Current Events in September 2018

Bob Evans Farms of Xenia, Ohio, is recalling approximately 46,734 pounds of pork sausage links.

The products may be contaminated with extraneous materials -- specifically pieces of clear hard plastic.

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

The following items, produced on August 1, 2018, are being recalled:

• 12-oz overwrap trays labeled “BOB EVANS MAPLE PORK SAUSAGE LINKS.” These products contain a Use by date of Oct. 16, 2018 or Oct. 19, 2018, and Lot Code of 8213.
• 12-oz overwrap trays labeled “BOB EVANS BROWN SUGAR & HONEY.” These products contain a Use by date of Oct. 16, 2018, and Lot Code of 8213.
• 12-oz overwrap trays labeled “FRESH FROM MEIJER MAPLE FLAVORED SAUSAGE LINKS.” These products contain a Use by date of Sept. 06, 2018, and Lot Code of 8213.
• 12-oz overwrap trays labeled “GIANT EAGLE MAPLE PORK BREAKFAST SAUSAGE LINKS CARAMEL COLOR ADDED.” These products contain a Use by date of Sept. 10, 2018, and Lot Code of 8213.
• 12-oz overwrap trays labeled “SCHNUCKS MAPLE RECIPE BREAKFAST SAUSAGE.” These products contain a Lot Code of 8213.

The recalled products, bearing establishment number “EST 6785,” were shipped to retail locations in Indiana, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wisconsin.

What to do

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

Consumers with questions call Bob Evans Farms consumer relations at (800) 939-2338.

Jimco Lamp & Manufacturing Company of Bono, Ark., is recalling about 16,000 bistro chairs.

The chair’s seat can break, posing a fall hazard.

The company has received five reports of the bistro chairs breaking, including one report involving a bruised wrist and a cut to the leg.

This recall involves Jimco Outdoor Folding Bistro Chairs in graywash and teak finishes.

The chairs, manufactured in Vietnam, were sold at TJ Maxx and Marshalls as individual chairs from January 2018, through June 2018, for about $20, and as part of a set with two chairs and a table at HomeGoods and Sierra Trading Post from January 2018, through June 2018, for about $130.

What to do

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled chairs and contact the firm for instructions on how to return them for a full refund of the purchase price.

Consumers may contact Jimco Lamp & Manufacturing Company at (800) 643-0092 from 8 a.m. – 5p.m. (CT) Monday through Friday or online at http://jimcolamp.com/ and click on Recall Information at the bottom of the page.

General Motors is recalling 210,628 model year 2018-2019 Chevrolet Equinox, Impala, Cruze, Volt & Bolt EV vehicles, GMC Terrain vehicles, Buick Lacrosse & Regal vehicles, Cadillac XTS & XTS Professional vehicles and model year 2018 Chevrolet Malibus.

The rear brake caliper pistons may have an insufficient coating causing gas pockets to form, potentially reducing rear brake performance.

A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.

What to do

GM will notify owners, and dealers will bleed the vehicle's brake system, free of charge.

The manufacturer has not yet provided a notification schedule.

Owners may contact Buick customer service at (800) 521-7300, Cadillac customer service at (800) 458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at (800) 222-1020, or GMC customer service at (800) 462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 18279.

The U.S. Government is threatening another shutdown and Congress is going through all the government’s coffers looking for the funds to avert it and prevent consumers from suffering any consequences from a closure.

It’s not like Congress doesn’t have enough on its hands with hurricane Florence, tariffs, vetting a Supreme Court nominee, and a looming mid-term election. But if the Democrats and Republicans can’t find a way to appropriate $1.24 trillion by midnight on September 30, the cupboards will be officially bare. At that point, the options are two: 1) shutter every service and agency short of the ones considered vital; or, 2) trim operations back as far as possible.

This is the second time in 2018 that the Government may be forced to close down. In all but four of the last 40 years, Congress has passed continuing resolutions (CR) to keep agencies running between budgets.

In January, Congress was so wrapped up in the tug-of-war over Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and the funding of President Trump’s border wall that it ran out of time to pass legislation funding operations and agencies sufficiently to keep the doors open.

The border wall is impeding things again. While that may have little to do with Congress itself, Trump has dared to shut down the country more than seven times in the last six weeks if Congress doesn’t cough up the $5 billion he wants to kickstart the border wall project.

Pulling out all stops

With House members only working six more days in September before they go home to campaign for re-election, Republican party leaders are pessimistic about pulling off Trump’s wall wish by the shutdown deadline. They’re doing their best to get the President to calm his urges and wait until the November election when they’ll have more time.

Nonetheless, Congress is working feverishly -- and cooperatively -- to keep the country afloat. The Senate voted 92-5 on Wednesday to approve a $147 billion package to fund military veterans' programs, the Department of Energy, and the legislative branch. The bill is now in the House’s hands, which is doing its best to drag it across the finish line by the end of the day, Thursday.

While $147 billion is a nice start, there are still two other spending packages in the wings that Congress needs to approve to avoid a government shutdown. If all three packages are ratified by both chambers and signed by President Trump, they would add up to nearly 90 percent of the federal government’s annual spending.

The only thing left at that point will be coming up with some form of a financial band-aid for the Department of Homeland Security which is in charge of -- you guessed it -- Trump’s border wall.

Apple has introduced three new iPhone models and an updated Apple Watch. It's the watch that's creating the most buzz so far.

Called the Apple Watch Series 4, the redesigned and re-engineered watch takes another step closer to becoming a medical device. It includes a new accelerometer and gyroscope to detect hard falls, along with an electrical heart rate sensor that has earned a De Novo classification by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

FDA worked with Apple

As Apple unveiled the new watch, the FDA released a statement from Commissioner Scott Gottlieb welcoming Apple's entry into the healthcare field, noting the new watch has two apps that consumers may find particularly useful.

"One app creates an electrocardiogram, similar to traditional electrocardiograms, to detect the presence of atrial fibrillation and regular heart rhythm, while the other app analyzes pulse rate data to identify irregular heart rhythms suggestive of atrial fibrillation and notify the user," Gottlieb said. "The FDA worked closely with the company as they developed and tested these software products, which may help millions of users identify health concerns more quickly."

The new Apple Watch with GPS alone will be available for pre-order in 26 countries and territories beginning Friday, September 14. The watch with GPS plus cellular will be available to order in 16 countries Friday. Both will be in stores Friday, September 21.

New iPhones

Apple has also introduced three new additions to its iPhone line-up -- the iPhone Xs, the iPhone Xs Max, and the iPhone XR. All three phones feature the all-screen design introduced with the iPhone X.

The phones are different sizes, ranging from 5.8 to 6.5 inches, and all three feature enhanced cameras, processors, and operating systems.

The iPhone Xs starts at $999, while the iPhone Xs Max starts at $1,099. The iPhone XR starts at $749.

The iPhone Xs and iPhone Xs Max will be available for pre-order starting Friday, September 14, with availability beginning Friday, September 21 in more than 30 countries and territories.

The iPhone X will be available to pre-order beginning Friday, October 19 and in stores beginning Friday, October 26.

Jacking up drug prices has often been described as "greed" but probably never as a "moral requirement." Until this week.

In an interview with the Financial Times, Nirmal Mulye, CEO of a small pharmaceutical company called Nostrum, defended his company's decision to raise the price of nitrofurantoin from $474.75 to $2,392. Nitrofurantoin is a drug that is highly effective at treating lower urinary tract infections.

Mulye noted that a rival pharmaceutical company had a similar drug and had just increased the price by a similar amount. That's when the executive made the statement that is likely to revive the recent debate over high drug prices.

“I think it is a moral requirement to make money when you can . . . to sell the product for the highest price,” Mulye told Financial Times.

Shades of Shkreli

In a follow-up answer Mulye made clear that his main obligation is not to his customers, the people who purchase the drug, but to his shareholders.

According to the publication, Mulye defended the actions of Martin Shkreli, founder of Turing Pharmaceuticals, who purchased the rights to an old drug and enraged just about everyone when he unapologetically raised the price from $13 to $750 a pill.

The Financial Times quotes Mulye as saying "I agree with Martin Shkreli that when he raised the price of his drug he was within his rights because he had to reward his shareholders."

FDA boss weighs in

The quote got the attention of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, who took to Twitter to register his disapproval.

"Regarding @FT story today @bydavidcrow; there’s no moral imperative to price gouge and take advantage of patients," he wrote. "FDA will continue to promote competition so speculators and those with no regard to public health consequences can’t take advantage of patients who need medicine."

With a few weeks to go before the midterm elections, Mulye's comments may have inadvertently revived high drug prices as a political issue. The issue ignited during the 2016 presidential campaign when both candidates Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton harshly criticized drug companies that significantly increased prescription drug prices.

Trump has kept up the criticism in the White House. In July, he took Pfizer to task after a published report that the company had boosted prices on over 100 drugs.

However, his policy to curtail price increases, introduced in May, relies mostly on voluntary measures. The Kaiser Health Foundation says presidential tweets directed at drugmakers have so far failed to stem rising prescription drug prices.

The oil and gas industry has long touted “clean-burning” natural gas as one of its most important weapons in the fight against climate change.

But a huge domestic fracking boom that yielded a record amount of natural gas in the last decade failed to curb emissions in the United States, and researchers and environmentalist say they know why: methane.

Though the industry is not keen to admit it, researchers have documented how leaks at fracking sites that emit methane, an extremely potent greenhouse gas, could effectively undo any efforts to stop global warming.

The Trump administration is now predictably going after an Obama-era proposal intended to force the industry to get tougher on methane leaks.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed a new rule this week that it says will save the oil and gas industry $75 million each year. The EPA also acknowledged that the changes will cause methane emissions to increase by a minimum of 380,000 tons by 2025.

During the Obama administration, the EPA said that new regulations targeting methane emissions would reduce pollution by as much as 510,000 tons by 2025. The regulations had only been in effect for a year when Trump took office and tried to undo them; a lawsuit filed by the Natural Resources Defense Council stopped the earlier effort.

The public has 60 days to comment on the more recent proposal.

A new study shows that employers reap what they sow when it comes to treating their employees well.

Researchers from Binghamton University (BU) found that employers who are kind to their employees see better job performance. The team points out that being a benevolent boss can change how workers see you and encourage them to put in more effort when it comes to improving their quality of work.

“The findings imply that showing personal and familial support for employees is a critical part of the leader-follower relationship,” said Shelley Dionne, one of the study’s contributors. “While the importance of establishing structure and setting expectations is important for leaders...help and guidance from the leader in developing social ties and support networks for a follower can be a powerful factor in their job performance.”

Leadership styles and job performance

To come to their findings, Dionne and her colleagues surveyed 200 U.S. working adults and 1,000 military members to get a sense of the different leadership styles that were implemented most often. They found three dominant styles:

• Authoritarianism-dominant leadership -- the leader asserts absolute control and focuses on completing tasks, taking no regard for the well-being of followers.

• Benevolence-dominant leadership -- leaders are primarily concerned with the personal or familial well-being of followers and want them to feel supported with strong social ties.

• Classical paternalistic leadership -- leaders are both authoritarian and benevolent by focusing on task completion while worrying about the well-being of followers. This mirrors a sort of parent/offspring model.

The researchers found that the authoritarian leadership style was most strongly associated with negative results for job performance. Meanwhile, the benevolent leadership style was almost always associated with positive impacts on job performance. Interestingly, the paternalistic style matched the benevolent style when it came to positive outcomes.

More than just tools

The researchers say the main takeaway of the study is that it is important for employers, bosses, and leaders to focus on the well-being of workers and followers to get the best results for performance. Not doing so, they say, can only lead to negative consequences.

“Subordinates and employees are not tools or machines that you can just use. They are human beings and deserve to be treated with respect,” said Chou-Yu Tsai, an assistant professor of management at BU. “Make sure you are focusing on their well-being and helping them find the support they need, while also being clear about what your expectations and priorities are.”

The full study has been published in The Leadership Quarterly journal.

White Castle’s first plant-based slider -- the Impossible Slider -- is now available to customers nationwide.

Though first tested at 140 locations this April, White Castle has gotten rave reviews from customers, and is now making it available at 400 locations nationwide.

The meatless patty comes from Impossible Foods -- a Silicon Valley start-up -- and it looks, tastes, and “bleeds” like real meat. The burgers are made with soy leghemoglobin -- an ingredient that was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in July -- and that releases the protein heme that gives it the meat color and taste.

For just $1.99, customers can get the Impossible Slider topped with smoked cheddar, pickles, and onions.

“Our Cravers definitely developed a hunger for the Impossible Slider,” said CEO Lisa Ingram. “Sales easily exceeded our expectations.”

In addition to White Castle, Bareburger, Applebee’s, Wahlburger’s, and other independent restaurants are also using the Impossible patties.

With Hurricane Florence barreling towards the east coast, the Waffle House is one of the countless businesses and agencies keeping a pulse on the storm.

The breakfast chain is open 24 hours a day all year long, and it is known to be open during natural disasters. Because the restaurant has an active storm center monitor, federal officials use the Waffle House as a way to measure the severity of hurricanes, tornadoes, and other local storms after they hit.

Should a Waffle House close its doors -- or even just limit its menu -- because of weather conditions, federal regulators know that particular area was hit hard. Because of the company’s close watch on natural disasters, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) dubbed the term the “Waffle House Index” as a means of determining the effect of a storm on an area.

“The Waffle House test just doesn’t tell us how quickly a business might rebound -- it also tells how the larger community is faring,” FEMA said in a 2011 blog post. “The sooner restaurants, grocery and corner stores, or banks can reopen, the sooner local economies will start generating revenue again -- signaling a strong recovery for a community.”

The Waffle House game plan

In order to remain open during dangerous conditions, Waffle House plans carefully -- and in advance -- for each storm. The restaurant has plenty of contingency plans, and even “jump teams” that involve store managers working shifts for stranded employees.

Each restaurant also has a “Waffle House storm playbook” with a play-by-play of what to do should the electricity or running water go out mid-storm. FEMA has since developed a color-coded system that is dependent on Waffle House’s status.

“They are open most of the time,” former FEMA administrator Craig Fugate said in a 2016 interview with NPR. “And that was the index. If a Waffle House is closed because there’s a disaster, it’s bad. We call it red. If they’re open but have a limited menu, that’s yellow. If they’re green, we’re good, keep going. You haven’t found the bad stuff yet.”  

Waffle House spokesman Pat Warner said Fugate came up with the idea during the 2004 hurricane season.

“If we are open quickly after a storm, that means the community is coming back and folks are out, we are getting back to that sense of normalcy,” Warner said. “After a storm, they’re really looking to us to be there to help them out because they’re used to us being there the rest of the year.”

Expressing concern over the rising tide of student loan debt is something you might expect from a high-ranking official at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). However, the fact that the sentiment is coming from Mick Mulvaney has some critics raising their eyebrows.

In a statement to CNBC on Tuesday, Mulvaney said that he holds financial and “moral” concerns that some college students “don’t pay as much attention about paying [their] loan back.”

“If we teach an entire generation of people that the first major loan they take out, they don’t have to pay back, I’m worried about the long-term impact of that,” Mulvaney said.

Mulvaney’s track record

The CFPB has come under massive scrutiny from consumer advocates, worker advocates, and regulators under Mulvaney’s leadership. As a staunch opponent of the agency during his time as a congressman, he often remarked that the CFPB had too much power; he even pushed to have it dismantled during the Obama administration.

Upon becoming acting director in 2017, Mulvaney asked Congress to reduce the agency’s power -- a move that caught the ire of both regulators and consumer advocates.

“To summarize Mick Mulvaney’s message to Congress, let’s take away the consumer bureau’s independence and then make it harder for it to do its job,” Mike Litt, consumer campaign director of U.S. PIRG, said at the time.

Mulvaney’s rough handling of an agency whose primary mission is to protect consumers from predatory business and loan practices is the primary point of contention when considering his statements on student loans -- although many would point out that he puts more of the onus of responsibility for students loans on those taking them out.

In a recent statement to CNBC, Mulvaney said he would not describe student loans as a brewing crisis, although he did say that some changes are needed.

Researchers from the University College of London believe that a new blood test could be the key to detecting the earliest signs of Huntington’s disease.

In a recent study, the research team found that the test was able to pick up on the earliest internal changes caused by the condition, even before scans revealed any physical changes in the brain. This could pave the way for earlier prevention efforts and greater outcomes for consumers suffering from the disease.

"Many people who develop Huntington's report subtle signs such as with mood or coordination, in what's called the prodromal stage before any changes can be detected by brain scans,” explained lead author Dr. Ed Wild. “We've found that blood testing could help identify groups of people with very early neurodegeneration to help us run clinical trials of drugs to prevent symptoms."

Time of incredible advancement

The study involved 80 participants in all -- 40 who had been diagnosed with Huntington’s, 20 who carried the genetic mutation for the disease but had not been diagnosed, and 20 who were completely healthy.

After taking various samples from these patients, the researchers tested them for neurodegeneration and other markers of Huntington’s. Using that collected information, the researchers were able to model and predict which stage of disease progression patients were in -- even those with pre-Huntington’s symptoms.

"We were surprised to find the blood tests could pick up signs even before any evidence of neurodegeneration could be seen in brain scans," said Wild.

"We are living in a time of incredible advancement in the field of neurodegeneration, and research in Huntington's disease is paving the way towards interventions that can change people's lives. Developing tools to track biological and clinical changes, and identify candidates to participate in clinical trials, is vital for the success of such trials," added study co-author Dr. Filipe Brogueira Rodrigues.

Further research needed

While the study findings are very promising, the researchers stress that further work will need to be done before they will be able to implement them in a meaningful way.

"More research is needed to clarify the clinical potential of this test. We hope it can help to develop the first drugs to slow Huntington's, and if they become available, then hopefully this test could help guide decisions on when to begin treatment," said first author Lauren Byrne.

The full study has been published in the journal Science Translational Medicine.

The government reports the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 0.2 percent in August, the same as July, suggesting inflation is largely absent from most of the economy. Much of the increase came in the form of more costly housing and energy.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics' (BLS) energy index rose 1.9 percent, largely due to rising gasoline prices. The cost of shelter rose even more. As we reported Wednesday, consumers paying rent and making mortgage payments are encountering rising costs. The BLS' shelter index jumped 3.0 percent last month.

Food costs were up last month, but only slightly. The cost of food prepared at home was roughly the same as the month before.

The CPI excluding both food and energy -- both highly volatile components -- rose only 0.1 percent in August, the smallest monthly increase since April. Consumers faced lower costs last month for apparel, medical care, communication, recreation, and personal care.

Producer prices fall

On Wednesday, BLS reported the Producer Price Index (PPI), a measure of costs facing producers and wholesalers, actually went down, falling 0.1 percent. The report shows the index was pulled lower by a decline in the cost of services.

The PPI is often viewed as an early indicator of future inflation, since higher costs paid by producers are normally passed on to consumers.

Amid this backdrop of stable prices, consumers' incomes rose slightly last month. The BLS reports real average hourly earnings for all employees increased 0.1 percent from July to August.

Incomes slowly rise

The agency attributes the gain to a 0.4-percent increase in average hourly earnings combined with a 0.2-percent increase in the CPI. Robert Frick, corporate economist at Navy Federal Credit Union, says consumers are getting ahead, but just barely.

"In the race between wage growth and inflation growth, wages edged ahead by a nose, with an annualized gain of 2.9 percent versus 2.7 percent for inflation, so real wage increases are now 0.2 percent, annualized," Frick told ConsumerAffairs. "That's scant comfort for American workers, but with the labor force continuing to tighten and inflation subdued, we may begin to see real wage growth climb to a percentage point or more in the next year, which would be typical - and welcome - for this late stage of an expansion."

Consumers may be taking home a little more money because they're working harder. The BLS report shows there was a 0.6 percent increase in the average workweek over the last 12 months.

General Motors is recalling 1,015,918 model year 2015 Chevrolet Silverado 1500s, Tahoes & Suburbans, GMC Sierra 1500s & Yukons, and Cadillac Escalades.

Electric power steering (EPS) assist may be lost momentarily, followed by a sudden return.

If EPS assist is lost and then suddenly returns, the driver may have difficulty steering the vehicle, especially at low speeds, increasing the risk of a crash.

What to do

GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the EPS module software, free of charge.

The manufacturer has not yet provided a notification schedule.

Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 18289.

CTI Foods of Owingsville, Ky., is recalling approximately 6,720 pounds of ready-to-eat (RTE) Philly Beef Steak.

The product may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of the recalled product.

The following RTE item, produced on Aug. 9, 2018, is being recalled:

• 672 cardboard cases labeled Classic Sysco having a NET WT of 10 lbs. The cardboard cases contain four 2.5 lb. bags of product. Both the box and the bags are labeled “FULLY COOKED PHILLY BEEF STEAK SLICED Caramel Color Added” with a package code of 4887097.

The recalled product, bearing establishment number “EST. 19085” inside the USDA mark of inspection, was shipped to a food service warehouse in Hamilton, Ohio, and further distributed to food service locations.

What to do

Consumers with questions regarding the recall may contact John Spiller at (817) 869-1153.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has taken the epidemic of youth e-cigarette use by the horns, issuing a historic action against more than 1,300 retailers and 5 major manufacturers for their roles in leveraging youth access to the tobacco alternative.

It’s clear the FDA has done its homework on the matter. In serving its warning, the agency detailed specific dates and times minors were allowed to buy e-liquid products and that the agency will be watching offending retailers like a hawk.

“We will periodically inspect your establishment and review your promotional activities (e.g., website(s) related to FDA-regulated tobacco products to assess your compliance with all applicable laws and regulations, including access, marketing, labeling, and advertising restrictions,” wrote the FDA in its warning letter, which also gave the e-product vendors 15 days to let the agency know how they will address the violations and comply going forward.

The FDA’s commitment

“We’re committed to the comprehensive approach to address addiction to nicotine that we announced last year,” said FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb.

“But at the same time, we see clear signs that youth use of electronic cigarettes has reached an epidemic proportion, and we must adjust certain aspects of our comprehensive strategy to stem this clear and present danger. This starts with the actions we’re taking today to crack down on retail sales of e-cigarettes to minors. We will also revisit our compliance policy that extended the dates for manufacturers of certain flavored e-cigarettes to submit applications for premarket authorization.”

It’s been reported that nearly 12 percent of middle and high school students -- more than 12 million -- have used e-cigarettes, and Gottlieb believes that one of the chief lures for youth are the different flavors of e-vapor.

“While we remain committed to advancing policies that promote the potential of e-cigarettes to help adult smokers move away from combustible cigarettes, that work can’t come at the expense of kids. We cannot allow a whole new generation to become addicted to nicotine.”

Whether a user calls their vaping a harmless activity or an addiction, the notion is a front-burner health issue.

Researchers from the University of California say the use of e-cigarettes every day can nearly double the odds of a heart attack, according to a new analysis of a survey of nearly 70,000 people. The research also found that dual use of e-cigarettes and conventional cigarettes -- the most common use pattern among e-cigarette users -- appears to be more dangerous than using either product alone.

“Given the emerging data showing that e-cigarette use increased exposure to metal and other toxicants, FDA initiatives to reduce e-cigarette use among youth are urgently needed,” said Columbia University’s Mailman School environmental health scientist Ana Navas-Acien in a previous statement.

The warning signs are clear

The larger question of vaping is the possible connection between e-cigarettes and tobacco use. A report by the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine produces evidence that both teens and young adults who use e-cigarettes are at increased risk for trying cigarettes. As for adults, the report finds e-cigarettes can help them break a tobacco habit.

“You need a device that is sufficiently satisfying for those who want to quit,” says Navas-Acien, “but at the same time, one that doesn’t increase the risk of long-term addiction.”

Who’s in charge?

While federal law bans minors from purchasing e-cigarettes, state laws vary widely.

For example, how states define e-cigarettes runs the gamut. According to the Public Health Law Center, Indiana’s law on electronic delivery devices includes expected substances such as nicotine but throws in lobelia, a tropical or subtropical plant of the bellflower family, into the mix as well. In Rhode Island, the state included electronic hookahs into its definition, and some states -- including Michigan and Missouri -- have no anti-vaping laws in place at all.

But, it appears that the FDA’s proactive move into the vaping regulation arena signals that the agency is taking charge. “There is a clear need for strong federal enforcement of youth access restrictions,” said the FDA’s Gottlieb, “and the FDA will continue to hold retailers accountable by vigorously enforcing the law with the help of the agency’s state partners.

With autumn just ahead, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is urging consumers to plan to get their flu vaccination early this year.

In the wake of last year’s particularly severe flu season, health officials are stressing the importance of getting a flu shot in the hope that the 2018-2019 flu season won’t be as deadly.

The CDC notes that 180 children died from the flu during last year’s flu season; approximately 4 out of five of those children weren’t vaccinated. The number of people hospitalized with flu symptoms topped 700,000 last season, CNBC reported.

“Influenza is a potentially serious disease that can lead to hospitalization and sometimes even death,” the CDC said on its website.

While a flu shot does not make a person completely immune to the flu, a seasonal flu vaccine is the “best way to reduce your risk of getting sick with seasonal flu and spreading it to others,” the CDC said.

“Vaccination has been shown to have many benefits including reducing the risk of flu illnesses, hospitalizations and even the risk of flu-related death in children,” the agency said

While last year’s flu vaccine was found to be only around 25 percent effective, this year’s vaccine has been improved to “better match circulating viruses.” The vaccine will be matched to four strains this year, including H3N2 (the dominant strain last year).

Get vaccinated early

The CDC recommends that everyone six months and older, especially people at high-risk for flu-related complications, get a yearly flu vaccine “preferably by the end of October.” Those at high-risk include:

• Children younger than 5, but especially children younger than 2 years old

• Adults 65 years of age and older

• Pregnant women (and women up to two weeks postpartum)

• Residents of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities

Those two years or older (and under 49 years old) can receive a nasal spray called FluMist. Last year, the CDC did not recommend it over concerns that it was not as effective as the shot.

However, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that all eligible children receive a flu vaccine injection. The nasal spray vaccine can be used for children who would not otherwise receive the flu shot, the group said.

“For instance, if a child refuses the flu shot, or if the physician's office runs out of the injected vaccine, the nasal spray would be appropriate,” the AAP said.

The proposed merger of T-Mobile and Sprint won't happen anytime soon. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has paused its 180-day consideration period for the proposal to give staff more time to review recently submitted documents.

In a letter to the two telecom companies, David Lawrence, head of the FCC task force reviewing the merger, noted the FCC only recently received documents that explain the modeling T-Mobile and Sprint are relying on to bolster their case.

“On September 5, 2018, the applicants submitted a substantially revised network engineering model,” Lawrence said. “Although the applicants had previously provided a network engineering model as backup for certain network claims, you explained that since that time 'the model has been extended,' and that the newly-provided model 'completes' the prior work.”

Larger and more complex

Lawrence says the new network engineering model is significantly larger and more complex than the previous submission. He says it appears to incorporate new logic, methodologies, facts, and assumptions, something that can't be reviewed quickly.

T-Mobile said it appreciates the fact that the FCC is taking additional time to review the proposed merger and says no one should read anything into the delay.

“The additional review time is common to FCC merger reviews,” the company said in a statement. “We are confident that this transaction is pro-competitive, good for the country and good for American consumers.”

Previous merger attempts

Both T-Mobile and Sprint have been takeover targets by other telecom providers in recent years, but government regulators have resisted the deals that would have reduced the “big four” wireless companies to a big three.

At the end of April, T-Mobile announced a $26 billion deal to acquire Sprint, saying the two smallest wireless companies needed to join forces so they could develop a robust 5G network that can compete with Verizon and AT&T.

The FCC review mostly centers on technical issues involved in such a union. The Justice Department will later look at the competitive aspects of the proposed deal.

In May, a group of Democratic lawmakers said they worried a merger would result in higher costs for consumers. Late last month, the Communications Workers of America (CWA) opposed the merger, predicting it would result in the loss of 24,000 retail jobs.

A new LendingTree study found that the average millennial living in one of the 50 biggest metro area cities in the United States has a median total debt of $23,064.

“The millennial generation makes up the younger portion of adults, and as they build their careers, families and communities, they’re doing it encumbered by personal debt,” said Kali McFadden, a senior research analyst at LendingTree who led this study.

Looking at anonymous credit report data from My LendingTree users, the researchers were able to see not only where millennials have the biggest debt obligations (excluding mortgage payments), but also the average debt breakdown of the five main debt types: student, auto, credit cards, personal, and other.

Key findings

The 10 cities that have the most millennial debt are:

• San Antonio (Median balance: $27,122)

• Pittsburgh (Median balance: $26,403)

• Austin (Median balance: $26,112)

• Houston (Median balance: $25,978)

• Jacksonville (Median balance: $25,947)

• Dallas (Median balance: $25,939)

• Washington (Median balance: $25,810)

• Virginia Beach (Median balance: $25,591)

• Oklahoma City (Median balance: $25,351)

• Columbus (Median balance: $25,129)

The 10 metro cities that have the least millennial debt are:

• San Diego ($20,751)

• Miami ($20,715)

• Louisville ($20,643)

• Providence ($20,505)

• Salt Lake City ($20,412)

• Detroit ($19,978)

• New York ($19,631)

• Los Angeles ($19,299)

• Sacramento ($18,691)

• San Jose ($18,376)

Overall, student loans makes up the largest portion of all millennial debt -- accounting for 41 percent of total credit and loan balances. Philadelphia has the highest levels of student debt at 49.1 percent of the average debt burden, and San Jose has the lowest levels of student debt at 24.1 percent. In 35 of the 50 metropolitan cities LendingTree looked at for this study, student loan debt was the largest category.

Of the other 15 cities, auto loan debt was the biggest culprit, making up 33 percent of millennials’ total average debt. In Riverside, California, auto loan debt accounted for 43 percent of the average millennial debt, while it was only 22 percent for millennials living in New York City.

Additionally, researchers at LendingTree noted that the cities that had the lowest debt aren’t exactly safe havens of economic prosperity.

“It’s worth noting that low debt burdens aren’t necessarily a good thing when thinking about the economic vibrancy of a community,” McFadden said. “Some people have lower debt burdens because they don’t have access to credit, for instance, or haven’t gone to college.”

Tackling debt

LendingTree offered tips for millennials to try to tackle rising debt -- whether it’s student loans, credit cards, or car loans.

For those with student debt, LendingTree suggests changing federal student loan repayment plans to reflect individuals’ income, which can make monthly payments more affordable. Additionally, forbearing or deferring payments can put a pause on student loans, while refinancing the loan can help secure a lower interest rate and save money.

When it comes to car loans, LendingTree suggests making extra payments as a way to pay off the loan faster. Similar to student loans, those with car loan debt can refinance the loan to either a different loan term or a new interest rate -- or both.

Lastly, for those with credit card woes, a credit card balance transfer is a viable option. Consumers can open a new card with zero percent APR and move the credit card debt to that new zero-interest card. This allows the consumer to catch up on payments while not paying interest for several months. Another option is consolidating credit card debt into a personal loan, as most personal loans have lower interest rates than credit cards.