Current Events in February 2021

President Biden and congressional Democrats have been pushing for a $15 per hour minimum wage, but now the plan is facing obstacles in the Senate. 

During a marathon voting session on Thursday, Senate lawmakers gave their support to President Biden’s $1.9 trillion stimulus package while also approving a measure prohibiting an increase of the federal minimum wage during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

"A $15 federal minimum wage would be devastating for our hardest-hit small businesses at a time when they can least afford it," said Sen. Joni Ernst, a Republican from Iowa, who introduced the amendment.

Blocked for now

Some Democrats oppose the plan to raise the minimum wage, and several others have been noncommittal regarding their support. 

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), the chair of the Senate Budget Committee, strongly supports raising the minimum wage but says it should be done over time rather than all at once. Sanders said he intends to keep pushing for the implementation of a phased increase over five years rather than an immediate bump to $15 an hour during the pandemic. 

He plans to try to get the phased wage increase included in a budget reconciliation bill that would allow Biden’s stimulus plan to circumvent the Senate’s 60-vote filibuster rule.

“We need to end the crisis of starvation wages in Iowa and around the United States,” Sanders said, according to the New York Times. “At a time when half of our workers are living paycheck to paycheck, when millions of workers are earning starvation wages and when Congress has not voted to raise the minimum wage since 2007, I will do everything that I can to make sure that a $15-an-hour minimum wage is included in this reconciliation bill.” 

‘Not the last bill we’ll pass’

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she and fellow Democratic proponents of the plan won’t be deterred by any watering down it may receive in the $1.9 trillion relief bill. 

"It's not the last bill we'll pass,” Pelosi said. 

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) said he opposes a $15 minimum hourly wage and would not support an increase to $15. However, he said he would support something "responsible and reasonable.” 

Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) said he’d also like to see changes made to the plan; Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) hasn’t commented on the push to raise the minimum wage.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has charged investment adviser GPB Capital Holdings and a trio of executives with defrauding around 17,000 retail investors as part of a massive $1.7 billion “Ponzi-like” scheme.  

In a statement, the SEC said three GPB executives “lied to investors about the source of money used to make an 8% annualized distribution payment to investors.” 

Investors were allegedly told that the distribution payments were fully covered by profits generated by GPB Capital’s portfolio companies. In actuality, the investors were at least partially paid using money from new investors.

“GPB Capital projected an aura of success, touting that it consistently made an 8% annualized distribution payment to investors, as well as periodic ‘special distributions’ ranging from 0.5 to 3%,” the SEC said. 

However, the SEC claims the firm “used investor funds to cover the shortfall between funds from operations of the portfolio companies and the amount needed to make an annualized 8% distribution payment.”

The firm is also accused of violating whistleblower protection laws by including language in termination and separation agreements that prohibited two former employees from complaining to the SEC. 

‘All a lie’ 

Around 17,000 investors were affected by the scheme, and about 4,000 of those affected were seniors, according to the SEC. 

“The defendants misrepresented the holdings of GPB Capital through deceptive marketing practices, luring investors with promises of monthly distributions that would be covered by funds from the investments and not drawn from underlying invested capital,” William Sweeney, the head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s New York office, said in a statement.

“As we allege today, however, this was all a lie,” Sweeney said. “In truth, a significant portion of GPB’s distributions were paid directly from investor funds.”

According to a separate lawsuit filed Thursday by New York Attorney General Letitia James, the defendants also allegedly misappropriated investor funds to pay for things like private planes, luxury travel, and expensive cars.

"We won't let Wall Street fat cats get away with breaking the rules, as they pilfer New Yorker's wallets in the meantime," James said in a statement.

GPB has denied the allegations and says it intends to defend itself “vigorously” in court.

The strictness of gun laws varies from state to state. Recently, experts have found that in areas where these laws have tighter restrictions, the outcomes are better for both school safety and teens’ mental health.

Now, a new study conducted by researchers from Rutgers University has found that stricter gun laws also contribute to fewer overall instances of gun violence among young people. 

“We understood the role of individual characteristics in youth gun carrying, but we often ignored the broader environmental context surrounding youth gun carrying behavior, such as whether gun laws are in place in a state to discourage access to guns,” said researcher Paul Boxer. “Our study helped prove clarity to these associations.” 

Young people are safer

To better understand how gun laws can impact youth gun violence, the researchers looked at each state’s gun laws and compared them to related instances of violence -- particularly among young people -- between 2005 and 2017. 

The researchers learned that regulations around guns were a big indicator of whether or not young people were carrying weapons and whether gun violence occurred. The study showed that regions with more laws prohibiting carrying weapons were less likely to experience youth gun violence, while states with more lenient laws had more young people carrying weapons and more instances of gun violence. 

The findings highlight two states in particular that show these disparities: New York and Louisiana. In 2013, New York had more than 60 laws in place that prohibited weapon carrying; in turn, the rate of gun violence among young people that year was at just three percent. Conversely, Louisiana had 13 gun laws in place in 2017; that year, they experienced the highest rate of gun violence across the entire country, at nearly 13 percent. 

Moving forward, the researchers hope that legislators realize just how important these findings are. State’s gun laws can have a ripple effect on consumers’ safety in public places, and reducing gun violence should be the top priority. 

“Though more work is needed, the current findings point to the potential of gun laws to lower youth gun carrying behavior, which all sides of the gun-law debate can agree is unwanted and dangerous,” said researcher John Gunn. 

Google has blocked a popular Chrome extension called “The Great Suspender” because it was found to contain malware. 

On Thursday, Chrome users with the extension installed started seeing a message that read: “[The Great Suspender] has been disabled because it contains malware.” Google has also pulled the extension from its Chrome Web Store. 

The Great Suspender was previously a helpful tool that would automatically force any tabs that users hadn’t looked at in a while to go to “sleep,” which helped conserve memory and keep the browser moving quickly. 

Now that the extension is gone, Reddit users have found a way to get tabs back, however the process is somewhat tedious. There are also a few extensions that work similarly to The Great Suspender, including Session Buddy and OneTab. Users can also keep their browser running quickly by simply limiting the number of tabs that are open.

In a petition to the Federal Communications System (FCC), asking for designation as an Eligible Telecommunications Carrier (“ETC”), Elon Musk’s SpaceX said that its Starlink satellite internet service is showing some positive growth, with upwards of 10,000 users.

SpaceX is asking for an ETC designation in an effort to prove that it’s meeting all the requirements pursuant to the $900 million in federal aid it received for the Rural Digital Opportunities Fund (RDOF). The Rural Digital Opportunity Fund is an FCC program that’s investing billions of dollars in the construction of rural broadband networks in an effort to narrow the digital divide in the U.S. 

“Designating Starlink Services as an ETC is in the public interest because it will enable the company to receive support that will facilitate rapid deployment of broadband and voice service to the Service Areas at speeds and latency comparable to terrestrial systems in urban locations,” SpaceX wrote in the filing.

Starting small with its eyes on a bigger prize

SpaceX isn’t trying to bring broadband to everyone right away. It’s only pursuing ETC in the census blocks of Alabama, Connecticut, New Hampshire, New York, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.

Nonetheless, SpaceX’s long-term plan is to build a “constellation” -- an internet network with thousands of satellites -- in hopes of delivering high-speed internet to anyone in the world. The numbers don’t lie about SpaceX’s desire. In 2019, regulators approved SpaceX’s proposal to launch 11,943 satellites, with 4,425 of those satellites planned to go into orbit by 2024.

Comparing prices and service

While satellite speeds top out at 150 Mbps compared to cable speeds, which reach up to 1,000 megabits per second (Mbps), the national average speed is 42.86 Mbps. That’s sufficient for streaming HD video on a few devices, multiplayer online gaming, or downloading large files.

In the filing, SpaceX noted that Starlink’s service is “meeting and exceeding 100/20 Mbps throughput to individual users.” At that rate, the internet-of-things just moves quicker with less latency, allowing users to stream video in ultra high-definition (UHD) on multiple screens.

SpaceX began a public beta phase program of Starlink in October 2020, with service priced out at $99 a month compared to the average advertised internet package in the U.S. of around $50–$60 per month. Signing up for Starlink service will also cost another $499 upfront to order the Starlink Kit that gives the end-user a terminal, mounting tripod, and Wi-Fi router necessary to connect to the satellites.

Consumers are buying less gasoline, and supplies are increasing. Normally, that results in lower prices at the pump; instead, prices are continuing to rise.

The AAA Fuel Gauge Survey puts the national average price of regular gas at $2.45 a gallon, three cents higher than last week. That’s 19 cents a gallon more than motorists paid a month ago. The average price of premium gas is $3.03 a gallon, also three cents higher than seven days ago. The average price of diesel fuel is $2.66 a gallon, two cents more than last week.

Consumers continued to pay more at the pump this week despite the fact that there was a big one-week drop in demand and gasoline supplies rose by more than 2 million barrels. But crude oil prices continue to rise as traders bet demand will increase as the coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines become more widespread.

Over the past year or so, motorists have paid significantly less for gasoline when compared to 12 months earlier. That gap has now disappeared. The average price today is the same as it was a year ago.

“For nearly a year, motorists have been saving 53 cents a gallon, on average, when filling up their gas tanks. That extra pocket change is quickly going to dwindle thanks to rising crude oil prices that have made for more expensive pump prices,” said Jeanette Casselano McGee, AAA’s spokesperson.

Ten states already have more expensive gas prices compared to a year ago, including Delaware, where the average price of regular is 23 cents more than a year ago, just before 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:

• California ($3.43)

• Hawaii ($3.34)

• Washington ($2.85)

• Nevada ($2.77)

• Pennsylvania ($2.73)

• Oregon ($2.72)

• Alaska ($2.63)

• Illinois ($2.59)

• New Jersey ($2.57)

• New York ($2.53)

The states with the cheapest regular gas

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

• Mississippi ($2.12)

• Oklahoma ($2.17)

• Texas ($2.15)

• Missouri ($2.15)

• Louisiana ($2.18)

• Arkansas ($2.20)

• Alabama ($2.20)

• South Carolina ($2.20)

• Kansas ($2.21)

• Tennessee ($2.22)

INFINITI is recalling 8,291 model year 2020 QX50s.

The text of the tire and loading information placard, including the tire size and loading capacity, may be illegible.

Illegible tire size or loading capacity information can lead to the incorrect sized tire being installed or its overloading, increasing the risk of a crash.

What to do

INFINITI will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the legibility of and -- as necessary -- replace the placard free of charge.

The recall is expected to begin March 16, 2021.

Owners may contact INFINITI customer service at (800) 662-6200. INFINITI'S number for this recall is PC788.

Dole Fresh Vegetables is recalling Dole Endless Summer Salad Kits.

The product may contain fish and egg, allergens not declared on the label.

No illnesses or allergic reactions have been reported to date.

The recalled product, lot codes B00912A and B00912B, UPC code 0-71430-01073-0 and a best if used by date of January 26, 2021, were sold in Arizona, California, Colorado, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Mississippi, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin.

What to do

Consumers who purchased the recalled product should not consume, but rather discard it.

Consumers with questions may call Dole at (800) 356-3111, 24 hours a day.

Congressional Democrats on Thursday introduced a resolution calling for the Biden administration to forgive $50,000 in student debt for all borrowers through an executive action. 

During his campaign, Biden vowed to forgive $10,000 in student loans per borrower. Democrats are now asking the president to increase that amount and forgive $50,000 per loan recipient immediately. 

“During a time of historic and overlapping crises, which are disproportionately impacting communities of color, we must do everything in our power to deliver real relief to the American people, lift up our struggling economy and close the racial wealth gap,” Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said in a statement.

“Democrats are committed to big, bold action, and this resolution to cancel up to $50,000 in federal student loan debt is one of the strongest steps the president can take to achieve these goals,” he said. 

Democrats pushing for more

Consumers who have taken out loans for college have, on average, between $20,000 to $24,999 in debt, according to the Federal Reserve. Collectively, student loan debt in the U.S. is around $1.7 trillion. 

President Biden has already suspended student loan payments through at least September. But Schumer argued that erasing debt now through executive action would help boost the economy and ease the debt burden for tens of millions of borrowers. 

"We are not going to let up until we accomplish it," Schumer said. "It would be a huge push into our economy."

Proponents of the student debt forgiveness plan say it would free up money for consumers to spend on other things, such as buying a home. Republicans, meanwhile, argue that the plan is too expensive and might lead to future generations to think that borrowed money would later be forgiven by the government. 

Biden said during his campaign that forgiving some student loans would be a top priority for his administration. 

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

Total U.S. confirmed cases: 26,574,522 (26,446,439)

Total U.S. deaths: 451,454 (447,737)

Total global cases: 104,572,592 (104,043,420)

Total global deaths: 2,273,515 (2,258,460)

Cases, hospitalizations, and deaths all trending lower

The latest surge in the coronavirus (COVID-19) is showing signs of peaking. The number of new cases, hospitalizations, and deaths are all trending lower this week.

While one analysis showed that the U.S. recorded 114,000 new cases of the virus on Tuesday, the numbers are moving in the right direction. Most states are reporting lower new case numbers so far this week.

The COVID Tracking Project at Johns Hopkins University shows hospitalizations are also declining, with 92,880 COVID-19 patients in U.S. hospitals on Tuesday; that’s nearly 1,000 fewer than the day before. That number has declined every day over the last three weeks.

Unemployment claims decline again

It may not be a coincidence that the labor market appears to be improving as the number of COVID-19 cases declines. The Labor Department reports that there were 779,000 initial claims for unemployment benefits last week.

That’s an improvement over the previous week’s 812,000 claims. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones expected the number of jobless claims to rise to 830,000.

Claims for jobless benefits had been rising steadily into the end of the year as the sharp increase in coronavirus cases resulted in new restrictions on businesses. Last week’s claims were the lowest since November 28.

Study finds weather is the biggest factor in virus spread

Yes, you should wear a mask in public and maintain a social distance, but a new study finds that you may still be at the mercy of an uncontrollable factor -- the weather.

Researchers at the University of Nicosia, in Cypress, found that hot weather and wind have a bigger impact on virus transmission rates than social distancing during a pandemic. They point to temperature, humidity, and wind as reliable predictors of when an outbreak will peak.

“We propose that epidemiological models must incorporate climate effects through the AIR index,” the researchers wrote. “National lockdowns or large-scale lockdowns should not be based on short-term prediction models that exclude the effects of weather seasonality.”

California may be ready to reopen schools

After imposing a series of tough restrictions to counter the rising number of COVID-19 cases in the state, California Gov. Gavin Newsom now says he believes public schools can safely reopen, even if not all teachers have been vaccinated.

Teachers’ unions in California have a different view. They have pushed to keep classrooms closed until all teachers have received a vaccination against the virus.

“I’d love to have everybody in the state vaccinated that chooses to be vaccinated,” Newsom told reporters. “Not only would I like to prioritize teachers, we are prioritizing teachers.”

Contemplating mortality

More than 400,000 Americans have died from the effects of the coronavirus, and that fact has a lot of people thinking about their mortality. Millennials were among the largest demographic making out wills in the last 10 months, according to a survey by Trust & Will, an estate planning firm.

The study evaluated the preferences of 20,000 millennials who completed estate planning documents. It found that 78 percent set up a will in 2020, with nearly a quarter of them citing "2020/The Pandemic" as the primary reason for creating an estate plan.

"We saw a huge increase in the number of millennials completing wills last year, which is a positive trend considering that more than 60 percent of adult Americans do not have a will in place," said Cody Barbo, CEO of Trust & Will. 

Around the nation

• Michigan: State health officials are allowing restaurants to reopen indoor dining this week, but a poll suggests that they will have no problem keeping capacity low. The poll, which was conducted by a Detroit website, found that 66 percent of people say they aren’t ready to return to restaurants right now, with 61 percent saying it’s not safe.

• Ohio: Health care workers were among the first in line to get the COVID-19 vaccine, but funeral directors are pressing Gov. Mike DeWine to add their employees to the list too. “People who do embalming, I think, make a very strong case. We’re actually reviewing that right now,” DeWine said. “Certainly, keeping funerals...moving forward is very important, so we are looking at that.”

• Arizona: A Phoenix couple, Manuel and Sally Montano, met when they were teenagers and fell in love. Tragically, both contracted COVID-19 at the same time, spent their 50th wedding anniversary in the hospital hooked up to machines, and died together a few days later.

McKinsey & Company has agreed to pay $573 million to settle claims that advertised a way for companies to “supercharge” their opioid sales. 

Nearly 50 state governments, as well as the District of Columbia and territories, have accused the global business consulting firm of working with opioid companies to help them boost sales of high-risk opioids in 2013 -- a time when opioid prescriptions were trending downward as an effect of the opioid crisis. 

A majority of the funds from the settlement will go toward paying for treatment and rehabilitation programs in communities that have been hard-hit by the opioid crisis. McKinsey agreed to the settlement without admitting fault. 

"We chose to resolve this matter in order to provide fast, meaningful support to communities across the United States," Kevin Sneader, global managing partner of McKinsey, said in the statement. "We deeply regret that we did not adequately acknowledge the tragic consequences of the epidemic unfolding in our communities. With this agreement, we hope to be part of the solution to the opioid crisis in the U.S."

Addressing the devastation

The national settlement, which was announced Thursday, "resolves investigations by the attorneys general into the company's role in working for opioid companies, helping those companies promote their drugs, and profiting millions of dollars from the opioid epidemic," according to a press release from the office of New York Attorney General Letitia James. 

The opioid crisis has been linked to the deaths of more than 470,000 Americans since 2000, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). James said the money from the settlement will help address the devastation the epidemic has created. 

"While no amount of money will ever compensate for the pain of the hundreds of thousands dead, the millions addicted, and the countless families torn apart from opioid addiction, we can ensure that those responsible for the crisis help to fund prevention, education, and treatment programs to stop additional New Yorkers and Americans across the country from becoming addicted to opioids in the first place," James said.

Parents serve as role models when it comes to getting their kids to eat more fruits and vegetables; however, a new study is showing why getting kids involved in the food preparation process can also be beneficial to their healthy habits.

According to researchers from the University of Texas at Austin, school gardens can serve as a great opportunity to educate kids about the process of how fruits and vegetables are grown and maintained while also giving them more information about the benefits of eating more healthy foods. The study showed that programs like this in schools can be instrumental in changing kids’ eating habits. 

“A lot of the families in these schools live with food insecurity,” said researcher Jaimie Davis. “They live in food deserts and face a higher risk of childhood obesity and related health issues. Teaching kids where their food comes from, how to grow it, how to prepare it -- that’s key to changing eating behaviors over the long term.” 

Creating lasting healthy habits

The researchers partnered with more than a dozen elementary schools in Texas to see how school gardens can change kids’ eating habits. All of the schools received fruit and vegetable gardens, and classes were held for both students and their parents to teach them about how to care for the garden and how valuable fruits and vegetables are to their daily diets. Over the course of the school year, the kids reported on what they ate and had their blood pressure, weight, and body mass indices (BMIs) recorded at the start and conclusion of the study. 

The gardens were successful in changing kids’ eating habits and making them healthier overall. The program allowed kids to be introduced to new foods, and they also learned how to prepare healthy options at home. 

Perhaps most importantly, the students who participated in the garden program were eating half a serving more of vegetables each day than they were at the start of the study. While this may not seem like a huge change, the researchers say this is a step in the right direction that can set kids up for a lifetime of healthier eating. 

“We have been able to introduce children to a wide variety of vegetables that they’ve never had access to,” said Davis. “Parents I talk with ask, ‘How did you get my kid to eat kale?’ But when they grow the kale from seed and learn how to prepare it in olive oil and bake it into kale chips, they love it.” 

Changing behaviors for better health

The researchers didn’t notice any significant changes to the kids’ weight, blood pressure, or BMIs, but they’re confident that with long-term healthy eating efforts, those positive changes will come. 

“Behavior changes can be difficult to achieve, especially long term,” Davis said. “Changes to health parameters like blood pressure may take longer to manifest. Getting children to eat more vegetables can potentially set them up for long-term success.” 

For families living in food deserts and with food insecurity, which the majority of the participants involved in this study were, the consequences can be felt both mentally and physically. Moving forward, the researchers hope that more work like these school-supported vegetable gardens can be implemented so that more young people can enjoy similar benefits.

Amazon has agreed to pay $61.7 million to settle claims that it withheld customer tips from its Flex delivery drivers -- independent contractors who use their personal vehicles to make deliveries through the Prime Now and AmazonFresh programs.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) alleges that, in 2016, Amazon “intentionally failed” to inform drivers that it would shift from paying them the agreed-upon rate of $18 to $25 per hour plus tips to paying drivers a lower hourly rate. 

The FTC said Amazon promised Flex drivers and customers that these workers would receive 100 percent of the tips they were given. However, the agency claims the company instead used customers’ tips to make up the difference between the advertised rate and the new hourly rate. 

“Rather than passing along 100% of customers’ tips to drivers, as it had promised to do, Amazon used the money itself,” said Daniel Kaufman, acting director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, in a statement. “Our action today returns to drivers the tens of millions of dollars in tips that Amazon misappropriated, and requires Amazon to get drivers’ permission before changing its treatment of tips in the future.”

Amazon disagrees with claim

Amazon said it’s “pleased” to resolve the matter, but it added that it disagreed with the FTC’s claim that its pay model was unclear. 

“While we disagree that the historical way we reported pay to drivers was unclear, we added additional clarity in 2019 and are pleased to put this matter behind us,” an Amazon spokesperson told CNBC. “Amazon Flex delivery partners play an important role in serving customers every day, which is why they earn among the best in the industry at over $25 per hour on average.”

The settlement requires Amazon to pay $61,710,583, which the FTC will use to compensate Flex drivers. Amazon will also be barred from misrepresenting any driver’s “likely income or rate or pay, how much of their tips will be paid to them, as well as whether the amount paid by a customer is a tip,” the FTC said. 

Amazon will also be required to obtain a driver’s informed consent before making any changes to how their tips will be used as compensation. 

American Airlines told its employees that when the federal aid it’s been living on expires on March 31, as many as 13,000 workers will likely be furloughed if labor unions are unable to raise more emergency funding from the government.

The $15 billion Payroll Support Program (PSP) package Congress approved for domestic air carriers in late 2020 required airlines to recall all employees they furloughed in the fall and maintain payroll through March 31.

American’s peer United Airlines also sent furlough warnings to 14,000 staff members last week.

Even pilots are affected

The furlough notices covered every aspect of American’s workforce, including 4,245 of its flight attendants, 3,145 fleet service workers, 1,850 pilots, 1,420 maintenance workers, 1,205 in passenger service, 100 dispatchers, and 40 flight crew training and simulator pilot instructors, according to an American Airlines securities filing.

American is the only major U.S. carrier to furlough pilots. Delta, United, and Jetblue previously cut deals with pilot unions that kept the pilots' jobs in place in exchange for reduced flying or pay. Southwest told its pilots that they also run the risk of being furloughed in March or April. 

In its filing, American also announced that it will open a voluntary early-out program (VEOP) and a long-term voluntary leave of absence (VLOA) program for the company’s U.S.-based team members, but not its pilots. The benefits offered through those programs include everything from non-revenue travel privileges and partial pay up to $150,000 in a Retiree Health Reimbursement Arrangement.

The Allied Pilots Association (APA), American Airlines pilots’ union, was thrown off by American’s move to furlough pilots. “Although we recognize (American Airlines) CEO Doug Parker’s efforts when he joined APA on Capitol Hill for PSP, today’s news does come with some head-scratching,” APA brass wrote in response to American’s announcement.

“While perhaps not unexpected due to near-term passenger demand, the announcement seems to contradict recent comments by President Robert Isom, who said during last week’s earnings call that, due to retirements, American would ‘be hiring pilots in the not-too-distant future,’ the organization said.

“We owe you transparency”

With constantly changing guidance and rules for travelers regarding masks, international travel, and COVID-19 tests, the airline industry probably suffers more pandemic-led economic turbulence than any other business sector. 

“The vaccine is not being distributed as quickly as any of us believed, and new restrictions on international travel that require customers to have a negative COVID-19 test have dampened demand,” American’s CEO Doug Parker and President Robert Isom wrote in a note to staff. “Please know that we will get through this period and to more stable ground — that is certain. And, we will continue to fight in every way possible to get there as soon as we can.”

“Until demand returns and we can provide permanent job stability, we owe you transparency. That is what we can offer today and what we will continue to provide. Thank you for all you continue to do for each other, our customers and our airline,” the officials said.

Several studies have highlighted how regularly drinking both coffee and green tea can impart several health benefits to consumers. 

Now, a new study conducted by researchers from the American Heart Association has found that both popular beverages can be particularly beneficial for survivors of heart attacks and strokes. The study revealed that green tea and coffee have both been linked with reducing the risk of death for those who have experienced either cardiac event. 

Maintaining cardiovascular health

For the study, the researchers evaluated data from more than 76,000 participants enrolled in the Japan Collaborative Cohort Study for Evaluation of Cancer Risk. Participants disclosed their history with cardiovascular issues, such as heart attack and stroke, and also reported on how frequently they consumed both green tea and coffee. 

The researchers learned that both drinks were beneficial to participants who had experienced a heart attack or stroke. Green tea was found to be more effective for stroke survivors, and coffee was effective for both groups and for those without a history of cardiovascular issues. The study showed that participants who drank at least one cup of coffee per day and hadn’t experienced either a heart attack or stroke had a 14 percent lower chance of early death. 

In looking at the benefits associated with green tea, the researchers found that drinking at least seven cups per day lowered the risk of death for stroke survivors by more than 60 percent. On the other hand, heart attack and stroke survivors who had at least one cup of coffee per day lowered their risk of death by more than 20 percent. 

Cut down on the sugar

Though these findings were positive, the researchers warn consumers that adding a ton of sugar to either of these drinks can compromise the health benefits. 

“An important distinction to make is that in Japanese culture, green tea is generally prepared with water and without sugar,” said researcher Dr. Hiroyasu Iso. “Additionally, coffee is prepared with water and occasionally milk and sugar. The healthiest way to prepare these beverages is without an unnecessary amount of added sugars.” 

The researchers hope that these findings inspire future studies to explore similar themes. The time after a cardiovascular event can be difficult for many consumers, but patients can feel more confident, prepared, and healthy if they find ways to help their recovery. 

“There is a strong need for scientific evidence on the lifestyles among survivors of stroke and heart attack considering the rapidly aging population and the need to improve life expectancy following these cardiovascular events,” Dr. Iso said. 

German chemical company Bayer AG has proposed setting up a $2 billion fund to compensate people who make future claims against its weed killer product Roundup.

The proposal is the result of negotiations between Bayer and plaintiffs’ lawyers and is intended to head off future lawsuits that claim Roundup causes cancer. Bayer denies that Roundup has caused illnesses, but the company has recently lost a number of high-profile lawsuits that made that claim.

Three California juries have found in favor of plaintiffs who claimed their exposure to Roundup caused their cancer. In June, Bayer reached a $9.6 billion settlement to settle the rest of the pending cases. However, that agreement does not cover similar claims that might be made in the future.

The company and the plaintiffs’ lawyers will submit their proposal to a federal court judge for approval. If approved, Bayer would pay into a fund that would compensate people between $5,000 and $200,000 if, in the future, they are diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma after using Roundup.

How compensation would be determined

If the court gives its approval, consumers who think their use of the weed killer is responsible for their non-Hodgkin lymphoma can apply for a settlement from the fund. Their compensation would be based on their age, health, and proof of Roundup exposure.

While the settlement would probably reduce the number of lawsuits Bayer would face, it would not preclude them. A plaintiff could hire a lawyer and sue, but they would have to convince a jury to award damages higher than the offer from the compensation fund.

“It’s really about options, and it’s really about choice,” Elizabeth Cabraser, an attorney for the plaintiffs, told The Wall Street Journal. “I think it’s a great option that offers predictability and transparency for people who don’t want to wait, who want to be compensated.”

Despite the court verdicts and settlements, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has disputed the claim that glyphosate, Roundup’s active ingredient, causes cancer, ruling that science doesn’t back it up.

If you’re in the market for a new or used car and plan on financing it, it may pay to wait a little longer before making a purchase. Already-low auto loan rates are set to go lower.

In its 2021 auto rate forecast, Bankrate.com predicted loan rates would drift lower over time. The Federal Reserve’s interest rate policy is aimed at keeping interest rates stable and low.

“The fed funds rate is pinned to the floor of 0 to 0.25 percent until 2023 or so, but an equal part of the Fed’s strategy is keeping longer-term interest rates low,” said Greg McBride, CFA, Bankrate’s chief financial analyst.

McBride said that while the Fed has primary control over short-term rates, it has a number of tools at its disposal, including purchasing debt, which can help keep nearly all rates to where the Fed wants them to be.

It can help current owners too

RateGenius, a fintech company, says the trend not only helps car buyers but also car owners who refinance their loans. Refinancing is mostly associated with home mortgages, but the company’s analysts say it can also save money on car loans.

"Last year was a difficult one for consumers across the country," says RateGenius CEO Chris Speltz. "While it's not surprising that borrowers who refinanced saved money on their auto loans and lessened their overall debt burden, what our analysis found was that changes in consumer behavior as a result of the pandemic — such as fewer miles driven and choosing to purchase used cars over new — had an overall positive impact on vehicle collateral values, loan approvals, and savings in 2020."

In fact, the company’s report on auto loan refinancing in 2020 found the monthly savings to be the highest on record. The study found:

• Consumers saved an average of $989.72 a year on refinancing their car in 2020, the largest amount since 2016.

• 42 percent of refinanced loans saw annual savings of $1,000 or higher.

• With an average interest rate of 10.5 percent on their existing loans, the average interest on the refinanced loan was 5 percent — the greatest interest rate reduction in eight years.

The trend should continue

For borrowers hoping to refinance their auto loans in 2021, the forecast is promising. Scott Markland, vice president of business development at RateGenius, says 2021 is shaping up to be another year for record savings.

He says the trend is likely to continue throughout the year, providing opportunities for consumers to save money and for lenders to land new business.

ConsumerAffairs has collected hundreds of verified reviews of auto loan companies. You’ll find them here.