Current Events in February 2022

Kia, Genesis, Hyundai, Buick, and Toyota are the top five automotive brands when it comes to vehicle dependability, according to the latest J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability Study.

To reach that conclusion, J.D. Power researchers analyzed vehicles from the 2019 model year to measure how they have held up over three years and how many issues their owners have reported. 

The study has been tweaked to include all of the features and technology that are available in late-model vehicles. The study covers 184 specific problem areas across nine major vehicle categories: climate, driving assistance, driving experience, exterior, features/controls, displays, infotainment, interior, powertrain, and seats.

David Amodeo, director of global automotive at J.D. Power, says dependability is even more important now because drivers are holding onto their vehicles longer than they used to because of a shortage of new and used cars

“Some automakers are performing much better than others at preventing problems from occurring, Amodeo said. “These problems include the vehicle’s mechanicals, exterior, and interior – but also infotainment systems, driver assistance systems, and all the other electronic systems in today’s vehicles.”

The study also measured owners’ satisfaction with their vehicle’s condition after three years of usage and whether they found their vehicle to be as appealing now as when they first bought it. Edward, of Bend, Ore.. told us he’s very satisfied with his Hyundai Vera Cruz.

“As far as I’m concerned this is an outstanding vehicle,” Edward wrote in a ConsumerAffairs review. “I read everything that everybody’s got to stay on it and as far as I’m concerned it’s an awesome vehicle. It’s got a lot of power too.”

Mass-market brands beat their luxury rivals

Interestingly, the 2022 study found fewer problems with so-called mass-market vehicles than with luxury brands. Premium brands usually use more technology in their vehicles, which increases the likelihood of problems occurring. The researchers say the build quality of mass-market vehicles has improved considerably and now matches that of the premium brands.

Kia ranked highest overall in vehicle dependability, with a score of 145 problems per 100 vehicles. Kia moved into first place this year after ranking third in the 2021 survey. Other mass-market brands ranking high for vehicle dependability include Buick, Hyundai, and Toyota.

Once again, infotainment systems produced the largest number of owner complaints, with more than twice as many complaints as the next-highest category. In fact, seven of the top 10 problem areas in the study were infotainment-related.

Are you one of the many people who experience dizziness when first standing up? If so, then you just might have a condition called initial orthostatic hypotension (IOH). 

Consumers who have IOH get dizzy when they stand up because of a brief decrease in blood pressure and an increase in heart rate. In some cases, this can even cause consumers to pass out after standing up.

In a recent study, researchers found two muscle techniques that may be beneficial for patients with IOH to minimize feelings of lightheadedness after standing. By activating the lower body muscles, IOH patients may improve their overall quality of life. 

“Almost everyone has probably experienced some lightheadedness at some time after standing up,” said researcher Dr. Satish R. Raj. “For some people, this is a frequent occurrence and may happen several times a day, which can be very frightening and negatively affect their quality of life. We wanted to explore this further and provide novel and effective symptom management techniques with the goal of improving the IOH patient’s quality of life.” 

Improving quality of life

The researchers had 24 young adult women with IOH who had a history of dizziness and loss of consciousness after standing up participate in the study. The participants all experienced significant changes in blood pressure upon standing, and the goal of the study was to test different muscle exercises designed to help alleviate these symptoms. 

The team tested two interventions in this trial. The first was called PREACT, which involved pre-activating the thigh muscles by repeatedly raising the knees before standing; the second was called TENSE, which involved tensing the thigh and buttocks muscles through leg crossing after standing. 

The study proved that both of these methods were effective at reducing dizziness symptoms related to IOH. By doing either of these muscle exercises, IOH patients can help reduce their risk of fainting, losing consciousness, or experiencing dizziness upon standing. 

“Our study provides a novel and cost-free symptom management technique that patients with IOH can use to manage their symptoms,” said researcher Nasia A. Sheikh. “Since it is a physical maneuver, it simply requires the lower body limbs, which patients can utilize at any time and from anywhere to combat their symptoms.” 

The researchers hope these findings are useful for consumers who could be struggling with IOH. They say mplementing these strategies can help reduce the severity of symptoms and improve consumers' overall quality of life. 

“Our study demonstrates the physiology of IOH and assesses the utility of physical maneuvers that can help the IOH patient manage their symptoms,” said researcher Mary Runté, Ph.D. “A diagnosis of IOH is identified by patients as their first critical step to empowering them to understand and master their symptoms and thus minimize the disruptions to daily living caused by this common, but not commonly understood, condition.” 

For older women, taking preventive measures to maximize bone health can be important to help reduce fractures and improve overall wellness. Now, researchers from Penn State have found that eating prunes can be a good way for postmenopausal women to reduce the risk of bone loss. 

“In postmenopausal women, lower levels of estrogen can trigger a rise of oxidative stress and inflammation, increasing the risk of weakening bones that may lead to fractures,” said researcher Connie Rogers. “Incorporating prunes into the diet may help protect bones by slowing or reversing this process.”  

Diet impacts bone health

To better understand the connection between diet and long-term bone health, the researchers analyzed data from several earlier studies that included trials conducted on both mice and humans. Several of the trials explored how eating different amounts of prunes every day for six to 12 months affected postmenopausal women’s bone health. 

Ultimately, the researchers discovered a positive correlation between prune consumption and improvements in bone health. One of the studies showed that eating five or 10 prunes every day for six months helped lower bone resorption and overall bone density loss. Another study highlighted specific areas of the body that benefited from regularly consuming prunes; the findings showed that eating 10 prunes per day for a year was associated with better bone density in the lower spine and forearm. 

The researchers believe that this relationship between prunes and bone health could be related to the ways that prunes impact the gut microbiome. The biggest change is in inflammation, both in the colon and throughout the body, and the reduction in oxidative stress; both inflammation and oxidative stress are key factors in bone health. 

“Taken together, evidence from in vitro, preclinical studies, and limited clinical studies suggest prunes may help to reduce bone loss,” said Rogers. “This may be due to altered bone turnover and by inhibiting inflammation and suppressing oxidative stress.” 

Moving forward, the researchers hope to do more work in this area to better understand the specifics behind the relationship between prunes and bone health. 

Consumer sentiment dropped sharply from January, according to the latest University of Michigan consumer confidence survey.

The monthly index dropped to 61.7 in February, a significant one-month move from the January reading of 67.2. The consensus among economists surveyed before the release was that confidence would be little changed from January.

But there were a number of factors weighing on consumer attitudes. Inflation is raising the cost of food and gasoline, the COVID-19 pandemic seems to be never-ending, and geopolitical tensions are rising.

Consumers are reacting in different ways. Thomas, of Clarksville, Ind., tells us he is investing in gold.

“Noble Gold's representative helped me to handle the transfer of a portion of my IRA to gold,” Thomas wrote in a recent ConsumerAffairs review. “A wise precaution in the inflationary environment ahead.”

Affluent households are the most pessimistic

The survey shows that the biggest decline in consumer sentiment is in relatively affluent households – those earning at least six figures. The sentiment among that group fell by 16.1% in early February from the previous month. 

"Sentiment continued its downward descent, reaching its worst level in a decade, falling a stunning 8.2% from last month and 19.7% from last February," said Richard Curtin, the survey's chief economist. "The recent declines have been driven by weakening personal financial prospects, largely due to rising inflation, less confidence in the government's economic policies, and the least favorable long-term economic outlook in a decade."

The most recent inflation data put the decline in context. Last week, the Labor Department reported that inflation increased 0.6% from December to January. Over a 12-month period, inflation is growing at a rate of 7.5%, the highest in 40 years.

The cost of food is up 7% year-over-year. Gasoline is up 40% during the same period, and the cost of shelter has risen 4.4%, according to the government report.

The authors of the University of Michigan survey say the plunge in consumer sentiment this month is the largest in more than a decade. However, they also say it's part of a recent trend. Higher-income earners are especially worried, believing their inflation-adjusted incomes will decline in the months ahead.

Golden Medal Mushroom of Los Angeles, Calif., is recalling lot # 300511 of Enoki Mushrooms that were imported from China.

The product may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. No illnesses have been reported to date.

The recalled product, packaged in a 200g/7.05-oz vacuum-sealed plastic package with UPC 6 953150 100684, was shipped to retail stores nationwide.

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 for a full refund.

Consumers with question may contact the company at (323) 720-9126 Monday through Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (PST).

Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) is recalling 172 model year 2021 AMG GT Black Series vehicles.

The wiring harness for the front wheel speed sensor may be the incorrect length. This could result in damage to the harness during certain driving conditions.

A damaged speed sensor wiring harness can impair dynamic control functions, such as stability, traction control, and anti-lock brakes, increasing the risk of a crash.

What to do

Dealers will replace the wiring harness free of charge.

Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on March 29, 2022.

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

After receiving reports of people stalking others and engaging in unwanted tracking, Apple is proactively making efforts to modify its AirTag product.

The company admitted that it has “seen reports of bad actors attempting to misuse AirTag for malicious or criminal purposes.” By collaborating with safety groups and law enforcement agencies, the company has identified additional ways it can update AirTag safety warnings and help prevent further unwanted tracking.

“AirTag was designed to help people locate their personal belongings, not to track people or another person’s property, and we condemn in the strongest possible terms any malicious use of our products,” the company said in a statement. 

“Unwanted tracking has long been a societal problem, and we took this concern seriously in the design of AirTag. It’s why the Find My network is built with privacy in mind, uses end-to-end encryption, and why we innovated with the first-ever proactive system to alert you of unwanted tracking.”

What is being done

As far as working with law enforcement is concerned, the company said it can provide account details on who a certain AirTag is connected to if the company is subpoenaed or receives a valid request from law enforcement.

“We have successfully partnered with them on cases where information we provided has been used to trace an AirTag back to the perpetrator, who was then apprehended and charged,” Apple said.

As far as users are concerned, Apple said there are updates coming to both AirTag and its "Find My Network" tool. Forthcoming software updates will include the following: 

New privacy warnings during AirTag setup: Each and every user setting up their AirTag for the first time will see a message clearly stating that AirTag is meant to track their own belongings. There will be a stern warning that using AirTag to track people without consent is a crime in many regions around the world. The company will also warn any potential perpetrator that law enforcement can request identifying information about the owner of the AirTag.

Updated support documentation about safety: Apple has also updated its unwanted tracking support article on its website to communicate the safety features built into AirTag, AirPods, and Find My network accessories. AirTag users now have access to additional explanations and visuals of which Find My accessories may trigger an unwanted tracking alert. They'll also find updated information on what to do after receiving an alert, including instructions for disabling an AirTag, AirPods, or Find My network accessory. 

In that support article, Apple offers links to resources individuals can use if they feel their safety is at risk, like the National Network to End Domestic Violence and the National Center for Victims of Crime.

Future updates

Apple says it’s working on a series of updates that it plans to introduce later this year. Some of those updates include:

Precision Finding: This capability allows recipients of an unwanted tracking alert to locate an unknown AirTag with precision. 

Display alert with sound: This is designed to help in cases where the AirTag may be in a location where it is hard to hear, or if the AirTag speaker has been tampered with.

Refining unwanted tracking alert logic: “Our unwanted tracking alert system uses sophisticated logic to determine how we alert users,” Apple said. “We plan to update our unwanted tracking alert system to notify users earlier that an unknown AirTag or Find My network accessory may be traveling with them.”

Tuning AirTag’s sound: As things currently stand, iOS users who receive an unwanted tracking alert can play a sound to help them find an unknown AirTag. The company said it is working on adjusting the tone sequence to use more of the loudest tones to make an unknown AirTag easier to find.

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

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌ 77,439,456 (77,268,991)

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 915,651 (912,260)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ 406,809,841 (404,161,627)

Total ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 5,793,530 (5,780,644)‌

Unvaccinated New York workers get pink slips

About 3,000 New York City employees face termination today if they have not received a COVID-19 vaccination. The mandate was imposed by former Mayor Bill de Blasio, but incumbent Mayor Eric Adams has said he plans to enforce it.

Termination notices went in the mail early in the week and take effect today. Adams said those who aren’t in compliance have essentially quit their jobs.

“We have to be very clear – people must be vaccinated if they are New York City employees,” Adams said. “Everyone understood that.” 

U.S. death toll questioned

As the official U.S. COVID-19 death toll approaches 1 million, some health experts have begun to question its accuracy. They point out that deaths from other causes are sometimes counted as COVID-19 fatalities because the patient also had the virus.

Dr. William Schaffner, professor of infectious diseases at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center, says it’s often up to the attending physician to make the call, especially in cases where the cause is not that clear. But he doubts that the death toll is inflated.

“Early on, there was not widespread testing, so we underestimated the deaths,” Schaffner told Medical News Today. “Now, the death data are more reliable. There may be some plus or minus, but death data are pretty accurate.”

California considers financial aid to COVID-19 orphans

Among the nearly 1 million COVID-19 deaths recorded in the U.S. are parents who have left children behind. Now, California lawmakers are considering legislation to provide financial support for these children.

The bill – the Hope, Opportunity, Perseverance, and Empowerment (HOPE) for Children Act – would support children who lost a parent or caregiver to COVID-19 and are in the state's foster care system or a low-income household. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), over 200,000 Americans under the age of 18 have lost a parent or adult caregiver to COVID-19. That’s an increase of 60,000 since October.

Around the nation

• Maine: Doctors and nurses are breathing a sigh of relief after being pushed to the brink by rising cases of the Omicron variant. State health officials report that the number of people who are hospitalized for COVID-19 has declined nearly 30% since setting a record high of 436 on Jan. 13.

• Florida: The state legislature has approved a bill that extends liability protection for health care providers, shielding them from COVID-19-related lawsuits. The measure, originally passed in the early days of the pandemic, is expected to be signed into law.

• Nevada: From now on, gamblers won’t have to wear a mask while visiting Nevada’s casinos. Gov. Steve Sisolak has announced that the statewide indoor mask mandate is being lifted effective immediately. The number of new cases in Nevada has fallen sharply.

• Arkansas: Gov. Asa Hutchinson is citing progress in the state’s effort to deal with the pandemic. The number of cases rose by 1,825, an increase that was less than half the size of the one that previously occurred on Thursday.

• Idaho: While many states have dropped their mask mandates, lawmakers in Idaho want to outlaw mask mandates in the future. A bill that would make it illegal to require people to wear masks in public places is headed for a vote in the state House of Representatives.

If you find yourself living paycheck to paycheck, then you’re in good company. A new report from LendingClub shows that 61% of the population spends most of its money between paydays.

In 2021, the number of people struggling to make ends meet rose 7% from June to December, a period in which enhanced unemployment benefits ended. Challenges were also present on the upper end of the pay scale. Researchers found that 42% of U.S. consumers earning more than $100,000 annually now live paycheck to paycheck as well, an increase of three percentage points from May 2021.

People earning less than $50,000 faced the biggest financial challenges last year, with 77% of that group living paycheck to paycheck. In many cases, debt is a major reason.

Rita, of Tularosa, N.M., found herself deep in debt before she got help from Freedom Debt Relief.

“I used to worry about making it from paycheck to paycheck,” Rita wrote in a ConsumerAffairs review. “Now, I'm able to afford groceries again, and not make one meal stretch into three meals.”

Especially hard on millennials

The LendingClub report found that millennials, many raising young families, are the most likely demographic to be juggling finances. However, the biggest increase in the share of consumers living paycheck to paycheck is seen among baby boomers and seniors.

In December 2021, 54% of baby boomers and seniors were living paycheck to paycheck, up from 40% in May.

In addition to debt, being overextended on monthly bills is a major reason why many people are living paycheck to paycheck. The report found that consumers who can manage their bills are able to regularly add to savings, while others are not.

With no savings, paying for an emergency expense usually puts paycheck to paycheck households in debt. At 59%, Generation Z consumers who live paycheck to paycheck and have issues paying their bills are the most likely to be unable to afford a $400 emergency expense, the report found. 

Two members of the Senate Intelligence Committee -- Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), and Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) -- are asking for more transparency about an allegedly immense surveillance effort conducted by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

Wyden and Heinrich want to know what kind of records the CIA collected about American citizens and the legal framework for the collection. They originally requested the declassification of a report by the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board on a CIA bulk collection program last April, but the letter was not made public until Thursday.

The senators say “the CIA has secretly conducted its own bulk program,” authorized under Executive Order 12333, rather than the laws passed by Congress.

The letter notes that the program was “entirely outside the statutory framework that Congress and the public believe govern this collection, and without any of the judicial, congressional or even executive branch oversight that comes from [Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act] (FISA) collection.” 

“These documents demonstrate that many of the same concerns that Americans have about their privacy and civil liberties also apply to how the CIA collects and handles information under executive order and outside the FISA law,” said Senators Wyden and Heinrich. “In particular, these documents reveal serious problems associated with warrantless backdoor searches of Americans, the same issue that has generated bipartisan concern in the FISA context. … The public deserves to know more about the collection of this information.”

CIA says it takes privacy seriously

The CIA has been down this road before. In 2017, the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) warned the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence that the CIA Director must not "turn the enormous surveillance powers of the agency against the American people." It noted that the CIA has "a long history of unlawful surveillance" and pointed to a Freedom of Information Act case pursued by EPIC which revealed that the CIA spied on staff members of the U.S. Senate.

This time around, the CIA is getting out in front of Wyden and Heinrich’s claims by firmly disagreeing with the senators’ interpretation of the situation. Kristi Scott, the agency’s privacy and civil liberties officer, said the CIA takes its responsibility to safeguard the privacy and personal liberties of Americans seriously.

“CIA is committed to transparency consistent with our obligation to protect intelligence sources and methods,” Scott stated.

A new study conducted by researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital explored how getting a COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy may impact infants’ infection risk.

According to their findings, infants had higher levels of COVID-19 antibody levels at six months old when their mothers were vaccinated during pregnancy. Conversely, infants had lower levels of these antibodies when their mothers were unvaccinated but had been infected with COVID-19.

“While it’s still unclear just how high the [antibody levels] need to be to completely protect an infant from COVID, we know anti-spike IgG levels correlate with protection from serious illness,” said researcher Dr. Andrea Edlow. “The durability of the antibody response here shows vaccination not only provides lasting protection for mothers, but also antibodies that persist in a majority of infants to at least six months of age.”

Protecting infants’ health

The researchers had 77 vaccinated mothers and 12 unvaccinated mothers who had tested positive for COVID-19 during pregnancy participate in the study; the women had either received the vaccine or tested positive for COVID-19 between weeks 20 and 32 of pregnancy. The researchers followed up with the infants after birth to test their antibody levels when they reached two months old and six months old. 

The study showed that antibody levels were the highest for infants born to mothers who were vaccinated as opposed to mothers who had tested positive for COVID-19. By the time the infants were two months old, 98% of those born to vaccinated mothers had high levels of the immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody associated with COVID-19. 

At the six-month mark, the differences between the two groups became more apparent. Compared to less than 10% of infants born to unvaccinated mothers who had detectable antibody levels at six months, nearly 60% of infants born to vaccinated mothers had detectable antibody levels at six months old. 

The researchers hope these findings shed light on how COVID-19 vaccines can protect both mothers and infants from infection. Moving forward, they hope these results encourage more pregnant women to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. 

“Many interested parties from parents to pediatricians want to know how long maternal antibodies persist in infants after vaccination, and now we can provide some answers,” said Dr. Edlow. “We hope these findings will provide further incentive for pregnant people to get vaccinated, especially with the emergence of new variants of concern like Omicron.” 

A new study conducted by researchers from Arizona State University explored the effect that surviving natural disasters may have on consumers’ biological aging. According to their findings, weather-related events may speed up the aging process, including increasing the risk of disease markers and inflammation. 

“While everyone ages, we don’t all age at the same rate, and our lived experiences, both negative and positive, can alter this pace of aging,” said researcher Noah Snyder-Mackler.

“One negative life experience, surviving an extreme event, can lead to chronic inflammation and the early onset of some age-related diseases, like heart disease. But we still don’t know exactly how these events get embedded in our bodies leading to negative health effects that may not show up until decades after the event itself.” 

The long-term impacts on aging

The researchers conducted their experiment in Puerto Rico following the events of Hurricane Maria in 2017. The team was able to use data from the Caribbean Primate Research Center to compare how the immune cells, physiology, and genetic make-up of macaque monkeys looked four years before Hurricane Maria and one year after. 

The study showed that the survival rate of the monkeys didn’t change before or after the hurricane. However, the biggest changes came on a cellular level. The researchers learned that living through the category 4 hurricane increased the aging process on a biological level for the monkeys. 

“From this study, we have measured the molecular changes associated with aging, including disruptions of protein-folding genes, greater inflammatory immune cell marker gene expression, and older biological aging,” said researcher Marina Watowich. “On average, monkeys who lived through the Hurricane had immune gene expression profiles that had aged two extra years, or approximately seven to eight years of human lifespan.” 

Ultimately, the study showed that 4% of the monkeys’ genes related to immune cells were changed after the hurricane. Following the storm, the cells related to promoting a healthy immune response weren’t as strong and the cells related to inflammation got stronger. 

The researchers explained that macaque monkeys are biologically very similar to humans. While the monkeys don’t live as long, they age at a similar rate as humans. The team believes that these findings could certainly apply to humans and that monkeys aren’t the only species living with the long-term effects of natural disasters. 

The last two weeks have seen major increases in prices at the pump in most areas. Motorists across the country are experiencing sticker shock when they fill up.

AAA’s daily fuel price survey shows that the national average price of regular gas is $3.48 a gallon, nearly matching the previous week’s seven-cent increase. The average price is up 17 cents a gallon over the last four weeks. The average price of premium gas is $4.09 a gallon, posting a seven cents a gallon increase over last Friday. The average price of diesel fuel is $3.87 a gallon, a 10 cents a gallon increase over a week ago.

AAA attributes the accelerated price increases to rising oil prices, which in turn are being pushed higher by tensions between Russia and Ukraine. Russia, a major oil producer, could face sanctions from the West if it invades Ukraine, removing millions of barrels of oil from the world market.

“This shows how events on the other side of the globe can have a noticeable impact right here in the U.S,” said Andrew Gross, AAA spokesperson. “And unfortunately for drivers, they are reminded of this by higher prices at the pump.” 

In the last week, drivers in Tennessee saw the biggest price hike, with the statewide average rising 13 cents a gallon. The price is up 10 cents a gallon in Mississippi and nine cents in Pennsylvania, Kentucky, and Alabama.

States with the most expensive gas

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

• California ($4.68)   

• Hawaii ($4.43)    

• Washington ($3.95)  

• Oregon ($3.93)   

• Nevada ($3.88)    

• Alaska ($3.79)   

• Arizona ($3.66)     

• Illinois ($3.66)   

• Pennsylvania ($3.66)  

• New York ($3.65)

States with the cheapest gas

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

• Mississippi ($3.14)  

• Texas ($3.15)     

• Arkansas ($3.15)   

• Oklahoma ($3.15)   

• Missouri ($3.16)  

• Kansas ($3.17)   

• Kentucky ($3.20)   

• Alabama ($3.21)   

• Tennessee ($3.24)   

• Wisconsin ($3.24)    

Audi is recalling 31,058 of the following vehicles:

• Model year 2019-2021 Audi A5 Sportbacks, RS5 Coupes, RS5 Sportbacks, and S5 Sportbacks;
• Model year 2020-2021 A4 Allroads, A4 Sedans, A5 Cabriolets, A5 Coupes, A6 Allroads, A6 Sedans, A7s, A8s, Q5s, S4 Sedans, S5 Coupes, S5 Cabriolets, S6 Sedans, S7s, S8s, and SQ5s; and
• Model year 2021 Q5 Sportbacks, Q7s, Q8s, RS6 Avants, RS7s, RSQ8s, SQ5 Sportbacks, SQ7s, and SQ8s.

The rear axle alignment may not have been inspected after the repairs for an earlier recall were performed.

Rear-axle misalignment may cause premature or uneven tire wear, increasing the risk of a crash.

What to do

Dealers will inspect the rear axle, adjust the alignment if necessary, and replace any prematurely or unevenly worn tires free of charge.

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

Owners may contact Audi customer service at (800) 253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 42L5.

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

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌ 77,284,578 (77,058,413)

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 912,549 (909,070)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ 404,498,492 (401,536,661)

Total ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 5,781,589 (5,767,326)‌

Feds may be ready to phase out restrictions

The White House is still following guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), but a number of states, including Democrat-controlled states like New York, are dropping mask mandates. However, there are signs that the federal government may be ready to make a shift.

White House medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci told the Financial Times this week that he thinks national COVID-19 restrictions could end soon.

"I hope we are looking at a time when we have enough people vaccinated and enough people with protection from previous infection that the COVID restrictions will soon be a thing of the past," Fauci said.

Supply chain issues send inflation soaring

The cost of living rose faster than expected in January, which is largely a product of an overburdened supply chain that has persisted throughout the pandemic. The Labor Department reports that the Consumer Price Index rose 0.6% from December and was up 7.5% over the last 12 months.

The cost of food, electricity, and shelter were the biggest drivers of inflation in the last month. The food index rose 0.9% in January following a 0.5% increase in December. The energy index also increased 0.9% over the month, with an increase in the electricity index being partially offset by declines in the gasoline index and the natural gas index.

New car prices proved to be one of the few bright spots in the report. After months of rising new car prices, the increases leveled off last month. Prices charged by hotels and wireless companies declined slightly.

Navy discharges sailors over vaccine refusal

Vaccine mandates continue to be highly controversial. The U.S. Navy said it has discharged 240 service personnel for not being vaccinated against COVID-19.

Most of the personnel – 217 – were listed as being on active duty. One was listed as a member of the U.S. Navy Reserve.

According to the Defense Department, all of those service members received honorable characterizations for their discharges from service, meaning they are still eligible to receive veteran benefits.

Around the nation

• New Jersey: While some states are retaining their mask mandates for schools, New Jersey will end its mandate for students and teachers on March 7. “Balancing public health with getting back to some semblance of normalcy is not easy. But we can responsibly take this step due to declining COVID numbers and growth in vaccinations,” Gov. Phil Murphy said in a Twitter post.

• Maryland: State health officials have established a new lottery to persuade people to get a booster shot. The lottery will award $2 million in cash prizes to 12 residents who have received their booster shot.

• Tennessee: The numbers appear to be trending in the right direction, as state health officials report significant drops in new COVID-19 cases. But the exception, they say, is a handful of rural communities of the state where caseloads remain stubbornly high.

• Vermont: Gov. Phil Scott said his state continues to make progress in halting the spread of COVID-19 and that his administration will consider rescinding school masking guidelines in the coming days. One official said Vermont’s Omicron variant picture continues to look better by the day. 

• Hawaii: Gov. David Ige has announced that Hawaii’s Safe Travels program will continue on its present course. That means domestic travelers will not be required to include proof of COVID-19 booster shots. Proof of vaccination or an acceptable negative test will exempt travelers from the mandatory five-day quarantine.

After a gradual launch over nearly two years, Amazon is rolling out its digital health service, Amazon Care, to consumers across the country.

Amazon began the process in 2019 when it introduced Amazon Care as a pilot program for employees near the company’s Seattle headquarters. Last year, it expanded the program to Amazon employees nationwide and to employees of all companies in Washington state.

The program provides virtual visits with health care providers, as well as telehealth consultations and in-home visits for a fee from nurses for tests and vaccinations. Since its launch, it has become more of a primary care service.

The service is aimed at patients who do not have convenient access to doctors’ offices or who have mobility issues. But it could also help consumers like Mark, of Hickory Creek, Texas, an Anthem policyholder who moved and was forced to find a new physician, which they said was a frustrating process.

“I selected a doctor and found that not only had he relocated to another state, the phone number listed didn't even belong to a doctor's office,” Mark wrote in a ConsumerAffairs review. “The second doctor I added as my PCP (primary care physician) no longer worked at the office listed on Anthem's website.”

Continuing trend?

Government data shows that virtual doctor visits increased 63-fold as the COVID-19 pandemic closed or limited access to many health facilities. While things have slowly gotten back to normal, Amazon is banking on the trend of telehealth services continuing.

But Amazon Care is not limited to telehealth services. The company is expanding in-person care to more U.S. cities, with plans to provide these services later this year in 20 cities, including New York City, Chicago, Miami, and San Francisco.

The in-person service provides a health care professional who will visit the patient’s home to perform tasks such as measuring vital signs, giving injections, and doing blood work. According to Medicare, home health care is “usually less expensive, more convenient, and just as effective as care you get in a hospital or skilled nursing facility.”

Americans borrowed money at a near-record pace in 2020, just a year after they sharply reduced credit card debt. A report by the New York Federal Reserve found that all types of household debt, from mortgages to auto loans and credit card balances, ballooned by $1 trillion, the largest increase in 14 years.

In addition to mortgage growth, the report showed that auto loan originations were big drivers of household debt. That, in turn, is a product of inflation. As the prices of new and used vehicles have surged since the start of the pandemic, consumers have often taken on more debt to purchase a car or truck.

Largest increase since 2007

Mortgage balances remain the largest component of household debt, rising by $258 billion. Credit card balances increased by $52 billion, while student loan debt actually declined by $8 billion, remaining roughly flat in nominal terms at the end of 2021 after almost two decades of steady increases.

"The total increase in nominal debt during 2021 was the largest we have seen since 2007," said Wilbert Van Der Klaauw, senior vice president at the New York Fed. "The aggregate balances of newly opened mortgage and auto loans sharply increased in 2021, corresponding to increases in home and car prices."

The report’s authors say new extensions of installment credit were at historically high levels in 2021 for both mortgages and auto loans. They note that mortgage originations were at $1 trillion in the fourth quarter of 2021. It contributed to a historic high in annual terms, with over $4.5 trillion in mortgages having originated over the course of 2021.

Managing debt is key

How consumers manage that debt may determine whether an increase in loan volume is a threat to the economy. After shopping around, Bob, of Annapolis, Texas, secured a debt consolidation loan through Sofi and is happy with the outcome.

“Got offers from other lenders at 20% or more (how does a D/C loan at 20% make any sense ?),” Bob wrote in a ConsumerAffairs review. “Sofi came through with an offer at a reasonable rate, much to my surprise, and I jumped on it. All done through website and email. Speed, accuracy, easy.” 

The report found that more consumers like Bob may need help managing their debt, noting that the credit scores of newly originated mortgages have declined in recent quarters from the beginning of the pandemic.

However, average scores remain elevated and suggest that newly opened mortgages and a higher share of refinances appear to be solid. The volume of newly originated auto loans was $181 billion during the fourth quarter, primarily because consumers were forced to borrow more to purchase ever-more-expensive cars and trucks. 

The report found that aggregate limits on credit card accounts increased by $96 billion and now stand at $4.06 trillion, $160 billion above the pre-pandemic level.

The U.S. Departments of Transportation and Energy are making $5 billion available to help states build out a national electric vehicle charging network. The agencies stated that the investment is an important step towards making electric vehicle charging accessible to all Americans. 

The National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program was designed to create “Alternative Fuel Corridors,” particularly along the Interstate Highway System. States that want to be part of the plan must submit an EV Infrastructure Deployment Plan before they can access these funds. 

Based on the program’s formula, Texas looks like it will receive the largest amount of the program’s money during the 2022 fiscal year – somewhere in the neighborhood of $60.4 million. It's followed by California ($56.8 million), Florida ($29.3 million), New York ($25.9 million), Pennsylvania ($25.4 million), Illinois ($22 million), and Ohio ($20.7 million).

“A century ago, America ushered in the modern automotive era; now America must lead the electric vehicle revolution,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “The President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will help us win the EV race by working with states, labor, and the private sector to deploy a historic nationwide charging network that will make EV charging accessible for more Americans.”

Making EV connections work for the consumer

President Biden has had his foot on the pedal of electric vehicle development for nearly a year. He already committed to putting 500,000 electric chargers on U.S. highways. At a roundtable with CEOs of electric utilities on Wednesday, he touted the newest development as a game changer.

“It’s going to change the dynamic of how — not only how we travel, but the economy along the way as well, because companies are investing in clean energy futures. And the world is betting on American workers to build it and the American people to buy it,” Biden said.

Can the Biden administration make this initiative accessible and worthwhile to consumers? The prospects look promising.

For one thing, automakers are already working towards mass electrification. GM is building 42,000 charging stations of its own, and Ford and others have also committed to building more electric vehicles. As far as buy-in from the public, consumer sales in the electric vehicle segment also continue to grow.

Officials have said they would like to see chargers within at least 50 miles of each other to make using the vehicles more practical. The federal government is encouraging states to place the chargers either in rest areas along interstate highways or near places with food and other services.

People in smaller and underserved communities won't be left for naught either. After the initial layer of charging stations is built, a second competitive grant program will be rolled out to further increase charging access with a special focus on rural and underserved communities.

The rural/underserved part of the plan is based on President Biden's Justice40 initiative, which guarantees that at least 40% of federal investments in climate and clean energy go to disadvantaged communities. 

“The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is helping states to make electric vehicle charging more accessible by building the necessary infrastructure for drivers across America to save money and go the distance, from coast-to-coast,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has decided that it may have been a little overzealous in the letter-sending department and is suspending more than a dozen additional letters, including balance due notices and unfiled tax return notices.

The agency is backing off on mailing notices because the COVID-19 pandemic caused it to be backed up with original and amended returns from both individuals and businesses that have yet to be processed. It feels that taking this step can help avoid some confusion for both taxpayers and tax professionals.

“IRS employees are committed to doing everything possible with our limited resources to help people during this period,” said IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig.

“We are working hard, long hours pushing creative paths forward in an effort to be part of the solution, rather than the problem. Our employees continue to expend every effort to balance a confluence of multiple, unprecedented demands − including successfully starting the filing season, working our inventory of unprocessed tax returns as well as looking for additional ways to minimize burden for taxpayers, tax professionals and businesses.”

The agency left the door slightly ajar for the automatic notices it is shelving to return. It said once the current backlog is worked through, it will reassess the situation and try to determine if and when those notices should return. 

Consumers still need to pay attention to letters 

The IRS says it’s possible that some of the letters it’s putting on hold are in the mail already, and those letters still need to be heeded if a taxpayer or tax professional believes a notice is accurate.

In those situations, the agency says the taxpayer or preparer should act to rectify the situation as soon as possible. As an example, the IRS cautions people with a balance due that interest and penalties can continue to accrue.

Consumers can visit the IRS website for payment options.