Current Events in June 2022

A new study conducted by researchers from the American Society for Nutrition explored some of the risks associated with kids’ eating ultra-processed foods. They learned that kids who eat a lot of ultra-processed foods from a young age were more likely to have poorer physical fitness and cardiovascular health in their teens and beyond. 

“Healthy dietary and exercise behaviors are established at a very young age,” said researcher Jacqueline Vernarelli, Ph.D. “Our findings point to the need to educate families about cost-effective ways to reduce ultra-processed food intake to help decrease the risk for cardiovascular health problems in adulthood.” 

Long-term health risks

The researchers analyzed data from over 1,500 U.S. kids between the ages of three and 15 who were enrolled in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey/National Youth Fitness Survey. The kids were interviewed about their typical diets and exercise habits, and they also completed physical tests to gauge their fitness levels.

For kids under the age of five, the researchers measured locomotor development; older kids were measured by their cardiovascular fitness.

The study showed that children who ate more ultra-processed foods were more likely to have poorer physical fitness, regardless of their age. Older kids who had the poorest cardiovascular fitness were more likely to eat an average of nearly 230 more calories per day of ultra-processed foods. Similarly, the younger kids who struggled the most with locomotor development were eating an average of more than 270 calories per day of ultra-processed foods. 

Kids who ate the most ultra-processed foods reported regularly eating things like hotdogs, pizza, candy, packaged snacks, and chicken nuggets, among several others. While there are health risks for adults who follow this kind of diet, this study shows that there are similar risks for younger people. 

Moving forward, the researchers plan to get a better understanding of which types of processed foods kids are most drawn to and what meals tend to include these unhealthier options.

“Though highly-processed convenience foods are easy to throw into a school bag, our research shows the importance of preparing healthy snacks and meals,” said Dr. Vernarelli. “Think of it like saving for retirement: You’re making decisions now that will influence your child’s future.” 

Hyundai Motor America is recalling 215,171 model year 2013-2014 Sonatas that were recalled in early 2020.

The low-pressure fuel hose that connects the low-pressure fuel pump to the direct injection fuel pump may crack over time due to heat generated within the engine compartment.

A cracked fuel hose may leak fuel, which can increase the risk of a fire.

What to do

Dealers will replace the low-pressure fuel hose free of charge.

Vehicles repaired under the earlier recall that did not receive a replacement fuel hose will need to have this new remedy performed. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on July 5, 2022.

Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 227.

The Manhattan Toy Company of Minneapolis, Minn., is recalling about 3,100 activity loops old in the U.S. and Canada.

Tubes on the Activity Loops toys can detach from the base and release small plastic rings, posing a choking hazard to children.

The firm has received three reports of the tubes detaching from the base. No injuries have been reported.

This recall involves the Manhattan Toy Company’s Activity Loops with model number 215210 and lot codes EAN or FCN. The recall applies to these two lot codes only. The model number and lot code can be found printed on the bottom of the dome-shaped base.

The loops are green, orange, blue, and red and have moving rings and sliding soccer ball shapes. The toy has a suction cup bottom that adheres to non-porous flat surfaces.

The activity loops, manufactured in China, were sold at independent specialty stores nationwide and online at www.manhattantoy.com from June 2021, through March 2022, for about $25.

What to do

Consumers should immediately stop using the Activity Loops, take the toys away from children, and return them for a full refund either to the place of purchase or directly to Manhattan Toy.

Manhattan Toy will supply a prepaid shipping label for returns directly to the company.

Consumers may contact The Manhattan Toy Company at (800) 541-1345 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (CT) Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. (CT) on Friday, by email at help@manhattantoy.com, or online for more information.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given the go-ahead on emergency use of both the Moderna and the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines in children down to 6 months of age. The agency said that its analysis of the vaccines' safety and efficacy was “rigorous and comprehensive,” adding that the benefits of using those vaccines outweigh any “known and potential risks.”

“Many parents, caregivers and clinicians have been waiting for a vaccine for younger children, and this action will help protect those down to 6 months of age.  As we have seen with older age groups, we expect that the vaccines for younger children will provide protection from the most severe outcomes of COVID-19, such as hospitalization and death,” said FDA commissioner Robert M. Califf, M.D.

Timing is everything, and Moderna says the upside for younger school-age children is good. "Children vaccinated early this summer with a two-dose regimen will initiate protection as they return to school and daycare settings in the fall," the company said in its announcement.

How and when the two vaccines are administered vary a bit. For the Moderna vaccine, it should be administered in two doses, each a month apart. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine will require three doses – the first two area taken three weeks apart and the third eight weeks after the second dose.

Covering all risks

Much like it did earlier this year when it authorized a second booster dose for immunocompromised people, the FDA says the vaccines are also authorized for a third primary series dose at least one month following the second dose for those in that risk category.

The FDA said it also continues to monitor previously identified increased risks of myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) and pericarditis (inflammation of tissue surrounding the heart) following vaccination. The agency reported that the risks it observed are highest in males 18 through 24 years of age for the Moderna vaccine and males 12 through 17 for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, but that evidence shows there’s “rapid resolution” for those experiencing related symptoms with no impact on quality of life.

Both companies said that there are possible side effects for younger vaccine recipients. Moderna said the most commonly reported local symptom was injection site pain across all age groups, and that the most commonly reported systemic symptoms were headache and fatigue in older children and irritability in younger children.

Pfizer reported several side effects as well, including rash, itching, hives, swelling of the face, injection site pain, and tiredness.

Fact sheets for both the Pfizer vaccine and the Moderna vaccine are available for recipients and caregivers.

A new study conducted by researchers from Queen Mary University of London explored some of the health risks asthma sufferers may face when overusing their rescue, or short-acting beta-agonist (SABA), inhalers. According to their findings, more than a quarter of those with asthma overuse the medication, which puts them at a higher risk for more severe asthma attacks. 

“There is an ongoing major burden of inappropriate and dangerous rescue inhaler overuse in asthma, and our paper highlights the complexity of the problem with multiple reasons patients are over-prescribed SABA inhalers,” said researcher Paul Pfeffer. “The findings are a call for more detailed research into interventions to reduce the inappropriate SABA overuse in different patient groups.”  

Avoiding inhaler overuse

The researchers analyzed data from over 700,000 asthma patients from nearly 120 general practices in East London. Patients ranged in age from five to 80 years old, and the researchers looked at their medical histories, including the number of prescriptions they got for SABA inhalers and any history of hospitalization for asthma symptoms. 

The researchers found that 26% of the participants were given six or more prescriptions in a year for SABA inhalers, which was the threshold for overuse of the drug. Previous research has shown that when asthma patients use this type of medication too much, it can actually worsen their asthma symptoms and make more severe attacks more common. 

The study also showed that while SABA inhalers were overprescribed, corticosteroids, which can help prevent severe asthma symptoms, were under-prescribed. About 25% of those who received six or more SABA inhaler prescriptions were under-using these preventative asthma measures. 

Moving forward, the researchers hope that these findings lead to more streamlined efforts among medical professionals when it comes to prescribing rescue inhalers. 

“Working with patients to improve regular use of preventative inhalers should be central to reducing asthma-related hospital admissions,” said researcher Anna De Simoni. “There is still significant room for improvement – we calculated that supporting patients who use more than 12 SABA inhalers per year to reduce their use to four to 12 could result in 70% fewer asthma-related hospital admissions in that group. 

“There is also a need to provide [general practitioners] and pharmacists with the right tools to support patients to do this. In the next phase of this research program, we plan to provide practices with tools to support the identification and management of high-risk patients based on prescribing needs.” 

A new study conducted by researchers from Johns Hopkins Medicine explored some of the pregnancy risks for women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). According to their findings, pregnant women with the hormone condition may be at a higher risk for cardiovascular issues during delivery. 

“Oftentimes, women with PCOS are understandably concerned about the immediate effects of, like an irregular menstrual cycle, excess body hair, weight gain, and acne,” said researcher Dr. Erin Michos. “However, the long-term cardiovascular complications are also a serious problem.” 

The risk of pregnancy complications

For the study, the researchers analyzed data from over 17 million births between 2002 and 2019. The team broke down how many women had PCOS while pregnant. 

Among the more than 195,000 women who had PCOS at the time of delivery, it was clear that there was a link between PCOS and cardiovascular complications during pregnancy. Blood clots proved to be the biggest risk: Women with PCOS were more than 80% more likely to develop a blood clot during delivery. There was a nearly 80% higher risk for a weakened heart, a 76% higher risk of heart failure, and a 56% higher risk of preeclampsia. Women with PCOS were also twice as likely to have abnormal heartbeats at the time of delivery. 

It’s also important to note that there were other health and demographic factors that came into play for pregnant women with PCOS. The researchers learned that Black women with PCOS were at a higher risk of heart complications during delivery, while all women with PCOS were more likely to be obese, have high cholesterol, and struggle with diabetes. 

Moving forward, the researchers hope that these findings highlight the associated long-term heart health risks that are prevalent among women with PCOS. 

“Our study shows that PCOS is indeed a risk factor for acute cardiac complications at the time of delivery and should be taken seriously,” said researcher Salman Zahid. “We want to stress the importance of optimizing the cardiovascular health of women with PCOS with prevention efforts, especially Black women and lower socioeconomic groups because we believe that those are the most vulnerable populations and will benefit most from intervention.” 

Americans got little relief at the gas pump this week, but at least the pace of rising prices has leveled off near its record high.

AAA’s daily fuel price survey shows the national average price of regular gas is $5.01 a gallon, the same price as Thursday and only 2 cents higher than last Friday.

The average price of premium gas is $5.68 a gallon, 4 cents more than a week ago. The average price of diesel fuel is $5.79 a gallon, 4 cents a gallon more than last week.

According to Patrick DeHaan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, no one should be in a hurry to fill their tanks. In a Twitter post, DeHaan said he expects prices to begin drifting lower and could hit $4.75 to $4.85 a gallon by the July 4th holiday.

President Biden this week challenged major refiners to produce more gasoline and diesel fuel, even if this means lower profits.

"At a time of war, refinery profit margins well above normal being passed directly onto American families are not acceptable," Biden wrote in the letter to the CEOs of major refining companies.

Motorists witnessed more stable prices this week and over the previous two weeks. The statewide average price of regular rose 12 cents a gallon in Missouri; 11 cents in Arizona; 10 cents in Oklahoma; 9 cents in Alaska; and 8 cents in Nevada.

States with the most expensive gas

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

• California ($6.42)    

• Nevada ($5.67)     

• Alaska ($5.61)     

• Washington ($5.56)      

• Oregon ($5.55)     

• Illinois ($5.55)

• Hawaii ($5.55)

• Arizona ($5.39)   

• Michigan ($5.21) 

• Indiana ($5.20)   

States with the cheapest gas

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

• Georgia ($4.49)  

• Mississippi ($4.51)

• Arkansas ($4.53)    

• Louisiana ($4.56)     

• South Carolina ($4.58)

• Alabama ($4.63)

• Tennessee ($4.64)    

• Kansas ($4.67)  

• Oklahoma ($4.67)  

• Missouri ($4.69)    

Cargill is recalling select lots of Milk and Dark Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Ritz Crackers, Peanut Butter Meltaways, Peanut Butter Eggs and Fudge.

The products contain Jif peanut butter that was recalled by the J.M. Smucker company due to the potential for Salmonella contamination.

No illnesses or health-related complaints have been reported to Cargill to date, although there is a Salmonella outbreak associated with the consumption of Jif peanut butter.

The following 8-oz. boxes of peanut butter-containing products, sold between February 9 and March 28, 2022, at the Wilbur Chocolate store in Lititz, Pa., and online at Wilburbuds.com, are being recalled:

• K119D Dark Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Eggs - 8 oz. Box, Lot 220216AC, Best if Used by Date of 5/16/2022
• K119M Milk Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Eggs - 8 oz. Box, Lot 220216AF, Best if Used by Date of 5/16/2022
• K120D Dark Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Meltaways - 8 oz Box, Lot 220224AA, Best if Used by Date of 4/24/2022, Lot 220219AB, Best if Used by Date of 4/19/2022 Lot 220215AC, Best if Used by Date of 4/15/2022
• K120M Milk Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Meltaways - 8 oz. Box, Lot 220222AA with Best if Used by Date of 4/22/2022, Lot 220218AG with Best if Used by Date of 4/18/2022, Lot 220215AE with Best if Used by Date of 4/15/2022
• K121M Milk Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Ritz® Crackers - 8pc. 8 oz. Box, Lot 220302AF with Best if Used by Date of 6/2/2022, Lot 220216AJ with Best if Used by Date of 5/16/2022, Lot 220209AF with Best if Used by Date of 5/9/2022
• K508 Peanut Butter and Chocolate Fudge - 8 oz. Box Lot 220219AF with Best if Used by Date of 4/19/2022
• K509 Peanut Butter Fudge - 8 oz. Box, Lot 220219AC with Best if Used by Date of 4/19/2022

What to do

Customers who purchased the recalled products should not consume them, but discard or return any unconsumed portions to the Wilbur Chocolate Retail Store.

Consumers who want to return products and/or request a refund may contact the company at (717) 627-7946 between 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. (ET) Monday – Friday, or by email at Aweik@cargill.com.

It’s Prime time at Amazon, again. The online giant just announced that Prime Day 2022 will be Tuesday and Wednesday, July 12 and 13. The retailer is covering all bases with special prices on everything from fashion to toys and says that select products from GE, Sony, and Bose will be available at the lowest price points it's ever offered.

An estimated 85% of American Prime members are planning to at least see what Amazon has in store, and the company is making every single look-see worth the effort. Starting June 21 every $1 a shopper spends on eligible small business products will get them an opportunity to win a cornucopia of prizes, including tickets to Super Bowl LVII and VIP passes to music experiences in Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

Sneak peeks

Amazon isn’t showing all its Prime deal cards yet, but it is letting members get in on some early deals on its own products and a smattering of others. Beginning Tuesday, June 21, it’s letting Prime members take advantage of members-only deals like up to 55% off select Amazon devices and up to 50% off Fire TVs. Pre-Prime Day deals also include the Apple Watch, iRobot Roomba, and Apple AirPods Pro. The best pre-Prime Day deal ConsumerAffairs found was the Toshiba 75-inch M550-Series 4K UHD Smart Fire TV, priced 50% off its regular $699.99 price tag.

BlackFriday.com has been tracking Prime Day deals for some time now, and if Amazon gives shoppers what they’re looking for, then there should be some great ​​deals on fashion, home decor, cleaning supplies, and electronics like computers and headphones.

How to play Prime Day to your advantage

While Amazon might own the trademark on Prime Day, its competition is ponying up to take advantage of all shoppers during those two days, too. BlackFriday.com said that Walmart and Target are just two of the major retailers that tend to host major sales during this same time period. In Walmart's situation, Business Insider says the company is likely to try to take advantage by offering deals starting a day earlier and lasting a day longer. 

If you’re looking for some ideas that might lead to good deals, keep these in mind:

Shop everything summer. Consumers might want to consider this time as if it were Black Friday in July, and look for deals on seasonal products like summer toys, apparel, and outdoor essentials.

Know that some things won't change. “Amazon's own products are often marked down to half their price (or more) during Prime Day and Black Friday,” BlackFriday.com’s Mackenzie Shand said. “If you see savings of 50% off or more on Echo smart speakers, Fire TV and Ring products, we suggest adding them to cart – unless you want to wait until November.”

While recent studies have found that drug and alcohol use have spiked over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, a new study conducted by researchers from West Virginia University explored how young people in particular were affected by substance use. 

According to their findings, substance use among teens and adolescents dropped throughout the pandemic; the team attributes this to limitations in how young people were able to socialize during the pandemic. 

“One of the driving factors for youth substance use is access to substances,” said researcher Hannah Layman. “With stay-at-home orders, virtual schooling, and social distancing, children have been spending more time with family and are actually more socially isolated from peers than before. Although social isolation from peers may have a negative effect on their mental health, it may just be one of the desirable outcomes of the pandemic when considering substance use in children.” 

Unexpected benefits of social isolation

The researchers examined nearly 50 studies that looked at how young people use tobacco, alcohol, cannabis, e-cigarettes, and other drugs and substances. The participants in all of the studies were under the age of 24, and they focused specifically on substance use during the pandemic. 

Ultimately, the use of e-cigarettes, cannabis, alcohol, and tobacco has declined among young people throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The researchers explained that, typically, adolescents and teens are likely to get involved with substance use when they’re outside the home and with their friends and peers. However, the pandemic prevented many such gatherings from taking place. 

Instead, young people were spending most of their time at home with their families. Interactions with friends were limited during stay-at-home orders. Because of this, the researchers believe it was difficult to access substances. 

Though these findings are ultimately positive when thinking about young people’s physical health and wellness, the researchers hope that more work is done to better understand the risks associated with youth substance use. 

“Substance use can affect a young person’s body in many ways, such as the development of mental health issues (depression, anxiety, conduct problems, personality disorders, and suicidal thoughts), injuries due to accidents, decreased bone mineral density, preventing proper brain growth and function, delayed puberty, liver damage, and so much more,” said Layman. 

“Our findings also identified the importance of improving youth mental health and the value of telemedicine to address young people’s health needs during the pandemic.” 

Food costs are rising, but an industry group says they're rising faster at the supermarket than at restaurants.

This was one of the key takeaways from the Labor Department’s recent May Consumer Price Index (CPI). It showed that the cost of food away from home rose 7.4% for the 12 months that ended in April. By contrast, the cost of food prepared and consumed at home grew 11.9% in price for the 12 months that ended in May.

Even though restaurants come with higher costs — such as labor and rent — they also have some advantages over supermarkets, according to Nick Cole, head of Restaurant Finance at Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG).

"Restaurant chains have been able to achieve lower food-price increases and delay the effect of inflation thanks to a number of advantages they enjoy," Cole told Food Market News.

Among the advantages are access to ingredients at wholesale prices and economies of scale. Restaurants also have the ability to lock in lower prices through future contracts and other hedging strategies.

Modest price increases

Cole says a large number of restaurants have also been able to remain profitable by raising their menu prices at agreeable levels to offset the higher input costs of labor, utilities, construction, and food commodities. At the same time, their price increases have been much more moderate than those of supermarkets, some of which have raised prices by 30% for certain items.

How long restaurants can hold the line of prices remains to be seen.  Kraft Heinz and McDonald's, which are among the country’s largest food suppliers, have signaled price hikes because of sharply rising production costs.

Kraft Heinz recently notified retailer customers that prices will rise in August on several products, including Miracle Whip, Classico pasta sauce, Maxwell House coffee, and some deli meat.

While we can expect to see higher menu prices as the summer progresses, industry experts believe it’s very possible that prices won’t rise quite as quickly as at the supermarket.

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

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌ 85,960,775 (85,763,130)

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 1,012,776 (1,011,926)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ 537,458,937 (536,747,070)

Total ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 6,413,928 (6,312,635)‌

Two vaccines recommended for kids 5 and younger

A U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory panel has voted to recommend two mRNA COVID-19 vaccines for children age 5 and younger. The vaccines were developed by Moderna and jointly by Pfizer and BioNTech.

The panel voted 21-0 to recommend approval of the two vaccines. While the FDA is not required to follow the advice of its advisory committee, it usually does.

It’s expected the FDA will approve the committee’s recommendation, possibly before the end of the week. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention must also give its approval.

Major study uncovers new clues about long COVID

Researchers at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine are conducting a major study to track neurological symptoms in COVID-19 patients who continue to have symptoms long after they recover from their illness. It’s a condition known as “long COVID.”

The first round of the study, published this week, showed the prevalence of various short- and long-term symptoms and found that, while many patients showed improvement, the majority still had some neurological symptoms after six months. A subset of individuals also exhibited significant coordination and cognitive issues, not reported in previous findings.

At the time of their first visit with a physician, 89% of participants reported fatigue and 80% reported headaches. Other common neurological symptoms included memory impairment, insomnia, and decreased concentration. Eighty percent of participants said these symptoms impacted their quality of life.

Dr. Fauci tests positive

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the leading government health official on COVID-19, has announced that he has tested positive for the virus. Fauci, head of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), says he has isloated and has mild symptoms.

“He has not recently been in close contact with President Biden or other senior government officials,” NIAID said in a statement. “Dr. Fauci will follow the COVID-19 guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and medical advice from his physician and return to the NIH when he tests negative.”

Around the nation

• Tennessee: Tennessee Titans right guard Nate Davis had what he considers a lackluster 2021 NFL season. But he tells Titans Online there might have been an extenuating circumstance. He caught COVID-19 during the season, not once but twice. “Getting [COVID-19] twice affects your conditioning, your strength, and even a little bit of your confidence,” Davis admitted.

• California: It was a year ago this week that California officials reopened from COVID-19 lockdown. People returned to theme parks, restaurants, and concert halls. Since then Omicron subvariants have triggered a new surge in cases, but health officials say most are less severe.

• New York: New York appears to have weathered the latest COVID-19 surge but Gov. Kathy Hochul says it’s no time to take anything for granted. "As we continue to monitor the numbers, it is important that we take every precaution necessary to stay healthy," Hochul said. "Take a test before traveling, stay home if you feel unwell, and keep up to date with vaccinations and booster doses. We must use every resource available to stay prepared for potential surges this year and keep our communities safe."

• Vermont: Business organizations in the state are being credited with helping to pass Vermont’s S. 11 – legislation that includes over $15 million in funding for the new COVID-19 Related Paid Leave Grant Program. Gov. Phil Scott signed the legislation this week.

• Texas: With children 5 and older now eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine, Tarrant County is stepping up its “pop-up” clinics to administer the jabs. Officials say parents need to bring proof of the child’s age and their own ID for the vaccination. Booster vaccinations are available at all of the vaccination locations.

The Federal Reserve has raised its overnight lending rate by 0.75%, the largest single increase since 2008 and the latest move to try to contain rising inflation.

The rate is still low by historical comparison, and more increases are anticipated at future Fed meetings between now and the end of the year. The federal funds rate is not paid directly by consumers, though it influences the interest rates on several types of consumer loans.

The Fed rate hike will increase the interest rate banks pay when they borrow money from the Federal Reserve. After a Fed rate hike banks usually raise their prime rate – the interest rate they offer their best customers.

That filters down to the consumer level in several different ways. The rate on auto loans will usually go up to reflect the increase, for example.

Higher credit card rates

The interest rate on credit cards, already near a record high, will also go up as a result. The interest rate on personal loans can also be expected to rise. ConsumerAffairs has listed other factors that influence the interest rate on personal loans.

The federal funds rate does not directly affect mortgage rates, which tend to move with the yield on the Treasury Department’s 10-year bond. That yield has been rising because of inflation and in anticipation of the Fed’s action.

Holden Lewis, home and mortgage specialist at NerdWallet, says the mortgage market sometimes moves ahead of any action taken by the Federal Reserve.

“Mortgage rates tend to go up and down in anticipation of Fed rate moves, which is a way of saying that the Fed increase was already ‘baked into’ mortgage rates,” Lewis told ConsumerAffairs. “In other words, mortgage rates are more likely to go up or down before Fed meetings than after Fed meetings. Over the next week or two, we probably won't see big movements in mortgage rates like we did last week.”

Mortgage rates are now over 6%

This week saw a major move in interest rates, with the average interest rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rising to more than 6%, a major blow to people shopping for a home. But the rate can be higher or lower.

ConsumerAffairs has published a breakdown of the factors affecting an individual's mortgage rate. They include credit score and the amount of the down payment.

“Home sales are slowing dramatically because of skyrocketing mortgage rates,” Lewis said. "The decreased demand means we'll soon see a slowdown in home price increases.”

Meanwhile, consumers looking for a home will have to shop carefully for a mortgage. ConsumerAffairs has listed the latest mortgage rates here.

Gulf States Toyota (GST) is recalling 661 model year 2022 4Runners, Tacomas, Highlanders and Highlander Hybrids.

The load carrying capacity modification labels may not be permanent and can fade, becoming illegible.

An illegible label may allow the vehicle to be overloaded, increasing the risk of a crash.

What to do

GST will notify owners by mail, including a replacement load carrying capacity modification label for their vehicle and detailed replacement instructions free of charge.

Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed June 27, 2022.

Owners may contact GST customer service at (713) 744-3465. GST's number for this recall is 22R1.