News in December 2019

Ford Motor Company is recalling about 3,900 model year 2020 Ford Explorers and Lincoln Aviators.

The convolute protective sleeve on the liquid fuel line is not long enough, which may allow for potential hard contact with the convolute-protected vapor fuel line.

Over time, with vibration and engine roll, hard contact between the two fuel lines could cause the convolute on the vapor fuel line to rub through the plastic liquid fuel line. A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.

Ford has not received any reports of accident, injury or fire.

What to do

Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect vehicles for a full-length yellow-colored protective convolute on the liquid fuel line. If the convolute does not cover the full length of the liquid fuel line, dealers will remove the existing convolute, replace it with one that has the correct length and secure it with a tie strap.

Owners may contact Ford customer service at (866) 436-7332. Ford's reference number for this recall is19S49.

If you were to take stock following the holiday shopping season, it would be hard to find an area in which Amazon didn’t see growth. 

Despite a shorter holiday shopping season between Thanksgiving and Christmas, the online retailer reports that it sold billions of items through its network and signed up millions of consumers for its Prime membership. The company cited special deals on some of the busiest shopping days throughout November and December as being a big driver for its success.

“Throughout the season, Amazon offered customers incredible deals every day and deeper discounts and more Deals of the Day than ever before during shopping events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday,” the company said. 

Amazon devices and Prime memberships

While independent and third-party companies that use Amazon’s network produced over a billion sales over the holiday period, the online retailer says that some of its own products and services were big hits with consumers this year. 

The company says it sold “tens of millions” of Amazon devices, including the Echo Dot, Fire TV Stick with Alexa Voice Remote, and Echo Show 5. It also experienced an 80 percent year-over-year increase in the number of people who used its grocery delivery service through Whole Foods and Amazon Fresh.

Perhaps the biggest highlight may have been the number of consumers who signed up for Amazon’s Prime membership. The company reports that over five million consumers signed up for the program over the holidays, though it remains to be seen if those memberships will hold as we move into 2020. 

“This holiday season has been better than ever thanks to our customers and employees all around the world,” added Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos. “On behalf of all Amazonians, we wish everyone the happiest of holidays and a fantastic 2020.”

Consumers have started taking more eco-friendly measures, including switching up their eating and shopping habits, in an effort to be kinder to the earth. However, a new study discovered how certain conservation efforts could come with some unexpected repercussions. 

Researchers from Michigan State University found that reforestation efforts, which work to transform farmland into forests as a means of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, often come with rather large price tags that the poorest farmers are left to pay. 

“The ignorance of this hidden cost might leave local communities under-compensated under the program and exacerbate poverty,” said researcher Hongbo Yang. “Such problems may ultimately compromise the sustainability of conservation. As losses due to human-wildlife conflicts increase, farmers may increasingly resent conservation efforts.” 

Where do the costs come from?

To understand how farmers can become vulnerable to unexpected costs and other constraints on their general day-to-day tasks, the researchers evaluated the effects of a popular reforestation effort in China known as the Grain-to-Green Program (GTGP).  

In transforming part of their land from cropland to forests, the researchers learned that the farmers' livelihoods were seriously compromised, as they now had smaller plots of land to reap profits from. 

While this alone was troubling, the research also revealed that the transformation process, though beneficial to the environment, proved to be the perfect atmosphere for bugs and other pests. So, the farmers not only had less farmland to work with, but what they did have was compromised by an assortment of critters. 

The researchers worked to estimate how these efforts affected farmers’ bottom lines, and they determined that farmers lost nearly 30 percent of their earnings, while nearly 65 percent of their goods were destroyed by pestering wildlife. 

“Those sweeping conservation efforts in returning cropland to vegetated land might have done so with an until-now hidden consequence: it increased the wildlife damage to remaining cropland and thus caused unintended cost that whittled away at the program’s compensation for farmers,” said Yang. 

Finding better conservation policies

Moving forward, the researchers are concerned with how these conservation efforts could affect farmers, particularly those already struggling monetarily. They hope that new efforts can be initiated that are beneficial to all parties. 

“Conservation policies only can endure, and be declared successful, when both nature and humans thrive,” and researcher Jianguo Liu. “Many of these trade-offs and inequities are difficult to spot unless you take a very broad, deep look at the situation, yet these balances are crucial to success.” 

With a record number of holiday motorists on the nation’s highways in recent days, demand for gasoline remains high and prices have remained mostly stable.

The AAA Fuel Gauge Survey shows the national average price of regular gas is $2.55 a gallon, the same as a week ago. Prices remain at an average of 26 cents a gallon more than at this time last year. The average price of premium gas is $3.14 a gallon, the same as last Friday. The price of diesel is also the same as drivers paid a week ago -- $2.99 a gallon.

AAA estimates that more than 100 million Americans will be on the road during the period from Christmas through the New Years’ holiday, but stable oil prices and few refinery issues have helped keep up with demand. Only about a dozen states are seeing more expensive gas prices, with increases of less than a dime a gallon.

“AAA forecasts that 104 million Americans will travel by car – the most on record – for a year-end holiday,” said Jeanette Casselano, AAA spokesperson. “The substantial number of motorists has caused some state averages to increase heading into the holiday week, but these jumps aren’t big and won’t last long or linger past the holiday season.”

But in a Tweet Thursday, Patrick DeHaan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, reported that prices are beginning to rise in Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana.

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 ($3.57)

• Washington ($3.18) 

• Nevada ($3.05)

• Oregon ($3.04) 

• Alaska ($3.01)

• Arizona ($2.84)

• Pennsylvania ($2.75)

• Utah ($2.73)

• Idaho ($2.70) 

The states with the cheapest regular gas

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

• Missouri ($2.19)

• Mississippi ($2.21)

• Texas ($2.22)

• Oklahoma ($2.23)

• Louisiana ($2.24)

• Arkansas ($2.25)

• Alabama ($2.27)

• Kansas ($2.25)

• South Carolina ($2.28)

• Tennessee ($2.30)

Ford is recalling 261,000 model year 2017-19 Ford F-250, F-350 and F-450 Super Duty trucks.

In vehicles with an electric tailgate latch-release switch mounted in the tailgate handle, water entering the electrical wiring system may cause a short circuit, resulting in unintended switch activation and release of the tailgate latches.

This could cause the tailgate to open unintentionally, whether the vehicle is in motion or stationary resulting in the loss of unrestrained cargo, and increasing the risk of a crash.

Ford is not aware of any reports of accident or injury.

What to do

Ford will notify owners, and dealers will modify the tailgate frame wiring harnesses by adding jumper pigtails to isolate the tailgate release control circuits and install a new tailgate handle release switch.

Owners may contact Ford customer service at (866) 436-7332. Ford's reference number for this recall is 19S48.

Montpak International
of Canada is recalling approximately 2,804 pounds of veal bone, cutlet items and lamb carcasses.

The products that were not presented for import re-inspection into the U.S.

There are no confirmed reports of adverse reactions.

The following products, imported on December 4, 2019, are being recalled:

• 40-lb. bulk boxes containing “VEAL Bones” with a SKU 97507U and PRODUCT OF CANADA (“CANADA 96” in the Canadian mark of inspection) represented on the label.
• 50-lb. bulk boxes containing “VEAL Marrow bones” with a SKU 97660U and PRODUCT OF CANADA (“CANADA 96” in the Canadian mark of inspection) represented on the label.
• 10-lb. bulk boxes containing “MECHANICALLY TENDERIZED VEAL LEG CUTLET 2 OZ CHUNKS” and EST 1809 and PACKED ON DEC-10-19 represented on the label.
• 10-lb. bulk boxes containing “MECHANICALLY TENDERIZED VEAL LEG CUTLET 2 OZ EYE RND” and EST 1809 and PACKED ON DEC-10-19 represented on the label.
• Whole carcasses of lamb wrapped in cheese cloth.
• The recalled products, bearing establishment number “CANADA 96” in the Canadian mark of inspection or “EST 1809” on the box, were shipped to distributors in New Jersey, New York and Virginia.

What to do

Distributors should not release these products to retailers, but discard or return them to the place of purchase.

Consumers with questions may contact Robert Mailhot at (514) 245-1553.

Toysmith of Sumner Wash., is recalling about 58,000 Light-Up Magic Wands sold in the U.S., and Canada.

The battery cover can detach and expose the button-cell batteries, posing choking and ingestion hazards to young children.

The firm has received one report of a child swallowing one of the batteries removed from the toy. Medical attention was required to remove the battery.

This recall includes a fuchsia colored Light-Up Magic Wand topped with a star that flashes and makes noise. The recalled wands have a manufacturing date code printed in white on the bottom portion of the wand.

Only magic wands with date codes between March 2018 (3/18/373) and June 2019 (6/19/373) are included in the recall. The UPC code 085761220034 and can be found on the hangtag.

The wands, manufactured in China, were sold at Carter’s stores and various toy, grocery, hobby and gift retailers nationwide from June 2018, through October 2019, for about $5.

What to do

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled magic wands, place them out of the reach of children and return them to store where purchased for a refund.

Consumers may contact Toysmith at (800) 356-0474 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. (PT) Monday through Friday, by email at info@toysmith.com or online atwww.toysmith.com and click on “Safety Info” at the bottom of the page for more information.

The United Parcel Service (UPS) says that consumers will return more packages this year than they did last year in the wake of the holiday season. If that prediction comes true, it would be the seventh straight year of record-breaking returns.

The company says the largest spike in returns will happen on January 2, which it has dubbed as “National Returns Day.” It predicts that 1.9 million packages will be returned within its network that day, which would mark a 26 percent increase from last year.

“This process is a change from years past, when consumers would rush to physical retailers the day after Christmas and stand in long lines to make returns,” UPS said in a press release. “Now, consumers make purchases with returns in mind.”

“For retailers, a seamless returns process is essential to keeping and growing business,” added UPS chief marketing officer Keven Warren.

Strong holiday sales

UPS’ package return prediction has been lent some weight due to the large number of online sales that occurred over the 2019 holiday shopping season. A report by Mastercard showed that e-commerce holiday sales rose by nearly 15 percent over 2018, and overall retail spending increased by over 3 percent after excluding auto purchases. 

The strong sales numbers are even more impressive because the holiday shopping season was shorter this year. Because Thanksgiving fell on November 28, retailers had six fewer holiday shopping days to work with. However, that shortened time period may have helped push some consumers’ shopping online.

“E-commerce sales hit a record high this year with more people doing their holiday shopping online,” said Steve Sadove, a Mastercard senior adviser. “Due to later than usual Thanksgiving holiday, we saw retailers offering omnichannel sales earlier in the season meeting consumers’ demand for the best deals across all channels and devices.” 

Despite a later start than usual due to Thanksgiving falling on November 28, the holiday shopping season finished a strong note. 

A report published on Christmas day by Mastercard showed that U.S. online sales finished at record-high levels, growing by 18.8 percent over last year. Overall, online sales made up just under 15 percent of all sales over the holiday shopping season from Thanksgiving to Christmas, and overall retail sales finished 3.4 percent higher (excluding auto sales) than they did last year.

“E-commerce sales hit a record high this year with more people doing their holiday shopping online,” said Mastercard senior adviser Steve Sadove in a statement. “Due to later than usual Thanksgiving holiday, we saw retailers offering omnichannel sales earlier in the season, meeting consumers’ demand for the best deals across all channels and devices.”

Dealing with holiday debt

According to the Mastercard SpendingPulse report, consumers spent more money online for specialty apparel, jewelry, and electronics this year. Respectively, the categories grew by 17.0 percent, 8.8 percent, and 10.7 percent over the 2018 holiday shopping season.

While there were plenty of gifts under the tree this year for consumers across the U.S., many people may be realizing that all those purchases they made with a credit card will have to be paid off as we move into 2020. One strategy consumers can employ to pay off that debt is using a balance transfer credit card to keep interest payments to a minimum. 

For more information about these cards, check out ConsumerAffairs guides to these financial products here.

Earlier this week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a new oral treatment for consumers who suffer from acute migraines.

The drug, named Ubrelvy, is manufactured by Allergan and meant to be taken after symptoms of a migraine have already begun to set in. The FDA said the drug was proven to be more effective than placebos in two randomized, double-blind trials. 

“The FDA is pleased to approve a novel treatment for patients suffering from migraine and will continue to work with stakeholders to promote the development of new safe and effective migraine therapies,” said FDA director Dr. Billy Dunn.

Many participants who took Ubrelvy in the drug trials reported feeling no pain or other associated migraine symptoms after two hours. Regulators said the results are promising for treating a serious health condition that affects millions of people.

“Migraine is an often disabling condition that affects an estimated 37 million people in the U.S. Ubrevly represents an important new option for the acute treatment of migraine in adults, as it is the first drug in its class approved for this indication,” said Dunn. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released an update today on the number of hospitalizations and deaths associated with EVALI.

EVALI -- or “E-cigarettes or Vaping product use Associated Lung Injury” -- was a condition coined by the agency earlier this year after a rash of mysterious hospitalizations and deaths that were linked to vaping. After extensive investigations into the issue, the CDC connected these illnesses with the presence of Vitamin E acetate in certain e-cigarette products.

As of December 17, the agency says that there have been 2,506 hospitalizations in all 50 states and the District of Columbia that are linked to EVALI. The agency has also confirmed 54 deaths to these illnesses in 27 states and the District of Columbia.

“Adults who continue to use e-cigarette, or vaping, products, should carefully monitor themselves for symptoms and see a healthcare provider immediately if they develop symptoms like those reported in this outbreak,” the CDC stated.

Increasing legal age to buy

The number of deaths and illnesses brought on by EVALI may have been a huge part of the decision by lawmakers this week to increase the minimum age for buying tobacco and e-cigarette products to 21. 

The move was broadly supported by both Republicans and Democrats in the Senate and House of Representatives, and it is expected to be passed into law by the President’s signature in the near future. Lawmakers say passage of the bill will have important health implications for consumers of all ages in the U.S.

“By raising the age to buy tobacco products nationwide, we can save 223,000 lives and reduce youth tobacco use,” said Senator Tim Kaine (D-Va.), who was one of the bill’s co-sponsors.

As climate change threats continue to loom, consumers have started taking their own measures to lessen their ecological footprints. 

Now, researchers from the University of Gothenburg have found that many consumers could be overly confident when it comes to the steps they’re taking to better the environment. According to a survey, many individuals believe that they’re practicing more sustainable habits than the average consumer. 

“The results point out our tendency to overestimate our own abilities, which is in line with previous studies where most people consider themselves to be more honest, more creative, and better drivers than others,” said researcher Magnus Bergquist. “This study shows that over-optimism, or the ‘better-than-average’ effect, also applies to environmentally friendly behaviours.” 

Understanding consumers’ mindsets

To get a sense of how consumers view their own environmentally friendly behaviors, the researchers conducted a survey of consumers from different parts of the world -- India, England, Sweden, and the United States. 

The survey required participants to report on how often they completed sustainable behaviors, including anything from opting for eco-friendly products or reducing how often they use single-use plastic. 

The researchers learned that the majority of participants rated themselves as above average citizens when it comes to caring for the environment. This was true when the participants ranked themselves against strangers and people they know in their day-to-day lives. 

This could become troubling, as the researchers worry that this overconfidence will lead consumers to scale back on the activities and actions that are benefiting the environment because they think that they’re already doing more than enough. 

Working harder

The researchers say this attitude among consumers is common for more than just environmental efforts. However, it’s important that consumers look honestly at the ways they’re being proactive about sustainability and work to be more encouraging in future efforts. 

“If you think about it logically, the majority cannot be more environmentally friendly than others,” said Bergquist. “One way to change this faulty opinion, is to inform people that others actually behave environmentally friendly, and thereby creating an environmentally friendly norm. Social norms affect us also in this area, we know this from previous studies.”  

Facebook says it will no longer use phone numbers gathered via two-factor authentication to drive its friend suggestion feature.

Reuters cites company officials as saying that the decision is driven by the desire to overhaul the platform’s privacy practices. Facebook has faced mountains of criticism over how it handles users’ data, from the Cambridge Analytica scandal to how it uses facial recognition. Other privacy headaches eventually led the Federal Trade Commission to levy a $5 billion fine against the company.

The move away from using two-factor authentication for user data purposes will reportedly start this week in five countries -- Ecuador, Ethiopia, Pakistan, Libya, and Cambodia. Plans to expand it globally will begin in early 2020. 

However, the policy change will only affect new users to the site, not those who are already signed up. Reuters notes that those who want to deactivate the function can unlink their two-factor authentication numbers from the friend suggestion feature and then add them back in.

Antitrust concerns

While Facebook has already caught the ire of regulators from several different agencies, it may not be out of the woods yet. 

The FTC announced earlier this month that it will be opening up an antitrust investigation into the platform as part of a larger examination of the role of Big Tech companies in the U.S. Specifically, FTC officials will be seeking to find out if Facebook’s attempt to integrate several of its holdings will eventually make it too big to break up.

For more information about Facebook, including reviews by consumers, readers can visit ConsumerAffairs page here.

Wawa, which operates hundreds of convenience stores along the East Coast, has reported details of a payment card data breach lasting nine months and potentially affecting all locations.

Consumers who used a credit or debit card at a Wawa location after March 4 may be exposed. In a statement, the company said the breach potentially exposed card numbers, expiration dates, and cardholders’ names.

Wawa says its security team found the malware on the company’s payment processing servers on December 10 and contained it two days later. The company says it brought in a forensics firm whose investigators determined that the malware began running at different times after March 4. 

Consumers face no liability

Wawa CEO Chris Gheysens apologized to customers and said the company believes the malware no longer poses a risk.

"Once we discovered this malware, we immediately took steps to contain it and launched a forensics investigation so that we could share meaningful information with our customers,” Gheysens said. “I want to reassure anyone impacted they will not be responsible for fraudulent charges related to this incident.”

Wawa customers who used a payment card at any location in the last nine months should carefully examine their bank and credit card statements during that time for unauthorized charges. 

Customers should also notify the fraud departments of their card issuers to tell them the card was used at Wawa and may be potentially compromised. The institution may decide to issue new cards as a precaution.

Free credit monitoring

Wawa said it is offering identity protection and credit monitoring services at no charge to affected customers. You’ll find information about signing up here.

The company did not say -- and may not know -- how the system was breached. But as we reported earlier this week, fraudsters attacking gas pumps have become more sophisticated, using email phishing schemes to trick employees into downloading malware, which then makes its way to the card processing network.

When a customer buys gas with a credit card, the point-of-sale system sends the unencrypted data to the company’s main network where the scammer’s software is waiting to capture it. In issuing a warning, Visa said many companies make it easier for thieves by not walling off this data from the rest of the network.

The price of gasoline continues to fall, making holiday road trips a little more affordable in most of the country.

The AAA Fuel Gauge Survey shows the national average price of regular gasoline is $2.55 a gallon, a penny less than a week ago. But holiday travelers will pay an average of 19 cents a gallon more than they did in 2018. The average price of premium is $3.14 a gallon, two cents cheaper than last Friday. The average price of diesel fuel is $2.99, the same as a week ago.

In its Winter Price Forecast issued Thursday, AAA predicted prices will continue to fall into the end of the year but won’t reach the low levels where they ended 2018. More likely, AAA said the national average will settle into a range between $2.40 and $2.45 a gallon, nearly 20 cents more than last year’s closing price.

Where you live matters

“Depending on where you live in the country, you will see gas prices drop anywhere between a nickel and a quarter this month,” said Jeanette Casselano, AAA’s spokesperson. “While that will offer savings to motorists, it is not as much as they saw last December.”

Casselano said the main reason for higher gas prices this year is higher crude oil prices. Last year, fears of a recession -- which never materialized -- sent crude oil prices into a tailspin.

The main reason the average price is falling is price drops west of the Mississippi River. AAA says western states have just about recovered from tight supplies after a number of refinery bottlenecks during the fall.

California gas prices have dropped 57 cents a gallon since October, and Hawaii has regained the dubious honor of having the most expensive fuel in the nation. Missouri has edged out Mississippi as the state with the cheapest gas.

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 ($3.60)

• Washington ($3.19) 

• Nevada ($3.10)

• Oregon ($3.06) 

• Alaska ($3.05)

• Arizona ($2.86)

• Utah ($2.78)

• Idaho ($2.77) 

• Pennsylvania ($2.76)

The states with the cheapest regular gas

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

• Missouri ($2.20)

• Mississippi ($2.21)

• Texas ($2.22)

• Oklahoma ($2.23)

• Louisiana ($2.23)

• Alabama ($2.26)

• Arkansas ($2.26)

• South Carolina ($2.28)

• Kansas ($2.27)

• Virginia ($2.29)

BMC is recalling about 900 Teammachine SLR01 DISC bicycles and framesets sold in the U.S. and Canada.

The fork steerer tube on the bicycles and framesets can crack or break during use, posing a fall hazard.

The firm has received four reports of the fork steerer tube breaking while in use, with one consumer experiencing a shoulder injury that required hospitalization and surgery, and another consumer reporting minor scratches and bruising.

This recall involves all model year 2018 and 2019 Teammachine SLR01 DISC bicycles and framesets. The product is a performance road bike. BMC is printed on the downtube. The bikes and framesets were sold in red, green, grey, graphite, blue and aqua green.

Recalled models contain serial numbers starting with 8R17 and 8R18, followed by one letter and a four-digit code, which is printed on the underside of the bottom bracket of the bicycle. Only bicycles and framesets with a FK6 fork require a replacement fork, which will be confirmed by BMC authorized dealers during the free inspection.

The bicycles and framesets, manufactured in Taiwan and Poland, were sold at authorized BMC bicycle dealers and bicycle stores nationwide from July 2017, through October 2019, for between $4,500 and $12,500.

What to do

Consumers should immediately stop using recalled bicycles and contact their local BMC authorized dealer for a free inspection and free replacement fork.

Consumers may contact BMC USA toll-free at (888) 262-7755 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (PT) Monday through Friday, by email at slr01inspection-US@BMC-Switzerland.com , or online at www.BMC-Switzerland.com/teammachinerecall or www.BMC-Switzerland.com and click on “Support” at the top of the page, then Recalls and Safety for more information.

Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) is recalling six model year 2018-2019 S560s, S560 Cabrioles, and S560 4MATICs with 8-cylinder gasoline engines.

The threaded connection between the camshaft idler gear and the crankcase may be improperly tightened, possibly causing the idler gear to detach from the crankcase.

A detached idler gear can damage the engine, resulting in a stall and increasing the risk of a crash.

What to do

MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will replace the engine free of charge.

The recall is expected to begin January 14, 2020.

Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at (800) 367-6372.

Juul, the grand potentate of e-cigarettes, has taken another punch in the gut. 

In a study just released by Portland State University (Oregon), researchers found that the formula Juul uses for its e-cigarettes is almost a dead-ringer for both the addictive composition and the flavor of Marlboro cigarettes. Or, in their own words, Juul is nothing more than an “analog” version of Marlboro.

Déjà vu?

Previous research showed that the nicotine levels in tobacco-based cigarette smoke is “much higher than those in early e-liquids.”If this sounds familiar to the nicotine controversy of the ‘90s, there are some similarities. 

“The distribution of nicotine ... has been manipulated in tobacco smoke and now in electronic cigarettes by the use of acids to de-freebase nicotine and form ‘nicotine salts’” wrote the researchers. “The design evolution for e-cigarettes has made them more effective as substitutes to get smokers off combustibles. However, this evolution has likely made e-cigarette products vastly more addictive for never-smokers.”

“It becomes obvious why novice users, people who’ve never smoked before, find it easy to try Juul,” researcher David Peyton told Reuters. “And once you try it, you’re getting dosed with a high concentration of nicotine.”

The Goldilocks Principle

Maybe Marlboro didn’t want to see its $12.8 billion investment in Juul go up in smoke, but it had to know that this vaping thing could turn out bad for everyone involved.

“For Marlboro, by using additives and/or blend manipulation … [it accomplished] a Goldilocks principle solution (ie, not too harsh, not too mild),” the researchers wrote, further noting the “human affinity for the sensory bite” similar to carbonated beverages.

One of the key reasons why teens and young adults are drawn to e-cigarettes like Juul is the flavor. In a parallel study that was just released, researchers found that the “smoothness” of e-cigarettes is a “cross-cutting mediator” when compared to the bitter taste of tobacco. 

“Sweetness may also mediate appeal-enhancing effects of fruit and appeal-reducing effects of nicotine. Non-tobacco flavours may suppress appeal-reducing effects of nicotine in e-cigarettes through attenuation of nicotine’s aversive taste attributes,” the researchers concluded.

Where does Juul go from here?

Maybe it’s time for Juul to cut bait and go home. It was recenlty forced to give up its popular mint-flavored pods, and the FDA has repeatedly called the company out for playing a large role in the teen vaping crisis. Its CEO even apologized to the parents of teens hooked on its product.

Where the company is going is anyone’s guess, but it’s possible Juul can find a way out of the woods of woe it keeps walking into, primarily the one where all its teen consumers are.

“Youth use of vapor products is detrimental to our mission, and to our business,” the company recently wrote on its website. “Our target market is the one billion adult smokers globally, more than 70 percent of whom want to quit using combustible cigarettes (per CDC). Offering these adult smokers a real alternative to cigarettes is a public health and commercial opportunity of historic proportions, with over 7 million preventable deaths per year caused by cigarettes. Youth use puts this all at risk.”

“Through shared effort, we can significantly reduce youth access to, and usage of, all vapor products, including JUUL, while at the same time ensuring that adult smokers can access a product that is helping millions of them switch from combustible cigarettes – a goal we all share.”

BMW of North America is recalling 32,760 model year 2015-2019 X6 sDrive35i, X6 xDrive35i, X6 xDrive50i, and X6M vehicles with rear seat lower anchor bars used in securing child restraint seats.

The lower anchor bars may become damaged over time when used with an ISOFIX-type, rigid-style connector, child restraint system.

Damaged lower anchor bars may increase the child's risk of injury in a crash.

What to do

BMW will notify owners, and dealers will weld a reinforcing bracket to the lower anchor bars and the vehicle body free of charge.

Owner notification is expected to begin January 17, 2020.

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

CATSMO of Wallkill, N.Y., is recalling Cold Smoked Salmon that may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

No illnesses have been reported to date.

The following products, which come in a vacuum-sealed plastic package in whole fillets, specialty cuts, 4-oz., 8-oz., or 1-lb. sizes and are either plain or flavored, are being recalled:

The recalled products were sold via direct delivery and in retail stores in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Minnesota, North Carolina, Florida, Virginia, Massachusetts, Illinois, Pennsylvania and the District of Columbia.

What to do

Customers who purchased the recalled products should return them to the place of purchase for a full refund.

Consumers with questions may contact the company at (845) 895-2296, Monday through Friday, 9am to 4pm (EST).

Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) is recalling three model year 2019 GLC300s and GLC300 4MATICs.

The electrical connection between the power steering electric motor and the control unit may fail, resulting in the loss of electric power steering assist.

A loss of power steering assist would require a greater steering effort to control the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

What to do

MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will replace the electric power steering control unit free of charge.

The recall is expected to begin January 14, 2020.

Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at (800) 367-6372.

A new report from online real estate marketplace Zillow shows renters spent a combined $4.5 trillion since 2010 to put a roof over their head.

That statistic puts recent changes in the housing market into sharper focus as many prospective buyers can’t find homes they like or can afford. As a result, the demand for rental housing has risen, along with rents.

Zillow reports that U.S. renters will have spent more than $512 billion on housing by the time 2019 ends in a couple of weeks -- the most of any year during this decade. The current median rent is $1,600, a 2.3 percent increase over 2018.

That trend may continue in 2020. Forbes reports that the number of renters has increased by more than 9 million during this decade and now makes up 34 percent of all U.S. households. Renters have increased faster than homeowners, growing more than twice as fast, according to the Census Bureau.

Voluntary renters

Forbes also notes another housing trend that could add to the demand for rental housing. It cites data which shows that more high-income consumers and seniors have voluntarily become renters because they’re able to afford more expensive luxury apartments.

All of this suggests renters may have to pay more next year for housing, but Zillow Group Economist Joshua Clark says that’s not a given.

"While the total amount of rent paid has increased each year this decade, that trend is by no means immutable," he said.  "With rental appreciation expected to decrease in the coming year and a homeownership rate that has been ticking up over the past few years, a small or even negative change in total rental spending could be in the cards in the early 2020s."

Extremely low vacancy rates

But Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies reports that even with recent softening of rental demand, vacancy rates remain “at decades-long lows,” and that affordability is a growing issue. One bright spot, it says, was Minneapolis’ recent move to end single-family zoning, which the center says could greatly expand the supply of rental homes.

Rents and home prices are both going up for the same reason -- declining inventory. In the last year, that factor pushed home rental costs up 6.4 percent in Phoenix, 5.2 percent in Las Vegas, and 4 percent in Charlotte. And because there are fewer homes to purchase, more consumers continue to rent, reducing the number of available units. But the housing market got some good news in that regard this week.

The Commerce Department reports that housing starts rose 3.2 percent in November, the biggest increase in more than 12 years. That suggests builders are in the process of adding to the inventory of available homes, which has been shrinking during this decade.

The Zillow report shows rents were highest -- both this year and throughout the decade -- in the New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco metros. Renters in New York spent $56.6 billion on rent in 2019, compared to $39.2 billion in Los Angeles and $16.4 billion in San Francisco.

In a recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Netflix shared how many subscribers it has in several global regions for the first time. While the bulk of its subscriber base is still made up of consumers from the U.S. and Canada, the report shows that the streaming giant is growing quickly in other global markets.

In the two-year period between 2017 and 2019, Netflix increased its subscriber base in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa from just over 26,000 to over 47,000. In Latin America, that number jumped from under 20,000 to over 29,000; and in the Asia-Pacific region, it went from around 6,500 to nearly 14,500. 

Revenue generated from foreign markets also made a big leap in those two years. In those same three markets, overall revenue jumped from $4,081,357 to $7,080,948 from 2017 to 2019. In contrast, revenue generated in the U.S. and Canada moved from $6,660,859 to $7,379,300 over the same time period.

Expanding services and content

The findings underscore how Netflix has become more of a global giant as a streaming service. It is currently working on several initiatives that company officials hope will generate more excitement and draw in more subscribers. 

Earlier this month, the company said it was testing a new yearly subscription plan that could save consumers up to 50 percent if they paid in advance for a full year of service. The company also recently offered $2 billion in debt to fund content creation on its platform.

These initiatives and competitive pricing have made Netflix a hit with many consumers. In a recent ConsumerAffairs review of the service, Sally from Sarasota, Florida said that it can be a great alternative to cable TV. 

“Unless you have cable to access movies, Netflix has proven a winner with our family. Their list of outstanding movies, past and present, are always available, and at a reasonably low price,” she said.

To read more consumer reviews about the service, check out ConsumerAffairs’ page here.

is recalling 193 model year 2019 Ram 1500 trucks.

The vehicles may have been built with a contaminated electric power steering (EPS) gear that may short circuit, potentially resulting in an intermittent loss of power steering assist.

An intermittent loss of power steering assist may cause an inconsistent steering effort, especially during lower speed maneuvers, increasing the risk of a crash.

What to do

Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the EPS gear assembly free of charge.

The recall is expected to begin January 3, 2020.

Owners may contact customer service at (800) 853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is VB8.

Attention last-minute holiday shoppers -- if you plan to mail holiday gifts out of town, this is the week you need to get busy.

Christmas arrives in the middle of next week, and the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) is offering a gentle reminder that time is running out. It said it expects to deliver 2.5 billion cards and package this week alone.

The agency has extended Sunday operations in various cities where package volume has been highest. It already delivers packages on Sundays in most major cities and expects to deliver more than 8 million packages each Sunday in December. 

Here are the USPS deadlines you need to keep in mind this week:

• Dec. 18 – APO/FPO/DPO (except ZIP Code 093) USPS Priority Mail Express

• Dec. 20 – First-Class Mail (including greeting cards)

• Dec. 20 – First-Class Packages (up to 15.99 ounces)

• Dec. 20 – Hawaii to mainland Priority Mail and First-Class Mail

• Dec. 20 – Alaska to mainland Priority Mail and First-Class Mail

• Dec. 21 – Priority Mail

• Dec. 22 – Alaska to mainland Priority Mail Express

• Dec. 22 – Hawaii to mainland Priority Mail Express

• Dec. 23 – Priority Mail Express

Keep in mind these deadlines don’t constitute a guarantee but are estimates for delivery before December 25.

New rules

There are a couple of new wrinkles at USPS this holiday season. Mail and packages weighing more than 10 ounces and more than a half-inch thick can’t be dropped in pickup boxes if their postage consists of stamps. You’ll need to take them to a window clerk at a post office. Customers using Click-N-Ship are not affected.

If you think you’ll be returning items using USPS after the holidays, you may want to sign up for Informed Delivery to help you keep track of your shipments. The video below, provided by USPS, explains how to do it.

Relying on retailers

Retailers may also offer an easy way to get last-minute gifts delivered before Christmas. Target says orders placed on Target.com by noon CT on Friday, Dec. 20 qualify for free delivery by Tuesday, December 24.

Amazon Prime members can get free delivery on millions of items if purchased by Sunday, December 22. Consumers in areas where one-day and same-day delivery are available can put off shopping to December 23 or December 24.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced today that it is approving the sale of two new tobacco products that have lower amounts of nicotine than traditional cigarettes.

The agency says that the products -- which are manufactured by 22nd Century Group Inc. -- meet its standards and could potentially help curb nicotine dependence and addiction rates in adult smokers. However, it makes clear that the products still carry many of the same health risks that commercial cigarettes do.

“While today’s action permits the new tobacco products to be legally sold or distributed in the U.S., it does not mean these products are safe of ‘FDA-approved,’” the FDA said in its announcement. 

“In its decision, the agency notes that the Moonlight and Moonlight Menthol cigarette products differ from conventional cigarettes in nicotine content only -- the products share similar adverse health risks as conventional cigarettes. There are no safe tobacco products and those who do not use tobacco products should not start.”

Preventing marketing to youth users

In a press release, the FDA says that the new products should not be attractive to youth users. But with that in mind, it says that it will be placing “stringent restrictions” on how the products are marketed online and on social media platforms. 

The manufacturer will also be required to regularly report to the FDA about any information it collects through research studies, sales data, and other avenues so that the agency can respond accordingly if young people start using the products. 

“The FDA may withdraw this marketing order if, among other reasons, it determines that the continued marketing of a product is no longer appropriate for the protection of public health, such as if there is an uptake of the product by youth,” the FDA stated.

Competition between Amazon and FedEx may be heating up, but it could come at a bad time for consumers who are depending on the services for holiday deliveries. 

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reports that Amazon has blocked third-party sellers on its site from using FedEx’s ground delivery service for consumers’ Prime orders. While sellers can still use FedEx’s ground delivery for standard orders or its Express delivery for Prime orders, the move will likely have an impact on package delivery during a busy holiday season. 

“While this decision affects a very small number of shippers, it limits the options for those small businesses on some of the highest demand shipping days in history, and may compromise their ability to meet customer demands and manage their businesses,” a FedEx spokesperson told CNBC, adding that the company will still try to support its customers to the best of its ability.

Amazon reportedly told third-party sellers that it based its decision to limit shipping options through FedEx to ensure that customers could receive their packages on time during a period of high package traffic.

Growing competition

FedEx and Amazon may continue to butt heads as each company tries to take more control of the ecommerce space. Earlier this year, FedEx announced that it would be severing ties with the online retailer by ending its ground delivery contract and no longer shipping packages by air via FedEx Express.

However, Amazon has been making moves of its own to become more self-reliant from a shipping standpoint. It has been working to expand its own ground delivery fleet so that it can deliver customers’ packages on its own.

“We are constantly innovating to improve the carrier experience and sometimes that means reevaluating our carrier relationships. FedEx has been a great partner over the years and we appreciate all their work delivering packages to our customers,” the company said following the termination of its contract with the company.

Boeing has announced it will stop work on 737 MAX aircraft currently in production while it awaits action by regulators who will decide when the grounded plane can fly again.

While sources reported over the weekend that the company might have to adjust production schedules, the announcement appeared to come as a surprise to the financial markets, with CNBC terming it “drastic.”

“Throughout the grounding of the 737 MAX, Boeing has continued to build new airplanes and there are now approximately 400 airplanes in storage,” the company said in a late Monday statement. “We have previously stated that we would continually evaluate our production plans should the MAX grounding continue longer than we expected. As a result of this ongoing evaluation, we have decided to prioritize the delivery of stored aircraft and temporarily suspend production on the 737 program beginning next month.”

The three U.S. airlines that fly the 737 MAX -- Southwest, American, and United -- have consolidated flights and employed other aircraft to make up for the loss of 737 MAX equipment.

The 737 MAX had been one of the aircraft company’s most successful planes, valued for its fuel efficiency and state-of-the-art engineering. But a crash of a Ryan Air 737 MAX in October 2018 and the loss of an Ethiopian Airlines 737 MAX five months later resulted in the worldwide grounding of the jet.

What began as a reconfiguration of software turned into a major reexamination of the plane’s overall safety. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), under fire for the process of certifying the plane in the first place, appears to be in no hurry to return it to the air.

No layoffs

In announcing the temporary shutdown of the 737 MAX production line, Boeing officials stressed that no employees would be laid off or furloughed. The company said they would either continue 737-related work or would be reassigned to other teams.

“We believe this decision is least disruptive to maintaining long-term production system and supply chain health,” the company said.

Boeing said the decision was influenced by several factors, including the reality that recertification of the aircraft will extend into 2020. 

Ford Motor Company is recalling 86,296 model year 2018-2019 F-250, F-350 and F-450 Super Duty trucks.

The Daytime Running Lights (DRL) may not dim when the headlight switch is moved into the "On" position, reducing the visibility of other drivers and increasing the risk of a crash.

What to do

Ford has notified owners, and dealers will reprogram the Body Control Module (BCM) software free of charge.

The recall began November 25, 2019.

Owners may contact Ford customer service at (866) 436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19C10.

White Castle is recalling frozen 6-pack cheeseburgers, frozen 6-pack hamburgers, frozen 6-pack jalapeno cheeseburgers, 16-pack hamburgers and 16-pack cheeseburgers.

The products may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

No illnesses have been reported to date.

The following products, sold at select retailers in rectangular cardboard packages with best by dates ranging from August 4 – 17, 2020, are being recalled:

What to do

Customers who purchased the recalled products should discard or return them to the store where were purchased for an exchange or full refund.

Consumers with questions may contact the company at (800) 843-2728.

BMW of North America (BMW) is recalling 34,396 model year 1999-2000 323i & 328i, and model year 2000 323Ci & 328Ci vehicles with Non-Azide Driver airbag Inflators (NADI) manufactured by Takata.

The inflators do not contain phase stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant. Due to a manufacturing issue, the NADI inflators may absorb moisture, causing the inflators to rupture or the airbag cushion to underinflate.

In a crash necessitating airbag deployment, an inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants. An underinflated airbag may not properly protect the occupant.

Any of these situations increase the risk of serious injury or death.

What to do

BMW will mail interim notices informing owners of the safety risk on January 17, 2020. Owners will receive a second notice when the remedy becomes available.

Dealers will inspect the driver airbag inflators and replace them, as necessary, free of charge.

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

Consumers who use e-cigarettes in hopes of quitting smoking may not be helping their cause. In fact, a recent study suggests that it could be raising their risk for respiratory disease.

While the products were originally created and marketed as an alternative to traditional cigarettes, study findings show that many consumers are using them in addition to traditional cigarettes. That, the research team says, demonstrates that the products should not be used as a stop-gap for consumers looking to quit smoking completely.

“Although switching from combustible tobacco, including cigarettes, to e-cigarettes theoretically could reduce the risk of developing respiratory disease, current evidence indicates high prevalence of dual use, which is associated with increased risk beyond combustible tobacco use,” the researchers concluded. 

“For most smokers, using an e-cigarette is associated with lower odds of successfully quitting smoking. E-cigarettes should not be recommended.”

Dangerous dual use

To come to their conclusions, researchers from the Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education collected data on e-cigarette use over a three-year period from consumers who used the devices. Participants, ranging in age from 18 to 74, answered questions about their e-cigarette use and health.

While the findings showed that participants who switched from using traditional cigarettes to exclusively using e-cigarettes could lower their risk for respiratory disease, the researchers say that less than one percent of participants at two checkpoints in the study were able to completely make that switch. Instead, they said the vast majority continued to use both traditional cigarettes and e-cigarettes after beginning to use the latter. 

To make matters worse, findings showed that consumers who used both e-cigarettes and traditional cigarettes were 3.3 times more likely to develop respiratory disease when compared to participants who had never used either product.

“Dual use of e-cigarettes and combustible tobacco (including cigarettes) is more dangerous than using either product alone,” the team concluded. 

Deaths and hospitalizations continue to rise

The findings come in the wake of a stark update from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). As of December 10, the agency estimates that over 2,400 hospitalizations linked to vaping and e-cigarette use had occurred in the U.S. Fifty-two deaths in 26 states have also been tied to the devices.

Unfortunately, the number of deaths and injuries have not stopped young people from using the devices. A report published earlier this month showed that over 6.2 million middle and high school students used tobacco within the previous 30 days, with much of that number being attributed to e-cigarette use. 

“Youth use of any tobacco product, including e-cigarettes, is unsafe. It is incumbent upon public health and healthcare professionals to educate Americans about the risks resulting from this epidemic among our youth,” said CDC Director Robert R. Redfield.

Things don’t appear to be getting any better for Boeing and its beleaguered 737 Max aircraft. Following an extended grounding period and an FAA report which indicated that these jets were more prone to crashes, the company may have to cut back on production.

CNN cites sources familiar with the matter as saying that a decision to curb or suspend production could come as soon as Monday after U.S. markets close. In a statement to the news outlet, company officials said that they will continue to work with regulators in the U.S. and around the world to bring the 737 Max back into service. 

“We will continue to assess production decisions based on the timing and conditions of return to service, which will be based on regulatory approvals and may vary by jurisdiction,” the company noted.

Planes to remain grounded

While regulatory approval would certainly be a step in the right direction for Boeing, it might be some time before consumers see 737 Max planes back in the air. 

Even if the company were to get the regulatory green light from the FAA by early 2020, professional pilots would still need to be retrained on the aircraft’s new systems -- a process that could take months to complete. Airline companies would also need to be content with activating the jets within their fleets, which may be a daunting process if consumers don’t want to purchase a ticket with an airliner that uses the planes.

The 737 Max was originally grounded around the world due to two fatal accidents that occurred in March. The crashes claimed a total of 346 lives, and affected families are eligible to receive up to $144,500 in compensation from a fund of $50 million that Boeing established in July.

Earlier this year, Google announced that it would be upgrading the messaging capabilities of its Android devices by 2020. Now, with time to spare, all U.S. consumers who use these devices will have access to RCS messaging. 

Google’s Senior Director of Product Management Sanaz Ahari tweeted late last week that all U.S. Android users would gain access to RCS starting Monday, though she noted that updates would need to be made to Carrier Services and the company’s messaging app.

When another Twitter user asked when RCS would be available to other countries, Ahari gave a curt “Stay tuned.” 

RCS messaging

RCS -- or Rich Communication System -- has been touted as the next innovation in messaging technology, but it isn’t exactly new. Apple’s iMessage and Facebook’s WhatsApp already include several of its distinguishing features, such as photo and video sharing, group messaging, and location-based functions. 

Back in October, the four major U.S. wireless carriers announced their intention to develop and deploy RCS messaging through the Cross-Carrier Messaging Initiative (CCMI). The goal of the initiative is to ensure that Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile can meet evolving industry standards when RCS is rolled out more broadly in the U.S. and globally. 

Tailor Cut Produce of New Jersey is recalling its Fruit luau, cut honeydew, cut cantaloupe and cut pineapple products.

The products may be contaminated with Salmonella.

Several patients have fallen ill in four hospitals in Pennsylvania.

The recalled fruit products were distributed in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York and Delaware between November 15 and December 1, 2019.

The recalled product, which comes in 2/1 gallon cases with a date of production stamped on the side, were distributed in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York and Delaware between November 15 and December 1, 2019.

What to do

Distributors who purchased the recalled products should quarantine them and call for further instructions.

Consumers with questions may contact the company at (732) 246-2002.

Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) is recalling 2,427 model year 2019 G550 4MATICs and G63 AMGs.

The front door wiring harnesses may have been improperly routed causing damage to the individual wires during opening and closing of the front doors.

The damage to certain wires can affect safety features such as the side impact restraint system, the automatic unlocking of the door in the event of a crash, or the vehicle location in an emergency call.

All of these could increase the risk of an injury in a crash.

What to do

MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will inspect, modify, or replace the front door wiring harness in the event damage has occurred free of charge.

The recall is expected to begin January 14, 2020.

Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at (800) 367-6372.

AT&T has activated its 5G network in ten cities. The faster network is available to consumers with a Samsung Galaxy Note10+ 5G.

“Millions of consumers and businesses across Birmingham, Ala., Indianapolis, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Pittsburgh, Providence, R.I., Rochester, N.Y., San Diego, San Francisco and San Jose, Calif. market areas can now access AT&T’s 5G network using the Samsung Galaxy Note10+ 5G,” the carrier said in an announcement. 

AT&T was criticised earlier this year for rolling out a “5GE” network, which stood for “5G Evolution” and was essentially just upgraded LTE. The 5G network that was switched on today is actual 5G that uses low-band 850MHz spectrum technology. It’s similar to the 600MHz network that T-Mobile recently turned on. 

Nationwide expansion plans

AT&T added that “low-band 5G availability will continue to rapidly expand.” The cities slated to receive the network in the first half of 2020 include Boston, MA; Bridgeport, CT; Buffalo, NY; Las Vegas, NV; Louisville, KY; and New York City, with more to be added throughout the year. 

“We believe 5G technology will be game-changing, and we continue to help drive this next wave of innovation,” said Scott Mair, president of AT&T Technology Operations, in a statement. “We were the first in the U.S. to offer commercial mobile 5G, and this is the next step as we build to nationwide service in the first half of 2020.”

AT&T said its high-band spectrum -- 5G+, which is even faster than 5G -- will be coming at a “later date.” The carrier said 5G+ was designed to “serve high-traffic areas and places like arenas, campuses and more.” It’s currently offered in parts of 23 cities.

A coverage map of the current low-band 5G markets can be viewed here. 

Apple has promised to fix a vulnerability in one of the new parental control features released Tuesday in iOS 13.3. 

A feature called Communication Limits is supposed to prevent kids from communicating with people not in their contacts unless a parent enters a security passcode, but the safety feature can easily be bypassed if contacts aren’t stored in iCloud, according to a CNBC report. 

“Communication Limits does not work as advertised if contacts are not stored to iCloud by default,” CNBC found. 

After tapping on an incoming text from an unknown number, CNBC discovered that a "Restricted Contact" page appeared. However, the page could be bypassed by tapping on an “Add Contact” option. Selecting the option would give kids the ability to communicate with the person behind the number in question. 

In a statement, Apple said the issue “only occurs on devices set up with a non-standard configuration, and a workaround is available.” It added that it’s “working on a complete fix and will release it in an upcoming software update.” 

While Apple works on a fix, users can ensure the feature works properly by forcing contacts to sync with iCloud. This can be done by going into settings, navigating down to "Contacts," choosing "Default Account,” and changing it to iCloud. Alternatively, parents can set the device to “Downtime” mode to prevent kids from adding any new contacts. 

Motorists planning holiday road trips will likely find stable fuel prices along the way, but prices are significantly higher than at this time last year.

The AAA Fuel Gauge Survey shows the national average of regular gasoline is $2.56 a gallon, two cents less than last week. But the price is 17 cents higher than it was a year ago. The price of premium gas is $3.17 a gallon, also two cents lower than last Friday. The average price of diesel fuel is $2.99 a gallon, down a penny from last Friday.

While prices have been slow to fall for several weeks, Patrick DeHaan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, says that could change quickly. In a Twitter post, DeHaan said the national average for regular could drop another eight cents a gallon by the holidays, thanks to rising fuel supplies and sluggish demand.

The Energy Information Administration (EIA) reports total U.S. gasoline supplies rose by 5.4 million barrels last week, bringing the total stockpile to nearly 235 million barrels. At the same time, gasoline demand dropped from just over 9.0 million barrels a day to 8.8 million.

Though the national average gasoline price barely moved, consumers in most of the western states continued to see significant price declines. In California, the price fell 11 cents a gallon in the last seven days; it’s down 37 cents in the last month.

California no longer has the most expensive gas in the nation, but today it slipped into second place behind Hawaii. The cheapest gas in the nation is found in Mississippi.

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:

• California ($3.66)

• Hawaii ($3.66)

• Washington ($3.24) 

• Nevada ($3.18)

• Oregon ($3.10) 

• Alaska ($3.08)

• Arizona ($2.88)

• Idaho ($2.86) 

• Utah ($2.84)

• Pennsylvania ($2.78)

The states with the cheapest regular gas

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

• Mississippi ($2.22)

• Missouri ($2.23)

• Texas ($2.24)

• Oklahoma ($2.25)

• Louisiana ($2.25)

• Alabama ($2.26)

• Arkansas ($2.27)

• South Carolina ($2.28)

• Kansas ($2.29)

• Virginia ($2.29)

Ford Motor Company is recalling nearly 548,000 model year 2017-19 Ford Super Duty SuperCrew vehicles with carpet flooring.

A front seat belt pretensioner that deploys during a crash can generate excessive sparks.

In some cases, this could ignite the carpet or carpet insulation in the area of the B-pillar which may spread within the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury.

What to do

Ford will contact owners and dealers will apply foil tape to the carpet and carpet insulation and modify the sound deadener on the back side of the B-pillar trim panel.

Owners may contact Ford customer service at (866) 436-733. Ford's reference number for this recall is 19S52.

Profile Design of Carson, Calif., is recalling about 260 Aeria Ultimate carbon aerobars.

The bicycle aerobars can crack and break, causing the rider to lose control and crash.

The firm has received two reports of the bicycle aerobars cracking or breaking. No injuries reported.

This recall involves Profile Design Aeria Ultimate carbon aerobars sold individually and as an original equipment upgrade on consumer configurable Diamond Brand Bikes and Quintana Roo model bicycles.

The aerobars were sold in one size and are all matte black in color. “Profile Design” and “Ultimate” are embossed in gloss black on the top of the rear edge of the aerobars.

The best way to identify recalled handlebars is to measure the uncut hand extensions from the leading edge of wing to tip of hand extension (where brake lever is placed). On recalled bars it is 13.6 cm (5.3 in) measured from leading edge of wing.

The bicycle aerobars, manufactured in Taiwan, were sold at independent bicycle stores nationwide from May 2017, through October 2018, for about $1,300 for the aerobar sold individually or between $5,200 and $14,000 as original equipment on bicycles.

What to do

Consumers should immediately stop using bicycles with the recalled aerobars and contact Profile Design for instructions to receive a free replacement aerobar via their local retailer.

Consumers may contact Profile Design toll-free at (888) 800-5999 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (PT) Monday through Friday, by email AeriaUltimateRecall@profile-design.com or online at www.profile-design.com and click on “Recall Notices” at the bottom of the page for more information.

Facial recognition has become a rather touchy subject. Earlier this year, a $35 billion class action lawsuit was filed against Facebook over claims that it harvested consumer biometric data without consent. In San Francisco, the subject is so ripe that the city is considering banning all facial recognition technology within city limits. 

The U.S. government thinks it’s a touchy subject, too. First, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) explored facial recognition and recommended that certain companies “provide consumers with an easy-to-use choice not to have their biometric data collected and used for facial recognition.” Now, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is following suit by rolling back its intended expansion of facial recognition in a renewed commitment to protecting traveler privacy.

The changes

Currently, by law, Customs and Border Patrol* (CBP) is required to biometrically record foreign nationals’ entry to and departure from the United States. That mandate came out of the 9/11 Commission, which decided that a system like that was “an essential investment in our national security.” (*U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the DHS agency that manages, controls, and protects U.S. borders at ports of entry.)

But on the consumer side of the privacy ledger, going that far may have been overarching. After three face-to-face meetings with privacy experts to determine how far is too far in using “biometric facial comparison” process at U.S. ports of entry, DHS has made four key moves in what it says is the best interest of the traveler. These include:

• Reducing the maximum period it retains new photos of U.S. citizens from 14 days to 12 hours; 

• Establishing rigid requirements which guarantee that airlines and other travel-related partners do not retain traveler photos for their own business purposes;

• Working with all travel-related partners to give travelers adequate privacy notice by improving the signage and announcements at departure gates; and

• Publishing 10 Privacy Impact Assessments to let the public know how DHS will collect, use, and store any and all personally identifiable information that’s part of the biometric process.

“CPB is committed to keeping the public informed about our use of facial comparison technology,” commented John Wagner, Deputy Executive Assistant Commissioner of the CBP Office of Field Operations. “We are implementing a biometric entry-exit system that protects the privacy of all travelers while making travel more secure and convenient.”

Potential to expose consumer data

While DHS’ intentions seem to be all well and good, security experts say that the potential for exposing personal data still looms large when it’s in the government’s hands.

“Despite these efforts, the government’s collection of its citizens’ biometric identity data is troubling for many especially since agencies already have mishandled the security of stored data,” writes ThreatPost’s Elizabeth Montalbano.

“In June, for instance, a data leak at the CBP exposed photos of the faces and license plates for more than 100,000 travelers that passed through checkpoints on the U.S.-Mexican border. The Office of Personnel Management also experienced a significant data breach in 2015 that resulted in the theft of fingerprint data of 5.6 million people.”

Should consumers be concerned?

Is facial recognition so hot of a potato that consumers need to run as fast and as far away from it as they can? When we put the privacy concerns question to David Chen, Co-Founder and Director of Engineering at Orbbec, he said no.

“Now, with the assistance of 3D camera technology, the accuracy of facial recognition has been dramatically improved and is capable of handling financial-grade security to make your devices more secure,” Chen told ConsumerAffairs. 

“While some people may still hold serious privacy concerns, actually they can rest assured knowing that all the face data will be stored as encrypted mathematical models and any applications that use facial recognition software will only be able to keep that encrypted data locally to ensure maximum privacy protection.”

If that’s not enough to put you at ease, consumers should know that they have the right to opt out of the biometric facial comparison process, and all it takes is notifying a CBP officer or airline representative. In lieu of that, anyone who opts out does have to present their passport for visual inspection.

YouTube announced on Wednesday that it’s implementing a more stringent harassment policy in an effort to reduce the prevalence of hate speech and threats on its platform. 

The Google-owned video streaming giant said it will be removing videos that insult people based on race, gender, or sexual orientation, regardless of whether the victim is a private individual or well-known YouTube creator. 

YouTube said explicit threats, even those that are “veiled or implied,” will not be allowed on the site. Additionally, channels that exhibit a pattern of harassing behavior are subject to removal. 

“Channels that repeatedly brush up against our harassment policy will be suspended from the YouTube Partner Program (YPP), eliminating their ability to make money on YouTube,” the company said in a blog post. “We may also remove content from channels if they repeatedly harass someone. If this behavior continues, we’ll take more severe action including issuing strikes or terminating a channel altogether.” 

Cracking down on hateful comments

YouTube also said that almost all content creators now have the ability to review potentially harmful comments. 

“Beyond comments that we remove, we also empower creators to further shape the conversation on their channels and have a variety of tools that help,” YouTube said. “When we're not sure a comment violates our policies, but it seems potentially inappropriate, we give creators the option to review it before it's posted on their channel.” 

YouTube said channels that enabled the feature when it was first introduced saw a 75 percent reduction in user flags on comments. The feature is expected to be extended to most channels by the end of 2019. 

The enactment of a tougher harassment policy on YouTube comes a few months after conservative comedian Stephen Crowder repeatedly mocked a progressive journalist based on his homosexuality and Latino background. The company said at the time that Crowder didn’t technically violate YouTube’s policies, but later it responded to the matter by stripping Crowder of his ability to make money off of ads.

YouTube says its tougher position on harassment is intended to create a healthier environment for users to share their ideas and opinions.   

"Harassment hurts our community by making people less inclined to share their opinions and engage with each other," wrote Matt Halprin, YouTube's global head of trust and safety.   

On the heels of the launch of Disney+, Netflix appears to be mulling a change to its pricing plan options. A new, cheaper pricing plan is currently being tested in India, Reuters reports. 

Under the plan, new and existing subscribers who pay for a full year of the service can save 50 percent. Those who sign up for six months or three months of the service get 30 percent and 20 percent discounts, respectively.

When applied to the most expensive plan in the U.S. (the Premium plan), consumers would end up paying $7.99 per month if they opted for a one-time payment of $95.94. The Premium plan currently costs $15.99 per month.

"We believe that our members may value the flexibility that comes from being able to pay for a few months at once. As always, this is a test and we will only introduce it more broadly if people find it useful," a spokeswoman for Netflix India told Reuters. 

Competitive pricing

Although Netflix has said it’s not worried about competition from Disney+, the introduction of an alternative pricing option on Netflix would allow it to offer similar pricing when compared to its streaming service rival. 

Disney’s new service costs just $6.99 per month, or $5.83 for those who pay for a full year of Disney+ access. The service garnered more than 10 million subscribers at launch and could hit as many as 20 million subscribers by the end of the year, according to recent estimates from Credit Suisse.  

Bass Pro of Springfield, Mo., is recalling about 3,700 MR. STEAK four and five burner gas patio grills sold in the U.S., and Canada.

The gas regulator hose with attached fuel gauge can melt if it comes in contact with the bottom of the grill’s firebox, posing a fire hazard.

The firm has received nine reports of grill fires. No injuries or property damage have been reported.

The recall involves four- and five-burner models of MR. STEAK propane gas grills, models MS-4B-PG, SKU 2472264 and MS-5B-PG, SKU 2472265, that have both a fuel gauge and a fuel line that is not attached to the inside of the grill.

The grills are stainless steel with black trim and have four or five black and red dials. The words “MR. STEAK” are printed below the thermometer on the grills’ lid.

The recall also applies to SKUs 2366916 and 2366917 if the consumer added an aftermarket fuel gauge to the regulator assembly.

A label on the inside of the left compartment door or on the back of the grill identifies the model number of the grill.

The SKU is printed on the purchase receipt.

The grills, manufactured in China, were sold at Bass Pro Shops, Cabela’s, and ABT Appliance & Electronics stores nationwide and online at basspro.com and cabelas.com from May 2017, through July 2019, for about $500 for the four burner grill and $600 for the five burner grill.

What to do

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled grills and contact MR. STEAK for a free repair kit.

Consumers may contact MR. STEAK toll-free at (833) 677-8325 or 833-MRSTEAK from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. (ET) Monday through Friday, or online at mrsteak.com and click on “RECALL” at the top of the page, or visit mrsteak.com/repairpartskit for more information.

Toyota is recalling about 9,000 model year 2019- 2020 C-HRs, Corollas, and model year 2020 Corolla Hybrids.

The recalled vehicles are equipped with rear seat belt assemblies that have two types of locking mechanisms. One of the locking mechanisms in certain seat belts may not have been assembled correctly, causing an occupant to not be restrained properly in certain crashes -- increasing the risk of injury.

What to do

Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rear seat belt assemblies and replace any affected seat belt assembly with a new one free of charge.

The recall is expected to begin in early February 2020.

Owners may contact Toyota at (800) 331-4331.

Consumers appear to be spending heavily this holiday season, which is good for the economy. But if they’re putting too much of that spending on credit cards, that can be a problem.

YouGov, an international polling and market research company, reports that 9 percent of consumers are still paying off last Christmas’ debt. Among millennials, the percentage is 14 percent.

Bruce McClary, a vice president at the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC), says it’s much easier to get into debt than to get out of it, especially at this time of year.

“It’s tough to climb out from under it, especially if you got into debt without a plan,” McClary told ConsumerAffairs.

Planning is actually a key step in maintaining a stable financial life. Before spending money, consumers should keep track of how much they’ve already put on a credit card and have a plan for paying it back.

Many consumers, however, may just be waking up to the fact that they’ve already exceeded their holiday spending limit. Earlier this month, a LendingTree survey found that 61 percent of consumers dread the holidays because of the financial pressures they bring.

Don’t put it off

McClary urges consumers to act quickly if they feel the debt burden piling up so they can begin paying it off. Again, one of the most important first steps is planning.

“It requires sitting down and looking at both your spending and income and figuring out where you can free up extra money to go toward credit card balances because making the minimum payments clearly doesn’t cut it,” McClary said. “We’ve seen that from the number of people still carrying debt from last holiday season.”

Credit counselors often suggest two options for speeding up debt payments. The “snowball” method prioritizes paying off the lowest credit card balance first. Once that card is paid off, the money that would otherwise go to that payment can then be applied to the next-lowest balance until it is paid off, and so on.

The “avalanche” method is similar, but instead of prioritizing the account with the lowest balance, you focus on paying off the card with the highest interest rate. McClary said using a balance transfer credit card -- transferring a high-interest balance to a card providing 12 or more months of 0 percent interest -- can be a useful tool for power-paying a balance.

“But keep in mind these reduced rates or 0 percent offers are time-limited, so you’ll need to plan to pay off the balances before the introductory period expires,” McClary said.

Boosting your credit score

ConsumerAffairs has collected information about some of the best balance transfer cards here.

But you’ll notice that most are for consumers with good to excellent credit scores. If your credit score needs some work in order to qualify, McClary says the new year is a good time to take steps to improve how you look to lenders. 

“First, pull a copy of your credit report at all three agencies,” he said. “Go to annualcreditreport.com and download the free copies you are entitled to once a year. Then you can see for yourself exactly how your creditors are reporting your payment activity.”

McClary says you should also look closely at the credit reports for accuracy. Incorrect negative information will pull down your credit score. If you find it, you can contest it with the credit bureau.

Finally, it’s important that you pay all of your bills on time every month. Timely debt payment makes up about a third of your credit score.

NFCC represents non-profit credit counselors across the U.S. They charge a small fee but deliver unbiased advice and can help consumers develop and plan for getting out of debt and staying that way.

An internal review carried out by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the wake of the fatal Lion Air crash last October found that Boeing 737 MAX jets were far more likely to be involved in future crashes than Boeing regulators stated publicly, according to The Wall Street Journal. 

The FAA concluded last fall that additional crashes of the jets could have averaged one every two or three years, or 15 similar incidents globally in the next 30 to 45 years, if the plane didn’t undergo certain design changes. 

The prediction was included in a document released Wednesday at a House Transportation Committee hearing, which is investigating the FAA’s oversight of Boeing and the Max. 

Safety issues 

Despite knowing about the presence of an unsafe condition in a critical automated flight-control system, regulators declined to ground the aircraft after the first deadly crash. 

It wasn’t until a crash of an Ethiopian Airlines jet occurred in March that regulators decided to ground the aircraft worldwide. All told, the crashes claimed 346 lives.

“The FAA rolled the dice on the safety of the traveling public and let the Max continue to fly until Boeing could overhaul its MCAS software,” said Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., the chairman of the committee. The agency “failed to do its job,” he added. “It failed to provide the regulatory oversight necessary to ensure the safety of the flying public.”

The planes remain grounded today, with no timeline for a return to service. Regulators must still complete several additional steps before the plane is deemed safe to be reintroduced to flight schedules. The grounding is expected to continue into next year.

Blue Grass Quality Meats of Erlanger, Ky., is recalling approximately 121,083 pounds of pork bacon and ready-to-eat turkey breast.

The products contain soy, an allergen not declared on the labels.

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

The following Cajun-style items, produced from October 29, 2018, to November 19, 2019, are being recalled:

• Various weights of shrink-wrap packages containing “BLUE GRASS CAJUN STYLE TURKEY BREAST” with sell by dates from 7/1/19 to 1/9/20.
• Various weights of shrink-wrap packages containing “OLDE WORLD Cajun Style TURKEY BREAST” with sell by dates from 7/1/19 to 1/1/20.
• Various weights of shrink-wrap packages containing “Robinson’s PREMIUM Cajun Style Turkey Breast” with sell by dates from 7/12/19 to 1/16/20.
• Various weights of shrink-wrap packages containing “Troyer CAJUN STYLE TURKEY BREAST” with sell by dates from 7/18/19 to 1/21/20.
• Various weights of vacuum sealed packages containing “Troyer CAJUN STYLE BACON” with sell by dates from 1/28/19 to 2/19/20.

The recalled products bearing establishment number “P-7417” or “EST. 7417” inside the USDA mark of inspection, were shipped to retail locations in Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia, where the turkey products may have been offered as retail-sliced deli product.

What to do

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

Consumers with questions may contact David Kegley at (859) 331-7100.

An online company that enables U.S. residents to obtain a copy of their birth certificate has exposed nearly 800,000 applications, according to Fidus Information Security. 

“More than 752,000 applications for copies of birth certificates were found on an Amazon Web Services (AWS) storage bucket,” according to TechCrunch, which verified the discovery of the UK-based security firm. “The bucket wasn’t protected with a password, allowing anyone who knew the easy-to-guess web address access to the data.” 

TechCrunch didn’t disclose the name of the company in question in order to protect the privacy of those who used the service. 

The applications involved in the exposure dated back to 2017 and contained information like the applicant's name, their date of birth, current home address, email address, and phone number. They also included other personal information, such as previous addresses and names of family members.

TechCrunch said that as many as 9,000 new applications have been added on a daily basis since it started looking into the exposure. 

Company hasn’t responded

Attempts to notify the company of the privacy issue have allegedly been met with “only automated emails” and no action so far. Amazon said it would also notify the company of the privacy issue, but officials added that they can’t take direct action to resolve the matter.

The safety of consumers’ online data has been called into question numerous times over the past several years. Earlier this year, investigators found that the medical data of around 5 million U.S. consumers could be easily accessed online. 

Last month, a privacy suit was filed against Amazon’s cloud division alleging the company “obtains and stores biometric data on behalf of its customers.” 

A report published in June by Comparitech estimated that there have been roughly 9,700 reported breaches involving over 10.7 billion records since 2008.