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(WASHINGTON) — The $1.1 trillion infrastructure bill passed by Congress last week will fund roads, bridges, rails and other components of the country’s infrastructure. The legislation is also addressing racial inequity.

President Joe Biden’s infrastructure plan aims to “reconnect neighborhoods cut off by historic investments” and “redress historic inequity.” Part of his plan includes awarding government contracts to minority-owned businesses, including real estate development companies that will do the work in conjunction with climate projects.

Why is racial injustice being addressed in the plan? The real estate development community is almost exclusively white. That lack of diversity, Black developers who spoke with ABC News said, translates into less affordable housing in Black communities, low rates of homeownership and a scarcity of retail and other businesses within those communities.

According to a 2019 report from Urban Land Institute — a nonprofit organization for real estate and land use experts — only 5% of its U.S. members are African American, 4.5% are Asian and 82% are white.

One of the major problems with diversifying real estate, Black developers say, is that they often face hurdles in acquiring funds, and ultimately in expanding their businesses.

Many are working to eliminate those barriers. Last year’s racial reckoning protests invigorated the real estate development community to create and leverage more initiatives and programs to help not only the Black real estate development business, but to further Black economic power.

D.C. becoming model of Black real estate development

Last summer, Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser’s office established several initiatives to provide access to funding for minority developers.

“We are committed to making our city’s prosperity more inclusive, but that won’t happen by chance – it will happen because as a government and as individuals, we are intentional about how we invest and who we make opportunities available to,” said Bowser shortly after its launch.

One of those initiatives is Capital Impact Partners’ $20 million Diversity in Development DMV Loan Fund (DiD-DMV) and coinciding grant program.

“Our goal is to really take a holistic approach to provide opportunity — specifically in communities of color,” Ellis Carr, president and CEO of Capital Impact Partners and CEO of CDC Small Business Finance told ABC News.

“As we thought about the opportunity to support the D.C. area’s real estate development community, we looked at where the hurdles were, particularly those that were faced by developers of color. We heard a number of things, but primarily it was really boiled down to the lack of access to capital in both debt and equity for developers to really be able to take the leap and expand their businesses and wage,” Carr said.

Through the fund, developers, both nonprofit and for-profit, will have access to lower-cost, flexible pre-development and acquisition loans, unlocking crucial early-stage financing that is often denied to developers of color.

The first two financed projects are set to be built in Washington, D.C.’s Ward 7 and Ward 8, areas with a large African American population.

Thomas Houston and Talayah Jackson both received nearly $1 million in funding for their nonprofit community development corporation, Medici Road.

“U.S. housing is a product change,” Jackson told ABC News. “There is a connection between public health, education and housing … it’s all a systemic problem. It’s not just about solving one answer for someone, it’s … tackling multiple things.”

With the funds, Medici Road plans to develop a 17,000-square-foot building in a vacant lot in D.C.’s Deanwood neighborhood with affordable housing, retail and office space to create essential services in the community.

“We’re creating systemic change for generations,” Jackson said. “I think it’s just due time that taxpayers, as residents, have access to the things that really should already be in place. This community should be flourishing, it should be thriving.”

The new condominium community will create a mixed-income development to provides access to healthy food and health and wellness education, Jackson said.

Currently, the seventh ward has higher crime rates, low homeownership rates and few grocery stores. But Houston says that’s the reasoning behind the decision to develop in the area.

“We have a car to drive to wherever grocery store we wanted to. But what if there is an emergency for say food, formula, and we didn’t have any access at all? When you start looking at this from the professional side of the road, and we start looking at public health outcomes access all the stuff is linked, and none of it exists in our neighborhood. And so that’s where the idea came,” Houston said.

The grocery store is expected to be a franchise owned and staffed by residents of the community.

Steps away from the Deanwood neighborhood project, another developer, Mustafa Durrani of Durrani Development Corporation, secured a $2.5 million acquisition loan and another $900,000 predevelopment loan. Durrani plans to transform a vacant area into a new affordable housing community in the Randle Heights neighborhood of D.C.’s Ward 8.

“There’s an idea that affordable homeownership and affordable rentals are like public housing. And so we want to be able to create something that looks like market rate but it’s still affordable,” Durrani said.

Both projects are in early stages of development.
 

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(NEW YORK) — Southwest Airlines pilots are preparing to picket as front-line employees at the airline complain of mismanagement, low staffing, scheduling chaos and a lack of food and hotels for pilots and flight attendants.

Unions representing Southwest’s front-line employees say the airline is severely understaffed, but continues to pack its flight schedule as air travel rebounds, forcing pilots and flight attendants to regularly work the maximum number of hours permitted by federal law. Staffing and weather issues have forced Southwest to cancel thousands of flights this summer.

On Thursday, by late afternoon, Southwest had canceled 170 flights and delayed 852 others, the most of any U.S. airline. At the same time, United had 31 cancellations, while Delta had four.

“We are united on this issue. Our flight attendants are weary, exhausted, and they can take no more,” Lyn Montgomery, Southwest flight attendant and union president, told ABC News. “We’re asking that additional flights not be added to the schedule until the company can handle the flight schedules that we currently have. We all want to get back to the pre-pandemic days, but we have to be able to handle things the way they are right now, the way things are still with the pandemic.”

Crews say they routinely arrive in destination cities only to learn they have no hotel or food availability and cannot reach the company for help.

“We’re being asked to work longer hours, more shifts and extended duty days. We get to the curb and at the end of the day, and we have no idea what hotel we’re supposed to go to,” Montgomery said. “We have to wait for hours to call crew scheduling. There’s no food in the hotel, so we’re unable to get food. We’re not able to get food with the long lines at the airport. So food is the major issue. And we’re also being told that if we call in sick, we have to go see a company doctor to verify the illness.”

In July, Southwest offered its flight attendants double time to pick up extra shifts. The company is now offering its employees referral bonuses to try and fill vacancies.

“The safety of our Employees and Customers comes first, at all times, and that continues to be the priority in everything that we do, Sonya Lacore, Southwest vice president of inflight operations, told ABC News in a statement. “We are aware of the concerns the TWU 556 raised in their letter, and there is much work already underway to address many of the issues this summer.”

Casey Murray, a Southwest captain and pilot’s union president, said issues raised with the company have largely been ignored.

“Management’s refusal to even attempt any of our solutions, or have any real discussion has led us to this point, we must accept that our efforts to improve efficiency and make Southwest Airlines more competitive have fallen on deaf ears, time and time again, because the company has made it clear that they are comfortable with the operation as managed,” Murray said in a video to Southwest pilots Thursday morning.

Southwest Vice President Bob Waltz acknowledged some of the airlines’ challenges, telling ABC News in a statement: “The airline and travel industry have seen a multitude of operational challenges as we navigate the effects of the pandemic. We have teams across the airline working diligently to adapt to the current environment and support our employees during this peak travel season, including efforts focused on providing support to our pilots.”

“We routinely work with the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association on a variety of matters that affect our pilots, but we also have a responsibility to consider a number of factors before implementation of suggestions. We remain committed to listening to feedback and proactively working to address issues as we navigate the months ahead,” Waltz explained.

Southwest is not the only airline facing staffing challenges. American Airlines has had to cancel thousands of flights this summer due pilot and flight attendant shortages.

While airlines received billions of dollars in government aid to keep employees on the payroll, many front-line workers took early retirement or severance packages at the height of the pandemic, leaving airlines desperate to fill openings as air travel rebounded.

Southwest pilots say they will picket during the busy Thanksgiving and Christmas rush if their demands are ignored.

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(NEW YORK) — American Airlines will not serve alcohol in coach until at least 2022, aligning with the expiration of the Transportation Security Administration’s federal mask mandate for airports and planes.

American and Southwest airlines suspended alcohol sales early in the pandemic and said they wouldn’t restart serving booze until September, when the mask mandate originally expired. That date has now been extended to Jan. 18.

Southwest told ABC News it hasn’t decided whether it, too, will extend its alcohol suspension beyond September.

United Airlines has stopped selling hard liquor but is serving beer, wine and hard seltzer.

American’s announcement comes as the Federal Aviation Administration has reported a surge in unruly passengers.

The FAA announced Thursday that it has proposed $1 million in fines for unruly passengers in 2021. The agency said it’s received more than 3,889 reports of unruly behavior this year and that 71% of the reported incidents involved passengers who refused to comply with the federal mask mandate.

Many of the incidents aboard U.S. aircraft also have been fueled by alcohol, including one on a Frontier Airlines flight in which a man was duct-taped to his seat after allegedly touching the breasts of two flight attendants and punching a third. Frontier said the man had requested multiple drinks, spilled on himself, and then walked around the aircraft without wearing a shirt.

The FAA is also asking airport bars and restaurants not to serve alcohol to-go.

American will continue to serve alcohol in first class.
 

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(WASHINGTON) — The Federal Trade Commission is not backing down in its antitrust legal battle against Facebook.

The agency filed an amended complaint against the social media giant on Thursday — voting 3-2 along party lines to proceed — after a federal judge in June dismissed an initial antitrust complaint brought by the FTC.

The new complaint alleges that after Facebook failed to develop innovative mobile features for its network, the company instead opted for an “illegal buy-or-bury scheme” to maintain dominance, according to a statement from the FTC. The agency also accuses the company of “unlawfully” acquiring innovative competitors after its own failed efforts to create popular mobile features.

“Facebook lacked the business acumen and technical talent to survive the transition to mobile. After failing to compete with new innovators, Facebook illegally bought or buried them when their popularity became an existential threat,” Holly Vedova, the FTC’s Bureau of Competition acting director, said in a statement Thursday. “This conduct is no less anticompetitive than if Facebook had bribed emerging app competitors not to compete.”

“The antitrust laws were enacted to prevent precisely this type of illegal activity by monopolists,” Vedova added. “Facebook’s actions have suppressed innovation and product quality improvements. And they have degraded the social network experience, subjecting users to lower levels of privacy and data protections and more intrusive ads.”

Vedova said the FTC’s latest legal move seeks to “put an end to this illegal activity and restore competition for the benefit of Americans and honest businesses alike.”

Many of the arguments are along similar lines of the initial lawsuit, though the FTC said the new complaint includes additional data and evidence.

The new complaint in part focuses on the “transition period” when the emergence of smartphones and mobile internet use seemingly threatened Facebook’s dominance.

The agency alleges in a statement that after Facebook suffered “significant failures during this critical transition period,” the company opted instead to engage in anticompetitive behavior and buy up mobile innovators, including former rivals Instagram and WhatsApp.

The agency also takes aim at Facebook’s treatment of software developers, saying that after starting its Facebook Platform as an open space for third-party software developers, it abruptly reversed course and required developers to agree to conditions that prevented successful apps from emerging as competitors.

In response to ABC News’ request for comment, Facebook referred to a company Twitter post that said: “We are reviewing the FTC’s amended complaint and will have more to say soon.”

In response to the initial complaint, the company has previously slammed the allegations as “revisionist history,” noting that the agency had cleared the acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp. The company has also argued that Instagram and WhatsApp have become what they are today due because Facebook further funded and developed them.

When he dismissed the initial antitrust complaint, District Judge James Boasberg stated that the agency’s complaint “is legally insufficient and must therefore be dismissed.” Boasberg said the FTC failed to provide enough facts to prove Facebook’s alleged monopolistic behavior.

Lina Khan, a vocal critic of Big Tech’s dominance, took the helm at the FTC earlier this year, leading many to speculate a crackdown on the industry could be looming. Facebook has petitioned for Khan to be recused from the antitrust investigation, but the agency on Thursday dismissed the petition. 
 

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(NEW YORK) — Travel looks different in 2021 with changes at hotels like charges for amenities and services.

Some hotels have stripped-down room rates to the bare minimum, tacking on extras like access to the gym or pool for a fee.

MCR Hotels, one of the largest hotel owners in the country with 110 properties in 33 states, said it will experiment with this new feature at New York’s High Line Hotel and the retro hit TWA Hotel located at JFK airport.

The hotel will charge $25 to use the pool on weekends or a day pass at the gym. For guests who want an early check in, that will come with a $20 fee and breakfast will run an additional $10 to $25.

Tyler Morse, CEO of MCR hotels told Good Morning America that this new model tailors the appropriate cost of a stay to fit various guests and their needs.

“There’s business travelers, leisure travelers. Some people want to go to the pool. Some people want to go to the gym. Some people don’t want to do either,” he said. “But by having all of the products together for one price, it forces some people to pay for products that they don’t want or never going to consume.”

These new changes could also save some travelers money if they aren’t planning to use any amenities.

“By going to our cart model, it unbundles the product, it allows us to charge a lower rate for those who just want a sleeping room,” Morse explained. “You can buy the products that you want.”

The hotel and travel industry has been hit hard by the pandemic and now faces labor shortages. Those in the industry are looking for ways to experiment with new options to recover losses and win back business.

“There is going to be quite a long period before we’re back to pre-pandemic levels,” Melanie Lieberman, senior editor of The Points Guy told GMA. She added: “it’s not surprising to see this type of model roll out right now as hotels are looking for ways to ways to save money and generate new revenue.”

Other hotel giants like Marriott and Hilton have yet to jump on the a la carte fee model.

“I think the hotel industry is going to take a cautious approach to doing this — but certainly the more brands, the more major players and the hotel space that start to participate in this type of pricing model, the faster it’s going to take off,” Lieberman said.

Before booking your next stay, she suggested to think about what you actually need for the type of trip you want.

“It certainly goes back to this concept of, if you think you want the whole buffet, you shouldn’t be ordering a la carte,” Lieberman said. “There’s a ton of choice out there for travelers right now. And they’re really going to have to choose at their discretion what kind of experience they want.”

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(NEW YORK) — Labor shortages across the country are fueling a competition among long-term care facilities to retain and hire staff as they grapple with the delta variant.

With U.S. job openings hitting a record high of 9.2 million, nursing homes and other long-term care facilities are losing staff to other industries, or to other nursing facilities that can offer higher wages and better benefits, long-term care advocates and health care associations tell ABC News.

Staff shortages among nursing homes are not new. But advocates say the combination of the coronavirus pandemic, a general labor shortage, and a looming vaccine mandate for many long-term care facilities is making it even more difficult to keep staff.

Many facilities are raising their pay as a result — which in turn has increased competition.

“You have places offering a starting rate of $19 or $20 with huge sign-up bonuses of thousands of dollars,” said Paul Liistro, CEO of Manchester Manor and Vernon Manor nursing homes in Connecticut. In contrast, Liistro said, his facilities are on a three-year track to provide certified nursing assistants a $20 hourly wage.

In May 2020, the median annual wage for long-term care nursing assistants — most of whom work full-time — was $30,120, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Liistro told ABC News that for a brief period of time at the start of the pandemic, some nursing homes were able to raise staff salaries after receiving federal and state coronavirus relief funds. But Liistro said with that aid no longer available, his facilities can’t keep up with the competitive wages being offered in other places.

And Liistro said he expects to see some resignations due to the upcoming mandate that will require his staffers to either get vaccinated or be tested regularly.

On Wednesday, the Biden administration announced that it will require nursing home staffs be vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition for those facilities to continue receiving federal Medicare and Medicaid funding. The latest move by the White House is already receiving pushback from advocates who say the decision will only lead to more staff shortages.

“Focusing only on nursing homes will cause vaccine-hesitant workers to flee to other health care providers and leave many centers without adequate staff to care for residents,” said Mark Parkinson, president and CEO of the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living, which represents more than 14,000 nursing homes. “It will make an already difficult workforce shortage even worse. The net effect of this action will be the opposite of its intent, and it will affect the ability to provide quality care to our residents.”

Nationwide vaccination rates among nursing home staff members are lagging far behind residents. According to the American Association of Retired Persons, 78% of long-term care facility residents are fully vaccinated — while staff vaccinations are only at 56.7%

Liistro told ABC News that his staff continues to express concerns about the safety and efficacy of the vaccine, despite nursing home cases and deaths plummeting after they were prioritized for the vaccine.

“We have about 125 unvaccinated people,” Liistro said of his staff. “My guess is that 80% are going to get vaccinated, 10% will get exemptions and the other 10% will leave.”

“But,” he said, “I’m confident we will find people who want to work in a safe environment with employers who are doing the right thing.”

At John Knox Village, an independent 430-bed nursing facility located in a Kansas City suburb, managers say they’re seeing competition from beyond the health care industry. On top of losing nurses and certified nursing assistants to other nursing homes and hospitals offering higher salaries, the facility recently lost its long-time housekeeper to a warehouse job that offered an additional $3 an hour.

John Knox Village spokesperson Emily Banyas said that last year, the facility raised wages to between $11-$12 an hour for certified nursing assistants in order to remain competitive with stores like Target and Walmart. But recently the big-box stores raised their wages yet again, and are offering added benefits like college tuition and moving expenses.

“It’s turning into a borderline crisis for senior living communities,” Banyas said.

Most of the 310 Florida nursing homes and 23 assisted living facilities questioned last month by the Florida Health Care Association reported they are facing staff challenges.

As a result, said FHCA spokesperson Kristen Knapp, many Florida facilities are having to pay temporary staffing agencies to fill positions. That, in turn, has cost facilities in the state an additional $22.7 million, according to the Agency for Health Care Administration.

Knapp also said that some facilities have been unable to take on new patients because they lack the necessary staff.

In Pennsylvania, the long-term care workforce crisis has “spiraled out of control,” said Zach Shamberg, president and CEO of the Pennsylvania Health Care Association.

Like in Florida, Pennsylvania providers have relied heavily on agency staff or contractors to fill staffing needs, Shamberg said — but now, even those agencies are facing their own workforce shortage.

“Other sectors, including hospitals, have the financial means to offer extravagant bonuses and rapidly maximize wages,” Shamberg said. “Long-term care providers simply cannot keep pace, which leads to workers leaving for other jobs in health care and other industries.”

Dr. David Gifford, chief medical officer for the AHCA/NCAL, said a long-term solution is desperately needed.

“Nursing homes are in constant competition for staff,” said Gifford. “Many providers struggle to recruit and retain caregivers who can often find less demanding jobs in other settings, such as hospitals and industries that can offer better pay.”

“This has been persistent, and the most pressing challenge confronting long-term care, which the COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated,” Gifford said. “The ultimate impact is on our nation’s seniors, who may face limited access to long-term care.”

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(NEW YORK) –Attention, beauty enthusiasts! Ulta Beauty and Target have joined forces and this is not a drill.

The new Ulta Beauty shop-in-shop concept has officially started to roll out at over 50 locations.

Intrigued shoppers can also get a look at the full product assortment of offerings on Target’s website, which features over 50 prestige brands.

Standout brands include Clinique skin care, Urban Decay makeup, Tracee Ellis Ross’ Pattern hair care brand and many more.

Following the initial openings, this shop-in-a-shop format is slated to open in hundreds of other locations as well as online for years to come.

The Ulta Beauty specialty shops are located near existing Target beauty sections and feature specialized displays, season-specific buys and discovery zones for on-trend products.

There will also be trained staff available to help those looking for expert recommendations.

“Ulta Beauty at Target is unmatched in the industry, bringing guests the opportunity to discover new prestige brands while they shop Target’s incredible beauty assortment,” Christina Hennington, Target’s executive vice president and chief growth officer, said in a statement.

She continued, “This unique partnership is another way we continue to elevate the guest experience across our multi-category business to drive traffic and preference as we meet guests’ needs in innovative ways.

“With two powerhouse retailers, our collective brand love, loyalty and omnichannel expertise will inspire guests and raise the bar for the beauty shopping experience,” Hennington added.

Beauty lovers will also get to benefit from two rewards programs — Target Circle and Ultamate Rewards — with this new concept.

Ulta Beauty joins Target’s roster of partnerships with other big-name brands, such as Disney, CVS, Starbucks and more.

“As the retail and beauty industries continue to evolve, we take pride in being leaders that continually redefine and elevate guest experiences,” said Ulta Beauty Chief Operating Officer Kecia Steelman.

She continued, “Ulta Beauty at Target reflects our commitment to drive the industry forward and keep our guests meaningfully engaged. Our dynamic teams have worked together to create a disruptive, exciting way to discover prestige beauty with a thoughtfully curated assortment and knowledgeable, approachable experts to serve as beauty gurus.”

Ulta Beauty at Target has opened at locations throughout California, Florida, Georgia, New York, Texas and many more coming soon.

Walt Disney Co. is the parent company of ABC News and “Good Morning America.”

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(NEW YORK) — T-Mobile confirmed that the personal information of millions of current and prospective customers was compromised in a recent “highly sophisticated cyberattack.”

Some of the data accessed by hackers includes first and last names, dates of birth, social security numbers, and drivers license or ID information. The company said no phone numbers, account numbers, passwords or financial information, including credit or debit card details, were compromised.

The cell phone carrier said the access point bad actors used to illegally gain entry to its servers was located and closed, but the company’s investigation into the breach is ongoing.

“Our preliminary analysis is that approximately 7.8 million current T-Mobile postpaid customer accounts’ information appears to be contained in the stolen files, as well as just over 40 million records of former or prospective customers who had previously applied for credit with T-Mobile,” the company said.

Moreover, the company confirmed that some 850,000 active T-Mobile prepaid customer names, phone numbers and account PINs were also exposed. No customers of Metro by T-Mobile, formerly Sprint prepaid, or Boost had their names or PINs exposed.

T-Mobile said it’s offering two years of free identity protection services with McAfee’s ID Theft Protection Service to customers who are affected, and is recommending all T-Mobile postpaid customers proactively change their account PINs.

The company also said it’s also launching a web page on Wednesday with additional information to help customers protect themselves.

“We take our customers’ protection very seriously and we will continue to work around the clock on this forensic investigation to ensure we are taking care of our customers in light of this malicious attack,” the company said. “While our investigation is ongoing, we wanted to share these initial findings even as we may learn additional facts through our investigation that cause the details above to change or evolve.”

The breach at T-Mobile comes in the wake of multiple high-profile cybersecurity attacks this year that have targeted meat processors, oil pipeline operators and more. In May, President Joe Biden signed an executive order aimed at modernizing the federal government’s response to cyberattacks.

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(NEW YORK) — Old Navy is championing size inclusion with the launch of the brand’s latest “Bodequality” campaign.

More than a campaign, the fashion retailer announced it would be fully revamping the company’s size offerings to feature every women’s style in every size ranging from 0-30 and XS-4X, along with no price differences.

The brand also confirmed Wednesday that these changes will start rolling out in stores and online starting Aug. 20.

The store’s entire shopping experience surrounding size inclusion, store visuals and more are getting a full-on upgrade, the company said.

In 2016, a study published by the International Journal of Fashion Design, Technology, and Education revealed that the average size of an American woman is between 16 to 18.

At the top of this year, the CDC published 2015-2018 data revealing that the average weight of American women is 170.8 pounds and 5 feet 3 inches. In most U.S. stores, these measurements equate to a pants size of 16 and up or large to extra large.

However, GMA previously reported that only about 2,000 stores cater to women above size 12 compared to more than 60,000 stores that cater to traditional straight sizes, 00 to 12, according to Torrid’s CEO Liz Muñoz.

Old Navy’s president and CEO Nancy Green noticed an opportunity to change the women’s shopping experience by making it more inclusive regardless of size, and she essentially ran with it.

“Bodqueality is not a one-time campaign, but a full transformation of our business in service to our customers based on years of working closely with them to research their needs,” Green said. “I’m proud of the collaboration across our Old Navy teams to evolve the retail experience for women.”

With efforts to provide updated sizing that felt true to a variety of body types, Old Navy said it administered 389 body scans to create digital avatars based on real women’s bodies.

Fit clinics with models that wear sizes 20-28 were also ran to build fresh fit blocks based on each of their unique proportions.

Old Navy also said it partnered with full-time fit models in sizes 8 – 20 to review the brand’s updated styles.

Similar to other big-name stores such as Nike and most recently Victoria’s Secret, the company said it will feature mannequins in a variety of sizes such as four, 12 and 18.

Online, shoppers can also use a new toggle feature that allows them to select their preferred default model display.

Prior to the launch of Bodequality, Old Navy offered sizes 0-14 as part of its Women’s collection and sizes 16-30 as part of its Women’s Plus collection. With its new initiative, all women’s sizes will be integrated where all customers can participate in the same brand experience with the same access to product.

Several other retailers have a designated area for plus sizes, but Old Navy is also doing away with separate sections and creating space where everything will be displayed in one place in-store and online.

Pricing will now also be the same throughout sizing. Before Bodequality, there was a price difference between straight sizes and the plus collection.

“Traditionally, to create extended size garments it requires more fabric and a different production process,” an Old Navy spokesperson told GMA. “As we launch Bodequality, we’ve transformed our process so we’ve been able to create price parity for all.”

Old Navy employees are also participating in customer-focused training with an aim to create more of an environment where everyone feels they belong, the company said.

Old Navy initially debuted its first Plus line in 2004 and in 2018 launched dedicated Plus shops in 75 U.S. stores. The following year, the company transformed 30 of those locations into size-integrated concept stores.

“Developing Bodequality allowed us to rethink the way we serve women in the retail industry,” Alison Partridge Stickney, head of women’s and maternity merchandising at Old Navy, said in a statement.

“This launch is a transformative moment for our brand and the fashion industry,” Partridge said.

With a goal to introduce Bodequality to women everywhere, the retailers will premiere a TV spot starring Emmy-nominated actress and comedian Aidy Bryant dancing alongside a diverse group of women to “I Am 100%” by Jarina De Marco.

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(NEW YORK) — The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued a new warning about the dangers of high-powered magnetic balls and cubes.

The agency announced a mandatory recall on Tuesday of 10 million products from Zen Magnets LLC — Zen and Neoballs — due to an ingestion hazard and risk of death.

Most recalls are done voluntarily, with companies and the CPSC working together to get dangerous products out of consumers’ hands, but the agency said that since “Zen did not agree to a voluntary recall, CPSC sued the company to effect a mandatory recall.”

“When high-powered magnets are swallowed, they can interact with each other or other metallic objects (material attracted to magnets) and become lodged in the digestive systems. This can result in perforations, twisting and/or blockage of the intestines, infection, blood poisoning, and death,” the CPSC warned in a press release. “These injuries can occur when infants, toddlers, and teens access and ingest the magnets, including, for example, when teens use the magnets to mimic mouth piercings and swallow them inadvertently.”

Founder Shihan Qu shared a statement in response to the recall Tuesday on the company’s website.

“Zen Magnets is honored to have been the leading voice of the majority of consumers who believe that adults should be able purchase recreational high powered magnets, in the CPSC’s continual and uncompromising War on Magnets,” he wrote. “We’ve been offering a voluntary recall since 2016 allowing customers to return magnets for a refund for any reason, including if they didn’t feel safe with them, didn’t think they could keep them from being swallowed, or was unable to understand why they are dangerous, or didn’t like the name Zen Magnets.”

The founder added that his was “the first company to petition the CPSC for safer standards for recreational magnet sets after their 2016 ban was overturned by a Judge, for not having properly considered alternatives. After much work with other companies, doctors, and human factors experts, the spirit of our petition for safer magnet standards lives in a new standard ASTM F3458 — 21 which requires recreational magnets to have warnings stronger than cigarettes and fireworks combined, and packaging that’s safer that laundry detergent pods and on par with pharmaceuticals.”

In order to help protect kids from the potential hidden hazard, CPSC issued violation notices to companies that market dangerous, high-powered magnetic balls and cubes as toys for children, insisting that those companies notify purchasers and warn of the dangers of use by children. CPSC also works with major online platforms to remove these products from their sites.

“When consumers see these products marketed for children on trusted e-commerce sites, many of these items sold by foreign firms, consumers assume they are safe,” acting Chairman Robert Adler said in a statement. “But the reality is, these magnets can cause lifelong injury, or worse, to kids. That’s why it’s so important that e-commerce sites not allow these products to be sold to kids and why kids are safest when these products are not in the home.”

The CPSC also worked with e-commerce sites to issue safety alert notices directly to purchasers in the cases when magnet firms were not responsive.

Adler added that “until we can get these products off the market entirely, we just have to be vigilant.”

The nearly 10 million magnets, manufactured in China, were sold individually for 6 to 10 cents as well as in magnet sets for anywhere between $12 and $264 per set. The magnets were sold online and at certain Colorado retailers starting in January 2009.

Zen Magnets and Neoballs are high-powered 5 mm spherical magnets. Zen Magnets were sold individually and in sets of 72, 216 with 6 spares, and 1,728 with 8 spares. Neoballs were sold individually and in sets in the following colors: silver, gold, red, orange, green, red, blue and purple. “Zen Magnets” or “Neoballs” is printed on the packaging.

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled magnets and contact Zen Magnets LLC for a refund.

As of time of publication, the CPSC said Zen Magnets LLC was aware of two children who ingested Zen Magnets and required surgery to remove them along with parts of their intestines and bowels. It was also aware of other reports of children and teenagers ingesting high-powered magnets and requiring surgery. A 19-month-girl died after ingesting similar high-powered magnets.

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