Current Events in July 2019

The kids probably don’t want to hear this, but back to school time is just weeks away -- and with it back to school shopping.

Spending on supplies to start a new school year is often a good economic barometer. In August 2008, spending plunged and the Great Recession hit with full force a month later. This year, the outlook is a lot brighter, improving on last year.

Deloitte’s annual Back to School Survey shows spending is projected to reach $27.8 billion, with the average student spending $519 for clothing, supplies, computers, and electronics.

Electronics and gadgets, often seen as discretionary, could see a 29 percent increase over 2019. The category includes smartphones, tablets, and wearables and could rise $800 million. Consumers who have these items on their shopping lists plan to spend an average of $305 on them.

More sales moving online

Back to school purchases traditionally have been made in stores such as Walmart and Target. That trend should continue this year, though more sales are expected to shift to online channels such as Amazon. Deloitte projects that 29 percent of purchases will be made online in 2019, up from 23 percent last year.

The lion’s share of online purchases will be made using smartphones, both for placing the order and for researching the best prices. The use of PCs in back to school shopping is expected to drop from 49 percent last year to 42 percent this year.

"For the first time, people are telling us they're just as likely to use a smartphone to make purchases as a laptop or desktop, which previously held the lead when it was time to click the 'buy' button," said Rod Sides, vice chairman, Deloitte LLP and U.S. retail, wholesale and distribution leader. 

Money talks

The survey shows back to school shoppers continue to be motivated mostly by price. The three largest factors when deciding where to shop are sales, discounts, and competitive prices. Even though convenience remains a strong motivator, the survey shows most shoppers will stray from the prescribed lists offered by their local PTA.

"Price, product, and convenience are the foundation of back-to-school shopping, like reading, writing, and arithmetic," said Sides. "Nearly all shoppers are in the market for school supplies, which tend to be most price-driven.”

But spending on clothing and accessories may get most of the dollars. That category is expected to account for more than half of back-to-school spending. In comparison, actual school supplies will likely get 22 percent of back to school money.

Few shoppers are waiting until the last minute to begin their purchases. The survey found that most plan to begin their shopping spree in late July or early August.

Federal Reserve Board Chairman Jerome Powell gave the markets what they wanted while also tossing some red meat the way of House Democrats.

In a testimony before the House Financial Services Committee, Powell adamantly declared he had no intention of going anywhere, even if President Trump were to ask him to quit.

"What I have said is the law gives me a four-year term and I fully intend to serve it," Powell said in response to a question from committee chair Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.).

But the issue of Powell being forced out may be a moot point. President Trump was unusually critical of Powell last year as the Fed embarked on a policy of raising interest rates. Trump insisted that the economy, while recovering, could not stand up to a series of interest rate hikes.

At the time, Powell expressed the belief that the Fed needed to “normalize” interest rates, which had been slashed to 0 percent during the Great Recession, now that the economy was growing again.

Change of sentiment

But that sentiment changed in early 2019 as the Fed expressed concern that the global economy was slowing and interest rates, for the time being at least, didn’t need to rise further.

At this point, the markets have assumed that the Fed will actually cut rates at least once, perhaps twice, before the end of the year. In his testimony Wednesday, Powell seemed to suggest that assumption is on the mark.

"It appears that uncertainties around trade tensions and concerns about the strength of the global economy continue to weigh on the US economic outlook," Powell told the committee.

A rate cut, favored by Trump, may be coming soon

The Fed’s Open Market Committee meets later this month and is expected to announce an interest rate cut. While Wall Street has anticipated a half-percent cut in the federal funds rate, it now appears more likely that the Fed will opt for a quarter percent cut in light of the stronger-than-expected June jobs report.

Despite Trump’s open feud with the Fed chief, the president was the one who appointed Powell to the post. Powell, a Wall Street insider, was tapped by the president to succeed Janet Yellen as head of the Federal Reserve in 2017.

Facebook has announced that it will give users more details about why specific ads were chosen for them. Clicking “Why am I seeing this ad?” under an advertisement will now take users to a more specific explanation for why the ad was selected to be displayed on their feed. 

The social media giant said it’s aiming to provide additional insights to users who say they are still confused about Facebook’s ad-targeting practices. 

“We heard feedback from people that they can still be hard to understand and difficult to navigate,” Product Manager Sreethu Thulasi wrote in a blog post, referring to Facebook’s previous answers for those who clicked “Why am I seeing this ad?” 

Providing additional clarity

To clear things up, Facebook is giving users more details about which of their interests led to a specific ad being targeted at them. Additionally, Facebook will reveal where it gleaned that information. 

“In the past, ‘Why am I seeing this ad?’ highlighted one or two of the most relevant reasons, such as demographic information or that you may have visited a website,” Thulasi said. “Now, you’ll see more detailed targeting, including the interests or categories that matched you with a specific ad. It will also be clearer where that information came from (e.g. the website you may have visited or Page you may have liked), and we’ll highlight controls you can use to easily adjust your experience.” 

Facebook will also let users change which ads they see in the future by tweaking their interests on Facebook or clicking through to the “What You Can Do” section. Options for modifying which ads are displayed in the future include blocking all ads from a certain advertiser or minimizing the personal data shared with third-party companies. 

Ahead of the nationwide 5G rollout, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted to approve an order to open up valuable mid-band spectrum for 5G. The FCC said the action is intended to pave the way for American leadership in 5G wireless services. 

“An essential part of enabling 5G services is making more spectrum available for the commercial marketplace,” the FCC said in a report. 

Under the order, restrictions on who can own 2.5GHz spectrum would be lifted. The Commission noted that much of this particular band, which is “prime spectrum for 5G,” has been underutilized for years, particularly in rural areas.

“This is the single largest contiguous swatch of mid-band spectrum below 3 GHz in the entire country, and, given its combination of coverage and capacity, it presents a big opportunity for 5G,” said FCC chairman Ajit Pai in a statement. “But today, this valuable public resource is dramatically underused, especially west of the Mississippi River.” 

Bolstering 5G strategy

The FCC, which has stated numerous times that one of its top priorities is closing the digital divide in rural areas, said the order approved Wednesday will replace an “outdated regulatory regime, developed in the days when educational TV was the only use envisioned for this spectrum.” 

Rural tribal nations will be given a "priority filing window" to claim unused 2.5GHz frequencies. The remaining unassigned spectrum will be available for commercial use via competitive bidding. 

"At long last, we remove the burdensome restrictions on this band, allowing incumbents greater flexibility in their use of the spectrum and introduce a spectrum auction that will ensure that this public resource is finally devoted to its highest-valued use," Pai said. "These groundbreaking reforms will result in more efficient and effective use of these airwaves and represent the latest step in advancing US leadership in 5G."

The FCC's three Republicans voted to approve the proposal, but the agency’s two Democrats voted against it. Democratic Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel argued that the order “turns its back on the schools and educational institutions that have made the 2.5GHz band their home since 1962.” 

"Today the FCC takes the innovative effort to infuse this band with learning opportunities -- an initiative that dates back to the Kennedy administration -- and reverts to uninspired and stale commercial spectrum policy. This is a shame,” Rosenworcel said.

Maintaining healthy habits is important for consumers’ of all ages, and the findings from a new study could help mothers give their children the best chance of doing just that.

According to researchers from the University of Pittsburgh, children are at a higher risk of developing cancer when their mothers are obese. 

“Right now, we don’t know of many avoidable risk factors for childhood cancer,” said researcher Shaina Stacy, PhD. “My hope is that this study can be, in a way, empowering and also motivating for weight loss.” 

How mothers play a role

To see how mothers’ weight affected the risk of their children later developing cancer, the researchers looked at Pennsylvania health records during a thirteen-year period starting in 2003 and ending in 2016. 

After evaluating roughly 3,000 cancer cases and two million birth records in the state of Pennsylvania, the researchers determined that mothers’ weight, independent of any other factors, can affect children’s likelihood of developing cancer. 

Children were nearly 60 percent more likely to be diagnosed with leukemia before turning five when their mothers had a body mass index (BMI) score over 40. 

Individual BMIs did play a role. The researchers found that children had a higher chance of developing cancer if their mother’s BMI was higher. Conversely, mothers with lower BMI scores had a reduced risk of having children that developed the disease. This was promising to the researchers, as it indicated that even small changes in weight can be beneficial to children’s health. 

The researchers explained that heavier birth weight or birth height didn’t play a role in the likelihood of a cancer diagnosis. Instead, they hypothesized that being heavier affects the way the body processes insulin, a process that also changes during pregnancy, and could ultimately affect newborns into childhood. 

Moving forward, the researchers hope that these findings can serve as a viable prevention tool, and ultimately reduce the number of childhood cancer diagnoses. 

“We are dealing with an obesity epidemic in this country,” said researcher Dr. Jian-Min Yuan. “From a prevention point-of-view, maintaining a healthy weight is not only good for the mother, but also for the children, too.” 

Mothers set the standard

This isn’t the first study to explore how mothers’ habits affect their children’s health. Researchers have found that children are likely to be healthier (after birth), or not, depending on their mothers’ lifestyles -- not their fathers’. 

The study revealed that when mothers choose healthier options or lose weight, their children typically follow suit, though the same pattern didn’t emerge with their fathers. Ultimately, the study showed that mothers’ habits translate to their children, whether for better or for worse. 

“Parents have a major impact on their children’s health and lifestyle,” said researcher Marit Næss. “Behaviors that lead to obesity are easily transferred from parent to child.”

As researchers dive deeper into Alzheimer’s research, a recent study has revealed that learning can be affected by the degenerative disease. 

According to researchers, having a close relative with Alzheimer’s can impact how adults perform on online learning assessments. 

“Identifying factors that reduce or eliminate the effect of a family history of Alzheimer’s disease is particularly crucial since there is currently no cure or effective disease-slowing treatments,” said researcher Joshua Talboom, PhD. 

How is learning affected?

To get a better understanding of how Alzheimer’s can affect a whole family’s learning outcomes, the researchers had over 60,000 participants complete online learning assessments. The participants were asked to provide information on their family histories, including whether a close relative had Alzheimer’s, in addition to information on their own age, health, gender, and education. 

The online tests were geared to gauge participants’ memory function, as they memorized pairs of words; later, they had to complete the pairs with whichever word was missing. Overall, those who had a close relative with Alzheimer’s had poorer outcomes on the memorization tests than those who didn’t have the disease in the family. 

The study also revealed certain factors that contributed to participants’ scores on the memory tests. While diabetes in the family contributed to poorer scores on the assessments, female participants, and those who had higher levels of education, saw positive outcomes on the tests, despite having an increased risk of Alzheimer’s due to family connections. 

The researchers were pleased with these findings, as they shed light on different ways family ties can affect memory, and the countless ways Alzheimer’s and overall health can impact different generations. 

“Our study supports the importance of living a healthy lifestyle, properly treating diseases such as diabetes, and building learning and memory reserve through education to reduce the cognitive decline associated with Alzheimer’s disease risk factors,” and researcher Matthew Huentelman. 

Disney Merchandise Sourcing & Distribution of Burbank, Calif., is recalling about 86,000 “Forky” 11-inch plush toys sold in the U.S. and Canada.

The toy's “googly” plastic eyes can detach, posing a choking hazard to young children.

No incidents or injuries are reported.

This recall involves an 11-inch “Forky” plush toy from Disney Pixar’s Toy Story 4.

The toy has poseable arms, a base, rainbow screen art on top of foot and plastic rolling “googly” eyes made up of three parts; a white plastic base, a clear plastic dome and a small black plastic disc within the dome, which represents the character’s pupil.

The following tracking code information is included on the sewn in label attached to the base of the toy:

The toys, manufactured in China, were sold at Disney Stores nationwide, Disney Theme Parks, online at shopdisney.com and through the Disney store on Amazon Marketplace from April 2019, through June 2019, for about $20.

What to do

Consumers should immediately take the recalled toy away from children and return it to any Disney Store retail location Walt Disney World, or Disneyland Resort theme park retail store location for a full refund.

Consumers may contact Disney toll-free at (866) 537-7649 from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. (CT) Monday through Friday, Saturday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Sunday 1:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. or by email at email personal.shoppers@shopDisney.com

Volkswagen Group of America is recalling 662,185 model year 2012-2020 Passat and model year 2018-2019 Atlas vehicles.

The blocking cap disabling the adjustment of the headlight's horizontal aim may not have been installed.

Without the blocking cap, the headlight aim can be adjusted out of specification, reducing visibility and increasing the risk of a crash.

What to do

Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, as necessary, block the headlight horizontal adjustment free of charge.

The recall was expected to begin on July 10, 2019.

Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 94L9.

No one likes hidden fees, and the attorney general for the District of Columbia (DC) charges hotel chain Marriott has plenty of them.

DC Attorney General Karl Racine has filed a lawsuit against Marriott claiming the company hid the actual price of hotel rooms from consumers in a practice known as “drip pricing.” By allegedly using misleading and deceptive pricing practices, Racine charges the company violated DC’s consumer protection laws.

“Marriott reaped hundreds of millions of dollars in profit by deceiving consumers about the true price of its hotel rooms,” Racine said. “Bait-and-switch advertising and deceptive pricing practices are illegal.”

The lawsuit seeks monetary relief for tens of thousands of consumers who Racine says paid hidden resort fees. It also asks the court to force Marriott to be fully transparent about its prices so consumers “can make informed decisions when booking hotel rooms.”

Marriott declined media requests for comment saying it does not talk about pending litigation.

Potential British fine

It’s not shaping up as a good week for the hotel chain. Britain’s Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) alleges that the hotel chain violated Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) by not reacting more quickly after learning that its Starwood Hotel reservation system suffered a massive data breach last year.

The ICO says Marriott could be forced to pay a fine of more than $123 million because of the incident.

The rise of internet travel sites has allowed consumers to be more selective when booking a hotel, searching for the best deal. Racine says many hotel chains have responded by advertising very low rates -- rates that turn out to be higher than advertised once the consumer books a room.

Resort fees

Racine says these fees are often referred to as “resort fees,” “amenity fees,” or “destination fees,” and are added on top of advertised rates. By charging these fees, Racine says hotels can increase profits without appearing to raise prices. He claims that over the last 10 years Marriott has made increased use of resort fees and reaped hundreds of millions of dollars in additional profits.

In 2012, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued warnings to 22 hotels, including Marriott, that pricing practices utilizing resort fees may violate federal consumer protection laws by hiding the true cost of hotel rooms.

Five years later, the agency concluded that “separating mandatory resort fees from posted room rates without first disclosing the total price is likely to harm consumers.”

Tooth decay not only causes a great deal of discomfort for consumers, but the widespread issue is also incredibly costly to treat. Now, researchers believe that new, resin-based antibacterial fillings could be the long-term answer to tooth decay, as they are long-lasting and prevent the spread of new bacteria. 

“Antibiotic resistance is now one of the most pressing healthcare problems facing society, and the development of novel antimicrobial therapeutics and biomedical materials represents an urgent unmet need,” said researcher Dr. Lihi Adler-Abramovich. 

“When bacteria accumulate on the tooth surface, they ultimately dissolve the hard tissue of the teeth. Recurrent cavities -- also known as secondary tooth decay -- at the margins of dental restorations results from acid production by cavity-causing bacteria that reside in the restoration-tooth interface.” 

Fighting tooth decay

The researchers wanted to create a filling that would do better than the traditional amalgam fillings that are metal-based. 

The key was for the fillings to be resistant to bacteria in order to prevent future bacteria from growing and causing more cavities, which is typically the endless cycle consumers are faced with when they suffer with tooth decay. 

In addition to being bacteria resistant, the researchers say the resin properties of the compound they created are better for fillings than the traditional composites, as those have the potential to cause mercury poisoning, aren’t very adhesive, and have a bright metal color. 

“We’ve developed an enhanced material that is not only aesthetically pleasing and mechanically rigid but is also intrinsically antibacterial due to the incorporation of antibacterial nano-assemblies,” said researcher Lee Scnaider. “Resin composite fillings that display bacterial inhibitory activity have the potential to substantially hinder the development of this widespread disease.” 

Because of the simplicity of the filling they’ve created, and the widespread populations it could benefit, the researchers are hoping the new fillings can be implemented for patient use in the near future. 

“The minimal nature of the antibacterial building block, along with its high purity, low cost ease of embedment within resin-based materials and biocompatibility, allows for the easy scale-up of this approach toward the development of clinically available enhanced antibacterial resin composite restoratives,” said Dr. Adler-Abramovich. 

In the two years since Amazon acquired Whole Foods, the average cost of groceries for Prime members who shop at chain has dropped a mere ten dollars, according to a study released Wednesday by Gordon Haskett Research Advisors. 

After purchasing Whole Foods in 2017 for $13.7 billion, Amazon set out to help the notoriously pricey grocery chain shake off its “whole paycheck” image. However, a new analysis finds that price cuts for Prime members have been limited in scope and haven’t led to a significant drop in the total cost of customers’ groceries.

Most of Amazon’s price cuts have been found in the produce and dairy categories. Meanwhile, “other items have largely stayed the same or, in the case of bread and snacks, even increased,” Bloomberg noted. 

‘More bark than bite’

The Gordon Haskett study found that 106 commonly purchased items at Whole Foods cost $404.08 prior to the Amazon acquisition. Now, the total cost for the same assortment of items is $394.10 for Prime members. 

A study conducted last year by Gordon Haskett also concluded that Amazon hasn’t unveiled widespread or significant decreases in prices at Whole Foods.

“While deeper promotional pricing on key items, incremental savings… and increased convenience for Prime Members in the first year under Amazon ownership have caught our eye as consumers, the reality is that Whole Foods pricing on a broad basket has remained largely unchanged,” the firm said of its 2018 analysis.

The latest study found that Whole Foods shoppers who aren’t Prime members now pay an average of $8 less than they would have before Amazon purchased the retailer. Gordon Haskett analyst Charles Grom concludes that his team’s annual checks suggest that, in terms of price actions, “Amazon’s bark may be greater than its bite.” 

As experts work to perfect autonomous vehicles, engaging consumers in the fine-tuning process has been key to advancing the technology being used. 

Recently, researchers from the University of Warwick wanted to see what kind of driving style left consumers feeling the most confident in a self-driving vehicle after four rounds on an indoor test track -- one that mimicked traditional human driving or one that favored efficiency in a more machine-like approach. 

“This overall trust in both driving methods grew with every run,” said researcher Dr. Luis Oliveira. “In the machine-like driving style this was steady upwards curve throughout the four journeys, but in human-like behavior there was a particularly steep change upwards in the scores between runs two and three. The passengers in the experiment also acknowledged that future generations may be more comfortable with AVs and its features, as they learn to live with this new technology.” 

Gaining confidence

The researchers utilized an indoor track and over 40 participants to gauge consumers’ reactions to three distinct driving maneuvers in the two different driving styles: speed change, sharp turns, and handling at junctions. 

The machine-like vehicle ultimately won out, though it wasn’t by a very wide margin. As Dr. Oliveira mentioned, gaining confidence in autonomous vehicles was the key for participants, as more time spent with the technology made the participants more comfortable with it over time. 

While participants gave scores on their overall confidence levels, they were also asked to provide written descriptions about their feelings towards the different driving maneuvers. This is where  the researchers got the most diverse feedback, and they realized that this wasn’t such a clear-cut decision for participants to make. 

When it came to changing speeds, the machine-like driving style was more favorable to participants, as it avoided any jerky movements that typically come with human driving movements, whereas sharp turns were unfavorable in both kinds of vehicles. 

However, handling junctions left the researchers with the most mixed reviews, as mimicking human driving seemed unnatural to many participants, while other participants felt that the machine-like driving overcompensated to make passengers feel safe. 

Overall, the researchers believe that time with the technology is the best bet for consumers to feel comfortable and confident with autonomous vehicles, as is keeping an open line of communication with the details to better prepare future drivers for what they can expect. 

Perfecting the system

Though many consumers are still skeptical about autonomous vehicle technology, researchers are continuing their work to make the technology as safe for roads as possible -- even test roads. 

Recently, a team of researchers created a simulator that would make self-driving cars safer before they ever even start testing. 

“Because we’re using real-world video and real-world movements, our perception module has more accurate information than previous methods,” said researcher Dinesh Manocha. “And then, because of the realism of the simulator, we can better evaluate navigation strategies of an autonomous driving system.”

Instagram has had its fill of hateful and mean comments. The social media platform rolled out two new anti-bullying tools on Tuesday, underscoring its fight with the mantra: “We are committed to leading the industry in the fight against online bullying, and we are rethinking the whole experience of Instagram to meet that commitment.”

Bullying is a much larger issue than some might think. At ConsumerAffairs, we’ve seen reports that 1 out of 3 parents worry about their children being cyber-bullied, as well as research from the Mayo Clinic that found children who are bullied are at an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, and several other conditions when they become adults. Even Congress senses the rising tide of the issue and is trying to do its share via the Children and Media Research Advancement Act (CAMRA Act).

It’s apparent that Instagram has also done its homework on the effects of bullying, claiming its new tools “are grounded in a deep understanding of how people bully each other and how they respond to bullying on Instagram.” 

Adam Mosseri, Head of Instagram, made a point of protecting the sanctity of its teen base in particular. “This is especially crucial for teens since they are less likely to report online bullying even when they are the ones who experience it the most,” he said.

What Instagram users can expect

Up to bat first is an artificial intelligence-powered feature that notifies Instagram users when their comment runs the risk of being considered offensive before it’s posted. 

“This intervention gives people a chance to reflect and undo their comment and prevents the recipient from receiving the harmful comment notification,” Mosseri said. “From early tests of this feature, we have found that it encourages some people to undo their comment and share something less hurtful once they have had a chance to reflect.”

The second feature is called “Restrict,” and it works just like it sounds -- a user “Restricts” someone when they feel there are “unwanted interactions” from another user. After taking this step, comments from that person will only be visible to that person. 

“We wanted to create a feature that allows people to control their Instagram experience, without notifying someone who may be targeting them,” Mosseri explained.

“You can choose to make a restricted person’s comments visible to others by approving their comments. Restricted people won’t be able to see when you’re active on Instagram or when you’ve read their direct messages.”

Uber announced Tuesday that it’s giving even more passengers the option to request a ride that doesn’t involve any conversation between themselves and the driver.

In a blog post, the ride-hailing giant said its Uber Comfort tier has officially launched in over 40 markets in the U.S., as well as Ottawa. Users who select a Comfort trip from the company’s list of options will enjoy the presence of new features intended to make their ride more comfortable. 

The new tier costs between 20 and 40 percent more per fare, but the extra cost gets riders access to features that include mid-size cars, extra legroom, and the option to request their optimal temperature. Passengers can also request to have a conversation-free ride. 

Uber’s “Quiet mode” -- which launched in May and lets passengers choose “Quiet preferred” or “happy to chat” prior to pickup -- was previously only offered as an option on the company’s premium ride services.

Expanding comfort features

“Uber Comfort was built for riders who are constantly on the go and want a little extra comfort,” Uber said. “We’ve all been there: you need a little quiet time, prefer to stretch your legs, or simply like an extra comfortable ride out to dinner when friends are in town.” 

Uber drivers who are permitted to accept Uber Comfort ride requests must have at least a 4.85-star average rating and a vehicle that is under five years old. 

Uber’s rival Lyft offers a few options similar to those found on Uber’s Comfort tier, including more legroom in its “Lyft Lux” rides. However, Lyft doesn’t currently offer an option to request a quiet ride. 

Uber Comfort is now available in Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Boston, Charleston, Charlotte, Chicago, Connecticut, Dallas, Fresno, Hampton Roads, Houston, Honolulu, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Madison, Memphis, Milwaukee, Nashville, New Jersey, New Orleans, Omaha, Orange County, Ottawa, Palm Springs, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Portland, Raleigh-Durham, Rhode Island, Richmond, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, St. Louis, Tampa Bay, Tucson, Wichita, and Washington D.C.

It was a scary moment for passengers aboard a Delta Air Lines flight from Atlanta to Baltimore this week.

Delta’s flight 1425, utilizing a 32-year old MD-88 jet, made an emergency landing in North Carolina after passengers heard a loud boom and then saw smoke pouring into the cabin. A passenger seated by a window overlooking the wing shot this frightening video and posted it to Twitter.

The video appears to show a portion of the engine called a spinner that had become detached and was rattling around inside the engine, which also appeared to be on fire. Other passengers reported bits of metal flying off the engine, as though it were coming apart.

The plane landed safely in Raleigh, N.C. and passengers deplaned with no reports of injuries. One passenger told WMAR-TV that the plane slowed down after the incident and the temperature in the cabin began to rise.

"We apologize to our customers for the inconvenience this diversion may have caused,” Delta said in a statement. 

The airline said it gave the 148 passengers a $30 food voucher while they waited to be booked on another flight. Meanwhile, the engine has been replaced and the MD-88 is reportedly back in service.

Eerily similar

The incident is eerily similar to an April 2018 incident in which an engine on a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 jet exploded mid-flight, with metal from the fragmenting engine breaking a window and killing a passenger.

The incident prompted Southwest to step up an inspection of CFM56 engines, the type that failed.

The MD-88 is part of the MD-80 series produced by McDonnell Douglas as an upgrade of the DC-9; it is used mostly for short-haul flights. The company was acquired by Boeing in 1997.