Current Events in August 2021

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

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌ 36,326,952 (36,210,096)‌

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 619,200 (618,572)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ 205,752,476 (204,986,180)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 4,340,137 (4,329,089)‌

FDA clears boosters for immunocompromised

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved COVID-19 booster shots for one group of people: those who have chronic conditions that may compromise their immune systems.

“The country has entered yet another wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the FDA is especially cognizant that immunocompromised people are particularly at risk for severe disease,” said Acting FDA Commissioner Dr. Janet Woodcock. “After a thorough review of the available data, the FDA determined that this small, vulnerable group may benefit from a third dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna Vaccines.” 

The approval applies to several million Americans who may be especially vulnerable because of organ transplants, battles with cancer, or other conditions. In allowing some to get booster shots, the U.S. is following the lead of some other nations, including Israel and France.

Analysis shows case surge centered in just eight states

The U.S. is in the grips of another wave of COVID-19 cases, but the surge is not uniformly spread across the country. By looking at a heat map of cases, it’s clear that the outbreak is centered in just eight states -- Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, and Texas.

A CNN analysis of government health data shows that those states also happen to be at the bottom of the rankings for vaccinations. In the case of Nevada, its new cases are focused in the Las Vegas area, which has resumed drawing visitors from all corners of the country.

The analysis shows that the eight named states' combined total of new cases makes up approximately 51% of COVID-19 patients. That’s alarming because data shows that they account for only around 24% of the nation's population.

Florida county seeks to limit 911 calls

COVID-19, fueled by the Delta variant, is tearing through Florida. Hospitals are filling with virus patients, and emergency rooms are busy night and day -- so much so that Brevard County Fire and Rescue officials are asking citizens not to call 911 unless it’s absolutely necessary.

Brevard County Fire Rescue Chief Mark Schollmeyer says people with less than serious medical issues should look for alternatives. Ambulance trips, he says, should be reserved for those facing life and death situations.

"Just being COVID positive but asymptomatic does not always make it a life-threatening emergent condition requiring a trip to the ER," he said. "We ask people to take advantage of your primary care physician, telemedicine, or urgent care and leave emergency room and ambulance trips for those with life-threatening or serious emergencies."

Around the nation

• Virginia: Amid a flare-up in COVID-19 cases, three Richmond concert venues have announced that they will only admit people who have been vaccinated. The National, The Broadberry, and The Camel said this week that they will require people to be vaccinated or provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test in order to attend events.

• Vermont: Vermont is proof that being vaccinated doesn’t provide 100% protection from the virus, though it greatly reduces bad outcomes. State health officials are reporting a surge in new cases this week despite the fact that the state has the highest vaccination rate in the nation.

• Ohio: Although the state is experiencing a new wave of COVID-19, one state legislator wants to prevent local school officials from imposing mitigation measures. State Rep. Mike Loychik said this week that he will soon introduce a bill that prohibits schools from enforcing mask mandates.

• Arkansas: Anti-mask sentiment runs high in the state, which is also experiencing a wave of new coronavirus cases. But that hasn’t stopped state colleges from announcing that students will be required to mask up this fall. An Arkansas judge has temporarily blocked the enforcement of a state law banning mask mandates.

• Colorado: With schools prepared to reopen, Gov. Jared Polis has announced that the state will launch a school-based COVID-19 testing program and provide masks to K-12 schools and school districts that want them. The state is recommending masks for teachers and students this fall.

Apple’s blueprint to scan iPhone users' photo libraries for child sexual abuse material (CSAM) has raised the ire of some of its own employees. According to a report from Reuters, Apple staff have begun using internal company Slack channels to post hundreds of messages that voice their concerns about the proposal.

Their biggest concern is that governments that have been known to use mobile phones to spy on people will employ the software for uses other than CSAM, like finding material they could use to censor or arrest people. 

Past security changes at Apple have also prompted concern among employees, but the volume and duration of the new debate are surprising, the workers said. Some posters worried that Apple is damaging its leading reputation for protecting privacy.

Employee opinions are mixed

The pushback by Apple employees may sound earth-shattering, but not everyone at the company is up in arms. Reuters said some employees have questioned their peers’ criticism in the Slack thread devoted to the photo-scanning feature. Others said Slack wasn't the proper place to hold discussions like this.

One integral workgroup at Apple -- the security team -- was staying away from the back-and-forth on Slack, but opinions vary. 

Some couched Apple’s effort as a rational response to pressure to get tough on illegal and illicit material. Others said they hoped the scanning tool would eventually lead to the development of better encryption tools for iCloud customers who want a more powerful layer of security.

Critical employees have outside support

Other privacy advocates have also expressed their concerns about Apple's proposed scanning tool. They claim Apple is softening its stance on privacy and that the company’s willingness to do these kinds of scans could potentially start a boulder rolling downhill that would allow governments to ask for more information in the future.

One group -- the Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT) -- says Apple’s proposed changes create new risks to children and all users while marking a significant departure from long-held privacy and security protocols.

"What Apple is showing with their announcement last week is that there are technical weaknesses that they are willing to build in," CDT project director Emma Llanso said in an interview. "It seems so out of step from everything that they had previously been saying and doing."

“Apple is replacing its industry-standard end-to-end encrypted messaging system with an infrastructure for surveillance and censorship, which will be vulnerable to abuse and scope-creep not only in the U.S., but around the world,” says Greg Nojeim, Co-Director of CDT’s Security & Surveillance Project. “Apple should abandon these changes and restore its users’ faith in the security and integrity of their data on Apple devices and services.”

The meal delivery landscape across America took another turn on Friday. Wendy’s announced that it plans to roll out 700 “ghost kitchens” -- virtual, delivery-only “restaurants” -- expressly for food delivery apps. 

The five-year plan will include locations in the U.S., Canada, and the United Kingdom following what the company said was a successful test of eight delivery kitchens in Canada. Wendy’s will join an impressive lineup of ghost kitchen believers, including Five Guys, Walmart, Kroger, Quiznos, Saladworks, and Nathan's Famous.

Wendy’s isn’t doing this alone. It is partnering with REEF, which claims to be the largest operator of mobility, logistics hubs, and kitchens. The company has 4,500 locations and the ability to reach 70% of North America’s urban population.

"The demand for convenient delivery solutions means we must look for opportunities beyond our traditional restaurant formats, especially in dense urban areas," said Abigail Pringle, Wendy's President, International and Chief Development Officer. "This partnership with REEF is testimony to our ambitions, the potential we see to grow our beloved brand and our quest to reach more customers in more ways."

How the pandemic has changed the food delivery game

After COVID-19 knocked the air out of sit-down restaurants, carryout and delivery was the most viable go-to option. Many consumers loved the new approach, and demand for delivery during the lockdown was so proactive that 88% of U.S. consumers ordered takeout. 

The first to change were grocers, which started offering fresh meals to-go via ghost kitchens. These businesses were initially able to muscle their way into the prepared food segment in a way that restaurants couldn’t. Others were taking notice and falling in love with the concept. Not only was there a reduction in cost tied to less front-of-house staffing and dining space, but the change gave restaurateurs a chance to test new food concepts and sales opportunities without the expense of retooling space and adding foodstuffs to play out their ideas.

One food segment is already starting to reap the benefits of ghost kitchens: “clean and healthy fare,” as WOWorks CEO Kelly Roddy calls it. In March, WOWorks entered into a partnership with Ghost Kitchen Brands to bring 60 Saladworks locations into U.S. ghost kitchens spaces, many of which would be located inside Walmart stores. 

"If you're having food brought to you, you don't really know or care where it's being brought from," Roddy told RestaurantDive. "The ghost kitchens allow you to get into many more points of distribution for your food and for some people, they can have access to healthy food."

In a report on Friday, economists from the University of Michigan said a key consumer sentiment measure declined significantly in early August. The consumer sentiment index fell to 70.2 earlier this month, down more than 13% from July’s reading of 81.2.

The sudden drop, which experts described as “rare,” suggests that the Delta variant may be creating uncertainty about what lies ahead for the economy. The reading represents a low not seen since 2011. 

“Over the past half century, the Sentiment Index has only recorded larger losses in six other surveys, all connected to sudden negative changes in the economy,” Richard Curtin, the chief economist for Michigan’s Surveys of Consumers, said in a release.

Delta variant impact

Curtin said the drop could have been spurred by the rise in cases of the Delta variant. The surge in cases has prompted some states and localities to reintroduce mask mandates and other restrictions. 

He added that consumer confidence could rebound in the months ahead, especially if matters stabilize on the pandemic front. 

“Consumers have correctly reasoned that the economy’s performance will be diminished over the next several months, but the extraordinary surge in negative economic assessments also reflects an emotional response, mainly from dashed hopes that the pandemic would soon end,” Curtin said. “In the months ahead, it is likely that consumers will again voice more reasonable expectations, and with control of the Delta variant, shift toward outright optimism.”

Although the early August consumer sentiment index suggests uncertainty among consumers, other metrics -- including weekly jobless claims -- have suggested that the economy is recovering from its pandemic lows. The Labor Department said recently that the economy added 943,000 jobs last month, which is more than most economists expected. 

An as-yet-unidentified hacker has returned nearly all of the $600 million stolen by exploiting a vulnerability in the cryptocurrency platform Poly Network. The firm cited the anonymous person claiming to be the perpetrator as saying they were “ready to return” the rest of the stolen digital currency. 

Almost all of the funds have been returned to three digital currency wallets, but $268 million in assets is currently locked in an account that requires passwords from both Poly Network and the hacker. 

“It’s likely that keys held by both Poly Network and the hacker would be required to move the funds — so the hacker could still make these funds inaccessible if they chose to,” Tom Robinson, chief scientist of blockchain analytics firm Elliptic, said in a blogpost Friday.

In a message embedded in the transaction, the hacker said they would "PROVIDE THE FINAL KEY WHEN _EVERYONE_ IS READY.”

Motivation unclear

At this point, it’s still unclear why the hacker decided to return the funds. Some analysts believe the move was motivated by the fact that it’s challenging to launder and cash out large amounts of stolen cryptocurrency. 

“I think this demonstrates that even if you can steal cryptoassets, laundering them and cashing out is extremely difficult, due to the transparency of the blockchain and the use of blockchain analytics,” Robinson told CNBC earlier this week. “In this case the hacker concluded that the safest option was just to return the stolen assets.”

Others have speculated that the hacker was afraid of being exposed and facing legal consequences. The identity of the hacker, who is known as “White Hat,” has yet to be uncovered. However, cybersecurity researchers say the individual left behind numerous “digital breadcrumbs” on the blockchain that could be traced by law enforcement.

According to CNBC, the hacker claimed in a message that they stole the funds “for fun” and that it was “always the plan” to return the funds. Poly Network has described the hack as “the biggest in defi history.” 

Physical activity has been linked with longer life for all consumers. Now, a new study conducted by researchers from the American Academy of Neurology suggests that there are specific benefits that stroke survivors can enjoy from staying active. 

According to the findings, having a regular exercise routine can significantly lower the risk of death for consumers who have survived strokes. 

“A better understanding of the role of physical activity in the health of people who survive stroke is needed to design better exercise therapies and public health campaigns so we can help these individuals live longer,” said researcher Dr. Raed A. Joundi. 

“Our results are exciting, because just three to four hours of walking a week was associated with big reductions in mortality, and that may be attainable for many community members with prior stroke. In addition, we found people achieved even greater benefit with walking six to seven hours per week. These results might have implications for guidelines to stroke survivors in the future.” 

Staying active, living longer

For the study, the researchers compared data from nearly 100,000 older adults with no history of stroke with nearly 900 older adults who had survived a stroke. All participants answered questions about their physical activity, and the team followed up with them regularly over the course of more than five years.

The researchers learned that regular exercise was associated with a lower risk of death for stroke survivors. When participants exercised more, they tended to live longer. The study showed that stroke survivors under the age of 75 who consistently exercised had an 80% lower risk of death than those who didn’t exercise. Comparatively, stroke survivors over the age of 75 who exercised regularly reduced their risk of death by 32% when compared to their less active peers. 

The team found that the minimum amount of exercise needed for these results was three to four hours of walking per week or two to three hours of biking per week. Sticking to this regimen was associated with the lowest risk of death for stroke survivors. Looking to the future, the researchers hope these findings encourage stroke survivors to stay as active as possible. Doing so can lead to longer life and better overall health outcomes. 

“Our results suggest that getting a minimum amount of physical activity may reduce long-term mortality from any cause in stroke survivors,” said Dr. Joundi. “We should particularly emphasize this to stroke survivors who are younger in age, as they may gain the greatest health benefits from walking just thirty minutes each day.”

A new study conducted by researchers from Michigan State University explored how taking naps can help consumers struggling with sleep deprivation. According to their findings, consumers aren’t likely to make up for lost sleep by napping. 

“We are interested in understanding cognitive deficits associated with sleep deprivation,” said researcher Kimberly Fenn. “In this study, we wanted to know if a short nap during the deprivation period would mitigate these deficits. We found that short naps of 30 or 60 minutes did not show any measurable effects.” 

Sleeping through the night is important

For the study, the researchers had 275 participants involved in a sleep-based experiment. Prior to sleeping, the participants completed tasks that allowed the researchers to get a baseline assessment of their cognitive function. The participants were then divided into three groups: one group stayed awake all night and was allowed to nap the next day for 30 or 60 minutes, one group stayed awake all night and didn’t nap the next day, and the third group slept as they normally would through the night. The groups then completed another round of cognitive assessments to determine how short naps impacted their cognition. 

The researchers learned that napping after a night of poor sleep didn’t lead to better outcomes on the cognitive assessments. They say this indicates that sleep deprivation isn’t likely to be cured by a short nap. 

The team explained that slow-wave sleep (SWS) is the most restful stage of sleep. However, this study showed that the participants either weren’t likely to reach SWS during these short naps or didn’t stay in SWS long enough to get the benefits. This is likely what led to poorer cognitive outcomes after a night of sleep deprivation. The opposite was also true: the more time the participants spent in SWS, the better their scores were on the cognitive assessments. 

“SWS is the most important stage of sleep,” said Fenn. “When someone goes without sleep for a period of time, even just during the day, they build up a need for sleep; in particular, they build up a need for sleep; in particular, they build up a need for SWS. When individuals go to sleep each night, they will soon enter into SWS and spend a substantial amount of time in this stage.

“Individuals who obtained more SWS tended to show reduced errors on both tasks,” Fenn continued. “However, they still showed worse performance than the participants who slept.” 

Moving forward, the researchers hope these findings highlight the importance of consumers getting a full night of sleep. While a short nap may seem like the easiest way to catch up on lost sleep, consumers are still likely to struggle with focusing and other cognitive skills the following day. 

The median price of a single-family home in the U.S. rose to $357,900 in the second quarter, another record high, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR). Prices rose in all but one of the 183 measured metros, increasing $66,800 -- or nearly 23% -- over the same period in 2020. 

The rise is contributing to the increasing wealth gap in America. People who own a home saw their net worth rise dramatically over the last year. People who do not own real estate generally stayed the same in terms of wealth while the barrier to becoming a homeowner got bigger.

Lawrence Yun, chief economist at the NAR, is hopeful that things will get better for first-time buyers in the months ahead. 

"Home price gains and the accompanying housing wealth accumulation have been spectacular over the past year, but are unlikely to be repeated in 2022," Yun said. "There are signs of more supply reaching the market and some tapering of demand. The housing market looks to move from 'super-hot' to 'warm' with markedly slower price gains."

Low mortgage rates are key

Any price gains to these already lofty valuations will likely pose challenges for buyers. The one mitigating factor is near record-low mortgage rates. But if rates begin to rise, the market will face a growing affordability issue.

The NAR report shows that 12 U.S. metro areas posted year-over-year home price gains of 30% or more. Eight are in either the South or West. Here are the housing markets where homeowners saw the largest gains:

• Pittsfield, Mass. (46.5%)

• Austin-Round Rock, Texas (45.1%)

• Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island, Fla. (41.9%)

• Boise City-Nampa, Idaho (41%)

• Barnstable, Mass. (37.8%)

• Boulder, Colo. (37.7%)

• Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, Conn. (37.1%)

• Cape Coral-Fort Myers, Fla. (35.6%)

• Tucson, Ariz. (32.6%)

• New York-Jersey City-White Plains, N.Y.-N.J. (32.5%)

• San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, Calif. (31.9%)

• Punta Gorda, Fla. (30.8%)

Supply and demand imbalance

The rapid rise in home prices in recent years has largely been the result of a supply and demand imbalance. Homebuilders have not produced enough new homes to satisfy the needs of a generation that has moved into household formation in the decade after the Great Recession. Yun says that has contributed to an affordability problem for many young families.

"Housing affordability for first-time buyers is weakening," he said. "Unfortunately, the benefits of historically-low interest rates are overwhelmed by home prices rising too fast, thereby requiring a higher income in order to become a homeowner."

Among first-time buyers, the mortgage payment on a 10% down payment loan jumped to 25% of income, up from 21.2% one year ago. The NAR says a mortgage is affordable if the payment amounts to no more than 25% of the family's income.

President Biden, who is concerned about the high cost of gasoline, asked OPEC this week to produce more oil. The White House was reacting to the current cost of gas, but at least prices didn’t go any higher this week.

The AAA Fuel Gauge Survey shows that the national average price of regular gas is $3.18 a gallon, the highest in seven years but about the same as last week. Compared to last year, the average price is a dollar a gallon higher. The average price of premium gas is $3.81 a gallon, matching last week’s average. The average price of diesel fuel is $3.29 a gallon, the same as last Friday.

The spread of the COVID-19 Delta variant has taken place at the same time that gas prices have leveled off, and the two may be related. The International Energy Agency this week cited the worsening of the pandemic this week as it downgraded its worldwide oil demand outlook.

Lower demand for oil could bring down its price and eventually affect gasoline prices, but not unless consumer demand for gas also declines with the spread of the virus. So far, there’s little evidence of that.

Patrick DeHaan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, reported on Thursday that Sunday through Wednesday gas demand this week was the highest so far this year.

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 ($4.05)

• Washington ($3.88) 

• Utah ($3.86)

• Idaho ($3.81)

• Oregon ($3.77) 

• Alaska ($3.68) 

• Colorado ($3.64)  

• Wyoming ($3.58)

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 ($2.83)

• Texas ($2.85) 

• Alabama ($2.85)

• Missouri ($2.87)

• Arkansas ($2.88)

• Tennessee ($2.88)

• South Carolina ($2.89)

• Oklahoma ($2.89)

• North Carolina ($2.93)

Audi is recalling 498 model year 2021 E-Tron Quattros and model year 2020-2021 E-Tron Sportback Quattros.

An improperly welded rotor and shaft may separate within the integrated brake system.

Separation of the rotor and shaft may cause a reduction in braking assistance and a loss of the Antilock Brake System (ABS) and Electronic Stability Control (ESC), increasing the risk of a crash.

What to do

Dealers will replace the brake booster free of charge.

Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed September 24, 2021.

Owners may contact Audi customer service at (800) 253-2834. The number for this recall is 47R1.

Suzuki Motor USA is recalling 270 model year 2019-2020 Burgman 200 UH200 scooters.

The fuel hose assembly may leak fuel, increasing the risk of a fire.

What to do

Dealers will replace the fuel hose assembly free of charge.

Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed August 20, 2021.

Owners may contact Suzuki customer service at (714) 572-1490. Suzuki's number for this recall is 2A97.

LG Energy Solution Michigan of Holland, Mich., is recalling about 10,000 LG Chem “RESU10H” Lithium-Ion Residential Energy Storage System Batteries.

The batteries can overheat, posing a risk of fire and emission of harmful smoke.

The firm has received five reports of the lithium storage batteries smoking and catching fire, resulting in property damage and one injury.

This recall involves LG Chem Model RESU 10H lithium-ion storage batteries that were installed as part of a residential energy solar panel system.

The recalled batteries, which allow owners to capture and store energy from the solar panels, are wall mounted, measure about 29 by 36 by 8 inches, and weigh roughly 220 pounds.

The LG logo is located on the top left side of the front panel. The serial number of the recalled product begins with R15563P3 and is located behind the access door of the RESU home battery.

The batteries, manufactured in Korea, were sold at various distributors of solar energy storage systems nationwide, including, but not limited to Sunrun, AEE Solar, Baywa, CED, Krannich, Independent Electric Supply, and Inter Island Solar Supply from January 2017, through April 2019, for about $8,000.

What to do

Consumers should immediately contact LG Energy Solution Michigan to schedule a free replacement.

The company will arrange for modifications to recalled batteries that are connected online to reduce the risk of overheating until they can be replaced with new batteries.

LG Energy Solution Michigan, its distributors, and its installers also are attempting to contact owners directly.

Consumers may contact LG Energy Solution Michigan toll-free at (888)737-8104 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (ET) Monday through Friday, by email at RESUservice@lgensol.com, or online at www.lgessbattery.com/us and click on “Battery Recall: Free Replacement Campaign” for more information

Ahead of the arrival of tropical storm Fred, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis tweeted that residents should make sure they’re prepared. The storm, which was officially classified as a tropical storm on Tuesday, is expected to bring heavy rain and wind to Florida by late Friday or early Saturday. 

“PTC #6 developed into Tropical Storm #Fred overnight. This is the sixth named storm of the season & could potentially impact Florida this weekend,” the governor tweeted. “While it’s too soon to determine exact impacts, Floridians should review their disaster plans & follow @FLSERT for updates.” 

The National Hurricane Center said Thursday that people in some parts of Florida could potentially see flooding. 

“Through Monday, 3 to 5 inches of rain is anticipated across the Keys and southern Florida Peninsula, with isolated maximum totals of 8 inches. Heavy rainfall could lead to areal, urban, and small stream flooding, along with possible rapid river rises,” the statement reads.

Unique risks during pandemic

Experts have pointed out that hurricane season brings unique risks when paired with a pandemic, mainly due to the fact that resources are already limited. 

Last June, researchers from the University of Central Florida released the results of a study focused on exploring the potential impact that hurricane season could have on the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“The COVID-19 crisis will very likely increase the impacts associated with the climate extreme events that will inevitably occur somewhere across the globe over the next weeks or months or already have occurred,” said researcher Thomas Wahl. “For example, shelters cannot operate at full capacity, health care systems are already under pressure, and emergency funds are depleted.” 

How to prepare

The CDC has also acknowledged that hurricane season preparations will be different during a pandemic. On its website, the agency offers the following tips for preparing for adverse weather during a pandemic: 

• Allow extra time to prepare. Give yourself more time than usual to prepare your emergency food, water, and medicine supplies. The agency noted that home delivery is the safest choice for buying disaster supplies, but that may not be an option for everyone. If in-person shopping is your only choice, take steps to protect your and others’ health when running essential errands.

• Limit in-person pharmacy visits. Protect yourself and others when filling prescriptions by limiting in-person visits to the pharmacy. Sign up for mail order delivery or call in your prescription ahead of time and use drive-through windows or curbside pickup, if available. 

• Stay up-to-date. Pay attention to local guidance about updated plans for evacuations and shelters, including shelters for your pets.

• Continue social distancing. When you check on neighbors and friends, be sure to follow physical distancing recommendations (staying at least 6 feet from others) and other CDC recommendations to protect yourself and others.

• Get vaccinated. The CDC recommends getting a COVID-19 vaccine as soon as you can in order to avoid becoming sick or severely ill with COVID-19, as well as to help protect those around you. 

Big Tech, say hello to Big Bipartisanship. A new across-the-aisle congressional bill has been drafted in an attempt to regulate how digital app stores are run.

​​U.S. Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN.), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) introduced the Open App Markets Act -- a bill designed to “promote competition and reduce gatekeeper power in the app economy, increase choice, improve quality, and reduce costs for consumers.”

In the crosshairs are Apple and Google, the two biggest companies that the trio of legislators feel have gatekeeper control over the app market. The lawmakers say the control the companies have allows them to call all the shots and keep other app resellers picking up what scraps they can. Together, Apple and Google have 5.7 million apps that produced $110.9 billion in sales in 2020. 

“Big Tech giants are forcing their own app stores on users at the expense of innovative start-ups,” said Sen. Blackburn. “Apple and Google want to prevent developers and consumers from using third-party app stores that would threaten their bottom line. Their anticompetitive conduct is a direct affront to a free and fair marketplace. Senators Blumenthal, Klobuchar, and I are committed to ensuring U.S. consumers and small businesses are not punished by Big Tech dominance.”

Blumenthal said the legislation is intended to “tear down coercive anticompetitive walls in the app economy, giving consumers more choices and smaller startup tech companies a fighting chance.” He also said the bill will “give mobile users more control over their own devices.”

This will take a while

Keep in mind that this legislation has only been introduced. It still has to pass in the Senate and the House before finally getting President Biden’s signature. Given their historic sales trends, Google and Apple can sell a lot of apps before the act becomes law.

In the meantime, the companies have other app store issues to deal with. The European Union has been relentless in punishing Apple over issues with its App Store. In March, it launched an investigation over unfair App Store dominance. It followed that up with accusations in April that the company was breaking antitrust rules with its App Store policies. 

Google hasn’t had it any easier. In the U.S., the company was hit with an antitrust lawsuit filed by 37 states that claimed the Google Play Store is an illegal monopoly. Like Apple, it was also targeted by the E.U. earlier this summer for allegedly abusing its ad tech power.

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

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌ 36,210,096 (36,071,850)‌

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 618,572 (618,220)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ 204,986,180 (204,286,683)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 4,329,089 (4,319,262)‌

Expert says ‘herd immunity’ is not possible

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, health officials have set so-called “herd immunity” as a goal for stopping the virus. The idea is that the virus will eventually die out when enough people are vaccinated. A noted health expert says it isn’t going to happen.

Sir Andrew Pollard, director of the Oxford Vaccine Group, told Parliament that vaccines have failed to stop the virus completely. Now that the highly contagious Delta variant is spreading across the globe, he said “herd immunity” is a “mythical” concept.

“I think we are in a situation here with this current variant where herd immunity is not a possibility because it still infects vaccinated individuals,” Pollard told British lawmakers.

LA demands vaccinations for public venues

If you want to go to a bar, restaurant, or movie theater in Los Angeles, you’ll have to be vaccinated and able to prove it. The Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously to draft an ordinance requiring a vaccination to enter most indoor spaces, including retail stores.

The proposed measure -- the toughest in the nation so far -- comes as the Delta variant has swept across every state. Most of the people who are getting severely ill are unvaccinated.

“COVID-19 could be eradicated if we had mass vaccinations across the country and across the world,” said Councilman Mitch O’Farrell.

Florida governor faces growing rebellion

You might call it the Florida rebellion. While people are pushing back against vaccine and mask requirements in some southern states, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is encountering opposition to his firm stand against these mandates.

DeSantis signed a law barring entities from requiring proof of vaccinations and has ordered school districts not to require students and teachers to wear masks. That has prompted at least three large school districts to defy the governor. 

The school districts -- in Ft. Lauderdale, Tallahassee, and Gainsville -- have said they will not obey the governor’s executive order in an effort to limit the fast-spreading virus. In an interview on NPR, Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber accused DeSantis of politicizing a health care crisis, which he said helps explain some of the backlash.

The severity of the current outbreak may also help explain it. Florida hospitalizations from COVID-19 hit a record Wednesday for an 11th straight day.

Around the nation

• Tennessee: The Williamson County School Board voted to require teachers and students to wear masks in schools, triggering an angry demonstration by parents. Dozens of people filled the parking lot after the meeting chanting “will not comply.”

• Nebraska: Several state senators are asking the state government to reinstate its real-time COVID-19 dashboard, which was replaced with weekly numbers when the pandemic appeared to be fading. “Basic numbers shared on a weekly basis is not enough,” the senators wrote in a letter to the governor.

• Louisiana: Louisiana has the fastest growth of new COVID-19 cases in the nation, and many of the victims are children. One in four children now tests positive for the virus in the state. “There is clearly a lot more virus in the pediatric community,” Dr. William Lennarz, the system chair for pediatrics for Ochsner Health, told WWNO Radio.

• California: State health officials say the virus is spreading throughout the state at a rate not seen since last winter. As a result, officials say hospitals are nearing capacity. Official records show that hospitalizations statewide have almost doubled in the past two weeks, with 5,358 people in hospitals at the start of the week.

• Hawaii: With a steep rise in cases of the Delta variant, Hawaii has reimposed COVID-19 restrictions, including orders for restaurants to reduce capacity again. “The Delta variant has truly changed the COVID-19 pandemic here in the islands,” said Gov. David Ige.

A new report published by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) explored trends across the country related to climate change. The group’s work showed that climate change is intensifying globally. 

As a result, the researchers say consumers can expect to see several changes. They include rising global temperatures, rising sea levels, changes to rainfall patterns, flooding, and ocean warming. 

“Climate change is already affecting every region on earth, in multiple ways,” said researcher Panmao Zhai. “The changes we experience will increase with additional warming.” 

Study leads to reality check

The IPCC team wrote up a climate change report called Climate Change 2021: the Physical Science Basis. The group analyzed climate change from a global perspective by using regional climate simulations, climate science, and various studies to determine what’s in store for different regions around the world. They found that climate change is intensifying around the world, but different regions will experience different changes. 

Globally, temperatures are expected to continue to rise at a rapid rate. From a weather perspective, colder seasons are likely to get shorter and warmer seasons will get longer. 

The researchers explained that consumers’ behaviors are responsible for a significant portion of greenhouse gas emissions. The current trajectory predicts that the current goal of lowering the global temperature by 1 degree Celsius may be unrealistic. 

“This report is a reality check,” said researcher Valérie Masson-Delmotte. “We now have a much clearer picture of the past, present, and future climate, which is essential for understanding where we are headed, what can be done, and how we can prepare.” 

Changing temperatures and more serious weather events

As a result of rising global temperatures, there are likely to be other environmental shifts around the world. Sea levels are expected to rise, which can increase the risk of serious floods. Glaciers and ice sheets will likely continue to melt as the earth gets warmer. 

The researchers also found that ocean temperatures will get warmer as the global temperature increases, which can impact food sources in some areas. Changes to temperature are also likely to intensify yearly rainfall and significantly increase the frequency of serious weather events. 

As we look to the future, the researchers explained that the goal is for consumers to do their part to make the most sustainable choices that can benefit the planet and the environment. 

“Stabilizing the climate will require strong, rapid, and sustained reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, and reaching net zero CO2 emissions,” Zhai said. “Limiting other greenhouse gases and air pollutants, especially methane, could have benefits for both health and the climate.” 

Ford announced Thursday that it will replace every “molded-in color” hardtop roof for 2021 Bronco vehicles. The automaker said the existing hardtops aren’t up to its standards cosmetically, however the problems don’t affect their safety or functionality. 

Owners currently in possession of their Bronco will receive new roofs later this year. These owners will receive a letter from Ford in the coming weeks with details on how the company will install the new roof. Consumers still awaiting delivery of their SUV will have to wait a little longer for it to arrive. Alternatively, they can choose to switch to a soft-top model instead. 

Ford said every hardtop model built to date is affected by the quality problem. It will start replacing hardtop roofs as early as October. 

Production delays 

In a letter to customers, Ford stated that replacing all the existing roofs will delay the production of any new hardtop two- or four-door Broncos. Customers with a scheduled production date will have to wait until October to get an update on the timeline. 

Customers who ordered the First Edition model will receive a 2022 model instead of a 2021 model. Ford plans to start production of the 2022 Bronco in late December. 

The automaker said it’s "disappointed in the inconvenience." In appreciation of customers’ patience, the company said it will offer new options and colors while keeping the pricing the same. It will also send customers exclusive Bronco merchandise and other offers.

Southwest Airlines says the COVID-19 Delta variant is hurting its business. In a regulatory filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the airline said customers have been booking fewer flights so far in August and are steadily canceling flights they've already booked. 

The end result is that Southwest expects its operating revenue estimates for August to be 15% to 20% below what they were in August 2019 and 3% to 4% less than it forecasted only three weeks ago.

Southwest isn’t holding out much hope that the downturn will reverse course anytime soon. Based on the assumption that COVID-19 cases will remain elevated in the near term, the company predicts that its operating revenue will be down 15% to 25% in September from the same period in 2019. The company said there was one bright spot in September -- Labor Day travel -- but officials said that prediction was based on bookings and cancellations “thus far.”

Is air travel headed backward?

Airlines are hoping they won’t have to go through the same financial straits that they experienced over the last year of the pandemic. When restrictions started loosening up in May and June, the pent-up demand from travelers gave airlines hope that they were headed for clear skies again. 

But the arrival of the Delta variant changed things quickly. Just weeks ago in July, Southwest said things looked great for the remainder of 2021 based on the volume of trips people were booking, prompting president Tom Nealon to say "we have not seen any impact from the Delta variant."

Southwest isn’t the only airline to feel the pinch of the Delta variant. The Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) latest checkpoint travel numbers for August 10 were back to where they were two months ago, a state that’s 30% below the volume processed in August 2019.