US: 39.3M Cases - 651.9K Dead - 30.7M Recovered
Worldwide: 215.6M Cases - 4.4M Dead - 192.8M Recovered

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Private Industry Security Guard Deaths: 306   Law Enforcement Officer Deaths: 359
*Red indicates change in total deaths

Vaccines & Police Reform
How Vaccine Mandates Can Promote Police Reform
Police unions are denouncing vaccine mandates in New York, San Francisco, Boston, Seattle, Tucson, and Richmond, among others. "We are a union and we will defend our members," national FOP executive director Jim Pasco told Axios. "You cannot tell people what to do. It's still an individual and personal choice." In cities that have made their mandates stick, police have warned of mass exodus.

It's usually easy for police to scare a mayor by threatening to leave the streets undefended. But in this instance, vaccine mandates present a rare opportunity for a double win. Cities can simultaneously defend an important anti-pandemic measure, and induce at least some of the most dangerous police officers to leave their jobs.

The public-health benefits of a vaccine mandate are obvious enough. The subtler, but longer-lasting, effect of the mandate would be to push out police officers who refuse vaccines.

The central obstacle to reforming police practices, and restoring trust between Black communities and the people entrusted with their protection, is ridding departments of their worst members. Police unions often make it virtually impossible to remove or even discipline abusive cops. If cops decide to walk away over the vaccine mandate, they'll have accomplished what decades of reform efforts have failed to do: weed out the most dangerous cops.

The number of police who actually walk away over a vaccine mandate is likely to be far less than the threatened numbers. But however many police decide to self-purge over vaccine mandates is one less risking becoming that city's next Derek Chauvin. Police threats shouldn't make mayors scared to enforce a vaccine mandate. It should be seen instead as a side benefit. nymag.com

Calif. Considers Severe Limits on Unvaccinated Residents
California could require vaccines at indoor restaurants, bars, gyms and more

Lawmakers are considering a proposal that could severely limit the activities of unvaccinated residents

State lawmakers are considering a COVID-19 vaccine requirement that would be among the most sweeping in the country and could soon force Californians to show proof of vaccination to go about much of their daily lives.

According to the Sacramento Bee, which obtained a draft of the proposal, a coalition of Democratic lawmakers is expected to introduce legislation that could require people to show they are fully vaccinated before they can go inside restaurants, gyms, bars, theaters and other places. Negotiations are ongoing, and details of the bill are expected in the coming days.

The latest step comes after weeks of building momentum for vaccine mandates as the state contends with the highly contagious delta variant. Earlier this month, San Francisco became the first major U.S. city to adopt sweeping mandates. And California already has a vaccine or negative COVID-19 test requirement on the books for large indoor events such as concerts and sports with more than 1,000 attendees. The state also has mandated that people in certain professions, such as health care workers, be vaccinated. mercurynews.com

Mask Mandate Reinstated in Illinois
Illinois requires all residents to wear masks indoors
Illinois will require all residents to wear a mask indoors regardless of vaccination status in an effort to protect those vulnerable against COVID-19, Governor J.B. Pritzker announced on Thursday. The state will also require all healthcare workers and teachers and college students to be vaccinated or face strict testing requirements.

The new mandate, which goes into effect on Monday, is an effort to slow new infections as hospitals in the state become overwhelmed with cases. "Today's actions are necessary because Delta is different," Pritzker tweeted Thursday. "The rapid spread in Illinois and across the U.S. is holding us all back from the post-pandemic life we so desperately want - harming our most vulnerable."

Illinois is one of many states seeing a sharp increase in COVID-19 cases driven by the Delta variant. Pritzker said the new restrictions are an attempt to relieve pressure on the state's hospitals, which are currently overwhelmed with COVID patients. "Unfortunately, we are running out of time as our hospitals run out of beds," Pritzker said Thursday. cbsnews.com

'No Vax Mandate Job Board'
Job boards for workplaces that specifically don't require COVID-19 vaccinations are popping up as more employers have started requiring the shot

Job boards are connecting anti-vaxxers with employers that don't require the shot.

Job boards for sharing open roles at companies that do not require employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 have been popping up online as vaccine mandates are becoming more common.

One board is hosted on Gab, the social media platform that has been embraced by some conservatives and members of the far-right. In an email sent to users on Wednesday, Gab CEO Andrew Torba announced the "No Vax Mandate Job Board."

The group, which had nearly 30,000 members after just two days, was filled with messages from people looking for work that won't require them to be vaccinated.

Torba said Gab created the group in light of President Joe Biden urging businesses to implement vaccine mandates after Pfizer-BioNTech's coronavirus vaccine received full approval from the Food and Drug Administration on Monday. businessinsider.com

1-2 Years in Jail, $30K in Restitution for Coughing on Store Food
Woman Sentenced After Coughing On Store Food, Claiming She Had COVID
A Pennsylvania woman who pleaded guilty to coughing and spitting on food at a supermarket in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic was sentenced Tuesday to at least a year in jail. Margaret Ann Cirko, 37, pleaded guilty in June to a felony count of making bomb threats.

Authorities said Cirko entered a Gerrity's Supermarket location in Hanover Township, near Wilkes-Barre, on March 25, 2020, and purposely coughed on fresh produce and other merchandise while yelling that she had the virus and that everyone would get sick.

Joe Fasula, co-owner of the supermarket chain, said that over $35,000 worth of merchandise had to be thrown out as a result of what Gerrity's had called a "twisted prank." Cirko tested negative for COVID-19, according to her attorney, who said she was intoxicated at the time of the incident.

A Luzerne County judge called Cirko's conduct "totally outrageous" and sentenced her to one to two years in jail, to be followed by eight years of probation. She also was ordered to pay nearly $30,000 in restitution. npr.org

COVID Forced Retailers to Go Digital for Good
The pandemic, Amazon made retailers fundamentally stronger

The latest retailer results highlight how digital transformation has created a more enduring business model accelerated by COVID-19 and the threat of Amazon.

Retailers in 2019 were on a slow march toward becoming irrelevant, roadkill for Amazon and digital wannabes if they were lucky.

Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, brick and mortar retail stores closed with the exception of a few players such as Walmart, Target, supermarkets, Home Depot and Lowe's. Suddenly, digital transformation efforts looked a bit more pressing.

Digital sales surged, delivery models emerged, and curbside pickup and store fulfillment became omnichannel staples amid stay-at-home orders.

Fast forward to today and retailers are in a fundamentally different place. This retail environment is about being digital, delivering unified experiences, leveraging smart analytics, building on cloud infrastructure, and putting up a real fight against Amazon. Hell, even foot traffic has returned to bolster already heady digital sales.

The latest batch of retail earnings have highlighted the transformation that's occurred in the retail industry. What has emerged is a transformation playbook and model for further technology investment.

Technology spending accelerated because retailers had no choice. Yes, there were a few retailers who were thinking ahead. Target's purchase of Shipt for instance made it look like the company had a crystal ball. Walmart was heavy into e-commerce before COVID-19 hit. But debt-ridden retailers trying to slow-walk digital transformation stepped on the gas. zdnet.com

FDA Tells Americans to Stop Taking Livestock Drug to Treat COVID
Livestock Drug Flying Off Shelves After FDA Urges People Not to Take It

● Amid increase in COVID-19 cases, shoppers clean NC store shelves of livestock drug
● Iowa farm store customers seeking unauthorized animal deworming drug for COVID treatment
● Las Vegas feed store sells out of Ivermectin, blames customers trying to treat COVID-19
● Oklahoma store says people still buying cattle medication to treat COVID-19 despite FDA's warning

COVID patients overwhelm Texas hospitals, amid 'hair on fire' crisis

"Never seen so much death in my career": OR hospital packed with COVID patients

Krispy Kreme to give 2 free doughnuts a day to people who've had a COVID shot
 

Apple's 'Systemic' Harassment & Discrimination Problem
'#AppleToo' campaign received 'hundreds' of stories from the company's retail staff, alleging harassment and discrimination

Hundreds of complaints were submitted within 48 hours, mostly from retail staff, organizers said.

On Monday, a group of 15 Apple employees unveiled the "AppleToo" website, saying they hoped to create "systemic change in our workplace." The campaign launched after months of disharmony at the tech giant, as an increasing number of employees have spoken publicly about their dissatisfaction with Apple's working conditions.

Insider unearthed claims of a hostile work environment at Apple's retail stores in 2016, when a veteran employee claimed they had been poorly paid, denied promotions, and regularly threatened by customers. The company declined to comment when approached by Insider at the time. Since then, more Apple employees across the company have vocally expressed their dissatisfaction with the company over workplace-related issues.

Cher Scarlett, an AppleToo organizer and engineer at the company for the past 18 months, told Insider the site had received more than 300 submissions in its first 48 hours. The majority of those stories came from the company's retail staff, Scarlett said.

"Right now, it's quite clear that this is a serious and systemic problem," she added. "It needs to be looked into thoughtfully and thoroughly." Apple did not respond to Insider's requests for comment.

A week before the AppleToo website launched, Ashley Gjøvik, a senior engineering program manager at the company, claimed publicly that Apple had exposed her to "sexism, a hostile work environment, sexual harassment, unsafe working conditions, and retaliation."

Barbara "Dawn" Underwood, a former employee at the Apple Store in Augusta, Georgia, is currently in the process of suing Apple for $1.7 million in damages. She claims in her lawsuit that management failed to deal with her repeat allegations of sexual harassment, assault, and "verbal, emotional, and physical abuse" against a male coworker, who is also listed as a defendant in the suit, alongside a number of her former colleagues. This experience, Underwood said in court filings, had left her contemplating suicide, dependent on antidepressants, and contributed to her being forced to sell her home of seven years.  businessinsider.com

Walmart Discrimination Lawsuit
Houston, TX: 2 Black men accused Walmart of racial discrimination, saying they were handcuffed and accused of stealing when they tried to return a TV

The men say Walmart staff falsely accused them of stealing when they tried to return a TV.

Two Black men in their 50s are suing Walmart, alleging that the retailer falsely accused them of stealing when they tried to return a TV. The two men said that when they went to return the TV, a white employee at the customer-service counter accused them of stealing it and refused to acknowledge their receipt as proof of purchase.

The plaintiffs Dennis Stewart, a former police officer, and Terence Richardson, a pastor, were handcuffed by the police at a Walmart in the Houston suburb of Conroe, Texas, after trying to return a $300 TV last September, the lawsuit said. Stewart bought the TV earlier in the day but said it wasn't working properly, and so wanted to return it, the lawsuit said.

They said the associate called the police. The lawsuit said the police arrived, handcuffed them, and took them to the loss-prevention office, where Stewart was said to have broken down in tears.

The police later released Stewart and Richardson, but the lawsuit said the store manager asked the pair to sign a paper confirming they would be arrested if they returned to the store.

The men say a Walmart associate shouted at them: "Take this f---ing receipt, take that f---ing TV, get the f--- out of this store, and never f---ing come back." Stewart and Richardson are accusing Walmart of racial discrimination, false arrest and imprisonment, and breach of contract. businessinsider.com

Dollar General's Bright Future
It Doesn't Pay to Bet Against Dollar General
Chief Executive Officer Todd Vasos, who himself had a long career managing drugstores before Dollar General, said the company is eyeing services that rural America doesn't have access to-such as eye care, telemedicine and prescription delivery to stores.

Given Dollar General's already-high presence in rural America, moves that could drive even more customers to its stores will be key to keep up its strong growth. The company has already been introducing produce and discretionary items to its stores, for example.

Last year, it even rolled out a new store concept-Popshelf-aimed at wealthier shoppers in suburbs. Wherever it operates near competitors, Dollar General excels at whisking customers away. Analysis from Jefferies-based on foot traffic data-showed Dollar General taking share from its competitor Family Dollar in recent years.

Few retailers have come close to matching Dollar General's savvy in knowing exactly how to invest to squeeze out the best returns. Its five-year average return on invested capital of 15.4% is more than triple that of Dollar Tree and is higher than even that of retail darling Target.

While the Covid-19 pandemic's effect on consumer health and spending is still uncertain, investors in Dollar General can rest safe knowing that their dollars are in good hands. wsj.com

Spending Slows, Inflation Rises
US consumer spending slows to 0.3% gain in July
Growth in U.S. consumer spending slowed in July to a modest increase of 0.3% while inflation over the past 12 months rose to the fastest pace in three decades.

The July increase in spending was down sharply from a 1.1% rise in June, the Commerce Department reported Friday. It was the clearest signal yet that the surge in the delta variant of the coronavirus was having an impact on consumer spending, the driving force in the economy.

The report showed that consumer prices over the past 12 months have risen 4.2%, the biggest 12-month gain since a 4.5% increase for the 12 months ending in January 1991. Incomes, which provide the fuel for future spending, rose a solid 1.1% in July reflecting in part the strong job gains seen that month. apnews.com

Amazon opens 18th Amazon Fresh location in Chevy Case, MD

More Mattress Firm closures coming, but a turnaround could be in progress

Lululemon Plans to Hire 8K Workers, Raises Minimum Base Pay for Hourly Staff