Current Events in December 2020

Amazon’s self-driving vehicle company, Zoox, has unveiled an autonomous robotaxi specifically designed to navigate dense urban areas. 

The vehicle has no steering wheel or space for a driver, but it can accommodate up to four passengers. It has four-wheel steering and bidirectional driving capabilities, meaning there’s no defined front; the vehicle can change directions without having to reverse. 

For enhanced safety, the vehicle has cameras, radar, and lidar sensors mounted on each of its four corners. Zoox says this expands its range of views and eliminates “typical blind spots.” The vehicle is also equipped with an airbag system, and Zoox says all four seats get the equivalent of five-star crash safety protection.

The startup’s robotaxi can reach speeds up to 75 miles per hour, and a single charge will provide about 16 hours of run time. 

Investing in autonomous vehicles

Zoox was acquired by Amazon in June. At the time, Amazon didn’t provide many details about what it planned to do with Zoox’s technology. However, CEO Jeff Bezos has said in the past that autonomous vehicle technology has the potential to be integrated into its delivery system. Amazon has already started using autonomous trucks to transport some goods.

Zoox said on Monday that it’s already testing the new robotaxis in Las Vegas, San Francisco, and Foster City, California. The company plans to launch an app-based ridesharing service, similar to Uber and Lyft, in the future. 

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, a great deal of misinformation about the virus has been circulated on social media. 

Now, a new study conducted by researchers from Washington State University has found that consumers are more likely to buy into this misinformation when they spend more time on social media. 

“It seems that the more you use social media, the more likely you become worried about COVID-19, perhaps because there is a lot of unfounded and conspiracy theories on social media,” said researcher Yan Su. “Then this in turn can trigger a high level of worry which leads to further belief in misinformation.”

The importance of engaging with different ideas

To understand the relationship between social media use and belief in misinformation, the researchers analyzed over 3,000 responses to the American National Elections Exploratory Testing Survey. While the survey covered a wide range of topics, the researchers were primarily focused on how much time the respondents spent on social media and where they stood on critical stances regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Participants were more likely to believe that either a vaccine for COVID-19 had been created or that the virus was created in a lab if they spent more time on social media. While several pharmaceutical companies have since created a vaccine for COVID-19, this data was collected in early April, which means this misinformation had reached consumers at a critical point in the pandemic. 

Additionally, the study revealed that the more worried people became about the pandemic, the more likely they were to believe misinformation on social media. However, the researchers also learned that participants weren’t doomed to get stuck in this cycle. Engaging with people who had different points of view was found to be a key component in not buying into misinformation on social media. Those who had a deeper understanding of science were also more likely to identify and reject falsehoods. 

“Fact checkers are important for social media platforms to implement,” said Su. “When there is no fact checker, people just choose to believe what is consistent with their pre-existing beliefs. It’s also important for people to try to get out of their comfort zones and echo chambers by talking with people who have different points of view and political ideologies. When people are exposed to different ideas, they have a chance to do some self-reflection and self-correction, which is particularly beneficial for deliberation.” 

The researchers hope that future studies continue to explore this area because they worry about how the continued spread of misinformation about the pandemic will continue to affect consumers.

“During the COVID-19 pandemic, social media has spread a lot of conspiracy theories and misinformation, which has negative consequences because many people use these false statements as evidence to consolidate their pre-existing political ideologies and attack each other,” Su said. “It’s important to understand the antecedents and motivations for believing and circulating misinformation beliefs, so we can find ways to counteract them.”

Recent studies have highlighted the academic and social benefits associated with kids attending preschool, and now a new study is exploring how a specially-designed enrichment preschool program could yield even more benefits for kids. 

Researchers from Penn State have developed a new preschool program known as REDI (Research-based, Developmentally Informed). For this study, they found that students who attended Head Start preschools that had adopted the REDI program are likely to develop social and emotional skills that last through high school. 

The researchers explained that Head Start was developed to provide educational access to low-income families, and REDI is designed to incorporate a social-emotional model that helps kids learn about how to manage their feelings, how to make friends, and how to develop coping skills, among several other important tools. 

“The program had an effect on internal benefits, including better emotion management and emotional well-being, as well as external benefits, such as reduced conduct problems,” said researcher Karen Bierman. “So not only did the program result in fewer distressed adolescents, but it also resulted in less distress for their teachers and peers, as well. It’s an important finding to know we can promote these long-term benefits by intervening early with a strategic prevention programming embedded in a well-established public program like Head Start.” 

Developing strong social-emotional skills

For this study, the researchers analyzed the long-term social-emotional outcomes of 356 preschoolers attending 25 Head Start schools across the country. Half of the classrooms adopted the REDI program for the entirety of the school year, and the other half ran their classes as they typically would. Though the kids were assessed each school year, this study focused on the results in seventh and ninth grades. 

“After the children left preschool, they moved on to many different schools and school districts,” said Bierman. “Once they reached seventh and ninth grade, their teachers who provided ratings for this study didn’t know who had been in the REDI classrooms and who hadn’t, so it was very much a blind rating.” 

Ultimately, the researchers found that students in the REDI program had better social-emotional outcomes through ninth grade than those who hadn’t been part of the REDI program. 

By ninth grade, kids enrolled in the REDI program performed significantly better areas like peer conflict, conduct issues, and emotional symptoms than those who hadn’t received REDI-based instruction. Just two percent of REDI students struggled with peer issues, six percent had severe conduct issues, and three percent struggled emotionally; comparatively, eight percent of non-REDI students had peer struggles, 17 percent had severe conduct issues, and 15 percent struggled to handle their emotions. 

The researchers hope that these findings lead to greater adoption of REDI, as it’s clear that the program is beneficial in helping kids establish strong social-emotional skills from a young age. 

“We found that the effects that lasted through adolescence weren’t in the academic areas like literacy and math, but in the social-emotional areas,” said Bierman. “Perhaps in the past, we’ve been too focused on boosting academic learning in preschool and not paid enough attention to the value of enriching preschool with the social-emotional supports that build character and enhance school adjustment. We know from other research that these skills become very important in predicting overall success in graduating from high school, supporting future employment, and fostering overall well-being in life.” 

Burley Design of Eugene, Ore., is recalling about 780 Dash X FM child bicycle seats.

The reclining plate that holds the child seat in place can detach, making the child seat unstable and can cause the bike rider to lose control, posing a crash hazard.

No incidents or injuries are recalled.

This recall involves Dash X FM frame mount child bicycle seats (model number 924004).

The recalled child seats have a serial number beginning in P924 and a lot number beginning in the letter D or E. The serial number and lot number are located on the lower rear of the child seats, on the white label that has “BURLEY” printed on it.

“DASH X” is engraved on the rear of the child seat, near the top.

The child bike seats, manufactured in Portugal, were sold at various bicycle retailers and online at Burley.com, REI.com, Amazon.com from April 2020, through July 2020, for about $190.

What to do

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled child bicycle seats and contact Burley to receive instructions on how to identify and dispose of the recalled child seat and how to receive a free replacement child seat.

Consumers will be provided with a replacement Dash Bicycle Seat (Dash X FM, Dash FM, or Dash RM).

Consumers may contact Burley at (800\) 311-5294 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (PT) Monday through Friday, by email at Burley@burley.com, or online at http://www.burley.com and click on the “Safety Recall Information” link at the bottom of the page.

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

Total U.S. confirmed cases: 15,645,955 (15,413,913)

Total U.S. deaths: 292,611 (289,970)

Total global cases: 69,833,475 (69,139,809)

Total global deaths: 1,587,024 (1,574,294)

FDA panel greenlights Pfizer’s vaccine

The U.S. is a step closer to receiving a vaccine against the coronavirus (COVID-19). An advisory panel to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recommended approval of the coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine produced by Pfizer and BioNTech.

FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn said today that the FDA “is finalizing the necessary documents to ensure that patients and providers have the information that they need to make informed decisions.”

Three of the panelists voting no told reporters that they would have voted yes if the vaccine were strictly for people 18 and older. They said there was insufficient data for people under 18. Other panelists said the benefits outweighed the risks.

“When you have 2,000 to 3,000 people a day—a day—dying of coronavirus, to me this was a clear choice,” Ofer Levy, a panel member and director of the Precision Vaccines Program at Boston Children’s Hospital, told The Wall Street Journal.

GOP casts doubt on passage of compromise aid bill

Hopes for Congressional action on a new COVID-19 aid bill this month are quickly fading. Key Republican senators have backed away from a $908 billion compromise bill put forth by a bipartisan group of lawmakers.

The sticking point remains language dealing with financial aid to states and cities along with liability protection during the pandemic for businesses. Senate Majority Whip John Thune (R-S.D.) said Republicans think the liability protection should be stronger.

Democrats say they continue to be supportive of the proposal, noting that key benefits for consumers under the CARES Act expire at the end of the month. This morning, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) upped the ante, adding an amendment to send direct aid to Americans to the stopgap spending bill.

No Christmas parties, Biden adviser says

One of President-elect Biden’s top COVID-19 advisers says Americans are going to have to find different ways to celebrate the Christmas holiday this year because Christmas parties are out. 

Dr. Michael Osterholm told CNN that the next three weeks are going to be bad, and people will have to take extra precautions. Despite the government’s first step toward vaccine distribution, Osterholm warned that it would be “several months” before the nation sees widespread availability of vaccines.

Researchers say a rapid test could prevent deaths

Researchers have found that a rapid COVID-19 test could identify which patients are responding to drug treatments and which patients are in need of more aggressive help. Their study was presented at the virtual 2020 AACC Annual Scientific Meeting & Clinical Lab Expo.

The scientists say this is important because, while treating severely ill patients with corticosteroids reduces the risk of death, prescribing it for patients who don’t really need it can carry the risk of serious side effects.

Corticosteroids work by reducing the activity of a patient’s immune system to prevent it from attacking and damaging the lungs. Doctors worry that prescribing these drugs either too early or at too high a dosage could worsen a patient’s condition by hindering the body’s ability to clear the virus. 

Mask pollution plaguing California

The pandemic has produced economic misery and an ever-rising death toll. It may also be contributing to pollution.

California residents are complaining that masks, rubber gloves, disinfectant wipes, and other personal protective equipment (PPE) that is effective in saving lives is now finding its way to rivers, bays, and the Pacific Ocean.

“Whatever the product may be, this is a new, additional plastic threat," Adam Ratner, of the Marine Mammal Center, told the Washington Post.

Around the nation

• Minnesota: State health department director Dr. Ruth Lynfield says many people who are infected with COVID-19 do not have symptoms, making it easier to spread the virus. “This is estimated that about 50 percent of transmission can occur in people who are pre-symptomatic or asymptomatic," she told reporters.

• New Jersey: A new report warns that the COVID-19 risk to students and teachers in public schools is rising. The report said New Jersey had 18 new in-school outbreaks leading to 103 new cases in the past week.

• New Mexico: Gov. Michelle Lujan says the state is making preparations to roll out a vaccine so it can be distributed as soon as it’s approved by the FDA. In keeping with federal guidelines, Lujan said the first doses will go to frontline health workers in the state.

The COVID-19 pandemic’s supply chain is getting a boost to the advantage of unemployed workers. With the country readying itself for the distribution of approved coronavirus vaccines and weekly unemployment claims continuing to mount, four companies involved in the pivotal distribution and administration of a vaccine have set out on a hiring binge. 

The country’s two largest logistics companies -- UPS and FedEx -- typically hire extra employees every year around the holidays. But because of the demand of getting vaccines to ready and willing people safely, and the added stress of making sure the vaccines are delivered at the ultra-low temperatures required, the companies are adding even more workers.

“We recognized early on this would be a record peak season. We’ve even taken to calling this peak ‘The Shipathon’ months ago because we knew it was going to be a record peak,” FedEx’s Americas regional president Robert Smith told senators at a subcommittee hearing of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation on Thursday. 

Pharmacies are adding more workers too

The other part of the equation, of course, is administering the vaccines. To escalate that component, Operation Warp Speed has contracted both Walgreens and CVS, the nation’s two largest pharmacy chains. 

Walgreens’ goal is to hire 9,000 additional staff, and it’s so intent on fulfilling its obligation that it’s offering sign-on and referral bonuses of up to $30,000. CVS didn’t disclose any hiring numbers or bonuses, but it did add additional information on the “vaccine support” section of its corporate website.

“We’re hiring pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and nurses to administer COVID-19 vaccines and care for patients across the United States,” the company said.

COVID-related customer service needs some work

On a customer satisfaction level as it relates to coronavirus-related services, CVS and Walgreens both have some work to do. 

CVS took it on the nose from one ConsumerAffairs reviewer -- Saheli of Bryan, TX -- who said its 'minute clinic' doesn't provide the results on time as guaranteed on their website, which caused them to miss their flight and change their itinerary. 

“When we called them on their helpline, they assured us that the lab will make sure that we get our results in time to board our flight. But their tone changed once we took the COVID-19 test at one of their pharmacies,” Saheli commented.

Walgreens’ fared about the same with another consumer, Melissa of Belton, Texas. In her review, she complained that her son also needed testing to be able to travel, but when he arrived for his appointment time, he was greeted with a sign saying that testing was canceled and to come back the next day. 

“He did not receive a phone call or any other notification. No one in the store could answer any questions, they only gave him a phone number to call which no one answered and had a voicemail that was not set up. The next day he came back to the same sign. Because of this he was not able to fly. Walgreens handled this so badly, not even returning calls through customer service or giving him any other options,” Melissa wrote.

An advisory panel to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recommended approval of the coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine produced by Pfizer and BioNTech.

The FDA is expected to grant emergency use authorization (EAU) within hours, meaning the vaccine could begin to be distributed in the U.S. to people age 16 and older. The panel reached its decision on a 17-4 vote after a day-long meeting.

Three of the panelists voting no told reporters they would have voted yes if the vaccine were strictly for people 18 and older. They said there was insufficient data for people under 18. Other panelists said the benefits outweighed the risks.

“When you have 2,000 to 3,000 people a day—a day—dying of coronavirus, to me this was a clear choice,” Ofer Levy, a panel member and director of the Precision Vaccines Program at Boston Children’s Hospital, told The Wall Street Journal.

Concerns

The non-profit Children’s Health Defense expressed concern, saying the clinical trials for the vaccine failed to provide adequate data.

“Only 2.1 percent and 1.8 percent of the study cohort included patients 75 years old and over with pre-existing medical conditions, for the vaccinated and the placebo groups, respectively,” the group said in a press release. “There were only 41 total African Americans over age 75 in both arms of the Pfizer vaccine study. These are insufficient samples on which to base broad recommendations for these very important and vulnerable segments of the population.”

Two health care workers who received the vaccine this week in the UK suffered adverse reactions to it. Health officials said both persons had a history of severe allergic reactions, suggesting the vaccine might not be appropriate for people in that category.

Preparing for distribution

Frontline medical personnel and the staff and residents of nursing homes will be the first Americans to receive the vaccine, under guidelines adopted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Pending the FDA’s green light, Pfizer could begin the vaccine distribution process this weekend. The health agency will next turn its attention to the vaccine produced by Moderna. The two vaccines are similar messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines that contain a tiny bit of genetic material from the virus but not the virus itself.

If both are approved, the government says 40 million doses could be available in the U.S. by the end of December. However, the CDC said it expects between 5 million and 10 million doses to become available each week for the first few months while manufacturers ramp up production. 

"We expect a constrained supply environment," the CDC’s Sara Oliver said earlier this month.

Retail pharmacies are being mobilized to distribute the vaccines as more Americans become eligible to be inoculated. 

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has begun working with Kroger, Walmart, CVS, Walgreens, and other national chains to become vaccination distribution centers. These firms have begun training staff and securing large refrigeration units to become vaccination centers.

Around 40 percent of U.S. consumers plan to spend less than they normally do on gifts this holiday season, according to a survey from CNBC. 

The organization polled 800 Americans as part of its All America Economic Survey and found that the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is causing many consumers to cut back on spending. 

The survey found that 39 percent of consumers will spend less this holiday season, while just 11 percent plan to spend more than usual. The average American plans to spend $886, which is a 10 percent decrease from planned holiday spending last year. 

In 2017, the same survey found that 25 percent of Americans planned to cut back spending during the holidays, and 18 percent said they would spend more.

Wealthiest Americans showing most restraint

This year, the reasons consumers cited for spending less were: 

• Loss of wages or income (29 percent)

• The coronavirus (19 percent)

• The economy (17 percent)

• A need to save money (16 percent)

CNBC’s survey showed decreased spending plans across all income brackets. However, the survey suggested that “the wealthiest Americans could be holding back the most” this year.

“It does seem like those Americans earning over $100,000 are holding back a little bit more than they did in 2019,” said Hart Research Associates partner Jay Campbell.

That caution could be rooted in uncertainty regarding how next year will play out economically. A third of respondents said they believe the economy will get worse in 2021. Republicans were found to have a more pessimistic outlook about the economy while Democrats’ outlook has grown more positive since the election of former Vice President Joe Biden. 

Online spending surge

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a significant jump in the number of consumers planning to do their shopping online this holiday season. CNBC’s survey found that 55 percent of respondents plan to do most of their shopping online, compared with 43 percent a year ago. 

“It’s the biggest gain in the 14 years of the survey and follows a three-year plateau in that metric. It’s also the first time more than half of respondents favored online shopping,” the report noted. 

While mental health has certainly been a concern throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual therapy services have provided a healthy outlet for consumers. 

Researchers from West Virginia University have explored this teletherapy trend in a new study, and they predict that it will last beyond the length of the pandemic. They say virtual therapy provides greater access to mental health services and can help consumers manage their moods and emotions. 

“This will be part of the new normal. The genie is out of the bottle, and it isn’t going back in. Behavioral health issues are very treatable and manageable problems,” said researcher Dr. James Berry.  “Whatever we can do to create access for people who need help is something that we need to prioritize. People don’t have to suffer.”

Increasing access to mental health services

Berry explained that prior to the pandemic, teletherapy services weren’t nearly as widespread; however, lockdown orders created the perfect opportunity for mental health professionals to broaden how they offer their services. 

“When we saw the pandemic coming in early March, I said, ‘Listen, everybody. We are already facing a behavioral health epidemic, an overdose epidemic, and a suicide epidemic. Now we’ve got this COVID viral epidemic. Once people are isolated and don’t have their personal connections anymore, we are going to be facing a huge increase in the number of people who are experiencing severe psychological distress and disorders. We need to be prepared for this,’” Berry said.

One of the greatest benefits to come out of virtual therapy sessions is the opportunity it provides clinicians in terms of geographic reach. While many regulations regarding licenses have prevented therapists from treating patients across state lines, the pandemic has eliminated those roadblocks. 

The transition to virtual therapy sessions did come with some struggles. Having a stable WiFi connection was an issue for many patients, and while Berry credited patients’ “creativity” in making the process so successful, it also speaks to the need for improved internet access nationwide. 

“For instance, several patients didn’t have broadband access in their homes, but many had access to a smartphone,” he said. “It’s just that not everybody had service. People used public WiFi options in restaurant parking lots to conduct their visits. While this does not mean that access to quality broadband services is not a priority, it does speak to some people’s resilience and need for access.” 

Creating a strong emotional connection

While this increase in teletherapy services was spurred on by quarantine orders, Berry believes this change will outlast the pandemic for several reasons -- not least of which is the powerful emotional connection he’s been able to foster with his patients. Despite not meeting face-to-face, he found that his sessions have been productive and impactful. 

“I don’t know if it’s because they were in the comfort of their own home, or because they didn’t feel like all eyes were on them, but one of the things I noticed early on is that people seemed more comfortable sharing details than they would have been in person,” Berry said.

AMC Theatres has secured a $100 million investment to help keep the beleaguered movie chain afloat, but it says it still needs another $750 million of additional liquidity to fund the company’s cash requirements through the end of 2021.

Mudrick Capital came to AMC’s rescue with the additional funding. The company is an investment firm specializing in distressed credit investing, focused on “find(ing) investments with attractive risk reward ratios.” It also holds second lien notes issued by AMC and, if need be, will convert $100 million of existing AMC debt into AMC common stock.

If all else fails?

Should AMC fail to get more help, it repeated that it may have to enter bankruptcy proceedings. While 400 of its nearly 600 U.S. theaters are still open, bankruptcy may force it to close the rest of those theaters’ doors.

“Given the uncertainty regarding our ability to raise material amounts of additional liquidity and the uncertainty as to the time at which attendance levels might normalize, substantial doubt exists about the company’s ability to continue as a going concern for a reasonable period of time,” AMC said in a regulatory filing.

Another COVID-19 casualty

It’s no surprise, but AMC puts much of the blame squarely on the pandemic’s shoulders. 

“A significant spike in coronavirus cases, together with delays of major movie releases or the direct or simultaneous release of movie titles to the home video or streaming markets in lieu of theatre exhibition, have led to theatre closures, prevented the opening of theatres in major markets and have had, and are expected to continue to have in the future, a material adverse impact on theatre attendance levels and our business,” AMC said.

The company’s finger-pointing toward delays and simultaneous releases of movies was aimed directly at Warner Brothers, who recently decided to release its entire 2021 movie slate on its streaming service HBO Max and in theaters simultaneously. AMC has fretted about this possibility for months, and it said in the filing that other studios may follow. 

AMC found some respite over the summer with Universal, which it struck a deal with to make movies available sooner outside of theaters. However, that’s the only handshake deal it has been able to make so far.

Disney+ is raising its monthly subscription price to $7.99 a month, a $1 increase. The new price will go into effect March 26, 2021. 

With the price hike, subscribers will pay $79.99 per year. Disney is also raising the price of the Disney Bundle -- which has Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN Plus -- to $13.99 a month (also a $1 increase). 

Since launching in November 2019, Disney+ has amassed a whopping 86.8 million subscribers. During a four-hour presentation for investors on Thursday, Disney said it’s putting a lot of money into new content and needs to raise prices for subscribers as a result. 

As many as 20 new Marvel and Star Wars series and more than two dozen Disney and Pixar movies or series are headed straight to Disney+, according to the company. Disney+ will be the first to receive movies like “Pinocchio,” starring Tom Hanks and directed by Robert Zemeckis, and “Peter Pan and Wendy,” starring Jude Law (both of which are still in production).

The price increase comes a little over a month after fellow streaming giant Netflix raised the prices of its standard and premium subscription plans. At the time, Netflix’s COO and chief product officer Greg Peters said Netflix will “occasionally go back and ask [customers] to pay a little bit more to keep that virtuous cycle of investment and value creation going.” 

There is no shortage of research highlighting the health risks associated with vaping -- especially when looking at the additives that are particularly popular among younger consumers. 

A new study conducted by researchers from the University of South Florida has explored the flavor additives even further, and it found that these chemicals can increase the risk of lasting heart damage.

“The flavored electronic nicotine delivery systems widely popular among teens and young adults are not harm-free,” said researcher Sami Noujaim, PhD. “Altogether, our findings in the cells and mice indicate that vaping does interfere with the normal functioning of the heart and can potentially lead to cardiac rhythm disturbances.”

Compromising heart health

The researchers conducted experiments on both young mice and human cardiac cells to better understand how flavor additives in e-cigarettes can compromise heart health. In all of the trials, both the mice and the human cells were exposed to several different flavor additives, as well as e-vapors that didn’t contain flavorings, to understand how the health risks change. 

While e-cigarettes pose a threat to consumers’ health without adding flavors, the researchers learned that the flavor additives only exacerbated those health risks in both mice and human cells. 

For the mice, the researchers observed several changes to their normal heart functioning. The primary disturbance was heart rate, as the mice exposed to e-cigarette flavor additives were more likely to develop ventricular tachycardia, which speeds up the natural heart rate. However, other mice were also more susceptible to a slowed heart rate variability, which means the time between heartbeats is slower; this typically happens when the body is under stress, and it can increase the risk for heart disease over time. 

The researchers noted similar effects to the human cardiac cells. Even before exposing the cells to the flavor additives, the e-cigarette vapor alone affected how fast the cells were able to beat. As the researchers added both nicotine and flavoring, the cells became even more compromised, though the worst outcomes came from the addition of the flavoring.  

“This experiment told us that the flavoring chemicals added to vaping devices can increase harm beyond what the nicotine alone can do,” Dr. Noujaim said. 

Tightening restrictions

Despite efforts to regulate e-cigarettes -- especially in recent months as experts warned about the risks associated with the COVID-19 pandemic -- many young people continue to seek out flavored vaping options. The researchers hope that these findings can help cut down on the use of e-cigarettes among this demographic.

“Our research matters because regulation of the vaping industry is a work in progress,” said Dr. Noujaim. “The FDA needs input from the scientific community about all the possible risks of vaping in order to effectively regulate electronic nicotine delivery systems and protect the public’s health. At USF Health, in particular, we will continue to examine how vaping may adversely affect cardiac health.”

In the absence of a short-term spending bill, a government shutdown will go into effect at midnight on Friday, CNN reports. 

Senate Majority Whip John Thune (R-S.D.) told reporters on Thursday that a number of holdups are currently adding a degree of uncertainty to the timeline for a vote on a bill to extend government funding by a week. 

The first hangup is that Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) is filibustering the NDAA over an amendment from Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY). Paul says the policy as it stands would interfere with the president's ability to withdraw troops from a war zone like Afghanistan.

“We still don’t have a path forward” on either the stopgap or the defense measure, Senate Majority Thune told reporters late Thursday. He said Paul was “just trying to figure out ways to derail the [defense] bill. …Most of our people would like to get it done today.”

Senate objections

Additionally, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt,) is requesting an amendment to the stopgap bill that would give individuals $1,200 stimulus checks. 

“To get out of Washington, to turn our backs on the suffering of so many of our people would be immoral, would be unconscionable, and cannot be allowed to happen,” Sanders said on the Senate floor.

Finally, a group of conservative senators is demanding a vote on legislation to prevent future government shutdowns.

If the Senate isn’t able to pass a stopgap bill before the midnight deadline and a government shutdown does go into effect, CNN says the shutdown would “likely be brief and over the weekend when many government operations are not open.” 

The rise in oil prices that sent gas prices higher two weeks ago was offset this week by a continued drop in demand. More cars remained parked as health officials urged Americans to spend more time at home to stem the deadly rise in coronavirus (COVID-19) cases.

The AAA Fuel Gauge Survey shows that the national average price of regular gas is $2.15 a gallon, a penny more than last Friday. Prices are four cents higher than a month ago. The average price of premium gas is $2.77 a gallon, the same as last week. The average price of diesel fuel rose two cents a gallon to $2.45 a gallon.

Oil prices have begun to rise in recent weeks in response to optimism about vaccines that could end the pandemic by mid-2021. But the lack of demand has kept prices at the pump in check. At the beginning of the week, AAA reported that gasoline demand was down 8 million barrels a day. GasBuddy reported that demand was slightly higher than the week before, but it’s running 12 percent below 2019.

Though prices have risen over the last four weeks, 16 states still have average prices below $2 a gallon. One year ago, the average price was 42 cents a gallon higher than today.

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 ($3.28)

• California ($3.18)

• Washington ($2.75)

• Oregon ($2.58)

• Nevada ($2.58)

• Pennsylvania ($2.53)

• Alaska ($2.50)

• Maryland ($2.34)

• New Jersey ($2.28)

• Idaho ($2.26)

The states with the cheapest regular gas

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

• Missouri ($1.84)

• Mississippi ($1.84)

• Texas ($1.85)

• Oklahoma ($1.87)

• Louisiana ($1.88)

• Arkansas ($1.90)

• Alabama ($1.91)

• Tennessee ($1.91)

• South Carolina ($1.92)

• Wisconsin ($1.94)

Volkswagen Group of America is recalling 31,947 model year 2021 Atlas Cross Sports, Tiguan LWBs, Jetta NFs, Jetta GLIs, Golf GTIs, Atlas FLs and Arteons.

The rear view camera could malfunction during an ignition cycle, leading to a black screen or infotainment system freeze.

A black or frozen rear view image reduces the driver's view when reversing, increasing the risk of a crash.

What to do

Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will update the infotainment system software free of charge.

The recall is expected to begin January 15, 2021.

Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at (800) 893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 91BB/91BC.

Neptune Benson of Warwick, R.I., is recalling about 4,650 Delta UV EA-4H-10 ultra-violet generators installed in swimming pools and swim spas.

Water can leak within the generator, causing excessive heat build-up in the area where the power cord connects to the body of the generator unit, which can pose a fire hazard.

The firm has received 92 reports of incidents involving overheating, melting or burning of the generators and the area around the generators. No injuries have been reported.

This recall involves Delta UV EA-4H-10 ultra-violet generators installed in swimming pools and swim spas to sanitize the water. The majority were installed in Endless Pools.

The brand and model number can be identified from the manufacturing plate located on one end of the generator’s steel tube.

They are silver and black in color and are 4 inches in diameter and 25 inches long.

The generators, manufactured in the U.S., were sold by Neptune Benson to pool and spa commercial customers from August 2016, through February 2020, for about $320.

Prior to August 2016, the generators were manufactured and sold by Delta UV Corporation to pool and spa commercial customers.

What to do

Consumers should immediately unplug and discontinue use of the generator and contact Neptune Benson for a free inspection and repair or replacement.

Consumers may contact Neptune Benson toll-free at (888) 847-8710 from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. (ET) Monday through Friday, or online at https://www.evoqua.com/en/brands/Neptune-Benson and click on “Register your recall” in the middle of the page for more information.

Washington Shoe Company of Kent, Wash., is recalling about 77,400 pair of Western Chief toddler light-up rain boots.

Rivets used to attach the handles to the boot can detach, posing a choking hazard to children.

The firm has received 115 reports of the boot handles and rivets detaching, and two reports of children placing the rivets in their mouths. No injuries have been reported.

This recall includes the Western Chief “Abstract Camo,” “Alia Silver,” and “Sweetheart Navy” Light-Up Rain Boots in sizes 5-12 for toddlers or children.

The recalled boots are camouflage, silver glitter, and navy with hearts; include boot handles; and have a light up feature in the heel of the boot.

The rivets used to attach the handles are silver-gray.

“Western Chief” and the model numbers are located on the inside tag of the boot. The recalled model numbers are T24121725P, T24121728P, and T24121729P.

The boots, manufactured in China, were sold exclusively at Target stores nationwide and online at Target.com from May 2020, through October 2020, for about $25.

What to do

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled boots, take the boots away from children, and return them to any Target Store for a full refund. ​​​​

Consumers may contact Washington Shoe Company toll-free at (855) 545-0862 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (PT) Monday through Friday, by email at recall@westernchief.com, or online at https://www.washingtonshoe.com/recall for more information.