It's a brand-new year, and consumer auto safety groups are hoping to avoid further deaths from faulty Takata air bags by raising awareness about the ongoing recall.
More than 41 million vehicles from 34 brands, and from model years 2000 to 2018, are affected.
Michael Brooks, executive director of the Center for Auto Safety, warned the ammonium nitrate which causes the air bags to inflate has become unstable and can explode, with even a small fender bender.
"When there's an air bag trigger, that means that you're just going to have an uncontrolled explosion that, instead of pushing the gas into the air bag, simply destroys the entire housing of the air bag and shrapnel out towards the driver or the passenger, and causes injuries or death," Brooks explained.
Thirty-four deaths have been recorded worldwide so far since the recall started in 2018, with 25 in the U.S. including five of them in 2022 alone.
Fiat Chrysler issued a "stop drive" warning for 276,000 vehicles in November for model years 2005 to 2010 Dodge Magnums, Chargers and Challengers, as well as model years 2005 to 2010 Chrysler 300s. At least two of the deaths this year involved 2010 Dodge Chargers.
Brooks called the vehicles "ticking time bombs" which get more dangerous as time goes on, and he wants states to require owners to get the defect fixed.
"Maybe states need to step in and refuse registration to vehicles that haven't had the recall repair performed yet, effectively forcing consumers to save their own lives," Brooks suggested.
The repairs are free, and some manufacturers are even offering $100 gift cards to entice people to bring in their vehicles. People can check to see if their vehicle is on the recall list on the website SafeAirBags.com.
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States like North Dakota could see unique effects under President Donald Trump's approach to tariffs.
Uncertainty lies ahead, but one expert said consumers should be prepared. Going into this week, prospects were raised about the U.S. imposing tariffs on goods from counties like Canada and Mexico. The plans were paused for a month.
Ernie Tedeschi, director of economics of the Budget Lab at Yale University, said people should expect more of the president's rhetoric and know how to protect their wallets. If tariffs against Canada come back into play, the ripple effect on household budgets could be noticed in certain ways, especially in this part of the United States.
"We import a great deal of crude oil and natural gas from Canada, particularly in the Midwest," Tedeschi pointed out. "There's a heating bill effect. There's also a gasoline bill effect."
A significant percentage of fruits and vegetables come from Mexico but he cautioned against stockpiling them because they will likely expire before they're eaten, wasting your money. Groups like AARP said one way to prepare for possible changes is to find deals on dining out, with restaurants offering more discounts these days.
Lumber imports could become more expensive, with added pressure to rebuild homes lost in the Los Angeles wildfires. Tedeschi recommended if you're considering a home renovation project, it is something to keep in mind. He added if you feel you cannot hold off on a big-ticket purchase, like an appliance, there still could be wiggle room in the short term.
"Electronic stores, for example, get through their nontariff stock before they get to the tariff stock," Tedeschi noted.
Those prices might not escalate as quickly under a rapidly changing trade war if the local company has a big inventory ahead of time.
For durable goods, he emphasized it is all about doing the research to make sure the financial sting is not so bad. Cars are another example.
"Even if you think you're buying an American brand, remember that a lot of American brands are assembled in Mexico and Canada, and would be subject to tariffs," Tedeschi observed. "Or least some parts of them would be subject to tariffs."
While pauses were announced for Canada and Mexico, new tariffs for China were on the table this week.
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As Los Angeles starts to recover, residents across the Pacific Northwest are being reminded of the risks wildfires pose.
Timothy Ingalsbee, executive director of the nonprofit Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics and Ecology, said firefighters are quickly overwhelmed by today's fast-moving wildfires. He noted simple, proactive measures such as sweeping your roof of debris, keeping your gutters clean and installing screens on roof vents are cheap and effective ways of protecting homes.
However, such efforts are not just up to individuals, Ingalsbee emphasized, adding homeowners need to approach the problem as a community.
"Because if you do all these things to protect your home but your neighbor doesn't, it's your neighbor's house that will catch fire and then put yours at risk," Ingalsbee explained.
Ingalsbee urged people to keep lawns mowed and warned not to leave flammable objects close to the house. He stressed keeping up on chores, as well as implementing more prescribed burns outside urban areas, will go a long way to protecting communities from wildfires.
Once a fire starts moving house to house, Ingalsbee acknowledged it is almost impossible to control. He added people living rurally as well as in urban areas need to think about safety because embers from wildfires can travel for miles and ignite homes easily.
"If anything is teaching us a lesson now, in this era of climate change, we're all living in the fire zone," Ingalsbee pointed out.
Ingalsbee encouraged everyone to think about their senior or disabled neighbors who may not be able to tend their own homes, and give support as they can. He said everyone should feel empowered to help protect their communities. If we all do our part, Ingalsbee added, wildland firefighters will not be needed to protect homes from wildfires because they will not ignite in the first place.
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Nebraska lawmakers are considering a bill to implement consumer protections and license requirements for the cryptocurrency industry, and they're taking public testimony on it today.
AARP Nebraska is among the groups working to get the word out about an uptick in cryptocurrency scams.
Gift card and phishing scams are nothing new to Nebraska seniors.
But now, Jina Ragland - the associate state director for AARP Nebraska - said they're learning of more cases of criminals coercing people into depositing money into cryptocurrency ATM's, also known as crypto kiosks.
"They can be found really anywhere that you frequent," said Ragland, "places such as supermarkets, convenience stores, gas stations, bars, and even restaurants. They look like a bank ATM, but they actually allow people to conduct cryptocurrency transactions, such as sending money through a digital wallet."
Nebraska lawmakers hold a hearing today on Legislative Bill 609, to tighten rules on cryptocurrency kiosks - which, until now, have been loosely regulated.
AARP Nebraska has long fought to educate seniors about a variety of scams, from gift cards and government impersonators to robocalls.
But Ragland said cryptocurrency cons are relatively new and can be a lot more insidious.
"Once the money's gone, it's very hard to track it back," said Ragland, "where the money is and actually recovering it. We're just hearing more and more situations where thousands of dollars are being put into these machines and being sent off - and then, when they try to track back and recoup that, they're not able to do it."
Ragland said people are often embarrassed by falling victim to a scam, but she noted it can happen to anyone.
She said reporting these crimes is key to stopping them, and suggests notifying the police and contacting the AARP Fraud Watch Network.
Disclosure: AARP Nebraska contributes to our fund for reporting on Budget Policy & Priorities, Consumer Issues, Health Issues, Senior Issues. If you would like to help support news in the public interest,
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