Current Events in February 2021

Health officials have urged consumers to take steps to reduce the chance that they spread COVID-19 to others, including wearing a mask and social distancing. But what are some of the more inherent qualities that a person has that makes them more likely to spread the disease? 

A new study conducted by researchers from Tulane University sought to determine just that by looking into which factors contribute to the rapid spread of COVID-19. Though a few things come into play, the researchers say that those who produce more respiratory droplets tend to have a higher chance of spreading the disease around. 

“While our results show that young and healthy tend to generate far fewer droplets than the older and less healthy, they also show that any of us, when infected by COVID-19, may be at risk of producing a large number of respiratory droplets,” said researcher David Edwards, PhD.  

Identifying superspreaders

Those who have the highest likelihood of transmitting the coronavirus have been dubbed “superspreaders,” and the researchers’ main goal was to determine what qualities a person has that gives them that distinction. To identify those who pose the biggest risk, the researchers compared the rate of respiratory droplets produced by nearly 200 healthy adults with coronavirus-infected primates. 

The researchers identified three primary targets that increase the likelihood of spreading COVID-19: body mass index (BMI), age, and severity of the infection. Participants who fell into one of these three groups were responsible for emitting the most respiratory droplets into the air -- at a rate that was around three times higher than the average person. The team found that the risk was highest when participants fell into all three categories. 

The researchers said that the severity of infection was a particularly big risk factor in the study. They found that as the participants got sicker over the course of the study, their respiratory droplets decreased in size. Though this may seem like a positive in terms of spreading infection, it actually makes it easier for these infection particles to be passed from person-to-person when talking or laughing in close contact. 

At the height of infection, consumers produce the highest number of respiratory droplets that are the smallest in size, which is what contributes to the greatest spread of the virus. 

“We’ve seen a similar increase in droplets during the acute infection stage with other infectious diseases like tuberculosis,” said Dr. Edwards. “It seems likely that viral and bacterial infections of the airway can weaken airway mucus, which promotes the movement of infectious particles into the environment.” 

These findings were true for both symptomatic and asymptomatic cases of COVID-19, which makes it all the more important for consumers to continue following health guidelines to help reduce the spread of the virus. 

On top of the coronavirus-driven stimulus checks that the Biden administration is trying to push through, congressional Democrats are also asking for a $7.6 billion boost to help schools and libraries pay for students' distance learning costs as part of the relief package.

Frank Pallone (D-NJ), the Chairman of the House Energy & Commerce, announced the proposed allocation as part of the committee's package of recommendations for the COVI-19 budget reconciliation legislation.

If granted, the add-on would establish a $7.6 billion “Emergency Connectivity Fund” that would allow schools and public libraries to pay for internet service, Wi-Fi hotspots, modems, and routers, as well as digital devices for students and teachers to access the internet from their homes. The Federal Communications Commission would be tasked with implementing the fund.

Some regulators believe Pallone might be jumping the gun a bit. House Energy and Commerce Republican Leader Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) sent a letter urging him to pause what she called a “partisan sprint” towards a reconciliation package. She asked him to sit tight for one week so that “earnest, bipartisan negotiations” for coronavirus relief could be discussed.

Pandemic learning challenges continue to mount

The pandemic has created an untenable distance learning situation for millions of students. According to recent data from the Department of Education and other sources, the number of students without home internet ranges between 9 and 12 million, or about 14-16 percent of children ages 3-18.

Depending on parental education and family income, a good number of students’ only internet access is via a smartphone. Those numbers run as high as 17 percent for students whose parents never finished high school and 13 percent for students whose family income is in the lowest quarter.

TikTok’s forced sale to Oracle and Walmart has been put on hold “indefinitely” now that the Biden administration has taken the reins, according to The Wall Street Journal. 

Last year, Trump ordered the sale of TikTok to a majority U.S.-ownership group over concerns about data security, as well as the potential for the video sharing app’s algorithm to be used to advance Chinese political goals. 

After being pushed back several times, the deadline for the sale was ultimately moved to December 4. That date came and went with no response from the outgoing administration. Now, Biden administration officials say the deal is on hold while the new president reviews past efforts to mitigate security risks from Chinese technology firms. 

“We plan to develop a comprehensive approach to securing U.S. data that addresses the full range of threats we face,” National Security Council spokeswoman Emily Horne told the Journal. “This includes the risk posed by Chinese apps and other software that operate in the U.S. In the coming months, we expect to review specific cases in light of a comprehensive understanding of the risks we face.”

TikTok may use a third party for data

TikTok is reportedly still talking to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. (CFIUS) about resolving security concerns. However, sources familiar with the matter told the Journal that any deal reached “would likely be different from the one discussed last September.” 

Instead of a sale, a source said that one resolution might involve sending TikTok data to a “trusted third party” to prevent the Chinese government from having access to Americans’ info. The newly installed administration has until February 18 to offer a formal response to TikTok’s legal situation. 

New COVID-19 variants could potentially reverse a recent decline in infections and hospitalizations, warned CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky. 

In a White House news briefing this week, Walensky said the new, more contagious version of the virus -- known as the B.1.1.7 strain -- poses a “threat” to the nation. As such, she said it’s important that Americans continue mask-wearing and social distancing.  

“The continued proliferation of variants remains a great concern and is a threat that could reverse the recent positive trends that we are seeing,” Walensky said. “Please continue to wear a mask and stay 6 feet apart from people you don’t live with. Avoid travel, crowds and poorly ventilated spaces and get vaccinated when it’s available to you.”

Undergoing mutations

The nation has seen an encouraging drop in COVID-19 cases of nearly 20 percent since last week. However, Walensky said the seven-day average of 119,000 cases a day is still “dramatically higher” than the number of cases reported at the peak seen last summer. The emergence of new variants is also a sign that the nation isn’t out of the woods. 

The B.1.1.7 variant was first detected in the U.K. in December, prompting a new wave of lockdowns and outbreak concerns. As of Sunday, Walensky said the CDC had identified 690 cases of the variant in the U.S. Public health officials have also identified six cases of the South African strain and three cases of P.1, a variant first identified in travelers from Brazil.

Walensky said federal and state officials have ramped up genome sequencing efforts over the past three weeks with the aim of preemptively detecting other variants that could pose a threat. 

“We are anticipating we might find more” cases in the coming weeks, she said.

Fauci pushing vaccinations

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading infectious disease expert, said recently that the best thing Americans can do now is to get vaccinated as soon as possible. He pointed out that the virus can’t mutate if it can’t replicate. 

"The only way a virus mutates (is) if it can replicate. So if you vaccinate people and double down on public health measures and keep the level of viral dynamics low we will not have an easy evolution into mutations," Fauci told CNN earlier this month. "That's something that people really need to understand."

"The way you stop those mutations: Get vaccinated and abide by the public health measures," he said.

As more and more studies focus on kids’ mental health struggles, it’s becoming clearer how stressful situations -- like divorced parents or losing a pet -- can have a long-term impact. However, a new study conducted by researchers from the University of South Australia is exploring how kids’ mental health can suffer even when they’re relatively happy and healthy. 

According to the researchers, kids’ mental health outcomes aren’t affected solely by their life experiences; kids who grew up in more stressful circumstances are just as likely to struggle with mental health problems as those whose upbringing was more peaceful. 

“This research shows that mental health conditions are not solely determined by early life events and that a child who is raised in a happy home, could still grow up to have a mental health disorder,” said researcher Bianca Kahl. 

“There’s certainly some missing factors in understanding how our childhood environment and early life experiences might translate into mental health outcomes in adulthood,” she continued. “We suspect that it’s our ability to adapt to scenarios when our expectations are not being met, that may be influencing our experiences of distress.” 

The importance of strong coping skills

To better understand kids’ mental health struggles, the researchers had over 340 participants complete surveys that covered a lot of ground about their personal histories. This included demographic information, childhood experiences, social and familial relationships, and symptoms and experiences related to mental health disorders. 

The researchers learned that all of the participants were susceptible to mental health concerns, regardless of what their childhoods looked like; however, they did find that some symptom-related trends emerged in kids with more chaotic upbringings versus kids from more stable homes. 

For example, kids with less stressful childhoods were more prone to anxiety and psychosomatic symptoms, which is when mental concerns show up in the body as various ailments or pains. On the other hand, kids with harsher childhoods were more likely to experience depression and paranoia. 

While it’s impossible to anticipate everything life will throw at us, the researchers believe that kids who know how to handle uncertainty and can develop healthy coping skills when faced with adversity are likely to have the strongest mental health outcomes -- no matter what kind of environment they grew up in. 

“As the prevalence of mental health conditions expands, it’s imperative that we also extend our knowledge of this very complex and varied condition,” Kahl said. “If, as children, we learn how to adapt to change, and we learn how to cope when things don’t go our way, we may be in a better position to respond to stress and other risk factors for poor mental health.” 

Chinese telecommunications manufacturer Huawei has asked a court to overturn the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) late 2020 classification of it as a national security threat.

Huawei has a tainted reputation on Capitol Hill, starting when it came under scrutiny for allegedly implanting malicious hardware or software into its components and systems. The company maintains that the FCC overstepped the boundaries of its authority in issuing the new designation. 

“The order on review potentially impacts the financial interests of the telecommunications industry as a whole,” Huawei’s request said. By “whole,” the company is referring to network operators the FCC locked out of buying Huawei-made parts. 

The latest skirmish is not Huawei’s first with the FCC. In 2019, the agency voted to cut off any federal funds used to buy Huawei products. That move grew into a bill that officially prevented U.S. companies from rolling out wireless networks with Huawei’s equipment -- or that of its Chinese peer, ZTE. Huawei also tried to reverse that decision but came up empty. 

The FCC added even more misery for the telecom maker in December 2020 by voting to make companies replace existing Huawei equipment.

Biden’s FCC backs up Trump’s FCC

The Trump administration was not exactly Chinese commerce’s best friend. From attempts to ban popular China-based phone apps like TikTok and WeChat to a slugfest over trade issues, Trump took it to China with both fists. 

If China was hoping for a respite from the Biden administration, the FCC’s move is the first to dash those hopes. To date, President Biden has not made a move to keep the war on TikTok alive, but his administration is supporting what the Trump administration’s FCC did in its Huawei decree. 

“Last year the FCC issued a final designation identifying Huawei as a national security threat based on a substantial body of evidence developed by the FCC and numerous U.S. national security agencies. We will continue to defend that decision,” a spokesperson told The Verge.

Millions of Americans have received unemployment benefits in the last year, and a stimulus bill under consideration in Congress would pay an extra $400 week in jobless benefits in the future.

Scammers have noticed and have come up with a new scheme to steal some money. It’s actually a different form of identity theft. Scammers steal an identity and file a claim for unemployment benefits.

They’re stealing identities the way they always have. They trick people into sharing their Social Security numbers and other information. Other scammers make cold calls to potential victims and manipulate them into sharing personal information.

One crook told USA Today that he compiles a list of real people, then turns to the “dark web” to purchase corresponding dates of birth and Social Security numbers. Apparently, it’s all out there.

Easy money for fraudsters

Armed with that information, the scammer files a claim for unemployment benefits and can collect the money until the government discovers the scheme. It can be quite lucrative.

But you might be wondering how you, the victim, are harmed. There are more ways than you might think.

The state unemployment office may send your employer a letter to confirm your last day of employment. That could be a little awkward if you’re still on the payroll and might be difficult to explain.

But like any other form of identity theft, it can also harm you financially. Unemployment benefits are taxable. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is going to expect you to pay the taxes, not the scammer who collected the ill-gotten benefits.

How to protect yourself

According to the Better Business Bureau, there are ways you can protect yourself. If you receive an official notification about an unemployment claim that you never made, you need to report it. You’ll find your state’s contact info on this list.

Make sure you check your credit report at least once a year. An unemployment claim in your name means that scammers have your personal information. Under federal law, you can get free access to your credit reports from all three credit reporting agencies once a year at  AnnualCreditReport.com.

Finally, remain alert for any strange communication from your state unemployment office that mentions jobless benefits that you have not received.

General Motors is recalling 557,023 of the following vehicles:

• Model year 2009 Cadillac Escalades, Escalade ESVs, Escalade EXTs, Chevrolet Avalanches, Silverado 1500s, Silverado 2500s, Silverado 3500s, Suburbans, Tahoes, GMC Sierra 1500s, Sierra 2500s, Sierra 3500s, Yukons and Yukon XLs originally sold, or ever registered, in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or "Zone B."
• Model year 2007-2008 Cadillac Escalades, Escalade ESVs, Escalade EXTs, Chevrolet Avalanches, Silverado 1500s, Suburbans, Tahoes, GMC Sierra 1500s, Yukons and Yukon XLs originally sold, or ever registered, in Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming or "Zone C."

The vehicles have non-desiccated passenger front inflators containing phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant.

These inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.

An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

What to do

GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger airbag inflator with an alternate on free of charge.

Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk are expected to be mailed beginning March 1, 2021. Second notification letters will be mailed once the remedy is available.

Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at (800) 222-1020, Cadillac customer service at (800) 458-8006, and GMC customer service at (800) 462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212328780.

Chrysler is recalling 42,887 model year 2018-2021 Jeep Wranglers and model year 2020-2021 Gladiators with manual transmissions.

The clutch pressure plate may overheat and fracture, increasing the risk of a fire.

Additionally, damage to other nearby components can result in debris falling onto the road or a loss of drive, increasing the risk of a crash.

What to do

Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will add software to reduce engine torque capability free of charge.

The recall is expected to begin March 19, 2021.

Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at (800) 853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is Y01.

General Motors is recalling 1,778,128 of the following vehicles:

• Model year 2014 Cadillac Escalades, Escalade ESVs, Chevrolet Silverado 2500s, Silverado 3500s, Suburbans, Tahoes, GMC Sierra 2500s, Sierra 3500s, Yukons, and Yukon XLs originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A."
• Model year 2011-2014 Cadillac Escalades, Escalade ESVs, Chevrolet Silverado 2500s, Silverado 3500s, Suburbans, Tahoes, GMC Sierra 2500s, Sierra 3500s, Yukons, Yukon XLs and model year 2011-2013 Cadillac Escalade EXTs, Chevrolet Avalanches, Silverado 1500s and GMC Sierra 1500s originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or "Zone B."
• Model year 2010-2014 Cadillac Escalades, Escalade ESVs, Chevrolet Silverado 2500s, Silverado 3500s, Suburban, Tahoes, GMC Sierra 2500s, Sierra 3500s, Yukons & Yukon XLs and model year 2010-2013 Cadillac Escalade EXTs, Chevrolet Avalanches, Silverado 1500s and GMC Sierra 1500s originally sold, or ever registered, in Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming or "Zone C."

The vehicles are equipped with non-desiccated passenger front inflators containing phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant.

These inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures and high temperature cycling.

An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

What to do

GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger airbag inflator with an alternate one free of charge.

Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk are expected to be mailed beginning March 1, 2021. Second notification letters will be mailed once the remedy is available.

Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at (800) 222-1020; Cadillac customer service at (800) 458-8006; and GMC customer service at (800) 462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212328800.

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

Total U.S. confirmed cases: 27,101,604 (27,009,905)

Total U.S. deaths: 465,435 (463,584)

Total global cases: 106,617,679 (106,277,553)

Total global deaths: 2,330,065 (2,319,703)

New cases are still falling

Health officials report the continuation of an encouraging trend that began in late January. New cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19), which has killed more than 463,000 Americans over the last 12 months, are falling.

States reported just over 88,000 new infections on Monday. While deaths remain elevated,  hospitalizations have been falling for the last four weeks.

Efforts to vaccinate more people are also picking up speed. As of Monday, more than 59 million doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines had been distributed to various states, and more than 42 million doses had been administered.

WHO says the virus most likely came from an animal

From the start of the coronavirus pandemic, there has been speculation about the origin of the virus that quickly spread around the world. Chinese officials said the likely source was a market that sold live animals, but conspiracy theories quickly developed that suggested it escaped from a Chinese lab.

After an investigation, the World Health Organization (WHO) says the most likely source is from an animal. Investigators believe a bat infected with the virus infected another animal that then infected a human.

The WHO investigation has centered on Wuhan’s Huanan Market, where live animals are sold for food. However, investigators held out the possibility that the virus could have originated outside of Wuhan. 

Easing restrictions? Not so fast, experts say

With cases of the coronavirus declining, a number of states are easing restrictions put in place during the fall when cases were surging. But many health experts are questioning the wisdom of that.

They point to the recent emergence of variants of the virus that spread more easily. It’s not known how widespread they are in the U.S., but health officials say we could see another spike in cases if they are just now showing up.

A number of states have relaxed rules in recent days. In South Dakota, Gov. Doug Burgam allowed the statewide mask mandate to expire. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds took similar action last week.

Help wanted signs are appearing again

The world may have a long way to go to get back to normal, but a few things are looking familiar again. The price of gasoline is back to where it was before the pandemic began, and help wanted signs are starting to make a reappearance.

It’s true that the labor market is still weak, but the emerging strength appears to be in industries that have weathered the worst economic effects of the pandemic. Jed Kolko, chief economist at job search site Indeed, told The Wall Street Journal that job postings were up 0.7 percent at the end of January from a year ago.

But in a sign that things aren’t quite back to normal, Kolho says a large number of the listings include the phrase “remote work,” double the number from 12 months earlier.

Elevators could be a barrier to offices reopening

Now that the vaccine rollout is well underway, some business managers may be thinking about reopening offices. But with social distancing and masking requirements still in place for a while, how do you get around the problem of crowded elevators?

Engineers at Columbia University are using mathematical modeling and epidemiological principles to design interventions for queuing safely in elevators during a pandemic, without having to program any elevators.   

“Our interventions basically reduce congestion by explicitly or implicitly trying to get people going to the same floor to travel together,” said Adam Elmachtoub, associate professor of industrial engineering. 

Around the nation

• Washington: Health officials in Washington were shocked to discover that some of the N95 masks they purchased for frontline healthcare workers were fakes. The Washington State Hospital Association (WSHA) said 3M notified it about possible knock-off masks circulating in the national supply of personal protective equipment.

• New York: Gov. Andrew Cuomo has moved up the date that restaurants may resume indoor dining at 25 percent capacity. The dining rooms will open on February 12, two days before they were originally set to resume on February 14.

• Florida: The state is getting another 1 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine as retailers begin to aid the rollout. The shipments are being received as part of the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program. The program aims to speed up vaccine distribution and eventually expand to 40,000 pharmacies.

General Motors (GM) has officially filed recall documents with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in response to the agency’s petition that it recall vehicles with airbag inflators that could explode. 

In November, the auto safety agency requested that GM recall millions of trucks and SUVs equipped with Takata airbag inflators. Now, the automaker says the recall campaign will kick off March 1. 

GM originally contested the NHTSA’s decision, saying it didn’t believe the airbags in the vehicles in question were subject to the same deterioration as those in the other vehicles with Takata inflators that have been recalled.  

“Based on data generated through independent scientific evaluation conducted over several years, we disagree with NHTSA’s position,” GM said in a statement at the time. "However, we will abide by NHTSA's decision and begin taking the necessary steps."

The NHTSA dismissed that argument, saying that it found that the GM inflators are in fact “at risk of the same type of explosion after long-term exposure to high heat and humidity as other recalled Takata inflators.” 

Affected models

The trucks and SUVs involved in the recall include the 2009 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Sierra 2500, Sierra 3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL. 

GM said the recall covers vehicles sold or registered in the following states: Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or "Zone B."

Additionally, the recall includes certain 2007-2008 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, and Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming or "Zone C."

Look out for a recall notice

The vehicles affected are equipped with an airbag inflator that could degrade over time and eventually explode, resulting in “sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death,” the NHTSA said. 

Owners of affected vehicles will receive notice of the recall starting March 1. 

General Motors doesn’t currently have a fix waiting in the wings. The NHTSA says owners can expect another letter at a later date saying that they can bring their truck or SUV to a dealer where a technician will install a new front passenger airbag at no cost. 

The Biden administration has said the proposed $1.9 trillion coronavirus (COVID-19) stimulus bill will not contain a provision to forgive some student loan debt. The White House says it will seek separate legislation to do that.

That appears to make loan forgiveness a little less certain for millions of student loan borrowers. Democrats have adopted a strategy of budget reconciliation for the stimulus bill that requires only a simple majority. A stand-alone student loan forgiveness bill would likely require 60 votes.

Consumer advocates expressed hope that student loan forgiveness could be added to the stimulus bill as an amendment, but that hasn’t happened. As things now stand, the bill provides a wide range of consumer and business relief and will not address student loans.

The White House says it remains committed to seeking relief for borrowers, whose student loan debt has mushroomed over the last two decades. The outstanding balances now total $1.7 trillion, according to government data.

President Biden has previously supported forgiving up to $10,000 of student loan debt, but progressives in his party have advocated for much higher levels of forgiveness. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) has supported up to $50,000 in loan forgiveness.

Congress addressed the issue during its last session but failed to agree on an approach. Most centered on tweaking current measures designed to provide relief, such as the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program.

Executive action could be an option

If Congress fails to agree on a debt forgiveness plan, reform advocates say the president could take executive action. They say the Higher Education Act offers a way for the president to take unilateral action to lighten borrowers’ burden.

In the past, the president has publicly expressed some skepticism when it comes to using executive action to accomplish that goal, but he expressed some openness to it last week. The White House has indicated it is looking into whether it would be legal.

While canceling student loan debt would increase federal spending on top of the massive stimulus measures that have been passed in the last 11 months, some economists suggest that the move could have a huge stimulative effect on the economy.

They note that large debts have prevented many young people from making major purchases at the beginning of their adulthood, including the consumer purchases associated with household formation.

Google’s Chromium development team has announced that Chrome will no longer be supported on some older PCs powered by pre-SSE3 Intel Atom or Celeron M processors. 

Google says the number of users affected by the change is likely to be small because it will only affect Windows and Linux users running Chrome on very old systems. Impacted devices will be about 15 years old at this point, TechRadar noted. 

“Our analysis... indicates that there is a very small number of Windows devices running Chrome with x86 processors that do not support SSE3,” Google said in a note. 

Devices that don’t meet the new minimum CPU requirements will no longer attempt to install Chrome, and running Chrome itself will result in a crash. Google said users with affected PCs will soon start receiving warnings saying support for the browser will be ending soon. 

“Until we require SSE3, Chrome will warn impacted users (with x86 CPUs that don’t support SSE3) that their computers will soon be unsupported,” the company said. “The implementation will use the framework in //chrome/browser/obsolete_system. This will result in a dismissable warning bar, and a permanent warning in the chrome://settings/help page.” 

Google didn’t give specific reasons for dropping support for the browser, but the likely reason is that so few devices are still running SSE2. Upgrading from one of these older processors should result in better performance. 

Users who will be impacted by the upcoming change can either switch to a new browser or upgrade their device in order to keep using Chrome. 

And then there was one. Delta Air Lines is now the only U.S. airline to block middle seats and limit capacity on all flights. On Tuesday, the company announced its intentions to keep things that way through April 30, 2021, in hopes of giving travelers a reason to feel safe as they book their spring travel.

While all airlines are anxious to get back to how they did things in the pre-pandemic world, Delta has taken a gradual approach. Over the past few months, the airline has relaunched things like its beer and wine service for first-class and Comfort+ passengers and reopened its Sky Club airport lounges.

As a bonus surprise to returning travelers, Delta has also been working on improving the flying experience during COVID-19. The airline says one of the new wrinkles passengers will see is more than 300 new in-flight entertainment options and high-speed Wi-Fi.

“We want our customers to have complete confidence when traveling with Delta, and they continue to tell us that more space provides more peace of mind,” said Bill Lentsch, Chief Customer Experience Officer. “We’ll continue to reassess seat blocking in relation to case transmission and vaccination rates, while bringing back products and services in ways that instill trust in the health and safety of everyone on board – that will always be Delta’s priority.” 

Other steps Delta is taking

On top of extending seat blocking commitments, Delta is taking other steps to cheer up customers as they return to travel. These include: 

COVID-19 testing: Delta says that it will be making it easier for passengers to understand testing requirements and get tested prior to travel, whether customers purchase an at-home test or find a nearby location for in-person testing. The company said there’ll be even more options in the coming months. 

The airline has also added new rapid testing centers at its hub airports in Minneapolis and Detroit. It already has testing facilities in place at Atlanta, Boston, New York-JFK, and Seattle. 

Destination requirements and restrictions: No matter where you fly, there are national or local rules in place for incoming travelers -- and they tend to change often. Delta has created an interactive travel map to help customers understand where Delta flies and the latest travel requirements or restrictions at their destination.  

Digital concierge: When ConsumerAffairs traveled to CES 2020, we witnessed Delta’s new concierge system. Even though the airline had no idea that there was a pandemic on the way, the nuance is a nice add-on in a stressful, pandemic-driven world. Via the Delta Air Lines app, the digital concierge anticipates customer needs, offers convenient services like a ride to the airport, and delivers thoughtful notifications to keep customers moving seamlessly on their journey.

An example of how the ride component works can be seen through Delta’s partnership with Lyft. The companies provide customers with multiple touchpoints within the Fly Delta app to give estimated arrival times powered by Lyft. The partnership also gives travelers the option of paying for rides by using miles.

Clean ambassadors: Delta has hired a dedicated team of “clean ambassadors” whose job it is to ensure a consistently safe and sanitized experience at more than 55 airports. 

Delta CareStandard: Tying everything together is Delta’s new CareStandard, which the company claims has more than 100 layers of protection to ensure a safe travel experience. Included in CareStandard is a comprehensive employee testing program, protocols for regularly sanitizing high-touch surfaces, and replacements for onboard industrial-grade HEPA filters twice as often as recommended. 

Blood pressure readings are always changing. Recent studies have found that different parts of the body -- like our arms -- can come back with very different numbers. While these changes are often normal and expected, a new study is exploring how certain blood pressure fluctuations could be a sign of more serious health concerns. 

According to researchers from Uppsala University, consumers with higher blood pressure at night could be at an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease. 

“The night is a critical period for brain health,” said researcher Christian Benedict. “For example, in animals, it has previously been shown that the brain clears out waste products during sleep, and that this clearance is compromised by abnormal blood pressure patterns. Since the night also represents a critical time window for human brain health, we examined whether too high blood pressure at night, as seen in reverse dipping, is associated with a higher dementia risk in older men.” 

Normal versus abnormal blood pressure changes

To better understand how changes in blood pressure could affect Alzheimer's risk, the researchers had 1,000 men in their early seventies participate in the study. For more than two decades, the researchers observed the men’s health records and paid particular attention to fluctuations in blood pressure readings and cognitive health outcomes.

The researchers learned that the risk of Alzheimer’s was higher for participants who experienced higher blood pressure at night. While it’s normal for blood pressure to ebb and flow throughout the day, nighttime hours are typically when blood pressure is the lowest. In a healthy body, blood pressure can be as much as 20 percent lower at night than it is during the day. 

However, the opposite trend was observed in this study. Many of the men experienced spikes in their blood pressure at night, which experts refer to as “reverse dipping.” This trend was then linked with an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease. 

“The risk of getting a dementia diagnosis was 1.64 times higher among men with reverse dipping compared to those with normal dipping,” said researcher Xiao Tan. “Reverse dipping mainly increased the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia.” 

The researchers plan to do more work based on these findings, including examining whether taking blood pressure medication at night can alleviate some concerns about cognitive decline. They also want to see whether older women are at a similar risk of Alzheimer’s based on changes in blood pressure.