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Half of Americans, including all ages, are now fully vaccinated against Covid-19, a White House official said Friday, a major milestone as the nation battles a surge in new infections fueled by the Delta variant.

More than 821,000 doses were given from the previous day, including 565,000 people receiving their first syringe, White House Covid data director Cyrus Shahpar said in a tweet before the data was posted on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website were published. The seven-day average of new vaccinations is up 11% from last week and 44% over the past two weeks, he added.

While the milestone is exciting, the country still has a long way to go before the pandemic is over, said Dr. Paul Offit, who advises the Food and Drug Administration on Covid vaccines. The highly contagious Delta variant continues to spread rapidly, especially in regions of the country with the lowest vaccination rates, he said.

“They had over 100,000 cases and over 600 deaths yesterday, which tells us we’re not there yet,” Offit said.

The U.S. reports an average of about 98,500 daily infections, data compiled by Johns Hopkins University shows, which already surpassed the peak of cases seen last summer when the nation lacked a vaccine.

Florida, Texas, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi – states with some of the lowest vaccination rates – accounted for roughly half of the new Covid cases and hospital stays in the past week, said Jeffrey Zients, the White House’s Covid Response Coordinator, said told reporters Thursday. In the past seven days, 1 in 3 new Covid cases occurred in Florida and Texas.

In Florida, where Governor Ron DeSantis opposes calls for further restrictions, the infection rate is nearing the state’s pandemic peak in late January, when an average of nearly 18,000 new cases were reported each day.

Florida reports an average of about 15,800 new cases daily for the past seven days, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University, 51% more than a week ago. This is the second worst outbreak in the US by average daily new cases per capita, behind Louisiana.

The death toll there is also rising, with an average of 58 daily Covid deaths, 45% more than last week but below the record seven-day average of more than 180 daily deaths in late January.

The outbreak threatens to slow the country’s progress in ending the pandemic, especially as schools reopen and employers start bringing workers back to the office this fall, health experts say.

With the virus widespread in states like Florida, the nation “is likely to see even more worrying varieties emerge this fall and winter,” said Lawrence Gostin, director of the World Health Organization’s Collaborating Center on National and Global Health Law.

“America is about to return to normal. This could be a major setback for our national Covid response, ”he said.

As cases rise, more companies are requiring their workers to get vaccinated, and federal health officials say they are urging states to incentivize their residents.

Some Americans are already seeing the effects of not vaccinating and are now getting the injections, US officials said Thursday.

In Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama, the seven-day average of first-doses reported daily has more than doubled since early July, CDC data shows, as the outbreak worsened nationwide. In Arkansas, which has the third worst outbreak in the country, based on new cases per capita every day, vaccinations nearly tripled.

Zients said Thursday that the White House’s Covid Surge Response Teams are also working with 16 states with rising cases to meet their specific needs.

– CNBC’s Nate Rattner contributed to this report.

Those who hire a lawn-care company will reap time and energy savings for a relatively small monthly cost.

davidf | E+ | Getty Images

During our working years, saving for the future is critical to one day achieving financial independence.

At the same time, we are working to meet other financial goals, such as paying for our children’s college education or paying off the mortgage. However, for people with a solid career who are meeting their savings targets each year, it often makes sense to spend any extra money on services that will favorably impact their lives.

Both of my parents were teachers, so I understand when it pays to be frugal. But if you can afford to hire someone to perform these services, some are worth paying for, as opposed to doing them yourself.

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Yes, it will cost some money. But there are other rewards, ranging from better health to a return on your investment and more time to enjoy life. Here are five services worth considering:

1. Hire a lawn-care company. I have clients in their 50s who work full-time and are still mowing their own lawn — with a push mower. It is great exercise, but the summer heat and humidity can drain your energy and possibly even produce worse results, such as heat stroke.

I’ve encouraged these clients to hire a regular landscaping service, which can often cost $200 a month or more. The service workers will mow the yard, trim the hedges, remove leaves and debris, and perform other work in a fraction of the time it takes my clients to perform these tasks. This expense is so small that they likely won’t notice any impact on their monthly budget. However, they will notice the time savings.

2. Work with a travel agent for vacation planning. Instead of spending hours scouring the internet, a good travel agent is experienced at finding the best deals and value for just about any destination. Their expertise includes researching and suggesting locations to meet the goals you have for these experiences, as well as arranging for flights, accommodations, airport transportation and excursions during the vacation. A private chef or personal concierge may also be part of your recommended vacation plan.

I realize some people are hesitant to work with a travel agent. They may ask: why the extra cost? But because of their knowledge and expertise, a good agent can help keep overall costs down and possibly even save you money. And, unlike the internet, a travel agent is often available to assist you with problems during the trip, especially if you are traveling overseas.

3. Grocery pick-up, delivery and ready-made meals. Since the pandemic, many retailers are much more focused on helping customers who aren’t comfortable shopping in person. While grocery chains charge a fee for curbside pickup or delivery, it’s a small amount for the convenience it provides.

There are also several online companies selling ready-made meals delivered to your door. These meals include fresh ingredients that are ready to cook. For people who don’t like to cook every night, this alternative provides healthy food at a reasonable cost. Grocery delivery is also a plus when vacationing.

4. Engage a business coach. This may not seem a necessary investment for a seasoned executive who has built a stable career. Yet several of my successful executive clients have used a coach, and I have, as well. I refer to him as my ‘”business therapist.”

A good coach can provide clarity about career options, how to overcome any hurdles, accomplish your personal and professional goals, and help reduce stress. For example, my coach helped me set a 10-year plan for public speaking, as well as writing and publishing books. So far, I’ve published two books, and a third one will be published later this year.

Coaches can charge a few hundred dollars an hour, or a flat rate for a series of coaching sessions.  Typically engaging a coach is more effective if it becomes an ongoing, regular relationship.

5. Tax preparation and planning. As a financial planner, I understand how taxes work and provide tax strategy advice to my clients. But for more than 10 years, I’ve hired a certified public accountant to prepare my taxes.

I simply don’t want to invest many hours over several days gathering tax records, hunting down expenses, making sure I’ve researched every nuanced tax law that can benefit me and other tedious tasks. It’s worth the money to pay an accountant, especially one I know can handle the job.

And while paying an accountant can range between $1,000 to $5,000 annually, depending on the complexity of your situation, part of the accountant’s job is to help save money by advising on tax-reduction strategies or asking for the right tax-related information.

One client recently retired made the misstep of trying to handle her own taxes. She earned more than $1.5 million during her final working year, and with time on her hands, decided to do her taxes herself.  After several frustrating days trying to learn what to do — and afraid she would make a mistake that could cost several thousand dollars — she went crawling back to her CPA.

If there is a task you don’t want to handle yourself, there is most likely a service that will handle it. For example, I dislike buying a new car so much that I put it off for five years. Finally, early last year when my sport utility vehicle crossed 250,000 miles, I decided it was time to buy.

I could have used a vehicle-buying service for this job. Fortunately, my husband stepped in and did everything a service would do. For several weeks he visited various dealerships to test drive cars.

Then, he came home one Friday and said, “I’ve found your car. They are holding it for you at the dealership.” I stopped what I was doing, went there to test drive the car and bought it.

Now, that’s the way to buy a new car.

Of course, you must hit your long-term savings targets first before considering spending money on extra services now. Discussing which extra services to add should be part of your financial plan and budget each year, just like your savings goals.

— By Lisa Brown, partner and wealth advisor at Brightworth

If you’re waiting for used car prices to drop, and reading recent indications as a sign the pricing decline already has begun, one of the biggest sellers of used cars in the U.S. says you should not get too excited.

The rise in used car prices will likely not slow down until manufacturers can start producing cars at pre-pandemic rates, according to the CEO of Carvana.

“[Used car sales] volume is pretty consistent with 2019, it hasn’t changed that much — what’s materially different is just that there are so many fewer new cars being manufactured and that’s pushing prices up.” Ernie Garcia, Carvana chief executive officer, said on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” on Friday. “I think until the supply chains at the [original equipment manufacturers] get figured out there’s likely to be some lasting impact.”

Car manufacturers have struggled to keep up production with the shortage in semiconductor chips.

Ford, which had to cut its North American vehicle production in July and August due to shortages, said its second quarter earnings report that supplies were improving but that it lost production of about 700,000 vehicles during the quarter.

General Motors said the chip shortage will cut its earnings by $1.5 billion to $2 billion and has been idling some of its North American assembly plants due to the shortage.

Nissan said in May that it expected to make half a million fewer vehicles this year, while BMW recently warned that it expects the shortages to creep into 2021.

In total, the chip shortage is estimated to cost automakers $110 billion in lost revenue this year, according to a May report from consulting firm AlixPartners.

Used car companies see revenue soar

Customers inspect a Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NC Dodge Grand Caravan minivan at a Carvana Co. location in Westminster, California, U.S., on Thursday, May 28, 2020.

Patrick T. Fallon | Bloomberg | Getty Images

The dip in production has been a boon for used car retailers like Carvana. The company reported its first profitable quarter Friday, bringing in $45 million of net income during Q2 2021. Carvana’s total revenue also grew 198% year-over-year to $3.3 billion as it delivered more than 107,000 cars, a 96% increase compared to a year ago and the first time in its eight-year history it has ever sold over 100,000 cars in a quarter. Carvana shares have risen 44% this year through Friday.

Those gains have come alongside a large jump in used car prices. The average transaction price for a used car was $25,410 in the second quarter of 2021, up from $22,977 in the first quarter and 21% year-over-year, according to data from online automotive resource Edmunds. That figure marks the highest average price over a quarter for a used car that Edmunds has ever tracked.

Debate over when used car prices level off

Those high prices have helped fuel the used car industry.

EchoPark Automotive, a division of Sonic Automotive that sells pre-owned vehicles, also set a record for quarterly earnings with $595.6 million in revenue, up 88.9% year-over-year. Retail sales volume was up 68.9% year-over-year.

CarMax, the largest used-car dealer in the U.S., had a 138.4% increase in revenue year-over-year in its 2022 fiscal first quarter ending May 31, to $7.7 billion. The company said it sold 452,188 units through its retail and wholesale channels during the quarter, up 128% from the previous year.

As for when prices may level off, Garcia said “over the next six months or even 12 months I think it’s hard to say.”

“What we’re finding out is that the OEMs have supply chains that are maybe a little more fragile than we all wish and they’ve got thousands of parts being manufactured globally and there’s Covid waves popping up in different parts of the world so I think that makes it really hard to predict when that will normalize again,” he said.

In comparison, Sonic Automotive president Jeff Dyke recently said on CNBC’s “Worldwide Exchange” that he expects the chip shortage to alleviate in the coming months, which would start to lower the price of used cars.

“New car inventories are going to get better progressively over the next few months as we get to the end of the year,” Dyke said. “As that happens, it’s going to alleviate the amount of inventory issues happening on the pre-owned side.”

Youth unemployment skyrocketed during the coronavirus pandemic, causing some enterprising college students to turn to sideline jobs to make ends meet.

Unemployment among young people (aged 16 to 24) peaked in April 2020 at 27.4% – that is almost one in three unemployed.

Meanwhile, Etsy reported that the number of sellers on its platform had almost doubled to 4.4 million by the end of 2020. They’re not broken down by age group, but Etsy reports that the average age of its sellers is typically 39, but last year when YouTubers started selling goods during the pandemic, the average age dropped to 33. That means a lot of young people used Etsy as a source of income.

Face masks, disinfection kits, homemade household items, care packages, and even virtual hugs were some of the part-time jobs that arose during the pandemic. They sold them on ecommerce sites like Etsy, but also directly on social media platforms like Instagram.

According to Instagram, 90% of its users follow a company. And 50% of users surveyed by Facebook (the parent company of Instagram) said they would be more interested in a brand when they saw ads for it on Instagram.

Madison Klimchak, a senior at the University of South Carolina, started Masked by Madison, selling face masks during the pandemic.

Source: Madison Klimchak

Madison Klimchak, a 20-year-old aspiring senior at the University of South Carolina majoring in finance, risk management, and insurance, sold personalized reusable masks to sororities and other organizations. She advertised them on Instagram and her typical order was 150 to 400 masks at the height of the pandemic in March. She sold them for about $ 10 each, and a portion of the proceeds were donated to the Emotional PPE Project, which connects health care workers with mental health services.

Klimchak said she chose Instagram because she already had a following and it was easier to advertise on her personal accounts.

As business started to slow down as mask requirements were relaxed, college entrepreneurs like Klimchak had to make a decision: switch to a different type of business or close it? Ultimately, she decided to close the shop and focus on her career and take her Graduate Record Examinations (GRE).

“I’ll think about going back, but for now I’ll be focusing on studying for my GRE,” said Klimchak. She found that her experience helped her understand the business world and develop skills for her future.

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Jacqueline Cabrera, a 23-year-old former student at the Fashion Institute of Technology, also sold masks during the pandemic. She sold them in Uptown Manhattan, both through her personal Instagram account and the one she used to showcase her fashion design portfolio.

Cabrera said she chose Instagram because she already had a following.

“I already had an Instagram page / website for my fashion design portfolio on which I would occasionally showcase some of my work, so this is where I started selling my face masks,” said Cabrera. “I also advertised it on my personal Instagram where I had more followers, which definitely helped draw more attention to my business.”

Cabrera’s business lasted a successful 8 months and generated revenues of $ 2,000 to $ 3,000. But as the number of mask sellers increased and sales decreased, she finally decided to return to her career in fashion design.

Jacqueline Cabrera, a recent Fashion Institute of Technology graduate, sold face masks and used her fashion design skills during the pandemic.

Source: Jacqueline Cabrera

“The market for them became very saturated from the pandemic when it went from nobody to everyone who sold them,” Cabrera said.

“In the fashion industry, I wanted to grow professionally, so I thought, why not use my skills and follow the example of the industry I wanted to be in?” Cabrera explained. “I was able to get my first full-time position in the fashion industry as an assistant designer.”

Cabrera said she certainly thought of going back to her business one day and focusing on clothing or accessories.

For other college students who have already had sideline jobs with Covid illnesses, like 22-year-old Grace Williams, the pandemic actually forced a turning point.

Williams graduated from Farmingdale State College with a bachelor’s degree in business administration in 2020 amid the pandemic. It had created a slimy business new year for college – a few years before the pandemic. She advertised on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube, which enabled her to connect with followers and build relationships. She also personally attended slime conventions in the United States and personally sold them to thousands of ticket holders.

Grace Williams, a recent graduate of Farmingdale State College, started a successful slime business but switched to Tik Tok video content during the pandemic.

Source: Grace Williams

“It was great that my product was handcrafted as the cost was low and I was in control. But it had its downside when the pandemic broke out and everyone was nervous with germs, ”she said.

Sales began to decline.

So Williams turned around: she started creating content on TikTok and looked for brands that wanted to promote their products. There were many benefits to this move: she no longer had to create physical products and manage inventory, and could work from anywhere.

“At that point, I’ve completely switched my practical business to hands-off, relying on technology and creating content from my phone,” she said.

“I’ve always had a passion for creating content and making others smile through my videos,” said Williams. “This means I can work remotely from anywhere in the world and have a positive influence on others.”

Starting a business when the economy is suffering might be far from easy, but these young entrepreneurs have reflected on their experiences and have advice for college students who may consider outside employment.

“Plan and learn how to manage your time,” said Cabrera. “I would recommend having an inventory rather than making products to order.”

Klimchak says don’t be afraid of failure.

“Make a plan and implement it by being open to new ideas and innovations and watch it transform into something you never thought possible,” said Klimchak.

CNBC’s “College Voices” is a series written by CNBC interns from universities across the country about getting their college education, managing their own money, and starting their careers during these extraordinary times. Jessica Coacci is a student at Stony Brook University with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. She is an intern at CNBC’s Breaking News Desk. Your mentor is Cat Clifford. The series is edited by Cindy Perman.

The first batch of Sephora shops in Kohl’s stores debuted on Friday.

Both brands hope to win new customers with the partnership announced nine months ago. On Friday, four Kohl’s unveiled the new beauty departments of the Sephora brand. Another 73 will hit the market on August 20th. Ultimately, 400 locations are to be opened this year and at least 850 will be operational by 2023.

“You will have exactly the same experience that you would have in any other Sephora setting,” said Jean-Andre Rougeot, CEO of Sephora of Americas in an interview with CNBC in Kohl’s Ramsey, New Jersey. “I would say the quality of the store you see, the exclusivity and selectivity, is better than some of our own Sephora stores.”

Sephora has around 500 of its 2,600 stores in America.

While it’s an accomplishment to go from announcement to launch in less than a year, the Delta variant of Covid-19 is causing hotspots to flare up across the country and around the world. It’s a difficult time getting consumers to try cosmetics before buying, which has always been a key differentiator for Sephora.

There is also competitive pressure. Target also started its partnership with the cosmetics retailer Ulta Beauty in August with its first 100 shop-in-shops.

Target plans to open 800 Ulta shop-in-shops with an area of ​​around 1,000 square meters and offer more than 50 prestige brands in the next few years. The Ulta Shop-in-Shops will not replace the current Target cosmetics range, but rather complement them.

“Beauty is a big industry, so there is room for a lot of players,” said Michelle Gass, CEO of Kohl’s, in an interview with CNBC. “Other than that, Sephora is the best. I mean, take a look at the store: 2,500 square feet, no detail spared … that brings top-notch beauty to the millions of Americans who had no access and convenience.” . “

For those who don’t have a store nearby, select Sephora products are sold on the existing Kohl website and can be added to customers’ shopping carts along with other Kohl items. Customers can also order Sephora products for pickup at their local Kohl store, whether or not they offer a physical shop-in-shop.

The new Sephora locations will replace Kohl’s previous beauty range and are located right in the front center of the store. There will be around 8,500 products from 125 renowned beauty brands, including skin care, hair care and fragrances.

While Gass expects the Sephora stores to bring new buyers to Kohl’s, she also said the offering will help bring beauty products to the department store’s 65 million existing buyers, 70% of whom are women.

Sephora will encompass 2,500 square feet within Kohl’s.

Each store sells 125 prestige brands and a total of around 8,500 items.

From names like Fenty to clean makeup brands like Ilia and Kosas. Sephora at Kohl’s will also highlight new and upcoming brands …

The next big thing

Source: Kohls

as well as the bestsellers of the beauty company.

bestseller

Source: Kohls

A further 73 locations will open on August 20.

The companies plan to have 850 of these shops by 2023.

Here’s the full list of where they’ll be:

Friday open:

Sterling Heights, MI
Woodbury, MN
Ramsey, New Jersey
Brookfield, Wisconsin

Opening on August 20th:

Elk Grove, California
Alameda, CA.
Ontario, California
Redlands, California
Chino, CA
Lakewood, California
Seal Beach, California
Menifee, California
Murrieta, California
Lone Tree, CO
Thornton, CO
Aurora, CO
Greeley, CO
Jacksonville, Florida
Woodstock, GA
Chicago Ridge, IL
Bourbonnais, IL
Tinley Park, IL |
Woodridge, IL
Rockford, Illinois
East Peoria, IL
Indianapolis, IN
Clive, IA
Florence, KY
Danvers, MA
West Springfield, MA
Seekonk, MA
Dartmouth, MA
Westland, Michigan
Roseville, Michigan
Shelby Township, Michigan
Lapeer, MI
Walker, MI
Dubai, MN
Apple Valley, MN
Kansas City, MO
Lee’s Summit, MO
Watchung, New Jersey
Paramus, New Jersey
Clifton, New Jersey
Turnersville, New Jersey
Shirley, NY
Jericho, NY
Massapequa Park, NY
Port Chester, NY
East Middletown, NY
Liverpool, NY
Depew, NY
Amherst, NY
Fayetteville, NC
Wilmington, NC
Fargo, ND
Mentor, OH
Northern Canton, Ohio
Holland, OH
Grove City, Ohio
Fairborn, OH
Yukon, OK
Havertown, PA
Harrisburg, PA
Easton, PA
Bethel Park, PA
Pittsburgh, PA
Summerville, SC
Burleson, TX
Woodbridge, Virginia
Beckley, WV
Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin
Janesville, Wisconsin
Madison, WI
Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin