Current Events in January 2022

Lowe’s and Petco have decided to join forces and give hardware-shopping families one less stop to take care of their pets' needs. The two companies announced on Thursday that they are piloting a store-within-a-store concept at 15 locations across the South by April 2022.

It may sound like an odd marriage, but Lowe’s said the research speaks for itself. As the pandemic has forced many people to work from home, many consumers have found a new level of comfort, security, and emotional connection with their pets. A Lowe’s study showed that more than 100 million new pets entered U.S. homes since the start of the pandemic. 

"Our pets' place in our hearts and homes has never been more front-and-center, and our responsibility to provide them with a safe, healthy and stimulating home environment is an essential part of Petco's Whole Health philosophy," said Nick Konat, Petco's chief merchandising officer.

"Bringing Petco's pet care expertise, high-quality products, and veterinary and grooming services to Lowe's helps make it easier than ever to create healthy, happy homes for pet parents and the pets they love."

What pet owners will now find at Lowe’s

While Lowe’s already carries a smattering of pet-oriented products – dog beds and cleaning supplies, for example – its partnership with Petco will allow it to expand its selections to pet nutrition and health and wellness supplies and services.

If all goes according to plan, the Lowe’s and Petco arrangement is expected to offer vaccination clinics, microchipping, prescription pest prevention, and mobile grooming as the concept expands. The partnership will also place Petco employees in-store alongside Lowe’s home improvement specialists.

More store within store partnerships expected

If retail experts are reading their tea leaves correctly, what Lowe’s and Petco are doing is a harbinger of things to come. Kohl’s and Sephora have already teamed up to create at least 850 Sephora shop-in-shops by 2023, as have Apple and Disney, and Ulta and Target. 

One retail expert said the shop-in-shops idea isn’t new, but it may be necessary to keep the doors open and the cash registers ringing.

John Cui, associate professor of operations and information management at Georgetown University, told ModernRetail that shop-in-shops are on the rise as more brick-and-mortar retailers have been struggling to encourage consumers to keep shopping in stores.

“Because brick-and-mortar retail stores are trying to survive, they’re trying to add more in-store experience,” Cui said.

Offering stores within stores can also be good for a retailer's relationship with consumers. 

“The idea is that you are getting an added layer of service from a sales perspective. They know the product better. It’s not just something on the shelf,” said Lanny Geffen, director of customer experience at Fuse Create. “I think that there’s a deeper level of relationship and consumer experience when it does get to being a shop-in-shop.”

In addition to more expensive food and gasoline, the interest rate on your credit card balance could be going up soon. 

As it concluded its January meeting, the Federal Reserve Open Market Committee made clear that it plans to increase its federal funds rate, perhaps as early as March. The Fed has kept that rate near 0% since the early days of the pandemic.

Fed Chairman Jerome Powell said raising the rate is one of the tools that policymakers will use to bring down inflation, which is currently running hotter than the Fed would like.

“This is going to be a year in which we move steadily away from the very highly accommodative monetary policy that we put in place to deal with the economic effects of the pandemic,” Powell said at a Wednesday news conference. 

That message was clear for Wall Street, where stocks sold off sharply while Powell was taking questions from reporters. With higher interest rates, investors believe stocks can’t be valued at current levels.

Clear implication for consumers

For consumers with a credit card balance, the implications are also clear. While very few types of loans are linked to the Fed’s federal funds rate, the interest rates charged on credit card balances are. 

That means if you pay the same amount each month on your credit card bill, more of the payment will go towards interest and less will go towards paying down the balance. The Fed did not announce a rate increase at Wednesday’s meeting, but market analysts expect a rate hike to be announced at the Fed’s meeting in March.

Unfortunately, it’s not likely to be a single rate increase. If the goal is to tamp down inflation, a series of rate hikes may be required, eventually bringing the key interest rate back to around 1% – which is still very low by historical standards.

Rates won’t go up immediately

Credit cardholders may not notice the change right away. Usually, it takes a month or two for lenders to adjust their credit card rates, which are already among the highest interest rates that consumers face.

The average interest rate on credit card debt is currently around 18%. But that’s just the average rate – people with less-than-stellar credit can pay 25% or more in interest.

With credit card rate increases a few months away, now may be a good time to aggressively pay off balances. Using a balance transfer card that charges no interest for the first few months is a good way to make progress.

ConsumerAffairs’ Credit Card Buyers Guide is a good place to start when researching the best card to use for a balance transfer.

A new study conducted by researchers from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign explored some of the dietary changes that can help overweight dogs. According to their findings, sticking to a diet that it’s high in both protein and fiber can help heavier dogs reach a healthy weight and improve their overall health outcomes. 

“Some of the problems we see in humans with obesity also occur in pet dogs,” said researcher Kelly Swanson. “There’s added stress on the joints, there’s an intolerance to exercise and heat; there’s also glucose intolerance, insulin resistance. And if you look at pet insurance claims, obesity is a big factor there.” 

Making healthier diet choices for dogs

To better understand how a different diet may impact overweight dogs, the researchers tested how a diet that was high in protein and fiber impacted important health outcomes, including physical activity, blood metabolites, and body composition. There were 12 female dogs involved in the study, and they were fed high-protein and high-fiber diets over the course of 24 weeks. 

The researchers learned that these dietary changes were beneficial for the dogs. They lost more than 31% of their body weight by the end of the study, and their fat percentage decreased by 3.1 kilograms on average. 

The diet also led to benefits in other important health outcomes, including lower levels of triglycerides and insulin. Similar to humans who struggle with obesity, the researchers explained that these health markers are significant for overweight dogs.

The researchers found that a high-protein and high-fiber diet also helped the dogs get to a healthy weight while maintaining their muscle mass. As the dogs lost weight and became healthier, their inflammation also improved.

Moving forward, the researchers hope consumers understand how their dogs’ diets can influence their long-term health outcomes. For overweight dogs, incorporating more protein and fiber can help improve overall health and wellness.

A new study conducted by researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital explored some of the factors that may contribute to consumers' diabetes risk. 

The team identified two important risk factors in consumers’ ability to regulate their blood sugar: eating late at night and carrying the melatonin receptor MTNR1B. Those who carry the MTNR1B gene and eat dinner close to bedtime may struggle to control their blood sugar levels, which may increase the risk of type 2 diabetes. 

“Our study results may be important in the effort towards prevention of type 2 diabetes,” said researcher Frank A.J.L. Scheer, Ph.D. “Our findings are applicable to about a third of the population in the industrialized world who consume food close to bedtime, as well as other populations who eat at night, including shift workers, or those experiencing jet lag or night eating disorders, as well as those who routinely use melatonin supplements close to food intake.” 

Avoiding food close to bedtime may be beneficial

The researchers had nearly 900 participants involved in the study. The team analyzed the group's genetic make-up to see which participants carried the MTNR1B gene. The participants then took part in a two-day experiment that required them to fast for eight hours, then alternate between an early dinner and a late dinner while keeping their usual bedtime. 

“In natural late eaters, we simulated early and late dinner timing by administering a glucose drink and compared effects on blood sugar control over two hours,” said researcher Richa Saxena, Ph.D. “We also examined differences between individuals who were carriers or not carriers of the genetic variant in the melatonin receptor.”

The researchers learned that eating dinner close to bedtime made it difficult for the participants to maintain their blood sugar levels. Eating late at night was associated with higher blood sugar levels but lower overall insulin levels. 

Those who carried the gene for the melatonin receptor were the most affected by later dinner times. Participants who had the MTNR1B gene and also ate close to their bedtime had higher blood sugar levels than those without the gene. 

While the researchers plan to do more work in this area, they hope these findings highlight to consumers that eating too close to bedtime may come with some unintended health risks. 

“Genotype information for the melatonin receptor variant may further aid in developing personalized behavioral recommendations,” Dr. Saxena said. “Notably, our study does not include patients with diabetes, so additional studies are needed to examine the impact of food timing and its link with melatonin and receptor variation in patients with disabilities.” 

Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) is recalling 1,239 model year 2022 EQS450s, S500s, and S580s.

The communication module software may restrict or disable the emergency call system (eCall).

A disabled eCall system would prevent a vehicle occupant from contacting emergency services through the call center in an emergency, potentially delaying emergency responders and increasing the risk of injury.

What to do

The communication module software will be updated by a dealer or through an over-the-air (OTA) update free of charge.

Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on February 25, 2022.

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

Moor Herbs of Detroit, Mich., is recalling Angel Formula infant formula.

FDA testing has determined that the product does not meet specific nutrition and labeling requirements for infant formula, even though it is marketed as such.

In addition, the product does not have vitamin D, and a vitamin D deficiency can potentially lead to rickets, a softening and weakening of the bones.

No illnesses or injuries have been reported to date.

The recalled product, which comes in 16-oz plastic bottles without UPC or lot codes, was sold at the company's Detroit, Michigan, retail store and on the firm's website

What to do

Parents and caregivers who purchased the recalled product should discontinue use and either discard it or return it for a refund.

Consumers with questions may call (313) 583-9709.

General Motors is recalling 4,271 model year 2010-2013 Buick Lacrosses, model year 2012-2013 Buick Regals, and model year 2013 Chevrolet Malibus sold or ever registered in Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, or Wisconsin.

The vehicles may have rear toe links that received an improper amount of electrocoating (e-coat) corrosion protection, which could cause the e-coat to become brittle and break away when contacted by road debris.

Over time, the e-coat may chip away, exposing the metal toe link and making it more susceptible to corrosion. Corrosion may eventually cause the toe link to thin and ultimately fracture.

A rear toe link fracture may reduce the driver's ability to control the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

What to do

Dealers will replace the rear suspension toe links and adjuster fasteners free of charge.

Interim notification letters notifying owners of the safety risk will be mailed on February 7, 2022. A second notice will be sent once a remedy is available.

Owners may contact Buick customer service at (800) 521-7300 or Chevrolet customer service at (800) 222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N212346640.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) reports that all of the payments in the third round of its Economic Impact program have been issued. Now, it's reminding Americans not to forget that they can claim any remaining stimulus payment they’re entitled to on their 2021 income tax return as part of the 2021 Recovery Rebate Credit.

For those who haven’t received their payment yet, the IRS says not to worry because some of the payments may still be in the mail.

Tax return implications

The agency reminds taxpayers – specifically, families and eligible parents of children born in 2021  – that anyone added as a dependent in 2021 has the right to claim the 2021 Recovery Rebate Credit on their next tax return. However, the size of the deduction depends on the income and number of dependents listed on an individual’s 2021 income tax return.

The IRS says another caveat exists for families and individuals who did not receive the full amount of their third-round Economic Impact Payment because their circumstances in 2021 were different than they were in 2020. In that situation, those families may be eligible to receive additional money by claiming the 2021 Recovery Rebate Credit on their 2021 income tax return.

The IRS makes it clear that anyone who wants to claim money from the program must claim the 2021 Recovery Rebate Credit on their 2021 income tax return. The agency says the process will not happen automatically and that consumers must apply to receive compensation.

Get the paperwork done ASAP

Because of the limited time that consumers have to file their 2021 tax returns, the IRS urges people to start collecting all the information they need to file an accurate return and avoid processing delays. If the agency finds errors in a return or considers it incomplete, it said correcting those issues only complicates matters and that tax refunds could possibly be delayed until the issues are resolved. 

In an email to ConsumerAffairs, the IRS stated that filing electronically allows tax software to calculate credits and deductions, including the 2021 Recovery Rebate Credit. The 2021 Recovery Rebate Credit Worksheet on Form 1040 and Form 1040-SR instructions can also help, as can a list of FAQs that the agency has prepared to help taxpayers through the process.

The fastest and most secure way for eligible individuals to get their 2021 tax refund that will include their allowable 2021 Recovery Rebate Credit is by filing electronically and choosing direct deposit.

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

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌ 72,195,617 (71,711,514)

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 872,370 (868,530)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ 359,362,908 (355,591,211)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 5,619,931 (5,606,929)‌

Biden drops plan to pursue vaccination mandate

The Biden administration said it does not plan to try to force large, private businesses to require employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Earlier this month, the U.S. Supreme Court blocked the administration’s emergency temporary standard that was part of a private employer mandate.

In a statement, officials at the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) said the mandate is being abandoned, at least for the time being.

“Although OSHA is withdrawing the vaccination and testing ETS as an enforceable emergency temporary standard, the agency is not withdrawing the ETS as a proposed rule,” the statement said. “The agency is prioritizing its resources to focus on finalizing a permanent COVID-19 Healthcare Standard.”

Omicron deaths are rising in the U.S.

Hospitalizations have begun to fall, along with new cases of COVID-19 in some areas. However, nationwide deaths from the Omicron variant have now exceeded the number of lives claimed by the Delta variant.

Health experts say it’s a numbers game. While it’s true that Omicron symptoms tend to be milder than Delta symptoms, it’s more transmissible, meaning many more people are getting it. If those people are unvaccinated or have chronic health issues, Omicron can be just as serious as Delta.

Doctors also point out that deaths from COVID-19 have always been a lagging indicator of the virus’ spread. They say deaths usually continue to rise after new cases have peaked.

Researchers say there are two paths to ‘super-immunity’

There’s been a lot of debate about whether vaccination or recovering from the coronavirus offers the best protection. Scientists at Oregon Science and Health University (OHSU) say they’re both pretty effective, as long as the recovered patient then gets vaccinated.

Their study finds that two forms of immunity – breakthrough infections following vaccination or natural infection followed by vaccination – provide roughly equal levels of enhanced immune protection.

“It makes no difference whether you get infected-and-then-vaccinated, or if you get vaccinated-and-then-a-breakthrough infection,” said co-senior author Fikadu Tafesse, assistant professor of molecular microbiology and immunology in the OHSU School of Medicine. “In either case, you will get a really, really robust immune response – amazingly high.”

Around the nation

• Massachusetts: Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) joined a group of restaurant owners for a roundtable discussion to hear firsthand the problems they face in the continuing pandemic. It mostly boiled down to lost business. "I would say I'm going deeper into debt. I'm already into debt. I owe so much money it’s unbelievable,” restaurant owner Steve Postal said.

• Arizona: New cases of COVID-19 are on the decline in many areas of the U.S., but not in Arizona. The state set a new record for positive tests the last two weeks, with 33% of those being tested shown to have COVID-19.

• Virginia: State health officials are seeing a light at the end of the tunnel. City of Richmond and Henrico Health Districts Director Dr. Danny Avula said reaching an Omicron variant peak may be close. “Virginia, we’re either at the peak or will be in the next couple of days,” he said.

• Florida: Today is the last day for health care workers to get vaccinated. The mandate requiring all health care workers to be vaccinated takes effect Thursday. Florida shelved plans to challenge the mandate in court after the U.S. Supreme Court allowed it to go into effect.

• Ohio: State regulators are reportedly investigating alleged violations of COVID-19 rules at 13 hospitals and nursing facilities across the state. Alleged violations include allowing infected nurses to report for work and placing infected and non-infected patients in the same room.

The semiconductor chip shortage that first ravaged the automotive industry and grew to touch a variety of things that consumers buy – smartphones, game consoles, computers, home appliances – isn’t going away, says the U.S. Commerce Department.

On Tuesday, the agency stated that it is looking high and wide for viable chip producers. Unfortunately, it has come up empty so far. That means consumers will have to sit and wait until production improves, which could take as long as six months.

That left Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo with little choice but to take the issue head-on to look for an answer. She said chipmakers “didn't really get what we needed" in some instances and that her agency is "going to go company by company and do personal engagement and get what we need." To satisfy that goal, Raimondo said she’s spoken to "all of the CEOs in the supply chain – including Samsung -- and all of the CEOs have pledged to me that they will be submitting robust and complete data flows to us."

Raimondo said there’s no evidence of other countries hoarding chips, but the U.S. is essentially stuck in the mud. The available chip inventory for consumer products has plummeted from 40 days in 2019 to less than 5 days in 2021.

"Five days of inventory. No room for error," Raimondo said. "That tells you how fragile this supply chain is."

Congress is also working towards a solution

Not wanting to frustrate consumers any longer, both the Senate and House of Representatives stepped up to do their part in triaging the situation. The House’s move came in the way of the “America Competes Act of 2022” – a.k.a. the ‘‘America Creating Opportunities for Manufacturing, Pre-Eminence in Technology, and Economic Strength Act of 2022.”

The proposed legislation's primary goal is to create incentives to produce semiconductor chips. It also puts great weight behind what it calls “supply chain resilience,” which it hopes will counter threats to supply chains such as the country’s dependence on China for chips.

President Biden hammered that independence home in comments about Congress' efforts, saying the proposed legislation “will make our supply chains stronger and reinvigorate the innovation engine of our economy to outcompete China and the rest of the world for decades to come.”

On the business side of the equation, Intel also announced plans for an initial investment of more than $20 billion in building two new chip factories in Ohio. Having also suffered through the chip shortage, General Motors thinks it might have a solution to its problem. The automaker said it’s partnering with seven chip supplier partners to design chips that handle more processes than the current chips, and are made in North America.

At a recent industry conference, GM president Mark Reuss said his company and its chip partners are already trying out several families of microcontrollers that will lower the number of chips by 95% on cars and trucks.

While many studies have looked at how consumers’ education can impact their health and longevity, a new study conducted by researchers from Indiana University explored how that extends to spouses. According to their findings, a spouse’s education may have positive implications for their partner’s health outcomes. 

“Our results show that who you’re married to, and how much education they have, matter for your health,” said researcher Andrew Halpern-Manners. “This provides further evidence that education, in addition to being valuable for individuals, is also a sharable resource.” 

The benefits of spouse’s education

The researchers analyzed data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, which included information on participants’ health and education, as well as their spouse’s and siblings’ health and education. The team was most interested in comparing the health self-reports of siblings whose spouses had different educational outcomes; they then interviewed the participants to see what role their partner’s education had on their perceived health and wellness. 

Ultimately, they learned that the participants were more likely to have more positive feelings about their health when their spouses had higher levels of education. While education has been found to be important for consumers’ own physical well-being, this study showed that a spouse’s education level is equally or more important to a person's health. 

The researchers learned that this association was stronger for women than men; women reported better health outcomes when their husbands had higher education levels. However, this also could be because the study's dataset began in the 1950s, a time when higher education and the workforce was much different than it is today. 

Regardless, the team hopes these findings illustrate the physical health benefits related to education. 

“The fact that we observe significant cross-over effects means that education has health-enhancing benefits for the individual, but it also has tangible benefits for those around them – especially intimate ties,” said Halpern-Manners. “This underscores the importance of education – as a public good worth investing in – and suggests that its overall public health impact may be larger than we typically imagine.” 

A new study conducted by researchers from the University of California Los Angeles explored some of the disparities in health care that have emerged throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. According to their findings, many consumers – predominantly those who are socioeconomically disadvantaged – have struggled to access vital health care services during the pandemic. 

“The worsening access to care we observed among socioeconomically disadvantaged Americans is particularly concerning, because it suggests that the pandemic is widening inequities in access to vital health services, such as emergency care, preventive screening, and behavioral health services,” said researcher Dr. John Mafi. 

Identifying disparities in health care

The researchers focused their study on the frequency that consumers received six important health care services between 2018 and 2021: colonoscopy screenings, doctor's office visits, HIV screenings, mammograms, contraception counseling, and behavioral health services. They also looked at how consumers’ health care coverage -- including Medicare Advantage, Medicare fee-for-service insurance, Medicaid, or private insurance -- impacted their decision to receive these services. 

The researchers found that surges in the COVID-19 pandemic affected the likelihood with which consumers sought out these health care services. In the initial spike between March 2020, and April 2020, the study showed that the use of these services dropped to nearly 70% of what they were expected to be pre-pandemic. Similarly, from January 2021, to February 2021, rates again dropped to more than 85% of what they were expected to be. 

The researchers also learned that when infection rates weren’t as high, consumers went back to using these health care services as they normally would. However, some disparities remained. For consumers from low-income backgrounds, utilization rates of these vital health care services remained low. By the end of the study, those who were dual eligible for Medicare-Medicaid were had just a 73% utilization rate for these services; comparatively, those with private insurance had reached over a 90% utilization rate. 

Other factors did come into play. Many hospitals were under orders to delay health care services that weren’t deemed emergencies, and consumers decided to push back their own appointments to avoid COVID exposures. However, it’s important for public health officials to now work to ensure that consumers are making up any health care services they may have neglected over the course of the pandemic. 

“Policymakers, health system leaders, clinicians, and patients should proactively develop rapid and effective ‘catch-up’ strategies to avoid harm that could result from missed opportunities for care during the pandemic,” said researcher Dr. Katherine Khan. “Patients at high risk for adverse health outcomes associated with missed care during the pandemic or during the period leading up to it may need additional efforts to overcome barriers to accessing ambulatory care.”

With cases of the Omicron variant rising along with prices, January is turning out to be a rough month for consumers. The Conference Board reports that consumer confidence declined this month, with the index falling nearly two points from December.

In particular, consumers appear to have concerns about the future. The Expectations Index—based on consumers' short-term outlook for income, business, and labor market conditions—declined to 90.8 from 95.4. 

"Consumer confidence moderated in January, following gains in the final three months of 2021," said Lynn Franco, senior director of Economic Indicators at The Conference Board. "The Present Situation Index improved, suggesting the economy entered the new year on solid footing. However, expectations about short-term growth prospects weakened, pointing to a likely moderation in growth during the first quarter of 2022.”

The survey found that some consumers have yet to feel any meaningful impact from inflation, but others have. The word “inflation” has begun to show up in reviews that consumers post about a wide range of companies.

Brenda, of Grand Saline, Texas, recently had a medical procedure and really needed her recently canceled Synchrony credit card.

“I had counted on my credit cards to help pay for necessities so that I can pay the high cost of blood thinners that I will need to keep the stent from becoming blocked,” Brenda wrote in a ConsumerAffairs review. “Our income is too high for assistance, but with inflation, it's not enough to make ends meet.”

Inflation worries still high

Franco says that, overall, the monthly survey found slightly fewer concerns about inflation. However, rising prices remain a background concern after hitting a 13-month high in November.

“Concerns about the pandemic increased slightly, amid the ongoing Omicron surge,” Franco said. “Looking ahead, both confidence and consumer spending may continue to be challenged by rising prices and the ongoing pandemic."

That said, the survey found that the percentage of consumers who are planning to purchase homes, automobiles, and major appliances over the next six months all increased.

General Motors is recalling 626 model year 2019-2021 GMC Sierra 1500s and Chevrolet Silverado 1500s with certain accessory road tires and a 17" spare tire.

The 17" spare tire provided with the vehicle is not compatible for use with the accessory wheels, which can cause the anti-lock brake system (ABS) to not function properly under certain conditions.

An ABS system that does not function properly can increase the risk of a crash.

What to do

Dealers will provide a new 17" spare tire and wheel assembly that is compatible with the accessory wheels free of charge.

Dealers will also apply a new spare tire information label and provide owners with an owner's manual insert clarifying which spare tire to use with the accessory road tires and with the 17" original tires.

Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on January 31, 2022.

Owners may contact GM customer service at (800) 462-8782 or GMC customer service at (800) 462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212346510.

Interstate Meat Distributors of Clackamas, Ore., is recalling approximately 28,356 pounds of ground beef.

The products may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7.

A list of the raw, ground beef items, produced on December 20, 2021, may be found here.

The recalled products, bearing the establishment number “EST. 965” inside the USDA mark of inspection or printed next to the time stamp and use or freeze by date, were sold at retail stores in Arizona, California, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

What to do

Customers who purchased the recalled products should not consume them. Instead, they should discard or return them to the place of purchase.

Consumers with questions may contact the company at (503) 656-6168.

Chrysler is recalling seven 2022 Jeep Wagoneers and Grand Wagoneers.

The radio software may prevent the rearview image from displaying, reducing the driver's rear view and increasing the risk of a crash.

What to do

Dealers will reprogram the radio software free of charge.

Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on February 9, 2022.

Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at (800) 853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is YA1.

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

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌ 71,720,055 (70,700,678)

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 869,250 (866,541)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ 356,366,271 (352,095,412)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 5,607,895 (5,598,349)‌

U.S. hospitalizations continue to fall

The number of Americans requiring hospital treatment for their COVID-19 symptoms continues to go down, according to federal health officials. The trend line for new cases of the virus also appears to be on a downward trajectory.

Statistics compiled by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) show that the seven-day average of COVID-19 patients in the nation’s hospitals fell for a fourth straight day on Monday.

However, the decline is not evenly distributed across the nation. Some areas that were hit hard by the Omicron variant in early January have recovered the most. Meanwhile, serious cases are rising in a handful of states.

Omicron vaccine tested on humans

Pfizer and BioNTech, the companies that produced the first coronavirus vaccine, have begun a clinical trial testing their new Omicron vaccine on human subjects. They’ve begun enrolling people between the ages of 18 and 55 to take the vaccine.

The trial will test the vaccine for safety, tolerability, and immune response. It is being given both as a primary vaccine to subjects who have not been vaccinated and as a booster to those who have. 

“While current research and real-world data show that boosters continue to provide a high level of protection against severe disease and hospitalization with Omicron, we recognize the need to be prepared in the event this protection wanes over time and to potentially help address Omicron and new variants in the future,” said Kathrin Jansen, senior vice president and head of Vaccine Research & Development at Pfizer. 

Scientists create new, cheaper COVID-19 test

With the rapid spread of the Omicron variant, the demand for tests to detect the virus is off the charts. In some areas, at-home antigen tests are in short supply. The backlog of PCR tests at laboratories is also growing.

Enter researchers from the University of Washington. They’ve developed a new COVID-19 test that they say is cheaper and, in some cases, faster than what’s available now.

“We designed the test to be low-cost and simple enough that it could be used anywhere,” said Barry Lutz, a UW associate professor of bioengineering. “We hope that the low cost will make high-performance testing more accessible locally and around the world.”

Around the nation

• New York: It’s been a tumultuous month in New York. After hospitalizations surged with the rapid spread of the Omicron variant, cases have fallen sharply in the last seven days. State health officials report that hospitalizations have dropped below 10,000, as the numbers are now moving in the right direction.

• Indiana:  State health officials have eased COVID-19 quarantine rules for Indiana schools that require students and staff to wear masks. The health department says schools with mask mandates in place will be asked to self-monitor for symptoms instead of quarantining. 

• Missouri: Attorney General Eric Schmitt is suing nine more school districts in an effort to overturn their mask mandates. “As we’ve made clear from the beginning, the power to make health decisions for their children should be in the hands of parents, not bureaucrats, Schmitt said.

• California: State Sen. Richard Pan is introducing a bill that adds COVID-19 vaccines to California’s list of required inoculations for attending school. “We need to make sure schools are safe so that all parents are comfortable sending their children to school,” said Pan. 

• Arkansas: The University of Arkansas has issued guidelines for COVID-19 testing. The university is “strongly encouraging” anyone that may be experiencing COVID-like symptoms, or may have come in close contact with anyone who has tested positive, to get tested for COVID-19 as soon as possible and to isolate or quarantine accordingly. It has provided two places on campus to get tested.

Inflation may be creeping in on almost everything a consumer buys, but a new analysis of departure cities shows that travelers who are willing to shift their plans a bit can still find a good deal.

While airfares plunged when travelers decided to stay close to home during the pandemic, a new study from ValuePenguin reveals that fares remain low at 98% of the U.S.’ largest airports. 

Where the deals are

In the researcher’s estimation, the two airports with the steepest price cuts are Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey and Pensacola International Airport in Florida. Flying out of either airport costs 30% less than it did before the pandemic.

To confirm that, ConsumerAffairs did a price comparison of its own by using Newark to Tampa vs. New York’s LaGuardia to Tampa. The results show that ValuePenguin is spot on. A flight from Newark to Tampa on Spirit could be had for $58 roundtrip, while flying out of LaGuardia was a smidge more expensive at $62. The difference in fares starts to widen a bit for flights that go further west to, say, San Francisco or San Diego.

As for flying out of Pensacola, ConsumerAffairs found decent airfares of $264 round trip to Boston, $134 to Dallas/Ft. Worth, and $220 round trip to Salt Lake City.

However, there are two things ConsumerAffairs discovered that might not make those seemingly great fares all that good. The first is the length of flights since cheaper fares often required more stops and layovers. The second is baggage and seat selection; adding those options makes fares rise incrementally.

This could change

Sophia Mendel, a ValuePenguin credit cards and travel rewards writer, suggests that these fares might be good at the moment. However, as mask restrictions ease and the Omicron variant starts a downward turn, more people will likely return to the skies and prices will go back up. Unfortunately, those prices will likely keep rising for the remainder of 2022.

"Fully vaccinated and boosted travelers who take the necessary precautions tend to feel that the risk of contracting COVID-19 while traveling is lower, and are therefore more comfortable flying," Mendel said.

Mendel pointed out that two markets are already above pre-pandemic prices – Hawaii’s Kahului and Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport in Keahole. Other airports are starting to move quickly towards 2019 fares, including New Mexico's Albuquerque International Sunport, Wisconsin's Dane County Regional, and New York's Greater Rochester International.