Current Events in April 2020

With the coronavirus continuing to drive up demand for items such as toilet paper and disinfectant wipes, Walmart has hired more than 100,000 new workers in the past three weeks. 

In mid-March, Walmart announced that it was looking to fill 150,000 positions.

“We’ll easily hit the 150,000,” Dan Bartlett, Walmart’s executive vice president of corporate affairs, told CNBC’s Courtney Reagan. “We’ll do an assessment to see if we need to do more.”

Providing fall-back job opportunities

While most of the jobs are temporary, about 10-15 percent are permanent, Bartlett said. Most employees are working for Walmart in order to make ends meet “until their traditional jobs come back online,” he said.

“People are keeping their eye on the horizon to see when industry and when the economy will crank back up. But in the meantime, they’re providing a critical service, and we welcome them with open arms,” Bartlett said. 

Walmart said Thursday that demand has remained strong since the beginning of the coronavirus crisis. Bartlett said paper goods “are still under pressure,” adding that the retailer is selling enough toilet paper over a five-day period to allow every U.S. citizen to have their own roll. 

The company said that while toilet paper continues to fly off shelves, other products have also risen in popularity.

“All the do-it-yourself types of items like hair coloring and beard trimmers are selling quite well,” he said. “Sewing machines are flying off the shelf as well because a lot of people are selling and making their own masks at their house.” 

Demand for gasoline continues to drop, and so do prices at the pump.

The AAA Fuel Gauge Survey shows the national average price of regular gas is $1.88 a gallon, another seven cents lower than a week ago. A year ago, the average gas price was $2.76 a gallon. The average price of premium gas is $2.53 a gallon, compared to $2.61 a week ago. The average price of diesel fuel is $2.54 a gallon, four cents less than a week ago.

Gas prices have fallen as oil prices appear to have found a floor on hopes that Saudi Arabia and Russia can reach a deal to reduce the amount of oil they pump into world markets.

“This week, market analysts are watching crude oil prices, which started to increase at the end of last week,” said Jeanette Casselano, AAA spokesperson. “However, given the low demand readings, increases in crude aren’t likely to have an impact on gas prices in the near-term.”

Making these falling prices even more remarkable is the statistic for refinery output. Currently, the nation’s oil refineries are only running at 82 percent of capacity, the lowest level in three years. But even at that level, they’re producing more gasoline than homebound consumers can buy.

Once again, Wisconsin has the lowest gasoline prices in the nation, with the statewide average dropping 13 cents a gallon in the last seven days. Other Midwestern states -- including Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, and Kentucky -- also have some of the cheapest gasoline prices in the country.

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 ($3.31)

• California ($2.91)

• Washington ($2.64)

• Oregon ($2.59) 

• Nevada ($2.51)

• Alaska ($2.34)

• Arizona ($2.32)

• Utah ($2.23)

• New York ($2.28)

•  Pennsylvania ($2.13)

The states with the cheapest regular gas

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

• Wisconsin ($1.38)

• Oklahoma ($1.44)

• Ohio ($1.50)

• Kentucky ($1.55)

• Michigan ($1.57)

• Indiana ($1.58)

• Mississippi ($1.61)

• Texas ($1.62)

• Missouri ($1.62)

• Iowa ($1.62)

Camso of Canada is recalling about 380 Yeti SnowMX conversion kits.

The brakes on the snow bike can fail after the conversion kit has been installed, posing a crash hazard to the user.

The firm has received 12 incidents of the brakes failing. No injuries have been reported.

This recall involves Yeti Snow MX kits used to convert dirt bike motorcycles into snow bikes for use in snow.

The kit allows the replacement of the front wheel of a motorbike with a ski and rear suspension and wheels with a track system, and the addition of appropriate brakes with other components.

The Yeti Snow MX kits have a serial number starting with YE3XXXX or 964XXXX located under the unit. The Yeti logo is printed on the side of the product.

The model names and numbers of the kits are as follows:

Model Year 2018:

• Yeti SnowMx 120 Sport SS 
• Yeti SnowMx 129 Freeride SS 
• Yeti SnowMx 120 Sport 
• Yeti SnowMx 129 Freeride 
• Yeti SnowMx 137 Mountain lite 

Model Year 2019:

• Yeti SnowMx 120SS 
• Yeti SnowMx 129SS 
• Yeti SnowMx 129FR 
• Yeti SnowMx 137MT 

Model Year 2020:

• Yeti SnowMx 120SS 

The conversion kits, manufactured in Canada, were sold at authorized Yeti SnowMX dealers from October 2017, through February 2020, for about $8,600.

What to do

Consumers should immediately stop using snow bikes with the recalled conversion kits and contact an authorized Yeti SnowMX dealer to make an appointment for a free repair.

Consumers may contact Camso toll-free at (877) 866-2275 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (ET) Monday through Friday or online at yetisnowmx.ca and click on “News” at the top of the page then “Press Room” for more information.

Toyota is recalling about 1,000 model year 2020 Corolla Hatchbacks.

A connector in the rear hatch of the vehicle may have been damaged during production, resulting in the backup lamps possibly becoming inoperative over time.

If backup lamps do not illuminate when the vehicle is operated in reverse, there can be an increased risk of a crash.

What to do

Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear hatch wire harness with a new one free of charge

The recall is expected to begin in early June 2020.

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

With these three products, your social media account will stand out from the rest. If you need any tips on getting an upgraded phone, read our guide to see what consumers have suggested.

The COVID-19 pandemic had a good news/bad news day on Thursday.

The good news is from Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, who says that the public's buy-in to physical separation and other restraints is showing a discernible difference in the death toll projections from the coronavirus. 

Earlier estimates showed that the pandemic would take the lives of 100,000 to 200,000; Fauci’s new estimation is closer to 60,000.

The bad news? It’s that the U.S. is in the middle of a "very bad week" in Fauci’s estimation.

"I think the American public has done a really terrific job of just buckling down and doing those physical separation and adhering to those guidelines," Fauci said in an interview on NBC News’ Today Show. 

"But having said that, we better be careful that we don't say, 'OK, we're doing so well we could pull back.' We still have to put our foot on the accelerator when it comes to the mitigation and the physical separation."

Other COVID-19-related updates

Staying safe is especially important for consumers who are at greater risk of being exposed to the coronavirus. With that in mind, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued guidance updates on the following:

Pregnancy

The CDC has issued an update to its earlier guidance regarding “Considerations for Inpatient Obstetric Healthcare Settings.” Here’s what’s included:

• Considerations related to visitors and essential support persons to pregnant women who have known or suspected COVID-19 infection

• Prioritized testing of pregnant women with suspected COVID-19 at admission or who develop symptoms of COVID-19 during admission

• Testing of infants with suspected COVID-19 and isolation from other healthy infants

• Determination of whether to keep a mother with known or suspected COVID-19 and her infant together or separated after birth on a case-by-case basis, using shared decision-making between the mother and the clinical team

Cruise ship travelers

While the latest news about cruise ships was centered around the disembarkation of passengers aboard the Coral Princess -- the latest cruise ship in the U.S. with reported cases of COVID-19 -- the U.S. Coast Guard reports that there are actually 114 cruise ships carrying 93,000 crew members still out there, either in or near U.S. ports and waters. 

The CDC has updated its recommendations to help those U.S. cruise ship travelers (both passengers and crew) get home as quickly and safely as possible during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The agency recommends that cruise ship travelers with no symptoms or mild symptoms disembark as quickly and safely as possible at U.S. ports of entry. It notes that cruise line companies must get travelers directly to their homes via chartered or private transportation, and commercial flights and public transportation may not be used to accomplish this.

The CDC says it realizes that it might be confusing for travelers when recommendations change during the COVID-19 pandemic response. 

“The COVID-19 pandemic in the United States and globally is constantly changing. We will continue to evaluate and update our recommendations for returning cruise ship travelers as the situation evolves,” the agency said.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) tally as compiled by Johns Hopkins University. (Previous numbers in parentheses.)

Total U.S. confirmed cases: 432,579 (401,166)

Total U.S. deaths: 14,830 (12,936)

Total global cases: 1,506,936  (1,450,343)

Total global deaths: 90,057 (83,568)

A second coronavirus task force

President Trump is reportedly planning a second coronavirus (COVID-19) task force, this one focused on getting the economy rolling again. NBC News, citing an administration official, reports that the group would include White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, and National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow.

The mission would be to develop plans to spur economic activity once shelter-in-place edicts are lifted. The report comes on the day the government reported another 6.6 million new claims for unemployment benefits and the Federal Reserve said it would inject another $2.3 trillion into the economy.

CVS and Walgreens step up testing

Two pharmacy retailers -- CVS and Walgreens -- have announced they are increasing the number of locations where consumers can drive up and be tested for the coronavirus. 

The stores are staging the testing stations in their parking lots. This week, CVS added two new locations, one in Atlanta and the other in Providence, R.I.

Walgreens said it is opening 15 new testing locations in seven states, with the first of the group rolling out this week. The CEOs of both companies announced the testing effort when they attended a White House summit last month.

New testing app for first responders

Stanford Medicine and Apple have collaborated to produce an app that will direct first responders to the nearest drive-through coronavirus test location if they begin to feel the onset of symptoms.

To use the app, someone answers generated questions about how they’re feeling. If the symptoms match the virus, the program will recommend they be tested.

A lack of testing is often cited as one of the reasons the U.S. has more cases than any other nation. Officials have urged more testing to protect medical personnel, first responders, and others with an increased risk of infection.

Gates sees kids back in class in the fall

Bill Gates, whose foundation has been a leader in studying and preparing for pandemics, says this school year is over. He told CNBC this morning that no district should even think about returning children to the classroom over the next three months.

However, Gates said he believes kids will be able to return to school in the fall. As for business getting back to normal, Gates said that could begin to happen around the end of May. That said, going to big sporting events before a vaccine has been developed could pose problems.

Bezos’ surprise visit

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos showed up unannounced at one of the company’s fulfillment centers and a Whole Foods store amid rising complaints about the retailer’s coronavirus policies. In particular, employees have said the company isn’t providing workers with adequate protection on the job.

As an essential business, Amazon has not only been open for business but has seen a crush of orders from homebound consumers. It’s actively trying to hire 100,000 new employees.

Amazon has come under fire from some employees, especially after there was a case of the virus at one of the fulfillment centers. Bezos visited an Amazon warehouse in the Dallas area Wednesday to thank employees for their work. 

Amazon said it is enforcing social distancing guidelines, as well as checking employee temperatures at the start of shifts and increasing cleaning. It says it has enough masks and hand sanitizer for employees at all its facilities.

Around the nation

• California: State health officials are reporting progress in “flattening the curve” of coronavirus deaths. They say the virus is not spreading as quickly as early models predicted, but they are calling for an extension of social distancing measures.

• Kentucky: The high school baseball season has been canceled. But Wednesday night -- when games are normally played -- empty stadiums across the state were lit up as a reminder that things will eventually get back to normal.

• Iowa: A Cedar Rapids nursing home has reported 84 cases of the coronavirus among staff and residents. State officials say the facility’s past safety violations were apparently not a factor in the outbreak.

On Thursday, Senate Democrats blocked a bid by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R - Ky.) to deliver an additional $250 billion in coronavirus aid to small businesses. 

Though not opposed to funneling more money into the Paycheck Protection Program, Democrats argued that the money was needed more direly in “community-based financial institutions.”

"One of the concerns that we have about the original $350 (billion) is a lot of money [is] first come, first serve, and many unbanked people who are underbanked or unserved on that basis ... don't have banking relationships ... in a way that others do," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said in an interview on NPR's All Things Considered. 

"So we said for the next $250 (billion), we really need to have a percentage of that — $60 billion — that would go to something called the community development of financial institutions."

Impasse over small business aid

In asking Democrats for their support of the proposal to add more money to the PPP, McConnell said that the U.S. “cannot afford unnecessary wrangling or political maneuvering” during this critical time. 

“Treating this as a normal kind of partisan negotiation could literally cost Americans their jobs,” McConnell said, adding that he believed the time for addressing Democrats’ priorities should come later. 

Democrats claimed McConnell wasn’t negotiating and was merely executing a “political stunt.” 

“I am afraid that this unanimous consent is basically a political stunt," Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md. “This unanimous consent was not negotiated, there was no effort made … so it won’t get done. It's not going to be enacted.”

Cardin emphasized that Democrats “strongly support” the program but believe the money is more needed elsewhere. 

The PPP was established in March under the $2 trillion coronavirus stimulus package known as the CARES Act. With so many Americans out of work, demand for relief through the program has been enormous. Lawmakers have expressed concern that the $350 billion in aid available through the program could dwindle rapidly under current demand. 

"We need more funding — and we need it fast," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on the Senate floor. "To my Democratic colleagues, do not block emergency aid you do not oppose just because you want something more. We do not have to do everything right now."

As expected the unemployment rolls grew larger last week. The Labor Department reports that there were 6,606,000 new claims for unemployment benefits, a decrease of 261,000 from the previous week's record level. 

The previous week's total was revised up by 219,000 from 6,648,000 to 6,867,000. The four-week moving average was 4,265,500, an increase of 1,598,750 from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average was revised up by 54,750 from 2,612,000 to 2,666,750. 

Unemployment surged as the economy began to shut down late last month in an effort to halt the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). While millions of people are working from home many businesses have closed their doors and plan to keep them closed for at least another few weeks.

‘Relief and stability’

As the Labor Department was issuing its report, the Federal Reserve announced that it is pumping another $2.3 trillion into the economy in the form of loans to small businesses and state and local governments, which are strapped for cash to pay the surging unemployment claims. 

The new round of loans is designed to bolster U.S. businesses that have been affected by the coronavirus and helped prevent even more layoffs.

“Our country’s highest priority must be to address this public-health crisis, providing care for the ill and limiting the further spread of the virus,” said Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell. “The Fed’s role is to provide as much relief and stability as we can during this period of constrained economic activity, and our actions today will help ensure that the eventual recovery is as vigorous as possible.”

The Fed program is specifically aimed at improving the effectiveness of the Small Business Administration's (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) by supplying additional money to participating banks. These financial institutions report a huge demand for these loans from their small business customers.

The Fed said it will also make sure that credit flows to small and mid-sized businesses by purchasing up to $600 billion in loans through the Main Street Lending Program. The Department of the Treasury, using funding from the CARES Act, will provide $75 billion for that purpose.

The action will also send $500 billion in loans to states and municipalities that are dealing with skyrocketing costs associated with the pandemic, along with a sharp drop in sales tax revenue.

Google is banning the use of video conferencing application Zoom by its employees due to security concerns. 

The number of Zoom users ballooned recently after more Americans began working remotely to slow the spread of the coronavirus. But after use of the platform surged, it became evident that Zoom’s security measures weren’t enough to support its new popularity. 

On Wednesday, Buzzfeed reported that Google sent its employees an email last week telling them that if they had the Zoom app installed on their work computers, they would soon find that the software no longer functioned.  

“We have long had a policy of not allowing employees to use unapproved apps for work that are outside of our corporate network,” a Google spokesperson told Buzzfeed. “Recently, our security team informed employees using Zoom Desktop Client that it will no longer run on corporate computers as it does not meet our security standards for apps used by our employees.” 

The spokesperson added that employees who have been using Zoom to stay connected with family and friends can “continue to do so through a web browser or via mobile.”

Security vulnerabilities 

As Zoom’s traffic dramatically increased, so did incidents of harassment on the platform. “Zoombombing” -- where a hacker disrupts a meeting with racist remarks, aggressive language, pornographic content, or even death threats -- has rattled Zoom users and prompted the FBI to issue a statement saying the offense is “punishable by fines and imprisonment.” 

Other Zoom vulnerabilities have included undisclosed data sharing with Facebook, exposed Zoom recordings and LinkedIn profiles, and a “malware-like” installer on the Mac version of the app.

In light of the apparent privacy issues, New York City’s Department of Education recently announced that educators who use Zoom as a platform to teach remotely would need to gradually transition to other virtual classrooms in light of the security vulnerabilities on Zoom. 

The DOE said it received “various reports documenting issues that impact the security and privacy of the Zoom platform.” 

“Based on the DOE’s review of these documented concerns, the DOE will no longer permit the use of Zoom at this time,” the Department said last week. “Schools should move away from using Zoom as soon as possible.” 

Zoom founder and CEO Eric Yuan said in a recent blog post that supporting the influx of users has been a “tremendous undertaking,” but his company is doing everything it can to strengthen security measures. Zoom said it would temporarily pause new features on the app for 90 days while it focuses on improving security and privacy. 

One of the chief criticisms of the U.S. educational system is its overreliance on standardized testing, and a recent study suggests that it may be hurting the development of our nation’s young people.

Researchers from the University of Buffalo collected responses from thousands of principals to gauge the educational goals they had for students. The findings suggest that educators are increasingly placing more importance on academic success over personal growth and career skills.

"The balanced development of both academic and soft skills is crucial, not only for well-rounded child development in schools, but also for career and life success," said lead researcher Dr. Jaekyung Lee.

Changing priorities

Lee and his colleagues came to their conclusions by analyzing the changes in principals’ rankings for several educational priorities over time. These included goals such as academic excellence, numerical skills, basic literacy, work habits and discipline, multicultural awareness, human relations, job skills, personal growth, and moral values.

In the most recent ranking from 2012, 83 percent of principals ranked academic excellence as one of their top three goals, up from 60 percent in 1991. Basic literacy and numerical skills also rose from 76 percent in 1991 to 85 percent in 2012.

In contrast, personal and vocational skills fell in value as time went on. In 1991, 62 percent of principals ranked personal growth in their top three educational goals; that fell to 32 percent by 2012. Job skills fell from 13 percent to 9 percent over the same time span.

Focusing more on tests

Lee notes that this change in priorities isn’t something that should be blamed on the nation’s educators. He traces these changes back to the 1990s, when mandated state testing was implemented under the No Child Left Behind Act. 

"Increasing concerns about poor student performance in the United States led states to adopt high-stakes testing policies," says Lee. "However, working under the constraints of limited resources, complex power dynamics and externally imposed policies, school principals are often faced with challenges in prioritizing educational goals. Forced to focus narrowly on academic skills measured by state tests, other equally important goals were deprioritized."

"School leaders can and should play an important role in envisioning and realizing educational goals," Lee continued. "Principals need to develop strategies to accomplish the whole educational mission, encompassing academic, socioemotional, moral, multicultural and vocational learning to meet the diverse needs of their students as well as the larger society."

The full study has been published in the journal Educational Administration Quarterly.

You wouldn’t want to wish the coronavirus on your worst enemy, but the pandemic sure has put the hurt on robocallers.

The total number of robocalls were down 15.7 percent in the month of March, largely due to factors related to the COVID-19 crisis. Still, it’s possible that anti-robocall efforts from companies like T-Mobile and regulators at the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) are finally starting to prove their worth. March’s robocall total is a substantial 28 percent lower than last October's monthly peak of 5.7 billion calls.

These latest monthly figures come from robocall blocking service YouMail.

"While March's decline provides welcome relief to beleaguered consumers, it's unlikely to last given the decline appears to be driven by the impact of COVID-19 social distancing restrictions on call centers," said YouMail CEO Alex Quilici. "It's a shame it has taken a global pandemic to make a real dent in the robocall epidemic."

The latest update on scam calls

As you might imagine, the surge of COVID-19 produced a new raft of related robocalls that regulators and congressional leaders are trying to fight off. These include fake disease cures, attempts to peddle ineffective equipment, and bogus medical advice offers. 

Those COVID-kin calls created a parallel surge in an increase in Medical/Health-related scams overall -- putting that category at #1 with more than twice the calls the second-place finisher (Interest Rate scams) had. 

Here are the top five robocall scams, according to YouMail:

"Winners" in March 2020

The locations that typically experience a high number of robocalls got a break in March. While the pecking order is much the same, the volume of calls placed to those areas is down dramatically. 

In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, the Federal Reserve will temporarily let Wells Fargo exceed the asset capacity it imposed on the bank in February 2018. 

The central bank put the cap on the bank after it came to light that Wells Fargo had opened millions of accounts in customers’ names without their knowledge or permission. The bank is still working to improve its reputation in the wake of the scandal. 

The Fed announced Wednesday that it will let Wells Fargo exceed the $1.95 trillion cap in order to allow it to participate in the emergency small business stimulus loan program, known as the Paycheck Protection Program.

“Due to the extraordinary disruptions from the coronavirus, the Federal Reserve Board on Wednesday announced that it will temporarily and narrowly modify the growth restriction on Wells Fargo so that it can provide additional support to small businesses,” the Fed said in a statement.

Still being held accountable for past actions

The Fed’s decision comes a few days after Wells Fargo announced that it wouldn’t be able to fully participate in the program. On Sunday, Wells Fargo said its participation would be limited to $10 billion due to the regulatory restrictions. 

"While we are actively working to create balance sheet capacity to lend, we are limited in our ongoing ability to use our strong capital and liquidity position to extend additional credit," said Wells Fargo CEO Charles Scharf.

In a separate statement, Scharf said the Fed’s temporary lifting of the restriction “does not, and should not, in any way relieve us of our obligations” under the 2018 consent order.

“While the asset cap does not specifically restrict Wells Fargo’s participation in this program, this action by the Federal Reserve will enable Wells Fargo to provide additional relief for our customers and communities,” Scharf said.

The Fed issued a similar statement, saying that it “continues to hold the company accountable for successfully addressing the widespread breakdowns that resulted in harm to consumers identified as part of that action and for completing the requirements of the agreement.”

Wells Fargo reopened its PPP website for applications on Wednesday.

With fewer people shopping for cars lately, the competition for consumers’ auto spending is as fierce as ever. New research from Kelley Blue Book (KBB) suggests Subaru is the brand that has a strong edge.

The Japanese carmaker was number one in key attributes in KBB’s 2020 Brand Image Awards’ broadest category -- non-luxury brands. Subaru was named “Best Overall Brand,” “Most Trusted Brand,” and “Best Performance Brand.”

In other key sectors, Honda was named “Best Value Brand,” GMC earned honors for “Most Refined Brand,” and Dodge was named “Best Car Styling Brand.”

"Building brands that leave positive impressions with car shoppers is of the utmost importance to automakers who wish to stand out and succeed in an increasingly crowded marketplace," said Isabelle Helms, vice president of research and market intelligence for Cox Automotive. "Delivering products that are compelling to shoppers and backed by solid marketing communications, has proven to influence purchase considerations and outcomes.

Car sales are down

Standing out may be more important than ever because the coronavirus (COVID-19), which has thrown millions of Americans out of work, has put a huge dent in new car sales. While GM’s March decline in sales was limited to just 7 percent, Mazda saw its sales fall 42 percent.

Subaru, notwithstanding its strong brand, saw its sales plunge by 47 percent in March. But even with the loss of business, Subaru reported that its dealers have volunteered in their local communities by offering shopping services for seniors, supporting local blood drives, and contributing to food banks. Things like that, of course, could help explain why its brand resonates with consumers.

‘Commitment to their customers’

In an analysis of Subaru reviews posted at ConsumerAffairs, consumers generally express approval of the brand, even when they have encountered issues with their vehicles. Bill, of Dunnellon, Fla., seems typical of Subaru owners.

“Not only do I love my Subaru, but I sincerely appreciate Subaru’s commitment to their customers,” Bill wrote. “Of course I’m not talking about the dealers, but Subaru Corporate HQ In NJ. Whenever I’ve hit a snag with the dealership, HQ has been there to help.”

In other categories, Toyota drove off with “Best Overall Truck Brand” for the second straight year while Tesla claimed “Best Overall Luxury Brand.”

In fact, Tesla nearly swept the luxury award categories for 2020, its first year in the winner’s circle. Besides the overall award, Tesla also claimed “Best Value Luxury Brand,” “Most Refined Luxury Brand,” “Best Performance Luxury Brand,” and “Best Car Styling Luxury Brand.”

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has announced that consumers who were taken in by a deceptive, negative option marketing campaign will be receiving refund checks soon. 

The agency said it is sending out over 14,000 checks collectively worth over $488,000 to those who signed up for “free” products and “risk-free” trials from AAFE Products. Back in 2017, the company was accused of sending these offers to consumers and then signing them up for a membership that would charge them a recurring monthly fee if they did not cancel it.

Regulators said the organization also misrepresented its return, refund, and cancellation policies. In a settlement, the company was forced to pay over $2.5 million to the FTC. It was also barred from making these kinds of misrepresentations in the future.

Claiming a refund

In its announcement, the FTC says eligible consumers should receive their check in the mail; it asks that recipients immediately deposit or cash it within 60 days. The agency notes that it does not require any recipient to pay money or provide information in order to cash a refund check. Any consumer who is told that is likely being targeted by a scammer. 

For more information, consumers can contact the case’s refund administrator, JND Legal Administration, at 1-833-900-1638. The FTC also runs an interactive dashboard for refund data that can be accessed here.

Nissan North America is recalling 216,678 model year 2012-2017 NV Cargo & NV Passenger Vans, model year 2013-2015 Titans, & Armadas, and model year 2011-2012 Infiniti QX56s.

Due to a manufacturing issue, the airbag inflator may not function properly or may rupture during deployment.

An inflator rupture may result in met al fragments striking the driver or other occupants,, resulting in serious injury or death.

What to do

Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front driver airbag inflators free of charge.

The recall is expected to begin May 25, 2020.

Owners may contact Nissan customer service at (800) 867-7669 or Infiniti customer service at (800) 662-6200.

Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) is recalling 224 model year 2020 GLE350s, GLE450s and GLS450s.

The seams on the rear crossmember may have been insufficiently welded, which may allow cracks to form when towing, possibly causing the rear crossmember to detach from the vehicle.

If the rear crossmember detaches from the vehicle, it can become a road hazard and increase the risk of a crash.

What to do

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

The recall is expected to begin May 19, 2020.

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