Current Events in November 2021

Comcast customers in several states found themselves without cable or internet service for a couple of hours on Tuesday. The company reported outages that were concentrated in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Illinois. There were also reports of widespread outages in the San Francisco area.

“Unfortunately, due to unforeseen circumstances, we are experiencing widespread interruptions to the XFINITY Services,” the company posted on Twitter Tuesday morning. “We are working to resolve the issue and do apologize for the inconvenience.”

Downdetector reported more than 53,000 outages, peaking around 9 a.m. ET. The company said it only reports outages when they affect wide areas, noting that isolated outages of all internet services are common throughout a typical day. According to the Downdetector report, 64% of the outage reports involved what was described as a “total blackout.”

In a later statement, Comcast said it was having connectivity issues nationwide, though wide areas of the country reported no trouble. At midday on Tuesday, the company issued a statement confirming that the network issue was the reason for so many subscribers having no service.

"We have addressed the issue and service is now restoring for impacted customers, as we continue to investigate the root cause," the company said.

Quickly resolved

According to Downdetector, the worst of the outage lasted for little more than an hour. By 10:30 a.m., the number of affected users had been cut in half. By 11 a.m. there were only around 3,000 outage reports.

Any internet service provider will have connectivity issues from time to time, but Will, a Comcast Xfinity subscriber in Dorchester Center, Mass., says it happens too often for his liking.

“Xfinity has had me down for three days and I work from home,” Will wrote in a ConsumerAffairs review. “If you remotely work from home DO NOT get their services!”

ConsumerAffairs reviewers rate Xfinity 3.7 out of 5 stars in more than 4,400 verified reviews.

One by one, automakers and countries around the world are stepping up to say they’ll phase out sales of gasoline-powered vehicles by 2040. That number grew dramatically on Wednesday when six automobile manufacturers and 30 nations officially added their names to the list during international climate talks in Glasgow, Scotland.

Automakers that recently agreed to the climate initiative include Ford, General Motors, Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar Land Rover, Bolivian electric car company Quantum Motors, and Volvo. 

Ford and General Motors, in particular, are taking the zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) notion seriously. Both carmakers are planning a bevy of new ZEV models "because they see they will lose market share if they don't," Commissioner Tremaine Phillips of the Michigan Public Service Commission told SmartCitiesDive. "Those automakers have committed to a decades-long, billion-dollar transition, which tells me the vehicles are coming."

Many countries agree to phase out gas-powered vehicles

On the government side, Canada, Denmark, Ireland, Israel, Finland, New Zealand, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Norway, and Poland have also agreed to phase out gas-powered vehicles. Forty municipalities, states, and regional governments also added their name to the list. Those signing on to the initiative include Ann Arbor, Atlanta, Barcelona, Dallas, New York City, Rome, San Diego, San Francisco, and the states of California, New York, and Washington. 

“Together, we welcome the new opportunities for clean growth, green jobs and public health benefits from improving air quality; and that this transition could also boost energy security and help balance electricity grids as we make the transition to clean power,” the various governments said in their declaration.

The collective said it’s going to work as a unit and help others out -- like Turkey, Kenya, and Mexico -- “so that no country or community is left behind.”

Some of the “leading markets” promised to honor their commitment by 2035, and fleet owners and operators -- like Uber -- said they will work towards 100% of their car and van fleets being zero-emission vehicles by 2030.

Who’s missing?

The exceptions to the list are glaring: On the automaker side, Toyota, Volkswagen, and Nissan-Renault have not committed to eliminating gas-powered vehicles. 

Toyota and VW’s lack of commitment is interesting since those companies had made it a point to trumpet their support of electric vehicles earlier this year. VW had announced that it was going all-electric by 2030, and Toyota said it was making a major investment in electric vehicles.

Three major countries -- the U.S., China, and Japan -- also abstained from signing on, possibly because Toyota, VW, and Nissan all have factories in those countries.  

A whistleblower’s efforts in revealing violations of the Safety Act have made them millions richer. In its first ever whistleblower award, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is giving more than $24 million to a whistleblower for providing information to the NHTSA about Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) and Kia Motors America (Kia).

The award is the maximum percentage allowed by law of the $81 million in cash collected by the federal government. By law, the NHTSA can award a whistleblower who contributes “significant information” regarding an action that ultimately results in penalties of more than a million dollars.

Where Hyundai and Kia went wrong

The NHTSA said it issued consent orders with Hyundai and Kia a year ago based on the agency’s assessment that both companies made two serious mistakes. For one, they conducted untimely recalls on over 1.6 million vehicles that were equipped with Theta II engines. Secondly, they inaccurately reported crucial information to the NHTSA about the nature of serious defects in those engines. 

“Whistleblowers play a crucial role in bringing information to NHTSA about serious safety problems that are hidden from the agency,” said Dr. Steven Cliff, NHTSA’s Deputy Administrator. “This information is critical to public safety and we are committed to rewarding those who bring information to us.”

The issues the NHTSA found weren’t exactly new. Dating back to 2018, one ConsumerAffairs reviewer -- Jody of Waxhaw, N.C. -- wrote about issues with their Hyundai Tucson and its Theta II engine.

“Driving down a street 35 mph, the 2013 Tucson engine made loud sound all the lights came on and car shuddered and would not drive. Moved to side of road and towed to dealership. Theta-ii engine seized. Not repairable,” Jody wrote.

It was at that point that Hyundai made a misstep that was similar to the move that cost them that massive NHTSA fine. 

“Dealership and manufacture[r] refused to help in any way despite known problem. Recalls have been made on this same engine in the Sonata and Santa Fe but not the Tucson. Eventually traded in as cost to replace engine with used engine (no new ones available) was prohibitive,” Jody wrote. “The manufacturer was nonchalant and said they could not help us. We asked about the warranty and they said their warranty is only for original owner. We went to a Hyundai dealership and did not find that information anywhere! Dealership offered to sell us a new Hyundai. Will never buy their products again.”

The NHTSA wants consumers to know they, too, can file complaints

The NHTSA wants any consumer who is experiencing problems with their vehicle to know that whistleblowers are protected by law. The agency doesn’t have to issue a final rule for a whistleblower to receive a reward either. 

The NHTSA says potential whistleblowers can provide information to the agency by emailing NHTSAWhistleblower@dot.gov or by calling the agency’s hotline at 888-327-4236.

Information that the NHTSA welcomes runs the gamut -- from possible vehicle safety defects to noncompliance with the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and violations of the Vehicle Safety Act.

A new study conducted by researchers from the European Society of Cardiology explored how consumers’ bedtimes may affect their likelihood of developing heart disease. According to their work, finding the right time to go to sleep is linked to better heart health outcomes. 

“The body has a 24-hour internal clock, called circadian rhythm, that helps regulate physical and mental functioning,” said researcher Dr. David Plans. “While we cannot conclude causation from our study, the results suggest that early or late bedtimes may be more likely to disrupt the body clock, with adverse consequences for cardiovascular health.” 

Not too late and not too early

For the study, the researchers analyzed data from more than 88,000 individuals enrolled in the U.K. Biobank between 2006 and 2010. Over the course of seven days, the researchers tracked the participants’ sleep habits with a wrist monitor. Later, the team conducted comprehensive medical exams to determine the participants’ health status. 

Ultimately, the researchers learned that participants with bedtimes that were later than midnight and earlier than 10:00 p.m. had the highest risks of developing heart disease. However, those who were able to fall asleep between 10:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. were likely to have the best heart health outcomes. 

“Our study indicates that the optimum time to go to sleep is at a specific point in the body’s 24-hour cycle and deviations may be detrimental to health,” said Dr. Plans. “The riskiest time was after midnight, potentially because it may reduce the likelihood of seeing morning light, which resets the body clock.” 

The highest heart health risks were for night owls and early sleepers. Participants who went to bed past midnight and those who went to bed before 10:00 p.m. had a 25% and 24% increased risk of heart disease, respectively. Comparatively, those who fell asleep between 11:00 p.m. and midnight had a 12% higher risk of heart disease. 

Moving forward, the team hopes to do more work in this area to better understand how consumers’ sleep habits impact their long-term heart health. 

“While the findings do not show causality, sleep timing has emerged as a potential cardiac risk factor -- independent of other risk factors and sleep characteristics,” said Dr. Plans. “If our findings are confirmed in other studies, sleep timing and basic sleep hygiene could be a low-cost public health target for lowering risk of heart disease.” 

Recent research has highlighted the ways that following healthy habits, including diet and exercise, can benefit consumers’ mental health. Now, a new study conducted by researchers from the University of Gothenburg found that regular exercise may be an effective way to reduce anxiety-related symptoms. 

“These findings strengthen the view that physical exercise represents an effective treatment and should be more frequently made available for persons with anxiety within primary care,” the researchers wrote. “Exercise has few side effects, is inexpensive, and overall beneficial for general somatic health.” 

Keeping anxiety symptoms at bay

For the study, the researchers had nearly 300 patients with a history of anxiety participate in different exercise trials. Over the course of 12 weeks, the participants engaged in either strenuous or moderate exercise for one hour three times a week; a third group was given advice on exercise but wasn’t required to do it. The group also answered questions about their anxiety symptoms when the study began and again at the end of the 12 weeks. 

Ultimately, the researchers found a positive relationship between consistently exercising and improvements in anxiety. Participants in either one of the exercise groups reported better anxiety-related outcomes than those who were taught about the benefits of exercise. 

“There was a significant intensity trend for improvement -- that is, the more intensely they exercised, the more their anxiety symptoms improved,” said researcher Malin Henriksson. 

The researchers found that the higher intensity workout group saw their anxiety symptoms lower by a factor of nearly five. The moderate-intensity workout group experienced a reduction in symptoms by a factor of more than 3.6. 

The majority of patients in this study had been experiencing anxiety for at least a decade, and consistently exercising proved to be beneficial at improving symptoms. Moving forward, the team hopes experts utilize these findings with their patients to provide chronic anxiety sufferers with some needed relief. 

“Doctors in primary care need treatments that are individualized, have few effects, and are easy to prescribe,” said researcher Maria Åberg. “The model involving 12 weeks of physical training, regardless of intensity, represents an effective treatment that should be made available in primary health care more often for people with anxiety issues.” 

Inflation was red hot in October. The Labor Department reports that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose by 0.9% last month from September. On a year-over-year (YOY) basis, inflation is surging at 6.2%, the highest rate since 1990.

The monthly all items seasonally adjusted increase was broad-based, with consumers paying more for energy, shelter, food, used cars and trucks, and new vehicles. Energy costs were 4.8% higher, largely driven by the cost of gasoline.

Food costs were another major factor driving consumer prices higher last month. The overall cost of food rose by 0.9% from September to October and was 5.3% higher than 12 months ago. The cost of groceries increased slightly more than food consumed away from home.

The CPI for all items other than food and energy rose by 0.6%, showing that inflation is embedded in many other sectors of the economy. Here are some of the larger increases:

• New vehicles -- up 1.4% over September and up 9.8% YOY

• Used vehicles -- up 2.5% over September and up 26.4% YOY

• Shelter -- up 0.5% over September and up 3.5% YOY

• Transportation services -- up 0.4% over September and up 4.5% YOY

• Medical care -- up 0.5% over September and up 1.7% YOY

Analysts say supply chain and staffing issues are contributing to rising prices. Merchants have newfound pricing power because of continuing shortages.

Unemployment claims still falling

The Labor Department also reports that initial claims for unemployment benefits totaled 267,000 last week, the lowest number since the pandemic began. The number of claims was 4,000 fewer than last week, which had been a post-pandemic low.

The total number of people who are continuing to draw unemployment benefits was 2,565,853, a decrease of 107,095 from the previous week. There were 21,713,655 weekly claims filed for benefits in all programs in the comparable week in 2020.

During the week ending October 23, extended jobless benefits were available in Alaska, Connecticut, New Jersey, and New Mexico. 

Black Friday will be here before you know it, but how can consumers prepare for the busiest holiday sales season ever when supply chain issues and worker shortages are making shopping more difficult?

If you plan on ordering items online, you’ll want to make sure you place your orders as soon as possible. In a recent report, BlackFriday.com noted that there are more options for fast delivery this holiday season. 

After being stuck in pandemic limbo in 2020, many major merchants are upping their game. Target and Walmart are offering same-day delivery for orders of $35 or more, Amazon Prime has free two-day shopping for Prime members, and Best Buy is offering a next-day shipping option.

Holiday shipping deadlines for 2021

FedEx, UPS, and USPS. Since Christmas falls on a Saturday this year, shipping times will be shortened by a day or so for consumers who want to get their items before that holiday. Smart shoppers who celebrate Christmas should shoot for their packages to arrive by Friday, Dec. 24 at the latest. 

Consumers who elect to ship with USPS should mark Dec. 18 as the last day to submit orders for First-Class delivery. The deadline for Priority Mail is Dec. 19.

The least expensive option for FedEx shippers ends on Dec. 9 if they want to get their packages on time. The company has several other options -- including Dec. 25 -- but at higher prices. UPS Ground, the company’s best price option, calls for Dec. 9 as the last day to schedule a delivery. But like FedEx, it also has pricier options for those who wait past then. 

Consumers should note that these dates are for shipments within the contiguous U.S. If you’re shipping to Alaska, Hawaii, overseas, or to the military, you should check the carriers’ sites. 

Store shipping deadlines and deals. BlackFriday.com’s Shannon Flynn says shipping deadlines from major retailers are somewhat of a moving target this year. 

In fact, many companies appear to be foregoing general ship-by-dates and giving real-time shipping estimates to consumers based on their delivery address and the items they purchased. While some retailers won’t offer expedited or free shipping for the holidays because of carrier restrictions, there are some larger companies that will.

To see a list of those companies and their requirements, visit BlackFriday.com’s site here.

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

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌ 46,624,332 (46,490,680)‌

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 755,915 (754,474)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ 250,580,621 (250,056,541)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 5,060,487 (5,052,620)‌

Regeneron drug reportedly 81% effective at preventing COVID-19

The news about potential treatments of COVID-19 continues to get better. Regeneron now reports that Phase 3 clinical trials of its experimental drug REGEN-COV reduced the risk of contracting COVID-19 by 81.6% during the pre-specified follow-up period of two to eight months.

Though not a vaccine, the drug reportedly acts like one. It could benefit many people who are immunocompromised and unable to take any of the vaccines.

"Today's new data demonstrate how a single dose of REGEN-COV can help protect people from COVID-19 for many months after administration," said Myron S. Cohen, M.D., who leads the monoclonal antibody efforts for the NIH-sponsored COVID Prevention Network. "These results demonstrate that REGEN-COV has the potential to provide long-lasting immunity from SARS-CoV-2 infection, a result particularly important to those who do not respond to COVID-19 vaccines including people who are immunocompromised."

Biden administration asks court to unblock vaccine mandate

Lawyers for the Biden administration have filed court documents seeking to undo an injunction that is temporarily blocking its vaccine mandate for private companies with 100 or more employees. The mandate was halted Friday by an appeals court that said the order may have overstepped the administration’s authority.

The administration’s filing claimed that the executive branch has clear authority to order people to get vaccinated as part of its mission to protect public health. It notes that millions of Americans are returning to the workplace as the pandemic begins to wind down.

"With the reopening of workplaces and the emergence of the highly transmissible Delta variant, the threat to workers is ongoing and overwhelming," the administration said in its filing.

Why the elderly are at greater risk from COVID-19

From the very beginning of the pandemic, health professionals knew that elderly people, as well as people with underlying health conditions, would be the most vulnerable to COVID-19. What they didn’t know was why.

In the case of the elderly, researchers at Brown University say they now have a better understanding. In a study, they describe the cellular and molecular events that explain why these groups have a higher risk of becoming infected, experiencing severe side effects, and dying.

“This paper details a major discovery in COVID-19,” said corresponding author Dr. Jack A. Elias, an immunologist and dean of medicine and biological sciences at Brown. “It shows that levels of a protein called chitinase 3-like-1 increase with age as well as co-morbid diseases and infection. What’s more, chitinase 3-like-1 augments SARS CoV-2 infection.”

Around the nation

• Nebraska: The state will resume updating its COVID-19 dashboard on a daily basis. Gov. Pete Ricketts said the move is in response to an increase in hospitalizations in recent weeks. “Our hospitalizations have been up around 400 or so, which is kinda the threshold to hit the 10% level we’ve talked about throughout the course of the pandemic, and that’s the threshold where we start doing the daily data,” he said.

• North Carolina: State officials say they are off to a fast start in vaccinating young children. Records show that more than 8,000 children between the ages of five and 11 have received their first shot of the Pfizer vaccine in the first days it was approved for use in that age group.

• Virginia: First Lady Jill Biden helped promote vaccinations for children during a trip to an elementary school in Fairfax County. "The president and I know how difficult this pandemic has been for your kids and your families,” she said at Franklin Sherman Elementary School. “And I'm here today because we care about you and your beautiful children." 

• Arizona: During the pandemic, when airlines slashed the number of their flights, hundreds of spare planes were parked at the Pinal Air Park in Marana. Now, officials say many of those jets are taking off again as airlines restore more flights to their schedules.

• Connecticut: Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin has announced that the city is lifting its indoor mask mandate because COVID-19 cases are falling. “I believe that it’s responsible action today to remove that mandate," Bronin said, pointing out that businesses can still require masks at their discretion. 

Cryptocurrency took off on another ride up the value charts on Monday. Led by Bitcoin (BTC), several digital currencies hit all-time highs in a rally that some crypto pundits claim might be investors trying to lock in on a safeguard against inflation.

The crypto market’s bull ride didn’t end on Monday either. As of midday Tuesday, Bitcoin’s 24-hour trading volume was up 20.48% to a new all-time peak of $68,368. Ethereum’s trading volume was up 18.41%, hitting $4,824 per coin -- the first time it’s ever crossed the $4,700 mark. Cardano (ADA) -- the fourth most traded cryptocurrency -- also saw its trading volume go up 195.80%.

What’s behind the surge?

As you can imagine, cryptocurrency analysts were out in force to explain why the market was turning so bullish. Most experts pointed to the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) approval of the first cryptocurrency-related ETFs as a major driver.

Juthica Chou, Head of OTC Options Trading for cryptocurrency exchange Kraken, told Yahoo Finance that the approval cannot be underestimated as a major driver for the Bitcoin rally. 

"It massively de-risked bitcoin and this space in general," Chou stated.

Don’t bet the farm

In a price prediction model released earlier this year -- when Bitcoin was valued at less than $40,000 per coin -- cryptocurrency analyst PlanB actually predicted that Bitcoin would prove to be a better ETF than gold.

On the news of Bitcoin’s shot up, PlanB doubled down on its support of BTC, tweeting “Forget USD and QE [quantitative easing]: #bitcoin = 37 ounces of Gold.”

Forbes reported that by the end of November, PlanB’s model predicts that Bitcoin will reach $98,000 and finish 2021 at $135,000. But before investors run off and bet the farm, PlanB warns that the market could reverse at any time because of regulatory changes or a “black swan” event.

Robinhood, the trading app comprised of users who drove this year’s Reddit stock craze, reports that it has suffered a data breach in which the names and email addresses of millions of traders were stolen. In a blog post, the company emphasized that no Social Security or bank account numbers were compromised, and none of its users suffered any financial loss.

The company said the hacker gained access to Robinhood’s network systems by impersonating an authorized party to a customer-support employee on the phone. Officials said the breach was discovered late Wednesday of last week and quickly contained.

Robinhood said the hacker demanded a ransom payment at one point, but the case was turned over to law enforcement to handle. The company also retained the services of Mandiant, a cybersecurity firm.

“As a Safety First company, we owe it to our customers to be transparent and act with integrity,” said Robinhood chief security officer Caleb Sima. “Following a diligent review, putting the entire Robinhood community on notice of this incident now is the right thing to do.” 

5 million email addresses

The company says an investigation into the hack shows that the hacker was able to steal a list of email addresses for approximately five million users, as well as full names for a different group of approximately two million people. 

Robinhood also believes the hackers gained more extensive data on about 310 users. Again, it doesn’t think any financial information was compromised, but hackers may have gained access to names, dates of birth, and zip codes for that small group of customers.

Robinhood gained millions of customers during the pandemic when homebound Americans used its app to trade stocks, in many cases driving up the price of so-called “meme” stocks like Gamestop and AMC.

Disruptive force

The company has been a disruptive force in the financial services industry by not charging commissions on trades. Now, nearly all online trading platforms have done away with commissions on stock trades.

Robinhood customers seeking information on how to keep accounts secure can visit Help Center, then tab through My Account & Login and Account Security. 

When in doubt, users may log in to view messages from the company. It also points out that it will never include a link to access a user’s account in a security alert. 

If you’re doing some year-end financial planning for next year, here’s something to consider: The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is raising the minimum 401(k) retirement account contribution by $1,000 in 2022.

The changes are part of a cost-of-living adjustment. Individuals will be able to contribute up to $20,500 to their employer-sponsored plans, up from $19,500 for 2021 and 2020. However, the changes do not apply to individual retirement accounts (IRA).

The contribution limit for employees also extends to most 457 plans, and contributions to the federal government's Thrift Savings Plan are increasing to $20,500, up from $19,500. There will also be changes to traditional and Roth IRAs, but the contribution limits are not increasing. The limit for 2022 stays at $6,000 -- $7,000 for those aged 50 or older. There is also no increase in catch-up contributions for people over 50. 

Taxpayers will be able to make contributions based on specific income levels. Other conditions may also apply. For example, if the taxpayer or the taxpayer's spouse was covered by a retirement plan at work during the year, then the allowable IRA deduction may be reduced or phased out until it is eliminated, depending on filing status and income. 

New income ranges

Here are the new income ranges for IRA contributions:

For single taxpayers covered by a workplace retirement plan, the phase-out range is going up by $2,000 to a maximum of $78,000 in annual income. For married couples filing jointly, if the spouse making the IRA contribution is covered by a workplace retirement plan, the phase-out range is increased to $109,000 to $129,000, up from $105,000 to $125,000.

For taxpayers contributing to an IRA who is not covered by a workplace retirement plan but is married to someone who is covered, the phase-out range is increased to $204,000 to $214,000, up from $198,000 to $208,000.

For a married person filing separately who is covered by a workplace retirement plan, the phase-out range is not subject to an annual cost-of-living adjustment and remains $0 to $10,000.

Roth IRA income limits will also rise

People contributing to a Roth IRA will be able to earn more next year. The income phase-out range is now $129,000 to $144,000 for singles and heads of household, up from $125,000 to $140,000. 

Married couples filing jointly will be able to earn $204,000 to $214,000, up from $198,000 to $208,000. The phase-out range for a married individual filing a separate return who makes contributions to a Roth IRA is not subject to an annual cost-of-living adjustment.

The Saver’s Credit program, used primarily by low- and moderate-income workers, will increase the income limit to $68,000 for married couples filing jointly, up from $66,000. Other income limits are $51,000 for heads of household, up from $49,500; and $34,000 for singles and married individuals filing separately, up from $33,000.

Experts have highlighted the ways that physical activity can benefit consumers’ mental health, and they’ve also shown how skipping out on exercise can be detrimental. Now, researchers from Iowa State University explored how consumers’ habits during COVID-19 -- including increasing screen time and getting less physical activity -- can impact their mental health. 

Their work showed that following a more sedentary lifestyle may worsen symptoms related to anxiety and depression. 

“In March 2020, we knew COVID was going to affect our behavior and what we could do in lots of weird, funky ways that we couldn’t predict,” said researcher Jacob Meyer. “We know when people’s physical activity and screen time changes, that’s related to their mental health in general, but we haven’t really seen large population data like this in response to an abrupt change before.” 

The mental health risks linked with too much sitting

For the study, the researchers had participants complete surveys in the early weeks of the pandemic to assess how much time they spent in front of screens, how much time they spent sitting, what their typical exercise routine looked like, and their overall mental health. 

The participants then had the opportunity to continue on with the study between April 2020, and June 2020, by completing weekly surveys for eight consecutive weeks. The researchers used this dataset as an opportunity to track the participants’ behaviors and mental health from before the pandemic and compare it to how they were affected during the pandemic. 

The study showed that many of the participants who reported regularly exercising had either cut back or eliminated this part of their routines in the early days of the pandemic. Among these participants, symptoms related to depression and anxiety were on the rise. 

“Sitting is a sneaky behavior,” Meyer said. “It’s something we do all the time without thinking about it.” 

Staying active can bolster your mental health

The researchers found mixed results when looking at the participants’ physical and mental health outcomes eight weeks into the pandemic. Anxiety and depression symptoms remained high among those who maintained a sedentary lifestyle. However, keeping a more active routine was linked with more stable mental health outcomes. 

“In the second study, we found that, on average, people saw their mental health improve over the eight-week period,” Meyer said. “People adjusted to life in the pandemic. But for people whose sitting times stayed high, their depressive symptoms, on average, didn’t recover in the same way as everyone else’s.” 

While many consumers’ daily routines are much different now than they were before the COVID-19 pandemic, the researchers hope these findings encourage at-home workers to find unique ways to incorporate movement into their daily routines. Something as small as a short walk around the neighborhood can help improve mental health. 

“I think being aware of some of the subtle changes we’ve made during the pandemic and how they might be beneficial or detrimental is really important as we look to the other side of pandemic life,” said Meyer. “If you’re no longer walking down the hall for in-person meetings, you can still incorporate that break from sitting by taking a short walk before and after your Zoom call.”

Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) is recalling 1,311 model year 2021 S500s, S580s, and Maybach S580s.

The airbag control unit software may deactivate the occupant recognition control unit, resulting in a deactivated front passenger airbag.

A deactivated passenger airbag increases the risk of injury in a crash.

What to do

Dealers will update the airbag control unit software free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on December 3, 2021.

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

Dole Fresh Vegetables is recalling a limited number of cases of garden salad.

The products may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

No illnesses have been reported to date.

A list of recalled products -- with the lot codes and Best if Used By dates on the upper right corner of the bag and the UPC code on the bottom left corner of the back of the bag, may be found here.

The recalled products were sold in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Virginia.

What to do

Customers who purchased the recalled products should not consume them. Instead, they should discard them.

Consumers with questions may call the firm at (800) 356-3111 24 hours a day.

Welcome to America! As of Monday, November 8, the U.S. flung open the doors to its borders to vaccinated visitors from around the world. As long as most foreign tourists can show proof of vaccination and a recent negative COVID-19 test, they’re welcome to roam the U.S. from one end to the other.

However, there are some extra rules that some travelers will have to follow on top of being vaccinated and having a negative COVID-19 test. A full list of those rules and exceptions is available here.

A welcome relief

While this doesn’t signal an end to the pandemic, it serves as a major milestone and comes as welcome relief after a year and a half of the U.S. keeping international visitors out. Cities, airlines, and hotels are sure to be celebrations since they may soon find themselves moving back toward a positive profit margin. One case in point is San Francisco, which enjoyed a record 2.9 million international visitor arrivals in pre-pandemic 2019. International tourists comprised about 25% of overnight visitors that year, but they generated more than 60% of all overnight visitor spending.

"November 8th marks the true beginning of our tourism recovery," said Joe D'Alessandro, president and CEO of San Francisco Travel Association (SF Travel),. "The return of international tourists is vital to San Francisco's economic recovery. They tend to stay longer and spend more."

Delta Air Lines said its international bookings surged 450% ahead of the reopening and that its international flights are expected to operate at 100% capacity on Monday, Nov. 8. High passenger volume is expected throughout the following weeks leading up to the holidays.

A win-win, going and coming

The lifting of the travel restrictions is a win-win for both international travelers coming into the U.S. and American travelers hoping to travel abroad. In sharing his thoughts with ConsumerAffairs, ScottsCheapFlights’ Senior Product Operations Specialist Willis Orlando noted that travelers to Europe, Canada, Brazil, and South Africa can expect good airfare deals -- at least for a while.

“Airlines have successfully stayed ahead of this surge in demand by beefing up their schedules, adding more routes, and more, larger planes flying across the Atlantic. While in the long term prices should normalize, in the short term, this oversupply of seats is leading to frequent, widespread fare sales from the US to Europe and vice versa,” Orlando said.

How good are these deals? Let’s just say travelers who have been waiting to take to the skies will have plenty of incentive to do so. 

“In recent weeks we’ve seen incredible deals on major carriers including $354 roundtrip from Boston to Copenhagen, $325 roundtrip from New York and Chicago to Switzerland, and $469 roundtrip from dozens of US cities to Amsterdam,” Orlando said. “All in all, this rule change has created a prime opportunity for Americans who are itching to get back out and explore the world again to snag a great deal and hit the skies.”

When ConsumerAffairs checked on other U.S. international fares via Google Flights, Orlando seemed to be spot on. For example, there was a $581 round trip Indianapolis to Prague fare available in December, a $572 round trip fare from Houston to Paris, and a $552 round trip fare from Richmond, Va., to Milan, Italy.

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

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌ 46,490,680 (46,466,504)‌

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 754,474 (754,311)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ 250,056,541 (249,696,436)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 5,052,620 (5,047,698)‌

Appeals court suspends vaccination mandate

A three-judge panel of the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals has issued a stay against the Biden administration’s vaccination mandate for private companies with 100 or more employees. The justices concluded that there was “cause to believe there are grave statutory and constitutional issues with the mandate.”

The issuance of a stay prevents the mandates from being enforced. However, it left room for the order to be reinstated after the court assesses it in more depth.

The Labor Department, which issued the order through the Occupational Safety and Health Act, issued a statement after the court’s action expressing confidence that the mandate will ultimately be upheld.

U.S. lifts international travel restrictions

The U.S. government formally removed travel restrictions from a number of countries, including Canada and Mexico. The change removes travel barriers that have been in place during most of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Effective today, fully vaccinated foreign travelers may pass through U.S. airports and border crossings. Surface travel between the U.S. and Mexico and the U.S. and Canada will require proof of vaccination but no test.

The move could be a major boost for airlines since increased travel from Europe and other destinations is likely. However, it could be a mixed blessing because most airlines are struggling with staffing issues.

Biden administration kicks off campaign to vaccinate children

Now that government health agencies have cleared the Pfizer vaccine for children aged five to 11, the Biden administration has launched a nationwide effort to vaccinate children against the coronavirus.

Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona and Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra sent letters to school superintendents and elementary school principals across the U.S. today that encourage them to share information with families about COVID-19 vaccines for children. 

"Today, we reach out to you with encouragement for you to actively support the vaccination process for children in your state, territories, county, tribes, communities, and schools," the letter said. "This is a very exciting development and a significant opportunity to protect some of our youngest learners and our communities."

Around the nation

• New York: New York City public schools are conducting a week-long campaign to urge parents to vaccinate their children. Mayor Bill de Blasio said about 200 school sites are open daily for the vaccination drive that will continue until Nov. 15.

• Texas: While cases of the virus are declining in many areas of the state, Texas reportedly leads the nation in the number of COVID-19 cases at jails and prisons. According to the COVID Prison Project, there are more than 800 active cases among Texas inmates and nearly 500 among Texas Department of Criminal Justice employees.

• Iowa: A study has found that up to 80% of white-tailed deer in Iowa may be infected with COVID-19. There is no evidence that the virus can be transmitted from deer to humans, but the Penn State researchers who authored the report are advising deer hunters in Iowa to take precautions.

• Maine: Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) has expressed concern about the surge of COVID-19 cases and recently pressed health experts for answers. “Maine ranks in the top five states in the [percentage] of people…who have been vaccinated,” Collins said at a Senate hearing, questioning why so many of her constituents are getting sick.

• California: Health experts are expressing concern about the rapid rise in cases in the state, where recent data suggested that the virus was in retreat. "We are seeing an increase,” said Dr. George Rutherford, UCSF professor of epidemiology. “Cases are about 20% of where they were two weeks ago. Hospitalizations are up about 6%.”

Foreign hackers are suspected to have forced their way through the computer systems of nine organizations in the defense, education, energy, health care, and technology sectors. Those organizations are spread throughout the world, but according to findings that security firm Palo Alto Networks shared with CNN, at least one is in the U.S. 

Security analysts believe the hackers are set on stealing key data from U.S. defense contractors and other sensitive targets. The hackers reportedly targeted organizations with passwords that could provide ongoing access to government networks. 

Ryan Olson, a senior Palo Alto Networks executive, told CNN that it was sort of a race to the finish. Once the intruders laid their hands on the passwords, it’s possible that they would be in a good position to intercept sensitive data sent via email or stored on computer systems.

NSA and U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) officials said they are tracking the threat. 

Eyes on China

Olson said the nine confirmed targets are the "tip of the spear" of the surveillance campaign, and he expects that even more victims will be revealed. Olson couldn’t lay blame at any particular group’s feet, but he said some of the tactics the hackers employed are similar to those used by a known Chinese hacking group.

China state hackers have been behind a number of cyberattacks over the course of the last year. Just this summer, France claimed that China state hackers were using compromised routers in a massive attack campaign. The Biden administration also accused China of being behind major cyberattacks like the Microsoft Exchange hack. 

In July, a federal grand jury charged four nationals and residents of the People’s Republic of China with a campaign to hack into the computer systems of dozens of victim companies, universities, and government entities in the U.S. and abroad. In October, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recognized potential security risks connected to China Telecom and banished the company from the U.S. 

Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm says the Biden administration is considering withdrawals from the U.S. petroleum reserve in an effort to bring down gasoline prices, which have been at seven-year highs since early summer.

Interviewed on CNN Sunday, Granholm said the administration is considering a wide range of options to reduce the pain at the pump. She noted that OPEC rejected a request from Washington to increase oil production, which she said is keeping prices high.

"That is going to increase the chokehold on access to affordable fuel at the pump, and so the president is looking at all of the tools that he has," Granholm said. 

Critics point to a potential disaster

But Rick Perry, who served as energy secretary during the Trump administration, says the current administration isn’t doing everything possible to increase gasoline supplies. In an interview with CNBC, he said the administration is reducing U.S. energy output and setting up a potential “disaster.”

“The Biden administration’s restrictive actions — no to pipelines, no to drilling, no to the financing of oil and gas projects overseas ... is a stunning reversal of the energy independence achieved under the Trump administration,” Perry said.

Higher fuel costs have begun to feed inflation, directly affecting the cost of other goods and services. Several people posting reviews of auto transport companies have attributed the higher costs they faced to surging fuel prices.

“The price was a little high,” Astrid, of Yonkers, N.Y., wrote in a recent review of Montway Auto Transport. “However, given this situation with gas prices, I guess it is what it is. I needed to move, so I paid it.”

Prepare for higher heating bills

While there might be immediate relief at the pump for consumers, Granholm also warns that Americans should be prepared for higher heating bills this winter. Natural gas prices have doubled from last winter, while oil and propane costs have risen at least as much.

Earlier this month, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) awarded $3.37 billion in relief funds through the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) to help low-income individuals and families deal with rising utility bills. Officials said they may be able to tap additional funds from other programs to help.

Economists say global oil and gas production hasn’t increased as quickly as demand as the world recovers from the pandemic. Supply chain bottlenecks have also contributed to higher costs.