Current Events in January 2022

CRT Motor of City of Industry, Calif., is recalling about 100 CRT Motor Youth all-terrain vehicles (ATVs).

The vehicles do not meet mandatory safety requirements. Children can operate them above the maximum allowed speed, increasing the risk of a crash that can cause serious injuries.

In addition, the handlebars could pose a laceration hazard if the rider’s body or head hit the handlebars at a high rate of speed, such as in a crash.

No incidents or injuries are reported.

The recall involves CRT Motor’s youth ATVs, models DF125AVA and DF125AVB. The vehicles are black, blue, green, green camouflage, pink camouflage, red, and yellow. The model number is located on the VIN plate at the lower section of the front of the frame.

The ATVs, manufactured in China, were sold exclusively at Motorsports Planet stores nationwide from April 2021, through August 2021, for about $200.

What to do

Consumers should stop using the recalled ATVs immediately and contact CRT Motor for instructions on how to receive a full refund.

Consumers may contact CRT Motor collect at (626) 822-1129 from 4 a.m. to 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. (PT) Monday through Friday, or online at www.crtmoto.com. Consumers can click on “Recall” at the top of the company's webpage for more information.

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

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌ 58,489,268 (57,779,286)‌

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 833,996 (832,169)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ 300,616,122 (298,139,610)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 5,474,752 (5,468,069)‌

Pandemic slams job growth

Economists have once again been taken by surprise by lackluster growth in the job market, and the blitzkrieg spread of the Omicron variant may be responsible. Instead of the nearly half-million new jobs economists expected in December, the Labor Department reports that the economy produced only 199,000.

That’s even below November’s surprisingly low number. Analysts point out that the jobs survey ended in mid-December, before Omicron’s spread picked up lightning speed. The unemployment rate, however, declined to 3.9%.

Sectors showing the biggest job gains last month were leisure and hospitality, business and professional services, and manufacturing. There was little to no change in retail trade, information, financial activities, health care, and government. 

Fourth shot may be needed, Moderna CEO says

Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel says COVID-19 boosters are effective but that their effectiveness may not last forever. He says people may need a fourth shot later this year to increase their protection.

Speaking at a health care CEO conference, Bancel expressed confidence that people who have already received a booster have enough protection to last through this winter. But he said health officials should be thinking now about providing additional shots in the fall.

“I will be surprised when we get that data in the coming weeks that it’s holding nicely over time, Bancel said. “I would expect that it’s not going to hold great.”

White House readies launch of free test program

The Biden administration is reportedly getting ready to launch its program to provide free rapid COVID-19 tests to Americans who request one. The program was announced late last year before the Omicron variant led to an increase in demand for testing.

The plan calls for the government to purchase up to 500 million of the test kits and make them available to people who request one. Under the preliminary plan, the government would send the tests to consumers by U.S. Mail.

“As soon as there are more details to report, we will let you all know,” said White House News Secretary Jan Psaki said. “That’s what we’re working on right now. We don’t want to put the website up before we know we can provide – even through pre-orders – tests, as people want to request them.”

Around the nation

• Ohio: One health expert believes the state is getting close to “herd immunity.” The statement was made in spite of the spreading Omicron variant – or perhaps because of it. “In the aftermath of a lot of Omicron, also in the context of people being vaccinated and receiving boosters, we’re going to be ending up with much more significant part of our population with immunity,” said Ohio Health Infectious Disease Specialist Dr. Joseph Gastaldo.

• Texas: Officials say the rapid spread of the Omicron variant is causing problems for businesses in Central Texas. Stores have reduced services and hours because of staff shortages. Southwest Airlines, based in Dallas, canceled 20% of its flights on Thursday.

• Maryland: Gov. Larry Hogan has announced that the state will open 10 new COVID-19 testing sites at hospitals across the state as demand for tests rises and supplies continue to fall. Hogan said he expects all 10 sites to be operational by the end of next week.

• Washington: State health officials have released a study of COVID-19 reinfection rates across the state, finding that 4,404 people out of more than a quarter-million people have gotten COVID-19 a second time. Of those, about 5% required hospital treatment.

• Missouri: The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) has temporarily suspended its program of handing out free COVID-19 tests because demand has exceeded supply. "In order to improve the ordering system and allow our contractor to continue shipping kits in a timely manner, DHSS will be making a limited supply available each day through January," the agency said in a press release.

Southwest Airlines may have escaped major cancellations from New Year’s weekend, but it’s in the hot seat now. The discount carrier pulled 658 flights off the board on Thursday, according to FlightAware. Another 519 were canceled on Friday, and there are another 230 cancellations predicted for Saturday and 19 for Sunday.

In an email to ConsumerAffairs, a Southwest spokesperson explained that “ongoing staff challenges” – most likely coronavirus-related sick calls from workers – and weather “disruptions” at major operation locations were the cause of the cancellations. The weather situation isn’t likely to change soon, with winter storm Garrett continuing to create travel problems as it blankets parts of the mid-South and Northeast with snow. 

Southwest doesn’t appear to be the only airline that is canceling flights. United, American, SkyWest, JetBlue, Alaska Airlines, Endeavor, and Delta have canceled 1,078 flights on Friday. FlightAware’s estimates show that United and SkyWest have called off 234 flights on Saturday and another 39 on Sunday. However, those numbers could change quickly because airlines have to shuffle schedules when weather conditions change or workers call in sick.

What travelers can do about canceled flights

While flight cancellations can upset someone’s travel plans, the government has protections in place to keep consumers from losing the price of their tickets.

"In the face of the run of cancellations and delays we’ve been seeing since just before Christmas, the biggest thing passengers need to keep in mind is that, under federal law, if an airport cancels or significantly alters their itinerary and they choose not to fly, they’re owed a full refund in their original form of payment, regardless of the reason for the cancellation or change,” Willis Orlando, Scott’sCheapFlights Senior Product Operations Specialist, told ConsumerAffairs.

Airlines would probably rather have a traveler take a voucher so they don’t lose any hard money, but it’s certainly worth your while to call or text a customer service representative and claim your cash refund if flight cancellations cause you to miss your trip.  

“In terms of when this might end, it’s impossible to predict with Omicron, but we do expect weather permitting, as we get into the second half of January and passenger numbers drop off from their holiday highs, that we should see airlines move into a better position to adjust staffing and schedules to stave off any further mass delays,” Orlando said.

While Southwest has a slew of conditions when it comes to using vouchers, travelers can sometimes be blindsided by a term they didn’t expect. Lynne, of Honolulu, Hawaii, recently told us that she had an unpleasant surprise when booking a new flight. 

“If your Southwest ticket was affected from the pandemic and the expiration date was extended to 9/2022, beware as once you buy a ticket now with your travel funds from the canceled pandemic flight, and then decide that you have to change that ticket, your expiration will be only about 15 days from the day you cancel the new flight,” Lynne wrote in a ConsumerAffairs review.

Taco lovers rejoice – Taco Bell is rolling out the “Taco Lover’s Pass,” a new subscription service that offers diners a taco a day for $10 a month.

Customers won’t just get the least expensive taco on the menu either. The company is offering seven different tacos, including the Crunchy Taco, Crunchy Taco Supreme, Soft Taco, Soft Taco Supreme, Spicy Potato Soft Taco, Doritos Locos Tacos, and Doritos Locos Tacos Supreme. No matter how you like your tacos, your monthly savings could be anywhere from $15.70 to $46.70 per month if you take advantage of the subscription every single day.

“There’s no better way to kick off 2022, especially Taco Bell’s 60th anniversary year, than by inviting our fans to enjoy our most iconic tacos every day for 30 days, all while underscoring our commitment to digital innovation and value,” said Zipporah Allen, Chief Digital Officer at Taco Bell. 

“Tacos are in our DNA, and we’re thrilled to offer our most ordered menu item through the Taco Lover’s Pass. It’s a fun way to continue offering unique ways to reward our most loyal fans through our digital access points.”

Potential cash cow

Taco Bell’s not on the ropes, but its sales were flat for 2021. If the chain has the same good fortune that Panera Bread had when it rolled out its coffee subscription concept, it could prove to be a guaranteed cash machine without having to do much at all. 

Panera raked in 800,000 subscribers to start with its $8.99 per month plan, which proved to be a potential gross of more than $7 million.

“Industry experts, restaurant owners, and entrepreneurs are bullish on restaurant subscriptions,” said Sam Bloch of American food blog TheCounter. “Subscriptions offer consistency at a time of great uncertainty, and a source of stable revenue in the form of recurring charges to customers’ credit cards. And while the pandemic has accelerated a trend of customers choosing to stay home, subscriptions give them a reason to come back—and restaurants a much-needed opportunity to upsell them.”

Consumers who want to sign up for Taco Bell’s subscription can do so on the chain’s app.

The nature of retail was changing before the pandemic, but the spread of COVID-19 has accelerated the shift to online shopping. Major legacy retailers like Macy’s continue to react. The company has confirmed that it plans to close six additional stores in 2022, leaving open the possibility that it could add to the list.

Slated to close their doors this year are stores in Mountain Brook, Ala.; City of Industry, Calif.; Boulder and Centennial, Colo.; Lee’s Summit, Mo.; and Baytown, Tex. The company also plans to shutter a Bloomingdale outlet store in Estero, Fla.

Anthony, of Philadelphia, tells us he’s glad the list doesn’t include his favorite store.

“Enjoy the three-story Macy’s in downtown Philadelphia, it gives you the feeling of old high-end stores from days gone by,” Anthony wrote in a ConsumerAffairs review. “Plus the deals you can find on items in clearance or “last act” as Macy’s likes to call it, are incredible. I also feel with Macy’s I am getting a quality product at a fair price and returning something I did not like once I got it home, has never been a problem.” 

Not giving up on stores

In fact, Macy’s is making it clear that it has no intention to deemphasize its brick and mortar stores, even as its online channel gains market share.

“Stores remain an integral part of our omnichannel retail ecosystem,” Macy’s said in a statement to USA Today. “As our business evolves, we continue to optimize and reposition our store fleet to more effectively support our omnichannel sales growth and expand market share.”

That said, Macy’s long-range plan calls for trimming its brick and mortar footprint by 20% over the next three years. Like other major retailers, it’s closing less profitable locations and putting more resources into a smaller number of stores.

The latest stores targeted for closing are expected to end operations by the middle of this year. In the meantime, they will begin offering sharp discounts on clearance items.

In late 2021, Macy’s elaborated on its closing plans, telling an investors conference that it will eventually close about 60 locations in the U.S. At the same time, the company said it plans to open more smaller-format Market by Macy’s stores in locations away from shopping malls.

A new study conducted by researchers from the University of Arkansas explored an interesting connection between consumers’ personalities and their job performance. They learned that workers’ dominant personality traits may predict their success in certain occupations. 

“Although past studies made statements about the effects of personality traits on job performance in general, the specifics of these relationships really depend on the job,” said researcher Michael Wilmot. “More interesting findings exist when we take a deeper look at performance within the different jobs.” 

What traits best align with different industries? 

For the study, the researchers analyzed 15 earlier studies that explored the Big Five personality traits – conscientiousness, extraversion, openness, agreeableness, and neuroticism. They then looked at how those traits fared across nine industries – law enforcement, clerical, customer service, health care, military, professional, sales, and skilled. 

The researchers learned that workers’ success in certain roles could be predicted by their personality traits; however, the most important factor was the complexity associated with the occupations. The study also showed that certain characteristics are better suited to specific fields. For example, openness was associated with great success in professional occupations, whereas emotional stability was linked with better performance in law enforcement or the military. 

One trait was consistent across all of the fields: conscientiousness. Workers with high levels of conscientiousness are likely to perform well across the board, regardless of what field the job is in. 

Moving forward, the researchers hope these findings can be of use to both consumers on the job hunt and employers looking to fill roles. 

“These findings should prove useful for scholars pursuing a richer understanding of personality – performance relations and for organizations honing employee talent identification and selection systems,” Wilmot said. “They should also benefit individuals trying to choose the right vocation and, really, society-at-large, which would reap the collective benefits of better occupational performance.” 

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual therapy visits have gained popularity. While experts expect consumers to stick to this trend moving forward, a new study explored how other virtual features may improve therapy for some patients. 

According to researchers from Edith Cowan University, virtual reality (VR) avatars may help patients who are nervous discussing certain topics feel more comfortable sharing them. 

“Overall, people rated VR social interaction as similar to face-to-face interaction, with the exception of closeness, where people tended to feel a little closer with each other when face-to-face,” said researcher Dr. Shane Rogers. “This technology has the potential for broad application across a number of areas such as casual conversation, business, tourism, education, and therapy.” 

Making conversations more comfortable

The researchers had 52 graduate psychology students participate in two trials for the study. In one session, the participants had a face-to-face conversation with a person. In another session, they talked with a VR avatar in the second trial. The participants reported on how they felt about each conversation based on comfort, enjoyment, awkwardness, perceived understanding, and how much they believed they shared about themselves. 

The study showed that the participants rated in-person interactions very similarly to how they rated interactions with the VR avatar in most of the categories. However, there were a couple of disparities. In-person conversations won out in terms of feeling understood, while VR interactions were ranked higher in terms of sharing things that were considered to be negative. 

“The study found that 30% of people preferred disclosing negative experiences via VR,” Dr. Rogers said. “This means that therapy might be opened up to new people who don’t feel comfortable with face-to-face interventions. It might also enable therapists to conduct therapy more effectively at a distance, as a person can be in the therapist room (in virtual reality) while seated in their own home.” 

While the researchers plan to further investigate how VR avatars can be beneficial in therapy settings, and they believe this trend is likely to take off in the coming years. 

“More powerful computers are becoming more affordable, VR headsets and peripherals are continuing to develop, and more user-friendly VR interaction software platforms are becoming available and being updated,” Dr. Rogers said. 

Hyundai Motor America is recalling 76 model year 2021 Accents.

The brake master cylinder may have been manufactured with sharp edges that can damage the inner oil seal, resulting in reduced braking performance.

Reduced braking performance can cause longer brake pedal travel or extend the distance required to stop, increasing the risk of a crash.

What to do

Dealers will replace the brake master cylinder free of charge.

Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on January 28, 2022.

Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at (855) 371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 213.

The Agriculture Department's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is issuing a public health alert for an undetermined amount of imported meat and poultry products from China.

The products are ineligible to import into the U.S., which makes them unfit for human consumption. The total amount of ineligible product is undetermined because the investigation is continuing.

A list of the products may be found here.

Because the FSIS has not been able to identify and contact the importers, a recall has not been requested. There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions

What to do

Consumers who purchased these products should not consume them. Instead, they should double-bag and discard them to reduce the possibility of animals accessing the products.

It's not been confirmed whether the products were properly heated to control pathogens that affect domestic livestock.

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

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌ 57,779,286 (57,341,310)‌

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 832,169 (831,096)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ 298,139,610 (296,374,195)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 5,468,069 (5,462,426)‌

CDC recommends boosters for adolescents

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recommended that children aged 12 to 17 get a Pfizer booster shot five months after becoming fully vaccinated. It’s the latest updated guidance from the health agency, which is trying to curb the explosive growth of the Omicron variant.

"It is critical that we protect our children and teens from COVID-19 infection and the complications of severe disease," CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said in a statement. 

Walensky acted after a CDC advisory panel voted 13-1 Wednesday in favor of the policy shift. The CDC director said the booster dose will provide “optimized protection against COVID-19 and the Omicron variant.”

Biden reportedly preparing country to ‘live with’ the virus

When he took office a year ago, President Biden declared war on COVID-19 and pledged the resources of the U.S. government to eradicate it. Twelve months later, the Wall Street Journal reports that the administration is ready to tell the American people they’ll have to live with the virus for the foreseeable future.

The move would come during an unprecedented surge in new cases, fed primarily by the Omicron variant. This week, a number of school districts across the U.S. returned to virtual learning, businesses have been strained by staff shortages, and airlines have canceled hundreds of flights.

Meanwhile, Biden renewed his plea for unvaccinated Americans to get the shot, saying the Omicron variant is much less threatening if you are vaccinated. “You can control how big an impact Omicron is going to have on your health,” Biden said.

Unemployment claims rise

Despite staff shortages at many businesses, job losses are apparently continuing. The Labor Department reported today that initial claims for unemployment benefits rose unexpectedly, increasing by 7,000 in the last week.

However, the total number of new claims – 207,000 – is sharply lower than just before the pandemic forced the economy to shut down in March 2020.

Bankrate surveyed a group of economists on the labor market outlook. The consensus opinion was that the market could be uncertain in the weeks ahead. Many said the Omicron variant is a wild card and could slow job growth in the first quarter.

Around the nation

• Wisconsin: Test results are one way to track COVID-19; another is to analyze wastewater. State health officials say up to 10 times the amount of COVID-19 is being detected in wastewater in communities in Wisconsin over the amounts detected in August.

• Connecticut: Gov. Ned Lamont is making it clear: Public schools across the state will remain open despite the record surge in COVID infections that have stressed the public school system. Lamont said the state has the tools in place to keep both teachers and students safe.

• Florida: Gov. Ron DeSantis said he will prioritize at-home COVID-19 tests that the state has secured for long-term care facilities. “I don’t want somebody who is 75 to have to wait in line for an hour,” DeSantis said. The governor also backed the state surgeon general’s guidance that people without symptoms don’t need to be tested.

• Arkansas: Public schools in Little Rock have moved to virtual learning for the rest of the week as doctors and public health officials emphasize safety measures amid surging COVID-19 cases in schools. "We are going to shift for the next two days to be in a virtual delivery for instruction," Little Rock School District Superintendent Poore said.

• Oregon: COVID-19 tests are in short supply nearly everywhere, but maybe not in Oregon. The state has received nearly 200,000 at-home COVID-19 test kits that will be distributed to health care workers and K-12 schools as soon as Friday, according to the Oregon Health Authority. 

Cryptocurrency-based crime reached a record high in 2021. As the world became more comfortable with digital currencies like Bitcoin and more businesses added options to use it for purchases, digital coin transactions skyrocketed to nearly $16 trillion. 

That opened up a whole new playground for cybercriminals, who were able to haul in $14 billion over the course of the year with various scams and cyberattacks. That’s nearly double the amount that was earned by criminals in 2020.

Losses from crypto-related crime rose by 79%, but experts say things could be a lot worse. Experts from blockchain data platform Chainalysis said it’s surprising that the increase in crime was lower than the overall adoption rate of cryptocurrencies.

Help is on the way

Chainalysis’ tracking shows that crime is shrinking inside the cryptocurrency ecosystem because federal regulators and law enforcement are getting better at combating cryptocurrency-based crime. As examples, Chainalysis pointed to the CFTC filing charges against several investment scams and the FBI’s takedown of the prolific REvil ransomware strain. 

“One promising development in the fight against cryptocurrency-related crime is the growing ability of law enforcement to seize illicitly obtained cryptocurrency,” the Chainalysis team said. The team pointed to an instance in November when the IRS announced that it had seized over $3.5 billion worth of cryptocurrency in 2021 — all from non-tax investigations. That haul represented 93% of all funds seized by the division during that time period. 

“We’ve also seen several examples of successful seizures by other agencies, including $56 million seized by the Department of Justice in a cryptocurrency scam investigation, $2.3 million seized from the ransomware group behind the Colonial Pipeline attack, and an undisclosed amount seized by Israel’s National Bureau for Counter Terror Financing in a case related to terrorism financing.” the team said.

Making cryptocurrency safer

With more investors giving cryptocurrencies a chance in their portfolios, hackers will have more opportunities to pull off scams on unsuspecting victims. Unfortunately, there’s no agency-backed protection for cryptocurrency like there is with a bank and the FDIC. If a scammer gets your digital money, you’re essentially left holding the bag with nothing you can do about it.

In Investopedia’s guide to safely storing bitcoins, the best advice ConsumerAffairs found was adopting a “paper wallet.”

“A paper wallet is a cold wallet that you can generate off of certain websites. It then produces both public and private keys that you print out on a piece of paper,” explained Luke Conway. 

“The ability to access cryptocurrency in these addresses is only possible if you have that piece of paper. Many people laminate these paper wallets and store them in safety deposit boxes at their bank or even in a safe in their home. Paper wallets have no corresponding user interface other than a piece of paper and the blockchain itself.”

It seems the price of everything is going up because of inflation, and car insurance is no exception. A new report from ValuePenguin predicts that auto insurance rates will rise by 0.6% this year after going down a bit last year.

According to the report, drivers in 22 states will face higher premiums in 2022, with the average motorist nationwide paying $1,935 a year.

The survey found that COVID-19 has very little to do with the anticipated rate hikes. Researchers also point out that insurance companies are not likely to give out COVID-19 discounts to drivers unless there is another nationwide lockdown.

It predicts that drivers in Michigan, Florida, and Louisiana will pay the highest auto insurance premiums this year. Drivers in Maine, Texas, and Wisconsin should get the lowest car insurance premiums in the year ahead.

"Prior to 2020, we saw premiums increase anywhere from 5% to 6%. Rates increased every year from 2011 to 2020," said Divya Sangam, insurance spokesperson at ValuePenguin.com, "While Insurers may not be giving out COVID discounts, there are still ways to save. 76% of Americans who shopped around for insurance say they saved hundreds of dollars doing so."

Consumers give low ratings to major insurance companies

In fact, if you have been with the same insurance company for five years or more, you are probably paying more than you should. Previous research has shown that the industry as a whole tends to increase rates for longtime policyholders, saving the best rates for new customers.

Car insurance advertisements are sometimes funny and entertaining because auto insurance rates are determined by a lot of things that can’t be covered in a thirty-second commercial. So consumers should do their homework, starting with consulting online reviews that show what other consumers like and dislike about various companies.

When we analyzed reviews posted at ConsumerAffairs, we discovered that the big four insurance companies are not that popular. On a 5-star rating system, the average rating was only 1.95 stars.

Here’s how the big four stack up:

• State Farm: 3.4

• Geico: 1.6

• Allstate 1.5

• Progressive: 1.3

State Farm was the highest-rated car insurance company of the four we studied. Jacqueline, of Alexandria, La., gave State Farm 5 stars, mainly because she thought she received fair rates.

“You can get discounts for multi-car, safe driving etc.,” Jacqueline wrote in a ConsumerAffairs review. “Whenever I have had a claim they paid promptly and my rates did not increase. I have been insured with State Farm for about 20 years. I have gotten quotes from other auto insures and the rates were higher with less coverage.”

The ConsumerAffairs research team has done a deep dive into the policies offered by a number of different carriers, vetting 50 car insurance companies that are rated by more than 28,754 customers.

A new study conducted by researchers from Columbia University Irving Medical Center explored how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected infants’ development. Their work showed that babies born during the first year of the pandemic were more likely to score lower on developmental tests. They say this is likely due to the stress that women are experiencing during the pandemic. 

“Infants born to mothers who have viral infections during pregnancy have a higher risk of neurodevelopmental deficits, so we thought we would find some changes in the neurodevelopment of babies whose mothers had COVID during pregnancy,” said researcher Dr. Dani Dumitriu. 

“We were surprised to find absolutely no signal suggesting that exposure to COVID while in utero was linked to neurodevelopmental deficits. Rather, being in the womb of a mother experiencing the pandemic was associated with slightly lower scores in areas such as motor and social skills, though not in others, such as communication or problem-solving skills. The results suggest that the huge amount of stress felt by pregnant mothers during these unprecedented times may have played a role.” 

How maternal stress affects infants’ development

The researchers analyzed infants from over 500 women who were enrolled in the COVID-19 Mother Baby Outcomes Initiative at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. They used the Ages & Stages Questionnaire to assess the infants’ neurodevelopment at six months old and compared their findings with results from the same assessment of infants born before the pandemic. 

The study showed that infants born during the COVID-19 pandemic showed lower neurodevelopment scores than infants born prior to the pandemic. This was true regardless of whether or not their mothers tested positive for COVID-19 during pregnancy. The team noted differences in social skills, gross motor skills, and fine motor skills. 

The researchers say the disparity likely exists because of the high stress levels that many women were experiencing during the pandemic. Though maternal stress wasn’t measured in this study, the team believes it can contribute to poorer infant development. Luckily, they believe these findings shouldn’t pose a risk to long-term developmental outcomes. 

“We want parents to know that the findings in our small study do not necessarily mean that this generation will be impaired later in life,” Dr. Dumitriu said. “This is still a very early developmental stage with lots of opportunities to intervene and get these babies on the right developmental trajectory.”

Moving forward, the team hopes more work is done in this area to better understand how the stress of the pandemic may impact infants’ cognitive health. 

“The developmental trajectory of an infant begins before birth,” said Dr. Dumitriu. “With potentially millions of infants who may have been exposed to COVID in utero, and even more mothers just living through the stress of the pandemic of the pandemic, there is a critical need to understand the neurodevelopmental effects of the pandemic on future generations.” 

Only a week after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) heightened its investigation over COVID-19 outbreaks on cruise lines, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Lines have canceled planned excursions because of the growing spread of the Omicron variant.

Royal Caribbean canceled its planned January 6 Spectrum of the Seas cruise after guests on the previous week’s trip were identified as being close contacts to a local Hong Kong COVID-19 case. Matt Hochberg of RoyalCaribbeanBlog reported that there were no actual cases on board and that all guests and crew were scheduled to take COVID-19 tests on Jan. 5 and Jan. 8. 

Norwegian cited “COVID related circumstances” on a recent cruise and a new high in the number of daily COVID-19 infections as its reason for canceling voyages.

"Due to ongoing travel restrictions, we've had to modify a few sailings and unfortunately have had to cancel," a spokesperson for Norwegian said. The company stated that it’s looking at late April as the time frame for embarkation dates on any canceled cruises.

CDC to make sail order voluntary

The CDC will soon transition its Conditional Sail Order to a voluntary program on Jan. 15. The new guidelines simply require cruise ships sailing into or out of the U.S. to employ several health safety protocols, such as sanitization and wearing facemasks. 

If that word “voluntary” makes you nervous, the CDC’s new “color” status might be of some help if you’re trying to decide on whether or not you’re ready to sail. The chart is updated frequently with any action that the CDC has taken with a ship reporting a COVID-19 case.

Less than a month after voting to form a union, employees at a Starbucks store in Buffalo, N.Y., have gone on strike over grievances about working conditions. Six employees on the schedule to work instead formed a picket line in front of the store. Three other employees reported to work as scheduled, but Starbucks closed the location for the day.

The striking employees stated that the surge in coronavirus cases and illnesses among the staff had created “unsafe working conditions.” In recent days, Buffalo area Starbucks locations have been operating on a take-out-only basis.

“Pressure to go to work is being put on many of us when some of us already have other health issues,” Starbucks Workers United said in a statement. “The company has again shown that they continue to put profits above people." 

Company response

Starbucks spokesperson Reggie Borges told NPR that the company has taken significant steps to protect its employees and has offered compensation when employees test positive and must isolate.

"Over and above that, all leaders are empowered to make whatever changes make sense for their neighborhood, which includes shortening store hours or moving to 100% takeout only, which is the case in Buffalo," Borges said.

The Starbucks employees announced plans to form a union at the end of August. At the time, they said the move was not motivated by grievances. The employees, which Starbucks refers to as “partners,” said they wanted to be real partners with the company.

While Starbucks is a respected brand among ConsumerAffairs reviewers, earning 3.1 stars in a 5-star system, some reviewers side with the employees.

“Starbucks is taking advantage of their devoted customers and great employees,” Karen, of Sparks, Nev., wrote in a ConsumerAffairs review. “Prices roll out higher and higher every couple of months. Starbucks keeps taking customers’ money but will not pay their employees well.”

Starbucks has said it will raise wages for its U.S. baristas at least twice in 2022, bringing its minimum wage to $15 an hour by the summer. Meanwhile, the unionization effort that began in Buffalo could spread.

The Chicago Sun-Times reported this week that employees at a Starbucks location in the Loop have requested a union certification election to affiliate with the Service Employees International Union.

A new study conducted by researchers from the University of Eastern Finland explored how vitamin D supplements may impact consumers’ disease risk. According to their findings, taking higher doses of vitamin D supplements may not have an effect on the likelihood of developing cancer or cardiovascular disease. 

The researchers analyzed data from nearly 2,500 participants enrolled in the Finnish Vitamin D Trial (FIND) to understand how vitamin D affected long-term disease risk. Participants were assigned to either take 40 or 80 micrograms of vitamin D3 every day, or they were given a placebo. All of the participants were in good health at the start of the study, and the team tracked their outcomes over the course of five years.

After analyzing blood samples, there were very slight differences among participants’ vitamin D levels in all three groups after one year; the placebo group had vitamin D concentration levels at 73 nmol/L, the group taking 40 micrograms had levels averaging 100 nmol/L, and the group taking 80 micrograms reached an average of 120 nmol/L. For reference, low vitamin D levels would be at or below 50 nmol/L. 

Ultimately, there were no protective benefits – in terms of cardiovascular disease, cancer, or the mortality rate for either condition – associated with taking vitamin D supplements on a daily basis. The researchers learned that participants in the placebo group and those taking the vitamin D supplements had similar health outcomes. 

However, the study showed that all but 9% of the participants had healthy vitamin D levels at the start of the study. The researchers explained that this could be why the supplements didn’t lead to any significant changes to long-term health. 

For consumers looking to protect their health, the researchers recommend monitoring vitamin D levels before starting a supplement regimen. In addition to taking supplements, making dietary changes, including eating more fish or liquid dairy products, can help boost vitamin D levels. 

Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) is recalling 227 model year 2021 S580s, and model year 2022 EQS450s, EQS580s, & S500s with an active and connected “Mercedes me” connect account.

The MBUX infotainment system might allow activation of the TV and internet display while the vehicle is in motion, causing a distraction for the driver.

This can increase the risk of a crash.

What to do

MBUSA has updated the computer server to correct the issue free of charge. Therefore, owners will not require a visit to a dealer for this recall.

Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on January 28, 2022.

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

Haifa Smoked Fish of Jamaica, N.Y., is recalling approximately 230 pounds of Turbot Cold Smoked fish.

The product may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

No illnesses have been reported to date.

The recalled product, Lot #246, comes in an 8-oz clear plastic package with a gold board and blue label. It was sold in retail stores in New York and New Jersey

What to do

Customers who purchased the recalled product should not consume it. Instead, they should return it to the place of purchase for a full refund.

Consumers with questions may contact the company at (718) 523-8899 Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (EST).