Current Events in June 2017

EpiPen is getting some competition. A new prefilled syringe for emergency allergy treatment has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The Symjepi is manufactured by Adamis Pharmaceuticals and, like the EpiPen, contains two small doses of epinephrine (adrenaline), used to counteract severe allergic reactions to food, insect stings, drugs, and other allergens.

EpiPen has had the market largely to itself for years and has been lambasted by critics for charging consumers more than $600 for the life-saving medication. Critics have also said EpiPen manufacturer Mylan Pharmaceuticals has overcharged Medicaid $1.2 billion.

Dr. Dennis J. Carlo, President and CEO of Adamis, said the company was preparing to submit a second application to the FDA, this one for a "junior version" of Symjepi.

"We are committed to helping patients by providing them with additional therapeutic choices," Carlo said. "With an anticipated lower cost, small size and user-friendly design, we believe Symjepi could be an attractive option for a significant portion of both the retail (patient) and non-retail (professional) sectors of the epinephrine market."

Carlo said the product is expected to launch in the second half of the year.

Each Symjepi prefilled syringe contains 0.3 mg of epinephrine.

While current legislation in many states bans the use of tanning devices for minors, a new study shows that many tanning salons are flat-out ignoring the rule.

A team of researchers recently found that tanning salons in states that have these bans will often allow minors to use their facilities anyway. And, even worse, many of them make inaccurate health claims about how dangerous exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light from tanning can be.

“While most businesses followed the indoor tanning ban when a minor called, one-fifth did not,” said lead researcher Leah Ferrucci. “Additional enforcement or education might increase compliance with indoor tanning bans and action is needed to prevent businesses from stating false health information.”

Ignoring bans

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, there are currently 15 states that restrict consumers under the age of 18 or 17 from using indoor tanning facilities; they include California, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Oregon, Texas, Vermont, and Washington, as well as the District the Columbia. In all, 42 states have at least some restrictions on tanning facility use by minors.

To test compliance with the ban and see if correct health information was being given, research assistants posed as potential underaged clients and called tanning salons in several different states to see if they could make an appointment.

Of the 412 tanning salons that answered, just under 20% said that they would provide service to the minor calling. Another 12.4% gave an outright answer of “yes,” and 7.5% said that it depended on whether the minor had permission from an authorized health professional or guardian.

Geographically, the researchers found that tanning salons in the southern part of the U.S. were less likely to comply with the bans, with 28.7% saying that they would provide service for a minor. However, states that had the bans installed for at least two years had the best compliance (87.9%).

False health information

The researchers say their findings are particularly worrying because many tanning salons gave callers false or misleading information about the health risks associated with indoor tanning. Respondents often claimed that tanning would increase vitamin D production, improve the skin cosmetically, and treat skin diseases, all of which are patently false.

Further, the researchers say that only 10% of respondents denied any dangers associated with indoor tanning, while only 20.1% admitted that the practice could potentially cause skin cancer.

"Enacting well-crafted age restriction laws to maximize compliance through enforcement of penalties on the state level and moving towards a national ban with similar accompanying strong enforcement as proposed by many national and international health organizations are essential to reduce skin cancer risk in the vulnerable youth population," said Ferrucci.

The full study has been published in Translational Behavioral Medicine.

The grocery store business has been rapidly changing, but today that change just might have gone into overdrive.

Amazon has announced it is acquiring upscale grocery chain Whole Foods in a deal valued at $13.7 billion. The online retailer had been experimenting with brick and mortar retailing in recent years, but Whole Foods' sagging stock price provided the opportunity to take over an existing business, rather than build one from the ground up.

“Millions of people love Whole Foods Market because they offer the best natural and organic foods, and they make it fun to eat healthy,” said Jeff Bezos, Amazon founder and CEO, in announcing the deal. “Whole Foods Market has been satisfying, delighting and nourishing customers for nearly four decades – they’re doing an amazing job and we want that to continue.”

But no one expects Whole Foods to keep doing business the way it has been. Amazon is all about technology, and it's very likely that technology will be applied to the Whole Foods shopping experience.

That's not a prospect that makes the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) International Union happy.

“Amazon’s brutal vision for retail is one where automation replaces good jobs. That is the reality today at Amazon, and it will no doubt become the reality at Whole Foods," said UFCW President Marc Perrone in an email. 

An earthquake

“This is an earthquake rattling through the grocery sector as well as the retail world," said Mark Hamrick, senior economic analyst for Bankrate.com. "We can only imagine the technological innovation that Amazon will bring to the purchasing experience for the consumer. Now, we can see in hindsight that its recent dithering around the brick-and-mortar experience, as an experiment, was only a rumbling of the seismic event in the offing.”

Among those brick-and-mortar experiments was a cashless payment system. Shoppers simply pick the items they want off the shelves and leave the store. The items are logged electronically and applied to the customer's account, using an app on the customer's smartphone.

Amazon has also been active in developing artificial intelligence, capable of "deep learning." Engineers will likely spend the next few weeks pondering what direction Amazon may go with that.

The immediate reaction from other grocery chains is a little easier to gauge. On Wall Street, grocery stocks plunged on the news of the Whole Foods takeover deal.

Democratic members of the U.S. Senate have introduced a bill that would impose financial penalties on drugmakers that jack up the price of prescription drugs.

Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), along with four other Democratic lawmakers, are co-sponsoring the Stop Price Gouging Act, saying it would limit annual prescription price spikes or cumulative price increases over a five-year period.

The lack of Republican co-sponsors in the GOP-controlled Senate, however, does not suggest an easy road to passage. Still, high drug prices is an issue that has gotten attention from both sides of the aisle, especially during last fall's campaign.

The consumer group Public Citizen hailed the proposed legislation, saying it's time to stop talking about high drug prices and do something about them.

'Epidemic of pharmaceutical price spikes'

“This bill is the cure for the epidemic of pharmaceutical price spikes that is leading to the rationing of treatment from the EpiPen to the opioid antidote Evzio,” said Robert Weissman, president of Public Citizen.

Earlier this year Public Citizen surveyed major pharmaceutical firms and said only 14% would commit publicly to limiting annual price hikes for existing drugs to less than 10%.

The group says Pfizer has raised the price on more than 90 medications by more than 20% so far this year. It says nearly 28 million U.S. consumers have reported increasing it their prescription medication in the last 12 months.

“Too many Ohioans still struggle to afford the medicine they need, and often, the culprit is price gouging by big pharmaceutical corporations," Brown said. "It has to stop."

Stiff penalties

Gillibrand said the bill, if passed, would impose stiff penalties on drug companies that engage in price gouging. Drug companies would also be required to justify price increases over a certain amount.

Oddly, Democrats who agree on almost nothing with President Trump, may be on the same page as the White House -- or at least in the same book. As we reported earlier this week, the White House is reportedly drafting an executive order instructing executive agencies to use value-based contracts for drug purchases, while also protecting the intellectual property rights of drug companies abroad.

The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee chaired by Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) has held hearings on drug prices. One witness, Gerard Anderson, director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Hospital Finance and Management proposed negotiating the prices Medicare Part D pays for specialty drugs, and if negotiations are not successful, using "reference pricing, binding arbitration or value based pricing" to set prices.

If you want to travel but have no idea where to go, you could throw darts at a map of the world. That might be a fun, but not very practical way to choose a destination.

On the other hand, you could do some research and find out where other travelers are going and what they are seeing once they get there. Travel site TripAdvisor did that, studying the most-booked trips from March 2016 to March 2017. The results are interesting, if not surprising.

Brooke Ferencsik, senior director of communications for TripAdvisor, says travelers like flexibility. They don't want to be locked into a firm itinerary and enjoy a change of pace.

Day trips and hop-on hop-off tours

"The three most popular tour types in in the U.S. are those enabling travelers to broadly explore destinations, such as day trips, hop-on hop-off tours and day cruises," she said. "These types of tours offer travelers more enriching experiences.

For example, if you are visiting the Chicago area, the Chicago Architecture River Cruise is a very popular side attraction. It's a 75-minute cruise up and down the Chicago River, providing great views of some of the city's most famous buildings.

If you're traveling to Las Vegas, the Grand Canyon is usually on everyone's must-see list, as a break from the casinos. But how to see it is the question.

The Grand Canyon West Rim and Hoover Dam Day Tour departs from Las Vegas. It's a full day, spent exploring the natural wonder from the land, water and air.

Another way to exlore the canyon is with the All American Helicopter Tour. It also departs from Las Vegas and includes a Champagne picnic on a canyon bluff.

Bay area escapes

In the San Francisco Bay area, there are two great escapes. The Muir Woods, Giant Redwoods and Sausalito Trip is a half day spent wandering an ancient coastal redwood forest. You end up touring the artistic bayside town of Sausalito.

The Bay area is wine country, of course, so you might want to take the Napa and Sonoma Wine Country Tour. It's a day-long trek through the region's famous wineries, from big-name outfits to small, family-run operations.

The New York City area offers several popular side trips. Here are three to consider.

Big Apple side excursions

You can pretend you're a big Wall Street mogul and take the Big Apple Helicopter Tour. You'll get a birds-eye view of the city, including flyovers of the the Statue of Liberty, the Chrysler Building, One World Trade Center and Central Park.

You can also see the city from street level with the Big Bus New York Hop-On Hop-Off Tour. As the same suggests, you get on and off a special tour bus to check out Central Park, the Empire State Building and the city's other main attractions.

Finally, there's the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island Guided Tour. It's a half-day tour that allows you to avoid the crowds at this very popular tourist attraction.

No matter what your principal destination might be, there are undoubtedly interesting side attractions that will take up just a day of your trip, or even less.

You can find them by perusing the official tourism website of the place you are visiting. If you don't see one listed, contact the tourism agency and ask for suggestions.

Side attractions often make the trip more fun and more memorable.

A number of state attorneys general have announced a joint investigation to determine whether pharmaceutical companies selling opioid drugs have violated laws.

The announcement comes as states are grappling with the human and financial toll of opioid addiction. The probe appears to follow along the lines of a case laid out by Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine, who sued five opioid manufacturers earlier this month.

That lawsuit alleges that the drug companies engaged in fraud in the marketing of these drugs to clinicians, minimizing their risks. Connecticut Attorney General George Jepsen says the multi-state probe wants to determine if these drug companies played any role in producing the nation's opioid drug epidemic.

"The opioid epidemic continues to have a devastating impact in Connecticut," Jepsen said. "It would be irresponsible to predict at this stage whether our efforts will lead to legal action or relief, but Connecticut residents can be assured that we will pursue this investigation fully."

Rising death toll

Jepsen says 917 Connecticut residents died from drug overdoses in 2016. Nationwide, he says prescription and illicit opioids are the main driver of drug overdose deaths. Opioid overdoses have quadrupled since 1999, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

“I want to know whether drug companies, seeking higher profits, have recklessly and unlawfully pushed addictive opioids,” said Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan. “We must hold drug companies accountable for their role in the epidemic levels of opioid overdoses and deaths in Illinois and around the country.”

Madigan cites data from the Illinois Department of Public Health showing the state was one of 14 with statistically significant increases in overall drug overdose deaths in recent years. Those numbers show there were 559 overdose deaths in 2015 that were directly tied to prescription opioids.

Small state, big problem

The state of Maine recently released a detailed report on drug overdoses,, finding a nearly 40% increase in deaths over 2016. Maine Attorney General Janet Mills says most were directly related to opioid drug abuse.

According to the report only five Maine counties had more than 10 drug deaths in 2015. By last year, the number of counties had doubled to 10. Portland, with 5% of the state's population, had 11% of the overdose deaths last year. Bangor has 2% of Maine's population but had 9% of the overdose deaths in 2016.

There are scientists across the world working in sterilized labs trying to create new antibiotics that will help protect us from constantly evolving microbial threats. But in a bit of a twist, the latest antibiotic that’s most effective against antibiotic-resistant bacteria wasn’t created in one of these labs – it was discovered in soil.

Scientists from Rutgers University-New Brunswick report that this new antibiotic, named pseudouridimycin, was found in a soil sample collected in Italy. Initial tests show that it is capable of killing a broad range of potentially harmful bacteria in test tubes and can cure certain bacterial infections in mice.

“The discovery…underscores the importance of natural products in providing new antibiotics,” said Stefano Donadio, co-leader of the study and CEO of NAICONS Srl., a biotechnolgocial company. “Microbes have had billions of years to develop ‘chemical weapons’ to kill other microbes.”

Fighting antibiotic resistance

Pseudouridimycin works by inhibiting bacterial RNA polymerase – a process that is essential for allowing a pathogen or bacteria to replicate and grow. While this function mirrors other widely used antibiotics like rifampin, researchers say that it is particularly potent because it does not affect the same binding sites..

Because of this, pseudouridimycin has no cross-resistance with many other antibiotics, meaning that it shuts down a whole different set of avenues for bacteria to proliferate. Lead researcher Richard H. Ebright explains how the new antibiotic interacts with these binding sites so that bacteria cannot remove it without being destroyed in the process.

“The new antibiotic interacts with essential residues of the NTP binding site that cannot be altered without losing RNA polymerase activity and bacterial viability,” he said. “Alterations of the NTP binding site that disrupt binding of the new antibiotic also disrupt RNA polymerase activity, resulting in dead bacteria, rather than resistant bacteria.”

The research team believes that pseudouridimycin is an extremely promising lead for antibacterial therapy, but further testing will be necessary before it can be perfected.

The full study has been published in Cell.

It’s important for parents to make sure they have chosen a vehicle that suits both their needs and the needs of their pint-sized passengers.

To help parents in their search for a safe and family-friendly vehicle, the car experts at Edmunds recently teamed up with Parents magazine to come up with a list of the 10 Best Family Cars for 2017.

Following a thorough examination of hundreds of vehicles, the car and parenting experts selected the following ten models as winners: Chevrolet Bolt EV, Kia Soul, Subaru Crosstrek, Honda Civic, Hyundai Sonata, Mazda CX-5, Honda CR-V, Subaru Outback, Chrysler Pacifica, and the Toyota Highlander.

Kid and parent friendly

Each of the vehicles earned its family-friendly ranking by offering an impressive combination of value, performance, safety, and features that match a busy mom and dad’s needs.

“Between school drop-offs, playdate pickups, sports-practice shuttling and carpools, we spend so much time in our family vehicles," said Parents magazine Editor-in-Chief Liz Vaccariello, who added that the vehicles chosen support the needs of parents and kids alike.

This year’s top picks stood out above the competition by offering features such as ample cargo space, infotainment options, voice-command systems, smartphone connectivity, surround-view cameras, automated emergency braking, and lane- and road-departure warning systems.

Best minivan

With tots in tow, minivans can be a practical option for helping families get from point A to point B. However, finding the right minivan amid a sea of options can be a challenge.

For families looking for a minivan that boasts a stellar combination of functionality, safety, and family friendliness, the car experts at Edmunds recommend the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica (starting price: $28,595).

"If you're looking for the perfect family vehicle, the Chrysler Pacifica is tough to beat," said Ed Hellwig, Edmunds senior editor. “It has more than enough room for kids and cargo along with unique family friendly feature and top-notch safety scores.”

To find out more about the "10 Best Family Cars of 2017," head over to Parents.com or check out the July issue of Parents magazine.

If your pup panics when left alone or becomes a furry ball of nerves when a storm rolls in, you may be dealing with an anxious pet -- and you’re not alone.

Veterinarians estimate that over 50 percent of dogs and cats in the U.S. suffer from fear, anxiety, and stress (FAS), but not all owners know how to properly cope with the condition.

Frustrated by their pets’ stress-induced behavioral issues, some owners may resort to relinquishing their pet to a local shelter. However, there are other solutions to dealing with a dog who may exhibit destructive behaviors when you leave the house.

Coping with separation anxiety

The ASPCA's National Rehoming Survey reports that behavior problems are the most common reason animals are relinquished, accounting for 47% of dogs and 42% of cats each year.

But distress is a common culprit when it comes to behavioral problems such as destructiveness, inappropriate elimination, self-harm, fear biting, barking, and howling. Pet owners can seek to eliminate their pet’s distress in a variety of ways.

For dogs with minor separation anxiety, the Humane Society recommends the following tips:

• Keep homecomings calm. Upon arriving home, ignore your dog for a few minutes then calmly pet them. Not making a big deal out of arrivals and departures can help ease a dog’s anxiety triggered by their human’s absence.
• Leave your recently worn clothes. Dip into your dirty laundry and find an article of clothing that smells like you. Leave it at home as a comfort object for your pet.
• Word association. Establish a word or action that you use every time you leave the house to let your dog know you’ll be back.
• Use an OTC product. Pet owners can also consider picking up an over-the-counter calming product to help reduce their pets’ fearfulness.

For more severe cases of separation anxiety, the Humane Society suggests using the techniques above along with desensitization training. Teach your dog the sit-stay and down-stay commands using positive reinforcement in order to help them learn to stay calm while you go to another room.  

Dealing with thunder phobia

Storm-induced dog anxiety can be another tough battle for pet parents. Loud noises and lightning flashes can frighten pets, causing them to cower in fear or exhibit unwanted behaviors.

To help your pooch get over their fear of storms, the Michigan Humane Society (MHS) suggests desensitizing them. With your dog in another room, play recorded thunder sounds at a low volume and raise the volume in small increments.

“Eventually, your dog should be able to be in the same room as the 'thunderstorm' without exhibiting any signs of fear,” writes the MHS. “Go slowly. Don’t try to accomplish more than one volume level at a time. It may take weeks to go from one volume level to the next, depending on the extent of his fear.”

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling 100 model year 2017 Pacifica Plug-in Hybrid Electric vehicles (PHEV). 

The tire placard on the recalled vehicles incorrectly lists the seating capacity as six occupants rather then seven, with a combined weight of 950lbs rather than 1,100lbs. 

As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims." 

The incorrect tire label may cause customer confusion, potentially resulting in vehicle overloading, increasing the risk of a crash.

What to do

Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace tire placard label, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin July 28, 2017. 

Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is T37.

Consumers spend an increasing amount of money on new cars, requiring them to take on payments that tax their monthly budgets and extend terms out to six or seven years in some cases.

The average transaction price (ATP) on a new car is consistently around $34,000. But there are plenty of good new cars that cost a lot less.

Kelley Blue Book has highlighted five models that are not only well below the ATP, but happen to have attractive incentives this month.

Hyundai Veloster

This month KBB says you can purchase a 2016 Hyundai Veloster for $17,530, the KBB Fair Purchase Price. That's about half the recent ATP, but it gets even better. According to KBB, Hyundai is offering $4,000 cash back to qualified buyers.

Assuming you used the $4,000 as the down payment and financed $13,530 for four years at 3.5%, the monthly payment would be $302.

Jeep Cherokee

At the higher end, but still below the average, is the Jeep Cherokee SUV. Kelley says it can be purchased this month for $25,446 and it comes with $5,000 cash back.

Again, using the cash back for a down payment, you would finance $20,446 for five years, with a monthly payment of around $372.

Kia Forte

The Kia Forte is going this month for around $17,085 and comes with $2,500 cash back. Using the cash as the down payment, you would finance $14,585.

That should give you a monthly payment of around $326, if financed for just four years.

Hyundai Sonata

There is also an attractive deal on the mid-size Hyundai Sonata in June. The KBB Fair Purchase Price is $21,363, with $3,350 cash back.

Applying the cash as a down payment, you would be financing $18,013, with a monthly payment of around $328, if financed for five years.

Ford Escape

KBB's Fair Purchase Price on the Ford Escape small SUV this month is $24,746, a deal that also comes with $3,900 cash back.

Using our same formula, the amount to be financed would be $20,846. On a five year loan the payment would be $379.

In all five deals, the payments extend no longer than five years and none are over $400.

"With many of these offers available through the Fourth of July holiday weekend, this month's list of standout deals provides an even longer opportunity for shoppers to get into the car that best fits their needs," said Jack Nerad, executive editorial director and executive market analyst for Kelley Blue Book's KBB.com.

Nerad also says there are some attractive lease deals this month as well, topped by the 2017 VW Jetta at $119 a month for 36 months. As always, these deals are for buyers with good credit. A lower credit score will mean higher interest rates.

Doctors looking for reasons not to prescribe an antibiotic may have found one in new research from Johns Hopkins Hospital.

Researchers studied 1,500 patients admitted to the hospital whose treatment included antibiotics. It found 20% of the patients who received an antibiotic had an adverse reaction to it. And 20% of those who had an adverse reaction didn't need an antibiotic in the first place.

Antibiotics have saved countless lives over the years. Before penicillin began to be widely used in the 1940s, people often died from common infections.

But over the years, as more and more antibiotics began to be prescribed for humans and livestock, tolerances began to build in the germ world. Many bacteria can now withstand the effects of common antibiotics, rendering them much less effective.

Doctors should think before they prescribe

In recent years there has been a concerted effort to persuade doctors not to prescribe an antibiotic unless absolutely necessary. This latest study just adds to the growing evidence that antibiotics are not always benign, the researchers say.

“Too often, clinicians prescribe antibiotics even if they have a low suspicion for a bacterial infection, thinking that even if antibiotics may not be necessary, they are probably not harmful,” said Dr. Pranita Tamma, director of the Pediatric Antimicrobial Stewardship Program at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. “But that is not always the case. Antibiotics have the potential to cause real harm to patients."

There were no deaths traced to any antibiotic side effects in the study, but the researchers said 24% of patients had to stay in the hospital longer because of the side effects.

New antibiotics in development

Meanwhile, pharmaceutical companies have been busy lately developing new antibiotics that are more effective against drug-resistant bacteria. Bloomberg News reported in 2016 that more than 80 pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and diagnostics companies had pledged to develop products to fight the threat of antimicrobial resistance.

The Johns Hopkins study suggests one way to counter antimicrobial resistance is to stop prescribing so many of the older, less effective drugs. The Hopkins researchers concluded that 19% of the drugs prescribed in their study were medically unnecessary.

Along with raising awareness about unnecessary prescribing among physicians, Tamma says the new research should also encourage patients to ask questions and understand the risks.

Bank of America has agreed to pay $1.9 million to settle a civil lawsuit that alleged that it took too long to tell customers that their phone calls were being recorded over the past several years.

The complaint cited violations of section 632 of the California Penal Code, which states that each party of a confidential conversation must be informed if the call is being recorded. The suit said that Bank of America failed to live up to this rule by not making “clear, conspicuous, and accurate disclosure to consumers about the recording at the beginning of any such communication.”

County officials said that Bank of America worked cooperatively with regulators after learning that it violated the rule by changing its policies, but the settlement makes clear that the bank must follow California standards for recording phone calls going forward.

Of the $1.9 million being paid out, $1.6 million will be paid in civil penalties, while $240,000 will go towards prosecutors’ investigative costs. Bank of America also pledged to pay $100,000 to the Consumer Protection Prosecution Trust Fund, which was established to advance consumer protections and privacy rights.

The Federal Reserve is hiking its key interest rate again, a move that was widely expected.

Normally the Fed hikes rates only when inflation is building and the economy is overheating, but there's no sign of that happening right now.

Instead, the main reason the Fed is hiking rates is to get them back somewhere close to normal. They were near 0% for years after the financial crisis.

The nation's economy is no longer in crisis mode, but it's only growing at about 2% a year. Wednesday's hike will only bring this key interest rate back to between 1% and 1.25%.

Credit card rates will go up

Unfortunately, the rising Federal Funds Rate almost always puts upward pressure on the interest rate consumers pay on credit card balances. That rate was already at a record high before the Fed's rate hike.

In its weekly report, CreditCards.com put the average credit card interest rate at 15.89%. Six months ago, the average rate on 100 widely-used credit cards was 15.2%.

The biggest change was among cash back rewards cards. The average rate in that category moved from 15.99% to 16.09%.

$1.5 billion in extra charges

Personal finance site WalletHub predicts the 25-basis point increase in the Federal Funds Rate will cost credit card users roughly $1.5 billion in extra finance charges during the rest of the year. Factoring in the three previous rate hikes, the WalletHub editors say consumers carrying a credit card balance will end up paying around $6 billion more in 2017 than they would have otherwise.

For consumers paying on a balance, that could make a bad situation worse. Experts predict total outstanding credit card balances will be over $1 trillion by the time 2017 draws to a close.

The Fed's rate hike will have less of an impact on auto loans and almost no effect on mortgage rates, which are tied closely to the yield on the Treasury Department's 10-year note.

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling 209,135 model year 2011-2012 Dodge Grand Caravans.

The driver's frontal airbag may deploy unexpectedly if the airbag wiring harness gets chafed within the steering wheel and short circuits, increasing the risk of a crash or driver injury.

What to do

Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the air bag wiring within the steering wheel, replacing it if necessary. A protective cover will also be installed. These repairs will be made free of charge. The recall is expected to begin July 28, 2017.

Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is T33.

Volkswagen's good name has been forever stained by the acrid clouds of infamy that grew out of its dirty diesel scandal. But the West Virginia University researchers who first blew the whistle on VW say Fiat Chrysler diesels are nearly as bad.

The U.S. Justice Department sued Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) last month, saying it was using "defeat device" software similar to that used by VW to cheat on emission tests. 

Now, in a Bloomberg report, the West Virginia University’s Center for Alternative Fuels, Engines and Emissions is adding some detail to the allegations. The WVU researchers aren't accusing FCA of intentionally cheating, but they say that on-road tests of Jeep Grand Cherokee SUVs and Ram 1500 pickups revealed nitrogen oxide levels at 3 to 20 times the legal limit. Nitrogen oxide, or NOx, can cause smog and acid rain.

"We saw emissions results in simulated on-road cycles on chassis dynamometers that were much lower than the actual on-road results were, suggesting that the vehicle was controlled in different fashions," said Daniel Carder, director of the center, according to Bloomberg.

FCA didn't comment on the allegations but suggested that the university was being paid by a law firm that is preparing a lawsuit against the company.

Similar accusations have been leveled against General Motors, which has denied them. 

Regardless of how the FCA case is resolved, the continuing allegations about supposedly "clean" diesels are raising questions about whether U.S. consumers will ever accept diesels in cars and small trucks.

VWs forever

Meanwhile, in Brainerd, Minnesota, residents are greeted each day with a former paper mill lot jammed with Volkswagens, thousands of them. Previously known as the home of mythical lumberman Paul Bunyan, Brainerd now is the temporary (or so the locals hope) home of endless rows of recalled VWs that are awaiting repairs and a possible return to America's roadways.

VW is still negotiating with federal and state regulators, trying to find a fix for the cars that it bought back from consumers. If a fix is finally agreed to, the cars will be modified and will likely find their way onto used car lots.

But until then, they've made Brainerd the VW capital of America. Residents say it's not too bad now but as the cars age, they'll become an eyesore.

"I can only hope that they resolve or figure out what they're going to do with these cars sooner than later," Julie Kletscher told Minnesota Public Radio. "Because I can't imagine what that's going to look like in 10 years if it sits there that long. We'll have ourselves an old junk shop across the road."