Consumer News: Costco CEO says tariff refunds could lead to lower prices for members

Between 2% and 3% of those on board were reported sick

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• More than 150 passengers and crew members fell ill during a recent Princess Cruises voyage after a norovirus outbreak aboard the Star Princess, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

• The illness affected 104 passengers and 49 crew members during a seven-day Caribbean cruise that departed Fort Lauderdale on March 7.

• Cruise officials responded by isolating sick individuals and increasing sanitation measures while the CDC launched an investigation.

More than 150 people became ill during a recent Caribbean cruise aboard a Princess Cruises ship, prompting an investigation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The outbreak occurred on the Star Princess during a seven-night voyage from March 7 to March 14, according to the CDCs Vessel Sanitation Program, which monitors gastrointestinal illness on cruise ships that call at U.S. ports. A total of 153 people 104 passengers and 49 crew members reported symptoms during the trip.

The ship was carrying 4,307 passengers and 1,561 crew members at the time of the outbreak, meaning roughly 23% of those onboard reported illness.

Health officials said the predominant symptoms were vomiting and diarrhea, which are typical signs of norovirus, a highly-contagious virus that causes gastrointestinal illness and spreads easily in close quarters.

Outbreak reported mid-voyage

The outbreak was first reported to the CDC on March 11, several days after the ship departed from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Under federal guidelines, cruise lines must notify the CDC when at least 2% of passengers or crew report gastrointestinal illness, a threshold that was surpassed during the sailing.

Princess Cruises said it implemented a series of containment measures once cases began to rise. According to the CDC, the ships crew:

• Increased cleaning and disinfection procedures.

• Isolated sick passengers and crew members.

• Collected stool samples from ill individuals for testing.

• Consulted with CDC officials on sanitation protocols.

After the ship returned to Fort Lauderdale on March 14, it underwent additional deep cleaning before departing on its next voyage, officials said.

CDC investigating

The CDC is conducting an environmental assessment and outbreak investigation to determine how the illness spread and to help prevent further transmission.

Norovirus outbreaks are occasionally reported on cruise ships because the virus can spread rapidly in crowded environments and can survive on surfaces such as railings and door handles if sanitation practices are not strict.

While the number of cases reported during a cruise reflects the total number of people who became sick at any point during the voyage, the CDC notes that they were not necessarily ill at the same time.

Specialty vehicles, Volvo crossover are part of this week's auto recalls

Here are the latest vehicle and equipment recalls announced by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Researchers combine human data and lab experiments to investigate possible brain effects

• Long-term exposure to the pesticide chlorpyrifos was associated with more than a 2.5-fold higher risk of Parkinsons disease.

• The study combined human population data with experiments in mice and zebrafish to examine how the chemical affects brain cells.

• Researchers found the pesticide may damage dopamine-producing neurons by disrupting the brains natural protein-cleanup process.

A widely used agricultural pesticide may be linked to a significantly higher risk of Parkinsons disease, according to a new study from researchers at UCLA Health published in the journal Molecular Neurodegeneration.

The research focused on chlorpyrifos, a pesticide that has been used on crops for decades. While residential uses were banned in the United States in 2001 and agricultural uses have been restricted more recently, the chemical is still used on some crops domestically and remains widely used in other countries.

Parkinsons disease is a progressive neurological disorder that affects movement and can cause symptoms such as tremors, stiffness, and difficulty with coordination. Scientists have long suspected that environmental exposures including pesticides may contribute to the condition in some cases, alongside genetic factors.

The new research aimed to identify whether a specific pesticide might play a role and to better understand the biological mechanisms that could connect exposure to Parkinsons disease.

The study

To explore the potential link, the researchers analyzed health data from 829 people diagnosed with Parkinsons disease and 824 people without the condition. All participants were part of UCLAs long-running Parkinsons Environment and Genes (PEG) study.

The team estimated participants exposure to chlorpyrifos by combining residential and workplace address histories with detailed pesticide-use records from California. This allowed them to determine whether people had lived or worked near areas where the pesticide was applied over time.

The researchers also carried out laboratory experiments to examine how chlorpyrifos might affect the brain. In one set of tests, mice were exposed to aerosolized chlorpyrifos for 11 weeks using inhalation methods designed to mimic how people could encounter the pesticide in real life.

Additional experiments were conducted in zebrafish, which scientists often use to study neurological processes, to investigate the biological pathways that might be involved in the chemicals effects on nerve cells.

The results

The analysis showed that people with long-term residential exposure to chlorpyrifos had more than a 2.5-times higher risk of developing Parkinsons disease compared with people who were not exposed.

Results from the laboratory experiments provided clues about why this association might occur.

Mice exposed to the pesticide developed movement problems and lost dopamine-producing neurons the same type of brain cells that are damaged in Parkinsons disease. The exposed mice also showed brain inflammation and abnormal buildup of alpha-synuclein, a protein known to accumulate in Parkinsons disease.

Experiments in zebrafish suggested the pesticide disrupts autophagy, a cellular process that normally helps clear damaged proteins from cells. When this cleanup process was restored or when the problematic protein was removed, researchers observed that neurons were protected from damage.

Together, the findings suggest that chlorpyrifos exposure may contribute to Parkinsons disease risk and point to specific biological pathways that scientists could study further in future research.

This study establishes chlorpyrifos as a specific environmental risk factor for Parkinson's disease, not just pesticides as a general class, researcher Dr. Jeff Bronstein said in a news release.

By showing the biological mechanism in animal models, we've demonstrated that this association is likely causal. The discovery that autophagy dysfunction drives the neurotoxicity also points us toward potential therapeutic strategies to protect vulnerable brain cells.

A travel expert shares the top dos and donts of spring break trips plus smart ways to save money this year

• Spring break travel isnt fading Experts say demand is still strong, but travelers are choosing more flexible, budget-conscious ways to plan their trips.

• Road trips, vacation rentals, and last-minute bookings are trending, as travelers look for more space, better value, and simpler travel plans.

• Saving money often comes down to flexibility, like booking closer to your travel date, traveling midweek, and choosing destinations within driving distance.

For decades, spring break has been practically a rite of passage a chance for students, families, and friend groups to escape to the beach, the mountains, or anywhere with a little sunshine and a break from routine.

But with rising travel costs, changing work and school schedules, and more flexible vacation habits, some travelers are starting to rethink the traditional spring break getaway.

So is spring break travel still as popular as it used to be? And if youre planning a trip, what should you do and avoid to make it worth the time and money?

ConsumerAffairs spoke with Alex Alioto, co-founder and head of growth at Whimstay, to learn about the common booking mistakes, simple ways travelers can stretch their budget, and what to do and what not to do when booking spring break.

Is spring break as common as it once was?

Alioto said that spring break travel isn't just alive it's thriving.

If anything, we're seeing more intentional travel during this window than ever before, he said. Families and young travelers alike have come to treat spring break as a non-negotiable reset, especially post-pandemic. The appetite for a true getaway hasn't slowed down; if anything, people are more motivated to make it happen.

What has changed is where people are going and how they're planning. Travelers are getting smarter, more flexible, and more value-conscious than they used to be.

Spring break travel trends

Ahead of the spring break rush, Alioto shared three of the top trends to consider:

• The rise of the domestic road trip. International destinations have gotten expensive and, frankly, complicated between airfare costs, currency exchange, and ongoing safety concerns in some popular corridors, a lot of families are rediscovering how incredible the U.S. actually is.

• The shift toward vacation rentals over hotels. People want space, a kitchen, a backyard they want to actually live somewhere for a week rather than just sleep in a room.

• Last-minute booking. Travelers have figured out that flexibility is a superpower. Waiting until closer to your travel dates can unlock significantly better value, and that mindset is becoming mainstream.

Dos and donts of spring break travel

If youre thinking of booking a spring break trip, consider Aliotos top three dos and donts:

Dos:

• Set a realistic budget before you start searching it keeps the excitement from running away with your wallet.

• Consider destinations that are a short drive rather than a flight; you'll save on airfare and have more control over your experience.

• Travel with a loose itinerary have one or two anchor plans and leave room for spontaneity, because the best memories usually aren't scheduled.

Donts:

• Don't assume peak spring break destinations are your only options. The crowds and the price tags that come with them are optional.

• Don't overlook travel insurance this year. Conditions change fast, and a little protection goes a long way.

Cost-saving strategies

With costs of just about everything on the rise, are there ways to save money on travel? Alioto says there are some strategies to help cut costs on your spring break trip.

• Booking within 30 days of your travel dates is one of the most effective ways to access accommodations at a fraction of what you'd pay if you planned months ahead.

• Traveling shoulder days arriving on a Tuesday or Wednesday rather than a Saturday can make a meaningful difference.

• Cooking even a few meals at your rental instead of eating out every night adds up fast.

• Choosing a single, well-located home base rather than moving around cuts both cost and stress considerably.

Whens the best time to travel cost-wise?

If you want to plan a trip this year, but youre not sure the best time to travel cost-wise, Alioto says that spring break sits in the middle of the pack. If you want the best value, you may want to consider what he calls the shoulder seasons.

You're not paying peak summer rates (during spring break), but you're also not getting the deep discounts of, say, early November or late January, he said.

That said, how you book matters more than when you travel. If you stay flexible on exact dates and destination, spring break can absolutely be affordable. The travelers who overpay are usually the ones who locked in plans months ago at rigid rates.

Alioto said that the sweet spot for value is typically during the shoulder seasons late September through October and February through early March. This is when the weather is still nice, but its not prime travel season.

If spring break is the window you have, don't let cost be the reason you skip it, he said. Work smarter, book later, and the value is absolutely there.