News in July 2020

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

Total U.S. confirmed cases: 4,496,737 (4,447,648)

Total U.S. deaths: 152,074 (151,077)

Total global cases: 17,334,539 (17,084,446)

Total global deaths: 674,038 (668,250)

U.S. paying another $2.1 billion for vaccine doses

The U.S. government is writing another big check to drug companies for a potential coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine. Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) will receive $2.1 billion for 100 million doses of the coronavirus vaccine they are developing.

Much of the money will be used to continue development of the vaccine, including clinical trials. The rest will pay for manufacturing and delivery of the 100 million doses. After that, the government has the option to order 500 million more doses.

“The global need for a vaccine to help prevent COVID-19 is massive, and no single vaccine or company will be able to meet the global demand alone,” said Thomas Triomphe, executive vice president and global head of Sanofi’s vaccine division.

No agreement to extend $600 a week jobless benefit

With the clock running out, Republicans and Democrats in Congress have failed to reach agreement on legislation to extend the extra $600 a week jobless benefit that expires at midnight tonight.

The two parties are mostly in agreement on the major bullet points of a new aid package, but the additional unemployment benefit most out-of-work Americans have been receiving since April has emerged as the major sticking point.

Democrats support extending the bonus payments through January, arguing that the generous payments have kept the economic collapse caused by the pandemic from being even worse. Republicans argue that many benefit recipients are getting more money than when they were working and have no incentive to look for a job.

Tyson Foods beefs up medical support at meat plants

Tyson Foods has announced that it plans to hire a chief medical officer, as well as 200 nurses, and implement stringent coronavirus testing for employees at 140 meat production facilities. The move came as the Food & Environment Reporting Network reports that more than 10,000 Tyson employees had tested positive since the beginning of the pandemic. 

The COVID-19 monitoring strategy was designed with the assistance of outside medical experts and includes ongoing, data driven COVID-19 testing of workers without symptoms. It also addresses those who exhibit certain symptoms or have been in close contact with someone who has the virus.

“While the protective measures we’ve implemented in our facilities are working well, we remain vigilant about keeping our team members safe and are always evaluating ways to do more,” said Donnie King, Tyson Foods group president and chief administrative officer. 

The pandemic has fanned retirement worries

The COVID-19 pandemic threw a big monkey wrench into the financial plans of millions of Americans, especially when it comes to retirement plans. About 38 percent of Americans in a survey by Nationwide report that there has been some detrimental effect.

Nearly 20 percent of respondents say the financial disruption caused by the coronavirus means they’ll have to keep working longer. About 10 percent express doubts about ever retiring at all.

"Americans are facing complex retirement scenarios as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and market volatility," said Tina Ambrozy, senior vice president of Strategic Customer Solutions at Nationwide. "On top of this, adults across generations lack a basic understanding of Social Security benefits and ways to maximize those benefits."

The NBA tries to salvage its season

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is the second major sports league to try to salvage what’s left of its season after it was suspended in late February by the coronavirus. 

The Los Angeles Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers got things started last night in a mostly empty arena, with the Lakers winning 103-101. More games are scheduled for tonight.

Games are being played amid stringent safety protocols, but Major League Baseball (MLB) has already found that doesn’t always work. The baseball season got off to a rocky start when 14 players on the Miami Marlins tested positive for the coronavirus during the first week.

Around the nation

• New York: Gov. Andrew Cuomo has announced a number of positive statistics. Hospitalizations dropped to 586 Thursday, a new low since March 17. The number of patients in intensive care units fell to 142, the lowest number since mid-March.

• Washington: The state has placed new limits on restaurants and bars as cases of the coronavirus move higher. Alcohol can’t be served after 10 p.m., and restaurants can’t seat more than five people at a table.

• Virginia: Tourist spots in the state, including Williamsburg and Virginia Beach, will take an economic hit because several states have added Virginia to quarantine lists. After being under control for weeks, Virginia coronavirus cases have moved sharply higher.

In its second quarter earnings report, Amazon said a pandemic-related surge in consumer demand resulted in a tripling of its online grocery sales compared to the same quarter last year. 

The company said it had to increase grocery delivery capacity by more than 160 percent to meet demand during the unexpected health crisis.

“This was another highly unusual quarter, and I couldn’t be more proud of and grateful to our employees around the globe,” Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos said in a statement. 

Surge in business

While buying was initially focused on consumables and groceries, consumers eventually shifted to buying a more normal mix of products as the pandemic continued. Amazon said third-party sales increased by 52 percent year-over-year during the quarter, while first-party sales increased 48 percent year-over-year. 

Shipping times were significantly slower at the start of the pandemic. Amazon CFO Brian Olsavsky said on a call with analysts that shipping rates have returned to a somewhat normal rate but are still “probably considerably behind the going rate before any of this happened.” 

Amazon said it ramped up spending on equipment and services to keep its employees safe. 

“As expected, we spent over $4 billion on incremental COVID-19-related costs in the quarter to help keep employees safe and deliver products to customers in this time of high demand—purchasing personal protective equipment, increasing cleaning of our facilities, following new safety process paths, adding new backup family care benefits, and paying a special thank you bonus of over $500 million to front-line employees and delivery partners.” 

Amazon expects its overall sales in the third quarter to amount to between $87 billion and $93 billion, which would represent an increase of around 24 to 33 percent compared to the third quarter of 2019. 

The company also confirmed on Thursday that its Prime Day sales event, which typically takes place in July, will now be held in the fourth quarter due to the coronavirus pandemic. Amazon said it's working closely with its selling partners to ensure the event goes smoothly. 

Consumers continued to enjoy stable gasoline prices this week as many cars remained parked and demand for fuel continued to fall.

The AAA Fuel Gauge Survey shows the national average price of regular gas is $2.18 a gallon, nearly the same as last week and 53 cents a gallon less than last year at this time. The average price of premium gas is $2.80 a  gallon, a penny more than last Friday. The average price of diesel fuel has remained at $2.43 a gallon for several weeks.

At midweek, GasBuddy’s head of petroleum analysis, Patrick DeHaan, reported falling usage, with demand on Tuesday 6 percent lower than seven days earlier. 

The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported this week that energy use in April, when Americans were sheltering in place, plunged to a 30-year low. Since then, consumers have literally kept their foot off the gas.

“Pump prices are mostly pushing cheaper across the country as gasoline demand wanes over the past few weeks,” said Jeanette Casselano, AAA’s spokesperson. “Gas prices are likely to fluctuate throughout the rest of the summer due to COVID-19 concerns, with the national average possibly reaching $2.25.”

When prices fluctuated this week, it was mostly to the downside. Prices fell a few cents a gallon in Michigan, Indiana, and North Carolina. 

The states with the most expensive gas

These states currently have the highest prices for regular gas, according to the AAA Fuel Gauge Survey:

• Hawaii ($3.23)

• California ($3.17)

• Washington ($2.80)

• Oregon ($2.66)

• Nevada ($2.65)

• Alaska ($2.52)

• Colorado ($2.44)

• Pennsylvania ($2.41)

• Idaho ($2.40)

• Illinois ($2.38)

The states with the cheapest regular gas

The survey found these states currently have the lowest prices for regular gas:

• Mississippi ($1.83)

• Louisiana ($1.86)

• Texas ($1.88)

• Arkansas ($1.89)

• Alabama ($1.89)

• Missouri ($1.90)

• Oklahoma ($1.90)

• South Carolina ($1.91)

• Tennessee ($1.93)

• Kansas ($1.97)

Jamaican Tastee Patties of Miami, Fla., is recalling approximately 60,457 pounds of meat and poultry patties.

The products were repackaged, relabeled and sold without undergoing federal inspection.

The firm also applied the mark of inspection of another federal establishment without proper authorization.

There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions.

The baked and unbaked, frozen beef and chicken items, produced on from September 2018, through July 2020, are being recalled:

• 18-oz. boxes containing 4 pieces of “AUTHENTIC Jamaican STYLE TASTEE Patties JERK CHICKEN TURNOVERS BAKED” with various sell-by dates represented on the label.
• 18-oz. boxes containing 4 pieces of “AUTHENTIC Jamaican STYLE TASTEE Patties BEEF TURNOVERS SPICY BEEF BAKED” with various sell-by dates represented on the label.
• 18-oz. boxes containing 4 pieces of “Jamaican STYLE TASTEE Patties TURNOVERS CURRY CHICKEN BAKED” with various sell-by dates represented on the label.
• 18-oz. boxes containing 4 pieces of “AUTHENTIC Jamaican STYLE TASTEE Patties BEEF TURNOVERS MILD BEEF BAKED” with various sell-by dates represented on the label.
• 112-oz. (7-lb.) cases containing 24 pieces of “Authentic Jamaican STYLE TASTEE Patties BEEF TURNOVERS SPICY BEEF UNBAKED” with various sell-by dates represented on the label.
• 112-oz. (7-lb.) cases containing 24 pieces of “Authentic Jamaican STYLE TASTEE Patties BEEF TURNOVERS MILD BEEF UNBAKED” with various sell-by dates represented on the label.

The recalled products, bearing establishment number “EST. 2390” or “P-2390” inside the USDA mark of inspection, were shipped to retail and restaurant locations in Florida.

What to do

Customers who purchased the recalled products should not consume them, but discard or return them to the place of purchase.

Consumers with questions may contact Lance Williams, at (305) 878-2716 or by email at lanceprt@bellsouth.net.

Amazon announced on Monday that it’s starting to roll out a revamped version of its Alexa app. The app will be available for iPhones, tablets, and smartphones running Google's Android platform, as well as for Amazon’s Fire tablets.

The redesigned app will have a new home screen featuring a more personalized experience. Instead of emphasizing third-party skills, the new homepage will focus on “how consumers are actually using Alexa.”

The new home screen will be updated with personalized recommendations based on how each individual utilizes their Alexa device. For example, users who play music frequently will see music commands featured on their home screen. Previously, users may have seen irrelevant prompts on the home screen. The redesign de-prioritizes third-party voice apps or skills. 

Meanwhile, first-time users will see suggestions on how to get started with Alexa, how to add to their Amazon shopping list, or how to use other services like Amazon Music. Amazon said it’s also moving the Alexa button from the bottom of the app to the top in the interest of making it easier to find.  

Amazon expects all users to be granted access to its updated digital assistant by late August. 

Google is telling its 200,000 full-time and contract employees to sit tight from a remote location, at least until July 2021, according to the Wall Street Journal. Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai reportedly made the call last week following a meeting with company brass.

Google had previously announced plans to reopen some of its offices for a limited number of employees starting on July 6, but the move was strictly optional for its employees.

Pichai’s new timeline allows employees to better plan their personal lives, an aspect especially important for parents of school-aged children as school districts try to figure out whether going virtual or establishing new safeguards is the best path for them to follow.

“To give employees the ability to plan ahead, we’ll be extending our global voluntary work-from-home option through June 30, 2021 for roles that don’t need to be in the office,” Pichai said in his message to employees. “I hope this will offer the flexibility you need to balance work with taking care of yourselves and your loved ones over the next 12 months.”

The new norm continues to expand

The shift to remote life -- especially for tech and investment companies -- is quickly becoming part of the new norm. A solid 65 percent of all workers are doing their jobs away from the office all the time, frequently, or very often. 

Google joins Amazon, Zillow, PayPal, Salesforce, and others Microsoft, Morgan Stanley, JPMorgan, Capital One, Zillow, Facebook, Slack, Amazon, PayPal, Salesforce, and others that have extended their work-from-home options, according to SHRM, a human resources organization. However, Google is the first to extend the mandate out so far.

The most conspicuously absent brand on that list is Apple. It was a little slow on its embrace of working from home, but it recently opted to convert its retail associates to remote-based customer assistants.

Garmin has confirmed that a ransomware attack was behind a system outage that customers dealt with for five days starting July 23. 

"Garmin is currently experiencing an outage that affects Garmin services including Garmin Connect," the company said in a statement last week. "As a result of the outage, some features and services across these platforms are unavailable to customers."

On Monday, the company said an external cyberattack “encrypted some of our systems” and disrupted many of its services.

“As a result, many of our online services were interrupted including website functions, customer support, customer facing applications, and company communications,” the statement read. “We immediately began to assess the nature of the attack and started remediation.”

Garmin said it has “no evidence” that any customer data, including activity and payment information, was compromised or stolen. The fitness tracker and GPS maker said it’s restoring service, but it will take a few days before everything is completely back to normal. 

Sources told tech websites ZDNet, TechCrunch, and Bleeping Computer that the outage was caused by ransomware called WastedLocker, which is run by a cybercriminal group known as Evil Corp. 

Ford Motor Company is recalling about 1,300 model year 2021 F-650s and F-750s with a 7.3-liter engine.

The vehicles were built without certain thermal protection components intended to reduce the interior cabin floor and seat attachment temperatures. These missing components may include an underbody heat shield, a thermal insulator patch under the floor mat, or covers for the seat bolts and seat pedestal.

In vehicles without these components, the interior cabin floor and seat attachments could reach elevated temperatures during certain high-load, high ambient temperature driving conditions. Continuous skin contact with elevated temperatures may lead to skin irritation or a minor burn.

There are no reports of accidents or injuries.

What to do

Ford will notify owners, and dealers will install the underbody heat shield, thermal insulator patch under the floor mat, seat base covers and seat bolt covers.

Owners may contact Ford customer service at (866) 436-7332. Ford's reference number for this recall is 20S36.

Plastics, like straws and contact lenses, have been found to build up in the ocean, and it could take hundreds of years before they ever disintegrate. 

Now, a new study suggests that plastic pollution will likely get much worse over the next two decades if left unchecked. Researchers are predicting that if the current rate of pollution keeps up without intervention, pollution could increase threefold by 2040. 

“There’s no single solution to ocean plastic pollution, but through rapid and concerted action we can break the plastic wave,” said researcher Tom Dillon. “As this report shows, we can invest in a future of reduced waste, better health outcomes, greater job creation, and a cleaner and more resilient environment for both people and nature.” 

Preventing a growing problem

To measure and predict the plastic pollution in the oceans, the researchers created a model that helped them track current pollution progress. After adjusting the model for several potential interventions, they predicted what the oceans could look like in the next 20 years. 

Though the study showed that plastic pollution will multiply if nothing changes, the researchers explained that there are several tangible ways to work to reduce pollution -- and they come with several benefits. 

Improving recycling habits, opting for compostable items when possible, and increasing waste collection are just a handful of ways that real change can be made. And while all these efforts would work in reducing how much plastic lands in the ocean, there are more benefits than many consumers may realize. 

For starters, adopting these habits would create hundreds of thousands of jobs while also providing a huge environmental boost by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. In fact, being more proactive about plastic pollution in these ways could ultimately reduce ocean pollution by 80 percent. 

The researchers hope that consumers realize minor actions can add up and that plastic pollution in the oceans isn’t a doomed issue. With consistent efforts, significant strides can be made. 

“Our results indicate that the plastic crisis is solvable,” said researcher Martin Stuchtey. “It took a generation to create this challenge; this report shows we can solve it in one generation. We have today all the solutions required to stem plastic flows by more than 80 percent. What we now need is the industry and government resolve to do so.” 

Gasoline prices drifted slightly lower across much of the U.S. this week as the rising number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in many states discouraged travel.

The AAA Fuel Gauge Survey shows the national average price of regular gas is $2.18 a gallon, down from $2.20 a week ago. The average price remains 57 cents a gallon less than at this time a year ago. The average price of premium gas is $2.79 a gallon, a penny less than last Friday. The average price of diesel fuel is $2.43 a gallon, the same as it has been for several weeks.

AAA says prices have remained very stable this week; one-third of states saw gas prices fall slightly and only 10 states saw gas prices increase by two to four cents. State averages saw minimal fluctuation as demand roughly held steady over the last four weeks. 

“During the last month, demand has averaged about 8.6 million barrels a day while gasoline stocks have steadily declined,” said Jeanette Casselano, AAA’s spokesperson. “Week by week, we are seeing mostly regional fluctuation at the pump based on gasoline supply and demand.”

Because of the coronavirus, gasoline demand has not been anything close to normal for the last four months. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reports that consumers are using about 8.6 million barrels of gasoline a day.

Demand for fuel is 6 percent less than at this time last year. Despite cutbacks at oil refineries, gasoline supplies are still 7 percent higher year-over-year.

Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio saw average gas prices fall around six cents a gallon this week while prices were up around 4 cents in New Mexico.

The states with the most expensive gas

These states currently have the highest prices for regular gas, according to the AAA Fuel Gauge Survey:

• Hawaii ($3.24)

• California ($3.14)

• Washington ($2.80)

• Oregon ($2.66)

• Nevada ($2.64)

• Alaska ($2.53)

• Colorado ($2.46)

• Pennsylvania ($2.44)

• Illinois ($2.37)

• Arizona ($2.35)

The states with the cheapest regular gas

The survey found these states currently have the lowest prices for regular gas:

• Mississippi ($1.84)

• Louisiana ($1.86)

• Arkansas ($1.89)

• Alabama ($1.89)

• Texas ($1.90)

• Missouri ($1.91)

• Oklahoma ($1.91)

• South Carolina ($1.91)

• Tennessee ($1.92)

• Kansas ($1.98)

Nissan North America is recalling 6,157 model year 2020 LEAF electric vehicles.

Under certain circumstances, the images for the back-up camera can disappear while in reverse.

Lack of an image in the back-up camera display poses the risk of a crash.

What to do

Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will update the back-up camera software free of charge.

This recall is expected to begin August 17, 2020.

Owners may contact Nissan customer service at (800) 867-7669.

Polaris Industries of Medina, Minn., is recalling about 13,700 Ranger XP 1000 & Ranger CREW XP 1000 Off-Road Vehicles, PRO XD 4000D UTVs, and Bobcat UV34 and UV34XL UTVs sold in the U.S., and Canada.

An improperly manufactured clutch component can cause the engine braking feature to fail, resulting in unexpected vehicle motion, posing a crash hazard.

The firm has received 14 reports of unexpected motion or drive clutch locking, including one report of a crash resulting in property damage. No injuries have been reported.

This recall involves model year 2020 Ranger XP 1000 & Ranger CREW XP 1000 Off-Road Vehicles, model year 2019-2020 PRO XD 4000D UTVs, and model year 2020 Bobcat UV34 & UV34XL UTVs.

The vehicles were sold in maroon, black, sand, green, orange, blue, camo, gray and white, and have two or four seats.

For PRO XD and Ranger models, “POLARIS” is stamped on the front grille and “POLARIS PRO XD” or “Ranger” is printed on the sides of the rear cargo area.

For Bobcat models, “Bobcat” is printed on the sides of the rear cargo area.

The VINs included in this recall can be found stamped into the left rear vehicle frame below the cargo box.

The following model names are included in this recall:

The vehicles, manufactured in the U.S., and Poland, were sold at

Polaris dealers nationwide from September 2019, through April 2020, for between $14,600 and $26,300.

What to do

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled vehicles and contact a Polaris dealer to schedule a free inspection and repair, if needed. Polaris is notifying dealers and contacting registered owners directly.

Consumers may contact Polaris at (800) 765-2747 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. (CT) Monday through Friday or online at www.polaris.com and click on “Off Road Safety Recalls” at the bottom of the page for more information.

Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) is recalling 3,615 model year 2019 A220s.

The air conditioning condensation drain hose may not be installed properly. This may allow water to enter the driver and passenger foot wells and the center tunnel area, potentially damaging certain electrical components.

Water entering electrical components, can result in malfunctions of the supplemental restraint system (SRS), failure to start, activation of the limp-home mode while driving, and an impairment of other features, increasing the risk of injury or crash.

What to do

MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the air conditioning drain hose installation, correcting it -- if necessary -- free of charge.

This recall is expected to begin September 15, 2020.

Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at (800) 367-6372.

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

Total U.S. confirmed cases: 3,987,584 (3,915,780)

Total U.S. deaths: 143,446 (142,095)

Total global cases: 15,284,136 (15,000,424)

Total global deaths: 624,665 (617,832)

Airlines toughen mask requirements

United Airlines isn’t the only carrier laying down tougher face-covering rules this week. American and Southwest have upped the ante as well.

American says it will no longer allow any exceptions to its requirement that all passengers wear masks on its flights to prevent the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). The only exception to the mask rule is children under age two. It previously exempted passengers with medical conditions.

Southwest has adopted a similar policy, requiring all passengers to mask up. The airline says passengers who can’t meet that requirement should stay home.

GOP unveils its stimulus plan

Talks continue between Republicans and Democrats on the next round of stimulus payments, including an extension of the extra unemployment payment that expires at the end of the month.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, in an interview with CNBC today, said the GOP plan is based on providing out-of-work Americans with about 70 percent of their previous earnings. Some Republicans have said the current $600 a week bonus contained in the CARES Act pays many people more than they made when they had a job.

Congress must get busy if it expects to hammer out a plan acceptable to both sides before a looming deadline. Not only do many benefits expire at the end of July, but lawmakers are going on a month-long vacation starting August 7.

Unemployment rolls still growing

Despite hopes that the job market is recovering from the hammer blow of the coronavirus pandemic, there was an increase last week in the number of people going on unemployment. The Labor Department reports that new claims for jobless benefits totaled 1.4 million, an increase from the week before.

California, which is grappling with an outbreak of the virus and has reclosed a number of businesses, saw the biggest increase in new claims with another 292,673 people beginning to draw benefits. Georgia and Florida also reported a huge spike in claims.

Yelp doesn’t expect many restaurants to reopen

Yelp likes to think it has its finger on the pulse of small business, but its analysts lately aren’t finding much of a pulse for America’s smallest businesses, especially restaurants. It says many small eateries forced to close during the pandemic aren’t likely to reopen.

In a report, Yelp says 60 percent of the 26,160 temporarily closed restaurants listed on the review site as of this month are now permanently closed. It further reports that temporary closures are declining while permanent shutdowns are increasing. 

Back in April, Yelp reported 175,000 total businesses were closed in some way. Three months later, fewer than 25 percent of those businesses have reopened their doors.

Credit availability continues to shrink

A survey by credit card site CompareCards reveals that about 70 million people – more than one-third of credit cardholders –  involuntarily had a credit limit reduced or a credit card account closed in a 60-day period from mid-May to mid-July.

In April, the site conducted a similar survey and was stunned to see that 50 million consumers had immediately lost access to credit as the economy began to shut down and layoffs began to skyrocket.

Lenders appear to still be trying to minimize their risk as unemployment rises. So far at least, consumers appear to be managing to pay their credit card bills as credit defaults actually went down over the last four months.

Around the nation

• Georgia: Gwinnett County Public Schools, deciding it is too dangerous to teach students in person when classes restart this coming school year, will transition to all-online learning in the fall. The school district, the largest in Georgia, had previously planned a hybrid in-person/online school year.

• Wisconsin: Four more Wisconsin cities -- Racine, Green Bay, Whitewater, and Superior -- have enacted mandatory mask orders, joining Madison and Milwaukee. The cities have acted as Gov. Tony Evers has declined to issue a statewide mask mandate.  

• Arizona: Researchers modeling the state’s COVID-19 progress say things have gotten better since the spike in cases in June and early July, but they have urged Gov. Doug Ducey not to let up on restrictions they credit for the turnaround. Many of those restrictions are set to expire Monday.

Rocky Mountain Bicycles of Canada is recalling about 3,000 Rocky Mountain non-electric alloy frame Instinct, Instinct BC and Pipeline bicycles sold in the U.S. and Canada.

The bicycle’s front frame triangle can crack and cause separation of the head tube from the frame, posing fall and injury hazards.

The firm has received 12 reports of front triangles cracking. There have been no reports of injuries.

This recall includes the alloy models of Rocky Mountain model year 2018-2020 Instinct, Instinct BC and Pipeline trail bikes.

Rocky Mountain is printed on the downtube. Instinct, Instinct BC or Pipeline are printed inside the seatstay on the left hand side.

The bikes were sold with 29 inch and 27.5+ inch wheels.

The recalled bikes include small, medium and large sizes with serial numbers starting with PRK17, PRK18 and PRK19-XXXXX. The serial number is located under the bottom frame bracket.

Only non-electric bicycles with alloy frames in all colors in the following models serial numbers are being recalled:

The recalled bicycles, manufactured in Taiwan and China, were sold at independent bicycle stores nationwide from August 2017, through June 2020, for between $2,600 and $4,700.

What to do

Consumers should stop using the recalled bicycles immediately and contact Rocky Mountain for information on how to receive a free replacement front triangle.

Consumers may contact Rocky Mountain toll-free at (877) 744-1515 from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. (ET) Monday through Friday or online at www.bikes.com/en and click on Safety Recall at the top of the page for more information, and contact their authorized Rocky Mountain dealer.

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

Total U.S. confirmed cases: 3,915,780 (3,850,134)

Total U.S. deaths: 142,095 (141,118)

Total global cases: 15,000,424 (14,763,911)

Total global deaths: 617,832 (611, 322)

Feds agree to pay nearly $2 billion for vaccine

The U.S. government has agreed to spend nearly $2 billion for 100 million doses of the coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine being produced by Pfizer and BioNTech, should it be proven safe and effective. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) says any vaccine the government buys will be made available to Americans at no charge.

The agreement, announced in a statement by both companies, would allow the government to acquire an additional 500 million doses of the vaccine. The companies have already begun work producing the vaccine at scale.

“We’ve been committed to making the impossible possible by working tirelessly to develop and produce in record time a safe and effective vaccine to help bring an end to this global health crisis,” said Dr. Albert Bourla, Pfizer Chairman and CEO. 

U.S. deaths tick back up

The U.S. reported more than 1,000 deaths from the coronavirus Tuesday, the first time the death toll has exceeded that number in two months. Deaths had been in a sharp decline until recently.

The COVID-19 Tracking Project at Johns Hopkins University shows deaths began to increase in the past seven days as the number of patients admitted to hospitals also rose. The U.S. health system reported more than 60,000 new positive coronavirus tests on Tuesday.

Between the end of March and the end of April, the U.S. reported more than 57,000 deaths from the virus. From the end of May to the end of June, there were fewer than 28,000 deaths.

McConnell calls for ‘another shot of adrenaline’ 

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has expressed his support for another round of stimulus, making it more likely that Congress will approve more help for consumers and businesses. McConnell said he believes the economy needs “another shot of adrenaline.”

The devil, of course, is in the details. Republicans and Democrats still don’t see eye to eye on what the package should contain. Republicans, including McConnell, have said a key to GOP support is a reduction in the extra $600 a week in unemployment benefits, set to expire at the end of the month.

Republicans have said many people getting the extra payments are receiving more money now than when they were working and have no incentive to look for a job.

United extends mask requirement to airports

Airlines in recent weeks have strengthened mask requirements for passengers and crew. United took it a step further today by declaring that masks must be worn in United’s areas of airports.

The areas include United customer service counters and kiosks, United Club locations, United's gates, and baggage claim areas. If customers refuse to comply, they may be refused travel and banned from flying United, at least while the mask requirement is in place. 

The new policy takes effect on Friday.

Mask debate called ‘surreal’

As the U.S. suffers a second wave of coronavirus cases, the debate over wearing masks in public shows no sign of ebbing. President Trump this week urged Americans to wear masks, something that is nearly universal in other nations.

“We’ve seen a change in tone from the White House, the president talking about wearing masks at long last. But I must say being based in Europe that this whole debate and politicization of the mask issue, (it) becoming part of U.S. culture wars, is pretty surreal to observe,” Tina Fordham, head of global political strategy at Avonhurst, told CNBC Wednesday.

The Wall Street Journal reports that masks were also a point of contention in the U.S. during the 1918 flu pandemic, with many citizens refusing to wear them.

Around the nation

• Florida: The state’s senior citizens are at increased risk from escalating cases of the coronavirus, according to a senior advocacy group. "If the coronavirus in Florida were a hurricane, its intensity in two weeks has reached Category 5 status," LeadingAge Florida CEO Steve Bahmer said during a video conference.

• Pennsylvania: A spike in new COVID-19 cases has state health officials on alert, as they reported more than 1,000 additional cases Tuesday. Philadelphia and Pittsburgh accounted for a third of the new illnesses.

• Vermont: Vermont is one state where the coronavirus appears to be under control and masks are not required in public, but that could change. Gov. Phil Scott says he’s particularly concerned about college students arriving in the fall from states where the virus is spiking.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, said Wednesday that he doesn’t believe COVID-19 will ever be completely wiped out. 

“I don’t really see us eradicating it,” Fauci said during an interview with the TB Alliance. He added that he does believe health officials and world leaders might be able to bring the virus down to “low levels.” 

“I think with a combination of good public health measures, a degree of global herd immunity and a good vaccine, which I do hope and feel cautiously optimistic that we will get, I think when we put all three of those together, we will get control of this, whether it’s this year or next year. I’m not certain,” he said.

Trump believes it will ‘disappear’

To date, the novel coronavirus has infected more than 3.9 million Americans. Of that figure, at least 142,090 have died from complications of the virus, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. 

“We are certainly not at the end of the game” of the pandemic, Fauci said. “Certainly we are not winning the game right now. We are not beating it.”

Although Dr. Fauci doesn’t foresee an official end to the threat of the virus, President Trump believes just the opposite. 

“The virus will disappear. It will disappear,” Trump said Tuesday during a White House briefing. However, he added that the situation in the U.S. will probably “get worse before it gets better.” 

Fauci and other health experts say COVID-19 is a uniquely dangerous virus because of its wide range of symptoms and how efficiently it spreads from person to person. 

“I have never seen infection in which you have such a broad range [with] literally no symptoms at all in a substantial proportion of the population to some who get ill with minor symptoms to some who get ill enough to be in bed for weeks,” he said. “Others get hospitalized, require oxygen, intensive care, ventilation and death. The involvement with the same pathogen is very unique.”

Fauci said Tuesday that mask mandates and bar closures would help mitigate the spread of the virus. 

AT&T has emailed some customers to tell them that they need to replace their device in order to continue receiving service, Android Police reports. 

Thousands of customers received a notice telling them that their device "is not compatible with the new network and you need to replace it to continue receiving service.” 

The notice refers to the fact that the carrier is planning to drop its 3G network. However, AT&T didn’t explicitly mention in the email that consumers’ phones will continue to work until February 2022. That information was reportedly only mentioned in a link within the email. 

The email went on to say that AT&T makes “getting a new device online easy” before naming various fast and free shipping options.

“Someone who just skims over the mail without clicking the red ‘Learn More’ button might conclude they need a new phone right now,” Android Police noted. 

More follow-up needed

In a post on AT&T’s forum, one subscriber asked if the email they received was a scam since it was poorly worded and “sounded fishy.” 

“I just received an email from AT&T that their network is no longer compatible to my device and I must upgrade. First off, this email to me sounded fishy. There was odd letters and numbers in the email address line,” the user wrote. “With this ongoing pandemic unfortunately you have to be very careful what's real and not a scam. Is this legit or no?” 

While the email appears to be legitimitate, Android Police says AT&T should probably follow up with another email “explicitly making clear that genuinely unsupported devices will only stop working in a year and a half, not tomorrow.” 

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

Total U.S. confirmed cases: 3,850,134 (3,774,769)

Total U.S. deaths: 141,118 (140,563)

Total global cases: 14,763,911 (14,538,115)

Total global deaths: 611, 322 (606,922)

Quest Diagnostics expects a testing crunch in the fall

Quest Diagnostics, the largest medical laboratory in the U.S., has reportedly warned that it will not be able to keep up with demands for coronavirus (COVID-19) testing that are likely to surge this fall.

The company says the increasing demand for COVID-19 test results will coincide with the annual flu season when it will be called upon to provide millions of tests for influenza.

James Davis, executive vice-president of general diagnostics at Quest Diagnostics, told the Financial Times that “other solutions need to be found” to detect positive patients in addition to the nasal swab tests currently in use.

Timely help from Congress appears doubtful

A top Republican member of the House says it’s not likely that Congress will approve another coronavirus aid package for consumers and businesses before lawmakers go on vacation in August. 

House Minority Leader Keven McCarthy (R-Calif.) told CNBC that he doesn’t see it getting done before the end of July. Democrats and Republicans are at odds over jobless benefits, direct payments to individuals, liability protections for businesses, rent and mortgage assistance, and funding to reopen schools in the fall. 

President Trump has added his own conditions, insisting that any aid bill suspend or reduce the payroll tax and reduce or eliminate funding for testing.

Volunteers agree to test vaccines

A controversial plan to attempt to infect healthy people with the coronavirus to test an experimental vaccine is gaining some acceptance. Advocates say it’s the only way to find out quickly whether a vaccine candidate is effective.

One such advocacy group -- 1 Day Sooner -- has signed up 30,000 volunteers in 140 countries who are willing to be exposed to the virus after taking a vaccine. 

The group is urging the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to undertake immediate preparations for “human challenge trials” in young, healthy people, who are less likely to suffer severe disease from COVID-19. 

Operation Quack Hack tries to weed out bogus cures

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has once again stepped in to protect consumers from coronavirus-related fraud, and it appears to be producing results. The agency launched Operation Quack Hack in March after it started receiving complaints.

“Building upon our previous experience with illegal online pharmacies, a team of consumer safety officers, special agents, and intelligence analysts triage incoming complaints about fraudulent and unproven medical products,” the agency said in a press release.

As of last month, the FDA had identified more than 700 fraudulent and unproven medical products related to COVID-19 after reviewing thousands of websites, social media posts, and online marketplace listings.

Toy companies are thriving during the pandemic

Supermarkets, online retailers, and pizza delivery companies have seen a surge in business during the pandemic. You can add toy companies to that list.

The NPD Group reports that toy companies have enjoyed four straight months of rising sales as parents buy toys to keep their children occupied at home. March sales rose 19 percent and doubled that in May as warmer weather resulted in the purchase of more outdoor toys.

“We would never see this kind of unprecedented growth, I’ve never seen it in my life,” Juli Lennett, an NPD Group toy industry analyst, told CNBC “Normally, we are up or down 3 percent or 4 percent, so this is certainly very unusual.”

Around the nation

• North Carolina: Gov. Roy Cooper’s March 12 order preventing utility companies from disconnecting service for unpaid bills expires at the end of the month. Consumer advocates warn that thousands of state residents could lose water and electricity in August.

• Michigan: The University of Michigan has announced its protocol for the fall semester. Students attending classes must wear masks while on campus but will have the choice between classroom sessions or online courses.

• Washington: One of the first U.S. locales for the coronavirus, Washington, has seen its cases spike again, along with many other states. Spokane Health Officer Dr. Bob Lutz warns that continued large gatherings without social distancing are putting the state at risk of another economic shutdown.

Democrats and Republicans disagree

Amazon is expanding trials of its delivery robot, Scout, to additional states. The delivery robot started operating in a neighborhood in Snohomish County, Washington in early 2019 and later started delivering packages at a larger test site in Irvine, California. 

The company announced Tuesday that it has now launched a “small number of Amazon Scout devices” in Atlanta, Georgia and Franklin, Tennessee. The delivery robots will operate Monday through Friday, during daylight hours only. 

Amazon said customers in the test areas will order “just as they normally would,” but their packages could be delivered by Amazon Scout. All Scout devices will be accompanied by a human minder called an Amazon Scout Ambassador, at least “initially,” says Amazon.

Meeting increased demand

The e-commerce giant said it’s been working hard on ensuring that the cooler-sized autonomous devices can safely navigate around a number of objects. 

“Amazon Scout delivery devices are built to be inherently safe. They’re the size of a small cooler and move at a walking pace. Each delivery device can navigate around pets, pedestrians, and other objects (including surfboards!) in its path,” the company said in a press release.

Amazon added that its trials of Scout have continued during the pandemic. The robots are intended to help bolster the company’s mission of meeting increased customer demand during the health crisis and beyond. 

“Amazon has been providing an essential service during the COVID-19 pandemic and working hard to get customers the products they need so they can continue to stay safe. Amazon Scout is quietly playing its part in this effort, too.” 

Polaris Industries of Medina, Minn., is recalling about 57,000 model year 2015-2020 AXYS Trail Performance and Crossover snowmobiles sold in the U.S. and Canada.

The fuel hose can be improperly secured, posing a fire hazard.

The firm has received 13 reports of improperly secured fuel hoses. No fires or injuries have been reported.

This recall involves all Model Year 2015-2020 600cc and 800cc AXYS Trail Performance and Crossover snowmobiles with the following model names:

The model year and VIN are stamped on the right side of the tunnel. Polaris and the model name are printed on both sides of the hood and on the side panels of the vehicles.

The snowmobiles, manufactured in the U.S., were sold at Polaris dealers nationwide from December 2013, through April 2020, for between $7,400 and $15,100.

What to do

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled snowmobiles and contact a Polaris dealer to schedule a free inspection and, if needed, a free repair. Polaris is notifying dealers and contacting registered owners directly.

Consumers may contact Polaris at (800) 765-2747 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. (CT) Monday through Friday or online at www.polaris.com and click on “Product Safety Announcements” at the bottom of the page for more information.

It turns out that a pandemic is a pretty good time to sell a home, but it’s not such a good time to try to buy one.

The pent-up demand from a postponed spring homebuying season has vastly increased competition for homes and driven up prices. Real estate brokerage firm Redfin reports that the median home price of its transactions in June surged 2.8 percent to a record $311,300.

With the pace of home building still slow and fewer single-family homes coming on the market, the company says prices could continue to rise over the second half of the year.

"The coronavirus hasn't dragged home prices down; in fact we've seen just the opposite—prices are rising in spite of the pandemic," said Brian Walsh, a Redfin agent in Tampa, where the median home price was up 8 percent year over year in June. 

"Every house that is the slightest bit cute, fixed-up and priced right gets multiple offers--some up to 10 or 15. The winning offers are almost always all cash with zero contingencies."

Buyers face competition

This is an abrupt change from April when the coronavirus (COVID-19) shutdown immediately halted open house events and most home showings. At the time, the market was fairly balanced, with an absence of both buyers and sellers.

Now, buyers have returned to the housing market but sellers have not. Redfin reports that new listings dropped 11.6 percent last month, the fourth straight month of double-digit declines.

As a result, Redfin says the balance of supply and demand remains strongly tilted in sellers' favor.

Buyers were active in June, making offers on the properties that were on the market. Pending home sales -- contracts for homes that were signed but not yet closed -- were up 5.4 percent year-over-year. For Redfin properties, it was the first increase since February, though the National Association of Realtors (NAR), which collects more data, reported a 44.3 percent increase in pending sales in May.

Sales drop

The number of homes selling in June fell sharply, but only because there were fewer homes for sale. For people wanting to sell a home, the job is relatively easy. Buyers have their work cut out for them.

Real estate professionals say there are steps buyers can take, short of paying cash, to make their offer stand out. The first is to make it a “clean” offer with no contingencies. If you’re confident in knowing what the property is worth, you can even waive the appraisal contingency.

It goes without saying that you should be pre-approved for the loan amount by your lender and have a letter proving it. If you’re going to be competing with other buyers who want the home, offer above the asking price. Also, offer to put down more than the usual amount of earnest money.

You can also consider writing an escalation clause into your contract that automatically raises your bid to meet or exceed others, up to a set amount.

Finally, try to connect emotionally with the sellers. Some agents believe it is a good idea to write a personal letter to the sellers, telling them how much you appreciate their home and would love to live there. In this market, buyers apparently need any edge they can get.

Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) is recalling 5,039 model year 2019-2020 C63 AMG, C63 AMG S, AMG GT 53, AMG GT 63, AMG GT 63 S, and model year 2020 GLC 63 AMG, GLC 63 AMG S vehicles.

An incorrect Electronic Stability Program (ESP) software version may cause the ESP system to react inaccurately.

Improper ESP reaction to a driving situation may increase the risk of a crash.

What to do

MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will update the ESP software free of charge.

The recall is expected to begin August 28, 2020.

Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at (800) 367-6372.

Google is set to begin banning ads from publishers pushing content that contradicts scientific consensus on the COVID-19 pandemic.

The tech giant said Friday that it will begin prohibiting “dangerous content,” such as the claim that the COVID-19 vaccine is “an attempt to genetically modify the population,” starting August 18. 

Google said it will remove ads from pages that promote theories that aren’t supported by “authoritative scientific consensus” about the health crisis and its origins. Additionally, advertisers will not be allowed to create their own ads that promote coronavirus conspiracy theories. 

The company already prohibits the monetization of harmful medical misinformation, such as claims about “miracle” health cures or treatments or ads promoting the anti-vaccine movement. The policy update announced Friday builds upon the company’s existing efforts to combat misinformation. 

Tech giants clamping down on misinformation

Regulators recently sent letters to a number of major tech companies requesting actions to curb a “troubling rise of false or misleading information related to COVID-19.” 

“This disinformation has ranged from false statements about certain groups being immune from contracting the virus to unsubstantiated assertions about masks and vaccines,” a group of Democratic lawmakers said in letters to Google, Facebook, and Twitter last week. “This type of disinformation is dangerous and can affect the health and well-being of people who use this false information to make critical health decisions during this pandemic.” 

Facebook has announced that it plans to roll out a new “Facts About Covid-19” section to dispel common but inaccurate myths about the virus, such as the one that drinking bleach will cure the virus or that hydroxychloroquine can cure, treat, or prevent the illness. Facebook has also launched notifications encouraging everyone to wear a mask and has begun labeling misleading posts about the virus as false. 

Now that most of America has gotten their July 15 tax deadline out of the way, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) wants to remind taxpayers that there is no secret formula they can use to find out when their refund will show up in the mail or in their bank account.

Actually, there are several myths that the IRS would like to debunk, with each one representing a heading shown below.

Getting a refund this year means there's no need to adjust withholding for 2020

Not true. To help avoid being surprised next year, the IRS says taxpayers should make changes now. One suggestion consumers can follow is to adjust their tax withholding with their employer to help guarantee that neither too much nor too little tax is withheld from their paycheck. 

There’s also a tool called the Tax Withholding Estimator which will help taxpayers figure out the right amount.

Calling the IRS or a tax professional will provide a better refund date

Again, not true. You can call the IRS or a tax professional all you want, but that will not expedite getting a refund. If someone tells you they know someone on the inside at the IRS or their tax preparer can get you a refund faster, don’t take the bait. 

Sure, you can call the IRS’s automated refund hotline at 800-829-1954, but you’ll get the same information from the "Where's My Refund?" widget on the IRS’ website. If the IRS needs a taxpayer to call them, they will be notified via that same widget.

Ordering a tax transcript is a secret way to get a refund date

Another no. Ordering a tax transcript does nothing -- zero, zilch, nada -- to help taxpayers find out when they will get their refund, and it does not accelerate the issue date of a refund. 

The “Where's My Refund?” tool is wrong because there's no deposit date yet

Straight from the horse’s mouth, the IRS says this about that: 

“When Where's My Refund? shows the tax return status is received it means that we have received the tax return and are processing it. Some returns may take longer to process than others and needs further review. This includes when a return:

• Includes errors

• Is incomplete

• Is affected by identity theft or fraud

• Includes a Form 8379, Injured Spouse Allocation, which could take up to 14 weeks to process”

If the IRS needs more information to process a tax return, they will contact the taxpayer by mail, not phone or email.

Something is wrong when the refund amount is less than expected

There are instances when a taxpayer gets a refund that is smaller than what they think it should be. The IRS says that happens, but the agency has these reasons why:

• Taxpayer math errors or mistakes

• Owing federal or state taxes, child support, student loans, or other federal non-tax obligations

• A portion of the refund is held while IRS reviews an item claimed on the return

If and when this situation happens, the IRS will mail a letter explaining why adjustments were made. Some taxpayers may also receive a letter from the Department of Treasury's Bureau of the Fiscal Service if their refund was reduced to offset certain financial obligations. If you’re curious about what those “financial obligations” are, the Treasury has a complete rundown here.

In an effort to curb unwanted robocalls, T-Mobile has announced that it will offer a free scam-blocking service to all T-Mobile, Metro, and Sprint customers. 

The carrier said Thursday that it’s opting to offer the service for free, unlike rival Verizon, which charges many customers $7.99 per month for the service. 

"People are being robbed. People are being scammed," CEO Mike Sievert said on a call with reporters. "This industry shouldn’t be profiting from this phenomenon.” 

T-Mobile’s scam-blocking services are now part of a program called Scam Shield. The service includes free caller ID and call blocking, free enhanced caller ID (which lets people know when an incoming call is “verified”), and a free second “proxy” number to prevent scam calls from coming to personal phone lines. Customers can also change their number if they are getting too many spam calls.

Scam Shield is the first initiative to be taken by T-Mobile since it merged with smaller rival Sprint. 

“Now that Sprint is a part of T-Mobile, we can take on even bigger problems, so today, we’re taking on one of the biggest pain points in wireless — scams and unwanted robocalls,” Sievert said in a press release Thursday. 

He added that the COVID-19 pandemic has only increased the number of scam calls consumers are receiving. 

“Scam Shield has never been more needed than it is right now. Scammers see COVID-19 as an opportunity to take advantage of Americans at their most vulnerable. When we saw that happening, we knew we had to take bold, swift action. With Scam Shield, T-Mobile customers get fewer scam calls, period … and it’s all because of our advanced network.”

As more states try to get back to normal after a coronavirus (COVID-19) shutdown, consumers are driving more miles. In the last week, prices rose slightly in nearly every state.

The AAA Fuel Gauge Survey puts the national average price of regular gasat $2.20 a gallon, about a penny more than last week but much lower than mid-July 2019. The average price of premium gas is $2.80 a gallon, one cent more than last Friday. The average price of diesel fuel is $2.43 a gallon, the same as a week ago.

Motorists are driving a little more, and refineries are cutting back on supplies. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported at mid-week that gasoline stockpiles fell by more than 3 million barrels in the previous week. But compared to this time a year ago, supplies are up nearly 7 percent.

Jeanette Casselano, a spokesperson for AAA, says supply and demand appear to be in a state of flux, especially since some states, such as California, are in the midst of reclosing parts of its economy. 

“The Energy Information Administration’s data shows gasoline demand and supply continue on a roller coaster ride,” Casselano said. “As motorists react to unfolding COVID-19 information, we are seeing driving behaviors related to filling-up ebb and flow.”

As a result, gasoline prices, though slowly rising, have been stable over the last few weeks, with Indiana, Michigan, and Delaware among the states experiencing the largest increase in price at the pump this week.

The states with the most expensive gas

These states currently have the highest prices for regular gas, according to the AAA Fuel Gauge Survey:

• Hawaii ($3.23)

• California ($3.13)

• Washington ($2.79)

• Nevada ($2.64)

• Oregon ($2.65) 

• Alaska ($2.52)

• Colorado ($2.47)

• Pennsylvania ($2.44)

• Illinois ($2.39)

• Idaho ($2.34)

The states with the cheapest regular gas

The survey found these states currently have the lowest prices for regular gas:

• Mississippi ($1.84)

• Louisiana ($1.87)

• Arkansas ($1.90)

• Texas ($1.92)

• Alabama ($1.90)

• Missouri ($1.93)

• Oklahoma ($1.91)

• South Carolina ($1.94)

• Tennessee ($1.94)

• Kansas ($1.98)

DaVinci of Pico Rivera, Calif., is recalling about 3,300 DaVinci Bailey bassinets sold in the U.S. and Canada originally recalled in December 2019.

The bassinet’s mattress support can become disengaged, posing fall and entrapment hazards to babies.

The firm has received 13 reports of the mattress support becoming disengaged. No injuries have been reported.

This recall involves wooden DaVinci Bailey Bassinets for infants sold in gray (M0934G), espresso (M0934E), natural (M0934N) and white (M0934W). The model number “0934” is printed on a white label attached to the mattress support board and on the external product package.

The assembled bassinets measure 38 inches long by 20 inches wide by 30 inches high, and each weighs about 21 pounds. The bassinets were sold with a 1-inch waterproof cradle pad.

“DaVinci” is printed on the product packaging, instruction manual and product registration card.

The bassinets, manufactured in Taiwan, were sold online at Amazon.com, buybuybaby.com, Target.com jcpenney.com and other online retailers from August 2018, through September 2019, for about $110.

What to do

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled bassinets and contact DaVinci for a free repair kit that will reinforce the mattress support. In the meantime, parents should find an alternate, safe sleeping environment for the child, such as a crib that meets current safety standards. DaVinci is contacting all known purchasers directly.

Consumers may contact DaVinci toll-free at (833) 932-0208 Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (PT), by email at bailey@milliondollarbaby.zendesk.com or online at www.davincibaby.com/baileyrepair or www.davincibaby.com and click on “Recalls” under the Help tab at the bottom of the page for more information.

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

Total U.S. confirmed cases: 3,499,771 (3,454,190)

Total U.S. deaths: 137,420 (136,807)

Total global cases: 13,589,273 (13,391,024)

Total global deaths: 584,990 (580,038)

Georgia governor overturns local mask orders

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has moved to overturn mandatory mask orders imposed by some local jurisdictions in the state. He signed the executive order as new cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19) have continued to mount.

Kemp’s order, which “strongly encourages” wearing masks in public, argued that mandatory mask orders are unlawful. However, the governor’s order extends social distancing requirements statewide.

Elected officials in cities and counties that enacted mask mandates did not take kindly to the governor’s order, with many expressing outrage.

Abigail Disney questions company’s theme park reopening

Abigail Disney, the granddaughter of Disney Company co-founder Roy Disney, has stepped up her criticism of the company that bears her name. In an interview with CNBC, she questioned Disney’s reopening of its Florida theme parks at a time when cases of the coronavirus have spiked in the state.

“I’m confused about how they think they can possibly protect their guests and their employees,” Disney told the network.

The Disney Company began Disney’s phased reopening of its Florida theme parks over the weekend after implementing safety protocols such as a mandatory mask policy and temperature screening. Capacity restrictions also were implemented. 

Weekly jobless claims remain above 1 million

In a sign that the coronavirus’ economic blow may be worse than expected, more Americans were added to the unemployment rolls last week. The Labor Department reports that initial claims for jobless benefits totaled 1.3 million in the previous week, the 17th straight week claims have been more than 1 million.

In a note to investors, Michael Pearce, senior U.S. economist at Capital Economics, cited the numbers as “clear signs” of long-term damage to the economy. He said the unemployment rate will likely remain high.

“Absent a vaccine, the need for ongoing physical distancing will prevent a full recovery,” he predicted.

Johnson & Johnson ahead of schedule on a vaccine

Johnson & Johnson, just one of the pharmaceutical companies working on a COVID-19 vaccine, said it hopes to begin late-stage clinical trials on its candidate in September, ahead of schedule.

The company made the announcement during today’s earnings call, in which it reported a second-quarter decline of 9 percent. The company also does not expect to profit from any successful vaccine.

“We are bringing together our best minds, our global footprint and our sophisticated supply chain technology to deliver on our commitment to provide the vaccine on a not-for-profit basis for emergency pandemic use, globally,” said CEO Alex Gorsky.

Survey: employees generally satisfied with workplace reopenings

After having employees work from home for several weeks, many businesses are reopening their doors to workers. A new survey by the American Staffing Association shows employees are generally satisfied with the process.

Seventy-nine percent of those in the Harris Poll survey said they were satisfied with their employers' pandemic-related return-to-work plans, with men slightly more satisfied than women.

Companies’ cleanliness protocols, remote work policies, communication, and COVID-19 benefits all drew at least an 80 percent approval rating from employees.. 

Around the nation

• Virginia: The Richmond School Board has voted to conduct all classes online for the first half of the school year. The board rejected a proposed hybrid plan that cities in other states have adopted or are considering.

• Arizona: The Arizona Department of Health Services is bringing in 600 out-of-state nurses to help hospitals deal with the recent surge in coronavirus cases. “We’ve prioritized providing these staffing resources to fill critical resource gaps in hospitals and ensure they can continue to provide excellent care across the state,” said Health Services Director Dr. Cara Christ.

• California: State officials say they will once again restrict COVID-19 tests to the most vulnerable population. California has experienced a shortage of tests as the number of new cases has set several single-day records.

Toyota is recalling about 183,000 model year 2018-2020 Tundra pickup trucks.

The wire harness connected to the front turn signal bulbs was assembled incorrectly, causing them not to illuminate as brightly as intended.

What to do

Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will modify the wire harness connected to the front turn signal bulbs free of charge.

The recall is expected to begin in mid-September 2020.

Owners may contact Toyota customer service at (800) 331-4331

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

Total U.S. confirmed cases: 3,454,190 (3,366,845)

Total U.S. deaths: 136,807 (135,802)

Total global cases: 13,391,024 (13,135,616)

Total global deaths: 580,038 (573,869)

Study raises vaccine hopes

Moderna, one of the first biopharma firms to start work on a coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine, has reported what it says is a promising result from a small trial on healthy subjects.

The company reports that the results showed mRNA-1273 “induced rapid and strong immune responses against SARS-CoV-2,” the clinical name for COVID-19. The study was led by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Some health experts see hope in the findings because the vaccine produced robust antibodies that were stronger than those normally produced in people with the virus. In an interview with Bloomberg News, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of NIAID, said the fact that the vaccine produced “neutralizing” antibodies is a big deal.

U.S. sets another single-day record for new cases

Another day, another record number of coronavirus cases. The tally kept by Johns Hopkins University shows there were 67,417 confirmed cases of the virus Tuesday, eclipsing the old record set last week.

Nearly half the new cases were reported in just three states -- Texas, California, and Florida. President Trump says the pace has accelerated in recent weeks because of an increase in testing.

Medical technicians reportedly processed 760,282 tests on Tuesday, the second-highest number of tests conducted in a single day.

Chipotle pivots to more drive-thru lanes

Starbucks can thank its lucky stars that it began adding drive-thru lanes to its stores a decade ago. When the coronavirus shut down restaurants, it was able to weather the economic shock.  Chipotle Mexican Grill is playing catch up.

The popular Mexican food chain said it is adding more drive-thru locations to stores and plans to hire 10,000 more employees to handle the business from customers placing digital orders. 

The company said it plans to add drive-thru windows at more than 60 percent of the stores it will open in the future, demonstrating how the pandemic may be permanently changing the restaurant business.

Attention Walmart shoppers: mask up

Walmart is the latest national retailer to require customers to wear face coverings while in its stores. The requirement to wear a mask will apply to all Walmart and Sam’s Club locations.

For about 5,000 locations, the order is actually a moot point. Those locations are in jurisdictions where local or state governments have mandated the wearing of masks in public spaces.

The new policy goes into effect on July 20.

COVID-19 shook up the digital services landscape

When Americans were ordered to stay home during March and April, they became increasingly reliant on their digital service providers. A new survey shows they also became much more intolerant when those services failed to deliver.

The survey by Sunguard Availability Services found about 55 percent of consumers changed providers or reduced service levels due to technical issues experienced during stay-at-home orders. Nearly 75 percent said the pandemic was a wake-up call, emphasizing the critical nature of digital services.

Specific digital services flourished during the shutdown, with prescription delivery rising 200 percent and the use of telehealth services rising 154 percent. Grocery delivery jumped 139 percent during the lockdown.

Around the nation

• New York: Gov. Andrew Cuomo has added four more states to the state’s travel advisory, requiring visitors from those states to self-quarantine for 14 days. Minnesota, New Mexico, Ohio, and Wisconsin were added to the list to control the spread of the virus. Delaware was removed from the list.

• Kentucky: After keeping coronavirus cases in check for months, Kentucky has seen what appears to be an outbreak. Gov. Andy Beshear says nearly 4 percent of recent tests for the virus are coming back positive.

• Texas: Doctors warn that hospitals in parts of the state are running out of drugs, hospital beds, and ventilators to treat the surging number of coronavirus patients. Cases of the new coronavirus have surged in Texas since Memorial Day weekend at the end of May, one month after Gov. Greg Abbott allowed a phased reopening of businesses.

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

Total U.S. confirmed cases: 3,366,845 (3,323,432)

Total U.S. deaths: 135,802 (135,272)

Total global cases: 13,135,616 (12,970,605)

Total global deaths: 573,869 (570,220)

California shuts down again

California Gov. Gavin Newson has rolled back the state’s reopening plans amid a month-long spike in new cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19). In essence, it’s a return to April, with houses of worship, gyms, and barbershops closing their doors again.

The shutdown order has also closed bars in the state and limited restaurants to take-out and outdoor seating. In announcing the move, Newsom said it’s necessary to contain the virus.

"We were able to suppress the spread of this virus, we were able to knock down the growth of this in the beginning," Newsom said as he announced the order. "We're going to do that again, there's no doubt in my mind."

Miami is the new epicenter

As coronavirus cases have spiked in Florida, Miami and Dade County are taking the brunt of it. Infectious disease expert Lilian Abbo, at a press conference with the mayor of Miami, compared the city to the Chinese city where the virus is believed to have originated.

"What we were seeing in Wuhan -- six months ago, five months ago -- now we are there," she said.

Miami now has more than 2,000 people hospitalized with the virus, with hundreds in intensive care units (ICU). The area has seen the largest surge in cases over the past two weeks.

Antibodies may not provide lasting protection

Scientists racing to find a vaccine for the coronavirus have assumed that antibodies from people who have recovered could provide protection against getting sick. They may, but researchers at Kings College in London now believe that protection may be limited.

In a study of 90 subjects, the researchers found that the potency of antibodies in the blood, and the protection they provide, subsided over time. 

Sixty percent of the subjects had what is considered a “potent” level of antibodies an average of 23 days after first developing symptoms. However, that dropped to 16.7 percent of those tested 65 days after the first signs of symptoms.

Making a case for masks

Wearing face masks in public places, mandated by an increasing number of states, has proved to be a contentious issue as the nation grapples with the coronavirus. But Marc Benioff, CEO of Salesforce.com, says if everyone in the nation would simply wear a mask for three weeks, the virus would no longer be a problem.

“Masks are so important,” Benioff told CNBC. “If everyone in the United States wore a mask for 3 weeks — just 3 weeks — we would not have anymore coronavirus, because there would be no more spread, but people do not want to wear masks.”

Wearing masks has increased in importance since scientists have determined that cases of the virus spread the most from absorbing aerosol droplets from an infected person and not from touching a contaminated surface.

3M partners with MIT on new antigen test

Scientists at 3M are partnering with researchers at MIT to develop a new antigen test for COVID-19. The test would be easy to produce at scale and would yield results quickly.

Tests are especially needed in the southern and western states that have seen huge increases in the number of cases. Getting results quickly would also aid in preventing the spread of the disease.

The test would detect viral antigens and deliver highly accurate results within minutes via a paper-based device. The test could be administered at the point-of-care and would not need to be sent to labs for testing.

Around the nation

• Massachusetts: As some states struggle with huge spikes in cases of the virus, Massachusetts appears to have things under control. On Monday, the moving three-day average of deaths and hospitalizations dropped to the lowest level in months.

• Nevada: Nevada, one of the early states to reopen, is also one of the states tightening up again. The state has ordered bars in several jurisdictions, including Las Vegas, to close again as cases continue to mount.

• Missouri: Getting a test to see if you have the coronavirus will cost nothing in Missouri. Gov. Mike Parson has signed a bill to pay the cost of being tested for COVID-19 if the test is ordered by a doctor.

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

Total U.S. confirmed cases: 3,323,432 (3,131,953)

Total U.S. deaths: 135,272 (133,420)

Total global cases: 12,970,605 (12,323,502)

Total global deaths: 570,220 (555,977)

Scientists miscalculated how summer would affect the virus

During the lockdown days of March and April, scientists all agreed that the coronavirus (COVID-19) would be less of a threat once summer rolled around. Instead, the pandemic has only gotten worse.

In Florida on Sunday, there were more than 15,000 new cases reported, the most in any one day in any state. Scientists now say several factors could be responsible for the miscalculation.

They say early models were based on a higher level of immunity in the population, which hasn’t materialized. They also say they expected warm weather to kill the virus on surfaces, but it turns out very few cases are caused by contaminated surfaces.

No agreement on reopening schools

This is normally the time for back-to-school planning and shopping, but as of now, the school year is one big question mark in many jurisdictions. At the national level, political and public health leaders can’t seem to get on the same page.

The New York Times has published what it says is an internal memo from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that makes a case against sending children back to the classroom in the fall.

The 69-page document warns that a full reopening of schools this fall -- including colleges and universities -- would carry the “highest risk” for the spread of the virus. The internal memo was reportedly produced to guide policymakers as they make decisions about how to handle the school year.

Governments step up enforcement penalties

They tried asking nicely, but that doesn’t seem to be working. So now some state and local jurisdictions are stepping up penalties for citizens who defy pandemic mitigation measures.

A Calfornia county upped its fine for businesses that violate COVID-19 virus prevention orders to $10,000. Arizona suspended one gym’s liquor license for not closing as the governor ordered.

Even individuals may face stiffer penalties. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer says people who don’t wear masks in public in accordance with an order taking effect today will face a $500 fine.

Two experimental vaccines get ‘fast track’ status

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has reportedly granted “fast track” status to two COVID-19 vaccines being jointly developed by Pfizer and Germany’s BioNTech. The companies announced the new designation in a joint statement.

The vaccines, identified as BNT162b1 and BNT162b2, are said to have shown the most promise in tests so far as the companies have worked with various experimental medicines. 

The companies say they hope to make up to 100 million doses by the end of 2020 if the trials produce the desired results and the vaccines receive FDA approval.

Tensions grow between White House and Dr. Fauci

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), has been a key White House health adviser since the beginning of the pandemic. Lately, he’s been getting the cold shoulder from the White House.

Fauci in recent weeks has expressed alarm at the spiking number of coronavirus cases and has called for increased mitigation measures, a stance at odds with President Trump’s push to reopen the economy.

Over the weekend, the tension became public as a White House official issued a statement to CNN saying that "several White House officials are concerned about the number of times Dr. Fauci has been wrong on things." 

Around the nation

• Florida: Despite a record-setting outbreak of the coronavirus in the state, bar owners are pushing back against restrictions. Some Orlando bar owners have joined a lawsuit against Gov. Ron DeSantis over the state’s prohibition on alcohol sales during the pandemic.

• California: While some “hot spot” states continue to see increases in new COVID-19 cases, California has seen cases level off and even decline. However, the state health department reports that the number of hospitalizations from the virus is still climbing.

• Utah: Utah suffered its deadliest week of the pandemic last week. The Utah Health Department reported 629 new cases of the virus Sunday, along with three more deaths.

Shipt workers are planning to walk out on July 15 in protest of a controversial new pay model at the company. 

Workers for the grocery delivery service say the new algorithm-based pay structure, internally dubbed “V2,” would shave at least 30 percent off their total pay. The new model replaces Shipt’s previous flat-fee model.

“The company replaced our transparent, fairer pay with a shady algorithm. Workers saw their pay plummet,” a group of Shipt shoppers wrote in a Medium post. 

“This seismic company shift is occurring at the same time that its shoppers — essential workers taking unprecedented risks during this pandemic — are already suffering significantly.” 

Business is booming for Shipt

The workers pointed out that Shipt, a service where customers pay a monthly fee in exchange for the ability to receive deliveries from grocery stores and retailers, is concurrently “experiencing obscene increases in its sales” amid the coronavirus pandemic. 

“This isn’t a company that has to cut pay because its core business crashed. The company has intentionally over-hired, preying off the millions of displaced workers who were furloughed or laid off during a pandemic,” the Medium post continued. 

“Shipt’s intention all along was to introduce the pay cut when it had more workers than it needed. That way it is still able to roll profitably forward even if a sizable percentage of Shipt’s existing workforce is forced to quit due to drastic cuts to our pay.” 

Workers plan to walk out Wednesday, the day the new pay model launches in a dozen new markets. Shipt maintains that it's “committed to helping shoppers succeed” and is open to feedback on the new pay model. 

“Our commitment to shoppers is stronger than ever, and any operational changes we make balance the interests of shoppers with the longer-term needs of the business,” Shipt said.

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

Total U.S. confirmed cases: 3,131,953 (3,067,780)

Total U.S. deaths: 133,420 (132,498)

Total global cases: 12,323,502 (12,093,782)

Total global deaths: 555,977 (550,689)

Another daily record number of cases

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic shows no sign of slowing down, setting one daily record after another. On Thursday, researchers at Johns Hopkins University counted 63,000 new cases, eclipsing the record of 60,000 cases set the day before.

The total number of cases of the virus in the U.S. is more than 3.1 million, accounting for nearly 25 percent of the world’s cases. The country with the next largest number of cases is Brazil, with just over 1.7 million.

In the U.S., the surge in cases has largely been limited to southern and western states. The latest victims have tended to be young people, whose symptoms are generally less severe. Some states, like Texas, have reclosed bars and nightclubs frequented by young people.

Encouraging news about treatment drug

Gilead Sciences has more news about its experimental antiviral drug remdesivir, and it’s encouraging. The drug company says the drug appears to reduce the risk of death in patients with the most severe symptoms of the virus.

The company said use of the drug not only reduced the risk of death by 62 percent, but it is also associated with “significantly improved clinical recovery.” The conclusions are based on an analysis of 312 patients enrolled in a Phase 3 clinical trial.

“While not as vigorous as a randomized controlled trial, this analysis importantly draws from a real world setting and serves as an important adjunct to clinical trial data,” said Dr. Susan Olender of Columbia University Irving Medical Center.

Pandemic’s effect on fuel prices may be ending

One silver lining to the pandemic has been extremely low gasoline prices throughout the spring, but that bonus may be ending, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). It reports that oil demand was sharply lower in the first half of 2020 because of the economic shutdown associated with the coronavirus.

Going forward, the IEA said demand will still be lower, but the decrease should be about half of what it was in the first half of the year. It notes that the industry has already started to recover.

Consumers, meanwhile, continue to enjoy gasoline prices about 60 cents a gallon cheaper than at this time last year. AAA reported Friday that the national average price of regular gasoline is $2.19 a gallon, just two cents more than a week ago.

Researchers hope antibody treatment can be done outpatient

Texas researchers say they are investigating whether plasma from COVID-19 survivors can be used in outpatient settings to prevent the onset and progression of the virus. Currently, the treatment is administered to hospital patients, in many cases those in intensive care units (ICU).

Two clinical trials are underway at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth). The tests will determine whether convalescent plasma can prevent infection or severity of disease in outpatients, including health care workers who have had a high-risk exposure to COVID-19.

Some health experts believe the combination of blood plasma antibody treatments and remdesivir could serve as a bridge until a safe and effective vaccine against COVID-19 is approved.

Gottlieb: ‘We’re not counting nearly all the cases’

Former Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb has long suggested that the U.S. has a lot more COVID-19 cases than are being counted. In an appearance on CNBC this morning, Gottlieb suggested one in 150 people in the U.S. have been infected.

“We must have well over 700,000 infections a day, even though we’re only diagnosing about 60,000,” Gottlieb said.

The former FDA commissioner said the U.S. should have had a national policy to contain the virus, suggesting early reopenings in some states are now posing threats to states where aggressive action was taken. 

Around the nation

• New York: The pandemic has already had an effect on New York City’s rental market. According to industry sources, rents are falling because tenants are leaving the city in droves. The city’s apartment vacancy rate in June was double that of June 2019.

• Michigan: New outbreaks of the coronavirus are not just happening in the South and West. Michigan’s top medical official says that the state is seeing an alarming rise in cases. “So right now, the data is not looking so good,” said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun.

• Virginia: Doctors addressing a Richmond School Board meeting said reopening schools probably would not contribute to a spike in coronavirus cases. Dr. Danny Avula, the Director for Richmond and Henrico County health districts, gave a virtual presentation suggesting that schools are not a significant source of community transmission.

Google has announced that it will ban advertisements for products or services that secretly track or monitor people. 

In an update to its “Enabling Dishonest Behavior” policy, Google said the changes will apply to spyware and technology used for “intimate partner surveillance,” including tech used to monitor texts, phone calls, or browsing history. 

The update will also apply to GPS devices touted as tools for spying on someone without their knowledge, as well as surveillance equipment such as cameras, audio recorders, dash cams, and nanny cams. 

“We constantly evaluate and update our ad policies to ensure we are protecting users,” a Google spokesperson said in a statement. “We routinely update our language with examples to help clarify what we consider policy violating. Spyware technology for partner surveillance was always in scope of our policies against dishonest behavior.” 

The ad policy change will go into effect globally on August 11. 

“Stalkerware” use on the rise during lockdown

COVID-19 lockdowns have led to a rise in the use of GPS trackers and surveillance software marketed with the sole purpose of spying.

Earlier this week, cybersecurity software firm Avast reported that there was a 51 percent increase in the use of spyware and stalkerware from March through June when compared to the period between January and February. 

“Stalkerware is unethical software that allows people to track someone's location, access their personal photos and videos, intercept emails, texts and app communications such as WhatsApp and Facebook, as well as eavesdrop on phone calls and make covert recordings of conversations over the internet, without the target's knowledge or consent,” the company said. 

In 2018, a group of researchers discovered tens of thousands of ads in the Google ecosystem that promoted software designed to monitor an intimate partner without their consent. 

The ads discovered included: “How to catch a cheating spouse with his cell phone” and “Track My Wife’s Phone — Want to Spy on your Wife? Track your Wife without her knowing. Discover Who Are They messaging. Download! 24-Hour Support Price Superiority No Jailbreaking and App Results Guaranteed.”

Google said its ad policies already prohibit ads for products and services that enable users to gain unauthorized access to systems, devices, or property. The update now loops in spyware and surveillance technology designed to provide unauthorized access to intimate partners’ devices.

Misinformation was circulating around the internet well before the COVID-19 pandemic; however, since the start of the pandemic, popular sites like Facebook and YouTube have been in the news for contributing to the spread of misinformation about the virus. 

Now, a new study conducted by researchers from MIT shows that it’s consumers’ natural inclination to share things on social media that is a big factor in the spread of misinformation. 

“There is just something more systemic and fundamental about the social media context that distracts people from accuracy,” said researcher David Rand. “I think part of it is that you’re getting this instantaneous social feedback all the time. Every time you post something, you immediately get to see how many people liked it. And that really focuses your attention on: How many people are going to like it? Which is different from: How true is this?” 

Thinking critically about social media posts

The researchers conducted two online experiments to understand how false COVID-19 information is spread on social media. In the first study, over 850 participants were split into two groups and shown 30 Facebook-style news posts related to COVID-19; half of the posts contained misinformation while the other half were pieces of factual news content. 

The researchers wanted to gauge two measures with this study. First, they wanted to see which of the stories were the participants more inclined to share to their own personal social media feeds. Secondly, they wanted to know whether the participants could identify which news stories were accurate. 

When it came to sharing stories, the participants were split pretty evenly between sharing the stories that were true and ones that were fabricated. However, the group who had to determine the accuracy of the posts did so correctly nearly 70 percent of the time. 

The second study took things a step further. Another 850 participants were shown the same headlines as the first group. The main difference is this study was that participants looking for accuracy first looked at a news headline unrelated to COVID-19 and then were asked to identify the true or false pandemic-related stories. 

Taking this extra step, considering a non-COVID headline and being pressed to discern factual information, turned out to be an effective practice; the group outperformed those in the first study who were asked to perform the same task. 

“The idea is, if you nudge them about accuracy at the outset, people are more likely to be thinking about the concept of accuracy when they later choose what to share,” Rand said. “So then they take accuracy into account more when they make their sharing decisions.” 

Social media distraction 

Rand and his team think these patterns have emerged with COVID-19 misinformation for two main reasons: social media lends itself to fast news and easy shares, and consumers already have a heightened sense of anxiety around the pandemic. 

“A lot of people have a very cynical take on social media and our moment in history, that we’re post-truth and no one cares about the truth anymore,” said researcher Gordon Pennycook. “Our evidence suggests it’s not that people don’t care; it’s that they’re more distracted.” 

The recent steady rise in gasoline prices appeared to stall this week as a number of states reported a surge in coronavirus (COVID-19) cases.

The AAA Fuel Gauge Survey shows the price of regular gas is $2.19 a gallon, two cents more than last week. The average price of premium gas is $2.79 a gallon, just a penny more than last Friday. The average price of diesel fuel remains nearly the same as last week -- $2.44 a gallon.

In spite of last weekend’s Independence Day holiday, gasoline demand remained tepid over the last few days. Analysts suggest that the sharp rise of cases in Arizona, California, Texas, and Florida may have caused many people to reconsider holiday outings.

“Independence Day weekend gas prices were nearly 60 cents cheaper than last year and on top of that, they were the most inexpensive prices seen for the holiday since 2004,” said Jeanette Casselano, AAA’s spokesperson.

Most states reported stable prices at the pump over the last week. In areas where prices did rise, it wasn’t always a matter of supply and demand. Several states increased their gasoline tax effective July 1, including California, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, South Carolina and Maryland.

The states with the most expensive gas

These states currently have the highest prices for regular gas, according to the AAA Fuel Gauge Survey:

• Hawaii ($3.23)

• California ($3.10)

• Washington ($2.75)

• Nevada ($2.63)

• Oregon ($2.62) 

• Alaska ($2.51)

• Colorado ($2.47)

• Pennsylvania ($2.44)

• Illinois ($2.40)

• Idaho ($2.34)

The states with the cheapest regular gas

The survey found these states currently have the lowest prices for regular gas:

• Mississippi ($1.83)

• Louisiana ($1.85)

• Arkansas ($1.88)

• Texas ($1.88)

• Alabama ($1.89)

• Missouri ($1.89)

• Oklahoma ($1.90)

• South Carolina ($1.92)

• Tennessee ($1.94)

• Virginia ($1.98)

Polaris Industries of Medina, Minn., is recalling about 28,000 model year 2019 - 2020 Ranger XP 1000 & model year 2020 General XP 1000 Utility Vehicles (UTVs) in the U.S., and Canada.

The throttle can fail to return to the idle position after the engine stalls and is restarted in gear without switching the key to the off position due to a software problem, causing the vehicle to accelerate suddenly, posing a crash hazard to the user.

No incidents or injuries are reported.

This recall involves model year 2019 Polaris Ranger XP 1000 EPS, Ranger CREW XP 1000, and model year 2020 Polaris Ranger XP 1000, Ranger CREW XP 1000, General XP 1000 Deluxe and General XP 4 1000 Deluxe.

The vehicles were sold in gray, blue, white, red, green camo, orange, sand and maroon, and have two or four seats.

“POLARIS” is stamped on the front grille and “Ranger” or “General” is printed on the sides of the rear cargo area. Vehicle identification numbers (VIN) included in this recall can be found stamped into the left rear vehicle frame below the cargo box.

The following model names are included in this recall:

The UTVs, manufactured in the U.S., Mexico and Poland, were sold at Polaris dealers nationwide from June 2018, through March 2020, for between $15,890 and $29,000.

What to do

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled vehicles and contact a Polaris dealer to schedule a free inspection and repair. Polaris is notifying dealers and contacting registered owners directly.

Consumers may contact Polaris at (800) 765-2747 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. (CT) Monday through Friday or online at www.polaris.com and click on “Off Road Safety Recalls” at the bottom of the page for more information.

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

Total U.S. confirmed cases: 3,067,780 (3,009,611)

Total U.S. deaths: 132,498 (131,594)

Total global cases: 12,093,782 (11,884,799)

Total global deaths: 550,689 (545,398)

Fauci: some states should shut down again

White House health adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci, increasingly worried about the huge spike in coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in some southern and western states, says those states should consider shutting down again, ordering businesses to close and people to shelter in place.

Interviewed on a Wall Street Journal podcast, Fauci said it is alarming that the country has gone from 20,000 new cases a day to 60,000 on Wednesday.

“If you continue doubling, two times 50 is 100,” Fauci said. “Any state that is having a serious problem, that state should seriously look at shutting down. It’s not for me to say because each state is different.”

CDC won’t loosen school reopening guidelines

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is standing up to the White House, saying it won’t soften guidelines for school districts planning to reopen schools in the fall. President Trump this week called the guidelines too restrictive and ordered the agency to revise them.

CDC Director Robert Redfield told Good Morning America today that the agency will soon issue additional guidelines but will not change its original recommendations that the White House found too tough.

“It’s not a revision of the guidelines, it’s just to provide additional information to help schools be able to use the guidance that we put forward,” Redfield said.

Unemployment rolls continue to grow

More Americans continue to lose their jobs as a result of the pandemic. The Labor Department reports new claims for unemployment benefits increased by 1.3 million last week. While it was a smaller number than the weeks before, it still means layoffs are continuing at a rapid pace.

On the bright side, the number of people receiving payments fell to the lowest level since mid-April. New claims peaked in mid-March at 6.9 million.

Disney World will reopen Saturday

Even though Florida is suffering a huge spike in cases of the virus, Disney says it will reopen Disney World in Orlando on Saturday after a nearly four-month shutdown. 

The company says its Walt Disney World theme parks are reopening with “a deliberate, responsible approach drawing on experience from Shanghai Disney Resort, Hong Kong Disneyland and Disney Springs.”

Disney describes its plan as a phased reopening with a significant reduction in capacity. Beginning Saturday, the company will open Magic Kingdom Park and Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park. EPCOT and Disney's Hollywood Studios will follow July 15.

Testing delays return

It was difficult to be tested for the coronavirus in the early days of the pandemic, and it was nearly impossible to get the results back in a timely manner. It’s easier to get a test now, but because more people are being tested, health officials say the delay in getting the results has returned.

Health experts, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, say the delays are complicating efforts to trace the source of infections. In some cases, test results take as long as seven days.

 “You might as well not do contact tracing because it’s already too late,” Fauci told The Wall Street Journal.

Around the nation

• South Carolina: State officials are using social media to persuade residents to wear masks in public in response to a significant surge in cases. "The coronavirus and the disease it causes, COVID-19, can only be stopped by you taking personal health and safety precautions for yourself and those around you," the state’s emergency management agency said in a post.

• Pennsylvania: Allegheny County has extended its current emergency order by another two weeks. The order bans indoor dining and drinking at bars and restaurants but allows outdoor dining until 11 pm.

• Louisiana: Gov. John Bel Edwards is warning state residents that Louisiana “is going in the wrong direction” on the coronavirus. Noting the recent spike in cases throughout the state, Edwards singled out bars and restaurants as hotspots for the spread of the virus.