Current Events in April 2020

Officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) say another round of illnesses caused by the novel coronavirus could surface during the winter with this year’s flu season. 

In an interview with the Washington Post, CDC Director Robert Redfield said the next batch of illnesses could be even more dire for the nation. 

"There's a possibility that the assault of the virus on our nation next winter will actually be even more difficult than the one we just went through," Redfield said. "And when I've said this to others, they kind of put their head back, they don't understand what I mean."

Redfield explained in the interview published Tuesday that there’s likely to be a flu epidemic and a coronavirus epidemic happening at the same time, “predicting a dual assault on the health care system.” 

Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House’s coronavirus task force coordinator, said the administration would continue to monitor the situation and bolster testing capacity. 

"We were very clear in the guidelines that we believe we can monitor, again, monitor communities at the community level by using the influenza-like illness," she said, adding that they are working to build testing capacity and it's important to "have testing in place."

Reopening states?

Governors in several states are currently looking to reopen their states. In Georgia, Governor Brian Kemp on Monday signed an executive order allowing businesses to reopen this coming Friday with “minimum operations.”

President Donald Trump has supported those protesting stay-at-home orders, encouraging them in tweets to “LIBERATE” their states. 

Redfield has urged state officials to dedicate the next few months to continuing to stress the importance of social distancing and increasing testing. Closer to flu season, Redfield says officials should amplify campaigns emphasizing the importance of flu shots. 

After being halted last week due to running out of money, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) will be injected with nearly a half a trillion in new funding. The Senate approved the measure by voice vote on Tuesday, saying it would revive the bill designed to help small businesses weather the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic. 

"I am encouraged that Democratic leaders have finally agreed to reopen the Paycheck Protection Program and abandon a number of their unrelated demands," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said in a statement Tuesday after Democrats and Republicans reached a deal. 

"Republicans never wanted this crucial program for workers and small businesses to shut down. We tried to pass additional funding a week before it lapsed. But Democratic leaders blocked the money and spent days trying to negotiate extraneous issues that were never on the table. I am grateful our colleagues have walked away from those demands and will finally let Congress act."

Additional funding

Under the measure, $60 billion of the $320 billion in new funding would go toward helping community-based lenders, smaller banks, and credit unions assist smaller businesses that may have had a more difficult time accessing aid money because they haven’t established a relationship with a big bank. The bill would also bolster the Small Business Administration's disaster loan and grant programs. 

Seventy-five billion would be set aside to help hospitals dealing with an influx of patients, and $25 billion would go towards a new coronavirus testing program.

Democrats and Republicans were at an impasse last week, with Democrats demanding more money for hospitals, state and local governments, and food stamp benefits. Meanwhile, Republicans argued that Democrats were withholding money needed for workers and businesses. 

"I urge the Senate and House to pass the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act with additional funding for PPP, Hospitals, and Testing," Trump said in a tweet Tuesday. 

"After I sign this Bill, we will begin discussions on the next Legislative Initiative with fiscal relief to State/Local Governments for lost revenues from COVID 19, much needed Infrastructure Investments for Bridges, Tunnels, Broadband, Tax Incentives for Restaurants, Entertainment, Sports, and Payroll Tax Cuts to increase Economic Growth."

While previous studies have highlighted how exercise can be beneficial for consumers’ mental health, especially during times of social isolation, a new study found how sports can similarly boost cognitive function. 

According to researchers from the University of Basel, staying active is crucial for consumers’ mental faculties. Engaging in sports or games that allow players to interact with one another were found to be the most beneficial for improving cognitive function. 

“To coordinate during a sport seems to be even more important than the total volume of sporting activity,” said researcher Dr. Sebastian Ludyga. 

Sports and mental health

To better understand what kinds of sports or games could most benefit consumers’ mental health, the researchers analyzed 80 previous studies that explored various pros and cons of physical activity. 

Their work revealed that staying active is a great way for consumers of all ages to maintain strong cognitive abilities; however, certain types of games proved to have better results than others. 

The researchers learned that the mental aspects of sports were what most benefited consumers. Having a challenge to conquer in the game yielded the greatest cognitive aspects, as did sports that required intricate physical movements and player-to-player interactions. 

It’s also important to note that men and women responded differently to physical activity. The researchers explained that ramping up the intensity of the sport was beneficial for men’s mental health and could provide longer lasting benefits. However, women were less likely to reap the cognitive benefits when this was the case. 

The findings also suggest that families can benefit from incorporating more sports or games into their routines, especially while at home. Because the mental benefits were unanimous among all of the age groups identified, exercising in this way can increase both mental and physical health for kids and their parents. 

With social interactions on the decline as of late, starting a family-wide game can be a great way for consumers to keep their spirits up while also getting exercise in. 

Chipotle Mexican Grill has agreed to pay $25 million to settle criminal charges stemming from foodborne illness outbreaks at some of its restaurants between 2015 and 2018. The Justice Department said it was a record payment for a food safety case.

The settlement deals with incidents of norovirus that sickened an estimated 1,100 people and triggered both federal and state investigations, resulting in federal charges of violating the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. The company was also affected by E. coli and Salmonella incidents that temporarily closed stores in 2015. 

As part of the settlement, Chipotle accepted a three-year deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) that will give it a clean record if it complies with an improved food safety program.  

“This case highlights why it is important for restaurants and members of the food services industry to ensure that managers and employees consistently follow food safety policies,” said Assistant Attorney General Jody Hunt of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division.  “The Department of Justice will vigorously enforce food safety laws in order to protect public health.” 

Company got the message

U.S. Attorney Nick Hanna for the Central District of California said the company failed to make sure that its employees both understood and complied with its food safety protocols. For its part, Chipotle says it has gotten the message.

"This settlement represents an acknowledgment of how seriously Chipotle takes food safety every day and is an opportunity to definitively turn the page on past events and focus on serving our customers real food made with real ingredients that they can enjoy with confidence," Chipotle CEO Brian Niccol said in a statement.

According to the Justice Department, Chipotle was implicated in at least five foodborne illness outbreaks between 2015 and 2018 connected to restaurants in Los Angeles, Boston, Virginia, and Ohio. 

The government contends that the incidents primarily stemmed from store-level employees' failure to follow company food safety protocols at company-owned restaurants, including a Chipotle policy requiring the exclusion of employees who were sick or recently had been sick.

The first outbreak cited by the government occurred in August 2015, when 234 consumers and employees of a Chipotle restaurant in Simi Valley, California reported becoming ill.  Although company policies required the restaurant to report certain employee illnesses to Chipotle safety officials and to implement enhanced food safety procedures, the restaurant did not pass along information regarding an ill employee until multiple consumers had already reported being sick.

Recent studies have highlighted how both obesity and not getting enough sleep can lead to any number of negative health consequences. Now, researchers from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine say that one can cause the other. 

“Sleep is intricately connected with metabolism,” the researchers said. “Acute disruption of human sleep results in elevated appetite and insulin resistance, and chronically short-sleeping humans are more likely to be obese and diabetic.” 

The link between obesity and sleep

The researchers conducted their study on the C. elegans worm to determine the link between obesity and sleep. They began by manipulating the neuron responsible for sleep. They observed that the worms’ energy levels dropped quickly and drastically without sleep. However, they also noticed an increase in fat storage. 

“We think that sleep is a function of the body trying to conserve energy in a setting where energetic levels are going down,” said researcher Dr. David Raizen. “Our findings suggest that if you were to fast for a day, we would predict you might get sleepy because your energetic stores would be depleted...That suggests that sleep is an attempt to conserve energy; it’s not actually causing the loss of energy.”

In the second part of the experiment, the researchers modified the worms’ genetic expression again. Because a lack of sleep was associated with increased fat, they manipulated the way fat was stored throughout the worms' bodies and allowed them to rest as they typically would. With a more direct expression of where to store the fat, the worms returned to their normal sleeping habits. 

Ultimately, the researchers think there is a communication issue between the storage of fat cells and the body’s ability to sleep that can be translated to humans struggling with both sleep and obesity. 

“There is a common, overarching sentiment in the sleep field that sleep is all about the brain, or the nerve cells, and our work suggests that this isn’t necessarily true,” said Dr. Raizen. “There is some complex interaction between the brain and the rest of the body that connects to sleep regulation.” 

General Motors is recalling 14,919 Rugged Liner hard, tri-fold tonneau covers sold as accessories for model year 2019-2020 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra 1500 series trucks.

The attachment system may not properly secure the cover to the pickup bed.

If the cover separates from the truck bed, it could be a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.

What to do

GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the tonneau rails and install improved attachments free of charge.

The recall is expected to begin June 1, 2020.

Owners may contact GM customer service at (586) 596-1733. GM's number for this recall is N192285070.

President Trump intends to temporarily suspend immigration into the United States as the nation works to slow the spread of the coronavirus and deal with its economic impact. 

In a tweet Monday night, the president said he would be signing an executive order to halt immigration in the next few days.

"In light of the attack from the Invisible Enemy, as well as the need to protect the jobs of our GREAT American Citizens, I will be signing an Executive Order to temporarily suspend immigration into the United States!" he tweeted.

Meant to protect jobs

White House officials are still finalizing the language in the order, but it’s expected to pause the issuance of new green cards and work visas for the next several months. White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said the action is intended to bring about positive changes in the U.S. employment landscape.

"President Trump is committed to protecting the health and economic well-being of American citizens as we face unprecedented times," she said in a statement. "As President Trump has said, 'Decades of record immigration have produced lower wages and higher unemployment for our citizens, especially for African American and Latino workers.' At a time when Americans are looking to get back to work, action is necessary."

Criticism from Democrats

After Trump tweeted about his plan, Democratic officials accused the president of using the pandemic to further his anti-immigration stance. 

"This action is not only an attempt to divert attention away from Trump’s failure to stop the spread of the coronavirus and save lives, but an authoritarian-like move to take advantage of a crisis and advance his anti-immigrant agenda. We must come together to reject his division," tweeted Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas), the chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.

"Immigration has nearly stopped and the US has far more cases than any other country. This is just xenophobic scapegoating," Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) tweeted.

Although COVID-19 cases are still on the rise in the U.S., President Trump recently fueled efforts by those who have gathered to protest stay-at-home orders.

"LIBERATE MICHIGAN! ... LIBERATE MINNESOTA! ... LIBERATE VIRGINIA, and save your great 2nd Amendment. It is under siege!" he tweeted.

Around 22 million Americans have filed for unemployment in the last month. For a president who has made strengthening the economy a key element of his campaign, the virus’ impact on the economy has been significant. 

On Monday, the U.S. Department of the Treasury put the final touches on its Payroll Support Program deal with Allegiant Air, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines, Spirit Airlines, and United Airlines. The agreement releases $2.9 billion in initial payments to support airline flight attendants, pilots, and other workers, but it also helps shield the aviation industry from collapsing.

Alaska Airlines, Frontier Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, JetBlue Airways, and SkyWest Airlines weren’t part of Monday’s agreement, but all those companies have said that they plan to participate in the program. All told, the airlines represent close to 95 percent of the U.S. airline capacity. 

More if necessary

The Treasury said it’s open to supplementary payments to the airlines on a rolling basis, but only as long as the funds are used for the continuation of payment of employee wages, salaries, and benefits. 

United Airlines wasted no time, saying it was seeking $4.5 billion in loans from the program. Last week, American said it was asking for a $4.75 billion loan under that program, while both Alaska and Horizon said they, too, were getting things together to ask for $1.1 billion in loans.

“The Payroll Support Program is critical to supporting American workers and preserving our airline industry, which is a vital part of the U.S. economy,” Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said in a statement. “We continue to work quickly to deliver this needed relief.” 

The Treasury gets something out of this deal, too

Consumers shouldn’t worry about the U.S. government handing the airlines all this money free-and-clear. Under the CARES Act, the Treasury’s making sure that the airlines get the help they need, but the carriers are still on the hook for repaying 30 percent of it back and granting the Treasury warrants equivalent to 10 percent of the total amount borrowed. 

Smaller companies do have an extra benefit added into the deal. Airlines taking out loans for $100 million or less are not required to repay anything or issue any warrants to the government.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) tally as compiled by Johns Hopkins University. (Previous numbers in parentheses.)

Total U.S. confirmed cases: 788,920 (761,991)

Total U.S. deaths: 42,458 (40,702 )

Total global cases: 2,501,156 (2,432,092)

Total global deaths: 171,810 (166,256)

FDA approves first at-home test kit

The lack of testing supplies has been a major sore point among policymakers as the coronavirus has spread, but the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) just made it a lot easier to get tested.

The agency has granted approval to Labcorp to produce the first at-home COVID-19 test kit. LabCorp says it will give first access to health care workers and first responders.

Unlike an at-home pregnancy test, users will not get immediate results; they’ll still have to send the sample to a lab for testing. But the FDA says the self-sampling sidesteps the need for a clinician to perform the test, reducing their exposure to symptomatic patients. It also frees up more personal protective equipment, which is in short supply. The test will sell for $119.

Coronavirus hits the housing market hard in March

Even though the coronavirus (COVID-19) was mostly under control in the early part of the month, sales of existing homes fell sharply in March, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR).

Sales were down 8.5 percent compared to February, with most of the sales contracts signed in January and February, long before the coronavirus put a halt to most economic activity. NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun says that suggests the next few months could be even bleaker, with double-digit sales declines.

“More temporary interruptions to home sales should be expected in the next couple of months, though home prices will still likely rise,” Yun said.

Shooting down rumors

A persistent rumor making the rounds on social media and cable TV is the suspicion that the coronavirus originated in a Chinese lab. The World Health Organization (WHO) addressed that today, saying the evidence shows the virus “likely” originated from animals -- specifically bats.

Reuters quotes WHO spokeswoman Fadela Chaib as saying: “All available evidence suggests the virus has an animal origin and is not a manipulated or constructed virus in a lab or somewhere else.”  

NBC News reported in recent days that former and current intelligence officers were exploring the possibility the coronavirus was accidentally released from a Chinese lab that was studying diseases in bats. The lab in question has denied it, labeling the accusation as “a conspiracy theory.”

Pandemic forces 10,000 layoffs at Hertz

The nation’s skyrocketing unemployment rate just went a little higher. Due to the drastic drop in travel, Hertz has announced it is laying off 10,000 employees.

“Like the rest of the global travel sector, COVID-19′s impact on Hertz arrived swiftly, and the reversal in customer demand has been significant,” Hertz CEO Kathryn Marinello told CNBC last month.

The jobs amount to less than a third of Hertz’s international workforce, but they may not be gone for good. The company said it hopes to recall many of its laid-off employees in the post-COVID-19 economy.

McDonald’s is providing ‘thank you meals’ for first responders

McDonald’s has joined the legion of companies and individuals offering support for health care workers and first responders. The fast-food chain, which is operating delivery and drive-thru options at its restaurants, will provide free Thank You Meals between Wednesday, April 22 and Tuesday, May 5 to health care workers, police officers, firefighters, and paramedics.

“Emergency physicians and other health care workers on the frontlines are spending hours a day on their feet, often missing meals in their efforts to care for their patients,” said Dr. William Jaquis, President of The American College of Emergency Physicians. “McDonald’s Thank You Meal is a much-appreciated gesture for those risking their lives each day to take a break with a hot meal amidst the turbulence.”

The free meals will consist of select items from McDonald’s breakfast and lunch and dinner menus.

Around the nation

• Louisiana: A Baton Rouge pastor who defied state orders and held large church services is asking people to donate their COVID-19 $1,200 government stimulus payments to the church. Pastor Tony Spell told CNN he wants to give the money to missionaries and evangelists, who he says don’t receive the stimulus money. 

• Wisconsin: Milwaukee’s health commission says seven state residents have been identified as getting the coronavirus from activities related to voting in the state’s April 7 Democratic Primary. State officials went forward with the voting despite pleas from health officials to postpone it.

• Montana: Montana is one of the least-affected states by the coronavirus and has among the fewest confirmed cases. On Monday, it reported no new cases.

With the stroke of a pen on Monday, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp signed an executive order allowing businesses to reopen this coming Friday with “minimum operations,” while still trying to maintain flexibility should the coronavirus pandemic reverse course.

For Kemp, the elephant in the room is the punch that his state’s businesses and workers have taken due to the shutdown. “[There are Georgians] going broke worried about whether they can feed their children and make the mortgage payment,” the governor said. 

Kemp’s list of what businesses can reopen and what types of professionals can return to their job is somewhat peculiar. It includes gyms, bowling alleys, body art studios, barbers, hairdressers, and “nail care artists.” Kemp added in a safety valve just in case that requires businesses to tow the line on social distancing and sanitation. If an employer sees anyone exhibiting signs of illness, they’re required to get them medical attention.

Former FDA chief Scott Gottlieb weighed in on Kemp’s list on CNBC on Tuesday, saying it looks like Kemp picked the riskiest businesses and opened them first.

“I think we should focus on trying to bring people back to work in factories, commercial settings, offices first, then open some of those businesses providing discretionary services second,” Gottleib said.

“I understand that the small businesses behind these professions are being badly hurt, but you want to get the economy going and get the businesses that are contributing to the GDP (gross domestic product) first if you can.”

Good move or bad move?

In Kemp’s way of thinking, the move isn’t a leap of faith because he has "favorable data, enhanced testing and approval of our health care professionals" -- not to mention President Trump’s yardstick for Opening Up America Again -- to back his decision up.

When Kemp talks data, he’s probably leaning on the rolling daily average of the Georgians who have tested positive for COVID-19 and emergency room visits of people with flu-like symptoms. Both of those metrics have shown a favorable move downward according to the state’s Department of Health. However, data assembled by John Hopkins University shows that the number of cases in Georgia increased from 7,300 on April 6 to past 18,000 on Sunday. According to another COVID-19 tracker, Georgia is among a handful of states that actually saw an increase in expected deaths last week.

Data aside, healthcare experts think that Kemp’s move is risky. Take Gerardo Chowell, an epidemiologist at Georgia State University's School of Public Health. He’s fearful that Kemp's move comes way too soon. In comments to NBC News, Chowell said that reopening without adequate public health measures could lead to another wave of infections. 

"If we go back to business as usual, it's going to happen," he said.

Chowell isn’t the only healthcare expert bothered by Kemp’s decision. CNN's chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta said Monday night that he was "very concerned" about the governor's decision.

"This one is not a tough call," he said. "It doesn't meet the most basic guidelines."

If you go to the top of the expert ladder to Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious diseases expert, his mantra of "You don't make the timeline, the virus makes the timeline” hasn’t changed one bit.

Truck drivers are critical during the coronavirus pandemic, but the health risks they face on the job haven’t received enough attention or federal aid, according to the CEO of an industry group.

“Realistically, truckers are first responders. Our whole economy runs on trucks,” Todd Spencer, president and CEO of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, told CNBC on Monday. 

He added that all of the items consumers need to survive and live comfortably during the health crisis only gets to stores via truck. Yet, at this point, the government hasn’t stepped in and given truckers aid money. 

Spencer said government programs to help small businesses during the crisis have so far missed truckers completely, despite the fact that a majority of truckers operate in small fleets containing 20 or fewer trucks. 

Greater efforts needed

The lack of government assistance for truckers has left many in a tough situation financially since the rate they receive to transport goods has “pretty much been cut in half,” Spencer said. 

“They’re facing a real economic crisis to be able to continue to operate, not to mention the fact that they actually are on the front line in the battle against coronavirus,” he said. “They really are critical. They go everywhere. They go into the hot zones.” 

The Independent Drivers Association said in a letter to President Trump earlier this month that there’s a need for COVID-19 testing for truckers, as well as the need for a plan to quarantine drivers who may get infected while on the job. Spencer and his organization have suggested providing drivers with personal protective equipment to help them stay healthy.

“We don’t think it’s realistic that the only option they have is to quarantine in a truck. We think far more could be done there,” Spencer told CNBC. 

Earth Day is coming up on April 22, and organizers will be trying to host a massive online event to make consumers more aware about the dangers of climate change. But a recent study shows that there may be one section of the population that is less likely to absorb this information and use it in their everyday lives.

Researchers from the University of Wyoming have found that parents are less likely to be as eco-friendly as non-parents. The team says the finding was surprising because of how important climate change can be to future generations.

"While having children makes people focus more on the future and, presumably, care more about the environment, our study suggests that parenthood does not cause people to become 'greener,'" said researchers Jason Shogren and Linda Thunstrom. 

"Becoming a parent can transform a person -- he or she thinks more about the future and worries about future risks imposed on their children and progeny. But, while having children might be transformational, our results suggest that parents' concerns about climate change do not cause them to be 'greener' than non-parent adults."

Convenience and time constraints

The researchers came to their conclusions after analyzing the spending habits of parents and non-parents in Sweden. They found that families with children utilized services and consumed goods that emitted higher levels of CO2. The research team explained that this might be the case because more importance is being placed on convenience because of the time constraints that parents face each day.

“The difference in CO2 emissions between parents and non-parents is substantial, and that's primarily because of increased transportation and food consumption changes," the researchers explained. "Parents may need to be in more places in one day...They also need to feed more people. Eating more pre-prepared, red meat carbon-intensive meals may add convenience and save time."

Shogren and Thunstrom note that these findings are particularly significant because they were conducted in Sweden, which is widely accepted to be more eco-conscious than other nations around the world. This means that the CO2 statistics for other Western countries could be even more pronounced.

The full study has been published in the journal PLOS ONE.

At the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in early January, the latest 8K TV sets turned many heads with a picture clarity that appeared to be 3D. Now, many of those newest sets are coming on the market.

Sony announced pricing and availability for its new 2020 LED and OLED television models this week. The company’s lineup is powered by Sony processors that are designed to provide even more lifelike clarity. Sony says the technology gives the truest representation yet of what the content producer visualized.

In addition to the picture, featuring the TRILUMINOS display, the latest sets offer Google Assistant, which allows consumers to use voice control to access entertainment, control smart devices, and get answers on the screen.

The sets are not yet on sale, but they are available for preorder at some national retailers, including Best Buy.

"Delivering a personalized, immersive and true-to-life viewing experience is a core focus when developing our next-generation TVs," Mike Fasulo, CEO at Sony Electronics North America, told us in January. "This lineup offers incredible new features to optimize the consumer experience and continue to deliver the creator's intent in both 4K and 8K resolution."

Bumping up 4K content

The Sony Z8H allows 4K video content to be upscaled to 8K, an important feature since there is not yet a lot of content in 8K resolution. 

“Our Picture Processor X1 Ultimate precisely analyzes and processes data to power 8K pictures with four times the resolution of 4K for scenes rich in depth, texture and detail,” Sony said in a press release. “Even images filmed in 4K and Full HD are upscaled close to 8K resolution by 8K X-Reality PRO using a unique 8K database.”

The picture is also enhanced by “Object-based Super Resolution” to reproduce virtually real-world textures. 

The introduction of HD and 4K sets have made movies and sporting events so lifelike that it may have contributed to declining ticket sales. With 8K, that trend could well continue, especially in the post-COVID-19 world as people spend more time at home.

Early adopters, however, will pay top dollar. The 85-inch models will sell for $9,999 while the 75-inch class will go for $6,999. Sony says both will be available this summer.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted unanimously on Monday to green light an order to allow U.S. satellite communications company Ligado Networks to launch a low-power nationwide 5G network. 

In a statement, Ligado CEO and president Doug Smith expressed appreciation for the FCC’s support, as well as optimism that the deployment of the network will help “advance our country’s economic and security interests while fully protecting GPS.” 

“Our spectrum can be very instrumental in the transition to 5G, and we look forward to utilizing satellite and terrestrial services to deploy customized private networks and deliver innovative, next-generation IoT solutions for the industrial sector,” he said. 

Facing opposition 

While FCC Chairman Ajit Pai contends that the move will help expedite the nation’s 5G rollout, the Defense Department, other federal agencies, and airlines object to the proposal to deploy L-band spectrum (1GHz to 2GHz). The entities say it would interfere with global positioning system reception.

In a memo to Pai, the Defense Department said it “strongly opposed” Ligado’s proposal due to the likelihood that it would “adversely affect the military potential of GPS.” The letter was co-signed by other federal agencies, including the Army, Navy, Federal Aviation Administration, Energy Department, and Justice Department. 

DoD Secretary Mark Esper said in a tweet that the Department “continues to support domestic 5G options, but not at the risk of crippling our GPS networks.” 

Conditions in place

Before issuing approval of the proposal, the FCC added conditions designed to prevent GPS systems from experiencing interference. The agency said it would require Ligado to limit the power levels of its base stations to a level that represents a 99 percent reduction from what Ligado proposed in 2015.

However, in a separate memo, the Air Force expressed concern that Ligado’s proposals to reduce interference were “impractical and un-executable” and would “place enormous burdens on agencies and other GPS users to monitor and report the interference.”

Pai said last week that he appreciated the concerns that have been raised by Executive Branch agencies, but he added that it’s the FCC’s duty to “make an independent determination based on sound engineering.” 

“And based on the painstaking technical analysis done by our expert staff, I am convinced that the conditions outlined in this draft order would permit Ligado to move forward without causing harmful interference,” he said. 

Consumers have had fewer opportunities to get out and enjoy nature lately due to COVID-19, but that doesn’t mean that the annual Earth Day celebration on Wednesday is being canceled. 

The Earth Day Foundation is encouraging consumers to tune in online for a full lineup of performances, messages, teach-ins, and calls to action on April 22 that are focused on fighting climate change. Viewers will be able to watch content from the group’s website here. 

This year’s event marks the 50th anniversary of the first Earth Day celebration that took place in 1970. Famous figures giving performances this year include celebrities like Zac Efron and climate advocates and political figures like John Kerry and Al Gore. 

“The world’s largest civic event is going digital for the first time in its history. We’ll demand that leaders take science seriously, listen to their people, and push for action at every level of society to stop the rising tide of climate change,” the organization said.

Climate and coronavirus

In addition to its climate-focused agenda, the foundation says consumers should also focus their efforts on combating the coronavirus. It says that making a change now to promote sustainability efforts will prevent future pandemics.

“If we don’t demand change to transform our planet and meet our climate crisis, our current state will become the new normal -- a world where pandemics and extreme weather events span the globe, leaving already marginalized and vulnerable communities even more at risk,” the group said.

“While the coronavirus may force us to keep our distance, it will not force us to keep our voices down. The only thing that will change the world is a bold and unified demand for a new way forward.”

Chrysler is recalling 37,580 model year 2019-2020 Ram 2500 and Ram 3500 pick-up trucks with an accessory bed step.

In certain side loading conditions, the bed step may unexpectedly fail while in use.

A bed step that unexpectedly fails while in use increases the risk of injury to the user.

What to do

Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the bed step support brace free of charge.

The recall is expected to begin May 29, 2020.

Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at (800) 853-1403. Chrysler's numbers for this recall are W24 and W44.