Up 43% | “Sickness isn’t the only symptom of the novel coronavirus – 23% of U.S. adults with credit card debt have added to it during the pandemic, according to a CreditCards.com poll.”

Down | “The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index^® deteriorated further in April, following a sharp decline in March. The Index now stands at 86.9 (1985=100), down from 118.8 in March. The Present Situation Index – based on consumers’ assessment of current business and labor market conditions – also declined considerably, from 166.7 to 76.4. However, the Expectations Index – based on consumers’ short-term outlook for income, business and labor market conditions – improved from 86.8 in March to 93.8 this month (April).” 

Down | PPL announces rate reduction beginning in June – news release

screen shot from CHI St. Joseph Children’s Health facebook page

post at the Borough Website

Give Columbia’s council credit | Columbia’s borough council meetings will not be closed to the public. Not so in Ephrata, this top-of-page-one article in today’s LNP – Always Lancaster reports “Ephrata Borough Council has not shared information with residents on how to join its videoconferencing calls.” Fearing hackers, the council opted to take this draconian step. One councillor pointed out that ZOOM, the platform the borough’s using. has taken extreme measures to insure that “zoom bombings” have been all but eradicated. Ephrata’s taking a dangerous path by violating citizen’s rights to participate in governance.

Eyes | Take a break from screen time – Newsy

under reporting? | Did 90,000 Americans have COVID-19 in early March? – Futurity