Current Events in February 2021

Microsoft says it would support a government shift to media rules that require big technology corporations to share profits with newspapers when they link to news content. In a new blog post, Microsoft president Brad Smith said his company would be in favor of the profit-sharing concept proposed by Australia. 

“...we’ve heard from people asking whether Microsoft would support a similar proposal in the United States, Canada, the European Union, and other countries. The short answer is yes,” Smith wrote.

He said Australia’s proposed rules would ensure that the newspaper industry, rather than Google and Facebook, receives the ad revenue it’s entitled to. 

Google is against it

Google, on the other hand, strongly opposes the idea. The tech giant went so far as to recently threaten to pull its search engine out of Australia if it’s forced to pay to present links and snippets of news articles. 

"The free service we offer Australian users, and our business model, has been built on the ability to link freely between websites," Google Australia and New Zealand VP Mel Silva told Australia’s Senate Economics Legislation Committee last month.

“If this version of the Code were to become law it would give us no real choice but to stop making Google Search available in Australia,” Silva said. “We have had to conclude after looking at the legislation in detail we do not see a way, with the financial and operational risks, that we could continue to offer a service in Australia.” 

Microsoft says it should be considered

Smith said Google “objects strenuously to what it regards as the injustice of having to engage in baseball arbitration.” He said Google is aware of the fact that there is a “wide gap between what news organizations are seeking and what Google is prepared to pay.” 

“Ignoring the fact that an imbalanced bargaining position has created this disparity in the first place, Google in effect asserts that its own inflexibility at the negotiating table means that it should not have to participate in an arbitration that rewards reasonableness over intransigence,” Smith said. 

“Unlike Google, if we can grow, we are prepared to sign up for the new law’s obligations, including sharing revenue as proposed with news organizations,” he continued. “The key would be to create a more competitive market, something the government can facilitate. But, as we made clear, we are comfortable running a high-quality search service at lower economic margins than Google and with more economic returns for the press.” 

For most of the months that the coronavirus (COVID-19) was causing widespread economic damage, consumers could at least console themselves with falling gasoline prices. That is no longer the case.

The AAA Fuel Gauge Survey shows the national average price of regular gas continues to climb, reaching $2.50 a gallon today. Not only is that five cents more than a week ago, it’s eight cents more than last year, just before the pandemic hit.

The average price of premium gas is $3.08, four cents higher than last Friday. The average price of diesel fuel is $2.72, six cents higher than a week ago.

While demand for fuel is still lower than it was before the pandemic, oil prices are rising anyway. The cost of crude is increasing because producers have trimmed supplies and oil speculators are betting that the end of the pandemic, when it arrives, will lead to a huge increase in demand.

In the meantime, Jeanette Casselano McGee, AAA spokesperson, says the price at the pump will continue to go up.

“Consumers can expect to continue paying more to fill up this month, potentially up to 10 cents more a gallon, depending on how high crude goes,” she said “If demand grows, that will further fuel pump price increases.”

The average price of gasoline rose nine cents a gallon this week in Missouri, seven cents in Michigan, and six cents in Oklahoma.

The states with the most expensive gas

These states currently have the highest prices for regular gas, according to the AAA Fuel Gauge Survey:

• California ($3.46)

• Hawaii ($3.35)

• Washington ($2.89)

• Nevada ($2.81)

• Pennsylvania ($2.79)

• Oregon ($2.76)

• Alaska ($2.67)

• Illinois ($2.66)

• New Jersey ($2.64)

• New York ($2.58)

The states with the cheapest regular gas

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

• Mississippi ($2.15)

• Texas ($2.20)

• Louisiana ($2.21)

• Oklahoma ($2.23)

• Alabama ($2.23)

• Missouri ($2.24)

• South Carolina ($2.24)

• Arkansas ($2.24)

• Tennessee ($2.27)

• Kansas ($2.28)

General Motors is recalling 284,645 of the following vehicles:

• Model year 2012 Cadillac Escalades, Escalade ESVs, Escalade EXTs, Chevrolet Avalanches, Silverado 1500s, Silverado 2500s/3500s, Suburbans, Tahoes, GMC Sierra 1500s, Sierra 2500s/3500s, Yukons and Yukon XLs originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A."

The vehicles are equipped with non-desiccated passenger front airbag inflators containing phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant.

These inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.

An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

What to do

GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger airbag inflator with an alternate one free of charge.

Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk are expected to be mailed beginning March 1, 2021. Second notification letters will be mailed once the remedy is available.

Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at (800) 458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at (800) 222-1020, and GMC customer service at (800) 462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212328770.

Dole Fresh Vegetables is recalling two lot codes of Dole Sunflower Crunch Chopped Salad Kits.

The product may contain wheat and tree nuts, allergens not declared on the label.

No illnesses or allergic reactions have been reported to date.

The recalled product with UPC code 0-71430-00034-2, “Best By” sate 02-11-21and lot codes W02702A and W02702B were sold in Ohio, New York and Wisconsin

What to do

Customers with an allergy to wheat and tree nuts who purchased the recalled product should not consume it, but rather discard it.

Consumers with questions may call Dole at (800) 356-3111 24/7.

Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) is recalling 24,550 model year 2017-2021 C300s and model year 2017-2020 AMG C43s & AMG C63s.

The front seat belts might not fully retract to their stowed position.

If the seat belt does not fully retract, the occupant may find the operation of the seat belt inconvenient and not wear it, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.

What to do

MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will check the retraction function of the front seat belts and adjust the damping foam within the B-pillars -- as necessary -- free of charge.

The recall is expected to begin March 23, 2021.

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

Homeland Security Investigations’ (HSI) -- the branch of U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in charge of monitoring organizations that try to exploit U.S. customs laws -- says that millions of counterfeit N95 masks made their way to the U.S. and were sold in at least five states.

Millions of the fake masks were purchased by hospitals, medical institutions, and government agencies. About two million of the masks actually made it to the frontline where they were used by health care workers in Washington State.

Cassie Sauer, president of the Washington State Hospital Association, said Washington State hospitals bought hundreds of thousands of the fraudulent masks, and the association itself bought another 300,000 for its members.

“Really good fakes”

Counterfeiting skills have reached expert levels over the years, and these masks were no exception. Many were stamped with the 3M logo and shipped in boxes that read, “Made in the U.S.A.,” despite not being made stateside or made by 3M according to the investigators.

The masks were “really good fakes,” Sauer said, noting that the fraudulent sellers had the design nuances down pat -- right down to a metal bar across the top and a foam strip across the nose.

“They look, they feel, they fit and they breathe like a 3M mask,” she said. But they were not made by 3M, she said, and officials don’t know enough about them to know how protective they might be.

Whether the masks were as effective as a real N95 made by 3M or not, it doesn’t really matter to HSI. “We don’t know if they meet the standards,” said Brian Weinhaus, a special agent with Homeland Security Investigations, told the New York Times.

Weinhaus said that companies claiming to be medical suppliers were likely buying the copycat N95s in China, then selling them as legitimate 3M masks. He told the Times that many of the masks include a reflective seal with the word “Peru,” which 3M said it does not use outside of Latin America. Weinhaus said HSI is doing its best to try to track the respirators back to the source and stop them at the border.

Public warned to stay vigilant

This is the second large counterfeit nab that HSI has made recently. In early December, more than 100,000 counterfeit 3M N95 surgical masks destined to be used by hospital workers were seized by ICE.

HSI is serious about protecting the legitimacy of coronavirus-related items like masks. Early in the pandemic, the agency launched a special operation – called Operation Stolen Promise – to protect U.S. consumers from the increasing and evolving threat posed by the pandemic. 

The operation involves various federal agencies and private sector partners, including Pfizer, 3M, and Amazon. The companies are all part of the manufacturer-to-consumer purchasing chain. Even the Alibaba Group -- a Chinese version of Amazon which was once on the list of the world’s most “notorious markets” for counterfeit goods -- signed up to do its part.

The operation has done a lot for consumers. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the agency sinkholed 11,000+ COVID-19 domains and made hundreds of arrests. Amazon alone stopped more than 6.5 million products that made inaccurate claims, and it removed over a million offers for suspected price gouging and referred the most flagrant offenders to federal and state law enforcement. 

Still, HSI is asking consumers to remain vigilant, mostly because the agency is focused on things that cross the U.S. borders and typically does not conduct operations at medical facilities. If anyone suspects -- or even wants to verify the legitimacy of -- a coronavirus-related product, HSI encourages the public to report that potential fraud to COVID19FRAUD@DHS.GOV.

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

Total U.S. confirmed cases: 27,295,950 (27,200,718)

Total U.S. deaths: 471,956 (468,500)

Total global cases: 107,482,468 (107,048,380)

Total global deaths: 2,358,085 (2,345,737)

CDC endorses ‘double-masking’

As predicted, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued guidance that recommends people wear two face masks to protect against the emerging, more contagious variants of the coronavirus (COVID-19). 

But the agency stresses the importance of wearing a mask with a tight fit. It says “double-masking” can improve the effectiveness of most masks.

“CDC conducted experiments to assess two ways of improving the fit of medical procedure mask: fitting a cloth mask over a medical procedure mask, and knotting the ear loops of a medical procedure mask and then tucking in and flattening the extra material close to the face,” the agency said. “Each modification substantially improved source control and reduced wearer exposure.”

Roche drug shown to help COVID-19 patients

While the emphasis remains on distributing vaccines to prevent people from getting the coronavirus, pharmaceutical companies are reporting encouraging results on drugs to treat patients who get the virus. An existing drug from Roche is the latest to show promise.

Researchers at Oxford University report that tocilizumab, an intravenous drug to treat arthritis, also shortened patients’ length of stay at hospitals and reduced the need for a ventilator. It worked even better when combined with the steroid dexamethasone.

“Previous trials of tocilizumab had shown mixed results, and it was unclear which patients might benefit from the treatment,” Peter Horby, one of the Oxford researchers, said in a statement. “We now know that the benefits of tocilizumab extend to all COVID patients with low oxygen levels and significant inflammation.”

Expert warns British variant will ‘sweep the world’

If the mutated coronavirus first discovered in the U.K. hasn’t yet shown up in your town, just wait. A prominent geneticist predicts that it is destined to “sweep the world” and become the dominant strain of COVID-19.

Sharon Peacock, director of the COVID-19 Genomics U.K. Consortium, says the key question is how the current vaccines will handle the variant. Both Pfizer and Moderna have said their research shows their vaccines will still be effective against the new strain.

Both the U.K. strain and the one identified in South Africa do not appear to cause a more severe or fatal illness. However, both appear to be much more contagious than the original virus.

New jobless claims fall but remain elevated

The unemployment picture remained a mixed bag last week. The Labor Department reports that initial claims for unemployment benefits totaled 793,000 last week.

That was fewer than the 812,000 claims in the previous week but more than the 760,000 that most economists expected. On the bright side, last week saw the lowest level in new claims in five weeks.

Analysts point out that unemployment claims have almost perfectly tracked the movement of coronavirus cases. Now that cases are on the decline, they say businesses are doing more hiring.

Pandemic has sparked large scale career changes

Because of the pandemic, many Americans have decided to move to other cities and towns, creating the largest migration in decades. It turns out the pandemic is also prompting many people to think about changing careers, according to a survey from the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA).

"Whether they've been directly affected by job losses and furloughs or not, consumers are clearly taking note of how the pandemic has disrupted the U.S. economy," said Geoffrey Brown, NAPFA CEO. "They are looking for ways to improve their financial security and not shying away from considering major life changes.”

As people reassess their professional lives, increasing their income is the top priority. Of those who've become more likely to find a new job or make a career change, 45 percent hope to make a higher salary in their new position. Thirty percent say they want to continue working from home.

Around the nation

• New Jersey: Gov. Phil Murphy has gone into quarantine after a member of his family tested positive for COVID-19. The governor was tested Wednesday and received a negative result. The governor’s office said he is going into quarantine out of an abundance of caution.

• Illinois: Despite nationwide shortages of the coronavirus vaccine, Illinois is expanding eligibility to receive the shot. The state expects to increase eligibility beginning Feb. 25, allowing for people with "a high-risk medical condition" or comorbidity to be vaccinated. 

• California: Gov. Gavin Newsom has praised the vaccination effort in his state, reporting that 5 million Californians have received the vaccine so far. That’s approximately one in 10 residents. In a tweet, Newsom said that “hope is on the way.”

Volkswagen has announced that it’s teaming up with Microsoft to help speed up the development of autonomous driving technology.

The automaker will use Microsoft's Azure cloud computing system to create an Automated Driving Platform (ADP), which will pave the way for future vehicles with self-driving capabilities.

Volkswagen said the collaboration will significantly accelerate its efforts to develop autonomous driving technologies since Microsoft will be able to help it manage data and handle computation and AI. 

“[The ADP partnership] will help reduce the development cycles from months to weeks,” the company wrote.

“By combining our comprehensive expertise in the development of connected driving solutions with Microsoft's cloud and software engineering know-how, we will accelerate the delivery of safe and comfortable mobility services,” said Dirk Hilgenberg, CEO of VW’s Car.Software division, said in a statement. 

Accelerating automated driving

Scott Guthrie, executive vice president of Cloud + AI at Microsoft, concurred, saying Microsoft is confident that the collaboration will get automated driving technology into consumers’ cars faster than it would otherwise. 

“The power of Microsoft Azure and its computer, data and AI capabilities will enable Volkswagen to deliver secure and reliable automated driving solutions to their customers faster,” Guthrie said. 

Other automakers that have tapped technology companies to help them develop autonomous driving technology include General Motors, which has partnered with Cruise to help develop self-driving tech, and Ford, which recently entered a “strategic partnership” with Android to help facilitate the development of new connected car tech. 

It seems impossible that anything positive could have come out of the COVID-19 pandemic, but a new study conducted by researchers from the University of Bath is seeking to prove just that. 

Despite stress levels that are higher than ever, nearly a year of social isolation, and worries about health and job security, the researchers found that the vast majority of their study participants could find something positive about the pandemic. All of this time at home has led many consumers to undergo a period of personal growth in various areas of their lives, which is certainly encouraging during these difficult times. 

“Of course, the pandemic has affected all our lives in significant ways, most obviously the understandable and substantial negative impact it has placed on our mental health, which we know has acute for very many,” said researcher Paul Stallard. “But that is not the full story. Many respondents in our study emphasized what we had heard anecdotally about some of the positive effects people have derived from leading their lives in quieter, slow ways because of lockdowns.”     

Building back better

The researchers had nearly 400 participants complete a survey at the start of the summer to better understand the benefits associated with pandemic-related lockdowns. All of the participants were caregivers of young kids, and they answered questions about their work situations, their children’s schooling, and their general life experiences during stay-at-home orders. 

Though this may be surprising to many consumers, nearly 90 percent of the study participants said that they believed good things have come from the pandemic. This was true despite nearly half of the respondents experiencing pay cuts during the pandemic and the large majority being forced to work from home and facilitate remote learning for their kids. 

“These are important findings,” Stallard said. “Not only do we identify what some of these positive experiences have been, but we also show that those people who have been able to find those positives had better mental well-being than those who did not. And it gives us clues about how we might build back better and healthier by embracing aspects of a quieter life and those small, positives that have emerged from this period.” 

Closer family bonds

Finding the positives during a traumatic or stressful event is what the researchers refer to as “post-traumatic growth.” In this survey, the biggest source of growth came from closer family bonds because of all of the newfound time at home. Respondents explained that they got closer with their kids and partners because they were able to connect in ways they never did before. 

Other important areas of growth included spiritual growth, developing a better balance between work life and home life, and having a deeper gratitude and appreciation for life. The participants reported that they used their time at home to become healthier, both mentally and physically, and many finally had the time to appreciate the little things in their homes, neighborhoods, and families.

One of the biggest takeaways from this study is that many of the participants found ways to make small moments significant, which highlighted the positives around them, rather than the negatives. The researchers hope that consumers can utilize these findings as the pandemic continues on; despite the obvious stressors, being more mindful during day-to-day life at home can make all the difference both in the present and for future wellness. 

“It is important, especially in these moments of high adversity, to find meaning and purpose in these experiences,” said researcher Dr. Ana Isabel Pereira. “In each moment, we can find new ways to connect and build stronger connections with our children, partner, or friends; to choose how we can make the best use of this time of confinement and to help others in the community experiencing more adversity or with fewer resources navigate this period.” 

Slack developers have sent emails to some Android users saying they erroneously logged the passwords of Android users in plain text for a period of time. Emails have been sent to affected users containing a link to perform a password reset. Android Police noted that the email might look like a phishing attempt to some people, but it’s legitimate. 

“It's safe to click, or you can navigate to Slack's site directly yourself, sign in there, and reset your password manually,” the site reported. 

Slack said the logging “bug” took effect on December 21, 2020, but it apparently wasn’t caught and fixed until January 21, 2021. Over the course of those 31 days, Slack for Android may have logged users’ passwords in an unencrypted format.

Slack said the issue only impacted a small subset of Android users. However, anyone who uses Slack for Android on a regular basis may want to change their password even if they didn’t receive an email saying they should do so. 

Wiping logs

In addition to choosing a new “complex and unique password,” affected users are also advised to clear the storage of Slack for Android so that any potentially password-containing logs are wiped from the device. 

Slack assured users that it has rolled out “a fixed version” of the Android app. Additionally, it has “blocked usage of the impacted version(s).” 

“We very much regret any inconvenience we have caused,” Slack said in the email. 

In updated guidance published Wednesday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said people who have received both doses of a COVID-19 vaccine don’t need to quarantine following exposure to someone who has tested positive for the virus. 

"Fully vaccinated persons who meet criteria will no longer be required to quarantine following an exposure to someone with COVID-19," the CDC said. 

The federal health agency added that vaccinated individuals should still follow precautions to prevent the spread of the virus. However, it’s not necessary for them to isolate themselves for 7-10 following exposure to a person with the virus.  

"At this time, vaccinated persons should continue to follow current guidance to protect themselves and others, including wearing a mask, staying at least 6 feet away from others, avoiding crowds, avoiding poorly ventilated spaces, covering coughs and sneezes, washing hands often, following CDC travel guidance, and following any applicable workplace or school guidance, including guidance related to personal protective equipment use or SARS-CoV-2 testing," the CDC said.

"Vaccinated persons with an exposure to someone with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 are not required to quarantine if they meet all of the following criteria," the CDC added.

Criteria for skipping quarantine

The following points encapsulate the CDC’s new position on quarantine procedures:

• The person must have received both shots of a COVID-19 vaccine. At this time, that means two doses of either Pfizer/BioNTech’s or Moderna’s vaccine.

• At least two weeks must have passed since they got the second dose. This gives the body time to develop full immunity against the virus.

The agency added that the criteria doesn’t apply to people in health care settings.

"As an exception to the above guidance no longer requiring quarantine for fully vaccinated persons, vaccinated inpatients and residents in health care settings should continue to quarantine following an exposure to someone with suspected or confirmed COVID-19; outpatients should be cared for using appropriate Transmission-Based Precautions," the CDC said.

The CDC added that health care facilities “could consider waiving quarantine for vaccinated patients and residents as a strategy to mitigate critical issues (e.g., lack of space, staff, or PPE to safely care for exposed patients or residents) when other options are unsuccessful or unavailable.” However, the agency said that option is “not preferred.”

Important caveat

Because scientists are still trying to figure out how long people are protected after receiving the vaccine, the CDC said people who had their last shot three months ago or more should still quarantine following exposure to an individual who has tested positive for the virus. People should also quarantine if they are showing symptoms of the virus. 

The CDC said it will update its guidance as more is learned about the duration of immunity conferred by the vaccines. 

With sales of electric vehicles (EV) expected to double in 2021, the U.S. government is attempting to reform an automotive incentive program by offering a $7,000 tax credit to consumers who purchase an EV. 

The program -- part of the proposed Growing Renewable Energy and Efficiency Now (GREEN) Act -- allows each participating automaker to make the incentive available to 200,000 car buyers, more than three times the allotment of the original incentive program brought about by the U.S. Energy Policy Act of 2005. 

Releveling the playing field

Tesla had already hit the 200,000 threshold back in 2018, followed by GM, but in Electrek’s estimation, the program was flawed and in need of serious rehab. 

Because GM and Tesla hit the threshold before the recent spike in sales, they became less competitive against foreign automakers that hadn’t hit their threshold. If all goes according to plan, Tesla and GM would regain access to tax credits.

“With the Democrats taking the White House and the Senate in the latest election in the US, we have been expecting that they would bring back reforms to the EV incentives in order to fix the situation,”said Electrek’s Fred Lambert.

Lambert says this specific reform has been proposed before and, in his estimation, could be much more favorable for the consumer and the manufacturer alike. 

“I could see better implementations, like removing the cap per manufacturer and instead having a total industry cap in order to incentivize automakers to bring EVs to the U.S. faster, but it is certainly better than nothing,” he said.

“However, it is not ideal for those companies in the short term since now buyers are going to be expecting to have access to that credit in the near future, and they might postpone buying until then since it doesn’t look like the new $7,000 tax credit is going to be retroactive. That could be a problem for Tesla in the coming months.”

Consumers’ mental health has taken a serious hit since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and things have only intensified in recent months. 

Now, a new study conducted by researchers from Carnegie Mellon University has explored the link between increased depression during the pandemic and exercise. According to the researchers, less physical activity throughout the last year has taken a serious toll on mental health -- particularly for young adults.

“There is an alarming rate of anxiety and depression among young adults, especially among college students,” said researcher Silvia Saccardo. “The pandemic has exacerbated the mental health crisis in this vulnerable population.”    

The mental toll of social isolation

For the study, the researchers had nearly 700 college students track their physical activity, sleep, and screen time across three semesters -- spring 2019, fall 2019, and spring 2020. They wore FitBits for each of the three semesters to get an accurate reading of their physical activity and sleep, and an app on their phones kept a log of their screen time. 

The spring 2020 semester coincided with the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The researchers found that as lockdown orders intensified and the college students’ regular schedules were disrupted, mental health worsened. 

All three metrics -- physical activity, sleep, and screen time -- took a hit as the pandemic progressed. In the prior two semesters, the students averaged 10,000 steps a day -- but once the pandemic hit, that figure dropped to 4,600 steps per day. Similarly, the students were sleeping nearly a half hour more each night, and their screen time doubled compared to the previous two semesters. 

This also led to a significant spike in depression-related symptoms. Before the spring 2020 semester, depression rates topped out at just over 60 percent among the students; however, more than 90 percent of the students were struggling with depression by the end of the spring 2020 semester. 

“We used this unique dataset to study what factors are predictive of changes in depression,” Saccardo said. “[In the dataset,] we can see that mental health gets worse as the semester progresses, but it is dramatically worse in 2020 compared to the previous cohort.” 

More physical activity isn’t the answer 

The researchers conducted another experiment at the end of the spring 2020 semester to see if increasing physical activity would boost the students’ mental health. Half of the students were rewarded for increasing their exercise routine for two weeks, and the researchers then reevaluated their mental health at several points up to one month after the test ended. 

Ultimately, this intervention was ineffective. Despite more exercise during this trial, the participants were still struggling with depression and anxiety. This was surprising to the researchers, as countless studies have identified the mental health benefits associated with exercise. 

“While our short intervention increased physical activity among this group, it did not have an impact on mental health,” said Saccardo. “It is an interesting puzzle for future studies to understand why we do not see a symmetric relationship between the resumption of physical activity and mental health.” 

Shoppers using a Mastercard will soon be able to pay for their purchases with a select list of cryptocurrencies, another sign that digital assets are going mainstream. The announcement was made in a blog post by Raj Dhamodharan, Mastercard’s vice president for blockchain and digital assets.

“We are preparing right now for the future of crypto and payments, announcing that this year Mastercard will start supporting select cryptocurrencies directly on our network,” he wrote. “This is a big change that will require a lot of work. We will be very thoughtful about which assets we support based on our principles for digital currencies, which focus on consumer protections and compliance.”

That means a consumer making a credit card purchase could pay their monthly bill with an approved cryptocurrency instead of dollars. The move could be part of an emerging trend. PayPal and Square have recently made similar announcements.

Bitcoin’s rise

Mastercard’s move also comes in the wake of huge increases in the value of Bitcoin, which hit $40,000 in value per coin earlier this month. That surge followed Tesla’s announcement that the company had purchased $1.5 billion in the digital currency.

Stock trading guru Jim Cramer said last week that he has replaced his cash reserves with bitcoins, noting that “cash earns nothing” while bitcoin can increase in value. That said, it can also lose value since the digital asset has been extremely volatile over the last few years.

Mastercard has not yet said which digital assets it will accept. What is clear is that not all will make the cut. 

“While stablecoins are more regulated and reliable than in the recent past, many of the hundreds of digital assets in circulation still need to tighten their compliance measures, so they won’t meet our requirements,” Dhamodharan wrote. “We expect consumers and the ecosystem as a whole will start to rally around the crypto assets that offer reliability and security. It’s those very same stablecoins that we expect to bring into our network.”

Four considerations

Mastercard said there are four things that it will consider when compiling a list of acceptable digital currencies. They include:

• Consumer protections, including privacy and security of consumers’ information -- the same level of security people have come to expect in their credit cards. 

• Strict compliance protocols will be needed, including Know Your Customer, a requirement meant to snuff out illegal activity and deception in payment networks. 

• The digital assets must follow local laws and regulations in the regions they are used.

• The asset must have a high degree of consumer acceptance.

A major hurdle for cryptocurrencies to gain widespread approval is the fact that transactions can be anonymous. Law enforcement agencies have warned that this can allow digital assets to be used for money laundering.

German discount supermarket chain Aldi has started 2021 with a major expansion, announcing plans to open approximately 100 new locations nationwide this year, with a focus on Arizona, California, Florida, and the Northeast.

The chain currently has more than 2,000 stores in the U.S., with the new locations giving it a footprint in 38 states. In addition to the new brick and mortar stores, Aldi said it will also expand its e-commerce offerings throughout the year and offer grocery delivery through Instacart at nearly all its stores. As part of the expansion, it’s adding curbside pickup to 500 more stores.

Aldi stores are famously self-service, so curbside pickup is a major departure. In most stores, customers bring their own bags or boxes for groceries and pay a quarter deposit to use a shopping cart.

High marks from consumers

Customers seem to like the brand, especially the prices, and give it an average four-star rating on ConsumerAffairs. Joseph, of Palm Beach, Fla., likes the stores but thinks the staff could be a little more pleasant. 

Connie, of Norco, Calif., said she has shopped at many Aldi stores in California but likes the one in La Quinta the best, saying it was pleasing and well-organized.

“It was easy to see from a distance what was located in that section, particularly the cold food items,” she wrote in a ConsumerAffairs post. “Very impressive and classy.”

Aldi broke ground this week on a new regional headquarters and distribution center in Loxley, Alabama, which will support the company's expansion throughout the Gulf Coast region.

"We're incredibly proud to continue growing in all aspects of our business, from opening new stores to enhancing our eCommerce offerings, especially in light of the challenges businesses have faced in the last year," said Jason Hart, CEO, ALDI U.S. "Our commitment to our shoppers, new and existing, is the same.”

In the U.S. since the late 1970s, Aldi has gained ground in the discount grocery space in recent years, going head to head with competitors Walmart and Costco.

Chrysler is recalling 24 model year 2021 Ram 1500 Classic SLT trucks.

Certain vehicles were built without the retaining clip that secures the master cylinder push rod to the brake pedal, which can cause the brake pedal to separate from the brake system.

A separated brake pedal can result in the driver being unable to apply the service brakes, increasing the risk of a crash.

What to do

Owners are advised to not drive their vehicles until they receive instructions on the inspection and any necessary repairs.

Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and install the push rod clip free of charge.

The recall is expected to begin February 15, 2021.

Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at (800) 853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is Y04.

General Motors is recalling 692,526 of the following vehicles:

• Model year 2013 Cadillac Escalades, Escalade ESVs, and Escalade EXTs, Chevrolet Avalanches, Silverado 1500s, Silverado 2500s/3500s, Suburbans, Tahoes, GMC Sierra 1500s, Sierra 2500s/3500s, Yukons and Yukon XLs originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A."
• Model year 2010 Cadillac Escalades, Escalade ESVs, and Escalade EXTs, Chevrolet Avalanches, Silverado 1500s, Silverado 2500s/3500s, Suburbans, Tahoes, GMC Sierra 1500s, Sierra 2500s/3500s, Yukons and Yukon XLs originally sold, or ever registered in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or "Zone B."
• Model year 2009 Cadillac Escalades, Escalade ESVs, & Escalade EXTs, Chevrolet Avalanches, Silverado 1500s, Silverado 2500s/3500s, Suburbans, Tahoes, GMC Sierra 1500s, Sierra 2500s/3500s, Yukons and Yukon XLs originally sold, or ever registered, in Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming or "Zone C."

The vehicles are equipped with non-desiccated passenger front airbag inflators containing phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.

An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

What to do

GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger airbag inflator with an alternate one free of charge.

Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk are expected to be mailed beginning March 1, 2021. Second notification letters will be mailed once the remedy is available.

Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at (800) 458-8006; Chevrolet customer service at (800) 222-1020; and GMC customer service at (800) 462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212328790.

Volkswagen Group of America is recalling 10,303 model year 2021 Atlas and model year 2020-2021 Atlas Cross Sport vehicles.

The front steering knuckle may fracture in the area of the strut mounting.

A fractured steering knuckle can cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.

What to do

Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and -- as necessary -- replace one or both steering knuckles free of charge.

The recall is expected to begin March 26, 2021.

Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at (800) 893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 40Q7.