Sales of body armor rise amid spate of mass shootings - June 14, 2022

Executive Leadership Briefing

Retailers and manufacturers of body armor are reporting increased sales due in part to customers seeking added protection following the recent mass shootings. These businesses believe their customers are looking for more protection in a world that has felt increasingly unsafe, but data also shows more mass shooters turning to body armor to make their attacks more deadly. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul received criticism for signing a bill that she says bans the sale of body armor, but a loophole in the legislation does not restrict the hard-plated body armor worn by the Buffalo gunman. Non-law enforcement professionals, including transit workers and photojournalists, are asking for carve-out laws that allow them to purchase ballistics protection for use on the job.

Lawmakers, including the Biden administration, are increasingly accusing big companies of seizing on inflation to jack up prices more than necessary. Critics of those companies say “greedflation” has persisted as more consumers lose any benchmark they had for what prices should be. Some economists debunking the claim point to economic indicators – while inflation remained high, the stock market plummeted and earnings have largely disappointed investors. Skyrocketing food prices are beginning to impact Americans’ eating and grocery habits, meanwhile food manufacturers continue to “shrinkflate” – putting fewer chips or cereal in the bags and boxes we buy.

Thousands of flights are being canceled or delayed and airline ticket prices are surging – rising 38% in May compared to a year earlier – prompting an increase in complaints from customers. With a commoditized product like an airline ticket, making fliers happy does little for retention while making them angry also does little to lose them. Despite the jump in angry customers, investors are celebrating the results that they hope will recoup two years of lost profits due to the pandemic.

The Food and Drug Administration granted clearance to new software that enables Apple Watch-based tracking of Parkinson’s disease symptoms and to a new Apple software update that will feature improved sleep monitoring and enhanced heartbeat tracking. The move underscores Apple’s commitment to expanding the health and fitness uses as well as the broader trend among tech companies hoping to establish their credentials in health care. With these developments, experts warn that data collected from wearable devices like FitBits and Apple Watches have no special legal protections under HIPAA.

One-third of Americans reported feeling left behind as everyone they know moves past the coronavirus pandemic despite a rise in cases and hospitalizations. While 31% of respondents said they believe the pandemic is over, nearly half say they have returned to their normal, pre-COVID routines. International travelers boarding flights to the U.S. will no longer need to show proof of a negative coronavirus test. The move follows the Biden administration dropping its federal mask requirement on public transportation in April.

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