Current Events in July 2021

What would our lives be like if Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram had never come on the scene? How much time have we given away to our devices that we’ll never get back? How much of our personal data -- where we live, who our friends are, what we eat and drink, what teams we root for, and where we work -- have we given away to data collectors and hackers?

In a new survey from Grand Canyon University, 1,162 people were asked about their opinions on social media data privacy and confessed that while social media often brings them together, it also has some negative side effects. 

The findings

The respondents were asked to assess how safe they feel their data is on social media sites, which social media platforms they trust most and least, and how far they’ve gone to make sure their accounts are secure. 

Some of the more interesting insights included:

Have you been hacked? Close to one-third (32%) of the respondents admitted that they have had their data hacked on a social media site. Who’s the biggest culprit? Facebook, which has been hacked or had its users' data exploited more times than it probably wishes to count.

Have you deleted a social media account because of social media concerns? Here’s where things start to get a bit unnerving. Almost half (48%) of the people surveyed say they’ve deleted a social media account due to privacy concerns.

“With such high rates of deletion for privacy concerns, it is clear that customer privacy and online safety should be a top priority for social media companies who make more money from high numbers of active users,” the researchers said. “For many individuals, the question of whether companies will actually work to improve privacy is very important.”

Do you trust social media? When asked whether they trust social media, it was an even 50/50 split. Half of the respondents said they trust social media (50.3%), while the other half (49.7%) said they don’t. 

Which platforms do you trust the most? The survey takers asked respondents to plot out how much trust they put in social media platforms on a scale of 1-10. While many may not think of YouTube as a standard social media platform, it topped the list with a rating of 6.1. That was followed by Twitter with a score of 5.7. TikTok -- which has been hit by hackers and lawmakers alike -- earned the lowest average trust rating of only 4.3. 

What are you doing to protect yourself on social media? The two most common approaches (59%) that respondents use to stay safe are only connecting with people they know and manually reviewing social media platforms’ privacy settings. Where most social media users leave themselves vulnerable is staying logged into an account after they’ve used it (65%) and not employing unique passwords for social media accounts (55%).

Restaurants in general, and fast-food restaurants in particular, have struggled to staff up as the economy reopens from the pandemic shutdown. McDonald’s is reportedly opening its wallet to lure workers back.

According to the Wall Street Journal, McDonald’s franchisees, who own 95% of McDonald’s restaurants, are beefing up compensation packages after surveying current employees about what they want. After looking at the results, the restaurants are not only offering higher pay, but paying for emergency child care, helping with college tuition, and providing more workplace flexibility.

McDonald’s Corporation appears to be fully behind the initiative and is reportedly pledging millions of dollars to help its franchise owners cover the cost of the expanded benefits.

The Journal cites a survey by an industry consulting group that explored the reasons former restaurant employees had not returned to work. The number one reason was the generous unemployment benefits provided under the CARES Act and other pandemic relief measures.

But nearly as many former employees said they no longer wanted to work in the industry. Others said they didn’t feel safe working in a job where they had to deal face-to-face with hundreds of consumers each day.

Fundamental changes to the job

After being pressured over the last decade to raise wages, McDonald’s appears to be doing that and more, seeing it as a necessary step to retain and grow business. According to an internal presentation prepared for the franchise owners, the aim of the initiative is to “fundamentally change what it means to work at a McDonald’s restaurant.”

That kind of effort may become standard in the industry. Labor economists say that not only are restaurant workers who were laid off during the pandemic now looking for new careers, but those who managed to work during the pandemic are quitting.

Rebecca Givan, an associate professor of labor studies and employment relations at Rutgers, told CNN that when employees start to quit "there's a feedback loop."

"These jobs are very difficult. And if restaurants are short-staffed the jobs are worse, and they're harder," she said. "And so that can perpetuate the high quit rates."

Sales of used cars, which have been red-hot for several months, cooled a bit in June, according to the latest report from Cox Automotive.

While sales last month were still strong, they were down considerably from April’s frenetic pace that pushed the price of the average late-model used car to record levels. Jonathan Smoke, chief economist at Cox Automotive, said sales were consistent with June 2019 totals, meaning it was more of a normal month.

“We initially estimate that used-vehicle sales were down 11.1% from the year-ago June, which was up against one of the two strongest months for used sales during the initial reopening phase of the pandemic last year,” Smoke wrote in his Auto Market Weekly Summary. “Compared to 2019, total used-vehicle sales were down 4.7%. The June used SAAR was 39 million, down from 43.6 million last June and down from May 2021’s 40.0 million rate.”

Certified pre-owned (CPO) sales in June slowed similarly to the rest of the retail market. CPO sales declined 9% from a year ago and were down 11% from May. CPO sales are up 18% year-to-date compared to the same period last year. June CPO sales were down 0.7% compared to June 2019.

Better deals may be on the horizon

The good news for people in the market for a used car is that the slowdown in sales may translate into better deals on used car lots. Prices are already coming down at the wholesale level.

The Manheim Used Vehicle Value Index (MUVVI) edged 1.3% lower for the month after setting new records in each of the prior four months. According to the data, retail used vehicle prices will probably reach their peak this month, meaning it might pay to put off a purchase for a month or two.

The index indicated that June’s average price was more than one-third higher than in 2020. Prices held relatively steady across all major market segments, but consumers found the least amount of wiggle room when negotiating for a pickup truck.

Demand for used cars has been exceptionally strong in 2021 because of the computer chip shortage affecting the auto industry. Manufacturers have not produced as many new cars as in years past, so demand has been exceptionally heavy for used cars.

Prices have followed closely behind rising demand. At the beginning of May, the average price for a used car or truck was a record $22,568.

A new study conducted by researchers from the University of New South Wales explored how different kinds of green spaces can be beneficial for consumers’ health and the environment. 

While larger spaces like parks and gardens have been linked with health benefits, their findings suggest that smaller spaces like the greenery on the side of roadways also come with health and environmental benefits. 

“Parks are not the homogenised ecological deserts that we think they are -- they are living ecosystems that do amazing things,” said researcher David Eldrige. “Urban greenspaces harbor important microbes, so if you want to sustain a bunch of ecosystem services, you need to have plenty of parks and green spaces.” 

The importance of all green spaces

For the study, the researchers collected soil samples from different types of urban green spaces from nearly 60 cities around the world. They looked at how these spaces impacted the surrounding ecosystems and how consumers’ mental and physical health changed based on the greenery. 

Though green spaces are hard to come by in some urban areas, the researchers found that any greenery in these regions is important for both the environment and consumers. Urban green spaces have some of the most diverse microbes, and they remain important components of the natural ecosystem because they provide bacteria that aren’t found in some natural green spaces. 

The researchers explained that this is also true for some of the smallest green spaces -- like patches of greenery on the side of major roadways. Though most consumers wouldn’t consider these to be beneficial in any way, this study showed that these areas play an important environmental role. 

“We think of roadsides as being barren, but we found a great variety of different microbes in some roadside verges; they are not barren wastelands at all,” Eldridge said. “Some European cities such as Bern in Switzerland have a policy to protect the natural vegetation along footpaths and roadsides. These pathways then become mini green spaces, linking larger green spaces. We need lots of different microbes, and to get this, we need a variety of landscapes such as median strips, parks, and nature reserves.” 

From a consumer health perspective, the researchers explained that green spaces can help limit consumers’ allergy symptoms and improve overall immune system function. The team plans to do more work in this area to better understand how green spaces can benefit consumers’ health and the environment. 

A new study conducted by researchers from New York University explored how consumers’ oral hygiene can impact their long-term cognitive health. According to the team, poor dental health can increase the chances of consumers losing their teeth; the more teeth lost, the more likely consumers are to struggle with their cognitive function. 

“Given the staggering number of people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia each year, and the opportunity to improve oral health across the lifespan, it’s important to gain a deeper understanding of the connection between poor oral health and cognitive decline,” said researcher Bei Wu, Ph.D. 

Maintaining good oral health

The researchers analyzed more than a dozen earlier studies that included data on more than 34,000 adults, nearly 5,000 of whom were struggling with their cognitive function. The team compared the participants’ oral health with their overall cognitive health to determine how the two were linked. 

Ultimately, the researchers identified a clear link between dental health and cognitive function. As participants lost teeth due to poor oral hygiene, they increased their risk of both developing dementia and struggling with cognitive performance; this association was even stronger when participants lost teeth and didn’t have dentures. 

It’s also important to note that the more teeth the participants lost, the higher their risk was for cognitive impairments. Each missing tooth increased the risk of dementia by more than 1% and the risk of diminished cognitive function by nearly 1.5%. 

“This ‘dose-response’ relationship between the number of missing teeth and risk of diminished cognitive function substantially strengthens the evidence linking tooth loss to cognitive impairment, and provides some evidence that tooth loss may predict cognitive decline,” said researcher Xiang Qi. 

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has reached a settlement with two Florida companies that it accused of covering up a student debt relief scam that defrauded thousands of students and their families out of $62 million.

Regulators say Moneta Management, LLC, Moneta Management, Inc., and their CEO Michael Todd Greene knowingly provided false and deceptive information to credit card and ACH processors. By doing that, a scam being run by Brandon Frere and three other companies was allowed to continue unchecked. Luckily, that scam was shut down back in November.

“Defendants knew, should have known, or consciously avoided knowing that the information they provided payment processors was false and that the Frere Scam was defrauding consumers,” the FTC’s reports stated. 

“Even in the face of account application rejections and account terminations by processors, excessive unauthorized return and chargeback rates, and consumer reports alleging deceptive practices on the Frere companies’ Better Business Bureau (BBB) profiles, Defendants continued to work in concert with Frere and his companies to fraudulently obtain and maintain merchant accounts for the Frere Scam.”

As part of the agreement, Greene and his companies will be barred from providing payment processing services or acting as a sales agent or independent sales organization ever again. The settlement also imposes a $28.6 million judgment against the defendants, which has been reduced due to an inability to pay the full amount. 

Verizon has updated its free Call Filter app with a “Neighborhood Filter” to cut down on the number of scam calls customers receive from numbers with their same area code and prefix. 

The tactic is called “neighbor” or “neighborhood spoofing,” and scammers use it to trick people into answering their call. Verizon said the filter allows customers to silence and send these types of calls straight to voicemail. 

“The Neighborhood Filter is the latest enhancement to Call Filter, which gives you the power to block or avoid many of these robocalls at no cost,” the carrier said in an announcement. “While Call Filter auto blocks high risk (Potential Fraud) calls, you may choose to block all spam risk levels in order to silence spam callers from reaching your device with just a few taps on the free Call Filter app or by going to My Verizon.”

Allowing certain calls 

If a call you wanted to receive was thwarted by the filter, Verizon says there’s an option to select “Ignore Filter” in the post-call details in the Call Filter app. Selecting this option will prevent the call from being blocked again in the future. 

“The filters can be removed at any time by tapping ‘Remove’ next to the neighborhood in the ‘Other Filters’ section of the ‘Block Management’ page,” Verizon added. 

In addition to filtering out suspicious calls coming from the same area code, customers can choose to add up to ten other neighborhood numbers that scammers have targeted them with. Adding more numbers will cost an extra $3 per month through the company’s Call Filter Plus service. 

The company said the new filter is part of its “ongoing commitment” to protecting customers from unwanted calls. Verizon noted that over 78 million of its customers have been shielded from over 13 billion unwanted calls as a result of its efforts to combat robocalls. 

“We have been driving adoption of STIR/SHAKEN, an industry-wide effort that helps verify that a call is in fact from the number displayed on the Caller ID and not spoofed,” the company said. “And we recently confirmed that we met the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC’s) industry mandate to sign calls with STIR/SHAKEN.” 

Verizon’s updated Call Filter app is available now for Android and iOS. 

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

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌ 33,855,918 (33,848,726)‌

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 607,160 (607,132)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ 186,969,976 (186,544,494)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 4,034,450 (4,027,001)‌

Get ready for ‘a surprising amount of death’

For most of the U.S., the coronavirus (COVID-19) news has been mostly positive. But a closer look at the data suggests that vaccinations are a big factor. Where vaccination rates are high, cases of the virus are low.

A number of states, especially in the South, have seen cases rise in recent weeks as the highly contagious Delta variant spreads. CNN Medical Analyst Dr. Jonathan Reiner says most of the serious cases come from five hotspots: Florida, Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, and Nevada.

"In places like Missouri where ICUs are packed, you're going to see a surprising amount of death," Reiner told the network.

Fewer young people are getting vaccinated

We know that there are a lot of Americans who have declined to be vaccinated against COVID-19. But who are they, exactly?

Government health officials tell the Wall Street Journal that it’s mostly young adults, and their reluctance to get the jab threatens the goal of vaccinating enough Americans to eradicate the virus. Many of these Americans tell pollsters that they don’t feel they are at risk or are confused by erroneous information circulating on social media.

“It’s a problem because young people are out and about and social,” Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health, told the Journal. “They’re more likely to be interacting with more people than a 75-year-old” and could spread the virus if they aren’t vaccinated.

The virus may have been fading before the vaccines

Conventional wisdom holds that the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines led to the dramatic drop in new cases in the U.S., and it’s true that the two events coincide. But Robert Kaplan, professor emeritus at the Stanford University School of Medicine, says the virus may have been on the wane before the vaccines arrived.

Writing in STAT, Kaplan cited data showing that COVID-19 followed the pattern of previous pandemics. He said the decline in new cases started well before a meaningful number of people had been vaccinated.

“Don’t get me wrong, I believe in vaccines,” Kaplan writes. “I got vaccinated as soon as I was eligible and am 100% behind the goal of getting everyone on the planet vaccinated. Yet there are other factors also at work in quelling a pandemic.”

Around the nation

• New Jersey: After falling to record low numbers, cases of the virus are on the rise again in New Jersey. State health officials reported 264 positive tests of the virus on Sunday, and hospitalizations remained above 300 for a fifth straight day.

• Pennsylvania: The U.S. Treasury has sent out trillions of dollars in COVID-19 relief payments, but not everyone has claimed theirs. Of the first round of payments made in May 2020, government records show Pennsylvania has the highest percentage of unclaimed checks in the country at 1.17%.

• California: When schools reopen for the fall term, both teachers and students will be required to wear masks in classrooms, state education officials say. Guidance from the CDC says masks are not necessary for vaccinated students and teachers.

• Minnesota: State health officials have announced plans to close all but one mass vaccination site, but the push to vaccinate more people will continue. Gov. Tim Walz said the focus is shifting to smaller vaccination sites generally located at retail pharmacies and health care providers.

• Louisiana: Since April, the state has trained and deployed volunteer canvassers to go door to door in some neighborhoods to urge residents to get vaccinated. The campaign is paired with pop-up vaccination sites and is one component of the state’s effort to boost inoculation rates. 

Sensing that a travel boom will likely continue into 2022, United Airlines is adding nearly 150 flights to warm-weather cities to its schedule for the upcoming winter season.

The airline is adding flight service to American destinations in California, Arizona, Georgia, Florida, and Nevada, as well as warmer sites in Mexico and beaches dotting the Caribbean. All told, United will offer 137 more flights than it did before the pandemic in 2019 starting this November through next March.

In its announcement, United said it’s prepared for the return of air travel for more than a year and says that it’s back to full speed. The airline seems confident that things will continue in its favor. Just last month, the company ordered 270 new planes and rolled out plans to hire 25,000 workers.

"Celebrating the holidays with family and loved ones in 2020 was a challenge, and we know our customers are already eager to plan winter vacations and gatherings in person this year to make up for time that they lost," said Ankit Gupta, vice president of network planning at United. "As pandemic restrictions ease, people are becoming more confident in planning travel further in advance, so we want to make sure to offer our customers as much choice as possible."

The warm weather add-ons

Out of the 150 additional flights that United will add come November, the highlighted routes include: 

• Up to 25 additional daily flights from New York/Newark to cities including Ft. Myers, Jacksonville, and Savannah;

• Up to 14 additional daily flights from Denver to cities including Charleston, Ft. Lauderdale, and Savannah;

• Up to 12 additional daily flights from Chicago to cities including Key West, Las Vegas, and San Diego;

• Up to 11 additional daily flights from Washington D.C. to cities including Charleston, New Orleans, and Phoenix;

• Up to seven additional daily flights from Houston to Florida including Miami, Orlando, and Palm Beach;

• Up to four additional daily flights from Los Angeles to Orlando, Tampa, and Ft. Myers;

• Up to four additional daily flights from Cleveland to Orlando, Tampa, and Ft. Myers; and

• Up to three additional daily flights from San Francisco to Orlando and Ft. Myers.

In addition, United is launching 12 new routes from Denver, Los Angeles, New York/Newark, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. to destinations like Belize City, Belize; Cozumel, Mexico; Liberia, Costa Rica; and Nassau, Bahamas.

Going in September vs. going in February

When ConsumerAffairs ran a quick check on Google Flights to sample United fares on two of its routes, we found that flying from New York City to Ft. Myers, Florida, or Chicago to Las Vegas in September versus February offered a slightly better fare ($50-$75). 

But anxious travelers should remember three tips when booking flights: 1) fares change frequently; 2) they change as the flights start to fill up with travelers; and, 3) buying the cheapest fare often means travelers won’t get the same service. This might mean having to pay baggage fees or not being able to select your seat.

Travelers should also keep in mind that the airline industry is still operating differently than it was before the pandemic. There are changes to in-flight services, an ongoing requirement to mask-up, and a firmer, no-nonsense approach to traveler behavior.

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has changed many aspects of consumers’ lives, from food purchasing to car shopping. It has also made dramatic changes to health care -- changes that many experts think will be lasting.

CVS Health, which expanded its retail clinics well before the pandemic, has found that consumers are making more use of these clinics to bolster their self-care. As many medical facilities closed to all but COVID-19 treatments at the height of the pandemic, a study by CVS Health found that Americans began taking more responsibility for their health.

The survey found that 77% of people said the COVID-19 pandemic has led them to pay more attention to their health in general, and 50%of respondents indicated that previous stay-at-home orders helped them achieve their health goals.

"Over the past year and a half, we have witnessed a dramatic shift in consumer health care preferences and needs," said CVS Health CEO Karen Lynch. "These shifts toward personalized care have the potential to impact our health care system well past the pandemic, with many people taking a more engaged approach to their own health.”

A good example is Lewis, of Las Vegas. At the height of the pandemic, he began taking vitamins to improve his health. He said he found the prices offered by CVS to be “reasonable” and the selection to be “excellent.” 

“It is also convenient to fill prescriptions at the same place where my vitamins are sold,” Lewis wrote in a ConsumerAffairs post.

Other retailers join in

Other retailers are eager to hop on board this trend of self-directed health care. This month, Dollar Generalannounced the hiring of a chief medical officer who will oversee the retailer’s expansion of health services.

“At Dollar General, we are always looking for new ways to serve, and our customers have told us that they would like to see increased access to affordable healthcare products and services in their communities,” said Todd Vasos, Dollar General’s CEO.  “Our goal is to build and enhance affordable healthcare offerings for our customers, especially in the rural communities we serve.”

Walmart and Amazon are also both stepping up their efforts to provide direct-to-consumer health services. They’re expanding existing services, building brick-and-mortar stores, and offering a new range of health services, some of which can be accessed at home.

In May, Walmart Health announced plans to establish 4,000 primary care “supercenters” in stores by 2029 providing more services than a typical clinic, including onsite laboratory testing.

American Cruise Lines (ACL) has been forced to cut an Alaskan cruise short and cancel another after three people aboard tested positive for COVID-19.

After setting sail from Petersburg, Alaska with 162 passengers and 52 crew onboard, the ACL ship was forced to return to Juneau only a day into the journey. After two vaccinated passengers tested symptomatic for coronavirus, one unvaccinated crew member tested positive for the virus. 

ACL said it was also canceling its next cruise -- scheduled for July 14 -- purely as a precautionary measure and that the people who tested positive would remain in Petersburg to isolate themselves from others. While most of the ship’s crew had been vaccinated, the company said they would remain on the ship in quarantine until local health authorities in Juneau gave clearance.

“State and local officials in Alaska have been engaged, and have been working together with American Cruise Lines to ensure a swift and effective implementation of the Response Plan,” an ACL spokesman told ConsumerAffairs.

Is COVID-19 testing efficient enough to be safe for travelers?

Cruise lovers are among the most dedicated of travelers, and they’ve sat through more than a year of uncertainty from authorities and unsuccessful test journeys. Now that some restrictions have been lifted and cruise lines have been given the OK to sail, the real test begins.

American Cruise Lines stock and trade is not the same as other major cruise lines like Celebrity or Princess; the company has a more diverse portfolio of cruises that focuses mainly on river cruises. The company had carried some 10,000 passengers on 130 voyages since its return to sailing in March, and this is the first coronavirus-related incident it has weathered since then.

So, is what happened to ACL a predictor of what other cruise lines and travelers might encounter? Who knows. For its part, ACL told ConsumerAffairs that it follows all local COVID-19 protocols in every one of the 31 states it travels through. While there’s no language mandating that passengers be vaccinated on one of ACL’s cruises, the company’s website says all passengers are tested as part of the boarding process and that it “strongly recommends COVID-19 vaccine for all eligible guests.”

The most important takeaway from this incident is that cruisers need to be ready for anything. To help, here are a couple of sites you should double-check at least two weeks before setting sail:

• Vaccination requirements. CruiseCritic offers an excellent list of both river and sea cruise lines and what each company’s vaccination requirements are.

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ship status. The CDC offers a complete and up-to-date report of confirmed cases of COVID-19 or coronavirus-like illnesses that ships have reported. 

U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Acting Commissioner Dr. Janet Woodcock is calling on the Office of Inspector General (OIG) to carry out an investigation into the FDA’s approval of Biogen’s new Alzheimer’s drug, Aduhelm. 

Woodcock said in a letter posted to Twitter on Friday that she has "tremendous confidence in the integrity of the staff and leadership" in the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. However, she agreed that there "continue to be concerns raised...regarding contacts between representatives from Biogen and FDA during the review process, including some that may have occurred outside of the formal correspondence process.

“To the extent these concerns could undermine the public’s confidence in FDA’s decision, I believe it is critical that the events at issue be reviewed by an independent body such as the Office of Inspector General in order to determine whether any interactions that occurred between Biogen and FDA review staff were inconsistent with FDA policies and procedures,” she wrote. 

Controversial approval

The FDA’s approval of Aduhelm sparked controversy because the agency’s advisory panel of experts didn’t believe there was enough evidence that the drug is effective at treating Alzheimer’s. Three members of the advisory panel resigned in protest following the FDA’s decision to approve the drug.

Biogen’s decision to set the drug’s list price at $56,000 per year has also been controversial. The approval and pricing of Aduhelm is being investigated by two Congressional House committees.

The OIG confirmed that it received Woodcock’s letter, but agency officials said they haven’t finished reviewing it, and they also haven’t decided whether to launch an investigation. In a statement, a Biogen spokesperson said the company will cooperate with any investigations.

A new study conducted by researchers from Johns Hopkins University suggests that practicing handwriting is an important skill that helps kids learn how to read. 

Although writing on paper may seem unnecessary now that computers and other devices have become so much more mainstream, researchers say practicing handwriting leads to better reading development than either watching videos or reading typed words.

“The question out there for parents and educators is why should our kids spend any time doing handwriting,” said researcher Brenda Rapp. “Obviously, you’re going to be a better hand-writer if you practice it. But since people are handwriting less then maybe who cares? The real question is: Are there other benefits to handwriting that have to do with reading and spelling and understanding? We find there most definitely are.” 

The benefits of writing by hand

For the study, the researchers divided over 40 participants into three groups to learn the Arabic alphabet. Participants either watched videos, typed the letters, or wrote them out by hand, and the researchers determined how well each group retained the information they were taught. 

In assessing various skills, the team learned that the participants that were writing by hand were the most proficient in the Arabic alphabet, and they became proficient much faster than participants in any of the other two groups. The handwriting group excelled in writing new words, recognizing letters, and decoding the most difficult words. 

“The main lesson is that even though they were all good at recognizing letters, the writing training was the best at every other measure,” said researcher Robert Wiley. “And they required less time to get there. With writing, you’re getting a stronger representation in your mind that lets you scaffold toward these other types of tasks that don’t in any way involve handwriting.” 

Though the study included adults learning a new language, the researchers believe that the findings would translate to children learning to read. The team hopes these findings can inform educators so that language education through handwriting can continue.

Health officials in Israel announced on Sunday that adults with weakened immune systems will be able to get a booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, Reuters reported. People will be eligible for booster shots if they have already received two doses of the company’s vaccine and they are considered to have impaired immune systems. 

Last week, Pfizer and BioNTech said a small study in the country showed a decline in the vaccine’s effectiveness. The drop in effectiveness was primarily seen among those who had been vaccinated in January or February.

“As seen in real world evidence released from the Israel Ministry of Health, vaccine efficacy has declined six months post-vaccination, at the same time that the Delta variant is becoming the dominant variant in the country,” the companies said in a written statement.

Israel is still considering whether to open up booster shots to its general public. Despite nearly 60% of its population being fully vaccinated, the country has been registering more than 450 cases each day on average over the last month. Officials attribute the rise to circulation of the highly contagious Delta variant. 

U.S. officials say it’s still too early

Officials from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a joint statement last week saying fully vaccinated Americans do not need a booster shot at this time. 

"We continue to review any new data as it becomes available and will keep the public informed,” the companies said. “We are prepared for booster doses if and when the science demonstrates that they are needed.” 

For now, the agencies said Americans who are fully vaccinated are “protected from severe disease and death, including from the variants currently circulating in the country such as Delta.” Pfizer is set to meet with top U.S. health officials on Monday to discuss booster dose authorization. 

Over the weekend, Dr. Anthony Fauci said "it is entirely conceivable, maybe likely" that a booster will be needed. However, he said it’s still too early for federal officials to make that call based on current data. 

“Right now, given the data and the information we have, we do not need to give people a third shot,” he said. “That doesn’t mean we stop there. ... There are studies being done now ongoing as we speak about looking at the feasibility about if and when we should be boosting people."

Soaring home prices have had the effect of also raising rents. People who can’t afford to purchase a home are now finding it increasingly expensive to rent one.

Data from Apartments.com shows average rent prices are up 7.5% year-over-year, which is three times the normal growth rate. It’s even worse in popular Sunbelt housing markets that have seen a dramatic influx of new residents during the pandemic.

The Washington Post cites the case of apartment residents in Phoenix who were told their rent would go up by $400 a month, a 33% increase. Housing experts say it’s partly because markets like Phoenix are growing in popularity. It’s also because many young people who left the cities at the start of the pandemic are returning.

“I think we’re going to see increases for the next 12 to 18 months,” Robert Pinnegar, president of the National Apartment Association, told the Post. “We’ve never had three generations in the rental housing space, at least not in the numbers we’re seeing now.”

Single-family homes see the biggest increase

The cost of renting a single-family home is leading the surge since there is less of that inventory than apartments. In a report looking at April 2021 data, CoreLogic found a national rent increase of 5.3% year-over-year, up from a 2.4% year-over-year increase in April 2020.

“Single-family rent growth showed a strong rebound in April 2021 with all price tiers back above their pre-pandemic rent growth rate,” said Molly Boesel, principal economist at CoreLogic. “While rent growth slowed last April at the start of the pandemic, the rate of rent growth this April was running above pre-pandemic levels even when compared with 2019 and shows no signs of diminishing.”

That puts renters who would like to buy a home in a difficult situation. Home prices continue to accelerate, meaning they need a bigger down payment. But as rents rise, it makes it more difficult to save money and become homeowners.

Down payments are a challenge

"Without the equity from a previous home sale, first-time homebuyers face more challenges in coming up with a down payment," said Zillow economic data analyst Nicole Bachaud. "In a housing market where prices are rising at record rates, especially when compared to renter incomes, the ever-increasing sum of a 20% down payment can feel out of reach.”

The only bright spot in all of this is the cost of borrowing money. Mortgage rates remain nearly record lows.

First time buyers can take advantage of the Federal Housing Administration’s (FHA) FHA loans, which allow qualifying applicants to put as little as 3% down.

“That lower upfront payment comes with higher monthly payments, but the opportunity to build equity can outweigh those extra costs for many," Bachaud said.

You’ll find more information about FHA loans here.

A new study conducted by researchers from the University of Würzburg explored the reason why some consumers are compelled to make impulse purchases. 

They found that knowing your personality type can be helpful when it comes to stopping unnecessary or indulgent purchases. Whether you’re a pleasure-seeker or someone who focuses on security, they say impulse spending is something that affects everyone. 

Personalities and stopping impulse purchases

The researchers analyzed several earlier studies on how personalities can affect consumers’ buying habits. They explained that our personalities can help us understand why impulse purchases occur, and they say we can use that information to cut back on these types of shopping trips. 

Pleasure-oriented consumers typically tend to buy things that they believe will make them happy at that moment -- whether that’s a dessert in a cafe or new clothes. The team says this kind of person is very driven by their emotions and may be driven to buy or avoid buying items depending on their headspace that day.

The researchers explained that pleasure-focused consumers that are looking to limit their impulse spending should try to leave themselves little reminders around their wallets or purses. It can be difficult to avoid spontaneous purchases, but a quick glance to skip an unnecessary item may do the trick for pleasure seekers. 

On the other end of the spectrum are security-oriented people, and the researchers explained that this group isn’t immune to impulse purchases either -- they just may take longer to actually go through with it. The researchers explained that security-oriented people tend to go through a mental checklist before making any purchases, and the decision to buy or abandon an item often takes a little more time. 

For this personality type, cutting back on impulse purchases may take a more persistent approach; the team recommends that consumers make a note and look at it throughout the entirety of the shopping trip, which gives them more time to analyze and think through their decisions. They can use their time in the store to figure out if the purchase is something that they really want. 

Moving forward, the team hopes consumers take these findings into consideration the next time they’re in a store. They say knowing your personality type can help you understand what strategies to take so that you can avoid unnecessary spending.

Freshpet is recalling a single lot of Freshpet Select Small Dog Bite Size Beef & Egg Recipe Dog Food.

The product may be contaminated with Salmonella.

There are no reports of illness, injury, or adverse reaction to date.

The recalled product, which comes in1-lb bags with Sell by Date 10/30/2021, lot code 1421FBP0101, and UPC 627975012939, was inadvertently shipped to retailers in limited geographic markets from June 7 – 10, 2021.

What to do

Customers who purchased the recalled product should stop feeding it to their dogs and discard it.

Consumers desiring a refund may do so online at http://freshpet.co/ssdb21.

Consumers with questions may contact the firm at (866) 789-3737, Monday through Friday, 9 am – 9 pm (EDT) and Saturday & Sunday 9 am – 1 pm (EDT) or at www.freshpet.com.

The tragic collapse of a 13-story condominium building in Surfside, Fla., near Miami, riveted the nation’s attention. For many of the estimated 73 million Americans who live in condominiums, it raised other troubling questions.

How can a building simply collapse, and could other such buildings be vulnerable? While these types of events are rare, the recent tragedy has many condo dwellers worried. Julio Ramirez, a Karl H. Kettelhut professor of civil engineering at Purdue University, says these types of failures are “infrequent” and suggests the collapse was caused by a combination of fatal flaws.

“Some initial information seems to be pointing to the presence of extensive corrosion of the reinforcement and damage to concrete as one contributing factor,” Ramirez told ConsumerAffairs. “Thus, the environment and proper maintenance can be identified as factors to be investigated.”

Know when to take action

Ramirez said a serious forensic investigation of the structure will involve the gathering of design and construction information, such as materials and how they were used. The building’s proximity to the ocean and the corrosive effects of saltwater may have called for unique building specifications.

Ramirez says a reinforced concrete structure will be typically cracked in discrete locations under everyday service loads. The key is that an adequate amount and distribution of steel reinforcement will keep those cracks from becoming excessively wide. When wide cracks appear, it’s time to take action. 

Adam Mopsick -- CEO of Amicon, a South Florida real estate firm specializing in owner representation, design-build, and property inspections -- suggests that condo residents and their representatives take a proactive approach to building maintenance.

Be proactive and vigilant

When an inspection reveals the need for remediation work on a building, Mopsick says condo owners need to be part of the process and should hire an experienced project manager to guide them.

“Condo association board members are ultimately volunteers and usually do not have the construction experience needed to manage a project of this magnitude,” Mopsick said. “A local project manager in the condo space has developed a network of expert partners, understands how to compile all of the required information from the respective specialty experts, and develop and manage a project.”

Ramirez makes clear that condo owners don’t need to be afraid, but they do need to be vigilant, just as single-family homeowners would monitor the condition of their homes. High-rise buildings along the coast may require special vigilance that the 40-year-old Champlain Towers South building in Surfside apparently did not receive.

“Proper maintenance is essential and keeping records of such maintenance is critical,” Ramirez said. “I believe that waiting 40 years to certify a building in service in an aggressive environment such as coastal areas is simply not frequent enough.”

Additional reporting for this story was provided by Gary Guthrie.

As Tropical Storm Elsa races up the East Coast, she’s not only impacting every major city in the coastal Northeast but putting millions of people at risk. In fact, the potential consequences are so large that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are urging people to take serious precautions.

The agency laid out an easy-to-follow plan that people can take until the threat passes.

Phone numbers: Write down the phone numbers (especially mobile numbers) of friends and family. Post them on your refrigerator, put a copy near every phone in your home, and program them into your mobile phone.

Prepare emergency supply kits: Remember, the first responder in an emergency is yourself. The American Red Cross says a disaster kit should include the following:

• Plenty of water for each family member

• Non-perishable food

• Flashlight and spare batteries

• Battery-powered radio

• First aid kit

• A seven-day supply of prescription medications

• Personal hygiene items

• Cell phone with charger

• Blankets

• Cash

The CDC agrees with the items on that list and also says consumers should hold onto important documents (including medical documents, wills, passports, and personal identification) and a fire extinguisher. 

Map out important locations: Locate the nearest shelters and various routes you can take to get there. Google Maps is great for finding alternate routes.

Get your home ready: Clear your yard of anything that could blow around during the storm and damage your home. Move any bikes, lawn furniture, grills, propane tanks, and building materials inside or under a shelter. Cover up all windows and doors, and nail pieces of plywood to your outside window frames to protect you from any pieces of shattered glass. Be ready to turn off your power and unplug your appliances in case of flooding, downed power lines, or if you have to leave your home. Fill clean water containers with drinking water or buy some at the local grocery. Bathing may become problematic during a storm, so fill up your sinks and bathtubs with water for washing. Lastly, if you have a carbon monoxide (CO) detector, check it to make sure the battery is charged up so you can prevent CO poisoning.

Getting the pets ready: Pre-identify everything pet-friendly -- a pet-friendly hotel, pet shelters, even an out-of-town friend or relative where you can take your pets if you’re forced to evacuate. Local animal shelters may be able to offer advice on what to do with your pets if you are asked to evacuate your home, and here’s a complete state-by-state list to help you out.

Get your vehicles ready: If you’re going somewhere to evade the storm, taking the time and effort to make sure your car or truck is ready needs to be at the top of your to-do list. Fill your car’s gas tank and move any vehicles into your garage or under cover. Make sure there’s an emergency kit in your car.

App up: When Hurricane Florence ripped through the country, ConsumerAffairs put together a list of emergency-related phone apps that you could use. It might be helpful to review those and possibly add them to your phone. Be sure to add in an app for your local TV and radio stations and a weather app.

Special needs: If you have someone who has special needs, contact local hospitals, public health departments, or the police about what emergency services they offer. You should also consider an emergency response device.