Many are reacting to a federal judge’s reversal of Biden’s travel mask mandate
A pilot declared over the loudspeaker on a cross-country Delta Air Lines flight that passengers were no longer required to wear masks, eliciting cheers from the cabin and prompting some on board to immediately toss their face coverings onto their seats.
“Feel free to burn them at will,” a train conductor told New Jersey commuters Tuesday. Other passengers were confused, startled and angered by the abrupt change, however, especially those who booked trips in the belief that their unvaccinated children would be traveling in a masked environment. Read more here:
President Joe Biden on Tuesday said it was up to individual travelers about whether to wear face masks on planes in the wake of a judge’s ruling striking down a federal mandate, which the Biden administration is considering appealing.
The evolving situation was on display Tuesday as passengers on Biden’s trip aboard Air Force One to New Hampshire were required to wear masks while, at the same time, commercial airline passengers across the United States were stepping into plane cabins with the option to forgo a mask. The President boarded the aircraft Tuesday afternoon sporting a black mask. Read on:
What does it mean?
Once TSA said it would no longer enforce the rule, airlines, airports, transit systems and ride-share services were free to decide for themselves whether to require masks. United, Delta, American, Southwest, Alaska, JetBlue and other airlines all made masks voluntary.
On the ground, however, requirements could vary from place to place. New York City’s public transit system planned to keep its mask requirement in effect. In San Francisco, the regional commuter rail system known as BART made masks voluntary, but the city transit authority did not. Read more:
How to keep safe
How can people continue to keep safe on planes now that masks are no longer required? What about vulnerable individuals like immunocompromised people and young children who aren’t yet vaccinated? Do you need to quarantine if you’re visiting vulnerable people and you were just on a flight? Should people consider canceling their travel plans? Get the answers here:
Uber and Lyft also drop their mandates
Face masks are now optional for Uber and Lyft riders and drivers in the United States, the ride-hailing companies said Tuesday, shortly after several major airlines announced a similar change in policy.
“The CDC order requiring masks while using rideshare platforms such as Uber is no longer in effect, and we’ve revised our COVID-19 mask and front-seat policies accordingly,” Uber wrote in emails to users on Tuesday. Check out more here:
Moderna looks to update shots for fall
Moderna hopes to offer updated COVID-19 boosters in the fall that combine its original vaccine with protection against the omicron variant. On Tuesday, it reported a preliminary hint that such an approach might work.
Today’s COVID-19 vaccines all are based on the original version of the coronavirus. But the virus continues to mutate, with the super-contagious omicron variant — and its siblings — the latest threat. Read on:
Small businesses may face cut in COVID funding
Congress is considering taking back some of the money it authorized last year for a small business aid program in order to pay for new Covid-19 vaccines, testing and therapeutics.
The Biden administration asked Congress to provide more money weeks ago, warning that funds are needed to continue fighting Covid-19. But lawmakers have disagreed on how to pay for the request. Senate Republicans have insisted any new funding be fully offset by repurposing money from Covid-19 relief legislation that Congress previously passed. Find out more here:
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Photo Credit: WAYHOME studio / Shutterstock
The economy is showing many positive signs of recovery after two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, with unemployment falling and GDP growing rapidly. But despite some promising economic indicators, rising inflation remains the dominant story of today’s economy.
According to the Consumer Price Index, one of the most commonly cited measures of inflation, prices increased by 7.9% from February 2021 to February 2022—the steepest increase in 40 years. February’s figures marked the tenth straight month with year-over-year price growth above 5%. In dollars, U.S. households are paying an average of $435 per month more for their expenses now than at the beginning of 2021.
And as rising prices put more pressure on household finances, people have been forced to turn to alternatives to pay for their expenses. According to recently collected data from the Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey, more than 73 million Americans—around one-third of all adults—reported having used credit cards or loans to cover regular expenses in the week prior to the survey, while 53 million have tapped into savings and nearly 28 million have borrowed. Some of these alternatives come with costs of their own, as payments toward interest for credit cards, loans, and borrowing can add even more expense to household budgets.
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Photo Credit: WAYHOME studio / Shutterstock
The economy is showing many positive signs of recovery after two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, with unemployment falling and GDP growing rapidly. But despite some promising economic indicators, rising inflation remains the dominant story of today’s economy.
According to the Consumer Price Index, one of the most commonly cited measures of inflation, prices increased by 7.9% from February 2021 to February 2022—the steepest increase in 40 years. February’s figures marked the tenth straight month with year-over-year price growth above 5%. In dollars, U.S. households are paying an average of $435 per month more for their expenses now than at the beginning of 2021.
And as rising prices put more pressure on household finances, people have been forced to turn to alternatives to pay for their expenses. According to recently collected data from the Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey, more than 73 million Americans—around one-third of all adults—reported having used credit cards or loans to cover regular expenses in the week prior to the survey, while 53 million have tapped into savings and nearly 28 million have borrowed. Some of these alternatives come with costs of their own, as payments toward interest for credit cards, loans, and borrowing can add even more expense to household budgets.
But inflation affects households differently, for several reasons. For one, most measures of inflation are based on the prices of a set of common consumer goods, but not all households consume equally. For example, homeowners whose mortgage payments are locked in are not feeling increases in housing prices as strongly as renters or prospective buyers, and rising prices of gas or vehicles are affecting commuters more than workers who are able to work from home. Another issue is income: when workers’ wage growth exceeds the rate of inflation, the real effect of price increases is less, but if wage growth does not keep up, workers will feel greater financial pressure.
Because of these factors, inflation also has the potential to further disadvantage households that already struggle to make ends meet. According to the same Census Bureau data, racial and ethnic minorities are more likely than white Americans to face difficulties keeping up with costs. More than 70% of Hispanic and Black Americans reported that they were struggling to pay for their usual expenses, compared to just 50% of whites, and whites were less than half as likely than any other racial or ethnic group to be behind on housing payments.
Unsurprisingly, income level also has a major effect on households’ feelings of financial struggle. More than four in five households (81.8%) earning less than $25,000 per year have faced difficulty with usual expenses and more than one in five (21.5%) reported being behind on housing payments. For households making more than $200,000 per year, those figures were 16.8% and 3.0%, respectively.
But inflation affects households differently, for several reasons. For one, most measures of inflation are based on the prices of a set of common consumer goods, but not all households consume equally. For example, homeowners whose mortgage payments are locked in are not feeling increases in housing prices as strongly as renters or prospective buyers, and rising prices of gas or vehicles are affecting commuters more than workers who are able to work from home. Another issue is income: when workers’ wage growth exceeds the rate of inflation, the real effect of price increases is less, but if wage growth does not keep up, workers will feel greater financial pressure.
Because of these factors, inflation also has the potential to further disadvantage households that already struggle to make ends meet. According to the same Census Bureau data, racial and ethnic minorities are more likely than white Americans to face difficulties keeping up with costs. More than 70% of Hispanic and Black Americans reported that they were struggling to pay for their usual expenses, compared to just 50% of whites, and whites were less than half as likely than any other racial or ethnic group to be behind on housing payments.
Unsurprisingly, income level also has a major effect on households’ feelings of financial struggle. More than four in five households (81.8%) earning less than $25,000 per year have faced difficulty with usual expenses and more than one in five (21.5%) reported being behind on housing payments. For households making more than $200,000 per year, those figures were 16.8% and 3.0%, respectively.
Demographic and economic disparities also affect the locations where residents are experiencing the greatest financial struggles. Many states where residents report that they are facing financial difficulties are states that have lower incomes, higher populations of racial and ethnic minorities, or both, led by Mississippi, Nevada, and Arkansas.
The data used in this analysis is from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey collected at the beginning of February 2022. To determine the states whose residents are struggling the most financially, researchers at HireAHelper created a composite index based on the following metrics:
Adults who faced difficulty paying for usual expenses
Adults who faced food insufficiency
Adults who faced loss of income
Households behind on housing payments
Here are the states whose residents are struggling the most financially.
Demographic and economic disparities also affect the locations where residents are experiencing the greatest financial struggles. Many states where residents report that they are facing financial difficulties are states that have lower incomes, higher populations of racial and ethnic minorities, or both, led by Mississippi, Nevada, and Arkansas.
The data used in this analysis is from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey collected at the beginning of February 2022. To determine the states whose residents are struggling the most financially, researchers at HireAHelper created a composite index based on the following metrics:
Adults who faced difficulty paying for usual expenses
Adults who faced food insufficiency
Adults who faced loss of income
Households behind on housing payments
Here are the states whose residents are struggling the most financially.
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Photo Credit: Victor Moussa / Shutterstock
Composite index: 66.83
Adults who faced difficulty paying for usual expenses: 58.6%
Adults who faced food insufficiency: 34.6%
Adults who faced loss of income: 19.4%
Households behind on housing payments: 19.7%
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Photo Credit: Victor Moussa / Shutterstock
Composite index: 66.83
Adults who faced difficulty paying for usual expenses: 58.6%
Adults who faced food insufficiency: 34.6%
Adults who faced loss of income: 19.4%
Households behind on housing payments: 19.7%
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Photo Credit: lunamarina / Shutterstock
Composite index: 71.45
Adults who faced difficulty paying for usual expenses: 60.5%
Adults who faced food insufficiency: 40.4%
Adults who faced loss of income: 18.3%
Households behind on housing payments: 11.3%
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Photo Credit: lunamarina / Shutterstock
Composite index: 71.45
Adults who faced difficulty paying for usual expenses: 60.5%
Adults who faced food insufficiency: 40.4%
Adults who faced loss of income: 18.3%
Households behind on housing payments: 11.3%
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Photo Credit: W. Scott McGill / Shutterstock
Composite index: 73.48
Adults who faced difficulty paying for usual expenses: 57.0%
Adults who faced food insufficiency: 39.8%
Adults who faced loss of income: 18.9%
Households behind on housing payments: 18.1%
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Photo Credit: W. Scott McGill / Shutterstock
Composite index: 73.48
Adults who faced difficulty paying for usual expenses: 57.0%
Adults who faced food insufficiency: 39.8%
Adults who faced loss of income: 18.9%
Households behind on housing payments: 18.1%
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Photo Credit: Steve Heap / Shutterstock
Composite index: 76.55
Adults who faced difficulty paying for usual expenses: 64.9%
Adults who faced food insufficiency: 41.4%
Adults who faced loss of income: 16.2%
Households behind on housing payments: 15.5%
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Photo Credit: Steve Heap / Shutterstock
Composite index: 76.55
Adults who faced difficulty paying for usual expenses: 64.9%
Adults who faced food insufficiency: 41.4%
Adults who faced loss of income: 16.2%
Households behind on housing payments: 15.5%
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Photo Credit: Sundry Photography / Shutterstock
Composite index: 77.05
Adults who faced difficulty paying for usual expenses: 59.9%
Adults who faced food insufficiency: 35.9%
Adults who faced loss of income: 23.4%
Households behind on housing payments: 12.3%
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Photo Credit: Sundry Photography / Shutterstock
Composite index: 77.05
Adults who faced difficulty paying for usual expenses: 59.9%
Adults who faced food insufficiency: 35.9%
Adults who faced loss of income: 23.4%
Households behind on housing payments: 12.3%
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Photo Credit: Sean Pavone / Shutterstock
Composite index: 77.55
Adults who faced difficulty paying for usual expenses: 64.0%
Adults who faced food insufficiency: 45.2%
Adults who faced loss of income: 19.9%
Households behind on housing payments: 10.2%
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Photo Credit: Sean Pavone / Shutterstock
Composite index: 77.55
Adults who faced difficulty paying for usual expenses: 64.0%
Adults who faced food insufficiency: 45.2%
Adults who faced loss of income: 19.9%
Households behind on housing payments: 10.2%
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Photo Credit: D Guest Smith / Shutterstock
Composite index: 80.10
Adults who faced difficulty paying for usual expenses: 64.2%
Adults who faced food insufficiency: 41.5%
Adults who faced loss of income: 21.3%
Households behind on housing payments: 10.2%
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Photo Credit: D Guest Smith / Shutterstock
Composite index: 80.10
Adults who faced difficulty paying for usual expenses: 64.2%
Adults who faced food insufficiency: 41.5%
Adults who faced loss of income: 21.3%
Households behind on housing payments: 10.2%
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Photo Credit: f11photo / Shutterstock
Composite index: 81.10
Adults who faced difficulty paying for usual expenses: 60.8%
Adults who faced food insufficiency: 42.2%
Adults who faced loss of income: 19.9%
Households behind on housing payments: 12.6%
Shutterstock
Photo Credit: f11photo / Shutterstock
Composite index: 81.10
Adults who faced difficulty paying for usual expenses: 60.8%
Adults who faced food insufficiency: 42.2%
Adults who faced loss of income: 19.9%
Households behind on housing payments: 12.6%
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Photo Credit: Felix Mizioznikov / Shutterstock
Composite index: 82.65
Adults who faced difficulty paying for usual expenses: 62.4%
Adults who faced food insufficiency: 36.4%
Adults who faced loss of income: 22.7%
Households behind on housing payments: 15.1%
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Photo Credit: Felix Mizioznikov / Shutterstock
Composite index: 82.65
Adults who faced difficulty paying for usual expenses: 62.4%
Adults who faced food insufficiency: 36.4%
Adults who faced loss of income: 22.7%
Households behind on housing payments: 15.1%
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Photo Credit: Mihai_Andritoiu / Shutterstock
Composite index: 84.20
Adults who faced difficulty paying for usual expenses: 63.5%
Adults who faced food insufficiency: 37.8%
Adults who faced loss of income: 21.2%
Households behind on housing payments: 17.1%
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Photo Credit: Mihai_Andritoiu / Shutterstock
Composite index: 84.20
Adults who faced difficulty paying for usual expenses: 63.5%
Adults who faced food insufficiency: 37.8%
Adults who faced loss of income: 21.2%
Households behind on housing payments: 17.1%
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Photo Credit: Kevin Hearn / Shutterstock
Composite index: 85.20
Adults who faced difficulty paying for usual expenses: 61.4%
Adults who faced food insufficiency: 39.0%
Adults who faced loss of income: 22.4%
Households behind on housing payments: 14.4%
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Photo Credit: Kevin Hearn / Shutterstock
Composite index: 85.20
Adults who faced difficulty paying for usual expenses: 61.4%
Adults who faced food insufficiency: 39.0%
Adults who faced loss of income: 22.4%
Households behind on housing payments: 14.4%
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Photo Credit: turtix / Shutterstock
Composite index: 86.23
Adults who faced difficulty paying for usual expenses: 65.7%
Adults who faced food insufficiency: 41.1%
Adults who faced loss of income: 21.8%
Households behind on housing payments: 11.8%
Shutterstock
Photo Credit: turtix / Shutterstock
Composite index: 86.23
Adults who faced difficulty paying for usual expenses: 65.7%
Adults who faced food insufficiency: 41.1%
Adults who faced loss of income: 21.8%
Households behind on housing payments: 11.8%
Shutterstock
Photo Credit: Sean Pavone / Shutterstock
Composite index: 86.75
Adults who faced difficulty paying for usual expenses: 66.8%
Adults who faced food insufficiency: 50.0%
Adults who faced loss of income: 20.2%
Households behind on housing payments: 11.3%
Shutterstock
Photo Credit: Sean Pavone / Shutterstock
Composite index: 86.75
Adults who faced difficulty paying for usual expenses: 66.8%
Adults who faced food insufficiency: 50.0%
Adults who faced loss of income: 20.2%
Households behind on housing payments: 11.3%
Shutterstock
Photo Credit: f11photo / Shutterstock
Composite index: 88.80
Adults who faced difficulty paying for usual expenses: 62.0%
Adults who faced food insufficiency: 44.4%
Adults who faced loss of income: 25.1%
Households behind on housing payments: 12.0%
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Photo Credit: f11photo / Shutterstock
Composite index: 88.80
Adults who faced difficulty paying for usual expenses: 62.0%
Adults who faced food insufficiency: 44.4%
Adults who faced loss of income: 25.1%
Households behind on housing payments: 12.0%
Shutterstock
Photo Credit: Sean Pavone / Shutterstock
Composite index: 94.90
Adults who faced difficulty paying for usual expenses: 70.9%
Adults who faced food insufficiency: 49.9%
Adults who faced loss of income: 20.7%
Households behind on housing payments: 20.6%
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Photo Credit: Sean Pavone / Shutterstock
Composite index: 94.90
Adults who faced difficulty paying for usual expenses: 70.9%