ConsumerAffairs

Amazon raised prices on a long list of devices: The Echo Dot is jumping from $49.99 to $79.99, while the Kindle 16GB jumped higher by $40. Don't assume Amazon has the best price: Other retailers like Target may still have inventory available at the old prices. Waiting could pay off: Amazon says it plans to run promotions across its device lineup throughout the year so pay attention to deals as we approach the holidays. Thinking about buying an Echo, Kindle, or Fire TV?

U.S. employers added 162,000 jobs in August, far exceeding the average monthly gain of 31,000 over the previous year. Restaurants and bars added the most jobs, followed by local government education, while manufacturing and healthcare posted smaller gains. The information sector lost 23,000 jobs, with cuts affecting data processing, publishing, and broadcasting.

The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate rose to 6.71%, up from 6.66% last week. The 15-year fixed rate increased to 6.04%, while both rates remained higher than a year ago. Freddie Mac said purchase demand has remained relatively stable as buyers adjust to changing market conditions. Mortgage rates moved higher again this week, increasing the cost of financing a home as the fall housing market gets underway. The average rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage rose to 6.71% as of Sept.

Major automakers are urging Congress to permanently ban Chinese connected vehicles, software and hardware from the U.S. market. The industry says government-subsidized Chinese vehicles threaten American manufacturing and could expose drivers’ personal and location data. A ban could protect U.S. auto jobs but also prevent consumers from gaining access to lower-priced Chinese electric vehicles.

One lot of Walmart’s Great Value Organic Triple Berry Blend has been recalled because it may contain a harmful strain of E. coli. The recalled 10-ounce bags have lot code 6040 01-6, a “Best If Used By” date of Feb. 9, 2028, and UPC 7874211226. Consumers should not eat the berries. They should throw them away or return them to Walmart for a full refund. A recall of frozen organic blueberries has expanded to include one lot of Great Value Organic Triple Berry Blend sold at Walmart stores in 16 states.

Postpartum psychosis is a rare but potentially life-threatening condition affecting an estimated one or two mothers for every 1,000 births. Symptoms can develop rapidly and include hallucinations, delusions, severe confusion, paranoia, mania and an inability to recognize that something is wrong. Most patients do not become violent and recover with treatment, but documented cases involving suicide and the deaths of children show why the condition requires immediate medical care.

Four digits generally mean conventional: PLU codes in the 3000 and 4000 series are used for conventionally grown produce. Shopping organic? Look for a 9: Five-digit PLU codes beginning with 9 identify organic produce, so a conventional 4011 banana becomes 94011 when organic. Forget the old “8 means GMO” trick: That system was never implemented and is now obsolete, so an 8 at the beginning does not mean it's genetically modified.

Three minutes of all-out sprinting changed nearly a quarter of the blood proteins researchers measured immediately afterward. The sprint workout also triggered changes in more than 200 metabolites and affected how fat cells behaved. Many of the proteins affected by sprinting were associated with lower risks of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases in a much larger health database.

Amazon dropped ground beef to $1.99 a pound: The deal was about 71% below the July national average of $6.89 per pound. Shoppers quickly jumped on it: The bargain spread on deal sites including Slickdeals, and some shoppers were already reporting it unavailable in their areas by Aug. 28. It could come back: Amazon also sold tens of thousands of packages at $1.99 in July, suggesting the late-August promotion may not have been a one-time deal.

A Rutgers study found that waist circumference performed nearly as well as more complicated methods for identifying excess body fat. BMI alone missed a substantial number of people who met the study’s criteria for obesity based on body-fat measurements. Researchers say measuring waist circumference could offer a practical way to identify potential health risks in routine care. For years, body mass index (BMI) has been one of the main tools used to identify obesity.