Current Events in April 2019

Heat Hero of Irvine, Calif., is recalling about 20,000 portable mini heaters sold in the U.S. and Canada.

The heater can overheat, smoke and catch fire, posing fire and burn hazards.

The firm has received 117 reports of overheating, including 47 units smoking and 10 catching fire, with two resulting in property damage. No injuries have been reported.

This recall involves Heat Hero portable mini heaters.

The 350W plug-in ceramic space heaters are black and measure about 10 inches tall and 5 inches wide. They have at the top an LED digital screen that displays the temperature and four control buttons, a front grill, a red on/off button on the right side, a three-prong plug on the back and a vent on the bottom.

The Heat Hero logo is printed on the product packaging.

The heaters, manufactured in China, were sold online at Shop.buyheathero.com from October 2018, through March 2019, for between $35 and $45.

What to do

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled heaters and contact Heat Hero for a free replacement unit, including shipping. Heat Hero is contacting all known purchasers directly

Consumers may contact Heat Hero toll-free at (877) 479-9172 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (PT) Monday through Friday or online at https://shop.buyheathero.com and click on “Recall” at the bottom of the page for more information.

At the urging of the White House, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will block China Mobile, that country’s largest telecom provider, from offering services in the U.S.

The agency said it would formally take that step at its next meeting May 9. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said the FCC is acting to protect U.S. national security.

“After reviewing the evidence in this proceeding, including the input provided by other federal agencies, it is clear that China Mobile’s application to provide telecommunications services in our country raises substantial and serious national security and law enforcement risks,” Pai said in a statement. “Therefore, I do not believe that approving it would be in the public interest. I hope that my colleagues will join me in voting to reject China Mobile’s application.”

China Mobile and its U.S. affiliate are state-owned enterprises with significant control by the Chinese government. That may be part of the reason the Trump administration is banning the company from operating in the U.S. In fact, the U.S. has had an increasingly contentious relationship with Chinese technology firms.

Contentious relationships

In 2018, the U.S. upheld a denial order that prevented Chinese smartphone maker ZTE from receiving parts and components from U.S.-based vendors. The ban was issued after the government determined that ZTE had violated the terms of a 2017 settlement by failing to fire employees involved in illegally shipping U.S. equipment to Iran and North Korea.

In this case, however, the Trump administration opposed the ban against the Chinese firm. But both Democrats and Republicans in Congress argued that Chinese telecom companies spy on Americans and steal intellectual property.

Then in January, a federal grand jury in New York indicted Chinese technology equipment maker Huawei and one of its key executives on charges of bank fraud and stealing state secrets.

Included in the indictments were Huawei and two Huawei affiliates — Huawei Device USA Inc. (Huawei USA) and Skycom Tech Co. Ltd. (Skycom) — as well as Huawei’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Wanzhou Meng, daughter of the company’s founder.

Goes back seven years

The origin of the China Mobile case stretches back to 2011 when it filed an application with the FCC to provide international facilities-based and resale telecommunications services between the U.S. and foreign destinations.  

The FCC says the U.S. intelligence community had input into last July’s recommendation that the FCC deny China Mobile’s application due to “substantial national security and law enforcement risks” that cannot be resolved through a voluntary mitigation agreement.

Less than a week before the world’s first foldable tablet is scheduled to hit store shelves and retail for a cool $2,000, journalists who received the phone early for review say that the screen is already breaking.

Tech reviewers from the Verge, Bloomberg, and CNBC are all reporting that the screen on the Samsung Galaxy Fold has cracked or broken after one day of use. The Verge noted that the other incidents seemed to be caused by people removing a protective layer on the screen that they did not realize was not supposed to be removed.

But the Verge didn’t remove the protective layer and still noticed a bulge protruding from the back of the phone after one day of use, causing distortion problems on the screen.

Samsung released a statement after the reports indicating that it plans to “thoroughly inspect [the review] units in person.” The company also said it will make it clear to consumers not to remove the protective layer on the screen.

“Separately, a few reviewers reported having removed the top layer of the display causing damage to the screen," Samsung’s statement to the media reads.

"The main display on the Galaxy Fold features a top protective layer, which is part of the display structure designed to protect the screen from unintended scratches. Removing the protective layer or adding adhesives to the main display may cause damage.”

Not Samsung’s first phone problem

Previous controversies over Samsung phones that didn’t do what they were supposed to didn’t curb hype over the Galaxy fold, at least not until the reports of screens breaking made rounds.

Samsung was most famously forced to discontinue the Galaxy Note 7 after consumers reported terrifying incidents in which the batteries exploded. And the Galaxy Active, advertised as impermeable to the elements, has been known to malfunction after exposure to water.

The Samsung Galaxy S8+ “is water resistant, not waterproof,” a Samsung customer service representative told ConsumerAffairs two years ago, after a complaint was filed about a “moisture detection” notice that appeared on the screen whenever we tried to charge one of the phones.

T-Mobile's mobile banking service, which launched as a pilot program last November, is now available nationwide. The mobile carrier partnered with digital bank BankMobile to offer the service, which has no fees for overdrafts or ATM use.

“Americans paid $34 billion in overdraft fees in 2017. That’s not even counting all the other fees banks charge. And consumers earned next-to-zero interest on their account balances. T-Mobile MONEY changes the game,” the carrier said in a press release.

T-Mobile said checking account customers can earn 4 percent Annual Percentage Yield (APY) on balances up to $3,000 as long as they deposit at least $200 each month. For every dollar over $3,000, the account will have a one percent APY.

Customers can also opt in to T-Mobile’s “Got Your Back” overdraft protection, so that “when the unplanned happens, they can go in-the-red, up to $50, without penalty” on the condition that they bring the account back to a positive balance within 30 days.

Helping consumers keep their money

The app also gives account holders a way to transfer money, make mobile check deposits, pay bills, send checks and even pay with mobile wallets, including Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay.

T-Mobile says its banking app is intended to help customers keep more of their money than they would if they had an account through a big bank.

“Traditional banks aren’t mobile-first, and they’re definitely not customer-first. As more and more people use their smartphones to manage money, we saw an opportunity to address another customer pain point,” T-Mobile CEO John Legere said. “You work hard for your money … you should keep it … and with T-Mobile MONEY, you can!”

Health officials are warning of a salmonella outbreak linked to frozen ground tuna.

As of Tuesday, 13 people from seven states reported infections with the outbreak strain of salmonella, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Two individuals who had eaten the raw ground tuna in question required hospitalization. Illnesses have been reported in Connecticut, Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, North Dakota, New York, and Washington.

The tainted tuna at the root of the outbreak is reportedly from Jensen Tuna in Houma, Louisiana. Jensen Tuna imported the fish from JK Fish of Vietnam.

"The FDA and regulatory officials in several states traced the source of the raw tuna used by restaurants where ill people ate sushi," the CDC said in a food safety alert. "The traceback evidence indicated that the restaurants used frozen ground tuna supplied by Jensen Tuna."

Tainted sushi in restaurants and grocery stores

The CDC discovered during interviews with people who were ill that nine of 12 people (75 percent) reported eating sushi from a restaurant. Of the nine people who provided information about their sushi exposure, nine (100%) reported eating a sushi item containing raw tuna or raw “spicy tuna.”

The FDA says the product was likely used in food dishes sold by restaurants, not put out for sale in grocery stores.

"Consumers who order sushi made with raw tuna, including 'spicy tuna,' from a restaurant or grocery store should ask if the tuna is supplied by Jensen Tuna," the CDC said. "If you are not sure if the tuna has been recalled, do not eat it.”

Jenson Tuna, on Monday, voluntarily recalled tuna packaged in one-pound bags and sold in 20-pound boxes. The boxes were under lot numbers z266, z271 and z272, according to the CDC.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating an incident last week at New York’s JFK Airport that sources say was nearly America’s worst airline disaster since 2001.

American Airlines Flight 300, an Airbus A321, returned to the airport shortly after takeoff when it struck an object on the ground as it moved down the runway. On Twitter, the NTSB said the aircraft appeared to experience a roll as it moved down the runway and hit a runway distance marker with its left wingtip.

“Team of 6, consisting of an investigator in charge & technical subject matter experts in vehicle recorders, flight ops, aircraft systems & performance assigned to investigation,” the agency said in a tweet. “NTSB not planning to send investigators to the scene, but will if/when needed.”

Once airborne, the American Airlines jet, bound for Los Angeles, turned and made a safe landing at JFK. The airline said there were no injuries.

‘Close to crashing’

CBS News quotes a source close to the investigation as saying “this was as close as anyone would ever want to come to crashing.” A transcript of communication between the plane and the tower reveals the pilots experienced an uncontrolled bank to the left as the plane gathered speed down the runway. The network reported that a preliminary investigation suggests the pilots momentarily lost control of the aircraft during takeoff.

"The FAA, American Airlines, and the Allied Pilots Association will be parties to the NTSB's investigation, and the BEA of France has designated an Accredited Representative as the state of design and manufacture of the airplane with Airbus as their technical advisor."

The incident is getting intense scrutiny in the wake of two recent crashes involving the new Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft. The crashes, coming five months apart in Indonesia and Ethiopia, occurred shortly after takeoff and resulted in the grounding of all 737 MAX aircraft.

The NTSB has requested data from American Airlines Flight 300 and will try to determine why the plane struck a runway sign and light pole, the force of which bent a portion of the aircraft’s wing.

U.S. crashes have become rare

While airline crashes were once not uncommon, they have become a rarity in the U.S. over the last two decades. On November 12, 2001, American Airlines Flight 587 crashed on takeoff from JFK, killing 265 people.

On August 27, 2006, Comair Flight 5191, a small regional jet, crashed on takeoff from Lexington, Ky., killing 50 passengers and crew.

On February 12, 2009, Colgan Air flight 3407, a commuter jet operated by Continental, crashed in a snowstorm near Buffalo, N.Y., killing 50 people.

Research consistently shows that consumers shopping for homes are impressed when a home has energy efficient features. After all, that can save money for as long as you own the home.

But some energy efficient features are more attractive than others. A new Zillow analysis has found that homes equipped with solar panels sell for 4.1 percent more on average than homes without them.

The premium will vary by housing market. In New York, for example, solar panels will raise a home price by 5.4 percent, but that figure drops to 3.6 percent in Los Angeles.

"Energy conservation isn't only good for the environment, it can also translate into big savings on electricity bills as well as help to reduce the strain on the electrical grid," said Zillow senior economist Sarah Mikhitarian. "The Sun Number provides a starting point for potential energy savings, but speaking with a local expert can help homeowners decide whether it pencils out.

Sun Number

The Sun Number is a calculation Zillow has placed on listed homes to give prospective buyers an indication of the home’s solar potential, along with what an owner can expect to save in energy costs.

Mikhitarian says the higher the Sun Number, the greater the savings, and that usually translates into a higher selling price when the house goes on the market.

“Homes with solar energy systems often sell for more than comparable homes without solar power,” she said. “This premium is largely reflective of the future energy cost savings associated with the system."

The formula

Coming up with a Sun Number involves more than simply counting sunny days in a particular area. There’s an actual company called Sun Company that measures the roof of each home and calculates the pitch, orientation, and size of each roof plane.

That enables it to determine the amount of sunlight that hits the roof, accounting for negative elements like trees and other buildings that might provide shade. It tops off the process by considering the local cost of electricity and local weather conditions. A Sun Number is between 0 and 100, with higher numbers being more cost effective for solar.

Zillow said it analyzed more than 500 housing markets in the U.S. and, as you might expect, the top 10 Sun Numbers are found in the sunny Southwest. However, there are a few surprises, with San Jose recording a Sun Number of 90 and San Francisco ahead of San Diego. Nationally, the median Sun Number is 78.

Health is at the forefront of expectant mothers’ minds -- both their own and their babies’. According to a new study, researchers have found a simple way to ensure expectant mothers are in good health in the later stages of pregnancy.

Researchers have found that incorporating additional ultrasounds at 36 weeks of pregnancy can benefit a mother and her baby’s health, and potentially save money down the line.

The added scan can prevent the need for an emergency C-section and also detect if a baby is breech, two conditions that typically aren’t detectable until a woman is at the hospital ready to give birth; either one could come with health complications.

Safety first

To see how added ultrasounds would be beneficial, the researchers performed them on nearly 4,000 women who were preparing for their first babies. Though based in the United Kingdom, the researchers’ findings certainly have implications for the U.S.

They found that should a 36-week ultrasound become routine, nearly eight newborn deaths per year could be avoided, as could approximately 15,000 breech babies and 4,000 emergency C-sections.

Of the women involved in this study, over 4.5 percent who received the 36-week ultrasound found out their baby was breech, and over 50 percent of those women had no previous notion that their baby was breech.

Having this information in the later stages of pregnancy allowed the women to either schedule a C-section or undergo a procedure known as external cephalic version, in which a healthcare professional flips the baby into the traditional birthing position. This information prevented hundreds of emergency C-sections and provided women with more knowledge and options in the last weeks of pregnancy.

The biggest concern the researchers found was the cost, but they argue that if the cost per ultrasound could be lowered, this initiative should be a no-brainer.

“Whether the health improvements are enough to justify the increased cost of ultrasound screening is still uncertain, mainly because the cost of ultrasound screening for presentation alone is unknown,” the authors wrote. “If ultrasound screening could be provided at low cost, for example by making it part of a standard midwife appointment, routinely offering ultrasound screening could well represent a good use of [National Health Service] resources.”

Health comes first

Pregnancy comes with several health risks for mothers and their babies, and a recent study found that women today are 50 percent more likely to die from pregnancy than their mothers were.

Recent studies have found that women who work the night shift are at a greater risk of miscarrying in their first trimester, while smoking during pregnancy greatly increases the risk of sudden unexpected infant death.

Overall, managing stress during pregnancy is key, both for expectant mothers’ well-being and the behavior of their babies.

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling 7,929 model year 2019 Dodge Challengers, Chargers and Chrysler 300s.

The instrument cluster may not illuminate driver warnings properly

Failure of the instrument cluster to properly illuminate may prevent the driver from receiving warnings about the vehicle's systems, increasing the risk of crash.

What to do

Chrysler has notified owners, and dealers will update the instrument cluster software, free of charge.

The recall began April 8, 2019.

Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is V32.

Unilever is recalling a limited quantity of Ben & Jerry’s Coconut Seven Layer Bar bulk and Ben & Jerry’s Chunky Monkey pints.

The products may contain tree nuts including almonds, Brazil nuts, and hazelnuts that are not declared on the label.

There are reports of illness associated with the recalled products.

The Ben & Jerry’s Coconut Seven Layer Bar bulk product is sold in a tub containing 2.4 gallons with a Consumer UPC of 076840104246 and best by date of SEP1520BJ4 They were sold in retail stores nationwide.

The Ben & Jerry’s Chunky Monkey pint is sold in a pint tub (473 mL) with a Consumer UPC of 076840100354 and best by dates of AUG2820BH2, AUG2920BH2, or AUG3020BH2. They were sold nationwide at wholesale and scoop shops.

What to do

Customers who purchased the recalled products should immediately discontinue using them, retain the outer container, and call (833) 236-1237 24/7 for further information.

Every traveler knows the hoops they have to jump through these days when making it through the maze at an airport. That task can become even more perplexing when you have a child in tow, especially if they have allergies or you have an infant that requires a car seat, stroller, and a duffle bag of wipes, diapers, and bottles.

“Airports can be quite tricky for families,” writes Christy Rodriguez in TravelPoints’ new rankings of America’s 10 most kid-friendly airports. “They often suggest you arrive hours ahead of your departure, require you to stand in long lines during security checks, and make things like breastfeeding more challenging.”

In a recent TravelPoints study, researchers examined the 50 busiest airports by total passenger boardings in the U.S. for 2018. Since there are no federal regulations governing how airports cater to children, the study created a point system based on the quality and number of kid-friendly activities offered at each airport, as well as free access to Wi-Fi since being connected to the internet can keep a child occupied for hours. Family-friendly lounges were also given points.

If you’re a new mom, you might be asking “But, what about nursing stations?,” and that’s a valid question. The reason those weren’t included is airports are now required to cater to breastfeeding moms as part of the recently enacted Friendly Airports for Mother’s Act. That act requires all U.S. large- and medium-sized airports to provide a “clean, private, non-bathroom space in each terminal for the expression of breast milk.”

The Top 10

After TravelPoints crunched all the various metrics, here are the airports that made their way onto the study’s Top 10 list:

1. Boston Logan International (BOS). The biggest draws include: “Kidsport” play areas in 3 terminals with a baggage claim slide, a climbable airplane, and a replica built of the airport’s control tower. Logan also placed its play areas stationed close to bathrooms for those much needed potty breaks. For moms who need a place to sit and calm their child, there are rocking chairs throughout the airport. And for those seeing free Wi-Fi and charging stations, Boston thinks of itself as a “wired airport” and goes the extra mile to make those technical pluses available throughout the airport.

2. Portland International (PDX). Portland International Airport’s high ranking comes as no surprise for those who’ve passed through. The airport was given top marks for terminal facilities, accessibility, food options, and entertainment. While the airport doesn’t have the same number of play areas as Boston Logan, it does have two in the pre-security areas, which include small climbing structures, a toy telescope to watch planes out on the tarmac, and two post-security areas with Lego tables and foam play elements.

3. San Francisco International (SFO). You would expect an airport close to Silicon Valley to have plenty of electronic gadgets, and San Francisco doesn’t fail in that area. The airport sports Kids’ Spots located post-security in all terminals, which feature unique, interactive displays. One particular Kids’ Spot comes complete with a weather-themed play area with crawling equipment and the interactive “Plasma Wall”, where colorful shapes move around in response to the sounds the kids make.
   
   While San Francisco didn’t make the list of most pet-friendly airports, it does have its own “Wag Brigade,” where trained dogs are brought to the terminals in hopes of some special attention from travelers.

4. Chicago O’Hare (ORD). If you’ve flown cross-country on United or American, it’s a safe bet that you’ve changed planes at O’Hare. If you have the time between flights, O’Hare’s “Kids on the Fly” exhibit in Terminal 2 gives children the space to crawl around and inspect an airplane, a control tower, and a helicopter model. If the kiddos are more of the Lego-loving crowd, there’s plenty of mini-figs for them to enjoy, too.
   
   In O’Hare’s other terminals, kids can also see a 72-foot long Brachiosaurus model, a replica of a WWII fighter plane, and what’s billed as the world’s first airport aeroponic garden with more than 1,000 plants and sustainability tips.

5. Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson (ATL). Not only is Hartsfield the busiest airport in the world, it’s also carved out some magical space for the young ones. If your child needs to blow off some of that pent-up energy, the airport has two play areas with slides, an art program featuring a 20-piece Zimbabwean stone sculpture, and a fully assembled skeleton of the Chinese Yangchuanosaurus, a Jurassic period dinosaur.

Rounding out the Top 10 kid-friendly airports are Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County (DTW), home to a 39-foot wide water feature that was inspired by the lines of a flight map; Washington D.C.’s Dulles International Airport (IAD) which has a wow-inducing kids’ play area developed by NASA; Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) which has caricaturists and story time; San Jose International Airport (SJC), where children can listen on the phone connected to live communications between the control tower and pilots; and Nashville International Airport (BNA) which features live musical performances from a variety of genres.

The opioid epidemic is costly for a myriad of reasons, and now researchers have found that it may have affected both federal and state government tax revenues.

According to a study conducted by researchers from Penn State University, the opioid crisis has led to a great deal of unemployment, which may have cost the government upwards of $37 billion in tax revenue.

“This is a cost that was maybe not thought about as explicitly before, and a cost that governments could potentially try to recoup,” said researcher Josh Segel. “Instead of focusing on the cost of treating people with opioid use disorder, you could think about it in terms of a potential benefit to getting people healthy, back on their feet, and back in the workforce.”

Analyzing new costs

Segel and his team explained that they wanted to tackle a new side of the rising cost concerns associated with the opioid epidemic.

“We wanted to take a systematic approach to how we could think about some of the tax revenue that is lost if someone is unable to work due to opioid use,” Segel said. “This could be an important consideration for either state or federal budgets.”

To do that, the researchers analyzed data from 2000 through 2016 from both the National Bureau of Economic Research’s TAXSIM tax revenue calculator and the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. The study included losses for both state and federal governments, and found that Pennsylvania was most affected by opioid-related job losses.

The data showed that Pennsylvania had over 6,000 opioid overdoses, the workforce depleted by nearly 70,000 people, and over $630 million was lost in both income and sales tax.

From a federal standpoint, over 1.5 million people could no longer work because of opioid addiction, and 180,000 people nationwide overdosed on the drug. Monetarily, the federal government lost an estimated $26 billion in tax revenue, while the states lost nearly $12 billion.

Moving forward, Segel and his team hope that legislators take the necessary steps to ensure that those suffering with opioid addiction receive the treatment they need, as this can be beneficial in countless ways.

“The state of Pennsylvania has been developing some innovative programs, and our results are something to consider as these programs are being considered for implementation,” said Segel. “Not only are treatment programs beneficial to the individual and to society, but if you’re thinking about the total cost of these treatment programs, future earnings from tax revenue could help offset a piece of that.”

Staying informed

There have been no shortage of opioid headlines as of late, as researchers have found death via opioid overdose to be more likely than dying in a car accident.

Studies have also found that youth opioid poisonings have tripled in the last 20 years, while opioids are the main cause behind suicides and overdoses in recent years.

Most recently, healthcare experts have developed a new single-dose antidote that could help prevent opioid overdoses.

“Ultimately, we hope to develop a therapeutic intervention for fentanyl overdose that can be used in the field, perhaps supplanting short-acting naloxone as an overdose antidote of choice,” said researcher Saadyah Averick, PhD. “We anticipate that this drug delivery system will also be effective for non-fentanyl opioids.”

A published report is casting new doubt on the proposed merger of Sprint and T-Mobile, a union that already faces opposition from some consumer groups and lawmakers.

The Wall Street Journal cites “people familiar with the matter” as saying the two telecom providers have been told by Justice Department staff that the merger is not likely to be approved as currently structured.

None of the parties involved -- T-Mobile, Sprint, and the Justice Department -- have responded to media requests for comment.

The Justice Department’s antitrust division is examining the proposed $26 billion deal to determine if it would negatively affect competition in the industry. The merger would reduce the number of major carriers from four to three. That, consumer advocates say, would lead to higher costs, especially since both T-Mobile and Sprint tend to serve lower-income customers than AT&T and Verizon.

According to The Journal, Justice Department staff met with representatives of both companies in early April and expressed their concerns about the deal. They also reportedly challenged the companies’ arguments that the merger would make both entities stronger and lower costs.

Ability to compete

Sprint and T-Mobile have steadfastly maintained that the merger is important to their ability to compete with their larger rivals when it comes to deploying a 5G network, which is more expensive than current 4G network technology.

In a blog post last month, T-Mobile CEO John Legere made a case for the merger, saying it would enable the creation of what he termed a “spectacular” 5G network that would allow for wireless high-speed internet service in underserved areas.

Legere said consumers using the planned T-Mobile-Sprint home internet service would get speeds of 100 Mbps and higher. The system would be so simple, he wrote, that consumers would be able to install it themselves.

Legere also said 5G networks will give large wired ISPs more competition than they’ve ever had before, which he predicted would lower prices for internet service. Legere has not said what 5G service would cost but has said on occasion that it would be less than what consumers are now paying for a wired connection.

Other opposition

In addition to reported opposition from the Justice Department, several Democratic lawmakers have spoken out against it.

“T-Mobile and Sprint have led the way in offering wireless products and service options that are more appealing to lower-income consumers, including no contract plans, prepaid and no credit check plans, and unlimited, text, voice, and data plans,” eight senators said in a statement 11 months ago.

In August, the Communications Workers of America (CWA) -- a union that represents 700,000 workers -- formally opposed the merger, arguing that over 28,000 jobs would be lost if the two companies are combined.