US: 38.9M Cases - 648.1K Dead - 30.6M Recovered
Worldwide: 214.1M Cases - 4.4M Dead - 191.6M Recovered

Former Senior Loss Prevention Executive
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Private Industry Security Guard Deaths: 304   Law Enforcement Officer Deaths: 354
*Red indicates change in total deaths

40+ Major Companies Enact Vaccine Mandates
All the major companies requiring vaccines for at least some workers
With the highly contagious Delta variant sweeping across the country-and only about half of Americans fully vaccinated-a big wrench has been tossed into many companies' fall plans to return to the office.

Here's a running list of the major U.S. corporations that have made moves to get their staff vaccinated:

'Keep Your Guard Up' & Get Vaccinated
CDC studies show waning COVID vaccine efficacy as delta variant sweeps US
Immunity to COVID-19 from vaccines might be declining over time as the highly contagious delta variant surges across the country, according to new research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

A study released Tuesday showed vaccine effectiveness decreased among health care workers who were fully vaccinated since the time that the delta variant became widespread, which could be due to waning effectiveness of the vaccine over time, the higher transmissibility of the delta variant or other factors, experts said.

A second study found about a quarter of COVID-19 cases between May and July in Los Angeles were breakthrough cases, but that hospitalizations were significantly lower for those who had been vaccinated. Unvaccinated people were more than 29 times more likely to be hospitalized than vaccinated people, and about five times more likely to be infected.

The studies show the importance of being fully vaccinated, because the benefit of being vaccinated when it comes to hospitalization did not decline even with the recent wave, Dr. Eric Topol, a professor of molecular medicine and vice president for research at the Scripps Research Institute, told USA TODAY. yahoo.com

"Do Not Take Medicine for Animals"
Oklahoma stores sold out of horse deworming drug despite FDA warning about consumption
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning people not to take horse deworming medication to treat COVID-19. It turns out the medicine, Ivermectin, is flying off store shelves in Oklahoma, despite the warning.

Dr. Clark told KFOR Oklahomans are using the drug to treat or prevent COVID-19. Dr. Clarke said the drug, which has not been studied on humans, treats or prevents parasites in animals. However, Clarke said there are two versions of Ivermectin.

"There's a human-grade, but it's for parasite infections," said Clarke. "20 years ago was the last time that I've used Ivermectin on a human."

KFOR contacted 12 Tractor Supply stores around Oklahoma, and they all said Ivermectin was sold out. "Ivermectin is gone within hours of shipment," one store said.

"I mean, we even have 'Please don't eat' signs up," another told KFOR. "We haven't received a shipment in two weeks," said a supply store. "I think it's because people are consuming it." kfor.com

50% of Workers Say Delta has Increased Concerned About Contracting COVID-19
Forty-four percent of working Americans say that the rise of the COVID-19 delta variant impacts their willingness to return to the workplace. Most workers say the variant means they will take extra precautions at work (61 percent) and in their personal life (64 percent). Employees indicate that they would feel more comfortable in their workplace (64 percent) than going to a restaurant (36 percent) during the ongoing pandemic.

Conducted by Ipsos from August 8-11, 2021, this national survey includes 1010 employees across the U.S. This poll follows similar research conducted from April 7-9, 2021, Feb 5-9, 2021, and from December 4-8, 2020.

Employees are split on actions employer should take before returning to in-person work, according to the research.

● Employees are evenly split (50/50) as to whether employers should mandate vaccines before workers return to the workplace.

● Employees are slightly more supportive (58 percent) of employers asking about worker vaccination status.

● Workers are split as to whether employers should provide proof of vaccination, with 52 percent supporting a documentation requirement.

● 60 percent of workers support employers offering incentives to vaccinated employees.

● Nearly two-thirds (63 percent) support employers instituting precautions for unvaccinated employees.

Employees are increasingly supportive of punitive actions for unvaccinated employees, the polling reveals.

● More than half (63 percent) of workers say non-vaccinated employees should not be given special allowances to work from home, up from 55 percent in April.

● Close to half of workers (51 percent) say non-vaccinated employees should not be allowed to travel for work, up from 44 percent in April.

● Nearly half of workers (44 percent) say non-vaccinated employees should not be permitted to work in-person with customers, up from 39 percent in April.

● Many workers (40 percent) say non-vaccinated employees should be not allowed to work in-person with co-workers, up from 35 percent in April.

● About three-fourths of workers (76 percent) say non-vaccinated employees should be able to stay with their employer, down from 83 percent in April.

There is broad support for employer COVID-19 testing and safety protocols according to the survey. prnewswire.com

100,000 Missing Workers Due to COVID
Philly's economy is 'a rolling uncertainty' as delta leads firms to delay openings
Firms, in the Philadelphia region and across the country, are pushing back return-to-office dates this month as the delta variant digs in and infections surge. Economists also have trimmed national growth forecasts.

The back-to-the-office delay is the latest choppiness in Philadelphia's pandemic recovery. The city has suffered 40% of the region's COVID-19 job losses with a 9.4% unemployment rate in June, significantly higher than its pre-pandemic levels. Roughly a third of city employees have returned to their offices.

The Center City District estimates there are 100,000 missing employees in Center City, a number that could occupy the cubicles and offices of 22 Comcast Centers. These folks are still working remotely, based on cellphone usage, pedestrian-watching cameras, federal jobs data and building owner surveys.

Meanwhile, COVID-19 infections are spiking again, on the rise in Philadelphia, Bucks and 49 other Pennsylvania counties, according to government data. (Montgomery, Delaware and Chester Counties are unclear.) Among the three states, Pennsylvania, Delaware and New Jersey, Delaware had the highest rate of infection over a seven-day average at 33 per 100,000 people, compared to 24 for Philadelphia and 22 for New Jersey.

Firms are looking at reopening delays of two weeks, or longer even as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration formally approved the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine on Monday, and more people line up to get vaccinated. inquirer.com

Vast Majority, 69% Want Back In the Office
It's 'Back to That Isolation Bubble' for Workers Pining for the Office
As coronavirus cases rise and companies keep workplaces closed, frustrated employees can't wait to return to their cubicles.

While workers who want to stay at home forever have been especially vocal about their demands, a silent majority of Americans do want to get back to the office, at least for a few days a week. But as the latest coronavirus surge has led employers to delay return-to-office plans, that larger group is growing increasingly glum.

In a national survey of more than 950 workers, 31 percent said they would prefer to work from home full time. 45 percent said they wanted to be in a workplace or an office full time. The remaining 24 percent said they wanted to split time between work and home. nytimes.com

Florida is the Nation's Hot Spot for Delta COVID
Florida is the only state where more people are dying of COVID now than ever before. What went wrong?
A few months ago, Gov. Ron DeSantis, Republican of Florida, declared his hands-off approach to COVID-19 "a tremendous success." Politico announced that he had "won the pandemic."

But then came the hypercontagious Delta variant, which continues to hit Florida harder than anywhere else in the country. A few days ago, however, Florida's daily death rate cleared 200 for the first time, and today it stands at 228 - an all-time high.

Since last spring, Florida and California - two of America's biggest and most influential states - have been locked in a pitched battle over which kind of pandemic response makes the most sense: less or more.

"What's different in Florida is that, relative to the vaccination rate (~50%), the relaxation of distancing and masking was disproportionately high. Leaders expressed disdain for masks and mask mandates. The total number of people unvaccinated is high. And hospitals got overwhelmed."

Florida did roughly twice as badly as California last summer in terms of COVID cases, hospitalizations and deaths. This summer, however, Florida is doing roughly four times worse in terms of cases and hospitalizations - and nearly six times worse in terms of deaths.

Precautions are probably playing a big part as well - and here too the difference between California and Florida couldn't be more pronounced.

Meanwhile, another 10-site study showed "reductions in hospitalization growth rates following mask mandate implementation," and a separate series of cross-sectional surveys in the U.S. "suggested that a 10 percent increase in self-reported mask wearing tripled the likelihood of stopping community transmission."

The good news is that cases finally appear to be peaking in Florida; the state's seven-day average has fallen by nearly 30 percent over the last week (though testing is down too).

In the meantime, 228 people are dying of COVID in Florida each day - more than three times the number dying each day in California, a state that's almost twice as populous. yahoo.com

Oregon Gov: State's in Crisis Not Yet Seen in Pandemic
Oregon enacts outdoor mask mandate

Boston Mandates Face Coverings Indoors Effective August 27, 2021

COVID cases are rising again in Maryland. With Delta Surging & Nearing Initial Spring 2020 Wave #'s

More Michigan businesses requiring proof of COVID vaccination

Johnson & Johnson booster shot prompts large increase in immune response

China's Strict Zero-COVID Policy Shuts Down Shipping Terminal After 1 Reported Case

China slams U.S. intelligence report on origins of coronavirus pandemic

Pentagon officially orders all active service members be vaccinated

Baltimore County executive reinstates COVID emergency order after rise in cases
 

Shop Workers Facing Increased Abuse and Assaults - Scotland Responds
New law to protect Scottish shop workers now in force
A new law that has come into effect this week means that verbal or physical attacks against anyone working in a retail store in Scotland will be regarded as a specific offence.

The news follows a campaign by the Federation of Independent Retailers for a change in the law to protect shop workers.

Following a recent decision by the Scottish Government to support a Bill introduced by Labour MSP Daniel Johnson, the Protection of Workers (Retail and Age-restricted Goods and Services) (Scotland) Act 2021 will ensure the seriousness of offending is highlighted through a specific offence and allow for tougher sentences for offenders.

"The Scottish Government and I recognise the important role that retail workers play within our local communities and indeed the Scottish economy. In normal times, they make a significant contribution, but during this coronavirus outbreak that contribution has only been more emphasised as they are helping communities all across Scotland get through these challenging times." theretailbulletin.com

Two Eastern Shore Men Indicted for Stealing More Than $900,000 from a Retailer, Shore Appliance, Where One of Them Worked as Bookkeeper
Baltimore, Maryland - A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Stephen L. Franklin, age 53, of Salisbury, Maryland, and Duane G. Larmore, age 46, of Salisbury, Maryland, for federal conspiracy, wire fraud, and identity theft charges in connection with the theft of at least $900,000 from Shore Appliance, where Larmore worked.

From mid-September 2016 through about March 2020, Franklin and Larmore conspired to steal at least $900,000 from a Salisbury, Maryland company, Shore Appliance Connection owned and operated by Owner #1 and Owner #2, that sold household appliances as well as mattresses and bedding. Larmore was an employee at Shore Appliance whose duties included maintaining the books and records for the company. Franklin was the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Accurate Optical, headquartered in Salisbury, which had locations on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, as well as being the CEO and part owner of East Coast Optometric, with locations in South Carolina.

Specifically, the indictment alleges that the defendants stole in excess of $900,000 from Shore Appliance to use for their own purposes, including to make investments and to pay business expenses for Accurate Optical and East Coast Optometric. The indictment alleges that no investment paid any return to the co-schemers.

To conceal how much money had been removed from Shore Appliance and to obtain cash, the defendants allegedly used the identities of the owners to enter into factoring contracts. Factoring is a means by which businesses, like Shore Appliance, can obtain cash quickly by leveraging accounts receivable.

If convicted, the defendants each face a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for a wire fraud conspiracy and for each of seven counts of wire fraud; and a mandatory sentence of two years in federal prison, consecutive to any other sentence imposed, for each of two counts of identity theft. justice.gov

Kohl's Responds to Amazon Department Store News
Kohl's CEO says rumored Amazon department stores won't ruin its relationship with the e-commerce giant

Kohl's Chief Executive Michelle Gass said there is plenty of room for the retailer and Amazon to operate brick-and-mortar stores.

Kohl's Chief Executive Michelle Gass said there is plenty of room for the retailer and for Amazon to operate brick-and-mortar stores, despite the two already working together through Kohl's locations.

"Retail is vast, and there's a lot of market to be had," Gass told CNBC's Courtney Reagan Tuesday afternoon, during a CNBC Evolve livestream event. "We always have to be raising the bar."

Gass' comments come after a report in The Wall Street Journal said that Amazon is planning to open large locations that resemble department stores, marking the e-commerce giant's latest experiment with brick-and-mortar retail. The stores are expected to resemble the size of a TJ Maxx and hold both apparel and tech products, the paper said. When asked by CNBC at the time of the report, Amazon declined to comment.

Shares of Target, Walmart and Best Buy fell on the news, as investors worried a roughly 30,000-square-foot Amazon department store would go head-to-head with these big-box retailers in strip malls.

Kohl's stores are largely in these types of shopping centers, too. But the department store chain has a unique relationship with Amazon. Kohl's accepts Amazon returns at its nearly 1,200 locations. According to Gass, that relationship would not change if Amazon pursues this venture. cnbc.com

The retailer rush to restock is accelerating as competition for holiday sales looks likely to develop into a battle over inventory
The broader retail sector, which has struggled to bring in goods amid production slowdowns and continuing supply-chain bottlenecks. It's actually getting worse.

What Retailers Are Saying and Doing About the Cargo Bottlenecks Worldwide

ODP, Office Depot, to Separate ODP into Two Independent Publicly Traded Companies - Consumer - B2B

Michaels to Hire Over 20,000 Employees for the Holiday Season

Walmart partners with Wendy's for in-store locations

Walmart to build 3 food warehouses in Canada


Quarterly Results
Nordstrom Q2 digital sales up 30%, Nordstrom net sales up 127%, Rack net sales up 61%, total net sales up 101%

Citi Trends Q2 comp's up 25.6%, total sales up 29.8%

Dick's Sporting Goods Q2 comp's up 19.2%, ecommerce sales down 28%, net sales up 20.7%

Advanced Auto Q2 comp's up 5.8%, net sales up 5.9%
 

Senior LP & AP Jobs Market

Director of Risk Management job posted for Goodwill of South Mississippi in Gulfport, MS
The Director of Risk Management contributes ideas and implements programs and procedures that directly impact all safety, loss, and risk issues. Major responsibilities are to identify, evaluate, control, and minimize exposure to loss of or damage to physical assets, fidelity losses, and losses resulting from team member injury and liability claims. In addition, this position is accountable for proactively addressing issues related to theft, fraud, ethics and operational accountability. indeed.com