Current Events in August 2021

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

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌ 35,347,582 (35,251,200)‌

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 614,858 (614,368)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ 200,485,291 (199,866,646)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 4,261,527 (4,251,676)‌

FDA considers full approval of Pfizer vaccine

Of the three pharmaceutical companies that have produced COVID-19 vaccines being used in the U.S., Pfizer is the only one submitting paperwork for full approval. All three vaccines are being used under emergency use authorization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The Wall Street Journal reports that the Biden administration is pushing for full approval as early as this month. However, sources tell the newspaper that approval is likely to slip to mid-September.

Why is full approval important? FDA spokeswoman Stephanie Caccomo said she can’t comment on timing, but she told the Journal that the agency is well aware that having a fully approved vaccine might help persuade some unvaccinated people that they need to be vaccinated.

New unemployment filings fell again last week

Despite a record number of job openings, there are still a lot of people filing for unemployment benefits each week. The Labor Department reports that initial claims for unemployment benefits last week totaled 385,000. That’s a decline of 14,000 from the previous week’s revised total.

The number of people who continue to draw unemployment benefits also continues to decline. Continuing claims for the week ending July 17 were 12,975,015, a decrease of 181,251 from the previous week. There were 31,987,359 weekly claims filed for benefits in all programs in the comparable week in 2020. 

While these numbers suggest that the labor market is continuing to find stability, it doesn’t actually measure how many people are going back to work as the economy recovers from the pandemic. More evidence along those lines will come Friday when the Labor Department issues its July employment report.

WHO wants a halt to boosters

Many vaccinated Americans are ready to roll up their sleeves again to receive a COVID-19 booster shot, but the World Health Organization (WHO) is asking that they wait. The health group says vaccine doses are needed for other countries where supplies are short and the vaccination rate is low.

The U.S. and U.K. have announced plans to make booster shots available after research suggested that initial vaccine durability can diminish slightly over time. The Biden administration said it is continuing to ship vaccine supplies overseas and still has enough for booster shots.

“If the FDA decides that boosters are recommended for a portion of the population, to provide those as well,” said White House News Secretary Jen Psaki.  “We believe we can do both, and we don’t need to make that choice.” 

Around the nation

• New Jersey: Clark R. Allen, a long-time political broker and a major player in New Jersey Republican politics in the 1960s, has died of complications related to COVID-19 after exposure to someone who declined to be vaccinated. He was 84.

• Ohio: Nurses at Ohio State’s Wexner Medical Center are demanding that the hospital’s mandate for all employees to be vaccinated be subject to negotiation. The nurses’ union said it wants to discuss “the timeline, exceptions, discipline, and compensation for time missed due to vaccine side effects.” 

• Iowa: Cases of the virus have spread quickly across the state in the last week, but that hasn’t changed plans for large gatherings. Concerts are being held as scheduled, but an eastern Iowa concert venue has announced that it will begin requiring patrons to show proof of vaccination.

• Arizona: The state’s public schools will reopen in the fall, but they may be faced with a shortage of substitute teachers. Arizona Family reports that many subs just don’t think it’s worth the risk. "At my age, I'll be 85 in January, I'm concerned about, even though I've been vaccinated, becoming infected and spreading it into my family," said longtime substitute Gary Kemp.

• Louisiana: As the Delta variant has quickly spread across the state and filled hospitals, many people who refused to be vaccinated are apparently having a change of heart. Vaccination sites in Louisiana are reporting a big increase in traffic. Officials hope that will increase the state’s low vaccination rate.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is warning consumers about a text message scam that is targeting unemployment insurance benefits recipients. The agency says fraudsters are using the scheme to steal consumers’ personal information and unemployment benefits.

What the scammers are trying to get people to do is plain and simple: they want victims to click on a link to “make necessary corrections” to their unemployment insurance (UI) claim, “verify” their personal information, or “reactivate” their UI benefits account. 

Once you click on the link, you’re taken to a fake state workforce agency (SWA) website. If you input your website credentials and personal information -- like your Social Security number -- then scammers can use the information to file fraudulent UI benefits claims under your name or steal your identity.

Tim Sadler, CEO of email security firm Tessian, told ConsumerAffairs that people need to be aware of how the information they share online can be used against them. 

“It’s also important to be skeptical of emails asking you to click links and disclose personal information. The rule of thumb? Don’t click on anything unless it’s from a legitimate source - you can look for the .gov URL - and check that the sender’s email domain matches the sender’s name,” he said.

How low will they go?

Sadler said he’s seen everything over the course of the pandemic, including fake websites and domain-spoofing around stimulus payments and vaccines. To him, it’s no surprise that fraudsters would stoop as low as trying to con an unemployed person out of their unemployment check.

“Scammers will often register new domains so that they can lure people to a webpage after they’ve clicked a link in a phishing email. The fake websites, as outlined by the Department of Justice, follow this tried-and-true method, duping people into thinking they are applying for unemployment benefits when, in reality, they are disclosing sensitive information that can help bad actors commit wire transfer fraud or identity theft,” Sadler said.

To identify their targets, Sadler said bad actors will often turn to LinkedIn -- which has already been proven to be vulnerable this year -- and social media posts. While LinkedIn may sound like an unlikely place to go victim-hunting, Sadler cited a recent report from Tessian showing that 93% of people share job updates online.

“While it’s common for people to let their networks know that they’ve been laid off and are looking for jobs, they are also unknowingly giving cybercriminals the information they need to craft these types of social engineering attacks,” Sadler said.

“Bad actors are also capitalizing on the fact that people are turning to the internet to seek answers and support during this time. Fraudulent websites are designed to trick people while capitalizing on their uncertainty, banking on them prioritizing convenience over security.”

The FTC is on your side

The FTC is serious about taking these fraudsters down, but they need consumers to help out. If you see or receive a text message or email that looks suspicious, you can report it to the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) by completing an NCDF Complaint Form or by calling (866) 720-5721. 

The FTC also wants you to report the issue at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to tell a friend. By sharing your experience and knowledge about this kind of fraud, you can help someone else avoid the trap.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has called on U.S. airports to take action to combat the rise in unruly passengers that has taken place this year. Regulators want airport police to arrest more people who are unruly or violent on flights and for airport bars and restaurants to stop selling alcoholic beverages to go. 

"While the FAA has levied civil fines against unruly passengers, it has no authority to prosecute criminal cases," FAA Administrator Steve Dickson wrote to airport officials around the U.S. in a letter released Thursday. 

Dickson added that passengers who exhibit unruly behavior on planes are often met by law enforcement officers at airport gates upon landing, but these passengers are often released without legal consequence. 

"When this occurs, we miss a key opportunity to hold unruly passengers accountable for their unacceptable and dangerous behavior," he said.

Alcohol a factor in many incidents

Since the start of the year, the FAA has received 3,715 reports of unruly passengers. The agency said it’s concerned by the fact that flight attendants have reported being harassed, threatened, and even physically attacked.

The FAA said more than 2,700 of the 3,715 reports of unruly passengers it has received since January have involved passengers who refuse to wear a mask. Alcohol use has also been cited in a number of incidents. 

The agency said its investigations have determined that “alcohol often contributes to ... unsafe behavior.” Dickson said airport bars are contributing to the problem by allowing passengers to take alcoholic beverages to go.

"Even though FAA regulations specifically prohibit the consumption of alcohol aboard an aircraft that is not served by the airline, we have received reports that some airport concessionaires have offered alcohol ‘to go,’” Dickson wrote. "And passengers believe they can carry that alcohol onto their flights or they become inebriated."

The FAA is calling on airports to help put an end to that behavior by making public-service announcements about the rules.

"Airports can help bring awareness to this prohibition on passengers carrying open alcohol onboard their flights through signage, public service announcements, and concessionaire education," Dickson said.

The FAA noted that it still has a zero-tolerance policy for in-flight disruptions, which could lead to fines as high as $52,500 and up to 20 years in prison.

Amazon has announced a pair of new programs to resell customer returns and overstocked items. The unveiling of the new programs follows backlash to the results of an investigation showing that the e-commerce giant was destroying thousands of items. 

In June, U.K. outlet ITV News published a report saying that Amazon was destroying new items rather than reselling them. The report contained footage from inside one of the company’s warehouses near Glasgow, Scotland, where items in their original packaging were on carts headed to a “destruction zone.”  

In a blog post on Wednesday, Amazon said it’s launching two programs that will help ensure that customer returns and overstocked products get a second life. Amazon says the new programs are part of its “commitment to both sellers and sustainability.”

Giving inventory ‘new life’

The first program, called FBA (Fulfilled by Amazon) Grade and Resell, will let third-party sellers list returned items as “used” products that can be purchased by customers. Item pricing will be determined by Amazon based on condition. The program is rolling out first in the U.K. but will come to the U.S. and other markets later. 

A second program, called FBA Liquidations, lets sellers ship returned or overstocked inventory to wholesalers using the company’s wholesale resale channel. Sellers can connect with Amazon’s bulk resale partners and try to “recover a portion of their inventory cost,” Amazon said. This program has already started in the U.S., Germany, France, Italy, and Spain, and it’s set to begin in the U.K. this month.

Amazon executive Libby Johnson McKee described customer returns as “a fact of life for all retailers.” What becomes of those products is “an industry-wide challenge,” she said. 

“These new programmes are examples of the steps we’re taking to ensure that products sold on Amazon—whether by us or our small business partners—go to good use and don’t become waste,” McKee said.

The Mexican government has filed a lawsuit blaming U.S. gun makers and suppliers for consciously and deliberately flooding the retail market with firearms that appeal to drug cartels. 

Mexico claims that 70% to 90% of all guns recovered at crime scenes in the country have been trafficked from the United States.

The suit’s defendants include the six U.S.-based manufacturers that produce guns that are most often recovered in Mexico -- Smith & Wesson, Beretta, Century Arms, Colt, Glock, and Ruger. Another manufacturer defendant is Barrett, which manufactures a .50 caliber sniper rifle that the lawsuit calls “a weapon of war prized by the drug cartels.” There’s also one firearm wholesaler named in the lawsuit -- Interstate Arms, a Boston-area wholesaler that Mexican officials claim is a reseller for all but one of the defendant manufacturers.

The claims are heavy

Mexico certainly doesn’t pull any punches in the lawsuit, claiming that the guns produced by these manufacturers have endangered the country’s citizens for years.

“For decades, the government and its citizens have been victimized by a deadly flood of military-style and other particularly lethal guns that flows from the U.S. across the border,” the suit states, adding that the flow of guns into Mexico is “the foreseeable result of the defendants’ deliberate actions and business practices.”

The lawsuit alleges that the gun manufacturers “use reckless and corrupt gun dealers and dangerous and illegal sales practices that the cartels rely on to get their guns” and “design these guns to be easily modified to fire automatically and to be readily transferable on the criminal market in Mexico.”

The firearms association pushes back

The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), a gun industry trade association, wasted no time in responding to the lawsuit. In a statement, it said it rejects Mexico’s allegations that U.S. firearm manufacturers were complicit in any irresponsible business practices. 

“These allegations are baseless. The Mexican government is responsible for the rampant crime and corruption within their own borders,” said Lawrence G. Keane, NSSF Senior Vice President and General Counsel. 

“Mexico’s criminal activity is a direct result of the illicit drug trade, human trafficking and organized crime cartels that plague Mexico’s citizens. It is these cartels that criminally misuse firearms illegally imported into Mexico or stolen from the Mexican military and law enforcement. Rather than seeking to scapegoat law-abiding American businesses, Mexican authorities must focus their efforts on bringing the cartels to justice. The Mexican government, which receives considerable aid from U.S. taxpayers, is solely responsible for enforcing its laws – including the country’s strict gun control laws – within their own borders.”

President Biden has announced a new goal of having electric vehicles account for half of all auto sales in the United States by 2030.  Biden signed an executive order on Thursday morning focused on accelerating the adoption of EVs.

Although compliance with the new national sales target won’t be mandatory, Ford, GM, and Stellantis (parent company of Chrysler) have all said they support the administration’s aspiration..

"Today, Ford, GM and Stellantis announce their shared aspiration to achieve sales of 40-50% of annual U.S. volumes  of electric vehicles (battery electric, fuel cell and plug-in hybrid vehicles) by 2030 in order to move the nation closer to a zero-emissions future consistent with Paris climate goals," the automakers said in a joint statement. "We look forward to working with the Biden Administration, Congress and state and local governments to enact policies that will enable these ambitious objectives."

Officials from the auto companies are set to attend an event at the White House later today to speak on the matter.

Promoting EV adoption

Administration officials said making strides towards increasing the number of EVs on the road will serve as a job stimulator for American manufacturing, which will support the president’s "Build Back Better Agenda.” 

“A strong vision from President Biden, along with these significant investments, will help ensure lots of high-paying manufacturing jobs here in America to produce zero-emitting vehicles—vehicles that will then save their owners thousands of dollars on gas,” said Fred Krupp, the president of the Environmental Defense Fund. 

Earlier this summer, analysts at IHS Markit said electric vehicles were poised to account for around 25% to 30% of new vehicle sales by 2030. They said that number would grow to 45% to 50% by 2035. President Biden's executive order is expected to encourage the auto industry and government to promote legislation and push for the widespread adoption of electrified vehicles. 

“California applauds the Biden Administration’s move to boldly reduce climate pollution from cars, inspired by California’s nation-leading framework," California Governor Gavin Newsom said in a statement. "The climate emergency demands no less."

Grocery stores have recently started selling meal kits that customers prepare when they get home. Kroger is now partnering with Kitchen United to actually cook the meal that customers can take home with them or have delivered.

"Our customers' appetite for fresh, on-demand meals continues to accelerate, and we remain focused on offering new and innovative products that provide anything, anytime, anywhere," said Dan De La Rosa, Kroger's group vice president of fresh merchandising "Our partnership with Kitchen United taps into restaurants' growing use of off-premise kitchen space to increase customers' access to their favorite foods."

Kitchen United will establish restaurant kitchens at participating Kroger locations. Chefs at these locations will prepare popular menu items from six local, regional, or national restaurant brands. Customers will be able to place orders by using the Kitchen United website or app. If they are already in the store, they can use an ordering kiosk and pick up their meal when they leave the store.

Delivery is an option

The companies say the food will be prepared just the way it would in a restaurant. If the customer wants the food delivered, they can use any of several third-party delivery services and pay the delivery charges separately.

"As we continue to define Kroger as a food destination, this collaboration creates another seamless way for our customers to order lunch or dinner for pick up while they shop for groceries or for delivery to their location of choice," said Craig Gauden, Kroger's director of partnership development.

The first kitchen center is expected to open this fall at a Ralphs store in Los Angeles, with additional locations expected later this year. The concept builds on increasingly popular meal kits that contain all the ingredients a consumer needs to prepare a meal.

In this case, no preparation is necessary. Customers may be able to order a steak dinner from their favorite restaurant and take it home or have it delivered.

‘Ghost kitchens’

Kitchen United is what is known as a “ghost kitchen,” cooking meals for consumption elsewhere. The company partners with restaurants, giving them another outlet at a time when demand for takeout food is increasing. It says the deal with Kroger vastly increases its footprint.

“Our work together provides participating restaurants access to millions of Kroger customers and the ability to better address off-premise demand in a convenient supermarket format – a frequent destination for most consumers," said Michael Montagano, CEO of Kitchen United. 

A new study conducted by researchers from the University of Cincinnati explored the positive benefits associated with coworkers disrupting each other in the workplace. 

Although some workers may feel like disruptions throw them off in terms of productivity, the team’s findings suggest that it can actually help reinforce camaraderie. The study highlighted that when coworkers are disrupted, it helps create greater feelings of belonging in the workplace. 

“If the past year of social distancing and isolation has shown us anything, it is that humans are social beings who have an inherent need for interacting with others,” said researcher Harshad Puranik, Ph.D. 

Strengthening workplace relationships

For the study, the researchers had 111 full-time workers complete surveys twice a day for three weeks. The participants answered questions about how often they got disrupted while working, their overall job satisfaction, how comfortable they felt with their coworkers, and how drained they felt by their jobs. 

Ultimately, the researchers found that there were repercussions to productivity when workers were interrupted; however, perhaps more importantly, they found that there was a social aspect involved. The study found that disruptions were associated with greater camaraderie in the workplace, and participants reported feeling like they belonged among their coworkers.

“Our study revealed that by providing this avenue for social interaction with one’s colleagues, work interruptions led to a greater sense of belonging,” said Dr. Puranik. “This sense of belonging, in turn, led to higher job satisfaction.” 

Weighing the positives and negatives

The researchers explained that there were some negatives associated with persistent workplace disruptions. Some participants reported feeling mentally drained by being interrupted because it interfered with their ability to complete tasks. 

However, the researchers say the positive social aspects outweighed the negative productivity aspects. While disruptions may make it harder to get things done at work, they can help coworkers build stronger social bonds. 

“The sense of belongingness mitigated the negative effect of interruptions on job satisfaction,” said researcher Heather C. Vough. “Thus, interruptions at work may have gotten a bad rap due to a failure to consider their human element.” 

A new study conducted by researchers from the University of Otago explored the benefits associated with getting infants crawling and moving. 

The team explained that crawling is an integral part of infants’ development, and the more that they’re able to crawl, the better they are at being able to identify and avoid potential hazards. 

“Caregivers should be aware of the important role crawling plays in infant development and the benefits of promoting crawling opportunities for their infants,” said researcher Dr. Carolina Burnay.

“By touching the floor and looking closely to it, infants learn to distinguish safe from unsafe surfaces to locomote and start avoiding falls… Over-protecting babies by limiting their opportunities to self-locomote does not keep them safe, instead, it delays their development of the perception of risky situations.”

Keeping infants moving

The researchers conducted two studies to determine how infants’ crawling skills impacted their ability to identify and avoid risks. Both studies were focused on how well the infants were able to avoid water, which is one area -- especially in the summer -- where parents are worried about their babies’ safety. In both cases, the researchers learned that infants with more experience crawling were less likely to fall when next to water.

“The main difference between the babies that fell and those who avoided falling in the water was the amount of crawling experience they had,” Dr.  Burnay said. “A very interesting result was that the amount of prior crawling experience they had informed their perception of the risk and behavior even when they were already walking -- hence it seems very helpful for babies to crawl and explore their environment.” 

While safety around water is certainly important for infants, these findings are also applicable to general safety. The more time that infants spend crawling, the better they’ll be at identifying potential hazards or risks to their safety. It’s important that parents and caregivers allow their babies the freedom to move around, as this developmental leap will likely help protect them. 

Despite predictions of lean sales in July because of a continuing vehicle shortage, several carmakers report their sales last month were just fine.

In fact, Kia America reported a record July, moving more than 70,000 vehicles during the month. Kia also had the best first-half year sales in company history, propelled by strong demand for the K5, Sportage, and Telluride models. 

July sales were up 34% compared to July 2020. Carnival MPV posted its fourth consecutive month-over-month increase, marking the model's highest monthly sales performance since it was introduced.

"Kia continues to build on the momentum from our record-breaking first-half by setting yet another record," said Sean Yoon, CEO of Kia North America and Kia America. "Kia sold more than 74% of our available inventory in July as compared to 34% during the same period last year, a solid reflection of the strong consumer interest in the brand."

Vehicle shortage has reduced sales

It could also be an indication of the vehicle shortage that has plagued dealers and frustrated consumers for more than a year. But the shortage didn’t slow Mazda, which reported its second-best July ever with sales of nearly 33,000 vehicles. The Mazda CX-30 recorded its best July with sales of 5,598.

Kia and Mazda may be outliers. Cox Automotive suggests most automakers will report lower sales, not because of a lack of consumer demand but because they can’t produce enough cars. Cox analysts predict the July sales pace to fall to 15.2 million, down from June’s 15.4 million.

“Sales pace has really been falling throughout the month – and quickly,” said Charlie Chesbrough, senior economist at Cox Automotive. “The estimated sales pace of 15.2 million in July is the slowest pace since last August’s 15.1 million, and if inventory levels do not improve, we could see the pace drop even more.”

Automakers have not been able to catch up to demand after shutting down production plants for several weeks last year. A lack of vital computer chips has also halted the production of some models with no prediction of a return to normal.

Challenges for consumers

For consumers, fewer vehicles to meet high demand means finding and buying their next vehicle may be a challenge. For example, it may be hard for buyers to find the exact vehicle they want, in the specific color and trim package they desire. 

Because dealers have so few cars to sell they’re sticking close to the sticker price. In fact, the average transaction price (ATP) for a new vehicle in June was nearly equal to the manufacturer’s suggested retail price. 

“This combination of hard-to-find vehicles and higher prices is slowing the auto market, and there is little change expected over the next few months,” Cox said in its forecast.

General Motors is recalling 7,199 model year 2021 GMC Canyons.

The load carrying capacity printed on the Tire and Loading Information placard is 22.5 kg (51 lbs.) more than intended.

An incorrect label may lead to unintentionally overloading the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

What to do

GM will mail owners a new B-pillar label free of charge. Owners may apply the label, or bring it to a dealer for installation.

Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed August 16, 2021.

Owners may contact GMC customer service at (800) 462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212340735.

New Widetech is recalling about 2.3 million dehumidifiers sold in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

The dehumidifiers can overheat and catch fire, posing fire and burn hazards.

The firm is aware of 107 incidents of the dehumidifiers overheating and/or catching fire, resulting in about $17 million in property damage. No injuries have been reported.

This recall involves 25-, 30-, 35-, 45-, 50-, 60-, 65-, 70-, and 74-pint dehumidifiers with the brand names including AeonAir, Amana, ArcticAire (Danby), Classic (Danby / Home Hardware Stores), Commercial Cool, Danby, Danby Designer, Danby Premiere, De’Longhi, Edgestar, Friedrich, Generations (Danby), Haier, Honeywell (JMATEK / AirTek), Idylis, Ivation, perfect aire, SuperClima, Whirlpool, and Whynter. The brand name, model number, and pint capacity are printed on the nameplate sticker on the back of the dehumidifier.

A list of the recalled dehumidifiers may be found here.

The dehumidifiers, manufactured in China, were sold at Lowe’s stores, Costco, Walmart, Menards, and other retailers nationwide from February 2009, through August 2017, for between $120 and $430.

What to do

Consumers should stop using the dehumidifiers immediately and contact New Widetech for a refund. The amount of the refund will be pro-rated based on the age of the dehumidifier.

Consumers may contact New Widetech toll-free at (877) 251-1512 from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. (ET) Monday through Friday, or online at www.recallrtr.com/nwtdehumidifier or http://www.newwidetech.com/en/ and click on “Recall Information” at the bottom of the page for more information.

Hyundai Motor America is recalling 15,752 model year 2021-2022 Santa Fes and Sonatas with 2.5L turbocharged engines.

Fuel may leak at the pipe connection between the high-pressure fuel pump and fuel rail, increasing the risk of a fire

What to do

Dealers will inspect and tighten, or replace the fuel pipe -- as necessary -- free of charge.

Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed September 6, 2021.

Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at (855) 371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 207.

Under pressure from progressives in Congress, the Biden administration has temporarily extended the moratorium on evictions from rental homes. However, the moratorium only applies to certain areas of the country and may face legal challenges by property owners.

The original moratorium was authorized by Congress and put in place by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. It covered the entire nation, and its purpose was to limit the spread of the virus by reducing homelessness among people who suddenly were unemployed and couldn’t pay the rent.

The authorization for the moratorium expired on Saturday, but the CDC acted Tuesday to extend it because of the rapid spread of cases caused by the highly transmissible Delta variant. But the extension is not nationwide.

The moratorium only applies to counties “with a heightened level of community transmission” of the virus. Currently, just about every county in Mississippi meets that criteria, but not all counties in Vermont do.

“It is intended to target specific areas of the country where cases are rapidly increasing, which would likely be exacerbated by mass evictions,” the CDC said.

Protecting public health 

The CDC says the extension is temporary and will last until Oct. 3, setting up a likely court challenge by property owners. When the CDC extended the moratorium in June for another 30 days, a landlord organization challenged the move in court.

When the case went to the U.S. Supreme Court in June, the justices declined to overturn the moratorium, saying that it would expire within the next 30 days anyway. President Biden originally hesitated to reinstate protection for renters and said any extension must be authorized by Congress.

By applying the moratorium in areas where the virus is spreading, the CDC said it is acting within its authority to take action to protect public health.

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

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌ 35,251,200 (35,143,810)‌

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 614,368 (613,834)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ 199,866,646 (199,162,828)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 4,251,676 (4,240,761)‌

Survey explores why people won’t get vaccinated

When the COVID-19 vaccine first rolled out, millions of Americans lined up to get it. Now that it’s readily available, about 100 million Americans refuse to be vaccinated. A new survey from the Kaiser Family Foundation explores the reasons.

Three in ten adults remain unvaccinated, including one in ten who say they want to “wait and see” how the vaccine works for other people before getting vaccinated. Three percent said they will only be vaccinated if they are required to do so by their employer. One-fourth of unvaccinated adults say they’ll probably get vaccinated before the end of the year.

The survey found that as a group, unvaccinated adults, especially those who say they will “definitely not” get a vaccine, are much less worried about the coronavirus, the Delta variant, and have less confidence in the safety and effectiveness of the vaccines compared to those who are vaccinated. 

Demands on hospitals are increasing

When it appeared that the pandemic was fading as a crisis in May and June, Americans who had put off medical treatments because of the pandemic began filling hospitals. Now that the Delta variant is causing a surge in new cases, these hospitals are once again under the gun.

“The physical, mental and emotional toll of this pandemic is taking its toll,” Linnette Johnson, a chief nursing officer with AdventHealth Central Florida, told the Wall Street Journal.

Florida is seeing a huge increase in cases, many of them among unvaccinated people. Last week, AdventHealth Central Florida reverted to a policy put in place at the height of the pandemic that halts nonessential surgeries. Officials hope the decision will help free up staff and provide more space for COVID-19 patients.

Study: Vaccine reduces infection risk by 50%

Researchers at Imperial College of London have completed a study showing that fully vaccinated people are half as likely to be infected with the coronavirus than those who have not been vaccinated.

In the study, three times as many unvaccinated people tested positive for the virus than those who had been vaccinated. Not surprisingly, all the positive samples in the study showed the infection was caused by the Delta variant.

As other studies have shown, fully vaccinated people who tested positive tended to have a less severe illness than unvaccinated people. They also had smaller amounts of the virus in their bodies, meaning they may be less likely to pass it on if they are infected.

Around the nation

• Florida: The Broward County School District, the second-largest in the state, has reversed its requirement that students and teachers wear masks this fall. The move followed a threat from Gov. Ron DeSantis to withhold funding.

• Minnesota: The state health department has added 31 counties to the list of areas that have a "substantial" or "high" spread of the virus. It’s a big increase from the previous week when only 14 Minnesota counties fell into that category.

• Nevada: Las Vegas and Clark County have become the epicenter of new virus cases in the state. Health officials report that nearly 15% of people who were tested for COVID-19 since Friday tested positive, accounting for more than 2,000 new cases.

• South Carolina: Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mia McLeod said that if she is elected she would require age-eligible children to show proof of vaccination against the coronavirus in order to attend public school. She would also require people to wear masks in public until 70% of the state’s population is vaccinated.

• Utah: Dr. Todd Vento, Intermountain Healthcare's infectious disease medical director, briefed reporters this week and said he wanted to “alarm folks” about the coronavirus. "We're not focusing on masking and social distancing,” he said. “You can see what that is. It's a recipe for disaster.”

A new study conducted by researchers from the University of California at Davis explored the effects associated with health care professionals reducing opioid prescriptions for pain patients. 

Their findings suggest that while many practitioners want to lower the dosage of opioids that patients are using for pain management, doing so could lead to an increase in overdoses and mental health concerns. 

“Prescribers are in a really difficult position,” said researcher Alicia Agnoli. “There are conflicting desires of ameliorating pain among patients while reducing the risk of adverse outcomes related to prescriptions. Our study showed an increased risk of overdose and mental health crisis following dose reduction. It suggests that patients undergoing tapering need significant support to safely reduce or discontinue their opioids.” 

Monitoring patients on opioids

The researchers analyzed data from more than 113,000 patients who were prescribed opioids for pain management. They compared hospital records of patients that had their prescriptions tapered over the course of a year with those that had no changes to their prescription or health records before prescriptions were altered. 

Ultimately, the researchers found that reducing opioid prescriptions increased the risk of a mental health emergency or an opioid overdose by nearly 70%. Participants who experienced these changes to their prescriptions struggled with suicidal thoughts, anxiety, and depression, and others experienced drug withdrawal. 

The researchers identified two factors that contributed to a heightened risk of overdose or mental health struggles: having a higher dosage at the onset of the study or experiencing a significant reduction to a prescription in a short amount of time. The team explained that federal regulations have guided clinicians to taper opioid prescriptions in an effort to get a better handle on opioid therapies; however, doing so does come with risks, and it’s important that health care providers give their patients the proper support if they choose to reduce an opioid prescription. 

“Our study results support the recent federal guidelines for clinicians considering opioid dose reduction for patients,” said researcher Joshua Fenton. “But I fear that most tapering patients aren’t receiving close follow-up and monitoring to make sure they’re coping well on lower doses.” 

Finding a better approach

Prescribing opioids and monitoring the patients taking them can be a tricky process for health care providers, but the researchers hope these findings can be valuable when thinking about the best ways to handle patients’ prescriptions. 

“We hope that work will inform a more cautious and compassionate approach to decisions around opioid dose tapering,” said Agnoli. “Our study may help shape clinical guidelines on patient selection for tapering, optimal rates of dose reduction, and how best to monitor and support patients during periods of dose transition.” 

Wegmans is asking all customers to wear masks inside its stores, regardless of whether or not they’re vaccinated. The grocery store chain made the announcement on its social media accounts on Tuesday, a day after the CDC issued new mask guidance intended to help curb the spread of the Delta variant. 

“Effective immediately: After reviewing the updated guidance from the CDC & state & local health departments, we strongly encourage all customers, regardless of vaccination status, to wear a mask while shopping with us,” Wegmans said on Twitter.

The retailer said it will also require employees to wear masks while in the store. 

Consumers give credit to Wegmans

Throughout the pandemic, customers have said Wegmans’ health and safety measures have been in line with guidance from the CDC. Customers reviewing Wegmans on ConsumerAffairs have spoken positively of the store’s COVID-19 precautions.  

“This store is clean and well stocked. They are taking all the precautions possible to prevent the spread of Covid 19,” wrote Tracy Campola of Arbutus, Md. “Every department is wonderful with fresh products and a wide variety. I travel about 10 miles to come to this store because they never disappoint.” 

Wegmans joins a growing number of retailers that have reversed their mask policies this week. Home Depot and McDonald’s announced Monday that customers must wear masks, and Target said it would require all employees and customers to wear masks at its stores in areas of substantial or high transmission. 

The CDC recommends that people wear masks indoors in areas with “substantial” and “high” transmission of COVID-19.

Not to be outdone by Walmart, Target is launching its own debt-free education assistance program to more than 340,000 employees.

The company announced that all part-time and full-time team members in the U.S. are eligible for debt-free undergraduate degrees, certificates, certifications, and free textbooks without having to lay out one red cent. Employees don’t have to work for a certain length of time to earn the benefit either. They’re eligible on their very first day of work at Target.

Lots of choices, lots of schools

Target’s new debt-free offering is built around 250 business-aligned programs at more than 40 schools, colleges, and universities including the University of Arizona, Oregon State University, and the University of Denver, along with historically Black colleges such as Morehouse College and Paul Quinn College. 

The program doesn’t just revolve around colleges or fully degreed programs either. Target will support team members taking courses for high school completion, college prep, English language learning, and other select certificates, certifications, boot camps, and associate degrees. For employees who already have an undergraduate degree, the company is going the extra mile by paying up to $10,000 annually for master’s programs.

“Target employs team members at every life stage and helps our team learn, develop and build their skills, whether they’re with us for a year or a career. A significant number of our hourly team members build their careers at Target, and we know many would like to pursue additional education opportunities,”  said Melissa Kremer, chief human resources officer, Target. “We don’t want the cost to be a barrier for anyone, and that’s where Target can step in to make education accessible for everyone.” 

Things like this can change customer perceptions

The pandemic forced many businesses to completely shift how they treat employees and customers alike. Now that available workers have become a scarcity, companies like Target and Walmart have no choice but to raise pay and give employees an incentive to become part of an organization that does more than just waiting for the cash register to ring.

In Target’s case, the new education assistance program is part of Target Forward, an initiative that the company calls a “new sustainability strategy that includes goals to create an equitable and inclusive workforce.” And, if proven viable, that’s a notion that’s probably not lost on its customers -- like Carolyn of Chicago.

“Most of the Targets I visit are very well maintained (clean, organized, well-staffed.) It's very easy to find things throughout the store, I feel like the selection is very broad and varied, and I enjoy shopping at Target. The in-house up & up brand is often very competitively priced and I've never had any issues buying generic. A lot of the clothes are cute, too, and I always find myself discovering a new cleaning or cooking product that becomes indispensable,” Carolyn wrote in a 4-star review of Target at ConsumerAffairs. 

“My only hesitation is that I am aware that Target shows their employees a lot of anti-union content to discourage the retail employees from unionizing and I don't really like that and I have discomfort about spending money with an union-busting retailer.”

With Target’s new education employee plan, customers like Carolyn might be more comfortable shopping with the company.

CVS has announced that it will raise its hourly minimum wage for workers from $11 to $15 over the course of the next year. The company said wage increases will start this month and starting hourly rates will hit the $15 mark by next July. 

The pay bump comes as companies struggle to attract workers as a result of pandemic-related factors. CVS noted that 65% of its hourly employees already make more than $15 an hour, but the pay increase should help it expand its workforce. The company has also dropped its high school diploma or GED requirement for most positions. 

"Attracting and retaining top talent across our businesses is critical as we continue to redefine what it means to meet people's health needs," CVS CEO Karen Lynch said Wednesday.

Raising pay

CVS joins other retailers in raising pay to help fill positions. Amazon, Target, and Best Buy have all recently unveiled plans to shift to a $15-an-hour starting rate. Walmart said the pay increase would help it keep its employment numbers high enough to keep up with changing consumer demand brought on by the pandemic. 

“We saw major changes to customer behavior last year we believe will be lasting, and we have to continue working to stay in-stock, deliver items on time and provide the best omni experience possible,” CEO John Furner told The Wall Street Journal.

The federal minimum wage stands at $7.25 an hour. President Biden has expressed support for raising the minimum to $15, but a proposal to increase it to that figure stalled in Congress back in February.