Current Events in November 2020

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

Total U.S. confirmed cases: 9,309,298 (9,220,933)

Total U.S. deaths: 231,754 (231,125)

Total global cases: 47,370,241 (46,688,370)

Total global deaths: 1,209,172 (1,202,605)

Birx memo takes issue with Trump

President Trump in recent weeks has clashed repeatedly with government health experts who are trying to manage the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The latest to take issue with the president is Dr. Deborah Birx, a key member of the White House coronavirus task force.

In a leaked memo published in the Washington Post, Birx contradicted Trump’s assertion that we are “rounding the corner” of the pandemic, saying that the nation is “entering the most concerning and most deadly phase of this pandemic … leading to increasing mortality.”

Birx said in the internal report that the government should be embarked on “an aggressive, balanced approach,” but she said such a policy isn’t being implemented.

Slowdown in small business hiring

Recent weeks have seen a declining number of people applying for unemployment benefits, but that doesn’t mean the economic damage from the coronavirus is healing. The latest report from Paychex reveals a modest slowdown in small business hiring from the previous month, declining 0.13 percent nationally to 94.32. 

Hourly earnings growth stood at 2.88 percent in October, while weekly hours worked remained positive, up 0.38 percent from last year. Economists suggest the pace of hiring is directly related to the increase in cases of the virus.

"The Small Business Jobs Index dipped again in October, coinciding with the recent surge in COVID-19 cases," said James Diffley, chief regional economist at IHS Markit.

Vaccine may only be 50 percent effective

The world is waiting for a coronavirus vaccine to be approved, but it’s unlikely to protect everyone when that happens, health experts say. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has set the bar rather low, saying clinical trials must show a vaccine is at least 50 percent effective.

But most health experts are not turning up their noses at a vaccine that only protects half the people who get it. They say even that would make a big difference in the spread and might also reduce the severity of the illness in people for whom the vaccine doesn’t protect.

There are two vaccine candidates nearing the end of clinical trials. The companies developing them say they could be ready to apply for emergency use authorization (EUA) from the FDA by next month.

Colleges face Thanksgiving break dilemma

The return of college students to campus in August and September coincided with a surge in new coronavirus cases. Now colleges are faced with questions about the impact of thousands of students going home for Thanksgiving and then returning to campus.

According to Inside Higher Education, some schools have changed their schedules so that students will end the semester with online instruction after Thanksgiving, limiting personal contact as much as possible. 

Student travel is already a suspect in the uptick in cases that began in June. Research by two economists shows that counties with an abundance of young people returning from spring break experienced the greatest growth in COVID-19 cases.

Report explores dark side of stay-at-home orders

A new report published in the New Jersey Law Journal found the number of domestic violence restraining orders issued in the state has spiked since the beginning of the COVID-19 lockdown in March. The authors say this could be a leading indicator of just how dramatically the pandemic impacted domestic violence rates in the state.

Family law specialist Bari Weinberger used data from the New Jersey Superior Courts and Newark Police Department to reach conclusions about the risk victims faced as a consequence of pandemic lockdown measures.

"New Jersey's 'stay at home' orders were intended to save lives,” Weinberger said. “However, we need to acknowledge that for victims of domestic violence, lockdown brought increased risk. To stop the spread of coronavirus, victims suddenly found themselves isolated at home with their abusers…often in harm's way." 

Around the nation

• Pennsylvania: Health officials say Pennsylvania is a model of the spread of the coronavirus. While cases were confined mostly to the urban center of Philadelphia in the early months, Rachel Levine, Pennsylvania’s secretary of health, now says “it’s everywhere.”

• Nevada: Gov. Steve Sisolak reports that a staffer in his Carson City office has tested positive for COVID-19. Other staff members who came in contact with the person have been asked to work from home for a quarantine period.

• Louisiana: It may be up to the courts to determine whether coronavirus restrictions remain in force. Gov. John Bell Edwards says they do, but Attorney General Jeff Landry has ruled that they have been suspended for seven days.

There’s a dose of good news/bad news being reported on Election Day 2020. The good news is that so far -- by noon, Tuesday -- there are no reports of suspected digital meddling. The bad news is that voters across the U.S. have reported receiving peculiar robocalls trying to prod them into staying home on Election Day, according to state and party officials.

The acting U.S. Department of Homeland Security secretary, Chad Wolf, said Tuesday that “we have no indications that a foreign actor has succeeded in compromising or manipulating any votes in this election.”

“We’re not out of the woods yet,” Christopher Krebs, a senior Department of Homeland Security official told a press conference early Tuesday, saying that the day isn’t over yet and that there “may be other events or activities or efforts to interfere or undermine confidence in the election.”

Misleading robocalls attempt to suppress voting

Election and party officials in Florida, Iowa, Pennsylvania, and Michigan reported a jump in the number of automated phone calls going out to voters trying to keep them away from the polls for a variety of phony reasons.

“Getting reports of multiple robocalls going to Flint residents that, due to long lines, they should vote tomorrow,” Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said on Twitter. “Obviously this is FALSE and an effort to suppress the vote.”

Nessel has had her hands full lately. In October, two notorious right-wing operatives were charged with felonies in Michigan for apparently orchestrating thousands of robocalls "aimed at suppressing the vote" in the upcoming election.

Other Election Day issues

In NBC News’ Election Day sleuthing of all that could go wrong, it reported that conservative media influencers and Republican political operatives in the all-important battleground state of Pennsylvania have been tweeting misleading videos and photos from polling locations and making ambiguous claims of election rigging. Several of those tweets have been shared tens of thousands of times. 

In one instance, the Philadelphia District Attorney’s office debunked a tweet from President Trump’s director of election day operations, Mike Roman, which contained photos from separate polling places and the contention that “Bad things are happening in Philly.” The District Attorney’s office cut to the quick on the tweet, calling it “deliberately deceptive.” 

Reuters reported that the voting systems in Spalding County, Georgia, had also gone on the fritz. Local media reports said provisional ballots had been expedited to polling stations so people could still vote. “Remember, sometimes technology fails and breaks,” Krebs said. “It is important to recognize this process may require time,” Wolf added.

California voters are set to decide Tuesday on the fate of Proposition 22, a bill that would leave gig workers as contractors by exempting gig-economy companies from a state law known as AB5. 

Under Prop 22, the benefits given to drivers for ride sharing companies like Uber and Lyft would be less than those afforded to employees under state law. Ride-hailing drivers would be left with minimum pay, health care subsidies, and accident insurance. Drivers would still have some benefits, and they would still be able to keep their flexibility.  

Uber, Lyft, and other companies that rely heavily on contractors have spent upwards of $200 million in support of Prop 22. Both companies have threatened to leave California altogether if they are forced to classify their drivers as employees.

Uber and Lyft recently lost an appeal in California after a judge ruled that the public’s interest is better served if the law goes into effect.

Likely to pass

Analysts say California’s Prop 22 is likely to pass. A poll of likely voters by UC Berkeley's Institute of Governmental Studies recently found an increase in support for the initiative; 46 percent of voters expressed support for the measure, up from 39 percent in September. 

If Prop 22 doesn’t garner enough support, Uber and Lyft have said they may have to raise prices for riders and reduce their number of workers in an effort to offset the cost of providing workers with more benefits. 

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has announced changes that it says will offer relief to taxpayers impacted by COVID-19. 

The IRS said the changes should make it easier for consumers to set up payment agreements, as well as help people affected by the pandemic more easily resolve balances owed to the agency.

"The IRS understands that many taxpayers face challenges, and we're working hard to help people facing issues paying their tax bills," IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig said in a statement. "Following up on our People First Initiative earlier this year, this next phase of our efforts will help with further taxpayer relief efforts."

Adjusted operations due to COVID-19

Under the new IRS Taxpayer Relief Initiative, changes to collection procedures are as follows:

• Payment plan extensions. “Taxpayers who qualify for a short-term payment plan option may now have up to 180 days to resolve their tax liabilities instead of 120 days,” the IRS said.

• Less documentation required. Certain qualified individual taxpayers who owe less than $250,000 may set up installment agreements without providing a financial statement or substantiation if their monthly payment proposal is sufficient. 

• Tax liabilities automatically added. The IRS will automatically add certain new tax balances to existing installment agreements. The agency says this new “taxpayer-friendly approach” will help some taxpayers avoid defaulting the agreement.

• More flexibility. In cases where taxpayers are temporarily unable to meet the payment terms of an accepted Offer in Compromise, the IRS says it will be “offering additional flexibility.” 

• Option to make changes online. Instead of having to talk to the IRS about having changes made to an existing installment agreement, qualified taxpayers with installment agreements paid by direct debit will now be able to make changes online. The IRS said, for example, that taxpayers could “propose lower monthly payment amounts and change their payment due dates.”

The IRS encourages consumers to “be responsive” when they receive a balance due notice.

“If you’re having a tax issue, don’t go silent. Please don’t ignore the notice arriving in your mailbox,” said Darren Guillot, the IRS Small Business/Self-Employed Deputy Commissioner for Collection and Operations Support. “These problems don’t get better with time. We understand tax issues and know that dealing with the IRS can be intimidating, but our employees really are here to help.”

Guillot said the IRS is continuing to “assess the wide-ranging impacts of COVID-19 and other difficulties people are experiencing” as it pertains to matters of tax compliance. 

Several recent studies have explored how social media can affect consumers’ mental and emotional well-being -- especially during the current COVID-19 pandemic. Now, researchers from the University of British Columbia Okanagan are exploring the specific things about these platforms that can affect consumers’ happiness. 

According to their findings, endless scrolling can lead to negative emotions. When consumers see posts or pictures that their friends and family are sharing on social media, this often leads to comparison to their own lives, which can increase negative feelings. 

“Social network sites are an integral part of everyday life for many people around the world,” said researcher Derrick Wirtz. “Every day, billions of people interact with social media. Yet the widespread use of social network sites stand in sharp contrast to a comparatively small body of research on how this use impacts a person’s happiness.” 

Being mindful about social media use

To better understand how social media use can negatively affect consumers’ well-being, the researchers conducted a 10-day long study that surveyed participants about the ways they used Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Participants were randomly surveyed over the course of the study and were asked about specific tasks on social media, including their habits for posting pictures or status updates, messaging friends or family members, scrolling the news feed, and staying up-to-date on news. 

The researchers learned that mindlessly scrolling was the biggest factor that contributed to the participants’ negative well-being because it doesn’t require any direct connection with another person. Instead, it allows the user to start comparing how they stack up against whatever post or picture they’re viewing. 

“Viewing images and updates that selectively portray others positively may lead social media users to underestimate how much others actually experience negative emotions and lead people to conclude that their own life -- with its mix of positive and negative feelings -- is, by comparison, not as good,” Wirtz said. 

The study also revealed that spending a lot of time on any or all of these sites was linked with more negative feelings, which could highlight to consumers that being more mindful about the time they spend on social media could most benefit their mental health. 

“The three social networks examined -- Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram -- yielded remarkably convergent findings,” Wirtz said. “The more respondents had recently used these sites, either in aggregate or individually, the more negative effect they reported when they responded to our randomly-timed surveys over a 10-day period.” 

Ultimately, the researchers aren’t encouraging consumers to quit social media cold turkey. Instead, they recommend that consumers use these platforms to their advantage by enhancing the social aspect and prioritizing their real-life connections. 

“If we all remember to do that, the negative impact of social media use could be reduced -- and social network sites could even have the potential to improve our well-being and happiness,” said Wirtz. “In other words, we need to remember how we use social media has the potential to shape the effects on our day-to-day happiness.” 

Bayer said Tuesday that it missed the Monday deadline to settle outstanding Roundup lawsuits alleging that its weed killing product causes cancer. 

The judge who set the deadline, U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria in San Francisco, said in September that he intends to restart federal trials in order to move ahead with negotiations. Bayer is scheduled to appear before Chhabria again on Nov. 9. 

In an earnings statement, the company said it would need an extra $750 million on top of a settlement worth up to $10.9 billion it announced over the summer to resolve the lawsuits. 

Bayer -- which purchased Roundup’s maker Monsanto in 2018 -- has maintained that the herbicide and its key ingredient glyphosate does not cause cancer. The company’s assertion runs counter to a finding issued in 2015 by the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer, which classified glyphosate as “probably carcinogenic to humans.”

Bayer disclosed this week that 1,861 cases out of about 3,787 lawsuits aren’t controlled by agreements with plaintiffs’ lawyers. The company said it remains committed to settling all the Roundup cases. 

“The parties remain actively engaged in ongoing settlement discussions,” the company said in a court filing. “Monsanto is making contact with all of the counsel who represent these 1,861 plaintiffs.”

Due to the effects of the pandemic, Bayer said it doesn’t expect trials to occur before the third quarter of 2021. 

On the heels of the CDC’s lifting of its No Sail Order, the biggest cruise brands are getting all their safety and health ducks in a row. Most have pushed back their resumption dates to 2021 to give them ample time to prepare. 

ConsumerAffairs research on what cruise lines are pressing pause includes just about everyone. Here’s the full list as of Tuesday in alphabetical order:

Azamara -- the company has suspended its 2020/21 winter sailings (March, April, May) throughout Australia & New Zealand, South Africa, and South America but had not listed any other blackout or reopening dates for 2021 as of Tuesday morning

Carnival Cruise Line -- operations paused until December 31.

Celebrity Cruises -- the company put its full 2020-2021 winter program in Australia and Asia on the shelf, but it had not listed any other blackout or reopening dates for 2021 as of Tuesday morning.

Cunard North America -- operations paused until December 31.

Disney -- Sailings are cancelled on board the Disney Fantasy through December 26; Disney Wonder and Disney Magic through December 30; and the Disney Dream through December 31.

Holland America -- operations paused until December 31.

MSC Cruises -- operations paused until December 31. 

Norwegian Cruise Line -- operations paused until December 31.

Oceania -- operations paused until December 31.

Princess Cruises -- operations paused until December 31.

Regent Seven Seas -- operations paused until December 31.

Royal Caribbean Group -- the company will be extending its suspension of sailings -- except for those out of Singapore -- until December 31.

Seabourn -- operations paused until December 31.

If you have an existing reservation

Travelers who have cruises in limbo can expect the cruise lines to reach out to guests and travel partners to provide further details and address any questions or concerns they may have. Depending on the cruise line, there may also be options regarding refunds or allowable date changes for travelers holding reservations. 

As examples, Celebrity Cruises is extending its “Cruise with Confidence” program, which gives guests who have booked travel by November 20 the flexibility to cancel their cruise up to 48 hours prior to sailing and receive a full credit of the cruise fare paid for a future cruise through May 4, 2022. The cruise company will also continue to offer their “Best Price Guarantee” and “Lift and Shift.” 

At Disney, booked guests with coronavirus-related health concerns (symptoms or exposure) can receive a full refund without Disney-imposed cancellation fees, and they can apply their cruise fare toward a future sail date. They just have to apply for that refund within 14 days of the sailing.

CDC backs up start-up date

You may be asking why the cruise lines have to wait until December 31 to resume sailing if the CDC completely lifted the No Sail Order. Well, as they say, the devil’s in the details, and there was a little footnote buried deep into the agency’s Conditional Sail Order that most travel pundits glossed over. 

In laying out all of the paperwork each cruise line has to provide before the CDC will let them back out on the seas, the agency footnoted that checklist by saying, “These materials should be submitted at least 60 calendar days prior to the date on which the cruise ship operator proposes to commence restricted passenger operations.” That 60 calendar day waiting period effectively ends on December 31, 2020.

Many households are facing staggering credit card debt, but fintech firm SoFi says its newly issued credit card could help with that.

The company says its first credit card promotes healthy financial habits and delivers on its mission to “help people get their money right.” The card, on Mastercard’s network, has no annual fee and provides up to 2 percent unlimited cashback when redeemed into SoFi Money or SoFi Invest accounts.

The two percent rate also applies when the rewards are used to pay down SoFi Student Loans or SoFi Personal Loans. The card launched last week with a small number of SoFi members. Consumers interested in the card can get on a waitlist for when the card membership is fully open.

‘Holistic, healthy money habits’

Company executives say the card is aimed at helping consumers chip away at the $14.3 trillion in consumer debt with rewards that are most valuable when used to pay off debt. Other options include investing the rewards or saving for a rainy day.

"Based on feedback from our members, we designed a credit card that helps our members pay down debt or invest in the future with every purchase while building holistic, healthy money habits," said SoFi CEO Anthony Noto. "Through simply using the SoFi Credit Card and following the same daily spending patterns that our members do today, we are making 'getting your money right' the most intuitive and convenient choice."

Cardholders who carry a balance on the card will also be rewarded if they use the card responsibly, the company says. The interest rate on balances will go down by 1 percent after 12 straight on-time credit card payments and will remain at that level as long as on-time payments continue. 

According to the Federal Reserve, U.S. consumers were carrying $1.08 trillion in credit card debt in the third quarter of 2019. That made up a little over 26 percent of consumers’ total debt at the time.

The growth of fintech

SoFi is one of the growing number of fintech firms that are providing financial services directly to consumers by using technology to provide many of the services traditionally associated with banks. The companies tend to be favored by younger consumers.

SoFi was founded in 2011 by four students at the Stanford Graduate School of business. One of the principal aims was to provide a more affordable student loan product.

"SoFi continues to create thoughtful and innovative products to empower its members to pay down debt and improve their financial lives," said Linda Kirkpatrick, president, U.S. Issuers at Mastercard. "We are proud to build upon our relationship with SoFi and work closely to arm their members with benefits and features that are directly relevant and meaningful to their lives."

Walmart, the nation’s largest retailer, has apparently decided that humans are just as efficient as robots.

The Wall Street Journal cites people familiar with the decision in reporting that Walmart will shelve plans to have robots wander its aisles keeping track of inventory. Instead, it will stick with store employees that the report says were shown to achieve similar results.

Walmart began deploying robots at select stores in 2017. Initial results proved to be positive and the company moved ahead with the project. 

Walmart expanded the use of robots in 2018 and a year later, deployed the machines at more of its stores to carry out specific tasks, such as unloading cargo and scrubbing floors. As recently as a year ago, the retailer appeared to be sold on adding robots to the workforce.

“Smart assistants have huge potential to make busy stores run more smoothly, so Walmart has been pioneering new technologies to minimize the time an associate spends on the more mundane and repetitive tasks like cleaning floors or checking inventory on a shelf,” the retailer said in a 2019 statement.

COVID-19’s influence

So what happened? Why are the robots heading for the unemployment line? The Journal reports the experiment ended because Walmart discovered different solutions that worked out just as well.

The coronavirus (COVID-19) may also have hastened the robots’ demise. The surge in online shopping since the pandemic began apparently requires a human touch for the stores to operate at maximum efficiency.

The Journal reports Walmart now sees the need for more employees to collect online orders and keep up with inventory irregularities.

Not a good look

One source told The Journal that Walmart CEO John Furner was concerned about the optics, questioning how shoppers would react to seeing a robot working in a store. That said, not all robots are getting pink-slipped. The company will reportedly staff its cleaning crews with mechanical workers, who will do their jobs after hours.

As recently as January, Walmart predicted its reliance on robots would grow, putting them in about 20 percent of its stores. A Walmart spokeswoman told The Journal that about 10 percent of stores were using the robot assistants when the company decided to discontinue their use.

“We learned a lot about how technology can assist associates, make jobs easier and provide a better customer experience,” she told the newspaper. “We will continue testing new technologies and investing in our own processes and apps to best understand and track our inventory and help move products to our shelves as quickly as we can.”

Volkswagen Group of America is recalling 218,192 model year 2016-2018 Jettas.

The fuel rail bolts may become loose over time, allowing fuel to leak, posing the risk of a fire.

What to do

The remedy is currently under development.

The recall is expected to begin December 20, 2020.

Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at (888) 241-2289. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 24Gi.

The presidential election between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden has led to high numbers of early voting across the country, due to both COVID-19 concerns and passion on both sides. 

But officials still expect plenty of voters to cast their ballot on election day, Tuesday, November 3. Consumers who plan to visit a polling place can expect things to look a little different this Election Day because of the pandemic. 

From setting up plexiglass partitions to asking voters to practice six-foot social distancing, polling places have gone to great lengths to prevent the spread of the virus. Federal health officials have advised poll workers to minimize contact with voters and follow COVID-19 procedures, including wearing a mask and gloves. 

For voters, the CDC recommends washing hands before entering and after leaving their polling location, wearing a mask, and maintaining at least 6 feet of distance from others. The agency also recommends voting at off-peak times, such as mid-morning, in order to avoid crowds. 

What to bring 

To make sure you stay safe and have your vote counted, be sure to bring the following to your polling place. 

• Personal identification. Two-thirds of states expect voters to provide identification in order to vote. A list of acceptable forms of ID can be found here. 

• Your own pen. Bring your own black or blue ink pen in case you need to sign something. One may be provided for you, but this will help eliminate any extra risk of contamination.

• Face mask. Health officials highly recommend wearing a mask. Some county guidance states that polling places cannot turn people away for not wearing a mask. However, maskless individuals will often be asked to wait to vote until it’s less crowded or asked to vote away from others.

• Hand sanitizer. The CDC recommends bringing hand sanitizer with greater than 60 percent ethanol or 70 percent isopropyl alcohol, which is the level needed to kill most coronaviruses. 

• Glove or cotton swab. If your voting station has touch-screen voting, consider bringing a glove, cotton swab, or finger cover to reduce contact with surfaces. 

For help locating your polling place, visit this website. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. You have the right to vote as long as you are in line by 8 p.m. 

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

Total U.S. confirmed cases: 9,220,933 (8,955,035)

Total U.S. deaths: 231,125 (228,808)

Total global cases: 46,688,370 (44,192,450)

Total global deaths: 1,202,605 (1,183,400)

Cases rise but death rate stays steady

Cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19) are escalating quickly across much of the country, but, fortunately, deaths from the virus appear to have leveled off. A ConsumerAffairs analysis of data compiled by Johns Hopkins University shows that there were about 24,000 deaths in October, just slightly more than the number recorded in September.

New cases of the virus, however, are rising at a rapid pace. The U.S experienced a record spike over the weekend, with more than 81,400 new infections recorded on Sunday. That moves the seven-day average of new cases past 81,000 for the first time ever, according to CNBC.

Health officials say deaths may be lower because more young and healthy people are among the latest to be infected. Treatments have also improved in recent months.

Virus may be more contagious than before

Doctors are warning the public to keep wearing masks and stay out of crowds. New research suggests that the coronavirus could be genetically mutating, making it more contagious than it was in the beginning of the pandemic.

A study of thousands of COVID-19 patients in Houston found that the virus was accumulating genetic mutations, and one of those mutations may be making it more likely to be transmitted from one person to another.

According to the study in the journal mBIO, that mutation, called D614G, is located in the spike protein that provides entry into cells. It’s reportedly the largest peer-reviewed study of SARS-CoV-2 genome sequences in one metropolitan region of the U.S. to date.

Strain on hospitals is growing

Across the U.S., almost 50,000 people are being treated for COVID-19 in a hospitalBut with cases on the rise, health officials are worried that the number will grow. For the first time since April, health experts are worried that hospitals will be overwhelmed.

Hospital admissions rose in 47 states last month, according to the COVID-19 Tracking Project. The arrival of cold weather, forcing more people indoors, has the potential to make things worse.

"We're right at the beginning of what looks like exponential growth in a lot of states," Dr. Scott Gottlieb, former commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), said on CBS's Face the Nation. "This is very worrisome as we head into the winter."

UCLA scientists reinforce plea to wear masks

Even though some people have resisted the call to wear face-coverings in public, scientists at UCLA Health say it offers the best protection currently available against the disease.

“Overwhelmingly, Infectious Disease and Public Health experts recommend the use of masks in order to prevent the transmission of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19,” said Dr. Annabelle De St. Maurice, co-chief infection prevention officer for UCLA Health. “Data demonstrate that masks reduce viral shedding by infected individuals and prevent uninfected individuals from getting sick.”

The doctors say masks are most helpful in preventing sick people -- even those not yet showing symptoms -- from spreading the virus.

Clorox reports blowout earnings

Clorox reports that its revenue climbed 27 percent in the latest quarter, which should come as no surprise since its cleaning products seem to be purchased as soon as they land on store shelves.

Demand for Clorox products continued to soar throughout the summer months as consumers sought bleach and disinfectant wipes. Its grilling business also saw sales more than double as more consumers barbecued outside during the pandemic. 

"Our priority remains maximizing the supply of our products — leveraging all available resources to help ensure people can access what they need — and continuing to play 100 percent offense on all our businesses, with a focus on delivering value and innovation that allows us to convert new users to loyal consumers," said Clorox CEO Linda Rendle.

Around the nation

• New York: New quarantine rules for travelers from out-of-state allow people entering New York to test negative for the coronavirus, then be quarantined for three days. It’s an alternative to the current 14-day mandatory quarantine period.

• Arkansas: The state’s 33 deaths on Sunday was the highest one-day total since the pandemic began. The state saw 757 new confirmed cases coupled with 110 probable cases for a total of 867 new cases. The state’s total number of active cases increased by 235 to a total of 10,420.

• New Mexico: The pandemic is making the state’s housing situation worse. The Santa Fe New Mexican reports that moratoriums on evictions are keeping tens of thousands of New Mexicans from being ousted from their homes amid the pandemic, but past-due rent payments are mounting.

On the eve of the 2020 election, a federal judge has instructed the United States Postal Service (USPS) to require some "extraordinary measures" to address the slowdown of election ballot processing in key states. 

This is not the first time a federal judge has ordered the USPS to get its election ballot act together. In September, a federal judge in New York ruled that the USPS must make changes to expedite the delivery of election mail and bolster Americans’ confidence in the mail-in voting system.

But this is not a “typical” election because of the COVID-19 pandemic’s expected effect on voter turn-out at their usual polling precincts. In the 2016 U.S. Presidential election, an estimated 33 million ballots were cast via mail. 

So far in the run-up to this year’s election, the Postal Service said it had delivered a record 122 million blank and completed ballots -- four times what was processed in 2016 and within spitting distance of the total 140 million citizens who voted in the 2016 General Election.

The USPS’ marching orders

The USPS claims that First-Class Mail service performance was at 80.85 percent for the week of October 17 through October 23, but Judge Emmet Sullivan thinks the agency can still do better. The marching orders he gave the USPS are designed to take any uncertainty out of processing mail-in ballots relating to Tuesday’s election. 

In his order, Sullivan mandates that the USPS utilize “special procedures” -- like its Express Mail network -- to ensure it “delivers every ballot possible by the cutoff time on Election Day.” Sullivan’s order forced USPS to put the “extraordinary measures” policy into action by 9 p.m. EST on Sunday, November 1.

The USPS has also instructed managers that “all ballots with a local destination must be cleared and processed on the same day or no later than the next morning for delivery to local offices, from now through at least November 7.”

On top of the USPS' daily scans for election mail, it’s requiring that its processing plant managers certify three other key turning points:

1. All local ballots have been forwarded to the local election centers or post office by 10 a.m., local time, on Monday and Tuesday; 

2. The Express Mail network is being used for ballots -- “unless there is a faster surface option;” and

3. Postal workers are quickly delivering local ballots.

Importance of delivering ballots

Lowering the boom push to get as many ballots as possible delivered by Election Day evening has taken on new importance. President Donald Trump has raised suspicion, without evidence, that mail-in voting would lead to pervasive fraud and that the vote will be rigged against him.

As late as Sunday, Trump reiterated his stance that the results should be known by Tuesday night, despite the likelihood that counting and authenticating absentee ballots will take longer than that.

“If people wanted to get their ballots in, they should have gotten their ballots in long before that,” Trump told reporters.

As more and more young people continue to struggle with mental health, a new study conducted by researchers from the University of British Columbia explored how extracurricular activities could benefit teens’ mental health and reduce the amount of time they spend on devices and watching TV.

According to their findings, teens who are enrolled in after-school activities are more likely to have stronger mental health outcomes and spend less time in front of screens. 

“Although we conducted this study before the COVID-19 pandemic, the findings are especially relevant right now when teens may be spending more time in front of screens in their free time if access to extracurricular activities, like sports and art programs is restricted due to COVID-19,” said researcher Eva Oberle. 

“Our findings highlight extracurricular activities as an asset for teens’ mental well-being. Finding safe ways for children and teens to continue to participate in these activities during current times may be a way to reduce screen time and promote mental health and well-being.” 

Improving mental health

To explore the relationship between extracurricular activities and mental health, the researchers analyzed over 28,000 survey responses from seventh graders across British Columbia. The survey asked questions about the teens’ overall mental health and gauged how much time they spent in front of screens versus the time they spent participating in after-school activities. 

Overall, the researchers learned that participating in extracurricular activities was associated with improved mental health outcomes. Compared to those who didn’t participate in after-school activities, those who were enrolled in programs like sports or art spent less time in front of screens after school and also reported experiencing more positive feelings and greater optimism. This was particularly true for teen girls, as they reported the best mental health outcomes when they participated in after-school activities. 

The survey also revealed that two hours in front of screens was the benchmark, as kids who surpassed that threshold of screen time each day were more likely to experience symptoms linked with anxiety or depression. This finding is consistent with the results of another recent study, which found that teens are likely to experience heightened anxiety symptoms when they spend too much time in front of screens. 

Finding the right balance

While many parents may worry about committing their children to too many activities, this study shows that even having just one after-school activity can benefit children in several ways. Though the researchers plan to do more work in this area to better understand why this relationship exists between extracurricular activities, mental health, and screen time, they hope that these findings highlight the many benefits associated with after-school activities. 

“We do know that some forms of screen time can be beneficial, like maintaining connections with friends and family members online if we cannot see them in person, but there are other types of screen time that can be quite harmful,” Oberle said. “There are many nuances that are not well understood yet and that are important to explore.” 

Walmart has walked back its decision to keep firearms and ammunition off store shelves ahead of the election. 

Last week, the retailer announced that it would pull the products over concerns of “civil unrest” stemming from the election and other politically charged incidents. The company said it temporarily moved the products to a secure location in the back of the store out of an “abundance of caution.” 

But Walmart said Monday that it has since determined that “incidents,” such as recent protests in Philadelphia stemming from the police shooting of Walter Wallace, Jr, remain “geographically isolated.” 

“As the current incidents have remained geographically isolated, we have made the decision to begin returning these products to the sales floor today,” a company spokesperson told various media outlets.

The company made the decision to return firearms and ammunition to U.S. store shelves just days before the presidential election. Many are worried that the result of the election could sow unrest and incite violence. Some businesses have begun preparing for that possibility by boarding up store windows and taking other security measures. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has lifted its pandemic-led No Sail Order for cruise ships, reallowing cruise ship companies to get back in the seas with travelers on board for the first time in seven months. However, the agency is going into this ban-lifting with caution because it could be right back in the same spot if COVID-19 outbreaks reemerge.

“Outbreaks of infectious diseases can happen on cruise ships because people spend time close together and with travelers from many countries,” the CDC said when outlining its new position.

“The current scientific evidence suggests that cruise ships pose a greater risk of COVID-19 transmission than other settings because of the high population density onboard ships, which are typically more densely populated than cities or most other living situations. While this is one contributing factor, CDC’s surveillance data show that drastically decreasing population onboard without additional mitigation measures does not end transmission.”

New guidelines and practice voyages

The CDC’s approach to resuming passenger operations will be phased in rather than lifting it completely. The important things for cruise lovers to keep in mind include:

Testing and safeguarding crew: As the new plan takes effect, cruise operators will be required to perform COVID-19 tests and install safeguards for crew members. The CDC will be working with ship operators to make sure everything is in place and that each ship has the onboard laboratory capacity needed to test crew and future passengers.

Dress rehearsal: Once the crew’s wellness meets the CDC’s standards, ships will then do simulated voyages with volunteers playing the role of passengers. The purpose of that is to test cruise ship operators’ ability to “mitigate COVID-19 risk, [certify that ships] meet specific requirements, and return to passenger voyages in a manner that mitigates COVID-19 risk among passengers, crew members, and communities.” 

Proving cruises can operate safely

During both of the pre-public phases, the CDC is mandating that cruise lines demonstrate their compliance on testing, quarantine, isolation, sufficient onboard laboratory capacity, and social distancing requirements to protect crew members. Once a cruise operator can prove that, passenger travel will start to be phased in.

The CDC said cruise operators need to take this opportunity to safely resume sailing with passengers seriously. If they can’t show that they’re ready to safely resume business, then the agency won’t hesitate to pull the plug again.

“The phases are subject to change based on public health considerations and cruise ship operators’ ability to mitigate COVID-19 risk,” the agency stated.

While experts have found that going to preschool has the potential to give kids an added boost in kindergarten, a new study conducted by researchers from the University of Montreal has explored additional benefits linked to kindergarten readiness. 

According to their findings, kids who are prepared academically, socially, cognitively, and physically before starting kindergarten are more likely to excel in several other areas later in life. 

“We’ve known for years that getting off to a good start in kindergarten leads to better achievement over the long-term,” said researcher Caroline Fitzpatrick. “But now with our study we can really lock in the idea that early childhood skills help you achieve success and adopt a healthier lifestyle in emerging adulthood. And that’s promising for society as a whole.” 

Lasting effects of kindergarten readiness

To understand what effect kindergarten readiness can have on long-term success, the researchers followed 2,000 children who were part of the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development from age five through the end of high school. 

At the start of the study, the researchers assessed the kids’ knowledge of vocabulary and math. By the end of kindergarten, the team evaluated reports from teachers on the kids’ social and emotional outcomes in the classroom. The researchers checked in again when the kids were getting ready to leave high school to see how their mental and emotional well-being, academic performance, and physical activity levels had developed. 

Ultimately, the researchers observed better long-term success in those who were better prepared at the start of kindergarten. Having stronger math skills at age five was linked with a reduced likelihood of substance abuse, a lower chance of dropping out of high school, and higher academic success throughout high school. The researchers also found that better social awareness at this young age led to better physical health outcomes by the end of high school. 

“Kindergarten classroom engagement also predicted involvement in physical activity, and a 65 percent drop in the risk of a child being overweight by age 17,” said researcher Linda Pagani. 

The researchers hope that these findings highlight the importance of kindergarten readiness, as entering school prepared could have a strong impact on future psychological and academic success. 

“Promoting kindergarten readiness seems, over the long-term, to help reduce the lifestyle risks generated by dropping out of high school,” said Pagani. “Therefore, policies to promote and preserve children’s early skills, such as providing stimulating childcare and diminishing family adversity, may thus represent a valuable policy strategy for governments to invest in.”