Current Events in November 2019

Ford Motor Company is recalling about 60,000 model year 2016-17 Lincoln MKXs with 3.7-liter engines.

The battery cable harness may have substandard clearance, which could allow the harness to contact the transmission shifter cable bracket.

Contact between the battery cable harness and the transmission shifter cable bracket could wear through the insulation of the cable, resulting in the cable shorting to ground, increasing the risk of overheated or melted wiring, as well as fire.

What to do

Ford will notify owners, and dealers will remove the four battery harness clips at the battery tray and one elbow guide, then install a wire channel shield and protective sleeve to the battery cable harness free of charge

Owners may contact Ford customer service at (866) 436-733. Ford's reference number for this recall is 19S41.

Chrysler is recalling 30,354 model year 2019 Dodge Grand Caravans.

The welds on the outboard rear seat strikers for the second row bench and second row bucket seats may fail during a front impact crash. The front outboard seat strikers for the third row bench seats may fail in the event of a rear impact crash.

In addition, the second row bench and bucket seats may not withstand the required loads.

If the seat strikers fail, the seat or seat belt may not adequately restrain the occupant, increasing the risk of injury.

What to do

Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will weld in a striker reinforcement bracket on the second and third row outboard seat strikers free of charge.

The recall is expected to begin December 13, 2019.

Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at (800) 853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is V91.

Taher is recalling 7.5-oz packages of Fresh Seasons Kitchen Veggie & Ranch Cup.

The products may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes

No illnesses or injuries have been reported to date.

This recalled product, sold between October 30, 2019, and November 4, 2019, in select cafeterias and vending machines in Minnesota, has a UPC number of 8 10106 020334 and a sell by date of November 11, 2019.

What to do

Customers who have questions about the recall may contact the firm at (952) 945-0505 or by email at communications@taher.com.

The holidays can be a stressful time for many reasons, but one overriding concern may be the money that’s involved. Gift-giving can put a strain on any budget if it’s not properly managed.

A new survey by Union Bank focuses on how consumers -- especially young people -- view their spending around the holidays. Previous surveys have shown mixed results when it comes to the projected total spending this holiday season, but it’s likely that some things will remain constant -- we’ll probably end up spending more than we planned.

A surprising 44 percent of millennials say they will use the amount of money they are spending on the holidays as an excuse not to travel home for the holidays. They plan to tell Mom and Dad they just don’t have money for airfare after purchasing and shipping all the gifts.

More than half of millennials say they feel pressure when it comes to making out a gift list and buying gifts for people they aren’t that crazy about. They’re not alone in that regard, with 40 percent of consumers generally feeling that way.

Gifts for Mom and me

Twenty percent of GenZers, the generation right behind millennials, are allocating the biggest portions of their gift budgets to Mom -- and themselves, spending up to $500 on the two gifts.

Holiday spending issues can also add stress to relationships. Half the consumers interviewed admit to not being on the same page with their significant other when considering gifts for one another.

"While many of us enjoy spending time with family and friends during the holiday season, it can also be a stressful time of year for many," said Pierre Habis, head of consumer banking at Union Bank. "In fact, we find that people feel pressure to overspend and may make poor financial decisions at this time of year, the repercussions of which can linger for months into the New Year.”

Habis says couples, especially, should use the holidays as an opportunity to talk about money and learn to adopt better financial habits.

Six months to pay for the holidays

The survey shows that two-thirds of consumers will set out with a holiday spending budget that they’ll overshoot. Researchers say that these consumers will take six months to financially recover so they can pay off the resulting credit card debt. Thirty percent admit to overspending just to impress family and friends.

Even though a lot of holiday purchases have already been made, it’s still not too late to control spending through the end of the year.

Cambridge Credit Counseling, a non-profit credit counselor, advises its clients not to use credit cards for holiday spending since it easy to run up huge bills. If using cash is not always practical, consider purchasing a gift card from one of the credit card companies preloaded with a set amount of cash. Once the balance reaches $0, your shopping is done.

The personal data circus recently welcomed a new act -- one some consumers might not have known about, but one that definitely needs to be addressed if they haven’t done so already.

According to The Security Research Team at Checkmarx, a vulnerability was found in both the Google and Samsung camera app that allowed hackers to commandeer the app and take photos and/or record videos via a malicious application that had zero permission to go that far. 

Making matters worse, the Checkmarx folks found that -- depending on how the attacks were set up -- a hacker could go into a consumer’s phone, skirt around various permission triggers, and access stored videos/photosb as well as any location data embedded in those files. That nuance is particularly concerning since that data could pinpoint exactly where the user was when the photo/video was taken.

“Our researchers determined a way to enable a rogue application to force the camera apps to take photos and record video, even if the phone is locked or the screen is turned off,” Checkmarx’ Erez Yalon wrote. “Our researchers could do the same even when a user was in the middle of a voice call.”

The fix is in

Thankfully, companies like Google and Samsung have the ability to act quickly, and they did exactly that when Checkmarx alerted them to the issue.

“We appreciate Checkmarx bringing this to our attention and working with Google and Android partners to coordinate disclosure,” a Google spokesperson told ConsumerAffairs. “The issue was addressed on impacted Google devices via a Play Store update to the Google Camera Application in July 2019. A patch has also been made available to all partners.”

Checkmarx confirms that both Google and Samsung have issued a fix. All the same, every Google or Samsung user should take the time to make sure their respective camera apps are up to date.

“The professionalism shown by both Google and Samsung does not go unnoticed. Both were a pleasure to work with due to their responsiveness, thoroughness, and timeliness,” wrote Yalon.

“This type of research activity is part of our ongoing efforts to drive the necessary changes in software security practices among vendors that manufacture consumer-based smartphones and IoT devices, while bringing more security awareness amid the consumers who purchase and use them. Protecting (the) privacy of consumers must be a priority for all of us in today’s increasingly connected world.”

California is once again pushing back against the Trump administration’s plan to revoke its ability to set its own emissions standards. The state has announced that it will soon ban all government purchases of cars from the four automakers who have sided with Trump on the issue. 

Starting in January, the state said it will only buy from automakers that have committed to upholding California’s more stringent emissions standards. 

Over the past several months, GM, Toyota, Fiat Chrysler, and members of the Global Automakers trade association have agreed to get on board with the administration’s plan to introduce a “new and uniform standard” in the U.S. 

Meanwhile, Ford, Honda, BMW, and Volkwagen have gone in the opposite direction, committing to meeting California’s tougher standards instead of those proposed by the Trump administration. 

In a statement published Friday, the California Department of General Services (DGS) said its latest action is intended to help minimize the state government’s carbon footprint.

“Our state continues to lead by example by eliminating sedans solely powered by gas,” said DGS Director Daniel C. Kim. “This is one of many steps California has taken, and will continue to take, to drive demand for green vehicles. The nation looks to California to drive positive environmental change, and we will not waver from our commitment to that effort.”

California against Trump administration

As the battle over emissions continues, California officials have promised to fight to retain the state’s legal authority to implement clean car standards to help address the "extraordinary and compelling air pollution issues" affecting the state.  

California and 22 states recently filed a lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) which seeks to prevent the Trump administration from revoking its authority to set its own emission standards. 

“Car makers that have chosen to be on the wrong side of history will be on the losing end of California’s buying power,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom tweeted on Monday. “In court, and in the marketplace, California is standing up to those who put short-term profits ahead of our health and our future.”

GM responds

California purchased $58.6 million worth of vehicles from General Motors, $55.8 million from Fiat Chrysler, and $10.6 million from Toyota between 2016 and 2018, according to Reuters. 

A GM spokeswoman argued in a statement that stripping the state of its ability to buy the company’s electric Bolt would only detract from its mission of tackling pollution problems affecting the state.  

“Removing vehicles like the Chevy Bolt and prohibiting GM and other manufacturers from consideration will reduce California’s choices for affordable, American-made electric vehicles and limit its ability to reach its goal of minimizing the state government’s carbon footprint, a goal that GM shares,” said GM spokeswoman Jeannine Ginivan. 

The Trump administration is currently considering requiring a 1.5 percent increase in fuel efficiency. Final requirements are expected to be announced by the end of the year.

Amazon is doing a slow reveal of some of its Black Friday bargains after Walmart and Target have also begun to whet shoppers’ appetites.

Like last year, the online retailer plans to stage a “Black Friday deals week,” with daily deals starting Friday, Nov. 22 and running through Black Friday itself, Nov. 29.

Deals cover several different categories. Deals on Amazon devices include:

• Echo Dot is $27.99 off – $22.00 or a 3-pack for $64.97;

• All-new Echo Dot with clock is $25 off, taking the price to $34.99;

• Echo Show 5 is $40 off, reducing the price to  $49.99;

• All-new Echo is $40 off –  $59.99; and

• Echo Input is $20 off – $14.99.

Amazon is marking down several products among its own brands. Some of them are:

• Up to 50 percent off on men's and women’s clothing from Amazon Brands, including Amazon Essentials, Goodthreads, Daily Ritual, and The Drop;

• A 30 percent discount on bedding & bath for the family from AmazonBasics, Stone & Beam and Rivet;

• Up to 30 percent off on furniture from Rivet and Stone & Beam;

• Up to 30 percent off on office furniture and supplies from AmazonBasics; and

• Up to 30 percent on phone accessories from AmazonBasics.

A lot of toys made the list of daily deals. They include up to 40 percent off on:

• The LEGO Star Wars Ultimate Millennium Falcon;

• Tricycles and the 3-in-1 Wagon from Radio Flyer;

• The KidKraft Cinderella Royal Dream House; and

• The Little Tikes Bake n’ Grow Kitchen.

The retailer is marking down select strategy games, Glitter Girls fashion dollars and accessories, Barbie toys, and Hot Wheels by up to 30 percent.

Free music expansion

Amazon has also announced that its free music service, previously playable only on the Amazon Echo, will now be accessible on more devices. The ad-supported music streaming service can be played on iPhones, Android devices, and Fire TV.

The free music service can be used to play radio stations or create playlists, much like Pandora’s free service. Amazon also provides a music streaming service that is part of its Prime membership.

For other gift ideas and discounts, the shopping monitor website BestBlackFriday.com has published Black Friday ad scans for other major retailers.

California has filed a lawsuit accusing Juul of deliberately targeting minors through its marketing tactics and product design. 

The complaint accuses the e-cigarette maker of failing to adequately warn consumers of the fact that they would be exposed to chemicals associated with cancer and birth defects. Additionally, Juul is accused of using a “flawed” age-verification process for online sales.

“We’ve worked too hard, committed our hard-earned money for too long combatting harmful tobacco use to stand idly by as we now lose Californians to vaping and nicotine addiction,” California’s Attorney General Xavier Becerra said in a statement.

“JUUL adopted the tobacco industry’s infamous playbook, employing advertisements that had no regard for public health and searching out vulnerable targets. Today we take legal action against the deceptive practices that JUUL and the e-cigarette industry employ to lure our kids into their vaping web. We will hold JUUL and any other company that fuels a public health crisis accountable.”

Teen vaping crisis 

The suit comes as lawmakers attempt to combat a surge in teen vaping. The Trump administration has proposed banning flavored e-cigarette products and/or bumping the minimum vaping age to “21 or so.”

Becerra noted that the number of high school students vaping in 2019 is 27.5 percent, up from 11.7 percent in 2017. He attributed the rise in teen vaping to the array of fruit-flavored products that were created. 

“JUUL has systematically targeted the teen market with everything from the design of their products to their advertisements,” said Supervisor Hahn. “With this lawsuit we are going to hold JUUL accountable for their hand in this public health crisis and do what we can to stop this company from creating a new generation of nicotine addicts.”

Juul has previously said it shares regulators’ concerns about its products getting into the hands of minors. In a statement, the company said it hasn’t yet reviewed the latest complaint but remains “focused on resetting the vapor category in the U.S. and earning the trust of society by working cooperatively with attorneys general, regulators, public health officials, and other stakeholders to combat underage use and convert adult smokers from combustible cigarettes.” 

Juul noted that it recently stopped sales of fruit and mint-flavored vape products and suspended all broadcast, print, and digital product advertising in the U.S. in an effort to minimize its appeal to youth users. 

“Our customer base is the world's 1 billion adult smokers and we do not intend to attract underage users,” Juul said. 

The lawsuit, which was announced on Monday, seeks monetary damages based on violations of California laws related to false advertising and unfair competition.

Recent studies have discovered the ways that parenting styles can yield positive or negative outcomes in kids. Similarly, a new study conducted by researchers from West Virginia University explored the effect that helicopter parenting can have on kids as they enter into adulthood. 

The study revealed that most parents who exhibit this style with their kids are from higher-income families. Their hyper-involvement can lead to difficulties with their child’s self-regulation and their understanding of what they’re actually capable of achieving by the time they’re young adults. 

“Unfortunately, I think the term for those children is ‘hothouse children,’” said researcher Kristin Moilanen. “I think they’ve been raised to be these sort of delicate flowers under these very well-controlled conditions and -- just like a tropical plant -- they’re vulnerable whenever these conditions are exceeded, which is a scary thought.” 

How kids are affected by this parenting style

Though the researchers cite the recent Hollywood college admissions scandal as the most prominent example of the consequences of this style of parenting, for the purposes of this study, young adults completed online surveys to report on their experiences with helicopter parenting. 

Young people between the ages of 18 and 24 participated in the study by responding to the ways that their parents were overly involved with their success. The responses disregarded whether the involvement was child-driven or parent-driven, seeking instead to determine the potential ways that such behavior affected developing children. 

The researchers learned that the majority of the participants experienced adverse effects as the result of helicopter parenting. Perhaps most importantly, the participants reported difficulties with emotional well-being, as they had trouble defining their sense of self and establishing proper responses to impulses and emotions. 

Moreover, they struggled with their confidence, increased anxiety, and depression as they tried to cope with their parents’ constant interference. 

Though these findings shed light on the widespread effects that this parenting style can have on kids as they enter into adulthood, all hope may not be lost. Moilanen offered some lasting words of encouragement.

“Most kids turn out fine and learn to ‘adult’ on their own,” she said. 

Marketing companies have been accused of targeting teens when it comes to vaping, so it should come as no surprise to many consumers that a similar trend has emerged with alcohol. 

According to a new study conducted by researchers from Iowa State University, marketing teams for beer companies are spurring on underage drinking by the way they target the attention of young people.

“We can’t say from this one study that advertisers are specifically targeting youth, but they are hitting them,” said researcher Douglas Gentile. “If you look at beer ads, advertisers are using all the tricks we know work at grabbing children’s attention.” 

Luring in young people

The researchers looked at two main factors to best determine the effect that beer manufacturers’ advertisements had on the likelihood that underage drinkers would purchase their products: the ads themselves and nearly 1,600 survey responses from students in grades seven through twelve. 

The study revealed that the beer manufacturers pulled out all the stops when it came to attracting young people, as they utilized techniques that most appeal to the younger demographic. The researchers explained that the companies may not be intentionally trying to tempt young people, but their efforts -- such as special effects, humor, and animation -- are all tactics that are used primarily in youth-focused ads. 

The survey responses discovered that the advertisers were effective, as 99 percent of young participants in the study recognized the top two beer advertisers on the market -- Budweiser and Bud Light. Moreover, 55 percent of the students had had at least one drink in the last year, and over 40 percent reported heavy drinking in that same time span. 

Many of the students involved in the study reported ads as one factor that could influence their drinking habits into adulthood. The researchers say it’s important for advertisers to understand the effect that their work has on people of all ages, though perhaps most importantly young people. 

“Viewers or readers aren’t thinking about the message through a critical lens,” said researcher Kristi Costabile. “Instead, audiences become immersed in a compelling story and identify with the characters, a process which leads them to unintentionally be persuaded by the messages of the story.” 

A vegan consumer has filed suit against Burger King, charging its meatless Impossible Whopper shares a cooking surface with the restaurant’s beef burgers and is therefore “contaminated” with meat residue.

The consumer, Phillip Williams, filed suit in federal court in Miami saying he would not have purchased an Impossible Whopper had he known it would have been “coated in meat by-products.” Williams is seeking class status for all other vegan consumers who have purchased an Impossible Whopper.

Williams’ suit is asking the court to issue an injunction to require the fast-food chain to “plainly disclose” the way impossible Whoppers are prepared. Burger King’s parent company declined to comment.

But the company’s defense may rest on how the product was presented to the public from the beginning. Burger King’s website has always described the Impossible Whopper as a menu item for consumers looking for something other than meat. It says a non-broiler method of preparation is “available upon request.”

‘Not designed for vegetarians’

Impossible Foods, which helped create the Impossible Whopper, went a step further. The company says the product was never designed for vegans or vegetarians, but for meat-eaters who want to add more plant-based food to their diet.

Burger King introduced the meatless Whopper in a small trial last spring and after several weeks, declared it a success. Within weeks, the company said the meatless Whopper had resulted in a noticeable increase in traffic at the St. Louis area stores where the Impossible Whopper was being sold.

The controversy over “meat contamination” goes back to August when Bloomberg published an interview with Chris Finazzo, Burger King’s president in the Americas region, who said the Impossible Whopper would be cooked with the same broilers as the beef patties.

General Motors is recalling 341 model year 2019-2020 Buick Regals.

The driver or passenger front seat frames may have a lower crossbar that was improperly welded.

Seats with improper welds may not provide adequate protection in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of an injury.

What to do

GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the crossbar welds on the front seats. If the crossbar is improperly welded, the seat will be replaced free of charge.

The manufacturer has not yet provided a notification schedule.

Owners may contact Buick customer service at (800) 521-7300. GM's number for this recall is N192278300.

Russ Davis Wholesale is recalling multiple vegetable products that may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

No illnesses have been reported to date.

The following products are being recalled:

The recalled products were delivered to retail stores in Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, South Dakota, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Iowa, Montana, Nebraska and Wyoming.

What to do

Customers who purchased the recalled products should not consume, but discard them.

Consumers with questions may contact the company at (877) 433-2173 between 8:00 am and 5:00pm (CST) or by email at customerservice@russdaviswholesale.com.

Nissan North America is recalling 394,025 model year 2015-2018 Nissan Muranos, model year 2016-2018 Nissan Maximas, and model year 2017-2019 Nissan Pathfinders & Infiniti QX60s.

These vehicles were previously recalled and unrepaired, or inspected and determined to not need a repair, under an earlier recall.

In addition, this recall expands the previous population. The Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) actuator pumps may allow brake fluid to leak onto an internal circuit board.

A brake fluid leak on the circuit board may result in an electrical short, increasing the risk of a fire.

What to do

If the ABS warning light remains illuminated for more than ten seconds after engine start up, owners should park the vehicle outdoors away from other vehicles or structures and not drive it.

Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ABS actuator free of charge.

Interim notices informing owners of the safety risk are expected to be mailed beginning December 2, 2019. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available, currently expected to be during summer 2020.

Owners may contact Nissan customer service at (800) 867-7669.

Will Ford’s new Mustang be the next to take on category-leading Tesla in the e-car derby? It certainly looks like it.

On Monday, Ford Motor Company announced that it’s rolling out an all-electric Mustang Mach-E SUV as the brand family’s latest edition -- the first time the automaker has expanded its Mustang lineup in 55 years.

Ford, Audi, Volkswagen, Honda, Chevrolet, and more than 40 others automakers are already in the e-car niche, but electric cars have a long way to go before reaching the same level of consumer acceptance fuel-powered vehicles have.

Nonetheless, there’s solid growth in the electric car field that no automaker can scoff at. By InsideEVs estimation, 2019’s rate-of-sale will more than double the number of electric vehicles sold in 2018. 

Tesla is, by far, the lead dog in this race. Last year, its award-winning -- but oops-prone -- Model 3 sold approximately 140,000 units. That $5 billion of potential sales no doubt caught the eye of Ford’s bean counters.

What makes the e-Mustang different than the rest?

Ford’s banking on four key differentiators to move the new Mustang to the front of the pack:

• Connected vehicle technology. Ford is relying on the cloud for its “all-new infotainment system,” which supposedly will allow the automaker to update programming and functionality on the fly.

• Muscle. In Ford’s shameless self-promoting verbiage, the “Mustang Mach-E GT Performance Edition brings the thrills Mustang is famous for, targeting 0-60 mph in the mid-3-second range and an estimated 342 kW (459 horsepower) and 830 Nm (612 lb.-ft.) of torque.” In other words, blistering fast.

• More charging stations. Thanks to Ford’s dealership tentacles, it says it can provide more than 12,500 public charging stations to the new Mustang’s owners. To help the owners pinpoint where those charging stations are, the car’s connected navigation system is designed to constantly run in the background, identifying charging locations and nudging drivers when and where a good time to recharge is.

• Range. Ford says it’s “targeting” an EPA-estimated range of at least 300 miles -- a ballpark driving distance of, say, Houston to New Orleans, St. Louis to Chicago, or Los Angeles to San Jose. Best intentions aside, the company says final EPA-estimated ratings will not be available until the 2020 calendar year.

“The Mustang Mach-E wholeheartedly rejects the notion that electric vehicles are only good at reducing gas consumption,” said Hau Thai-Tang, Ford’s chief product development and purchasing officer, in a news release. 

“People want a car that’s thrilling to drive, that looks gorgeous and that can easily adapt to their lifestyle – and the Mustang Mach-E delivers all of this in unmatched style.”

Did someone say SUV?

If you’re thinking that this new Mustang is a sleek throwback to the model’s glory days as a fastback, it’s not. This is an SUV.

And that “SUV” reference point might be a buzzkill for Mustang enthusiasts. Ford’s doing its best jig to try and get around that killjoy by saying its new e-car entrant has some original Mustang-like features built in.

“Since there's no engine, electric vehicles don't need a long hood, but the Mustang Mach-E has one,” observed CNN’s Peter Valdes-Dapena. “That's a classic performance design cue, but it also helps maintain the Mustang family resemblance. It also has a black rooftop, no matter the paint color on the rest of the car, creating the illusion of a low sloping roofline. The taillights spread out horizontally to increase the perception of width and make the vehicle seem more planted and stable like a sports car.”

How to get your own

Ford’s new e-Mustang will be available to consumers come 2020, but interested consumers can plop down a $500 deposit and reserve their own, now. 

As with similar reservation processes, this one also comes with a couple of Ford-imposed caveats: 1) The $500 deposit only allows configuration of a vehicle; 2) the reservation process is not an order or purchase of a vehicle, and a deposit does not guarantee delivery of a vehicle. 

On Friday, Twitter unveiled the final details of its plan to ban political advertising.

In late October, the company announced that it would start prohibiting paid political ads on the platform beginning November 22. CEO Jack Dorsey said the move was rooted in the belief that “political message reach should be earned, not bought.” 

Twitter promised that it would have a detailed policy in place by November 15, and the company held true to its word, publishing the new policy on Friday. In it, Twitter said it would prohibit political content in paid ads from candidates and political parties. 

The company clarified that it will continue to allow certain ads related to politics, as long as they are “cause based” and can “facilitate public conversation around important topics.” Other than that, Twitter will no longer allow ads promoting any type of legislation, ballot measure, referendum, or regulation. 

“We define political content as content that references a candidate, political party, elected or appointed government official, election, referendum, ballot measure, legislation, regulation, directive, or judicial outcome,” the company said. 

Twitter said it’s also banning “ads that contain references to political content, including appeals for votes, solicitations of financial support, and advocacy for or against any of the above-listed types of political content, are prohibited under this policy.” 

Cause based ads allowed

The new guidance carves out an exemption for “cause based” advertising. Twitter states that it will allow “ads that educate, raise awareness, and/or call for people to take action in connection with civic engagement, economic growth, environmental stewardship, or social equity causes.”

However, ads that meet the criteria can only be targeted to the state, province, or region level. 

“Zipcode level targeting is not allowed,” the company said. “Keyword and interest targeting may not include terms associated with political content, prohibited advertisers, or political leanings or affiliations (e.g., 'conservative,' 'liberal,' 'political elections,' etc.).” 

Vijaya Gadde, policy lead at Twitter, said the company realizes its in “new territory” and is prepared to make some mistakes. 

“As with every policy we put into practice, it will evolve and we’ll be listening to your feedback,” she tweeted. 

A coalition of states filed a lawsuit on Friday seeking to prevent the Trump administration from revoking California’s ability to set its own emissions standards. 

California and 22 other states are suing the EPA and other agencies in an effort to stop the administration from undoing parts of California’s Clean Air Act waiver, which gives the state the authority to set strict greenhouse gas and zero-emission vehicle standards. 

“The Trump administration is trying to undo the progress we've made as a state and as a nation over the past decades. We can't afford to do that. We cannot afford to backslide in our battle against climate change,” California Attorney General Xavier Becerra told reporters.

Follows a similar lawsuit

The suit is separate from one filed in September, the same month Trump announced that he was revoking California’s waiver. When the move was announced, California officials promised to challenge Trump’s effort to introduce a “new and uniform standard” in the U.S. 

In the earlier lawsuit, which was led by California, nearly two dozen states targeted the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in an attempt to block a complementary decision. States argue in the latest suit that the EPA doesn’t have the authority to revoke the waiver. 

Noting that California has received over 100 waivers from the agency over the past several decades, the suit argues that the move is “unprecedented in the multi-decade history of waiver requests.”

Becerra added that the waivers help support California’s mission to combat the "extraordinary and compelling air pollution issues" affecting the state. He called the lawsuit “one part of a multi-part effort to push back on these Trump administration attacks on our clean car standards, on our environment and our state's public health.”

Trump administration against California

Trump has argued that revoking California's waiver will help automakers “produce far less expensive cars for the consumer, while at the same time making the cars substantially SAFER.” 

The Justice Department recently launched an antitrust investigation into four automakers who sided with Trump on the matter. Meanwhile, California has pushed back by banning government car purchases from those four automakers. 

“Car makers that have chosen to be on the wrong side of history will be on the losing end of California’s buying power,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement. “In court, and in the marketplace, California is standing up to those who put short-term profits ahead of our health and our future.”