Current Events in February 2022

General Motors is recalling 1,789 model year 2021 GMC Yukons & Yukon XLs, Cadillac Escalades & Escalade ESVs, and Chevrolet Suburbans & Tahoes.

The rear wheel driveshaft assemblies may have internal components that were not heat-treated properly.

Driveshafts that have not been heat-treated properly could lead to driveshaft failure. In turn, this could cause a sudden loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash.

What to do

Dealers will replace the left and/or right rear driveshaft assemblies free of charge.

An owner notification letter mailing date has not been finalized.

Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at (800) 222-1020, Cadillac customer service at (800) 458-8006, or GMC customer service at (800) 462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212351030.

Chrysler is recalling 171,789 model year 2019-2020 Ram 2500 & Ram 3500 trucks, Ram 3500 Cab Chassis, 4500 Cab Chassis, 5500 Cab Chassis, and 3500 Cab Chassis with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of less than 10,000 lbs.

The windshield wiper arms may loosen, possibly causing the wipers to function improperly and reduce the driver's visibility in certain weather conditions.

Reduced visibility increases the risk of a crash.

What to do

Dealers will tighten the wiper nuts free of charge.

Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on March 18, 2022.

Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at (800) 853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is Z08.

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

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌ 76,513,221 (76,458,453)

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 902,650 (901,866)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ 395,952,252 (393,694,501)

Total ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 5,742,302 (5,735,852)‌

U.S. death toll passes another milestone

Over the weekend, the U.S. death toll from the coronavirus passed the 900,000 mark, according to records kept by Johns Hopkins University. The number of confirmed U.S. cases in the last two years now exceeds 76 million.

But the last few days have also seen some good news. State health officials in New York reported a sharp drop in the percentage of positive test results. In fact, the state's 3.52% positivity rate is the lowest since the Omicron variant appeared in November.

Former U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb, appearing on CBS’ Face The Nation Sunday, said he expects schools will begin to resume normal operations soon. “We can start to lean forward and take a little bit more risk and try to at least make sure that students in schools have some semblance of normalcy for this spring term,” he said.

COVID-19 could alter some Olympic outcomes

American men’s figure skater Vincent Zhou is one of the favorites in that category, but he tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday, putting his status at the games in doubt. He was scheduled to begin competing Monday night at the Winter Olympics in Beijing. 

Zhou is undergoing additional testing in the hopes of posting a negative result. U.S. Skating said in a statement that if the results are negative, Zhou will be able to compete in the men’s short program.

According to Reuters, many Olympic athletes are complaining about isolation conditions and protocols in Beijing. They're also complaining about the food, their mental health, testing, and confusing procedures around being allowed to leave.

Hospitalization increases risk of COVID-19 death, study finds

People who get COVID-19 but manage to stay out of a hospital have a much smaller risk of death from the virus, according to a new study. Researchers at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine say hospitalization is usually a sign that the patient is highly vulnerable to the effects of the virus.

In fact, the study found that the highest risk of death after a COVID-19 hospitalization was among patients with dementia. They found the risk of death from any cause is four to five times greater for people who are hospitalized with COVID-19 than the general population.

The study also found that people who are hospitalized with COVID-19 have a significant chance of being hospitalized again. Compared to the general population, they are more than twice as likely to require another round of hospital treatment.

Around the nation

• Iowa: The Filipino-American Society of Iowa has conducted a vaccine clinic to offer vaccine assistance to the state’s Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. Interpreters helped answer questions and provide information about COVID-19 vaccines.

• California: California is among a handful of states that are considering financial support for people who miss work because of COVID-19 now that federal benefits have expired. The state legislature may vote this week on a temporary paid leave proposal pushed by Gov. Gavin Newsom.

• Missouri: Washington University in St. Louis has developed an app that answers the question, “Have I been exposed to COVID-19?” The app, called MO/Notify, is available for Apple and Android users. 

• New Jersey: Gov. Phil Murphy is poised to lift the state’s requirement that students and staff wear masks while in school, according to the New York Times. Murphy reimposed the mandate at the start of the school year in response to an increase in COVID-19 cases caused by the Delta variant.

• Michigan: State officials say they have received hundreds of reports from people who say they were fired from their jobs after testing positive for COVID-19 and quarantining for the recommended length of time. A Michigan law states that employees cannot be disciplined for coronavirus-related absences.

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, set a Wall Street record last week, and not the good kind. 

After reporting earnings at midweek, shares plunged and kept going down, losing $232 billion in one day alone – the biggest loss in Wall Street history.

The company reported weaker-than-expected revenue for the fourth quarter, but that’s not what led to the wave of selling. CEO Mark Zuckerburg was blunt in his assessment of the company’s immediate future, citing inflation, supply chain issues affecting advertisers, and users shifting to alternatives that “monetize at lower rates.”

“People have a lot of choices for how they want to spend their time and apps like TikTok are growing very quickly,” Zuckerburg said on the conference call. “And this is why our focus on Reels is so important over the long-term. As is our work to make sure that our apps are the best services out there for young adults, which I spoke about on our last call.” 

Facebook purchased Instagram when young adults switched from Facebook, which was increasingly being used by their parent's generation. Even though Facebook has more than 2 billion users worldwide, the latest earnings report showed a slowdown in user growth.

ConsumerAffairs reviewers weigh in

An analysis of verified reviews of Facebook at ConsumerAffairs shows that the platform still has its fans, earning a respectable 3.4-star rating in a 5-star system. But recent reviews suggest a rising level of user frustration.

Laurel, of Fredericksburg, Va., is among several Facebook users who are bewildered by the company’s policies.

“I get banned from reacting, commenting, sharing, you name it, without warning because I violated some vague community standard,” Laurel wrote in a ConsumerAffairs review. “Facebook says I am ‘spamming’ people by reacting or commenting. Huh?”

Lisa, of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., says the problem goes deeper than being temporarily banned. She says Facebook has shut down many users’ accounts since December for unspecified reasons. 

“They have no support team to inquire, the phone numbers listed online do not work or are fraud, and the forms requested to fill out are never replied to,” Lisa told us. “I sent in 30+ requests for help and NO one has replied to my requests.”

Challenges for small businesses

Justin, a ConsumerAffairs reviewer from San Diego, said he owns a business and has to work with Facebook on advertising. Lately, he says it hasn’t been easy.

“Their AI robots will reject your ad for no reason other than it made a mistake,” Justin contends in a ConsumerAffairs review. “Even worse, if their stupid robots make a big mistake, they'll shut down your entire ad account. Even worse, when you chat with their support, they'll never tell you why it was rejected or taken down. You can get everything back up and running again if you constantly send it in for a review and after many reviews, an actual human will do it and reinstate it.”

According to Reuters, analysts are beginning to wonder if Facebook’s problems are contagious and will eventually spread to Instagram, which is favored by a younger demographic. The news service cites Insider Intelligence, a forecasting firm, which recently estimated that Instagram’s growth in users could eventually be at risk, slowing to 5.8% this year and to 3.1% by 2025.

Several U.S. telecoms are asking the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to pay them $5.6 billion for “reasonable expenses” they incurred after removing ZTE and Huawei ZTE and Huawei from their networks.

Previously, officials designated Huawei and ZTE as “national security threats” and voted in concert to ban U.S. carriers from offering service from either company and demanded that their equipment be replaced. The FCC originally thought it would cost carriers more than $1.8 billion to satisfy the order, so it set aside $1.9 billion. However, the telecom companies say that number only covers about a quarter of what they need.

“Last year Congress created a first-of-its-kind program for the FCC to reimburse service providers for their efforts to increase the security of our nation's communications networks,” said FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel.  

“We’ve received over 181 applications from carriers who have developed plans to remove and replace equipment in their networks that pose a national security threat. While we have more work to do to review these applications, I look forward to working with Congress to ensure that there is enough funding available for this program to advance Congress’s security goals and ensure that the U.S. will continue to lead the way on 5G security.”

Consumers beware

Since the FCC has banned ZTE and Huawei, people who own one of those brands' devices would be smart to start shopping for a replacement.

Raymond, from Danville, Penn., told ConsumerAffairs that he recently purchased a ZTE device and had trouble activating it. Eventually, he took it to a Verizon store for assistance.

"The person there attempted to activate it took my prepaid card and after 45 minutes told me he could not activate it and handed it back to me. I tried returning it without luck," Raymond wrote in a ConsumerAffairs review. "I'm out over 100 dollars and still have nothing."

Budget carriers Frontier Airlines and Spirit Airlines are merging into what officials hope will be America’s most competitive ultra-low fare airline.

The union brings with it some great upsides for travelers if all goes according to plan. In an announcement, the companies project that consumers will save a billion dollars annually and have more flights to small- and mid-sized cities. By the time the ink dries on the deal, the combined power will get Frontier/Spirit into 145 markets across the U.S., the Caribbean, and Latin America.

A name for the new combined entity is still up in the air. A Frontier spokesperson said a brand name won’t be determined “for some time. The new Frontier/Spirit combination should be formidable when it comes to fares -- especially at a time when they are expected to rise. 

“Competition between airlines is the single biggest determinant of how many airlines travelers will see on a given route. If the Frontier-Spirit merger (assuming it's approved by regulators) results in a consolidated airline that flies fewer routes, higher profits for the airline will mean more expensive fares for Americans,” Scott Keyes, Founder of Scott’s Cheap Flights, told ConsumerAffairs. 

“But if the new airline remains aggressive in its route network—as both airlines have historically been—and puts more international routes on the schedule, we could see cheaper flights across the board, even for consumers who never fly budget carriers. We've been living in the Golden Age of Cheap Flights since 2015, thanks in large part to budget airlines forcing full-service airlines to slash their fares. With today's news, the best case scenario for consumers is a stronger, larger budget airline that can compete even more with U.S. legacy carriers.”

More jobs and greener airlines

Combining forces will have some other positive upsides too. For one thing, the new company will add 10,000 direct jobs by 2026. It is also ordering 350 new energy-efficient Airbus A320neo jets that will supposedly make the new combined company the youngest and greenest airline.

“This combination is all about growth, opportunities and creating value for everyone – from our Guests to our Team Members to the flying public at large,” said Mac Gardner, Chairman of the Board of Spirit Airlines.

“We’re a perfect fit – our businesses share similar values, including our longstanding commitment to affordable travel. At the same time, we have complementary footprints and fleets, including one of the youngest and greenest fleets worldwide. Together, we will be even more competitive for our Guests and our Team Members, and we are confident we can deliver on the benefits of this combination to consumers.”

A new study conducted by researchers from the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute explored how initiatives in schools may help boost kids’ mental health. Their work showed that extracurricular activities and resilience training may help improve kids’ mental health and prevent future mental health concerns. 

“With about 50 percent of mental health disorders beginning before the age of 14 years, prevention and early intervention are paramount if we want to reduce the lifetime prevalence of mental health disorders and allow children to live their best possible lives,” said researcher Harriet Hiscock. 

Prioritizing kids’ mental health

The researchers interviewed over 140 clinicians to better understand how schools can be doing more to support kids’ well-being and mental health. They answered questions on their experience working with kids through mental health struggles and what role schools can play in supporting children’s mental health. 

The clinicians believe schools have a powerful platform for helping prevent long-term mental health disorders for kids. They say administrators should either train school personnel to provide mental health support or integrate more mental health professionals into school buildings.

“Schools as buildings act as a trusted physical space where mental health clinicians could offer services that are otherwise challenging to access,” said researcher Kate Paton. “Clinicians believed teachers can offer prevention by supporting children through school-wide psycho-education, sport and social skill, and coping programs.” 

The researchers found that focusing on extracurricular activities and sessions that focused on developing strong coping skills geared toward resilience were the best options for children’s mental health at school. By offering these programs, the clinicians believe teachers will be able to identify children who have a higher risk for mental health concerns while providing them with the right tools and resources to promote well-being. 

“Whilst educators have identified many challenges to providing this support, including perceived stigma, lack of resources, and an overcrowded curriculum, understanding clinicians’ views on the roles of educators and schools and how they could work together to achieve good mental outcomes are important questions,” Paton said. 

“It’s important to understand whether different perspectives may exist between educators and mental health clinicians which need to bridged if these professionals are to work successfully together to achieve both good education and mental health outcomes.” 

A new study conducted by researchers from the University of Edinburgh explored how infants’ experience with viruses may impact their immune systems long-term. According to their findings, newborns who are exposed to viruses in the first weeks of life, but show no symptoms of being sick, may have an increased risk of respiratory infections as they grow and develop. 

“We were surprised to see viral infections occur so early in life, and go mostly unnoticed, probably because the infants’ immune system is in what is known as a state of tolerance after birth,” said researcher Debby Bogaert. “Despite this, these infections seem to affect a normal immune development, which is important to know. 

“Only from birth onwards will an infant start to develop its microbiome. Limiting the number of viral encounters in those first days to weeks of life might be essential for a healthy immune and microbiome development, and consequently long-term respiratory health.” 

Assessing infants’ long-term health risks

For the study, the researchers analyzed data from 114 babies enrolled in the Microbiome Utrecht Infant Study. The team evaluated samples taken from the infants’ nasal cavities to better understand how potential infections in their earliest days of life impact long-term health outcomes. 

Ultimately, the researchers learned that infants had a higher risk for future infections when they contracted viruses in their first days of life. The team explained that these early life viruses go undetected most of the time because babies don’t show any symptoms of being sick. 

However, these sicknesses are causing damage to the immune system. The study findings showed that early life viruses impacted immune system genes that create cells to protect against future viruses. These changes were associated with a greater inflammatory response throughout the immune system, which in turn makes the infants more vulnerable to future infections. 

The researchers also found that these infections during early infancy affected the infants’ microbiome. Over time, these viruses increased the risk of potentially harmful microbes multiplying throughout the body. 

Moving forward, the researchers hope more work is done in this area to better understand how infants’ early exposure to certain viruses can affect their long-term health. 

“Although further work will be needed to confirm the causality of our findings, the data from thai study indicate that early-life encounters with respiratory viruses – especially during the first days of life – may set the tone for subsequent non-beneficial host-microbe interactions, which are related to an infection risk and possibly long-term respiratory health.” 

Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations is recalling 10,380 Firestone Transforce HT, size LT275/70R18 with DOT code VN15TH71821, and Transforce AT, size LT275/70R18 with DOT code VN15TR91821, tires.

The tires were manufactured with an incorrect inner liner compound, which could cause increased inner liner permeability or cracking, resulting in a belt separation.

Belt separation could lead to loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.

What to do

Bridgestone will notify owners and replace the affected tires with a comparable Bridgestone or Firestone brand tire free of charge.

Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on April 1, 2022.

Owners may contact Bridgestone customer service at (800) 847-3272.

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

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌ 76,008,495 (75,682,712)

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 897,586 (894,334)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ 389,158,188 (385,782,566)

Total ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 5,716,459 (5,703,607)‌

U.S. cases dropped sharply this week

New cases of COVID-19 are in a significant decline across much of the U.S. this week. Health officials say the January surge caused by the Omicron variant is declining at a rapid pace.

On Thursday, the U.S. counted 330,128 new COVID-19 cases and 3,546 deaths. An analysis of data from the Johns Hopkins COVID-19 tracker shows that the seven-day average of new daily cases is 385,425, with 2,658 daily deaths.

But there are areas of the country where the virus is not in retreat. Fourteen states are struggling with intensive care unit (ICU) capacity of 15% or less, according to ABC News. Those states include Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, and Texas.

U.S. added 467,000 jobs in January

A surge in COVID-19 cases last month, fed by the Omicron variant, did nothing to dampen hiring activity. In a pleasant surprise for economists, the Labor Department reports that the economy added 467,000 jobs in January.

Leisure and hospitality led the way, adding 151,000 jobs during the month. Employment in transportation and warehousing increased by 54,000 in January, providing hope for a beleaguered supply chain. Jobs in that sector total 542,000 more than in February 2020, just before the start of the pandemic.

In more good news, the labor participation rate rose three-tenths of a percent as more people entered the labor force. Because more people were seeking jobs last month, the nation’s unemployment rate edged up to 4%.

CDC: Too soon to toss the mask

With the second anniversary of the start of the COVID-19 pandemic approaching and new cases declining in most areas, many people may be wondering if they still need to wear a mask in indoor public settings. They do, health officials say.

Guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has not changed. It recommends indoor masking for areas with either an average of 50 COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents or a test positivity rate of at least 8%.

According to NBC News, 99.9 percent of U.S. counties still meet that criteria for indoor masking.

Around the nation

• Minnesota: In its first action of the 2022 session, the state legislature has passed the “COVID-19 presumption law.” It states that if a health care worker or first responder is infected with COVID-19, it is presumed that they contracted the virus while on the job and are covered by workers' compensation.

• Florida: Two people have been sentenced to federal prison after being convicted of fraud relating to the 2020 Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which was designed to protect jobs at the beginning of the pandemic. The jury found the pair guilty of seeking $3.3 million in fraudulent PPP loans and obtaining nearly $2 million in PPP loan proceeds.

• Washington: COVID-19 cases are declining on a statewide basis, but there are exceptions. Franklin, Benton, and Whitman counties reportedly have some of the worst COVID-19 infection rates in the nation, according to an independent analysis of government health data.

• Indiana: State health officials have announced that all COVID-19 testing and vaccination sites around the state will be closed today as a major winter storm dumps snow and freezing rain on the region. The sites were also closed on Thursday.

• Arkansas: Stephen Walker of Conway was diagnosed with COVID-19 on Sept. 1 and entered the hospital two days later. He stayed there until this week, when he was finally discharged. Doctors say his survival was a miracle. “He came in respiratory failure ended up having to be intubated, required a trach, went into kidney failure, organ failure, on dialysis. Just about everything bad that could happen to him, happened to him,” Baptist Health’s Dr. Jamie Pinto told KARK-TV.

Airlines for America (A4A), the industry trade organization representing United, Delta, American, and other major U.S. airlines, is spearheading a drive to have the requirement for pre-departure testing for vaccinated passengers traveling to the United States completely removed.

In its letter to Jeffrey Zients, the White House coronavirus response coordinator, A4A argued that a lower pervasiveness of COVID-19 cases in all 50 states, increased immunity, higher vaccination rates, and new treatments make some testing unnecessary.

“Removing the requirement will greatly support the recovery of travel and aviation in the United States and globally without increasing the spread of COVID-19 and its variants,” wrote the 29 groups behind the effort. 

What the group is asserting

To support its pitch, A4A pointed out several things:

We have to deal with the fact that COVID-19 has become a part of everyone’s lives. The group stated that attempts to control COVID-19’s importation via air travel under today’s circumstances are unlikely to change the fact that the pandemic is literally everywhere. “No new threatening variants appear to be imminent, but if they were, pre-departure testing could be easily reinstituted,” it stated.

The EU has already made a similar move. A4A's second contention is that the European Union has recommended that its countries remove intra-Europe COVID-19 travel restrictions, and the United Kingdom has announced the removal of COVID-19 pre-departure testing for vaccinated air travelers to enter the country. The group asked Zients to look at what the UK discovered when it faced the same situation.

“It concluded that the cost to both passengers and airlines of the testing mandate could no longer be justified as there was no evidence the regime protected the population from COVID,” the group's letter read.

The WHO agrees with A4A's position. While the White House probably favors studies and conclusions from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the group suggested that officials look at what the World Health Organization (WHO) has to say about the situation.

“The WHO recommends that states consider a risk-based approach to the facilitation of international travel by lifting measures, such as testing and/or quarantine requirements, for individual travelers who are fully vaccinated, at least two weeks prior to traveling, with COVID-19 vaccines listed by the WHO for emergency use or approved by a stringent regulatory authority,” A4A stated.

Pre-departure testing is hurting international travel. “Surveys of air passengers indicate that pre-departure testing is a leading factor in the decision not to travel internationally,” the group claims. “People simply are unwilling to take the chance that they will be unable to return to the U.S. at the end of their business trip or vacation. As a result, international travel in 2021 was 75 percent below 2019 levels.”

“Till further notice” for international travelers

The group may not get a response anytime soon, so international travelers will have to continue proving that they are healthy before setting foot on a plane. The CDC’s basic requirements for international travel are that:

• Travelers need to get a COVID-19 viral test (regardless of vaccination status or citizenship) no more than 1 day before they travel by air into the United States.
• Travelers must show their negative result to the airline before they board their flight.
• For travelers who recently recovered from COVID-19, they may instead travel with documentation of recovery from COVID-19 (i.e., a positive COVID-19 viral test result on a sample taken no more than 90 days before the flight’s departure from a foreign country and a letter from a licensed healthcare provider or a public health official stating that you were cleared to travel).

While test providers say the turnaround time for test results is a matter of hours, that promise may come with a precaution. Take CVS, for example. On its COVID-19 testing website, the company says rapid-result (PCR) results can be provided "within hours." However, it also hedges that statement by stating that high demand at labs "can lead to delays in turnaround times."

One ConsumerAffairs reviewer found out about that proviso personally. “BEWARE those who are considering CVS for their Covid test results for travel,” wrote Pooja from Enola, Penn. “I am so disappointed with CVS on Covid testing, better look for other options if you are traveling and a negative Covid test is a requirement for boarding the flight.”

Pooja said they gave CVS their swab on Saturday at noon and had mentioned that it was for travel purposes. They were assured that they would receive the test results by Monday afternoon for an evening flight. You can guess what came next.

“But [I] didn't receive the test results until midnight. I had to reschedule my international travel because of this delay of CVS and had to pay the fare difference.”

Amazon is raising the price of its Prime membership, citing rising costs and a continued expansion of membership benefits.

The rate is going up from $119 a year and $12.99 a month to $139 a year and 14.99 a month. New subscribers will pay the higher rate starting February 18, while existing members will pay the higher charges after March 25.

Amazon announced the price hike late Thursday when it reported its quarterly earnings. The company told investors and analysts that it continues to invest heavily in Prime.

For example, the company says it has added more products that are available with free unlimited Prime shipping in the last few years. Amazon said Prime members also have access to more digital content because it has tripled the number of Amazon Originals and is rolling out new series and movies like The Boys, The Wheel of Time, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, The Underground Railroad, Sound of Metal, Coming 2 America, The Tomorrow War, and Being the Ricardos.

It has also written a pretty large check to the NFL so that Prime will become the exclusive home of Thursday Night Football this fall as part of a historic 11-year agreement.

How will consumers respond?

While some consumers may absorb the higher cost others might not. Colleen, of Everett, Wash., tells us she has been a Prime member for years but lately has been less satisfied.

“Obviously prime membership fees have gone up over the years, but unfortunately the service has declined,” Colleen wrote in a ConsumerAffairs review. “The drivers don't leave packages where the instructions state. Heck, I've come home to find out they left them 4 or 5 houses down.”

But Renee, of Las Vegas, might be okay paying the higher fee because she says the company is easy to work with.

“Always satisfied, they refund if there is a problem,” Renee told ConsumerAffairs. “You can now drop at UPS or Kohls and just have them scan code on your phone and don't have to pack. 

In recent months, Amazon has put more money into lessening the time between ordering and delivery. Prime membership began with free two-day delivery. 

Since 2018, the company has expanded the markets where Prime members can get same-day delivery to more than 90. It also said the number of items eligible for Prime shipping has increased by 50% during that time.

A new study conducted by researchers from Washington State University explored a new way for older consumers to cut back on their salt intake.

According to their findings, cooking with more spice is one way to help reduce how much salt is added to food; over time, this pattern can have significant heart health benefits for older consumers. 

“We were working specifically with a population of older adults to see if we could reduce the amount of salt in a product and then tailor it to their tastes,” said researcher Carolyn Ross. “This is important because the ability to taste and smell is known to weaken with age, and weaker perception of salty flavors may induce people to season their food with excessive salt, which may increase their risk of cardiovascular disease.” 

Adding spice benefits consumers’ health

The researchers had 39 participants over the age of 60 involved in a taste-test trial over the course of several days. The participants tasted three different variations of a pasta sauce: one had no added seasonings, one was seasoned with herbs, and the third had a combination of chipotle seasoning and herbs. The group then answered questions about their overall health and the medications they were taking to better understand what factors may impact their sense of taste. 

The researchers learned that the combination of herbs and chipotle seasoning was the most effective at limiting the participants’ salt intake. When trying this combination of spices, the participants were unable to tell how much salt was used, and they were less likely to add more salt. However, the sauce that contained just the herbs wasn’t as effective in this way. 

The study also found that taking several different medications and having poor oral health may affect consumers’ sense of taste. These factors can affect saliva production, making it harder to distinguish between different flavors. The researchers say older consumers could be adding more salt to their meals because their ability to taste has diminished as they’ve aged. 

Ultimately, these findings were helpful in identifying tangible ways for older consumers to limit their salt intake. Now, the team plans to do more work to better understand what happens to consumers’ tastes throughout the aging process. 

“To date, a clear relationship between taste loss, and thus higher taste thresholds, and eating behavior remains to be established,” said Ross. “So, we are investigating a bunch of different possible factors.” 

While recent studies have found that exercise may benefit everything from lifespan to brain function, a new study explored another benefit of regular physical activity. According to researchers from the University of Waterloo, exercise may also help consumers who struggle with dry, itchy eyes.   

“With so much of our activity tied to screen usage, dry eye symptoms are becoming increasingly common,” said researcher Heinz Otchere. “Instead of having to use eye drops or other alternative treatments, our study aimed to determine if remaining physically active can be an effective preventative measure against dryness.” 

Relieving dry, itchy issues

For the study, the researchers divided 52 participants into athletes and nonathletes. Participants in the athlete group exercised five times per week; nonathletes were required to exercise just once per week. The participants underwent eye exams both before and after each exercise session. 

The researchers explained that consumers are most likely to experience dry and itchy eyes when their tear film isn’t protecting the eye as it should. The tear film is a thin protective layer that’s made up of oil, water, and mucin, and it ensures that the eye remains healthy. However, if any component of the tear film is compromised, it can cause irritation, dryness, and itchiness. In this study, the team wanted to observe any changes to the tear film before or after exercise. 

Their findings showed that physical activity improved the participants' tear film stability and overall tear quality. Because the participants in the athlete group were exercising more frequently, they experienced more consistent and significant eye health benefits. However, any level of physical activity proved to be beneficial in relieving dry eye discomfort. 

“It can be challenging for people to regularly exercise when the demand is there to work increasingly longer hours in front of screens,” Otchere said. “However, our findings show physical activity can be really important for not just our overall well-being, but for ocular health too.” 

Geopolitical tensions and supply chain issues continue to put upward pressure on gasoline prices, and the pace of those rising prices “hit the gas” this week. Some states saw double-digit price increases.

AAA’s daily fuel price survey shows that the national average price of regular gas is $3.42 a gallon, about seven cents a gallon higher than last Friday. That’s 13 cents higher than a month ago.

The average price of premium gas is $4.02 a gallon, five cents higher than last week. The average price of diesel fuel is $3.76, six cents higher than a week ago.

Oil prices continue to go up because of tensions with Russia, a major oil producer. If the West places sanctions on Russia, the result could be a lot less oil on world markets.

“At the moment, only one person knows why Russia is threatening Ukraine, and that’s Russian President Vladimir Putin,” said Andrew Gross, AAA’s spokesperson. “And the tensions along the Ukrainian border have helped push crude oil prices higher almost daily.”  

Consumers are feeling the impact in some states more than others. Patrick DeHaan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, reported this week on Twitter that Napa, California, was  “just 18c/gal away from reaching $5/gal average #gasprices... would be the first city ever.”

Meanwhile, motorists in Kentucky and Tennessee saw prices rise an average of 12 cents a gallon this week. The statewide average rose 11 cents in Missouri and eight cents in Alabama and South Carolina.

States with the most expensive gas

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

• California ($4.65)   

• Hawaii ($4.41)    

• Washington ($3.95)  

• Oregon ($3.92)   

• Nevada ($3.83)    

• Alaska ($3.78)   

• Arizona ($3.62)     

• Illinois ($3.61) 

• Pennsylvania ($3.57)

• Idaho ($3.52)

States with the cheapest gas

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

• Mississippi ($3.04)  

• Texas ($3.07)     

• Arkansas ($3.07)   

• Oklahoma ($3.09) 

• Kentucky ($3.11)   

• Tennessee ($3.11)   

• Missouri ($3.11)    

• Alabama ($3.12)   

• Kansas ($3.14)       

• South Carolina ($3.15)     

Frozen Food Development is recalling specific lots of Lidl branded Frozen Chopped Spinach.

The product may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

No illnesses have been reported to date.

The recalled product, which comes in 12-oz. poly bags marked with lot number R17742 or R17963 on the back with a best by date of 09/10/23, was sold in Lidl retail stores in Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.

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 LIDL at (844) 747-5435 Monday through Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (EST).

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) continues to try making life more difficult for robocallers. In a new proposal, the agency wants to make it a requirement for robocallers to get consumers' permission before delivering a “ringless voicemail” -- a message left in a voicemail without a person's phone receiving a call.

The FCC is not giving up on full implementation of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), which protects consumers from unwanted robocalls, among other things. To date, the agency has done everything from handing out massive fines to companies that try to skirt the rules to forcing major telephone companies to meet the FCC’s mandate on robocall protection.

The latest effort came on Wednesday when FTC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel shared her idea for a ban on ringless voicemails. She said if she could get the full Commission’s buy-in, it would further prove to consumers that the agency is serious about getting robocalls completely out of their lives. 

“Ringless voicemail can be annoying, invasive, and can lead to fraud like other robocalls—so it should face the same consumer protection rules,” Rosenworcel said. “No one wants to wade through voicemail spam, or miss important messages because their mailbox is full. This FCC action would continue to empower consumers to choose which parties they give permission to contact them.”

It’s “All About the Message”

Rosenworcel’s push comes about as a response to a petition filed by All About the Message LLC – a company that an investigation by Fortune found suggests is headed by two people, one of which is involved in a marketing firm that bills itself as a provider of "Ringless Voicemail for Auto Dealers.”

In the company’s petition to the FCC, it claims that “the delivery of a voice message directly to a voicemail box does not constitute a call that is subject to the prohibitions on the use of an automatic telephone dialing system...or an artificial or prerecorded voice that are set forth in the Telephone Consumer Protection Act."

The Chairwoman’s proposed action would define ringless voicemails as “calls” that require consumers’ prior express consent. It would also deny the petition and effectively end any chance that “ringless voicemail” robocalling technology could shift from a regulatory gray area to legal fair game.