number of reported adverse events? Most likely the FDA’s investigation of WEN hair products in 2014, the researchers say.

At that time, the FDA had received only 127 complaints of hair and scalp problems related to the WEN by Chaz Dean Cleansing Conditioners. But once the investigation was underway, the agency discovered the manufacturer had received about 21,000 consumer complaints.

The self-regulatory nature of the cosmetic industry makes it harder for the FDA to get harmful cosmetics off the shelves, explained the study's lead author Dr. Steven Xu.

A personal care product can land a spot on store shelves without permission from the FDA -- no pre-approval required. And since manufacturers aren’t legally required to report adverse health events to the FDA, unsafe products often remain on the market.

What to do

In an interview with Fortune, Xu said he’s not saying we need clinical trials for every cosmetic product. “I’m not an alarmist. The message isn’t, ‘cosmetics are unsafe, throw away your shampoos and conditioners.’”

“But our system is very reactionary,” he said. “This is problematic, especially for new product classes, such as cell therapy or skin lightening creams, which don’t need approval before entering the market.”

The point of the paper, said Xu, is to highlight the need for better data and reporting of health complaints.

The FDA encourages consumers to report any adverse events stemming from cosmetic or personal care products. Additionally, consumers should read labels and be sure to use caution when trying a new product.

The full study is published in the journal JAMA International Medicine.

One of the great things about the internet is that it caters to all kinds of people, but unfortunately that also means that it’s open to people who won’t bat an eye when it comes to spewing hateful or vitriolic rhetoric.

However, users of the popular photo-sharing site Instagram should be seeing less of these offensive comments going forward. In a blog post, Instagram CEO and co-founder Kevin Systrom said that the company is rolling out two new tools on the site to filter out offensive and spam comments.

“Today, we’re introducing two new tools to help keep Instagram a safe place for self-expression – a filter to block certain offensive comments and a spam filter in nine languages,” he said.  “These tools are the next step in our commitment to foster kind, inclusive communities on Instagram.”

Filtering out offensive and spam comments

Systrom says that the comment filter is intended to stop toxic messages that prevent Instagram users from freely expressing themselves on the site. It is designed for both posts and live videos, but users are reminded that they can still report, delete, or turn off comments if they so choose.

The filter can also be turned off completely by clicking on the settings menu from a user’s profile and tapping the “Comments” section. The tool will launch first in English but will be adopted for other languages over time.

The other tool that Instagram is rolling out – the spam filter – is designed to automatically remove spam comments posted on photos and live videos. Systrom says the tool is available in English, Spanish, Portugese, Arabic, Frech, German, Russian, Japanese, and Chinese.

“Powered by machine learning, today’s filters are our latest tools to keep Instagram a safe place. Our team has been training our systems for some time to recognize certain types of offensive and spammy comments so you never have to see them,” the CEO said.

More consumers will take to the nation's highways over the Independence Day holiday period, and when they do they'll find gas prices lower than they were last year.

Nationwide, the AAA Fuel Gauge Survey shows the average price of self-serve regular is $2.24 a gallon, down four cents from last week and five cents less than this time a year ago.

The national average price of premium gas is $2.79 a gallon, in line with where it was a year ago. The price of diesel, at an average of $2.44 a gallon, is actually seven cents higher than a year ago.

Cheaper than 50 years ago

To put today's gasoline price in perspective, the national average gasoline price in 1967, 50 years ago, was 33 cents a gallon. Yes, that sounds cheap, but adjusted for inflation, that's the equivalent of $2.45 today. So today's gas price is actually cheaper than it was 50 years ago.

Travelers in the Western states will continue to pay the most for gasoline, but even in California, the statewide average price of regular gas is back below the $3 a gallon mark. The California price of regular is down 16 cents a gallon in the last month.

The cheapest gas is still found in the Southeast. Five states today have average prices of regular gas below the $2 a gallon mark, led by South Carolina with an average price of $1.91 a gallon.

AAA attributes the favorable fuel environment to record refinery rates, high gasoline and crude inventory, and slightly lower demand this year. At the same time, Wall Street's hopes for rising oil prices are fading.

The price of oil has not been able to remain north of $50 a barrel for any length of time before American shale producers increase supplies to the point that the price falls again.

Dangerous day

While there is good news for motorists when it comes to gasoline, a study by Geotab -- a GPS vehicle tracking company -- provides some sobering commentary. It says July 4th is officially the most dangerous day of the year to drive in the U.S.

After analyzing the fatality and traffic data over a 10-year period, it was able to break down traffic deaths by day. Dates around holidays where alcohol consumption is prevalent have a significantly higher Fatal Crash Rate (FCR) than other days in the year.

Of those national celebrations, July 4th has an average of 119 deadly crashes over a 10-year period and a Fatal Crash Rate of 14.9, giving it the dubious distinction of being the most dangerous day to be on the road.

Growth in the economy hasn't slowed as much as initially believed.

In it third look at how the economy was doing in the first quarter, the Commerce Department reports real gross domestic product (GDP) -- the value of the goods and services produced by the nation’s economy -- grew at an annual rate of 1.4%.

The estimate released a month ago showed a rate of 1.2%. By way of comparison, GDP expanded at a 2.1% rate in the final three months of 2016.

The latest estimate, based on more complete source data than were available earlier, shows stronger growth in personal consumption expenditures -- consumer spending -- and exports. Still, the general picture of economic growth is little changed.

Corporate profits during the three-month period plunged $48.4 billion following a $11.2 billion increase in the fourth quarter.

The complete report is available on the Commerce Department website.

Jobless claims

From the Labor Department (DOL), word that more people were applying for first-time state unemployment benefits last week.

Initial jobless claims in the week ending June 24, totaled a seasonally adjusted 244,000 -- up 2,000 from the week before, which was revised upward by 1,000.

The 4-week moving average, on the other hand, fell by 2,750 to 242,250. This reading is seen by many economists as a better gauge of the labor market due to its relative lack of volatility.

The full report may be found on the DOL website.

H-E-B is recalling H-E-B Creamy Creations Cherry Vanilla Light Churn Style Half-Gallon Ice Cream from five of its stores.

The product may contain a nut allergen not declared on the label.

There have been no reported illnesses related to this recall.

The recall is isolated to five stores: Carrizo Springs, Crystal City, Eagle Pass #2, Lytle and Pearsall.

The recall affects a single lot code dated SELL BY OCT 19 17 ENJOY BY NOV 18 17 with a time stamp of 13:48, 13:49, 13:50, 13:51, 13:52, 13:53, 13:54, 13:55, 13:56, 13:57, or 13:58.

What to do

Customers who purchased the recalled product may return it to the store for a full refund.

Consumers with questions or concerns may contact H-E-B Customer Service at 1-855-432-4438.

Hampton Farms is expanding its earlier recall to include Ava’s Organic Roasted Unsalted Cashews and Ava’s Organic Roasted Unsalted Almonds distributed only in New Jersey.

The products may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

No confirmed illnesses have been reported to date.

The following products are included in the expanded recall:

Ava’s 8 oz. Organic Roasted Unsalted Cashews
UPC 8-10111-01036-8
Lot# 11817 Exp 4/28/18
Lot# 12617 Exp 5/1/18
Lot#15917 Exp 6/5/18

Ava’s 8 oz. Organic Roasted Unsalted Almonds
UPC 8-10111-01032-0
Lot#10217 Exp 4/10/18

All told, fewer than 650 units of Ava’s brand Organic Roasted Unsalted Cashews and Organic Roasted Unsalted Almonds products were offered for retail sale in New Jersey.

What to do

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

Consumers with questions may contact Hampton Farms Monday through Friday from 8am to 4pm (EST) at 413-732-4193, press 0.

A "geolocation privacy" bill that earlier was approved by the state Senate has won passage in the Illinois House of Representatives and is on its way to the governor. The bill would give consumers the right to opt out of having their location tracked by online services.

Although legally binding only in Illinois, the measure would likely result in sites adopting the practice nationwide, although Gov. Bruce Rauner (R) has not said whether he will sign the measure.  

The Geolocation Privacy Protection Act would require websites to add text to a pop-up box that appears when consumers use a mobile app or service for the first time. The additional text would inform users that their location data will be collected, used, or disclosed, and for what purposes – and users would then be asked for their permission.

“This is common sense legislation that simply requires companies to let you know before using and sharing the geolocation data they collect when tracking your whereabouts," said Rep. Ann Williams (D-Chicago), the bill's chief sponsor in the House. "We believe people have a right to know who has their information and how they plan to use it.”

Consumers queasy 

Studies show consumers are growing less likely to extend their trust to online services. A recent survey revealed that more than 94 percent of Illinois residents disapprove of corporations collecting, sharing, or selling personal data without their consent, yet companies do this constantly and without transparency, backers of the measure said.

Dozens of tech startups, enterprise software companies, and web development shops around Illinois supported the bill, saying it is necessary for the protection of citizens’ privacy rights and critical for ensuring consumer trust in their industry.

“Enhancing consumers' privacy by making data collection practices more transparent will not hamper the ability for small businesses and tech startups in Illinois to thrive – in fact, it will do just the opposite,” said Derek Eder, partner at DataMade, co-founder of Open City, and leader of Chi Hack Night.

Groups supporting the measure include the Digital Privacy Alliance, American Civil Liberties Union, Center for Democracy & Technology, Illinois PIRG, Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation, Cook County Sheriff’s Office, and Illinois Attorney General’s office.

Higher education may not be for everyone, but a new study shows that young people from less privileged backgrounds are much more likely than their more affluent peers to make the decision to not apply to college.

Researchers from the UCL Institute of Education (IOE) surveyed young people between the ages of 14 and 20 and analyzed how their expectations for attending a college or university changed over time. They found that socioeconomic background played a significant part in the decision.

Lead researcher Dr. Jake Anders said that targeting interventions for young people between the ages of 14 and 17 may allow more students from poorer backgrounds to attend college.

"These findings suggest that part of the socioeconomic difference in university applications has its roots during the period when potential applicants are aged between 14 and 17 and, as such, it's not too late to target policies at this age group to try and narrow the gap,” he said.

Providing interventions

The results of the study showed that compared to the most advantaged fifth of young people, the least advantaged fifth was twice as likely to change their minds about attending college – with many of them switching their “likely to apply” answer on the survey to “unlikely to apply.”

Anders points out that age 16 is a particularly important time for this decision, since varying success on school exams can raise or lower college expectations.

"Sixteen could…be a key age for interventions. This is a difficult point in time to reach young people as many move between educational institutions or leave full time education altogether. However, it may be the case that providing fresh guidance in the light of exam results could play an important part in ensuring young people get the right educational message," he said.

But while age 16 may be an age to focus on, Anders says that earlier intervention may also be necessary to establish early expectations. "Intervening early to maintain expectations, rather than attempting to raise them later, is more likely to be successful as this will ensure individuals engage in steps that keep them on track to be in a position to apply for university,” he said.

The full study has been published in the Oxford Review of Education.

At the mid-point of 2017, analysts at real estate marketplace Trulia paint a grim picture for first-time homebuyers, as prices continue to rise and inventories of available homes shrink.

In a report, the Trulia analysts also make this interesting point: rising prices are making the housing shortage worse, and this is hitting first-time homebuyers especially hard.

If you are a first-time homebuyer, it stands to reason that you are currently renting. With rents also rising dramatically, that makes it that much harder to save for a down payment.

Once you have the down payment in hand, the next problem is finding a house. The Trulia report says in markets where prices have risen fastest, inventory levels have fallen fastest.

Fewer starter homes

And while inventory levels are down nationwide, Trulia reports levels have fallen the most in the starter home category, favored by most first-time buyers.

The number of starter homes on the market dropped by 8.7% in the first quarter of 2017. The percentage of starter homes on the market went from 26.1% to 25.9%. If you are looking for a starter home, Trulia says you will have to pay 2.9% more of your income towards a home purchase than last year.

Between April and June, the number of available homes in all categories fell 8.9% nationally year-over-year. Inventory levels have shrunk for a record nine straight quarters and are 20% lower than they were five years ago.

"As inventory continues shrink, the few homes that are available are flying off the market within a couple of months," said Trulia Chief Economists Ralph McLaughlin. "In the tightest markets in California, only one in four homes are still on the market after two months. Clearly, this spring is not bringing the inventory relief buyers so desperately need."

Growing unaffordability

This trend is hitting first-time buyers especially hard. The drop in starter and trade-up home inventory is pushing prices higher, and in some cases that's making a home unaffordable for some buyers.

The reason for the shrinking inventory is not a simple one. On one hand, home builders simply aren't producing enough new starter homes to meet demand. More expensive homes, in the move-up and premium categories, provide a higher profit margin so in many cases, that's what gets built.

Trulia also says there is evidence that investors who purchased much of the foreclosure inventory after the housing crash have effectively removed it from the marketplace, converting it to rental housing.

What to do

McLaughlin says that means buyers in today's market must be nimble. They need to work with a good real estate agent and get pre-approved for a mortgage, so they know their price range.

When they find a house they like, they need to move fast, be flexible with sellers' timelines, and be prepared to make multiple offers.

Supply shortages and higher metro area home prices are being blamed for a third consecutive decline in pending home sales.

Figures released by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) show the Pending Home Sales Index (PHSI), which is based on contract signings, was down 0.8% in May.

It now stands 1.7% below the same month last year, marking the second straight year-over-year decline.

"Monthly closings have recently been oscillating back and forth, but this third consecutive decline in contract activity implies a possible topping off in sales," said NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun. "Buyer interest is solid, but there is just not enough supply to satisfy demand. Prospective buyers are being sidelined by both limited choices and home prices that are climbing too fast."

Yun says the lower prices ranges are the markets that are hardest hit by housing shortages. Sales of homes during May under $100,000 were down 7.2% from last year and those between $100,000 and $250,000 rose just 2%.

"The lack of listings in the affordable price range are creating lopsided conditions in many areas where investors and repeat buyers with larger down payments are making up a bulk of the sales activity," said Yun. "Meanwhile, many prospective first-time buyers can't catch a break. Prices are going up and there's intense competition for the homes they're financially able to purchase."

Sales by region

• The PHSI in the Northeast dipped 0.8% in May, but was 3.1% higher than they were a year earlier.
• In the Midwest the index was unchanged from April, and is down 2.8% from May 2016.
• Pending home sales in the South fell 1.2% and are now 1.4% the same month the year before.
• The index in the West was down 1.3%, and is now 4.5% below a year ago.  

Mortgage applications moved lower last week after rising for three weeks in a row.

The Mortgage Bankers Association reports applications dropped 6.2% in the week ending June 23.

The Refinance Index plunged 9% sending the refinance share of mortgage activity down to 45.6% of total applications from 46.6% the week before.

The adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) share of activity fell to 7.0% of total applications the FHA share inched up to 10.3% from 10.1% a week earlier, the VA share dropped to 10.3% from 10.4% and the USDA share of total applications was unchanged at 0.7%.

Contract interest rates

• The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages (FRMs) with conforming loan balances ($424,100 or less) was unchanged at 4.13%, with points decreasing to 0.32 from 0.34 (including the origination fee) for 80 % loan-to-value ratio (LTV) loans. The effective rate was unchanged from last week.
• The average contract interest rate for 30-year FRMs with jumbo loan balances (greater than $424,100) inched up one basis point -- to 4.09% from 4.08%, with points decreasing to 0.20 from 0.30 (including the origination fee) for 80% LTV loans. The effective rate decreased from last week.
• The average contract interest rate for 30-year FRMs backed by the FHA dipped to 4.02% from 4.04%, with points increasing to 0.41 from 0.35 (including the origination fee) for 80% LTV loans. The effective rate held steady.
• The average contract interest rate for 15-year FRMs was down one basis point to 3.39%, with points decreasing to 0.33 from 0.38 (including the origination fee) for 80% LTV loans. The effective rate decreased from last week.
• The average contract interest rate for 5/1 ARMs rose to 3.31% from 3.26%, with points increasing to 0.25 from 0.22 (including the origination fee) for 80% LTV loans. The effective rate increased from last week.

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

After Congress allowed the Internal Revenue Service to hire private debt collectors to handle severely delinquent taxpayer accounts, a number of critics – including the IRS Taxpayer Advocate – warned that it probably wouldn't end well.

Now, four Democratic members of the U.S. Senate have fired off a letter, obtained by The New York Times, to Pioneer Credit Recovery, one of the firms hired by the IRS, suggesting the company has stepped over legal boundaries in its effort to collect the government's debts.

The four lawmakers – Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Sen. Benjamin Cardin (D-Md.), Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) – said they obtained call scripts used by Pioneer's debt collectors in their interactions with taxpayers.

Risky financial transactions

According to the letter, the senators are concerned that Pioneer violated the Fair Debt Collections Practices Act and the IRS Code. Specifically, the lawmakers said the call scripts appeared to pressure taxpayers into risky financial transactions in an effort to come up with the money. The senators also said the debt collectors' behavior was too similar to that employed by scammers, who often impersonate IRS personnel.

The lawmakers particularly objected to debt collectors' suggestions about how debtors should go about obtaining the money. They say delinquent taxpayers are being advised to take out a second mortgage on their home or cash in their retirement accounts if necessary.

“Pioneer is unique among IRS contractors in pressuring taxpayers to use financial products that could dramatically increase expenses, or cause them to lose their homes or give up retirement security,” the letter states.

Process started in April

As we reported back in April, when the law authorizing private debt collection went into effect, the IRS described the accounts as old and the subject of repeated and unsuccessful collection attempts.

“The IRS is taking steps throughout this effort to ensure that the private collection firms work responsibly and respect taxpayer rights,” IRS Commissioner John Koskinen said at the time.

Pioneer Credit Recovery is a subsidiary of Navient, a federal student loan servicer sued in January by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which alleged it had failed borrowers at every step of the repayment process.

Pioneer Credit Recovery is a large debt collection agency, and has contracts with several state governments as well as the IRS. Consumers posting reviews of the company on ConsumerAffairs have made accusations that, in many respects, closely remember those leveled by the four United States senators.

"This company gave out my personal and confidential information unlawfully. They contacted people who are not my friends, not my family and disclosed my confidential information to them," said Shannon of Vancouver, Wash. "Not only that, they were harassing and threatening to me and the people they contacted in an attempt to get ahold of me."

Four "credit repair" firms are facing fines and oher penalties for allegedly misleading consumers, charging illegal fees and misrepresenting their ability to repair credit scores.

“Today, the Bureau is taking action against companies that charged illegal fees and misled consumers about their ability to fix their credit,” said Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Director Richard Cordray. “We will remain vigilant about protecting consumers from companies that mislead them to turn a dishonest profit.”

Under a proposed final judgment, Prime Credit, LLC, IMC Capital, LLC, Commercial Credit Consultants, Blake Johnson, and Eric Schlegel would pay a civil money penalty of more than $1.5 million. Under a second proposed final judgment, Park View Law, known formerly as Prime Law Experts, Inc., and its owner Arthur Barens would pay $500,000 in relinquished funds to the U.S. Treasury.

The CFPB alleges that the defendants made misleading, unsubstantiated claims that they could remove virtually any negative information from consumers’ credit reports and could boost consumers’ credit scores by significant amounts. The companies attracted thousands of customers through sales calls and their websites, at times targeting consumers who had recently sought to obtain a mortgage, loan, refinancing, or other extension of credit.

Violated Dodd-Frank Act

The CFPB alleges that the companies charged these consumers millions of dollars in illegal advance fees for their services. The Bureau alleges that these practices violated the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and the Telemarketing Sales Rule. Specifically, the CFPB alleges that the defendants:

• Charged illegal advance fees: Federal law bars telemarketers and certain companies from requesting or collecting fees for credit repair services until certain conditions are met about the delivery of those services.
• Failed to disclose limits on “money-back guarantees”: The companies offered a money-back guarantee for certain services. However, they failed to disclose that the guarantee had significant limits.
• Misled consumers about the benefits of their services: The companies misrepresented that their credit repair services would result in the removal of negative entries on consumers’ credit reports.

Plenty of important decisions must be made prior to moving. From deciding whether to rent or buy to choosing a moving company, no stone must be left unturned when it comes to relocating.

When kids are in the mix, school-related decisions must also be made. But deciding where your child will spend a significant portion of his or her days can be a daunting task.

In its blog, Trulia aims to help families with this seemingly tough decision by breaking down the process of finding your family's ideal school into several steps.

Questions to ask

Narrowing down the pool of potential schools to one ideal school will require a fair amount of research, as well as a keen understanding of what the “right” school means to your family.

“When searching for a new home and neighborhood, school is often one of the most important deciding factors for a family,” the online real estate marketplace writes, adding, “It’s not just your child’s educational experience to consider.”

“Everything from the school potluck scene to your commute times will shape your daily experience in a neighborhood.”

To kick off your search, Trulia suggests asking yourself the following questions:

• What are some places where my child has thrived in the past? What unifies those experiences?
• Do we prefer a traditional or alternative educational style?
• How important are extracurricular enrichment opportunities?
• What sort of contributions (time or money) are we interested in making as a family?

Research tips  

Standardized test scores alone usually aren’t enough to determine whether or not a particular school is a fit for your family. To glean insight from afar, Trulia suggests researching the schools you’re considering by employing the following tactics:

• Network. Let your Facebook friends know that you are investigating schools in a certain area and ask if they have any experience or insight to share.
• Call schools directly. Use the American School Directory to contact each school on your short list of options. Ask to have school catalogs and any other printed material (particularly about how this school or district compares to others in the area) sent to you by mail.
• Check out schools’ websites. Peek around the school’s website, where you’ll likely find lots of information -- newsletters, PTA meeting notes, and info on awards or certifications the school has recently received.
• Visit in person. Get a feel for the school’s values and other attributes by visiting in person. Try to engage people in conversation to ask them any questions you might have. Additionally, you can ask to meet with the principal.
• Evaluate multiple sources of data. Be sure to combine data you find online with other types of information, such as data from GreatSchools or SchoolDigger. Resources like these let families compare schools, find student/teacher ratios, average numbers of students in each class, and view other helpful information.
• Read reviews. To find out what current families think of the school, read parents’ reviews on GreatSchools’ and SchoolDiggers’ sites.

After dipping slightly a month earlier, consumers' confidence in the economy is on the rise again.

The Conference Board reports its Consumer Confidence Index now stands at 118.9 following its decline to 117.6 in May. While the Present Situation Index jumped to 146.3 from 140.6, the Expectations Index dipped from 102.3 last month to 100.6.

“Consumers’ assessment of current conditions improved to a nearly 16-year high (July 2001, 151.3),” said Conference Board Director of Economic Indicators Lynn Franco. Overall, she added, “consumers anticipate the economy will continue expanding in the months ahead, but they do not foresee the pace of growth accelerating.”

The breakdown

Consumers’ appraisal of current conditions improved in June. Those who say business conditions are “good” rose from 29.8% to 30.8%, while those think conditions are “bad” declined from 13.9% to 12.7%.

Their assessment of the labor market was also more positive. Those who see jobs as “plentiful” went from 30.0% to 32.8%; however, those who believe jobs are “hard to get” sipped to 18.0% from 18.3%.

There was less optimism about the short-term outlook, though. The percentage of consumers expecting business conditions to improve over the next six months dropped from 21.5% to 20.4%. On the other hand, those expecting conditions to worsen went down marginally to 8.9% from 10.3%.

The labor market remains mixed. The proportion of consumers who think there will be more jobs in the months ahead rose to 19.3% from 18.6%; but those anticipating fewer jobs also increased -- going from 12.1% to 14.6%.

The percentage of consumers expecting an improvement in their income rose from 19.1% to 22.2%, as the proportion expecting a decline was also higher -- going to 9.2% from 8.7.

The monthly Consumer Confidence Survey is conducted for The Conference Board by information and analytics provider Nielsen. The cutoff date for the preliminary results was June 15.

United Natural Trading of Edison, N.J., is recalling a limited number of trail mix products containing Organic and Natural dates sold under the Nature’s Promise, Woodstock, Market Basket, and Wholesome Pantry brands.

The products may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

No illnesses have been reported to date.

The following items, which were shipped to retailers and distributors in limited quantities throughout the U.S., are being recalled:

The lot numbers are printed on the back of each retail bag.

What to do

Customers who purchased the recalled products should not consume them, but discard them or retain their store receipts, packaging reflecting lot numbers or any other proof of purchase they may have to return to the store for a refund.

Consumers with questions may call Millie Carra at United Natural Trading customer service at 732-650-9905 from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm (EST) Monday - Friday.

House of Thaller of Knoxville Tenn., is recalling selected packages of Hummus with Pine Nut Topping.

The products may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

No illnesses have been reported to date.

The following products, which come in 10 ounce, clear, round plastic cups with a clear or colored plastic lid, and were sold throughout the U.S. through various grocery retailers from April 18, 2017, to June 13, 2017, and in Canada on April 20, 2017, are being recalled:

The lot code, printed on the top of the cup, begins with a “USE BY” date followed by the letter “W” and a 7 digit code.

What to do

Customers who purchased the recalled products should not consume them and contact House of Thaller customer service center at at 855-215-5142, Monday thru Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (CST).

Takata Corp. has succumbed to the financial pressures of the largest automotive recall in history, filing for bankruptcy and selling key assets to U.S. supplier Key Safety Systems for $1.59 billion.

The Japanese company had been struggling to fund the recall of more than 100 milion airbags that contain ammonim nitrate inflators, which can explode and hurl tiny bits of shrapnel-like metal into the passenger compartment.

Eleven deaths have been attributed to the faulty inflators in the U.S. and the death toll is likely to continue rising, as many millions of the defective inflators have remained in service, while Takata has struggled to manufacture enough replacement parts.

Both Key and Takata said the bankruptcy and asset sale would enable a reorganized Takata to complete its part of the recall campaign, estimated to cost at least $8 billion. In the meantime, consumers are powerless to do anything about the time bombs in their dashboards. Without parts, dealers can't perform the recalls and it is illegal for service centers to disable airbags. 

Feds tried to speed things up

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has repeatedly said it was taking action to speed up the course of the repairs.

Last December, 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.”

Key Safety, based in Sterling Heights, Mich, said the remaining recalls would be run by a reorganized Takata and will eventually be completed, although it did not specify a timetable. Many automakers have switched to competing airbag manufacturers to supply them with replacement airbags. 

“Takata has deep management talent, a dedicated work force and a long history of exceptional customer service," said Jason Luo, president of Key Safety Systems. "Although Takata has been impacted by the global airbag recall, the underlying strength of its skilled employee base, geographic reach, and exceptional steering wheels, seat belts and other safety products has not diminished."

The companies said the transaction "is intended to minimize supply chain disruption concerns for Takata’s OEM customers," ensuring that the recall effort is completed in a timely manner.

The bankruptcy filing lists unsecured creditors including 17 automakers, including Honda, Toyota and BMW, as unsecured creditors, along with NHTSA, which is owed $180 million in fines and penalties, and the hundreds of plaintiffs who have filed individual and class-action lawsuits against Takata.

First-time homebuyers are finally making up a significant part of the housing market, but they are facing difficulty on several fronts.

A survey by the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) quizzed Michigan consumers with annual household incomes between $50,000 and $125,000. It found many wanted to buy a home but more than half – 55% – expressed concerns about being able to come up with the down payment.

Nearly a third also expressed concern that they would not be approved for a mortgage and 21% worried they lacked enough information to make the right decision. Some of these concerns might be tied to the recent past.

"Many of today's first-time homebuyers remember the 2008 housing crisis and the impact it made on many family and friends and that is reflected in the uncertainty and apprehension we see in this study," said Mary Townley, director of homeownership at MSHDA. "Our job is to help empower these first-time homebuyers to become confident, smart buyers and realize the dream of homeownership."

Competition from investors

First-time buyers also face another problem – increasing competition from investors, who are looking for attractively-priced homes they can flip or convert to rental property. According to Realtor Mag, a publication of the National Association of Realtors, investors are very active in the $200,000 and under range.

“We are losing inventory at a record pace and in the segment of the market with the most demand,” says Javier Vivas, a realtor.com analyst.

Investors can be both a blessing and a curse for the housing market. House flippers that purchase rundown, deficient houses and renovate them are adding to the housing inventory. But if they step in and purchase a home that an owner-occupant might also buy, they are removing inventory, especially if they are converting the houses to rentals.

Investors also tend to purchase homes without financing, giving them an advantage over an owner-occupant who needs to get a loan. A seller is usually more likely to accept a cash offer over one with a financing contingency. ATTOM Data Solutions reports a full one-third of all single-family and condo sales last year were made without financing, a record.

Chic-a-Peas is recalling a limited number of 2-oz. packages of Chic-a-Peas Baked Crunchy Chickpeas that may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

There have been no reports of consumer illness associated with this recall.

The following products, sold online and in retail stores nationwide, are being recalled:

Chic-a-Peas, Baked Crunchy Chickpeas, Sea Sat Unit Size: 2.0 oz (57g)
Unit Size Best By Date: 12/27/2017 UPC: 853404004033
Lot Code: 0867

Chic-a-Peas, Baked Crunchy Chickpeas, Fresh Salsa Unit Size: 2.0 oz (57g)
Unit Size Best By Date: 12/27/2017
UPC: 853404004071
Lot Code: 0877

Chic-a-Peas, Baked Crunchy Chickpeas, Falafel Unit Size: 2.0 oz (57g)
Unit Size Best By Date: 12/28/2017 UPC: 853404004026
Lot Code: 0897

The lot codes and best by dates can be found on the back of the package.

What to do

Customers who purchased the recalled products should return them to the place of purchase to request a refund.

Consumers with questions may contact the company at (800) 481-5716 Monday- Friday 9AM – 5PM (EST), or by email at info@chicapeas.com.

Vitakraft Sun Seed of Weston, Ohio, is recalling certain Sunseed Parrot Fruit & Vegetable diet and Sunseed SunSations Rabbit Food.

The products may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

There have been no report of any illnesses to date.

The following products, sold in Arizona, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, are being recalled:

What to do

Customers who purchased the recalled products may return them to the place of purchase for a full refund.

Consumers with questions may contact customer service at 1-800-221-6175, Monday through Friday between 8:30am and 5:00pm (EST).

General Motors is recalling 6,204 model year 2014-2016 Chevrolet SS vehicles.

Corrosion of the connector between the electric power steering module and the torque sensor connector may cause a loss of electric power steering assist.

A greater steering effort would be needed to control the vehicle if power steering is lost, increasing the risk of a crash.

What to do

GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the steering gear assembly, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The manufacturer has not yet provided a notification schedule.

Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 17248.

Embutidos Fanguito of Miami, Fla., is recalling approximately 454 pounds of cooked ham & water product.

The product may contain soy, an allergen, and MSG, not declared on the label.

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

The following item, produced and packaged from April 18 to June 13, 2017, and has a 90-day shelf life, is being recalled:

• 8-oz. sealed packages containing six slices of “Jamon Vicky Lasqueado Smoked Flavor Added Sliced Cooked Ham & Water Product.”

The recalled product, bearing establishment number “EST. 45659” inside the USDA mark of inspection, was shipped to retail locations in Florida.

What to do

Customers who purchased the recalled product should not consumer it, but throw it away or return it to the place of purchase.

Consumers with questions about the recall may contact Demetrio Lugo at (305) 300-2902.

Supreme Cuisine of Montgomery City, Mo., is recalling approximately 325,000 pounds of meat and poultry fat and lard products.

A processing deviation may result in the potential growth and survival of bacterial pathogens in the products.

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

The following duck, beef and pork fat and lard items, produced and packaged from June 1, 2016, through May 8, 2017, with a one-year shelf life, are being recalled:

The recalled products, bearing establishment number “EST. 34595” or “P-34595” inside the USDA mark of inspection, were sold on the internet and shipped to retail locations nationwide.

What to do

Customers who purchased the recalled products should not consume them, but throw them away.

Consumers with questions about the recall may contact Epic Consumer Relations at (844) 370-1971. 

After April’s sharp decline, the Commerce Department reports sales of new single-family houses rose 2.9% in May to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 610,000 -- 8.9% above the same time a year ago. 

In addition, the government revised its April estimate higher to show homes sold at a rate of 593,000 instead of the 569,000 initially reported. 

Pricing and inventory

The median sales price of new houses sold in May 2017 -- the point at which half the houses sold for more and half for less -- was $345,800, up $49,800 from a year earlier. 

The average sales price of $406,400 topped May of 2016 by $56,400. 

The seasonally-adjusted estimate of new houses for sale at the end of May was 268,000, translating to a supply of 5.3 months at the current sales rate.  

The complete report may be found on the Commerce Department website.

The Conference Board’s Leading Economic Index (LEI) posted its ninth increase in as many months during May. 

The index, which many economists consider a pretty good indicator of what the economy will do in the next few months, rose 0.3% following advances of 0.2% and 0.3% in April and  March, respectively. 

The increase, said Ataman Ozyildirim, director of Business Cycles and Growth Research at The Conference Board, suggests the economy “is likely to remain on, or perhaps even moderately above, its long-term trend of about 2% growth for the remainder of the year,” said Ataman Ozyildirim, director of Business Cycles and Growth Research at The Conference Board.  

He pointed out the improvement was widespread among the majority of the leading indicators except for housing permits -- which declined again. In addition, the average workweek in manufacturing has recently shown no sign of improvement. 

The LEI is a closely watched forecaster of economic activity -- a composite average of several individual leading indicators. It's constructed to summarize and reveal common turning point patterns in economic data in a clearer and more convincing manner than any individual component -- primarily because it smooths out some of the volatility of individual components. 

The LEi contains the following ten components:

• Average weekly hours, manufacturing
• Average weekly initial claims for unemployment insurance
• Manufacturers’ new orders, consumer goods and materials
• ISM Index of New Orders
• Manufacturers' new orders, nondefense capital goods excluding aircraft orders
• Building permits, new private housing units
• Stock prices, 500 common stocks
• Leading Credit Index
• Interest rate spread, 10-year Treasury bonds less federal funds
• Average consumer expectations for business conditions

GoMacro of Viola, Wis., is recalling a limited number of MacroBars and Thrive Bars that may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. 

The following products, distributed across the country and internationally via retail stores, mail orders and direct delivery, are being recalled::

The lot number and best by dates are found on the side panel of the product near the UPC.

What to do

Customers who purchased the recalled products should return them to the place of purchase for a full refund.

Consumers with may contact Tony Saarem by phone, Monday-Friday 9AM-5PM (CST) at (608)-627-2310 or by email at tony@gomacro.com.

Bulletproof 360 of Bellevue, Wash., is recalling five Collagen Protein Bar and Bite products that have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

No illnesses have been reported to date. 

The following products are being recalled:

The recalled products were distributed between April 7 and June 12, 2017, in retail stores nationally and on bulletproof.com to customers nationally and in the following locations: Australia, Bahrain, Bermuda, Bolivia, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Cayman Islands, China, Finland, France, Germany, Guam, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Israel, Japan, Korea, Kuwait, Liechtenstein, Macau, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

What to do

Customers who purchased the recalled products should not eat them, but return them to Bulletproof for a replacement or bulletproof.com store credit.

Consumers with questions or concerns may contact Bulletproof customer service at 1-425-434-9704 Monday through Friday, from 9AM-5PM (PDT).

BMW of North America is recalling 92 model year 2013-2015 740i, 740Li, 740Lxi, 750i, 750xi, 750Li and 750Lxi and 2014 ActiveHybrid 7 vehicles.  

The recalled vehicles may have received incorrect replacement left rear taillight assemblies.  

As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment." 

Vehicles with the incorrect left rear lamp assemblies may be less conspicuous to other drivers, possibly increasing the risk of a crash.

What to do

BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicles and replace any incorrect left rear taillight assemblies, free of charge.  

The recall is expected to begin August 7, 2017. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

New England Natural Bakers of Greenfield Mass., is recall the following products that may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes: 

 No illnesses have been reported in relation to this product at this time.

What to do

Customers who purchased the recalled products should discontinue using them and return them to the place of purchase for a refund.

Consumers with further questions or concerns may call customer service at 413-772-2239 from 8:00am-4:30pm CST, Monday -- Friday and can leave a message after hours.

Are your little ones getting to the age where they’ll soon be entering school? While you may be eager to get them in the classroom as quickly as possible, a recent study shows that children who enter school as the youngest in their class could be at greater risk of worse mental health.

Researchers from the University of Exeter Medical School in the United Kingdom analyzed over 2,000 young children across 80 primary schools and found that the stress of keeping up with older peers could push certain vulnerable children past a “tipping point” that leads to poorer mental health.

“Being relatively younger could be the tipping point for some, but certainly not all, children. For most it would just be something for teachers to be aware of but for children with other needs or who were born prematurely this difference could be significant,” said Professor Tamsin Ford, who oversaw the research.

Close to home

While the effect of being younger than their peers was relatively small for most children, the researchers say it is important to keep in mind for those who were born prematurely or with pre-existing mental conditions or learning disabilities.

This issue hit close to home for some of the researchers involved, including Anna Price. Her son was diagnosed with learning difficulties at a young age, which prompted her to homeschool him when he reached age five instead of pushing him into a classroom.

“The challenge to well-being of being young for your school year might…be one struggle too many for children who face other challenges to their mental health,” she said. “Our findings can help guide parents and teachers in making decisions that best support the child.”

Providing support

But for those who still feel that their child is better off in school, the researchers say that their findings may prove useful for opening a dialogue between parents and teachers and providing a guide for how to give the best support possible.

“Awareness of this issue among teachers and educators means measures can be put in place that could help to mitigate this effect and get the best outcome for children,” said Ford.

The full study has been published in Child: Care, Health and Development.

Amazon has been hard at work with releasing new programs to attract customers. Previously, the company unveiled its new Prime Reload program and announced that those living on government assistance programs could get a 45% discount on its Prime service.

Now, the online retailer is offering consumers the chance to try clothes on before buying them under Prime Wardrobe. Under the new program, consumers will be able to order clothes and try them on for size at home. If they like them, then Amazon will charge them for the clothes they keep. If they don’t, then they can send the items back using a preprinted shipping label and the container that the order came in at no charge.

“Prime Wardrobe is a new service that brings the fitting room to you, so you can try the latest styles and find your perfect fit before you buy,” Amazon says on its company site.

Trying it on for size

As the name implies, Prime Wardrobe will only be offered to eligible members of Amazon Prime, a program that costs $99 per year for most consumers and comes with a host of other benefits and services.

There are no additional fees associated with Prime Wardrobe, and Amazon boasts that it has “over a million eligible items across women’s, men’s, girls’, boys’, and baby clothing, shoes, and accessories.” The company says that consumers will have seven days to try out their new outfits before they either have to return them or buy them.

To further sweeten the deal, members who decide to keep three or four items from their order will receive 10% off of their purchase. Keeping five or more items increases the discount further to 20%.

Prime Wardrobe is currently in its beta stage, but consumers can sign up to be notified when the program launches. For more information, you can watch the video below or visit Amazon’s Prime Wardrobe web page here.

Falling gasoline prices and a strengthening economy should result in a record number of motorists hitting the road for the Independence Day holiday.

A total of 44.2 million Americans are expected to travel 50 miles or more away from home, either driving, flying, or taking to the rails and waterways, according to AAA. That would surpass last year's total by 1.25 million.

It helps that the holiday period covers more days, from June 30 to July 4.

"Combined, strong employment, rising incomes and higher consumer confidence bode well for the travel industry, in particular this Independence Day weekend," said Bill Sutherland, a senior vice president at AAA.

Cheaper fill-ups

Cheaper gasoline prices may be a big driver. The price of a fill-up is cheaper than it was at this time last year, when prices were also very low. The AAA Fuel Gauge Survey shows the national average price of self-serve regular is $2.28 a gallon, four cents less than a year ago.

The average price of premium gas is $2.82 a gallon, about the same as last year. The average price of diesel is $2.46 a gallon, six cents more than last year.

Most of the people traveling over the holiday will be driving. AAA projects 37.5 of the 44 million people on the move will be on the highways, a nearly 3% increase over last year. Other ways of travel, including trains, buses, and cruise ships, are expected to increase nearly one and a half percent, to 3.27 million travelers.

Most travel costs less

AAA also reports that airfares and rental car rates are less this year. AAA's Leisure Travel Index shows average airfares for the top 40 domestic flight routes will be 10% less this year over last, with an average round trip ticket around $186.

Meanwhile, the average daily rate for a rental car is estimated to be $65, a 14% drop from last year. A hotel stay should average about the same as last year. The average AAA Three Diamond Rated hotel should cost around $185 per night.

A distinction for the Chevrolet Bolt.

It's the first all-electric vehicle to earn a 2017 award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Unlike the Chevy Volt, the 2017 Bolt has no back-up gas engine.

The vehicle got good ratings in all five of the Institute's crashworthiness tests -- small overlap front, moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraints.

The Bolt also has an optional front crash prevention system that earns a superior rating. It avoided collisions in IIHS track tests at 12 mph and 25 mph, and has a forward collision warning component that meets National Highway Traffic Safety Administration criteria.

To earn a Top Safety Pick award, a vehicle must have good ratings in all five crashworthiness tests and an available front crash prevention system with a superior or advanced rating.

Vehicles that meet those criteria and also have good or acceptable headlights earn Top Safety Pick+. The Bolt is available only with poor-rated headlights, which provide fair to good visibility but produce excessive glare for oncoming drivers.

The run-up in home prices continues unabated.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) reports its seasonally adjusted House Price Index (HPI) rose 0.7% in April. At the same time, the March estimate was revised upward to a gain of 0.7% from 0.6%.

On a year-over-year basis, the HPI rose 6.8%.

For the nine census divisions, monthly price changes ranged from a drop of 0.1% in the East South Central division to a 1.6% gain in the West South Central division.

The 12-month changes were all positive, ranging from +4.7% in the West North Central division to +8.9% in the Mountain division.

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

The full report may be found on the FHFA website.

Jobless claims

First-time applications for state unemployment benefits bumped a bit higher last week.

The Labor Department (DOL) reports an increase of 3,000 in initial jobless claims during the week ending June 17 to a seasonally adjusted 241,000.

The previous week's total was revised upward by about 1,000.

The four-week moving average, which is less volatile and considered by may economists to give a more accurate picture of the labor market, also moved upward by 1,500 to 244,750.

The previous week's average was revised up by 250.

The complete report is available on the DOL website.

BMW of North America is recalling 206 model year 2017-2018 M760Li xDrive vehicles.

The recalled vehicles may have had incorrect engine oil cooler lines installed, causing an oil leak in the engine compartment.

If oil leaks onto the front brake discs, a greater distance may be needed to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

What to do

BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the engine oil cooler line, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin August 7, 2017. 

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

Wildway LLC is recalling certain grain-free granola products that may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

No illnesses have been reported in relation to this product at this time.

The following products are being recalled:

The item description can be found on the center of the front or top label, and the lot code is at the bottom of the back of the bags.

What to do

Customers who purchased the recalled products should discontinue use of them and may return them to the place of purchase for a refund.

Consumers with questions or concerns may call customer care at 1-844-617-8240 from 8:30am – 5:30pm (CST), Monday through Friday or leave a message after hours.

Missouri is the latest state to try to hold opioid drug manufacturers accountable for the widespread misuse of the drugs, to which many people are addicted.

Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley has sued Purdue Pharma, Endo Health Solutions and Janssen Pharmaceuticals, three large drug companies. The suit charges the companies engaged in fraud to misrepresent the serious risks associated with their products.

“Our state faces an urgent public-health crisis brought on by fraud," Hawley said. "These companies have profited from the suffering of Missourians."

The complaint accuses the three drug companies of carrying out a complex, multi-year campaign to deliberately misrepresent the addictive risks of opioids. As a result, the state says patients with chronic pain were often given the drugs without proper warning as to their addictive nature.

Near-record judgment sought

At an appearance after filing the suit, Hawley said the state is seeking hundreds of millions of dollars in damages from the defendants, and hundreds of millions more in civil penalties.

"We seek, in short, one of the largest judgments in Missouri history," Hawley said.

Citing 2015 statistics, the attorney general said there were more than 30,000 hospitalizations and emergency-room visits in the state linked to opioids. He said 500 Missourians died from opioid overdoses or complications.

"The opioid death rate in our state is 160% of the national average," Hawley said. "And it is rising."

The Missouri lawsuit follows a similar one filed in Ohio earlier this month. In addition to the three companies named in the Missouri action, Ohio is also suing Teva Pharmaceutical and its subsidiary Cephalon, and Allergan.

Last week a number of states announced they are joining forces determine whether pharmaceutical companies selling opioid drugs have violated laws. The investigation could result in further litigation.

Uber has had a rough go of it recently, what with the highly publicized problems with its corporate culture, the resignation under fire of CEO Travis Kalanick, and the increasing tension with its drivers. While only time will tell how the company deals with the first two issues, an announcement made yesterday may help address some drivers’ qualms.

On its company site, Uber said that it will now allow drivers nationwide to take home tips from its passengers with the Uber app. The new function has preliminarily rolled out in Seattle, Minneapolis, and Houston, but the company plans to make it available across the U.S. by the end of July.

Establishing tips

Uber says that drivers, riders, and UberEATS customers will be notified when the new function is available in their city through the Driver app and by email. To start collecting and making tips, all parties will have to update or download the latest version of the Uber Driver app, close and restart the app, and then tap “Accept Tips” in the settings.

After that’s done, riders will be able to leave a tip when they rate their driver at the end of their trip. Unlike a regular taxi trip, though, riders will have 30 days to make a tip and don’t have to do so right away.

On the tipping screen, riders will be able to find a list of suggested tips, but they can also enter in any amount they choose. Uber says that all tips made on an Uber ride go completely to the driver, and that the company won’t be taking any commission or fee beyond what it currently charges.

Presumably, the tips will be reported to the IRS, however, which is not the case with cash tips that many consumers already bestow on drivers.  

Additional driver-friendly changes

The newest tipping update also adds a couple of other features that drivers will surely be happy about. Going forward, Uber says that drivers who are kept waiting by riders who aren’t ready will be paid a per-minute fee after two minutes of idle time.

Additionally, Uber announced that drivers will begin being paid for last-minute ride cancellations. The company says that riders who cancel a ride two minutes after a driver has accepted the assignment will be charged a cancellation fee.

Uber says that both changes will go into effect at the end of August.

Consumers who routinely monitor their credit score and credit report are more likely to have positive financial behavior and a higher score, according to a new study from Discover.

While a majority of consumers in the study said they were aware of their credit standing, and nearly as many said their credit standing is important to them, a lot fewer actually follow through and check their credit regularly.

About half of consumers didn't check their score at all last year, or checked it only once. Only 8% checked it monthly.

“Consumers have come a long way in recent years in building awareness of their credit score and the ways in which it can impact their day-to-day life,” said Ryan Scully, Discover’s vice president of marketing.

Scully says consumers who stay on top of their credit standing throughout the year can gain helpful insight into the financial behaviors that affect their score. The result can be smarter financial decisions.

Like stepping on the scales

Checking credit frequently was also associated with a rising credit score, much like someone stepping on the scales each day is more likely to lose weight than gain it.

Positive financial behavior like paying bills on time, paying down loans and maintaining low balances on credit cards was likely to increase with the frequency of checking credit scores, the study found.

Credit information is more readily available than it used to be. Some credit cards, including Discover, as well as financial websites, provide free credit scores.

In addition, complete credit reports are available at no charge from Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion on an annual basis. You can access them at www.annualcreditreport.com.

Access reports individually

While the information in the reports may vary slightly, they should be very similar. It's a good idea to access the reports individually, at different times throughout the year.

The study found generational differences in how consumers view the importance of their credit standing. Millennials tend to place less importance on it than Baby Boomers, perhaps because the survey found younger consumers feel they have less control over their credit.

Having good to excellent credit carries numerous benefits. You can qualify for loans with lower interest rates and get better credit cards. A high credit score may also lower your auto insurance rates.

Following April's decline, sales of previously-owned homes rebounded last month, with low inventories helping push the median sales price to a new high.

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) reports total existing-home sales -- completed transactions that include single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops – were up 1.1% in May to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.62 million. That's 2.7% above a year ago and the third highest rate over the past year.

"The job market in most of the country is healthy and the recent downward trend in mortgage rates continues to keep buyer interest at a robust level," said NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun. "Those able to close on a home last month are probably feeling both happy and relieved. Listings in the affordable price range are scarce, homes are coming off the market at an extremely fast pace and the prevalence of multiple offers in some markets are pushing prices higher."

Prices and inventory

The median price for all housing types of existing homes was $252,800 in May, topping last June ($247,600) as the new peak median sales price. The increase is 5.8% from May 2016 ($238,900) and marks the 63rd straight month of year-over-year gains.

The median is the point at which half the homes sold for more and half for less.

Existing-home inventory at the end of May was up 2.1% to 1.96 million existing homes available for sale. That's down 8.4% from a year ago (2.14 million) and has fallen year-over-year for 24 consecutive months.

Unsold inventory is at a 4.2-month supply at the current sales pace, versus 4.7 months a year ago.

"Home prices keep chugging along at a pace that is not sustainable in the long run," added Yun. "Current demand levels indicate sales should be stronger, but it's clear some would-be buyers are having to delay or postpone their home search because low supply is leading to worsening affordability conditions."

Sales by region

• Existing-home sales in the Northeast jumped 6.8% in May to an annual rate of 780,000, and are now 2.6% above a year ago. The median price rose 4.7% over the same period a year earlier to $281,300.
• The South enjoyed a sales gain of 2.2% to an annual rate of 2.34 million, and now stand 4.5% above where they were at the same point last year. The median price posted a year-over-year gain of 5.3% to $221,900.
• Sales in the West were at an annual rate of 1.22 million -- up 3.4%, and are now 3.4% above a year ago. The median price in the West was $368,800, up 6.9% from May 2016.
• The only negative note was in the Midwest, where sales were down 5.9% to an annual rate of 1.28 million last month, and are down 0.8% below May 2016. The median price, meanwhile, rose 7.3% to $203,900.

It wasn't by much, but mortgage applications were up in the week ending June 16 for a third consecutive week.

The Mortgage Bankers Association reports applications edged up 0.6% last week on a seasonally adjusted basis. The Refinance Index. Meanwhile rose 2% to its highest level since November 2016, with the refinance share of mortgage activity rising to 46.6% of total applications from 45.4% a week earlier.

The adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) share of activity increased to 7.5% of total applications, the FHA share dipped to 10.1% from 11.2% the week before, the VA share was down to 10.4% from 11.1%, and the USDA share of total applications slipped to 0.7% from 0.8% the week prior.

Contract interest rates

• The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages (FRMs)with conforming loan balances ($424,100 or less) was unchanged at 4.13%, with points decreasing to 0.34 from 0.35 (including the origination fee) for 80% loan-to-value ratio (LTV) loans. The effective rate decreased from last week.
• The average contract interest rate for 30-year FRMs with jumbo loan balances (greater than $424,100) inched up two basis points -- to 4.08% from 4.06%, with points increasing to 0.30 from 0.24 (including the origination fee) for 80% LTV loans. The effective rate increased from last week.
• The average contract interest rate for 30-year FRMs backed by the FHA rose four basis points to 4.04%, with points increasing to 0.35 from 0.29 (including the origination fee) for 80% LTV loans. The effective rate increased from last week.
• The average contract interest rate for 15-year fixed-rate mortgages moved from 3.37% to 3.40%, with points increasing to 0.38 from 0.34 (including the origination fee) for 80% LTV loans. The effective rate increased from last week.
• The average contract interest rate for 5/1 ARMs held steady at 3.26%, with points increasing to 0.22 from 0.20 (including the origination fee) for 80% LTV loans. The effective rate increased from last week.

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

Kawasaki Motors Corp. U.S.A., of Foothill Ranch, Calif., is recalling about 6,600 utility vehicles, ROVs and ATVs.

The fuel gauge retainer can collapse and leak fuel, posing a fire hazard.

No incidents or injuries have been reported.

This recall involves 2017 Mule utility vehicles, Teryx and Teryx4 recreational off-highway vehicles and Brute Force 750 all-terrain vehicles.

The 2017 Mule utility vehicle is a four-wheel off-highway vehicle with side by side seating for two to six people and automotive style controls. The model name is printed on the right and left front fender.

For the Mule SX series and the Mule 4000 series, the vehicle identification number (VIN) is located under the seat. For the Pro models, the VIN is located on the steel frame between the right front lower A-arm mounts.

The 2017 Teryx recreational off-highway vehicle is a four-wheel off-highway vehicle with seating for two or four people and automotive style controls. The model name is printed on the right and left front fender. The VIN is located on the steel frame between the right front lower A-arm mounts.

The 2017 Brute Force 750 4x4i all-terrain vehicle is a four-wheel off-highway vehicle with seating for one person. The model name is printed on the right and left front fender. The VIN is located on the steel frame between the left front lower A-arm mounts. The vehicles were sold in various colors.

The vehicles, manufactured in the U.S., were sold at Kawasaki dealers nationwide from March 2017, through April 2017, for between $8,000 and $15,000.

What to do

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled vehicles and contact Kawasaki for a free repair. The firm is contacting all known purchasers directly.

Consumers may contact Kawasaki toll-free at 866-802-9381 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (PT) Monday through Friday or online at www.Kawasaki.com and click on “Recalls” for more information.

Teens looking to get a jump on finding summer employment didn't meet with a lot of success in May.

A Challenger, Gray & Christmas analysis of the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data finds the number of teenagers landing jobs in that month fell for the third straight year.

Employment among 16- to 19-year-olds rose by 146,000 in May, down 6.4% from a year earlier last year, when teen employment grew by 156,000.

Since 2010, an average of 1,227,857 teens has been added to the workforce between May 1 and July 31. May typically experiences the smallest hiring gains of the three-month period, with the average May gains under 140,000 since 2006.

“Last summer saw the highest teen job gains since 2013,” said Challenger, Gray & Christmas CEO John A. Challenger. “May typically sees fewer teens added to job rolls than June and July, but this could be due to the fact that students are still in school until the end of May or early June.”

Trending lower

Challenger notes that teen summer employment has fallen on average since the 1970s due to several factors, including the movement of blue-collar workers, whose jobs were lost to overseas competition or technological advancement, to service sector jobs once dominated by teens.

But he says, “Teens also have other summer priorities, such as school, volunteer opportunities, or family obligations. They might find a few hours of work here and there through family and friends, or work in the ever-expanding gig economy, which is difficult to measure.”

Hope for June

Although May gains were off to a slow start, Challenger points out that June is typically when the majority of teens find summer employment. With the decline of traditional retail opportunities, teens can find work in leisure and hospitality, like theme parks, movie theaters, and park districts. Their tech skills may also be valuable in traditional office settings to potentially digitize files or help set up social media profiles.

“Regardless of where teens are looking for work, employers are increasingly looking for soft skills, characteristics such as the ability to work in a team, writing skills, confidence in speaking in meetings or with management,” adding that, Teens who are in the job search should brush up on these communication skills in order to help facilitate landing a position.” 

The Federal Communications Commission is on the receiving end of a warning from a bipartisan coalition of 35 state attorneys general. They're warning the FCC not to block states from enforcing false advertising laws related to internet speeds.

Under its new chairman, Ajit Pai, the FCC has been busily dismantling internet neutrality and other consumer protections enacted over the previous eight years and is now considering a petition from the telecom industry asking it to bar states from enforcing their consumer protection rules.

The state AG group, led by New York Democrat Eric T. Schneiderman and Texas Republican Ken Paxton argues that the proposed action would exceed the FCC's authority and upend longstanding federal-state regulation of deceptive practices.

Truthful advertising

“As the chief law enforcement officers of our respective states, we understand the vital importance of protecting consumers against unfair and deceptive business practices—including those of broadband providers," the AGs said. "Like others providing goods and services to consumers in our states, providers of broadband Internet service must be truthful in their advertisements. ... The states’ traditional consumer protection powers must be left undisturbed to protect consumers from false and misleading claims by broadband providers."

Several state attorneys general have opened investigations into whether fixed and wireless broadband providers have been truthful in their advertising to consumers, including for consumers in underserved, rural communities.

New York's Schneiderman filed a complaint against Charter Communications and Spectrum (formerly Time Warner Cable, Inc.) on February 1, 2017, alleging that they had failed to deliver the Internet speeds and reliable access to content promised to subscribers. Similarly, the West Virginia Attorney General’s investigation of Frontier Communications’ advertising and delivery of Internet services resulted in a November 2015 settlement that secured relief for many rural consumers in the state.

In recent years, consumers have increasingly turned to online retailers to get their holiday shopping done, a move that allows them to take advantage of many great deals and avoid the masses of people at brick and mortar retailers.

Unfortunately, things may be a little more expensive this year. UPS, which handles millions of packages during the peak holiday season, has announced that it will be adding a new surcharge to certain deliveries in November and December. The company says the extra money will help it manage the drastically increased volume it sees during the holidays by expanding air and truck cargo capacity, temporary facilities, and seasonal personnel.

“We’re focused on helping our customers achieve success during some of their most important selling seasons,” said UPS Chief Commercial Officer Alan Gershenhorn. “To meet their requirements, UPS flexes its delivery network to process near double our already massive regular daily volume, and that creates exceptional demands.”

New peak surcharges

The increased surcharges start from November 19 to December 2, when consumers will pay an extra $0.27 for ground shipments sent to residential addresses. All fees will be dropped for a little under two weeks from December 3 to December 16, but UPS will bring them back for all types of delivery from December 17 through December 23.

A table including the shipping types, dates, and prices for the peak surcharges can be viewed below:

UPS says that it will also be adding the peak surcharge to any package delivered between November 19 and December 23 that it classifies as “Large” or that exceeds the maximum size or weight limits. The company encourages consumers who are shipping items beyond the maximum size limits to consider using UPS Freight instead of its regular service.

Online retailers 

While the peak surcharge doesn’t seem like much – only just under $1 at the most – it is sure to complicate things for online retailers.

Companies like Amazon, which often offer free shipping during the holiday season, will have to choose whether to eat the additional cost, raise prices on its site, not offer deals that are as attractive as they were in the past, or pass the cost onto consumers. And since we’re talking about millions of deliveries across the U.S., it’s not hard to imagine that consumers will feel the effects in some way.

Data released by ATTOM Data Solutions, a subsidiary of RealtyTrac, shows fewer real estate investors were "flipping" single-family homes and condos in the first quarter of the year.

A piece of property is considered "flipped" if it is sold in an arms-length transaction for a second time within a 12-month period. ATTOM Data Solutions' Q1 2017 Home Flipping Report shows 43,615 single family homes and condos were flipped nationwide in the first three months of 2017, down 8% from the previous quarter and down 6% year-over-year, hitting a two-year low.

That could be one reason the inventory of available homes for sale has continued to fall, making it harder to buy a home. With contractors building fewer new homes, investors flipping homes have actually contributed to the supply of available entry-level properties.

Since the financial crisis, property that has suffered damage or neglect has been renovated and updated and put back on the market. While real estate investors have made money, the process has also helped to increase the supply of homes and improved neighborhoods.

Using other people's money

"The business of financing for home flippers continued to grow in the first quarter of 2017 even as the home flipping rate plateaued compared to a year ago and average home flipping returns decreased for the second consecutive quarter,” said Daren Blomquist, senior vice president at ATTOM Data Solutions.

Home builders have complained that rising construction costs prevent them from profitably building new homes for first-time buyers, who usually can only come up with minimal down payments and therefore can't afford to pay more than an entry-level price.

Home flippers, meanwhile, are able to purchase foreclosed homes at a steep discount, then renovate them -- often doing much of the work themselves -- selling them at a reasonable price and making a nice profit. Increasingly, Blomquist says, they're doing it with borrowed money.

“Home flippers financed an estimated $3.5 billion in purchases for homes flipped during the quarter, up from $3.3 billion in the previous quarter and up from $2.4 billion a year ago to the highest level since the fourth quarter of 2007 — a more than nine-year high,” he said.

Hot markets

As the trend runs its course, markets with the fastest-rising real estate values tend to be flipping hot spots. If an investor is willing and able to borrow money to finance a flip, Blomquist says it's evidence that the market is strong.

Markets with the highest percentage of financed flips include Colorado Springs, Denver, Seattle, Boston, and Providence, R. I.

States with the highest percentage of home flips are Washington, DC, Nevada, Alabama, Tennessee, Maryland, and Missouri.

Some wireless customers found it was difficult to get any bars Monday, as outages were reported among several carriers and major websites.

According to the monitoring website, downdetector.com, the problems appeared to peak around midday Monday and have mostly abated at this point.

In one of its latest postings, the website reported that Spectrum was having issues early Tuesday morning, with 69% of the issues internet-related and 23% involving a total blackout.

It reported significant Netflix problems overnight, with 50% of the problems having to do with no connection and 45% reporting streaming difficulties.

Fiber line cut

CBS News reports many of the problems were based in the Southeast, where a backbone fiber line in Wilmington, N.C. was cut. Sprint customers also reported problems, which were apparently caused by problems with a local exchange provider.

Verizon told WNCN-TV in Wilmington that the connectivity issue consumers experienced Monday was mostly felt in Jacksonville, Wilmington, and New Bern.

A consumer posting on downdetector.com's Verizon outage page reported intermittent service interruptions mid morning to late afternoon Monday in the Washington, DC area.

Downdetector said it collects status reports from a series of sources, analyzing them in realtime. It says its system detects outages when the number of reports shows a significant jump relative to the baseline.

CC Kitchens of Cincinnati, Ohio, is recalling a limited number of salad and slaw kits that may be contaminated with Listeria.

No illnesses been reported to date in association with the recall.

The following product, packaged May 31 through June 5, 2017, are being recalled:

The recalled products were distributed through Kroger in Ohio, Michigan and West Virginia.

What to do

Customers who purchased the recalls products should not consume them, but discard them.

Consumers with questions may call CC Kitchens at 866-458-3188 from 8:00 am – 5:00 pm (ET) and leave a message after hours.

The Kroger Co. is expanding its earlier recall of its 12 oz. packages of Simple Truth Dry Roasted Macadamia Nuts.

The product may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

No customer illnesses have been reported to date.

The following item, distributed from December 9, /2016, to June 13, 2017, is being recalled:

The recall has been expanded to include all stores nationwide under the following names: Kroger, Ralphs, Food 4 Less, Foods Co., Fred Meyer, Fry's, King Soopers, City Market, Smith's, Dillons, Baker's, Gerbes, Jay C, Ruler Foods, Pay Less, Pick ‘N Save, Copps, Metro Market, Owen's and QFC.

What to do

Customers who purchased the recalled product should not consume it, but return it to a store for a full refund or replacement.

Consumers with questions may contact Kroger at 1-800-KROGERS, Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m.( ET) and Saturday and Sunday 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. (ET).

Advanced Composites of Salt Lake City, Utah, is recalling about 40 bicycle forks.

The fork leg can crack or become damaged, posing a fall hazard.

The firm has received one report of a crack in a fork leg next to the disc brake tab. No injuries have been reported.

This recall involves select Wound Up Tandem Duo Disc bicycle forks manufactured between June 2015 and December 2015. The forks have a carbon crown and legs and the words “Wound Up” printed on the legs.

Serial numbers included in the recall are: AC662, BJ573, CD758, CE779, CE789, CE800, CE805, CE806, CF830, CF831, CG843, CG845, CG848, CG851, CG852, CG853, CG862, CG863, CG865, CH913, CH914, CH915, CH916, CI925, CI926, CI928, CI929, CI931, CI932, CI933, CI973, CI974, CI975, CI976, CK008, CK009, CL056 and CL062.

The serial number is engraved on the bottom of the disc brake tab mounted on the fork leg.

The forks, manufactured in the U.S., were sold at independent bicycle frame builders from June 2015, through December 2015, for about $575 for the fork

What to do

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled bicycle forks and send them back to Advanced Composites for an inspection. Advanced Composites will inspect the forks and provide a free replacement for defective forks including shipping costs.

Consumers may contact Advanced Composites at 800-417-1597 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (MT) Monday through Friday, or online at www.woundupcomposites.com and click on Recall Alert for more information.

Last week, three sources close to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) said the agency might try to block a proposed merger between daily fantasy sports (DFS) juggernauts DraftKings and FanDuel. Today, those predictions came true.

In a complaint filed Monday, FTC acting chairwoman Maureen Ohlhausen, a Republican, and Democratic panel member Terrell McSweeny both agreed to challenge the deal. In the agency’s initial antitrust investigation of the deal, regulators said that the merging of the two companies would give the new entity a stranglehold of over 90% of the DFS market.

“This merger would deprive customers of the substantial benefits of direct competition between DraftKings and FanDuel,” said Tad Lipsky, Acting Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Competition.

Anticompetitive harm too great

The agreement between Ohlhausen and McSweeny puts to bed any concerns that the merger wouldn’t be challenged due to a split vote. If the two FTC panel members hadn’t reached a consensus, then the resulting deadlock would have allowed the deal to proceed anyway.

The resulting 2-0 vote has authorized staff to seek a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction that will stop the deal from going through. While the merger could ultimately still prevail, that will depend on the findings of an administrative trial that will begin on November 21, 2017.

DraftKings and FanDuel, who were once fierce competitors, sought to merge after facing an abundance of regulatory scrutiny in several states and experiencing several setbacks. In their filing, the companies said that they offered different products that put them in competition with a broader range of businesses, but the FTC ultimately decided that the competitive harm to the DFS market was too great.

“We are disappointed by this decision and continue to believe that a merger is in the best interests of our players, our companies, our employees and the fantasy sports industry. We are considering all our options at this time,” DraftKings and FanDuel said in a joint statement. 

A massive data leak has exposed extensive information on nearly 200 million Americans, everything from birthdates and phone numbers to analyses of feelings about such hot-button issues as gun control and abortion.

The data was stored on a publicly accessed Amazon Web Services server by Deep Root Analytics, a contractor to the Republican National Committee. The firm gathers information that is used for political advertising and targeted appeals to potential voters.

Security experts quoted by Gizmodo say that more than a terabyte of data was stored on the cloud server. It was not protected by a password and could have been accessed by anyone who stumbled across the URL. 

The files were gathered from numerous outside data firms and super PACs. All told, the data contained highly personal information on 198 million Americans, about 61 percent of the total population.

Besides individuals, the files contained information on rival political organizations, including the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, Planned Parenthood, and the American Civil Liberties Union, Gizmodo said.

“We take full responsibility for this situation,” said Deep Root founder Alex Lundry. “Since this event has come to our attention, we have updated the access settings and put protocols in place to prevent further access.”

He said the data was only unprotected for 12 days and, as far as is known, no one happened onto it.

In recent months, Google has taken several steps to clean up its algorithms and better serve its network of users by removing predatory payday loan ads and rooting out fake news. Now the company is stepping up its game when it comes to fighting online extremism and terrorism.

In a Google blog post, general counsel Kent Walker said the company will be taking four additional steps to remove violent, extremist content and counter radicalization efforts on its platforms. The announcement comes in the wake of several high-profile terror attacks across the United Kingdom and the U.S.

“Terrorism is an attack on open societies, and addressing the threat posed by violence and hate is a critical challenge for us all,” he said. “Google and YouTube are committed to being part of the solution. We are working with government, law enforcement and civil society groups to tackle the problem of violent extremism online. There should be no place for terrorist content on our services.”

Countering extremist content

First, Google says that it will be using its extensive technologies to further identify extremist and terrorism-related videos. Walker points out that this step may be challenging since distinctions will have to be made between violent videos displayed by broadcast media and content uploaded by those glorifying the act. However, he says that Google is continuing to refine its machine learning systems to make the identification process faster.

Second, the company says that it will be nearly doubling the number of independent experts in YouTube’s Trusted Flagger program and increasing the number of operational grants it distributes to affiliated organizations. This, Walker says, will act as a check for some content that is more nuanced and not immediately picked up by the company’s algorithms.

Third, Google says it will be taking a tougher stance on videos that do not clearly violate its policies but still contain inflammatory religious or supremacist content. Walker says that these videos will now be accompanied by a warning and will not be eligible for monetization, recommended status, user comments, or endorsements. The hope is that the move will make the videos harder to find while not trampling on free expression.

Lastly, Google says that it will be increasing YouTube’s role in counter-radicalization efforts by expanding its “Redirect Method” program across Europe. Under the program, potential terrorist recruits will be targeted with online advertising that redirects them to anti-terrorist content that counters malicious recruiting messages and may sway them from joining. The company points out that past iterations of the program saw unusually high click rates, with over half a million minutes of content being watched.

Making a difference

Google believes these changes will make a tangible difference in the fight against terrorism and has pledged to keep working until it finds the right balance.

“Extremists and terrorists seek to attack and erode not just our security, but also our values; they very things that make our societies open and free. We must not let them,” Walker said.

“Together, we can build lasting solutions that address the threats to our security and our freedoms. It is a sweeping and complex challenge. We are committed to playing our part.”

The midsize 2017 Mazda CX-9 SUV has captured the top award offered by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS)

Across-the-board good crashworthiness ratings, a superior-rated front crash prevention system and acceptable-rated headlights made the difference from tests performed on the 2015 model.

A vehicle must have good ratings in the small overlap front, moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraint tests in order to earn the 2017 "Top Safety Pick+" award.

Available advanced or superior front crash prevention and headlights that earn an acceptable or good rating are required as well.

A new design turns the tables

The CX-9 was redesigned for the 2016 model year. Beginning with 2017 models built after November 2016, Mazda modified the deployment pattern of the side curtain airbags to improve protection in front and side crashes.

The 2015 model of the CX-9 rated poor for protection in small overlap front crashes, as the structure was seriously compromised and the side airbag didn't deploy.

It also came up short for roof strength, which is important for protecting occupants in a rollover crash, and for head restraints, which help prevent neck injuries in a rear crash. The SUV earned only marginal ratings in those tests.

The 2017 CX-9 also offers optional front crash prevention that earns a superior rating. In IIHS track tests at 12 and 25 mph, it avoided collisions.

The system also includes Forward Collision Warning that meets National Highway Traffic Safety Administration criteria.

The superior-rated front crash prevention comes on the CX-9's Grand Touring and Signature trims, which also are equipped with the CX-9's best available headlights, which are rated acceptable. Other trim levels come with marginal headlights.

​Just when it looked like home sales had peaked for the year and were on the decline, national real estate broker RE/MAX reports its May sales set a post-recession record.

The numbers show home sales broadly declined in April, as investors struggled to come up with down payments while finding a home they wanted and could afford to buy. Then, May brought an abrupt about-face.

RE/MAX said its sales surged more than 20% over April while rising 4.3% over May 2016. Sales were able to climb despite the fact that inventory levels continued to shrink, falling to only a 2.6-month supply.

Perhaps because of the continued imbalance between supply and demand, RE/MAX said its median sale price rose to $232,500 -- the second highest in the nine year history of the report. The highest ever -- $236,062 -- was recorded in August 2008, just before the financial crisis. The average number of days on the market fell to 51, a record low.

A great time to sell

The numbers suggest it is a great time to be selling a house but not so favorable for buyers.

In fact, it has been a seller's market for the last year because declining sales in the previous months have been attributed to a lack of homes for sale. The fewer homes that have been on the market have sold briskly and closer to the sellers' asking price. Fifty-two of the 53 metro areas in the survey saw home prices rise in May.

"In May, we saw an uptick of both loan applications and home sales, which is encouraging in terms of more people getting into the market for homes," said Adam Contos, RE/MAX Co-CEO. "We don't expect that the Federal Reserve's announcement on Wednesday to raise interest rates a quarter of a point will greatly affect the market's momentum."

Contos says the market's momentum may stem from the steady rise in home values and the continued decline in inventory. Buyers are motivated to act before there are even fewer homes for sale and their prices rise even more.

Housing shortage

The RE/MAX report adds to the evidence that the U.S. has a housing shortage that may not be alleviated anytime soon. It's not just that fewer homeowners are putting their homes on the market, contractors are not building as many new homes.

Realtor Magazine, a publication of the National Association of Realtors (NAR), reported that between 2009 and 2016, new construction of housing units totaled 5.6 million. At the same time, 1.7 million units were either condemned or demolished, leaving a net gain of 3.9 million homes.

Over the same period, the U.S. population increased by over 17 million, creating a significant shortfall in available housing.

So why don't builders simply increase production to meet demand? Because costs have risen, cutting into profit margins on lower-priced homes, which are the ones in demand.

Since most home-building is done by large-scale, publicly traded companies, there is less incentive to build homes where the profit margin is thin, since it would likely lower earnings and drag down their stock prices.

Despite a slight decline in the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI), builder confidence in the market for newly-built single-family homes remains on firm ground.

The two-point slip from May took the HMI to a reading of 67. Any number over 50 indicates that more builders view conditions as good than poor.

“Builder confidence levels have remained consistently sound this year,” said NAHB Chairman Granger MacDonald, “reflecting the ongoing gradual recovery of the housing market.”

Checking the numbers

The NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index, which is derived from a monthly survey, gauges builder perceptions of current single-family home sales and sales expectations for the next six months as “good,” “fair,” or “poor.”

The survey also asks builders to rate traffic of prospective buyers as “high to very high,” “average,” or “low to very low.” Scores for each component are then used to calculate a seasonally adjusted index where any number over 50 indicates that more builders view conditions as good than poor.

All three HMI components lost ground in June but remain at healthy levels. The components gauging current sales conditions fell two points to 73, the index charting sales expectations in the next six months also dropped two points to 76, and the component measuring buyer traffic fell two points to 49.

Regarding the three-month moving averages for regional HMI scores, the Midwest and South each were one point lower to 67 and 70, respectively. The Northeast and West both dropped two points  -- to 46 and 76, respectively.

“As the housing market strengthens and more buyers enter the market, builders continue to express their frustration over an ongoing shortage of skilled labor and buildable lots that is impeding stronger growth in the single-family sector” said NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz.

Volvo Car USA is recalling 1,305 model year 2017 XC90s.

The Micro Gas Generator (MGG), a subcomponent part used within the right hand side seat belt retractor for the third row seats, may detach after the seat belt retractor pretensioner is deployed.

Although, the seat belt will operate as intended in the event of a crash, if the MGG detaches, it may be a projectile within the vehicle cabin, increasing the risk of injury.

What to do

Volvo will notify owners, and dealers will replace the third row passenger's side seat belt retractor, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin August 7, 2017.

Owners may contact Volvo customer service at 1-800-458-1552. Volvo's number for this recall is R89716.

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling 1,353 model year 2017 Pacifica Plug-in Hybrid Electric vehicles (PHEV).

The vehicles have diodes in the Power Inverter Module ("PIM") that may fail due to an overvoltage condition. If the diodes fail, the vehicle will not move under its own power.

A vehicle that suddenly cannot be driven, increases the risk of a crash.

What to do

Chrysler has not yet finalized its remedy plans for this recall. The recall is expected to begin on July 24, 2017.

Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is T34.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has worked diligently in recent months to scrap net neutrality, with chairman Ajit Pai saying that the notion is a massive government overreach.

However, thousands of companies and websites have come out in opposition, and on July 12 they’re launching a massive online protest to make their voices heard.

Entities taking part in the “Internet-Wide Day of Action to Save Net Neutrality” run the gamut from big-name companies like Netflix, Amazon, and Kickstarter to organizations like Fight for the Future, the Center for Media Justice, and the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Even popular social media and forum sites like Reddit and Imgur are stepping up to oppose the FCC’s slashing of Title II, the legal framework that supports net neutrality.

“The Internet has given more people a voice than ever before, and we’re not going to let the FCC take that power away from us,” said Evan Greer, campaign director of Fight for the Future. “Massive online mobilization got us the strong net neutrality protections that we have now, and we intend to fight tooth and nail to defend them.”

Banding together

While the day of protest has garnered massive support from numerous companies and websites, it will only be the latest in a line of protests that have popped up over this hot-button issue.

Last month, comedian John Oliver prompted viewers of his HBO weekly show Last Week Tonight to flood the FCC with comments supporting net neutrality, which promptly crashed the agency’s site. Officials stated that hackers engineered the site’s failure, but net neutrality advocates haven’t been deterred by the dismissals.

“Politicians in Washington, DC need to learn that net neutrality is not a partisan issue and Internet users will not tolerate these attacks on our basic rights – we will come together to protect the web as an open platform for free expression and exchange of ideas,” said Greer.

“The FCC’s plan to dismantle net neutrality will unfairly pad the bottom lines of Comcast and the rest of Big Cable, while undermining the public’s ability to freely communicate, organize, and innovate,” added Mark Stanley, communications director of Demand Progress. “Every few years, a threat so severe confronts the open internet that people, organizations, and companies from across the political spectrum – including some of the largest online platforms – must band together in common cause to fight back.”

Published reports say Japanese airbag manufacturer Takata is expected to file for bankruptcy in the coming days. The company has declined to comment on the reports.

If that company name sounds familiar, that's because Takata has been in the news over the last couple of years in connection with the recall of millions of vehicles containing its airbags. Because of a flaw in the inflator, these airbags can malfunction, spraying tiny bits of metal throughout the vehicle. To date, 11 deaths in the U.S. have been attributed to faulty Takata airbags.

According to Reuters, the company has been trying to work out a financial structure in which it can sell its assets while limiting the huge liabilities it has encountered in connection with the defective product.

So far, more than 42 million vehicles equipped with Takata airbags have been recalled, requiring expensive repairs. The company reportedly faces a huge fine from the U.S. government and three of its executives have been indicted by a federal grand jury on conspiracy charges.

Not a big surprise

Karl Brauer, executive publisher for Autotrader and Kelley Blue Book, says it should be no surprise that the largest and most expensive recall in automotive history would result in bankruptcy, which could occur as early as next week. The bigger issue he says, is how to replace tens of millions of airbags.

“It’s likely that process will continue throughout Takata’s bankruptcy proceedings and will take years to complete," Brauer said in an email to ConsumerAffairs. "Its cost will reach far beyond Takata, weighing on the financials of nearly 20 automakers. It’s a textbook case of what happens when a small number of suppliers service the entire global auto industry. In theory that system saves everyone money, but when a problem like this flares, there’s no escaping the impact.”

Consumers likely to end up paying

With Takata seeking the financial shield bankruptcy provides, Brauer says it is almost certain that it will fall to the automakers who purchased and installed Takata airbags to pick up the tab. And what almost always happens in these cases, a company that is hit with a big, unexpected cost tends to pass it along to its customers.

According to Reuters, the cost of replacing all the faulty inflators in the Takata airbags could be around $8 billion. Meanwhile, cars with these potentially deadly devices are still on the road.

In March, California civic leaders expressed alarm that a huge number of these unrepaired vehicles are still on the road. Noting that Southern California leads the nation in airbag deaths, the civic leaders launched a campaign to persuade consumers who own one of these recalled vehicles to park it until it can be repaired.

For the second time in as many months, there’s been a decline in the construction of new homes. 

The Commerce Department reports housing starts for privately-owned homes fell 5.5% in May to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,092,000 -- 2.4% below the same time a year earlier. 

Construction of single-family homes was down 3.9% to a rate of  794,000, while the construction of apartment buildings with five units or more tumbled 9.8% to an annual rate of 284,000.  

Building permits  

The outlook for the months ahead isn’t all that rosy, as building permits were down 4.9% in May to a rate of 1,168,000. Authorizations for single-family homes slipped 1.9% to a rate of 779,000, while permits for apartment buildings plunged 10.1% to a rate of 358,000.  

The complete report is available on the Commerce Department website.

United Pet Group is recalling multiple brands of rawhide dog chew products. 

The products contain a quaternary ammonium compound mixture as a processing aid in the manufacturing of rawhide chews.  

The compound is an anti-microbial chemical approved for cleaning food processing equipment, but it has not been approved in the U.S. as a processing aid in the production of rawhide chews for dogs. 

The company has received reports of pet illness that include diarrhea and vomiting. 

The following products, distributed to retail stores nationally, are being recalled:

What to do

Customers who purchased the recalled products should contact the United Pet Group at 1-855-215-4962 between 8:00 AM – 11:00 PM (EST) for a refund.

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has ordered a "regulatory reset" of rules intended to protect students from predatory for-profit colleges. But critics say the reset puts the interests of for-profit colleges ahead of those of students.

"The message the Trump Administration is sending our students is coming into focus: look out, the fox is guarding the henhouse,” said California Attorney General Xavier Becerra. But Becerra said he was not surprised by the action.

“I cannot say I am surprised that President Trump’s Administration has decided not to protect students from predatory for-profit colleges. It was Trump University that had to pay $25 million for offering sham courses, hiring unqualified instructors, and lying to students about learning secrets to real estate success," Becerra said in an email.

DeVos said the "reset" is intended to allow time for the department "to develop fair, effective and improved regulations to protect individual borrowers from fraud, ensure accountability across institutions of higher education and protect taxpayers."

"My first priority is to protect students," said DeVos. "Fraud, especially fraud committed by a school, is simply unacceptable. Unfortunately, last year's rulemaking effort missed an opportunity to get it right. The result is a muddled process that's unfair to students and schools, and puts taxpayers on the hook for significant costs."

"A craven attempt"

But Julie Murray of Public Citizen's litigation group said the delay is "a craven attempt to avoid the agency’s legal obligations to enforce" the rules enacted during the Obama Administration.

The rules include a prohibition on the use of forced arbitration clauses in many student enrollment contracts. These clauses require students to submit any dispute that might later arise between the students and the institution to binding arbitration, a private process with little right to appeal, instead of a court of law. The rules also provide new protections for students asserting defenses against repayment of their federal loans based on fraud or other misconduct by the students’ schools.

DeVos said the "reset" will not delay the processing of claims by students at now-defunct schools who are seeking to have their loans forgiven.

"Nearly 16,000 borrower defense claims are currently being processed by the Department, and, as I have said all along, promises made to students under the current rule will be promises kept," DeVos said. "We are working with servicers to get these loans discharged as expeditiously as possible. Some borrowers should expect to obtain discharges within the next several weeks."

Colleges raise concerns

DeVos said colleges "of all types" have raised concerns about the new regulations, complaining about "excessively broad definitions of substantial misrepresentation and breach of contract, the lack of meaningful due process protections for institutions and 'financial triggers.'"

Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson called the decision to delay the new rules "deeply troubling." 

He said the "protections delayed by the Trump Administration and Secretary DeVos" include:

• Prohibitions on schools forcing students to pursue complaints in arbitration rather than in court; 
• Prohibitions on schools requiring students to waive participation in class action lawsuits; and
• The provision of automatic relief and group relief for defrauded federal student loan borrowers in certain circumstances, including following legal actions by state attorneys general. 

“As findings of widespread fraud and misrepresentation by Corinthian Colleges make clear, we need to do more to protect students who took out loans to pay for education they did not receive, and to ensure that there are meaningful avenues for relief when they are left paying for promises that never materialized," Ferguson said. 

Back in November, DraftKings and FanDuel – the two biggest players in daily fantasy sports – agreed to a merger, saying that their union would better enable them to serve customers. But a recent Recode report shows that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) isn’t so keen on the deal.

Three sources close to the situation have said that the FTC may block the merger because the resulting entity would control too much of the competitive market. Estimates show that the companies account for around 80% of the daily fantasy sports market, which has generated warning flags during the antitrust review of the agreement.

While some officials have brought up the possibility of suing the companies to stop the deal, the decision will still ultimately fall to a vote by the FTC commissioners, which could happen before the week is through.

Legal hurdles

This isn't the first time that DraftKings and FanDuel have faced regulatory scrutiny. Last year, the companies both found themselves in a legal battle with New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, who stated that the sites violated state gambling laws.

The suit was later overturned after legislation was passed stating that DFS is a legal activity, but further allegations over false and misleading marketing practices came back to bite both companies to the tune of $6 million.

New York wasn’t the only state putting up a fight against the companies, though. Legal battles in Virginia, Texas, Illinois, and Nevada kept both companies on their toes. Experts have said that the merger was one way to control costs and to create a unified effort towards legal defense and lobbying efforts. However, DraftKings CEO Jason Robins said the move was all about advancing forward.

“Joining forces will allow us to truly realize the potential of our vision, and as a combined company we will be able to accelerate the pace of innovation and bring a richer experience to our customers than we ever could have done separately,” he said.

Difficult deal to block

Regardless of the motive, the merger may prove to be something that the FTC has trouble stopping. Although regulators could point out that the deal threatens competition in the DFS marketplace, DraftKings and FanDuel have rolled out other products that put them in competition with a broader range of businesses.

Gaming and sports lawyer Daniel Wallach says that fact has helped the companies “buttress the contention that they’re not just simply in the space for daily fantasy sports.”

“From DraftKings and FanDuel’s perspective, the broader the marketplace, the better it [looks] for their proposed combination. The more persuasively they can make that case, the more likely they [are to] survive antitrust scrutiny,” he told Recode.

Another advantage that the companies have involves the current make-up of the FTC panel reviewing the deal. As it stands now, there is only one Republican and one Democrat serving on what is supposed to be a five-person panel. If they choose to split their vote on a decision to block the deal, then the resulting deadlock would allow the merger to proceed anyway.

Over the years, countless studies have been conducted that sought the root cause of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s. But recently, many researchers have come to believe that the build-up of amyloid plaques – a sticky substance that can accumulate outside and around nerve cells and neurons in the brain-- are the main threat.

Now, a new study gives further evidence that these plaques might be the problem. Researchers from The Univeristy of Texas at Dallas say that the level of amyloid plaques in a person’s brain can predict their rate of cognitive decline over the next four years of their life.

"Our understanding of the earliest and silent phase of possible Alzheimer's disease is increasing rapidly,” said senior author Dr. Denise Park. “Providing physicians and patients with more information about the magnitude of amyloid deposits will provide valuable information that will permit better planning for the future.”

Early intervention is essential

The study used positron emission tomography (PET) scans to analyze amyloid build-up in the brains of 184 healthy, middle-aged men who took part in the Dallas Lifespan Brain Study.

Findings showed that participants who had higher amyloid amounts in their brains went on to have faster declines in vocabulary when they got older, an area of cognition that is generally preserved in people who age normally. The results show that early scanning for patients at risk of neurodegenerative diseases could go a long way towards adopting early prevention strategies.  

"We think it is critical to examine middle-aged adults to detect the earliest possible signs of Alzheimer's disease, because it is becoming increasingly clear that early intervention will be the key to eventually preventing Alzheimer's disease," said lead author Dr. Michelle Farrell.

The full study has been published in JAMA Neurology.

Just about everywhere in the country, gasoline prices are going down, a nice bonus for motorists as we get into the summer driving season.

The reason is two-fold. There haven't been any major incidents at oil refineries that would interfere with regional distribution of gasoline. And the price of oil, used to make gasoline, is dropping like a rock.

"Oil plummeting to $44 a barrel, wholesale gas prices taking a beating," Tweeted Patrick DeHaan, senior petroleum analyst at GasBuddy. "We haven't seen the lowest gas prices of the summer!"

Averaging $2.32 a gallon

The national average price of self-serve regular is just under $2.32 a gallon, according to the AAA Fuel Gauge Survey. That's down about four cents from a week ago and perhaps more noteworthy, is about a nickle a gallon less than this time a year ago.

Throughout most of the winter and spring, prices at the pump have been significantly higher than year ago levels. That's because oil prices have been rising since last November, largely on OPEC's talk of production cuts, to reduce the supply of oil.

But the latest evidence suggests that the cuts, in fact, were just talk. There is still a large supply of oil; U.S. shale producers have upped their rig count as the price of oil rose; and OPEC nations are still pumping at old rates.

Huge supply of gasoline

The latest shock to energy traders on Wall Street was a report this week showing a huge build up in U.S. gasoline stockpiles, in part because consumers are using less.

According to the report from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), U.S. gasoline inventories are up a staggering 9% over the five-year average. Perhaps just as notable, gasoline demand is down 1.2%.

As a result, AAA reports several states have seen double-digit price declines. In South Carolina, the statewide average price of gasoline has dipped below $2 a gallon for the first time in months. Only Hawaii and California have average gas prices above $3 a gallon.

"If refiners continue to produce record amounts of gasoline and oversupply the market, consumers will reap the benefit and see slight fluctuations in gasoline prices in coming weeks," AAA predicts.

AAA also notes California may see a slight increase in prices at the pump next month as the state raises its excise tax rate for gasoline.

Retail sales fell in May -- their first decline in three months.

The Commerce Department reports sales for the month totaled $473.8 billion, down 0.3% from April, but a gain of 3.8% from the same period a year ago.

Declines in sales were posted by electronics and appliance stores (-2.8%), gas stations (-2.4%), and autos (-0.2%).

Among the gainers were nonstore retailers (+0.8%) and clothing & clothing accessories stores (+0.3%).

The full report is available on the Commerce Department website.

Jobless claims

From the Department of Labor (DOL), word that first-time applications for state unemployment benefits fell last week.

Initial jobless claims continued their decline in the week ending June 10, falling 8,000 to a seasonally total of 237,000 from the previous week's unrevised level.

What economists see as a more accurate gauge of the labor market due to its lack of volatility -- the four-week moving average -- rose by 1,000 from the previous week's unrevised average to 243,000.

The complete report may be found on the DOL website.

CC Kitchens of Cincinnati, Ohio, is recalling approximately 2,415 pounds of ready-to-eat meat and poultry salads.

The products may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

There are no confirmed reports of adverse reactions.

The following items, produced and packaged between May 31, 2017, and June 5, 2017, are being recalled:

• 12.6-oz. clamshell packages containing “Chef Salad” with case code 71001 and “Sell By” dates of 6/5/2017, 6/6/2017, 6/7/2017, 6/8/2017, 6/9/2017 and 6/10/2017.
• 13.1-oz. clamshell packages containing “Chicken & Bacon Cobb Salad” with case code 71004 and “Sell By” dates of 6/5/2017, 6/6/2017, 6/7/2017, 6/8/2017, 6/9/2017 and 6/10/2017.
• 9.4-oz. clamshell packages containing “Chef Side Salad” with case code 71005 and “Sell By” dates of 6/5/2017, 6/6/2017, 6/7/2017, 6/8/2017, 6/9/2017 and 6/10/2017.
• 9.65-oz. clamshell packages containing “Chicken & Bacon Cobb Side Salad” with case code 71007 and “Sell By” dates of 6/5/2017, 6/6/2017, 6/7/2017, 6/8/2017, 6/9/2017 and 6/10/2017.

The recalled products, bearing establishment number “EST. P-45676” inside the USDA mark of inspection, have a six-day shelf life and were shipped to retail locations in Ohio, Michigan and West Virginia.

What to do

Customers who purchased the recalled products should not consume them, but throw them away or return them to the place of purchase.

Consumers with questions about the recall may call the CC Kitchens, LLC 24-hour consumer hotline at (866) 458-3188.

New research from the Penn State College of Medicine suggests that consumers who use e-cigarettes regularly are less likely to get hooked on nicotine than people who smoke cigarettes.

While the researchers conclude that e-cigarette users are less dependent on nicotine, they say it isn't clear whether e-cigarette "vaping" leads to eventual cigarette smoking, as some health advocates believe. They say further study is needed to determine that.

E-cigarettes are a type of battery-powered device that uses an electric charge to heat and vaporize a liquid mixture that is inhaled as an aerosol. The aerosol usually contains nicotine, to mimic the effects of a cigarette, but it may also contain flavorings and other chemicals.

Not harmless

The study tried to compare e-cigarette and cigarette dependence by surveying more than 32,000 people who either used e-cigarettes or who smoked. Of those who used e-cigarettes, nearly all had once regularly smoked tobacco cigarettes.

The survey showed e-cigarette users waited longer to "vape" after waking up in the morning than smokers waited to have their first cigarette. Vapers were also less likely to describe themselves as addicted, or to feel like they really needed their product. But everyone in the survey felt they "needed" a shot of nicotine.

Although the researchers concluded that e-cigarette use doesn't produce the same kind of nicotine addiction tobacco does, they also say the chemicals in the aerosol are not harmless, even though the e-liquid contains fewer chemicals than what is found in cigarette smoke.

Not as addictive

“No doubt about it, e-cigarettes are addictive, but not at the same level as traditional cigarettes,” said the study’s lead author, Guodong Liu.

There appear to be two types of consumers who purchase and use e-cigarettes; cigarette smokers who find e-cigarettes a better alternative to tobacco, and young people who have never been smokers. It is the latter group that has health advocates worried.

“Adolescents very much by nature want to experiment with everything and anything,” Liu said.

Lin says health researchers will need to know a lot on almost every aspect of these increasingly popular devices before there can be a coherent action plan to better manage this new emerging tobacco delivery product.

Years ago, all long distance calls were pretty expensive. Today, with cellular proliferation and unlimited talk plans, only calls from prison are still pricey.

In fact, calls placed by inmates from prison can get incredibly expensive, so prison reform advocates persuaded the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to rein them in by placing caps on what telephone service companies can charge.

Now, a federal appeals court has ruled the FCC went too far, exceeding its authority. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia has struck down those caps. FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn, an Obama administration appointee who strongly backed the caps, is disappointed.

“It is a sad day for the more than 2.7 million children in this country with at least one incarcerated parent," Clyburn said in a statement. "But the families who have experienced the pain, anguish and financial burden of trying to communicate with a loved one in jail or prison, are still counting on us, so we will press on.”

Regulatory authority

The issue before the court was whether the federal agency had the authority to regulate the price of in-state telephone calls. The three-judge panel voted 2-1 that it did not, even though the justices acknowledged "extraordinarily high" rates and a general lack of competition to provide these services.

In many situations, jails and prisons work with private telephone companies to establish accounts to pay for inmate telephone calls. Inmate family members deposit money into the accounts to pay for the calls, and sometimes the institution takes a cut.

Prison reform advocates have long attacked the practice as exploiting what is literally a captive audience.

Not giving up

“I remain committed to doing everything I can from working with my colleagues at the Commission, to supporting the efforts of Congress and those in the states to bring relief to millions who continue to suffer from the greatest form of regulatory injustice I have seen in my 18 years as a regulator in the communications space,” Clyburn said.

Global Tel*Link, the telephone company that sued to overturn the FCC caps, provides this telephone service to many prisons and jails. Consumers posting reviews of the service at ConsumerAffairs have noted not just the cost of the calls, but the quality of the service.

"I've been using their services for four months now and calls would drop after four to five minutes of talking and they would charge for the whole 20 minutes, Kate, of Oklahoma City, wrote in a post.

It's getting better, but there's still room for improvement.

That's the conclusion from tests by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for headlights on SUVs.

According to the latest tests, the 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe and the 2017 Volvo XC60 are the only models available with good-rated headlights among the 19 midsize SUVs and 18 midsize luxury SUVs evaluated in this new round of tests.

A dozen of the vehicles are available with headlights rated acceptable, while 23 don't have anything other than marginal- or poor-rated headlights.

This is the fourth group of vehicles IIHS has evaluated since 2016.

"As a group, midsize SUV headlights perform slightly better than the other SUVs and pickups we evaluated last year, and that's encouraging," said IIHS Senior Research Engineer Matt Brumbelow. "Still, we continue to see headlights that compromise safety because they only provide a short view down the road at night."

Nighttime visibility is critical to highway safety, according to IIHS, because about half of traffic deaths occur either in the dark or at dawn or dusk.

Focus on headlights

Differences in bulb type, headlight technology, and even something as basic as how the lights are aimed all affect the amount of useful light supplied.

Properly aimed low beams light up the road ahead without temporarily blinding drivers of oncoming vehicles.

Headlights can vary by trim line, so vehicles often come with multiple headlight variants. The 37 SUVs that IIHS evaluated have 79 possible headlight combinations.

More than half of the 79 headlight variants evaluated have too much glare. In 17 of those cases, the headlights would be rated poor based on glare alone.

Complaints about glare from oncoming headlights are common, research by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration indicates.

"Managing glare can be more challenging for taller vehicles like SUVs and pickups because their headlights are mounted higher than on cars," Brumbelow said. "Better aim at the factory can minimize glare."

Here is a complete listing of the latest IIHS test results:

A drop in energy costs helped put the brakes on inflation on the consumer level in May.

The Labor Department (DOL) reports its Consumer Price Index (CPI) fell a seasonally adjusted 0.1% last month, bringing the rise in consumer prices over the last 12 months to 1.9%.

Energy and food costs

The price of energy fell 2.7% following April's increase of 1.1%. The biggest factor last month was gasoline, which plunged 6.4%. That offset increases in natural (+1.9%) and electricity (+0.3%) . Over the past 12 months, energy prices have gone up 5.4%.

Food prices were up 0.2% in May -- the fifth monthly increase in a row. The cost of food at home, or groceries, inched up 0.1%.

Within that category, nonalcoholic beverages & beverage materials jumped 1.1%, meats, poultry, while fish & eggs, dairy & related products and cereals & bakery products each rose 0.3%.

Decliners included fruits & vegetables (-0.6%) and other food at home (-0.1).

Grocery prices over the past year are down 0.2%, due largely to a drop of 2.1% the cost meats, poultry, fish and eggs. Restaurant prices, or food away from home, rose 0.2% in May and are up 2.3 percent over the last 12 months. Overall food costs over the past year are up 0.9%.

Core inflation

The “core” rate of inflation, which excludes the volatile food and energy categories, was up 0.1% -- the same as April. Over the post 12 months, it's up 1.7%.

Areas outside of food and energy that saw costs increase include housing (+0.2%) and motor vehicle insurance (+1.1%). Prices for communication, new vehicles, and used cars and trucks all dipped 0.2%. Clothing and alcoholic beverage costs also declined.

The price of medical care index was unchanged in May.

The full report is available on the DOL website.

Applications for mortgages are up for a second consecutive week.

According to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s latest survey, applications rose 2.8% in the week ending June 9.

The Refinance Index shot up 9%t from the previous week to its highest level since November 2016, pushing the refinance share of mortgage activity to 45.4% of total applications from 42.1% a week earlier. The average loan size for refinance applications reached the highest level since September 2016 at $274,700.

The adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) share of activity was unchanged at 7.4% of total applications, the FHA share rose to 11.2% from 10.6%, the VA share held steady at 11.1% and the USDA share of total applications was unchanged at 0.8%.

Contract interest rates

• The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages (FRMs) with conforming loan balances ($424,100 or less) was down one basis point -- to 4.13% from 4.14%, with points increasing to 0.35 from 0.34 (including the origination fee) for 80% loan-to-value ratio (LTV) loans. The effective rate remained unchanged from last week.
• The average contract interest rate for 30-year FRMs with jumbo loan balances (greater than $424,100) dropped to to 4.06% from 4.08%, with points increasing to 0.24 from 0.21 (including the origination fee) for 80% LTV loans. The effective rate decreased from last week.
• The average contract interest rate for 30-year FRMs backed by the FHA was slipped one basis point to 4.00%, with points decreasing to 0.29 from 0.39 (including the origination fee) for 80% LTV loans. The effective rate decreased from last week.
• The average contract interest rate for 15-year fixed-rate mortgages declined from 3.39% to 3.37%, with points decreasing to 0.34 from 0.43 (including the origination fee) for 80% LTV loans. The effective rate decreased from last week.
• The average contract interest rate for 5/1 ARMs rose six basis points to 3.26%, with points decreasing to 0.20 from 0.27 (including the origination fee) for 80% LTV loans. The effective rate increased from last week.

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

Noble House Home Furnishings of Chatsworth, Calif., is recalling about 3,300 dining chairs.

The legs of the chairs can break, posing a fall hazard to the user.

The firm has received six reports of the chairs breaking, with four incidents resulting in consumers receiving bruises from falls.

This recall involves Noble House’s Kaius, Henrietta, and Fauna dining chairs which have solid wood legs and an upholstered seat.

The Kaius Fabric chairs have a curved, wood back and fabric cushion and measure 21 inches deep by 23 inches wide by 30 inches high.

The Henrietta Fabric chairs have a cushioned seat and back and measure 21 inches deep by 22 inches wide by 32 inches high.

The Fauna Dining chairs have a cushioned seat and back and measures 20 inches deep by 20 inches wide by32 inches high.

The recalled chairs have a label underneath the seat that reads “MADE FOR: NOBLE HOUSE HOME FURNISHINGS LLC: 21325 Superior St., Chatsworth CA 91311.”

The chairs, made in Malaysia, were sold online at Amazon, Overstock and Wayfair from September 2016, through March 2017, for about $130.

What to do

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled chairs and contact Noble House for a free repair kit including shipping.

Consumers may contact Noble House toll-free at 888-600-6376 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (PT) Monday through Friday or online at www.noblehousefurniture.com and click on the Safety Recall Link at the bottom of the page.

Pork King Sausage of New York, N.Y., is recalling approximately 44,035 pounds of raw sausage links.

The products may contain milk, an allergen not declared the label.

There are no confirmed reports of adverse reactions.

The following items, produced from February 16, 2017, through June 2, 2017, are being recalled:

• 10-lb. boxes of Peter’s Wholesale Meat Corp. “British Style Bangers” with lot code 03143.
• 5-lb. boxes of “PORK KING IRISH STYLE BANGERS” with lot codes 2153, 2146, 2139, 3138, 3103, 1076, 2076, 1069, 2069,3067, 1062, 2062, 3061, 1055, 2055, 1047, 2047 and 3047.

The recalled products, bearing establishment number “Est. 4396” inside the USDA mark of inspection, were shipped to wholesale and institutional locations in Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina and Virginia.

What to do

Customers who purchased the recalled products should throw them away or return them to the place of purchase.

Consumers with questions about the recall may contact Sean McGonigle at (917) 440-8098.

Self-driving Chevrolet Bolt EVs are rolling off the assembly line at General Motors' Orion Assembly Plant in Michigan. GM says that makes it the first company to assemble self-driving cars in a mass-production facility.

The second-generation, all-electric hatchbacks will join more than 50 first-generation self-driving Bolts already on the streets of San Francisco, Scottsdale, Ariz., and metro Detroit.

“This production milestone brings us one step closer to making our vision of personal mobility a reality,” said GM Chairman and CEO Mary Barra. “Expansion of our real-world test fleet will help ensure that our self-driving vehicles meet the same strict standards for safety and quality that we build into all of our vehicles.”

The self-driving Chevrolet Bolt EVs feature GM’s latest array of equipment, including LIDAR, cameras, sensors, and other hardware designed to make the compact cars safe, reliable, and fully autonomous.

Scaling it up

Building a handful of cars and driving them around in a few warm-weather locales doesn't do the trick, GM executives said, throwing shade on Google, Uber, and a handful of other companies that have small test fleets.

“To achieve what we want from self-driving cars, we must deploy them at scale," said Cruise Automation CEO Kyle Vogt. "By developing the next-generation self-driving platform in San Francisco and manufacturing these cars in Michigan, we are creating the safest and most consistent conditions to bring our cars to the most challenging urban roads that we can find.”

GM is also building non-autonomous Bolts and the Chevrolet Spark at the Orion plant.