Current Events in March 2022

Volkswagen Group of America is recalling 222,892 model year 2019-2020 Atlas, model year 2020-2023 Atlas Cross Sport, and model year 2021-2023 Atlas FL vehicles.

The door wiring harness electrical contacts may corrode, disrupting the electrical connection and delaying the deployment of the driver or passenger front side airbag in a side-impact crash.

A delayed air bag deployment can increase the risk of injury.

What to do

A remedy for this issue is currently under development. Interim notification letters informing owners of the safety risk are expected to be mailed on May 10, 2022. A second notice will be sent once the remedy becomes available.

Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at (800) 893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 97GF.

Nissan North America is recalling 21 model year 2022 INFINITI QX60s and Nissan Pathfinders.

The second-row seat track may be missing a mounting bolt.

A missing mounting bolt may allow the seat track to move in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

What to do

Dealers will inspect the second-row seat track and install a new mounting bolt -- as necessary -- free of charge.

Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on April 4, 2022.

Owners may contact Nissan customer service at (800) 867-7669. Nissan's numbers for this recall are PC867 and PC868.

Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) is recalling 24 model year 2022 EQS 450, EQS 450+, EQS 580 4Matic, and AMG EQS 53 4Matic+ vehicles.

The ground connection on the front-left longitudinal member and an electrical connection for the electric auxiliary heater in the engine compartment may be improperly secured.

Improperly secured electrical connections can increase the risk of a fire.

In addition, an improperly secured ground connection may cause the left headlight to malfunction, affecting visibility and increasing the risk of a crash.

What to do

Dealers will inspect the ground connection and the auxiliary heater electrical connection and repair them -- as necessary -- free of charge.

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

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

After last week’s record surge in gasoline prices, some motorists found a little relief this week depending on where they live. For the short-term at least, prices appear to have peaked.

The AAA daily gas price survey shows that the national average price of regular gas today is $4.27 a gallon, six cents less than last Friday. Last week, the average price topped out at $4.33 a gallon.

The average price of premium gas is $4.93 a gallon, two cents lower than a week ago. The average price of diesel fuel is $5.08 a gallon, seven cents less than last week.

Tristan Kruth, director of Marketing at FuelCloud, which makes fuel management systems, says gas prices sometimes move with oil prices. However, he says that’s not always the case.

“The current spike in oil prices is being driven by Wall Street speculation, not an actual lack in supply or increase in demand,” Kruth told ConsumerAffairs. “When fuel prices are volatile, the most likely outcome in the short term is continued price volatility. However, given that oil supply is still reliable, our expectation is that fuel prices will come back to earth in the reasonably near future."

In the last week, motorists in some states experienced wild price swings. Prices surged 31 cents a gallon in Hawaii, making it once again the second-most expensive state for gasoline behind California, which saw the average price rise nine cents a gallon this week.

The average price jumped 15 cents a gallon in Nevada while a number of states saw prices fall, or at the very least remain stable. The statewide average gas price fell nine cents a gallon in Connecticut, while it was seven cents lower in New York.

States with the most expensive gas

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

• California ($5.78) 

• Hawaii ($5.12)     

• Nevada ($5.02)   

• Washington ($4.73)

• Oregon ($4.71)  

• Alaska ($4.71)      

• Arizona ($4.61)   

• Illinois ($4.53)     

• Connecticut ($4.39)   

• New York ($4.40)  

States with the cheapest gas

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

• Kansas ($3.79)

• Missouri ($3.79)  

• Oklahoma ($3.82)

• Arkansas ($3.86)

• Nebraska ($3.88)

• North Dakota ($3.89)

• Iowa ($3.89)

• Minnesota ($3.93) 

• South Dakota ($3.95)   

• Colorado ($3.96)     

Less than six months after banishing China Telecom from the U.S. over privacy concerns, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has revoked the authority of two other companies that are state-owned entities of China.

ComNet, along with its parent company Pacific Networks, will no longer be able to offer service in the U.S. due to similar privacy concerns. After a thorough review of the companies' practices, the FCC concluded that they had the potential to threaten U.S. security via its telecommunications infrastructure.

Both ComNet and Pacific Networks have 60 days to discontinue all domestic and international services emanating from within the U.S.

Despite the companies' efforts to defend themselves, an FCC investigation concluded that they were "subject to exploitation, influence and control by the Chinese government" and "highly likely to be forced to comply with Chinese government requests without sufficient legal procedures subject to independent judicial oversight.”

Officials feared that the companies were in a position to monitor, store, disrupt, or misroute communications in the U.S., which could allow them to engage in espionage and other harmful activities against the U.S.

Network security equals national security

China may have been the country in the FCC’s crosshairs for this investigation, but it's not the only country that's being examined in light of the war between Russia and Ukraine.

“Our network security has never been more important. As events in Ukraine continue to unfold, reports indicate that hackers acting on behalf of Russia are seeking to sabotage Ukraine’s networks – utilizing new ways of attacking critical infrastructure, financial, and governmental networks, both in cooperation with other hackers and on their own,” FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks commented. 

“While we have yet to see a coordinated attack on American networks, we cannot ignore the capabilities of Russian state actors, which one technology company estimates are responsible for nearly 60 percent of all state-sponsored cyberattacks.”

Speaking directly to consumers, Starks equated network security with national security. 

“Today’s action is another positive step towards protecting our national security, but clearly we must continue to rise to the challenges of the day,” he stated.

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

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌ 79,685,587 (79,632,049)

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 970,116 (968,343)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ 466,313,781 (464,103,184)

Total ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 6,067,720 (6,060,570)‌

Moderna seeks approval for fourth shot

Moderna has announced that it will apply for emergency use authorization (EUA) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for a fourth shot of its COVID-19 vaccine. It follows Pfizer’s announcement earlier this week that it is doing the same thing. 

"The request to include adults over 18 years of age was made to provide flexibility for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and healthcare providers to determine the appropriate use of an additional booster dose of mRNA-1273, including for those at higher risk of COVID-19," the company said in a statement.

Without going into specifics, the Moderna statement said real-world evidence “continues to confirm the effectiveness and robust safety profile of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.” Meanwhile, clinical trials are ongoing for Moderna's Omicron-specific booster.

Large study finds ivermectin didn’t reduce severe COVID-19 symptoms

Scientists who are testing some existing antiviral drugs as potential treatments for COVID-19 report that ivermectin did not reduce severe cases of the virus requiring hospitalization. The drug is one of several that have sparked controversy because it is being used as a treatment without FDA approval.

In a large trial, nearly 1,400 COVID-19 patients at risk of severe disease received either ivermectin or a placebo. The researchers say those getting the drug didn’t achieve better protection than those who received a placebo.

The subjects had all tested positive for the virus and had underlying conditions that put them at risk. “There was no indication that ivermectin is clinically useful,” Edward Mills, one of the study’s lead researchers, told the Wall Street Journal.

Getting COVID-19 not inevitable, experts say

In the last two years, nearly 80 million Americans have been infected with COVID-19. That means millions more haven’t, and health experts say it’s not inevitable that they will.

Scientists who have tracked the spread of the virus and its variants say there are several reasons that millions of Americans haven’t gotten sick. They point to careful behavior on one hand but also say genetics may play a role.

They also say most people who haven’t gotten infected have been fully vaccinated and boosted. Doctors tell ABC News that it's impossible to disregard the effect that vaccination rates have had on preventing infections among Americans.

Around the nation

• Vermont: Vermont residents are now able to pick up free at-home COVID-19 tests that offer rapid results at many health department testing sites. The Vermont Department of Health said the change in testing follows recent simplified guidance for what to do if you or someone you've been in contact with tests positive for COVID-19.

• Nevada: Because of a sharp drop in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, state officials have announced that they will end the long-standing practice of daily data reports and instead report weekly.  The Nevada Department of Health and Human Services will update its dashboard each Wednesday with numbers through the preceding Monday.

• California: Cases of the coronavirus are down, but one of the state’s top health experts says they aren’t out. Dr. Warner Greene, a senior investigator at the Gladstone Institutes, points to the rapid spread of the Omicron subvariant in Europe. He says what happens in Europe with COVID-19 tends to happen in the U.S four to six weeks later.

• Missouri: State health officials say they will end a program that offers state residents free COVID-19 tests through the mail. The tests are then processed by a laboratory to provide results within 72 hours. The state will end the program on March 31, citing a lack of demand.

• Kentucky: Gov. Andy Beshear has vetoed a Republican-backed bill to terminate the state’s emergency COVID-19 declaration before it is scheduled to expire. Beshear said he vetoed the measure because he said it would cut off extra food assistance to struggling Kentuckians.

A new study indicates that pickup trucks, vans, and SUVs pose a large threat to pedestrians when making turns. The study – conducted by researchers from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) – suggests that because of their size, those vehicles may not give drivers a sufficient peripheral view of pedestrians crossing the street.

The study findings show that the vehicle type that puts the most pedestrians in harm’s way is pickups. The researchers estimate that these vehicles are 80% more likely to get into an accident with pedestrians than cars. SUVs were 61% more likely to get into an accident with pedestrians, and minivans were 45% more likely to hit people than cars.

The concern over pedestrian fatalities has grown considerably over the past few years, with pedestrian crash deaths increasing nearly every year since hitting a low point in 2009. Pedestrian fatalities tied to self-driving vehicle technologies garnered considerable attention, leading the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA) to issue investigations despite heavy lobbying by self-driving car industry groups. 

“We already know that larger vehicles cause more severe injuries when they strike pedestrians,” said IIHS Vice President of Research Jessica Cicchino. “The link between these vehicle types and certain common pedestrian crashes points to another way that the increase in SUVs on the roads might be changing the crash picture.”

The trouble spots

Intersections are the chief trouble spot, according to the study. Accidents involving a pedestrian and drivers making a left turn were about twice as high for SUVs, nearly 3 times as high for vans and minivans, and nearly 4 times as high for pickups as they were for cars. Those same types of accidents involving a right turn were 89% higher for pickups and 63% higher for SUVs than for cars.

“It’s possible that the size, shape or location of the A-pillars [the struts connecting the roof to the vehicle’s body on either side of the windshield] that support the roof on either side of the windshield could make it harder for drivers of these larger vehicles to see crossing pedestrians when they are turning,” says IIHS Senior Transportation Engineer Wen Hu.

After intersections, pedestrians walking or running along the road was the most problematic type of accident factor. 

Are there solutions?

Other studies have suggested that adding artificial sound to electric vehicles may improve pedestrian safety. While the IIHS analysts said more research needs to be done to fully understand the role of visibility in these crashes, the best solution might come from a reevaluation of the A-pillars. 

“While their heavier weight means that larger passenger vehicles need stronger pillars to protect occupants in rollover crashes, a systematic assessment of A-pillar design by vehicle type has not been conducted,” the researchers stated. 

Unfortunately, an A-pillar redesign alone won’t solve everything. Other design elements of larger vehicles, such as high ride heights and long front ends, could also impede drivers’ ability to see pedestrians.

“Improving vehicle design, along with addressing road infrastructure and vehicle speeds, can play an important part in reducing pedestrian crashes and fatalities,” Hu says. “Our findings suggest that looking at the problem through the lens of vehicle type could also be productive.”

Replacing a car or truck continues to be more expensive. While there is a shortage of new vehicles because of a lack of computer chips, demand for used cars and trucks continues to push those prices higher.

A report from iSeeCars.com shows that used vehicle prices in February increased by an average of 35%, or $9,080, year-over-year. The only good news is that the increase is slightly less than January’s

With gas prices at record highs, it may be no surprise that the vehicles increasing the most in price were economy and fuel-efficient cars. The average price of a hybrid jumped by nearly 47%, while electric vehicles went for 43% more.

“After coming down slightly in February, used car prices remain elevated due to lingering supply constraints, and they are expected to rise again due to geopolitical factors as Russia is a key supplier of materials used to make car parts and microchips,” said iSeeCars executive analyst Karl Brauer. “We are also seeing a significant increase in demand for used hybrid and electric vehicles as a result of high gas prices.”

Vehicles that increased the most

Because not all vehicles are increasing in price at the same rate, car shoppers need to do their homework before heading to a used car lot. According to the iSeeCars research, six models – the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid, Chevrolet Spark, Nissan Leaf, Mercedes Benz G Class, Kia Forte, and Kia Rio – all increased in price by more than 50% in the last 12 months.

Unfortunately for car shoppers, most of the cars that increased in price the least were already expensive to start with. According to the report, the Maserati Levante, Porsche Macan, and Jaguar F-Pace registered the smallest price increases since February 2021.

Used cars have become so expensive due to demand outstripping supply. With fewer new cars being produced due to the chip shortage, buyers are bidding up prices.

Whatever the market will bear

Unlike new cars that have a manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP), also known as the “sticker price,” used car dealers are free to price vehicles at whatever the market will bear.

If there is one small silver lining to all of this, consumers who don’t have to purchase a new vehicle in the immediate future are slightly protected from the inflation that is roaring through the economy. 

Government economists at the Bureau of Labor Statistics note that used car prices have contributed almost nothing to the inflation rate in the last 20 years. In the last 12 months, they attribute at least 1% of the nation’s inflation rate to the price of used vehicles.

Recent studies have analyzed the impact of COVID-19 on pregnant women and their babies, and now a new study is exploring the risks of infection before, during, and after childbirth. According to the findings, it's possible for an infection to be passed between mothers and newborns, but the risk is pretty low.

“Ours is the first study to use the World Health Organization’s stringent methods to show that it is possible for the virus to be spread from the mother to baby while in the womb, during childbirth, and after delivery,” said researcher Shakila Thangaratinam. “However, parents and health care professionals can be reassured that only a very small proportion of babies born to mothers with SARS-CoV-2 test positive. This implies that the risks of infection to such babies are rare.

“Mothers should also be reassured about the low risk of viral transmission through vaginal birth, skin-to-skin contact, and breastfeeding – all of which should be encouraged.” 

Infants are likely to be healthy

For the study, the researchers analyzed data on more than 14,000 babies born to mothers with COVID-19. The team tracked the infants’ health outcomes and evaluated what role different delivery methods and mothers’ care habits played in infants’ well-being. 

Overall, less than 2% of the infants born to mothers with COVID-19 tested positive for the virus. The researchers learned that infants were more likely to contract the virus when their mothers tested positive after giving birth or when their mothers had severe cases of the virus. 

The researchers found that different forms of delivery or choosing to breastfeed didn’t play a role in the likelihood of infants getting sick. The study showed that infants weren’t more likely to test positive for COVID-19 when their mothers had vaginal deliveries or breastfed. 

The researchers hope these findings highlight the COVID-19 risks present between mothers and their infants. They explained that promoting COVID-19 vaccines to more pregnant women will help lower the risk of severe infection, and it’s also important to closely monitor the infection of infants who test positive in the early days of life. 

A new study conducted by researchers from Case Western University explored how pre-existing conditions may increase consumers’ risk of cancer. 

According to their findings, men living with HIV (MLWH) may have a higher risk of being diagnosed with cancer than those without the virus. 

“Using national Medicaid data, we observed an excess prevalence of cancer among MLWH, particularly for anal cancer, rectal cancer, and lymphoma,” the researchers wrote. “Overall, cancer prevalence was nearly twice as high in MLWH than in men without HIV enrolled in Medicaid.” 

HIV makes cancer more likely in men

For the study, the researchers analyzed data from Medicaid, which included information on over 7 million men without HIV and over 82,000 who had HIV. The team analyzed all of the participants’ health records and looked specifically at the risk of cancer both overall and for individual types of the disease. 

Ultimately, the risk of cancer was much higher for those living with HIV than for those without the virus. For men struggling with symptomatic cases of HIV, the risk of cancer was even higher. Additionally, younger men with HIV had a higher risk of developing cancer than older men with HIV. 

The researchers learned that these risks persisted among several different types of cancers, including lymphoma, rectal cancers, and anal cancers. The team believes this increased risk could be due to cancer-related risk factors that are common with HIV, including smoking and exposure to viruses like HPV, as well as a more rapid aging process that comes with HIV. 

With a better understanding of these risks, the researchers hope more work is done to start cancer screenings earlier, identify those with the highest risk, and encourage consumers to adopt healthier lifestyles. 

“Medicaid plays a key role in insuring people with HIV,” said researcher Siran Koroukian. “Our findings highlight the importance of the Medicaid program’s efforts to promote healthy behaviors and to promote vaccines against human papillomavirus in children and adolescents, as well as individualized cancer screenings.” 

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing is recalling 36,558 model year 2021 C-HRs.

The radar sensor may not have been activated during production, making the pre-collision system (PCS) inoperative.

An inoperative PCS that does not provide a malfunction indicator to the driver, or braking assist as expected, can increase the risk of a crash.

What to do

Dealers will inspect and activate the radar sensor -- as necessary-- free of charge.

Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on April 11, 2022.

Owners may contact Toyota customer service at (800) 331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 22TA02.

Maison Battat of Canada is recalling about 19,600 "B. toys Wooden Activity Walker – Walk ‘n’ Learn" products sold in the U.S. and Canada.

The wheels and wheel attachment hardware can detach from the walker in small pieces, posing a choking hazard to young children.

The firm has received six reports of the wheels and attachment hardware detaching, including one report of a child putting a detached metal nut in her mouth.

This recall involves B. toys Wooden Activity Walker – Walk ‘n’ Learn, wooden toddler walkers. The product is a wooden activity walker with yellow sides, blue wheels, and multicolored activity features on the front. B. toys Walk ‘n’ Learn is printed on the packaging and label.

The walkers, manufactured in China, were sold at Target stores nationwide and online at Target.com and Amazon.com from September 2020, through November 2021, for about $36.

What to do

Consumers should immediately take the recalled toddler walkers away from young children and contact Maison Battat for a free repair kit with replacement wheels, attachment hardware, and installation instructions.

Known purchasers are being contacted directly.

Consumers may contact Battat toll-free at (844) 963-2479 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (ET) Monday through Friday, by email at recalls@battatco.com or online for more information.

Audi is recalling 49 model year 2022 RS5 coupes and RS5 Sportbacks.

The value for the maximum combined weight of occupants and cargo on the B-pillar Tire and Loading Information label is incorrect.

While referencing the B-pillar label, the operator may overload the vehicle and increase the risk of a crash.

What to do

Dealers will install a corrected label on the B-pillar free of charge.

Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on April 22, 2022.

Owners may contact Audi customer service at (800) 253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 44S3.

Frickenschmidt Foods of Lockwood, Mo., is recalling approximately 5,795 pounds of ready-to-eat beef sticks.

The product contains and declares wheat as an ingredient on the label, but it states incorrectly that it is gluten-free.

There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions.

The following item, packaged on November 30, 2021, December 1, 2021, and January 28, 2021, is being recalled:

• 1.5-oz. individually sealed packages of “HIGH PROTEIN SNACK TERIYAKI BEEF WICKED CUTZ BEEF STICK” with lot code 113022, 120122, or 012823 printed in blue ink on the back of the product package.

The recalled product, bearing the establishment number “M33928” printed in blue ink on the back of the package, was shipped to retail locations nationwide and sold online.

What to do

Consumers with an allergy or sensitivity to wheat who purchased the recalled product should not consume it. Instead, they should discard it or return it to the place of purchase.

Consumers with questions contact the company at (417) 232-4401 or by email at steven@frickenschmidtfoods.com.

The U.S. Senate has passed a resolution that would end the federal mask mandate on public transportation – including during air travel – once and for all.

Although the measure passed in the Senate, it barely mustered enough votes. The yeas won out 57-40 on the Republican-led legislation thanks to eight Democrats adding their approval.

But jumping for joy may be a waste of time because the resolution actually being enacted is a longshot. As it heads to the House of Representatives, there’s uncertainty that House Leader Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D–CA) will permit a vote on the matter because it could be politically crippling to the Biden administration. Biden has also stated that he would veto the resolution if it did pass.

Where does the mask mandate stand?

While mask requirements are starting to relax, they aren't completely gone. Last week, the Biden administration extended the mask mandate through April 18, but that could change based on future actions from President Biden, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Transportation Safety Administration (TSA). 

The CDC previously stated that it would design new rules for when masks would be recommended on planes, buses, and trains, suggesting that the mandate might be modified or lifted altogether by the April 18 deadline.

Traveling with a mask may not be a bad idea due to concerns from health officials that cases of COVID-19 are on the upswing again in Europe and Asia and could rise again in the U.S. The uptick in cases is currently being attributed to the BA.2 Omicron sub-variant, which makes up about a fourth of U.S. cases. 

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

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌ 79,634,377 (79,587,313)

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 968,430 (966,493)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ 464,198,148 (461,937,132)

Total ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 6,060,733 (6,053,334)‌

White House COVID-19 response leader steps down

Jeff Zients, who has led the White House’s response to COVID-19 since January 2021, is leaving his post. His resignation comes as cases of the virus have declined in the U.S. from January highs and many states have returned to normal.

President Biden praised the work Zients has done over the last 14 months, saying his management experience aided the administration in getting the virus under control.

“When Jeff took this job, less than 1% of Americans were fully vaccinated; fewer than half our schools were open; and unlike much of the developed world, America lacked any at-home COVID tests,” Biden said in a statement. “Today, almost 80% of adults are fully vaccinated; over 100 million are boosted; virtually every school is open; and hundreds of millions of at-home tests are distributed every month.”

U.S. cases are rising but hospitalizations aren’t

It’s one thing to count each case of COVID-19, but many health experts say it’s not the best way to track the trajectory of the pandemic. There has been an increase this week in new cases, but officials say many of them are minor. As a result, severe cases requiring hospital treatment are flat or declining.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has changed the way it decides whether a locality should observe mask mandates in public indoor spaces, making hospitalizations the deciding factor. Under that criteria, most of the U.S. is now in the mask-free zone. That said, the CDC is keeping a wary eye on the rest of the world, where many countries are experiencing a surge in new cases.

“Our experience with Delta and Omicron is that what happens with Europe doesn’t stay in Europe; it hits us,” Dr. Jay Varma, a physician and epidemiologist at Cornell Medicine, told the Wall Street Journal.

‘Brain fog’ a common side effect of COVID-19, neurologist says

A neurologist who treats recovered COVID-19 patients at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center reports that "brain fog" is a common symptom associated with COVID-19, even after recovery from the virus. The condition is characterized by difficulty in concentrating, being unable to think of a specific word, and uncharacteristic forgetfulness.

“Those who come to our cognitive clinic are among the estimated 22% to 32% of patients who recovered from COVID-19, yet find they still have brain fog as part of their experience of long COVID, or post-acute sequelae of SARS CoV-2 infection (PASC), as experts call it," Dr. Tamara Fong writes at the Harvard Health blog.

The symptoms of brain fog also occur under common medical circumstances. It’s the same feeling as when someone hasn’t gotten enough sleep or is taking medication that causes drowsiness. Brain fog has also been reported following chemotherapy or a concussion.

Around the nation

• Ohio: As far as schools are concerned, things are pretty much back to normal in Ohio. According to the state education records updated late last week, only 21 of Ohio's 609 school systems required masks for some or all students, down from 291 in mid-October. 

• Pennsylvania: The state health department has announced that free COVID-19 testing sites are still open to the public at six locations across the state, including two new sites.  “Testing remains a critical tool as we transition to this new phase of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Acting Secretary of Health Keara Klinepeter said. 

• Tennessee: State health officials report that there has been a dramatic drop in new coronavirus cases in Northeast Tennessee. The region’s seven-day COVID-19 case rate dropped by another 52% last week. It’s down 97% since January 26.

• Arizona: The number of new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations continues to fall across the state, but deaths, considered a lagging indicator of the virus’s severity, rose 20%, according to state health officials. The was the largest number of new deaths since the state shifted from daily to weekly updates.

• Florida: The University of Florida has wrapped up an investigation into claims that state officials took action to prevent access to the state’s COVID-19 data. University administrators concluded that the allegations were “meritless.” Some faculty members alleged that researchers were being pressured to hide data about the extent of the virus in Florida.

Rising home prices and rising mortgage rates are not a good combination. Frustrated homebuyers headed to the sidelines last week, as the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) reported a big drop in loan applications.

According to the MBA, applications for home mortgages dropped 1.2% from the previous week. Much of the decline was for refinanced loans because the higher rates made refinancing less appealing. 

Many consumers who took out mortgages to purchase a home were buying expensive homes. The average purchase application loan size remained elevated at $453,200 - the second-highest amount in the MBA's survey.

Making home purchases even less affordable, most buyers are now paying over 4% for a mortgage. The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages backed by the FHA increased to 4.23% from 4.12% the week before.

‘High demand and growth’

Jawad Nayyar co-founder and chief vision officer of DAO PropTech, a firm assisting real estate investors, says the housing market should continue to move higher despite rising rates and prices.

“In some areas of high demand and growth, the value growth might be as high as 25%,” Nayyar told ConsumerAffairs. “We believe the current bullish trend would also translate into higher growth rates for the next year, increasing the values further by another 15%. Towards the end of the year, the market growth is expected to slow down, due to political uncertainty.”

Tabitha Mazzara, Director of Operations at mortgage lender mbanc, agrees that home prices will not only hold their current value in the months ahead but are likely to move even higher. She notes that inventory levels are way below normal.

“With ongoing supply chain issues, we won't be seeing any sudden increase in inventory in the near future, either,” Mazzara told us. “The minute any property becomes available, people are still buying, and there is still a lot of money in circulation from government programs designed to stimulate the economy during COVID.”

Not enough homes for sale

Mazzara says the current market is drawing homeowners and investors who are longing for some stability.

“The stock market is up and down, crypto is up and down, and the bond market is also affected by the situation in Ukraine,” she said. “But home prices will not have that same volatility."

Joel Kan, the MBA's associate vice president of Economic and Industry Forecasting, says mortgage rates may remain volatile for a while because of uncertainty surrounding Federal Reserve policy and the war in Ukraine.

Walmart is going on a massive hiring spree. By the end of April, the big-box retailer says it will hire more than 50,000 workers – a push that will make it the largest private employer in the U.S.

In addition to the 3,000 jobs it recently announced for its home delivery service, the new jobs will cross other company lines. That includes more store employees, personal shoppers for the company’s advertising and health businesses, and positions in its expanding direct-to-refrigerator grocery delivery service. 

One of Walmart's biggest employment pushes will happen in its technology sector, Walmart Global Tech, where the company plans to hire more than 5,000 associates globally. Many of those jobs will be located in Toronto and Atlanta, two cities with an abundance of tech talent and large numbers of existing Walmart employees.

Increasing wages to compete for workers

Walmart is not alone in looking for employees; consumers can hardly drive a couple of miles without seeing a few “now hiring” signs. But it might have to increase its pay rate if it’s going after the same pool of job seekers that Amazon, Target, and Costco are.

At present, workers start out at. $16 per hour at Costco, $15 per hour at Amazon, and up to $24 per hour at Target. In comparison, the base rate at Walmart is $12 per hour.

Not withering away from its competitors' wage hikes, Walmart spokeswoman Anne Hatfield told CNBC that the company's magnitude gives employees the chance to move into higher-paying roles. She said hourly pay is as much as $26 per hour for “team leads” at company stores. At distribution and fulfillment centers, pay starts at $16 per hour for supply chain workers’ but can rise as high as $30 per hour.

Because competitors are upping their benefits game, Walmart is stepping up its benefits too. Like Target, Walmart recently added a college tuition perk via its Live Better U program.