Current Events in April 2021

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

Total U.S. confirmed cases: 31,350,848 (31,280,880)

Total U.S. deaths: 563,520 (562,655)

Total global cases: 137,603,448 (136,857,385)

Total global deaths: 2,962,611 (2,949,096)

Moderna vaccine still effective after six months

Moderna says its vaccine against the coronavirus (COVID-19) has been shown to be 90 percent effective against all variants of the disease after six months. Results show that it also protects 95 percent of patients against severe forms of COVID-19.

The efficacy rate, while still quite high, is slightly less than the 94 percent rate reported when the vaccine began to roll out in December. Health experts say the spread of new variants could have caused a slight decrease in efficacy. The company’s announcement was the result of its ongoing Phase 3 clinical trial involving more than 30,000 people across the U.S. 

“The new preclinical data on our variant-specific vaccine candidates give us confidence that we can proactively address emerging variants,” said Stéphane Bancel, CEO of Moderna. “Moderna will make as many updates to our COVID-19 vaccine as necessary until the pandemic is under control.”

Advisory panel to review Johnson & Johnson vaccine

An advisory panel to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is meeting today to discuss Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine after six women who received it had severe cases of blood clotting. One woman died and another is in critical condition.

While use of the vaccine is on “pause,” scientists will review data and try to confirm its safety. Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) has said the blood clotting threat appears to be extremely rare.

In all six cases under review, the patients developed symptoms one to three weeks after receiving the vaccine. The symptoms included headaches, abdominal pain, nausea, and neurological symptoms.

A year later, a glut of face masks

After over a year of pandemic conditions, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is taking additional steps to beef up the market for new N95 masks for health care workers and to expand their use in other industries. The move comes after scientists argued that the highly protective masks are essential to keep workers safe from the virus.

The move is welcome news to the industry that produces face masks. There was a severe shortage a year ago when the pandemic hit. Now, there is a supply glut that threatens the financial health of some companies.

To spur demand, the FDA is considering a move to revoke its approval of the widespread crisis-era practice of decontaminating N95 respirators and returning them to front-line workers to use again.

Post-pandemic housing market may be more stable

The COVID-19 pandemic had a huge impact on the housing market. With most people working from home for the last 12 months, millions of Americans started looking for more space and, as a result, have driven home prices to record highs.

But what happens after the pandemic? In a new report, real estate marketplace Zillow says housing economists expect remote work to remain a factor in the market for years to come, with homeowners in one state working for a company located in another. They also expect sellers to return to the market in larger numbers.

"That increased inventory would ease buyer competition that has driven prices higher during the pandemic, but expect a steady pace of home value growth to persist into the near future,” said Zillow economist Arpita Chakravorty. “Mortgage rates have risen some but are still low by historical standards, adding to people's purchasing power and helping to keep competition for homes revved up."

Scientists promote plasma device as new way to disinfect surfaces

Still can’t find disinfectant wipes at the supermarket? Not to worry -- scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory and the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) say they have an alternative.

They say they’ve demonstrated the first flexible, hand-held, device based on low-temperature plasma — a gas that consists of atoms, molecules, and free-floating electrons and ions — that consumers can quickly and easily use to disinfect surfaces without special training.

Recent experiments show that the prototype, which operates at room temperature under normal atmospheric pressure, can eliminate 99.99 percent of the bacteria on surfaces, including textiles and metals, in just 90 seconds. Scientists think it will be similarly effective against viruses.

“We’re testing it right now with human viruses,” said PPPL physicist Sophia Gershman, first author of a paper in Scientific Reports that describes the device and the research behind it.

Around the nation

• California: Schools are trying to get back to normal, but some parents are complaining to the media that what’s billed as a school reopening isn’t even close. Specifically, they say kids in San Francisco are returning to classrooms with laptops and headphones while their teachers instruct them from home.

• Kentucky: Gov. Andy Beshear says he would be comfortable lifting some of the state’s COVID-19 restrictions when 2.5 million Kentuckians are vaccinated. At the moment, the state is almost a million short of that goal.

• Connecticut: Gov. Ted Lamont says the pause in administering Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine will have almost no effect on the state’s vaccination efforts. He also said it’s no cause for alarm. "There have been six severe side effects out of 6.8 million J&J doses that have been administered in the United States over these many months," Lamont said during a news conference. "That's a one-in-a-million chance of having a severe side effect."

The cruise industry got some more support in its grudge match against the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Tuesday. U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), and Rick Scott (R-Fla.) introduced the Careful Resumption Under Improved Safety Enhancements (CRUISE) Act. If enacted, the bill would revoke the CDC’s current Conditional Sail Order on cruises and put ships back at sea by July 4, 2021.

This marks the third time the CDC has found itself in a defensive position over cruising. The agency first faced pressure from cruise industry trade groups, then the state of Florida. But the trio of senators behind the new bill tried to make their legislation as much of a win-win as possible by still allowing the CDC to provide COVID-19 mitigation guidance for cruise lines. 

The proposed legislation also offers the CDC:

• The establishment of an interagency “Working Group” that will develop guidance to facilitate the resumption of cruise ship operations in the U.S.

• Guarantees that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and CDC retain the authority to make and enforce regulations necessary to prevent the introduction, transmission, or spread of communicable diseases on any individual cruise ship.

Florida, Alaska, and cruisers win

The pivot points in the proposed legislation are Florida -- a state from which 5 million travelers set sail and $9 billion in cruising-related money is generated each year -- and cruisers, many of whom have been vaccinated and are flooding cruise lines with reservations so they can take a much-needed post-pandemic break. 

“The benefits of cruise operations are integral to the economies of Florida’s port cities,” Rubio said. “Floridians and many other Americans who are employed by ports, cruise operators, or work in hospitality jobs near cruise terminals face an uncertain future because of the CDC’s unresponsiveness to requests for guidance by stakeholder groups.”

Alaska has also been hard-hit by both the CDC and Canadian orders. Sen. Sullivan tried to reason that the playing field the CDC set for the various travel segments is not exactly level.

“Unlike the airlines, rail, and other modes of transportation—and all other sectors of the hospitality industry for that matter—the cruise lines have been denied clear direction from the CDC on how to resume operations,” he said. 

“The foot-dragging, mixed messages, and unresponsiveness of CDC leaders is totally unacceptable and ultimately endangering the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of Americans and the hundreds of small businesses across Alaska that rely on the tourism sector. My legislation with Senators Scott and Rubio will accomplish what letters, meetings, and repeated phone calls have not -- directing the CDC to finally codify timely guidance and a plan for cruise ships to safely and responsibly welcome passengers again this summer.”

Parents will start getting a little monthly financial help starting in July. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Commissioner Charles Rettig has confirmed the tax agency will be able to begin the payments at that time.

Before the latest pandemic aid bill signed into law in March, parents received a tax credit for each child when they filed their federal tax returns. The credit was paid as part of their tax refund. 

The $1.9 trillion measure increased the amount of the credit and allowed for its monthly distribution to help families with their budgeting, especially families driven into debt by the pandemic.

But with the tax filing deadline pushed back to May 17, the IRS had warned that it was doubtful that the payments to millions of American families would begin on schedule. At a Senate hearing Tuesday, Rettig said his agency could meet the original date.

“If we end up not being on track for some unforeseen situation, we will advise you and the committee,” Rettig told Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio).

Eligibility requirements

The monthly payment parents receive will depend on how many children they have and their household income. Individuals earning less than $75,000, or married couples earning $150,000 or less, will get the full benefit, which has been raised from $2,000 to between $3,000 and $3,600. 

The new law increased the tax credit to $3,000 per child aged 6 to 17 and $3,600 per child under the age of six for the 2021 tax year.

Parents making more than the income thresholds will still receive the original credit -- $2,000 per child under age 17 for families making less than $200,000 annually, or $400,000 for married couples.

Monthly payments from July to December

The new, increased tax credit will come in the form of a monthly check from the IRS from July through December. The amount each family gets will range from $250 for older children and $300 for children under the age of six. The other half of the tax credit will come in the form of a tax refund in 2022.

To receive the tax credit, parents must have filed a 2020 tax return. Rettig said the tax agency won’t have the information required to distribute the payments if it doesn’t have a return on file.

Aside from filing a federal return, there are no requirements. There is also no limit on the number of children in a family getting the payments if they meet the eligibility requirements.

McDonald’s announced Wednesday that it will mandate anti-harassment training for all of its employees worldwide starting in 2022. 

Over the past five years, accusations of sexual harassment at McDonald’s restaurants have poured in. Former CEO Steve Easterbrook was fired for sexual misconduct with an employee, and at least 50 workers have filed charges against McDonald’s alleging physical and verbal harassment. Some workers claimed they were retaliated against when they complained. 

Now, the company’s President and CEO Chris Kempczinski says McDonald’s will be taking steps to ensure ethical compliance across its stores. 

In an interview with the Associated Press, Kempczinski said the details of the training are still being hammered out. However, the training will be focused on values and expectations. Kempczinski expects employees to be given training when they start working for McDonald’s, and employees may be required to receive training on an annual basis. 

“It’s really important that we be very clear: A safe and respectful workplace where people feel like they’re going to be protected is critically important for our business,” Kempczinski told the AP. “It’s just what society is expecting.”

He said continuing to talk with employees about values and expectations is particularly important at places like McDonald’s because staff turnover can be high. 

“If you’re not constantly talking about values and keeping them in the fore, if you get complacent, then perhaps they’re not as obvious to people or they’re not as inspiring as they could be,” he said.

While the early stages of the pandemic may have pushed e-commerce retail purchases up 81 percent, it also brought some new realities for consumers and retailers alike.

One of the new normals was shipping delays. As more merchants were forced to shift to digital commerce to stay afloat, they were in the lucky position of having extra time to get things out. However, many were so focused on fulfilling orders that they became easy prey for fraudsters. 

Scammers were having a field day with the newfound opportunity. Consumers reported $3.3 billion in fraud and identity theft losses in 2020 -- nearly double from 2019 -- according to the Federal Trade Commission.

Enter “friendly fraud”

Many of those consumer losses came at the hand of something called “friendly fraud” (a.k.a. accidental fraud). Friendly fraud works in three ways:

• A consumer makes a legitimate purchase but doesn’t recognize the charge when it appears on their bank statement. At that point, they call their bank or credit card company to dispute what they think is a fraudulent charge.

• A primary cardholder isn’t told when someone else on their account makes a purchase. They then mistake it for fraud and report it as abuse. This can often happen when spouses share an account.

• A consumer makes a legitimate -- but unauthorized -- purchase. This type of accidental fraud is fairly common in the gaming industry when children use their parents’ credit cards to make in-app or in-game purchases. While the purchases are legitimate, the cardholding parents might not recognize the charge and contact their bank or credit card company to dispute the charges. While Facebook isn’t in the gaming industry, it has also been accused of “friendly fraud.”

Mind you, not all cases of friendly fraud are accidental. Experts at Kount, an Equifax-owned company specializing in fraud prevention, say customers often commit intentional friendly fraud when they find ways to keep products without paying for them. 

The friendly fraud fix

To address friendly fraud, emerging technologies are now able to push transaction data directly to banks so that action can be taken more quickly. That’s good for retailers that might feel the pinch of post-authorization chargebacks. It also helps honest consumers who might be completely naive about a specific charge. However, it’s not such good news for consumers who try to intentionally commit friendly fraud.

The data used in newer systems directly connects any purchase to the consumer so banks can be notified when friendly fraud is in progress. That gives these institutions a valid reason to push back when this kind of fraud occurs. 

“We now have technology that can stop it right before that happens with our alerts,” Scott Adams, Vice President of Friendly Fraud at Kount, told PYMNTS. “And that flows right into the system for our AI to use and for reporting. And those alerts are near real time, so that a merchant could stop shipment or if you’re a digital company, you can stop the usage of that digital product. You can ban the gamer, you can do whatever you need to do to prevent that fraud in the future and from losing resources and revenue.”

Exercise can significantly lower the risk of experiencing poor COVID-19 outcomes, according to a new Kaiser Permanente study. 

The study, led by investigators in Kaiser Permanente Southern California, involved nearly 50,000 people with COVID-19. Of this group, 6.4 percent were consistently active and 14.4 percent were consistently inactive; the remainder fell into the “inconsistently active” category.

The researchers found that patients who regularly exercised had a sharply lower risk of hospitalization, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and death. The odds for death were 2.49 times greater for patients who were consistently inactive compared with patients who were consistently active.

The risk of poor COVID-19 outcomes was still relatively lower for those who were only somewhat physically active. 

"This is a wake-up call for the importance of healthy lifestyles and especially physical activity," said Dr. Robert E. Sallis, a family and sports medicine physician at the Kaiser Permanente Fontana Medical Center. "Kaiser Permanente's motivation is to keep people healthy, and this study truly shows how important that is during this pandemic and beyond. People who regularly exercise had the best chance of beating COVID-19, while people who were inactive did much worse."

Protective effects of exercise 

The study authors said the strong link between exercise and better COVID-19 outcomes remained even when other variables were taken into account. 

"Even after we included variables such as obesity and smoking in the analysis, we still saw inactivity was strongly associated with much higher odds of hospitalization, ICU admission and death, compared with moderate physical activity or any activity at all," said co-author Deborah Rohm Young.

Physical activity is already known to protect consumers from a host of health problems. The researchers say their findings suggest that exercise remains critically important during the pandemic. Sallis recommended walking 30 minutes a day, five days a week at a moderate pace. 

“That will give you a tremendous protective effect against COVID-19,” Sallis said. He added that a “moderate pace” means you’re too winded to sing but can still talk. "I continue to believe that exercise is medicine that everyone should take, especially in this era of COVID-19," he concluded.

In an effort to mitigate the threat of the Hafnium hack, the FBI has been cleared to use the hackers’ own tools to remotely delete infections on people’s computers. 

Last month, security researchers began sounding the alarm about a hack being carried out by a Chinese espionage group known as “Hafnium.” The hack involved the exploitation of multiple zero-day vulnerabilities, and it affected tens of thousands of Microsoft Exchange Servers around the world. 

While Microsoft did eventually address the issue in the form of detection tools and patches, the threat of the hack has lingered. Now, the Justice Department has disclosed that a Texas court granted the FBI approval to utilize a number of remaining backdoors to remotely delete Hafnium infections. 

“Today’s court-authorized removal of the malicious web shells demonstrates the Department’s commitment to disrupt hacking activity using all of our legal tools, not just prosecutions,” reads a statement from Assistant Attorney General John C. Demers, with the Justice Department’s National Security Division.

Operation successful

The Department said the operation was successful, but further action will be required to fully patch the vulnerabilities. 

“The FBI conducted the removal by issuing a command through the web shell to the server, which was designed to cause the server to delete only the web shell (identified by its unique file path),” the U.S. Justice Department stated. 

Under the operation, experts “did not patch any Microsoft Exchange Server zero-day vulnerabilities or search for or remove any additional malware or hacking tools that hacking groups may have placed on victim networks by exploiting the web shells.” 

The Justice Department said it “strongly encourages network defenders to review Microsoft’s remediation guidance and the March 10 Joint Advisory for further guidance on detection and patching.” 

To ensure healthy pregnancies and healthy babies, studies have cautioned pregnant women to avoid several potential risks, like smoking, drinking alcohol, and consuming caffeine. Now, Hadi Mohammadi, an engineer from the University of British Columbia, is urging pregnant women to be extra cautious when driving over speed bumps. 

He explained that when drivers are reckless about speeding over these obstacles, it can be harmful to both pregnant women and their babies. 

“There is lots of research about the importance of movement for women during pregnancy,” said Mohammadi. “Our latest research looked specifically at the impacts of sudden acceleration on a pregnant woman.” 

Staying safe behind the wheel

The researchers created a model of a third-trimester pregnant uterus for the purposes of the study. They then created an equation to determine how the fetus interacts with the uterus when impacted by the vibrations that occur when going over a speed bump. The team was primarily interested in seeing how the size of the speed bump and the speed that the car affected pregnant women and their babies. 

The study showed that speed bumps can put extra pressure on pregnant women’s amniotic fluid, which is responsible for protecting an unborn baby. The researchers say this can increase the risk of a number of complications, including abdominal pain for mothers and abnormalities to heart rate or brain development for babies. 

To ensure safety for both pregnant women and their babies, the researchers determined that cars should go no faster than 45 km/h, or just about 28 mph, over speed bumps. However, the optimal speed to protect the health and safety of pregnant women is about 15.5 mph. 

The researchers explained that this is true of speed bumps and any bumpy roadways; slowing down in these areas is the best bet. Moving forward, the team hopes that consumers take these findings into consideration when driving with pregnant women. 

“Obviously, there are other variables at play when a driver approaches a speed bump, but we hope our findings provide some evidence-based guidance to keep drivers and their occupants literally and figuratively safe,” Mohammadi said. 

Many consumers have started using marijuana to treat a number of medical conditions, including blood pressure, chronic pain, and mental health concerns. 

Now, a new study conducted by researchers from the University of Granada found that smoking marijuana may lead to vision impairments. Though the majority of cannabis users don’t recognize any changes to their vision, the researchers found that the negative effects can make it harder to perform day-to-day tasks.

“This study shows that smoking cannabis has significant adverse effects on certain visual functions, including visual acuity and contrast sensitivity, as well as in nighttime-related visual parameters such as the [visual-disturbance index] and intraocular straylight,” the researchers wrote. 

Understanding visual impairments

To understand what effect cannabis can have on consumers’ vision, the researchers observed 31 participants’ visual acuity both when they had and hadn’t smoked it. The researchers tested the participants’ night vision, contrast sensitivity, visual acuity, accommodative response, and pupil size in both trials. Additionally, participants reported on how they believed their vision was affected both with and without the drug. 

Ultimately, the researchers observed significant changes to every aspect of the participants’ vision after smoking cannabis. Some notable changes included increased susceptibility to visual glares, issues with depth perception, loss of general visual acuity, and a decreased ability to focus. 

It’s important to note that nighttime vision was also seriously compromised. The team noted that cannabis impacted the participants’ visual disturbance, which is when short flashes of light momentarily impair vision. Additionally, the participants had issues with contrast sensitivity, or the ability to pick out fine shades of lightness or darkness. 

In evaluating the participants’ perceptions of their own visual abilities both pre- and post-cannabis, the researchers learned that there was a significant contrast between actual vision and perceived vision. More than 65 percent of the participants believed they had just a slight change in vision after smoking, while 30 percent believed there was no vision change due to cannabis. 

Moving forward, the researchers hope that these findings highlight just how much consumers’ vision can be affected by cannabis and what this can mean as they go about their daily routines. 

“Our results could help generate a better understanding of the visual changes related to cannabis use and their implications for everyday tasks, raising awareness among users of the risks involved in consuming this drug,” the team wrote. 

Personal finance experts are no doubt heartened by the emerging body of research suggesting the year-long coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has altered the way consumers look at their finances.

The latest encouraging study comes from Coinstar, which operates change machines in high-traffic retail locations. It found that 76 percent of respondents now have a household budget, and 74 percent are likely to set aside funds in an emergency budget – apart from general savings.

In 2019, a Debt.com poll found just 67 percent of respondents were on a household budget.

The economic uncertainty caused by the pandemic was likely highly motivating for many people when it comes to their finances. Some were forced to make sacrifices because of a loss of income. Others cut back because they were worried about their jobs. Nearly everyone spent less because there were fewer places to spend it.

Remaining frugal

Now that the pandemic clouds are beginning to lift, the natural inclination might be to spend more, and some people undoubtedly will. But the Coinstar survey found 46 percent of consumers said they plan to stay on a fairly tight budget.

When consumers do treat themselves, the survey suggests restaurants and hotels will benefit. Nearly half -- 47 percent -- plan to dine out more frequently. An equal percentage plans to take a summer vacation.

The pressure to spend more will surely be around once movie theaters and restaurants return to full capacity. But at least a significant number of people have the intention of maintaining their more frugal ways. Of those who do plan to splurge, fewer than 20 percent held back during the height of the pandemic but are now ready to open their pocketbooks.

Of those who plan to improve their financial situation in 2021, 43 percent said they will cut back on discretionary spending, 31 percent plan to sell personal items, and 27 percent say they will take on an additional job. 

Personal finance experts suggest the first step, aside from establishing a household budget, is to put away some money in case of an unexpected expense, such as a car or home repair. A 2019 GoBankingRates survey found 70 percent of Americans had less than $1,000 in savings.

In June, as the economic impact of the pandemic was spreading across the country, a Harris Poll found one-third of homeowners have less than $500 in an emergency account.

Hyundai Motor America is recalling 147 model year 2021 Genesis G80s and GV80s with 2.5-litre turbo engines.

The fuel tube connecting the high pressure fuel pump to the fuel rail may not seal properly, which could allow fuel to leak.

A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.

What to do

Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the high pressure fuel tube free of charge.

The recall is expected to begin May 21, 2021.

Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at (855) 371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 008G.

Ford Motor Company is recalling 16,128 model year 2020-2021 F-53 Motorhome Stripped Chassis and F-59 Commercial Stripped Chassis vehicles.

An inadequate amount of rear axle lubricant may cause rear wheel bearing damage and bearing seizure, and rear axle or driveshaft failure.

Failure of the rear axle or driveshaft may cause the loss of motive power, failure of the parking brake, and the inability to shift the transmission into "PARK," increasing the risk of a crash.

What to do

Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and -- as necessary -- replace the rear wheel bearings free of charge.

Owners may contact Ford customer service at (866) 436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S17.

BMW of North America is recalling 17 model year 2021 X3 sDrive30i, X3 xDrive30i, X3 M40i, X3M, X4, and X4 xDrive30i vehicles.

The inlet check valve weld may fail, allowing the filling pipe to separate from the fuel tank.

Fuel may leak through the failed weld, increasing the risk of a fire.

What to do

BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel tank free of charge.

The recall is scheduled to begin May 17, 2021.

Owners may contact BMW customer service at (800) 525-7417.

U.S. government health agencies have asked for a “pause” in administering the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine to give them time to investigate potential health issues.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have issued a joint statement saying they will investigate instances where people who have received the vaccine developed blood clots. The cases were described as “rare” but “severe.”

The agencies said they acted after discovering that six women between the ages of 18 and 48 years who got the vaccine had developed blood clots. A team of health experts will begin investigating the matter starting Wednesday.

“Until that process is complete, we are recommending a pause in the use of this vaccine out of an abundance of caution,” the statement said. “This is important, in part, to ensure that the health care provider community is aware of the potential for these adverse events and can plan for proper recognition and management due to the unique treatment required with this type of blood clot.”

Contact health care professionals if symptoms arise

The statement from the health agencies stresses that the blood clotting issue has only been seen in six cases but that protocols require an investigation. It also has advice for people who have received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

People who have received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and who develop severe headaches, abdominal pain, leg pain, or shortness of breath within three weeks after vaccination should contact their health care provider. Health care providers are asked to report adverse events to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System. 

As of Monday, more than 6.8 million Americans have received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. The six reports of blood clotting involve a type of blood clot called cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST). It was present in individuals who had low levels of blood platelets 

In the six cases, health officials said the symptoms occurred 6 to 13 days after vaccination. The statement stresses that people with this reaction need to consult a health care provider because the treatment is different from what is normally used in the case of blood clots.

The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is different from those developed by Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna, which employ what is known as mRNA technology. It is similar to the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine, which is widely used in Europe and was also briefly halted last month over blood clot concerns.

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

Total U.S. confirmed cases: 31,280,880 (31,202,818)

Total U.S. deaths: 562,655 (562,096)

Total global cases: 136,857,385 (136,181,468)

Total global deaths: 2,949,096 (2,938,829)

Feds ask for ‘pause’ of Johnson & Johnson vaccinations

The coronavirus vaccine from Johnson & Johnson has proven to be popular with consumers, but federal health agencies have asked for a “pause” of these shots while they investigate a potential blood clotting issue.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have issued a joint statement saying they will investigate six instances where women who have received the vaccine developed blood clots. The cases were described as “rare” but “severe.” The probe begins Wednesday.

“Until that process is complete, we are recommending a pause in the use of this vaccine out of an abundance of caution,” the agencies stated. 

CDC to Michigan: ‘Shut it down’

As many states continue to see a decline in cases of the coronavirus, Michigan is one of a handful of states that is experiencing a dramatic rise. This week, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer asked the Biden administration to “flood the state with vaccine.”

Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the CDC, says more vaccine doses aren’t going to solve the state’s problem. To flatten the curve, she says Michigan needs to shut down again.

“I think if we try to vaccinate our way out of what is happening in Michigan, we would be disappointed that it took so long for the vaccine to work, to actually have the impact,” Walensky said. “It takes several weeks for immunizations to kick in and reduce the caseload. 

Study finds previous infection provides significant immunity

A new study published in the British medical journal The Lancet found that people who recovered from COVID-19 were much less likely to become reinfected. They were 84 percent less likely to test positive and 93 percent less likely to display any symptoms if they did get reinfected.

The study involved 25,661 workers at public hospitals throughout England who were tested for SARS-CoV-2 every two to four weeks and antibodies against the virus at enrollment and every four weeks. Volunteers also completed questionnaires on symptoms and exposures every two weeks.

"This study shows that previous infection with SARS-CoV-2 induces effective immunity to future infections in most individuals," the authors wrote. "The importance of understanding the nature and rate of SARS-CoV-2 reinfection to guide non-pharmaceutical interventions and public health control measures is essential in this evolving pandemic."

Cost of living jumps in March

Preparations for a reopened economy amidst a surge in vaccinations are putting upward pressure on the cost of living -- especially food costs. The Labor Department reports that the Consumer Price Index in March rose 2.6 percent year-over-year.

The biggest increase was in the cost of gasoline, which surged 9.1 percent. But that’s explained by the fact that gas prices had plunged and were sinking fast in March 2020. In contrast, gas prices were going up last month.

Food costs, which rose 3.5 percent, might be a more reliable indicator of how the wind-down to the pandemic will affect inflation, but prices seem to be rising slowly. Compared to February, March food prices were 0.1 percent higher.

Study: U.K. variant not more severe

Health officials now say the U.K. variant of the coronavirus is present in all 50 states. The good news is that a study suggests its effects are not any more severe than the original strain.

British researchers say the U.K. strain, known as  B.1.1.7, did not result in more severe symptoms of patients hospitalized for treatment of COVID-19. But the study did show that people infected with B.1.1.7 had more of the virus in their blood, explaining why it is more contagious than the original.

“If you need hospitalization, you’re not worse with this variant compared to the previous virus strain,” said Eleni Nastouli, senior author on the paper. “Of course, if you’re requiring hospital admission, that is a worry.”

Around the nation

• New Jersey: New Jersey has surged to near the top of the states with the most new cases of the virus. The CDC ranks the state number two in the nation in coronavirus cases per capita. Gov. Phil Murphy says the troubling trend could prevent more reopenings or capacity expansions in the coming weeks.

• Arkansas: If New Jersey is near the top in new cases of the virus, Arkansas is near the bottom. In fact, the state’s 72.6 new cases per 100,000 residents rank it lowest in the U.S. in a measure that also includes the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

• Texas: A year ago, long-term care facilities were being ravaged by cases of COVID-19. Today in Texas, these cases have largely disappeared. On Monday, state health officials reported only 12 new COVID-19 cases in the state's nursing facilities and assisted living facilities.

Every parent takes a different approach when it comes to disciplining their children. Now, a new study conducted by researchers from Harvard University found that those who use corporal punishment may impact their child’s brain development.

According to their findings, spanking affected kids’ brain development much in the same way as more intense types of violence. The researchers worry about how this practice could affect long-term decision-making abilities, emotional processing, and general mental health. 

“We know that children whose families use corporal punishment are more likely to develop anxiety, depression, behavior problems, and other mental health problems, but many people don’t think about spanking as a form of violence,” said researcher Katie A. McLaughlin. “In this study, we wanted to examine whether there was an impact of spanking at a neurobiological level, in terms of how the brain is developing.” 

How spanking can affect development

The researchers had nearly 150 kids between the ages of 10 and 11 participate in the study. While laying in an MRI machine, the children were shown pictures of faces that were either showing fearful or neutral expressions. The researchers analyzed what effect the different faces had on the children’s brain responses. 

The study revealed that seeing images of fearful faces activated more areas of the brain in children who were spanked versus those who weren’t. Additionally, more areas in the prefrontal cortex were activated in these children. This is important because the prefrontal cortex is responsible for decision-making, social awareness, and personality expression. 

When comparing these results to those of children who had experienced more severe types of abuse, the researchers found that they were similar. 

“While we might not conceptualize corporal punishment to be a form of violence, in terms of how a child’s brain responds, it’s not all that different than abuse,” said McLaughlin. “It’s more a difference of degree than type.” 

What are the long-term risks?

The researchers explained that every child responds to discipline differently. While some kids who were spanked grow up to overcome this type of punishment, it’s important for parents to know what the potential risks are. 

The researchers hope that parents take these findings and veer away from this type of discipline because it’s clear that spanking children can have neurological consequences. 

“The important message is that corporal punishment is a risk that can increase potential problems for children’s development, and following a precautionary principle, parents and policymakers should work toward trying to reduce its prevalence,” said McLaughlin. “We’re hopeful that this finding may encourage families not to use this strategy, and that it may open people’s eyes to the potential negative consequences of corporal punishment in ways they haven’t thought of before.” 

As all eyes are getting ready for Wednesday’s public debut of Coinbase, Bitcoin celebrated a little early by climbing up to $63,250.20 in value on Tuesday.

Some analysts think the crypto party could get even louder when Coinbase goes public, raising the value of the digital marketplace to as much as $100 billion. Experts say Bitcoin’s value could also rise by another $3,000 by tomorrow if it continues to trend upwards as it has over the past 24 hours. However, investors who want to jump on the cryptocurrency’s bandwagon need to understand that the coin has a habit of rather dramatic herky-jerky performances.

Ether, entrenched as the second-most valuable digital coin after bitcoin, was also setting a new record in Tuesday trading, hitting $2,293.12.

Is cryptocurrency ready to be a real thing?

Crypto cheerleaders are all-in on the Coinbase debut because they think it could be a watershed moment for the industry after suffering doubt from financial regulators and Wall Street. 

Investors might finally sit up and take notice if Coinbase hits town like it’s expected to. If the digital marketplace does make it to a $100 billion valuation, that would make it worth more than Intercontinental Exchange, the owner of the New York Stock Exchange.

“This is really good and really important for the industry,” Marcus Swanepoel, CEO and co-founder of London-based cryptocurrency platform Luno, told CNBC. “It’s going to increase the trust and transparency in our industry.

“There’s still a bit of distrust in the industry and I think having a company of that size be public is going to help a lot of people realize that this is not just an asset class to take seriously but also a business to take seriously.”

Experts say consumers should be careful

All of this hoopla might cause speculative investors to throw a bunch of money at cryptocurrencies in light of how Coinbase’s IPO might shake out. Evan Thurmond, a founding partner at Lifetime Wealth Strategies, says if you’re tempted to be one of those folks, you might want to exercise caution.

“Yes, at the moment, there is more interest in bitcoin than there is in other currencies. However, people have to understand that currencies are not supposed to appreciate so rapidly as bitcoin has relative to other currencies,” he told ConsumerAffairs.

“Be careful. Do not be afraid to hit the sell button. Anyone can get lucky and make money, but hogs always get slaughtered.”

Gold prices rose Tuesday in response to government data showing a slightly higher-than-expected reading on U.S. inflation. 

The reading “came in slightly over expectations, an indication that the U.S. economy is heating up a bit more than expected,” Jason Teed, co-portfolio manager of the Gold Bullion Strategy Fund told MarketWatch. 

The consumer-price index rose 0.6 percent in March after a 0.4 percent rise in February, according to the data. Economists were expecting to see a 0.5 percent increase in the CPI. 

"The March 1-month increase was the largest rise since a 0.6-percent increase in August 2012," the Labor Department report said.

June gold futures rose $8.50 at $1,741.20 an ounce, up 0.50 percent on the day. Overall, Teed said the precious metal is “responding positively to the news, but short-term price movements in the metal are not an indication of long-term trends.” 

During an interview on CBS News’ “60 Minutes” on Sunday, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said the economy is at an “inflection point” right now. Barring another wave of COVID-19 cases, Powell said the economy is heading toward recovery from the pandemic.

Market analysts have pointed out that the risk of higher inflation could prompt the central bank to hike interest rates sooner than expected. However, economists say last year’s COVID-19-related disruptions are likely to impact annual forecasts.