Thursday, January 30, 2020

Grocery pharmacies being phased out

The grocery store pharmacy counter seems to slowly be nearing its expiration date. Hundreds of grocery stores nationwide are closing their pharmacies as consumers turn to other means to fill prescriptions. These pharmacies are “too small to wrest competitive reimbursement rates on drugs”. In addition, they lack walk-in clinics and other services that big drugstore chains are now offering. Even Walgreens and CVS, which are both closing around 300 stores, have struggled to compete with the availability online prescriptions and dwindling profits in prescribed drugs. (The Wall Street Journal)

FedEx Ground begins Sunday delivery

FedEx Ground launched its Sunday delivery service which the shipping giant hopes will contend with the likes of Amazon and the heightened demand for 24/7 deliveries. UPS similarly began its own Sunday delivery service on January 1st. Amazon will deliver 6.5 billion packages a year by 2022, compared to UPS’s 5 billion packages and FedEx’s 3.4 billion packages, according to recent Morgan Stanley data. (CNN)

Boeing’s 777X’s maiden flight

Boeing’s 777X completed its maiden flight recently. It’s the world’s largest twin-engine jet, with a wingspan so wide (more than 235 feet), that it features folding wingtips so it can fit into airport taxiways and gates. The jet is still awaiting regulatory approval, in a process that will likely take longer than normal due to the deadly crashes of Boeing’s 737 MAX. The flight marks a milestone for the aerospace giant that has struggled to rebuild its reputation following the MAX crisis. (CNBC)

Hackers taking advantage of public phone chargers

Law enforcement officials are issuing a new warning about public phone charging stations that many people use at the airport. Hackers have figured out a way to hide malware that can be used to extract information from phones connected to those chargers, experts say. It’s called “juice jacking,” which is accomplished by installing a skimming device inside the USB ports at public charging stations. The spyware can also allow hackers to track victims even after they unplug from a public charger. This type of malware can be installed quickly and won’t seem suspicious to the owner of the phone. If you’re in a pinch and need a charge, there’s a device you can buy for under $10 called a “data blocker” that protects you at public ports. (WLWT)

Utah bill prohibits people behind on child support payments from getting hunting license

 If you’re behind on your child support payments, this new Utah bill could prohibit you from hunting or fishing. H.B. 197, sponsored by Representative Karianne Lisonbee, would ban people who aren’t up to date on their child support payments from getting a license, permit or tag related to fishing or hunting in the state of Utah. The bill would prohibit anyone who owes $2,500 or more child support from obtaining the legal permits from the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. An individual would only be allowed to buy a permit after they are no longer behind on payments and the Office of Recovery Services has made note of the payment. If it passes, the bill will go into effect on July 1, 2021. (Utah State Legistlative)

Americans are visiting the library more than the movie theater

While the average American adult went to the movies or a live sporting event approximately five times in 2019, they visited their local libraries 10.5 times, with those visits being made more frequently by young adults, women and those from low-income households. Americans also made roughly four visits to national or historic parks last year; trips to theme parks or the zoo were the least common cultural activity. (Gallup)

Hiring at U.S. Firms Showed Signs of Cooling in Fourth Quarter

For the first time in a decade, a survey of U.S. businesses shows an even balance between firms adding and reducing staff. The report from the National Association for Business Economics can be read as a fresh signal that the labor market has peaked, after the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics report showed a big fall in job openings. The cause in this case, however, may have been simply that companies couldn’t find the right workers to hire, says the NABE. (Reuters)

US firms pause in China over virus

U.S. businesses are halting operations in parts of China in response to the coronavirus outbreak. Disney has closed its Shanghai Disney Resort; Carnival Cruises and Royal Caribbean have suspended a number of voyages, while McDonald’s and Starbucks have temporarily closed doors in the Wuhan region. With five cases confirmed in the U.S., drug stores are seeing a run on face masks as Americans rush to protect themselves. Most of the almost 4,500 cases worldwide are in China, where more than 100 people have died. (CNBC)

Tennessee man lights joint in court to plead for marijuana legalization

A Tennessee man in court for drug possession is accused of lighting up marijuana in front of the judge to plead his case that the drug should be legalized. The stunt landed a 20-year-old man in jail on charges of disorderly conduct and simple drug possession, online records show. He was in court to discuss his case when he began talking about how marijuana should be legalized. He then reached into his pocket and pulled out what is believed to be a joint, lit it with a match and began to smoke it. The courtroom then erupted in laughter. (WSMV)

Oscar Mayer Wienermobile pulled over for traffic violation

Deputies in Waukesha County, Wisconsin, are using Monday’s fateful events as a reminder to everyone about the Move Over Law. Deputies said the driver of the Wienermobile was stopped and given a verbal warning for not following the Move Over Law. The law states that when a driver sees a vehicle on the side of the road with its lights flashing, they must move over to the closest lane. If a safe lane change is not possible, the driver must slow down and maintain a safe speed until they’ve completely passed the vehicle. “One of the most dangerous places for emergency responders and maintenance personnel is along the side of the road. Each year hundreds of these hard working men and women are injured or killed by passing motorists while working along the nation’s highways,” Waukesha County deputies wrote on Facebook. (Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department Facebook)

Thursday Smacks Back With:

• Croissant Day
• Inane Answering Message Day
• Thank Your Mentor Day