Current Events in March 2022

A new study conducted by researchers from the University of Michigan explored how climate change may affect consumers’ allergies. 

According to their findings, rising global temperatures may increase pollen production on trees, weeds, and grasses, which is likely to make allergy season more severe and longer-lasting. 

“Pollen-induced respiratory allergies are getting worse with climate change,” said researcher Yingxiao Zhang. “Our findings can be a starting point for further investigations into the consequence of climate change on pollen and corresponding health effects.” 

Allergy symptoms are likely to worsen

To better understand what role climate change could play in allergy season, the researchers analyzed climate data from 1995 through 2014. They also created a predictive model to understand how changes to the temperature may affect the production of more than a dozen kinds of pollen and understand how patterns related to climate change are likely to affect allergy season by the end of the century. 

Based on current climate change trends and the available data, the researchers predict that allergy season is likely to start 40 days earlier by the end of this century. They explained that hotter temperatures increase pollen production and cause the process to start much earlier than normal. The researchers anticipate pollen production to be 200% higher by the end of the century. 

In addition to an earlier start time for allergies, the study found that symptoms like sniffling, sneezing, and watery eyes are likely to last longer than usual. 

While these findings pose a cause for concern for allergy sufferers, the researchers hope these findings are used to better identify areas that could be at the highest risk for prolonged allergy issues. 

“We’re hoping to include our pollen emissions model within a national air quality forecasting system to provide improved and climate-sensitive forecasts to the public,” said researcher Allison Steiner. 

Golden Medal Mushroom of Los Angeles, Calif., is expanding its earlier recall to include all cases of its 200g/7.05-oz and 150g/5.25-oz packages of Enoki mushrooms imported from China.

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

The recalled product, which includes lot number 300511 with UPC 6953150100684 for the 200g/7.05-oz packages, and UPC 6953150110157 for the 150g/5.25-oz packages, was shipped to retail stores in Chicago, Ill.; Los Angeles, Calif.; and Dallas, Texas.

What to do

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

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

Daimler Vans USA (DVUSA) is recalling 17,093 model year 2015-2018 Mercedes-Benz Metris vans.

A defective memory chip in the rearview camera may cause the display image to freeze.

A frozen rearview image does not show the live view of what is currently behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

What to do

As an interim repair, dealers will update the rearview camera software free of charge. Interim owner notification letters informing owners of the safety risk and interim repair are expected to be mailed on March 21, 2022.

Once remedy parts become available, dealers will replace the rearview camera free of charge.

Owners may contact DVUSA customer service at (877) 762-8267. DVUSA's number for this recall is VS2RU54KAM.

The Labor Department reports that the Producer Price Index (PPI)  – the costs incurred by companies that make things – went up 10% in February. Making matters worse, the government revised January’s PPI up to 10% as well.

Economist Joel Naroff, of Naroff Economics, says that’s not good news for consumers. Eventually, those cost increases are going to get passed along to consumers, perhaps in areas where it will hurt the most.

“The surging food and energy prices are likely to move through the economy, but that takes time, so the expectation is that producer costs will continue to rise strongly over the next few months, though maybe not as massively as they have been,” Naroff told ConsumerAffairs.

There are two choices for businesses getting hit with these higher costs: Pass them along to consumers or absorb most of them and reduce their profit margins. Publicly traded companies may be less likely to do the latter.

Food and energy costs accounted for the biggest cost increase for producers last month. If those two categories are removed, the increase in inflation and the wholesale level drops to 6.6% – which is still the highest level in decades.

A pass to raise prices

The question for consumers is will these price increases persist, or will they be "transitory," as the Federal Reserve said in 2020? If they continue for at least a while, Naroff thinks it could flash a green light for businesses to raise prices permanently.

“For the last 10 to15 years, firms had limited pricing power,” he said. “I used to say that, outside of food and energy, the path from rising producer costs to increased consumer prices was random and often wound up at a dead end. Thus, price increases were frequently temporary or limited.”

Unfortunately, things seem to have changed now. Narroff says the result could be rising prices at the retail level.

“Now firms have pricing power and one way they have of retaining that power is to limit the reduction in prices as input costs decline - if and when they do,” Naroff said. “That is likely to be the case for as long as firms can keep that going.”

The Federal Reserve wraps up its March meeting today and is widely expected to increase a key interest rate as a way to keep inflation in check. While it might help, it would also increase the interest rate consumers pay on auto loans and credit card debt.

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

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌ 79,587,313 (79,564,017)

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 966,493 (965,149)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ 461,937,132 (458,260,648)

Total ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 6,053,334 (6,047,784)‌

FEMA pays $2 billion for COVID-19 funerals

COVID-19 stimulus checks ended last year, but the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is still paying for funerals of Americans who have died from COVID-19. So far, the agency has written checks for $2 billion to support more than 300,000 applicants.

Rather than curtailing the program now that deaths are in decline, FEMA has launched a new outreach campaign and is continuing to process applications to ensure that the program -- already the largest offering of funeral assistance in FEMA’s history -- reaches additional eligible families in need.

“Our new outreach campaign is designed to reach families, especially across underserved communities, where the cost of a funeral can be a financial burden to a loved one,” said FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell. “Our goal is to help families apply for assistance, as well as submit all required documents for existing applications.”

Pfizer seeks fourth shot approval

Just days after Pfizer’s CEO said everyone who is vaccinated and boosted will need a fourth shot to protect against the coronavirus, the drugmaker, along with partner BioNTech, has formally applied for approval for the extra booster.

The companies say they have submitted an application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) of an additional booster dose for adults 65 years of age and older who have received an initial booster of any of the authorized or approved COVID-19 vaccines. 

The application makes a case for a fourth shot by focusing on two real-world data sets from Israel, collected at a time when the Omicron variant was at its peak. The application cites evidence that an additional mRNA booster increases immunogenicity and lowers rates of confirmed infections and severe illness. 

Study tracks vaccine effectiveness with children

A continuing research study at the University of Arizona Health Sciences, in combination with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), suggests that the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine has been a moderately effective tool for preventing the spread of COVID-19. It has also been shown to reduce the severity of infection among children and adolescents.

Nearly 1,400 children ages five to 15 were tested for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, each week from July 25, 2021, to Feb. 12, 2022. Researchers found that vaccination with two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine reduced the risk of infection from the Omicron variant by 31% in children aged five to 11 and by 59% in adolescents aged 12 to15. 

The report also showed that the vaccine was somewhat less effective against the Omicron variant. When the Delta variant was the dominant variant, the study found that protection levels were around 87%.

Around the nation

• New Jersey: Rep. Andy Kim (D-N.J.) reportedly tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday. The Democrat from Burlington County said he woke up in the middle of the night with a fever and reported on Twitter that he feels miserable. Kim said he was able to test himself because he had ordered an at-home rapid test.

• Delaware: Gov. John Carney and other state officials have announced almost $17 million in financial support for citizens impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as aid for health care professionals at state facilities. The support includes housing assistance for the most vulnerable consumers.

• Utah: Health officials report that the state continues to log fewer COVID-19 cases, recording fewer than 100 on Tuesday. However, about 20% of the new cases involved school-aged children. The largest number were among the 14 to 17 age group.

• North Carolina: A North Carolina man has been sentenced to 20 months in prison for fraudulently obtaining over $1.7 million in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Prosecutors say the defendant secured loans for four different companies.

• Oklahoma: An Oklahoma Air Force officer says he expects his military career to end over his refusal to be vaccinated. While mask mandates are expiring around the country, the Defense Department’s vaccination mandate is still being enforced.

After analyzing data from an Israeli COVID-19 study, Pfizer and BioNTech have applied for emergency use authorization (EUA) with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for an additional booster for adults aged 65 and older. 

The companies said the decision came from an analysis of “real-world” data taken from Israeli Ministry of Health records of over 1.1 million adults 60 years of age and older who had no known history of SARS-CoV-2 infection and were eligible for an additional (fourth dose) booster. The study also revealed no new safety concerns in individuals who received an additional booster dose of the vaccine.

"These data showed rates of confirmed infections were 2 times lower and rates of severe illness were 4 times lower among individuals who received an additional booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine administered at least four months after an initial booster (third) dose compared to those who received only one booster dose," officials said in a news release.

Pfizer has been very proactive in its fight against the coronavirus. In the last three months, the FDA approved its COVID-19 booster for 16- and 17-year-olds, as well as those between 12 and 15 years old.

CEO says authorization is necessary

In an interview on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said a fourth COVID-19 vaccine dose is necessary “right now” and that the company was moving forward on a shot designed to protect people against all COVID-19 variants for a minimum of a year -- double the efficacy of a previous study.

Bourla added that vaccines for children five years old and under could also be available in May.

“The protection you are getting from the third, it is good enough, actually quite good for hospitalizations and deaths. It’s not that good against infections, but doesn’t last very long,” Bourla said.

Even in a bitterly partisan U.S. Senate, Republicans and Democrats have found something to agree on. Lawmakers unanimously approved a bill to make Daylight Saving Time permanent.

If the bill is also passed by the House and signed by President Biden, Americans would no longer have to set their clocks forward in the spring and set them back in the fall.

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), a sponsor of the bill, noted the bipartisan nature of the support for the measure to make America’s time consistent.

“Just this past weekend, we all went through that biannual ritual of changing the clock back and forth, and the disruption that comes with it,” Rubio said. “And one has to ask themselves after a while, ‘Why do we keep doing it? Why are we doing this?’”

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), was the lead Democratic sponsor of the legislation. He said the measure is highly popular in his state.

“Pretty much everybody in Rhode Island experiences the same thing on that unhappy day in early November  … when suddenly an hour of your day, an hour of your daylight disappears and dusk comes an hour earlier,” he said.

First promoted to save candles

According to some accounts, the first proposal for Daylight Saving Time goes all the way back to 1784 when it was argued that aligning Americans’ awake hours to daylight would save on candle usage. In the 20th century, the argument was updated to advocate the conservation of electricity. Daylight Saving Time began in the U.S. in 1918.

While many nations other than the U.S. observe Daylight Saving Time, others do not. Those that do sometimes have different start dates than other nations.

Adding to the confusion, some states and territories do not observe Daylight Saving Time, remaining on Standard Time. The areas of the U.S. that do not go on Daylight Saving Time are Hawaii, most of Arizona, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and American Samoa.

Disruptive

In a global economy, lawmakers argue that Daylight Saving Time can lead to confusion and disrupt timekeeping, travel, billing, record keeping, medical devices, and sleep patterns. Rubio says he believes most Americans are ready for some consistency.

“So we're doing this back-and-forth clock changing for about 16 weeks of Standard Time a year,” Rubio said. “I think the majority of the American people's preference is just to stop the back and forth changing. But beyond that, I think their preference is — certainly at least based on today's vote, and what we've heard — is to make Daylight Saving Time permanent.”

The measure now heads to the House of Representatives. Once House Speaker Nancy Pelosi schedules a vote, the unanimous vote in the Senate suggests easy passage.

Ireland’s Data Protection Commission has hit Meta (formerly known as Facebook) with a fine worth $18.6 million for a series of data breach notifications in the European Union (EU).

The commission said Meta failed to have appropriate technical and organizational safeguards in place to protect its users’ data. That left users vulnerable in 12 breaches over a six-month period during 2018.

When the breaches were first revealed, the commission’s investigation revealed that as many as 50 million Facebook accounts were impacted, some allowing hackers access to Facebook users’ photos. 

Meta calls the fine unfair

Facebook should be relieved that the fine wasn't any larger. Under the EU’s data protection law, member blocs like Ireland can levy penalties as high as 4% of a company’s annual revenue for the most egregious violations. In Meta's case, that would have equated to a fine of more than $4 billion.

Last year, Ireland fined another Meta product – WhatsApp – $246 million. Amazon was also slapped with a record $746 million by the country of Luxembourg’s privacy custodian.

Nonetheless, Meta still contends that the fine is unfair because it took the commission nearly four years to make its decision. Company officials say they were still making adjustments to privacy settings at that time.

“This fine is about record-keeping practices from 2018 that we have since updated, not a failure to protect people’s information,” Meta told Bloomberg News.

Though many consumers spend their time before bed scrolling mindlessly on their phones or watching TV, recent studies have warned about the risks associated with screen time before bed. Now, researchers from Northwestern University are warning about any kind of light disruption during sleep. 

According to their findings, exposure to even moderate lighting during sleep may increase the risk of several serious health conditions, including cardiovascular health and insulin resistance. 

“The results from this study demonstrate that just a single night of exposure to moderate room lighting during sleep can impair glucose and cardiovascular regulation, which are risk factors for heart disease, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome,” said researcher Dr. Phyllis Zee. “It’s important for people to avoid or minimize the amount of light exposure during sleep.” 

Light disruptions may worsen health

The researchers had 20 young adults participate in a sleep experiment that tested out how exposure to different levels of light affected health outcomes. For two consecutive nights, they slept in a room with dim lighting (3 lux). They then slept in a room with brighter overhead lighting (100 lux) for another night. In both instances, the team tracked their sleep quality, melatonin levels, insulin resistance, and cardiovascular health. 

The study showed that when the participants slept in the brighter room, it significantly impacted their heart rates. Not only did the participants’ heart rates increase, but the light disruption affected how fast the blood pumped to the heart and the force of the heart pumping. 

“We showed your heart rate increases when you sleep in a moderately lit room,” said researcher Dr. Daniela Grimaldi. “Even though you are asleep, your autonomic nervous system is activated. That’s bad. Usually, your heart rate together with other cardiovascular parameters are lower at night and higher during the day.” 

The researchers also learned that insulin resistance was higher when the participants slept in the brighter room. When insulin resistance is high, the body can’t use glucose to make energy; over time, this can increase blood sugar, which can also increase the risk for diabetes. 

The researchers noted that the participants didn’t report feeling any of these physiological changes throughout the night or the next morning.

“But the brain senses it,” Dr. Grimaldi said. “It acts like the brain of somebody whose sleep is light and fragmented. The sleep physiology is not resting the way it’s supposed to.” 

In terms of sleep quality, exposure to any kind of light prevented the participants from ever going into a deep sleep. This light exposure made it more difficult for the participants to enter rapid eye movement (REM) sleep or slow wave sleep, both of which are critical for a healthy sleep cycle. 

Keeping the light out at night

Though many consumers may be tempted to sleep with a light on nearby or leave the TV on overnight, the researchers hope these findings encourage them to do otherwise. 

The team has very explicit advice for consumers who may have questions about how to set up their sleeping space. “If you’re able to see things really well, it’s probably too light,” Dr. Zee said. 

Countless studies have looked at the ways air pollution can be detrimental to consumers’ physical health, and now researchers from the American Psychological Association explored how pollutants can also harm our mental health. 

According to their findings, teens exposed to ozone from air pollution may be more likely to experience depression-related symptoms. This was true even for those in areas that met air quality standards. 

“I think our findings really speak to the importance of considering air pollution’s impact on mental health in addition to physical health,” said researcher Erika Manczak, Ph.D. 

Mental health concerns

For the study, the researchers analyzed data from over 210 kids between the ages of 9 and 13 living in the San Francisco area. To understand what impact air pollution had on the kids’ mental health, the team compared data from the California Environmental Protection Agency with mental health evaluations over the course of four years. 

The researchers identified a relationship between air pollution exposure and depression symptoms. The study showed that exposure to higher levels of ozone, which typically comes from power plants or car exhaust, increased the likelihood of experiencing symptoms related to depression. These symptoms became more severe as the study progressed. 

This was true despite the fact that all of the participants lived in neighborhoods that were in compliance with local and national air quality standards. 

“It was surprising that the average level of ozone was fairly low even in the communities with relatively higher ozone exposure,” Dr. Manczak said. “This really underscores the fact that even low levels of ozone exposure have potentially harmful effects. "

The researchers believe the link between air pollution and depression comes down to inflammation. Exposure to ozone has been associated with a spike in inflammation, which also makes consumers more susceptible to depression. The more time that kids spend outdoors, the greater their exposure is to these pollutants. This can ultimately increase the risk of depression. 

Moving forward, the researchers hope policymakers do more work to help protect consumers from air pollution exposure. 

“I believe state and federal air quality standards should be stricter, and we should have tighter regulations on industries that contribute to pollution,” said Dr. Manczak. “Our findings and other studies suggest that even low levels of ozone exposure can pose potentially serious risks to both physical and mental health.” 

Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) is recalling six model year 2020 GLE 350s.

The wiring harness connected to the prefuse box in the engine compartment might not be properly secured. This could deactivate certain fused components, such as power steering assist, headlights, and wipers.

Driving with inoperable power steering assist, headlights, or wipers can increase the risk of a crash.

What to do

Dealers will replace the prefuse box free of charge.

Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on April 19, 2022.

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

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

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌ 79,564,757 (79,517,492)

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 965,203 (965,002)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ 460,209,648 (456,908,767)

Total ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 6,047,784 (6,041,077)‌

U.S. cases surged on Monday

The number of new COVID-19 cases reported in the U.S. has been dropping each day for weeks, but that trend suddenly reversed itself this week. The COVID-19 Tracking Project at Johns Hopkins University reported 55,480 new cases on Monday, about 18,000 more than the same date last year. 

There were only 6,382 new cases reported in the U.S. Sunday. The sharp increase comes as a number of countries around the world – including China and France – have suffered new outbreaks.

Health experts attribute the rise in new cases, which appear to have less severe symptoms, to a new and highly contagious subvariant of the Omicron variant.

Spring break crowds may feed COVID-19 surge

Florida beaches were packed last week, with spring break crowds soaking up the sunshine and enjoying the first maskless holiday in two years. But some health experts think the celebration may be premature.

“Right now my message would be that COVID is not gone,” Dr. Jill Roberts, associate professor at the University of South Florida (USF) College of Public Health, told WFTS-TV in Tampa. 

Roberts says the January surge in Omicron cases is probably responsible for the recent decline in new infections, but she said the virus is still around. She also noted that there has been some significant transmission recently in Florida.

CDC may lose tracking tool

As emergency power declarations approach their end, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says it may lose access to important data that helps it to track COVID-19. The emergency powers are scheduled to end as the U.S. marks the second year of the pandemic.

"Data related to COVID-19 test results and hospitalizations are currently available because of the public health emergency declaration. When that declaration lapses, so does CDC's access to this important information," the CDC said in a statement to CBS News.

CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said her agency only has been assigned the task of compiling COVID-19 data. It does not have the power to collect the data except under the emergency declaration.

Around the nation

• Virginia: Hospitalizations for COVID-19 treatment have dropped across the state. The Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association (VHHA) reported that there were 457 patients in hospitals who are either positive or whose test results are pending at the start of the week, down from 691 the previous week.

• Alaska: While new cases of the virus are dropping sharply in most areas, they are on the rise in Alaska. State health officials have reported over 500 new cases of COVID-19 over a three-day period. The alert level for the state remains set on “high.”

• Michigan: The slowdown in new COVID-19 cases isn’t happening as quickly as in other states. Health officials report that there were 25 outbreaks across the state last week, including a K-12 cluster that led to 46 students testing positive for the coronavirus.

• Louisiana: Louisiana is lifting its COVID-19 restrictions almost two years after they were put in place to contain the pandemic. “And while [the order] changed to reflect the ebb and flow of the pandemic, it has remained in effect since then,” Gov. John Bell Edwards wrote on Twitter. “This Wednesday, the order expires. And after 24 months, I will not be renewing it.”

• Hawaii: Hawaii is dropping many of its COVID-19 restrictions, but some experts warn that the pandemic could rebound just as it has in some other countries. “I am concerned about the fact that we’ll have this period where we may have a lot of people unmasked and potentially more COVID spreading in the community,” said Dr. Tim Brown, a Honolulu epidemiologist.

Uber has announced it will add a surcharge to each Uber and Uber Eats ride to compensate for record-high gasoline prices. The surcharge will go into effect on Wednesday.

Uber is calling it a “fuel fee” and says the charge will range from 45 cents to 55 cents per ride. The fee for Uber Eats deliveries will be slightly less, ranging from 35 cents to 45 cents. Uber said the entire fee will go to drivers.

Lyft said it would also impose some type of temporary fee to offset high gas prices, and GrubHub announced that it would increase drivers’ pay to compensate for higher gas prices. It did not say if it would assess a fee.

The Uber fee will differ by geographic location and the prevailing price of fuel. The company said the fees are based on the average trip distance and the average gas price. The fee will be in place for at least 60 days, after which time the company said it will re-evaluate the need.

How will consumers react?

The added fee is a small percentage of an average Uber ride, but some consumers posting at ConsumerAffairs think that they are already paying too much on some occasions.

“Ordered a ride for my sister. Quoted a price. Driver accepted. Picked her up. Took her to her location,” Sandra, of Astoria, N.Y., wrote in a ConsumerAffairs review. “I get a receipt for almost 2x the price plus all kinds of fees and 2 tolls (which were more than the price of the actual toll).”

Eny, of New York City, also thinks there are enough fees added to rides, especially in New York.

“Uber charges us for wait time because their driver couldn’t find us,” they wrote in a ConsumerAffairs review. “Also Uber created tons of fees like tolls, surcharges, booking fee, municipal regulation, Linha Amarela, and NY Black Car Fund. What do I have to do with the Black car Fund? That's an abuse of power.”

Other industries face the same pressures

While some consumers appear to be frustrated, Uber is only one of many companies that are currently reacting to a surge in costs. Restaurants are especially vulnerable.

Steele Smiley, founder and CEO of Steele Brands, which launched the Crisp & Green restaurant chain, says companies in his industry have had to react quickly to rising costs by either raising prices or lowering profit margin.

“People are going to have the opportunity to make those choices and the brands that are more woven into the fabric of the American consumer are going to be fine,” Steele told ConsumerAffairs. “The tier-one brands are not going to see customer loss because the price went up 5% to 6%. But the weaker brands such as Hardees or Arby's are probably going to close some stores."

Even before gas prices shifted into overdrive last month, other businesses looked at ways to counter inflation. Amazon added a $10 delivery charge to Whole Foods orders. But as Inc. magazine noted, the move would likely result in larger orders for the supermarket chain.

HBO Max and Discovery Plus have decided that they’re a match made in streaming heaven. Once Discovery signs on the bottom line in its merger with WarnerMedia later this year, the two streaming platforms will become one.

Company officials believe that each service brings a lot to the table, so combining their offerings may be a great way to compete with big-name streaming services like Amazon Prime, Disney Plus, and Netflix.

The combination will also include WarnerMedia’s HBO premium shows, Warner Bros.’ movies, and Discovery’s unscripted programming like the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) and Chip & Joanna Gaines’ Fixer Upper.

“I think combining all of the content into a single app will ultimately make it much more compelling for the consumer and make it a true competitor to Netflix's breadth and depth of content,” Bloomberg industry analyst Geetha Ranganathan told dot.LA.

Saving money and making money

While content is king, Ranganathan said the HBO-Discovery alliance will also allow Warner Bros. and Discovery to slash costs by combining apps, marketing efforts, and technology platforms.

Discovery CFO Gunnar Wiedenfels told the Deutsche Bank Annual Media, Internet & Telecom Conference that the combined content will “make for a blowout DTC (direct-to-consumer) product and that should certainly drive very healthy revenue growth for years to come.”

What will consumers pay for the new service?

Wiedenfels isn’t showing his cards yet, but it could take some marketing magic to find the price sweet spot if the company wants to attract new customers. HBO Max is currently priced at $14.99 per month (or $9.99 with ads), and Discovery Plus currently costs $4.99 per month with ads (or $6.99 without ads).

“A combined app that costs more than $14.99 would seem to be a nonstarter for many consumers, some of whom already plan to ditch a subscription this year because it's too expensive,” wrote dot.LA’s Christian Hetrick. However, DroidLife’s Tim Wrobel begs to differ -- a bit.

“In my mind, a jump to $19.99/mo for an HBO/Discovery MAX+ offering sounds fair enough. Obviously, no one wants to pay more each month, but as consumers, there isn’t much to do about the situation,” he said.

Honda and Toyota have emerged as favorites in U.S. News & World Report’s annual list of best family cars. This year, the publication evaluated 96 vehicles and named winners across nine categories.

Honda picked up the most awards this year with four, while Toyota was not far behind with two. The Honda Odyssey took the category of Best Minivan for Families for the 12th straight year, the longest streak in the history of the awards. 

The Honda Passport won Best 2-Row SUV for Families for the third time in a row, and the Honda Accord notched a third win as the Best Midsize Sedan for Families. The Honda Accord Hybrid was named the Best Hybrid Car for Families.

Sajid, of Spring, Texas, told us he owns four Hondas, including an Accord and an Odyssey. He says the brand has provided reliable rides for his family. 

“Engine design for power to haul 8 people for family members with kids for school rides, soccer, playground, and other various track and field events, as well for going to the beach and family vacations to Florida Disney Land, etc.,” Sajid wrote in a ConsumerAffairs review.

Toyota makes a strong showing

Toyota also made a strong showing in the rankings, with the Toyota Highlander Hybrid winning Best Hybrid SUV for Families for the ninth time. Meanwhile, the Toyota Avalon was named the Best Large Car for Families for the fourth year in a row.

The Chevrolet, Hyundai, and Kia brands each earned one spot in the rankings. The Chevrolet Suburban won Best Large SUV for Families for the fourth time overall and the second year in a row. 

The Hyundai Tucson won the Best Compact SUV for Families category, while the Kia Telluride received the Best 3-Row SUV for Families for the third consecutive year.

"With winners from nine different vehicle classes, the Best Cars for Families awards offer choices that will work for every family," said Jim Sharifi, managing editor of U.S. News Best Cars. "The 2022 award winners offer the features, safety, and space that will appeal to new parents, as well as parents with teen drivers or households that include grandparents."

The criteria for the judging focused on a combination of safety and reliability ratings, excellent reviews from the automotive press, passenger and cargo space, and features that keep the entire family safe, connected, and entertained. 

The judges also considered vehicle technology, such as in-car wireless internet, teen driver controls, automatic braking, surround-view parking camera systems, and hands-free cargo doors. They were given equal weight to more traditional criteria, such as passenger and cargo space.

A new study conducted by researchers from Northwestern University explored the value behind scientific conferences that are often both expensive and time-consuming.

Whether the conferences were held virtually or in person, the study findings suggest that they have proven to be valuable ways for scientists to collaborate, share ideas, and meet new people. 

“Scientific conferences are a very expensive industry,” said researcher Emma Zajdela. “People often talk about whether or not we should rethink conferences. Our results suggest that the way organizers design conferences can have a direct effect on which scientific collaborations are formed and, by extension, on the direction of scientific inquiry.”

The power of collaboration

To get a better understanding of the value behind scientific conferences, the researchers created a mathematical model that predicted how well attendees made connections at these events. They then compared their results with data from Scialogs, which are scientific conferences designed to promote collaboration. 

The study showed that these efforts to get scientists talking to each other were valuable. When participants were assigned to specific groups, they were more likely to collaborate with their fellow conference attendees and also keep in touch with them after the conference. Additionally, those who joined small groups were eight times as likely to work with those same conference attendees in the future. 

“Today, science is conducted by teams, so the formation of new teams is especially important,” said Zajdela. “Science isn’t done by individuals anymore. It’s more interdisciplinary and multi-institutional. We need these conferences because scientists can meet other researchers who they might never have met otherwise.” 

It’s also important to note that these findings held up regardless of whether the events were virtual or in-person. In fact, virtual gatherings were more effective at helping scientists create long-term collaborations. While those who attended in-person events were 1.6 times more likely to interact with their new connections after the conference, those who attended a virtual conference were twice as likely to engage with their new networks. 

“We interpret these results as coming from the fact that scientists did not have the same opportunities for formal interactions (during breaks or meals) in the virtual conferences as they did in the in-person conferences,” Zajelda said. “Therefore, the sessions they were assigned to were the only place that they could meet people to form teams with; hence the greater importance of interaction in these sessions for team formation.” 

Regardless of the setting, the researchers hope these findings emphasize the importance of attending these kinds of sessions.

Ford Motor Company is recalling 18,078 model year 2022 Explorers and Lincoln Aviators.

The fuel filler tube may detach in a crash.

A detached fuel filler tube can result in a fuel leak, increasing the risk of a fire.

What to do

Dealers will install a fuel vapor line redundant locking clip free of charge.

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

Owners may contact Ford customer service at (866) 436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22C02.