Current Events in March 2025

As the March 9 shift to daylight saving time (DST) approaches, a new Gallup poll reveals that a majority of Americans favor eliminating the practice altogether. According to the survey, 54% of U.S. adults support ending DST, while 40% are in favor of keeping it, and 6% remain uncertain.

This marks a dramatic shift in public opinion since Gallup last measured views on daylight saving time in 1999. Back then, 73% of Americans supported DST, compared to the sharp decline in support seen today.

Daylight saving time was first implemented at the national level in 1918 to conserve energy during World War I. For decades, states followed a patchwork of rules regarding DST, leading Congress to pass the Uniform Time Act in 1966 to standardize time changes. Over the years, several states have opted out, including Hawaii and most of Arizona, while others have pushed for permanent daylight saving time.

In 2022, the U.S. Senate passed a bill to make DST permanent, but the legislation stalled in the House. More recently, lawmakers have introduced bipartisan proposals to end the twice-yearly clock changes.

Public preference changes

A separate Gallup survey found that nearly half of Americans (48%) prefer year-round standard time, compared to 24% who favor year-round DST and 19% who support maintaining the current system. The findings suggest that while some Americans appreciate extended daylight in the evenings, most would rather avoid the disruption of changing clocks.

Support for DST varies across demographics. Democrats are slightly more likely to favor DST (44%) than Republicans (34%), while lower-income Americans (53%) show more support than middle-income (35%) and higher-income (33%) individuals. However, the majority of all groups still favor eliminating clock changes.

Health and safety concerns

Research has shown that transitioning in and out of DST can have adverse effects, including sleep disruption, increased traffic accidents, and higher rates of heart attacks and workplace incidents. Additionally, studies indicate that extended daylight hours have minimal impact on energy savings, which was one of the original purposes of DST.

With public opinion shifting away from DST, lawmakers may face increased pressure to act on the issue. While some states have pushed for changes, any nationwide adjustment would require federal legislation. As debate continues, the American public seems increasingly ready to move away from the century-old practice of adjusting clocks twice a year.

Among the scams causing the most harm to consumers is a scheme in which an imposter pretends to be from a utility company and tells the victim their power is about to be disconnected for non-payment, unless the victim makes an immediate payment.

During National Consumer Protection Week, utility companies around the country are working with the Federal Trade Commission to raise awareness of this scam. In 2024, Pacific Gas and Electric alone reported over 26,000 scam attempts, with customers losing $646,000 to fraudsters impersonating the utility company. 

Unfortunately, these figures likely represent only a fraction of the actual scam attempts, as many incidents go unreported. The trend has continued into 2025, with over 1,700 scam reports in January alone, resulting in nearly $22,000 in losses.

Ron Rose, PG&E's lead customer scam investigator, said scammers will attempt to create a sense of urgency by threatening immediate disconnection of your utility services if you don't make immediate payment.

He said PG&E, like other utility companies, will never ask you for financial information over the phone. He points out that a demand for an unusual method of payment, such as pre-paid debit cards or money transfer services like Zelle, is a sure sign of a scam.

Businesses are also targets

Small and medium-sized businesses are particularly vulnerable, with over 1,200 reports of scam attempts targeting these customers in 2024. Scammers exploit business owners' urgency to maintain operations, often during peak business hours.

Signs  of a utility scam include:

As a result of a Federal Trade Commission lawsuit, a federal court hastemporarily halted the operations and frozen the assets of a phantom debt collection scheme and its operators.

The scheme has operated under numerous names, including Blackrock Services, Blackstone Legal Group, Capital Legal Services, Quest Legal Group, Viking Legal Services, and others.

According to the FTC’s complaint,debt collectors working for the scheme’s operators and their affiliated companies have sent consumers deceptive warning and collection letters or called them directly, claiming that consumers owed a debt of some kind and threatening legal action, wage garnishment, negative impacts to consumers’ credit, and even arrest if they don’t pay.

The debts described in these letters and calls never existed, according to the complaint, and the defendants have no basis to make legal threats toward consumers.

The complaint further alleges that the defendants have sent letters and made phone calls to consumers claiming they owed money to a payday lender, and that the purported “law firm” contacting the consumer will imminently be filing suit against the consumer if the consumer does not pay up.

The letters and calls also claim that consumers’ credit will be damaged by the fictitious debt, and that if consumers agree to pay to settle that debt, the harm to their credit could be lessened.

All of the claims in these letters and calls are false, according to the complaint.

Sensitive personal information

The complaint notes that the letters sent by the operators often contain a wealth of sensitive personal information about the consumer, including the last four digits of their Social Security number, leading consumers to believe the letter may be legitimate.

When consumers visit the websites set up by the defendants for the bogus debt collection companies, they are again faced with false warnings that failure to pay these fake debts could result in garnishment of the consumer’s wages, along with lawsuits and impacts to their credit.

In follow-up calls, the threats increase, with collectors falsely telling consumers that they have defrauded a financial institution, could be arrested at their workplace, or that their homes could be seized if they do not settle, according to the complaint.

According to the complaint, the scheme has operated under a wide variety of names, including the names of unaffiliated existing businesses and law firms, in violation of the FTC’s Rule on Impersonating Government and Businesses. In addition, the complaint alleges that the defendants have regularly failed to follow numerous requirements set out by the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, including disclosing that they are debt collectors when their collectors contact consumers.

Mercedes-Benz USA is recalling 20,339 2021-2022 S 500, Maybach S 580 4MATIC, 2021-2023 S 580 4MATIC, 2022 S 680 4MATIC, and 2023 S 580e 4MATIC vehicles. The front brake hoses may rupture and leak brake fluid.

A brake fluid leak can extend the distance needed to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

What to do

Dealers will replace the front brake hoses, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed April 25, 2025. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372.

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or go to nhtsa.gov.

To determine if you recall is included in this recall, visit the NHTSA recall page and enter the license plate number or the 17-digit VIN.

Everyone has an opinion about President Trump's tariffs scheduled to take effect tomorrow but the people who think about money for a living — economists in other words — are expressing caution about their likely effects on consumers.

"Significant concerns" abound about anticipated increases in consumer prices.

The Wall Street Journal reports that tariffs can lead to higher costs for everyday products, with the extent varying based on factors like product type and availability of alternatives.

For instance, a 10% tariff on Italian wine could result in nearly a 10% price hike for consumers, whereas a similar tariff on a tablecloth from India might only raise its price by 2%.Premium products without close substitutes, such as certain electronics, are likely to pass nearly all of the tariff costs on to consumers. ​

'Largest tax increase in a generation'

Beyond consumer prices, there's concern about the broader economic implications.The Guardian highlights warnings from think tanks suggesting that the proposed tariffs could amount to the largest tax increase in a generation, potentially raising costs for American consumers by an average of $1,200 per year.

That could harm economic growth, lead to higher import costs, and prompt retaliation from foreign governments.

The manufacturing sector is also feeling the impact.MarketWatch notes that U.S. manufacturers have experienced a surge in supply costs, reaching a 33-month high, due to new or threatened tariffs.This inflationary pressure has led some companies to pause new orders, signaling reduced future demand and potential economic slowdown. ​

Additionally, the New York Federal Reserve has flagged potential new "inflation vectors" stemming from tariffs on Chinese imports, particularly affecting low-cost packages that previously entered the U.S. without customs duties.

If these exemptions are removed and Chinese exporters don't adjust their prices, American consumers could face higher costs, according to a Reuters report. ​

Prominent economists like Paul Krugman and Larry Summers have also voiced concerns. In a Yahoo Fiinance report, they warn that the tariffs may drive up prices, trigger job losses, and erode trust in the U.S. economy.

Schedule remains uncertain

President Trump has said he will implement tariffs on China, Canada and Mexico tomorrow (Tuesday) but most Washington observers consider that the schedule is a bit more flexible, amounting to brinksmanship as Trump tries to wring further concessions from America's three largest trading partners.

The tariffs had originally been scheduled for Feb. 4 but Trump granted a one-month reprieve to Mexico and Canada, while going ahead with a 10 percent tariffs on all products from China.  

In summary, the consensus among economists is that Trump's tariffs could lead to increased consumer prices, hinder economic growth, and introduce significant uncertainties across various sectors of the economy.

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said in a CNN interview earlier today that the president is still deciding how to proceed. "He's going to decide this afternoon and tomorrow we're going to put out those tariffs." 

Wild Coast Raw is recalling lots of frozen Boneless Free Range Chicken Formula raw pet food for cats because it has the potential to be contaminated with highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1, also known as bird flu. H5N1 can be transmitted to animals eating contaminated product.

The product, 16 oz. and 24 oz. Frozen Boneless Free Range Chicken Formula raw pet food for cats was distributed to pet food retailers in Washington State and Oregon. The product is frozen in a small round white plastic container with a green label. 

The affected lots are identified by a sticker on the lid with a number of #22660, #22653, #22641, #22639, #22672 and #22664 with a Best Buy date of 12/25. The recall is widened to include any raw material sharing similar production dates and lot codes as #22660 and #22664. These two lot codes were included in the WSDA’s public health alert on 2/14.

People who fed pets the recalled products should watch for symptoms of bird flu in their pets, including fever, lethargy, low appetite, reddened or inflamed eyes, discharge from the eyes and nose, difficulty breathing, and neurological signs like tremors, stiff body movements, seizure, lack of coordination, or blindness. People with pets exhibiting these signs after feeding this product should contact their veterinarian.

What to do

While no human infections have been identified among people handling raw pet food products, people can become infected if the virus gets into a person’s eyes, nose, or mouth. People should wash their hands after handling the raw product and sanitize contact surfaces such as countertops, refrigerators, bowls, or utensils. 

People who handled contaminated products should watch for symptoms of bird flu, including eye redness or irritation (conjunctivitis), cough, sore throat, sneezing, runny/stuffy nose, muscle/body aches, headaches, fatigue, fever, trouble breathing, seizures, rash, diarrhea, nausea, and/or vomiting. People exhibiting these signs after having contact with this product should contact their healthcare provider and local health department.

The recall was initiated after sampling conducted by the Oregon Department of Agriculture revealed the presence of the same strain of H5N1 in the affected cats and these products as well as sampling by the Washington State Department of Agriculture. Wild Coast Raw and the Washington State Department of Agriculture continue to work collaboratively to address the source of the problem.

Do not sell or donate the recalled products. Do not feed the recalled product to pets or any other animals. Consumers who have purchased this product are urged to immediately and securely discard to prevent animals and wildlife from consuming the recalled product. Contact your place of purchase for a full refund. For more information contact Wild Coast Raw at info@wildcoastraw.com or (360) 591-3543 between 8 am – 4 pm PST.