About The times. (Gainesville, Ga.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 9, 2020)
Nate McCullough | News Editor 770-718-3431 | news@gainesvilletimes.com The Times, Gainesville, Georgia Midweek Edition - September 9-10, 2020 CEE BUSINESS Cancer patients sue sterilization plants Lawsuits claim two facilities in Atlanta area emitted toxic levels of ethylene oxide BY SUDHIN THANAWALA Associated Press ATLANTA - Cancer patients are suing the opera tors of two Atlanta-area medical sterilization plants over their use of a gas that has come under increasing scrutiny around the coun try, attorneys announced Tuesday. The Sterigenics’ plant near Smyrna and the Bec- ton, Dickinson and Co. site in Covington emitted toxic levels of ethylene oxide that caused the defendants’ cancers, including breast cancer and leukemia, the lawsuits claim. “We’re here to work for justice for our clients, these cancer victims,” attorney Michael Geoffroy said on a Zoom call with reporters. “But we’re also here for the whole community who wants and deserves to have clean air and a place that they can raise their kids and have their families and not have to worry on a day-to- day basis that somebody’s getting cancer.” Six suits have been filed so far, but many more are expected, attorney Cale Con ley said. Becton, Dickinson said in a statement it does not comment on pending litiga tion. But it said air moni toring data gathered by Georgia environmental officials show that average levels of ethylene oxide in the greater Atlanta area are about the same in areas with and without sterilization facilities. “The data suggests that those who live in communi ties with sterilization facili ties are exposed to similar amounts of EtO as those who do not live near the facilities because of other sources of EtO, including naturally occurring sources,” the statement said. The Covington plant uses ethylene oxide to sterilize urinary catheters, feeding tubes, stents and other items hospitals rely on. Sterigenics said in a state ment it “empathizes with anyone battling cancer,” but its “facility’s safe operations are not responsible for caus ing the illnesses alleged in these lawsuits.” “We intend to vigorously defend against the plaintiffs’ unfounded claims,” it said. JOHN BAZEMORE I Associated Press This Oct. 24, 2019 photo shows the Becton, Dickinson medical sterilization facility in Covington, Ga. Pandemic inspires career shifts Workers do soul-searching to navigate new job markets ERIKA SCHULTZ I Associated Press Scott Cresswell is photographed in West Seattle near his home Friday, Aug. 28. BY GEOFF BAKER The Seattle Times SEATTLE — A layoff during a pandemic was something Alissa Berry was determined to turn into a positive. After more than 20 years in senior manager and director positions for mainly big technology firms, an unemployed Berry in April suddenly had loads of free time to reassess her career. For two months, she ana lyzed what she was passion ate about before landing at a beverage company with fewer than 500 employees. “The biggest thing I did was that I allowed myself to take the time to really sit down and reflect,” the Seattle said. “For me, it was really reevaluating what I loved and the values I was looking for in a company. What was it throughout my career that made me happy? And then leverage that to make the biggest impact in my next opportunity.” She loved coaching and helping younger colleagues develop their talents. And she wanted a broader impact across all sectors of a company, which isn’t always possible in larger firms. A month into her new job as a director of supply chain operations, she’s ener gized about an “exciting and refreshing opportunity” she admittedly wouldn’t have otherwise pursued. She’s not alone. Layoffs, furloughs and reduced hours for millions during the pan demic has forced a reckon ing among workers on why they do what they do. A growing number, forced outside comfort zones, have changed jobs or careers and even returned to school in pursuit of dreams long contemplated. There’s no immediate data on how many workers have switched careers dur ing the pandemic; the rate of career swaps declined during the last recession and prior ones. But there’s evidence that, unlike those recessions, entire sectors of jobs — especially lower- wage ones — might be lost for good to the pandemic given the shift toward peo ple working from home. The added trauma of the pandemic is also unprec edented and causing people to reevaluate the meaning of their jobs. “The pandemic just kind of exacerbates all of those things that don’t work,” said Shian Chuan, a Seattle- based leadership coach and consultant for local, national and global clients. “Whether it’s your work-life balance, or career choices or lack of career progression, they’re all from habits and decisions that piled up. The pandemic has a way of magnifying things that need to be looked at and changed.” Scott Cresswell, 44, of Seattle, said losing his logis tics management job to pan demic cutbacks in April after 20 years with the Enterprise car rental chain made him ponder a new career. “They told me they wouldn’t have any need for my position for pos sibly years to come,” said Cresswell, who’d overseen deployment of Enterprise vehicles across three com pany departments until demand evaporated with few people traveling. He’d contemplated switch ing careers from the only one he’d known since graduating from college, but he’d never taken steps. “You get comfortable at a place,” Cresswell said. “I don’t know if I’d have ever been pushed like now. I do think this has probably pushed me to a place out side my comfort zone that I would not have been had I just continued on. The unknown is scary. But now, you can’t avoid the unknown anymore.” Ryan Davis, executive director of Seattle Jobs Initiative, a nonprofit with programs to prepare people for living-wage careers, said studies suggest the pandemic is accelerating a “fourth industrial revo lution” where brick-and- mortar industry jobs simply vanish. Davis has seen an uptick in interest from hotel, restaurant and retail work ers and front desk employ ees in office buildings wanting to shift careers out of fear “the virtualization of work” means their former jobs are not coming back. “I think the unemploy ment numbers and the disruption we’ve seen is not something we’ve been through before,” he said. He expects some workers will shift toward in-demand fields like health care. For instance, he’s met with own ers of assisted-living facili ties in need of workers with skills similar to hotel staff ers, or department store employees with customer service experience. “There are facilities like senior communities where somebody with a hospital ity background would be a great fit,” he said. “Or, more clinical settings where that customer service back ground is really essential and you can just add some specific health care training and have somebody who’s a really great employee.” Report shows consumer debt up 3.6% in July BY MARTIN CRUTSINGER Associated Press WASHINGTON — U.S. consumer borrowing rose by a solid 3.6% in July, the second monthly gain after the coronavrius pandemic had sent borrowing down sharply in the previous three months. The Federal Reserve reported Tuesday that the 3.6% increase in July, which represented a $12.2 bil lion advance, followed a 3.3% rise in June and sharp declines in March, April and May. The strength in July came from a $12.5 billion rise in the category that includes auto loans and student loans. The category that covers credit cards fell by $293 mil lion, the fifth straight month that the credit card cat egory has declined. Nancy Vanden Houten, senior economist at Oxford Economics, said she expects a modest rebound in the credit card category in coming months. But she said, “a slow recovery in consumer spending and tight lending standards will limit the upside” for credit card gains. Consumer borrowing is closely watched for signals it can send about consumers’ willingness to take on more debt to support their spending. Consumer spending accounts for 70% of U.S. economic activity. The overall economy, as measured by the gross domestic product, plunged at a record-breaking annual rate of 31.7 % in the April-June quarter as the coronavi- rus shut down wide swaths of the U.S. economy, closing businesses and pushing millions out of work. Consumer spending fell 34.1 % in the second quarter. The economy has shown signs of a rebound in recent months and many economists believe the GDP will rise at an annual rate of 25% or better in the current July- September quarter. However, there are concerns that this gain, which will not be enough to make up for the output that was lost in the first and second quarters, could falter in the final months of this year if there is another resurgence in coronavirus cases which force further shutdowns. The Fed’s monthly report on consumer spending does not include mortgages or other types of loans secured by real estate such as home equity loans. The July increase pushed the credit total to $4.14 trillion, still below its February peak of $4.21 trillion. ASHLEY H0PKINS0N I Associated Press Credit logos are displayed on a downtown storefront July 18, 2012, as a pedestrian passes in Atlanta. Stock Exchange Highlights 1 NYSE 12,688.07 -229.07 B Nasdaq 10,847.69 -465.44 Gainers ($2 OR MORE) Name Last Chg %Chg Lubys 2.22 500.com 3.35 GTT Comm 6.15 MarineP 16.46 ScorpTk BigB 3xln CampWrl VirgnGal AzurePwr Cellcom 12.88 11.58 33.54 17.40 27.30 3.45 +1.17 +111.4 +.61 +22.3 +.83 +15.6 +1.87 +12.8 +1.38 +12.0 +1.16 +11.1 +3.07 +10.1 +1.48 +9.3 +2.30 +9.2 +.28 +8.8 Losers (S2 Name Last OR MORE) Chg %Chg US Silica Griffon Oceaneerg Nabors rs VermilnE g DesignBr NxTierOil CenovusE Suncor g ContIRescs 3.83 18.68 4.69 32.51 3.14 6.26 2.21 4.18 13.99 14.13 -.59 -2.74 -.63 -4.18 -.40 -.75 -.26 -.47 -1.53 -1.54 ■13.3 ■12.8 -11.8 -11.4 -11.3 ■10.7 ■10.5 ■10.1 -9.9 -9.8 Most Active ($1 OR MORE) Name Vol (00) Last Chg Lubys 1663033 GenElec 1199768 FordM 843574 BkofAm 746842 Transocn 692118 NokiaCp 670644 GenMotors 518826 WellsFargo 488751 AT&T Inc 464021 Carnival 459009 2.22 +1.17 6.14 -.28 7.03 +.13 25.48 -1.06 1.02 -.32 4.10 -.38 32.38 +2.38 23.97 -.82 29.51 +.09 18.29 -.24 Diary Advanced Declined Unchanged Total issues New Highs New Lows Volume 500 2,097 51 2,648 6 20 4,353,945,801 Gainers ($2 OR MORE) Name Last Chg %Chg NextDec SperoTh Aibireo CoDiagn Nikola AppliedUV MICT Inc CortlndB S&WSeed AquaB Tc 2.33 13.07 39.62 11.70 50.05 n 7.49 5.93 18.40 2.86 3.67 +1.00 +75.2 +4.11 +45.9 +12.25 +44.8 +3.46 +42.0 +14.50 +40.8 +1.79 +31.4 +1.35 +29.5 +4.00 +27.8 +.55 +23.8 +.68 +22.7 Losers ($2 Name Last OR MORE) Chg %Chg CorbusPhm 2.23 ACM Rsc 58.97 Tesla Inc s 330.21 StrgbrBio 2.82 AutoWeb 3.44 IBEX n 10.03 Biocept rs 4.42 VenusCn rs 2.23 Vivopwr h 9.72 PrUltPQ 121.62 -7.02 -75.9 ■23.10 -28.1 -88.11 -21.1 -.71 -20.1 -.81 -19.1 -2.19 -17.9 -.90 -16.9 -.44 -16.5 -1.89 -16.3 ■20.02 -14.1 Most Active ($1 0R more) ' Vol (00) Last Chg Name Apple Inc S2289078112.82 -8.14 Nikola 1340442 50.05+14.50 Tesla Inc s 1115112 330.21 -88.11 AmAirlines 708730 13.63 +.02 Workhrs rs 592973 21.38 +1.67 AMD 547434 78.69 -3.32 Microsoft 524493 202.66 -11.59 NobleEngy 503057 9.40 -.30 CorbusPhm470978 2.23 -7.02 Intel 396343 48.91 -1.17 Diary Advanced Declined Unchanged Total issues New Highs New Lows Volume 931 2,154 128 3,213 35 44 3,762,124,596 Stocks of Local Interest Name Ex YTD Div Yld PE Last Chg %Chg AFLAC 1.12 3.0 12 36.94 -.92 -30.2 IBM 6.52 5.5 13 121.21 -1.09 -9.6 AT&T Inc 2.08 7.0 15 29.51 +.09 -24.5 JohnJn 4.04 2.7 24 147.26 -1.33 +1.0 AbbottLab 1.44 1.4 54 102.84 -1.32 +18.4 Lowes 2.20 1.4 34 153.74 -2.65 +28.4 AMD 78.69 -3.32 +71.6 Lubys 2.22 +1.17 +.9 Altria 3.44 8.0 14 43.07 -.42 -13.7 Macys 2 7.62 -.03 -55.2 AmAirlines .40 2.9 4 13.63 +.02 -52.5 MarathnO .20 4.4 4.50 -.43 -66.9 Apple Inc s 41 112.82 -8.14 +53.7 McDnlds 5.00 2.3 32 213.58 +1.85 +8.1 ATMOS 2.30 2.4 18 96.12 -1.10 -14.1 Merck 2.44 2.9 31 83.33 -1.91 -8.4 AutoZone 221211.49 +4.70 +1.7 Microsoft 2.04 1.0 40 202.66 -11.59 +28.5 AveryD 2.32 2.0 33 114.06 -5.02 -12.8 Nikola 50.05+14.50 +385.0 BP PLC 2.46 12.2 6 20.15 -.39 -46.6 NobleEngy .08 .9 9.40 -.30 -62.2 BkofAm .72 2.8 9 25.48 -1.06 -27.7 NorflkSo 3.76 1.8 22 206.75 -2.35 +6.5 Boeing 15 161.08 -9.97 -50.6 NorwCruis 5 18.53 +.11 -68.3 BrMySq 1.80 3.1 19 58.53 -1.42 -8.8 OcciPet .04 .4 9 11.06 -1.19 -73.2 CSX 1.04 1.4 18 75.26 -.25 +4.0 Pelotnlntr n 85.60 +4.97 +201.4 CampSp 1.40 3.1 17 45.22 -2.36 -8.5 PepsiCo 4.09 3.0 15 135.55 -3.21 -.8 Carnival 4 18.29 -.24 -64.0 Pfizer 1.52 4.2 14 35.93 -.43 -8.3 Caterpillar 4.12 2.8 13 148.52 +.34 +.6 PhilipMor 4.68 5.9 16 79.03 -.12 -7.1 Chevron 5.16 6.5 11 78.97 -2.96 -34.5 Primerica 1.60 1.3 15 120.10 -5.73 -8.0 Cisco 1.44 3.6 16 40.00 -.82 -16.0 ProctGam 3.16 2.3 31 135.94 -2.02 +8.8 Citigroup 2.04 4.0 7 51.04 -1.48 -36.1 RegionsFn .62 5.5 8 11.37 -.43 -33.7 CocaCola 1.64 3.3 30 49.81 -1.23 -10.0 SiriusXM .05 .9 26 5.62 -.10 -21.4 ConAgra .85 2.4 23 35.15 -1.98 +2.7 SlackTc 29.32 +.25 +30.4 CorbusPhm ... 2.23 -7.02 -59.2 SouthnCo 2.50 4.7 25 52.85 +.56 -17.0 Cummins 5.24 2.6 57 204.06 -.30 +14.0 SynovusFn 1.32 6.1 6 21.76 -.99 -44.5 DeltaAir 5 32.54 +.77 -44.4 Tesla inc s 330.21 -88.11 +294.7 Disney 1.76 1.3 18 134.20 +2.21 -7.2 3M Co 5.88 3.6 23 163.17 -2.60 -7.5 DuPont 1.20 2.1 6 56.82 -1.98 -11.5 Transocn 1.02 -.32 -85.2 Equifax 1.56 1.0 28 163.82 -2.57 +16.9 TruistFn 1.80 4.7 10 37.91 -1.25 -32.7 ExxonMbl 3.48 9.1 9 38.18 -.90 45.3 Tyson 1.68 2.7 11 61.57 -.85 -32.4 FordM 6 7.03 +.13 -24.4 Uber Tch 34.32 +1.08 +15.4 GenElec .04 .7 6.14 -.28 -45.0 UtdAirlHI 4 37.28 -.93 -57.7 GenMotors 32.38 +2.38 -11.5 UtdCmBks .72 4.0 10 18.10 -.67 -41.4 GenuPrt 3.16 3.2 18 97.56 +.09 -8.2 UPS B 4.04 2.6 26 156.45 -4.33 +33.6 Gevo 1.04 -.12 -55.0 VerizonCm 2.46 4.1 14 59.96 -.52 -2.3 GlbeLife .75 .9 6 81.52 -2.37 -22.4 Vodafone .97 6.9 14.08 -.10 -27.2 HP Inc .70 3.6 6 19.45 +.40 -5.4 WalMart 2.16 1.6 80 138.45 -4.38 +16.5 Haverty .60 2.8 22 21.17 -.25 +5.0 WeisMk 1.24 2.6 11 47.00 -.49 +16.1 Hershey 3.22 2.2 32 145.52 -3.28 -1.0 WellsFargo .40 1.7 5 23.97 -.82 -55.4 HomeDp 6.00 2.2 27 269.26 -.40 +23.3 Workhrs rs 21.38 +1.67 +603.3 Intel 1.32 2.7 17 48.91 -1.17 -18.3 YumBrnds 1.88 2.0 33 93.68 -1.54 -7.0 Name Ex YTD Div Yld PE Last Chg %Chg Stock Footnotes: g = Dividends and earnings in Canadian dollars, h = Does not meet continued-listing standards. If = Late filing with SEC. n = New in past 52 weeks, pf = Preferred, rs = Stock has undergone a reverse stock split of at least 50 percent within the past year, rt = Right to buy security at a specified price, s = Stock has split by at least 20 percent within the last year, un = Units, vj = In bankruptcy or receivership, wd = When distributed, wi = When issued, wt = Warrants. Fund Footnotes: m - Multiple fees are charged, usually a marketing fee and either a sales or redemption fee. Source: The Associated Press. Sales figures are unofficial. Stock Market Indexes Dow Jones industrials Close: 27,500.89 Change: -632.42 (-2.2%) 30,000 27,000 24,000 21,000 29,200 28,320 27,440 10 DAYS M A M J J A S 52-Week Net YTD 12-mo High Low Name Last Chg %Chg %Chg %Chg 29,568.57 18,213.65 Dow Industrials 27,500.89 -632.42 -2.25 -3.64 +2.20 11,488.70 6,481.20 Dow Transportation 11,080.87 -144.64 -1.29 +1.65 +3.83 963.80 593.52 Dow Utilities 798.63 -5.07 -.63 -9.16 -5.43 14,183.26 8,664.94 NYSE Composite 12,688.07 -229.07 -1.77 -8.80 -2.35 12,074.07 6,631.42 Nasdaq Composite 10,847.69 -465.44 -4.11 +20.90 +34.18 1,678.91 1,015.63 S&P 100 1,546.90 -49.20 -3.08 +7.26 +17.42 3,588.11 2,191.86 S&P 500 3,331.84 -95.12 -2.78 +3.13 +11.83 2,109.43 1,181.96 S&P MidCap 1,855.17 -42.69 -2.25 -10.07 -4.26 36,658.73 21,955.54 Wilshire 5000 33,969.18 -1001.09 -2.86 +3.29 +11.49 1,715.08 966.22 Russell 2000 1,504.59 -30.71 -2.00 -9.82 -2.49 Mutual Funds Total Assets Total Return/Rank Pet Min Init Name Obj (SMIns) NAV 4-wk 12-mo 5-year Load Invt Vanguard 500ldxAdmrl LB 338,662 308.45 -0.4 +14.0/A +13.3/A NL 3,000 Vanguard TtlSMIdxAdmrl LB 261,924 82.03 -0.8 +13.3/B +12.7/B NL 3,000 Fidelity 500ldxlnsPrm LB 259,215 115.88 -0.4 +14.0/A +13.4/A NL 0 Vanguard TtlSMIdxIns LB 164,647 82.04 -0.8 +13.3/B +12.7/B NL 5,000,000 Vanguard TtlnSIdxinv FB 163,039 16.83 +0.1 +4.0/C +5.7/B NL 3,000 Vanguard TtlSMIdxInv LB 146,186 81.99 -0.8 +13.2/B +12.5/B NL 3,000 Vanguard InsIdxInsPlus LB 132,673 298.14 -0.4 +14.0/A +13.4/A NL 100,000,000 Vanguard TtlnSIdxinsPlus FB 127,775 112.61 +0.1 +4.2/C +5.8/A NL 100,000,000 Vanguard TtBMIdxAdmrl Cl 119,401 11.66 -0.8 +6.9/B +4.4/B NL 3,000 Vanguard Insldxlns LB 116,843 298.12 -0.4 +14.0/A +13.3/A NL 5,000,000 Amer. Fnds GrfAmrcA m LG 114,594 58.96 -0.4+26.4/C +15.3/C 5.75 250 Fidelity Contrafund LG 114,544 16.36 0.0 +29.3/B +16.8/B NL 0 Cl -Intermediate-Term Bond, FB -Foreign Large Blend, IH -World Allocation, LB -Large Blend, LG -Large Growth, LV -Large Value, MA -Moderate Allocation, WS -World Stock, Total Return: Chng in NAV with dividends reinvest ed. Rank: How fund performed vs. others with same objective: A is in top 20%, E in bottom 20%. Min Init Invt: Minimum $ needed to invest in fund. Source: Morningstar.
