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In this image from video, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., speaks during the third night of the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2020. (Democratic National Convention via AP) 202

It was back in March when cleaning items started disappearing from grocery stores, in the initial pandemic panic.Remember the runs on toilet paper? For three months, you couldn't find any.But here we are, six months later, and many items are still in short supply."Sometimes bleach, and paper towels," one grocery shopper told us. "Clorox wipes we cannot find," another said.But disinfecting items are just the beginning of the waves of product shortages that have hit during this year of COVID-19, and much of it has nothing to do with panic buying.So we checked into 10 things still in short supply, and why they remain so elusive.1. Lysol and Clorox wipesNext to hand sanitizer (which is now readily available), disinfecting wipes remain the Holy Grail of grocery items these days.But with hospitals, schools, and businesses snapping them up by the truckload, grocery shoppers will be among the last in line to get them as long as the pandemic rages.You can add Lysol, Clorox bathroom cleaner, Scrubbing Bubbles, and Formula 409 to the list, for the same reasons.2. Paper towelsUnlike toilet paper, which is now readily available, paper towels remain hard to find.Paper producers devoted the summer to increasing toilet paper production, and now there is almost too much. Some stores put toilet paper where cleaning products used to be to fill empty shelf space.But paper towels are bulky to ship, and manufacturers have not increased production as much, according to the Wall Street Journal. So don't expect much to change soon.And they are as in-demand as all cleaning products.3. Yeast and baking flourThe springtime lockdown saw millions of Americans turn to baking, and that in turn led to huge shortages of baking products. Luckily, these shortages are just about over, as we return to bakeries and restaurants.4. Canning jars and lidsWith worries of food shortages that never happened, millions of people started growing tomatoes and other vegetables that now need to be harvested and canned.The result: an uncanny shortage of canning supplies that is expected to linger through the winter. Expect to pay a lot for canning lids, especially.5. BicyclesThis may be the biggest shortage of all, next to Clorox wipes.Beth Tessler was shopping for a bike recently. But the showroom floor was empty, save for small children's bikes and high-end racing bikes, leaving her stunned by the prices."The cheapest bike we found was ,000," she said. "The most expensive was ,500."Store manager Terry Powell said mid-priced Bianchi and Schwinn bikes are on back order."Demand has been through the roof this year," he said. "A lot of people have been pulling old bikes out of barns and garages and trying to get them fixed up because they can't find the bicycle they are looking for."6. Swimming poolsJust like with bicycles, stay-at-home orders meant people needed activities to do at home. So all spring, they snapped up above-ground and in-ground pools.You now may have to wait several months to have an in-ground pool installed.7. AppliancesWhen it comes to appliances, things are not as tough as finding a bicycle. But still, if you are looking for a specific French-door fridge with two drawers and water in the door, you might have to settle for something else.Jeffrey Boggs owns an appliance shop where every day he deals with customers frustrated by kitchen appliances on back order."It started with freezers, and it's gradually getting into every appliance," he said. "Microwave, range, everything is difficult to get right now." He blames two factors: plant shutdowns this spring, and shipping delays from China.He said you can find a fridge or washer if you need one, but don't have your heart set on one particular model.With factories up to full steam again, he expects supplies to rebound this fall.8. Laptops, children's desksYou can thank remote, Zoom learning for this shortage. Inexpensive laptops and Chromebooks are very hard to find, as parents and schools snapped them up all summer.Stores predict shortages should ease by Black Friday. Until then, be careful buying from unknown web sellers.9. CoinsIf you have been Krogering the past two months, you probably have seen signs warning of a coin and change shortage, but it's more than an inconvenience.Jamie Lusk owns a laundromat. He struggles to keep quarters in stock."My customers use quarters to run these machines," he said. "And when I can't go to the bank to purchase quarters, then they can't run the machines."10. Beer and Coke cansThis one is not a current shortage that is just starting to get worse: aluminum cans are in short supply.Craft brewer Scott LaFollette is concerned about the sudden aluminum can shortage, which is forcing breweries to wait longer and pay more for their shipments."It is just in the beginning stages, so it's probably going get much worse before it gets better," he said.The good news: there is no shortage of beer, and if you don't mind glass, there is plenty of beer to drink.You might need a drink just keeping up with all the new shortages that seem to pop up every week.As always, don't waste your money.___________________________Don't Waste Your Money" is a registered trademark of Scripps Media, Inc. ("Scripps").Like" John Matarese Money on FacebookFollow John on Instagram @johnmataresemoneyFollow John on Twitter (@JohnMatarese)For more consumer news and money saving advice, go to www.dontwasteyourmoney.com 5439

In post-Brexit Britain, trips to the European Union will get a little more expensive for millions of Brits in search of a continental break.The European Commission confirmed on Friday that UK travelers will be required fill out an online form and cough up €7 (.90) for visa-free travel, which will be valid for three years.Natasha Bertaud, a spokeswoman for the commission's President Jean-Claude Juncker, likened the "simple form" to the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) scheme used by the United States -- which requires travelers to pay to apply for permission to enter the country.She also pointed out that the EU's version, called ETIAS, will be "way cheaper."But this all comes with a major caveat. If the UK crashes out of the EU with no agreement in place, Brits will be required to get a visa to travel to the EU, a commission spokeswoman told Reuters on Friday.ETIAS, which is expected to come into force in 2021, will apply to countries outside the EU whose citizens can currently travel in Europe visa free. There are currently 61 such countries, including the United States, Israel and Singapore.It will cover the so-called Schengen group of 26 European countries that share largely open land borders.The electronic visa waiver system was conceived to "identify any security or irregular migratory risks posed by visa-exempt visitors traveling to the Schengen area while at the same time facilitate crossing frontiers for the vast majority of travelers who do not pose such risks,"?according to the commission. 1554

INDIANAPOLIS -- Ninety minutes after Tonya Holtgrave dropped her dog, Titan, off at Barkefellers on the west side, the doggy daycare called to tell her that Titan appeared to be injured.Holtgrave said they told her that they weren't sure what happened, but she needed to take him to a veterinary hospital immediately."I was just shocked when they called me and said he was hurt, and it's kind of been a shock ever since," she said.According to medical records, Titan fractured his tibia in both legs."They let my dog get hurt," Holtgrave said "That's negligence on their part, not mine."She said the vets told her Titan will need an expensive surgery. She wants the company to help pay for it."I just can't afford that right now, ,000 for surgery," Holtgrave said. "I am already out over ,000 just in all of these vet bills and stuff, and his medicine."Barkefellers said they checked their surveillance cameras and did not see any point where the dog might have gotten injured under their care. Holtgrave said she had Titan's vet call the facility. The manager said they can't pay for anything unless they have proof that Titan was injured on their property."The other vet had already told him it was a traumatic injury, that he didn't walk in there with two broken legs," Holtgrave said.The owners of Barkefellers said they will help pay for the medical bills once they have their own vets review the records and X-rays themselves, and get the proof they need to make sure this injury happened there. 1518

It¡¯s now the time of year when you choose your healthcare insurance options during open enrollments. There is a large question looming, though. Has coronavirus affected health insurance?Here¡¯s where your insurance stands today, the effects of COVID-19, and the mistakes you make when signing up for coverage.¡°I couldn¡¯t live without insurance. I¡¯m a diabetic and without insurance, I don¡¯t know what I would do,¡± said Jon Gill from Solon. As usual, he will soon enroll in his company¡¯s health insurance plan. However, this year has been unusual in the U.S; 8 million Americans have had coronavirus and that care costs.¡°I would think that COVID is going to make (rates) go up. I would assume,¡± said Gill.Dr. JB Silvers from Case Western Reserve University says probably not.¡°It looks like rates are going to be pretty stable,¡± he told us.Dr. Silvers has been studying healthcare and insurance for the past 40 years. He told us because people were not allowed to get some procedures earlier this year or they have been afraid to go to the doctor, that means insurance companies have done well financially.¡°The premiums keep coming in and the costs are low,¡± said Dr. Silvers.Here¡¯s where the costs could catch up with you: if you¡¯ve put off important, needed medical care.¡°Did you defer things that really should have been taken care of? In which case, you¡¯re going to pay me later rather than paying me now. That¡¯s the problem,¡± said Dr. Silvers.Liz Westin is an author and Finance Columnist with NerdWallet.com. She said just going with the same thing you did 12 months ago might not be wise. ¡°(People) wind up spending about ,000 more a year than necessary because they aren¡¯t paying attention to how their plans have changed,¡± Westin told us.Other mistakes people make during open enrollment is the temptation to just select the cheapest coverage, but that comes with much larger deductibles.¡°These high-deductible plans have really taken hold,¡± said Westin. ¡°That¡¯s fine if you have the cash set aside to pay for the care that you¡¯re going to have to pay for out of pocket, but a lot of people don¡¯t have that cash.¡±That applies especially to people who¡¯ve lost their jobs because of COVID and lost their healthcare insurance with them. That could force Americans into "Obamacare" coverage under the Affordable Care Act. If that¡¯s you, make sure to apply for financial tax help available that will lower your premium.¡°And that¡¯s the route, I think ¡ª especially if you¡¯ve lost your job ¡ª that most people are going to want to take,¡± Westin told us.If you already have coverage through the Affordable Care Act, Dr. Silvers told us in the fine print it says you have to spend at least (depending on the kind of plan) 80%-85% on pure medical costs. If you haven¡¯t done that this year because of COVID restrictions or fear, you will get some money back.¡°Already this year, companies are giving rebates back for 2019, but they¡¯re pretty small. Next year they¡¯re going to be really big,¡± said Dr. Silvers.Both experts we talked to said in the upcoming year, you should take advantage of telemedicine where you meet with doctors over a video chat. That could help with your overall care at lower costs and it avoids putting off important visits.This story was first reported by Jonathan Walsh at WEWS in Cincinnati, Ohio. 3326

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