Current Events in May 2021

The 9th U.S.Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that social media company Snap can face a lawsuit by parents who claim the popular app contributed to the deaths of their teenage sons.

The justices were unanimous in their ruling, finding that Snap was not shielded from litigation by Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act (CDA). That provision has generally protected media companies from litigation over content posted on their sites by third parties.

"We appreciate the careful attention that the 9th Circuit paid to this case, and the well-written, unanimous opinion reflects such thoughtful work by the panel," attorney Naveen Ramachandrappa, representing the plaintiffs, said in an email to Reuters.

The parents of Jason Davis, Hunter Morby, and Landen Brown brought the case after their sons died in a 2017 fatal car accident in Wisconsin. Attorneys for the plaintiffs argue that Snap bears some responsibility because the teenagers were using a feature called Speed Filter.

Speed Filter

According to the complaint, the feature lets users share images that are superimposed with images of the speedometer showing how fast the vehicle is traveling. The car carrying the three boys was reportedly going in excess of 100 miles an hour when it left the road and hit a tree.

The parents filed the lawsuit in 2019, claiming that Snap was negligent in designing a feature that encouraged reckless and dangerous behavior. In the first hearing, Snap was absolved of blame.

But in making its decision, the 9th Circuit reversed that lower court ruling. U.S. District Judge Michael Fitzgerald originally granted Snap's motion to dismiss the case citing the protections under the CDA. The appeals court, however, said the suit was not attempting to portray Snap as a publisher but rather as a “products manufacturer.”

The appellate court has sent the case back to district court and ordered Snap to face the plaintiffs’ lawsuit.

Several studies have analyzed the ways that air pollution can pose a threat to children’s physical health, mental health, and brain development. 

Now, a new study conducted by researchers from the American Heart Association has found another way that air pollution can be damaging to children’s short- and long-term health. According to their findings, exposure to air pollution may increase the risk of kids developing high blood pressure both during childhood and adulthood. 

“Our analysis is the first to closely examine previous research to assess both the quality and magnitude of the associations between air pollution and blood pressure values among children and adolescents,” said researcher Dr. Yao Lu. “The findings provide evidence of a positive association between short- and long-term exposure to certain environmental air pollutants and blood pressure in children and adolescents.” 

Monitoring blood pressure

To understand the impact that air pollution can have on kids’ blood pressure, the researchers analyzed 14 earlier studies that included data on more than 350,000 children between the ages of five and 13. They focused on exposure to pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide and both coarse and fine particulate matter (PM2.5). The team also analyzed the length of time that children were exposed to the various pollutants and what role they played in their health outcomes. 

Ultimately, the researchers learned that any kind of exposure to air pollution was associated with an increased risk of high blood pressure in kids. Systolic blood pressure readings were impacted by long-term exposure to all three pollutants and short-term exposure to coarse particulate matter (PM10). On the other hand, the diastolic reading increased most often when there was long-term exposure to both fine and coarse particulate matter. 

The researchers explained that more work needs to be done in this area to better understand how different kinds of pollutants can impact kids’ heart health and blood pressure. However, these findings highlight the ways that many young people are already being affected by short- and long-term exposure to air pollution. Moving forward, the researchers hope these findings lead to changes in air pollution regulations.

“To reduce the impact of environmental pollution on blood pressure in children and adolescents, efforts should be made to reduce their exposure to environmental pollutants,” Dr. Lu said. “Additionally, it is also very important to routinely measure blood pressure in children and adolescents, which can help us identify individuals with elevated blood pressure early.” 

On the heels of Petco Health and Wellness launching a new co-branded credit card that supports pet welfare, there’s another new payment card for animal lovers.

Credit One Bank is partnering with national animal welfare nonprofit Best Friends Animal Society in a co-branded credit card that the bank says offers rewards for both humans and animals. It says the money goes to help support the nonprofit's animal welfare mission and programs anytime a cardholder makes a purchase.

"We want to make it easy for our customers to support causes they care deeply about," said John Coombe, senior vice president of marketing at Credit One Bank. "That's why Credit One Bank will make donations to Best Friends Animal Society equal to 1% of all net spend made with the Best Friends Credit Card to help support their goal of reaching no-kill in shelters across the country by 2025.”

Of course, there’s also something in it for the human cardholder; they will receive 5% cash-back rewards on the first $5,000 in eligible pet shop and pet food/supply store purchases within the first calendar year. In subsequent years, the rewards drop to 1%. 

Other perks

There are also special offers from merchant partners that are specifically designed for pet lovers. Some of those include:

• Discount codes for up to 10% off Best Friends-branded merchandise at Best Friends Lifesaving Centers, the Best Friends Mercantile, and online at the Best Friends Store;

• Discount codes for up to 5% off lodging offered by Best Friends Animal Society, including the Best Friends Roadhouse and Mercantile, Cottages, Cabins, and RV Sites; and

• Automatic enrollment in Credit One Bank's More Rewards program that provides up to 10% cash-back rewards from participating merchants.

There are no authorized user fees, and the Best Friends Animal Society gets 1% of every purchase.

Cause-supporting rewards cards could be a developing trend. A week ago, Petco announced two new payment cards that will not only reward the consumer but will support its animal welfare charity. With every purchase made using Petco Pay credit cards, Petco says it will make a donation to Petco Love, an independent nonprofit organization that supports pet health and welfare.

Petco has pledged to donate up to $1 million a year to the initiatives carried out by Petco Love, including a program that helps find lost pets. 

Pentair Water Pool and Spa of Sanford, N.C., is recalling about 4,700 StaRite and Mastertemp pool heaters.

A connection in the heater can leak the combustible air-gas mixture, posing a fire hazard.

No incidents or injuries have been reported.

This recall involves Pentair Water Pool and Spa StaRite and Mastertemp pool heaters sold in various styles and models with manufacturing dates between December 22, 2020 and January 6, 2021. A list of the model numbers may be found here.

The pool heaters, manufactured in the U.S., were sold at pool equipment distributors nationwide between December 2020, and January 2021, for between $2,200 to $3,100, depending on the model.

What to do

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled heaters and contact Pentair Water Pool and Spa for a free repair.

Consumers may contact Pentair Water Pool and Spa at (800) 831-7133 from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. (ET) Monday through Friday, or online at www.pentair.com and click on “Products” at the top of the page, then “Pool and Spa Equipment” for more information.

On Tuesday, President Biden is set to announce a new COVID-19 vaccination goal. 

The president wants to get the number of adults in the U.S. that have received at least one COVID-19 shot to 70% by July 4, according to senior administration officials who previewed Tuesday’s planned announcement at the White House. 

The number of adults who have received at least one shot is now hovering around 56%. In March, the president said he was hopeful that America would be able to "mark independence" from COVID-19 on July 4. 

All Americans 16 and older are eligible to get the vaccine, but daily vaccination rates have been slowing now that those who were most eager to get vaccinated have already been inoculated. 

To get vaccination rates moving higher at a faster pace, the Biden administration is expected to call for states to make vaccines available on a walk-in basis and will direct many pharmacies to do the same. Other new steps to boost vaccination rates will reportedly include: 

• Redirecting federal assistance away from mass vaccination sites and toward more pop-up and mobile clinics;

• Spending tens of millions of dollars on education and outreach campaigns through states, national organizations and community groups including those that work with underserved communities; and

• Sending doses directly to rural communities. Rural health clinics and hospitals are also receiving hundreds of millions of dollars through the $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package to boost their services. 

Officials said that Biden’s vaccination goal would result in a significant reduction of COVID-19 cases as summer gets underway, which would ultimately bring America closer to normalcy.

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

Total U.S. confirmed cases: 32,477,368 (32,423,048)

Total U.S. deaths: 577,671 (577,054)

Total global cases: 153,676,825 (152,974,685)

Total global deaths: 3,216,016 (3,204,478)

States are lifting COVID-19 restrictions

Life is getting back to normal in the nation’s largest metro. Officials in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut have announced that their states will drop most coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions by May 19.

"The tide is turning against COVID-19 in New York, and thanks to our increasing vaccination rates, as well as our successful, data-based regional approach, we're able to take more steps to reopen our economy, help businesses and workers, and keep moving towards returning to normal," New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a statement. 

Texas dropped its mask mandate and capacity limits in early March. This week, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis also ended most virus mitigation rules and declared that Florida no longer faces a state of emergency.

FDA reportedly ready to vaccinate adolescents

Plans are reportedly in motion to start inoculating adolescents against COVID-19. Various media reports cite unnamed officials at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) who say the agency is prepared to authorize the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine for children between the ages of 12 and 15.

If and when the FDA takes that action, a federal vaccine advisory committee will meet to discuss whether to recommend the shot for 12- to 15-year-olds. Shots could begin immediately after the CDC adopts the recommendations.

Pfizer is likely to be the only approved vaccine for that age group at first. In late March, the company released preliminary results from a vaccine study of 2,260 U.S. volunteers between the ages of 12 and 15. It showed that there were no cases of COVID-19 among fully vaccinated adolescents, but there were 18 cases among those given a placebo.

Experts: Herd immunity might not be necessary

From the very beginning of the pandemic, health experts stated that “herd immunity” was the silver bullet that would vanquish the coronavirus. Now, many of these same experts believe it might not be necessary after all.

Herd immunity is the concept that whenever a large percentage of the population is protected from a health threat, then it will fade away. The threshold has always been steep in the case of COVID-19, with estimates suggesting that 70% of the population would need to be vaccinated to achieve it.

With cases of the virus falling rapidly, Dr. Robert Wachter, professor and chair of the Department of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, tells USA Today that it looks like a 50% vaccination rate might stop the disease. Currently, about 44% of Americans have had at least one shot.

Mayo Clinic adds vaccination tracker tool

Data scientists at the Mayo Clinic have added a vaccination tracker to the medical center’s COVID-19 Resource Center. It features state-by-state data and trends so users can follow the COVID-19 vaccine rollout in all 50 states and compare progress on one- and two-shot vaccinations.

The clinic says the tool may prove useful to consumers who plan to travel in the U.S. this summer because it will inform them about states where the virus is less likely to be prevalent.

"In 2020, Mayo Clinic's predictive models correctly predicted the scope and severity of COVID-19. In 2021, our models show that if properly used, vaccinations will severely restrict the impact of COVID-19," said Dr. Sean Dowdy, Mayo Clinic's Midwest Quality chair. "They also show that if people do not become fully vaccinated, COVID-19 will continue to limit our health, activities and economy."

JPM’s Dimon is ‘done with Zoom calls’

While many people in business have grown accustomed to working remotely and even prefer it, JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon is not a fan. He’s ready to get back to the office.

“We want people back to work and my view is that sometime in September, October it will look just like it did before,” Dimon said Monday at the Wall Street Journal CEO Council. “And everyone is going to be happy with it, and yes, the commute, you know people don’t like commuting, but so what.”

The company has already informed employees in the U.S. that they should begin getting used to returning this month, with the goal of having 50% of workers being in the office at least some of the time by July. “I’m about to cancel all my Zoom meetings,” Dimon said. “I’m done with it.”

Around the nation

• Indiana: In another sign of normalcy, officials have announced that there will be a 2021 Indiana State Fair this summer. “We are thankful to the State Department of Health for their collaboration and continued guidance on getting us back to hosting this important community event,” said Cindy Hoye, the fair’s executive director.

• Oregon: While other states are loosening COVID-19 restrictions, Oregon has not. But Baker City Mayor Kerry McQuisten is bucking the trend. She’s declared that her city is a “common sense sanctuary” and is lifting restrictions that she says are hurting businesses.

• North Carolina: In the days since Gov. Roy Cooper lifted the outdoor mask mandate, large crowds have gathered at events across the state. That’s raising concerns among state health officials. “There are lots of concerns about it,” said Dr. Dennis Taylor, head of the state nurses association. “If you have not gotten the vaccine yet, the virus hasn’t gone away. It’s still there. It’s just as virulent, or more so, with the various mutant strains that are still out there.”

In perhaps the strongest sign yet that America is preparing to get back to normal, officials in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut have announced their states will drop most COVID-19 restrictions by May 19.

Portions of all three states are in the New York City metro. Mayor Bill de Blasio has previously said the city’s limits on businesses would be ending, but not as soon.

"The tide is turning against COVID-19 in New York, and thanks to our increasing vaccination rates, as well as our successful, data-based regional approach, we're able to take more steps to reopen our economy, help businesses and workers, and keep moving towards returning to normal," Cuomo said in a statement. 

New York and New Jersey are adopting many of the same rules. Starting later this month, business capacity limits will end and be replaced with provisions to maintain social distancing in places of business, including restaurants.

What’s changing

The limit of outdoor social gatherings will increase to 500 in New York on May 10, and indoor limits will rise to 250 on May 19.

Limits on outdoor gatherings at private residences will go away. New York will allow up to 50 people at private indoor events. In other words, things are getting back to normal in the nation’s largest metropolitan area.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said the states are able to take this action because vaccination rates have been going up while infections and hospitalizations from the virus have been going down.

“Over these next few weeks, I encourage all remaining eligible New Jerseyans to get vaccinated so we can continue fighting back against this virus and move toward a 'new normal' for ourselves, our neighbors, and our loved ones," Murphy said.

Other states

Other states have independently taken steps to get back to normal. Texas was the first to act. In early March, Gov. Greg Abbott dropped the statewide mask mandate and allowed businesses to reopen at 100% capacity. Despite warnings that the action was premature, Texas did not experience an increase in COVID-19 cases.

This week, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed an executive order suspending all existing virus-mitigation rules, declaring the state no longer faced an emergency situation.

States appear to be getting ahead of the federal government on the issue. The latest guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), issued last week, said fully vaccinated people can be outside and be part of small outdoor gatherings without wearing a face mask. However, the agency still recommends that fully vaccinated people wear a mask outdoors when in crowded areas.

In his executive order lifting the mask mandate in Florida, DeSantis suggested that requiring fully vaccinated people to continue wearing masks would “undermine confidence” in the effectiveness of the vaccines.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Tuesday that rising interest rates are crucial to keeping the economy from growing so fast that it “overheats.” The trillions of dollars in government stimulus spending have put the economy in somewhat of a precarious position, Yellen said. 

“It may be that interest rates will have to rise somewhat to make sure that our economy doesn’t overheat,” Yellen said during an economic seminar presented by The Atlantic. “Even though the additional spending is relatively small relative to the size of the economy, it could cause some very modest increases in interest rates.”

“But these are investments our economy needs to be competitive and to be productive. I think our economy will grow faster because of them,” she said in the taped interview.

Large spending deficits

Stimulus spending has come to roughly $5.3 trillion since the start of the pandemic, and President Biden is pushing to allocate several trillion more to help consumers with things like child care, education, and paid leave from jobs. 

The level of spending over the past year or so has brought the nation's deficit to a record $3.1 trillion for the 2020 fiscal year and a high of $1.7 trillion for the first half of fiscal 2021. 

Yellen, who led the Federal Reserve from 2014-18, said the United States needs to focus on putting money toward mitigating certain government-centric problems that have become worse as a result of being ignored over the years. 

The president is “taking a very ambitious approach, making up really for over a decade of inadequate investment in infrastructure, in R&D, in people, in communities and small businesses, and it is an active approach,” Yellen said. “But we’ve gone for way too long on letting long-term problems fester in our economy.”

Yellen said higher interest rates would help “reallocate” economic resources.

“These are investments our economy needs to be competitive and to be productive,” she said.

Believe it or not, a great number of people are still acting up onboard airplanes. 

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said it has received close to 1,300 reports of unruly passengers since February. That figure represents an all-time high for unruly behavior -- an interesting twist given the fact that fewer people are traveling because of the pandemic.

In a normal, non-pandemic year, the FAA usually gets somewhere between 100 and 150 reports of poor passenger behavior. 

What does bad behavior look like?

Of the 1,300 reports, the FAA identified 260 potential violations and initiated approximately 20 enforcement cases to put those passengers on notice. Among those 20 cases, the FAA shared details of three passengers that it plans to fine for allegedly interfering with or assaulting flight attendants who instructed them to obey cabin crew instruction and various federal regulations.

On a JetBlue flight from Haiti to Boston, Massachusetts, the FAA alleges that a passenger drank alcohol that they brought onboard -- a definite no-no. When the passenger started yelling and waving his hands, other passengers complained and flight attendants stepped in. That’s where things got bad. The passenger allegedly grabbed the arms of two flight attendants during the flight, and the cabin crew needed to reseat surrounding passengers. The flight crew asked law enforcement to meet the aircraft at the arrival gate, and police escorted the passenger off the plane; they're being fined $31,750. 

Interestingly enough, there was another passenger on the same flight who did pretty much the same thing -- drinking personal alcohol and becoming unruly. The only thing that kept that traveler from being fined at the same level as the first passenger is that they “made motions” to strike a flight attendant but didn’t physically touch them. Their fine? $16,750.

Another incident the FAA shared involves a passenger -- and, again, their own liquor -- on a Jan. 14, 2021, SkyWest Airlines flight from Yuma, Arizona, to Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas. The FAA claims the passenger drank multiple 50 ml bottles of their own alcohol during the flight. After the passenger repeatedly turned around and tried to touch another person behind them, flight attendants moved the intoxicated traveler to another seat. However, the passenger continued to bother other nearby flyers after being moved. 

At one point, two off-duty law enforcement officers had to physically wrestle the passenger back into their seat, but they got up again and started to walk to the front of the aircraft. A flight attendant yelled at the passenger to sit back down, and the law enforcement officers sat behind them. As a result of the passenger’s behavior, the captain requested priority handling from air traffic control and asked that law enforcement meet the aircraft at the arrival gate. The fine for this person? $14,500.

Forewarned is forearmed

The FAA wants travelers to know that when it comes to behavior, it’s not putting up with any nonsense. In fact, the FAA’s unruly-passenger zero-tolerance policy has been extended until further notice.

“The policy directs our safety inspectors and attorneys to take strong enforcement action against any passenger who disrupts or threatens the safety of a flight, with penalties ranging from fines to jail time. The number of cases we’re seeing is still far too high, and it tells us urgent action continues to be required,” FAA Administrator Steve Dickson said in a statement.

At the same time, the Transportation and Safety Authority (TSA) extended its mask mandate and said it will act accordingly against those who violate it. The existing civil penalty fine structure starts at $250 and rises to $1,500 for repeat offenders who violate the rule.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is reportedly planning to expand the use of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine to adolescents as young as 12 by early next week, according to the New York Times and CNN.

Government officials are expected to make the announcement within a week, which would be less than a month after the company stated that its coronavirus shot has also been shown to be effective in people younger than 16. The vaccine is already approved for people aged 16 and older. 

Before the shot can be cleared for use in younger adolescents, the FDA will have to modify its emergency use authorization; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will also need to sign off on the move. 

For the latter to happen, an advisory committee will convene to make its official recommendation about whether the vaccine is safe and effective to administer to children and teens in this age group. After that, the CDC director will need to issue a formal recommendation for use.

Vaccination before a new school year

Federal officials have said the whole process could wrap in a matter of days, paving the way for 12-15-year-olds to get vaccinated before the 2021-2022 school year begins. 

"What I'm hearing right now is support for the measure," said Dr. Shelly McDonald-Pinkett, chief medical officer of Howard University Hospital in Washington, D.C, told USA Today. "Parents want their children to be in school and they want them to be protected."

Pfizer and BioNTech, which worked together to develop the two-shot vaccine, announced results of a trial at the end of March that found the vaccine to be 100% effective and well-tolerated in adolescents. The companies said children had side effects similar to young adults, which included flu-like symptoms like pain, fever, chills, and fatigue. 

Moderna is also looking to expand the use of its COVID-19 vaccine. Results from its trial involving 12- to 17-year-olds are expected by the middle of this year.

As a way of saying thanks to essential healthcare workers who have given their all during the pandemic, United Airlines is giving away millions of miles. The promotion -- tied to the airline’s 40th anniversary of its MileagePlus program -- will award four lucky members of the medical community with a million miles each to go wherever they want and enjoy a well-earned vacation.

"Throughout the past forty years, MileagePlus has evolved to meet the ever-changing needs of our members as well as reward their loyalty," said Luc Bondar, vice president of marketing & loyalty and president of MileagePlus at United. 

"That's why we celebrate this major milestone by offering our members generous promotions throughout May. We're also taking this occasion to launch the contest to show appreciation for the healthcare workers who stepped up to protect our communities during the pandemic."

How to enter

This is not a simple sign-up online type of contest; it requires a bit of championing for a healthcare worker who went the extra mile during the COVID-19 pandemic.

There are certain things that United’s panel of judges -- all members of the medical community -- will be looking for when it comes to nominations. Specifically, the person submitting the nomination needs to prove that the nominee went above and beyond to make a difference for their community and embody some of United's core values including:

• Safe: They make the world a safer place for everyone around them.

• Caring: The nominee shows appreciation for all members of their community by being welcoming, kind, and compassionate.

• Dependable: They're the person you can rely on for anything, be it big or small.

• Determined and Efficient: They keep things moving forward even when the going gets tough.

The deadline to enter the contest is May 17, 2021, so time is of the essence. To nominate an essential healthcare worker and for the full contest terms, consumers can visit united.com/essentialthanks and write a short explanation about why this person deserves recognition. 

Deals for non-healthcare workers

Healthcare workers might be getting the big prize in United’s anniversary promotion, but the airline has something for non-healthcare workers too.  

MileagePlus members can get everything from double miles on eGift cards to a 40% bonus when members buy miles. Complete details on the dates and procedures of the promotion are available here. 

A new study conducted by researchers from the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation explored the hospital mortality risk associated with COVID-19 over the last year. 

According to their findings, the biggest drops in the number of in-hospital COVID-19 deaths occurred between March 2020, and May 2020. However, after that point, as the year progressed, there were no other significant drops in the COVID-19 mortality rates for the rest of the year; between June and November, there was little fluctuation in the rate of in-hospital COVID deaths. 

“Our findings suggest that the decline in mortality could be due to overloaded hospitals and changes in treatment,” said researcher Dr. Gregory Roth. “With more variants circulating and many countries still struggling with overloaded hospitals and scarce resources, the more we know about this the better.”

Understanding the mortality risk 

The researchers utilized the American Heart Association’s COVID-19 CVD Registry to analyze health outcomes from more than 20,000 patients admitted into nearly 110 hospitals across 21 states between March 2020, and November 2020. The team factored in things like age, comorbidities, and infection severity while also monitoring mortality risk over the course of the year.  

Their work showed that the biggest drops in hospital COVID-19 deaths occurred between May and June. Between March and April, the hospital death rate was above 19%; but by May, it had dropped to under 12%. After that initial significant decline, the mortality risk plateaued for the remainder of the year. By November, the in-hospital death rate was just under 11%. 

The researchers explained that none of the outside factors -- such as age, gender, and pre-existing conditions -- played a role in these outcomes. Even as the number of patients being admitted into hospitals changed, the risk of mortality related to COVID-19 still remained fairly consistent. 

The researchers believe that understanding these mortality rates can help improve outcomes for patients hospitalized by COVID-19. However, they admit that more work needs to be done to identify the best approach.

“Further analysis is needed to understand the drivers more precisely, but it speaks to a crucial need for information sharing and identifying hospital best practices that can prevent mortality rates from increasing again, particularly during possible future waves of COVID-19 infections,” said Dr. Roth. 

With the average family of four recently receiving thousands of dollars in government stimulus money, thoughts may turn to a new family car. But which one?

It all depends on your budget, the size of your family, and your automotive preference. Kelley Blue Book (KBB) is out with its annual list of the best new family cars with a wide range of choices.

"When it comes to buying a car for a new or growing family, parents understandably want assurance that their vehicle has outstanding safety and technology features to help protect their precious cargo," said Matt DeLorenzo, senior managing editor for KBB. "We also know budget factors are top-of-mind for families, so we place a heavy emphasis on overall value including purchase and ownership costs.

KBB’s rankings by category

Below are KBB’s rankings for what it considers to be the best vehicles by category. Be sure to click the links to access thousands of verified vehicle reviews by ConsumerAffairs readers.

Best two-row SUVs

2021 Honda CRV

2021 Hyundai Santa Fe

2021 Toyota RAV4

Best three-row SUVs

2021 Honda Pilot

2021 Hyundai Palisade

2021 Kia Telluride

2021 Toyota Highlander

Best full-size SUVs

2021 Chevrolet Tahoe

2021 Ford Expedition

Best minivans

2021 Chrysler Pacifica

2021 Honda Odyssey

2021 Toyota Sienna

Limited inventories create challenges for car buyers

You can check out three of the vehicles on this list with one trip to a Toyota dealer and another three by visiting a Honda dealership. Hyundai placed two models on the list, while Kia, Chevrolet, Ford, and Chrysler had one each.

KBB says its annual list is based on in-depth testing with a focus on safety, overall value, connectivity, technology, and driver-assist features. The team uses proprietary evaluation criteria and data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) to ensure recommended vehicles have top safety ratings.

Finding a large selection of any of these popular vehicles may pose a challenge since nearly all automakers have faced inventory shortages because of a scarcity of computer chips. When consumers do find the car of their choice, automotive experts say they may have to pay more to drive it off the lot.

“Low inventories have not had a material effect on aggregate sales results,” J.D. Power and LMC Automotive reported in a recent joint April forecast. “Instead, they have enabled manufacturers and retailers to reduce discounts and consumers are demonstrating a willingness not only to buy vehicles closer to MSRP but also to buy more expensive vehicles."

Verizon is bidding farewell to its media group, home to digital brands AOL and Yahoo. The company is selling the unit to a private equity firm.

In a $5 billion deal, Apollo Global Management will be the new parent company of Verizon Media -- a deal that comes preloaded with 900 million monthly active users worldwide. Among the more well-known consumer-side companies Apollo has an investment in are the home security service ADT, movie rental company Redbox, photo service company Shutterfly, and online education provider University of Phoenix.

Verizon Media has been a heavy burden for the company, taking four years for it to show year-over-year growth since the wireless titan acquired Yahoo for $4.48 billion. The company is not getting out of the digital media business altogether, rather just shifting gears with an emphasis on its internet-provider businesses. As part of the deal, Verizon is holding on to a 10% ownership stake just in case there’s a seismic shift back to digital media down the line.

Value in Yahoo’s name

Yahoo -- the once golden child of internet search -- has been left to pick up breadcrumbs left by Google for the last decade. However, out of the three major search engines -- Google, Bing, and Yahoo -- only Google and Yahoo were turning a profit as of mid-2020. 

Apollo was happy to take Yahoo off Verizon’s hands, especially for the advertising revenue it brings. When the COVID-19 forced people indoors and online, Yahoo experienced quite a leap in shopping and services. Yahoo Mail-based commerce grew seven times what it was in 2019 and the company’s overall revenue jumped 187%, led by triple digit spurts by Yahoo Finance Premium and Extra Crunch Premium, its weekly event series connecting company founders with tech leaders. 

The Yahoo News niche is also of particular value to Apollo as it continues to evolve -- especially with Generation Z. Recently, it claimed the slot of the fastest growing news organization on TikTok. 

“We are big believers in the growth prospects of Yahoo and the macro tailwinds driving growth in digital media, advertising technology and consumer internet platforms,” said David Sambur, Senior Partner and Co-Head of Private Equity at Apollo. “Apollo has a long track record of investing in technology and media companies and we look forward to drawing on that experience to help Yahoo continue to thrive.” 

Efforts to minimize the often-unchecked power of Big Tech to use consumers’ personal data has taken a blow in Florida. 

Gov. Ron DeSantis’ Consumer Data Privacy crusade to give ownership of all the data mined by companies back to consumers came to a screeching halt Friday, when the Florida state legislature failed to reach a consensus on where to draw the line in the sand regarding how much of a person’s private data Big Tech should be allowed to gather and repurpose.

“We started an important conversation about data privacy for Floridians and took strong first steps toward common sense changes,” Rep. Fiona McFarland, sponsor of the Florida House version of the legislation, told the Sun-Sentinel.

“Each session there are dozens of important issues that we debate and consider in a short 60-day window. This is the nature of the legislative process, and I look forward to continuing the good work on this complicated issue in the next session,” she said.

Doomed from the beginning

Despite the good intentions, DeSantis’ effort seemed doomed out of the gate. Not only did he have lobbying groups supporting Big Tech to contend with, but lawmakers wrestled with four other major issues. 

One was that the federal government should be addressing the issue, not an individual state. Another issue was whether or not individual Floridians could sue companies like Google and Facebook when they don’t adhere to the law. The third was that in the Florida Senate’s version of the bill, some of the Big Tech companies would’ve been exempted and given safe harbor. The fourth major hurdle was the enormous cost that companies would face in order to comply with the law.

Will techlash continue?

While DeSantis’ may not have gotten this wish, he and Florida are not alone in the fight to protect consumers' private data. California was able to pull off a statewide privacy act, and U.S. Senators like Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) have launched legislation starters like the American Data Dissemination Act. 

The day will no doubt come when lawmakers find a way to secure, say, a Facebook user’s data. It’s just a matter of time, but there are already signs that things are turning in the consumer’s favor. As an example, Apple started to distance itself from its Big Tech peers two years ago when the company said it doesn’t want consumers’ personal data. Then, the company followed up on that promise when it rolled out new App Store privacy labels giving users more information about what data apps have on them.

“Our products are iPhones and iPads,” is the message Apple CEO Tim Cook is preaching. “We treasure your data. We wanna help you keep it private and keep it safe. Privacy in itself has become a crisis -- it’s of that proportion.”

Federal safety officials are warning families with elderly family members that the bed rails designed to keep the bed occupant safe could pose a threat to their life.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) said consumers should immediately stop using three models of adult portable bed rails manufactured by Bed Handles, Inc. The agency said the railings leave too much space between the mattress and railing and can pose a risk of someone becoming trapped and suffocating.

The models in question are:

• AJ1

• BA10W

• BA11W

Ordinarily, there would be a recall for these products but the CPSC said that’s not possible because Bed Handles, Inc. is no longer in business. So it is advising consumers to immediately stop using the bed rails and dispose of them.

CPSC said it evaluated the bed rails and discovered that it is easy for a person to become trapped between the bed rail and mattress, or within the portions of the bed rail itself, leading to asphyxia.  

If you purchased one of these bed rails, you probably got it by ordering it online at Walmart.com, MedontheGo.com, soymedical.com, bpimedicalsupply.com, sonomasurgical.com, or other online retailers and paid around $80 to $100.  

Authorities say the bed rails have also been found for sale on secondary sites, such as eBay. The model number can be found on a white label located on the bottom of the handle.

The rails lack retention straps

The CPSC is concerned that a significant number of the bed rails may still be in use. It announced a recall of a previous version in both 2014 and 2015. The agency warned that the rails, made between 1994 and 2007, were sold without retention straps.  

According to reports to the agency, four people died after becoming trapped in the bed rail. All four victims were elderly or disabled individuals.  

Since 2007, the bed rails have been sold with retention straps, but CPSC has found that the straps do not adequately protect consumers.

CPSC urges consumers to stop using these bed rails and report any related incidents to the agency at www.SaferProducts.gov.

As millions of Americans receive vaccinations against the coronavirus (COVID-19), life is slowly returning to normal. Restaurants are seating more patrons and movie theaters, sporting venues, and theme parks are reopening.

But some of the changes in consumer behavior brought on by the pandemic may be here to stay, or at least may last a while even after COVID-19 becomes a distant memory.

Car buying

In the beginning, COVID-19 appeared to be an existential threat to the auto industry. Factories immediately shut down because vehicle sales plunged. But then the industry adapted.

Dealers shifted the buying process from the showroom to the internet. Consumers shopped for cars online, as they have been doing for years. But once they found a car they liked, the car was delivered to their home for a test drive and they completed the purchase online.

Automotive expert Karl Brauer told us early in the pandemic that the changes to the car buying process were not only good for consumers but it made dealers’ salespeople more productive. For that reason, he predicted it would be a lasting change.

“Consumers can have a car delivered to their house and keep it anywhere from 30 minutes to overnight, depending on the dealership’s policy,” Brauer said. “A test drive is one of the most important things a person can do before buying a car and now they can do that, without visiting the dealership.”

Curbside pickup

Many stores had already started offering curbside pickup as a convenience. Once the pandemic hit, it became a necessity for many people who wanted to avoid going inside the store.

As more consumers started using curbside pickup, they apparently liked it. It’s another aspect of consumer life that has likely changed for good.

Walmart is a good example. It had installed orange towers in most of its stores where customers could pick up things they had ordered online. Last month, The Wall Street Journal reported that the retailer had started removing many of the towers because customers now seem to prefer curbside pickup instead of coming inside the store.

Telemedicine

Early in the pandemic, people stopped going to the doctor unless they had COVID-19 symptoms. Many types of medical practices saw huge declines in patient contact.

The exception was providers who offered telemedicine services, using the same technology people were using to work from home. Late last year, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) permanently expanded some of these services that it covers.

“We are not going back to business as normal,” Dr. Brian Koffman, co-founder of the medical organization CLL Society, told a conference earlier this year, “The COVID-19 pandemic has changed things forever.”

Grocery delivery

Before the pandemic, retailers like Walmart and Amazon offered personal grocery shopping services, something considered a niche part of the business. After the pandemic arrived, millions of consumers began using these services to avoid trips to crowded grocery stores.

Companies like Instacart, which specializes in grocery pickup and delivery, saw their business surge. According to Forbes, grocery delivery was a business that was slowly evolving before COVID-19. The publication said it’s another example of the pandemic speeding up a trend that might have happened anyway.

Remote work

One of the surprising results of the pandemic that could have staying power is working from home. Remote work began in late March 2020 when the economy shut down. Communicating with the office through software like Zoom, Slack, and Microsoft Teams became a necessity. 

To nearly everyone’s surprise, it worked pretty well. Months into the pandemic, employers (for the most part) said they hadn’t seen any significant decline in productivity. Employees also seemed to like it.

Over the course of the summer, it had a huge impact on the real estate market. Many people working for home decided they needed more space and also decided they didn’t have to live close to the office since they were no longer commuting.

As the pandemic draws to a close, employers are likely to reopen offices and try to lure their employees back to the workplace, but there is also evidence to suggest working remotely could outlast the pandemic.

Human Resources experts predict a large number of businesses will adopt a hybrid approach, allowing some employees to work remotely while maintaining a smaller number of people in the office.

Experts note that there are advantages to a remote workforce. Companies can save on office space and recruit top-shelf talent from a wider pool, since the employee and the company don’t even have to be in the same state.