Current Events in September 2017

As Florida residents loaded their cars to evacuate ahead of Hurricane Irma last week, they created severe supply shortages at many gas stations that were already dealing with Hurricane Harvey-related supply issues.

We caught up with Gasbuddy senior analyst Patrick DeHaan, who has been monitoring Florida's gas situation from the emergency command center in Tallahassee since last week. He says the state's gas stations are quickly recovering.

"Thirty-seven percent of stations statewide are still without fuel, but many of the major cities have improved, with the exception of Pensacola and the northwest portion of Florida, where 40% to 60% of stations are without gas," DeHaan told ConsumerAffairs.

The I-75 and I-95 corridors are also still struggling, potentially posing a problem for residents who evacuated and are now returning home.

Ports have reopened for fuel barges

"I think the good news for Floridians is some of the ports have reopened and gasoline shipments are starting to sail in, and that should help alleviate the situation," DeHaan said.

The price volatility, meanwhile, has been unremarkable. The statewide average price has risen about two cents a gallon in the last week.

"There have been some localized spikes but the whole time we have been here, prices have not fluctuated at all," DeHaan said.

In fact, Irma has had very little effect on gasoline prices in the region, where overall prices are up dramatically in the last two weeks. That price increase, says DeHaan, is "100%" due to Hurricane Harvey, which interrupted output from Gulf Coast oil refineries.

Prices have begun to fall

That damage is now largely resolved and supplies and shipments to the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic states are increasing. Motorists in those regions have seen prices at the pump stabilize in recent days and even drift slightly lower.

"Prices will start to accelerate to the downside in the days ahead," DeHaan predicted. "Every day we should see prices dropping by a little more. I think we'll start seeing bigger decreases in the next five to seven days as stations begin to pass along those lower prices."

The AAA Fuel Gauge Survey shows the national average price of regular gasoline is $2.65 a gallon, down another penny a gallon from the day before. The average price of premium is $3.15, and for diesel, $2.71.

Abnormally high prices in the Southeast

Regionally, the Southeast continues to see much higher than normal prices, though the situation has stabilized. The average price in South Carolina, once home of the cheapest gas prices in the nation, is $2.55 a gallon, down slightly from yesterday but up about 43 cents from before Harvey.

Even other regions of the country not dependent on fuel from the Gulf Coast have seen prices rise. California's statewide average price for regular is $3.15 a gallon, up 18 cents in the last month and now the highest in the nation, even ahead of Hawaii.

"California has its own supply issues," DeHaan said. "It's been dealing with low inventory levels for much of this year, and there could have been some trickle-over from Harvey."

AAA Spokesperson Jeanette Casselano says there is no gasoline shortage in the U.S., just localized supply issues. She says total U.S. gasoline stocks are above the five-year average. Getting it to where it is needed, she says, is the issue.

With chilly weather just around the corner, now is the perfect time to perform a little seasonal home maintenance. Making sure your home is ready to handle fall weather can help you save time and money by staving off the need for costly emergency repairs later.

To stay one step ahead of any issues that may be lurking on the horizon, experts recommend checking heating units and other household systems to make sure they are in good working order before cooler weather hits.

Fall checklist

Here are a few tasks to take care of now in order to ensure your home is up to the task of keeping you warm and comfortable in the months to come:

• Prepare your heating unit. Have a professional look at your heating system before it gets cold. This can help keep heating costs down, ensure your warranty remains viable, and prolong the life of your equipment. By having your heating system tuned up annually, you can make sure all the parts of your heating unit are functioning efficiently. You’ll also be able to stay ahead of any problems that could become expensive issues down the line.
• Clean furnace filters. Dirty furnace filters can hamper airflow and increase energy demand. To make sure your furnace stays in good condition, be sure to check filters once a month and replace or clean as needed.
• Reverse ceiling fan blades. During the summer, ceiling fans help circulate cool air -- but summer isn’t the only time fans can be of use. Ceiling fans that come with a switch that reverses the direction of the blades can make the room warmer and cut heating costs by as much as 10 percent.
• Service your HVAC. After a long summer of tirelessly working to keep your family cool, your AC’s coils could probably use a good cleaning. This video can help you learn how to safely clean the condenser coil. Once clean and dry, cover the AC unit to shield it from potentially damaging debris and ice.
• Clean your humidifier. To keep dry winter air from adversely affecting your health, take steps to ensure your central humidifier is in good shape. If the plates or pads look to be in need of cleaning, do so by using vinegar or a strong laundry detergent. Rinse and scrape off mineral deposits with a wire brush or steel wool.

Head injuries and concussions are common in high school and college-level sports, but a new study finds that some young athletes may be in greater danger than previously thought.

Researchers at Ӧrebro University in Sweden have found that certain teens who suffer a concussion have a greater risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS) later in life. Lead researcher Scott Montgomery explains that if an athlete is genetically predisposed to the disease, the injury could cause lasting damage.

"We think that concussion among adolescents can indicate the processes that cause the body's immune system to attack the insulating layer of nerve cells which, over time, prevents them from functioning correctly," he said.

Increased risk of MS

The researchers came to their conclusions after examining medical records for concussion treatments in two groups of children – those under the age of 11 and those between the ages of 11 and 20. With the data, they attempted to determine the risk of MS in later adulthood.

Findings indicated that children who experienced a concussion early in life were at risk for abnormal brain development. This was seen largely in adolescent and teen subjects, which the researchers attributed to the ability of young children’s brains to avoid delayed consequences of trauma.

However, the researchers say that teens who experienced just one concussion increased their risk of developing MS later in life by 22%. Experiencing two or more concussions was found to more than double the risk of developing the disease.

Encourage safe behavior

The researchers point out that not all teens run the same risk of developing the risk of MS after a concussion, but they suggest that parents, coaches, and caregivers strongly encourage the use of proper protective equipment to further reduce the odds.

"Teenagers often take risks, like cycling without a helmet. If they knew about the possible long-term consequences, they might think again; perhaps they wouldn't think it's so cool to ride without a helmet," said Montgomery.

"We should consider ways to reduce the risk of head injury, especially repeated head injuries, when participating in sport," he added.

The full study has been published in the Annals of Neurology.

If you’ve ever found yourself stuck in heavy city traffic or on a congested highway, then you may be all too familiar with how aggressive some drivers can be. But a new study shows that being aggressive behind the wheel comes at a cost.

Lead author David Herrero, a lecturer at the University of the Basque Country, says that risky and aggressive driving behaviors result in more accidents. In fact, even aggressive thoughts while driving can have their drawbacks.

“We saw that accident-related events were related with aggressive behaviour, but above all with risky behaviour, although both factors could significantly predict traffic accidents,” Herrero said. “It could be said that aggressive thoughts entail aggressive behaviour and that this aggressive behaviour entails risky behaviour, which is associated with accident-related events.”

Anger, aggression, and risky driving

Herrero’s eight-year-long study examined 414 participants who possessed a valid driving license and drove at least once per week. Each person was interviewed via two questionnaires that measured aggressive thoughts, risky behaviors, and accident-proneness.

Findings showed that age was a big divider when it came to aggressive driving and accident rates. Herrero said that the youngest drivers tended to experience more anger and express themselves aggressively on the road. However, findings showed little difference between male and female drivers.

“The differences between the sexes are not that clear with respect to the expression and experience of anger, not even with respect to aggressive thoughts,” said Herrero. “We men and women have the same frequency of aggressive thoughts.”

Increasing road safety

The study findings could prove useful for increasing road safety, but Herrero also believes that they could be beneficial for increasing our understanding of human psychology.

“It is important for us to know the cognitive, emotional and other mechanisms underlying this kind of behaviour to be able to intervene in the clearest, most precise way,” he said. “If we can make a person capable of spotting when he/she is behaving in a risky or even aggressive way, we will be reducing accident-related events.”

The full study has been published in Accident Analysis & Prevention.

Ford Motor Company is recalling 698 model year 2017 Focus vehicles.

The rear left side seat back frame may have an insufficient weld between the outboard pivot bracket and the pivot nut joint, resulting in the seat back having reduced strength.

As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 207, "Seating Systems," and 210, "Seat Belt Assembly Anchorages."

The reduced seat back strength may increase the risk of injury in the event of a crash.

What to do

Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the rear second left side rear seat back as necessary, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin October 16, 2017.

Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 17C13.

It's hard to imagine in 2017 that just a decade ago, smartphones as we know them today didn't exist.

But in early 2007, Apple co-founder and CEO Steve Jobs, clad in his trademarked black turtleneck and blue jeans, took the stage at MacWorld in San Francisco. The theater was packed with tech enthusiasts who had been tipped off that something big was in the works. They had no idea how big.

"Today, we're introducing three revolutionary products," Jobs told the crowd, which began to cheer. "The first one is a wide sceen iPod with touchscreen controls."

The crowd whooped and hollered as the icon of an iPod appeared on the screen.

"The second is a revolutionary mobile phone," Jobs said, to even louder cheers. "And the third is a breakthrough internet communications device."

At that, the cheers died down. The audience was confused. Jobs repeated that Apple was introducing three new products. The crowd's cheers had turned to a curious buzz.

"An iPod, a phone, and an internet communicator," Jobs said.

He repeats himself a third time and the applause and laughter builds.

"Are you getting it?" he asked.

Finally, they did. The product Jobs was introducing was a new smartphone that also stored and played music and made it easy to access the internet. One product that did three things.

Wildly popular

The iPhone proved to be wildly popular. Fans would line up in front of cell phone stores to buy them when they went on sale, and would do so again each time Apple introduced a new generation of the devices, which seemed to always push the technological envelope.

The original iPhone featured a 3.5 inch display with 320x480 resolution at 163 ppi, and came with 4 GB, 8 GB, or 16 GB of flash memory. It had built-in support for Wi-Fi, EDGE, and Bluetooth 2.0. Its camera was all of 2.0 megapixels.

Of course, Apple didn't have the playing field to itself for long. Despite Jobs' assertion that Apple had nailed down all applicable patents, Samsung, Motorola, and other competitors soon had their own products, running on the Android operating system, owned by Google.

After protracted litigation, today the smartphone world remains a battleground between iPhone and Android, with both platforms competing for consumers' hearts and minds.

Latest generation

Apple's latest generation of smartphones, the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X, represents a quantum leap over the first offering 10 years ago. But like its immediate predecessors, it's not a huge leap past the generation it's replacing.

The iPhone 8 has a 4.7 inch Retina HD display with a reinforced glass back that allows wireless charging. The company says it's dust and water resistant and comes with a 12 megapixel camera that has optical image stabilization. The company says the video capture is improved over the iPhone 7 model.

The iPhone Plus is bigger, with a 5.5 inch display. It also has wireless charging capability and an enhanced camera.

But most of the attention is focused on a third offering, the iPhone X, which will retail right at $1,000. The X is encased in glass with a 5.8 inch Super Retina display with an enhanced camera and a Face ID system that can be used to unlock the phone and make payments.

Matt Shultz, senior analyst at CreditCards.com, says that may be a case of bad timing, with the release coming just days after news of Equifax's major data breach.

 "That debacle has put data security front and center in people's minds," Schultz said. "If Apple's facial recognition tool proves to be significantly flawed, it could really damage Apple's hopes for Apple Pay expansion. People simply won't use a payments tool if they don't think it is safe."

Probably not for the average consumer

Then there's the price. At just under $1,000, Bankrate senior economic analyst Mark Hamrick says the iPhone X isn't going to be a device for the average consumer, who is often living paycheck-to-paycheck.

"This is where the desire to have the shiny new thing collides with the ability to pay for it," he said.

Make no mistake, today's smartphones -- including the latest offerings from Apple -- are impressive works of consumer technology. But don't expect consumers to camp out in front of Apple stores to buy one.

We saw the future 10 years ago and now we sort of take it for granted.

When Equifax reported a massive data breach, you may have been concerned that you could become a victim of identity theft.

On the other hand, you might be only vaguely aware of the threat and not sure what identity theft is or how identity thieves operate. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has published a comprehensive guide to identity theft, with advice for affected consumers.

It offers useful tips for protecting your data and recommends steps to take if you become a victim.

Eva Velasquez, President and CEO of the Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC) in San Diego is accustomed to working with consumers who have been blindsided by identity theft and aren't even really sure what has happened to them.

"Identity theft is the misuse of your personally identifying information for someone else's gain," Valasquez told ConsumerAffairs. "It can be financial, it can be for goods or services, it can even be to avoid punishment or consequences for their behavior."

Stealing your identity

So the fact that your name, address, Social Security number, and other personal information could be in the possession of criminals is a big deal. In today's impersonal, anonymous world where fewer transactions are done face-to-face, having this information makes it easy for someone to pretend to be you.

Identity thieves could apply for a credit card in your name, obtain a copy of your driver's license, buy a car, or even file a fake tax return claiming a big refund. When they don't actually pay for any of this, they don't get in trouble -- you do.

Valasquez says an identity thief can even get in trouble with the legal system and escape the consequences.

"We've had a couple of cases where people told us they were having their wages garnished for child support and they didn't even have children," she said. "The thieves can pretend to be you and operate as you, whether it's making purchases, getting medical goods or services, or filing for government benefits."

Financial institutions are trying to help consumers understand the gravity of the issue and take steps to protect themselves. Bank of America recently produced this brief YouTube video as a guide.

What happened to my data?

If you are one of the 143 million consumers whose financial information may have been compromised, you may be wondering where your information is now. What has happened to it? Unfortunately, says Valasquez, it could be just about anywhere.

A rouge nation state may have it and could sit on it for years before doing anything with it. Large fraud rings may buy it in bulk, along with thousands of other consumer profiles, and sell it to individuals on the Dark Web. Each time the information is sold it makes money for all the criminals involved, which is why identity theft is so lucrative.

"Some of these guys selling stolen identities even have customer service policies, so that if your bundle of stolen identities you purchased doesn't meet a percentage guaranteed use, you can get a refund," Valasquez said. "It's extremely elaborate."

How to protect yourself

So how do we protect ourselves? The most robust protection available, says Valasquez, is placing a credit freeze on your credit reports at all three credit agencies -- Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Here's how to do it.

When your account is frozen, no one can access it unless you unfreeze it. Without access to your credit report, even a thief with your Social Security number won't be able to open a new account in your name.

"Some people don't like the credit freeze as an option because it lacks flexibility, requiring you to unfreeze it every time you want to use it," Valasquez said. "You lock legitimate folks out too, but you lock the thieves out."

There's also a fee involved every time your freeze and unfreeze your credit. The fees vary by state, but average around $10.

Since so many people will now avail themselves of this protection, shouldn't the process of freezing and unfreezing credit be cheaper and easier? No, not really, Valasquez says.

'It should be a little difficult'

"I think one of the reasons we're here now is because we want everything to be effortless and convenient," she said. "When it comes to authenticating ourselves, I think we need to rethink our expectations about how effortless that should be. It should be a little difficult, it should be a little complicated for me to prove that I am me."

With 143 million consumers facing this difficulty from now on, there is a lot of consumer anger toward Equifax, and other commercial enterprises that have suffered data breaches. Valasquez says that's understandable, and entities that have security breaches must be held accountable.

"At the same time, when it comes to service delivery that we're asking from these folks, we need to be reasonable about that as well," she said. "I don't think we can have our cake and eat it too. I don't think we can have seamless and easy and high levels of security and protection, at least not yet."

If you become an identity theft victim, you probably aren't going to know right away. You might not know until you start getting late notices for bills you don't owe or calls from bill collectors. At that point, much of the damage is done.

Pull your credit report

What every consumer should do in the short term is take advantage of the federal law that provides free access to their credit reports from all three credit agencies once a year. The reports are available by going to www.annualcreditreport.com.

You are not required to download all three at the same time. Download one of the reports and check it carefully for credit accounts that are not yours. Four months later, download a second and repeat the procedure. In another four months, download the third report.

Unfortunately for the 143 million of us compromised by the Equifax data breach, this vigilance will be a necessary part of our financial lives from now on.

Puppies sold at Petland, a national pet store chain, have been traced as the likely source of an infection outbreak in seven states.

Between September 2016 and August 2017, Campylobacter infections have been reported in Florida, Kansas, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Wisconsin, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The infection, which can spread to people from puppies and dogs, has sickened 39 people. Twelve people affected were employees, and 27 people affected had either purchased a puppy at Petland, visited a Petland, or live in a home with a puppy purchased at Petland. Nine have been hospitalized.

Signs and symptoms

"Evidence suggests that puppies sold through Petland are a likely source of this outbreak," the CDC said in a statement. "Petland is cooperating with public health and animal health officials to address this outbreak."

People with the Campylobacter infection might show no signs of illness or might have diarrhea (sometimes bloody), vomiting, abdominal pain, or a fever within two to five days of exposure.

The symptoms lasts about a week without treatment, but health officials say the illness can be life-threatening for people with weakened immune systems, such as young children, older adults, and pregnant women.

Preventing infection

According to the Washington Post, Campylobacter infections are most often caused by eating raw or undercooked proteins, but they can also be spread through contact with dog feces.

Because infected dogs don’t always show symptoms of illness, it’s vital that consumers take precautions when around dogs. “Regardless of where they came from, any puppy and dog” can carry the germ, the CDC stated.

To reduce your risk of catching the infection, the CDC recommends washing your hands thoroughly after touching dogs, their poop, or their food. Additionally, pick up and dispose of dog poop -- especially in areas where children might play. Take your dog to the vet right away if you notice any signs of illness.

Choosing a dog

Adopting a dog from a local animal shelter has numerous benefits, but if you choose to go another route, the CDC advises that you follow these steps when picking a pup: 

• Choose a dog that is bright, alert and playful.
• Look for a shiny, soft coat that doesn't have any feces on it.
• Take your new puppy or dog to the vet for a check-up within a few days of their adoption.

In a matter of years, you may be seeing a lot more electric Volkswagen vehicles on the road. In fact, by the end of the next decade you may be hard-pressed to find a non-electric model made by the automaker.

The Seattle Times reports that VW Group – which owns a number of car brands including Audi, Bentley, Lamborghini, Porsche, and Volkswagen – has committed to an all-electric vehicle lineup by 2030. The announcement was made just before the Frankfurt Motor Show on Monday by VW Group CEO Matthias Mueller, who said that automakers must respond to the push for electric vehicles.

“We have got the message and we will deliver. The transformation in our industry is unstoppable. And we will lead that transformation,” he said.

A costly move to electric vehicles

The proclamation follows a similar one made by China over the weekend, which announced that it would be following the United Kingdom and France in phasing out fossil-fuel powered vehicles. Reuters reports that European automakers are starting to unite in an effort to move away from the traditional combustion engine, which has long been tied to air pollution.

For VW’s part, the decision to move to electrification makes some sense considering the disastrous “clean diesel” scandal that it recently went through. However, the decision could still cost the company dearly.

Experts say that phasing out combustion engines by 2030 could lead to 600,000 lost jobs in Germany alone. Mueller said that VW will be looking to spend an additional 50 billion euros to source battery cells to meet its own vehicle production needs by 2025.

Price increases and shrinking demand

Despite growing public sentiment, electric vehicles have struggled to pick up steam in the global market. With the exception of Tesla, whose shares jumped 6% on Monday following China’s weekend announcement, electric vehicle makers have had trouble penetrating the market. Currently, electric car sales account for less than 1% of global car sales.

Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchinonne has been outspoken in his aversion to electrification, which he says was based purely on cost estimates and an expected reduction in demand.

“There’s going to be a huge increase in prices in 2021-22 if effective electrification becomes as widespread as people expect,” he said. “That, based on everything I know in terms of economics, will cause a shrinkage of demand.”

Many previous studies have addressed how bad sitting is for our health, but recent research from the University of Toronto and Columbia University Medical Center shows that the number of hours spent sitting isn't quite as important as how long each sitting period is.

Researchers have found that adults who sit for one or two hours at a time without moving have a much higher mortality rate than those who sat for just as long but over shorter periods of time. Their study is the largest to date that links objectively measured sedentary time, sedentary patterns, and mortality risk.

"We tend to think of sedentary behavior as just the sheer volume of how much we sit around each day," said lead investigator Dr. Keith Diaz. "But previous studies have suggested that sedentary patterns -- whether an individual accrues sedentary time through several short stretches or fewer long stretches of time -- may have an impact on health."

Sitting time and greater mortality risk

To gather data, the researchers asked nearly 8,000 participants to wear hip-mounted activity monitors during their waking hours over a week-long period. The devices showed that, on average, sedentary behaviors accounted for 77% of a participant’s day, the equivalent of around 12 hours.

During a prevailing four-year follow-up period, 340 of the participants died. After comparing the data, the researchers found that mortality risk was highest in individuals who had more than 13 hours of sedentary time per day. Worse yet, they found that those who had sedentary periods lasting from 60-90 minutes were twice as likely to die than those who had shorter periods of sedentary time.

The researchers say that out of all sedentary participants, those who kept their sitting time limited to 30 minutes had the lowest risk of death. The finding adds credence to many workplace recommendations for employees to get up and move around periodically.

"If you have a job or lifestyle where you have to sit for prolonged periods of time, we suggest taking a movement break every half hour," said Diaz. "This one behavior change could reduce your risk of death, although we don't yet know precisely how much activity is optimal."

Sitting is the new smoking

Dr. Monnika Safford says that the study findings also reinforce current efforts by doctors and clinicians to discourage sedentary behaviors.  

"This study adds to the growing literature on how dangerous long periods of sitting are for our health, and underscores a growing awareness among clinicians and researchers that sitting really is the new smoking," she said.

"We need creative ways to ensure that we not only cut back on the total amount we sit, but also increase regular interruptions to sitting with bursts of activity.”

Two papers [1,2] connected to the study have been published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Ever since that first nervous drive home from the hospital, your child’s safety has likely remained a driving factor behind many decisions. 

From whether to pack a sunhat to where (and how) to put your child to sleep, there are countless decisions that can potentially impact the safety of your baby. One of the bigger decisions new parents must make is how long to keep kids rear-facing in the car.

Now, a new car seat safety initiative is reminding parents to adhere to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommendation that kids should be kept rear-facing until two years old.

TurnAfter2

Car seat manufacturer Chicco has launched a public awareness initiative called TurnAfter2, in which parents are encouraged to use social media as a platform to discuss the importance of keeping kids rear-facing longer by using the hashtag "TurnAfter2" to tag photos of kids riding rear-facing.

Prior to 2011, parents and caretakers were advised that it was okay to turn children forward facing when they were one year old and weighed 20 pounds. Today, both the AAP and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recommend that kids be kept rear-facing until they “reach the top height or weight limit allowed by your car seat’s manufacturer.”

“Children under the age of 2 years are 75% less likely to die or sustain serious injury when they are in a rear-facing seat,” the AAP said in a 2008 article. An article published in 2007 showed that 2-year-olds were five times safer riding rear-facing than 2-year-olds riding forward-facing.

What about big babies?

Do the same rules apply if your child is very big or tall? Yes, according to car seat safety experts. Even a child who is in the 95th percentile can (and should) ride rear-facing until age 2.

“The rigidity of the bones and the strength of ligaments in the spine is likely the same in children the same age, no matter their size,” say the car seat experts at the Car Seat Lady blog. “And a 95th percentile baby likely has a larger, heavier head, which will pull forward with much more force than that of a 5th percentile child.”

And don’t worry about your child’s legs touching the back of your vehicle’s seat -- it won’t be uncomfortable and/or unsafe for kids, say the folks at Car Seat Lady.

“In our experience installing 15,000 car seats, we’ve seen hundreds of children over the age of 1 riding rear-facing. Many of them are very verbal 2 and 3 year olds, and none have complained of their legs hurting." 

“While your 2 year old may look cramped riding rear-facing -- as they sit with their legs crossed or in the ‘frog-legged’ position -- rest assured they are both safe and comfortable,” the experts said, adding that kids are much more flexible than adults.

Gulf States Toyota (GST) is recalling 1,121 model year 2017 Toyota Highlanders and Highlander Hybrids equipped with accessory roof rail cross bars.

The fasteners for the roof rails may not be torqued properly, may loosen and possibly detach from the vehicle, becoming a road hazard and increasing the risk of a crash.

What to do

GST will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and properly torque the fasteners, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin September 25, 2017.

Owners may contact GST customer service at 1-800-444-1074. GST's number for this recall is 17R3.

By a vote of 3-2, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has approved a new federal mandatory standard to improve the safety of infant bouncer seats.

The seats support babies in a reclined position and allow them to bounce. They are intended for infants up to 6 months old who have not developed the ability to sit up unassisted.

The new federal standard is based on the existing voluntary standard, ASTM F2167-17. The ASTM standard improved the requirements for stability to address tip-over incidents and for the battery compartment to address incidents involving battery leakage, corrosion, and overheating.

A rule with teeth

The Commission’s more stringent requirements are intended to further reduce the risk of serious head injuries associated with falls from elevated surfaces, such as tables and counter tops.

The mandatory standard will make fall hazard warnings more visible to caregivers by requiring the label to be placed on the front of the bouncer seat near the baby’s head and shoulders.

Caregivers are also instructed to use restraints even if a baby falls asleep in the bouncer, which is a likely occurrence. More on the new mandatory standard can be found here.

Numerous incidents reported

Between January 1, 2006 and July 6, 2016, 347 incidents involving bouncer seats were reported to CPSC, including 12 fatalities and 54 injuries.

The major cause of reported fatalities was suffocation resulting from unrestrained babies turning over in a bouncer or bouncers tipping over on soft surfaces (e.g., mattresses and comforters) when the product was placed on adult beds and cribs.

Additionally, the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System indicates that there were 874 incidents involving bouncer seats from January 1, 2006 to December 31, 2015.

The hazard patterns related to these incidents (485 of the 874) were mainly due to infants falling while in bouncers or from a bouncer placed in hazardous locations, such as kitchen on countertops, tables, and other elevated surfaces.

Falls resulted in concussions and skull fractures, which can lead to brain damage and long-lasting health effects.

What to do

• Always use the bouncer on the floor, never on a countertop, table, or other elevated surface.
• Never place the bouncer on a bed, sofa, or other soft surface; babies have suffocated when bouncers tipped over onto soft surfaces.
• Always use restraints and adjust restraints to fit snugly, even if the baby falls asleep.
• Stay near and watch the baby during use.
• Stop using the bouncer when a child is able to sit up on his/her own or the baby reaches 20 lbs. (or the manufacturer’s recommended maximum weight.)

The CPSC has proposed that the rule become effective six months after the publication of a final rule in the Federal Register.

Past studies have focused extensively on the negative effects of consumers who use their phones or electronic devices to talk or send messages while driving. But new research shows that something as simple as a ringing phone can also be very distracting.

Researchers from the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) found that nearly half of all drivers they sampled believed that locating and answering a phone wasn’t as dangerous as talking, texting, or browsing on their device. However, findings show that those precious seconds when a driver's attention isn’t on the road can be costly.

"Finding and reaching for a ringing phone is perceived by drivers as having a mid-range crash risk, however research has showed that this task is one of the most risky activities a driver can engage in," said lead researcher Oscar Oviedo-Trespalacios.

Adapting driving behavior

In a study of 484 drivers, the researchers say that 45% admitted to locating and answering a ringing phone, compared to only 28% who reported speaking on a handheld device. Oviedo-Trespalacios explains why this type of action is perhaps more dangerous than previously thought.

“Drivers are likely to adapt their driving behaviour when talking, texting and browsing, by reducing their speed, increasing their distance from the vehicle in front and scanning their environment more frequently,” he said.

"On the other hand, a ringing mobile phone can occur at any time without giving time for the driver to adapt their behaviour and therefore increases the likelihood of a crash. This mismatch in perception of risk is a major concern revealed by the study."

Among other findings, the researchers say that the study revealed that 12% of drivers don’t believe that talking on a handheld device is dangerous at all when behind the wheel. However, 70% of those surveyed also said that they actively look out for police when using their phone to make sure they aren’t caught. Ovideo-Trespalacios says that new drivers are particularly at risk for these kinds of behaviors because they are more likely to drive while using a mobile phone.

The full study has been published in PLOS ONE.

Weekdays can be hectic for school-aged children, who are often faced with the task of balancing school, homework, and after-school activities. With all that on a kid’s plate, it’s no wonder sleep quality and quantity often takes a hit.

Students in the early elementary school years have three times the suggested amount of homework, a 2015 study found. While some school districts across the country are placing limitations on assignments in an attempt to ease the burden of homework, some students may still struggle to shoulder the daily workload.

The stresses of school can adversely affect sleep and academic performance, but giving your child the tools they need to manage stress can help them sleep more soundly and shine more brightly during the day.

What parents can do

Here are a few ways to help your child cope with the stresses of school in order to sleep more soundly at night, according to the sleep experts at Sleep.org, a sleep education website by the National Sleep Foundation.

• Teach them time management skills. Help your child learn how to budget their time by having them use a planner to track homework and divide their time. Teach them the value of chipping away at a project a little bit every night instead of scrambling to complete it the night before it’s due. More sleep will be a welcomed byproduct of good time management skills.
• Provide a quiet study area. A distraction-free zone in which to do homework is a must. The presence of a TV or the temptation to play video games can be a diversion, but a peaceful place to study can help kids knock out homework quickly and efficiently (which will free up more time for play and sleep).
• Don’t overschedule them. Calendars chock-full of club meetings, sports practices, and other activities can be overwhelming to kids. Ask your child if they feel too bogged down by school demands and scale back the number of extracurricular activities if necessary. Kids should be given enough time for fun and rest.
• Practice good sleep habits. Sleep deprivation can have negative consequences on health, but having kids gradually calm down before bedtime can help set the stage for a good night’s sleep. Give your child a firm bedtime, then use the 30 to 60 minutes prior to bedtime for a relaxing bedtime routine.

Consumers are putting more spending on credit cards, which is fine if it's paid off in a reasonable timeframe. But when the balances are allowed to grow, that can be trouble.

The folks at personal finance site WalletHub keep track of consumers' credit card habits and report we all did a pretty good job of paying down balances during the first three months of the year. After a record-setting year debt-wise, we paid off more than $30 billion in the first quarter.

But in the second quarter, the plastic came out of our wallets again. WalletHub reports consumers charged $33 billion in new debt.

"So it’s not a question of whether consumers are weakening financially, but rather how long this trend toward pre-recession habits will last and just how bad it will get," the authors write.

$60 billion in new debt

The report projects consumers will end up adding more than $60 billion in new credit card debt by the end of the year, pushing the total well past the $1 trillion level. This is a problem for three reasons.

First, a lot of credit card purchases are for things that aren't lasting -- things like meals in restaurants or vacations. When these bills are not paid off completely and allowed to build up, you're spending today's and tomorrow's money for things you consumed yesterday.

Second, debt cuts into your monthly cash flow so that you don't have as much money in your budget. If you are making $250 minimum payments on your credit card bill, you can't spend that $250 on things you need this month and you aren't making much progress on paying off your balance.

That brings us to the third problem: the interest rate is-sky high. The average interest rate is over 16% and will go even higher if the Federal Reserve continues to hike interest rates.

Staying out of trouble

The best way not to get in trouble with your credit card is to pay off the balance in full when the bill arrives. That way you aren't adding to your total. If you don't think you can pay for everything in one month, don't charge as much.

From time to time you might take two or three months to pay for a major purchase, like a new water heater, but make sure you pay for all the smaller purchases, plus a portion of your major expenses, with your monthly payments until the balance is back at zero.

If you are already in trouble and struggling to pay off your credit card balance, apply for a balance transfer credit card with a generous introductory period in which you pay 0% interest. If you can avoid double-digit interest for a year or more, then 100% of your monthly payment goes against the balance.

Just make sure you continue to pay for all your monthly purchases -- plus a payment on the balance -- each month.

In the midst of a major disaster, pets can easily become stressed. Dogs and cats thrive on comfort and familiarity, and natural disasters often bring a whole host of unfamiliar sights and sounds.

Strange smells, sudden loud noises, water where it shouldn’t be, and other out-of-the-norm experiences can frighten pets. And try as a loving pet owner might, it’s next to impossible to explain to a dog or cat what is happening and that it’s over now.

To comfort pets who may have been rattled by Hurricane Harvey or Irma, it’s important for pet owners to understand how pets perceive disasters and learn what they seek as comfort, says Clive Wynne, an Arizona State University professor of psychology.

Signs of distress

Signs your pet may be stressed after a disaster include:

• Exhibiting avoidance behavior. Avoiding people or other dogs, not making eye contact, hiding, tail tucking, or turning away.
• Abnormal panting. If it’s not especially hot and your dog is panting with its ears pinned back and low, your dog could be experiencing some stress.
• Frequent yawning. Paired with either of the above behaviors, frequent yawning can be attributed to stress.
• Destructive behaviors. In an attempt to ease their stress, your dog may try to bite you or other objects. If the aggressive behavior is followed by abnormal facial expressions, frightened body posture, or submissive behaviors, it’s highly likely that your dog is nervous.

Avoid tight hugging

A reunion between two people often involves a warm embrace, but most pets don’t enjoy tight hugs as much as humans, says Wynne.

“It may be tempting to hug a dog or cat tightly when you are distressed, especially if you have become separated. But not all animals enjoy being hugged,” said Wynne, who is a dog behavior scientist.

“Very tight hugging may cause an animal to panic. We are different species, and we have different ways of expressing ourselves.”

Restore familiarity

So what should you do to help a distressed pet when their world has seemingly been turned upside down? Make an effort to put it right side up again.

“Safety equals familiarity," says Wynne. "As soon as possible, help pets feel safe by restoring their familiar world. This includes the social world, where reunion with beloved family members is very important, but also the physical world."

Pet owners who were displaced by Hurricane Harvey or Irma should try to bring some of the objects from the pet’s home world, if possible. Familiar toys, bedding, food bowls, and other comfort objects can help ease a pet’s stress in times of turmoil. Owners should also walk thier dogs in less crowded places after a trauma.

If your dog doesn’t snap back to their usual self following a stressful event, consult with your vet to discuss a plan for getting your pet back to normal.