Current Events in August 2021

During the pandemic, millions of homeowners engaged in upgrades and home improvement projects. Those who added or replaced patio doors and windows were largely pleased with the process, according to a new survey.

Even though many people were unemployed during much of the pandemic, that didn’t slow spending on home improvement projects and repairs, which grew more than 3% to nearly $420 billion in 2020. 

A new study by J.D. Power shows a lot of that spending was on windows and patio doors. The survey shows those consumers were pretty happy with the results.

“Unlike other areas of the home improvement marketplace, window and patio door sales are often driven by an in-home consultation with experts who can talk consumers through not only their window options but also provide specific recommendations based on the home layout and design,” said Christina Cooley, director of home intelligence at J.D. Power. 

Cooley said that part of the process is what drives customer satisfaction. She says consumers find it easier to comparison shop and they have someone who observes their needs and can answer their questions.

“Consistently, we find that manufacturers and retailers that make it easy to comparison shop and provide expert guidance are those that perform best in the study,” she said.

Earned a 3.7 out of 5 at ConsumerAffairs

Renewal by Andersen was number one when it came to customer satisfaction, scoring 886 on a 1,000 point scale. The company also ranks fairly high with reviewers on ConsumerAffairs, with most giving the company a 5-star review. 

But it also had its share of 1-star reviews, dragging its overall score down to 3.7 stars. Still, the majority of reviews are like Kathy’s, of Saint John, Ind.

“I have a condo association and the colors had to match what everybody else has,” Kathy wrote in a ConsumerAffairs post in April. “So to get the right colors, I've ended up having to go with Andersen and paying a lot more. But it is beautiful. Plus, I wanted the shades between. So then that brought me up to another level. I have the shades in the windows. It's a far more expensive door but you get what you pay for.”

American Craftsman came in second in the J.D. Power Survey with a score of 878. Milgard was third with a score of 874.

Renewal by Andersen also ranks highest in the retail segment in a tie with The Home Depot, each with a score of 876. Consumers chose Window World third with a score of 874.

The Labor Department said Monday that the number of job openings in the U.S. exceeded 10 million in June. The figure topped economists’ expectations of 9.1 million openings and broke a previous record. 

In May, the number of job openings was 9.5 million. The Labor Department said in its Job Openings and Labor Turnover (JOLTS) survey that the increase suggests that demand for workers is still on the rise. Officials say it also means the economy is bouncing back from last year’s COVID-19 shutdowns.

Broken down by sector, retail trade leisure and hospitality saw one of the biggest jumps in job openings, at more than 1.6 million. Health care and social assistance had 1.5 million job postings in June. Accommodation and food services added 121,000 new openings.

“Labor demand keeps getting stronger. This is the third straight month of record-breaking job openings,” Indeed Hiring Lab director of research Nick Bunker said in a note. “The quits rate is also close to its all-time high, which was set just two months ago in April. This wave of demand will eventually recede, but job seekers should ride it until then.”

Employers still struggling to fill positions

Pandemic-related factors -- lack of childcare, health concerns, and unemployment benefits, to name a few -- are still holding down the number of workers who are ready to jump back into the labor force. The JOLTS report shows that job openings still exceeded the number of Americans looking for work (8.7 million).

To raise employment numbers, some states have already put an end to the unemployment benefits introduced during the pandemic. The rest of the nation will see those benefits expire next month. 

Many large retailers struggling to fill jobs have raised pay and unveiled new perks as a way to get potential workers off the sidelines. In May, Amazon announced $1,000 hiring bonuses and pay raises for many of its hourly workers. Last week, CVS announced that it would raise its hourly minimum wage and eliminate education requirements in an effort to expand its workforce. 

Target announced last month that it would give each of its roughly 340,000 hourly workers a $200 bonus as a way of showing appreciation and recognition for continuing to “show up bigtime.” The retailer also recently said it will offer employees a debt-free college education starting this fall. Walmart had already announced a similar education program. 

A new study conducted by researchers from the American Society of Nephrology explored the benefits associated with taking vitamin D supplements to improve kidney function. The team focused on consumers at the highest risk of developing diabetes and learned that vitamin D may not boost kidney function for many people. 

“Our results did not show a benefit of vitamin D supplements on kidney function,” said researcher Dr. Sun H. Kim. “About 43% of the study population was taking outside-of-study vitamin D, up to 1000 IU daily, at study entry, though. Among those who were not taking any vitamin D on their own, there was a suggestion for vitamin D lowering the amount of urine protein over time, which means that it could have a beneficial effect on kidney health.” 

What role does vitamin D play in kidney health?

The researchers had more than 2,200 prediabetic adults involved in the study. Over the course of nearly three years, participants took either a vitamin D placebo or 4,000 IU of vitamin D3 every day. 

“The D2d study is unique because we recruited the individuals with high-risk prediabetes, having 2-out-of-3 abnormal glucose values, and we recruited more than 2,000 participants, representing the largest vitamin D diabetes prevention trial to date,” Dr. Kim said. 

The researchers learned that kidney function was fairly similar between the placebo and non-placebo groups; 30 participants in the placebo group developed kidney failure, compared to 28 participants in the vitamin D group. Ultimately, it was unclear whether the vitamin D supplement was beneficial to prediabetic consumers’ kidney function. 

However, the researchers explained that some participants were taking vitamin D supplements before the study began. They noted that consumers with critically low levels of vitamin D may react differently to taking supplements than the participants did.

“The majority of the study population had sufficient blood vitamin D levels and normal kidney function,” Dr. Kim said. “Benefits of vitamin D might be greater in people with low blood vitamin D and/or reduced kidney function.” 

General Motors is recalling 50,413 model year 2017-2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV vehicles that were recalled in November 2020.

The high voltage battery could catch fire when charged to full or nearly full capacity.

A battery fire increases the risk of injury.

What to do

GM will replace defective battery modules free of charge.

Owners should take the following interim steps:

Activate either the Hill Top Reserve (2017 and 2018 models) or

Target Charge Level (2019 models) feature in their vehicle to limit the charge level to 90%, charge their vehicle after each use, avoid depleting the battery to 70 miles range remaining, park outside after charging, and do not charge the vehicle overnight.

Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk are expected to be mailed September 6, 2021. A second letter will be mailed once the final remedy is available.

Owners may contact the Bolt EV Concierge Team at (833) 382-4389. GM's number for this recall is N212343880.

Excalibur Seasoning Company of Pekin, Ill., is recalling 17 bottles of Haen Meats 1959 House Blend.

The product may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

No illness have been reported to date.

The recalled product, which comes in 6.5 oz. clear plastic shaker bottles, lot number 107-354 and UPC 729009768154, began shipping on July 14, 2021 and reached consumers through a retailer located in the 54130 zip code of Wisconsin.

No illness have been reported to date.

What to do

Customers who purchased the recalled product should not consume it but discard or return it to the place of purchase.

Consumers with questions may contact Excalibur Seasoning at (309) 347-1221 Monday through Thursday from 7:30 am to 4:30 pm, and Friday from 7:30 am to 11:30 am.

Dollar General of Goodlettsville, Tenn., is recalling about 155,000 True Living Sling Loungers.

The loungers can collapse unexpectedly, posing an amputation, laceration and pinching hazard if finger gets caught in the metal folding joints.

The firm has received three reports of the sling loungers collapsing, resulting in amputations or lacerations to fingers from the metal folding joints.

This recall involves True Living Sling Loungers with white frames with solid blue or solid green fabric. The 12-digit UPC number 430001047344 is located on the receipt.

The loungers, manufactured in China, were sold at Dollar General stores nationwide from January through September 2019 for about $20.

What to do

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled sling loungers, cut the fabric of the chair rendering it unusable, and contact Dollar General to return the recalled loungers for a full refund of the purchase price.

Consumers may contact Dollar General at (800) 678-9258 from 6 a.m. to 1 a.m. (CT) Monday through Friday or online at www.dollargeneral.com and click on “Product Recalls” under “Help” at the bottom of the page for more information.

Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) is recalling 1,467 model year 2018-2020 C300s, model year 2019-2020 A220s, AMG C43s & AMG C63s, model year 2020 GLE580s & GLB250s, model year 2020-2021 GLE450s & GLE350s, and model year 2021 AMG GLE63s & AMG GLE53s.

The LED headlights may have been incorrectly adjusted during a vehicle repair.

Incorrectly adjusted headlights may reduce visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.

What to do

Dealers will replace the LED headlights free of charge.

Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed August 31, 2021.

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

Apple says that it plans to scan iPhones for images of child sexual abuse. The plan received a warm welcome from child protection groups but caused concern with security researchers who worry that Apple’s intention could be exploited by authoritarian governments wanting to play Big Brother and spy on their citizens.

The technology Apple is employing will monitor images stored on iCloud Photos, searching for matches of previously identified “Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM),” the new, preferred term over “child pornography.” The company claims its system is so accurate that it “ensures less than a one in one trillion chance per year of incorrectly flagging a given account.” 

When the system lands on a match, a human will review the image. If that person confirms that the image qualifies as CSAM, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) will be notified and the user's account will be immediately disabled. 

Apple said forthcoming versions of iOS and iPadOS set for release later this year will contain "new applications of cryptography to help limit the spread of CSAM online, while designing for user privacy." Even though most Apple users don’t give much thought to cryptography, Apple already applies it, mostly in Safari, to regularly check derivations of a user’s passwords against a publicly available list of breached passwords to keep their account safe and secure.

A Herculean effort and a game-changer

Apple is looking at a monumental task. The NCMEC views over 25 million images a year, and the U.S. is one of the largest producers of these types of images and videos. 

In its analysis, the Canadian Centre for Child Protection stated that 67% of child sexual abuse material survivors are impacted much differently by the distribution of their images than they are by hands-on abuse. 

“The reason for this is tragic; distribution goes on perpetuity, and these images are permanent when they are constantly re-shared,” said Gina Cristiano of ADF Solutions, a mobile and digital forensics company.

"Apple's expanded protection for children is a game changer," said John Clark, the president and CEO of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. "With so many people using Apple products, these new safety measures have lifesaving potential for children."

“This will break the dam”

Despite Apple’s good intentions, some privacy experts are concerned that the company is crossing a line.

One of those -- Matthew Green, a cryptography researcher at Johns Hopkins University -- raised concerns that Apple’s system could be deployed to frame innocent people simply by sending the person otherwise innocuous images, but ones created to prompt a match for child pornography, outwit Apple's algorithm, and alert law enforcement. 

"Researchers have been able to do this pretty easily," Green said. "Regardless of what Apple's long term plans are, they've sent a very clear signal. In their (very influential) opinion, it is safe to build systems that scan users' phones for prohibited content," Green said.

Green says this decision could also prompt governments to ask for all sorts of information about their citizens.

"Whether they turn out to be right or wrong on that point hardly matters. This will break the dam — governments will demand it from everyone,” he said. "What happens when the Chinese government says, 'Here is a list of files that we want you to scan for?'" Green asked. "Does Apple say no? I hope they say no, but their technology won't say no."

Spirit Airlines is experiencing a major meltdown, with the carrier canceling flights right and left and leaving travelers stranded. Unfortunately, the airline’s CEO says it’s likely to continue for now.

The budget airline’s misery started in late July when bad weather forced it to cancel flights. The next domino that fell was a shortage of pilots and flight attendants who had “timed out,” forcing the airline to cancel more flights because it had limited personnel in reserve to fill the gaps. 

That’s when things started spinning out of control. On Tuesday and Wednesday, Spirit canceled at least 60% of its flights, followed by another 56% on Thursday. Trying to offer a plausible reason why, Spirit CEO Ted Christie said the uprooted flight crews were strewn across the U.S., and it simply took extra time to play catch-up and get personnel and airplanes back into position. 

Christie said the airline also experienced some “technology outages” while trying to corral the necessary crews.

Travelers vent their dissatisfaction

Needless to say, Spirit left thousands of passengers in the lurch. One Spirit flier, Santosh of Edinburg, Texas, vented their frustration in a ConsumerAffairs review. 

“Are Spirit Airlines Bankrupt??? It's been cancelling twice on me. And I have to go from Austin to Edinburg. I keep booking rooms and cancelling it in less than 24 hrs. I am fed up. Who is going to compensate my cost? Moreover I need to join my work ASAP. I will never think of going in Spirit. Such a nightmare!!!”

USA TODAY reported that Spirit was sending some passengers $50 vouchers for future flights as a gesture of goodwill, but some considered the $50 a slight given the situation. In response, Christie tried to smooth things over. 

"The intent is to give people something they can use on us in the future,” he said. The executive made it known in an interview with CBS News that the airline was reimbursing passengers for things like food and accommodation.

It ain’t over ‘til it’s over

Anyone booked on a Spirit flight anytime soon could find themselves experiencing more of the same. Christie said cancellations will continue "over the next few days,'' but he said he hopes things will settle down once the weekend is over.

As of midday Friday, FlightAware reported that Spirit had canceled 260 flights -- 34% of its planned take-offs. Another 53 departures (making up 6% of its total flights) have been delayed.

Anyone who has plans to fly Spirit over the next week should be aware that the U.S. Department of Transportation has policies in place that may allow customers to receive refunds to cover certain costs. Those policies are available here.

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

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌ 35,453,516 (35,347,582)‌

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 615,393 (614,858)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ 201,172,398 (200,485,291)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 4,272,432 (4,261,527)‌

Infections hit 100,000 per day

Doctors and nurses can be forgiven if they are feeling a little deja vu. Thanks to the highly transmissible Delta variant, the U.S. is reporting 100,000 new cases of the virus every day, a pace last seen in early 2021. Health officials blame the rise not just on the variant, but on the millions of Americans who refuse to be vaccinated. 

In Houston, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo took to Twitter where she said the trends at local hospitals are terrifying. "At this point, if you're unvaccinated by choice you're complicit in this crisis," she wrote.

At the White House, COVID-19 coordinator Jeff Zients told reporters that the states with some of the lowest COVID-19 vaccination rates -- Florida, Texas, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi -- account for half of the country's new cases and hospitalizations in the last week.

United Airlines mandates employee vaccinations

In a sign that more businesses are overcoming their hesitancy to mandate vaccinations, United Airlines has announced that it will require its 67,000 employees to get inoculated. Employees who are not yet vaccinated have until Oct. 25 to do so or they risk being fired.

United CEO Scott Kirby and President Brett Hart jointly issued a memo to employees announcing the mandate. The two executives said they understood that some would disagree with the requirement.

“But, we have no greater responsibility to you and your colleagues than to ensure your safety when you’re at work, and the facts are crystal clear: everyone is safer when everyone is vaccinated,” they wrote.

High-profile athletes who refuse to be vaccinated

Star athletes are often role models, so health officials are concerned that some of the people refusing to be vaccinated are star athletes. In Tokyo, 100 members of the U.S. Olympic team are unvaccinated, where an outbreak of the virus could derail the games.

With the NFL season about to begin, Buffalo Bills wide receiver Cole Beasley has said he doesn’t plan to get vaccinated. Neither does Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins, who said he would rather be surrounded by plexiglass in the quarterbacks’ room. Tennessee Titans quarterback Ryan Tannahill said he would be vaccinated only if forced to do so.

Former NBA star Charles Barkley, never shy about venturing an opinion, recently had choice words for the holdouts. “Yes, I’m vaccinated,” Barkley told CNBC last week. “Everybody should be vaccinated. Period.”

Around the nation

• Florida: A revolt is brewing in the Sunshine State. Gov. Ron DeSantis steadfastly opposes any kind of mandate associated with COVID-19, but a growing number of school districts are requiring masks when classrooms reopen. DeSantis says districts that require masks will lose state funding.

• Vermont: More businesses over the last week have reinstituted mask requirements for employees and customers because of the spread of the Delta variant. But officials say Vermont's high vaccination rate is preventing the variant from causing more serious illness or death.

• Missouri: The vaccination rate has begun to inch higher in Missouri, a state with a low rate of vaccinations and a high number of cases of the virus. State health officials say 59.6% of adults in the state have at least one dose of the vaccine.

• Virginia: Children and teens are among the latest victims of the sharp increase in COVID-19 cases in the state. In Scott County, twin 16-year-old boys have been hospitalized and put on ventilators after contracting the virus.

• Tennessee: The Tennessee Supreme Court has ruled that the government’s latest ban on rental evictions does not apply to renters in the state. It points to an appeals court ruling last month that found the CDC lacks jurisdiction to extend the eviction moratorium.

United Airlines has become the first major airline to require all of its employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19. All 67,000 of the company’s employees have until October 25 to get vaccinated or they’ll risk being fired. 

In a Friday memo to employees, United CEO Scott Kirby and President Brett Hart said the decision is rooted in United’s priority of keeping everyone safe. 

“We know some of you will disagree with this decision to require the vaccine for all United employees,” the executives wrote. “But, we have no greater responsibility to you and your colleagues than to ensure your safety when you’re at work, and the facts are crystal clear: everyone is safer when everyone is vaccinated.”

Mandating employee vaccination

By October 25, employees must upload proof that they received the recommended doses of any of the three vaccines that have received emergency-use approval from the FDA. Alternatively, employees have five weeks to get inoculated after the FDA grants full approval to any one vaccine -- “whichever comes first.” Full approval of the Pfizer vaccine is expected by early next month.

Exceptions will be made for those with medical or religious reasons, United said. Employees who are already vaccinated and can upload an image of their vaccination card before September 20 will be eligible for "an additional day of pay," Kirby and Hart said. 

Earlier this week, Tyson Foods mandated COVID-19 vaccines for its employees. The company said half of its workers are already vaccinated, but the other half will have until October 1 to get fully vaccinated. Tyson also said it would make exceptions for employees with certain health conditions or religious reasons. 

United’s decision to mandate vaccines is likely to have a ripple effect in the airline industry. Other airlines have offered incentives like extra pay or time off for vaccinations, but they haven’t required vaccinations. However, Delta Air Lines began requiring new employees to show proof of vaccination in May. United announced the same requirement the following month. 

Walmart has announced that it will give weekly bonuses to warehouse workers who put off taking a vacation in August. The retailer is striving to ensure a smooth flow of warehouse operations through the holiday season, according to the Wall Street Journal. 

Some full-time workers have been offered $200 extra per week, and others have been offered as much as $500. The bonus will vary based on the facility’s location and the worker’s job type, according to a Walmart spokesman. Workers started receiving bonuses this month, and they’ll continue receiving them through the fiscal year. 

Walmart, which has 1.6 million workers, said its distribution warehouses “continue to see high volume as we are preparing for peak season,” a company spokesman told the Journal. 

Perks and pay raises in a tight labor market

Walmart’s decision to add weekly bonuses is seen as an effort to keep business running as normally as possible in a tight labor market with lingering COVID-19 concerns and stretched supply chains. Other large retailers have announced new perks and pay bumps for the same reasons. 

In April, Amazon announced $1,000 hiring bonuses and pay raises for many of its hourly workers. This week, CVS announced that it would raise its hourly minimum wage and eliminate education requirements in an effort to attract and retain employees. CVS said incremental increases to hourly rates will start this month.

In July, Target announced that it would be giving each of its roughly 340,000 hourly workers a $200 bonus as a way of showing appreciation and recognition for continuing to “show up bigtime.” Target also announced this week that it will offer employees a debt-free college education starting this fall. Walmart had already announced a similar education program. 

Walmart’s distribution and fulfillment center workers already have higher pay than store associates, making an average of $20.37 per hour. Earlier this year, Walmart said it planned to give about 425,000 workers raises. 

A new study conducted by researchers from the University of California at Los Angeles explored the effects that sleep deprivation can have on new mothers. 

According to their findings, women are likely to age faster as a result of consistently losing sleep after giving birth. The researchers found that women's bodies can age up to seven years after just six months of an infants’ inconsistent sleep schedule. 

“The early months of postpartum sleep deprivation could have a lasting effect on physical health,” said researcher Judith Carroll. “We know from a large body of research that sleeping less than seven hours a night is detrimental to health and increases the risk of age-related diseases.” 

Speeding up aging

The researchers had 33 women who had recently given birth participate in the study. They analyzed the women’s blood samples and studied their DNA during their pregnancies and through their first year as mothers to understand how their sleeping patterns impacted their biological age. 

The researchers learned that getting seven hours of sleep was the benchmark for poorer health outcomes; women who consistently got fewer than seven hours of sleep aged faster than the women who were sleeping seven or more hours each night. By the six-month check-in, consistently getting fewer than seven hours of sleep per night was linked with speeding up the aging process by as much as seven years. 

“We found that with every hour of additional sleep, the mother’s biological age was younger,” said Carroll. “I, and many other sleep scientists, consider sleep health to be just as vital to overall health as diet and exercise.” 

Risk of disease also increases

The researchers also learned that these consistent sleep disruptions were associated with a higher risk of disease. Based on an analysis of the participants' white blood cells, getting less sleep after giving birth can make women more vulnerable to cardiovascular disease, cancer, and several other serious conditions. 

While the researchers are still unsure whether or not these risks pose a long-term threat to women's health and wellness, they hope these findings emphasize the importance of getting enough sleep after giving birth. 

The study results “and other findings on maternal postpartum mental health provide impetus for better supporting mothers of young infants so that they can get sufficient sleep -- possible through parental leave so that both parents can bear some of the burden of the care, and through programs for families and fathers,” said researcher Christine Dunkel Schetter. 

Motorists just about everywhere found rising gasoline prices this week, though moderating demand and small declines in oil prices may keep price hikes in check over the rest of the summer.

The AAA Fuel Gauge Survey shows the national average price of regular gas is $3.19 a gallon, three cents higher than last Friday and the highest since 2014. The price has risen nearly 20 cents a gallon since May.

The average price of premium gas is $3.81 a gallon, three cents higher than last week. The average price of diesel fuel is $3.29 a gallon, two cents higher than a week ago.

At midweek, GasBuddy reported U.S. gasoline demand fell 1.7% from the week before and was 1.1% lower than the average of the last four Wednesdays. 

Most states saw only minor changes in gas prices over the last seven days with the biggest swings tending to occur in Western states. Nevada, whose statewide average has risen 26 cents a gallon over the last month, reported the average price rose another 4 cents in the last week.

Colorado reported an even larger one-week price increase of seven cents a gallon. Its price is up 17 cents over the last month. Wyoming’s average price rose by four cents a gallon.

In a report this week, AAA warned motorists not to overly rely on in-dash fuel economy displays. The study found that a vehicle’s “miles to empty” estimates vary significantly and drivers could be taking an unnecessary risk if they over-rely on these displays. 

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 ($4.39)

• Hawaii ($4.09)

• Nevada ($4.03)     

• Utah ($3.87)

• Washington ($3.87) 

• Idaho ($3.80)       

• Oregon ($3.75) 

• Alaska ($3.65) 

• Colorado ($3.62)  

• Wyoming ($3.56)   

The states with the cheapest regular gas

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

• Mississippi ($2.79)

• Louisiana ($2.82)

• Texas ($2.84) 

• Alabama ($2.85)

• Missouri ($2.87)

• Arkansas ($2.88)

• South Carolina ($2.89)

•  Tennessee ($2.89)

• Oklahoma ($2.90)

• North Carolina ($2.94)

Businesses continued a rapid pace of rehiring in July. The Labor Department reports that the economy added 943,000 jobs last month, better than most economists expected. Perhaps even more notable, the nation’s unemployment rate dropped a half-point to 5.4%, the lowest since the pandemic began.

The consensus estimate from economists was for 845,000 new jobs. Total non-farm payrolls beat that by nearly 100,000 despite the fact that the Delta variant was spreading quickly during the month.

The number of unemployed persons fell by 782,000 to 8.7 million. One factor may have been an action taken by 24 states that ended enhanced unemployment benefits early. The extra $300 a week in benefits is scheduled to end next month.

“Strong job growth continued in leisure and hospitality, which added 380,000 jobs in July. Employment gains continued in food services and drinking places,  accommodation, and arts, entertainment, and recreation,” said William Beach, commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Restaurants and bars added 253,000 jobs during the month, hotels added 74,000 jobs, and arts, entertainment, and recreation businesses hired 53,000 people. There was also a surge in government employment last month, primarily in the area of education. Across the country, more school districts prepared for the fall term and a return of students to the classroom. Local government education added 221,000 jobs, while private schools added 40,000.

Remote work declined slightly

The report also showed 13.2% of employed persons teleworked because of the coronavirus pandemic. That’s down from 14.4% in June, suggesting that more offices reopened despite the spread of the Delta variant. 

Health care added 37,000 jobs in July, most of them at clinics and doctors’ offices. Factories added 27,000 jobs last month but remain nearly a half-million below pre-pandemic levels. Information services added 24,000 over the month, with three-quarters of the gain coming in the motion picture and sound recording industries. Overall, that sector is down by 172,000 jobs since February 2020, just before the pandemic began. 

The trend of workers getting higher wages also continued last month. In July, average hourly earnings for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls increased by 11 cents to $30.54, following increases that occurred over the prior three months.

Chrysler is recalling 21,258 model year 2020-2021 Dodge Challengers & Chargers, and Chrysler 300s.

The windshield may not have been properly bonded to the vehicle during manufacturing, allowing it to detach in a crash.

A windshield that separates from the vehicle in a crash can increase the risk of injury.

What to do

Dealers will remove and replace the front windshield urethane sealant free of charge.

Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed August 27, 2021.

Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at (800) 853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is Y47.

Birkenstock USA of Novato, Calif., is recalling about 15,200 pairs of Birkenstock Kids’ Mogami Sandals Sizes 24-28 sold in the U.S. and Canada.

A plastic rivet can detach from the sandal’s ankle strap, posing a choking hazard for young children.

No incidents or injuries are reported.

This recall involves the Birkenstock “Mogami Kids” sandal in sizes 24-28 for children up to age 3. The sandals are black, ultra-blue, pink, and icy acid lime.

The plastic rivets used to attach the back strap to the side of the sandal are pink on the pink sandal and black on all other sandals.

“BIRKENSTOCK” is printed on the sandal’s footbed and on the buckle.

The sandals, manufactured in Germany, were sold at retailers nationwide including Dick’s Sporting Goods, Foot Locker and online at Birkenstock.com and Zappos.com from March 2021, through May 2021, for about $50.

What to do

Consumers should immediately take the recalled sandals away from children and return them to the place of purchase for a full refund.

Consumers may contact Birkenstock USA toll-free at (844) 505-4055 Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. (ET) or online at www.birkenstock.com and click on “Preventive Product Recall Information” at the top of the page for more information.

Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) is recalling 1,690 model year 2020 GLB 250s.

The accessory power outlet for the second-row seating may have excessive voltage due to an incorrect voltage converter socket.

Excessive voltage through the accessory power outlet to a connected device can increase the risk of a fire.

What to do

Dealers will inspect and replace the voltage converter -- as necessary -- free of charge.

Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed September 3, 2021.

Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372.