Current Events in August 2022

For consumers who have had their eye on a new Peloton, there are now even more options to purchase one. The stationary bike company announced that its products – including bikes, accessories, and apparel – will now be available in U.S. Amazon stores. 

“Expanding our distribution channels through Amazon is a natural extension of our business and an organic way to increase access to our brand,” said Kevin Cornils, Peloton’s Chief Commercial Officer. “We want to meet consumers where they are, and they are shopping on Amazon. Providing additional opportunities to expose people to Peloton is a clear next step, as we generate excitement for our unparalleled connected fitness experience.” 

What shoppers can expect

With these efforts, more shoppers will have the opportunity to purchase items from Peloton. Previously, consumers were limited exclusively to the Peloton site. Now, existing and potential Peloton members will be able to check out a whole suite of Peloton items as they scroll through Amazon. 

For consumers interested in making the leap with the Peloton bike, the original version will be available on Amazon, as will the Peloton Guide, which includes a movement tracker, a voice-activated remote, and a strength-training device with a built-in camera. When purchasing a bike through Amazon, consumers can either assemble it themselves or choose to have someone set it up after delivery – free of charge. 

In addition to the bikes, Amazon will also carry Peloton apparel and accessories. This includes everything from leggings, hats, and t-shirts, to yoga blocks, dumbbells, and cycling shoes – among several other options. 

Fall flight fares are falling… fast (say that 10 times!). After a spike in airfare prices in the spring, the price to get from point A to point B might be the best it’s been in awhile.

Why is that important to know?

“Because if your sense of what flight prices should be hasn’t been updated since the spring, you’re at risk of overpaying for your next trip,” Scott Keyes at Scott’s Cheap Flights told ConsumerAffairs.

Keyes said that after airfares peaked in late May, airfare fell 3% in June, and 8% in July – the third largest fare drop on record. 

When ConsumerAffairs asked Keyes why fares are falling so quickly, he said that in the airline industry, there’s a rule of thumb about summer travel: flights after Labor Day are 50% cheaper than flights before Labor Day.

The logic there being that as schools resume, the number of travelers slides throughout August and then nosedives after Labor Day. 

“There are still plenty of expensive flights around, but far more cheap flights in the mix now, too,” he said. “In the past few weeks, we’ve seen roundtrip fares from various cities like $161 to Hawaii, $226 to Norway, and $366 to Lisbon—all nonstop. Don’t settle for expensive flights because you haven’t updated your priors on airfare.”

The Goldilocks Window

Keyes said that for people looking for a trip, a key element is what’s known in the airline industry as the “Goldilocks Window.” 

“Though there’s no set time or date that’s always cheapest to book, there’s still a period when cheap fares are most likely to pop up. I call these Goldilocks Windows,” Keyes said.

Examples? “For domestic flights, it’s normally one to three months before your travel dates. For international trips, it’s two to eight months prior. If your trip is during a peak travel period -- Christmas, summer, St. Patrick’s Day in Dublin -- add a couple of months to those windows.”

But if you’re hoping to take a September trip, Keyes said time is wasting because the Goldilocks Window is closing.

“Even if average fares fall further in next month’s inflation report -- as I expect they will! -- that won’t help because waiting means you’d be booking those dreaded, most-expensive type of tickets: last-minute,” he said.

Remember to rebook if fares drop so you can save more

This won’t work if you’re a dyed-in-the-wool non-refundable economy ticket buyer, but if you’re in any other refundable ticket class, Keyes said that if you see a better fare after you’ve already purchased your ticket, you can rebook the same flight and pocket the difference in flight credit.

“For example, I booked a domestic flight not long ago for $300. It was painful, but I had very little flexibility,” he said, adding the next strategic step is this: “A few weeks later, when fares for that flight dropped to $160, I canceled the ticket for $300 in travel credit, used that to repurchase the same flight, and wound up with the same ticket plus $140 in flight vouchers.

Chris Cracchiolo, senior vice president and general manager of Walmart+, has announced that Walmart has created a new rewards program for members of Walmart+ – Walmart Rewards. The program is aimed at helping Walmart+ members save more money at the store, which has recently expanded to include discounts on gas and prescriptions. 

“At Walmart, everything we do is in service of the customer,” Cracchiolo wrote. “Sam Walton used to say, ‘Give customers what they want, and a little more.’ This is our ambition with Walmart+ – to offer a suite of benefits that are additive for our members. And as the needs of members evolve, we evolve right alongside them.” 

What can shoppers expect?

The new rewards program is designed to offer Walmart shoppers discounts and special offers on a wide range of products – groceries, pet supplies, and home needs. Right now, the program is only offering rewards on specific items, though future evolutions of Walmart Rewards may include other features. 

To start saving money, consumers simply start shopping. When scrolling through the Walmart app or website, members will see the option to add a reward to a specific item.

The example shown in a video available on the Walmart company blog is the option to add a $0.75 reward to a bottle of ketchup. Once the reward is selected, it will be added to the Reward Center, which is available in the Walmart wallet in the app and online.

These rewards can then be used towards lowering the price of future Walmart purchases, both in-store and online. The more that customers shop, the more rewards they’ll rack up, company officials say.

For current Walmart+ members, this rewards program is live, and no extra steps are necessary to start saving money. If you’re logged into your Walmart account, either on the app or the website, you’ll start seeing items eligible for discounts. 

Currently, Walmart+ members receive:

• Unlimited free delivery on any items ordered online
• Scan and go, which allows customers to use their phones to scan items in the store and pay for them digitally
• Most recently, a subscription to Paramount+.

This latest effort is geared towards saving customers more money on items they’re already buying. 

“We’ve always been committed to saving members time and money, and with Walmart Rewards, we’re rewarding members for shopping with us through added savings on the items they want and need most,” Cracchiolo said. “It’s a little more that adds up to a lot.” 

There were more signs this week that the housing market is weakening, which may be good news for home buyers. Pending home sales, which track contracts signed for home purchases, fell by 1% in July.

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) reports that home sale contracts were down nearly 20% compared to July 2021.

"In terms of the current housing cycle, we may be at or close to the bottom in contract signings," said NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun. "This month's very modest decline reflects the recent retreat in mortgage rates. Inventories are growing for homes in the upper price ranges, but limited supply at lower price points is hindering transaction activity."

While the news for home buyers is good, it's not so good for renters. Realtor.com issued a report showing that the cost of renting a home in the suburbs continues to get more expensive. Until the pandemic, renting in the suburbs had always been cheaper than renting in an urban center.

The report shows that the rental price advantage of living in the suburbs vs. urban areas has shrunk by 52.9% compared to three years ago. The U.S. median rental price hit its latest all-time high in July of $1,879.

‘Between a rock and a hard place’

"Whether in a downtown area or suburb, staying put or making a change, renters are stuck between a rock and a hard place when it comes to affordability,” said Realtor.com Chief Economist Danielle Hale. "Compared to three years ago when rental price premiums were typically concentrated in urban hubs, renting is now nearly as expensive in the suburbs, where the rise in remote work has driven a surge in demand." 

At the same time, Hale says urban rents could face higher costs in the coming months. As more companies require employees to return to the office, the convenience of living nearby will become a factor, putting upward pressure on rent in the city.

"Put simply, renters are feeling it everywhere, but there may be some relief ahead,” Hale said. “Survey findings suggest that landlords are adjusting their approaches to renters' tightening budgets, while July data shows rent growth is leveling off at a relatively cooler pace than in 2021."

However, the report notes that national rents reached a new high for the 17th consecutive month in July, even as rent growth continued to slow. So far in 2022, the report shows annual rent gains have been consistently getting smaller month to month, indicating a shift toward a more sustainable balance of rental supply and demand.

You may want to check out those Perdue frozen ready-to-eat chicken breast tenders before you pop them into the oven.

The Agriculture Department’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) says they contain extraneous materials -- small pieces of clear plastic and blue dye to be exact.

While this is a concern, a recall has not been issued because the product isn't available for purchase anymore.

No confirmed reports of adverse reactions have been received.

The following product, subject to the public health alert, was produced on July 12, 2022:

• 42 oz. plastic bags containing “PERDUE CHICKEN BREAST TENDERS GLUTEN FREE” with a “Best if Used By: 07 12 23” and a lot number of 2193 above the use by date.

The product in question bears establishment number “P-33944” immediately below the “Best if Used By:” date on the back of the plastic bag, and was shipped to B's Wholesale Club retail locations nationwide.

Several Perdue products have been recalled over the past several years, including Simply Smart Organics frozen chicken, and Fun Shapes Chicken Breast Nuggets -- both in 2019 -- because they contained allergens that were not declared on the label.

What to do

While the product is no longer being sold, FSIS worries that some consumers may have the product in their freezers.

If they do, they should not consume it, but discard or return it to the place of purchase.

Consumers with questions may call Perdue Foods at 866-866-3703.

After American Airlines’ announcement that it is shaving 31,000 flights off its November schedule, travelers – especially those going somewhere for Thanksgiving – were likely wondering what that meant for them. And that’s a good question. 

To try and find out a little more of how those cuts will impact people holding reservations on American, ConsumerAffairs reached out to the airline to get some clear-cut, actionable information. To its credit, American has a very simple, and direct, answer. 

“Customers whose flights may have changed as a result of future schedule changes will be contacted directly with alternate travel options that get them to their destinations,” the company told ConsumerAffairs. “If a change doesn’t meet a customer’s needs, they can seek a full refund under our standard schedule change policy.”

A return to pre-COVID

Typically, U.S. airlines open their booking window around 330 days in advance. For American, it’s 331 days. But a lot can happen in that span that can throw everything off. 

A spokesperson for American told ConsumerAffairs that, just like its peers, it regularly makes adjustments to its future schedule so its schedule aligns as best as it can with customer demand and set up the types of airplanes it uses, the routes its customers want to fly, etc., so it can corral the resources it has available for the operating conditions it faces. 

In fact, while 31,000 flight cancellations was the headline that grabbed the most attention, American had earlier made adjustments to its September and October schedules. The airline says that travelers can expect schedule changes 100 days in advance, but for only as long as it takes to return to the way schedules were built pre-COVID in 2019.  

“But we still aren't where we need to be. And we have a lot of flying ahead of us still in the summer,” American’s CEO Robert Isom said in the company’s second-quarter earnings call.

“So, we're investing in our operation to ensure we meet our reliability goals and deliver for our customers. We're taking proactive steps to build an additional buffer into our schedule for the rest of the year. As I said a minute ago, we're sizing the airline for the resources we have available and the operating conditions we face, and we'll make other changes as needed.”

Natural gas prices are surging and with winter approaching, consumers who heat with the fuel can expect rising bills. Even electric bills could rise since many utilities generate electricity with natural gas.

For years, natural gas has been plentiful and relatively cheap, but no more. Like many things in the economy, GasBuddy’s Patrick DeHaan says the move in natural gas prices is tied to Russia, which has interrupted its supplies going to Western Europe. 

“Russia is one of the top suppliers of natural gas, and with them shutting down exports to Europe and limiting flows, natural gas prices have exploded,” DeHaan told ConsumerAffairs. “In addition, with economies reopening after COVID and power demand very high, demand for natural gas has been significant.”

Within days, Russia plans to close off one of Europe’s most vital fuel pipelines for an indefinite period of unplanned maintenance. Many industry sources see it as a retaliatory move in response to NATO’s support for Ukraine.

But the move will affect U.S. consumers. U.S. producers are stepping in to fill some of the void created by the Russian shutdown. At the same time, demand for natural gas in the U.S. rose over the summer in response to hot, dry weather in much of the Western U.S. The fuel wasn’t needed to heat homes but to meet additional electricity demand.

Consumers are using more electricity

The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported Tuesday that electric power generated by natural gas-fired power plants in the lower 48 states reached 6.37 million megawatt-hours in mid-July. The agency reported demand remained strong despite rising prices. Making matters even more precarious for U.S. consumers, EIA reported that producers have cut back on their natural gas storage for the winter months.

“We are beginning to see a lag in storage builds that could lead to a precarious situation during the draw season in the event of a harsher-than-expected winter,” Neal Dingmann, an energy equities analyst at Truist Securities,” told the Wall Street Journal. “There is potential for a winter U.S. super spike.”

Natural gas is a widely-used fuel in American homes. In addition to operating furnaces, some households use the fuel to cook, heat water, and dry clothes.

According to the American Gas Association, the average U.S. household using natural gas paid a total of $670 a year for the fuel, an average of more than $55 a month. Industry experts say those bills are bound to rise this winter.

In a highly-anticipated move, President Biden has announced plans to issue an executive order forgiving a portion of federal student loan debt for millions of borrowers.

The announcement comes a week before the moratorium on loan payments, in effect since early in the pandemic, is set to expire.

Under the administration’s plan, the Department of Education will provide up to $20,000 in debt cancellation to Pell Grant recipients with loans held by the Department of Education, and up to $10,000 in debt cancellation to non-Pell Grant recipients. 

Borrowers are eligible for this relief if their individual income is less than $125,000 – $250,000 for married couples. Meanwhile, the moratorium on loan payments that would have expired Aug. 31 has been extended to Dec. 31, 2022.

In explaining the move, the White House noted that nearly one-third of borrowers have debt but no degree, according to an analysis by the Department of Education. Many of these students either dropped out or could not complete their degree because the cost of attendance was too high. 

Could help borrowers  in default

The White House also said about 16% of borrowers are in default, including nearly a third of senior citizens with student debt. Federal student loan debt cannot be discharged through bankruptcy so defaulting on a loan usually results in the government garnishing a borrower’s wages or lowering a borrower’s credit score. 

“We must also remember that, while debt cancellation is good news for those who currently hold student loans, it does not solve the underlying problems that caused the student debt crisis in the first place: the exorbitant cost of college, the declining purchasing power of the Federal Pell Grant, and our flawed student loan system,” said Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Va.), chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee.

The forgiveness announcement is likely to be politically controversial, coming a little more than two months before the midterm elections. It may also be challenged in court. Biden has long favored a student loan debt forgiveness program but said it should be done through the legislative process, not with an executive order.

Amazon, often a favorite of imposter scammers, appears to be fed up. It has targeted a California-based entrepreneur it said claimed to be the online retail giant in a scheme to defraud consumers.

Amazon has filed suit against “Pionera Inc,” a company it said ran a series of call centers in a scam operation that tried to convince customers into thinking they were receiving tech support on two Amazon-owned products – Prime Video and Ring. 

The complaint claims that the company also obtained hundreds of dollars in fraudulent payments from victims for fake services that those consumers did not need and Pionera did not provide. 

According to OpenCorporates.com, Pionera Inc. was dissolved as a corporation in February.

Amazon’s lawyers claim that once Pionera was able to convince its targets that it was there to help solve issues like a tech or account problem, the company gained remote access to those victims’ computers and could access the victims’ financial accounts.

Amazon said that the defendants targeted the public through online ads and websites, prompting consumers to call a phone number operated by Pionera personnel.  

“Amazon has no tolerance for scams that fraudulently impersonate our brand, and we’re appalled at these bad actors’ attempts to deceive our customers,” Amazon Vice President of Buyer Risk Prevention, Sriram Krishnan, said in a statement given to ConsumerAffairs. “We are advocating for customers by holding these bad actors accountable to the fullest extent of the law.” 

Consumers who own or use Apple products may recognize the name Pionera. Last year, someone on the Apple Community forum raised a question about the company, too, intimating that Pionera was possibly responsible for their iPad being hijacked and frozen, and requesting $400 for a 5-year security contract that would apparently clear up that problem. 

ConsumerAffairs reached out to Manoj Goel, the person listed as CEO of Pionera and a co-defendant in the lawsuit, for comment on the allegations, but did immediately hear back.

Amazon says it is taking fraud more seriously than ever

The last couple of years haven’t been good for Amazon in regards to being impersonated. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) said that Amazon was a runaway favorite for scammers from July 2020 through June 2021. Not only did reports about Amazon impersonators grow fivefold, but about one in three people who reported business scams said the scammer claimed to be from Amazon.

To its credit, Amazon says it’s had enough when it comes to scams and the company is putting its money where its mouth is. 

In 2021 alone, the online retailer said it invested over $900 million globally and employed more than 12,000 machine learning scientists, software developers, expert investigators, and others to protect both it and its customers from fraud and other forms of abuse. That investment paid off, too. Amazon said that it took action against more than 350 individuals and entities involved in impersonation scams in 2021 alone.

Now, the company is taking its efforts even further. On Tuesday, the company also announced that it's launched a cybersecurity awareness campaign with the National Cybersecurity Alliance as its partner. Together, the two have developed a microsite for consumers, ProtectConnect, to offer advice about multi-factor authentication, and how to identify and avoid phishing attempts.

How can Amazon customers protect themselves from scams?

To match its investment in people who can defend against bad actors, Amazon has also added consumer-side guidance to help its customers identify whether an email, phone call, text message, or webpage is really from Amazon. 

One of the things that can come in handy is Amazon’s recently released “self-reporting” tool. With this tool, consumers can report anything – such as an email or phone call – they think is suspicious and ask Amazon to investigate it further. 

Amazon said that one telltale sign of a scam call is if the person on the other end tries to pressure a customer into giving out account information. If that happens, then that’s where the self-reporting tool can be of help – as can reaching out to Amazon customer service via chat or a phone call. 

Home buyers have faced even stiffer challenges in 2022 from rising mortgage rates and record-high home prices. But that may eventually become an advantage as many buyers get discouraged and forget about a home purchase for a while.

Buyers disappeared in many markets in July and as a result, Zillow reports the housing market showed the first signs of rebalancing, after years of heavily favoring sellers. In its latest market report, Zillow said home values fell in 30 of the nation’s 50 largest housing markets.

"Home values flattening so quickly after recent record growth might surprise, but it's a badly needed rebalancing that gives home buyers more options, more time to shop, and more negotiating power," said Zillow’s chief economist Skylar Olsen.

But before buyers begin celebrating, it’s useful to look at the specific markets where prices fell and where they stayed the same or even rose slightly. The largest price declines occurred mostly in the nation’s most expensive housing markets.

Expensive markets are still expensive

For example, San Jose, in the heart of Silicon Valley, led the way with a 4.5% decline. But San Jose is the nation’s most expensive housing market where the typical home price is still well over $1 million.

Home values actually rose in markets like Miami, Richmond, and Memphis, although the increases were under 2%.

The report suggests that hopes by some frustrated homebuyers that the housing market will see a significant correction or even a crash, might be misplaced. Olsen predicts something of a soft landing for the housing market.

Most equity gains are probably safe

"This slowdown is about discouraged buyers pulling back after the affordability shock from higher rates,” she said. “As prices soften, many will renew their interest, and we will continue our progress back to 'normal.' With buyers ready in the wings once confidence returns, homeowners can expect to keep the majority of the equity gains they've seen in the last two years."

However, the emerging housing market does hold some advantages for buyers. Instead of having to compete with several other buyers and often being outbid, buyers have a little more time. The Zillow report suggests homes will be on the market longer than they were in 2021.

Inventory is up 5.1% on a monthly basis, even though the addition of new home listings plunged 13.6% from June to July. Compared to July 2019, the last “normal” year before the start of the pandemic, new listings were off in July by 15.5%. 

A mid-year report from Chainalysis revealed that just under $2 billion has been stolen in cryptocurrency hacks in the first seven months of 2022. This is a significant increase from this same point in 2021, as experts found that crypto hacks were at $1.2 billion last July. 

The report points to decentralized finance (DeFi) as the primary reason for this increase in cryptocurrency hacks. Rather than going through trusted banks, DeFi programs allow consumers to make crypto transactions with blockchain technology. These programs don’t typically have strong security and privacy measures, which makes them susceptible to hackers. 

“...DeFi protocols are uniquely vulnerable to hacking, as their open source code can be studied ad nauseum by cybercriminals looking for exploits (though this can be helpful for security as it allows for auditing of the code), and it’s possible that protocols’ incentives to reach the market and grow quickly lead to lapses in security best practices,” wrote Eric Jardine in the Chainalysis report. 

Crypto experts have reason to believe that many of these hackers are from North Korea. So far this year, North Korean hackers have stolen a total of $1 billion in crypto. This includes $625 million that came from the video game Axie Infinity. 

Crypto scams are declining

Though crypto hackers are stealing more and more money, the Chainalysis report also found that fewer consumers are falling for crypto scams. Both money generated from crypto scams and the number of scams that consumers fell prey to are 65% lower than what they were at this point last year. 

Experts speculate that as Bitcoin prices have steadily declined over the course of the year, fewer people are interested in taking the risk with potentially volatile crypto investments. While this helps in losing large sums of money, it also helps protect consumers from potential scams – which could cause them to lose even more money. 

Because crypto remains unregulated, investors don’t have the support of a traditional bank to fall back on in case of emergencies. Consumers are encouraged to do their own research before investing, while lawmakers are urged to continue interfering in stolen crypto cases. 

The prices consumers are paying at the grocery store don’t appear to be relenting overall, but there are some bright spots that are showing up, such as the price of beef and chicken wings. 

The latest data trends from consumer analytics firm Information Resources, Inc (IRI) show that prices of food at home remain elevated, rising 1.2% from the end of June to the end of July, but tilting the scale at 14.4% year-over-year as of July 31.

“Consumers are responding to rising prices by shopping promotions, prioritizing value options, and trading down to avoid going without,” said Krishnakumar Davey, president of Thought Leadership for Consumer Packaged Goods and Retail at IRI. 

“We are advising our manufacturer clients to deploy all levers of strategic revenue management, prioritize strong in-market execution, and invest in retailer partnerships to ensure that the right products are available in the right places at the right times."

Davey said in order to give the customers what they want and at prices they can afford, retailers have to be nimble.

"Retailers must have the tools to quickly adjust to changes in consumer preferences to ensure they are offering the right assortment at price points that appeal to price-sensitive shoppers as well as their most valuable customers," he said.

The trouble spots

In reviewing IRI’s latest data, ConsumerAffairs found five pressure points that consumers are having to face at their local grocery stores. Topping that list is the price of eggs which is 46.8% higher in July than it was the previous year.

The next budget crunchers are butter and margarine – 26.3% higher – and frozen dinners and entrees – 22.8% higher than they were in 2021. Frozen pizza and center store bread (baked in-store) rounded out the top five at 17.8% and 15.4% respectively.

The bright spots

IRI said there was some hopeful news for consumers, but couched it as possibly limited. The categories with the five largest decreases in price break down as follows:

While chicken wings weren’t part of IRI’s data, the price for those is swinging back in the consumer’s favor. And just in time for football season, too.

According to a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) report, processors have apparently been stockpiling chicken wings like crazy. The number of wings in cold storage increased for the second month and at the end of June were at their highest since pre-pandemic 2018. Overall, wing prices have been steadily falling from their May 2021 high of $3.25 per pound down to $1.68 per pound in July – the lowest monthly average since May 2020. 

While the cold storage stock of chicken breasts is below 2021 levels, the prices for those parts are also showing some positive movement. The USDA’s report showed year-to-year prices are still up, but between May and July, breast meat prices fell from a peak of $3.52 per pound to an encouraging average of $2.82 per pound.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has begun a multi-state investigation regarding an outbreak of E. coli O157 infections, reportedly connected to food eaten at Wendy’s.

The agency said that 37 people infected with the outbreak strain of E. coli O157 have been reported from 4 states: Indiana (1), Michigan (15), Ohio (19), and Pennsylvania (2). As of Friday, a total of 10 people have been hospitalized, three of those who experienced a type of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome. No deaths have been reported so far.

In its research, the CDC said that out of the 26 people it interviewed, 22 reported eating sandwiches at a Wendy’s restaurant the week leading up to their illness. 

By Saturday, Wendy’s had pulled lettuce from sandwiches from its Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania restaurants. 

The CDC said that its investigators are attempting to identify the source of the outbreak and whether or not romaine lettuce is the actual culprit. It said that its investigation includes determining whether Wendy’s was the only place the lettuce in question was served or if there are other restaurants where the lettuce might have been used.

“We are fully cooperating with public health authorities on their ongoing investigation of the regional E. coli outbreak reported in certain midwestern states,” Wendy’s said in a statement to ConsumerAffairs.

“While the CDC has not yet confirmed a specific food as the source of that outbreak, we are taking the precaution of removing the sandwich lettuce from restaurants in that region.”

Sandwiches, not salads

Wendy’s made made clear that the lettuce used in sandwiches is not the same lettuce used in its salads and salads are unaffected by its decision to pull the lettuce from sandwiches. 

Even though romaine lettuce has been connected to previous E. coli outbreaks, the CDC said that it is not suggesting that people stop eating romaine lettuce.

“At this time, there is no evidence to indicate that romaine lettuce sold in grocery stores, served in other restaurants, or in people’s homes is linked to this outbreak,” the agency said.

If you become ill

E. coli can be found in contaminated water or food, particularly raw vegetables and undercooked ground beef. The Mayo Clinic says that healthy adults usually recover from infection with E. coli O157:H7 within a week, but young children and older adults have a much greater risk of developing a life-threatening form of kidney failure.

The CDC says that the symptoms that someone infected by E. coli contamination can include:  

• Diarrhea that lasts for more than three days 

• Diarrhea that lasts for more than three days and is accompanied by a fever higher than 102˚F, bloody diarrhea, or experiencing so much vomiting that you cannot keep liquids down and are not peeing much.

If anyone experiences those symptoms, the CDC would like to know because it could help it solve the outbreak. The agency asks that those people write down what they ate in the week before they got sick and report that to their local or state health department.

For more than two years, people who have taken out federal student loans have been able to suspend payments. Congress placed a moratorium on payments as a way to relieve some of the financial burdens created by the COVID-19 pandemic.

After being extended a couple of times, the payment pause is scheduled to end on August 31, unless President Biden extends it again. A survey of borrowers found most are dreading a resumption of payments. In fact, only 14% said they can afford the payments with no issues when the forbearance period ends.

The survey, conducted by ScoreSense, also found that 42% of respondents are worried about working the resumed payments back into their household budgets.

Eighteen percent of survey respondents said they will need to overhaul their budgets or rely on family to help them resume loan payments. About 25% of borrowers between the ages of 18-34 are counting on help from family members to help with their student loans.

What changed?

What changed between March 2020 and now? During the payment pause, nearly 25% of respondents said they used the money they would ordinarily pay to student loan servicers to pay off other debts and loans. Some said they invested the money in the stock market.

"Unfortunately, we're seeing the perfect storm of economic stress on households where higher prices, interest rates, property assessments, and more is making it very difficult for many people to live within their means,” said Carlos Medina, senior vice president at One Technologies, LLC., which offers ScoreSense. “For many student loan holders, making payments in 2020 was much easier than it will be when they resume." 

Forgiveness is still on the table

Some Democrats in Congress are pressing Biden to forgive a portion of student loan debt, something the president has suggested should be done through Congressional legislation. Currently, Democrats lack the votes to do that.

However, a new poll conducted for CNBC points to possible unintended consequences of wiping away a portion of student loan debt. The survey found that 59% of Americans expressed concern that student loan forgiveness would make inflation worse.

There are also political considerations that could cause the administration to hesitate. While student loan borrowers would no doubt applaud the move, other taxpayers who did not attend college and have no student loan debt might not think it is such a good idea.

Why? Because, according to the Federal Reserve, about 44 million borrowers owe a collective $1.7 trillion in federal student loan debt – money that could possibly be used to fund other initiatives or applied toward something that has more universal benefit.