Monday, December 27, 2021

Wake-Up Call: Holiday Sales Increase 8.5 Percent


In the face of higher prices, product shortages, and a new variant of COVID-19 virus, Americans went shopping. Holiday sales rose 8.5%, the biggest increase in 17 years, according to Mastercard SpendingPulse, which tracks payments. Traditional department stores showed a 21% increase over a year before while online sales were up 11%.


🛫FLIGHTS STILL DISRUPTED BY STAFF SHORTAGES: Many people had trouble getting a flight out to their holiday destinations, and many of those who did get away are having trouble getting home. The major airlines canceled more than 1,000 flights yesterday, citing shortages of crew members due to the spread of the omicron variant of the coronavirus. About 3,500 other flights were delayed yesterday.

Airline executives have asked the Centers for Disease Control to shorten the quarantine period for fully vaccinated employees to five days, from 10. A similar measure has been put in place for healthcare workers.



➤DESMOND TUTU DIES: Archbishop Desmond Tutu, whose powerful voice helped end apartheid in South Africa, died yesterday in Cape Town at age 90. The Anglican archbishop of Cape Town was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984 for his commitment to a peaceful transition to Black majority rule in South Africa.


➤DR. FAUCI AND DONALD TRUMP FIND SOMETHING TO AGREE ABOUT: Dr. Anthony Fauci praised former President Donald Trump for indicating his support of COVID vaccines and for acknowledging that he himself had gotten a booster shot. In an appearance on ABC News, the chief medical advisor said he was dismayed that the former president was booed by some in the crowd that heard him speak in support of the vaccine. Trump later touted the vaccines on Fox News as "one of the greatest achievements of mankind."

➤COVID PATIENTS REPORTING RESIDUAL VOICE PROBLEMS AFTER INFECTION: Some COVID-19 patients are now experiencing problems with their voice. Fox News reports these issues include hoarseness, quality of voice, and a condition called vocal fatigue, which can have an impact on a person’s quality of life. Dr. Catherine Crawley, a speech pathologist, says, “If a patient is feeling fatigued after using their voice, they may tend to not want to communicate as often as usual. They may withdraw from social activities as speaking becomes too taxing and no longer pleasurable. A patient may not be able to perform their regular duties in their workplace as speaking is too difficult.” Health experts say vocal fatigue symptoms may include the feeling of a raspy, strained, or breathy quality in a patient’s voice. Some may also complain of discomfort when speaking and experience a loss of range or pitch and breaks in their voice. The issue was found even in patients that did not require intubation. Crawley says this may occur due to compromised respiratory status, overall fatigue, and other underlying medical issues that occur after being infected with the novel coronavirus. Health experts say anyone experiencing voice issues should seek an examination by an ear, nose, and throat specialist (ENT) to evaluate their vocal cords.


➤NINTENDO ESHOP BUCKLES ON CHRISTMAS DAY: Nintendo's eShop buckled under the strain of its own players on Christmas Day. Error messages intermittently prevented many gamers from downloading and playing games online. Resigned fans on social media labeled it a "Christmas tradition."


➤GIANT TELESCOPE LAUNCHED INTO SPACE: NASA launched its new James Webb Space Telescope on Christmas Day, beginning a voyage that is designed to travel one million miles from Earth. It has many formidable tasks, including recording information about the atmospheres of planets in other solar systems and watching stars evolve. The Webb telescope is the successor to the Hubble Telescope.


CHECK IT OUT: Astronomy Now has details of the Webb Space Telescope mission.

👥THERE’S ACTUALLY A GOOD DATING TREND OUT THERE AND IT’S CALLED ‘HARDBALLING’:  There are many dating behaviors with clever nicknames, such as “Ghosting,” and “Pocketing,” that are associated with not-so-great behaviors. But the latest trend, dubbed “hardballing,” is actually a good thing. The term refers to explaining to someone all of your expectations upfront before you even go on a first date with them. The intention is that you won’t waste time and can weed out anyone who may not be as serious about a relationship as you are. Relationship expert Susan Winter says “hardballing” can be helpful to give the other person a “clear and definite vision” for your potential future together, and also tell you “exactly what you’re getting” when you choose to date someone. To properly “hardball” Winter says you should use “clear cut, thoughtful, tactful and diplomatic language.” She adds that at first hardballing may seem top harsh, but that “its truthful” and can potentially “alleviate unnecessary heartbreak.”

🏈BUCS CAPTURE DIVISION TITLE: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers won the NFC South division title for the first time since 2007 with a 32-6 victory over the Carolina Panthers. They pulled it off despite a long list of players out on the injured list or the COVID-19 list.

🏈COWBOYS EMBARRASS WASHINGTON: The Dallas Cowboys didn't even have to defeat Washington to capture the NFC East title. But they did, by a margin of 56-14. That's the Cowboys' most points in a game since a 59-14 win over San Francisco back in 1980.

🏈JEFFERSON BREAKS A RECORD: Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson broke the record yesterday for most receiving yards ever by a player in his first two seasons. Jefferson made the record books on his third catch of the game against the Los Angeles Rams. He ended the game at 2,851 receiving yards, surpassing a milestone set in 2015 by Odell Beckham Junior.

🏈JAGS' ROBINSON HAS SEASON-ENDING INJURY: Jacksonville Jaguars running back James Robinson suffered an Achilles injury in the first quarter of yesterday's game against the New York Jets. He is expected to be out for the rest of the season.

🏈NFL SCORES – WEEK 15:
  • Green Bay Packers 24, Cleveland Browns 22
  • Indianapolis Colts 22, Arizona Cardinals 16
  • Philadelphia Eagles 34, New York Giants 10
  • Los Angeles Rams 30, Minnesota Vikings 23
  • Buffalo Bills 33, New England Patriots 21
  • Tampa Bay Buccaneers 32, Carolina Panthers 6
  • New York Jets 26, Jacksonville Jaguars 21
  • Atlanta Falcons 20, Detroit Lions 16
  • Houston Texans 41, Los Angeles Chargers 29
  • Cincinnati Bengals 41, Baltimore Ravens 21
  • Chicago Bears 25, Seattle Seahawks 24
  • Kansas City Chiefs 36, Pittsburgh Steelers 10
  • Las Vegas Raiders 17, Denver Broncos 13
  • Dallas Cowboys 56, Washington Football Team 14
Monday Night football on ESPN: Miami Dolphins at NOLA  Saints on ESPN (8:15 p.m. ET)

🏈WSU DESPERATELY SEEKS AN OPPONENT: The University of Miami has withdrawn from its planned Sun Bowl game against Washington State, citing a COVID-19 outbreak. Now, Washington State coach Jake Dickert is promising his team will play "any opponent" in the game, scheduled to be played Friday in El Paso. The Pac-12 and the Sun Bowl Association were still looking for a worthy contender as of last night.

🏈TWO MORE COLLEGE BOWLS CANCELED: Two more college football bowl games have been canceled because of coronavirus illnesses. The Military Bowl in Annapolis, Maryland, between Boston College and East Carolina University will not be played today. Also canceled is the Fenway Bowl between the University of Virginia and Southern Methodist University. The Fenway Bowl, which had been scheduled for Wednesday, would have been the first.

🏀WARRIORS' GREEN AT RISK: Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors has reportedly entered the NBA's health and safety protocols. At worst, he could be out for 10 days and miss four games. At best, he'll test negative twice in a 24-hour window and be back soon.



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