Current Events in September 2020

The U.S. Justice Department is reportedly preparing a major antitrust complaint against Google and is briefing state officials who are working on their own lawsuit.

Bloomberg News cites people familiar with the matter in reporting that the briefing will take place Wednesday between federal investigators and 48 state attorneys general. The report says the result could be the largest antitrust suit since 1998 when the U.S. government claimed Microsoft was a monopoly.

Consumers may wonder what the fuss is about since Google is the go-to search engine and it doesn’t cost anything. They might also note that the company’s YouTube platform can provide hours of free entertainment. But for antitrust regulators, those points are part of the issue.

By offering its services at no cost to consumers and dominating the sectors in which it operates, regulators may charge Google of stifling competition. The government made similar accusations against Microsoft in 1998 when it pointed out that giving consumers a free web browser in Windows put other browser makers out of business.

Joining forces?

Bloomberg reports that Justice Department officials will brief the state officials on the case against Google as a first step in inviting them to join the suit. The 48 states are believed to be pursuing their own cases against the tech giant.

A joint suit could pose a larger threat to Google since the federal case is reportedly focused on Google’s dominance in the area of search while the states have focused more on Google’s major role in online ad revenue.

Google is among the tech companies that have come under close scrutiny in Congress since they have gotten bigger, richer, and more dominant in their industries. In February, Google was among those ordered by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to turn over documents about its acquisition of other companies.

Reason for acquisitions is key

At issue is whether the acquisitions of these smaller companies were designed to support a company’s main mission or were intended to remove potential competitors from the field. At the time, regulators were believed to be looking closely at Facebook’s acquisitions of Instagram and Whatsapp.

Last November some members of Congress expressed concern when Google announced plans to acquire Fitbit, a company making a popular health monitoring wearable. At the time, the House Judiciary Committee’s antitrust subcommittee called Makan Delrahim, the head of the Justice Department’s antitrust division, to brief lawmakers. 

Delrahim said the department is trying to sort out a number of things that drive these companies’ profits, including personalized advertising that makes use of consumers’ data. He said Justice Department attorneys were investigating how large tech companies gained their monopoly power.

Ford Motor Company is recalling 97 model year 2019-2020 Edge, Transit Connect & Lincoln MKX, and model year 2020 Escape and Lincoln Corsair vehicles.

The start/stop accumulator endcap may have missing or loose bolts, which could result in a transmission fluid leak and progress to a loss of transmission function.

A transmission fluid leak in the presence of an ignition source may increase the risk of fire.

What to do

Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the start/stop accumulator free of charge.

The recall was expected to begin September 21, 2020.

Owners may contact Ford customer service at (866) 436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S49.

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

Total U.S. confirmed cases: 6,816.046 (6,767,634)

Total U.S. deaths: 199,552 (199,268)

Total global cases: 31,110,407 (30,815,617)

Total global deaths: 961,544 (957,633)

CDC: COVID-19 spreads mostly through the air

We’re six months into the COVID-19 pandemic, and health officials are still learning about the virus. In new guidance, the CDC says it has determined that the coronavirus spreads mostly through tiny droplets that can remain suspended in the air for an extended period of time and be inhaled by others.

The CDC says the droplets are produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes, sings, talks, or even breathes. “These particles can be inhaled into the nose, mouth, airways, and lungs and cause infection,” the CDC says. “This is thought to be the main way the virus spreads.”

Originally, health experts believed the virus spread mostly by an infected person touching a surface, which was later touched by a healthy person.

Update: The CDC announced Monday that this guidance was erroneously published to its website. The agency is reportedly in the process of updating its guidance and will publish an update soon. ConsumerAffairs full coverage of this revision can be found here.

Cruise lines submit health protocols

Cruise lines were among the hardest-hit businesses when the coronavirus (COVID-19) began spreading across the globe, but the industry is planning ahead for better times. A group set up by Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line has submitted a report to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that outlines the health and safety steps for cruise ships when they start sailing again.

The companies outlined 74 measures they said would protect passengers and crew from the virus. They include practicing extra sanitation protocols, tightly controlling on-shore visits, and enhancing protection measures for crew members.

The plan also calls for rigorous screening measures that will require passengers and crew members to be tested for the virus before they board the ships.

Colleges called ‘reservoirs of COVID-19’

In many states, colleges have been responsible for a recent upsurge in coronavirus cases. College officials have had difficulty enforcing social distancing rules among students, many of whom live in close quarters in dormitories.

Now, health officials are wondering what will happen at Thanksgiving when all those students go home for the holiday. Will they take the coronavirus with them and spread it in their home communities? Gavin Yamey, director of Duke University’s Center for Policy Impact in Global Health, says it was a mistake to bring students back to campus.

“This is beyond our wildest nightmares,” Yamey told Bloomberg. “It has been a debacle, a national catastrophe and, in many ways, you could consider it a third wave. The third wave is a university reopening wave. It was a self-inflicted national wound.”

Don’t confuse cold symptoms with COVID-19

We’re entering cold and flu season, but health experts say those symptoms should not be confused with COVID-19. They are very different.

Yale University scientists have emphasized that COVID-19 is often associated with fatigue, shortness of breath, and fever, whereas the common cold is not. Sneezing happens a lot when you have a cold but is rare when you have the coronavirus.

Doctors say there is no evidence that symptoms of a cold and COVID-19 are similar. They caution that social media posts making these claims have provided no supporting evidence. They also point out that COVID-19 cases can be confirmed by a specific test.

Researchers blame the virus for a rise in stress

Feeling stressed lately? Researchers at the University of California Irvine say they aren’t surprised, and they blame most of the rising tension on COVID-19.

The coronavirus, they say, has produced multiple stress triggers. Many people have lost income and are wondering how they’ll make ends meet. Millions are consuming way too much coronavirus news. And then there’s simply worrying about whether you or your family will get sick.

The research highlights the connection between mental health and exposure to media coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic, suggesting that there may be a need to step away from the television, computer, or smartphone to protect psychological well-being. 

“The media is a critical source of information for people when they’re faced with ambiguous, ongoing disasters,” said Roxane Cohen Silver, professor of psychological science and one of the study’s principal investigators. “But too much exposure can be overwhelming and lead to more stress, worry, and perceived risks.”

Around the nation

• Michigan: Gov. Gretchen Whitmer says a GOP-led effort to challenge her emergency powers threatens to allow the coronavirus to make a comeback in the state. Whitmer said enforcing mitigation rules has sharply reduced the number of cases in Michigan.

• Arizona: A group called Accountable Arizona is attempting to recall Gov. Doug Ducey, claiming he mishandled the state’s response to the coronavirus. The group has to collect more than 594,000 signatures to get the recall on the ballot.

• Virginia: St. Catherine’s and St. Christopher’s Upper School divisions in Richmond have closed after some students tested positive for the coronavirus following a party attended by 60 students. 

The deadline for concluding the 2020 U.S. Census is coming up, which means the U.S. Census Bureau is intensifying efforts to collect the necessary data. However, consumer advocates worry that scammers are seeking to exploit that situation.

Steve McFarland, President of the Los Angeles Better Business Bureau, says his office is receiving reports that scammers are posing as census workers and are going door-to-door and looking for an opportunity to steal personal information, and even money.

"They want your personal information and they want money. That's what they want," McFarland recently told KNBC-TV in Los Angeles.

Because of the coronavirus (COVID-19), the deadline for wrapping up the census has been extended to September 30. Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody says that just gives scammers more time to operate their schemes.

“With more census workers heading door-to-door it could mean more opportunity for imposters and scams,” Moody said. 

Ideal cover

The census offers ideal cover for scammers who want to obtain sensitive information about people to either steal money or identities. Earlier this year, AARP warned consumers to be on the lookout for criminals posing as census-takers. 

"We've learned that scammers are very shrewd and adept at capitalizing on current events," said Kathy Stokes, director, fraud prevention programs, at AARP.  "The Census has been in the news, so most people are expecting to hear soon from the Census Bureau. Scammers will use that to their advantage as they aim to deceive people into sharing sensitive information or handing over money."

Unless the deadline is extended again, there will be a flurry of census activity in the next couple of weeks. Moody says that means people should be very careful when they interact with census personnel, to make sure they are who they say they are.

What to do

To avoid falling victim to census scams, consumer should do the following:

• Check the ID badge of a census worker doing home visits by looking for the worker’s photograph, U.S. Department of Commerce watermark, and expiration date;

• Call 1 (800) 923-8282 if questions remain about a census worker’s identity and ask to speak with a local Census Bureau representative. If it is determined that the visitor does not work for the Census Bureau, contact local law enforcement;

• Know that the Census Bureau will not send unsolicited emails or ask for Social Security numbers, bank account or credit card information, or money; and

• Confirm that the return address on the mail from the Census Bureau is Jeffersonville, Indiana.

The Census Bureau usually contacts people by mail or sends a representative to the home, but the best way to tell a real census-taker from an imposter is by the questions that are asked.

A real census questionnaire is simple, asking mostly about who was living in the home on April 1, 2020, what type of dwelling it is, and a telephone number. You can check out the actual census survey here.

There has been a move in Congress over the last week to extend the census deadline until October 31. An extension appears to have backing from both Republicans and Democrats and may be approved before the deadline.

Several international banks are in the hot seat following the publication of documents showing that terrorists, drug smugglers, and other criminal elements were able to move massive amounts of money through the institutions, despite banks’ own internal warnings.

Critics of the banking industry seized on the report, saying it shows the need for reform of a system they charge has become less responsive to the needs of consumers and legitimate bank customers.

BuzzFeed said it obtained thousands of “suspicious activity reports” (SAR) filed with U.S. government agencies that describe financial transactions bank employees considered suspicious but were processed anyway. BuzzFeed said it shared the information with about 88 publications around the world.

“These documents, compiled by banks, shared with the government, but kept from public view, expose the hollowness of banking safeguards, and the ease with which criminals have exploited them,” BuzzFeed said in its report.

“Profits from deadly drug wars, fortunes embezzled from developing countries, and hard-earned savings stolen in a Ponzi scheme were all allowed to flow into and out of these financial institutions, despite warnings from the banks’ own employees.”

$2 trillion in suspicious transactions

The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), which worked on the project with BuzzFeed, said the files show more than $2 trillion in financial transactions were flagged in the SARs between 1999 and 2017. While the documents are not proof of wrongdoing, the ICIJ says the leaked documents are only a tiny portion of the reports filed with the U.S. government.

Among the international banks mentioned in the report are HSBC Holdings, JPMorgan Chase, and Bank of New York Mellon. In statements to the media, the banks said they had already instituted reforms and otherwise strengthened their efforts to combat money laundering.

“The findings once again emphasize the need to pursue intelligence-led changes for financial crime risk management - driven by meaningful improvements to public-private sector cooperation and cross-border information sharing, coupled with the use of technology - to enhance the global anti-financial crime framework,” said Tim Adams, CEO of the Institute of International Finance (IIF).

“I hope these findings spur urgent action from policymakers to enact needed reforms," he added.

Adams says the impact of financial crimes, such as money laundering, are felt well beyond the financial sector. He contends it poses “grave threats” to all of society.

Say hello to “Free Assembly,” Walmart’s newest attempt to gain the attention of fashion-conscious consumers. 

The product line comes complete with items for both men and women at a $9 to $45 price range, which the big box retailer hopes is a sweet spot and produces more uptake than its previous fashion endeavors.

Starting out, Free Assembly will focus on a fall collection with more than 30 items for women and 25 items for men.

“Customers will discover well-designed, high-quality pieces at prices below other American clothing brands – including a $45 structured blazer with an updated silhouette, a $39 viscose tiered maxi for women and a $30 fishtail parka at a fraction of the price found at specialty retailers,” wrote Denise Incandela, SVP Women’s Group, Elevated and Online Brands at Walmart. “What I’m most proud of though is the $40 organic selvedge denim that retails at an incredibly low price.”

To help Walmart gain some traction in the fashion space, it’s tapped Dwight Fenton, who’s worked his magic at Old Navy and J. Crew. 

But will it work this time?

The words “Walmart” and “fashion” haven’t proven to be a winning combination for the company. Some 10 years ago, it came up with "Project Impact" to try and upgrade the persona of its apparel, but that idea died hard and fast. 

In 2018, the company rolled out four other clothing lines and went on a buying spree of direct-to-consumer labels that included the menswear line Bonobos, the plus-size women’s line Eloquii Elements, and ModCloth, which took its cues from indie- and vintage-inspired women’s clothing. In 2019, Walmart sold ModCloth and downsized Bonobos. Eloquii is still part of the store’s brand lineup.

“Through our ongoing strategy of expanding our assortment for our customers, we’ve shown that we’re serious about establishing Walmart as a fashion destination,” wrote Denise Incandela, SVP Women’s Group, Elevated and Online Brands at Walmart.

“And, now we’re doubling-down to offer customers something they couldn’t find at Walmart before – a fashion essentials-inspired brand for both men and women created by our in-house design team.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Monday that COVID-19 guidance posted late last week on its official website was posted in error. 

On Friday, the CDC published guidance saying that the virus spreads through airborne particles that can remain in the air and travel distances beyond six feet.

''A draft version of proposed changes to these recommendations was posted in error to the agency's official website,” the agency in a statement. “CDC is currently updating its recommendations regarding airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19). Once this process has been completed, the update language will be posted.” 

Mistakenly published

The now-removed guidance originally claimed that there is a growing body of scientific evidence showing that droplets and airborne particles can linger in the air and be breathed in by others.

“There is growing evidence that droplets and airborne particles can remain suspended in the air and be breathed in by others, and travel distances beyond 6 feet (for example, during choir practice, in restaurants, or in fitness classes),” the deleted guidance said. “In general, indoor environments without good ventilation increase this risk.”

The World Health Organization (WHO) contacted the CDC about the guidance, saying it hadn’t seen any “new evidence” regarding the nature of airborne particles. The WHO currently says the virus is spread mainly through respiratory droplets ejected when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or breathes. For this reason, health officials continue to recommend that people wear face masks. 

The CDC has now reverted its mistakenly posted revision to its original guidance. 

“The virus is thought to spread mainly from person-to-person,” the CDC states. The agency mentions that the virus “may be spread in other ways,” but it no longer mentions anything about it being airborne. 

More CDC guidance changes

To date, the U.S. has more than 6.8 million cases and nearly 200,000 deaths from COVID-19, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. 

The CDC’s admission that it erroneously published draft guidance comes on the heels of a controversial change to its guidance for testing asymptomatic individuals. The agency had modified its guidance to state that people who had been exposed to an infected person but weren’t showing symptoms of COVID-19 did “not necessarily need a test.” However, it also walked back that guidance after health officials expressed concerns.

A panel of medical experts formed three months ago by Royal Caribbean Group and Norwegian Cruise Line have outlined a plan for keeping COVID-19 from spreading if the cruise line industry is cleared to resume operations. 

On Monday, the Healthy Sail Panel submitted 74 recommendations to federal regulators on how safe cruising could be made possible during the pandemic. The plan for reducing COVID-19 transmission centers around the following strategies: 

• Educating, screening, and testing both crew and guests prior to embarkation to prevent COVID-19 from entering a ship;

• Lowering crew and passenger loads;

• Reducing transmission via air management strategies and enhanced sanitation practices

• Implementing detailed plans to address positive infection on board, including contingencies for onboard treatment, isolation and rapid evacuation and repatriation;

• Closely controlling shore excursions;

• Contact-free check-ins; and

• Enhanced protection for crew members.

The recommendations, which were also published on each cruise company’s website, also include face covering requirements in accordance with CDC guidelines and daily temperature checks. 

“We know that both authorities around the globe and consumers expect cruise lines to provide the safest, healthiest vacations we can, and this work demonstrates our commitment to doing just that,” said Frank Del Rio, president and CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line.

Limiting the virus’ spread

Scott Gottlieb, former commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and co-chair of the panel, said expert recommendations would help prevent the virus from entering a ship and mitigate its spread in the event that it does. 

"We believe you can create a bubble around this experience, where you put in place enough controls that you dramatically reduce the risk of introduction, and if you do have a single introduction, dramatically reduce further spread on the ship," Gottlieb told USA Today. "We have an environment that we can tightly control."

Cruise companies have been complying with a “no-sail” order for nearly six months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Federal health officials put a halt on cruises in light of the virus’ tendency to spread quickly in densely populated areas.  

The CDC and other authorities around the globe will review the recommendations and decide whether to give cruise ships the go ahead to resume operations. At this stage, cruise ship officials aren’t sure when the CDC will authorize a return to sailing. 

"We're really not putting time frames on this," Fain said.

Facebook is handing over some valuable rights to creators who make images and graphics. In a Monday morning update, the social media platform says it’s working with a cadre of partners who will soon be able to decide if Facebook users can use their graphics and to what extent. 

For example, let’s say People magazine has established its rights over a certain photo used on its Facebook page, but other users copy and paste it into one of their own posts. At that point, Facebook says People will now have the option to allow users to keep using the image, request that the image be taken down, or limit the territories where the image can be used. 

“We want to make sure that we understand the use case very, very well from that set of trusted partners before we expand it out because, as you can imagine, a tool like this is a pretty sensitive one and a pretty powerful one, and we want to make sure that we have guardrails in place to ensure that people are able to use it safely and properly,” says Dave Axelgard, product manager of creator and publisher experience at Facebook, in a comment to The Verge.

Facebook continues to clean up its own backyard

In the past, Facebook has admitted that its content enforcement “wasn’t perfect.” However, the company seems to be trying to get on the right track following events like the Cambridge Analytica scandal. One example would be its ban of hate groups.

Facebook handing over rights management to content creators will likely cause issues for its users who love posting pictures, memes, and other similar content. 

While there are some content creators who create digital fodder for their own jollies, there are many who do it for a living and expect platforms that thrive on content to protect ownership rights. That potentially puts Facebook users who plead innocent because they found the photo on another page, didn’t plan to profit from it, or saw others using the same photo in a tough position.

The Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has warned of a critical security vulnerability affecting Windows Servers used by federal officials.

CISA said a recently discovered flaw in Windows Netlogon Remote Protocol could allow an attacker with network access to “completely compromise all Active Directory identity services.” 

In its advisory, CISA urged government agencies to install a patch as soon as possible. Failure to patch the vulnerability, known as CVE-2020-1472, could have a “grave impact,” the agency said.

“We do not issue emergency directives unless we have carefully and collaboratively assessed it to be necessary,” CISA said. “Left unpatched, this vulnerability could allow attackers to compromise network identity services.” 

Requires immediate attention

The flaw affects systems running Windows Server 2008 R2 and later, including recent ones using versions of Windows Server based on Windows 10. Government agencies have until September 21 to install the patch.

“We have directed agencies to implement the patch across their infrastructure by Monday, September 21, and given instructions for which of their many systems to prioritize,” CISA said.

Microsoft said it’s dealing with the vulnerability through a phased two-part rollout. The first phase will involve the installation of a security patch released last month, which will provide the first layer of protection. Another patch to further boost security will be released February 9, 2021.

“These updates address the vulnerability by modifying how Netlogon handles the usage of Netlogon secure channels,” the company said in a statement. 

Ford Motor Company is recalling 29 model year 2020 Explorers.

The vehicles are equipped with second row center seat belt buckles that may not be properly secured to the seat.

Vehicles with seat belt buckles that are not properly secured may fail to restrain an occupant in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

What to do

Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the second row center seat assembly free of charge.

The recall is expected to begin November 2, 2020.

Owners may contact Ford customer service at (866) 436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S50.

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

Total U.S. confirmed cases: 6,681,251 (6,640,540)

Total U.S. deaths: 197,763 (197,091)

Total global cases: 30,241,377 (29,925,969)

Total global deaths: 947,266 (942,076)

Dr. Fauci is betting on a vaccine in 2020

If Dr. Anthony Fauci were a betting man, he’d lay odds on a coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine to be ready by November or December. In testimony before a Congressional panel this week, the director of the National Institute on Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID) said he based that position on the latest data from vaccine clinical trials.

Fauci told lawmakers that researchers conducting the trials need to see no more than 150 infections to conclude that a vaccine is effective. Previously, he cautioned against rushing a vaccine to final approval, but now he thinks researchers are making good progress.

“Right now, the trials are over two-thirds enrolled – really close to full enrollment on one, and over full enrollment on the other,” Fauci said.

North American travel restrictions to continue

The United States, Mexico, and Canada have jointly agreed to extend the current travel restrictions between their countries until at least Oct. 21. The borders closed on March 21 as all three nations began shutdowns to contain the coronavirus.

The U.S. government announced its decision to extend limits on non-essential travel through Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf, who posted the news on Twitter.

Mexico’s coronavirus cases are about 10 percent of the U.S. total while Canada has had far fewer -- around 142,000 at last count. U.S. cases number about 6.6 million.

Researchers employ a safer ultraviolet light against the virus

There’s new data on the effectiveness of ultraviolet (UV) light in killing the coronavirus. 

Researchers in Japan found that using Ultraviolet C light with a wavelength of 222 nanometers, which is safer to use around humans, effectively kills SARS-CoV-2. It’s the first research to prove its efficacy against the virus that causes COVID-19.

Scientists say a wavelength of 222 nm UVC cannot penetrate the outer, non-living layer of the human eye and skin, so it won't cause harm to the living cells beneath. This reportedly makes it a safer but equally potent alternative to the more damaging 254 nm UVC germicidal lamps that are increasingly being used to disinfect health care facilities.

Study: cancer patients not necessarily at higher risk

People with underlying health conditions are known to be at higher risk if they are infected with the coronavirus. But new research suggests that cancer patients may not be at as high a risk as initially believed.

The study conducted by researchers at Rambam Medical Center revealed that cancer patients may not be associated with the broad range of at-risk groups of people suffering from morbidities in connection with COVID-19.

Researchers say this finding is important since anecdotal evidence suggests that many cancer patients have reduced their treatment over the last six months out of fear of contracting the coronavirus at a health care facility.

Why hospitals were nearly overwhelmed by COVID-19

Six months into the COVID-19 pandemic, policymakers are still trying to understand why hospitals were nearly overwhelmed as the disease spread through major population centers.

A lack of precautions is just one answer. An analysis by The Wall Street Journal found for-profit hospitals had spent years reducing staff and facilities to prevent waste and maximize efficiency -- and profits. When the virus hit, many hospitals didn’t have enough doctors and nurses.

The report said many hospitals overworked their existing nursing staff, had to quickly train others, and relied heavily on rapidly hiring temporary staff. The report said that had the effect of draining resources away from poorer hospitals.

Around the nation

• Minnesota: Schools in six more counties have been recommended for distance learning because of rising coronavirus cases. Five of the counties have been recommended for “full distance learning.”

• Connecticut: After “flattening” the curve of coronavirus cases, the virus seems to be making a comeback. The rate of positive tests has risen to 1.6 percent, according to state health officials. The number of patients in Connecticut hospitals is the highest since mid-July.

• Texas: Gov. Greg Abbott has loosened restrictions on businesses, allowing more of them to reopen. Under the governor’s latest order, restaurants, retail stores, and office buildings may operate at 75 percent capacity.

Helicopter parenting has been found to affect everything from kids’ independence to parents’ stress levels, and now a new study conducted by researchers from the University of Arizona is looking into why these types of behaviors emerge among parents. 

According to the researchers, those who have perfectionist tendencies are the most likely to over-parent their kids, as they derive the most value from having their kids excel in every possible area. 

“All the research thus far on helicopter parenting, or over-parenting, has focused on what are the outcomes for the children who are the recipients of over-parenting, and no one has been looking at who does this in the first place,” said researcher Chris Segrin. “We think knowing more about the motivations of the parents has important implications for understanding what happens to children.” 

Identifying the trends

The researchers conducted two studies to better understand the trends involved in helicopter parenting. In one study, nearly 300 young adults were surveyed about their parents’ parenting style. In the second study, researchers had over 300 parents respond to statements that assessed their personality types and engagement as a parent. 

Both studies revealed that there was a close link between those with high levels of perfectionism and those who were the most likely to over-parent their kids. 

“Over-parenting is when you apply what we call developmentally inappropriate parenting or guidance structure for the child,” said Segrin. “By developmentally inappropriate, we mean we’re providing to the child that which the child could easily do him or herself. People who engage in over-parenting are not adjusting their parenting and letting the child have greater autonomy; they still want to control the child’s outcomes.” 

When thinking about how perfectionism comes into play, the researchers explained that parents push their kids to get the best results and then see their kids’ victory as a victory of their own. 

“They want to live vicariously through their children’s achievements,” Segrin said. “They want to see their children achieve because it makes them look good. I’m not saying they don’t care about their children; of course they do. But they measure their self-worth by the success of their children. That’s the yardstick that they use to measure their own success as a parent.” 

Finding a healthy balance

The researchers explained that it’s crucial for parents to have some kind of separation between their identities and their kids’ identities, as this can help them set more realistic expectations and foster more independence for their young ones. 

“I think those blurred boundaries between parent and child can be harmful to the psychological landscape of the parent,” said Segrin. “We need the parents to realize they have some element of their own life -- whether it’s their career, their personal relationships, their hobbies -- that’s independent of their role as a parent, so they don’t get caught up in this trap of wanting to just keep parenting their children until they’re 40 years old.” 

With the gig economy continuing to grow but the COVID-19 pandemic cutting into wages, gig workers looking for work might want to pay Whole Foods a visit. Amazon is now recruiting contract workers to both shop for and deliver groceries for Whole Foods Market customers who order their groceries online.

According to a Bloomberg report, drivers can easily sign up for the Shop and Deliver program by simply reviewing an online tutorial about how Whole Foods products are picked, packed, and handled, as well as scoring a passing grade on a quiz.

Until now, Whole Foods relied on its own employees to assemble online orders, but the program model is akin to Amazon Flex, an initiative the company rolled out several years ago that relies on independent contractors to deliver packages. 

Inherent issues

From its catbird seat, various grocery industry watchers raised questions about Amazon’s move. 

“By entrusting gig workers to put orders together for Whole Foods customers, Amazon is potentially increasing the risk that items could be damaged, spoiled or delivered late that is inherent in grocery e-commerce,” GroceryDive’s Sam Silverstein wrote.

Another question raised was that while delivery service is an easy thing to learn, in-store tasks like picking aren’t.

“Delivery from A to B is a beautiful on-demand task because it’s very straightforward, very repeatable and you don’t need a lot of training, [but] tasks in stores are often much more complicated,” Jordan Berke, a former Walmart executive and e-commerce expert who runs Tomorrow Retail Consulting, told GroceryDive.

“A person that comes to your store once a day or once every two days to pick two orders is always learning, while a person that picks 50 orders five days a week” has a better opportunity to become familiar with the lay of the land inside a grocery store, and is more likely to know where items are located and how they should be handled.

Potential good news for consumers

Online grocery shopping is growing in leaps and bounds. The segment is expected to grow from about $38 million in 2018 to nearly $60 billion by 2023. Amazon and Walmart are in a pretty secure place for the moment -- and keep upping the ante -- but more and more companies are trying to elbow their way in like Uber and DoorDash. The upside for consumers is that companies are constantly trying to find ways to keep prices as low as possible. 

“They’re always going to look for ways to keep their cost of service as low as possible, and always look for ways to be super responsive in fulfilling customer demand,” Tom Furphy, former Amazon vice president of consumables and Amazon Fresh, told GroceryDive. 

“Those are three constants that will always exist as long as Amazon’s around, and they will absolutely look to deliver on that in the grocery environment.

While many kids take steroids to manage conditions like asthma or autoimmune conditions, a new study conducted by researchers from Rutgers University is exploring the effect that they can have on kids’ long-term health. 

According to their work, these types of drugs can increase the likelihood of several future health risks for children, including blood clots, diabetes, and high blood pressure. 

“The rates of diabetes, high blood pressure, and blood clots from oral steroids have been studied in large populations of adults,” said researcher Daniel Horton. “However, there are reasons to think these findings might be different in children, who not only tend to take steroids differently than adults, but also have much lower baseline risks of developing these same cardiovascular and metabolic conditions. This study allowed us to put numbers on the association between oral steroids and rare, but potentially serious, complications in children.” 

Identifying those at the highest risk

The researchers analyzed medical records from over 933,000 kids between the ages of one and 18 who had been given steroids to treat a number of different conditions. While the majority of the participants were taking steroids to manage asthma symptoms, participants were also given the drugs to control several types of autoimmune conditions, like psoriasis or inflammatory bowel disease. 

The study did reveal a link between steroid prescriptions and an increased risk of high blood pressure, blood clots, and diabetes. However, the researchers found that some kids could be more vulnerable to these risks than others. They explained that for asthma sufferers, these complications aren’t as likely -- but for those with autoimmune deficiencies, these health risks exist both with and without steroids. 

It’s also important for consumers to know that these risks were the most common when children were taking high doses of steroids for long periods of time. This could also be why these complications aren’t as likely for kids with asthma, because they’re typically given steroids for short periods of time. 

Though the researchers don’t want to alarm consumers with these findings, they do hope that they’re useful for parents and caregivers of kids who are frequently prescribed steroids, as they could be helpful in monitoring kids’ health over the long-term. 

“While children receiving high-dose steroids were at substantially higher risk for developing diabetes, high blood pressure, or blood clots relative to children not taking these medicines, the absolute risk for these complications were still small,” said Horton. “The vast majority of children taking brief courses of steroids for conditions such as asthma, for instance, will not experience these complications.”