Current Events in June 2021

Gas prices remained stable this week despite a big increase in demand over the Memorial Day weekend, as an estimated 37 million Americans hit the road.

The AAA Fuel Gauge Survey shows that the national average price of regular gas is $3.04 a gallon, about the same as it was last Friday. It’s 14 cents higher than a month ago. The average price of premium gas is $3.65 a gallon, also the same as last week. The average price of diesel fuel is a penny higher than last week, at $3.18 a gallon.

Prices have remained stable in the face of rising oil prices and increased demand. AAA says the next week or two could indicate whether that stability is lasting.

“Demand has steadily jumped week-over-week since the end of April, pushing supply down to typical summer levels. The increasing demand and decreasing supply combined with more expensive crude oil prices means gas prices are likely to see fluctuation throughout June,” said Jeanette McGee, AAA’s spokesperson. “We could see some decreases early in the month and increases mid-month as school years end and summer travel 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 ($4.20)

• Hawaii ($3.94)

• Nevada ($3.64)

• Washington ($3.58)

• Oregon ($3.43)

• Utah ($3.38)

• Alaska ($3.34)

• Illinois ($3.29)

• Idaho ($3.26)

• Pennsylvania ($3.16)

The states with the cheapest regular gas

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

• Texas ($2.70)

• Mississippi ($2.71)

• Louisiana ($2.71)

• Missouri ($2.73)

• Oklahoma ($2.74)

• Arkansas ($2.76)

• Alabama ($2.81)

• South Carolina ($2.81)

• Kansas ($2.82)

• Minnesota ($2.84)

BMW of North America is recalling two model year 2021 230i and M240i vehicles.

Supports within the roof liner may be insecurely attached.

As a result, the support may separate from the roof liner and fall into the passenger compartment, increasing the risk of injury during a crash necessitating the deployment of the head airbag.

What to do

Dealers will inspect and repair or replace the roof liner -- as necessary -- free of charge.

Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed July 5, 2021.

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

The FBI says it knows who was behind the recent cyberattack that sidelined JBS, the world’s largest meat producer. The agency linked the deed to a notorious Russian ransomware gang and says it is working to stop the cyber bandits from doing any further harm.

“As the lead federal investigative agency fighting cyber threats, combating cybercrime is one of the FBI’s highest priorities,” the agency said in a statement. “We have attributed the JBS attack to REvil and Sodinokibi and are working diligently to bring the threat actors to justice. A cyberattack on one is an attack on us all.”

REvil/Sodinokibi sits atop all other ransomware groups, with a 12.5% share of the ransomware market -- and it’s been a busy bunch too. So far this year, it claimed that it stole unencrypted data from electronics company Acer, pilfered information from the celebrity law firm that represents Lady Gaga and Madonna, and made off with plans for upcoming Apple products.

Consumers are safe… for the moment

When a business is hacked, its customer database is usually part of the theft. Take, for example, the attack on Marriott hotels that exposed the personal details of 500 million hotel guests.

While consumers used to be easy targets for ransomware groups, one cybersecurity expert says cybercriminals tend not to go after the general population as much anymore because it’s just not that lucrative to do so.

“Consumers are more trouble than they are worth,” said Dick O'Brien, principal editor at Symantec, who authored a special report on targeted ransomware. "A lot of the consumers these days do not use computers that much, and ransomware is designed to infect Windows computers—they are not in the firing line, as much as enterprise users. Enterprises are—I would not say an easier target, but there are more possibilities for a compromise with them."

Ransomware still impacts consumers

ConsumerAffairs reached out to Purandar Das, co-founder at data security platform Sotero, to find out what trickle-down effect ransomware might have on consumers.

“The recent wave of escalating cyber and ransomware attacks on organizations will and is resulting in significant impact to the consumer. Most of what is being discussed and being written about is the operational impact to the organization. What is less understood and discussed is the impact to consumers and individuals,” Das told ConsumerAffairs.

“Whether it is the Solarwinds attack or the more recent attacks on the energy pipeline and now the meat processing industry, they will and are resulting in significant impact to the consumer.” How? Das says that even in the short term of those cyberattacks, consumers faced gas shortages and price increases. 

“These are indicative of the disruption that these attacks could cause. Also of concern is the possibility of data theft in any or all of these attacks. While it is not clear, at the moment, if any data has been stolen, stolen information would increase the possibility of consumers facing increasing identify related crimes as well as their personal information being held hostage,” he said.

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

Total U.S. confirmed cases: 33,309,356 (33,290,961)

Total U.S. deaths: 595,888 (595,422)

Total global cases: 171,776,210 (171,323,440) 

Total global deaths: 3,693,623 (3,683,015)

New cases continue to fall

Health officials will closely watch the data for the next two weeks to see if the long Memorial Day weekend has impacted the decline in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations. So far, the numbers are moving in the right direction.

Unofficial tallies show that the seven-day average of new cases fell to 17,119 this week, the lowest reading since the earliest days of the pandemic. The trend for hospitalizations is also falling.

Forty-six states are reporting a trend of fewer cases of the virus. An exception is California, which has seen a recent uptick in cases after a marked improvement.

Nurses sue hospital over vaccine mandate

Houston Methodist Hospital has found itself as the defendant in a lawsuit filed by 117 nurses who object to the facility’s requirement that all employees be vaccinated against the coronavirus. 

Despite the fact the vaccines went through clinical trials and have already been administered to millions of people, the nurses’ complaint alleges that they are being used as “human guinea pigs.”

"This is very important,” Jennifer Bridges, one of the plaintiffs, told Fox News. “We're basically fighting for everybody's rights right now just to make our own decisions. Nobody should be forced to put something in their body if they are not comfortable with it -- and lose their jobs over it." 

The job market looks like it’s back

There are still lots of people drawing jobless benefits because of the pandemic, but fewer people are seeking help. The Labor Department reports that initial claims for unemployment benefits fell to 385,000 last week, the first time the number has dipped below 400,000 since the start of the pandemic.

The four-week moving average of benefit filings was 428,000, a decrease of 30,500 from the previous week's revised average. This is the lowest level for this average since March 14, 2020, when it was 225,500. 

The report also shows that the number of people still drawing unemployment benefits for the week ending May 15 was 15,435,982, a number that has continued to fall since the first of the year. The number represents a decrease of 366,178 from the previous week. 

Apple wants employees back in the office

While some companies may allow remote work for the indefinite future, Apple apparently wants a return to semi-normalcy over the next few months. An email from Tim Cook, obtained by The Verge, says employees should prepare for at least a partial return by September.

“For all that we’ve been able to achieve while many of us have been separated, the truth is that there has been something essential missing from this past year: each other,” the memo to Apple employees said. “Video conference calling has narrowed the distance between us, to be sure, but there are things it simply cannot replicate.”

According to the memo, employees will be offered a hybrid work schedule, reporting to the office on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. They would have the option of working remotely Wednesday and Friday.

GM sees an end to the computer chip shortage

The shortage of computer chips during the pandemic has reduced the number of new cars on dealer lots and increased prices for used cars. GM says it believes an end to the shortage is in sight.

The automaker said it has significantly increased the shipments of pickup trucks and other popular vehicles to dealers, saying the vehicles had been built but set aside until the necessary chips were in place. 

Chips have been in short supply because automakers canceled orders at the beginning of the pandemic, expecting steep declines in sales. Sales increased instead, and the chips abandoned by the auto industry were snapped up by the electronics industry, which saw a surge in sales of laptops and tablets.

Around the nation

• Connecticut: As recently as March, Connecticut was among the states struggling to contain the virus. Now, health officials say those efforts have paid off. Connecticut ranks third in the nation among states with the fewest new cases.

• Illinois: Gov. J.B. Pritzker says the state will move into Phase 5 of its COVID-19 protocol next week when the last of the restrictions will be dropped. Phase 5 removes all remaining capacity limits and restrictions on all sectors of the economy.

• Tennessee: An inmate at the Grundy County Jail made an escape while deputies were taking him to the health department to get a COVID-19 test. Authorities say he is unlikely to get far since he is handcuffed, barefoot, and wearing a bright orange jumpsuit.

Ally Bank has taken a step that could shake up the banking world. The digital financial services company is eliminating overdraft fees when customers overdraw their accounts. The bank says every customer is eligible and there are no requirements or restrictions.

"This is a significant advancement for consumers as we live out our mission and live up to our name - being a true ally,” said Ally’s CEO Jeffrey Brown. “Overdraft fees are a pain point for many consumers but are particularly onerous for some. It is time to end them.”

Ally suspended overdraft fees early in the pandemic. Based on overwhelmingly positive feedback from its customers, the bank decided to make the policy permanent.

"Nationwide, more than 80% of overdraft fees are paid by consumers living paycheck to paycheck or with consistently low balances – precisely the people who need help stabilizing their finances,” Brown said.  “Eliminating these fees helps keep people from falling further behind and feeling penalized as they catch up." 

Sore point with consumers

Overdraft fees are often a sore point with consumers posting reviews of their banks on ConsumerAffairs. Sheryl, a Comerica Bank customer, says overdraft fees are not reflected as pending charges in her online bank balance, causing her to go deeper into the red.

“So you think you are in the black, use your debit card, but fees have posted from before and now an entirely new set of overdraft fees are added,” Sheryl wrote.

More than a decade ago, banks routinely honored customer’s purchases when they overdrew their accounts but assessed a fee of around $35. Consumers complained that they could run up five separate $35 charges on a single shopping trip without knowing they had exceeded their account’s balance.

Congress passed a law in 2010 requiring banks to decline debit card sales when an account is overdrawn unless the customer has opted-in for the bank’s “overdraft protection.”

Financially vulnerable

The 2021 FinHealth Spend Report found that 95% of consumers who paid $12.4 billion in overdraft fees in 2020 were classified as "financially vulnerable" and disproportionately Black and Latino.

Among those financially vulnerable households with checking accounts, 43% averaged 9.6 overdrafts during 2020, resulting in annual overdraft fees of hundreds of dollars per household on average.

Overdraft fees are a major profit center for large banks but new data shows the amount of overdraft revenue banks collected declined sharply in 2020, dropping for the first time in six years. Ally Bank has decided it can operate without that revenue. If it results in a surge in new customers, other banks may follow.

Microsoft appears to be gearing up to launch the “next generation” of Windows. On Wednesday, the company announced a new Windows event set for June 24. The software giant said it would unveil “what’s next for Windows” at the event and described what’s to come as “the most significant update of Windows of the past decade".

The event invite included an image of what appears to be a new Windows logo, and some are speculating that the lighting shining through two vertical bars suggests that it will be “Windows 11” rather than an updated version of Windows 10. 

Adding more fuel to the speculatory fire that the operating system will be called Windows 11, the event also starts at 11 a.m. ET. The Verge noted that this isn’t the typical start time of most Windows and Surface events. 

In recent months, Microsoft has been working on a project codenamed Sun Valley. The company has described the project as a “sweeping visual rejuvenation of Windows.” Earlier this year, Microsoft posted a job listing that suggested it was looking to fill a software engineering role in its Windows Core User Experiences team.

“On this team, you’ll work with our key platform, Surface, and OEM partners to orchestrate and deliver a sweeping visual rejuvenation of Windows experiences to signal to our customers that Windows is BACK and ensure that Windows is considered the best user OS experience for customers,” the company said in the listing.

It appears as though some sort of overhaul has now come to fruition on the operating system front, but users will have to wait until June 24 to see what Microsoft has planned. 

It’s been well documented that pets can play a significant role in improving consumers’ mental health and stress. Now, a new study conducted by researchers from Concordia University explored how kids are affected when their pets sleep with them. 

Though many consumers believe a pet could be detrimental to kids’ sleep quality and lead to all kinds of issues, the study findings show that the opposite is actually true: many kids sleep better when they’re with their pets. 

“Co-sleeping with a pet is something many children are doing, and we don’t know how it influences their sleep,” said researcher Hillary Rowe. “So, from a sleep science perspective, we felt this was something important we should look into.” 

Kids can benefit when sleeping with pets

The researchers had roughly 200 children between the ages of 11 and 17 enrolled in the Candian Institute of Health Research’s Healthy Heart Project involved in the study. 

There were three primary points of data collection for the study: the children wore wrist monitors for two weeks that measured their sleep quality; the children and their parents responded to questionnaires about their sleeping habits; and the researchers measured the children’s brain waves while sleeping for one night of the study. Based on the responses to the questionnaires, children were put into one of three groups based on the frequency with which they slept with their pets: sometimes, frequently, or never. 

The researchers learned that more than 30% of the children reported sharing their beds with their pets. While this was shocking to the team, it produced no adverse effects on the children’s overall sleep quality. Nearly 35% reported frequently or sometimes sleeping with their pets, and it ultimately boosted sleeping outcomes. 

Compared to children who didn’t sleep with their pets, those who did had similar or better results in each of the key areas -- sleep duration, disruptions, latency, and overall quality. Though the team plans to do more work in this area, it’s important to understand the peace and comfort that young people get from sleeping with their pets. 

“Sleeping with your pet does not appear to be disruptive,” said Rowe. “In fact, children who frequently slept with their pet endorsed having higher sleep quality.” 

With vaccination rates continuing to climb, Apple employees will soon have to go into the office at least three days a week. Apple CEO Tim Cook told workers that the change will go into effect in early September. 

"For all that we've been able to achieve while many of us have been separated, the truth is that there has been something essential missing from this past year: each other," Cook said in a memo seen by The Verge. "Video conference calling has narrowed the distance between us, to be sure, but there are things it simply cannot replicate."

Most employees will be asked to work in the office on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, and they will have the option of working remotely on Wednesdays and Fridays, according to the email. Teams that require in-person work will return to the office four to five days a week.

Apple employees will also have the opportunity to work remotely for up to two weeks a year, “to be closer to family and loved ones, find a change of scenery, manage unexpected travel, or a different reason all your own,” the memo said. Remote work requests will need approval from a manager. 

Returning to normal

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Apple was quick to allow employees to work remotely full-time. But before the pandemic, the company discouraged working from home. 

“There’s no replacement for face-to-face collaboration, but we have also learned a great deal about how we can get our work done outside of the office without sacrificing productivity or results,” Cook told staff last year. “When we’re on the other side of this pandemic, we will preserve everything that is great about Apple while incorporating the best of our transformations this year.”

In closing Wednesday’s letter to staff, Cook encouraged all employees to get vaccinated and said he was looking forward to the resumption of in-person work.

“For now, let me simply say that I look forward to seeing your faces,” he said. “I know I’m not alone in missing the hum of activity, the energy, creativity and collaboration of our in-person meetings and the sense of community we’ve all built.”

Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) is recalling 17,800 model year 2019-2021 G550 and G63 AMG.

Components within the door latch may prevent the rear doors from latching or opening properly.

While the rear door may appear closed even when the latch is not fully engaged, the door may open while the vehicle is being driven, increasing the risk of injury or a crash.

Additionally. damaged latch components may prevent the rear door from being opened from the inside, increasing the risk of injury.

What to do

Dealers will replace the rear door latches free of charge.

Vehicles repaired prior to this recall must return to dealers to have remedy performed.

Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed July 13, 2021.

Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at (800) 367-6372.

It’s Prime Time! Amazon has announced the details for Prime Day 2021. The company is shining a bright light on the number of deals it will offer, and it also has a special perk for shoppers who buy from the retailer’s small business sellers.

Now in its sixth year, the two-day shopping extravaganza will happen on June 21 and June 22. It will offer Prime members over 2 million deals across every category — automotive, cosmetics, electronics, fashion, electronics, home décor, toys, and more.

Can’t wait until June 21?

If the anticipation of getting in on a good deal is too much to ask, Amazon does have some specials it can throw your way for now.

Early deals started being offered on Wednesday from top brands like LEGO, Mattel, BLACK+DECKER, and Le Creuset. The online retailer is also offering what it says is its best deal ever from Amazon Music, which will allow Prime members who have never tried the service to get four months free.

Here’s a quick highlight of what shoppers can buy before Prime Day officially begins:

Electronics: Save on JBL Headphones.

Toys: Save on select toys and games from LEGO, Hasbro, Barbie, Fisher-Price, Radio Flyer, and Paw Patrol.

Kitchen: Parrotheads and beach bums can save on select Margaritaville blenders, 25% on select GoWise air fryers, and up to 30% on Le Creuset cast iron and stoneware products.

Home: Select furniture, rugs, home décor, and artwork are on sale, as well as robotic vacuums from Shark and Bissel and air purifiers from Levoit and Toshiba.

Pet Products: Save up to 20% off PetSafe Feeders and up to 19% off PetSafe Easy Walk Harnesses.

Home Improvement: Maybe as an easy way to check that Father’s Day gift off your to-do list, Amazon is offering deals on select DEWALT 20-Volt MAX tools and the Z GRILLS Wood Pellet Grill and Smoker. 

Books: Amazon wouldn’t be Amazon without books, and customers can enjoy deals and discounts on select Kindle books. For book lovers who also like their books in audio form, Prime members can save over 50% on the first four months of Audible Premium Plus, at $6.95 a month.

Prime Gaming: While online gaming might not be on your list of fun things to do, it certainly is for some 41.5 million Prime Gaming users in the U.S. For a limited time, Prime members can immerse themselves — for free — in Battlefield 4, plus free games and in-game content for games like Valorant, Rainbow Six Siege, and Apex Legends. 

If you’re feeling left out because you’re not a Prime member, no sweat. Anyone can join Prime or start a 30-day free trial to participate in the event. 

$10 for you and $10 for...

If you’ve seen any of Amazon’s recent TV commercials, it’s no surprise that the company is solidly behind the hundreds of thousands who are trying to incubate their own business on the company’s main platform or through Amazon Handmade or Amazon Launchpad. 

Starting on Monday, June 7, and lasting through Sunday, June 20, Amazon will offer a $10 credit to use on Prime Day to members who spend $10 on select small business products from local Black-owned, woman-owned, military family-owned, and other small businesses.

To make it easy for customers to support small businesses this Prime Day, Amazon has curated collections to connect customers with its small business partners at amazon.com/supportsmall.

As part of the Spend $10, Get $10 promotion, Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Card and Amazon Prime Store Card holders with an eligible Prime membership will earn 10% back in rewards on select small business purchases. 

Prime Day = more job opportunities

In order for Amazon to make good on fulfilling all the orders it anticipates it will get during Prime Day, it’s hiring 75,000 people for its fulfillment and transportation networks. To compete with its peers like Walmart and Costco, it’s also increasing its average starting pay. The company is now offering starting wages of over $17 per hour, plus health benefits and sign-on bonuses of up to $1,000 in many locations.

The locations with the most open roles include Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Washington, and Wisconsin.

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

Total U.S. confirmed cases: 33,290,961 (33,266,191)

Total U.S. deaths: 595,422 (594,603)

Total global cases: 171,323,440 (170,800,205) 

Total global deaths: 3,683,015 (3,551,771)

Vaccines are great but scientists want a cure

Vaccines have proven very effective against the coronavirus, but not everyone is choosing to be vaccinated. Scientists say they are searching for a cure to prevent the virus from becoming a public health threat in the future.

“Vaccine manufacturers are making next-generation vaccines to try and stay one step ahead, but it is unpredictable. So you need other interventions to address the potential evolution of the virus,” Daria Hazuda, vice president of infectious disease and vaccine discovery research at Merck, told the PBS NewsHour.

Several drugs are in development. Merck scientists have produced a drug called molnupiravir as a possible treatment. The company says it is nearing the end of clinical testing.

FDA: Stop using these two tests

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a safety communication to warn the public to stop using the Lepu Medical Technology SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Rapid Test Kit and the Leccurate SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Rapid Test Kit.

The agency said it has “serious concerns” about the performance of the tests and believes there is a high risk of false results. It said neither test has been authorized, cleared, or approved by the FDA. 

The FDA took a further step by identifying both products in a class I recall, which is the most serious type of recall. The FDA said it is aware that these unauthorized tests were distributed to pharmacies to be sold for at-home testing by consumers, as well as offered for sale directly to consumers.

Krispy Kreme has given away over a million free doughnuts

Krispy Kreme reports that vaccinated Americans have been lining up for weeks to get a free glazed doughnut. The company says its incentive program to encourage COVID-19 vaccinations has worked because it’s given away more than 1.5 million doughnuts.

The company is increasing the incentive on Friday, June 4. Americans who show proof of vaccination can get two free doughnuts at participating stores.

“On National Doughnut Day, stop by and enjoy any doughnut you want on us,” said Dave Skena, chief marketing officer for Krispy Kreme. “And if you’re helping us get past this pandemic by getting your COVID-19 vaccine, then thank you and have a second doughnut on us.” 

West Virginia steps up the incentives

States are increasingly searching for incentives to encourage residents to get vaccinated. West Virginia is the latest to up the ante by adopting a lottery idea that was used in neighboring Ohio.

Gov. Jim Justice announced this week that the state will run a vaccination incentive lottery throughout the summer. The lottery will include a $1.588 million grand prize, a $588,000 second prize, and full scholarships to any higher education institution in West Virginia.

To sweeten the deal further, West Virginia will also give away custom-outfitted trucks, lifetime hunting and fishing licenses, custom hunting rifles, and custom hunting shotguns.

Costco to bring back sample stations

In another sign that things are beginning to return to normal, shoppers at Costco will soon be able to nibble on food samples again. The warehouse retailer has announced that it will reopen food sample stations, closed at the start of the pandemic, at 170 of its stores.

The company also said it will reopen food courts at all of its stores starting next week, but at 50% capacity and with social distancing. Sam's Club has also announced that it is bringing back food samples at all of its locations in the U.S.

Around the nation

• Kentucky: Gov. Andy Beshear says the state will roll out an incentive program to encourage people to get vaccinated. State health officials say there are currently about 2 million Kentuckians who are at least partially vaccinated. That represents approximately 46% of the state’s population.

• New York: New York City bars and restaurants are open again at full capacity with most virus restrictions now lifted. However, patrons are encountering higher prices on the menu. Business owners say the cost of food, supplies, and labor have all gone up in the wake of the pandemic.

• Ohio: Most of the state’s COVID-19 vaccination rules expired today. Ohioans are no longer required to wear masks or follow social distancing guidelines. It also puts an end to capacity restrictions at indoor and outdoor events. 

There shouldn’t be any shortage of ground beef at the supermarket. JBS, the world’s largest meat processor, said it and its U.S. subsidiary Pilgrim’s would resume operations today at most plants after a weekend cyberattack.

The company announced Sunday it had been the victim of hackers who seized the firms’ computer networks in North America and Australia. Industry analysts warned of supply chain issues and shortages in the U.S. if the shutdown lasted a week or more.

Andre Nogueira, CEO of JBS USA, said he expects the "vast majority" of the company’s processing plants to be back in operation within 24 hours after all U.S. beef processing facilities were idled on Monday and most of Tuesday.

“Our systems are coming back online and we are not sparing any resources to fight this threat,” Nogueira said. “We have cybersecurity plans in place to address these types of issues and we are successfully executing those plans.”

Supplies are flowing again

The company said it and its subsidiary companies were able to ship product from nearly all of its facilities to supply customers on Tuesday. It reported continued progress in resuming plant operations in the U.S. and Australia, where operations were also disrupted.

In fact, JBS disclosed that a number of its pork, poultry and prepared foods plants were operational Tuesday and its Canada beef facility resumed production. The company said it received strong support from the U.S., Australian, and Canadian governments.

“I want to personally thank the White House, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Australian and Canadian governments for their assistance over the last two days,” Nogueira said

With the resumption of operations, there should be no glitches in the supply chain and consumers should continue to see normal supplies of product at grocery stores.

JBS also said it is not aware of any evidence at this time that any customer, supplier, or employee data was compromised in the hack. 

In a bid to target Gen-Z consumers, Etsy is acquiring fashion resale app Depop for $1.63 billion. The company’s CEO Josh Silverman announced the “mostly-cash” deal on Wednesday, saying Etsy sees Depop as "the resale home for Gen-Z consumers.” 

Etsy believes that buying Depop, which has a user base mostly under the age of 26, will help draw younger shoppers to Etsy and bring more content to the marketplace. The acquisition could also help Etsy offset consumers’ post-pandemic return to brick-and-mortar stores. 

Etsy currently exists as a platform for sellers to list handmade goods and vintage items, while U.K.-based Depop focuses on selling secondhand clothing. Depop’s user base has grown to over 26 million in recent years. 

Courting Gen Z

Etsy believes Depop’s ethos pairs well with the tastes of Gen Z, which could put Etsy in a prime position to scale up. Gen Z has demonstrated an affinity for seeking out unique, used clothing. Etsy estimates that the second-hand clothing market will be worth $64 billion by 2024. 

"This (Gen-Z) is an enormous demographic and it's the trendsetter demographic," Silverman told analysts on a call. He added that Depop’s “organic, authentic growth” aligns with Etsy’s “DNA and mission of Keeping Commerce Human.” 

“We are simply thrilled to be adding Depop—what we believe to be the resale home for Gen Z consumers—to the Etsy family. Depop is a vibrant, two-sided marketplace with a passionate community, a highly-differentiated offering of unique items, and we believe significant potential to further scale,” he said in a statement. “We see significant opportunities for shared expertise and growth synergies across what will now be a tremendous ‘house of brands’ portfolio of individually distinct, and very special, e-commerce brands.”

Etsy’s purchase of Depop is its biggest acquisition to date. The deal is expected to close in the third quarter, pending regulatory approval in the U.S. and U.K. Etsy said that after the transaction has been completed, it will run Depop as a separate brand alongside Etsy and Reverb -- a marketplace for musical instruments that it bought in 2019. 

Anheuser-Busch says that if Americans do their part and help President Biden reach his goal of 70% of adults having at least one COVID-19 vaccine shot by July 4, it will give away virtual $5 debit cards towards free beer, hard seltzers, canned wines, and cocktails offered by its 100+ brands. 

If the idea sounds vaguely familiar, it is. In April, the company announced that it was offering free beer to consumers who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

The company’s making a pretty safe bet that the U.S. will hit the 70% mark. As of Wednesday, the country is at 62.8% for the number of people who have received at least one vaccination.

Spurred by a shift in marketing

The brewery has made a significant shift in how it promotes both itself and its products, due in great part to the pandemic. Starting with pulling its ads from Super Bowl LV, the company started moving toward relevance-centric marketing with its “Let’s Grab A Beer” initiative -- a campaign designed to encourage Americans to celebrate their post-pandemic freedom. 

“For us, everything begins and ends with people, and consumers are at the center of everything we do,” said Marcel Marcondes, CMO, Anheuser-Busch. “Since last March, we’ve been focused on pivoting all our plans in order to ensure that our brands remained relevant and meaningful, through tangible actions. And now that we are at this pivotal moment where people are excited to be together again, it only makes sense that we would unite our full portfolio and take this action to encourage people to get vaccinated. There’s never been a better time to be able to say, ‘let’s grab a beer.’” 

How to get your free drink

Adults over the age of 21 will simply upload a picture of themselves in their favorite place to grab a beer, whether with friends at their favorite local bar or with family in their very own backyard. The photos can be submitted at MyCooler.com/Beer to enter to receive a beer on Anheuser-Busch.

Like any other promotion, there’s some fine print that consumers need to be aware of. Here are some of the details included in the Let’s Grab a Beer Giveaway: 

• No Purchase Necessary.

• Open to everyone age 21+ in the U.S. except people in California, Alabama, and Texas.

• The promotion begins when 70% of U.S. adults receive at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose as determined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and ends at 11:59 EDT on the seventh day following the date that the CDC confirms that 70% of adults have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine, or until all prizes have been awarded, whichever comes first.

• The prize is not an actual physical product, but rather a $5.00 virtual debit card that can be used to purchase one Anheuser-Busch product.  

Business leaders are expressing growing concern about a shortage of workers. But what might be a major problem for businesses may be a generational opportunity for the unemployed and those seeking to change jobs or careers.

In an interview with the Financial Times, St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank President James Bullard said the labor market is a lot tighter than it appears. Despite a still-high unemployment rate from the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, he says there are a lot of job openings and a shortage of people to fill them.

“I’m evolving toward a judgment where labor markets should be interpreted as fairly tight, and you’re certainly seeing that in firms saying that they’re just going to go ahead and raise wages for these types of workers,” Bullard said. “They’re going ahead and saying, ‘let’s pay some signing bonuses to get to get workers in the door’, you’re seeing some businesses actually just staying shuttered because they can’t find enough workers.” 

‘Crisis for business’

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has expressed an even stronger view, calling the present labor market a “crisis” for businesses. It launched a major campaign to address the issue.

“As we stand on the cusp of what could be a great American resurgence, a worker shortage is holding back job creators across the country,” said chamber CEO Suzanne Clark. 

The chamber is lobbying for federal and state policy changes that will help train more Americans for in-demand jobs, remove barriers to work, and double the number of visas available for legal immigrants. 

The labor shortage isn’t just affecting the U.S. Research compiled by ManpowerGroup shows that 69% of the world’s employers are struggling to find workers with the right blend of technical skills and human strengths.

"Despite the impact of the pandemic on global unemployment we are already seeing signs of a much tighter labor market in many countries," said Jonas Prising, ManpowerGroup’s chairman and CEO. "Companies have increasingly specific skills needs as transformation accelerates, making the need to find new ways to close the inequity gaps that exist at the intersection of race, gender, education and economic status even more urgent.”

Good and bad for consumers

Worker shortages may ultimately affect consumers in the form of longer wait times in restaurants and shortages of popular items at stores. But for those looking for a job, opportunities have never been greater.

In addition to more competitive wages, some businesses are offering new employees signing bonuses. A McDonald’s franchise in Illinois has reportedly promised new employees a free iPhone after they’ve been on the job for six months.

Amazon, Uber, and Hawaiian Airlines are just some of the companies that have recently offered signing bonuses to new employees. 

Maintaining healthy habits is important for older adults’ physical and mental well-being. Now, a new study explored the cognitive benefits associated with older consumers sticking to a healthy diet and exercise routine.

According to the researchers, consumers over the age of 80 can help prevent cognitive impairment if they maintain healthy lifestyles. This was also true for consumers with the APOE ε4 gene, which is commonly linked with Alzheimer’s. 

“In this study, we observed that healthier lifestyle was associated with better cognitive function among the oldest old regardless of APOE genotype,” the authors wrote. “Our findings may inform the cognitive outlook for those oldest old with high genetic risk of cognitive impairment.” 

Staying healthy has cognitive benefits

For the study, the researchers analyzed data from over 6,100 participants enrolled in the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey aged 80 or older. The team evaluated the participants’ lifestyles, including what their typical diet and exercise routine looked like and whether or not they smoked. They also assessed the group’s long-term cognitive function and tested for the APOE ε4 gene. 

The researchers learned that following a healthy lifestyle is the key to maintaining cognitive function into older age. While the APOE ε4 gene made participants nearly 20% more likely to experience problems with cognitive function than other variations of the gene, the team believes that sticking to a healthy lifestyle can make significant differences in older consumers’ brain health. 

Having a moderately healthy lifestyle lowered the risk of cognitive impairment by nearly 30%, while participants with the healthiest lifestyles were 55% less likely to struggle with cognitive impairment.