Current Events in July 2022

If it’s any indication of how far companies will go to fight inflation, McDonald’s franchisees in 16 U.S. markets have ditched the fast-food king’s long-standing Dollar Drinks offer. The Wall Street Journal reports that some store owners are raising beverage prices to neutralize the impact of continuing food inflation, although most locations still offer dollar beverages.

The company gave its franchisees the OK to nix the $1 drinks promotion back in January, according to The Journal. As an alternative, some of the operators who took advantage of that permission have shifted their marketing attention to the value menu. 

While a dollar here and there doesn’t sound like a franchisee back-breaker, it is a weighty concern. Anxiety over the Dollar Drink offer began late last year when McDonald's brass informed franchisees that food and beverage costs could climb as much as 12% per year – about $124,000 – for each restaurant. But drink prices aren’t the only thing McDonald’s franchisees have on their mind. With a recent shift in wages, they’ve also had to concern themselves with rising labor costs.

“Customers can always count on McDonald’s for great value, which remains an important part of our marketing strategy. Franchisees set prices and have the flexibility to create promotions that will drive demand locally,” McDonald’s said in a statement emailed to various news outlets.

Customers aren’t happy about the change

Even though the Dollar Drink dump hasn’t hit every market, McDonald’s customers are already voicing their frustrations.

“The only reason I have EVER gone to McDonald's was because of their 1 dollar drinks. Y’all just lost a lot of the people that only go for your drinks,” was a typical sentiment that unhappy customers voiced on social media.

"Corporate greed finally caught up to @McDonalds dollar drinks," another person ranted. "First the dollar tree now @McDonalds large drinks... what has the world come to?" another tweeted. 

McDonald’s isn’t alone

In all fairness, McDonald’s isn’t the only company toying with price changes. Fortune reports that Chipotle hiked its prices roughly 10% in 2021 and another 4% in the first quarter of this year.

Others on the price hike list include Wendy’s, which raised prices by 5%, and Domino’s, which increased the price of its $5.99 mix-and-match offer to $6.99. Officials say they don't have much of a choice when it comes to increasing prices.

“Look, inflation continued to move in a big way. We saw it wasn't going away, so we had to take the pricing action that we did," Chipotle CEO Brian Niccol said on the recent first-quarter conference call. "And hopefully, that won't continue to be the case. But if it has to be the case, we have, I think, the organization, the people, and the pricing power to do it, but it really is the last thing I'd like to do.”

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has taken action to suspend its own order banning Juul e-cigarette products from the market. The FDA said the order is stayed, not rescinded.

It may be a simple technicality. After the FDA issued its order to remove Juul products from the market, a federal judge intervened and stopped the ban from being enforced while Juul appeals the decision.

On its Twitter feed, the FDA said it is staying its order while it conducts a further review. In the meantime, Juul products remain on store shelves.

The agency took action against Juul last month under new rules it has established for the vaping industry. To sell e-cigarettes, companies must show that their products are safe and help adult cigarette smokers kick their traditional smoking habits.

At the same time, companies also have to show that they are discouraging the products from being used by young people who have never smoked cigarettes.

Long history with the FDA

Juul has repeatedly run afoul of the FDA on the youth vaping point. The company popped up on the FDA’s radar four years ago when its vaping products achieved a high level of popularity among teens and other underage users. Critics said the products were stylish and offered fruit flavors that were popular with teens.

After drawing the attention of regulators, Juul made changes to its marketing. Under pressure from the FDA, it dropped its fruit flavor cartridges before the FDA banned them in 2020.

Former FDA Administrator Dr. Scott Gottlieb has been a longtime Juul critic. He says the company's products consistently find favor with underage users. In an interview with Vox, just before he stepped down in 2019, Gottlieb said there’s “no question” that Juul -- which marketed a device that looked like a USB drive -- “drove a lot of the youth use.”

“I’m not willing to concede the point that the Juul product was responsible — at least in part — for the sharp uptick in youth use,” Gottlieb said.

In issuing the stay, the FDA said it discovered "there are scientific issues unique to the Juul application that warrant additional review." At the same time, the agency made clear that it expects Juul to suspend marketing and shipping while the review is completed.

After rising to $130 a barrel and taking gas prices to a record high, oil prices slipped below $100 a barrel in Tuesday’s trading.

West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude, the main U.S. oil product, dropped 8.24% Tuesday to around $99.50 per barrel. At one point during the trading session, WTI was off more than 10%, hitting its lowest level since mid-May.

Brent crude, the type of oil used internationally, stayed above $100 a barrel -- but not by much. It fell by 9.45%.

Why the turnaround? Isn’t the world still struggling to fill the gap caused by the loss of Russian oil? It is, but analysts say U.S. production has started to increase.

Recession fears

Patrick DeHaan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, says there’s another reason for oil’s price retreat. The market increasingly believes the U.S. is headed for a recession if it isn’t already in one.

“Recession is part of it, a big part, but we have seen refined product inventories rising in recent weeks amidst high refinery utilization rates,” DeHaan told ConsumerAffairs.

The combination of increased refining and a drop in demand before the Fourth of July weekend is sending gasoline prices lower. The national average price of regular is down 23 cents a gallon from its record high of $5.01 a gallon on June 14. It has fallen every day since then.

Below $4 a gallon?

While the price at the pump is still very high by historical standards, DeHaan says he thinks it is very possible consumers could see the average price back below $4 before long.

“I think right now it's a potential before the end of the year, barring major hurricanes,” DeHaan said. “So iffy, but I do see it right now.”

Analysts point to recent declines in gasoline demand, suggesting that the high prices are causing motorists to drive less. They previously suggested that a small increase in online ordering in the second quarter was partly due to consumers reducing their number of trips to the store.

The main driver of this year’s spike in oil prices – sanctions on Russian oil because of its war with Ukraine – appears no closer to resolution. Analysts also point to structural issues that have limited oil production. They say prices could reverse course and head higher again at any time.

A new study conducted by researchers from the University of Leeds explored how carbon emissions and rising temperatures may affect children. According to their findings, reducing carbon emissions in an effort to lower temperatures may prevent thousands of childhood heat-related deaths. Conversely, the team says failing to lower emissions could cost more young lives.

“Young children are especially vulnerable to the effects of heat exposure,” said researcher Dr. Cathryn Birch. “They have limited ability to thermoregulate and high temperatures can increase disease transmission and outbreaks. 

“This research details the very real consequences of allowing carbon emissions to continue unchecked. Our results underscore the need for more ambitious mitigation measures to protect vulnerable populations and the need for proactive and effective adaptation.” 

Prioritizing kids’ health 

For the study, the researchers projected how rising temperatures have and will impact childhood mortality in sub-Saharan Africa from 1995 through 2050. They also looked at the relationship between emissions levels, rising temperatures, and childhood mortality rates. 

The researchers explained that childhood mortality has been increasing since 2009 due to rising global temperatures. They believe this trend will likely continue if efforts to lower carbon emissions aren’t put into effect. 

If no initiatives are put in place to lower carbon emissions, the researchers predict that childhood mortalities will reach 38,000 by the year 2049. On the other hand, getting emissions levels to a medium or low place could prevent many heat-related childhood deaths. Medium emissions efforts may prevent as many as 3,000 childhood deaths each year, while cutting emissions to the lowest level may prevent 6,000 childhood deaths. 

The researchers explained that children in low-income countries are more likely to have poorer health care and nutrition, both of which can be detrimental when temperatures are high. The team worries about how children will be affected, especially in low-income areas, if more efforts aren’t taken to lower carbon emissions levels. 

“Our results highlight the urgent need for health policy to focus on heat-related child mortality,” said researcher Dr. Sarah Chapman. “This is a serious present-day issue, which will only become more pressing as the climate warms.” 

A new study conducted by researchers from Penn State explored the health benefits associated with eating avocados on a regular basis. According to their findings, avocados are can help lower bad cholesterol levels and improve diet quality. 

“Adherence to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans is generally poor in the U.S., and our findings suggest that eating an avocado per day can substantially increase overall diet quality,” said researcher Kristina Petersen. “This is important because we know a higher diet quality is associated with lower risk of several diseases including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers.” 

Avocados can improve health long-term

For the study, the researchers analyzed data from over 1,000 participants who were either overweight or obese. One group of participants ate an avocado every day for six months; another group limited their avocado intake to two per month and continued eating as they normally would. The team measured their body weight, cholesterol, and fat in the abdomen at the start and end of the study. 

The researchers learned that eating avocados every day was linked with important health improvements. One benefit of eating more avocados was lower cholesterol; LDL cholesterol decreased by 2.5 mg/dL and total cholesterol decreased by 2.9 mg/DL. 

The team found that avocados didn’t play a significant role in the participants’ abdomen fat levels or other cardiometabolic risk factors. However, participants who ate avocados every day had better overall diet quality and didn’t gain weight. 

“While one avocado a day did not lead to clinically significant improvements in abdominal fat and other cardiometabolic risk factors, consuming one avocado a day did not result in body weight gain,” said researcher Joan Sabaté. “This is positive because eating extra calories from avocados doesn’t impact body weight or abdominal fat, and it slightly decreases total and LDL-cholesterol.”

Moving forward, the researchers hope consumers consider the health benefits of incorporating more avocados into their diets. 

“While the avocados did not affect belly fat or weight gain, the study still provides evidence that avocados can be a beneficial addition to a well-balanced diet,” said researcher Penny Kris-Etherton. “Incorporating an avocado a day per day in this study did not cause weight gain and also caused a slight decrease in LDL cholesterol, which are all important findings for better health.” 

Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) is recalling 234,862 of the following model year 2017-2022 vehicles:

• CLA-Class
• GLA-Class
• GLE-Class
• GLS-Class
• SLC-Class
• A-Class
• AMG GT-Class
• C-Class
• E-Class
• S-Class
• SL-Class
• GLC-Class
• CLS-Class
• GLB-Class
• G-Class

A list of the specific recalled vehicles may be found here.

An error in the communication module's SIM card software can cause a mobile network connection failure that disables the emergency call (eCall) system.

A disabled eCall system would prevent a vehicle occupant from contacting the emergency services call center in an emergency, potentially delaying emergency responders and increasing the risk of injury.

What to do

The communication module software will be updated through an Over-the-Air (OTA) update or by a dealer at no cost.

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

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

MTD Products of Cleveland, Ohio, is recalling about 1,774 Troy-Bilt SpaceSavr Walk-Behind Self-Propelled Lawn Mowers.

The mower can leak fuel when it is stored in the upright (vertical) storage position, posing a fire hazard.

No incidents or injuries have been reported.

This recall involves Troy-Bilt SpaceSavr Walk-Behind Self-Propelled Lawn Mowers. The model number is TB220BXP SpaceSavr (12AVU2V3B66), which can be found on the white model plate located on the rear door. The mower is black with the name Troy-Bilt on the engine shroud and on the bagger.

The lawn mowers, manufactured in the U.S., were sold at Menards and various other home and hardware stores nationwide and online at Menards.com from January 2022, through March 2022, for about $410.

What to do

Consumers should stop using the mowers, store them horizontally only, and contact the store where they were purchased or Troy-Bilt to receive a full refund.

Consumers may contact MTD Products toll-free at (888) 848-6038 between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. (ET) Monday through Friday or online for more information.

After a wild Fourth of July weekend that saw flight cancellations in the U.S. hitting 1,927 on Sunday, things seem to be slowing down but still a far cry from leaving travelers waiting on the tarmac for the next shoe to drop.

According to flight tracking site FlightAware, Monday’s cancellations showed 1,603 flights but that figure could change as the day progressed. From ConsumerAffairs’ experience with these situations, predicting what will happen on Wednesday or Thursday might be a little early, but there’s only 47 flights into, out of, or within the U.S. canceled for Wednesday and 10 for Thursday as of mid-morning Monday.

While a thousand-plus may seem like a significant number, when it’s compared to the total number of flights scheduled, it’s tiny percentage-wise. For example, American Airlines listed 47 canceled flights for Monday, but that only accounts for 1% of its scheduled departures. 

When that percentage climbs double digits, that's when the real fretting should begin. An example of that is for travelers who are flying overseas, particularly to Scandinavia. SAS Airlines – a carrier that serves New York, Miami, Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, and Los Angeles taking travelers to Oslo, Stockholm, and Copenhagen – filed for bankruptcy early Tuesday, forcing 78% (236) of its flights to be taken off the board. FlightAware already has SAS penciled in for another 31% (98) of its scheduled flights to be canceled on Wednesday. 

Get used to it

While it’s no fun for any traveler to play this game, it’s something we might have to contend with for a while. Kathleen Bangs, a former airline pilot now working for FlightAware, said that cancellations continue to be expected because of the staffing situation.

"Weather has always impacted aviation, but the weather so far this summer hasn't been any worse than normal," Bangs told CNN. "When we see severe weather, it is taking airlines longer to scramble and recover. They don't have the deep bench of pilots to call in. It really seems to be more of a systemwide staffing issue, trickling down to the FAA in terms of [the] air traffic control system." In SAS' case, the airline pinned its bankruptcy directly on the pilots.

The unfortunate consequence of the pilot shortage-driven cancellation flurry is that travelers sometimes find themselves put out – completely put out.

“United does not understand that they are not just flying planes, they are transporting PEOPLE. People is a word that United Airlines does not know,” wrote Edgar of Pittsburgh in a recent review he submitted to ConsumerAffairs.

Edgar said the thing that bugged him most about his United nightmare was that the airline waited until “the last minute” to let people know their flight was canceled. “It took me and my wife two hours standing in the check-in counter … until they could figure out what was happening. The United representative was unbelievably rude and unprofessional … laughing at us when we asked [for] a printed hotel confirmation, since we did not have internet access in our phones. It was a very humiliating situation.”

Inflation has soared since the start of 2022, but Americans appear to be coping so far. Higher costs don’t appear to have reduced highway traffic and crowded airports.

So how are consumers getting by? According to the Wall Street Journal, people are dipping into the significant savings they accumulated during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Those nest eggs are substantial. Moody’s Analytics estimates that Americans saved $2.7 trillion of the government stimulus checks they received, which went into bank accounts along with other income that didn’t get spent on travel, dining out, and entertainment.

After months of inflation, consumers are saving less. Americans’ saving rate – what’s left after normal spending – fell to 5.4%. 

Most still have some cash

In April 2020, when the economy shut down to try to block the spread of the coronavirus, the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis put the saving rate at 34%. Moody’s Analytics estimates that consumers have spent about $114 billion of the money they socked away.

“Most households have a cash cushion to navigate through the very high inflation,” Mark Zandi, Moody’s Analytics chief economist, told the Journal. “This is allowing consumers to stay in the game.”

But how long can that last? A survey by J.D. Power shows that an increasing number of consumers would like to get more financial advice and guidance from their bank.

Researchers found that 59% of retail bank customers say they expect their financial institutions to help them improve their financial health. J.D. Power’s 2022 U.S. Retail Banking Advice Satisfaction Study suggests very few banks are delivering on that expectation. 

The survey found that overall customer satisfaction with the advice and guidance provided by national and regional banks is 30 points lower on a 1,000-point scale than it was 12 months ago.

“The data make it crystal clear: Retail bank customers want guidance, but many aren't receiving it,” said Jennifer White, senior director for banking and payments intelligence at J.D. Power.  “The tools banks have at their disposal aren't always being used or, when they are, they are not used effectively.”

Capital One scores highest in satisfaction

Capital One ranked the highest in customer satisfaction with retail banking advice in the survey, with a score of 629 on a 1,000-point scale. Citibank ranked second, and Bank of America ranked third.

Toya, of San Diego, is a particularly enthusiastic Capital One customer.

“This bank is just bomb,” Toya wrote in a ConsumerAffairs review. “I love them SOOOOOOOOOOOO much!!!!! They've been with me for years. This bank ALWAYS has my back. ALWAYS. It's a ride or die bank.” 

But when it comes to banks offering customers helpful advice, J.D. Power found a lot less enthusiasm. Fewer bank customers can recall receiving financial advice from their bank in the last 12 months.

“When two or more instances of advice are recalled by customers, overall satisfaction increases 52 points,” J.D. Power said in its study. “But a cookie-cutter approach will not suffice.”

The company says consumers expect advice and guidance to be personalized to their situation and be delivered at the right time.

Consumers may soon enjoy new protections when they shop for a new or used car. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has proposed a new rule that would eliminate some sales tactics that have annoyed car buyers for decades.

The agency says complaints have piled up over the last two years because there is a shortage of available vehicles and prices have skyrocketed. In a Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM), the FTC is taking particular aim at extra fees and bait-and-switch advertising.

“The proposed Rule would prohibit motor vehicle dealers from making certain misrepresentations in the course of selling, leasing, or arranging financing for motor vehicles,” the agency said

The rule would require accurate pricing disclosures in dealers’ advertising and sales discussions, require dealers to obtain consumers’ informed consent for charges, prohibit the sale of any add-on product or service that confers no benefit to the consumer, and require dealers to keep records of advertisements and customer transactions. 

Auto manufacturers have little control over individual dealers, but they have issued warnings to not abuse customers in recent months, fearing damage to their brands. Ford CEO Jim Farley has used public forums to call out dealers who have raised prices by thousands of dollars over the manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP).

Automakers have warned their dealers

Both Ford and General Motors have sent warning letters to their dealers to not mark up the price of cars and trucks. Nissan has warned dealers that they must abide by the terms of lease agreements.

Because of the huge increase in used car prices, there is a great temptation for dealers to pressure lease customers to turn in their cars at the end of the lease rather than purchase them. A lease agreement written in 2019 might allow the customer to purchase the vehicle for around $10,000, even though today's prices may value the vehicle closer to $20,000. 

The proposed FTC rule is designed to make sure lease customers’ rights are fully protected. It would also prohibit bogus services and products that add no value and ban many other dealer fees that are added at the end of the process while the customer is signing a mountain of paperwork.

The rule would also require that dealers give car buyers “a true offering price” that only excludes taxes and government fees.

The proposed rule will be open for public comment for 60 days.

A new study conducted by researchers from the American College of Cardiology explored how redlining, a term that encompasses several discriminatory housing practices that date back to the 1960s, can imapct consumers’ health. According to their findings, redlining may increase consumers’ future risk of heart disease. 

“We already know historic redlining has been linked with modern-day health inequities in major urban areas, including asthma, certain types of cancer, preterm birth, mental health, and other chronic diseases,” said researcher Dr. Sadeer Al-Kindi.

“While ours is the first study to examine the national relationship between redlined neighborhoods and cardiovascular diseases, it’s logical that many socioeconomic, environmental, and social impacts of redlining on other areas of residents’ health outcomes would also be seen in heart disease.” 

Long-term heart health risks

For the study, the researchers analyzed data from Home Owners’ Loan Corporation (HOLC) and the 2020 U.S. Census. The HOLC provided data on how neighborhoods were graded based on old redlining records; neighborhoods were given an A (the best), B (still desirable), C (definitely declining), or D (hazardous). Areas that fell into the latter group were considered to be redlined, and residents experienced discrimination while living in these areas. 

Ultimately, the researchers learned that the prevalence of heart disease and its related risk factors increased with each succeeding letter grade. For example, residents in A-level neighborhoods had lower risks of heart disease, whereas residents in D-level neighborhoods had the highest levels of stroke, coronary heart disease, and chronic kidney disease. 

The researchers explained that members of redlined neighborhoods were more likely to struggle financially and experience racial discrimination, both of which can impact heart health. Residents in these areas were more likely to be exposed to environmental toxins, higher levels of pollutants, and have less access to green spaces. 

“We found neighborhoods with so-called better HOLC grades had higher cholesterol screening and routine health visits when compared to neighborhoods with worse HOLC grades,” said researcher Dr. Issam Motairek.

“And the prevalence of 18- to 64-year-olds without health insurance nearly doubled from A through D-graded areas. In each stepwise increase across the HOLC grading spectrum, from A to D,  we also observed an overall increase in rates of diabetes, obesity, hypertension, and smoking.” 

A new study conducted by researchers from the University of New South Wales explored the risk that traffic injuries pose to young people. The findings suggest that young people have a high risk of being involved in traffic injury-related deaths, and the team says not much is being done to prevent these fatal accidents. 

“We’ve seen a high increase in the absolute number of injury-related deaths and (disability-adjusted life years), specifically in low- and low-middle income countries,” said researcher Dr. Amy Peden. “It indicates neglect for a growing population at risk of injury.”

Mortality risks for young people 

For the study, the researchers analyzed data from the 2019 Global Burden of Disease Study. The study included information on traffic-related injuries over the last three decades and from more than 200 countries. The team was most concerned with disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) and deaths related to traffic injuries. 

The researchers learned that rates of traffic-related deaths among consumers between the ages of 10 and 24 differed in high-income and low-income countries. Traffic injury and death rates dropped 1.7% each year from 2010 to 2019; however, from 1999-2010, that figure was as high as 2.4% each year.  

“In high-income countries like Australia, there’s been a real decline in progress,” Dr. Peden said. “In the past 10 years, we’ve seen reductions in rates of road transport injury essentially stall, showing a lack of attention to the issue.

“Despite being the leading cause of death in adolescents globally, it’s been relatively neglected when you consider the strong action on other non-injury causes of death among adolescents.” 

Policy changes needed

The researchers explained that there are many public policy efforts that could be put in place to help enforce safety on the roads. This could include designing roadways to prioritize children’s health and safety, creating school zones, lowering the blood alcohol content level restrictions for new drivers, and changing the minimum drinking laws, among several other initiatives. 

“What we need now is the political will for change, backed by measurable action, financial support, and the right mechanisms to implement solutions, especially in communities where the burden of road traffic injuries is greatest,” said researcher Rebecca Ivers.  

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a food safety alert for a possible listeria outbreak linked to Big Olaf ice cream. The agency reported that there have been 23 illnesses, 22 hospitalizations, and one death on Monday. 

Listeria is a foodborne bacterial illness that can be especially dangerous to pregnant women, people over the age of 65, and those who have a weakened immune system. It's most commonly caused by consuming unpasteurized milk products -- like ice cream -- and improperly processed deli meats.

The CDC and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) take listeria seriously and penalize companies that don’t meet their health standards. Just a couple of years ago, Blue Bell Creameries paid a record fine over listeria contamination in its products. The company's president was charged with wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud in relation to his purported efforts to hide what was known about the contamination from consumers.

What precautions the CDC suggests

The CDC suggests consumers should throw away any Big Olaf Creamery brand ice cream products that they possess. To further protect consumers, Big Olaf Creamery is voluntarily contacting retail locations to recommend that their ice cream products be removed from store shelves until further notice.

“For now it is only speculation as it is an ongoing investigation, our brand has not been confirmed to be linked to these cases, I am not sure why only Big Olaf is being mentioned and targeted,” a Big Olaf representative wrote in a Facebook post. 

“The original report we got from the Florida Department of Health on Friday July 1st, was that there are 23 cases reported, the first one reported was January 2021. 6 out of the 23 patients mentioned having consumed Big Olaf ice cream, but nothing has been proven. We have been cooperating with the Florida Department of Health, FDACS and the FDA as soon as we were informed about the situation. We have been transparent and have answered all their questions and provided them with all the information requested from us, as the health and well being of the public is our first priority.”

General Motors is recalling 74 Autoliv Front-Driver Airbag Modules, part numbers 20928235 and 20928242, that were sold as replacement parts for certain model year 2011-2012 GMC and Chevrolet vehicles.

The driver's air bag inflator may explode during deployment due to a manufacturing defect.

An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

What to do

Dealers will inspect and replace the front-driver air bag module -- as necessary -- free of charge.

Letters notifying owners of the safety risk are expected to be mailed on July 5, 2022. A second letter will be sent once the remedy is available.

Owners may contact GM customer service at (888) 988-7267 or Chevrolet customer service at (800) 222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N222364860.

General Motors is recalling 221 model year 2021 Chevrolet Malibus, model year 2022 Chevrolet Equinoxes and Blazers, and Cadillac XT4s.

The driver's seat cushion frame may have an improper weld in the power tilt-adjustment mechanism.

An improperly welded seat frame may not adequately restrain the driver in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

What to do

Dealers will inspect the driver's seat and replace the cushion frame -- as necessary -- free of charge.

Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on July 5, 2022.

Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at (800) 222-1020 or Cadillac customer service at (800) 458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N212356050.

Airlines have been canceling flights all year long, and the prospects don’t look any better for the Fourth of July weekend. According to FlightAware, there were 1,948 flights canceled on Friday and another 705 on Saturday.

For many travelers, the Fourth of July weekend is the only time they’ll venture somewhere this summer. That, in and of itself, will be a major headache for the airlines, but the bigger issue airlines are facing is trying to find enough pilots to fly their planes. 

Airlines continue to struggle to replace the thousands of pilots who took buyouts when airlines responded to the COVID-19 pandemic two years ago. Without those pilots to depend on, airlines have little choice but to ground flights. The only thing that might resolve the issue is something that industry analysts are proposing – easing the requirements for pilot certification, including the rule requiring 1,500 hours of flight time before ever sitting in the pilot’s seat on a commercial aircraft.

If you’re flying on Delta, things might be better than on other airlines

If the fact that consumer complaints against airlines have risen 300% above pre-pandemic levels is any indication, anyone who’s flying somewhere this summer needs to be ready for the possibility of their flight being canceled or them being bumped from a flight – a move that, by the way, may sound egregious but is not illegal.

Some of that may depend on what airline you’re flying on. According to Department of Transportation data from April, Delta Air Lines sports the highest on-time arrival rates – 81.9%. The airline looks like it's prepared for the worst this weekend. FlightAware data shows that Delta has zero flights canceled for Saturday.

But Delta knows things can change quickly, and it has decided to be as proactive as possible to avoid creating headaches for holiday travelers by preemptively issuing travel waivers for flights between July 1 and July 4.

According to SimpleFlying, Delta Air Lines is “significantly” allowing its customers to change their flights for free and waive any resulting difference in fare for travel booked for July 1 - 4. It's also giving those fliers an opportunity to rebook their trips before or after potentially challenging weekend travel days.

“This unique waiver is being issued to give Delta customers greater flexibility to plan around busy travel times, weather forecasts and other variables without worrying about a potential cost to do so," the airline noted in a blog post. 

Waiver or not, even the most undaunted of travelers should be thinking ahead and considering their options.

"If you’re flying Delta — or any other airline — this weekend, it might be best to try and change to the first flight of the day, if possible, as those flights are the least likely to be delayed or canceled," Ethan Klapper wrote for The Points Guy. 

"Also, if you’re traveling ahead of a cruise or an important gathering, try and leave some additional buffer between your flight and wherever you’re headed," Klapper added.

Mortgage rates cooled off a bit this week, dropping to an average of 5.7% for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage. For prospective buyers waiting for these higher rates to bring down home prices, the wait may be long indeed.

“The rapid rise in mortgage rates has finally paused, largely due to the countervailing forces of high inflation and the increasing possibility of an economic recession,” said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist. “This pause in rate activity should help the housing market rebalance from the breakneck growth of a seller’s market to a more normal pace of home price appreciation.”

But so far, that hasn’t happened. In its latest report on home sales, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) put the median home sale price in May at a record $407,000. With a mortgage rate near 6%, the monthly payment has priced millions of people out of the housing market.

Still plenty of buyers

But because there are so few homes available for purchase, along with plenty of people who can afford those higher home payments, sales have not plunged. Kate Wood, housing expert at NerdWallet, says the housing market is probably not in a “bubble.”

"While inflation pushing up the cost of raw materials is more bad news for new construction, we've actually seen prices for existing homes — which had been experiencing sharp year-over-year increases — begin to cool down,” Wood told ConsumerAffairs. “Yes, it's from a raging boil to a strong simmer, but with interest rates eating into home buyers' budgets, any shift toward normalization in the housing market is good news for buyers.”

Yet the higher monthly costs to purchase a home have not dampened demand. NAR reported this week that pending home sales – contracts signed but not yet closed – actually increased in June, rising 0.7%. 

A market in transition

Compared with May 2021, however, pending sales were down 13%. NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun says that suggests the housing market is in transition.

"Contract signings are down sizably from a year ago because of much higher mortgage rates," Yun said.

Because home prices and mortgage rates are rising together, Yun said it is more difficult to make a 20% down payment. With 10% down on the median-priced home, Yun says the average house payment has increased by $800 a month since the beginning of the year.

Wood says that the higher monthly payments have yet to deter buyers, and home prices don’t appear ready to fall anytime soon. Of course, she says that could be good news for people who already own homes.