Amid the coronavirus outbreak, pet owners are taking proper precautions not just for themselves, but for their furry friends.
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Manufacturers of face masks designed for dogs are reporting a spike in sales. One such company is the Texas-based Good Air Team, which makes "K9 Mask" pollution masks for dogs.
"We had a 300% sale increase in Amazon, which led us to run out of inventory," said owner of K9 Mask, Kirby Holmes. Holmes also said that customers have asked specifically if the masks would protect their pets from the coronavirus; Holmes would not guarantee such protection, but did note that the dog masks are made with the same filters designed for use in the human masks recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
According to the World Health Organization, "there is no evidence that companion animals/pets such as dogs or cats can be infected with the new coronavirus."
The virus can be spread through airborne droplets, such as sneezing or coughing, and touching an infected surface.
Millennials are avoiding marriage until student loans are paid off
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Around one-third of young Americans would consider postponing marriage because of student loan debt, according to a new study.
LendKey Technologies surveyed 1,037 people who attended college, and found that respondents between the ages of 18 and 34 say that they have or will be postponing marriage until their student debts are paid off. The study, which was made exclusive to USA TODAY, showed that the decision to postpone declined as people aged. 17% between the ages of 35 and 54 say they would postpone marriage because of debt, and 10% of those 55 and older would delay it.
Student debt also affects partner choices. Over one-third of millennial and Gen Z respondents say that student or credit card debt could affect their choice of partner. 20% say they would be fine with student loan debt but not credit card debt, with 6% holding the opposite view. Only 4% say any amount of debt was a deal breaker, and only 36% of survey respondents said debt wouldn't affect marital decisions at all.
Amazon becomes the fourth member of the 'Trillion Dollar Club'
Amazon is now the fourth member of an exclusive group of corporations. As its stock went past $2,000 per share today, it became the fourth company to reach a valuation of $1 trillion.
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The other members of the 'Trillion Dollar Club" are Alphabet (Google's parent company), Apple, and Microsoft.
Amazon's heavy-hitter status is also supported by its size: Amazon states that it now employs over half a million people in the United States alone, up 43% from 2018. Its workforce is only second in size to Walmart, which employs 1.5 million people in the U.S. and 2 million worldwide.
Take a look at more stories and videos by Michael Finney and 7 On Your Side.