Current Events in September 2019

After investigating several practices common among organizations specializing in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), researchers have found that there are plenty of opportunities for these groups to do more to promote their female employees. 

Despite more widespread efforts to have women in more STEM roles, study findings show that disparities still remain between men and women in how they’re promoted within their organizations, as well as the types of jobs they’re given. 

“The data suggest that we are making headway,” said researcher Reshma Jagsi. “That said, there are still many institutions that have few women in senior-most faculty positions. There also remains quite a bit of room for improvement in certain areas, including the representation of women in certain roles, such as speaking at scientific meetings.” 

Recognizing the gender differences

To understand the inequalities that still exist between men and women in STEM jobs, the researchers evaluated data from the New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF), which has records from institutions all over the world from researchers who go through the Foundation for research grants. 

NYSCF then created industry-wide “report cards” for the varying organizations as a way to measure how companies were going about approaching the gender disparities that exist in STEM jobs. 

Utilizing over 740 report cards from institutions in both North America and Europe, the researchers learned that women outnumber men in STEM positions in the younger parts of their careers -- such as undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate programs. However, as time goes on, men are getting more higher-level positions than their female counterparts. 

For 30 percent of the institutions involved in this study, less than 10 percent of tenure-track positions went to women.. Just over 20 percent of women were represented in full-time professor roles. 

According to Jagsi, the biggest issue isn’t attracting women to STEM jobs, but doing better to promote them to the highest level positions. Moreover, she noted that European STEM organizations do a much better job at this than institutions from North America. 

Moving forward, the researchers hope that organizations that have the power to make change, such as those who provide funding to researchers, can do their part to ensure that women are getting as many opportunities as their male colleagues. 

“Funding organizations are in a unique position to require institutional leaders to pay attention to equity, diversity, and inclusion within their organizations,” said Jagsi. “By requiring these report cards, they can promote actions that help all scientists thrive. We hope that other funding bodies, like the NIH, will adopt a similar report card.” 

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating the fire that destroyed a dive boat last weekend and killed 34 people, but it has not yet determined a cause.

The fire broke out in the pre-dawn hours of Monday morning aboard the 75-foot vessel Conception. The vessel was docked in Southern California waters and filled with holiday weekend scuba divers who were sleeping below deck. By the time a crew member was awakened, he said the flames were too intense to save the 33 passengers and one crewman trapped below.

While there is no exact determination of the cause of the blaze, early suspicion has focused on lithium-ion batteries and chargers used to re-power cell phones and underwater cameras. Surviving crew members and people familiar with the vessel have said the chargers were located in the area where the fire is believed to have started.

No chance to get out

The boat’s designer, Roy Hauser, told the Los Angeles Times that his analysis of the footage of the burned-out boat leads him to believe the fire started in one of the bunk rooms, possibly from a cell phone battery or charging device.

“This had to have been, in my estimation, one of those lithium battery chargers,” Hauser told The Times. “This happened in the belly of the boat. Those people did not have a chance to get out: From stem to stern, that boat was burning.”

A crewman told the NTSB that he believes the fire started in the galley, just above the sleeping passengers, where there are numerous charging stations used to recharge battery-powered devices. The NTSB said it will thoroughly investigate the cause of the fire, and nothing has been ruled out as a cause at this point.

Other incidents

Lithium-ion batteries have long been a source of potential fire hazards, causing special concern in the transportation industry. Between March 1991 and February 2019, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) counted 241 incidents involving overheated lithium-ion batteries in airports or onboard aircraft.

Two years ago, a JetBlue aircraft had to make an emergency landing in Michigan after the battery in a laptop overheated and caught fire. In 2016, when the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphone triggered a number of similar explosions and fires, resulting in its recall, the FAA banned the phone from all commercial flights, fearing some consumers would continue using their phones despite the danger.

Whatever the cause of the dive boat fire turns out to be, consumers should use caution with their lithium-ion-powered devices, especially when they are being charged. Safety experts say consumers should only use charging devices specifically made for their device and should not leave them in a charger overnight when everyone is asleep.

Federal health officials are making a case that a recent outbreak of lung illnesses may be linked to a chemical derived from vitamin E that is present in many different types of marijuana liquid vaping products.

The Washington Post reports information about the possible link was revealed this week in a conference call by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and health officials from various states.

Previously, the lung illnesses were linked to the vaping of a wide-ranging assortment of marijuana products. The chemical showed up in most of the cannabis samples from patients who got sick over the summer.

Vitamin E is harmless enough and millions of consumers take it daily in the form of a supplement. It’s also found naturally in certain food oils.

When ingested as a food, it’s not known to cause any problems -- but inhaling it may be another matter. Scientists say vitamin E’s molecular structure could cause problems if it is inhaled as a vapor.

The issue first came to light at least a year ago when health researchers claimed that vaping can damage important cells in the immune system and cause inflammation of the lungs. The researchers, writing in the journal Thorax, said that they "caution against the widely held opinion that e-cigarettes are safe.”

Official vaping death

Last month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for the first time officially attributed a death to vaping. Previously, some 200 cases of severe lung illnesses had been flagged as being potentially linked with vaping

In August, the agency said one adult patient in Illinois died over the summer after symptoms from an existing pulmonary illness were exacerbated or caused by e-cigarette use. 

Bureaucratic irregularities may make it harder for health officials to pin down the exact cause of these mystery lung ailments. At present, states don’t have to report suspected cases of vaping-related illnesses. Even if they did it might be difficult to pin down the ingredient in the many types of vaping liquids that is causing the problem.

Meanwhile, as of last week, state health department had reported 215 possible cases of vaping-related illnesses in 25 states.

While gasoline prices in most states continue to fall, increases in California, Florida, and South Carolina were the outliers.

AAA attributed the price hikes in Florida and South Carolina to the effects of Hurricane Dorian, a notion disputed by GasBuddy’s Patrick DeHaan, who said those states were simply caught in a price cycle.

The AAA Fuel Gauge Survey shows the national average price of regular gas is $2.57 a gallon, a penny less than last Friday. That’s 14 cents less than a month ago. The average price of premium gas is $3.16, a penny less than last week. The price of diesel fuel is $2.92, also a penny lower over the last seven days.

In most other parts of the country, prices at the pump have continued a slow decline, based in large part on relatively low crude oil prices. Oil prices have remained low over the last month amid concerns about a slowing global economy.

“As an east coast storm, Hurricane Dorian is not threatening major oil and gas infrastructure so its impact is localized to its path along the East Coast,” said Jeanette Casselano, AAA spokesperson. “For the rest of the country, demand, which remains high, is chipping away at supply, but not at a high enough rate to increase gas prices.”

At the same time, refineries have begun to switch over to the production of winter-grade gasoline, which costs less than summer blends. AAA reports that the price of gas dropped by a dime a gallon in the nation’s capital this week, is down nine cents in Michigan, and is seven cents a gallon lower in Delaware.

The states with the most expensive regular gas

These states currently have the highest prices for regular gas, according to the AAA Fuel Gauge Survey:

• Hawaii ($3.66)

• California ($3.63)

• Washington ($3.20)

• Nevada ($3.11)

• Oregon ($3.04)

• Alaska ($2.99)

• Arizona ($2.82)

• Utah ($2.80)

• Idaho ($2.79)

• New York ($2.75)

The states with the cheapest regular gas

The survey found these states currently have the lowest prices for regular gas:

• Louisiana ($2.18)

• Mississippi ($2.18)

• Alabama ($2.21)

• South Carolina ($2.24)

• Arkansas ($2.25)

• Oklahoma ($2.27)

• Tennessee ($2.27)

• Missouri ($2.28)

• Texas ($2.29)

• Virginia ($2.29)

RH, US of Corte Madera, Calif., is recalling about 3,400 children’s chairs and stools sold in the U.S., and Canada.

Paint on the chairs and stools contains levels of lead that exceed the federal lead paint ban, and can cause adverse health effects if ingested by young children.

No incidents or injuries are reported.

This recall involves Vintage Steel Play Chairs and Stools sold in distressed red under the following model names: “Play Chair”, “Tall Play Chair”, “Play Stool”, “Tall Play Stool” and “Step Stool.”

The chairs have a curved, tubular back frame and a single vertical slat with an embossed seat.

The stools have a curved frame and an embossed seat with a hand grip. “

Made in India” and one of the following SKU numbers are printed on a green label located under the chair seat or stool step: 103480DRED (play chair); 103481DRED (tall play chair); 103521DRED (tall play stool); 103522DRED (play stool); and 111081DRED (step stool).

The chairs and stools were sold at RH Baby & Child, RH Teen stores, RH warehouses and RH outlets nationwide and online at www.rhbabyandchild.com and www.rhteen.com from October 2012, through May 2019, for between $40 and $130.

What to do

Consumers should stop using the recalled chairs and stools, place them away from children and contact RH for a full refund for the purchase price.

Consumers may contact RH at (800) 816-0969 from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. )PT) Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (PT) Saturday and Sunday, by email at recall@rh.com, or online at www.restorationhardware.com and click on “Safety Recalls” at the bottom of the page.

BMW of North America is recalling139 model year 2019 i3 BEV, i3 REx and i8 vehicles.

A circuit board problem within the Electric Motor Electronics (EME) module may shutdown the supply of high-voltage electrical power.

A high-voltage electrical power shutdown would result in a loss of propulsion, increasing the risk of a crash.

What to do

BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the EME module free of charge. The recall is expected to begin October 7, 2019.

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

Heatherfield Foods of Ontario, Calif., is recalling approximately 4,380 pounds of pork sausage.

The product has a gluten free claim on the label, but contains gluten in the form of wheat.

There are no confirmed reports of adverse reactions.

The following raw Longanisa sausage item, were produced between March 8, 2019, and July 31, 2019, is being recalled:

• 1-lb. thermoform tray packages containing “HAWAIIAN SAUSAGE COMPANY Sweet Filipino Longanisa ˙NO PRESERVATIVES ˙GLUTEN FREE ˙NO MSG” with lot codes 09067, 09081, 09088, 09113, 09130, 09148, 09156, 09163, 09170, 09179, 09193 and 09212 on the label.

The recalled product, bearing establishment number “EST. 4846” inside the USDA mark of inspection, was shipped to retail locations in Hawaii.

What to do

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

Consumers with questions about the recall may contact John Brown at (909) 460-4150.

Ford is recalling more than 98,000 model year 2013-16 Ford Fusion & Lincoln MKZ, model year 2015-16 Ford Edge and model year 2016 Lincoln MKX vehicles in U.S. states and Canadian provinces with high-corrosion environments.

Vehicles that did not receive proper application of wax coating and are operated in high-corrosion environments associated with exposure to road salt may suffer corrosion of the steering gear motor attachment bolts.

This could result in the steering gear motor becoming loose or detaching from the gear housing, although the steering gear motor will not separate from the vehicle.

Detachment of the steering-gear motor from the gear housing would result in a loss of power-steering assist, which would require higher steering effort -- especially at lower speeds -- posing an increased risk of a crash.

What to do

Owners will be notified and dealers will replace steering gear motor-attachment bolts and apply wax sealer. If one or more of the steering gear motor-attachment bolts are broken or missing, dealers will install a new steering gear in the vehicle at no charge.

Consumers with questions may contact Ford customer service at (866) 436-7332.

Ford's reference number for this recall is 19S26.

Nearly all automakers plan to add a system to prevent parents and caretakers from leaving children in hot vehicles.

The system slated to be added to “nearly 100 percent of U.S. light-duty vehicles” by model year 2025 would give drivers auditory and visual alerts that remind them to check the back seat before exiting the car, the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers and the Association of Global Automakers said in a statement on Wednesday. 

“At a minimum, these prompts will include a combination of auditory and visual alerts that will activate after a driver turns off the vehicle,” the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers said. “With this pledge, the auto industry commits to having the rear seat reminder feature in essentially all cars and trucks by Model Year 2025 or sooner.” 

Preventing deaths

Many major automakers -- including General Motors, Ford, Volkswagen, Toyota, Hyundai, and Honda -- have all agreed to equip cars with rear seat reminder systems. Tesla has not yet indicated that it will equip its cars with the system. 

Since 1989, there have been almost 900 heat stroke-related deaths among children in parked cars in the U.S., according to the website KidsAndCars.org, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing deaths of young children and pets in and around vehicles. Almost 50 deaths occurred last year, and 37 have occurred in 2019. 

“Automakers have been exploring ways to address this safety issue, and this commitment underscores how such innovations and increased awareness can help children right now,” said David Schwietert, interim CEO of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers.

The voluntary agreement announced on Wednesday would ensure that the systems get added sooner rather than later. Government regulation typically takes four to eight years. 

The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers noted that there are several smartphone apps that can also provide reminders to check the back seat. Waze, for example, has a “Child Reminder” feature which can be found on the settings page under “Reminders.” Some child car seats also include alarm features that can remind drivers that there is a child in the car. 

In an effort to combat vaccine misinformation, Facebook is changing the way it displays content related to vaccination. Going forward, users who search for information on the topic will be shown a pop-up window which prompts them to instead obtain information from a credible source. 

The window will appear whenever a user searches for vaccine-related content, visits a vaccine-related Facebook group or page, or taps a vaccine-related hashtag on Instagram. 

Users based in the U.S. will be directed to the website for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In other parts of the world, users will be sent to the World Health Organization (WHO) page. 

Facebook said the change is part of its ongoing effort to “tackle vaccine misinformation on Facebook by reducing its distribution and providing people with authoritative information on the topic.”

Credible vaccine information

WHO officials applauded Facebook’s initiative to curb misinformation about vaccines, which often spreads rapidly on social media platforms.

“Major digital organizations have a responsibility to their users - to ensure that they can access facts about vaccines and health,” the organization said in a statement. “Vaccine misinformation is a major threat to global health that could reverse decades of progress made in tackling preventable diseases.” 

Pinterest also recently rolled out changes intended to cut down on vaccine misinformation. Just a few weeks ago, the site announced that it will now only display information from credible sources like the WHO. 

A Facebook server containing hundreds of millions of phone numbers linked to accounts on the platform was recently found online and unprotected by a password, TechCrunch reported Wednesday. 

The phone numbers uncovered in the incident were associated with a feature that Facebook shuttered last year on the heels of the Cambridge Analytica scandal. While it was still active, the feature enabled Facebook users to search for someone based on their phone number. 

Security researcher Sanyam Jain disclosed that he found more than 419 million user records stored on the exposed server; 133 million of those records were based in the U.S, and some also had the user’s name, gender, and location by country. 

Information taken offline

In statements to the media, Facebook disputed the number of impacted users reported by TechCrunch. The company said it estimates the number of affected users is roughly half of the 419 million figure, and many entries in the server were duplicates.

Facebook added that it hasn’t found any evidence that user accounts were compromised. 

"This dataset is old and appears to have information obtained before we made changes last year to remove people's ability to find others using their phone numbers," a company spokesperson said. "The dataset has been taken down and we have seen no evidence that Facebook accounts were compromised.

While many consumers may not see the direct correlation between their diet choices and their vision, a recent case could have them rethinking that relationship. 

Researchers from the University of Bristol recently reported on a teenage patient who sustained permanent eye damage because of his junk food-heavy diet. Initially, the patient only complained about being fatigued, but doctors say the problem was much more serious.

“Our vision has such an impact on quality of life, education, employment, social interactions, and mental health,” said Dr. Denize Atan. “This case highlights the impact of diet on visual and physical health, and the fact that calorie intake and BMI are not reliable indicators of nutritional status.” 

Diet can lead to blindness

The researchers explained that the exact cause of the patient’s fatigue was undetermined when he first visited his doctor. Initial blood tests revealed that he was deficient in vitamin B12 and was suffering from macrocytic anemia, a condition that increases the size of the body’s red blood cells.

The patient’s symptoms only worsened, and after a year of B12 injections and recommendations for a change in diet, the patient returned to the doctor with poor vision and hearing. Ultimately, the patient became blind by the time he was 17, at which point doctors began to put together the pieces of his condition. 

Despite being at a healthy weight and body mass index (BMI), the patient’s diet consisted primarily of junk food. The researchers noted that critical vitamins and nutrients that the body needs to remain healthy and functioning were at critically low levels. The patient was diagnosed with nutritional optic neuropathy, which can lead to blindness, as it did in this case, if untreated. 

The researchers hope that this case sheds light on just how far our diet choices can reach. They hope that the case will prompt doctors to question their patients about their food intake, as doing so can help prevent this life-altering condition.

A new study conducted by researchers from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center found that women who follow diets that are low in fat can yield serious health benefits over time, including preventing the onset of serious diseases. 

“The [Women’s Health Initiative’s] Dietary Modification Trial has provided women with nutrition and disease prevention insights for some years,” said Dr. Ross Prentice. 

“The latest results support the role of nutrition in overall health, and indicate that low-fat diets rich in fruits, vegetables, and grains have health benefits without any observed adverse effects.” 

Preventing disease

The researchers began their study over 25 years ago by recruiting nearly 49,000 women, all of whom were post-menopause and who were chosen to either follow a low-fat diet or a control diet that was comprised of recommended daily nutrients. 

The participants followed up with the researchers after nine years of sticking with the diets, at which point there was no significant change in health status in either of the diet groups. The researchers carried on, though, and found that women saw several important health benefits sticking to a low-fat diet for two decades.

Sticking to the low-fat diet for 20 years helped in reducing the number of diabetes cases dependent on insulin by up to 25 percent. Participants were also up to 30 percent less likely to develop cardiovascular disease and up to 35 percent less likely to die from any cause post-breast cancer. 

The word diet alone can come with some confusion, as new studies are constantly popping up with the latest trend to follow, but the researchers from this study offer tangible evidence that just minor changes to a diet that is consistently healthy can really pay off in the long run. 

“The sheer number of new diets and nutrition trends can be overwhelming to people who simply want to know, ‘What should I be eating?’” said Dr. Garnet Anderson. “While there are many diets that provide short-term benefits like weight loss, this study scientifically validates the long-term health effects of a low-fat diet.” 

Cravings can get in the way

Dieting involves reducing the intake of foods high in sugars and fats, though one study found that cravings for these types of foods crop up the most when consumers are trying to be their healthiest.

Researchers found that our yearning for foods high in fat during periods of dieting is actually due to a chemical response in the brain -- and not just our own personal food preferences. 

“Cravings for food high in fat -- this includes many junk foods -- is an important part of obesity and binge eating,” said researcher Jonathan Hommel. “When trying to lose weight, people often strive to avoid fatty foods, which ironically increases motivation and craving for these foods and can lead to overeating. Even worse, the longer someone abstains from fatty foods, the greater the cravings.”

The Boeing 737 MAX, grounded since March, may be back in the air by the end of the year. When it is, United Airlines says you don’t have to fly it if you don’t want to.

Andrew Nocella, chief commercial officer at United, told an investor conference this week that passengers booked aboard flights scheduled to fly the grounded aircraft can change flights without paying a fee.

The 737 MAX was grounded in March after the second fatal crash in five months, believed to be for the same or similar reasons. At the time it was believed the grounding would be for a short time while a software change was made. However, it has extended month after month, forcing the airlines to cancel flights scheduled to use the jet.

"We need to get through the recertification process, return the aircraft to service and see how things go," Nocera said at the conference. "If somebody is uncomfortable getting on the aircraft, we want to make sure we can put them on a different aircraft."

United has little exposure

Of all the domestic airlines, United has the least exposure to the 737 MAX. It was operating only 14 of the jets at the time of the grounding. American and Southwest fly more. Still, the airline is addressing an issue that may prove to be a problem for the aircraft and the airlines that fly it.

Once the world’s aviation authorities declare that the 737 MAX is safe to fly, will passengers still prefer to fly on another aircraft type? And if so, what will it take to calm fears?

The 737 MAX is a variation of the venerable Boeing 737, used by airlines around the world for short hops. Southwest Airline flies the Boeing 737 exclusively and added the 737 MAX 8 to its fleet to accommodate more passengers.

The aircraft type flew for the first time in early 2016 and achieved certification from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) a year later. In October 2018 a Ryan Air 737 MAX 8 crashed on takeoff in Indonesia. In March of this year, an Ethiopian Airlines 737 MAX 8 also crashed on takeoff under similar circumstances.

Similarities

While investigations into the two crashes were completely independent, the similarities of their findings have strongly suggested a common cause. An angle-of-attack sensor, located on the plane’s fuselage, sends a signal to the flight control system if it determines the plane is climbing at too steep an angle, which could lead to a stall.

In both instances, investigators believe the sensor may have transmitted faulty information to the flight control system during takeoff, triggering an automated response that pointed the nose of the plane down when it should have been climbing.

The big question at this point is just exactly when the 737 MAX aircraft will return to service. Boeing officials have said they are hopeful the plan can return to the skies as early as next month.

In the face of forecasts which suggest that consumers are buying fewer new cars and trucks, the evidence in August is to the contrary.

Once all the tallying is completed, August’s light-vehicle sales could beat last August by 100,000 units, as consumers are showing no sign of putting away their wallets. Sales data from Cox Automotive show traffic on dealer websites was strong in August, and a record-level volume of incentives helped drive sales.

While industry analysts were expecting a so-so month for new vehicle sales, Cox says several automakers have reported their best August on record.

“August sales are coming in hot as aggressive incentives lifted the market above our forecast,” said Charlie Chesbrough, senior economist at Cox Automotive. “However, the calendar is significantly impacting today’s results, so a clear interpretation of market strength is difficult. An increase in August sales over last year was almost guaranteed given the extra selling day and inclusion of the Labor Day holiday weekend with August’s results.”

‘Some worrisome signals’

Chesbrough says it’s not yet known who many vehicles were sold at retail dealers and how many were fleet sales. He says strong fleet sales could skew the numbers.

“There are also some worrisome signals in the reported results. Small car sales were up big for some OEMs (original equipment manufacturers), bucking recent trends, while their luxury brand numbers were weak,” Chesbrough said. “This may suggest affordability is having an increasingly large impact on consumer purchases.”

Hyundai, for example, reported its August sales were up 12 percent over August 2018 and increased for the 13th straight month, with SUVs flying off the lot.

Other data suggests buyers are spending more for new cars and trucks, with Kelley Blue Book (KBB) reporting that the average transaction price (ATP) for new vehicles in August was $37,401, up $723 over August 2018.

Fiat Chrysler (FCA) saw the biggest increase in sale price in August, no doubt helped by strong RAM truck sales. The ATP on pickup trucks last month was $50,585, 3 percent higher than August 2018.

Despite the recent media focus on recession concerns, U.S. businesses don’t appear to have slowed their hiring. At least, not yet.

The ADP Research Institute’s monthly private-sector employment report shows businesses added 195,000 jobs in August. The report is different from the Labor Department’s monthly employment report -- which comes out Friday -- because it is derived from ADP's actual payroll data.

According to the report, medium-sized businesses created the most jobs last month -- 77,000 -- followed by small businesses, which contributed 66,000. Large companies created only 2,000 jobs.

Once again, it was the service sector that drove job creation. Companies providing services added 184,000 jobs last month, with the bulk coming in health care, trade/transportation, and professional services. Manufacturing continued to retreat, however, producing only 8,000 new jobs. 

Rebound in jobs

"In August we saw a rebound in private-sector employment," said Ahu Yildirmaz, vice president and co-head of the ADP Research Institute. "This is the first time in the last 12 months that we have seen balanced  job growth across small, medium and large-sized companies." 

Mark Zandi, chief economist of Moody's Analytics, says the takeaway is good news for the overall economy. Despite worries that things may be slowing down, companies are holding firm to their payrolls.

“Hiring has moderated, but layoffs remain low,” Zandi said. “As long as this continues a recession will remain at bay."

But despite the hiring bump, Wall Street is concerned that a recession is in the cards. Analysts note that the “yield curve” has inverted twice in the last four weeks, meaning yields paid on long-term bonds are less than those paid on short term notes. 

Historically, an inverted yield curve signals a recession within the next two years.

Pearhead of New York is recalling about 6,200 Ubbi Connecting Bath Toys.

The toys can break and create a sharp point, posing laceration and choking hazards to young children.

The firm has received two reports of broken bath toys. No injuries have been reported.

This recall involves Ubbi Connecting Bath Toys.

The toys are plastic with a big circle in the middle with an engraved smiley face attached to six smaller circles, and can be connected to one another.

They were sold in a set of six pieces in red, orange, yellow, navy, blue, and green colors.

They were also sold in an Ubbi Bath Toy Gift Set, which includes four sets of bath toys, including the Ubbi Connecting Bath Toy.

The toys, manufactured in China, were sold at buy buy BABY, Nordstrom, Bump Box and other specialty stores nationwide and online at Amazon.com and ubbiworld.com from January 2019, through August 2019, for about $8 for Ubbi Connecting Bath Toys and $40 for the Ubbi Bath Toy Gift Set.

What to do

Consumers should immediately take the recalled toys away from children and return them to Pearhead for a full refund and a free replacement Ubbi Squeeze Bath Toy. Pearhead is contacting all known purchasers directly.

Consumers may contact Pearhead collect at (718) 422-0592 from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. (ET) Monday through Friday, by email service@ubbiworld.com or online at www.ubbiworld.com and click on “Product Recall” at the bottom of the page for more details.

Rite Aid of Camp Hill, Pa., is recalling about 18,800 folding patio chairs.

The chair frame can bend causing the user to fall, posing a risk of injury.

The firm has received four reports of chairs bending unexpectedly, including one report of a minor bruise and one laceration injury.

This recall involves two folding, metal framed patio chairs with padded seats, sold in tan and gray.

The chairs measure about 24 inches long by 22 inches wide by 37 inches high.

UPC number 011822956628 and item number 9043325-MMXIX are printed on the packaging of the tan chair.

UPC number 011822952361 and item number 9044998-MMXIX are printed on the packaging of the gray chair.

The chairs, manufactured in China, were sold at Rite Aid stores nationwide and online at RiteAid.com from February 2019, through June of 2019, for about $30

What to do

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled chairs and return them to any Rite Aid store for a full refund.

Consumers may contact Rite Aid at (800) 748-3243 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (ET) Monday through Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, or online at www.riteaid.com and click on "Product Recalls" at the bottom of the page under “Customer Care” at the bottom of the page for more information.