Current Events in February 2021

A new study conducted by researchers from Simon Fraser University is exploring the risks associated with eating large quantities of refined grains, which consist of things like croissants, pastas, cereals, and anything containing bleached white flour.

The team says doing so puts consumers at a higher risk for both cardiovascular disease and premature death. 

“This study reaffirms previous work indicating a healthy diet includes limiting overly processed and refined foods,” said researcher Scott Lear. 

Processed foods harm health 

The researchers came to their conclusions after analyzing data from the Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology (PURE) study. This dataset tracked the diets and health outcomes of more than 137,00 participants around the world for nearly two decades.

The study revealed a clear link between refined grain intake and poorer heart health for the participants -- particularly when they exceeded seven servings of these foods each day. The more refined grains the participants ate, the more susceptible they were to heart disease, stroke, and premature death. 

Of those three primary risk factors, strokes posed the biggest risk to consumers’ health. The study showed that participants who ate seven or more servings of refined grains each day were nearly 50 percent more likely to have a stroke. 

Finding better alternatives

The researchers recommend that consumers think about ways that they can incorporate healthier options into their diets each day. Opting for whole grain alternatives can yield better health outcomes. 

Swapping out refined grains for whole grains -- as well as other health foods like fruits and vegetables -- can reduce the risk of heart disease and give consumers lasting health benefits. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly affected consumers’ mental health over the last year. Now, researchers from Boston University are exploring the specific mental health challenges that college students are facing. 

The researchers found that conditions like depression and anxiety, and feelings of loneliness, are higher than ever among college students. While the pandemic certainly comes into play, the team thinks that these findings should be considered in a broader context of mental health struggles. 

“Half of students in fall 2020 screened positive for depression and/or anxiety,” said researcher Sarah Ketchen Lipson. “I think mental health is getting worse [across the U.S. population], and on top of that we are now gathering more data on these trends than ever before. People are being more open, having more dialogue about it, and we’re able to better identify that people are struggling.” 

Widespread mental health concerns

The researchers conducted a survey of nearly 33,000 college students to better understand what mental health struggles they’re experiencing. The survey asked general questions about the participants’ mental health and also touched on how stressors affected their day-to-day lives. 

The large majority of the students involved in the study reported struggling with mental health and feelings of isolation, and these experiences often impacted their daily routines. More than 80 percent of the students shared that their mental health was a roadblock in completing assignments and handling other academic responsibilities. 

Now knowing this, the researchers are calling on professors to make adjustments that can benefit their students’ mental health. Making assignments due earlier in the day can take the pressure off students to stay up all night, and gentle reminders about students’ worth outside of the classroom can leave a long-lasting positive impact. 

“Even in larger classes, where 1:1 outreach is more difficult, instructors can send classwide emails reinforcing the idea that they care about their students not just as learners, but as people, and circulating information about campus resources for mental health and wellness,” Lipson said. 

Utilizing mental health resources

Stressors like the COVID-19 pandemic or mounting student loan debt aren’t likely to disappear all at once, which makes it even more important for college students to utilize the mental health services that are available to them. Though half of the students involved in the survey were worried about what their peers would think about them seeking out mental health services, nearly 95 percent of the students said that they wouldn’t think differently of their peers for getting help for their mental health. 

The researchers hope that these findings inspire more young people to use the resources available to them before they reach crisis-level. Finding healthy ways to cope with and manage anxiety and depression can benefit college students beyond their four years of school. 

“Often students will only seek help when they find themselves in a mental health crisis, requiring more urgent resources,” said Lipson. “But how can we create systems to foster wellness before they reach that point? All students should receive mental health education, ideally as part of the required curriculum.” 

Daimler Vans USA (DVUSA) is recalling 84,345 model year 2016-2020 Mercedes-Benz Metris and model year 2019-2020 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vehicles.

The software design of the communication module may fail to communicate the correct vehicle location for the emergency call system (eCall) in a crash.

Failure of the eCall system may result in emergency responders being dispatched to the wrong location, increasing the risk of injury.

What to do

DVUSA will notify owners, and dealers will update the software communication module for the automatic emergency call system free of charge.

The recall is expected to begin April 6, 2021.

Owners may contact DVUSA customer service at (877) 762-8267. DVUSA's number for this recall is VSXHERMPOS.

Ford Motor Company is recalling about 1,666 model year 2021 Ford Bronco Sport vehicles sold in the U.S., Mexico and Canada.

The vehicles were produced with rear suspension modules that may not be fully secured to the subframe.

Rear suspension modules with loose or missing bolts may affect the vehicle’s stability, increasing risk of an accident, and may result in reduced rear impact crash performance, increasing the risk of injury.

What to do

Ford will contact owners, and dealers will confirm that the rear suspension bolts are secured properly and replace them if necessary.

Owners may contact Ford customer service at (866) 436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S04.

With all you’ve heard and know about COVID-19 -- vaccination rates, restrictions, etc. -- what U.S. state would you pick as the safest place to be at this point in the pandemic? Alaska, Utah, or Ohio? What about Red states or Blue states? Highest and lowest transmission rates?

WalletHub decided to crunch the numbers by comparing all 50 states and the District of Columbia on five different metrics: the rates of COVID-19 transmission, positive testing, hospitalizations, deaths, and the share of the eligible population getting vaccinated.

As you can imagine, no state is perfect, but the last two states to enter the Union showed up at the top. With a total score of 86.52, Alaska ranked first with a score of 86.52. Coming in second with a score of 79.22 was Hawaii. 

Alaska comes out on top and Ohio finishes last

Alaska made its way to the top mostly because of high vaccination rates and low hospitalization rates. However, as you’ll see in the breakouts, Alaska also has one of the highest transmission rates.

Ohio came in dead last with a fourth of the total points Alaska received and 14 points behind the 50th place finisher, South Carolina -- mostly due to its high death rate. Below is a list of some of the other interesting findings from the survey:

Red States vs. Blue States: The Blue states do slightly better in the “safest” category, with an average rank of 24.38 vs. 27.68 for Red states. *Note: In this ranking, a smaller number means that a state is safer.

Highest and Lowest Vaccination Rates: The highest vaccination Top 5 finishers are Alaska, New Mexico, Connecticut, North Dakota, and West Virginia. The Bottom 5 -- the ones with the worst vaccination rates -- are Kansas, Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, and Rhode Island.

Positive vs. Negative Testing Rates: Hawaii, Washington, Oregon, Michigan, and Missouri currently have the lowest positive testing rates. Rhode Island, North Carolina, New Jersey, South Carolina, and New York have the highest positive testing rates.

Hospitalization Rates: Again, Hawaii and Alaska top the list. They’re followed by North Dakota, Oregon, and Minnesota. At the low end of the scale, the states with the highest hospitalization rates are Georgia, Arizona, New York, Texas, and the District of Columbia.

Lowest Death Rates: The five states with the lowest death rates are North Dakota, Hawaii, Vermont, Maine, and Alaska. At the other end of the scale, the states with the highest death rates are Georgia, Rhode Island, Arizona, Alabama, and Ohio. 

Highest and Lowest Transmission Rates: Consumers in Arizona are enjoying the lowest transmission rates in the country, according to the researchers. After the Grand Canyon State, the others in the lowest transmission category are Maine, Alabama, and then in a three-way tie between Arkansas, California, and Missouri. The five states with the highest transmission rates are Minnesota, Alaska, New York, South Dakota, and Nebraska. 

Is there a way states can improve on this metric? One researcher says it comes down to identifying groups and getting people signed up for appointments.

“Target the vaccine administration to small teams that vaccinate groups of people that congregate together even if they fall into different tiers. The greatest barrier to the vaccine in the arms step is signing people up online or on the phone,” suggests Dianna Bryant, Ph.D., CIH, CSP – Director, Institute for Rural Emergency Management, Associate Professor Crisis and Disaster Management, at the University of Central Missouri.

“Setting appointments with groups to sign up their members puts the recruitment emphasis at the person to person level. Community centers, church groups, boy scouts, girl scouts, Boys and Girls clubs, bowling leagues, are all composed of folks who will fill a schedule of vaccine appointments and reduce vaccine hesitancy.”

Vaccination rates can become an even more important metric if the coronavirus isn’t wrestled completely to the ground. Like a flu shot, it’s possible that you might have to get an annual COVID-19 inoculation because people will need protection from future virus variants.

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

Total U.S. confirmed cases: 27,901,914 (27,832,979)

Total U.S. deaths: 493,501 (490,875)

Total global cases: 110,476,945 (110,064,878)

Total global deaths: 2,445,673 (2,434,048)

New cases decline in 43 states

The coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine, combined with the fact that 27 million Americans have already been infected, appears to be slowing the virus’ spread to a crawl. The U.S. has experienced a decline in the seven-day average of new cases in 43 states, according to a CNBC analysis of Johns Hopkins University data. 

The analysis shows Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming are the only states reporting an increase in the seven-day average of new cases. Hospitalizations have fallen in 49 states.

Writing in The Wall Street Journal today, Dr. Marty Makary, a professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, said COVID-19 cases are down 77 percent in the last six weeks. He predicts that the U.S. will achieve herd immunity -- and return to normal -- by April.

Feds say virus likely doesn’t spread by food contact

Two government agencies have wrapped up a nearly year-long investigation, confirming previous findings that there is no credible evidence of food or food packaging being associated with COVID-19 transmission.

“Our confidence in the safety of the U.S. food supply remains steadfast,” said Acting FDA Commissioner Dr. Janet Woodcock. “Consumers should be reassured that we continue to believe, based on our understanding of currently available reliable scientific information, and supported by overwhelming international scientific consensus, that the foods they eat and food packaging they touch are highly unlikely to spread SARS-CoV-2.”

Woodcock said the principal reason for the agencies’ conclusions is that COVID-19 is a respiratory illness that is spread from person to person through the air, unlike foodborne or gastrointestinal viruses. 

Pfizer seeks permission to store vaccine at higher temperature

The need to keep the Pfizer vaccine at extremely low temperatures has presented logistical issues that have complicated the vaccine’s rollout. Now, Pfizer is asking the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for permission to keep the vaccine at a higher, easier-to-manage temperature.

The drug company has submitted supporting data to the FDA, including stability data generated on batches manufactured over the past nine months of COVID-19 vaccine development. The current standard for storage is between minus 112 and minus 76 degrees Fahrenheit. However, Pfizer says the vaccine is stable between minus 13 and 5 degrees Fahrenheit.

“We have been continuously performing stability studies to support the production of the vaccine at commercial scale, with the goal of making the vaccine as accessible as possible for healthcare providers and people across the U.S. and around the world,” said Albert Bourla, Pfizer’s CEO. 

Walgreens expands its vaccination rollout

Walgreens says it has administered more than 3 million COVID-19 vaccinations, mostly in  long-term care facilities, and is now ready to expand its vaccination availability to more retail pharmacies.

The company said it expects to receive nearly a half-million doses of the vaccine each week as part of an effort to increase vaccination at pharmacies in more than 20 states. The extra supply is expected to begin next week.

The expansion is currently targeted for Arizona, Alaska, California, Chicago, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

Is it safe to travel once you have been vaccinated?

Millions of Americans have received both doses of the coronavirus vaccine, and many are eager to get back to normal activities. But what kind of normal activities are safe?

For those ready to take a trip, Merck Manuals, a provider of health care information, echoes recent guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Travel can increase exposure to risk.

“The vaccine has been shown to reduce the severity of illness if you get COVID-19, but it is not perfect in preventing you from getting infected,” the editors warn. “It’s not clear whether someone who is vaccinated can feel fine but still be infected enough to transmit the virus to someone else. That means that it’s essential that all people — even individuals who have been vaccinated — continue to wear a mask, wash their hands, and social distance for the foreseeable future.”

Around the nation

• Florida: Health officials in Orange County say two young women used makeup and vintage clothing to disguise themselves as seniors and cut in line to get the COVID-19 vaccine. It apparently worked, at least once. Police say the women were exposed when they came back three weeks later to get the second shot.

• Oregon: Gov. Kate Brown says most elementary school students in the state will be back in the classroom by April. She noted that classrooms have been reopening over the last few weeks, with the number of students attending in-person classes doubling since Dec. 23.

• Minnesota: State health officials say they were forced to postpone vaccination appointments at two community venues in the state on Thursday and today because of shipping delays. They report that severe winter weather in much of the country prevented the expected delivery of the vaccine.

Earlier in the COVID-19 pandemic, experts had determined that consumers with asthma aren’t likely to develop severe cases of the virus. 

Now, a new study conducted by researchers from the Taylor and Francis Group is doubling down on those findings. The team’s work revealed that having asthma doesn’t increase consumers’ risk of death from COVID-19. In fact, they learned that asthma sufferers are less likely to contract the virus and less likely to require hospitalization. 

“Chemical receptors in the lungs that the virus binds to are less active in people with a particular type of asthma and some studies suggest that inhaled corticosteroids -- commonly used to treat asthma -- can reduce their activity even further,” said researcher Christine Jenkins. “Also, initial uncertainty about the impact of asthma on COVID-19 may have caused anxiety among patients and caregivers leading them to be more vigilant about preventing infection.” 

How does asthma impact COVID-19?

The researchers analyzed nearly 60 studies that contained information on more than 587,000 people to determine what effect asthma has on COVID-19. Approximately eight percent of the participants involved in the study had asthma, which the researchers believe is a fairly close comparison to the global percentage of people with the condition. 

Though both asthma and COVID-19 affect the lungs, and many asthma sufferers were worried that the virus would affect them more, these study findings should ease some of those concerns. The researchers learned that the risk of contracting COVID-19 is 14 percent lower for people with asthma, and the likelihood of being hospitalized is even less. The study also showed that asthma doesn’t increase the risk for coronavirus-related death. 

The biggest asthma-related concern was for older participants, as this group was more likely to contract the virus than younger asthma sufferers. However, the researchers attribute this to the way that age affects COVID-19 severity, rather than asthma. 

While these findings are certainly positive for consumers with asthma, the researchers hope that more work is done to better understand how asthma and COVID-19 interact with each other. 

“While we showed that people with asthma do not seem to have a higher risk of infection with COVID-19 compared to those without asthma and have similar outcomes, we need further research to better understand how the virus affects those with asthma,” said researcher Dr. Anthony Sunjaya. 

After successfully delivering 3 million COVID-19 vaccinations across long-term care facilities and at-risk population centers, Walgreen’s is ready to increase its inoculation program by nearly a half-million each week.

The company began in-store vaccinations in 17 states and jurisdictions as part of the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program on February 12. Beginning February 25, Walgreens tells ConsumerAffairs that it will receive a weekly allocation of more than 480,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses and support administration in the following U.S. states and territories:

• Arizona

• Arkansas 

• Connecticut

• Delaware

• Georgia 

• Illinois

• Kentucky

• Maine 

• Maryland

• Nevada 

• New Hampshire

• New Mexico

• New York

• North Carolina

• Ohio 

• Oregon 

• Puerto Rico

• U.S. Virgin Islands

• Utah 

• Vermont

• Virginia 

• West Virginia

• Wisconsin

• Wyoming

Signing up

Walgreens said it will also continue to assist states with the administration of their COVID-19 vaccine allocations through in-store vaccinations or off-site clinics. The company noted that supply remains limited, but individuals eligible to receive the vaccine under the federal and state programs can schedule appointments by visiting Walgreens.com/ScheduleVaccine or through their state department of health website.

The steps to sign up are fairly straightforward:

1. Sign in to your Walgreens.com pharmacy account. If you don’t have an account, setting one up takes no more than a minute or so. 

2. Complete a short eligibility screening.

3. If you’re eligible, Walgreen’s says it will look for available appointments in your area for your COVID-19 vaccination appointment.

Providing rides and free tests

Hosting off-site COVID-19 vaccination clinics is an important element in Walgreens vaccination plan. To date, it’s hosted vaccination events and worked with civic leaders, advocacy groups, and faith-based organizations to offer educational programs in more than 100 underserved U.S. communities.

One helpful part of that initiative is providing free rides in socially vulnerable communities where transportation may be a barrier to getting a COVID-19 vaccine. In Chicago, Walgreens worked with Uber and the Chicago Urban League to get people to vaccination sites and says it will scale that initiative nationally as vaccine inventories expand.

Walgreens announced that the urban areas that are up next in that effort will be Atlanta, El Paso, and Houston.

The company said that it’s also expanding access to COVID-19 testing to more than 5,000 of its pharmacy locations nationwide by April 1. According to its website, the company says that testing is “no cost” for ages 3+ as part of its partnership with the PWNHealth provider network. 

Last month’s extreme stock market volatility in GameStop stock was the focus of lawmakers’ attention Thursday when some of the principals involved in the volatility were summoned before the House Financial Services Committee.

In the hot seat were Vlad Tenev, chief executive of online brokerage Robinhood Markets Inc.; Gabe Plotkin, the founder of hedge fund Melvin Capital Management LP; Steve Huffman, the CEO of the social-media platform Reddit and host to the WallStreetBets forum; Ken Griffin, the billionaire founder of the hedge fund Citadel LLC; and Keith Gill, an individual investor who acquired big positions in GameStop stock and options and called it to the attention to others on Reddit.

Members of the committee said they were trying to determine what exactly happened in late January when the stock price of GameStop and other struggling companies surged in value because traders using the Robinhood trading platform and posting messages on Reddit pushed the stock far beyond its fundamental value.

Part of the hearing focused on Robinhood’s move, in the wake of GameStop’s meteoric rise, to limit trading in the stock. Tenev used his time with lawmakers to apologize to customers for the restrictions Robinhood introduced in late January but said it was due to conditions beyond the company’s control -- specifically, that it had to comply with federal regulations.

‘Unacceptable’

"Despite the unprecedented market conditions in January, at the end of the day, what happened is unacceptable to us," Tenev said. He said it was important for customers to know that Robinhood is "doing everything we can to make sure this won’t happen again."

In the face of pointed questions from lawmakers, the Robinhood CEO insisted that Robinhood is helping its customers to build wealth and get their financial lives under control. He said the total value of Robinhood's customers' assets exceeded the amount of money they deposited on the platform by more than $35 billion.

"While markets fluctuate, this tells me that our business model is working for everyday Americans," Tenev told the committee.

Roaring Kitty

Gill, who goes by the Reddit name of “Roaring Kitty,” told the committee he based all of his investments in GameStop on a fundamental analysis of what appeared to be the company’s declining business, carried out over at least two years.

“I continued analyzing stocks on my own time and investing my family’s funds,” he told the committee. In early June of 2019, the price of GameStop’s stock declined on worse than expected earnings, and it began trading at a deep discount, below what I thought was its fair value. I was aware from public reports that a well-known investor, Michael Burry, was interested in GameStop. Because I thought the stock was undervalued, I purchased call options on June 7, 2019.”

Lawmakers repeatedly pressed Griffin and Plotkin about their hedge funds’ relationship with Robinhood and whether institutional investors have a better deal with Robinhood than individual investors.

Finding ways to keep young kids active can be difficult for many parents -- especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, a new study conducted by researchers from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is exploring how physical fitness could be related to academic abilities.  

According to the researchers, kids’ physical fitness from preschool age can lead to better cognitive outcomes. Their work showed that preschoolers who have the strongest cardiorespiratory fitness are also the most likely to have the highest scores on cognitive and academic assessments. 

“Preschool children with higher estimated cardiorespiratory fitness had higher scores on academic ability tasks related to general intellectual abilities as well as their use of expressive language,” said researcher Shleby Keye. “They had better performance on computerized tasks requiring attention and multitasking skills, and they showed the potential for faster processing speeds and greater resource allocation in the brain when completing these computerized tasks.” 

How fitness affects intelligence

The researchers put 60 preschoolers through a variety of tests that evaluated their physical and cognitive abilities. To test cardiorespiratory fitness, the kids were told to walk as far as they could in an allotted time. The cognitive tests were more extensive, with the kids completing several computer-based tests and undergoing cognitive and developmental assessments. 

After compiling the data from all of these trials, the association between physical fitness and intellectual abilities was clear. The kids who had the strongest cardiorespiratory fitness were also the strongest intellectually and cognitively. 

However, it’s also important to note that the researchers don’t believe that increasing children’s physical fitness is likely to yield better academic outcomes. Instead, the findings simply show that the two are closely linked. 

Because this study focuses on kids at such a young age and during such a crucial developmental stage, the researchers are curious about when this relationship between fitness and cognition is developed. Other studies have highlighted how a good exercise routine can be beneficial to consumers’ brain function, but these findings are most often focused on adults. 

“...It isn’t yet known at what point in the developmental trajectory of childhood this relationship emerges,” Keye said. 

Keeping kids physically active

While these findings are certainly promising, the researchers’ anticipate that the biggest roadblock for parents is keeping their kids active. Several studies have found that kids -- even from this young age -- have adopted very sedentary lifestyles. 

“This is worrisome, since brain development of core cognitive control processes begins in early childhood and continues well into early adulthood,” said researcher Naiman Khan. 

In an effort to simplify logistics and expedite the vaccine rollout, Pfizer has asked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for permission to store its vaccine at temperatures higher than initially recommended. 

Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said the approval would make storing the vaccine at pharmacies and vaccination centers easier, which would help get the vaccine into the arms of more people faster. 

“We have been continuously performing stability studies to support the production of the vaccine at commercial scale, with the goal of making the vaccine as accessible as possible for healthcare providers and people across the U.S. and around the world,” Bourla said Friday. “If approved, this new storage option would offer pharmacies and vaccination centers greater flexibility in how they manage their vaccine supply.” 

New stability data

The company has asked to be able to store its COVID-19 at temperatures commonly found in pharmaceutical freezers and refrigerators for a total of two weeks "as an alternative or complement to storage in an ultra-low temperature freezer.” 

Currently, the vaccine is authorized to be stored only at ultra-cold temperatures of between minus 112 and minus 76 degrees Fahrenheit. It can remain stored at these temperatures for up to 6 months. Pfizer’s approval request was accompanied by data showing that the vaccine is stable between minus 13 and 5 degrees Fahrenheit. 

“The data submitted may facilitate the handling of our vaccine in pharmacies and provide vaccination centers an even greater flexibility,” said Ugur Sahin, CEO and Co-founder of BioNTech. “We will continue to leverage our expertise to develop potential new formulations that could make our vaccine even easier to transport and use.”

On Friday, the U.K.’s Supreme Court ruled that Uber drivers should be classified as workers who are entitled to legal rights and protections. 

Uber has long advocated for its workers to retain their classification as independent contractors, arguing that drivers have flexibility and therefore should not technically be considered employees. However, in his ruling, judge George Leggat concluded that Uber workers who log into the Uber app effectively enter a contract with the company to “perform driving services for Uber London.” 

“The employment tribunal was right to find that Uber drivers are workers who therefore qualify for the rights conferred on workers by employment legislation,” said Leggatt, reading a summary of the ruling on a court livestream.

The judges said that although drivers can choose their own hours, Uber runs its business in a way that results in drivers being “very tightly defined and controlled” by the ride-hailing firm. For example, Uber controls drivers by keeping track of their ratings and ensuring that their communications with passengers are kept to a minimum. 

“Drivers are in a position of subordination and dependency to Uber," the court said, adding that the only way they can boost their earnings is by “working longer hours while constantly meeting Uber's measures of performance.” 

Uber responds

Uber said it respected the court’s ruling that it acts as an employer, but it pointed out that it focused only on a small portion of drivers who used the Uber app in 2016. 

“Since then we have made some significant changes to our business, guided by drivers every step of the way,” Jamie Heywood, Uber’s Regional General Manager for Northern and Eastern Europe, said in a statement. “These include giving even more control over how they earn and providing new protections like free insurance in case of sickness or injury.”

The case will now return to the Employment Tribunal, where officials will decide how much compensation drivers are owed. 

Uber has historically pushed back against challenges to its classification of drivers. When a similar judgment was made in California, it ended up shelling out around $220 million in advertising to push through Proposition 22. Ultimately, Prop 22 rolled back the court ruling and an earlier California law called AB 5, which offered more protections to drivers. 

Economists at Jefferies predict that the pandemic-driven increase in online shipping costs will persist as long as the pandemic does -- and that will continue to burden many retailers who can’t promise shipping speeds as fast as e-commerce giants like Amazon. 

The report, which was based on a call with a former FedEx executive who is currently the North America managing partner at consulting firm Last Mile Experts, said mid-sized retailers are feeling even more pressure from companies like Amazon during the pandemic. 

“The recent growth in shipping costs has been fueled by the surge in e-commerce penetration, which has created a significant supply/demand imbalance and left carriers capacity constrained,” Jeffries’ analyst Janine Stichter said in the report, according to CNBC. 

Consumers scramble for fast and free shipping

Companies that were forced to shut down for an extended period of time during the pandemic have been hit especially hard by consumers’ growing demand for fast and free shipping, the report said. 

In the battle for consumers’ dollars, mid-sized retailers -- who often don’t have the capacity to establish a shipping strategy in line with the boom in demand for fast deliveries -- are falling behind. Stichter noted that Amazon’s rapid shipping speeds have made consumers expect fast and free shipping, even though some may not even want or need it.

Maciuba told Jefferies that he predicts that holiday surcharges implemented by carriers like FedEx and UPS won’t go away anytime soon. 

For retailers, he believes the best course of action to mitigate pandemic and holiday-related losses may be to adopt alternative delivery methods. He suggested that retailers could offset losses by giving consumers the option to buy online, pick up in store, use curbside pickup, or use a third-party delivery app like Doordash or Shipt.

The price of gasoline continued its march higher this week, propelled in large part by frigid Texas weather that shut down many Gulf Coast refineries.

The AAA Fuel Gauge Survey shows the national average price of regular gas is $2.60 a gallon, 10 cents higher than last Friday. The price is now 15 cents more than it was a year ago. The average price of premium gas is also eight cents a gallon higher than a week ago, at $3.16 a gallon. The average price of diesel fuel is $2.82 a gallon, up from $2.74 last week.

Prices were already moving higher because of rising oil prices, but the Texas deep freeze sped up the move. Major refineries that together produce more than 1 million barrels of gasoline a day were shut down for a time because of rolling blackouts throughout the state.

The refineries may quickly recover, but motorists should expect gas prices to drop. AAA says crude oil accounts for more than 50 percent of the price at the pump, and those prices are steadily rising, even while demand remains flat. 

Two factors are driving prices higher. OPEC and other oil producers have successfully reduced production to dry up surpluses. Oil traders are also betting that the end of the pandemic will lead to a strong economic recovery.

As a result, AAA reports that nearly 40 state gas price averages are already higher than last year, with half of those averages seeing double-digit increases.

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 ($3.57)

• Hawaii ($3.39)

• Washington ($2.94)

• Pennsylvania ($2.86)

• Nevada ($2.84)

• Oregon ($2.81)

• Illinois ($2.77)

• Alaska ($2.73)

• New Jersey ($2.71)

• New York ($2.64)

The states with the cheapest regular gas

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

• Mississippi ($2.20)

• Texas ($2.24)

• Louisiana ($2.25)

• Arkansas ($2.28)

• Alabama ($2.29)

• Missouri ($2.30)

• Oklahoma ($2.30)

• South Carolina ($2.34)

• Tennessee ($2.34)

• Kansas ($2.36)

With no rest for the pandemic-wearied, it seems like every news cycle brings forth something new that the public needs to know about coronavirus-related issues. Already this week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that consumers shouldn’t double-mask with disposable masks and asked travelers to put their plans on hold.

But among all the information put out by the U.S. government comes good news from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for people who need help with rent, mortgage payments, or have student loans.

Renter evictions

For renters sweating about paying their landlords, there’s now a temporary stop on evictions for “certain renters” that runs through March 31, 2021. The particulars of which renters apply for that “certain” designation are as follows: 

• Income: Renters who expect to earn no more than $99,000 in 2021 are covered.

• Loss of available funds: Renters have to prove that they’ve had a loss of income or have “extraordinary” medical expenses.

• Proactive effort: Renters must be able to prove that they have attempted to honor their rent commitment through “partial, timely payments” rather than completely slacking off on their obligations. 

• Nowhere else to go: Renters also have to prove that they have nowhere else to go and that an eviction would essentially render them homeless.

Homeowner foreclosures

If you’re someone who’s had trouble making your mortgage payments because of the pandemic, payment forbearance may still be available. A pause on foreclosures runs through March 31, 2021, but could be extended. 

The key element in this protection is that the loan has to be federally-backed, and the Federal Housing Finance Agency can tell you how to find out if your mortgage falls under that category. Consumers can also contact their mortgage servicer to find out what other help is available.

ConsumerAffairs also recommends that anyone in this boat visit Fannie Mae’s excellent “Debunking Myths around Mortgage Assistance during COVID-19 Pandemic” website. Everything you can think of when it comes to steps to take and questions to ask can be found there.

Student Loan borrowers

The U.S. Department of Education (ED) has also come to the rescue for people with federal student loans by pausing payments through September 30, 2021. As with the rest of the rescue packages, there’s fine print that student loan borrowers have to address. Here are the boxes you’ll need to check to qualify:

The loan has to be ED-owned: If the loan isn’t owned by the U.S. Department of Education, you’re completely out of luck. If your loan is ED-owned, the suspension is supposed to happen automatically, according to the Department of Education.

Zero-interest is “temporary:” The interest rate on ED-owned loans has been set to zero percent from March 13, 2021, until “the COVID emergency relief period ends.” This applies to holders of Federal Perkins Loans and Federal Family Education Loans (FFEL). The agency says that anyone who has one of those loans and is currently in default is eligible.

Recertification dates have changed: Anyone who has a federally-backed student loan should note that the Income Driven Repayment (IDR) recertification date that goes along with the loan has also changed.

“As part of the administrative forbearance, your IDR recertification date has been changed from your original recertification date. You will be notified by your loan servicer when it is time to recertify,” the agency notes. 

“If you were paying your student loans using automatic debit earlier this year, your automatic payments will resume after the COVID-19 emergency relief measures end. If you’d like to make a change to your payment method, you must contact your loan servicer online or by phone.”

If you’re unsure about your next payment amount, the ED suggests that you contact your loan servicer to confirm your upcoming payment amount. That info is most likely available online at the loan servicer’s website. 

New options for those who struggle financially: The good news for student loan borrowers who are having trouble balancing their finances is that the government is offering multiple payment options when payments resume. 

The ED says that under an IDR plan, payments may be as low as $0 per month once the interest suspension is lifted. They suggest that anyone interested in those options should check out StudentAid.gov’s Loan Simulator to learn how switching their repayment plan could impact your monthly payment amount before their next bill.

Watch out for scammers

No matter if you’re a renter, a homeowner, or a student, the FTC warns that scammers are already lining up to try to fleece the unsuspecting.

“Don’t pay to get these benefits. Be wary of anyone who contacts you to offer financial services or rental assistance for a fee. If you need housing assistance, the Department of Housing and Urban Development has a list of approved housing counseling agencies organized by state or territory,” said FTC attorney Emily Wu.

“Don’t give your personal or financial information to anyone who contacts you. Even if you reached out for assistance, make sure you know who you are talking to. And know that government officials will never contact you and ask for your Social Security, bank account, or credit card number. If you’ve given that information to someone you don’t know, visit IdentityTheft.gov to learn what to do.”

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

Total U.S. confirmed cases: 27,832,979 (27,762,686)

Total U.S. deaths: 490,875 (488,352)

Total global cases: 110,064,878 (109,659,317)

Total global deaths: 2,434,048 (2,423,307)

COVID-19 cases are falling. Why?

New cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19) are rapidly falling all across America, and health experts are at a loss to explain just exactly why. There are three main theories.

Some say that Americans have finally gotten the message and are wearing masks in public and maintaining other safety measures. Others say the virus may be seasonal and that it doesn’t do well this time of year. A third group suggests that the virus is running out of people to infect.

The fact remains that the steep decline in new cases, followed by a more gradual decline in deaths, runs counter to most models that predicted a surge in new cases that would extend through February.

Initial jobless benefit claims rise again

The pandemic continues to claim jobs. The Labor Department today reported that initial claims for unemployment benefits rose last week to 861,000. That’s the highest level in four weeks.

Last week’s claims showed only a minor increase from the previous week’s 848,000 benefit claims. However, that number was revised upward from the 793,000 claims first reported last week.

In a glimmer of good news, ongoing claims for jobless benefits continued to go down. Last week, the number edged lower to just below 4.5 million, a decline of 64,000.

Report: $1,400 in stimulus would help a lot

Democrats in Congress are still shaping another stimulus package that could be passed without Republican support, and it would send every American a check for $1,400. A report from Morning Consult says that would help 20 million Americans keep their heads above water through July.

The report estimates that 30 million Americans were unable to pay all their bills in January, with 82 percent of the households in that category earning less than $50,000 a year. The vast majority fell short by $300 or less.

Using that data, the organization estimates that the additional income from the bill’s stimulus provision would help Americans meet their basic expenses for four and a half months.

COVID-19 lowered life expectancy last year

The pandemic, which thus far has killed more than 490,000 Americans, lowered U.S. life expectancy last year, according to an analysis by the Associated Press.

It was a significant decline -- one full year. It reversed many years of improving life expectancy that increased because Americans smoked less and the health care industry made life-extending improvements.

Robert Anderson, an official at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), told the AP that it was the steepest reversal in life expectancy since World War II.

CDC: 15 million have received both vaccine doses

Despite problems with the coronavirus vaccine rollout, data released by the CDC shows that more than 15 million Americans have received both doses of either the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine. Both have been shown to be 95 percent effective in clinical trials.

The report also shows that 40 million Americans have received at least one dose of the vaccine. States with the best track record to date include Alaska, Connecticut, New Mexico, North Dakota, and West Virginia, which lead the country in terms of second doses administered per 100,000 residents.

Around the nation

• New York: The New York City Hospitality Alliance has issued a new report detailing just how the pandemic has devastated the city’s restaurants. It shows that nine out of 10 New York City eateries couldn’t afford to pay their rent in December.

• Georgia: While the coronavirus appears to be receding in many states, Georgia is a glaring exception. In a report, the White House says the state has among the nation’s worst death rates from the virus, and the situation isn’t improving as fast as other states.

• Maine: State health officials are reaching out to more retail pharmacies to aid in the vaccine rollout that has been slowed by places to get the shots. When Walmart and Sam's Club made appointments available on February 12, the slots filled up quickly. "That's just evidence of continued demand," Maine CDC Director Dr. Nirav Shah said.

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected nearly every aspect of consumers’ lives over the last year. Now, a new study conducted by researchers from Michigan Medicine is predicting that the pandemic is also likely to leave consumers with more medical bills.

The team explained that many insurance companies had granted consumers a grace period to deal with any bills that came from coronavirus-related hospital stays. Since many companies are preparing to bring that grace period to an end, it means that consumers will have to pay. Because a larger proportion of older people have had stays in the hospital as a result of COVID-19, this group is likely to be disproportionately affected by these new medical expenses.

“Insurers may choose to extend their waivers for enrollees with Medicare Advantage and private insurance coverage,” said researcher Dr. Kao-Ping Chua. “But if they don’t, patients will be faced not only with the physical and emotional toll of COVID-19 hospitalizations, but also the financial toll.” 

What will these bills look like?

To gauge the cost that many consumers could be dealing with in the near future, the researchers pulled data from influenza-related hospital stays in 2018. Their work included information on nearly 15,000 patients who had been admitted into the hospital with the flu and the bills they were left with afterward. All of the patients were covered by Medicare Advantage plans, which are run by private insurance companies that charge out-of-pocket fees.

Based on their comparative analysis, the researchers anticipate that COVID-19 hospital stays will run consumers roughly $1,000; flu-related hospital bills topped out at $2,500 in 2018, but this affected just three percent of the participants. 

For patients who were in the intensive care unit (ICU), these costs are likely to be higher. About one-third of the patients involved in the study needed ICU treatment, which the researchers believe is close to the rate of ICU treatment for COVID-19.  

To ensure that consumers don’t avoid seeking emergency care out of fear of accruing more medical bills, the researchers are calling on policymakers to step in and do their part. Hospital stays related to COVID-19 have been fully covered since the start of the pandemic, and the team says extending this coverage is a crucial step to ensure treatments are accessible to all consumers.