2/2/21
FTC Warns of Gift Card Scams
The Federal Trade Commission has issued warnings about gift-card scams as some retailers report an increase in customers-especially older customers-purchasing large amounts of gift cards in their stores. The agency has created a Stop Gift Card Scams Toolkit to help retailers do their part to prevent this form of fraud.

2/1/21
OSHA Issues New COVID-19 Guidance for Workplaces
Complying with part of one of President Biden's first Executive Orders the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) on Friday issued stronger worker safety guidance to help employers and workers implement a COVID-19 protection program and better identify risks which could lead to exposure and contraction, the agency said. The voluntary recommendations are in line with a directive from President Biden for OSHA to release clear guidance for employers to help keep workers safe from COVID-19. The guidance, "Protecting Workers: Guidance on Mitigating and Preventing the Spread of COVID-19 in the Workplace," updates recommendations and outlines existing safety and health standards.

1/28/21
PSE&G Gets Green Light To Spend $166M On Charging Infrastructure For Electric Vehicles
Public Service Electric & Gas now has approval to spend up to $166.2 million over the next six years to build the charging infrastructure to support electric vehicles in a program that prominent environmental groups say falls far short of what is needed. The proposal, the first and only utility-driven electric-vehicle charging program approved by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, is considered by others as an important step taken by the state to begin to electrify the transportation sector, the largest source of global-warming pollution across the nation. But in approving PSE&G's investment, the state board scaled back the original $261 million the utility had originally sought. And the board deferred action on a component that called for electrification of medium- and heavy-duty trucks. It also put off acting on PSE&G's proposal to invest $109 million in developing energy-storage capabilities. Both issues will be subject to future proceedings before the board.

1/28/21
Murphy Defends Vaccination Sign-up System As Public Criticism Climbs
Amid growing public frustration, Gov. Phil Murphy defended the state's patchwork COVID-19 vaccination sign-up system as a process still being refined and reiterated his pleas for patience with New Jersey's coronavirus immunization program. . .State officials are facing a rising tide of public frustration over the vaccine program, which has distributed more than 640,000 doses to residents since its launch in mid-December. The state hopes to immunize at least 4.7 million people, or 70% of those eligible, but the effort so far has  been hampered by lack of vaccines from federal sources and operational challenges here at home.

1/28/21
Some California Towns Order 'Hero Pay' for Grocery Workers
Some California municipalities aren't waiting for a congressional decision on proposed "hero pay" for essential workers. Instead, they're mandating immediate recognition pay for local retail and grocery employees. As NACS Daily reported Tuesday, President Biden wants food retailers to provide employees with back hero pay as part of a proposed $1.9 trillion economic stimulus plan. ​The announcement follows efforts by labor officials to convince retailers to revive the bonus pay programs they introduced for essential workers early in the pandemic. Some California towns already are taking steps to give essential workers more money. According to ABC7.com, the Long Beach city council has unanimously approved a $4 hourly bonus for employees at large grocery stores, although the pay increase will not be official until a final vote on Feb. 2. The wage increase will apply to companies with 300-plus employees nationwide and with more than 15 employees per store in Long Beach. The hero pay mandate will be in place for at least 120 days.

1/28/21
Smoking's Long Decline Is Over
The decades-long decline in U.S. cigarette sales halted last year as people in lockdown lit up more frequently and health concerns around e-cigarettes caused some vapers to switch back to cigarettes. Before the pandemic, U.S. cigarette unit sales had been falling at an accelerating rate, hitting 5.5% in 2019, as smokers quit or switched to alternatives like e-cigarettes. The pandemic put the brakes on that slide. In 2020, the U.S. cigarette industry's unit sales were flat compared to the previous year, according to data released Thursday by Marlboro maker Altria Group Inc. People had more opportunities to smoke because they spent more time at home and had more money to spend on cigarettes because they spent less on gas, travel and entertainment, Altria said. They drank more liquor, too, buoying spirits makers.

1/28/21
NACS Asks to Work With Biden on EV Infrastructure Plans
Yesterday, President Biden signed a series of executive orders that aim to "confront the existential threat of climate change," reports the New York Times. The new administration's efforts at lowering carbon dioxide emissions include eliminating fossil fuel subsidies and overhauling tax breaks to oil companies while promoting greater acceptance of electric vehicles and eventually replacing the U.S. government fleet with EVs. In response, NACS and other organizations representing the retail fuel community sent a six-page letter to top government officials offering support and assistance in helping the government achieve those goals.

1/28/21
GM Aims to Eliminate Tail-Pipe Emissions by 2035
General Motors (GM) plans to eliminate tailpipe emissions from new light-duty vehicles by 2035 and become carbon neutral in its global products and operations by 2040, and it has committed to setting science-based targets to achieve carbon neutrality. The company has also signed the Business Ambition Pledge for 1.5 degrees Celsius, a call to action from a global coalition of United Nations agencies, business and industry leaders. . .In addition to GM's carbon goals, the company worked with the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) to develop a shared vision of an all-electric future and an aspiration to eliminate tailpipe emissions from new light-duty vehicles by 2035. GM's focus will be offering zero-emissions vehicles across a range of price points and working with all stakeholders, including EDF, to build out the necessary charging infrastructure and promote consumer acceptance while maintaining high-quality jobs, which will all be needed to meet these ambitious goals, GM said.