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The Club PUBlication  04/26/2021

4/26/2021

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Sleeping less, more stress: How ‘quarantine 15’ became ‘quarantine 29’

By RACHEL HUTTON      [email protected]


With so many people spending their days kitchen-adjacent, readily indulging in fat- and carb-laden comfort foods, the “quarantine 15” was expected early in the pandemic.
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But a survey by the American Psychological Association showed that some people gained almost double that, sparking concern over the long-term health impact of these stressful events.

The group’s February survey of 3,000 American adults found many are drinking more and sleeping less. 
A full 61% said they experienced undesired weight changes during the pandemic. Among those surveyed who said they gained more weight than they intended (42% of those who changed weight), the average reported increase was 29 pounds (the median gain was 15 pounds).

Among the 3,000 surveyed, millennials and essential workers reported the largest increases, 41 and 38 pounds. They were followed by men ( 37 pounds), parents (36 pounds), and Black adults (35).

Professor Dianne Neumark-Sztainer, who heads the University of Minnesota’s Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, said research she’s leading has found that being exposed to weight stigma (for example, being teased about one’s weight by family and friends) predicts weight gain over time.
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“During the global pandemic, there has been an increased focus on obesity and its intersection with COVID-19, which may, inadvertently, lead to increased weight stigma and weight gain,” she wrote . “Furthermore, the increased isolation and stress may contribute to weight gain over time.”

​29 Average pounds gained
41 Gain reported by millennials
38 Gain by essential workers
36 Gain reported by parents

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The Club PUBlication  04/19/2021

4/19/2021

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​​​INFRASTRUCTURE PLAN TARGETS RURAL BRIDGES

Spending could help farmers better transport crops from fields, but its support for EVs could diminish demand for ethanol.

By ELLYN FERGUSON CQ-Roll Call

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GWYNETH ROBERTS • Lincoln Journal Star via Associated Press The American Society of Civil Engineers’ 2021 report card said 42% of bridges in the United States are at least 50 years old and 7.5% of them are structurally unsound, like this one near Lincoln, Neb., in 2018. The report card also estimates there is a combined $786 billion backlog of road and bridge repairs.

​WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden’s plan to spend billions for better roads, safer bridges and modernized locks and dams on waterways will aid rural areas and the agriculture sector, but some groups said his broad definition of infrastructure and his proposed tax increases are problematic.

Johnathan Hladik, policy director for the Center for Rural Affairs in Nebraska, said he is heartened by the $115 billion the plan said is needed to “repair the worst 10,000 smaller bridges, including bridges that provide critical connections to rural and tribal communities.”

“When you’re growing corn, you need to bring your semi and your trailer to that field to haul the corn back away,” he said. “Well, if you can’t get to that field because all of the bridges are out or all of these bridges are so antiquated that they are not designed to hold the weight that you have with your machine, you can’t do your job.”

The American Society of Civil Engineers’ 2021 report card said 43% of U.S. roads, mostly noninterstate streets in rural and urban areas, are in a poor or mediocre state. It also said 42% of bridges are at least 50 years old and 7.5% of them are structurally unsound. The report card estimates there is a combined $786 billion backlog of road and bridge repairs. The report also estimates there is a $6.8 billion backlog in construction of aging locks.

Hladik also sees promise for rural areas with Biden’s proposed $100 billion for access to broadband service, which is increasingly viewed in agriculture and rural development to be as essential as access to electricity. He said broadband and the growing use of technology in agriculture could lead to good-paying, high-tech jobs in small towns and communities.

The Biden plan proposes $621 billion over eight years for transportation-related infrastructure, including $80 billion for passenger and freight rail; $17 billion for inland waterways, coastal ports, land ports of entry, and ferries; $85 billion for modernizing existing public transit; and $25 billion for projects of regional or national importance.

“President Biden should be commended for ensuring rural bridges — often serving as the initial link in the agricultural supply chain — are included in the plan,” said Mike Steenhoek, executive director of the Soy Transportation Coalition. “Given how over half of U.S. soybeans are exported, having an effective system of inland waterways and ports is essential for future competitiveness.”

Growth Energy, an ethanol industry trade group, said it’s disappointed the plan proposes a limited role for biofuels in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. A boost for corn-based ethanol would add to the bottom line for corn farmers. The plan includes $174 billion in incentives for consumers to buy electric vehicles, aid to state and local governments to build a network of 500,000 electric-vehicle charging stations by 2030, moving the federal vehicle fleet to electric-powered replacements and electrifying at least 20% of the nation’s school buses.

The American Farm Bureau Federation said the package appears to address long-standing infrastructure concerns, but spokesman Mike Tomko said via e-mail that the organization thinks “raising taxes, particularly when our country is trying to emerge from the pandemic’s economic blow, is a misguided idea.”

Christopher Gibbs, an Ohio farmer and board president of Rural Voices USA, said his group would like to see the plan move ahead with bipartisan support.

Gibbs said in a statement that “putting these investments on hold any longer shouldn’t be an option. Rural communities need an economic boost and this plan delivers. Infrastructure jobs pay better than other blue-collar jobs, giving rural workers a shot at family-wage jobs and helping to rebuild our towns and communities.”


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The Club PUBlication  04/21/2021

4/12/2021

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Geek Squad co-opted in online scam

Best Buy battles the schemes as business impostor fraud rises.

By STAFF and WIRE REPORTS

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CARLINE JEAN • South Florida Sun-Sentinel Diane Belz, 68, of Delray Beach, Fla., was victimized by scammers impersonating technical support programs. She lost $1,800 on the scheme. Another Florida woman lost $52,724.

​Best Buy’s team of security experts has been fighting several schemes invoking the Richfield-based retailer — including one to people who had purchased Geek Squad support plans.
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Delray Beach, Fla., resident Diane Belz, 68, lost $1,800 because of the scheme. A woman who lives in Boynton Beach, Fla., lost $52,724.
Belz received an e-mail on March 1 claiming to be from the Geek Squad. She had opted for a Geek Squad technical-support plan when she bought her MacBook in 2017. The e-mail stated that her support plan had been extended for three years and her credit card charged $392.95. If she wanted to reverse the charge, she would need to call the customer support number in the e-mail within 24 hours.

She dialed the number and ended up giving them information that allowed the perpetrators to steal her money.

“What these scammers are doing to these customers is absolutely terrible. Best Buy has a team of professionals constantly working to find more ways to stop these scammers from succeeding,” a Best Buy statement said.

Best Buy does not generally call customers unsolicited, the statement said. If there are any questions, customers should err on the side of caution and call 1-888-237-8289 (BEST BUY), or use a contact method on BestBuy.com.

Known across the internet as the “Geek Squad scam,” the scheme also comes disguised as other technical support plans, including Norton Anti Virus and other trusted brands. Scammers send out e-mails “phishing” for likely subscribers.

“Very few scams like this get reported,” said Ora Tanner, a researcher on the Aspen Tech Policy Hub’s recent project, Protecting Older Users Online. “And that’s because the senior is ashamed. They think, ‘How could I have allowed this to happen to me?’ They tend to hide it. That allows it to perpetuate.”

Business impostor fraud topped the Federal Trade Commission Consumer Sentinel Network’s tally of types of fraud against consumers ages 60 to 69 and 70 to 79 for the first time in the fourth quarter of 2020, knocking government impostors from the top spot.

Reports of business impostor fraud by consumers in those age groups increased from 14,914 in 2016 to 44,114 in 2020. Consumers in those age groups reported losing $46.36 million to business impostor fraud last year, with the average victim losing $898.

“Very few scams like this get reported. And that’s because the senior is ashamed. … They tend to hide it. That allows it to perpetuate.” Ora Tanner, Aspen Tech Policy Hub

Targeting seniors has existed for as long as seniors have been going online. Years ago, the Nigerian prince scam convinced victims that the senders were heirs to a ruler who needed someone in the United States to hold onto their fortunes — if victims sent money to prove they could be trusted.

Dating scams targeted lonely widows and widowers with promises of companionship but left them with lower bank balances. Then came the pop-up technical-support scams that locked up victims’ computers until they subscribed to virus cleaning or malware removal software they didn’t need.

The newest scams are descendants of those, but rely on victims’ familiarity with legitimate services.

The goal is the same: to gain control of victims’ computers and ultimately their money. And once money is transferred, there’s little any bank or law enforcement agency in the U.S. can do to help get it back.

When Belz received the e-mail stating that $392.95 was charged to her credit card, she followed her first instinct. “I called and said I can’t afford to renew for that much. I want to cancel.”

Next Belz — who filed a complaint with the Florida Attorney General’s Office — received an e-mail from the scammers saying they mistakenly refunded $4,900 to her credit card and she needed to call to arrange to return the overpayment. “I called them right back to find out how to reimburse them.”

She was told to download a program called Team Viewer and type in credentials that gave the scammers control of her computer. They quickly opened her web browser and found her bank account link saved among her favorites. When they accessed that website, her login credentials were already filled in.

Belz also was told she needed to send more money to return the overpayment and get her $392.95 back. She was told to go to Best Buy and purchase gift cards for $200 and $500, then go to Walmart and buy another $200 gift card. At the scammers’ direction, she scratched off the film that hid the cards’ PIN numbers and read the numbers over the phone — enabling the perpetrators to instantly transfer the value of the gift cards to themselves.

Best Buy’s fraud prevention team is constantly working to prevent the scams, working with law enforcement and other retailers, a company spokesperson said.
Best Buy offered tips, including stopping yourself before you click on a link or share personal information and thinking through whether it could be a scam. Often, if someone is pressuring to act quickly, it is a scam.

If you receive a call or e-mail asking for payment by gift card, know that it’s a scam, the retailer said.

Best Buy has modified some of its gift-card policies in response to scam reports.
Employees are trained to look for signs that gift-card customers may be victims of a scam, the company said. Per-person limits on purchases have been reduced from $2,000 per gift card and $6,000 per day to $500 per card and $2,000 a day. Checkout terminals display warnings about gift-card scams that customers must read before their purchase is finalized.

           Staff writer Catherine Roberts and the South Florida Sun Sentinel contributed to this report.

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The Club PUBlication  04/05/2021

4/5/2021

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​Trump donations felt like a ‘scam’ The fine print for recurring contributions was hidden, donors say.

By SHANE GOLDMACHER New York Times

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IS TRUMP ETHICAL?
Stacy Blatt was in hospice care last September listening to Rush Limbaugh’s dire warnings about how badly Donald Trump’s campaign needed money when he went online and chipped in everything he could: $500.  It was a big sum for a 63-year-old battling cancer and living in Kansas City on less than $1,000 per month. But that single contribution — federal records show it was his first ever — quickly multiplied. Another $500 was withdrawn the next day, then $500 the next week and every week through mid-October, without his knowledge — until Blatt’s bank account had been depleted and frozen. When his utility and rent payments bounced, he called his brother, Russell Blatt, for help.

What the Blatts soon discovered was $3,000 in withdrawals by the Trump campaign in less than 30 days. They called their bank and said they thought they were victims of fraud.

“It felt,” Russell Blatt said, “like it was a scam.”

But what the Blatts believed was duplicity was actually an intentional scheme to boost revenues by the Trump campaign and the for-profit company that processed its online donations, WinRed. Facing a cash crunch and getting badly outspent by the Democrats, the campaign had begun last September to set up recurring donations by default for online donors for every week until the election.
Contributors had to wade through a fine-print disclaimer and manually uncheck a box to opt out.

As the election neared, the Trump team made that disclaimer increasingly opaque, an investigation by the New York Times showed. It introduced a second prechecked box, known internally as a “money bomb,” that doubled a person’s contribution. Eventually its solicitations featured lines of text in bold and capital letters that overwhelmed the opt-out language.

The tactic ensnared scores of unsuspecting Trump loyalists — retirees, military veterans, nurses and even experienced political operatives. Soon, banks and credit card companies were inundated with fraud complaints from the president’s own supporters about donations they had not intended to make, sometimes for thousands of dollars.

The sheer magnitude of the money involved is staggering for politics. In the final 2 ½ months of 2020, the Trump campaign, the Republican National Committee and their shared accounts issued more than 530,000 refunds worth $64.3 million to online donors. All campaigns make refunds for various reasons, including to people who give more than the legal limit. But the sum the Trump operation refunded dwarfed that of Joe Biden’s campaign and his equivalent Democratic committees, which made 37,000 online refunds totaling $5.6 million in that time.

The recurring donations swelled Trump’s treasury in September and October, just as his finances were deteriorating. He was then able to use tens of millions of dollars he raised after the election, under the guise of fighting his unfounded fraud claims, to help cover the refunds he owed.

In effect, the money that Trump eventually had to refund amounted to an interest-free loan from unwitting supporters at the most important juncture of the 2020 race.

Donors typically said they intended to give once or twice and only later discovered on their bank statements and credit card bills that they were donating over and over again. Some, like Stacy Blatt, who died of cancer in February, sought an injunction from their banks and credit cards.

Jason Miller, a spokesperson for Trump, downplayed the rash of fraud complaints and the $122.7 million in total refunds issued by the Trump operation. He said internal records showed that 0.87% of its WinRed transactions had been subject to formal credit card disputes.

Top Trump officials said they did not know specifically who had conceived of using the weekly recurring pre-checked boxes — or who had designed them in the increasingly complex blizzard of text.

Unlike Democrats’ Act-Blue, which is a nonprofit, WinRed is a for-profit company. It makes its money by taking 30 cents of every donation, plus 3.8% of the amount given. WinRed even made money off donations that were refunded by keeping the fees it charged on each transaction.

All told, the Trump and party operation raised $1.2 billion on WinRed and refunded roughly 10% of it.

After Trump’s first public speech of his post-presidency at the end of February, his new political operation sent its first text message to supporters since he left the White House. “Did you miss me?” he asked.
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The message directed supporters to a WinRed donation page with two prechecked yellow boxes. Trump raised $3 million that day, according to an adviser, with more to come from the recurring donations in the months ahead.

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