Current Events in March 2020

Lawmakers want to know exactly what Amazon is doing to ensure the safety of its warehouse workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. In a letter to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos on Friday, Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Ilhan Omar asked to know more about the company’s health and safety measures at its sites.

"No employee, especially those who work for one of the wealthiest corporations in the world, should be forced to work in unsafe conditions," the lawmakers wrote in the letter, which was co-signed by a dozen other House representatives. 

In recent years, Sanders and Omar have both raised concerns that Amazon isn’t paying or treating its workers fairly. Now, the lawmakers want to know if the e-commerce giant is doing enough to slow the spread of the coronavirus and keep its workers safe. 

As of Sunday, workers in at least 17 of Amazon’s U.S. warehouses have tested positive for the virus, according to Reuters. Amazon said it has been cleaning the affected facilities and assured the public that infected employees have been quarantined. 

Pushing for more information

In the letter sent Friday, the lawmakers took aim at Amazon’s “proven record” of insufficient health and safety measures. 

“Even prior to the dire global health crisis, these facilities have a proven record of high health and safety standard violations, and Amazon has failed to provide any substantive response or solutions to those violations,” the lawmakers wrote. “Given that the company has announced plans to hire 100,000 new warehouse workers and institute mandatory overtime, we are growing more concerned that Amazon does not possess an adequate internal pandemic preparedness and response plan.”

Sanders and Omar requested specific information on what the company is doing to ensure that employees adhere to the CDC’s social distancing guidelines, what Amazon’s emergency response plan is, and whether workers’ safety is a priority during this unprecedented time. 

“We ask that you intensify your efforts to protect the health and safety of your warehouse workers. No employee, especially those who work for one of the wealthiest corporations in the world, should be forced to work in unsafe conditions,” the lawmakers wrote.

Amazon responds

Amazon officials have responded to accusations of unfair treatment of warehouse workers by calling them “simply unfounded.” 

“Our employees are heroes fighting for their communities and helping people get critical items they need in this crisis,” the company said. “Like all businesses grappling with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, it is not easy as supplies are limited, but we are working hard to keep employees safe while serving communities and the most vulnerable.” 

Amazon added that it’s gone to “extreme measures” to ensure the safety of its employees. Those measures include “tripling down on deep cleaning, procuring safety supplies that are available, and changing processes to ensure those in our buildings are keeping safe distances,” the company said. 

Recent studies have explored the heart benefits associated with following a plant-based diet. Now, researchers from the American Heart Association have revealed the benefits in foods like tofu. 

According to a new study, consumers who follow diets heavier in isoflavones, which are most commonly found in plant protein and tofu, could be at a lower risk of heart disease. 

“Other human trials and animal studies of isoflavones, tofu, and cardiovascular risk markers have also indicated positive effects, so people with an elevated risk of developing heart disease should evaluate their diets,” said researcher Dr. Qi Sun. 

“If their diet is packed with unhealthy foods, such as red meat, sugary beverages, and refined carbohydrates, they should switch to healthier alternatives. Tofu and other isoflavone-rich, plant-based foods are excellent protein sources and alternatives to animal proteins.” 

Isoflavones and lower risk of heart disease

To better understand how consumers can reduce their risk of heart disease by following a healthier diet, the researchers evaluated responses to the Nurses’ Health Study from 1984 through 2012. 

The participants completed surveys about what their typical diets looked like, and the researchers reassessed their eating choices and their medical records every few years over the course of the study. Though none of the participants had heart disease at the start of the study, over 8,300 participants had developed a heart condition by the study’s end. 

The researchers found that participants who were consuming foods higher in isoflavones had a lower risk of heart disease than those whose diets were lower in isoflavones. The findings suggest that consumers can reduce their risk for heart disease by nearly 20 percent by upping their isoflavone intake to multiple times per week. 

Though isoflavone is most often found in tofu and plant protein, the researchers explained that diets shouldn’t consist solely of tofu. Following a well-rounded, healthy diet is important for consumers to reduce their risk of disease. 

“Overall diet quality is still critical to consider, and tofu can be a very healthy component,” said Dr. Sun. 

Kawasaki Motors Corp. U.S.A., of Foothill Ranch, Calif., is recalling about 80,000 Kawasaki MULE PRO off-highway utility vehicles.

The steering shaft can develop excessive wear and affect steering control resulting in a crash hazard, posing a risk of injury or death.

The company has received 453 reports of incidents of steering problems. No injuries have been reported.

This recall involves recall involves model year 2015 through 2020 MULE PRO-FX, MULE PRO-FXR, MULE PRO-FXT and model year 2016 – 2020 MULE PRO-DX and MULE PRO-DXT utility vehicles.

The four wheel, off-highway utility vehicles were sold in black, green, white, red, bronze, silver, camo, and blue. They have side by side seating for three to six people and automotive style controls.

MULE PRO is printed on the right and left front fender. The model name is printed on the right and left fender. The vehicles are available as either gas or diesel models.

The diesel models have DIESEL printed on the right and left rear of the cargo bed. The Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) is located on the steel frame between the right front lower A-arm mounts. 

The utility vehicles, manufactured in the U.S., were sold at Kawasaki dealers nationwide from July 2014, through January 2020, for between $12,000 and $17,000.

What to do

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled utility vehicles and contact a Kawasaki dealer to schedule a free repair. Kawasaki is contacting all known purchasers directly.

Consumers may contact Kawasaki toll-free at (866) 802-9381 from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. (PT) Monday through Friday or online at www.Kawasaki.com and click on “Recalls” a the bottom of the page for more information.

Fromagerie Blackburn is recalling its own brand of Le Napoléon – Firm Cheese.

The product may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

No illnesses are reported.

The following product, sold in the Canadian province of Quebec, is being recalled:

What to do

Customers who purchased the recalled product should not consume it.

Consumers with questions may contact the company at

(418) 547-4153 or by email at info@fromagerieblackburn.com.

A spike in reported cases in the last 24 hours has vaulted the United States past China as the country with the most people contracting the coronavirus (COVID-19).

China still has more deaths from the pandemic with nearly 3,300. The U.S. has reported 1,300.

China, where the virus originated, has seen its case numbers level off in the last two weeks at around 82,000. By Friday morning, U.S. cases had reached 86,000, and doctors warn that those numbers will rise before the illnesses peak.

But an analysis of the data shows the rapid increase in cases is far from evenly distributed. New York City and surrounding areas remain the hardest-hit region of the country, with serious cases now threatening to overwhelm hospitals.

New Orleans has an unusually large number of cases of the virus. Health officials have attributed that to two factors -- huge crowds gathering for Mardi Gras late last month as the virus was spreading undetected and an uneven start to testing.

‘This is coming for you’

Major population centers in California are also seeing significant increases in reported cases. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti issued an online statement to his constituents Thursday and also had a warning for people in the rest of the state.

"No matter where you are, this is coming to you," Garcetti said. "Everybody is the new 'whatever the worst city is' right now. Take all the measures you can now to make sure people are home."

Twenty-one of the nation’s 1,300 deaths from the virus have occurred in Los Angeles.

While states like New York, California, Washington, and Florida have seen the largest number of cases, many other states have avoided serious spikes in the outbreak so far. But health officials in those states have stressed that residents must observe strict social distancing precautions to keep those numbers low.

Apple has just released a new COVID-19 app and website based on the latest guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 

In an announcement, the company said its new site and app each contain a screening tool and set of resources to “help people stay informed and take the proper steps to protect their health during the spread of COVID-19.” 

If a user’s symptoms appear to warrant medical attention, the site will encourage the individual to contact their health care provider or emergency services and/or self-isolate at home to avoid infecting others. Alternatively, the software may say that the user doesn’t need to be tested. 

Apple made a point of noting that its screening tool does not replace instructions from healthcare providers or guidance from state and local health authorities.

Helping people stay informed 

Among other resources, Apple has included tips on social distancing, hand washing and disinfecting surfaces, FAQs about the virus, and how to properly monitor symptoms if they arise. 

Apple said it created the website and app in partnership with the CDC, the Coronavirus Task Force, and FEMA to “make it easy for people across the country US to get trusted information and guidance at a time when the US healthcare system is feeling the heavy burden of COVID-19.” 

To assuage user’s data privacy concerns, Apple said it’s “not collecting your answers from the screening tool.” 

“To help improve the site, Apple collects some information about how you use it,” the company said. “The information collected will not personally identify you.”

The app is only available in the U.S. for the time being, but the website is available worldwide. 

In the middle of all the yin and yang surrounding the COVID-19 outbreak, good financial news continues to roll in for consumers. 

On Thursday, five federal financial regulatory agencies came together to motivate banks, credit unions, and savings associations to give small-dollar loans to credit-worthy consumers and small businesses in response to COVID-19.

“Responsible small-dollar loans can play an important role in meeting customers' credit needs because of temporary cash-flow imbalances, unexpected expenses, or income disruptions during periods of economic stress or disaster recoveries,” the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, National Credit Union Administration, and Office of the Comptroller of the Currency said in a joint statement.

What types of loans will be available?

The group left open the range of loan possibilities to lending institutions, but it suggested open-end lines of credit, closed-end installment loans, or appropriately structured single payment loans. That freedom of choice, however, was couched with a firm word of warning for the lenders.

“Loans should be offered in a manner that provides fair treatment of consumers, complies with applicable laws and regulations, and is consistent with safe and sound practices,” the regulators said.

Hope for borrowers in more difficult positions

The financial havoc that the COVID-19 pandemic has created differs from person-to-person and business-to-business. The fact is that some were prepared with enough cushion to wait the situation out and some weren’t.

Borrowers who took on a hit they had no backup plan for might have a difficult time repaying a loan in a structured way. But the regulators want them to know that they’re not being left out in the rain. The group encouraged banks, savings associations, and credit unions to entertain workout strategies that can help borrowers repay the principal of the loan while tempering the need to re-borrow.

A week after closing their North American assembly facilities due to coronavirus concerns, Ford and Fiat Chrysler have each announced that they plan to resume production in April. 

The automakers previously announced that they would be halting operations at major assembly plants in an effort to limit the spread of the coronavirus. On Thursday, Ford said it plans to restart production at five “key” plants as early as April 6. 

In a statement, United Auto Workers (UAW) union president Rory Gamble said that UAW “continues to review with great caution and concern decisions being made about restarting workplaces, especially at advanced dates.” 

The group said Ford originally planned to reopen plants on March 30, but it will now push the opening to April “due to numerous stay-at-home orders from government officials.” When plants resume operations, Ford said it will have “additional safety measures to protect returning workers” from contracting COVID-19. After manufacturing sites shut down last week, Ford said it would begin thoroughly cleaning its facilities. 

Fiat Chrysler said it’s North American facilities “are intended to remain closed until April 14.” The date at which they reopen will be “dependent upon the various state stay in place orders and the readiness of each facility to return to production.”

Worker protections

The news comes the same week President Trump announced that he’d like to see the nation "opened up and just raring to go by Easter,” despite persistent concern among health officials about the sharp rise in the number of coronavirus cases in the U.S. 

The UAW confirmed this week that three Fiat Chrysler plant workers have now died from COVID-19.

“The UAW maintains that strict CDC guidelines need to be adhered to at all worksites, and that prior to reopening, sufficient data and protections are in place to ensure the safety of our members, their families and the public,” Gamble said. “The only guideline in a boardroom should be management asking themselves, ‘Would I send my family — my own son or daughter — into that plant and be 100% certain they are safe?'” 

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is trying to gather enough House members to form a quorum so the chamber can vote today on the $2 trillion coronavirus (COVID-19) aid package and send it to the White House.

The Senate passed the measure early Thursday on a unanimous 96-0 vote. It contains provisions to help both businesses and individuals.

Of particular interest to consumers may be the section making direct cash payments to Americans. Individuals may receive up to $1,200. Couples would receive $2,400 and $500 for each dependent child.

However, income restrictions apply. The amount of the direct payment begins to fall for adjusted gross incomes over $75,000. To determine how much you would receive under the measure, the Washington Post has published a payment calculator.

The payments will be made through the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

One would never think that an antivirus software company in Russia of all places would be coming to the rescue of the United States’ biggest tech company, Google. But believe it or not, it’s true.

Virus analysts at Moscow-based Doctor Web found that cybercrooks had found an open backdoor in a recent Google Chrome update and were able to squeeze through that hole and ravage online news blogs and corporate pages that were built using WordPress’ content management system (CMS).

If the victims fall for the trick and install the "updates," they'll actually be installing TeamViewer, a legitimate remote-desktop tool that gives the hackers real-time remote control of your computer,” saysPaul Wagenseil, a security expert at Tom’sGuide.

“They'll also install a script that makes sure that the Microsoft Defender antivirus software built into Windows is unaware of what's going on.”

Think you might have fallen prey?

As you can imagine, this new wrinkle has set antivirus developers scrambling for a fix. If you use antivirus software, you’d be smart to contact them directly and ask about Chrome Update 80.0.3987.149.

If you don’t have antivirus software installed, one potential way ConsumerAffairs found to mitigate the issue is to go directly to Google’s Chrome “Stable Channel Update for Desktop.” There, you’ll find updates as they happen and a community help forum where you can find help from peer Google Chrome users.

While researchers have already discovered the risks that high sodium intake can have on heart health, a new study has explored how it can also affect the immune system. 

Researchers from the University of Bonn discovered that a diet high in salt can negatively affect consumers’ immune response. To ensure the best health practices, the researchers encourage consumers to limit how much salt they’re having on a daily basis. 

“We now have been able to prove for the first time that excessive salt intake also significantly weakens an important arm of the immune system,” said researcher Dr. Christian Kurts. 

Limiting salt intake

The researchers had two primary components to their study: an experiment on mice and an experiment on human volunteers. 

They put a group of their test mice on high salt diets and then observed the way their immune systems responded to the change. The researchers learned that the mice that consumed more sodium were more likely to be prone to bacterial infections than the ones that hadn’t upped their salt intake. 

“In the spleen and liver of these animals we counted 100 to 1,000 times the number of disease-causing pathogens,” said researcher Dr. Katarzyna Jobin. 

For the human volunteers, the researchers added just six extra grams of sodium to their diets. The participants were free to eat the rest of their meals as they normally would. 

“This is roughly the amount [of sodium] in two fast food meals, i.e. two burgers and two portions of French fries,” said Dr. Kurts. 

The participants stayed on this added sodium diet for one week, at which point the researchers gave them blood tests and analyzed the effect on their immune systems. 

Much like the mice, the cells in the human participants that are responsible for fighting off infection were severely compromised following the introduction of the added sodium. Ultimately, the team found that higher salt intake makes the body more vulnerable to infection. 

“Only through investigations in an entire organism were we able to uncover the complex control circuits that lead from salt intake to this immunodeficiency,” said Dr. Kurts. 

With Americans told to stay inside and work from home, there have been fewer cars at the gas pump. As a result, prices are in an accelerating freefall.

The AAA Fuel Gauge Survey shows the national average price of regular gas is $2.05 a gallon, 12 cents less than a week ago and 62 cents cheaper than a year ago. The average price of premium gas is $2.70 a gallon, down 11 cents from last Friday. The average price of diesel fuel is $2.63 a gallon, sixt cents less than last week.

“Typically gas prices start to trend more expensive at the beginning of spring, especially as motorists get out to enjoy the warmer weather and travel for spring break. That is not the case this year,” said Jeanette Casselano, AAA spokesperson. 

“With Americans urged to stay at home and practice social distancing to slow the spread of coronavirus, we are seeing less traffic on the roadways which will ultimately drive down demand, increase gasoline supply and push pump prices less expensive for the foreseeable future.”

Prices drop in competitive states

At the beginning of the week AAA reported that 29 states had average gas prices under $2 a gallon. Some of the biggest price declines have come in states that sometimes have high prices at the pump. Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin this week have some of the nation’s lowest prices.

Patrick DeHaan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, says these states often lead gas price declines.

“What’s behind it is that these states see a high level of competition versus others and fall the fastest, but also on the flip, they usually rise amongst the fastest as well,” he told ConsumerAffairs. 

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 ($3.41)

• California ($3.12)

• Washington ($2.83

• Oregon ($2.75) 

• Alaska ($2.63)

• Nevada ($2.69)

• Arizona ($2.52)

• Idaho ($2.40)

• Utah ($2.39)

• New York ($2.36) 

The states with the cheapest regular gas

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

• Oklahoma ($1.65)

• Wisconsin ($1.70)

• Ohio ($1.71)

• Kentucky ($1.76)

• Indiana ($1.77)

• Michigan ($1.77)

• Mississippi ($1.78)

• Texas ($1.80)

• Missouri ($1.81)

• South Carolina ($1.81)

In an effort to streamline operations in the midst of the coronavirus crisis, McDonald’s is temporarily doing away with its all-day breakfast menu. 

The restaurant chain said its breakfast menu will be disappearing from menus over the next few weeks, but it will be brought back “as soon as possible.” 

“To simplify operations in our kitchens and for our crew, and ensure the best possible experience for our customers, we are working with our franchisees and local restaurants to focus on serving our most popular choices and will begin temporarily removing some items from the menu over the next few weeks,” Bill Garrett, the senior vice president of McDonald’s U.S. operations, said in a statement.

Garrett added that McDonald’s will “regularly evaluate” the situation to determine when to bring back all-day breakfast. In the meantime, the fast food provider is still offering take-out, Mobile Order & Pay, Drive Thru, and “McDelivery” at most of its restaurants. Some locations may have limited hours while the outbreak is ongoing.

Like other brick-and-mortar establishments, McDonald’s has had to implement a few changes to limit the spread of the coronavirus. Last week, the company announced that it would be closing all seating and play areas at its U.S. locations. 

"To align with increasing regulations throughout the country…McDonald’s USA company-owned restaurants will close seating areas, including the use of self-service beverage bars and kiosks," the company said in a statement on March 16.

Experts have found several benefits associated with positivity, including longer life and disease prevention. 

Now, researchers from North Carolina State University have discovered ways for consumers to be more positive in their daily lives. According to their study, finding a balance between planning for future stressors and staying present in the moment can help consumers keep a brighter disposition. 

“It’s well established that daily stressors can make us more likely to have a negative affect, or bad moods,” said researcher Shevaun Neupert. “Our work here sheds additional light on which variables influence how we respond to daily stress.” 

Letting go of daily stressors

The researchers had over 220 participants involved in the study; half of the group was between the ages of 18 and 36, while the other half of the group was between the ages of 60 and 90. 

At the start of the study, the participants completed surveys that allowed the researchers to assess their baseline level of positivity. The questions had them report on how they typically handle stressful situations and how likely they are to be proactive at handling such stressors. 

Then, for eight days, the researchers had the participants record their moods, things that were stressful, and the aspects of their days where they took the time to be mindful. 

The participants who planned for future stressors, took steps to cope ahead of time, and had high levels of mindfulness were better equipped to handle daily stressors than those with lower levels of mindfulness and fewer future plans. This was true of participants of all ages. 

“Basically, we found that proactive planning and mindfulness account for about a quarter of the variance in how stressors influenced negative affect,” said Neupert. 

Incorporating more mindfulness exercises, including meditating or art, can be a great way for consumers to stay in the present moment and let go of worries about what’s to come. 

“Interventions targeting daily fluctuations in mindfulness may be especially helpful for those who are high in proactive coping and may be more inclined to think ahead to the future at the expense of remaining in the present,” Neupert said.