Current Events in October 2021

General Motors is recalling 14,939 model year 2021 Cadillac Escalades, Escalade ESVs, Chevrolet Suburban & Tahoes, and GMC Yukons & Yukon XLs.

The fuel pump power control module may cause the fuel pump to fail or operate intermittently, which can interrupt fuel flow to the engine and cause an unexpected engine stall.

An engine stall increases the risk of a crash.

What to do

Dealers will replace the fuel pump power control module free of charge.

Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on November 8, 2021.

Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at (800) 222-1020; Cadillac customer service at (800) 458-8006; or GMC customer service at (800) 462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212332040.

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

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌ 44,937,514 (44,804,149)‌

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 724,417 (723,214)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ 240,805,141 (240,341,245)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 4,901,012 (4,899,313)‌

Colin Powell dies of COVID-19

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell has died from complications related to COVID-19. His family reported Powell’s death on Facebook today.

"We have lost a remarkable and loving husband, father, grandfather, and a great American," his family members wrote. The Facebook post also noted that the 84-year old Powell was fully vaccinated.

Powell was a career military officer who rose to be chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He served in Republican administrations as national security adviser and secretary of state.

CDC releases guidance for holiday celebrations

Despite there being a decline in COVID-19 cases, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says Americans should exercise caution during the upcoming holiday season. In its holiday guidance, the agency said the great outdoors is the preferred place for large groups to gather.

At the top of the list, the CDC recommends vaccinations for all participants in holiday celebrations. The agency says that’s particularly important when unvaccinated children are present.

"I think we're making some important progress in terms of increasing vaccinations, but the fact of the matter is there are still dangerous gaps in immunity throughout the country, and as long as that's the case, there are still pathways for the virus to spread," Jennifer Nuzzo, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, told CNN.

Resistance to vaccination mandates grows

Businesses ordered by the Biden administration to impose vaccination mandates on their employees are facing strong pushback from unvaccinated workers. Hospitals, which are already operating with depleted staff, have scrambled to replace health care workers who quit rather than be vaccinated.

The resistance also appears to be growing in law enforcement. The New York Times reports that the head of the Fraternal Order of Police in Chicago has urged police officers there to ignore the mayor’s order that city employees report their vaccination status.

The issue may be felt most deeply in Seattle, which already has numerous vacancies on the police force. A police union official says the city’s vaccination mandate is likely to cause more officers to quit.

Around the nation

• California: The state’s vaccination rate is among the highest in the nation except when it comes to state employees. The California Human Resources Department reports that nearly 40% of state workers are defying Gov. Gavin Newsom’s vaccination mandate.

• Arkansas: Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s latest COVID-19 report shows that the state is making progress, with 1,027 fewer active cases over the last week. “The sooner we get vaccine doses into the arms of Arkansans, the sooner we can see a further decline of hospitalizations and deaths from covid-19," Hutchinson wrote in a weekend tweet.

• Colorado: San Juan County has among the highest vaccination rates in the country. Federal health data shows that nearly 100% of the eligible population has been vaccinated. The county recorded its first hospitalizations of the pandemic in August.

• Hawaii: After keeping tourists at arm’s length during much of the summer because of a surge in COVID-19 cases, Hawaii is about to put out the welcome mat again. In the days ahead, Gov. David Ige is expected to make an official announcement encouraging tourists to return to the state.

• Iowa: The government of Iowa City is handing out free COVID-19 test kits, which have been hard to find in recent weeks. The Daily Iowan reports that City Hall gave away more than 150 test kits in the first two days of the program.

Several members of the U.S. House Judiciary Committee have written to Amazon’s legal department, claiming that the online merchant’s top brass -- including founder Jeff Bezos -- misled or lied to Congress about the company’s business practices.

The letter allegedly stated that the committee is considering "whether a referral of this matter to the Department of Justice for criminal investigation is appropriate.”

The letter came on the heels of a Reuters investigation suggesting that the company ran a “systematic campaign of creating knockoffs and manipulating search results to boost its own product lines in India.” The letter stated that "credible reporting" in the Reuters story and recent articles in several other news outlets "directly contradicts the sworn testimony and representations of Amazon's top executives – including former CEO Jeffrey Bezos."

Amazon accused of misleading lawmakers

The House Judiciary Committee has been taking a long look into the competitive battlefield in digital markets, including how Amazon uses its proprietary seller data and whether it unfairly gives its own products an advantage when a website visitor searches for a certain product. 

"At best, this reporting confirms that Amazon's representatives misled the Committee. At worst, it demonstrates that they may have lied to Congress in possible violation of federal criminal law," the letter reads. 

Firing back, an Amazon spokesperson said in a statement that Amazon and its executives “did not mislead the committee, and we have denied and sought to correct the record on the inaccurate media articles in question."

"As we have previously stated, we have an internal policy, which goes beyond that of any other retailer's policy that we're aware of, that prohibits the use of individual seller data to develop Amazon private label products. We investigate any allegations that this policy may have been violated and take appropriate action," the company said.

Amazon must respond by November

It’s a safe bet that the attorneys at Amazon will be working overtime for the next few weeks. The congressional letter gives newly minted Amazon CEO Andy Jassy one last chance to turn over evidence that will verify statements and testimony the company gave earlier. 

Adding in a bit of a threat, the letter reminds Amazon that "it is criminally illegal to knowingly and willfully make statements that are materially false, conceal a material fact, or otherwise provide false documentation in response to a congressional investigation."

The clock is ticking fast. Congress is only giving Amazon’s new CEO until Nov. 1 to explain how the online retailer uses non-public individual seller data to develop and market its own line of products. It also wants to know why Amazon's search rankings seem to favor its own products when a consumer searches for them.

Walmart has revealed its Black Friday plans. The retailer announced that it is bringing back last season’s “Black Friday Deals for Days” promotion by offering sale prices on select items throughout November.

Walmart says shoppers will find the same bargains normally limited to the Friday after Thanksgiving all month long. It joins Amazon, Target, and Best Buy, which have all announced similar plans. However, Walmart is adding a wrinkle to this year’s promotion. Members of Walmart + will get access to the sale prices four hours earlier than everyone else.

“We continue to build Walmart+ to be the ultimate life hack for our customers,” said Janey Whiteside, chief customer officer for Walmart U.S. “That means we’re there for our customers during the everyday with key benefits like free unlimited delivery from stores and free shipping with no order minimum.”

The game plan is much the same as in 2020. Walmart will spread out its Black Friday deals with three events throughout November to offer customers discounted prices on popular holiday gift items. Each event will begin online at Walmart.com and continue with the same deals in Walmart stores.

“The team has worked hard to prepare for another outstanding holiday season, and no matter how or where our customers choose to shop – from the shelf in a store, ordering online and picking it up curbside or having it delivered to their front door – they can depend on us for a safe and convenient shopping experience,” said Scott McCall, executive vice president and chief merchandising officer for Walmart U.S. 

COVID-19 pandemic creates more complications

In recent years, retailers have moved away from kicking off holiday shopping promotions on Black Friday to offering deals much earlier. The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated that trend.

This year, there is the added complication of pandemic-created supply and shipping issues. Consumers are being urged to do their shopping early because those waiting until the week before Christmas could face much smaller selections.

Walmart will begin its first Black Friday promotion online on Nov. 3 and continue it in stores on Nov. 5. The promotion will focus on home electronics, toys, and appliances.

The second promotion will begin online on Nov. 10 and continue in stores on Nov. 12. The retailer will offer discounted prices on items such as a Blackstone 22-inch Griddle with a hard cover and carrying case for $117, an HP i3 Laptop for $279, and a Shark EZ Robot Vacuum for $288.

The third event in the series starts online at the end of the month. The company said it’s saving its best deals for the final event.

In the event of an emergency or natural disaster, consumers want to be as prepared as possible to safely evacuate. However, for pet owners, there’s an extra level of disaster preparation that’s necessary. 

Now, a new study conducted by researchers from James Cook University found that when consumers make a point of having a disaster plan that involves their pets, they’re more likely to have the best survival outcomes. 

“Other researchers have suggested the ‘pets as protective factor’ principle in which companion animal guardianship can actually motivate owners to be proactive in disaster risk management planning,” said researcher Dr. Yetta Gurtner. “They suggest that focusing on individual preparedness ‘for the sake of your pet’ will deliver better engagement for planning pet evacuation and self-reliance that will, in turn, yield higher human survival rates.” 

Protecting consumers’ and pets’ safety

For the study, the researchers surveyed over 240 pet owners in Turnersville -- a city in Australia that is vulnerable to natural disasters. They asked questions about the participants’ disaster preparation, including what plans they have in place that include their pets. 

One of the biggest takeaways from the study is that over 90% of the participants wouldn’t leave their pets behind if an emergency occurred. However, only half of the participants had an evacuation plan ready, and less than 40% of the group had a disaster plan in place that accounted for their pets. This is important because keeping pets safe was a priority for the participants, and this can impact pet owners’ safety. 

“The desire to safeguard animals in an emergency situation can ultimately result in human fatalities, and people who risk their safety for the welfare of animals remain a significant emergency management issue,” Dr. Gurtner said. 

Know your resources

The researchers also suggest that pet owners know what emergency resources are available to them and their pets. This study revealed that 71% of pet owners weren’t sure which shelters allowed pets that weren’t service animals. 

Overall, having a comprehensive disaster plan in place for emergencies is likely to lead to the best safety outcomes for consumers and their pets. 

“Given the varied contexts and capacities, people who own animals should seek advice from local authorities for up-to-date information specific to local circumstances,” said Dr. Gurtner. 

A new study conducted by researchers from New York University explored trends in consumers’ eating habits over the last 20 years. 

Their findings showed that consumption of ultra-processed foods has increased significantly in the U.S. Because of the health risks associated with this kind of diet, the team worries about how this will affect consumers’ wellness in the future. 

“The overall composition of the average U.S. diet has shifted towards a more processed diet,” said researcher Filippa Juul. “This is concerning, as eating more ultra-processed foods is associated with poor diet quality and higher risk of several chronic diseases. The high and increasing consumption of ultra-processed foods in the 21st century may be a key driver of the obesity epidemic.” 

Trends in eating habits

For the study, the researchers analyzed data from nearly 41,000 people enrolled in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2001 through 2018. The participants reported on all of the foods they consumed in a 24-hour period, and the researchers broke down their diets into four food groups based on the level of processing. 

The researchers learned that the percentage of calories that came from ultra-processed foods reached nearly 60% in the final year of the study, compared to 53.5% in the first year of the study. Additionally, calories related to whole foods, like fruits and vegetables, dropped from nearly 33% at the beginning of the study to under 28% by the end of the study. 

“In the current industrial food environment, most of the foods that are marketed to us are in fact industrial formulations that are far removed from whole foods,” Juul said. “Nevertheless, nutritional science tends to focus on the nutrient content of foods and has historically ignored the health implications of industrial food processing.” 

In terms of demographics, the researchers found that college graduates and Hispanic adults ate the most whole foods. Comparatively, older adults went from eating the most whole foods and least amount of processed foods to having the biggest increase of any age group in ultra-processed food consumption in the final year of the study. 

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic

The researchers also found that there has been a significant increase in ultra-processed food consumption since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Ultimately, these eating habits are a cause for concern because they may increase the risk for long-term health concerns. 

“In the early days of the pandemic, people changed their purchasing behaviors to shop less frequently, and sales of ultra-processed foods such as boxed macaroni and cheese, canned soups, and snack foods increased substantially,” said Juul. “People may have also eaten more packaged ‘comfort foods’ as a way of coping with the uncertainty of the pandemic. We look forward to examining dietary changes during this period as data become available.” 

Ford Motor Company is recalling 13,544 model year 2021 Mustang Mach-Es.

The panoramic roof glass panel may not have been properly bonded to the vehicle, which could allow it to detach.

A roof panel that separates from a vehicle can become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.

What to do

Dealers will apply additional urethane adhesive to the recalled vehicles free of charge.

Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on October 27, 2021.

Owners may contact Ford customer service at (866) 436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S42.

Volkswagen Group of America is recalling two model year 2018 Tiguans.

During the repair of roof damage, an incorrect roof reinforcement assembly may have been installed.

The incorrect reinforcement may decrease the roof's structural integrity or affect deployment of the side curtain airbags, increasing the risk of injury in the event of a crash.

What to do

Dealers will replace the roof reinforcement free of charge.

Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on November 18, 2021.

Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at (800) 893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 51H5.

Chrysler is recalling 56,180 model year 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee Ls.

A radio software error may prevent the rearview image from displaying.

A rearview camera that does not display an image reduces the driver's overall vision, increasing the risk of a crash.

What to do

Chrysler will update the radio software, free of charge.

Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on November 10, 2021.

Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at (800) 853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is Y67.

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

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌ 44,787,489 (44,694,149)‌

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 722,000 (719,760)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ 239,833,044 (239,341,545)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 4,885,464 (4,877,533)‌

FDA panel backs Moderna booster

A U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory committee has voted unanimously to recommend booster shots of the Moderna vaccine. The health experts on the panel suggest the third shot for people 65 and older and people between the ages of 18 and 64 years old who are either at high risk for severe COVID-19 due to underlying health conditions or workplace exposure.

The committee said people fully vaccinated with the Moderna vaccine should wait at least six months after the second shot before receiving the booster. The booster is about half the dose of the first two shots.

The committee is meeting again today to discuss the potential need for a Johnson & Johnson booster shot. The company has submitted data it says showed the booster significantly increased the antibody response in people who got it at least six months after being fully vaccinated.

CDC sees more declines in COVID-19 cases

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a more upbeat outlook on the pandemic, predicting that severe cases in the U.S. will continue to fall.

The government health agency says it expects hospitalizations and deaths to decline over the next four weeks, with the U.S. death toll rising to 740,000 to 762,000 deaths by Nov. 6. The current death toll stands at more than 722,000.

Serious cases have declined sharply in many states that reported a surge last month. At the same time, there has been a sharp increase in hospitalizations in northern states that stretch along the U.S. border with Canada.

In Texas, businesses caught in the middle of a mandate battle

President Biden has issued an executive order, requiring businesses with more than 100 employees to impose a vaccination mandate. In Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott has issued an order forbidding businesses from requiring proof of vaccination.

So, what are companies based in Texas to do? Increasingly, they are following the path of the Biden administration.

According to The Hill, both American and Southwest Airlines are defying the governor by requiring their employees to be vaccinated. The report says other Texas-based companies have already imposed vaccine mandates and given no indication that they plan to change their policies.

Around the nation

• California: Indoor masking rules are being relaxed, effective today, in San Francisco and Marin counties as many urban areas of the state are seeing a decline in COVID-19 cases. Meanwhile, some state legislators are pushing to require companies to make it public when they suffer an outbreak, saying that should be public information. 

• Missouri: Missouri suffered a surge in COVID-19 cases over the summer as many residents refused to be vaccinated. But since then, more people have rolled up their sleeves. State health officials report that four counties have now achieved a 50% or greater vaccination rate and 21 counties now report a 40% vaccination rate.

• Vermont: Since the beginning of the pandemic, Vermont has imposed some of the most strict mitigation measures. That kept cases relatively low until recently. State health officials report that the seven-day average of new cases hit a record high this week. Even so, Gov. Phil Scott has declined to reimpose indoor mask requirements.

• Maryland: Gov. Larry Hogan credits the state’s high vaccination rate -- 85% -- for Maryland’s declining COVID-19 cases. “The vaccines are without a doubt our single most effective tool to mitigate the threat of COVID-19 and the surging Delta variant, and Maryland’s vaccination rate continues to outpace the nation,” he said.

• Michigan: Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is reopening Michigan’s border to fully vaccinated Canadians next month, following guidance from Washington. Canada opened its border to fully vaccinated Michigan residents in August. Cross-border travel between the U.S. and Canada had been closed since early in the pandemic.

Best Buy is the latest national retailer to announce an early start to Black Friday deals, kicking off the holiday savings the week before Halloween.

The company said the start of its Black Friday deals, which normally occurs the Friday after Thanksgiving, will start Tuesday, Oct. 19, and run through Oct. 22. The early deals will lean heavily on consumer tech.

Some of the featured deals next week, with savings of up to $180, include:

• $599 for a Samsung 70-inch 4K Smart TV 

• $169 for Beats Studio 3 headphones in matte black 

• Chromebooks starting at $99

• Windows laptops starting at $189.99

The retailer is also marking down a number of Samsung appliances, cutting prices by as much as $540 on the biggest ticket items.

When the calendar finally flips to November, Best Buy said it will be moving Black Friday up a week, from the day after Thanksgiving to Nov. 19. The company promises that “thousands” of deals will start that day, with some extending deeper into the holiday season.

New retail trend

Best Buy is joining a trend in which retailers are rolling out earlier deals to help consumers cope with potential shortages and highly anticipated shipping delays. 

Amazon announced its Black Friday deals earlier this month, making them available earlier than ever. Amazon’s early deals cover toys, home furnishings, and seasonal fashion. Deals include up to 30% off on Hasbro Games, NERF, Barbie, Fisher-Price, and Hot Wheels. 

Target got an even earlier start on the holiday season, rolling out its deals in August. Company executives said 85% of the toys in this year’s lineup will be completely new. At the top of the list are brands like LEGO sets, L.O.L. Surprise! dolls, PAW Patrol, Barbie, and the Zoe Doll. Target is also partnering with FAO Schwarz, the oldest toy store in the world, on an exclusive 70-piece toy collection.

Reasons to shop early

Big box retailers are encouraging consumers to shop early this year, not only to lock in sales but also to head off shortages deep into the holiday season that could result in a lot of unhappy people.

Tara, of Springboro, Ohio, tells us that she has already encountered delays when ordering from Amazon.

“The last few things I have ordered have all been late, had to be canceled or re-shipped,” Tara wrote this week in a ConsumerAffairs review. “I would rather have a 5-day guarantee than a next day or 2-day since everything seems to be delayed.”

The New York Times reported this week that the supply chain bottlenecks are showing no signs of relenting. Walmart, Target, Costco, and Home Depot have resorted to chartering their own ships, a move that the Wall Street Journal suggests could result in higher prices for goods.

The U.S. is throwing its doors wide open to fully vaccinated foreign travelers. The White House announced that it will be easing restrictions for both international air travel and land travel effective November 8.

"This announcement and date applies to both international air travel and land travel. This policy is guided by public health, stringent, and consistent,” said White House assistant press secretary in a Twitter post.

The Biden administration had hinted at this shift in late September when it relaxed restrictions on travel to Great Britain. That resulted in a surge in bookings for transatlantic flights, with Virgin Atlantic reporting a 91% increase.

Travel industry breathes sigh of relief

The move couldn’t have come at a better time. According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), air travelers were becoming increasingly frustrated with the COVID-19 travel restrictions. Nearly 70% of the respondents in a survey commissioned by IATA felt that most country borders should be opened now -- up 12% from a June 2021, survey.

The whole travel industry has to be happy too. It tried to reason with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) earlier this year, claiming that the agency’s guidelines that fully vaccinated people should continue to avoid travel were unreasonable. 

“U.S. Travel has long urged a reopening of the U.S. land borders, and we applaud the Biden administration’s plan to ease entry restrictions for vaccinated visitors. This action will bring a welcome surge in travel from our two top source markets of inbound travel,” U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Roger Dow said in a statement emailed to ConsumerAffairs. 

Dow said that the declines in international visitation since the start of the pandemic have cost the U.S. dearly. According to his organization’s data, there was upwards of $250 billion lost in export income and more than a million U.S. jobs. He said the closed Canadian and Mexican land borders alone cost the U.S. economy nearly $700 million per month.

“The full reopening of international travel to the United States to fully vaccinated individuals is overdue and will provide a jolt to the U.S. economy, travel businesses large and small, and to destinations across America,” Dow stated.

What kind of deals will international travelers find when they come?

After car rental prices spiked earlier this year, one industry analyst says they’re back to normal again. That’s due to there being less demand since the summer travel season is over and children being, for the most part, back in school.

Scott Keyes at Scott’s Cheap Flights told ConsumerAffairs that a recent search for car rental prices included daily deals in Denver and Nashville for $43, $32 in Honolulu, $26 in Los Angeles, and $11 in Miami. 

Keyes said that even Thanksgiving rates were relatively cheap. Christmas and New Year’s were generally double or triple the price, but he said that happens every year.

Hotels, however, are a different story. In comments to TravelPulse, Twiddy & Company CEO Ross Twiddy said reservations in August were up 165% for the Christmas and New Year periods when compared to 2017-2019 averages. 

Naturally, the laws of supply and demand are causing hotel prices to climb. A spokesperson for Priceline told CNBC that the average daily rate at hotels has increased by 14% over the pre-pandemic 2019 holiday season, and they expect that the increased demand will cause prices to continue to scale upward.

By all indications, next Tuesday will be a big day in the lives of cryptocurrency fans. The digital currency devotees will have their first opportunity with Bitcoin futures when the ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF makes its debut at the New York Stock Exchange.

However, there is one little catch, according to CNBC. The exchange-traded fund (ETF) will go active unless the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) decides it has an objection to the filing, which the agency has up until midnight Monday to raise.

“I would give it a 75% chance of approval,” ETF Trends director of research Dave Nadig said.

Bitcoin futures: good thing or bad thing?

Like anything with cryptocurrency, there’s a myriad of directions a Bitcoin futures ETF could take off in. This particular ETF is based on Bitcoin futures that trade on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, which concerns many in the Bitcoin community. If those people had their druthers, they would prefer a pure-play ETF backed by physical bitcoins. 

Their biggest gripes with the current plan are that the cost of rolling into futures contracts is too high and isn’t likely to satisfactorily track the spot price of the cryptocurrency. On top of that, some feel that the SEC should proceed to the approval of a pure-play Bitcoin ETF. Despite those concerns, Bitcoin advocates say this may be a small, first step that could lead to a whole new crop of cryptocurrency investors. 

“Although we are not fully mainstream yet, crypto is making massive strides in adoption, as evidenced by Coinbase’s 68 million users and the crypto industry’s $2 trillion market cap, Larry Pang, Head of Business Development at IoTeX, said in a comment emailed to ConsumerAffairs. 

“As everyday people get comfortable buying and storing crypto for the first time, the next natural evolution is to see people use cryptocurrencies as utility tokens in peer-to-peer networks rather than speculative investment vehicles.”

Boeing’s headaches are moving from its 737 jets to its Dreamliner 787 model. The aviation manufacturer admitted on Thursday that some titanium components designed for the 787 were improperly manufactured over the past three years. 

“While our investigation is ongoing, we have determined that this does not present an immediate safety of flight concern for the active in-service fleet,” the company said. Nonetheless, it has notified the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) just to make sure everything is on the up and up.

Those titanium parts were manufactured for Boeing by a third-party supplier -- Italy-based Leonardo SpA. That company, in turn, purchased the items from Brindisi-based Manufacturing Processes Specification (MPS). In a statement, Leonardo says MPS was a qualified Boeing supplier -- one it’s no longer working with. 

The components in question include fittings designed to secure the floor beam in one section of the fuselage, as well as fittings, spacers, brackets, and clips in other areas of the plane.

Finding the aircraft with suspect components

Boeing said any undelivered planes will be modified to specifications, and any 787 that’s currently in service will go through a review process with Boeing first. After that, the aircraft will have to receive the all-clear from the FAA.

The company is working to determine how many planes contain the defective part, but that could take some time because there are an estimated 864 Dreamliners currently in service. Most of those are flown by All Nippon Airways (74) and United Airlines (60). Other carriers that have the planes in their fleets include Japan Airlines (47), American Airlines (45), Etihad Airways (39), Hainan Airlines (38), Air Canada (37), Qatar Airways (37), British Airways (32), and Air India (27).

Boeing says it’s got its act together now

The last few years have been anything but good for Boeing. Not only did it suffer credibility issues over widespread problems with its 737 Max planes, but the 787 has had its own share of issues. 

In 2019, it was rated as one of the safest aircraft in the sky, only to have whistleblowers question its safety months later. In 2020, Boeing announced that three separate flaws found on its 787 Dreamliner aircraft may require further inspections to check for safety.

In Boeing’s mind, that was then and this is now. The company claims it has its act back on the right path. “When issues are raised, that is an indication that these efforts are working,” the company said.

The COVID-19 pandemic has placed a significant burden on parents’ mental health due to all the extra stress. Now, researchers from the University of Houston explored what impact parents’ stress has had on their kids. Their findings showed that pandemic-related stress may have had a negative impact on kids’ eating habits. 

“The stress doesn’t just go away,” said researcher Leslie Frankel. “Many parents are still feeling uneasy and a parent who is overwhelmed and experiencing symptoms of depression and anxiety may not pay attention or acknowledge their child’s cues of hunger and fullness.” 

Parents’ job and financial stress affects kids’ eating habits

For the study, the researchers surveyed nearly 120 parents who had children between the ages of two and seven from April 2020, to June 2020. Parents answered questions about their stress levels during the pandemic, what their children’s eating habits were like, what role they played in their kids’ eating habits, and their overall mental health. 

The researchers learned that parents were dealing with two different types of stressors during the pandemic: job and financial security-related stress and family safety-related stress. In either case, these stress levels contributed to the ways parents went about handling meal and snack times with their kids. 

The study showed that many parents resorted to eating habits that they didn’t follow before the pandemic. This could mean that parents were using food as a way to reward their kids, or kids were encouraged to eat -- even at times when they weren’t hungry. The researchers refer to these habits as nonresponsive feeding behaviors. 

The biggest risk associated with nonresponsive feeding behaviors is that it creates a sense of distrust in kids to learn about their appetites. In these cases, kids struggle to really know when they’re full, which can ultimately increase the risk of overeating and obesity. When parents aren’t asking kids questions about how much they’ve eaten, if they’re full, or if they’re hungry, it makes it difficult for kids to understand when they should be eating and when it’s time to stop. 

“These parents do not have the time, energy, or emotional capacity to engage in optimal feeding behaviors, so they resort to maladaptive feed behaviors, such as using food as a reward or pressuring their kids to eat,” said Frankel. “As a result, their children are not able to self-regulate what or how much food they are putting into their bodies, which could have harmful consequences in the long run.” 

A new study conducted by researchers from the American Cancer Society is emphasizing the protective health benefits associated with regular exercise. According to their findings, consumers may lower their risk of some cancers, including stomach and endometrial cancers, by exercising for at least five hours every week. 

For the study, the researchers analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, and the U.S. Cancer Statistics database to better understand how physical activity can work to reduce cancer risk. The team looked specifically at consumers aged 30 and older between 2013 and 2016; they assessed the risk for seven different cancers: stomach, kidney, esophageal, colon, bladder, breast, and endometrial. 

The researchers learned that regularly exercising for at least five hours per week does provide some protective health benefits related to cancer. However, they learned that the opposite was also true -- inactivity can increase the risk of cancer. In this study, 3% of all cancer cases, or nearly 47,000 cases, were a result of sedentary lifestyles.

Experts say exercise must be encouraged

The researchers also learned that there were different risk factors associated with physical activity for different types of cancers. Stomach cancers topped the list, as nearly 17% of all cases of stomach cancer were linked with inactivity. Comparatively, 11% of kidney cancer cases and nearly 4% of bladder cancer cases were associated with sedentary lifestyles. 

While these results highlight how beneficial exercise can be for long-term health, the researchers explained that the findings also emphasize disparities in access to recreational physical activity. 

“These findings underscore the need to encourage physical activity as a means of cancer prevention and implement individual -- and community-level interventions that address the various behavioral and socioeconomic barriers to recreational physical activity,” the researchers wrote. “Understanding and reducing the behavioral and socioeconomic barriers to physical activity is essential for optimizing intervention strategies targeting at-risk groups across the country.” 

Gas prices hit the accelerator again this week with another sharp gain, putting it at its highest level since 2014.

AAA’s daily gas price report shows that the national average price of regular gas is $3.30 a gallon, four cents more than last Friday and 13 cents more than a month ago. The average price of premium gas is $3.91 a gallon, up six cents a gallon from last week. The average price of diesel fuel is $3.51 a gallon, eight cents a gallon higher than a week ago.

Prices are climbing even though motorists appear to be driving less. Patrick DeHaan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, reported on Twitter that U.S. gasoline demand fell 3.5% in September compared to August.

However, supplies remain tight because refineries are producing less gasoline. DeHaan says refinery utilization is down in several parts of the country.

That may be responsible for sharp price increases in several states where prices had been among the lowest in the country. In Alabama, the statewide average price of regular gained 11 cents a gallon this week. The average price is up nine cents a gallon in Louisiana and South Carolina.

AAA Spokesperson Andrew Gross says drivers may face more pain at the pump in the coming weeks as oil continues to get more expensive.

“The key driver for this recent rise in the price of gas is crude oil, which typically accounts for between 50% and 60% of the price at the pump,” Gross said. “And last week’s decision by OPEC and its oil-producing allies to not increase production further only exacerbated the upward momentum for crude oil prices.”

States with the most expensive gas

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

• California ($4.45)

• Hawaii ($4.16)

• Nevada ($3.87)

• Washington ($3.86) 

• Oregon ($3.76) 

• Idaho ($3.72)

• Utah ($3.71)

• Alaska ($3.71) 

• Colorado ($3.52)  

• Wyoming ($3.51)

States with the cheapest gas

AAA reports these states currently have the lowest prices for regular gas:

• Texas ($2.92)  

• Mississippi ($2.95)  

• Arkansas ($2.95) 

• Oklahoma ($2.95)  

• Missouri ($2.97)  

• Kansas ($3.00)

• Tennessee ($3.03) 

• Louisiana ($3.04) 

• Alabama ($3.06) 

• South Carolina ($3.06)