Current Events in July 2020

Another day and another shift in pandemic land. Walgreens and VillageMD announced an upgrade of their relationship on Tuesday, whereby Walgreens will be the first national pharmacy chain to offer full-service doctor offices co-located at 500-700 of its stores. The partnership will start with 30 U.S. markets and grow organically over the next five years.

This expanded partnership will be co-branded as “Village Medical at Walgreens.” Led by primary care providers, the blueprint of the clinics calls for a unique twist by integrating the pharmacist as a member of the store team. Additionally, 24/7 care will be available via telehealth and at-home visits. 

The doctor-patient shift

Consumers are becoming confident with the doc-in-a-box concept. The Commonwealth Fund’s survey of health care during the pandemic found that, early on, the number of visits to ambulatory care practices declined by nearly 60 percent. Conversely, the number of urgent care centers in the U.S. has now topped 9,000, according to a report from the Urgent Care Association.

Why, you ask? It seems to be the expedient, convenient, and on-demand service that’s a better match for patients today. In the Urgent Care report, 92 percent of the respondents reported that it took 30 minutes or less for a patient to see a provider. That demonstrates the quick and convenient service that meets the on-demand access to care that’s important to patients today, the group said.

Research results like that weren’t lost on Walgreens. In a trial run of the company's new enterprise at five in-store clinics in the Houston, Texas area, it saw “very strong results ... including high patient satisfaction, with Net Promoter Scores over 90.”

Perfect timing, perfect opportunity

The partnership couldn’t come at a better time -- especially for Walgreens. Coming out of the first wave of the pandemic, the company is recovering with some impressive strength. Placer.ai reports that by the week of June 15th, weekly visits to Walgreens locations were up 3.4 percent year-over-year, while Rite Aid and CVS were down 6.4 percent and 2.1 percent, respectively.

The money to be made also wasn’t lost on Walgreens or VillageMD. 

“In the U.S., we spend $4 trillion per year on healthcare, over 85 percent of that is tied to patients with chronic diseases. … This partnership allows us to unleash the power of primary care doctors and pharmacists, enabling them to work in a coordinated way to enhance the patient experience,” said Tim Barry, chairman and CEO of VillageMD. 

Adding a pharmacist to the mix

The addition of a pharmacist is an interesting twist, but here again, Walgreens’ homework is leading the way. The company’s survey of the medical-to-consumer landscape showed that six in 10 Americans today live with at least one chronic condition requiring multiple daily medications. In the company’s estimation, having a pharmacist in the mix increases medication consistency and contributes to improved patient outcomes.

“These clinics at our conveniently located stores are a significant step forward in creating the pharmacy of the future, meeting many essential health needs all under one roof as well as through other channels,” said Stefano Pessina, executive vice chairman and CEO, Walgreens Boots Alliance.

The coronavirus (COVID-19) has brought huge changes to auto-buying, with some of those changes being more temporary and others expected to be long-lasting.

One short-term change is a shift to late-model used cars among consumers who would ordinarily shop for a new car. Industry analysts at Edmunds say the prolonged shutdown of auto assembly plants in March and April has reduced the inventory of new cars and trucks.

At the same time, economic uncertainties brought on by the pandemic are leading some consumers to look for ways to save money, preferring for the moment to have a lower monthly car payment.

Jessica Caldwell, Edmunds' executive director of Insights, says June’s used car buyers received highly favorable loan terms, suggesting a large number of the buyers had high credit scores and could have purchased a new vehicle.

"Thanks to a shortage of new vehicle inventory, more automakers and dealers have leaned into promoting attractive certified pre-owned programs, which might be driving more typical new car shoppers into the used market," Caldwell said.

Bigger down payments

In June, used car buyers also put more money down -- another sign of financial stability among people choosing used cars. The average used down payment rose to $3,167 in June, surpassing $3,000 for the first time that Edmunds has on record dating back to 2007.

Interest rates on used car loans also fell to the lowest level since January 2018, with the average annual percentage rate (APR) falling to 7.8 percent. That compares to 8.3 percent in May and 8.6 percent a year ago.

COVID-19 may also be causing some car-buying changes that will continue into the foreseeable future. For one thing, the pandemic may discourage future ridesharing and use of mass transit. In June, Edmunds saw evidence of first-time buyers entering the market -- perhaps a sign that some consumers are seeing personal vehicle ownership in a new light.

Online sales

When dealerships across America closed their showrooms in March, they devised a way to complete sales transactions online and to deliver cars to consumers’ homes for test drives. There’s evidence to suggest that enough consumers like that method to make it a permanent option.

Karl Brauer, executive editor at Kelley Blue Book and Autotrader, told ConsumerAffairs in May that online sales may become a permanent option because dealers believe it makes their salespeople more productive.

“That’s where dealers are seeing an increased efficiency because now, instead of trying to sell a car to a consumer in a given timeframe, they could have as many as 10 deals in process simultaneously,” he said.

On Tuesday, Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg participated in a video conference with leaders of the organizations behind the advertising boycott of his platform and reportedly did little to prove that he was interested in addressing their concerns. 

“The meeting we just left was a disappointment,” said Color Of Change Executive Director Rashad Robinson during a video press conference after the meeting. “They showed up to the meeting expecting an A for attendance.”

The four civil rights groups that recently began pressuring Facebook to do more to address hateful content on its platform included the NAACP, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), Color of Change, and Free Press. Together, the organizations launched a campaign urging Facebook to curb the spread of hate speech and misinformation on its site. 

No commitments 

The leaders of the organizations said Facebook executives didn’t commit to changing anything at the meeting and merely treated the meeting like “a PR exercise.” 

Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the ADL, said he and other leaders laid out ten specific ways to crack down on the issue of hate speech on the platform. However, Zuckerberg and other Facebook executives didn’t immediately commit to meeting any of the demands.

“We had 10 demands and literally we went through the 10 and we didn’t get commitments or timeframes or clear outcomes,” he said during the press conference following the meeting with Facebook. “We expected specifics, and that’s not what we heard.”

“All Mark needs to do, all Facebook needs to do, is once and for all say ‘White supremacy, racism, anti-semitism, anti-Muslim hate, xenophobia — once and for all, it has to stop, and that stops now,’” Greenblatt added. 

‘This isn’t over’

In a statement, Jessica Gonzalez, Co-CEO of Free Press, said Zuckerberg and his colleagues “delivered the same old talking points to try to placate us without meeting our demands.” 

“This isn’t over. We will continue to expand the boycott until Facebook takes our demands seriously,” she added. 

Facebook officials have said the company won’t make changes for financial reasons or due to pressure from advertisers. COO Sheryl Sandberg said in a post that Facebook will only make changes because it’s “the right thing to do.” Zuckerberg recently said that he believes advertisers will be back sooner rather than later. 

"We're not gonna change our policies or approach anything because of a threat to a small percent of our revenue, or to any percent of our revenue,” Zuckerberg said during a private meeting with Facebook staff, according to the news site The Information. “My guess is that all these advertisers will be back soon enough.” 

After the spring homebuying season was derailed by the pandemic, home shoppers appear to be making up for lost time. Demand for mortgages is soaring, and so is confidence among buyers.

The perfect storm of pent-up demand and record-low interest rates resulted in a 5 percent increase in mortgage applications last week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). But compared to the same week a year ago, applications were up a shocking 33 percent.

Real estate brokers say home sales began to accelerate in mid-May after worries about the coronavirus (COVID-19) resulted in both a dramatic decline in listings and fewer people looking for homes. As stay-at-home restrictions were lifted, the shoppers came out in droves.

Homebuying sentiment

That trend is borne out by the latest Fannie Mae Home Purchase Sentiment Index (HPSI), which jumped 9 points in June. Four of the index’s six components increased over May, with consumers reporting a significantly more positive view of homebuying and home-selling conditions, as well as greater optimism regarding home price appreciation.

"A second month of improvement in June allowed the HPSI to regain some of the sharp losses in optimism observed in March and April," said Doug Duncan, senior vice president and chief economist at Fannie Mae. "The share of renters who say it's a good time to buy a home is now at its highest level in five years, suggesting favorable conditions for first-time homebuying.”

A number of factors could be responsible for that increase. Two months of quarantine in a small apartment could be prompting some people to seek more space that a single-family home provides. It’s also possible that buyers now realize they don’t have to live close to where they work since they can work from home, and they may be seeking homes in more affordable markets.

Low inventory levels

While the number of potential buyers has increased, sellers remain scarce. Inventory levels, especially in the more affordable entry-level segment of the market, remain near historic lows, but Duncan says that may be about to change.

“Homeowners seem to have taken note of the resulting lack of housing supply, with an increased share saying it's a good time to sell a home,” he said. 

The idea of selling may be more attractive now because the shortage of homes for sale is continuing to push home prices higher. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) reported that the median home price in May was $284,600, up 2.3 percent from May 2019. The inventory of available homes is down more than 18 percent from 2019.

Not surprisingly, the Fannie Mae survey found that the percentage of homeowners who believe now is a good time to sell rose from 32 percent to 41 percent, suggesting more homes could soon be coming on the market.

Meanwhile, growing competition for the limited number of homes for sale means buyers need to secure the lowest mortgage rate possible. ConsumerAffairs has collected reviews on some of the best mortgage companies here.

Polaris Industries of Medina, Minn., is recalling about 3,000 model year 2018-2020 Polaris Phoenix 200 ATVs sold in the U.S., and Canada.

The throttle lever stop can fail due to damage during shipping, posing a crash hazard.

The firm has received five consumer reports; four of them pertain to the throttle stop breaking, and one report of the throttle stop sticking. No injuries are reported.

This recall involves all model year 2018 through 2020 Phoenix 200 ATVs.

“Polaris” is decaled on the front body and on the sides of the ATV seats, and “Phoenix 200” is decaled on the side panels. The ATVs were sold in a gray color.

The Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) is located on the vehicle’s front left frame.

The ATVs, manufactured in Taiwan, were sold at Polaris dealers nationwide from November 2017, through April 2020, for between $3,800 and $4,200.

What to do

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled vehicles and contact a Polaris dealer to schedule a free inspection and, if needed, a free repair. Polaris is notifying dealers and contacting registered owners directly.

Consumers may contact Polaris at (800) 765-2747 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. (CT) Monday through Friday or online at www.polaris.com and click on “Off Road Safety Recalls” at the bottom of the page for more information.

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

Total U.S. confirmed cases: 2,948,397 (2,897,613)

Total U.S. deaths: 130,430 (130,007)

Total global cases: 11,662,574 (11,495,412)

Total global deaths: 539,058 (535,185)

Feds increase funding for drug development

The U.S. government has opened its checkbook to support pharmaceutical companies working on coronavirus (COVID-19) treatments and vaccines, in hopes of reducing the time it will take to get them to market.

Novavax has received $1.6 billion from the government as part of “Operation Warp Speed,” a program created to accelerate drug development. Novavax currently has a vaccine candidate in late-stage clinical trials. 

Under that same program, Regeneron has signed a $450 million contract with the government to ramp up production of its double-antibody cocktail designed to treat or prevent COVID-19. As we reported here yesterday, the drug is in late-stage clinical trials.

Fauci: vaccine may require ‘booster’

Health officials have long assumed that any vaccine approved to prevent the coronavirus would provide lasting immunity, much like the vaccine against measles. White House health adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci is now calling that assumption into doubt.

In a public discussion at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Fauci said it’s unclear whether a vaccine would provide lasting protection or might require an occasional “booster” shot.

Spanish health officials, meanwhile, report that some early recovered patients no longer show evidence of antibodies in their blood, calling into question whether “herd immunity” will be able to slow the spread of the virus.

Emergency authorization for another test

As coronavirus cases continue to spike across the U.S., testing becomes an even more critical function. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for another COVID-19 antigen diagnostic test, the BD (Becton Dickinson) Veritor System for Rapid Detection of SARS-CoV-2. 

It’s the second antigen test the FDA has authorized for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 antigens. Under the EUA, it can be used in patient care settings operating under a CLIA Certificate of Waiver, Certificate of Compliance, or Certificate of Accreditation. 

"Antigen tests play an important role in the overall response against COVID-19, including as a point-of-care test that can potentially scale up to test millions of Americans quickly," said FDA Commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn.

Problems with contact tracing

The spike in coronavirus cases in some southern states has been so sudden that at least one health expert says the surge is making it difficult to perform contact tracing. When someone tests positive for the virus, tracing the people with whom they have had recent contact may identify the source and prevent others from spreading the virus.

But Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of tropical medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, says the outbreaks are so numerous that many health officials have simply given up on tracing efforts.

"I don't see how it's possible to even do that," Hotez told CNN.

Survey: consumers ready to travel again

Hoping to shake off that cabin fever after weeks of being homebound? You aren’t alone.

New research from Oracle and Skift found that 51 percent of people surveyed in both North America and Latin America plan to book trips in the next six months. But with the coronavirus still very much a threat, nearly half said they want to stay fairly close to home.

The survey also found travelers will likely be highly selective about the hotels they choose, expressing a preference for those that advertise enhanced sanitation and offer contactless technology for check-in, food ordering, and concierge services.

Around the nation

• Ohio: Ohio residents who lost their jobs as a result of the coronavirus shutdown may be eligible for additional unemployment compensation. State officials say residents whose benefits have expired can receive up to an additional 20 weeks of payments through the U.S. government. 

• California: Gov. Gavin Newsom says California’s recent surge in coronavirus cases is being fueled by young people “who believe they’re invincible.” California is now averaging nearly 2,000 new cases per day, with young, working-age adults making up an increasing percentage and seniors making up a declining share.

• Washington: Starting today, consumers will not be allowed inside Washington state businesses if they are not wearing a mask. The new statewide order is in response to a recent surge in virus cases. 

Under a new set of guidance issued by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), international students studying at universities in the United States may have to leave the country or face the possibility of deportation if their school switches to online-only learning. 

In a news release on Monday, ICE said the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) has announced modifications to temporary exemptions for nonimmigrant students taking online classes due to the coronavirus pandemic. The changes apply to the upcoming fall 2020 semester. 

“Nonimmigrant F-1 and M-1 students attending schools operating entirely online may not take a full online course load and remain in the United States,” ICE said. “The U.S. Department of State will not issue visas to students enrolled in schools and/or programs that are fully online for the fall semester nor will U.S. Customs and Border Protection permit these students to enter the United States.” 

The guidance states that students currently in the U.S. seeking a degree under online-only programs must “depart the country or take other measures, such as transferring to a school with in-person instruction to remain in lawful status.” The changes include an exemption for universities adopting a hybrid model, such as a mix of online and in-person classes.

Failure to comply with the new rule could lead to “immigration consequences,” which ICE said included the risk of deportation. 

A number of colleges and universities in the U.S. have opted to transition to online-learning in the interest of preventing COVID-19 transmission among students and instructors. The latest modification threatens to impact thousands of international students who come to the U.S. to pursue a degree or participate in non-academic or vocational studies.

Creates uncertainty for many students

In an interview with CNN, Theresa Cardinal Brown, director of immigration and cross-border policy at the Bipartisan Policy Center, said the rule change could have particularly confusing implications for students whose countries have travel restrictions in place. 

"These are not some fly-by-night universities, these aren't scams, these are legit universities who would normally have in-person curricula but for coronavirus," she said. "The bigger issue is some of these countries have travel restrictions on and they can't go home, so what do they do then? It's a conundrum for a lot of students."

In a statement on Monday, Harvard University President Larry Bacow said officials at the school are “deeply concerned” that the guidance issued by ICE “imposes a blunt, one-size-fits-all approach to a complex problem giving international students, particularly those in online programs, few options beyond leaving the country or transferring schools."

He added that the guidance "undermines the thoughtful approach taken on behalf of students by so many institutions, including Harvard, to plan for continuing academic programs while balancing the health and safety challenges of the global pandemic."

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued another warning regarding potentially lethal hand sanitizers. The new warning specifically targets hand sanitizer products containing methanol (aka wood alcohol and ethyl alcohol).

Methanol may be great as a gasoline additive or to produce antifreeze, but it’s completely unacceptable in the FDA’s eyes as an ingredient in hand sanitizers. Whether it’s absorbed through the skin or ingested, a variety of adverse events have been reported in both adults and children who were exposed to the substance. These include blindness, seizures, comas, and even death. 

Additionally, the agency has also witnessed an increase in hand sanitizer products that are labeled to contain ethanol (aka ethyl alcohol) but which also test positive for methanol contamination. 

Stay away from these products

In June, the FDA began its anti-methanol campaign when it warned consumers about products manufactured by Eskbiochem, which contained methanol. As a result, several of Eskbiochem’s distributors have done voluntary recalls.

But that was only the agency’s first step in this crusade. It continues to update a list of products consumers should avoid, and it is working with manufacturers and distributors of these toxic products to recall them. 

New additions to the list include sanitizers that are all based in Mexico. They include Bersih Hand Sanitizer Gel, Mystic Shield Protection hand sanitizer, and Britz Hand Sanitizer. The complete list of hand sanitizers to avoid is available here.

Remaining vigilant

The FDA warns consumers that there are no hand sanitizer products that are “FDA-approved,” and it also warns that any hand sanitizer that claims it can provide prolonged protection (i.e., “up to 24 hours”) should also be avoided.

The agency urges consumers to be aware that not all of these products have been taken off the shelves of retailers or online stores. As an example, ConsumerAffairs found a number of hand sanitizer products that contained methanol or ethyl alcohol on Amazon. Consumers would be smart to include both of those ingredients in any search they do for hand sanitizer products and to take a careful look at the “important information” at the bottom of each product’s listing.

“Unfortunately, there are some companies taking advantage of the increased usage of hand sanitizer during the coronavirus pandemic and putting lives at risk by selling products with dangerous and unacceptable ingredients. Consumers and health care providers should not use methanol-containing hand sanitizers,” said FDA Commissioner Stephen M. Hahn, M.D. 

“The FDA remains committed to working with manufacturers, compounders, state boards of pharmacy and the public to increase the safe supply of alcohol-based hand sanitizers. This includes staying vigilant and continuing to take action when quality issues with hand sanitizers arise.”

Foot traffic patterns in businesses and retail chains dipped recently amid concerns that states may have begun reopening too early, according to cell phone data analyzed by SafeGraph. 

SafeGraph, which compared anonymized location data against its database of business listings and points of interest, said there was an initial increase in foot traffic when states first began reopening. However, now that cases have begun rising again in several states, consumers appear to be more hesitant to venture out. 

On April 14, roughly a month after lockdowns began, foot traffic fell to its lowest level. Consumer patronization of businesses and chain stores tumbled 55 percent from January levels, according to SafeGraph. 

Foot traffic began rising during the latter half of April and in May as states gradually began reopening. But now, a reticence to go out appears to be setting in once again as states like Arizona, California, and Florida report huge increases in COVID-19 cases. 

Trend reversing course

The gradual increase in foot traffic seen as states began allowing businesses to reopen is “starting to flatline and turn reverse course in the past few days," SafeGraph spokesperson Nick Singh told CBS News. 

The drop in foot traffic is even more pronounced in states that recently reported spikes in confirmed cases. Although experts had hoped reopening quickly would help invigorate the ailing economy, the data suggests we’re seeing an economic consequence of reopening too soon. 

Former CDC chief Dr. Tom Frieden warned in May that reopening too quickly could have a negative impact on people’s health as well as the economy. 

“We do have to balance our economy and public health measures, and what we found from around the country and around the world is that the places that implemented public health measures the best also protect their economy the best,” Frieden told CBS. “If people are impatient to go out, you hope at least when they go out, they will do so as safely as possible.”

To help reduce transmission of the virus, health authorities continue to recommend that people practice social distancing and wear a face covering when out in public.

Due to the sudden spike in COVID-19 cases across the nation, contact tracing may no longer be possible in the South and Southwest of the United States. That’s according to Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of tropical medicine at Baylor College of Medicine. 

In an interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper on Monday, Hotez said cases are rising so rapidly that “we cannot even do contact tracing anymore.” 

Contact tracing was initially thought to be one of the most crucial ways of controlling the spread of the virus, as tracing the people a COVID-19 positive individual may have been in contact with could help identify the source and prevent others from spreading the virus. 

But given the dramatic increase in cases as of late, Hotez says, “I don't see how it's possible to even do that.” 

Rising numbers 

The U.S. is nearing 3 million reported cases and more than 130,300 people in the nation have died from complications of the virus, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. As of Tuesday morning, 31 states are seeing an increase of at least 10 percent in average new daily cases. 

Over the last week, there were close to 50,000 new cases each day -- the highest rate recorded so far in the pandemic. Florida and Texas reported particularly high numbers over the weekend, and at least 24 states are now pausing their reopening plans in response to the alarming increase in cases. 

"We are still knee-deep in the first wave of this," Dr. Anthony Fauci said in a Facebook and Twitter livestream Monday. "I would say, this would not be considered a wave. It was a surge, or a resurgence of infections superimposed upon a baseline ... that really never got down to where we wanted to go."

Dr. Francis Collins, the National Institutes of Health director, joined the livestream with Fauci and said Americans need to keep up their optimism and “do the right thing.” That means everyone should continue heeding the recommendations of health officials by wearing masks, social distancing, washing hands frequently, and avoiding small indoor spaces that could become crowded.  

Chalk up another move for Uber. On the heels of its acquisition of food delivery company Postmates, Uber has announced the rollout of grocery delivery in the U.S. 

The company’s new service will start up later this month in Dallas and Miami and be available both through its main app and its UberEats app. As part of the kickoff in those two cities, Eats Pass and Uber Pass members will receive free grocery delivery on orders over $30. Grocery Dive reported that consumers can expect their orders to be fulfilled within two hours. 

“Over the last six months, it’s become increasingly clear that grocery delivery is not only popular, but often a necessity,” Uber said in a blog post. “We expect to see this trend continue as people across the world look for new ways to save time and stay safe.”

The shift continues

As with most everything else, COVID-19 had a hand in this shift for Uber. With the decline in ridesharing, the company was on the prowl for new consumer spaces it could jump into and profit from.

The company isn’t rolling the new initiative out willy-nilly. Uber tested the concept in some 30 countries and orders increased 176 percent since February, the company said, calling the move “another step towards our vision of bringing you closer to the things you need, all in one place.”

Uber faces some stiff competition in this venture. Walmart is already in the grocery delivery game, and Amazon Fresh has become a consumer favorite during the COVID-19 pandemic, capturing a 15 percent share of home deliveries. There’s also Instacart (which services 350 retailers and 25,000 grocery stores), Blue Apron, HelloFresh, and a host of other wannabes to contend with.

Nonetheless, the company is confident that it can succeed. “The maturity and adoption rate of online grocery has significantly accelerated,” Raj Beri, Uber’s global head of grocery, told Grocery Dive. “There are a lot of customers that are or will be trying grocery delivery for the first time, and it’s important now to engage with the customers as well as the merchants.”

While researchers have previously warned consumers about marijuana use during pregnancy, and even during fertility treatments, a new study conducted by researchers from the University of Colorado at Boulder explored how the drug can affect infants throughout childhood. 

According to the study, women who use marijuana during pregnancy increase the likelihood that their children will have trouble sleeping. 

“As a society, it took us a while to understand that smoking and drinking alcohol are not advisable during pregnancy, but it is now seen as common sense,” said researcher John Hewitt. “Studies like this suggest that it is prudent to extend that common sense advice to cannabis, even if use is now legal.” 

The effect of marijuana on the brain

The researchers analyzed data from over 11,000 kids between the ages of nine and 10 who were involved in the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development (ABCD) study. The children’s mothers were also involved in the study by answering questions about their marijuana use and their child’s sleeping habits. 

The questions in both categories were specific, as the researchers were curious about the frequency with which the women used the drug during pregnancy, as well as any issues their kids had falling asleep or staying asleep. 

The researchers discovered a correlation between mothers who used marijuana during pregnancy and kids who had trouble sleeping, even a decade removed from childbirth. When mothers reported marijuana use during pregnancy, kids were more likely to have feelings of extreme tiredness during the day and trouble waking up in the morning. 

The researchers believe the cause for this finding may be linked to receptors in the brain that are affected by cannabis use. Based on other studies, they’ve determined that marijuana can affect brain development and ultimately impede the receptors in the brain required for sleep. Moving forward, the researchers hope that these findings highlight the risks associated with women using marijuana during pregnancy, as the effects can be far-reaching. 

“This study is one more example of why pregnant women are advised to avoid substance use, including cannabis,” said Hewitt. “For the children, it could have long-term consequences.” 

The Google Play Store has removed another 25 third-party apps for allegedly violating security rules. It took the action after a French cybersecurity firm, Evina, reported that the apps were accessing users’ Facebook credentials.

Evina reports that all the apps appear to have been developed by “a single threat group” and provide widely used features like wallpaper and flashlight functions. Once downloaded, however, they reportedly access Facebook usernames and passwords.

“When an application is launched on your phone, the malware queries the application name,” 

Evina explained on its website. “If it is a Facebook application, the malware will launch a browser that loads Facebook at the same time. The browser is displayed in the foreground which makes you think that the application launched it. When you enter your credentials into this browser, the malware executes javascript to retrieve them. The malware then sends your account information to a server.”

Apps that have been removed

Evina listed the following apps -- now removed from the Google Play Store -- as being security risks:

• Super Wallpapers Flashlight

• Padentaef

• Wallpaper Level

• Contour Level Wallpaper

• iPlayer & iWallpaper

• Video Maker

• Color Wallpapers

• Pedometer

• Powerful Flashlight

• Super Bright Flashlight

• Super Flashlight

• Solitaire Game

• Accurate scanning of QR code

• Classic Card Game

• Junk File Cleaning

• Synthetic Z

• File Manager

• Composite Z

• Screenshot Capture

• Daily Horoscope Wallpapers

• Wuxia Reader

• Plus Weather

• Anime Live Wallpaper

• iHealth Step Counter

• Com.tqyapp.fiction

Consumers who have downloaded any of these apps are advised to uninstall them. According to tech news site BGR, Google also disabled the apps on the user end after removing them from the store.

Cybersecurity firm Norton advises consumers to always use caution with downloading third-party apps. Even though the Apple Store and Google Play Store require developers to follow strict security guidelines, it’s a good idea to seek user reviews of the apps before downloading them.

Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt has filed a lawsuit against four timeshare exit companies, operated by a single individual.

The complaint alleges the timeshare exit companies, at the direction of the owner, solicited large payments from customers by promising to either transfer or terminate consumer timeshare interests within one year or the companies would buy out the interests themselves. 

While many people love their timeshares purchases, a large number later have a case of buyer’s remorse. Unfortunately, some timeshare contracts make it difficult to sell or otherwise resolve the obligation. Timeshare exit companies have sprung up in recent years, offering help to timeshare owners who want to stop paying for their units.

‘Found themselves in arrears’

The complaint names Vacation Consulting Services LLC, VCS Communications, LLC, The Transfer Group, LLC, and Real Travel L.L.C. The suit says after being paid large fees by timeshare owners, the companies failed to provide the result they promised.

“The exit groups did not make those payments as promised,” Schmitt’s office said in a press release. “As a result, many customers have found themselves in arrears with their respective timeshare holding companies.”

One reason timeshare contracts are so hard to reverse is that the transaction can be highly complex. In fact, there are two principal types of timeshares, both very different.

If it is a “deeded contract” timeshare, the buyer is one of 52 owners who is allowed to use the property one week out of the year. The transaction is a real property sale and the buyer is on the hook for a portion of real estate taxes, as well as maintenance fees.

Other timeshares are sold with “right-to-use” contracts. The buyer has no property ownership and they only have the right to use the property -- usually for a week each year. But at some point, the contract ends and all rights go back to the owner.

Complex contracts

Depending on the type of ownership, exiting the contract may carry different levels of complexity. Schmitt says owners who want out should talk to the timeshare operator first. Ask if the operator offers a deed-back or exit program. If talks are not successful, Schmitt says that may be the time to consult with an attorney.

If you are considering the purchase of a timeshare, buying from a reputable company that will explain all options could prevent future heartburn. ConsumerAffairs has collected thousands of reviews of some of the best timeshare companies here.

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing is recalling 46 model year 2019-2020 RAV4s and model year 2020 RAV4 Hybrids with electric power steering (EPS).

Water may enter through the steering gear box cover and cause a loss of electric power steering assist.

A loss of power steering assist could increase steering effort at low vehicle speeds, increasing the risk of a crash.

What to do

Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the power steering gear box free of charge.

This recall is expected to begin August 10, 2020.

Owners may contact Toyota customer service at (888) 270-9371. Toyota's number for this recall is 20TB11 / 20TA11.

A Better You!, of Hebron, Ky, is recalling about 750 Belecoo 535-S baby strollers.

A child’s torso can pass through the opening between the activity tray and the seat bottom and his/her head can become entrapped, posing entrapment and strangulation hazards.

Additionally, the location of the crotch restraint creates a large opening between the seat bottom and the restraint, and it can become detached, posing a fall hazard to children.

No incidents or injuries are reported.

This recall involves Belecoo 535-S convertible baby strollers sold in black, pink, blue, khaki and gray that convert into carriages in the bassinet position.

Belecoo is printed on the stroller’s frame and on the shoulder straps. The model number 535-S is printed on a label on the inside of the rear frame of the stroller.

The strollers, manufactured in China, were sold exclusively on Amazon.com from January 2019, through March 2020, for about $200.

What to do

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled baby strollers and contact A Better You! for instructions on how to receive a full refund including taxes and original shipping cost. The firm is contacting all known purchasers directly.

Consumers may contact A Better You! at (800) 715-7302 or by email at Belecoorecall@gmail.com for more information.