Consumer News: Yamaha recalls power adaptors due to fire hazard

Company admits the tests "raised concerns"

• Instacart says shoppers will now see the same price for the same item at the same store on the same day

• A new report found some customers were charged up to 23% more than others for identical groceries

• Consumer advocates say the experiment treated shoppers unfairly at a time of high food inflation

Instacart will stop using artificial intelligence to test different prices on the same grocery items after a new consumer watchdog report found that shoppers were often charged different amounts for identical products.

In a blog post published Monday, the grocery delivery platform said it had ended the pricing experiments effective immediately, acknowledging that the practice raised concerns among customers already struggling with rising food costs.

We understand that the tests we ran with a small number of retail partners that resulted in different prices for the same item at the same store missed the mark for some customers, the company said. At a time when families are working exceptionally hard to stretch every grocery dollar, those tests raised concerns.

Different prices for the same groceries

The announcement follows a report released this month by Consumer Reports and the Groundwork Collaborative, which examined pricing on Instacart for more than 400 shoppers in four U.S. cities.

The researchers found that Instacart sometimes displayed as many as five different prices for the same item at the same store on the same day. On average, the gap between the highest and lowest prices for identical items was 13%, with some shoppers seeing prices as much as 23% higher than others.

In one example cited in the report, a dozen Lucerne eggs at a Safeway store in Washington, D.C., were listed at $3.99, $4.28, $4.59, $4.69 and $4.79 on Instacart, depending on the shopper. At a Safeway in Seattle, a box of 10 Clif Chocolate Chip Energy Bars was priced at $19.43, $19.99 or $21.99.

The study estimated that, over the course of a year, a shopper consistently exposed to the higher prices could theoretically spend up to $1,200 more on groceries.

Company backs away from testing

Instacart said that going forward, shoppers purchasing the same items from the same store on the same day will see identical prices. Retail partners will still set prices and may charge different prices across different store locations, the company said.

The company emphasized that the experiments were not dynamic pricing like that used by airlines or ride-hailing services, and said prices were not based on personal characteristics such as income. Instead, Instacart described the tests as limited experiments aimed at helping retailers optimize pricing.

The pricing program was tied to Instacarts 2022 acquisition of Eversight, an artificial intelligence company whose software allows retailers to test millions of price combinations. Instacart marketing materials previously claimed the experiments would be largely unnoticeable to consumers while potentially increasing store revenue by up to 3%.

Consumer backlash grows

Consumer advocates said the findings underscore growing concerns about the use of algorithmic pricing in essential markets such as food.

American grocery shoppers arent guinea pigs, and they should be able to expect a fair price when theyre shopping, Lindsey Owens, executive director of the Groundwork Collaborative, said in an interview with the Los Angeles Times earlier this month.

The controversy echoes recent public backlash against other companies that have explored variable pricing for everyday goods, including fast-food chains that floated the idea of surge pricing during busy hours.

Investors also reacted to the news. Shares of Instacart fell about 2% in midday trading Monday after the company announced it was ending the price experiments.

Unlawful 'defeat device' was used in diesel vehicles for years to cheat on emissions tests

• Multistate settlement resolves environmental and consumer protection violations tied to emissions cheating

• Eligible Mercedes diesel owners to receive $2,000 after approved emissions repairs

• Company used illegal "defeat devices" for years to cheat on emissions tests

A bipartisan coalition of 51 attorneys general has reached a nearly $150 million settlement with Mercedes-Benz USA over the automakers use of illegal emissions-cheating software in diesel vehicles, New York Attorney General Letitia James announced Tuesday.

The agreement resolves claims that Mercedes equipped hundreds of thousands of diesel vehicles with undisclosed software designed to manipulate emissions tests, mislead consumers, and illegally pollute communities across the country. The multistate investigation was led by New York and eight other states.

Under the settlement, Mercedes will pay $149,673,750 to the states, including more than $13.5 million to New York, and will provide $2,000 payments to eligible vehicle owners and lessees whose cars receive required emissions repairs. The company must also implement sweeping compliance reforms and submit to ongoing oversight.

Years-long emissions deception

According to investigators, Mercedes installed unlawful defeat device software in diesel vehicles that allowed them to pass government emissions tests while producing far higher pollution levels during normal driving.

The software allegedly reduced emissions only under laboratory testing conditions. On the road, the vehicles emitted nitrogen oxides and other pollutants at levels sometimes 30 to 40 times above legal limits, regulators said. Those emissions contribute to smog, respiratory illness, and other public health risks.

This unlawful software enabled Mercedes to obtain emissions certifications that the vehicles did not actually qualify for, the New York Attorney Generals Office said in a statement.

Between 2008 and 2017, Mercedes sold more than 200,000 affected diesel vehicles nationwide, including more than 19,000 registered in New York.

Consumers misled by clean diesel claims

Investigators also concluded that Mercedes misled buyers by marketing its diesel vehicles as environmentally friendly.

The company advertised the cars as producing ultra-low emissions, described them as clean and green, and claimed they were among the worlds cleanest diesel automobiles. Mercedes also touted technology that allegedly converted harmful pollutants into pure, earth-friendly nitrogen and water.

In reality, the vehicles emitted far more pollution than permitted and did not operate as advertised or certified, state officials said.

Attorney General James said the conduct went on for nearly a decade.

Mercedes promised New Yorkers clean, green cars, but instead sold vehicles that polluted our air and put public health at risk, James said. For nearly a decade, Mercedes misled regulators and consumers while its vehicles spewed toxic emissions into our communities.

Investigation launched after federal case

The multistate probe began in 2020, following the conclusion of a related federal investigation. As part of a nine-state executive committee, the New York Attorney Generals Office reviewed more than 350,000 documents and interviewed numerous witnesses.

That investigation ultimately found that Mercedes undisclosed software masked the vehicles true pollution levels and allowed the company to improperly obtain emissions certifications.

Money for pollution control and consumers

As part of the settlement, Mercedes will immediately pay $120 million to the participating states. New Yorks share$13,530,088will be used to prevent, reduce, and mitigate air pollution.

An additional $29,673,750 penalty is temporarily suspended and will be reduced by $750 for each affected vehicle that Mercedes repairs, removes from the road, or buys back.

To encourage repairs, Mercedes must offer $2,000 payments to eligible owners and lessees whose vehicles receive an Approved Emissions Modification. Claims must be submitted by September 30, 2026. Mercedes is required to notify eligible consumers by mail and provide an extended emissions warranty for vehicles that undergo the repair.

Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Amanda Lefton said the settlement delivers both accountability and environmental benefits.

This multi-state settlement not only ensures accountability for bad actors using illegal emissions-cheating devices, it also importantly delivers more than $13.5 million to New York to reduce harmful emissions and help eligible consumers pay for costly vehicle repairs, Lefton said.

Strict compliance and oversight requirements

Beyond the financial penalties, the settlement imposes broad restrictions on Mercedes future conduct.

The company is barred from selling or leasing diesel vehicles equipped with illegal emissions-cheating devices, from making misleading claims about emissions performance, and from labeling diesel vehicles as clean or low-pollution unless those claims are accurate and substantiated.

Mercedes must also comply with requirements previously imposed in federal court, regularly report to state regulators on vehicle repairs and removals, and submit to additional oversight. Failure to comply could trigger further penalties.

State officials said the settlement is intended not only to remedy past harm, but to prevent similar misconduct across the auto industry going forward.

Metallic kielbasa, infant formula, coconut yogurt lead the list today

Here aretop new U.S. food recall and outbreak alertsfor today:

Olympia Provisions Holiday Kielbasa Metal Foreign Material

• Product:Olympia Provisions Uncured Holiday Kielbasasausages (fully cooked).

• Hazard:Potentialmetal fragmentscontamination that could injure consumers.

• Affected states/retailers:Distributed nationwide includingCA, OR, WAand online sales.

• Illnesses/Injuries:No injuries reported so far.

• Full notice (USDA FSIS):https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/alerts(Food Safety and Inspection Service)

ByHeart Infant Formula Botulism Outbreak Recall Enforcement

• Product:ByHeart Whole Nutrition Infant Formula(voluntary recall ongoing).

• Hazard:Associated with amultistate infant botulism outbreaklinked to contamination.

• Affected states/retailers:Recalled formula was sold across many states; retailers includingWalmart, Target, Kroger, Albertsonswere warned for failing to remove products promptly.

• Illnesses/Injuries:Over50 infants hospitalizedin at least 19 states.

• Full notice (FDA/CDC reporting via FDA warning letter):https://www.cdc.gov/foodborne-outbreaks/outbreaks/index.html(AP News)

HEB Higher Harvest DairyFree Coconut Yogurt Undeclared Almond Allergen

• Product:Higher Harvest DairyFree Coconut Yogurt Strawberry5.3oz.

• Hazard:Containsalmonds not declared on the label, posing allergy risk.

• Affected states/retailers:Sold atHEB stores in Texas.

• Illnesses/Injuries:No reported reactions yet; allergic consumers at risk.

• Full notice (FDA recall listing):https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts(MySA)

Choceur Holiday Chocolate Bark Undeclared Pecans/Wheat Allergens

• Product:Silvestri Sweets Choceur Holiday Bark(various flavors).

• Hazard:Undeclared pecan and wheat allergensdue to packaging error.

• Affected states/retailers:Soldnationwide at Aldi stores.

• Illnesses/Injuries:No confirmed allergic reactions reported.

• Full notice (FDA recall listing):https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts(People.com)

Salad Dressings (Ventura Foods) Plastic Contamination

• Product:VariousVentura Foodssalad dressings (food service sizes).

• Hazard:Black plastic materialfound in ingredients used to make dressings.

• Affected states/retailers:Distributed toCostco, Publix, and other food service outletsacross ~27 states.

• Illnesses/Injuries:No injuries reported; potential physical hazard.

• Full notice (FDA recall listing):https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts(San Francisco Chronicle)

Celebration Herbals Senna Leaf Tea Salmonella Contamination

• Product:Celebration Herbals Senna Leaf Herbal Tea(24bag boxes).

• Hazard:PotentialSalmonellacontamination that can cause gastrointestinal illness.

• Affected states/retailers:Distributed inFL, IN, MA, MI, MS, NY, WI & Puerto Rico.

• Illnesses/Injuries:No confirmed illnesses reported yet; Salmonella can cause serious infection.

• Full notice (FDA recall listing):https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts(Good Housekeeping)

CDC Foodborne Outbreak Investigations Active Monitoring

• Outbreak type:MultipleCampylobacter, E. coli, Salmonella, Listeriamultistate investigations ongoing.

• Hazard:Illness outbreaks linked to various foods under active investigation.

• Affected states/retailers:Spread varies by pathogen; details on CDC site.

• Illnesses/Injuries:Varies by investigation; CDC posts case counts/outcome info.

• Full notice (CDC):https://www.cdc.gov/foodborne-outbreaks/outbreaks/index.html(CDC)

The quiet change thats costing (or saving) you a few cents

• With no national rule, stores are quietly making their own penny policies, often varying by location

• More fast-food, convenience, and travel stop chains are rounding cash totals to the nearest nickel when pennies arent available

• Big retailers and grocers are doing it too, often rounding in the customers favorbut they rarely spell it out

As pennies disappear from circulation, retailers are quietly adapting in different ways.

Part of the confusion among shoppers is theres no national policy and no official list of whos doing what. This means rounding is rolling out store by store, chain by chain, and sometimes even location by location.

In practice, that means a McDonalds in one city may round your change to the nearest nickel, while the one across town still hands you exact coins.

Fast-food, convenience stores, travel stops, and even major grocers are starting to round cash transactions when pennies arent available.

Here are the places where its already happening and how it could affect you.

Fast-food chains

McDonalds

Mickey Ds confirmed its rounding cash payments to the nearest 5 at many locations because of the penny shortage.

Only applies to cash; card/app totals still go to the exact cent.

Taco Bell

Many Taco Bell locations have posted signs saying that, when pennies arent available, cash change will be rounded up or down to the nearest 5.

Wendys

Wendys has also started rounding for cash orders.

Corporate guidance is to round down where possible, to keep it in the customers favor.

Burger King

Industry reporting says some Burger King locations are rounding up or down on cash change as pennies disappear.

GoTo Foods brands (Auntie Annes, Cinnabon, Jamba)

Their parent company is telling franchisees to round to the nearest nickel, ideally in the customers favor, when they cant make exact penny change.

Convenience & travel stops

Sheetz

Sheetz put up signs asking customers to pay cashless when possible and consider rounding up purchases because of the penny shortage.

Reporting says Sheetz may round cash totals to the nearest nickel in customers favor at some locations and is also doing round-up charity donations.

Loves Travel Stops

Loves says penny shortages are hitting a number of its stores; in those locations Loves is rounding cash purchases in favor of the customer (i.e., frequently rounding down).

Kwik Trip

Kwik Trip confirmed it is always rounding down on cash transactions where pennies arent available to avoid running afoul of cash discrimination laws.

Estimates this rounding-down policy will cost the chain about $3 million a year.

Grocers / big retail

Kroger

A Houston shopper spotted a penny rounding line on a Kroger receipt, and the company confirmed its adjusting how it handles cash when pennies arent available.

Kroger told local media its still accepting pennies and assessing the impact of the mints decision; details suggest rounding is already showing up at least in some Texas stores.

ShopRite

The folks at ShopRite actually have a page on their website dedicated to this change with their official policy. It breaks down like this:

• If the change due ends in 1 or 2 cents, round down to the nearest nickel.
• If the change due ends in 3 or 4 cents, round up to the nearest nickel.
• If the change due ends in 6 or 7 cents, round down to the nearest nickel.
• If the change due ends in 8 or 9 cents, round up to the nearest dime.

Many of the nations largest retailers

A survey by the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) of 25 major chains (members include Academy, H-E-B, Home Depot, Target, etc.) found:

• Over 1000+ locations per chain are already out of pennies in some cases.
• About two-thirds of the big retailers named are now rounding cash transactions in the customers favor when they dont have pennies in the till.
• They dont list every company by name, but its clear this is happening across big-box, grocery, and specialty stores, and not limited to just fast food.

Steering problems, air bags, wheelchair restraint failures highlight the week's recall derby

Its another busy week for vehicle recalls, with safety issues ranging from air bags and steering problems to wheelchair restraint failures affecting buses, vans, and passenger vehicles. Heres a rundown of the latest recalls filed with federal safety regulators.

Major Recalls This Week

• Great Dane Trailers Lift Gate May Fail
  Affected vehicle: 20242025 Great Dane Champion trailers.
  Recall ID 25V848
• Daimler Trucks / Thomas Built Buses Wheelchair Restraint May Not Lock
  Affects multiple Thomas Built school bus models from model years 20252027.
  Recall ID 25V849 | Recall ID 25V850
• Blue Bird Wheelchair Safety Issues
  Includes restraint retractors that may not lock and wheelchair lifts missing support braces on certain 20252027 school and transit buses.
  Recall ID 25V851 | Recall ID 25V852
• Motor Coach Industries Incorrect Front Door Glass
  Decades-old motorcoach models may have incorrect glazing material that fails to meet safety standards.
  Recall ID 25V853
• Volkswagen Passenger Air Bag May Not Deploy
  Affects 2025 Volkswagen Tiguan SUVs.
  Recall ID 25V854
• Lucid Side Air Bags May Deploy Incorrectly
  Seat covers may interfere with air bag deployment in the 2026 Lucid Gravity.
  Recall ID 25V855
• General Motors Passenger Air Bag Deployment Issue
  Impacts 20242026 GMC Canyon pickups.
  Recall ID 25V856
• BMW Unintended Steering Wheel Movement
  Affects 20252026 BMW X3 vehicles.
  Recall ID 25V857
• Honda Power Loss and Brake Problems
  Includes the 2025 CR-V Fuel Cell EV and 20162020 Acura ILX sedans.
  Recall ID 25V858 | Recall ID 25V859
• Ford Multiple Safety Defects
  Issues include loss of drive power, unsecured seat belt retractors, rollaway risk, and axle shaft failures across E-Transit vans, Escape, Corsair, F-150 Lightning, Maverick, Mach-E, and Super Duty trucks.
  25V860 | 25V862 | 25V863 | 25V866
• Mercedes-Benz Seat Belt and Power Loss Issues
  Certain 20252026 GLE and AMG E 53 models may have incorrect seat belts or damaged wiring harnesses.
  25V864 | 25V865
• Kia Blank Instrument Panel Screen
  Affects 20232025 Sportage and Sportage PHEV models.
  Recall ID 25V874
• Wheelchair Accessibility Recalls (Multiple Manufacturers)
  Rollx Vans, Vantage Mobility, Diamond Coach, Gillig, and International Motors report restraint retractors that may not lock across vans, buses, and converted vehicles.
  25V861 | 25V868 | 25V870 | 25V876 | 25V877 | 25V879 | 25V880
• Ram Trucks Disabled Air Bag and Seat Belt Pretensioner
  Affects 2025 Ram 2500, 3500, 4500, and 5500 trucks.
  Recall ID 25V882

What Drivers Should Do

To find out if your specific vehicle is part of a recall, enter your license plate number or vehicle identification number (VIN) into the NHTSA recall lookup tool. If your vehicle has an unrepaired recall, contact your local dealership to schedule a free repair.

Staying on top of recalls can help prevent injuries, breakdowns, and costly damage down the road.