Current Events in June 2017

Limiting uranium mining in the Grand Canyon hasn’t been an easy political fight for Arizona residents, and Barack Obama’s presidency brought a mix of hope and missed opportunities to the battle.  The former president in 2012 agreed to issue a 20-year-ban on uranium mining in the Grand Canyon, grandfathering in sites where work had already begun but killing companies' hopes of mining anywhere new in the region. 

While the mining industry promptly sued the Obama administration and has been in court fighting the federal government ever since, Native American tribes and some lawmakers pushed the administration to go even further to protect the area's environment.

Had Obama made the Grand Canyon a national monument, as environmentalists petitioned him to do, mining and other heavy industrial activity would have been permanently banned from the region, activists said. But residents got word during Obama’s final days in office that he would not give the Grand Canyon that special monument status.  

“I can only express my profound disappointment,” Rep. Raul Grijalva, a Democrat from Arizona, said in reaction to the news.  

Now energy interests, still fighting to overturn the current mining ban in the Grand Canyon, are hoping to benefit from the Trump administration's pro-industrialization of national parks stance. They see hope in not just the Grand Canyon but in public land where Trump, in an unprecedented move, is considering stripping away national monument protections that have already been granted by previous presidents.

Revoking a monument's protections?

President Teddy Roosevelt’s Antiquities Act gave presidents the authority to declare land and waters as national monuments, a designation  that people assumed was permanent. But Trump in late April signed an Executive Order asking his secretary of interior to review 30 national monuments and decide if any should be “rescinded, modified or resized.” 

Conservation groups argue that presidents don’t have the authority to “rescind” or “resize” land that has already been made a monument by past administrations. “We're prepared, and others are prepared, to challenge any revoking of any of the monuments established by Obama, Clinton or Bush,” says Roger Clark, a director at Grand Canyon Trust, a conservation group that aims to keep uranium mining and other industrial activity out of the Grand Canyon.  

“We contend that there’s no legal authority to rescind monuments once they've been established,” Clark tells ConsumerAffairs. 

The administration is framing its review of monuments as a small government vs. big government issue, and they say that regular citizens will benefit from opening up more protected land.

“In some cases national monuments have resulted in the loss of jobs, reduced wages and loss of public access,” Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke told reporters earlier this year. “We feel the public, the people the monuments affect, should be considered and given a meaningful voice.”

But it was the American Petroleum Institute, the major trade group representing oil and gas interests, that originally suggested this year that lawmakers “re-examine the role and purpose of the Antiquities Act,” according to a letter the API sent Congress in January.

“Many of our members explore for and produce oil and natural gas resources on federal offshore and onshore lands,” the group said, before going on to criticize the outgoing administration for adding new sites to the monument list.

“President Obama’s large designations under the Antiquities Act and suggestions of additional withdrawals before his term in office expires, present a threat to balanced management of America’s non-park, non-wilderness public lands onshore and offshore,” the API wrote. 

Bears Ears faces shrinking proposal

While Obama had declined to make the Grand Canyon a national monument, he did agree, at the urging of tribes and environmental groups, to protect approximately 265 million acres of land at other sites during his tenure. In his final days in office, Obama gave Antiquities Act protections to a controversial site in Utah called Bears Ears. The site consists of a pair of mesas and a vast landscape that a coalition of five different Native American tribes had lobbied for years to protect. 

Gavin Noyes, who helped draft the initial proposal to make Bears Ears a national monument in 2013, described the site in an interview in NPR “one of the wildest, most intact landscapes in Utah."

But the energy industry sees it differently. At least six companies have reportedly explored Bears Ears for natural gas before Obama made it a monument. And the American Petroleum Institute, while not calling out Bears Ears specifically, is among the many oil and gas interests that have a friendly relationship with Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke.

On June 12, Zinke released a proposal to significantly scale back the amount of land considered a monument at Bears Ears. The exact dimensions at this new, theoretical smaller monument in Utah are not clear. The plans are not yet finalized, as  Zinke is expected to make a determination on two dozen other monuments by the end of August.

Overturning the uranium mining moratorium in Grand Canyon

With more monuments potentially on the chopping block as an August deadline for Zinke’s report looms, officials who support uranium mining in the Grand Canyon are beginning to make a new public push for overturning the two-decade ban put in place by Obama.  This month the Mohave County Board of Supervisors sent a letter to Zinke expressing support for adding new mines in the Grand Canyon, claiming that “this ban took away much needed growth and jobs from our area.”

Among those who would be poised to benefit from lifting the moratorium is Energy Fuel Resources, a mining company that dominates uranium reserves in the Grand Canyon region. The company’s Canyon Mine at the bottom of the Grand Canyon first broke ground in 1986, when it was under the control of a Canadian company, but tumbling uranium prices caused the original owners to abandon the site.

New owners Energy Fuel Resources have tried to reopen the site in recent years, but they have been stalled in the courts by the Havasupai, the tribe who lives near the site and has led much of the effort to stop mining in the Canyon. Work on the mine came to a halt again in March when the site began filling with water.

“Energy Fuels supports lifting the withdrawal, as it needlessly cuts off access to the best uranium deposits in the U.S,” the company writes to ConsumerAffairs via email.

But they add that they have the authority to continue working as they please on the Canyon Mine, whether or not the current moratorium is lifted. “...whether the withdrawal is lifted or not, the Canyon Mine is grandfathered-in – President Obama’s Interior Secretary at the time the withdrawal was placed into effect (Mr. Ken Salazar) stated that up to 8 uranium mines could proceed under the withdrawal, including the Canyon Mine," the company says.

Research suggests water contamination from uranium mining in canyon

Tribal and conservation groups trying to fight new mining projects point to a study released by the U.S. Geological Survey in 2010 which found that areas near former mining sites in the Grand Canyon have elevated levels of uranium in the water. 

Roger Clark, the director at Grand Canyon Trust, adds that uranium mines in Arizona are not required to install monitoring wells up or downstream from their operations, something he says is considered a “best practice” in the industry and is required by other mining operators.

Uranium at mines near the Grand Canyon "could have easily spread and seeped into the aquifer and contaminate the aquifer...but we don't know because the agencies do not require these mines to have monitoring wells,” Clark says.

Energy Fuel Resources spokesman Curtis Moore responds to ConsumerAffairs that monitoring wells are unnecessary. “We can assure the Havasupai Tribe and all members of the public that our Canyon Mine is in full compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations, including those governing air and water monitoring,” he says via email. “Installing additional monitoring (as you suggest) is costly, unnecessary, and not required by any government law, regulation or agency."

Moore additionally claims that “the federal government has not linked modern natural uranium mining with water contamination in the Grand Canyon,” arguing that the 2010 U.S. Geological Survey report that detected uranium in water did not conclusively blame modern mining operations as the culprit. The report, he added, “is confusingly written…. At worst (for us), the USGS report is inconclusive.”

Conservation groups like the Grand Canyon Trust and Center for Biological Diversity, meanwhile, argue that the US Geological Survey’s research is strong enough to make a case against any further mining of the region.“These reports demonstrate unequivocally that uranium mining should not proceed in these environmentally sensitive lands,” the Sierra Club’s Grand Canyon chapter said at the time. 

Theme parks have changed a lot over the years. You can still find thrill rides at most of them, but parks and their attractions have also become immersive experiences that are enhanced by technology and special effects.

Several parks have recently opened new rides and attractions that push the envelope. If you are either on the East Coast or West Coast this summer, one of them would make a great family get-away. Most are built around movie themes.

A good example is Disney Orlando, which just opened Pandora, an attraction built around the Avatar movies.

Dave Cobb, Principle of Creative Development at Thinkwell Group, a creative design firm in Los Angeles, says the attraction fully immerses visitors in the land of Pandora and offers features like a 156-foot-tall “floating mountain.”

“It's a beautifully rendered environment with two exciting rides, and more importantly, it fits within a conservation message that the Animal Kingdom Park already has,” Cobb told ConsumerAffairs.

The attraction was developed in conjunction with filmmaker James Cameron.

Volcano Bay

Universal Orlando also recently opened Volcano Bay, featuring the Krakatau Aqua Coaster, which allows you to dip in and out of a 200-foot volcano.

“This is a park you visit in a swim suit and you go on waterslides,” Cobb said. It's very different from a typical theme park and very unlike other water parks around the country.”

One thing that also sets it apart is the digitized ride reservation system, which saves visitors a lot of time standing in line. Visitors wear wristbands that keep them in touch with the ride operators so they know when it's their turn.

“And that wristband allows you to activate surprises and special effects throughout the park as you're exploring, geysers of water and things like that, as though the environment is reacting to your presence,” Cobb said.

California attractions

On the West Coast, Guardians of the Galaxy Mission: Breakout, at Disney California Adventure, is set in the the iconic Tower of Terror. But it has some significant updates for the 21st century.

“It's actually a re-imagining of an older, existing attraction,” Cobb said. “It took the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and completely re-imagined it as a new ride. Not only is it the first Marvel attraction in the Disney park, it took a ride that was mostly scary, and added this sort of rock and roll comedy element to it.”

Six Flag Magic Mountain is another California theme park sporting a new move-themed attraction – Justice League: Battle for Metropolis. It lets guests join the iconic Justice League, battling alongside the DC heroes in an interactive, video-game-style mission against the Joker, combining immersive sets, physical effects, animated figures and 3D animation.

High-tech, 3D turn

Cobb says a park known mostly for its roller coasters has taken a high-tech, 3D turn, offering “a completely different take on what a thrill ride is.” He says the new attraction makes it more like a Disney or Universal experience.

California's Knott's Berry Farm is one of the country's oldest theme parks, getting its start as a roadside attraction. It's made up of authentic western town buildings salvaged from the region in the 30s and 40s.

The new attraction, Ghost Town Alive, allows visitors to become honorary citizens of the town of Calico, immersed in an authentic western adventure complete with bandits, cowboys, and robberies that make up a day-long story.

“They've brought in live performers, a cast of characters that are the denizens of this town, Cobb said. It is a daylong immersive theatrical production that happens every day the park is operating.”

The rising cost of prescription medicine has become a political hot potato, in addition to being a financial burden for consumers taking drugs to prevent or treat a health condition.

The more prescriptions you take, the higher the monthly cost is likely to be. Since older people tend to take the most prescriptions, they tend to feel the heaviest burden.

The University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging quizzed adults between the ages of 50 and 80 to try to understand the impact of medication costs. It found 27% of those in the survey reported their prescription drug costs posed a financial burden.

One in six pointed to an additional problem -- managing a highly complex mix of six or more medications, often prescribed by more than one doctor. Not surprisingly, they were most likely to say their drug costs were a burden.

Partial solution

The poll also uncovered a potential solution -- or at least, a partial solution. It found that seniors, for the most part, do not talk to their doctors about their prescription drug problems. If they did, the authors say, their doctors might be able to offer some help.

While half of the seniors in the survey hadn't talked to their doctors about the high cost of drugs, the half that did often found some relief. Sixty-seven percent said they got a prescription for a less expensive drug. Thirty-seven percent said they got similar help from their pharmacist.

“Based on these findings, and other evidence, we encourage patients to speak up during their clinic visits, and when they’re at the pharmacy, and ask about ways to reduce the cost of their prescriptions,” said Dr. Preeti Malani, who directed the poll. “But equally, we see a need for health professionals to find ways to more routinely engage with patients about cost – especially through formal medication reviews such as the one that Medicare will cover.”

Help from drug companies

Doctors may also be able to provide additional help if they can guide their patients to patient assistance programs offered by pharmaceutical companies. These programs are usually income-tested, targeting them to the very group that needs the most help.

For example, Merck provides its medicines and adult vaccines for free to people who do not have prescription drug or health insurance coverage and who, without assistance, could not afford the Merck medicine their doctor prescribed.

Pfizer's assistance program, called RxPathways, connects eligible patients to a range of assistance programs. The support ranges from insurance support to free or discounted medicine.

Most pharmaceutical companies offer some type of income-based assistance, so it is important to know which companies make your prescription drugs.

While consumers may be paying more for chicken at grocery stores due to breeding problems, a new Bloomberg report shows that the cost of eggs is lower than it has been in over a decade. Experts say that a huge surge in supply over recent months has led to the plummeting prices.

The news marks a big reversal for the industry from 2015, when a strain of avian flu forced farmers to destroy millions of chickens, sending egg prices skyrocketing. After the crisis, producers came back with a vengeance by expanding their flocks like never before, but all that growth has led to a surplus of eggs that goes well beyond demand.

“The market was temporarily starved for eggs, and now it’s drowning. There’s just too many eggs out there,” remarked Tom Elam, president of the consulting firm FarmEcon LLC.

Plummeting prices

In May, retailers were selling a dozen eggs for an average of $1.414 – the lowest figure since 2006, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Officials say that prices have dropped 52% since September 2015 and are on track to fall another 6% this year, despite an overall food inflation projection of 2%. Other projections show that total egg supplies will climb 1.3% in 2017, with much of that production coming from domestic producers.

While the boom in egg supplies has negatively affected the egg industry’s bottom line, experts say the low prices will force producers to cut back, which will eventually normalize the market. Production has already been cut back at several large companies, including Midwest Poultry Services LP in Mentone, Indiana.

“This year, the first six months have been disastrous…It’s just a good reminder to everybody that this is a cyclical business,” said CEO Bob Krouse.

Awkward situation

Of course, expanding flocks are only partly behind the big increase in eggs. Another is that the hens currently being raised by producers have a higher affinity for laying eggs. On average, 100 hens can produce up to 77.1 eggs per day, according to the USDA – up 1% since last year.

Experts also say that the increasing trend of having cage-free hens is limiting producers’ ability to trim flocks and to cut down on production.

“[Farmers are] unprofitable right now, but they find themselves in an awkward situation,” said dairy analyst Knox Jones, noting that farmers have to simultaneously produce less eggs to fix the market but expand flocks of cage-free chickens to meet demand.

British Airway’s cabin crews are welcoming the start of the summer travel season with a 16-day strike that starts Saturday, affecting thousands of flights from and to Heathrow Airport from July 1 through Sunday, July 16.

It comes after a difficult time for the airline, which endured a catastrophic IT system failure over the bank holiday weekend at the end of May. 

The strike will affect about one-third of BA's flights originating and terminating at Heathrow. It will ground long-haul flights, but most short-haul routes will be unaffected.

Bott & Co., a law firm, estimates that 400,000 passengers may be affected over the full 16-day strike period.

“If a passenger’s flight is cancelled or delayed for more than 3 hours then they are entitled to between €250 and €600 compensation, unless the disruption was caused by extraordinary circumstances," said Coby Benson, Flight Delay Solicitor at Bott & Co.

“The law says that circumstances are only extraordinary if they are beyond the airline’s control or due to events that are ‘not inherent’ in the day-to-day activity of an airline. In our opinion this is not extraordinary since the events are well within British Airways’ control and the management of disgruntled staff is simply part and parcel of running any business, not least an airline."

Passenger rights

Not surprisingly, British laws regarding compensation differ from those in the U.S. Passengers whose flights are cancelled and who abandon their travel plans may be entitled to compensation as well as a refund, Bott & Co. said in an online guide for passengers. 

If a flight is delayed for more than five hours rather than cancelled and the passenger abandons their travel, then they are only entitled to claim a refund on the ticket.

If the time affected reaches three or more hours, passengers can then look to make a claim for flight delay compensation for the loss of their time and the inconvenience caused, Bott said in a section dealing with delays. 

Back in May, a criminal complaint alleged that Bumble Bee, Starkist, and Chicken of the Sea engaged in price-fixing practices to drive up the cost of their tuna products. Two Bumble Bee executives admitted to fixing prices from 2011 to 2013 and agreed to pay $25 million.

Now, former Starkist senior vice president of sales Stephen Hodge has also pleaded guilty to the charges, admitting that he and other executives discussed and agreed upon prices for their products to keep figures artificially high. He has agreed to cooperate with the investigation, pay a criminal fine, and will be sentenced in court at a later date, the Department of Justice said.

“With today’s plea, the Antitrust Division continues to send a strong signal that senior executives will be held accountable for their actions,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Andrew Finch of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The division, along with our law enforcement colleagues, will continue to investigate price fixing among packaged seafood companies and the executives who worked at those companies.”

While Hodge’s plea is undoubtedly a win for the Justice Department, the official investigation into the price-fixing practices is far from over. A suit filed by Walmart claims that these practices actually spanned from 2010 to 2015, two more years than the defendants have said.

“The FBI will not tolerate the reprehensible behavior of company executives who abuse the trust of the American public for personal gain,” said FBI San Francisco Division Special Agent in Charge John F. Bennett. “We, along with our Justice Department partners, are dedicated to our ongoing investigations into price fixing and will bring these companies to justice.”

For a third year, Amazon hopes to have Christmas in July.

The online retailer has unveiled its plans for its third annual Prime Day, a 30-hour shopping period that not only tries to move merchandise, but sign up additional members for its Prime service.

The deals offered during the promotion will only be available to Prime members. The company hopes more people will sign up for Prime in order to get an early start on the holiday shopping season.

This year, the promotion will begin at 9 pm ET Monday July 10 and run for the next 30 hours, with new deals offered every five minutes, much like retailers' Black Friday promotions.

What's new

Besides the extended sales period, Amazon says its third Prime Day will be different in the way sale items are presented. They will be organized by more than 20 of the most-shopped-for themes, from pets to gardening. The company says that will make finding what you're looking for easier.

You can also let Alexa do your shopping for you. By telling Amazon's virtual assistant what you want, you can shop while you're doing other things.

This year, Amazon is pushing deals on TV sets. Among the products that will have special sale prices are the new Element 4K Ultra HD Smart LED TV - Amazon Fire TV Edition.

"Amazon is planning one of its largest total volume TV deals in history with a record level of inventory but once again, the TV deals will likely sell out," the company said in a press release.

Early start

And just like Black Friday, Amazon isn't waiting for Prime Day to get started on Prime Day deals. The company said it plans to roll out special offers for Prime members every day leading up to July 11, with deals like four months of Amazon Music Unlimited for 99 cents.

Other major retailers have yet to announce any promotional plans to counter Amazon's push to grab an early share of holiday shopping. In the past, Walmart has countered with sales of its own. Earlier this year it also rolled out free two-day shipping on more than two million items with no membership fee.

Flip-flops are the go-to shoe for many during the summer, but the flat-soled footwear can be hazardous to the health of its wearer, experts say.

While you don’t have to banish them from your wardrobe completely, you may want to avoid wearing flip-flops for too long or for the wrong activity. 

“This time of year I frequently see patients with foot conditions related to wearing flip-flops,” said Christina S. Long, a podiatrist and foot and ankle surgeon at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center.

Potential problems

Because they offer little in the way of arch or heel support, flip flops can cause injuries including stress fractures, muscle pains, tendonitis, arch pain, and heel pain. Wearers are also more susceptible to cuts, bruises, torn nails, insect bites, and sunburn.

Clumsiness is another potential pitfall, since it’s relatively easy to trip and fall while donning the slippery shoe.

“Wearing flip-flops is better than going barefoot because they do provide some protection for the bottoms of your feet, but that’s about it,” said Long.

“Flip-flops are fine for short-term use, especially if they have at least some arch support and a cushioned sole,” she said. “They’re good to wear at the beach, around swimming pools, in showers and locker rooms at the gym, on short trips to the store.”

When to avoid wearing flip-flops

Consider leaving the flip flops at home when walking long distances, running, working in the yard, or standing for extended periods of time. You might also want to go with another shoe for driving, as flip-flops can easily get wedged between the pedal and floor.

Sandals are a better “open-air” shoe choice, says Long, especially if they have a sturdy sole with some arch support, a short heel, a wide strap over the top of the foot and a back strap to keep the heel in touch with the sole.

But for optimal arch support, your best bet is a closed-in tennis shoe or sneaker.

Flip-flop shopping pointers

If you do plan to shop for flip-flops, the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA) recommends making sure they tick the following boxes:

• Not too flimsy. Gently bend the flip-flop from end to end ensuring that it bends at the ball of the foot. No shoe should fold in half.
• High-quality leather. To minimize the potential for blisters and irritation, choose flip-flops made of soft, high-quality leather.
• Proper fit. Make sure your foot doesn’t hang off the edge of the flip-flop. All your shoes should be slightly longer and wider than your feet, says the APMA.

Before you put your house on the market, it's wise to do a careful survey to assess how your home is going to look to a potential buyer.

In addition to putting a fresh coat of paint on the walls and repairing that faulty door latch, you'll probably consider some upgrades and renovations that you hope will cause your house to sell faster and for more. They might, if you pick the right improvements and avoid the wrong ones.

Here's why: the costs of most remodeling projects continue to climb, while the recoup value of improvements at resale is declining to levels last seen in 2002, according to Realtor Magazine, the publication the National Association of Realtors (NAR).

On the other hand, selling quickly might be just as important as what percentage of the cost is recouped. A home that lingers on the market will mean additional mortgage payments and might end up selling for less than a home that attracts a quick offer.

Biggest bang for the buck

Choosing projects that offer the biggest bang for the buck may speed up a sale while keeping costs under control. A fresh coat of paint on outdoor trim costs very little and gives your home a very fresh and clean appearance from the curb.

So will a nicely landscaped and maintained lawn. A lawn service, for example, can make the grass green and lush while eliminating the weeds. It might take several applications to get the best result, so this is something you'll want to do before putting your home on the market.

This could be a DIY project, but there are plenty of professionals who can design and implement a landscaping scheme, and whose services are very cost-effective. According to HGTV, the return on a professional landscaping job is 100%.

The front door

Take a critical look at your front door. If the door is old and need of repair, consider replacing it with a new one. According to Popular Mechanics, it can be one of the most cost-effective upgrades you can make to your home.

If you think about it, it makes sense. People looking at your home are going to enter through that doorway. If the door is fresh and new, it's reasonable to think they'll see the rest of your home that way too.

Replacement windows obviously carry a bigger cost, but they are something that practical homebuyers look for and appreciate. There's a lot of debate about whether it pays to replace windows before selling, but the answer may come down to what kind of condition your present windows are in.

If they're really awful, many buyers will pass on your house, or may low-ball their offer, figuring they will have to replace the windows soon. Window replacement, ideally, should be done a few years before you're ready to sell.

New windows are both attractive and will save on heating and cooling costs. Replacing some, in key locations, might be a compromise between replacing all of them or none at all.

Awnings

Awnings added to your home in key areas can have a transformative effect. They can improve your home's appearance and, when covering a deck or patio that gets the full afternoon sun, can make outdoor spaces more usable.

Retractable awnings provide shade when you want it but leave the covered area exposed at all other times. These motorized units usually unfurl the awning and put it into place by simply touching a button, much like raising and lowering a garage door. Some retractable units are deployed manually, using a hand crank.

Hot tubs

How about a hot tub? Realty Times reports these spas may make your home more attractive, but only for some buyers and under the right circumstances.

A stand-alone tub you purchase in a showroom might not have that much appeal, unless you make clear that it conveys with the property. A tub built into the ground, much like a pool, may be more desirable, according to Realty Times.

For someone who really likes the idea of having a hot tub in their backyard, it could be what pushes them in your direction. But it's best to invest in one only if you and your family will enjoy it before you sell your home.

Congratulations, your credit score may go up this weekend, and you didn't have to do a thing.

On July 1, all three credit reporting bureaus -- TransUnion, Equifax and Experian – are establishing a set of policy changes that will almost certainly raise millions of credit scores. The policy change requires more information, as well as more frequent updates. The credit bureaus expect that will mean all civil judgments and about half of all tax liens will disappear from consumers' credit reports.

In a report, personal finance site WalletHub dug deeper into what it all means. First, there are likely to be fewer credit report errors.

Starting Saturday, records of civil judgments and tax liens that go into credit reports must have the individual's name, address, and Social Security number. In addition, the information must be updated every 90 days.

Fewer errors

Very often a consumer's credit score is dragged lower because his or her report contains negative information that belongs to someone else. This change is designed to reduce that likelihood. If you fit into this category, the WalletHub report predicts your Vantage Score will rise an average of 10 points and your FICO Score will go up an average of 20 points.

"Every piece of negative information that falls off your credit reports is good for your credit score," the authors write. "So we definitely recommend reviewing your credit reports on a regular basis, both to confirm the removal of problematic public records and to make sure no other mistakes wind up costing you money."

The reason this is important is civil judgments and tax leins make a lender less likely to loan you money, or reduces the amount they are willing to lend. A civil judgment means you've lost a lawsuit and have to pay the plaintiff, meaning you have less income. A tax lien tells a lender that you have to pay the government back before you pay anyone else.

The report estimates that as many as 9% of consumers with a credit report will see their credit scores rise as a result of the policy change.

Other ways to raise your score

If you want to raise your credit score, here are some other steps to take:

• Pay every bill on time, every month. This simple step provides more bang for the buck than anything else you can do.
• Reduce the amount of debt you have in relation to available credit. That means if you have a credit card with a $5,000 credit limit and you are carrying a $4,500 balance, your score will rise if you can pay down the balance to $2,500.
• Be careful about opening new credit accounts. When you add a credit account, it can lower your score, at least temporarily.

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.

A new study from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health has found further evidence linking long-term exposure to air pollution with premature death.

After analyzing Medicare claims records for over 60 million senior participants over a seven-year period, the researchers found that long-term exposure to airborne fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and ozone increased the risk of premature death, even at levels considered safe according to the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

"This is a study of unprecedented statistical power because of the massive size of the study population. These findings suggest that lowering the NAAQS for fine particulate matter will produce important public health benefits, especially among self-identified racial minorities and people with low incomes," said principal investigator Francesca Dominici.

Revised standards needed

The researchers came to their conclusions after analyzing Medicare claims records and estimating air pollution levels for one-kilometer grids across the U.S. where data could be overlaid and interpreted.

The findings showed that if PM2.5 levels could be lowered by just 1 microgram per cubic meter (ug/m3) across the U.S., it would be enough save 12,000 lives annually. Additionally, if ozone levels could be lowered by just 1 part per billion (ppb) nationwide, then approximately 19,000 deaths could be prevented each year.

The researchers also determined that men, blacks, and low-income populations were at greater risk of PM2.5 exposure compared to other consumers, with blacks having a mortality rate that was three times higher than the national average. Senior author Joel Schwartz says that the study points to the need for revised air quality standards that can protect all citizens.

"This study shows that although we think air quality in the United States is good enough to protect our citizens, in fact we need to lower pollution levels even further," said Schwartz.

The full study has been published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

After a nearly two-year effort, drug store chains Walgreens and Rite Aid have given up on their effort to merge. Instead, Walgreens will get bigger and Rite Aid will get smaller.

Because federal regulators raised roadblocks to the plan for Walgreens to take over its smaller rival, Rite Aid has announced that the original deal is off. Rite Aid will instead spin off a large chunk of its assets, including nearly 2,200 stores, to Walgreens for nearly $5.18 billion.

Rite Aid CEO John Standley said he believed the original merger deal was the right course of action, especially after it became clear that the deal might not win Federal Trade Commission (FTC) approval. That's when they went to plan B -- selling stores instead of stock.

"The transaction offers clear solutions to assist us in addressing our pharmacy margin challenges and allows us to significantly reduce debt, resulting in a strong balance sheet and improved financial flexibility moving forward," Standley said.

Rite Aid brand will continue

What the proposed deal means for consumers is the Rite Aid brand will continue to exist in the marketplace. Under the proposed merger agreement, Rite Aid stores would have eventually become Walgreens.

Rite Aid operates approximately 4,600 stores in 31 states and the District of Columbia, with a strong presence on both the East and West Coasts. The nearly 2,200 stores proposed for sale to Walgreens are clustered in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions, Rite Aid said.

In addition to the stores, the deal includes the sale of three distribution centers in Dayville, Conn., Philadelphia and Spartanburg, S.C. While Rite-Aid will continue as an independent brand, it will have a significantly smaller national footprint.

For Walgreens, it is getting pretty much what it would have in the merger. In January, amid opposition from federal regulators, Walgreens agreed that if the merger were approved, it would sell a number of both Walgreens and Rite Aid stores.

After several high-profile and well-paid professional athletes retired from their sport in near-bankruptcy, leagues began providing rookies with some financial coaching in addition to athletic coaching.

It's made a difference, as more players now have diversified portfolios to fall back on when their playing days are over.

When you boil it down, it's an example of a financial wellness program -- learning good habits to build wealth and avoiding financial mistakes. These days, businesses are adopting a similar approach, with financial wellness programs becoming a popular employee benefit.

SunTrust has just rolled out a financial wellness program and reports Home Depot, Delta Airlines, Equifax, McKee Foods, Waffle House, Haverty's, and 1-800 Contacts are among the early adopters.

Financial fitness programs

"More than 40% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck, and 75% report experiencing financial stress," said Bill Rogers, CEO of SunTrust. "Progressive companies can improve overall wellness in America by offering a financial fitness program for their employees."

Participating employees take part in workshops and online sessions to learn how to establish financial goals. The program stresses the importance of having an emergency savings fund and managing spending habits.

SunTrust says a follow-up survey found employees who had a household budget rose from 43% before the start of the program to 87% when it was completed. By the time the program ended, nearly all participants had set up an emergency funds and increased their contributions to retirement savings accounts by 35 percent.

No sales pitches

SunTrust stresses that its program is non-profit and there are no advertisements or sales pitches for financial products anywhere in the curriculum.

"We've had terrific feedback from our associates about this program," said Scott Smith, vice president of Human Resources at Home Depot. "It's a great way for us to put more power behind the great financial benefits we already offer."

You're likely to hear more about these programs in the months ahead, and maybe even have access to one at your place of employment.

PWC's 2017 Employee Financial Wellness Survey found that employees' financial stress takes a toll on company productivity. Nearly a third of employees said they are distracted by personal financial issues while at work. Nearly half admit to spending three hours or more each week dealing with personal finances at work.

What's behind this growing financial stress? Not surprisingly, for many it is student loan debt.

Forty percent of Millennials and 31% of Gen X employees with student loans reported these debts are having a significant impact on their ability to set and meet other financial goals.

Companies interested in adding a financial wellness program can learn more by reading this report from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Summertime and sunshine go hand in hand, but indulge in too much of the latter and you’ll be left with a nasty sunburn.

While shade and clothing are your best bets when it comes to protecting your skin from the sun’s harmful UV rays, a good sunscreen should also be part of your sun safety tool kit. But staring down a sea of sunscreen options at your local drugstore can be daunting.

As you might guess, not all sunscreens are created equal. Some sunscreens include hormone disrupters and allergenic ingredients, while others may be lacking in the UV filtering department.

Before tossing just any sunscreen into your beach bag, be sure to read up on the latest sunscreen rankings from the Environmental Working Group (EWG).

Best sunscreens of 2017

In its 2017 Guide to Sunscreens, the EWG names eight products that offer consumers the biggest bang for their buck.

The following affordably-priced products earned high green ratings from the EWG for boasting good safety profiles and UVA/UVB protection:

• Aveeno Baby Continuous Protection Sensitive Skin Lotion Sunscreen, SPF 50
• Babyganics Mineral-based sunscreen lotion, SPF 50+
• Bare Republic Clearscreen Sunscreen Gel, Sport, SPF 30
• Bare Republic Mineral Sunscreen Lotion, Baby, SPF 50
• Blue Lizard Australian Sunscreen, Baby, SPF 30+
• CeraVe Baby Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 45
• Goddess Garden Organics Facial Natural Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 30
• Neutrogena Pure and Free Baby Sunscreen, SPF 50

What to avoid

Some sunscreens may offer ineffective sun protection while others harbor chemicals that consumers may not want to slather on their skin. Here are a few ingredients and types of sunscreens to steer clear of, according to the EWG.

• Spray sunscreens
• Super-high SPFs
• Oxybenzone and other endocrine disrupting chemicals
• Retinyl palmitate
• Combined sunscreen/bug repellents
• Sunscreen towelettes or powders
• Tanning oils

Home appliances are often blamed for starting fires, and now a Hotpoint refrigerator made by Whirlpool Corp. is being identified as the source of a deadly fire that killed at least 79 people in a London high-rise.

“We are looking at every criminal offense from manslaughter onwards,” Detective Superintendent Fiona McCormack said on Friday in a press briefing, according to a Bloomberg report. "That includes health and safety and fire safety offenses.” 

Police identified the refrigerator as a Hotpoint FF175BP. Officials said the device is being examined by technical experts to “establish whether any further action is required,” such as a recall.

“At this stage there is no specific reason for consumers to switch off their fridge freezer pending further investigation,” the Department for Business said.

The fire gutted Grenfell Tower, in London's most affluent district of Kensington, in the west of the city.

"Matter of utmost urgency"

In a statement, Whirlpool said it was treating the investigation "as a matter of utmost urgency and assisting the authorities in any way we can.” It has issued what is called a "product notice" in Great Britain, sort of a preliminary recall notice.

It is asking for customers who have one of the refrigerator-freezers to register their details for further information while an investigation takes place.

In a statement quoted by The Sun, a London newspaper, Hotpoint said: “Words cannot express our sorrow at this terrible tragedy. We offer our most profound condolences to the victims, those who have lost loved-ones, homes, and possessions, and to their friends and families.”

“Our thoughts and prayers are with all those involved, including the emergency services who risked their lives to extinguish the blaze and rescue those in the building.”

The company said that 64,000 of the fridges were manufactured by Indesit between 2006 and 2009, when the model was discontinued, several years before Whirlpool acquired the company.

Maytag recall in U.S.

In 2009, Maytag -- now a part of Whirlpool -- recalled 1.6 million fire-prone refrigerators in the United States. The company said that an electrical failure in the relay, the component that turns on the refrigerator's compressor, can cause overheating and pose a serious fire hazard.

At the time, Maytag said it had received 41 reports of refrigerator relay ignition, including 16 reports of property damage ranging from smoke damage to extensive kitchen damage.

That recall included certain Maytag, Jenn-Air, Amana, Admiral, Magic Chef, Performa by Maytag and Crosley brand side-by-side and top freezer refrigerators.

The recall followed reports from consumers like Christopher of Castaic, Calif. "I was awakened this evening to the smell of electrical smoke. I traced it to the motor of my fridge," he told ConsumerAffairs.com.

Kim of Sandy, Utah, had a similar experience.

"Our Maytag side by side refrigerator model no. MSD2756AE started to smoke out of the control panel in the door for the ice and water dispenser. I took the control panel so I could unplug it to stop the smoking," Kim said in a December 2008 review. "The solenoid was so hot it melted all the surrounding plastic to a point it was dripping. We were very lucky to be home when this started so it did not start a fire or cause more damage."

"I contacted our local Maytag repair shop and the technicain said there were no recalls and this sort of thing happens all the time with refrigerators," Kim said.

Not just Maytag

Some Whirlpool owners said in 2009 that they experienced similar problems although there was no recall of their model.

"Compressor relay almost caught fire. Wires were charred, they smell. I noticed recall for Maytag products for the same issue, but not the Whirlpool brand. It's the same problem as Maytag," said Robert of Auburn, Alabama, in a ConsumerAffairs review. 

A recent study from the University of Sydney suggests that practicing yoga isn’t as safe as many experts previously believed.

In the first prospective study on the topic, the researchers found that participation in recreational yoga caused musculoskeletal pain in 10% of people and exacerbated 21% of pre-existing injuries. Lead researcher Evangelos Pappas says that brings the activity in line with injuries from all other sports, but it’s problematic since many people rely on yoga to relieve musculoskeletal pain.

“While yoga can be beneficial for musculoskeletal pain, like any form of exercise, it can also result in musculoskeletal pain,” he said. “Our study found that incidence of pain caused by yoga is more than 10 per cent per year, which is comparable to the injury rate of all sports injuries combined among the physically active population.”

Higher injury rate

The findings of the study come as somewhat of a surprise to experts who believed that the activity was relatively low-risk. However, Pappas points out that the injury rate is up to 10 times higher than previously reported, and the risk of aggravating pre-existing injuries was notable.

“In terms of severity, more than one-third of cases of pain caused by yoga were serious enough to prevent yoga participation and lasted more than 3 months,” he said.

Most of these injuries tended to be located in the upper extremities, such as in the shoulders, elbows, wrists, and hands. The researchers say this is likely because many yoga positions, such as the popular downward dog pose, puts weight on the upper limbs.

Practicing yoga safely

While the risk of exacerbating an injury shouldn’t be discounted, the researchers say that safely practicing yoga can actually improve musculoskeletal pain. Seventy-four percent of participants in the team’s study reported lessened pain after trying yoga. Pappas says that these results may help clinicians, teachers, and consumers make informed decisions about whether yoga is right for them.

“Yoga participants are encouraged to discuss the risks of injury and any pre-existing pain, especially in the upper limbs, with yoga teachers and physiotherapists to explore posture modifications that may result in safer practice,” he said.

The full study has been published in the Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies. 

Just weeks after the WannaCry ransomware malware hit computers and networks around the world, hackers have struck again. Ransomware infections have been reported in Russia, Ukraine, and the rest of Europe, and are expected to spread around the globe.

Unlike the WannaCry malware, which has been around for awhile and exploited the Windows operating system, the latest outbreak appears to be carried out by a new and more dangerous malware. Sophos Security reports it appears to be similar to the Petya ransomware family.

That particular bug reportedly encrypts Master File Tables (MFT) and overwrites the Master Boot Record for good measure. Adding insult to injury, it leaves behind a ransom note, which is the only thing victims can see because they are unable to boot their machines.

More dangerous

"Because it blocks boot efforts and prevents affected systems from working altogether, it’s considered more dangerous than typical ransomware strains," Sophos writes in its Naked Security blog.

According to Forbes, the early victims of the attack, which began Tuesday, include several large institutions in the Ukraine, including power companies and transportation services. Kaspersky Labs told Bloomberg News that as many as 2,000 targets in North America had been hit.

Various media reports also list the Russian energy company Rosneft and U.S. pharmaceutical giant Merck as early victims, along with Maersk, a large Danish shipping company.

The only way to regain access to computer files, once the malware has taken over a system, is to pay an approximately $300 ransom using Bitcoin.

Protecting your system

Protecting your system to avoid infection, of course, is the preferred course of action. According to Sophos, individuals and companies should patch their Windows operating systems.

If you don't already, back up your files and keep them in a location that is not connected to your computer. If it is an external drive, unplug it from your computer or network when not used to back up files. Cloud storage is also a good alternative.

Be very careful about opening any email attachment, even if it is from someone you know. It's always prudent to email that person to confirm they just sent you something. It goes without saying that any email attachments from someone you don't know should be deleted.

Several security software companies offer either free copies of protective software or free trial versions. Read the reviews and pick one you like and use it.