Current Events in March 2024

A new report published by the American Lung Association dove deep into the ways that switching to electric vehicles (EVs), and other sources of clean power, could greatly benefit the youngest population. 

The report, which focused on kids in Michigan, found that clean power could solve a great deal of kids’ health concerns. Perhaps the biggest finding: nearly three million childhood asthma attacks could be prevented by 2050 with the shift to EVs and clean electricity. 

“Here in Michigan, the transportation sector is a leading source of air pollution and are the biggest source of carbon pollution that drives climate change and associated public health harms,” said Ken Fletcher, advocacy director at the American Lung Association. “This affects our children’s health and well-being today, and as the impacts of climate change intensify, it will impact their futures.” 

Zero-emission vehicles and electricity

For this report, experts looked at the ways that transitioning to zero-emission transportation and non-combustion clean electricity could benefit children’s health. 

The study projected the health impacts on children assuming: 

• All new passenger vehicles sold are zero-emission by 2035

• All new trucks sold are zero-emission by 2040

• The electric grid will be clean-powered by 2035

Ultimately, the researchers found that should these changes go into effect over the next decade, there would be several health benefits for children by 2050. These include: 

• 500+ fewer infant deaths

• 2.8 million fewer asthma attacks

• 2.7 million fewer upper respiratory symptoms (wet cough, runny nose, burning eyes)

• 1.9 million fewer lower respiratory symptoms (coughing, wheezing, chest pain)

• 147,000 fewer acute bronchitis cases 

The impact on children’s health

The focus of the study was on children for a few reasons. The report explains that children are uniquely vulnerable to air pollution because their bodies are still developing and they have greater exposure to air pollution than adults. 

Additionally, the 2023 State of the Air report from the American Lung Association found that 27 million U.S. children live in counties that have unhealthy air pollution levels. 

“Policymakers at the federal, state, and local levels must focus strategies to rapidly move away from combustion technologies and toward zero-emission technologies to best protect health today and ensure children have safe and sustainable communities in which to grow,” the report says. 

The monthly Consumer Price Index (CPI) measures price movements for just about every consumer expense in the economy. But for the average family, how much has the price of essentials – the money you have to spend each month – gone up? Probably more than you think.

A recent report, doxo’s 2024 U.S. Household Bill Pay Report, shows the cost of living for the average family has risen 4% in the last 12 months, higher than the 3.2% measured by the February CPI.

The report found that the average U.S. household spends $25,513 per year, or 34% of income on the 10 most essential household bills, and also breaks out the household spending market size for each of these bill categories, percentage of households that pay each bill, and average monthly and annual bill pay costs by state.

The researchers estimate consumers spend $3.35 trillion annually on these 10 essential expenses. It is worth noting that neither food nor gasoline, things most families spend on each week, are included in the 10 essential items.

10 essential items

Here is doxo’s list of essential items, with the estimated total annual expenditure:

• $885B Mortgage

• $656B Rent

• $571B Auto Loan

• $451B Utilities

• $271B Auto Insurance

• $180B Mobile Phone

• $156B Cable & Internet

• $133B Health Insurance (consumer-direct portion)

• $34B Life Insurance

• $17B Alarm & Security

The average monthly amount of each bill paid in each category is:

“While we’re starting to see an overall cooling of inflation, American sentiment towards their own financial health remains bleak,” said Liz Powell, senior director of Insights at doxo. “Seventy percent of American consumers report they’re still worried about their financial well-being despite a stabilizing economy.”

Fisher-Price of East Aurora, N.Y., is recalling about 215,000 Little People Mickey and Friends figures sold in the U.S. and Canada.

The heads of the Donald Duck and Daisy Duck figures can detach, posing a choking hazard to young children.

The company has received three reports of the heads detaching from the Donald Duck or Daisy Duck figures, including one report of a detached head in the mouth of a young child. No injuries have been reported.

This recall involves the plastic Donald Duck and Daisy Duck figures sold in the Fisher-Price Little People Mickey and Friends figure pack, models HPJ88 and HTW75.

The Donald Duck and Daisy Duck figures are about three inches tall, and both have outstretched arms.

The Donald Duck figure has a blue shirt with thin yellow stripes, a blue and black hat, and a red bow tie. The Daisy Duck figure has a light purple shirt, turquoise necklace and bracelet, pink shoes, and a pink hair bow.

The model number is located on the bottom of the Goofy figure.

The figures, manufactured in China, were sold at Walmart, Kohls, Meijer, HEB and Kroger stores nationwide, and online on at Amazon.com and Walmart.com and other various eCommerce sites from May 2023, through February 2024, for about $20.

What to do

Consumers should immediately stop using the Donald Duck and Daisy Duck figures, take them away from their children, and contact Fisher-Price to receive a pre-paid return label to return the two figures and receive a $10 refund.

This recall involves only the Donald Duck and Daisy Duck figures that are part of the figure pack.

Consumers may contact Fisher-Price toll-free at (855) 853-6224 between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. (ET) Monday through Friday, by email at https://consumersupport.mattel.com/mattelsupport/s/create-case or online at www.service.mattel.com/us/recall.aspx for more information.

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturer is recalling 381,199 model year 2022-2023 Tacoma pickup trucks.

The axle shaft sub-assembly may separate from the axle housing due to debris causing improperly secured fasteners.

Axle shaft separation can cause a loss of vehicle stability and brake performance, increasing the risk of a crash.

What to do

Dealers will inspect the rear axle assembly, tighten the axle retaining nuts -- as necessary -- and repair or replace any damaged components free of charge.

Letters to owners regarding this issue are expected to be mailed by April 13, 2024.

Owners may contact Toyota customer service at (800) 331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 24TB05 and 24TA05.

If you think “ugh” when you think about your home printer, the clouds around the cost of ink, maintenance, etc. may have parted… a bit.

Printer sales have been on a decline for a while, most likely due to the rise of paperless alternatives like PDFs and people moving the way they compute towards mobile devices, where they can share those paperless alternatives.

And that trend has put the hurt on companies like Hewlett-Packard (HP), whose bread gets buttered with all those ink cartridges we buy. Now, the company thinks it’s got a way to make printers hip again: rent ‘em!

For $6.99 a month – $83.88 a year – consumers who sign up for the All-In Plan will get a printer shipped to their doorstep, 20 pages of prints a month, auto-shipped ink cartridges, and technical support. Everything you need “to keep your printer running like new,” in the words of HP.

And, if things go wrong and HP can’t solve the problem over the phone, it will send you a replacement printer the next business day at no cost.

Good or bad deal?

If $6.99 sounds like something worth pursuing, you need to take into account that $6.99 only includes one printer – the HP Envy. The Envy is a good printer, selling for around $175 on Amazon and far better than an entry-level one you could get for $50 at Target.

It’s adequate for basic printing, but if you want to do advanced printing, like photos, or do more than 20 pages a month, you’ll need to move up a level or two to more powerful printers and higher volume plans which could cost as much as $12.99 a month. 

Another concern is that this is a subscription deal. That means that you’re locked into a two-year rental agreement.

By the time you pay for that subscription, you’re out $167.66, the same you would’ve paid for a decent printer. If you’re someone who prefers not to be tied down by long-term contracts, you need to think about this.

And if you do sign up and decide to cancel after the first 30 days and before the end of your contract, you’re looking at as much as $270 in cancellation fees.

Other factors

Other points you need to consider are:

• Will you use more than 20 pages a month?

• The fact that the subscription service does not cover the repair and replacement of parts, which could result in additional expenses for the user if the printer goes haywire.

• Privacy. This, for some, could kill their interest. Even though a user can opt out of sharing personal data, many consumers don’t even take the time to do that. In HP’s situation, users should understand that the All-In-Plan’s privacy policy allows the company all sorts of freedom – to share information with advertisers, debt collectors, insurance providers, etc.

Cost-effectiveness, flexibility, and privacy implications can be a letdown, so before you sign on the dotted line, read the FAQs, weigh these factors against the convenience and support promised by the subscription service before saying “yes.”

Following in the footsteps of companies like Walmart and Amazon, DoorDash is the latest company testing drone deliveries in the U.S. 

The company has been working with Wing, a drone delivery provider that also works with Walmart in Australia, where drones have successfully been delivering DoorDash orders in Queensland since 2022. Now, DoorDash has started testing the drone delivery system in Christiansburg, Virginia. 

“We are excited to expand our partnership with Wing in the U.S. to integrate drone delivery into DoorDash’s ecosystem,” said Harrison Shih, senior director of DoorDash Labs. “At DoorDash, we are committed to advancing last-mile logistics by building a multi-modal delivery platform that serves all sides of our marketplace." 

Wendy’s is the first test subject

DoorDash’s pilot drone delivery program is officially underway in Christiansburg, Virginia, and the local Wendy’s is the first restaurant to take part in this phase of testing. 

Customers in the area who place a DoorDash order from Wendy’s will have the option to choose drone delivery when they’re confirming their orders. Once confirmed, the rest of the delivery process will take place as usual. 

Wendy’s will pack up the order, and a Wing drone will pick it up and deliver it to its final destination. Wing explained that its drones travel 65 mph, and once they reach the delivery address, orders are lowered from the drone via tether onto customers’ doorsteps. 

Consumers also shouldn’t worry about the quality of their food with drone deliveries. Wing says that deliveries typically take 30 minutes or less, and because of how quickly they’re able to deliver, quality is never compromised by travel time. 

Small, short deliveries

The goal of drone delivery is to make small, short deliveries faster and more convenient for DoorDash customers. 

Another primary goal is sustainability. Drone delivery allows for fewer drivers on the roads and an overall smaller environmental footprint. 

“Wing has now made over 350,000 deliveries across three countries, and looking ahead, we are focused on providing a fast, affordable, and safe service to our partners so they can better serve their customers,” said Cosimo Leipold, head of partnerships at Wing. “This moment continues our meaningful expansion of this service in the U.S. and advances our shared goal to better the last-mile delivery ecosystem.” 

To get a better idea of how drone delivery works, watch this video: 

The U.S. Justice Department and several states have filed an antitrust lawsuit against Apple, claiming the tech giant is monopolizing the smartphone market.

Specifically, the complaint claims Apple has stifled competition through a number of means, such as highly restrictive app store rules, excessive fees and keeping competitors at bay with its own technology that is not that competitive with products from other brands.

As for Apple, the company denied the charges in the lawsuit and said it would fight them in court.

“At Apple, we innovate every day to make technology people love – designing products that work seamlessly together, protect people’s privacy and security, and create a magical experience for our users,” the company said in its statement. “This lawsuit threatens who we are and the principles that set Apple products apart in fiercely competitive markets.”

Ironically, when Steve Jobs introduced the iPhone in 2007 he never envisioned that there would be any competitors. During his announcement, he stressed that the company had nailed down all the patents and that Apple’s product would be unique.

Apple filed suit when Google introduced the Android system but did not prevail in court. Even so, the current suit claims Apple’s dominance in the market is not good for consumers.

The charges

“Apple undermines apps, products, and services that would otherwise make users less reliant on the iPhone,” the Justice Department said in a statement. “Apple exercises its monopoly power to extract more money from consumers, developers, content creators, artists, publishers, small businesses, and merchants.”

As an example, the Justice Department said iPhone users are able to send sharp, high-resolution photos and videos to other iPhone, but when the same messages are sent to an Android device they are grainy and take longer to send. When Apple changed how images were sent, the Justice Department said the improvements did not go far enough.

California one of the states filing suit

“Apple’s anticompetitive conduct intentionally leaves consumers bearing the cost of sky-high smartphone prices at a time when smartphones are now essential to so much of our day-to-day lives,” said California Attorney General Ron Bonta, one of the parties to the lawsuit. California’s economy thrives on entrepreneurship, serving as a driving force behind its innovation and growth. Consumers, innovation, and the competitive process — not Apple alone — should decide what options consumers should have.” 

The lawsuit alleges Apple violated Section Two of the Sherman Antitrust Act, which prohibits monopolization and attempted monopolization. Monopolization occurs when a single firm maintains a monopoly unlawfully, by using its control of the market to exclude rivals and harm competition. 

The complaint alleges that Apple protects its monopoly by delaying, degrading, or outright blocking technologies that would bring competition by decreasing barriers to switching to another smartphone. 

The Biden administration, accepting the reality that consumers are not flocking to buy electric vehicles (EV), has backed away from its aggressive timeline to phase out gasoline-powered vehicles from America’s roads.

The administration has announced a new set of standards that allows carmakers more time to meet emission standards. Now, carmakers will be asked to produce a fleet of cars and trucks that will cut greenhouse emissions in half by 2032.

A year ago, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a proposal that would have required automakers to make EVs account for 67% of their sales of light-duty vehicles and 46% of medium-duty sales by 2032.

What’s changed? Mostly pushback from the auto industry and its labor unions, a core Democratic Party constituency. They point out that EVs make up about 6% of U.S. vehicle sales and have recently plateaued.

Automakers were the first to respond, cutting back or delaying EV production. Ford is a prime example. 

After reporting that it was losing $1 billion a quarter on EV production, Ford announced it was postponing $12 billion in EV production. GM, meanwhile, scaled back its goal to build 400,000 EVs through the middle of this year. Volkswagen has ditched plans to build a $2 billion EV factory in Germany.

Used EV prices are falling

While EVs cost more than their gasoline-powered counterparts, even with government subsidies, they don’t cost as much as they once did – especially used EVs. A recent study by iSeeCars.com shows the average used car price is down 3.6% in the last 12 months but used EV prices have plunged 31.8%. Yet those falling prices have failed to create a surge in demand.

In a recent report, NPR attributed the slowdown in EV sales to a gap between early adopters, those enthusiastic about EVs, and the rest of consumers. The question is, how long will it take for that gap to disappear, if ever?

It didn’t happen soon enough for Hertz. In 2022, the rental car company announced it would spend $4.2 billion before the end of that year to purchase a fleet of Teslas. But it didn’t ask its customers first.

In January, Hertz said it would sell 20,000 EVs and replace them with gasoline-powered cars. Not long afterward, it fired its CEO.

Pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca has announced it will cap the cost of all of its inhaler drug products at $35, bowing to pressure on drug companies to lower the cost of prescription drugs. The cap will take effect June 1.

The cap applies to drugs used to treat asthma, as well as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The brands included in the cap are Symbicort, Breztri Aerosphere and Airsupra. Insured and uninsured patients will pay the same price.

The announcement follows a setback for AstraZeneca in court last week. AstraZeneca’s lawyers argued in federal court against provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act that allows Medicare to negotiate prices for some drugs.

The company’s pitch to the court was that the provisions in that Act were contrary to its right to due process and that it had a rightful entitlement to sell its drugs to the government at prices other than those the government is willing to pay. This week’s announcement appears to be an acceptance of the inevitable.

The legislation allows Medicare to haggle over prices of expensive medications starting in 2026. Medicare’s game plan has been to focus on drugs with no generic competition and pick the most expensive ones first. 

Pricey prescriptions

AstraZeneca has its share of those types of medications. For example, GoodRx says that the AZ-branded version of Farxiga lists at $681.20 per 30-day, 10mg supply. Symbicort – AZ’s inhaler used for asthma and COPD rounds – lists for $515.

But, the one that costs consumers the most is the cancer drug, Tagrisso. The National Library of Medicine lists the price of that drug at $294.68 per 80 mg tablet, meaning that the annual cost of therapy would be $107,557 if patients remained on therapy for a full year.

AstraZeneca is not the first drug company to take this patient-friendly step. It follows a move by drugmaker Boehringer Ingelheim that said it will cap the out-of-pocket costs for all its inhalers at $35 per month. The new price also takes effect June 1.

Pressure from Congress

AstraZeneca and other drug companies are under increasing pressure from Congress to address high prices, pointing out that most prescription drugs are much cheaper in other countries than in the U.S.

AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot said the pricing issue is complex and the industry can’t take it on alone.

“It is critical that Congress bring together key stakeholders to help reform the healthcare system so patients can afford the medicines they need, not just today, but for the future,”  he said in a statement. 

Wenders of Dublin, Calif., is recalling specific production lots of Trader Joes Nuts -- SKU number 37884 -- produced in India or Vietnam.

The product may be contaminated with Salmonella

No illnesses have been reported to date.

A list of the recalled lot numbers and “Best By” dates items, produced in India or Vietnam, may be found here.

The recalled product was sold at at Trader Joe’s stores in Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Washington.

What to do

Customers who purchased the recalled product should not eat it, but return it to the place of purchase for a full refund.

Consumers with questions may contact the company at foodsafety@wendersllc.com.