Newsletter Oct 14, 2021

The latest inflationary trends show that Americans are shelling out higher prices for all their most basic needs for survival -- food, fuel and shelter.
3 things you must know

  • Inflation spikes again in September on gas, food, shelter

    Inflation continued to rise in September on the essentials Americans rely on for survival -- food on the table, a roof over their heads, and gas in the tank to go earn a living. The 5.4% seasonally adjusted increase exceeded projections and further concerned economists, who are starting to wonder if inflation is temporary or here to stay.

    Perhaps the only group that was happy about it was Social Security recipients, who will see a 5.9% cost-of-living increase in 2022 -- the highest hike in four decades. But much of the increase is already baked in as the cost of basic goods and services continue to climb.

    SEE WHY ANALYSTS ARE DOUBTING TRANSITORY INFLATION

  • US ports shifting to 24-hour schedule to ease supply logjams

    With supply chain disruptions largely to blame for the current rate of inflation, the Biden administration is stepping in to eliminate some of the nation's shipping and logistical woes. The White House said Wednesday that it is working with U.S. ports to switch to a 24-hour schedule until the backlog of shipments are cleared of their cargo.

    Major California ports at Long Beach and Los Angeles are in the process of making the change, and ports on the East Coast may follow suit. Labor shortages and expensive overtime pay to dock workers, longshoremen and truck drivers are the biggest hurdles the plan faces, but any relief is welcome in light of the mass shortages.

    FIND OUT BIDEN'S PLAN TO KEEP PORTS OPERATING 24/7

  • Impending theatrical workers' strike could halt TV production

    OK, so they aren't exactly essential workers. But the TV crews and all the workers in the entertainment industry who kept Americans from going crazy during the long lockdown days and nights of the pandemic are on the verge of going on strike and halting production on some of your favorite shows -- even the popular streaming series.

    The union representing 150,000 film and TV workers notified the Alliance of Motion Picture Television Producers of its Monday deadline before staging a walkout. Unless their demands are met, it could be fall filled with reruns and long delays between seasons.

    SEE WHICH SHOWS ARE IN DANGER OF GOING OFF THE AIR
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Vaccinations up, deaths down in COVID war

President Joe Biden's push for vaccine mandates has been called a lot of things by detractors -- unconstitutional, draconian, even immoral. But less than three months after enforcing vaccine mandates, his administration has another word for it -- effective. In this case, the numbers back it up.

According to the CDC, reported cases have fallen 11.6% in the past seven-day average, hospitalizations have fallen 13.2%, and deaths have dropped 8.4%. Not coincidentally, the number of eligible Americans who are unvaccinated has fallen by a third, from 97 million down to 66 million. Only 6,617 of the more than 700,000 U.S. deaths were not vaccinated.

SEE HOW CASES, HOSPITALIZATIONS AND DEATHS ARE FALLING

Facebook implements new protection policy

Facebook took a small step toward addressing a mountain of legal problems and bad press it received after last week's whistleblower testimony exposed the social media giant. Perhaps in an attempt to show lawmakers it can police itself, Facebook drew stricter bullying guidelines.

Facebook rolled out new restrictions against online attacks on users, including journalists, activists and celebrities (coincidentally, politicians have been seeking those same protections). But it's not a solution to the bigger problem of the platform putting profits ahead of the public good.

FIND OUT HOW FACEBOOK'S NEW POLICY PROTECTS USERS

Shatner boldly goes for 11-minute space ride

Much like the character he played in "Star Trek" more than a half-century ago, William Shatner (aka Captain Kirk) has boldly gone where no man (or at least no actor) has gone before -- to the boundary of space. The 90-year-old icon got to experience the real deal aboard a Blue Origin flight.

Shatner called the 11-minute ride "unbelievable," a fitting term now that the space gadgets Kirk and his crew introduced on TV are coming to fruition decades later. But what he probably couldn't have envisioned is how modern exploration is being fueled by a rivalry of multi-billionaires.

SEE SHATNER'S SPACE RIDE COMPARES TO HIS 'STAR TREK' DAYS

Beam me up, Scotty

Actor William Shatner is alive and well at 90, but his beloved "Star Trek" character Captain Kirk wasn't as lucky. What were Kirk's final words?

Wednesday's answer: The tallest LEGO tower ever constructed measured in at 114 feet tall and used over 450,000 bricks in Budapest, Hungary.
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