Current Events in September 2021

Polaris is recalling 4,744 model year 2020-2021 Slingshots.

The rear wheel studs may not have been fully pressed into the axle, possibly causing them to come loose.

Loose rear wheel studs could result in wheel detachment, increasing the risk of a crash.

What to do

Dealers will inspect and -- as necessary -- replace the rear axle/stud assembly free of charge.

The manufacturer has not yet provided a schedule for recall notification.

Owners may contact Polaris customer service at (855) 863-2284. Polaris' number for this recall is T-21-01.

Homeowners who found themselves in a tight spot with their mortgage but didn’t take advantage of the U.S.’ forbearance programs before it expired on August 31, 2021, are getting some extra help from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). The agency has issued a new rule for mortgage servicers designed to help homeowners avoid foreclosure, 

The new rule requires most mortgage servicers to take specific steps to assist homeowners in forbearance so they can find options for repaying their loan. It also gives servicers the ability to add repayment options without collecting a complete application from the borrower.

Are you covered?

Even though federal forbearance programs under the CARES Act were available only to homeowners with federally backed mortgages -- like those offered by HUD/FHA, VA, USDA, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac 00 the CFPB says its new rule applies whether your mortgage is federally backed or not.

“However, the mortgage loan you’re seeking relief for must be a closed-end loan for your principal residence,” the agency explains. “This rule doesn’t apply to home-equity lines of credit, open-end lines of credit, investment properties, or reverse mortgages. Also, small servicers, as defined by the servicing rules, are not required to comply with this rule.”

Homeowners in this situation are going to see the term “forbearance” a lot, so here’s a quick primer on the concept. 

Forbearance is extended when a homeowner's lender or mortgage servicer allows them to pause or reduce payments for a limited period of time. That’s a good thing, but it doesn't let the homeowner off the hook or erase what they owe. Whatever amount was missed or reduced still has to be repaid at some point in the future.

For homeowners currently in forbearance, the 2021 Mortgage Servicing COVID-19 Rule contains a number of options available for repaying missing payments once their forbearance period ends. The CFPB says the most important thing someone in that situation can do is reach out to the servicer as soon as they can.

“The sooner a consumer connects with a servicer, the more likely the consumer will be able to secure the best option available to them,” the agency said.

What loan servicers are required to do

The CFPB says most servicers can’t start the process of foreclosing on a home until January 1, 2022 — except in limited circumstances — without first reaching out to the homeowner and evaluating their complete application for options to help them avoid foreclosure.

If the servicer makes contact with the homeowner near the end of their forbearance period, there are three things they must tell you:

• The date your forbearance program will end

• Your options for repaying your missed payments and avoiding foreclosure

• Information on how to contact free housing counseling services

It’s important to note that these changes are temporary because they either include specific end dates or they’re linked to programs made available to borrowers with pandemic-related hardships. The CFPB says any homeowner in this position should get in touch with their servicer while these special protections are in place. After that, there’s no guarantee.

“The longer you wait, or the further you fall behind on your payments, the harder it may be to find a solution,” the agency advises. “If your servicer is trying to reach you, it’s very important that you talk with them—if they’re unable to reach you after trying for three consecutive months, a servicer may be able to start the foreclosure process before January 1, 2022.”

If you don’t know who your mortgage servicer is, here’s how you can find out. If your servicer doesn’t do their part by describing the available options, you can submit a report to the CFPB and they will work to get a response from the company.

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

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌ 39,220,117 (39,076,637)‌

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 640,281 (639,050)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ 217,947,269 (217,359,371)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 4,523,447 (4,514,209)‌

FDA under growing pressure to vaccinate children

With the school year underway, children under 12 are accounting for a growing proportion of the nation’s COVID-19 patients. These young people are not yet eligible to receive the vaccine because clinical trials on children have not been completed.

More than 100 members of the U.S. House of Representatives have written to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to urge officials to provide an update on a timeline for childhood vaccinations. Lee Savio Beers, the president of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), has also pressed the FDA to expedite vaccinations for children.

Former FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gotlieb told CNBC that he expects approval of vaccinations for children under 12 to come by winter. “The application probably isn’t going to be submitted until some point in October,” he said.

High viral load in lungs linked to death

Why do some COVID-19 patients die and others recover with few ill effects? Doctors are still trying to figure it out, but researchers at NYU Langone Health's department of medicine have offered a new clue.

They say people who die from the virus almost always have a large amount of the coronavirus present in their lungs -- much more than people who recover or have no symptoms. On average, people dying from the disease had a viral load in their lungs that was 10 times higher than survivors.

"Our findings suggest that the body's failure to cope with the large numbers of virus infecting the lungs is largely responsible for COVID-19 deaths in the pandemic," said lead study author Dr. Imran Sulaiman. 

Health workers face increased threats from stressed patients

Health care workers say they have always been the target of angry, deranged, and emotionally charged people who confront them with verbal and physical abuse. In the age of COVID-19, they say the abuse is off the charts.

Karen Garvey, vice president of patient safety and clinical risk management at Parkland Health & Hospital System in Dallas, tells the Texas Tribune that so far this year there have been examples of “people being punched in the chest, having urine thrown on them and inappropriate sexual innuendos or behaviors in front of staff members. The verbal abuse, the name-calling, racial slurs … we’ve had broken bones, broken noses.”

While the attacks are a source of concern for doctor and nurse safety, health officials have another worry. Texas is already experiencing an acute nurse shortage. Hospital executives worry that the increase in hostility from patients and family members will cause even more nurses to quit.

Around the nation

• Texas: The Connally Independent School District in suburban Waco has closed its five schools for at least the next few days after two teachers died of COVID-19. Natalia Chansler and David McCormick died within days of one another. Chansler was 41; McCormick was 59.

• Virginia: Richmond is dealing with a worsening outbreak. Health officials say the city saw 211.3 new cases per 100,000 people in the last seven days. The state said that was a 300% increase from the same period last month.

• Tennessee: The state health department has revised its COVID-19 hospitalization records for the entire pandemic, revealing a significant undercount. The revised data shows that an extra 5,100 Tennessee residents required hospital treatment for the virus.

• Washington: People attending the Washington State Fair this month will be required to mask up both indoors and outdoors, regardless of vaccination status. The order follows a 964% increase in reported cases over the past seven weeks. 

• Arkansas: State health officials have expressed alarm at the rate at which the Delta variant is spreading through schools across the state. “We’re in an acute surge, and all communities statewide have very, very high levels of transmission,” Dr. Joe Thompson, CEO of the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement, told KUAR Radio.

The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) would like unvaccinated Americans to stay at home over the Labor Day holiday weekend and not risk venturing out where they can pick up or transmit COVID-19.

"First and foremost, if you are unvaccinated, we would recommend not traveling," CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky urged during a briefing at the White House on Tuesday.

And Walensky can back that request up. This week, the CDC forecast that the number of newly reported COVID-19 deaths will likely increase over the next four weeks, with anywhere from 5,800 to 18,600 new deaths likely to occur by September 25, 2021. If that happens, the CDC's predictive model estimates that a total of 666,000 to 697,000 COVID-19 deaths will be reported by that date.

Walensky said her agency “carefully” watches travel health notices every single day. “Those look at testing capacity as well as case rates. And we update our travel guidance by country in real time,” she said.

“We have actually articulated that people who are fully vaccinated and who are wearing masks can travel. Although given where we are with disease transmission right now, we would say that people need to take their own — these risks into their own consideration as they think about traveling.”

White House lays out more reasons for vaccination

The White House suggested that a better trip to take over the Labor Day weekend would be to get vaccinated if you’re not already -- especially those who are looking for work.

“Notably, the share of job postings that require vaccinations are up 90% according to Indeed.com,” said Jeff Zients, the White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator. 

Zients certainly did his homework. When ConsumerAffairs checked Indeed.com for vaccination requirements, we found everything from a part-time job as a Distillery Associate at Michter's Distillery in Louisville, Ky., to a package sorter for Amazon in Victorville, Calif., required proof of vaccination. 

Companies are making it worth a job applicant’s while, too. As an example, the package sorter gig at Amazon comes with a $4,000 sign-on bonus.

“Bottom line: Vaccination requirements work. They drive up vaccination rates. And we need more businesses and other employers, including healthcare systems, school districts, colleges and universities to step up and do their part to help end the pandemic faster,” Zients stated.

“We need more individuals to step up too. As people across the country prepare for Labor Day weekend, it’s critical that being vaccinated is part of their pre-holiday checklist. Getting vaccinated is free. It’s easy and convenient. It’s safe and effective. And it’s never, ever been more important.”

In the opinion of consumers, new car quality rose at a slower pace last year. According to J.D. Power, the problem wasn’t under the hood -- it was in the dashboard.

J.D. Power’s Initial Quality Survey found that 25% of the problems consumers cited about their new cars involved the infotainment system. Specifically, more consumers were unhappy about how their smartphones connected -- or didn’t connect -- to their vehicle’s system.

“Owners are caught in the middle when vehicle and phone technologies don’t properly connect,” said Dave Sargent, vice president of automotive quality at J.D. Power. “This year there are many examples of smartphone technology not working as intended in new vehicles. With more vehicles being fitted with the wireless technology owners want, the study reveals an increase in connectivity problems between smartphones and vehicles, leaving many owners unhappy.”

M. of Larchmont, N.Y., is one of those unhappy consumers. He tells ConsumerAffairs that the infotainment system in his 2019 Honda has always given him problems.

“When turning on right blinker Apple CarPlay turns off,” he wrote in a ConsumerAffairs post. “Using steering wheel to change display doesn’t work. Constantly lost signal in middle of driving for no reason. Now nothing works on the system. So now the car I bought to have AppleCarPlay and maps does nothing.”

How quality is assessed

J.D. Power bases initial quality estimates on the number of problems experienced per 100 vehicles (PP100) during the first 90 days of ownership. The lower the number, the higher the quality. The industry average of 162 PP100 is only 4 PP100 better than in 2020, with 20 of 32 brands improving their quality from last year.

That’s good, but it would be even better if consumers were happier with the infotainment systems. The survey found that 6 of the top 10 problems across the industry are infotainment-related.

Connectivity has emerged as the major irritant. For the first time since 2011, voice recognition is not the top problem cited by new-vehicle owners. 

Android Auto and Apple CarPlay

Rather, owners increasingly cite issues with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity, which they claim has gotten significantly worse. Sargent says it’s clear that the industry has not met consumers’ expectations.

“Owners want wireless connectivity, and the industry has responded,” he said. “However, this has created a bigger technical challenge for both automakers and tech companies.

Sargent says both automakers and their technology partners are probably to blame, but consumers generally take out their frustrations on the manufacturers and their dealers. 

“Owners don’t care who’s at fault, they just want their phone and their vehicle to talk to each other,” he said.

A new study conducted by researchers from the University of California at San Francisco explored the heart health risks associated with alcohol consumption. 

Their findings showed that having just one drink can immediately increase the risk of atrial fibrillation. 

“Common to contrary belief that atrial fibrillation is associated with heavy alcohol consumption, it appears that even one alcohol drink may be enough to increase the risk,” said researcher Dr. Gregory Marcus. “Our results show that the occurrence of atrial fibrillation might be neither random nor unpredictable. Instead, there may be identifiable and modifiable ways of preventing an acute heart arrhythmia episode.” 

Alcohol can affect heart rate

For the study, the researchers had 100 atrial fibrillation patients wear an electrocardiogram (ECG) for four weeks. All of the participants reported having at least one alcoholic drink per month before the study started. Over the course of the study, they recorded every time they drank alcohol by pressing a button on the ECG device. 

The study showed that alcohol increased the risk of an atrial fibrillation episode, and the more the participants drank, the higher the risk of atrial fibrillation. 

Having two or more drinks within four hours made atrial fibrillation three times more likely. Having just one drink made the condition twice as likely. 

While it’s unclear how consumers without a history of atrial fibrillation would respond to alcohol, the findings highlight the risks that alcohol poses to those with preexisting heart conditions or concerns.

“The effects seem to be fairly linear: the more alcohol consumed, the higher the risk of an acute AF event,” said Dr. Marcus. “These observations mirror what has been reported by patients for decades, but this is the first objective, measurable evidence that a modifiable exposure may acutely influence the chance that an AF episode will occur.” 

Results from a new study conducted by researchers from the University of Arizona may help consumers maintain their energy levels while taking virtual meetings. 

According to their findings, keeping the computer camera turned off during virtual meetings can help consumers feel less tired and actually perform better in their roles. 

“There’s always the assumption that if you have your camera on during meetings, you are going to be more engaged,” said researcher Allison Gabriel. “But there’s also a lot of self-presentation pressure associated with being on camera. Having a professional background and looking ready, or keeping children out of the room are among some of the pressures.” 

Staying more engaged during work hours

The researchers collected more than 1,400 observations of more than 100 employees over the course of a four-week period. They looked at how often the participants kept their cameras on or off during meetings, their overall fatigue levels, and their effectiveness in subsequent meetings and other work-related tasks. 

It was clear that employees who kept their cameras on for most of their meetings struggled with their energy levels. Not only was keeping the camera on associated with more fatigue, but the employees were also less likely to participate in later meetings. This led to their overall work performance taking a hit. 

“When people had cameras on or were told to keep cameras on, they reported more fatigue than their non-camera using counterparts,” said Gabriel. “And that fatigue correlated to less voice and less engagement during meetings. So, in reality, those who had cameras on were potentially participating less than those not using cameras. This counters the conventional wisdom that cameras are required to be engaged in virtual meetings.” 

These findings were particularly true for women and new hires. The researchers explained that in both cases, these employees may feel that their jobs are on the line, and they feel pressured to always be on camera during meetings.

Moving forward, the researchers hope these findings help employers understand that having cameras on for virtual meetings isn’t the best way to measure employees’ productivity. Instead, eliminating that pressure can lead to better workplace performance. 

“At the end of the day, we want employees to feel autonomous and supported at work in order to be at their best,” said Gabriel. “Having autonomy over using the camera is another step in that direction.” 

At the end of an extremely active spring home-buying season, the median price for a home posted an 18.6% increase, according to the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller Index.

The June increase came on the heels of a 16.8% rise in home prices in May, further adding to affordability challenges facing buyers. 

Phoenix, San Diego, and Seattle reported the highest year-over-year gains among the 20 cities in the index in June. The median price in Phoenix was up nearly 30% over June 2020, while prices in San Diego were 27% higher. Seattle wasn’t far behind, with home prices rising 25%.

"June 2021 is the third consecutive month in which the growth rate of housing prices set a record," said Craig Lazzara, managing director at S&P DJI.

Lazzara says it was also the 13th straight month of accelerating home prices, with many of those months seeing double-digit price gains on a year-over-year basis.

 "The last several months have been extraordinary not only in the level of price gains but in the consistency of gains across the country,” he said. “Home prices in 19 of our 20 cities now stand at all-time highs, as do the National Composite and both the 10- and 20-City indices.”

Supply and demand

A major factor driving those prices higher is an imbalance in supply and demand. Americans have been on the move since the COVID-19 pandemic began, with many heading for smaller cities because they could work remotely. At the same time, the number of available homes for sale continued to decline over the last 12 months.

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) reports that inventory levels improved in July, along with existing home sales. But there was no slowdown in home prices.

NAR reported that the median existing home price for all housing types in July was $359,900, up 17.8% from July 2020. Each region saw prices climb, and it was the 113th straight month of year-over-year gains.

"Although we shouldn't expect to see home prices drop in the coming months, there is a chance that they will level off as inventory continues to gradually improve," said Lawrence Yun, NAR’s chief economist.

In the meantime, Yun says some prospective buyers who are priced out of the housing market are increasing the demand for rental homes and thereby pushing up the rental rates.

General Motors is recalling 7,082 model year 2021-2022 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles with Hankook tires.

The tires may have been manufactured with an insufficient amount of curative agent, which could cause tread separation.

Tread separation can result in a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.

What to do

Dealers will inspect the tire DOT numbers, and replace any affected tires free of charge.

Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed September 20, 2021.

Owners may contact GMC customer service at (800) 462-8782, and Chevrolet customer service at (800) 222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N212343560.

Volkswagen Group of America is recalling 5,087 model year 2022 TAOS vehicles with all-wheel drive.

The engine control unit (ECU) software may cause a stall when coming to a stop.

An engine stall increases the risk of a crash.

What to do

Dealers will update the ECU software free of charge.

Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed October 5, 2021.

Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at (800) 893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 24HH.