Current Events in October 2020

Apple has filed a lawsuit against a former recycling partner, claiming it was double-dipping by not only getting paid to disassemble Apple products, but by also reselling more than 100,000 of them on the consumer market. 

In an internal audit of more than a half-million Apple iPhones, iPads, and Apple Watches, Apple discovered that 18 percent of those devices (103,845 all told) were still accessing the internet via various cellular networks -- and that number could be even higher because of all the devices that are accessing the web via Wi-Fi.

In a statement given to The Verge, Apple said that products “sent for recycling are no longer adequate to sell to consumers and if they are rebuilt with counterfeit parts they could cause serious safety issues, including electrical or battery defects.”

The company on the wrong end of the stick in this situation is GEEP Canada, now owned by Quantum Lifecycle, a company that claims it recycles electronics “the right way” for big-name companies like Apple, Dell, HP, IBM, Acer, Asus, Lenovo, Samsung, and more.

Apple is filing suit against GEEP for a minimum of $31 million Canadian dollars (roughly $23.4 million U.S.)

Thousands of pounds of devices

In Apple’s lawsuit, it claims that GEEP actually confirmed that nearly 12,000 pounds of Apple devices lift GEEP’s premises without being destroyed, according to coverage of the situation by The Logic (via AppleInsider). 

GEEP doesn’t deny there was a theft, but it places the blame squarely on the shoulders of three employees who filched the devices on their own for their own personal gain. Apple’s not buying that story, insisting that those employees were actually senior management at the recycling company.

Nissan North America is recalling 150 model year 2020 Altimas, Maximas and Leafs.

The rear window glass may not remain properly secured to the vehicle.

Rear window glass that separates from the vehicle can increase the risk of a crash.

What to do

Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the back window glass free of charge.

The recall is expected to begin November 4, 2020.

Owners may contact Nissan customer service at (800) 867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is PC752.

Ford Motor Company is recalling 9,628 model year 2019 F-250 and F-350, single rear wheel and dual rear wheel, 4X4 vehicles.

The front axles may contain a wheel end yoke that was not properly welded to the axle tube end.

An improperly welded axle may affect vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.

What to do

Ford will notify owners and dealers will inspect the front axle wheel yoke weld location. If the weld is found to be inaccurately located, the axle assembly will be replaced free of charge.

The recall is expected to begin November 9, 2020.

Owners may contact Ford customer service at (866) 436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S56.

President Trump and first lady Melania Trump have both tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19), demonstrating that the highly contagious virus can invade even the White House and potentially affect dozens of others on the president’s staff.

Trump announced that he and his wife had tested positive in a tweet Thursday night, saying the first couple would immediately begin a quarantine period and recovery process. It isn’t known whether either of them has displayed symptoms, although Melania Trump tweeted that both she and her husband were “feeling good.”

In a statement Friday morning, White House physician Dr. Sean Conley said the president and first lady were both “well at this time” and that the president would continue to carry out his official duties.

The announcement that the Trumps had tested positive for the virus came just hours after Hope Hicks, a top presidential adviser, made a similar announcement. Hicks had traveled extensively with the president during the last few days.

Medical experts say Trump’s age -- 74 -- automatically puts him at an elevated risk for severe symptoms of the virus. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), people over age 60 are “at higher risk for severe illness than people in their 50s.”

Campaign events in doubt

The president’s illness comes during the final stretch of his 2020 election campaign as he seeks re-election against former Vice President Joe Biden. The two candidates shared the stage Tuesday night for a debate, and a second debate is scheduled for Oct. 15. It, along with just about everything else on Trump’s official schedule, is now in doubt.

Trump’s infection comes as more than 7 million Americans have tested positive for the virus and more than 205,000 have died. The virus increasingly has spread among the population that is unable to self-isolate but -- because of the nature of their jobs -- must remain engaged with other people.

Amazon announced Thursday that 19,000 of its frontline workers have tested positive for the virus since the pandemic began. Amazon warehouses have worked around the clock in recent months as home-bound consumers began doing most of their shopping online.

Inner circle infections

Operating the government and running a high-stakes political campaign has also proven to have risks. Others on the president’s staff and in the chief executive’s inner circle have been affected by the virus in recent weeks.

National security adviser Robert O’Brien tested positive for the virus and has recovered, as has Katie Miller, news secretary to Vice President Pence. Kimberly Guilfoyle, a friend of Donald Trump Jr., one of the president’s sons, has tested positive as well.

Trump’s handling of the coronavirus and the U.S. response has been the subject of criticism and has emerged as an issue in the campaign, with Biden alleging that Trump failed to act with the urgency the crisis warranted.

On Thursday night, the House of Representatives approved a $2.2 trillion Democratic COVID-19 stimulus plan. 

The bill, which is opposed by Republicans, would accomplish the following: 

• Reinstate the $600 per week enhanced unemployment benefit through January;

• Send a second $1,200 direct payment to most Americans;

• Give $436 billion in relief over one year to state and local governments;

• Authorize more money for a second round of Paycheck Protection Program loans for the hardest-hit businesses and industries;

• Send $25 billion to airlines to cover payroll costs;

• Inject $75 billion into COVID-19 testing and contact tracing efforts;

• Put $225 billion into education and $57 billion into child care; and

• Set aside billions for rental and mortgage assistance.

Democrat-only plan

Thursday’s plan was approved by a vote of 214-207. Eighteen Democrats voted against the measure and all Republicans opposed it. At the present time, talks between House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin still haven’t resulted in an official deal. 

On Wednesday, Mnuchin put forward a $1.6 trillion proposal that would include $250 billion for state and local government relief, $400 per week in extra unemployment benefits, $150 billion for education, $75 billion for COVID-19 testing and contact tracing, and $60 billion for rental and mortgage assistance, according to NBC. 

Earlier on Thursday, Pelosi said she was optimistic that a bipartisan deal could be agreed upon. However, she said the two sides still have different stances on several big issues.

“We have come to, kind of, in the ballpark of some things,” Pelosi said. “Still way off in terms of state and local government, state and local government, our heroes: health care workers, police and fire, teachers, teachers, sanitation, transportation, food workers – the people who make it possible for us to be here. They make government function, state and local.” 

She added that Democrats "have concerns about a sufficient amount of money to address the unemployment insurance needs of the American people."

Pelosi told reporters that she planned to go home and review documents that Mnuchin had sent her to determine how to proceed.

A band of Chinese digital wrongdoers have apparently ripped off Facebook users to the tune of $4 million. At Virus Bulletin’s virtual VB2020 conference, Facebook’s malware researchers and security analysts revealed that malware was found abusing Facebook's ad platform to run malicious ad campaigns that spammed users with phony celebrity endorsements and enticed them to make fraudulent purchases. 

Facebook’s security team coined the malware ‘SilentFade’ – ‘Silently running Facebook ADs with Exploits’ -- based on how the attacks were carried out. The malware’s M.O. was to infect users with the malware, then commandeer the users' browsers and make off with browser cookies and passwords.

Once they had that, the bandits searched for user accounts that had payment methods associated with their profile. At that point, SilentFade was off to the races, buying Facebook ads for things like keto pills and weight loss products with the victim's funds. 

All told, Facebook said the group was able to fleece more than $4 million from infected users. To make things whole, Facebook reimbursed the $4 million back to the victims for unauthorized ads purchased using their ads accounts.

Not exclusive to Facebook

Satnam Narang -- a staff research engineer at Tenable who has uncovered similar scams on other social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter -- noted that it’s a well-conceived, “cunning” scam designed to take advantage of Facebook’s billions of users while also providing the bad actors with a layer of protection against getting caught.

"Facebook’s research into SilentFade highlights how users seeking out pirated software are further exposed to additional risk in the form of malicious software that can silently take control of their Facebook accounts,” Narang told ConsumerAffairs. 

“Even if users aren’t directly affected by the SilentFade malware, its effect extends to Facebook users that encounter dubious advertisements for products that are counterfeit or misleading, such as phony diet pills. Users should not download pirated software and should be extremely skeptical of advertisements for discounted products at or phony diet pills."

What took so long?

The interesting twist is that it’s taken two years for Facebook to tell the world about this issue. The SilentFade mob was active between late 2018 and February 2019, when Facebook's security team first caught wind of their presence. Luckily, they were able to stop the gang’s attacks. 

It’s possible that Facebook was embarrassed by the attack’s stealth-like precision. 

“This was the first time we observed malware actively changing notification settings, blocking pages, and exploiting a bug in the blocking subsystem to maintain persistence in a compromised account,” the company’s researchers said, claiming that the scam actually became a “silver lining” that helped it detect compromised accounts going forward. 

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

Total U.S. confirmed cases: 7,288,166 (7,241,449)

Total U.S. deaths: 208,025 (207,147)

Total global cases: 34,374,469 (34,048,240)

Total global deaths: 1,024,426 (1,015,429)

President Trump, first lady test positive

In an early morning tweet, President Trump said he and first lady Melania Trump have both tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19).

Friday morning the White House reported that the president is experiencing mild symptoms of the virus that has killed more than 208,000 Americans. Melania Trump earlier tweeted that both she and her husband were “feeling good.”

In a statement Friday morning, White House physician Dr. Sean Conley said the president and first lady were both “well at this time” and that the president would continue to carry out his official duties.

Hiring slowed in September

The Labor Department reports that the economy added 661,000 jobs in September, a slowdown from previous months. The report also comes amid a new round of layoffs as businesses continue to struggle with the economic effects of the coronavirus.

The unemployment rate declined by 0.5 percent to 7.9 percent, and the number of unemployed persons fell by 1 million to 12.6 million. The economy has added about 11 million jobs since the pandemic began, roughly half the number of jobs that have been lost.

The biggest gain in employment last week occurred in the leisure and hospitality sector, which added 318,000 jobs. Almost two-thirds of those jobs occurred at restaurants and bars.

New York City apartment sales plunge

There’s fresh evidence that residents of America’s largest city are seeking greener pastures now that employees no longer have to commute to a skyscraper. Sales of Manhattan apartments plunged 46 percent in the latest quarter, according to a real estate industry report.

The report from Compass shows a record 10,000 apartments are for sale in Manhattan, one of the few places in the country where real estate inventory is increasing, not shrinking.

“There is no shortage of apartments for sale, but there is a shortage of buyers,” Jonathan Miller, CEO of Miller Samuel, told CNBC.

New Jersey hospitals engulfed in red ink

A report from the New Jersey Hospital Association shows that COVID-19 continues to have deep and lingering financial impacts on hospitals throughout the state. An analysis of financial data shows that nearly 60 percent of the state's hospitals in the red have losses averaging 4 percent.

New Jersey, like neighboring New York, had to deal with a surge in hospitalizations early in the pandemic, but it has seen serious cases decline in recent months. Still, the experience of New Jersey hospitals might not be all that different from many other states.

"COVID-19's fiscal impact on our hospitals reaches historic levels," said Sean Hopkins, an executive in the association’s analytics division. "The last time we saw margins dip this deep into the red was in the late 1990s when hospitals sustained deep federal payment cuts under the Balanced Budget Act of 1997. At that time, we saw margins fall to negative 1.7 percent and negative 2.3 percent in 1998 and 1999, which pales in comparison to the numbers we're seeing today."

The pandemic’s other potential health effects

Researchers at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health report that the coronavirus pandemic has resulted in a significant drop in doctor-patient visits, even with the increased use of telemedicine. As a result, they say people may not be getting the treatment they need.

Primary care consultations fell by more than 21 percent during the second quarter of 2020, compared with the average second-quarter visit volume from the second quarters of 2018 and 2019. That drop occurred despite a large, simultaneous surge in telemedicine, which increased from almost zero in prior years to about 35 percent of primary care visits from April through June 2020.

Appointments to monitor blood pressure dropped by about 50 percent, and cholesterol assessments were down by about 37 percent. “The results suggest a potential collateral effect of the COVID-19 pandemic—greater undiagnosed cardiovascular disease and less risk-factor monitoring than typically takes place through office-based primary care,” the researcher concluded.

Around the nation

• Arizona: State health officials say all counties now meet the benchmarks for safely reopening some businesses. Indoor gyms and fitness centers, bars serving food, and movie theaters that were ordered to close to slow the spread of COVID-19 were allowed to reopen Thursday because of a statewide decline in cases.

• New York: Twenty-one ZIP codes in New York are now considered to be "areas of concern" in what Gov. Andrew Cuomo calls an alarming increase in cases. Nearly half the ZIP codes are in New York City, which this week resumed indoor dining at restaurants.

• Georgia: The Georgia State Fair opens today with a new set of rules for the pandemic. There will be temperature checks for everyone entering the fairgrounds, and wearing a mask is mandatory.

Recent studies have highlighted how yoga and meditation can help consumers struggling with everything from migraines to high blood pressure. 

Now, a new study conducted by researchers from the American Osteopathic Association has found that following a yoga and meditation practice can help those struggling with other types of chronic pain and depression. Because the two conditions are often linked, the study results are promising because consumers can get relief from both. 

“Chronic pain often goes hand-in-hand with depression,” said researcher Dr. Cynthia Marske. “Mindfulness-based meditation and yoga can help restore both a patient’s mental and physical health and can be effective alone or in combination with other treatments such as therapy and medication.” 

Healing versus curing

To see how a more mindful approach can help consumers struggling with chronic pain and depression, the researchers had participants take an eight-week mindfulness-based stress reduction course. Once a week, participants took a 2.5 hour class and were then instructed to practice the techniques they learned in class for 30 minutes a day and six times per week at home. Participants also completed several questionnaires at both the beginning and end of the study that allowed researchers to assess their pain levels and mental health. 

At the end of the eight weeks, the participants reported notable improvements to both their physical and mental health. Practicing yoga and meditation, which guided the participants to have a more mindful attitude, was effective in lowering the severity of chronic pain and related depression symptoms. 

“Many people have lost hope because, in most cases, chronic pain will never fully resolve,” said Dr. Marske. “However, mindful yoga and meditation can help improve the structure and function of the body, which supports the process of healing.” 

According to Dr. Marske, the biggest change can happen with a change in mindset. Instead of looking for a cure that isn’t likely to work long-term, she encourages those struggling with chronic pain to approach their condition from a place of healing. This shift in thinking will allow practices like yoga and meditation to be as effective as possible. 

“Curing means eliminating disease, while healing refers to becoming more whole,” Dr. Marske said. “With chronic pain, healing involves learning to live with a level of pain that is manageable. For this, yoga and meditation can be very beneficial.” 

In an advisory published Thursday, the Treasury Department warned that individuals or companies that facilitate payments to ransomware extortionists could be fined by the U.S. government. 

Under its new guidelines, the Treasury Department said facilitating these payments could be in violation of anti-money laundering and sanctions regulations in cases where a group or hackers is either sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury or has ties to a cybercrime group that is sanctioned. 

Huge fines of up to $20 million could be incurred by firms or people that facilitate these payments. 

“Demand for ransomware payments has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic as cyber actors target online systems that U.S. persons rely on to continue conducting business,” said the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).

“Companies that facilitate ransomware payments to cyber actors on behalf of victims, including financial institutions, cyber insurance firms, and companies involved in digital forensics and incident response, not only encourage future ransomware payment demands but also may risk violating OFAC regulations.”

The penalty could be handed down even if the company or individual was unaware that it was engaging or transacting with a sanctioned entity. Before deciding to make any sort of payment, ransomware victims are urged to contact the OFAC.

"OFAC encourages victims and those involved with addressing ransomware attacks to contact OFAC immediately if they believe a request for a ransomware payment may involve a sanctions nexus," the agency said. 

Anxiety and stress have been at an all-time high since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and recent studies have tried to identify ways that consumers can maintain better mental health during these uncertain times. 

A new study conducted by researchers from the University of York found that pets could be a great means of boosting consumers’ mental health while reducing feelings of loneliness during the pandemic. 

“This work is particularly important at the current time as it indicates how having a companion animal in your home can buffer against some of the psychological stresses associated with lockdown,” said researcher Daniel Mills. “However, it is important that everyone appreciates their pet’s needs too, as our other work shows failing to meet these can have a detrimental effect for both people and their pets.” 

Benefits of pets

The researchers surveyed 6,000 pet owners between April and June and had them report on their mental health, their typical interactions with their pet, and their overall well-being. 

The overwhelming majority of the participants felt emotionally connected to their pets and reported that having a companion at home with them during lockdown was crucial to feeling supported and less lonely. The study also revealed that any kind of pet benefited consumers’ mental health, as it wasn’t just dog or cat owners who felt that added connection. 

“We also discovered that in this study, the strength of the emotional bond with pets did not statistically differ by animal species, meaning that people in our sample felt on average as emotionally close to, for example, their guinea pig as they felt to their dog,” said researcher Dr. Elena Ratschen. 

The researchers explained that participants’ mental health before the pandemic impacted how much their pets helped them cope once quarantine began. They found that those who struggled with their mental health pre-pandemic were more likely to feel even closer to their pets when quarantine orders became official. 

“Findings from this study also demonstrated potential links between people’s mental health and the emotional bonds they form with their pets: measures of the strength of the human-animal bond were higher among people who reported lower scores for mental health-related outcomes at baseline,” Dr. Ratschen said. 

Though these findings are positive, and other studies have highlighted the mental health benefits associated with pet ownership, the researchers don’t recommend that consumers become pet owners as a quick fix for their mental health. 

“While our study showed that having a pet may mitigate some of the detrimental psychological effects of the COVID-19 lockdown, it is important to understand that this finding is unlikely to be of clinical significance and does not warrant any suggestion that people should acquire pets to protect their mental health during the pandemic,” said Dr. Ratschen. 

In a blog post on Friday, Amazon disclosed that nearly 20,000 of its U.S. workers have tested positive or been presumed positive for COVID-19. However, the company said its analysis suggested that the rate of infection among its 1.4 million workers was 42 percent lower than the “expected number” when compared to rates among the general population during the same period. 

Amazon, which saw its business increase significantly at the onset of the pandemic, has maintained that its fulfillment center and Whole Foods employees are safe under its enhanced COVID-19 health and safety measures. 

Despite its assurances, the company has faced criticism for keeping its warehouses open and not sharing data with the public and its workers about the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases at its warehouses. 

Athena, a group of activists pushing for greater regulatory oversight of Amazon, said “Amazon is, in no uncertain terms, a threat to public health.” Athena argues that Amazon allowed the virus to “spread like wildfire” in its facilities and needs to be investigated by public health officials. 

Sharing case rates

Amazon said it hoped that sharing the case rates would encourage other corporations to follow suit. 

"We hope sharing this data and our learnings will encourage others to follow and will prove useful as states make decisions about reopening public facilities and employers consider whether and how to bring people back to work," Amazon said.

The company noted that it’s put millions of dollars toward testing, new cleaning regimes, and in the purchase of protective gear. Officials say social distancing protocols have helped drive down the number of employees that need to quarantine after an employee tests positive.

The e-commerce giant also stressed that its facilities aren’t the only places individuals who have contracted COVID-19 could have picked it up. 

"These individuals can be exposed in many ways outside of work," Amazon said.

Apple Mac owners who want to use their computers to stream Netflix 4K, ultra high definition (UHD) content might be in for a rude awakening. Reports indicate that when Apple’s next system software is released -- macOS Big Sur -- Netflix will only stream in 4K to Macs that have a T2 security chip. Apple has not confirmed a release date for Big Sur, but it’s widely believed that it will be available sometime this fall.

Apple started producing Macs with the T2 chip in 2018. The basic list of the models that have the chip built in are:

• iMac introduced in 2020

• iMac Pro

• Mac Pro introduced in 2019

• Mac mini introduced in 2018

• MacBook Air introduced in 2018 or later

• MacBook Pro introduced in 2018 or later

If your Mac was purchased in the last two years but isn't on that list, Apple has an easy method to find out if your device has the T2 chip.

Two other small caveats are that you can only stream 4K content through Apple’s Safari browser. Other browsers -- Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Mozilla Firefox -- apparently will limit you to 720p on a Mac. 

Additionally, only Netflix Premium subscribers will reportedly have to worry about the conundrum since 4K content is only available on that subscription level. If you are on that plan and still experience issues, ConsumerAffairs found this list of FAQs and workarounds on Netflix’ site.

Why is this happening?

The simplest explanation ConsumerAffairs could find for this situation is that the T2 chip has the ability to process High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) twice as fast as its predecessor, the T1 chip. 

Consumers can expect more devices and services to be HEVC-ready -- traditional TVs, cable, satellite, fiber, tablets, and smartphones. HEVC is so well-loved that it won a Primetime Emmy Engineering Award in 2017 for having a significant effect on television technology.

Netflix does offer 4K streams in its Premium plan. With high definition becoming a bigger thing, video lovers can expect to see more content in that format and from favored streaming services like YouTube.

For yet another week, consumers enjoyed stable prices at the pump as even a slight increase in demand couldn’t push gas prices higher.

The AAA Fuel Gauge Survey shows the national average price of regular gas is $2.19 a gallon, about the same as last Friday. It’s four cents less than a month ago.

The average price of premium gas is $2.80 a gallon, also the same as last week. The average price of diesel fuel is $2.39 a gallon, a penny less than last week. 

Prices have been stable largely because supply and demand have balanced one another out. In a Thursday tweet, Patrick DeHaan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, noted that demand rose sharply at mid-week, suggesting that consumers have begun to drive more than in recent weeks.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported fuel demand increased slightly from the previous week but remains more than 800,000 barrels a day less than during this same week in 2019.

“Low demand, even as gasoline stocks decline, has helped pump prices decline or hold steady on the week,” said Jeanette Casselano, AAA spokesperson. “That is likely to continue into the fall as the season sees fewer road trips, especially amid the pandemic.” 

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 ($3.21)

• Washington ($2.80)

• Nevada ($2.64)

• Oregon ($2.62)

• Alaska ($2.51)

• Pennsylvania ($2.49)

• Utah ($2.41)

• Idaho ($2.41)

• Illinois ($2.31)

The states with the cheapest regular gas

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

• Mississippi ($1.84)

• Texas ($1.86)

• Arkansas ($1.88)

• Louisiana ($1.89)

• Missouri ($1.88)

• Alabama ($1.90)

• Oklahoma ($1.89)

• South Carolina ($1.92)

• Tennessee ($1.94)

• Kansas ($1.96)

Ford Motor Company is recalling 62 replacement brake pedal brackets, part numbers FR53-2455-AA and FR53-2455-AB.

The brake pedal bracket may fracture during sudden stopping, affecting braking ability and increasing the risk of a crash.

What to do

Ford will notify the dealers that sold the parts and those dealers will attempt to notify the owners that purchased them. Dealers will replace the brake pedal bracket assembly free of charge.

The recall is expected to begin November 16, 2020.

Owners may contact Ford customer service at (866) 436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S55.

iSi Automotive Austria GmbH is recalling 387 curtain airbags, part numbers 36A 880 741 E, 4M0 880 741 H and 4M0 880 742 H.

The airbags may not properly inflate in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

What to do

The vehicle manufacturers that used the affected iSi curtain airbags have filed recalls and dealers for those companies will replace the curtain airbags free of charge.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has extended its “no sail” order for U.S. ships, which previously expired September 30. The CDC said on Wednesday that the new order will last until October 31.

With no vaccine available, crowded spaces like cruise ships remain risky -- particularly for seniors and other vulnerable members of the population. After evaluating the outcomes of cruises that took place overseas, the agency concluded that cruises still aren’t completely safe. 

"Recent outbreaks on cruise ships overseas provide current evidence that cruise ship travel continues to transmit and amplify the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19,” the CDC said.

Those outbreaks occurred in spite of new health and safety measures enacted by the cruise lines, the agency added. At this point, the CDC said there is a need for additional testing, isolation, and contact tracing efforts.

White House overrules CDC

While the no-sail order will effectively last until the end of the month, the CDC said it would also lift it if the Secretary of Health and Human Services’ declared that COVID-19 no longer constitutes a public health emergency or when the CDC director “rescinds or modifies the order based on specific public health or other considerations.” 

The New York Times reported that CDC Director Robert Redfield originally wanted to extend the order to next February, but the Trump administration overruled that decision. White House officials hope that the cruise industry can demonstrate that it has a plan to ensure the safety of ships “and that the companies assume the burden of dealing with any possible outbreaks” before October 31. 

A panel of medical experts formed by Royal Caribbean Group and Norwegian Cruise Line recently submitted more than 70 recommendations to federal regulators on how safe cruising could be made possible during the pandemic. 

“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.

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

Total U.S. confirmed cases: 7,241,449 (7,194,922)

Total U.S. deaths: 207,147 (206,252)

Total global cases: 34,048,240 (33,719,865)

Total global deaths: 1,015,429 (1,009,349)

As cases mount, U.S. death toll declines

September saw large spikes in coronavirus (COVID-19) cases across much of the country, but a ConsumerAffairs analysis of data compiled by Johns Hopkins University shows that the number of deaths from the virus declined last month compared to the month before.

Statistics suggest that there were roughly 23,700 deaths from the virus in September, compared to 30,734 deaths in August. The August death toll was the first monthly increase since April, with September’s toll falling to about July’s level.

The reduced death toll came as the total number of coronavirus cases in the U.S. rose past 7 million in late September. Health officials say the reduced deaths could be attributed to younger, healthier people getting the virus and advances in treatment over the last few months.

Vaccine trial participants report side effects

As work continues on developing vaccine candidates against the coronavirus, those drugs are being administered to volunteers to test their safety and effectiveness.

CNBC interviewed five participants in two vaccine trials who reported that the vaccines they were exposed to caused fever, body aches, and exhaustion for about 24 hours. But all five told the network that they think it was worth it to possibly be protected against the virus.

The two vaccines -- one from Moderna and the other from Pfizer -- are in Phase 3 clinical trials, the last step before a vaccine is submitted for approval. At least 41 COVID-19 vaccines are in human trials worldwide.

Wisconsin hospitals are filling up

Wisconsin is seeing a sharp increase in the number of new coronavirus cases, and many of them are severe. This is resulting in a surge in hospitalizations within the state.

The number of people admitted to Wisconsin hospitals reached 646 on Tuesday, a new record, with 205 patients of those patients requiring treatment in intensive care units (ICU). The largest increase in cases was reported in northern and northeastern Wisconsin.

State health officials issued warnings this week which stated that the sharp increase in severe coronavirus cases threatens to overwhelm Wisconsin hospitals.

New unemployment claims remain steady

In the absence of new federal aid, layoffs continue to mount. So far, however, new additions to the unemployment rolls remain stable.

The Labor Department reported today that initial claims for jobless benefits last week totaled 837,000 -- slightly less than the previous week and a little less than what most economists expected. 

It was the fifth week that claims were under 1 million. But with a number of high-profile layoffs this week -- including at airlines, oil companies, and Disney theme parks -- the outlook remains uncertain.

For Steak-umm, public service pays off

Consumers’ awareness of the Steak-umm brand surged during the early days of the pandemic, and researchers say it wasn’t because consumers were trying to stockpile their freezers with food.

Researchers at North Carolina State and Arizona State credit the company’s Twitter campaign that didn’t promote the product but tried to distribute reliable, helpful information about the unfolding pandemic.

The researchers said Twitter users were overwhelmingly positive about Steak-umm’s foray into public service tweets. An analysis of tweets showed that consumers have been praising the company’s leadership and expressing surprise. As a result, researchers said many Twitter users expressed an intent to purchase the company’s products.

Around the nation

• Minnesota: Minnesota recorded 16 coronavirus-related deaths in a 24-hour period this week, the highest one-day death toll since mid-August. All of the people who died of the virus were over the age of 60, and nine of them were residents of long-term care facilities.

• New Jersey: Eleven schools have reported outbreaks of the virus in which students and teachers got infected while at school. Forty-three of the cases are linked to outbreaks that began since the start of school. 

• Texas: Health officials in Texas are expressing alarm at the large number of Hispanic patients who are dying due to COVID-19. “I’m calling this historic decimation of Hispanic Latin communities across the southern part of the United States,” said Dr. Peter Hotez, Dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine.

The moment the clock struck midnight on October 1, both American Airlines and United Airlines initiated the furloughing of more than 32,000 employees after talks for a hopeful COVID-19 aid package fell apart in Washington. 

The October 1 pivot point was the agreed-to end date for $25 billion in payroll grants that were established under the CARES Act. Most of the largest U.S. carriers -- American, Delta, United, Southwest, Spirit, JetBlue, Alaska -- had applied for those aid packages.

American Airlines CEO Doug Parker told his workers that the airline “will begin the difficult process of furloughing 19,000 of our hardworking and dedicated colleagues” -- an amount that’s nearly 14 percent of the airline’s pre-COVID-19 staff. 

Is all hope lost?

In the months following the government handing out those grants, airlines did just about everything they could to cut costs and salaries to try and make ends meet. But consumers were still nervous about using air travel, and cranking up the ventilation and taking out middle seats simply didn’t reverse that gut check. 

The end result was big, fat, and in red ink. Passenger loads were down by 75 percent over the summer and industry-wide revenue losses climbed to more than $400 billion.

COVID-19’s ad infinitum expiration date continues to loom large. Airline executives have said a return to normal may not happen for years and that the hit the aviation industry has taken is more serious than after 9/11.

All hope may not be lost, however. Both United and American say that if a stimulus package makes it through Congress, they are ready and willing to reverse course. Neither said how long they could keep that promise alive, though. PSA Airlines, an American-owned regional carrier, told pilots that if Washington doesn’t approve another stimulus package by Sunday, October 4, “the furloughs will still occur,” according to a company memo seen by CNBC.