Current Events in June 2019

BMW of North America is recalling 1,822 model year 2019 X7 xDrive40i and X7 xDrive50i vehicles.

The driver and passenger head airbags may not have been properly aligned with the trim during installation.

The head airbags may be impaired during deployment, increasing the risk of injury.

What to do

BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, as necessary, reinstall the head air bags free of charge.

The recall is expected to begin July 15, 2019.

Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Tyson Foods of New Holland, Pa., is recalling approximately 190,757 pounds of ready-to-eat chicken fritters.

The product may be contaminated with extraneous materials -- specifically hard plastic.

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

The following frozen ready-to-eat item, produced on February 28, 2019, is being recalled:

• 32.81-lb. cases containing four 8.2-lb. bags of “FULLY COOKED, WHOLE GRAIN GOLDEN CRISPY CHICKEN CHUNK FRITTERS-CN” and case code 0599NHL02.

The recalled product, bearing establishment number “P-1325” inside the USDA mark of inspection, was shipped to institutional foodservice locations nationwide and were not packaged for retail sale.

While the product was distributed to schools, it resulted from a commercial sale and was not part of food provided by the USDA for the National School Lunch Program.

What to do

Food service locations that purchased the recalled product should not serve it but discard or return it to the place of purchase.

Consumers with questions about the recall may contact Tyson Foods consumer relations at (888) 747-7611

T-Mobile and Sprint’s pending $26.5 billion merger is facing new opposition.

A group of at least 10 state attorneys general are in the midst of preparing a lawsuit to block the deal, Reuters reports, citing sources familiar with the matter. The lawsuit is being led by New York Attorney General Letitia James.

“When it comes to corporate power, bigger isn’t always better,” James said of the proposed merger, which would reduce the number of wireless carriers to three from four. “The T-Mobile and Sprint merger would not only cause irreparable harm to mobile subscribers nationwide by cutting access to affordable, reliable wireless service for millions of Americans.”

Since the two providers announced their intention to merge last April, the merger has faced stiff opposition from government agencies and consumer groups. Critics contend that if the deal is approved, competition would be harmed and consumers could see higher prices.

Government pushback

Though T-Mobile and Sprint say the deal would lower prices for consumers, several Democratic lawmakers argued last year that the deal could impact lower-income people.

“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 last May.

Justice Department officials voiced similar concerns last month.

“T-Mobile has a reputation for aggressively seeking to cut prices and improve service to woo customers away from market leaders Verizon Communications Inc and AT&T Inc, and staff may want to preserve that dynamic,” Reuters reported.

The FCC, on the other hand, has said it supports the deal because of its potential to speed up the deployment of 5G in the U.S and increase coverage in rural America.

T-Mobile and Sprint have until July 29 to complete their merger.

The never-ending saga of when Boeing’s 737 MAX will return to the skies continues.

On Sunday, American Airlines announced that it’s moving its flight cancellation date out another few weeks -- from August 19 to September 3. The airline feels that with summer travel well underway, the extension will allow travelers the time necessary to rearrange plans impacted by that extension.

“American Airlines remains confident that impending software updates to the Boeing 737 MAX, along with the new training elements Boeing is developing in coordination with our union partners, will lead to recertification of the aircraft soon,” the airline announced.

“We have been in continuous contact with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department of Transportation (DOT), National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and other regulatory authorities, and we are pleased with the progress to date.”

Does anything change?

As of now, the only changes that could potentially affect a consumer’s travel plans on American are the 115 flights per day the airline says the date change will impact. Nonetheless, the airline offered some FAQs should anyone have a question.

Question: My flight was previously scheduled on a MAX. Will it be canceled?

Answer: Not all flights that were previously scheduled on a MAX will be canceled, as we plan to substitute other aircraft types. In total, approximately 115 flights will be canceled per day.

Question: My flight wasn’t scheduled to be on a MAX. Why has it been canceled?

Answer: A flight that was not scheduled as a MAX flight might be canceled to enable our team to cover a MAX route with a different aircraft. Our goal is to minimize the impact to the smallest number of customers.

Question: How will customers know if they are impacted?

Answer: American’s Reservations team will contact affected customers directly by email or telephone. Customers who booked through a travel agent will be contacted by their agency directly.

Question: My flight was canceled and I don’t want to rebook. Can I get a refund?

Answer: Yes. If a flight is canceled and a customer chooses to not be rebooked, they may request a full refund by visiting aa.com/refunds.

What’s the FAA’s position on this?

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)’s latest update doesn’t offer any answers to when the MAX aircraft will be officially approved to fly, again, but it has released a technical update.

• Boeing has informed the FAA that certain 737NG and 737MAX leading edge slat tracks may have been improperly manufactured and may not meet all applicable regulatory requirements for strength and durability.

• Following an investigation conducted by Boeing and the FAA Certificate Management Office (CMO), the FAA determined that up to 148 parts manufactured by a Boeing sub-tier supplier are affected. Boeing has identified groups of both 737NG and 737MAX airplane serial numbers on which these suspect parts may have been installed.

• The affected parts may be susceptible to premature failure or cracks resulting from the improper manufacturing process. Although a complete failure of a leading edge slat track would not result in the loss of the aircraft, a risk remains that a failed part could lead to aircraft damage in flight.

• The FAA will issue an Airworthiness Directive to mandate Boeing's service actions to identify and remove the discrepant parts from service. Operators of affected aircraft are required to perform this action within 10 days.

No birds of a feather, yet

As of press time, no other MAX-operated airline -- primarily domestic carriers Southwest and United -- had extended the deadline.

After student loan debt, credit card debt is one of the main financial anchors holding consumers back, preventing them from getting ahead.

But a new survey conducted for U.S. News and World Report shows a lot of consumers are not only unaware of how much credit card debt they owe, they don’t even know if that debt exists.

A recent report from the Federal Reserve shows credit card debt in the U.S. surpassed the $1 trillion mark for the first time in 2018. Student loan debt is only slightly larger, at $1.4 trillion.

The disturbing results of the U.S. News survey show 21 percent of consumers don’t know if they are carrying a credit card balance and 30 percent said they don’t know how much interest they pay each month.

Nearly a quarter owe more than $10,000

The survey also found that of consumers who have credit card debt, 24 percent owe more than $10,001. While 37 percent have a balance on just one credit card; 12 percent are running tabs on five or more credit cards.

If you recognize yourself among those statistics, Beverly Harzog, best-selling author, credit card expert and consumer finance analyst at U.S. News, says it’s no cause for shame. Most of us have been there at one time or another.

"When I was young, I fell into a sea of credit card debt because I was uneducated about personal finance and unaware of the high interest rates associated with credit cards," she said.

Paying down a balance might not be as daunting as it might seem. Harzog recommends tricks like transferring high interest credit card balances to a card giving you a year or more without paying interest.

Get a balance transfer card

"If you qualify, a balance transfer credit card can save you money and help you get back on track financially," she said.

As ConsumerAffairs has previously reported, a balance transfer card with a 0 percent interest rate allows you to quickly pay off a balance because the entire payment goes to pay down what’s owed. With a high-interest credit card, very little of the payment actually goes toward the debt.

The U.S. News survey uncovered some good news as well as bad news. It found that a majority of consumers -- 60 percent -- do not have any credit card debt. They pay off their balance in full each month.

But of consumers who are carrying a credit card balance, 13 percent said they have to struggle to make ends meet. Fifteen percent said their credit card debt limits their spending on other things.

The Trump administration has apparently decided a complete ban on Chinese telecom company Huawei isn’t the good idea it thought it was, at least not right now.

The acting White House budget director has reportedly sent a letter to Vice President Mike Pence and key leaders in Congress asking for a delay in implementing key provisions of a law that restricts the U.S. government’s business with Huawei.

The Wall Street Journal, which reports it has a copy of the letter, said the message cites problems the ban would pose for U.S. technology companies that are in the midst of rolling out 5G services.

“While the administration recognizes the importance of these prohibitions to national security, a number of agencies have heard significant concerns from a wide range of potentially impacted stakeholders who would be affected,” the letter reportedly said.

As trade tensions with China increased, the Trump administration zeroed in on Huawei, which has favored status with the Chinese government and is one of the largest companies in that country.

National security experts have charged that Huawei’s close ties to the Chinese military pose a security risk. Some have suggested Huawei products give China the ability to eavesdrop on customers, a charge the company has repeatedly and vigorously denied.

Potential progress?

In an interview with Reuters, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin suggested the change in tone from Washington could have to do with potential progress on the prolonged trade standoff.

“I think what the president is saying is, if we move forward on trade, that perhaps he’ll be willing to do certain things on Huawei if he gets comfort from China on that and certain guarantees,” Mnuchin told the wire service. “But these are national security issues.”

If Congress goes along, a delay in implementing the ban might work in Huawei’s favor. Cut off from the U.S. market, Huawei is likely scanning the globe for alternatives to U.S. firms that have been providing it with both hardware and software.

U.S. tech firms may have been in the White House’s ear on this issue. As we reported last week, Google has reportedly had a change of heart, suggesting that if Huawei is forced to build its own “hybrid” rendition of the Android operating system, it’s likely that hybrid would make Huawei smartphones more susceptible to a cyber attack.

Amazon has opened its second Go store in New York City, CNBC reports. The newest location, located on Park Avenue, brings the total number of Amazon Go stores in the U.S. to 13.

The company’s Go stores offer a cashier-less convenience store experience, where shoppers can simply grab what they want and walk out. Sensors placed throughout the store ensure that each customer’s credit card is charged accordingly as they walk out of the store.

The first Go store opened at the beginning of last year in Seattle, near Amazon’s headquarters. Reports have suggested the company could open as many as 3,000 Go stores across the country by 2021.

Cash payments accepted

In recent months, Amazon has faced criticism over the cashless model of its Go stores. Critics have pointed out that cashless businesses aren't accessible to consumers who don’t have debit and credit cards and could therefore be considered discriminatory towards those in low income brackets.

Amazon said in April that it planned to add “additional payment mechanisms” at its Go stores. Last month, the company started accepting cash at its first New York City location at Brookfield Place, and it will also accept cash at the new Park Avenue location.

Amazon said it now plans to accept cash at all future locations, according to CNBC. Store employees will assist customers who would like to make a cash payment.

Consumers house-hunting during the spring homebuying season have had the wind at their backs in terms of mortgage rates. They fell last week for the sixth straight week, according to Freddie Mac.

The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage has fallen to 3.82 percent from a recent high above 4 percent -- the lowest level since 2017. The 15-year fixed-rate mortgage fell to 3.20 percent while the 5/1-Yr ARM dipped to 3.52 percent.

The seemingly-small decline in interest rates can have a big impact on home affordability since it means a lower monthly payment. By shopping around and getting a single additional mortgage rate quote, Freddie Max estimates a borrower can save an average of $1,500 over the life of the loan.

Affordability has been a major impediment to the housing market in recent months, with industry experts singling it out as the main reason the housing market has slowed. But that now appears to be changing.

Countering rising prices

"Lower mortgage rates, higher wages and more homes for sale have helped counteract rising home prices, and ultimately, made it so that buyers are able to afford more than last year," said Danielle Hale, realtor.com 's chief economist.

But Hale says the rise in affordability has yet to translate into more home sales. She says many buyers may be staying on the sidelines a bit longer in hopes rates will fall further.

Kevin Parker, vice president of Mortgage Originations at Navy Federal Credit Union, says they shouldn’t wait too long.

“This recent two year low for mortgage rates is only further evidence that now is an excellent time to buy a home for many Americans, especially when looking at the historical averages,” Parker told ConsumerAffairs. “In the early 2000s, before the Great Recession, mortgage rates were in the five and six percent range. Today, they're under four. These record lows will bring more buyers to the market this summer, making already competitive markets even hotter.”

Data from realtor.com show nearly three-quarters of the 100 largest U.S. metros -- including some of the most expensive -- are more affordable than at this time last year, even though home prices have continued to rise.

Falling mortgage rates have helped. So have slightly larger paychecks in recent months. Another big advantage is the growing number of homes for sale, reversing years of declining inventories that created a demand/supply imbalance.

According to realtor.com, the median home listing price in May was $315,000, a 6 percent increase and a new record high. Home inventories grew by 3 percent last month with the typical home spending 53 days on the market before going under contract.

While there’s no surefire trick on how to live your longest life, a group of researchers from Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health have provided new insights into how we can prevent premature deaths.

According to the study, instituting three public health interventions: eliminating trans fat, lowering blood pressure, and reducing sodium intake can work to prevent over 90 million premature deaths around the world.

“Focusing our resources on the combination of these three interventions can have a huge potential impact on cardiovascular health through 2040,” said researcher Goodarz Danaei.

Helping consumers live longer

Using findings from the World Health Organization and other global studies, the researchers were able to estimate how focusing on these three primary issues will improve global health outcomes.

High blood pressure, trans fat, and sodium intake are three factors that greatly contribute to consumers’ overall health, and working to make consumers healthier in these ways can make substantial differences when it comes to life longevity.

High blood pressure affects nearly 75 percent of consumers in the United States alone, and the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and American Heart Association (AHA) recently lowered the blood pressure guidelines in an effort to have healthcare professionals closely monitoring more patients.

According to the researchers, the organizations had the right idea, as ramping up treatment of high blood pressure -- and offering blood pressure medication to more patients around the globe -- can help save nearly 40 million people from dying prematurely.

Moreover, their results estimated that nearly 15 million premature deaths would be eliminated with the elimination of trans fat, while 40 million premature deaths could be eliminated by limiting how much sodium is consumed.

To get the desired effects, the researchers emphasized that world leaders would not only need to get on board, but also work to actually implement the necessary policies that would make change for consumers’ health.

They cited previous successes in smaller regions where healthcare officials were able to accurately track those with high blood pressure, improve their overall treatment offerings, and offer patients services in manageable ways.

“These are realistic goals that have been shown to be attainable on smaller scales,” said Danaei. “We need the commitment to scale up the programs to achieve them globally.”

Getting to the doctor

A recent study found that going to doctors’ appointments could greatly affect the likelihood of consumers’ dying prematurely.

The researchers found that nearly two-thirds of people who died due to natural causes hadn’t been to the doctor’s office in the last two months of their lives but were dealing with conditions that were treatable.

“They had symptoms and knew they were getting worse,” Dr. Stacy Drake said. “Yet, they didn’t seek the attention of a health care provider. We need to conduct further research to answer the question of ‘why?’”

A new study could have consumers running to the dentist -- and getting their blood sugar checked.

According to researchers, when issues with glucose go undetected in consumers, they are increasing their risk of both a heart attack and gum disease, emphasizing the importance of regular dental check-ups and blood sugar readings.

“Our study shows that undetected glucose disorders are common in two major diseases -- myocardial infarction and periodontitis,” said researcher Dr. Anna Norhammar.

Link between healthcare and dental care

To see how a glucose disorder could be affecting consumers’ dental and heart health, the researchers comprised two groups of medical professionals: dentists and cardiologists.

The participants included 805 patients with a known heart condition and 805 patients without a heart condition, all of whom had their glucose levels and teeth checked. To best assess how glucose levels were affecting the participants, the researchers divided them into three groups based on their glucose readings: normal, reduced glucose tolerance, and newly detected diabetes.

The study revealed that undetected diabetes was linked to both gum disease and an increased risk of heart attack.

“Our findings indicate that dysglycemia is a key risk factor in both severe periodontitis and myocardial infarction and that the combination of severe periodontitis and undetected diabetes further increases the risk of myocardial infarction,” said Dr. Norhammar.

Undetected diabetes or a glucose disorder were twice as likely in the participants who started the study with a known heart condition, while this group was also at a greater risk of developing gum disease when compared with those without heart issues at the onset of the study.

Moving forward, the researchers hope that dentists and cardiologists work together more often so as to help patients as early as possible.

“Many people visit the dentist regularly and maybe it’s worth considering taking routine blood-sugar tests in patients with severe periodontitis to catch these patients,” said Dr. Norhammar.

Risks to be aware of

With over 100 million Americans struggling with diabetes, it’s more important than ever for consumers to know the warning signs and the possible ways to reduce the risk of developing the disease.

Consumers who work in shifts are at a greater risk of diabetes, whereas persistent back pain can also be an early sign of the disease.

However, consumers can fight back, as recent studies have shown that eating eggs and building muscle strength can help reduce the risk of developing diabetes.

Target has announced that it plans to expand its child care and family leave benefits for both hourly and salaried employees.

Starting June 30, the company will offer up to four weeks paid family leave annually to allow employees to care for a new baby or sick family member. Employees who just gave birth will still get an additional six to eight weeks of paid maternity leave on top of that.

“Our workforce, like the communities we serve, is multigenerational, and our team members face growing caregiving responsibilities including infants, children, spouses, domestic partners and aging parents,” the company said in a press release.

The retailer added that its new family care benefits “pick up where traditional parental leave policies end, so our team members can support their families for years to come.”

In addition to broadening its parental leave policy, Target will also bolster its child care and elder care benefits. Starting this fall, Target team members will get 20 days of in-center or in-home backup child care or elder care in the event that school suddenly closes or a care provider cancels.

“With our new backup care benefit, team members can rest assured that their loved ones have safe, affordable, reliable care while they’re at work,” Target said.

Expanding benefits

The new “family-focused enhancements” come two months after Target announced it would increase its minimum hourly wage by $1 to $13, with plans to pay $15 by the end of 2020.

“Our team is Target’s greatest asset, from the newest faces to those who’ve been with us for many years. They’re at the heart of everything we do to fulfill our purpose of bringing guests joy,” Melissa Kremer, Target’s Chief Human Resources Officer, said in a statement at the time.

“It takes a diverse, high-performing and engaged team to create experiences that make guests feel welcome and inspired, and keep them coming back. So investing in our team members is essential to keep our business growing and thriving.”

Not that two months is exactly a trend, but consumers might be a little happy that they only had to suffer 4.74 billion robocalls in May -- the second straight monthly decrease, and 5 million fewer than March’s all-time high.

Breaking those numbers down still adds up to more nuisances than a consumer should have forced down their throat: nearly 25 billion robocalls, an average of 152.9 million robocalls per day, and 1,769 robocalls per second.

These latest monthly figures come from YouMail, a free robocall blocking solution for mobile phones.

Like most months, the number one scam was health/health insurance claims, but hot on its tail with an additional 51.7 million calls placed were student loan scams, most likely an attempt to sidle up to recent graduates.

Here’s a complete rundown of the types and number of May’s robocalls:

Baby steps, but at least in the right direction

Last week, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) held a public hearing where the agency approved a ruling to make sure that service providers (e.g., Sprint, Verizon) have the legal all-clear to block proven unwanted calls and phone numbers. But, only if the providers a) alert its customer base about that practice; and, b) give those customers a chance the tools necessary to opt-out of call blocking altogether or block calls from any number that does not appear on a customer’s contact list or other “white lists.”

In theory, a move like that seems like a good thing, but YouMail’s CEO Alex Quilici waved the yellow flag when he heard the FCC was giving carriers that level of censorability.

“We support the FCC’s efforts to address the robocall epidemic, and think having carriers block obviously illegal calls by default would be a great thing, since roughly half of all robocalls are scams and obviously illegal,” Quilici told ConsumerAffairs. “But do we really want the carriers to decide which legal robocalls get to go through?”

A Washington State court has ordered Comcast to pay nearly $9.1 million for allegedly charging consumers in the state for a service protection plan without their consent. The court found that the unauthorized charges affected about 31,000 Comcast customers in the state.

In addition to the penalties paid to the state, Comcast has been ordered to make restitution to affected consumers.

“Comcast refused to accept responsibility for its egregious conduct that resulted in Washingtonians losing money every month for a product they did not want or request,” said Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson. “Instead of making things right for Washingtonians, Comcast sent an army of corporate lawyers into court to try to avoid accountability.”

The $9.1 million penalty is the largest trial award in a state consumer protection case in Washington, even before restitution to taken into consideration. In a statement, Comcast said it is pleased to have resolved the matter and has “fully addressed” the issues raised in the lawsuit.

Allegedly hid the true cost

The court found that Comcast added the additional subscription to the accounts of 30,946 Washingtonians without their knowledge or consent. Additionally it found that the company’s sales reps did not disclose the trust cost of the plan when they sold it to more than 18,000 other consumers.

The court ruled that Comcast must refund affected consumers and pay 12 percent interest on the restitution. The court did not specify the amount of restitution.

“Despite Comcast’s systemic guidelines and policies, the practice of subscribing customers without meaningful consent was widespread,” the judge wrote in his ruling.

Reviewed the tapes

Ferguson says a review of 1,400 customer call recordings and internal company documents shows the sales reps were adding the additional charges to customers’ accounts without their consent and that the company knew they were doing it.

The attorney general says that in at least 34 percent of customer accounts connected to the calls, Comcast added the charge without consent, sometimes after the customer had declined the plan.

The practice is known as “slamming” and was widely used by telephone companies nearly two  decades ago to switch a customer’s long distance service without their permission. Ferguson charges that Comcast did not respond to numerous complaints about the alleged “slamming” until his office filed its lawsuit in 2017.

Ferguson’s complaint says Comcast collected more than $85 million in gross revenue from Washington in monthly charges for the service plan.

Amazon on Monday launched a new credit card specifically for those who are new to credit or are looking to rebuild their credit.

The new secured card, called “Amazon Credit Builder,” gives Prime members who have no credit or bad credit a way to make Amazon purchases and receive 5 percent cash back.

“This is a very unique card, between the secured nature, the 5 percent cash back offer and the two different flavors of 0 percent interest (either 12 months of equal payments or 6/12/24-month 0 percent periods for select purchases),” Ted Rossman, CreditCards.com’s industry analyst, said in a statement. “If used properly, this card can help you improve your credit while saving on interest or pocketing an attractive cash back return on items you would (hopefully) buy anyway.”

Building or rebuilding credit

The new card, launched in partnership with Synchrony Financial, requires a refundable security deposit which serves as a way to establish a customer’s credit limit.

“The deposit you make to fund a ‘secured credit card’ is considered collateral because it acts like a guarantee for the creditor,” Amazon says. “Secured credit is an ideal way to build or rebuild your credit score. A secured credit card gives you the opportunity to build a record of on-time payments that can help to boost your credit score.”

Cardholders must make monthly payments on their balance, “ideally the full balance, but at least the minimum payment due each month,” Amazon notes. “Synchrony Bank reports your credit activity to the major credit bureaus-providing the opportunity to build your credit, with responsible use.”

For those interested, Synchrony also provides tips for building or rebuilding credit.

Amazon’s other offerings geared toward low-income consumers include Amazon Cash, a service that gives people without a debit or credit card a way to add money to their Amazon account, and a membership discount for people on government benefits.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported Monday that the number of confirmed measles cases in the U.S. has now reached 1,022, an increase of 41 cases from the previous week.

The agency says there have now been more measles cases so far in 2019 than there were in any other year since measles was declared to have been entirely eliminated in 2000. As of June 6, measles have been reported in 28 states. Idaho, New Mexico, Virginia and Maine confirmed the first cases of the disease in their respective states within the past several weeks.

The uptick in cases of the potentially deadly, but preventable, virus puts it at risk of losing its status as being “eliminated," the agency said.

"That loss would be a huge blow for the nation and erase the hard work done by all levels of public health," CDC officials wrote in a statement.

Vaccination recommended

Public health officials continue to stress that vaccines are safe and do not cause autism, as some parents may have been led to believe due to the spread of false information.

“Measles is preventable and the way to end this outbreak is to ensure that all children and adults who can get vaccinated, do get vaccinated. Again, I want to reassure parents that vaccines are safe, they do not cause autism. The greater danger is the disease that vaccination prevents,” CDC Director Robert Redfield said in a statement last month.

In a separate statement, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar expressed similar concerns over the latest numbers and the detrimental effect of vaccine hesitancy.

“We cannot say this enough: Vaccines are a safe and highly effective public health tool that can prevent this disease and end the current outbreak. The measles vaccine is among the most-studied medical products we have and is given safely to millions of children and adults each year,” Azar said.

To prevent the disease, the CDC recommends two doses of the vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella (or “MMR) for children. The first should be given at 12 to 15 months and the second when the child is 4 to 6 years old. Two doses of the MMR vaccine are about 97 percent effective at preventing measles, and one dose provides about 93 percent protection.

Air pollution has been dominating headlines as of late, as the risks that come with the fumes are well-documented. Now, researchers from Washington State University are exploring the harms that are right inside consumers’ homes.

The study revealed that many consumers are living with air pollution inside their homes, which can be affected by temperature changes or time of day and can leave residents at risk.

“People think of air pollution as an outdoor problem, but they fail to recognize that they’re exposing themselves to much higher emission rates inside their homes,” said researcher Tom Jobson.

Preventing risks at home

While steps have been taken to help regulate air pollution outdoors, legislators have skimmed over consumers’ homes.

To see how consumers are being affected at home, the researchers evaluated homes that reflect the current model and year of those most commonly found in the United States and found that many have higher than normal levels of pollutants within their four walls.

Mercury and formaldehyde were the two most common pollutants, and the study revealed that different temperatures and times of day can affect the pollution level in consumers’ homes.

“As a home gets hotter, there is a lot more formaldehyde in the home,” said Jobson. “The materials are hotter and they off-gas at higher rates.”

Contrary to what many have previously believed, pollutant levels differ throughout the course of the day, peaking in the afternoon hours, while they’re lowest during morning time.

There’s no one thing that can increase the likelihood of indoor air pollution, as the researchers note the emissions can come from just about anything -- day-to-day chores, cooking, cleaning products, or furniture.

However, there is a foolproof way to reduce emissions in the home: keep the house ventilated, particularly with easy access to windows and doors.

“Exposure to these chemicals impacts people’s ability to think and learn,” Jobson said. “It’s important for people to be more cognizant of the risk -- opening a window is a good thing. We have to balance making more energy efficient homes with protecting our health and cognitive function.”

Air pollution-related risks

Air pollution affects all those who breathe in its emissions, but recently, researchers have explored the countless ways children are affected by the pollutants.

While general health problems are worsened due to air pollution, children are also affected in the classroom and on the scale. Most recently, researchers have found that children’s anxiety symptoms worsened when they were exposed to traffic-related air pollution.

“I think it can speak to a bigger impact on population health...that increased exposure to air pollution can trigger the brain’s inflammatory response...” researcher Dr. Kelly Brunst said. “This may indicate that certain populations are at an increased risk for poorer anxiety outcomes.”

As more and more consumers become affected by the most recent measles outbreak, vaccines are at the forefront of many people’s minds.

Now, researcher John Ashton is calling for leaders in public health to make vaccinations a top priority, so as to help reduce the number of deaths worldwide that could have been prevented with a vaccine.

“Part of the problem is making the seeming invisibility of prevention, visible; this requires imagination and creativity, together with leadership and the effective delivery of services,” said Professor Ashton.

Protecting consumers

Though Professor Ashton’s proposal focuses on vaccinations across England, his ideas certainly pertain to communities worldwide, as he advocates primarily for the safety of children in schools.

While the vast majority of school systems require children to be vaccinated before attending, not all regulations adhere to the same standards, leaving many children vulnerable to diseases that are preventable with vaccines.

According to Ashton, the National Health Service’s recent reorganization has moved public health leaders from their posts to the local government, therefore depleting the organization’s ability to promote the importance of vaccinations.

However, it is this representation from leaders in public health that can be effective in pushing consumers to keep themselves -- and their children -- up-to-date on their vaccines, and before any legal action is taken, this is an avenue experts should be exploring.

Ashton strongly believes that if consumers hear this advice from representatives they trust and who are knowledgeable in their fields, it can greatly increase the vaccine coverage across vulnerable populations.

“That it does not have to be like this is shown by the recovery in the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccination in the north-west of England, with one of the strongest public health systems and visible public health leadership, to herd immunity levels, following the initial dip after the publication of the claims of discredited former doctor Andrew Wakefield.”

Vaccines should be a priority

The early spring months saw rapid increases in the number of measles cases across the United States, which experts attribute to low vaccine rates and higher numbers of international travelers.

While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provided consumers with tips for protecting children and staying safe during travel, researchers from Johns Hopkins University took it one step further and created an interactive map that can predict which counties across the country at the greatest risk of a measles outbreak.

“Anti-vaxxers are denying the best and very successful medical science we have and choosing instead to rely on fraudulent claims, such as purported link to autism, that have been uniformly debunked by evidence and analysis over the last two decades,” said researcher Sahotra Sarkar. “The New York borough of Brooklyn is a perfect example with a large number of unvaccinated members of an orthodox Jewish community even though the overall vaccination rate is not low.”

To view the researchers’ interactive map, click here.

INSYS Therapeutics, a pharmaceutical company that makes opioid painkillers, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the wake of a $225 million settlement with the federal government.

The company disclosed the move in an 8K filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). It also issued a press release, saying the filing was necessary to help it sell “substantially all of the company’s assets and address the company’s legacy legal liabilities.”

INSYS said it plans to operate its business as usual while it tries to spin-off its assets through the court-supervised sale process.

“After conducting a thorough review of available strategic alternatives, we determined that a court-supervised sale process is the best course of action to maximize the value of our assets and address our legacy legal challenges in a fair and transparent manner,” said Andrew Long, INSYS Therapeutics’ CEO.

Negotiating position

Long said he believes the bankruptcy process will provide the company with a position from which to “negotiate an equitable resolution with our creditors.”

INSYS has been at the center of a gathering legal storm over liability for widespread opioid addiction leading to injuries and death. Last year the Florida attorney general added the company to her suit against opioid manufacturers and distributors, including retail pharmacies.

The original suit included other opioid manufacturers, including Purdue Pharma L.P., Endo Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Cephalon, Inc., Allergan plc, Mallinckrodt LLC, and related companies, as well as the major opioid distributors, AmerisourceBergen Drug Corporation, Cardinal Health, Inc., McKesson Corporation, and a related company.

Guilty plea

INSYS was also charged in federal court in Boston with bribing doctors to encourage prescriptions of its fentanyl spray product. Last week it pled guilty to five criminal charges and agreed to payments totalling $225 million to settle the case.

INSYS’ fentanyl spray product, Subsys, received Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval in 2012, but its use was specified for treating pain in patients suffering from cancer. Fentanyl, the product’s main ingredient, is an opioid rated as 100 times the strength of morphine.

Pharmaceutical companies have increasingly been in the crosshairs of federal, state, and local governments trying to deal with the effects of opioid addiction. Many companies have been sued by states and Indian tribes. In each case, the plaintiffs contend drug companies marketed opioid painkillers to doctors without revealing their addictive potential.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), opioid drug were involved in a record 47,600 U.S. overdose deaths in 2017, the last year for which there are records.