Current Events in June 2017

For years, consumers who love fine wine have learned which vineyards around the world consistently produce the best product.

But for vineyards, marketing their wine has become a more expensive proposition. And changes in the way Americans shop for wine has created new opportunities, and something of a win-win for both consumers and wineries.

Increasingly, consumers don't go to a boutique wine shop to purchase wine, they pick it up at the supermarket. If they scan all the different labels in the wine section, they may have no clue as to what to buy.

But supermarket chains like Costco and Trader Joe's have pioneered the concept of store brand, private-label wine. Plenty of top-rated vineyards are only too happy to supply wine for a Costco or Trader Joe's, eliminating the need to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on marketing.

Don't need to know much about wine

If the supermarket chain carefully chooses the wine it sells under its own label, the consumer is assured of a good product without having to know much at all about wine.

According to the Private Label Manufacturers Association (PLMA), the concept started years ago in Europe, but is slowing gaining momentum in the U.S. It reports more than 80% of wine sold in California is now purchased in supermarkets.

At the association's annual trade show last month, there was evidence of just how good some of these private-label wines can be. Among the wines on display, 48 of them, ranging from Bordeaux to Rioja, had won awards.

At the trade show, Whole Foods' Criterion Collection Central Otago New Zealand Pinot Noir 2014, Criterion Collection Rioja Reserva 2010 and Criterion Collection Carménère Reserva Valle de Colchagua Chile 2015, walked away with some of the top private-label honors.

Restaurants

The Pacific Wine Group notes that restaurants, and even wine shops are getting in on the private-label trend. When you go to a nice restaurant and order a class of Chardonnay, without specifying a particular brand, you are likely to get a glass of the restaurant's private label.

As the Pacific Wine Group points out, restaurants make the least amount of profit when you order a specific brand but generate the highest margin with their private label.

And it's not just high-end chains like Whole Foods that are going in for private-label wines. The PLMA notes one of the big winners at last month's trade show was Aldi, the German discount chain currently expanding its footprint in the U.S. Aldi has been expanding its selection of private-label wines for several years, the association says.

Kia has again topped the J.D. Power vehicle quality rankings, with Korean and American brands generally edging out the German and Japanese marques.

"This is without question the best quality the world has ever seen," Dave Sargent, vice president, global automotive at J.D. Power, said when releasing the results at an Automotive Press Association meeting in Detroit, Automotive News reported. "The industry is picking up steam and really improving the quality of their vehicles."

With 72 problems reported per 100 vehicles, Kia retained its No. 1 spot in the Initial Quality Study. Hyundai's luxury brand Genesis was second with 77 problems per 100 cars and Porsche dropped to third with 78, its lowest rating since 2015.

Ford and Ram tied for fourth with 86 problems per 100 cars (PP100). MINI was most improved, with owners reporting 33 PP100 fewer problems than in 2016. Other brands with strong improvement include Ram (28 PP100 improvement), Acura (19), Volvo (18) and Ford (16).

Hyundai the top parent

Early warnings

The study found early problems with technology -- both in-car entertainment and early versions of self-driving features.

Audio/communication/entertainment/navigation (ACEN) remains the area where new-vehicle owners experience the most problems. However, this category shows the most improvement since 2016 with a score of 22.8 PP100, or 2.7 PP100 better than last year.

In an early warning for autonomous technology, the largest increases in problems are for cruise control (primarily adaptive cruise); lane departure warning; collision avoidance/alert systems; and blind spot warning.

These features make up some of the building blocks of autonomous vehicles, and an increasing number of consumer-reported problems sounds warning bells for automakers and suppliers. Consumers will need to be convinced that these systems are foolproof before they will give up driving control to autonomous vehicles, Power cautioned.

Everything about healthcare seems to be getting more expensive every day.

Drug prices have risen so quickly that it's become a hot political issue. Lawmakers on both side of the aisle have been quick to criticize drug companies for big price increases.

Heath insurance, which is what most consumers use to pay for healthcare, also costs more. Even Obamacare premiums have surged in the last year.

Why is getting treated for a health condition, minor or serious, so expensive? Two numbers may hold a clue.

In 1960, total healthcare spending, covering things like drugs, hospital visits and doctors' appointments, made up just 5% of America's Gross Domestic Product (GDP). That suggests consumers were spending their money on other things besides healthcare.

By 2013, healthcare spending had surged to more than 17% of America's GDP. Americans were spending more, in part, because the healthcare infrastructure had expanded. There are a lot more people in the business drawing paychecks

Expensive hospitals

Hospitals, which were Spartan, utilitarian facilities in 1960, inexpensive to build and maintain, had become multi-million dollar palaces by 2013, with plush accommodations, the latest equipment, and large staffs.

A report prepared for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) found that from 1960 through 2013, health spending rose from $147 per person to $9,255 per person. That averages out to an increase of 8.1% per year.

“In comparison, per capita adjusted personal income was $2,267 in 1960, and in 2013 it reached $42,266, reflecting an average annual growth rate of 5.7%,” the authors wrote.

Today, households spend a greater percentage of their incomes on healthcare than they did 57 years ago.

But expensive hospitals are not the only reason healthcare expenses have outpaced the inflation rate. David Cutlar, a Harvard health economist, says the structure of the healthcare system has drastically changed since 1960.

Administrative costs

In an interview with PBS, Cutlar says healthcare now has a huge administrative overhead contributing to the cost. He says about one-quarter of healthcare costs cover administrative tasks, not medicine.

“What a lot of those people are doing is they are figuring out how to bill different insurers for different systems, figuring out how to collect money from people, all of that sort of stuff,” Cutlar said.

Cutlar says the U.S. healthcare system pays a lot more for things like drugs than systems in other countries do. He also says Americans tend to get more extensive treatment than patients in other countries for the same injury or condition.

Is there any way to reduce costs? Expensive hospitals aren't going to go down in price, but if less palatial facilities are built in the future, it might be a start.

Cutlar says the step that might yield the most immediate results is to eliminate tests and procedures that aren't necessary. But since providers make a profit on these procedures and many patients pass the costs on to their health insurance providers, there may be little incentive to take that step.

A robocaller who allegedly placed calls claiming to be from TripAdvisor picked the wrong company to impersonate. Consumers who were on the receiving end of the calls complained to TripAdvisor, which did a bit of sleuthing on its own and identified Adrian Abramovich of Miami as the culprit.

TripAdvisor then complained to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which had been hearing from other consumers and companies, including Spōk, a medical service that links hospitals and physicians. Spōk had also fingered Abramovich and dropped a dime on him as well.

Today, the FCC proposed fining Abramovich $120 million for making nearly 100 million spoofed robocalls in violation of the Truth in Caller ID Act. 

The FCC said that consumers who received the calls were told to press 1 to hear about vacation promotions from TripAdvisor, Marriott, Expedia, Hilton and others.

Those who did so were then transferred to overseas call centers where operators tried to sell them timeshares and other vacation packages. 

Abramovich used what has been called “neighbor spoofing,” the FCC said, choosing phony numbers with the same area code and exchange as the numbers he was calling. This led consumers to think the call might be from someone they knew.

Earlier today, the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau also issued a citation to Abramovich for apparent violations of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act’s robocall limits and the federal wire fraud statute, which could result in additional fines and penalties.

Sustainable, meat-free products are at the top of many consumers’ shopping lists, according to a new report. As a result, the prepared food market is poised to see a few changes.

Consumers’ growing preference for healthy swaps and ethical options are fueling new trends, including fresh and easy meal options, lab-grown meat, and “premiumized junk food.”

The core categories in prepared food (meat, fish, and seafood; pasta, noodles, and rice; prepared meals; savory deli food; soup; and meat substitutes) are shifting to combat consumers’ rising concern for the environment, industry experts say.

Veganism on the rise

The environmental impact of meat consumption continues to weigh heavily on many shoppers’ minds, perhaps driving an increase in the number of people who are saying ‘no’ to meat and ‘yes’ to plant-based proteins.

An estimated 6% of U.S. consumers now claim to be vegan (up from just 1% in 2014).

The market is shifting to meet consumer demand for environmentally friendly, cruelty-free options by rolling out meat-free product substitutes. Lab-grown meat may also be on the horizon.

Cruelty-free cultured “chicken,” the brainchild of a group of social-savvy tech teams, is expected to hit the market by 2022. The technology will even allow consumers to try meat based on rare wild animals, such as panda.

Top trends

Other trends impacting the prepared food industry in 2017 include:

• Premiumized junk food. Food categories that are traditionally touted as unhealthy are being infused with high-quality ingredients in order to appeal to health-conscious consumers.
• Healthy swaps. In light of rising demand for clean eating and food label transparency, the prepared food market is seeing an influx of alternative prepared foods with enhanced health benefits.
• Fresh and easy options. Meal kits are helping to meet demand for food that is at once convenient, fresh, and loaded with natural ingredients.

Recent research shows that consumers who suffer from rheumatoid arthritis might want to start adding more fish to their diet.

In a new study, lead research Sara Tedeschi and her colleagues at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical school found that eating fish two times or more per week led to a reduction in rheumatoid arthritis symptoms. The team believes their findings show that fish have anti-inflammatory qualities that could benefit those suffering from the condition.

“Fish consumption has been noted to have many beneficial health effects, and our findings may give patients with rheumatoid arthritis a strong reason to increase fish consumption,” said Tedeschi.

Rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic and progressive condition that occurs when a person’s immune system attacks their own joints. These attacks cause painful inflammation and swelling in joints throughout the body, but in many cases it is focused in the hands in wrists.

Eventually, the cartilage and connective tissue surrounding joints and the ends of bones can break down, leading to physical deformities and mobility problems. Currently, around 1.5 million people suffer from the condition in the U.S.

There is currently no cure for rheumatoid arthritis, but consumers can take certain steps through their diets, medication, and surgery to slow down the condition. With this in mind, the researchers began their study into how increased fish consumption might be helpful.

Reduced symptoms

The study involved data on 176 patients living with rheumatoid arthritis who took part in a previous cohort study which had asked them to fill out a food frequency questionnaire.

Using this information, the researchers determined how much fish each participant had consumed over the past year and divided them into four groups: never to less than once per month, once per month to less than once per week, once per week, and twice per week or more.

The researchers then used a linear regression model to measure symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis and how they correlated with fish consumption. On a scale ranging from 2.9 to 4.3, the researchers found that the median score for all participants was 3.5. However, they also found that the amount of fish a participant consumed greatly reduced their personal score.

Compared to those in the group who never or seldom ate fish, those who ate it twice a week had an average score that was 0.49 lower, a significant reduction. Additionally, the researchers found that each additional serving of fish per week lowered scores by 0.18.

Lowering disease activity

The results of the study provide solid evidence that eating fish can help manage symptomatic pain associated with rheumatoid arthritis. However, the researchers say that futures studies will be needed to corroborate the findings.

“If our finding holds up in other studies, it suggests that fish consumption may lower inflammation related to rheumatoid arthritis disease activity,” said Tedeschi.

The full study has been published in Arthritis Care & Research.

In workplaces with flexible dress codes, how casual is too casual? A new survey finds many employees aren’t sure.

Research conducted by staffing firm OfficeTeam found that although nearly two-thirds of professionals prefer a more relaxed office dress code, 41% said they’re sometimes unsure whether clothing is office-appropriate.

This wardrobe-related uncertainty led nearly half (48%) of respondents to state that they would rather wear a uniform to work in order to avoid having to think about their office attire.

Need for clarity

Younger professionals (those aged 18-34) were most commonly unsure if their clothing is appropriate (54%). They also had the greatest preference for formal dress codes (56%).

One in four employees surveyed said the rules about acceptable office wear aren’t always clear-cut. As a result, many were unsure what is considered acceptable.

"Non-traditional workplaces are becoming more common, creating demand for greater flexibility with hours, remote work options and attire. When it comes to dress codes, it's important that employees have clarity," said Koula Vasilopoulos, a district president for OfficeTeam.

"Managers should clearly articulate standards for what is appropriate; formally through corporate policies, and informally, leading by example through their own attire,” Vasilopoulos said.   

Best to play it safe

Which clothing choices made employees think twice before heading to work? Leggings, off-the-shoulder tops, flip flops, jeans, and capri pants, to name a few. Some employees were also unsure whether political t-shirts would be considered appropriate.

When it comes to workwear, experts suggest playing it safe. If there is any doubt that what you’re considering wearing to work may not be acceptable, it may be wise to choose a safer outfit.

"Besides following official company policies, employees should pay attention to the wardrobes of managers and colleagues,” said Brandi Britton, a district president for OfficeTeam. “If you're uncertain about whether it's okay to wear something to work, it's best to play it safe by skipping it."

Loving Pets of Cranbury, N.J., is recalling a limited number of air-puffed dog treats that may be contaminated with Salmonella.

No illnesses, injuries or complaints have been reported.

The following products are being recalled:

Loving Pets Barksters

• Item #5700 Sweet Potato and Chicken UPC 842982057005 - Lot # 021619
• Item #5705 Brown Rice and Chicken UPC 842982057050 - Lot 021419

Loving Pets Puffsters Snack Chips

• Item #5100 Apple and Chicken UPC 842982051003 - Lot 051219, 112118, 112918, 012719, 012519, 013019
• Item #5110 Banana and Chicken UPC 842982051102 - Lot 112218, 112818, 112918, 013119
• Item #5120 Sweet Potato and Chicken UPC 842982051201 - Lot 112818, 020119
• Item #5130 Cranberry and Chicken UPC 842982051300 - Lot 020319, 112918, 020219

Whole Hearted

• Item #2570314 Chicken and Apple Puff Treats UPC 800443220696 - Lot 121418, 121918, 122318, 010419, 010619, 010519

What to do

Customers who purchased the recalled products may return them to the place of purchase.

Consumers with questions may contact the company at 866-599-PETS (7387) or online at www.LovingPetsProducts.com.

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.

Staples the Office Superstore of Framingham, Mass., is recalling about 124,000 Hazen Mesh Task chairs.

The legs on the base of the chair can break, posing a fall hazard.

The company has received 20 reports of the legs breaking on the chairs, including three reports of injuries resulting in minor cuts and bruises.

This recall involves Staples and Quill Hazen Mesh Task chairs. The chair has a five-wheel base, black fabric seat cushion, and black mesh seat back.

The SKU number1058246 and item number 26680 are printed on a white label on the underside of the seat cushion.

The chairs, manufactured in China, were sold at Staples’ stores nationwide and online at staples.com, staplesadvantage.com, and quill.com from October 2014, through April 2017, for between $100 and $180.

What to do

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled chairs and contact Staples to receive a free replacement base and instructions for replacing the original base.

Consumers may contact: Staples toll-free at 866-755-1321 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (ET) Monday through Friday, register online at www.seatingrecall123.com, or go to www.staples.com and click on the Warranty & Recall link under the Customer Service tab at the bottom of the page for more information.

Protecting personal and financial information has always been an essential focus for all consumers, but it’s becoming increasingly difficult to achieve in a world that is moving online. In the past year alone, billions of people have been affected by data breaches, scams, and attacks that have compromised their online profiles.

While preventing every attempt made on your personal information is nearly impossible, there are several things consumers can do to shore up their online security and that of their loved ones. Below you’ll find some expert opinions and information from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) on how to make that happen.

Bolstering your online security

The first step in making sure you’re safe online is bolstering the security of your electronic devices. Hackers and other dubious individuals will often target consumers personal and financial information by infiltrating faulty computer software, security settings, or by offering some sort of scam. Here are some tips on how you can avoid these attacks.

Update your software and security: Keeping all your devices’ security settings and software -- including any operating systems, apps, and web browsers – up to date will often mitigate many outside threats. If they don't already, ensure that your devices’ settings allow for automatic software updates so that the latest threats are covered.

Be stingy with your personal information: Personal information like your Social Security number, credit card numbers, and bank account information are the easiest avenues for criminals to wreak havoc on your finances. The FTC says that you should only share this information on trusted, encrypted websites that protect your information; you can figure out if a site is encrypted by looking for “https” at the beginning of a web address. However, always remember that if you have any doubts about the source asking for the information then it’s better to not give it to them at all.

Protect your passwords: Your password is often your first line of defense when it comes to protecting your information, so be smart about how you set it up. It’s always safer to use a longer password that includes a variety of symbols and numbers than a short one that doesn’t. You should also refrain from using common words, names, or phrases that are easily guessed or hacked by computer systems. Consumers can add an extra layer of security to their passwords by enabling two-factor authentication or using an encrypted password manager.

Safely dispose of old devices: Keep in mind that any old electronic device that you want to get rid of stores your personal and financial information. Be sure to completely delete your information by cleaning the hard drive and disposing of the device properly.

Avoid common online scams: There are numerous types of online scams that hackers have made good use of over the years. The FTC has provided a list of the most common ones that consumers face daily, but remembering to always stay skeptical online, combined with making sure your settings are up-to-date, will deter many of these ploys. Consumers can also get the latest news and information on developing scams and threats by visiting ConsumerAffairs’ site here.

Keeping your children safe online

While you might think of yourself as a cybersecurity guru that has a complete handle on all online threats, it’s important to recognize that your family is susceptible to these attacks as well. Children and teens, in particular, are often targeted because of their lack of experience. Here are some ways that parents can make sure their kids stay safe online.

Kids and computer security: Just like adults, it is important that children have a firm grasp on proper computer security before entering the online world. Parents should ensure that children know not to share any personal information online. Teaching them to create strong passwords and to be skeptical of online offers will also help them avoid being taken advantage of by criminals and scammers.

Socializing online: One of the internet’s biggest draws for young people is the ability to socialize online through social media and a variety of other websites. However, many of them might not realize that their online actions have real-life consequences. It’s important for parents to teach their kids that anything they post online is out there forever and that they can’t take it back. Additionally, establishing rules for what they post online and what sites they visit can keep them from sharing too much or accessing content that isn’t appropriate.

Parental controls: Although parents should do their best to teach their kids all the necessary skills for staying safe online, using parental controls as an additional safeguard can be a good idea. Many of these tools can be useful for blocking or filtering content that kids try to access, but others can prevent them from sharing personal information online. The FTC says to keep in mind that teens may not be as easily protected by these programs since they may often try to disable or work around them.

Constantly evolving

While the information provided here can act as a good primer for protecting yourself and your loved ones from online threats, it’s important to keep in mind that cybersecurity and the internet is constantly evolving and changing. Staying informed and adapting to meet new threats and challenges is critical to ensuring continued online security.

Otto Warmbier, the American college student who spent 17 months in detention in North Korea, has died, his family said Monday. Warmbier was detained at the end of a group tour he booked to North Korea and later sentenced to 15 years of hard labor, allegedly for “crimes against the state.”

The North Korean regime released him last week to his family, but doctors said he had suffered a severe neurological injury and was not responding to verbal cues. In a public statement, the Warmbier family said the 22-year-old appeared to be at peace in his final days.

“He was home and we believe he could sense that,” the Warmbiers said. They described their late son, who was the salutatorian of his high school class and a homecoming king, as "a warm, engaging, brilliant young man whose curiosity and enthusiasm for life knew no bounds."

Travel restrictions

U.S. lawmakers are now considering legislation to discourage Americans from visiting North Korea, which depends on tourism to boost its isolated economy but is also what the Department of State warns is a dangerous destination

“Let us state the facts plainly: Otto Warmbier, an American citizen, was murdered by the Kim Jong-un regime,” Senator John McCain said in a statement. “In the final year of his life, he lived the nightmare in which the North Korean people have been trapped for 70 years: forced labor, mass starvation, systematic cruelty, torture, and murder.” 

Youg Pioneer Tours no longer says North Korea "Extremely Safe!"

Warmbier’s release from prison has put fresh scrutiny on Young Pioneer Tours, the company that Warmbier has traveled with.

During Warmbier’s detention and even following his release from prison, Young Pioneer Tours continued to market its trips to Americans without referencing Warmbier on their website. The company’s website as of last week still claimed that North Korea is “Extremely Safe!,” among the safest places on earth and “Absolutely not!” a problem for Americans.  

The company has since slightly toned down some of its more bombastic claims about North Korea being safe. Now, the Young Pioneer Tours website says: “Despite what you may hear, for most nationalities, North Korea is probably one of the safest places on Earth to visit provided you follow the laws as provided by our documentation and pre-tour briefings.”

American tourists no longer allowed

Young Pioneer Tours finally addressed Warmbier in their marketing materials after his death on Monday.  “Our deepest sympathies are with Otto Warmbier and those who loved him. We had held onto hope that he might recover, and have the life that he should have had, but now those hopes are gone, and we too are reeling with the shock of a young man's life taken well before his time,” the company’s statement reads.

Warmbier’s death has prompted the company to no longer accept Americans on their trips, they added. “Now, the assessment of risk for Americans visiting North Korea has become too high. The way his detention was handled was appalling, and a tragedy like this must never be repeated.”

The Instagram accounts belonging to the people behind Young Pioneer Tours depicted its leaders partying shortly after Warmbier was detained, but the company says in their new statement that they made “constant requests” to see him.

US-based tour company says no new American applications allowed

Young Pioneer Tours is not the only company reconsidering its policy for American tourists in the wake of Warmbier’s death. 

The company New Korea Tours--advertising itself as “Most experienced US based DPRK Travel Specialists since 2005”--tells ConsumerAffairs that they will no longer accept travel applications from American tourists. 

But New Korea Tours did not say whether they would pull Americans from trips that they had already booked. “That will be decided on case by case basis,” the company’s general manager says via email.

What’s more, it’s not just Americans who experts say face risks when visiting North Korea. Other foreigners are also detained in the country's notoriously brutal prisons. And a British customer who traveled with Young Pioneer Tours in 2013 told ConsumerAffairs Monday that his guide was drunk throughout their trip and that his whole group nearly got detained on their way home. 

Other sources told the Washington Post that one tourist--it's not clear which company this tourist was with--did a handstand in front of a mausoleum, an offense that resulted in the local tour guide losing their job. It’s just one of the many strict laws that has led officials to deter tourism to the area. 

Among other acts apparently banned in North Korea is capturing a photograph of a statue in which its face is covered in snow or not capturing a statue's entire body in a photograph.  The general manager of New Korea Tours, the company based in the United States, writes to ConsumerAffairs that photographing a statue covered in snow “is not possible as the statues are being cleaned immediately after snowfall.”

Additionally, “It is prohibited to make photos of the statues not in full height (partial cut-off image). If you make a cut-off shot by mistake, the guide will delete this image, no punishment will follow☺.”

Three Americans currently remain detained in North Korea. 

We're not yet fully into the dog days of summer but dogs are already sticking to the sidewalks in the boiling hot Southwest and will soon be doing so in all but the coolest parts of the country.

It's no joke, though -- sidewalks and streets do get hot enough to burn dogs' paws. Before you take your pooch for a walk, experts recommend placing your hand on the street or sidewalk. Does it burn? Then it's too hot. Stay on the grass.

It's not just hot streets. Summertime poses lots of serious health risks for dogs, who generally don't tolerate heat as well as humans and aren't able to tell us when they're getting too hot.

But there is a simple way to protect your dogs from dangerous summer temperatures, says Palm Springs, California, dog trainer Brooke Fagel: leave them at home.

Do your dog a favor

"If you are going to run some errands, and it's 100 degrees outside, and the dog wants to come along in the car, please do him a favor and leave him home," says Fagel. "I say it every summer -- your dog does not have to go everywhere with you."

If, for some reason, you must take your dog with you -- perhaps for a vet visit or to be dropped off at the dog sitter's -- don't ever leave her in the car without air conditioning.

"Even with the windows cracked, that car will heat up fast enough to cause brain damage or death in just a few minutes," Fagel warns.

Swimming in your pool? OK for short periods, assuming the dog knows how to get out of the pool. Sun-bathing at poolside? Not a good idea, says Fagel. Dogs get sunburned too. 

Too hot to fly

Admittedly, Palm Springs is a lot hotter than most places -- 122 degrees yesterday, a record for the date, according to the National Weather Service. In fact, it's been so hot in Phoenix, Palm Springs and other desert cities that many airline flights have been canceled because the hot air doesn't provide enough lift for safe take-offs.

If it's too hot for a jet airplane, says Fagel, it's too hot for your dog. And it's definitely too hot for your dog to ride in the back of your pick-up truck. Fagel offers this unscientific but very reliable test:

"Leave your truck out in the sun for two hours and then go stand in it for 20 minutes in your bare feet (or sit on it with your bare butt!). If it feels hot to you, or it burns the skin right off your body, it feels that way to your dog, too."

Doctors were among the first to sound the alarm over high prescription drug prices.

In 2015 doctors at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center concluded that most of the preferred drugs used to treat blood cancers are too expensive to even be considered cost-effective. Since then, a number of health organizations have joined a concerted effort to roll back prescription drug prices.

The Florida Society of Rheumatology, New York State Rheumatology Society, and California Rheumatology Alliance this week became the newest members of the Alliance for Transparent & Affordable Prescriptions (ATAP). Specifically, the group is focusing on the role of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) in escalating drug prices.

“The California Rheumatology Alliance is concerned about the additional expense that PBMs add to the cost of medications,” said Dr. Robin Dore, president of the California Rheumatology Alliance. “It is imperative that we shine light on this process so that we can try to pass on any savings to our patients.”

ATAP charges PBMs with increasingly absorbing drug rebates and discounts so that patients rarely benefit from the savings.

Industry response

PBMs, meanwhile, deny they are responsible for the higher drug costs consumers pay. The Pharmaceutical Care Management Association (PCMA) released a report earlier this month it said demonstrated that drug prices rise, regardless of whether they have rebates or not.

“This study definitively shows that drugmakers set and raise prices unrelated to the rebates they negotiate with PBMs,” said PCMA CEO Mark Merritt. “In fact, many high-priced drugs like Sovaldi, which initially cost $84,000, involved no rebates until other competitors came to market.”

The conflict between drug companies and PBMs has sharpened as the debate over drug prices has intensified. It became an issue last year when Mylan CEO Heather Bresch, testifying before Congress, blamed PBMs for steep price hikes for the EpiPen, a charge PBMs hotly denied.

Executive order panned

Meanwhile, consumer group Public Citizen doesn't think much of the Trump administration's proposed executive order to lower drug prices. Peter Maybarduk, director of the group’s Access to Medicines Program, says the proposal outlined by The New York Times this week suggests "Big Pharma" has captured the administration.

"The Donald Trump who promised to make medications more affordable, ease Americans’ pain and take on the giant corporations is nowhere to be seen," Maybarduk said in a statement. "Instead, the draft Trump executive order, formed in significant part by pharma lobbyist Joe Grogan, would increase profits at the expense of patient safety while failing to reduce costs – and even potentially raising them."

Maybarduk says the government should authorize generic competition with unattainable patented drugs as a way to reduce costs for public health programs.

An old rule of thumb in the consumer protection business is that if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. But Virgin Mobile insists that's not the case with its latest offer -- one year of unlimited talk, text, and data for $1.

Not only that, but the $1 deal also includes membership in the "Virgin Inner Circle," which includes perks like a free one-night stay at a Virgin hotel or a companion ticket for flights to the U.K.

There is, however, one hitch: you must buy a new iPhone from the Apple Store or the Virgin Wireless website. That will set you back anywhere from $400 to $970. 

The fine print

The offer becomes effective today and the $1 deal is only for customers who sign up within the first 30 days. After that it reverts to a six-month offer. When the promotional year or six months is up, service will be $50 a month.

Even with those provisos, it's a rather dramatic promotion. Angela Rittgers, chief marketing officer at Virgin Mobile, said the company's "biggest struggle is how to make sure consumers understand there is no gimmick behind this," according to a report in Ad Age. 

Sprint made a similar offer last week, offering consumers a free year of service if they switch from AT&T, T-Mobile, or Verizon and provide their own device. Sprint owns Virgin Wireless, which may explain the similarity.

Virgin Wireless hasn't exactly set the world afire. It trails most of its competitors and there had been reports last year that Sprint was planning to scale it back, but Rittgers says the $1 deal may be sufficiently disruptive to give Virgin a much-needed boost, saying it's "the longest test drive someone will ever take."

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.

Now that summer has officially arrived, parents might find themselves scrambling for ways to fill school-free days. Keeping kids entertained while also limiting screen-time can sometimes be a challenge, but swimming is one screen-free activity that fits the bill.

Letting your kid splash around in the pool, lake, or ocean is a great way to promote physical activity and help them stay cool. But all that diving and splashing can lead to some unwanted consequences -- namely, swimmer’s ear.

Acute otitis externa, or swimmer’s ear, is an infection caused by water remaining in the ear after swimming. This causes an environment that helps bacteria grow, explains Kara Jones-Schubart, a clinical assistant professor at the Texas A&M College of Nursing.

Main symptoms

“Swimming is a significant risk factor especially in fresh water,” she says. “For most people, swimmer’s ear is a one-time occurrence, but for others, it can take a more chronic form.”

If your child has any of the following symptoms, swimmer’s ear might be the culprit:

• Redness in the outer ear along with some warmness and pain
• Parts of the ear are tender when touched or moved
• The ear feels full, itchy, and irritated

Health care providers typically prescribe eardrops to treat most cases of swimmer’s ear, but more severe cases may call for oral antibiotics (and possibly ear drops).

Prevention tips

Although usually easily treated, swimmer’s ear certainly isn’t fun. Fortunately, there are a few ways to help keep swimmer’s ear at bay.

“Many people who swim often realize that ear plugs are extremely beneficial when you go swimming,” Jones-Schubart said. “There are also some over-the-counter solutions that you can use to help rinse out everything in your ear and break up any blockage.”

In addition to wearing earplugs while swimming, the Mayo Clinic has the following tips for preventing swimmer’s ear:

• Use a hair dryer. To dry out ears after a swim, use a hair dryer on a very low setting so as not to damage your hearing. A soft towel can also be used to dry the outer ears after swimming.
• Homemade preventive eardrops. For kids without punctured eardrums, an at-home preventive treatment may be used before and after swimming. Mix one part white vinegar to one part rubbing alcohol to help prevent the growth of bacteria and fungi that can cause swimmer’s ear. Pour one teaspoon into each ear and let it drain back out.
• Don't use cotton swabs. Avoid putting cotton swabs or other foreign objects in your child's ear, as these can push material deeper into the ear canal.