Category: News

Ahead of his long-in-the-works cyber symposium, Mike Lindell is wrapped up in a conspiracy theory — and for once, he didn’t start it. Texas State Representative Steve Toth believes that the MyPillow founder is being “set up by the Left” in his futile attempts to prove that the 2020 presidential election was rigged.

“The Republican congressman reveals in a video from the Undercurrent that he’s going to re-file Texas House Bill 24 to seek an independent audit of the state’s election results,” Newsweek reports. “He compares the audit to audits currently underway in Maricopa County, Arizona and Fulton County, Georgia.” In the video, Toth (whose Twitter bio reads “#ProLife #Christian #GOP”) says, “You just follow the evidence, right? Problem is, this is not done electronically, and that’s the course that Mike Lindell is on right now with MyPillow. And the problem is, I think he’s being set up by the Left.” When someone off-camera asks whether Lindell is being fed “bad information,” the politician replies, “It’s one of these things where it’s — look what the left hand’s doing.” He begins waving his hand. “Look, look, look, look. Even though it’s the right hand.” Big if true:

“It’s always been paper,” Toth continues. “And the Democrats now are trying to create this conspiracy, that it’s electronic so that we’ll move back to paper, solely paper. And they’re foisting this scam on us, and Republicans are buying into it. It’s paper.” Toth doesn’t name which Democratic entities he believes are misleading Lindell and Republicans into examining voting machines.

The Left is setting Lindell up to fail, Toth believes, to distract from the real issue: that the election was stolen (it wasn’t) using paper ballots, not electronic ones. I almost feel bad for Lindell — then I think about it for a half-second longer and the sympathy is gone. Anyway, Toth previously appeared at a “Stop the Steal” rally in support of former-President Trump, but you probably guessed that already. Watch the video below.

(Via Newsweek)

After his first Donda listening event at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Kanye West confirmed the rumors that he was temporarily living in the venue while he finished work on the album. Now, it appears he’s moving out, but not back into a more traditional sort of home. Instead, it appear he’s relocating to another stadium.

This news comes via West collaborator KayCyy, who noted in a now-deleted tweet (as XXL reports), “We moving to another stadium.”

As the publication notes, other stadiums in the Atlanta area to which West could move include State Farm Arena, Truist Park, and Russ Chandler Stadium. Of course, there’s also the possibility that West will land in a stadium in a different part of the world entirely.

As for when Donda will be released, that remains unclear. West apparently noticed a mixing mistake during his second Donda listening event, so there’s still work to be done. As it stands now, streaming platforms like Apple Music say the album is set for this week, August 13, although neither West nor anybody from his team have made that announcement. Even if there was a confirmed release date, though, West has proven, with this album and previous efforts, that these deadlines can’t necessarily be treated as gospel.

The end of summer is the age of the hazy, juicy IPA. In fact, to stay refreshed and have your thirst quenched, I say the juicier the better. While I have a hard time getting behind crafty American fruited sours that look more like a glass of neon pink juice, I can easily throw back fruity, juicy, tropical-flavored hazy IPA from now until October (and beyond).

New England IPAs pair well with rich cheeses, grilled meats, and backyard games (ladder ball anyone?). In general, they’re filled with citrus, mango, peach, and other delicious fruit notes and go down (way too) easily on a hot day. Especially if you’re standing in a backyard next to a grill critiquing your friend’s steak flipping technique.

The only problem (if you consider it to be a problem at all) is the fact that juicy IPAs are usually reasonably high in alcohol (around six to eight percent ABV). So, you don’t want to crack one open only to realize that you don’t enjoy it. Luckily, I’m here to help.

To get the most out of this blind taste test, we picked a few highly rated juicy IPAs and a few underrated gems that you might not have heard about. While all of them can’t be picked up at your local grocery store, you should be able to find them at high-end beer shops. The point is to blindly rank juicy IPAs that you might actually want to bring to an end-of-summer backyard cookout. If they were impossible to find, what would be the point?

Here are our contenders:

• Tree House Julius
• Voodoo Ranger Juicy Haze
• Night Shift The 87
• Offshoot Relax
• Toppling Goliath King Sue
• Sloop Juice Bomb
• Mighty Squirrel Cloud Candy
• Threes Logical Conclusion

Let’s enjoy these hazy gems!

Part 1: The Taste

Taste 1:

Tasting Notes:

There’s a strange bread-like scent that goes along with mango, peach, and citrus zest. It smells almost too sweet for my liking. The flavor is fairly muted with hints of biscuit-like malts, grapefruit, and mango. It’s not such a bad thing to not be overwhelmed with flavors, but I prefer a little more excitement from my hazy IPAs.

Taste 2:

Tasting Notes:

Nosing this beer, I was struck by the intense aromas of lemongrass, stone fruits, and sweet malts. The palate is surprisingly well-balanced for a hazy IPA with a nice malt backbone that works perfectly with the flavors of mango, guava, peaches, grapefruit, and a slight, piney, bitter hops presence at the very end. All in all, it’s a fairly enjoyable beer.

Taste 3:

Tasting Notes:

On the nose, I found hints of passion fruit, orange zest, grapefruit, mango, slight caramel malts, and just a hint of resinous pine. The flavor is a combination of spruce tips, ripe peaches, caramel malts, pineapple, and various other juicy, mouth-watering tropical fruits. This just might be the most well-balanced New England-style IPA I’ve ever sipped.

Taste 4:

Tasting Notes:

The nose has prevalent tangerine and pineapple notes, but not much else. The flavor is citrus-centric with lemon, orange, but there are also tropical fruit flavors and a light malt presence. It’s a decent beginner hazy IPA but tastes a little mass-produced.

Taste 5:

Tasting Notes:

Complex aromas of ripe grapefruit, sweet mangos, passion fruit, and berries highlight the nose. Sipping it reveals more peach, pineapple, lemon zest, and just a hint of bread-like malts. The last few sips are resinous piney and a little dry.

Taste 6:

Bottom Line:

While many hazy IPAs are citrus-centric, this beer’s nose is all tropical fruits, leading with guava, mango, papaya, and pineapple. The palate is more even with more tropical fruits and the addition of tangerine, lime, and a final note of resinous pine to make you remember you’re drinking an IPA and not a glass of pineapple juice.

Taste 7:

Tasting Notes:

Breathing in the aromas of this beer is like smelling a tropical fruit salad. There are scents of ripe pineapple, papaya, mango, and just a hint of pine tree aroma. The palate is loaded with flavors like passion fruit, pineapple, grapefruit, tangerines, and resin. The finish is just bitter enough to let you know that you’re enjoying an IPA.

Taste 8:

Tasting Notes:

The citrus aromas are center stage with this beer. There’s orange, tangerine, bright lime, grapefruit, as well as nice juicy pineapple and other tropical flavors. The palate is swirling with more tropical fruits, citrus, and a nice malty backbone that brings it all together.

Part 2: The Ranking

8. Voodoo Ranger Juicy Haze — Taste 4

ABV: 7.5%

Average Price: $12 for a six-pack

The Beer:

A few years ago, New Belgium branched off with its series of Voodoo Ranger IPAs and now has quite a collection. This 7.5 percent hazy IPA was brewed with Hefeweizen yeast, Pale, Wheat, C-80 malts, Oats, as well as Citra, Cascade, Centennial, Simcoe, and Nugget hops.

Bottom Line:

There’s no disputing the juiciness of this beer. It has everything beginner hazy drinkers crave. It just doesn’t have enough of them to hold my attention.

7. Offshoot Relax (It’s Just A Hazy IPA) — Taste 1

ABV: 6.8%

Average Price: $16 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans

The Beer:

With a name like Relax (It’s Just A Hazy IPA) you better bet this is the type of hazy, juicy beer you drink while you put your feet up after a long day. Brewed with London III yeast, 2-Row, and Carafoam malt, flaked oats, and Citra, Amarillo, Centennial, and Simcoe hops, it’s fruity with a slightly bitter, floral backbone.

Bottom Line:

This isn’t a bad hazy IPA. In fact, it’s pretty good. It just lacks the mouthfeel and overall taste I expect in a juice bomb of an IPA.

6. Night Shift The 87 — Taste 2

ABV: 8%

Average Price: $16 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans

The Beer:

This hazy double IPA was named after the brewery’s address in Everett, Massachusetts. It’s 8 percent ABV and was created to have a juicy, cloudy appearance and a nice balance between caramel malts and juicy, fruity hops.

Bottom Line:

This beer is great. The only reason it didn’t land further up on the list is that I selected some pretty outstanding brews. This one is just a hair behind some of the others in terms of overall flavor.

5. Threes Logical Conclusion — Taste 5

ABV: 7%

Average Price: $20 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans

The Beer:

This 7 percent brew is listed as “hoppy American ale”, but it’s so much more than that. Brewed with German pilsner malt, German malted wheat, American wheat flakes, as well as Citra, Simcoe, and Mosaic hops, the brewery uses many descriptive words to explain this beer and the best one is that it tastes like “Gushers”.

Bottom Line:

If you’re looking for a juicy, tropical beer, this is your jam. The only thing that stops it from falling higher on the list is that the ending, instead of continuing with the juicy nature, is a little drier and more bitter than expected.

4. Toppling Goliath King Sue — Taste 8

ABV: 7.8%

Average Price: $20 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans

The Beer:

Toppling Goliath King Sue is one of the most well-respected hazy IPAs on the market for a reason. This 7.8 percent double IPA is brewed exclusively with Citra hops, guaranteeing it more resembles a glass of orange juice with hops in it than a beer.

Bottom Line:

Even though this beer was only brewed with one hop variety, it’s enough. Sometimes simple is better. This is a big, bold, juicy beer well-suited for summer drinking.

3. Mighty Squirrel Cloud Candy — Taste 6

ABV: 6.5%

Average Price: $15 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans

The Beer:

Cloud Candy is brewed for those of us with arrested development. The kind of adults who still seek out cotton candy when they’re at a fair. It’s hazy, cloudy, and filled with dominant fruity tropical flavors thanks to dry-hopping with Mosaic and Citra hops.

Bottom Line:

This beer is a murky, hazy juice bomb you won’t soon forget. If you’re into more tropical-based hazy IPAs, this is the beer for you.

2. Sloop Juice Bomb — Taste 7

ABV: 6.5%

Average Price: $20 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans

The Beer:

You definitely know what you’re getting into when you crack open a Sloop Juice Bomb. This 6.5 percent New England-style IPA is filled with citrus and tropical fruit flavors, but that’s not all. While not bitter like your traditional IPA, there’s also a nice resinous, floral hop flavor that rounds everything out.

Bottom Line:

This beer completely lives up to its name. It’s a literal juice bomb that’s well-suited for late summer, backyard sipping. I’d pair it with a burger and a nice game of croquet or corn hole.

1. Tree House Julius — Taste 3

ABV: 6.8%

Average Price: $5.50 for a 16-ounce can

The Beer:

Tree House Julius commonly finds itself on a list of best New England IPAs. The flagship beer of the Massachusetts brewery, it’s well-known for its creamy mouthfeel and balance of citrus, tropical fruits, and pleasing bitterness.

Bottom Line:

This is a juicy, fruity, citrusy gem. But it also has enough malt presence and slightly bitter pine to round everything together perfectly. It’s the kind of beer I’d sip all summer long and not even think of picking up something else.

Part 3: Final Thoughts

Blind taste tests are always guaranteed to have a surprise or two. This is especially true when all of the beers on the list are absolute bangers. All I use to rank these are my senses of smell and taste. That’s it. So, if your favorite beer didn’t land as high on this list, that’s too bad. Do your own ranking and tell us how it turned out!

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As a Drizly affiliate, Uproxx may receive a commission pursuant to certain items on this list.

There are many troubling videos of “Karens,” usually middle-aged white women, giving Black people a hard time over minor or, usually, non-existent infractions. The Amy Cooper video, in which a white Manhattanite makes a false police call on a Black man, is on the disturbing side of the spectrum. Some, however, are absurd, if still concerning. Such is a TikTok video that went viral on Monday, depicting a “Karen” giving a Black woman a hard time over a…Tigger flag.

The video shows a mostly peaceful but tense confrontation between an older white woman and the person who wound up posting it on social media. Her name is Ambrosia, aka @tizzybizzy92, and it finds her opening the door to a neighbor, who proceeds to speak her mind about one of the flags hanging on her property, arguing that it blemishes their shared surroundings.

“I want to talk about this Tigger flag,” the woman says. “I don’t like it.” The older woman compliments the other flag she has up, an American flag, which she deems “real nice.” But not so much the one featuring the rambunctious stuffed tiger from A.A. Milne’s Winnie the Pooh stories.

“It makes it look tacky — it makes the neighborhood look tacky,” the woman claims.

But Ambrosia stands her ground, not by raising her voice or even getting snippy, but by being extremely nice and neighborly — but never coming close to agreeing to take it down. “It doesn’t [look tacky], but that’s okay,” she tells the older woman. “You’re allowed your opinion.”

Ambrosia’s neighbor tries to scare her by talking about allegedly broken ordinances. “And we have rules,” she says. “I don’t want to have to go find out what they are, but I don’t like that.” Eventually she leaves, swearing she’s going to go find out what those rules are, if they do indeed exist.

Ambrosia later uploaded the encounter to TikTok, complete with a shot of the offending flag, showing the Disney interpretation of the character, first seen in the 1966 short Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree. The service took it down, but re-uploaded it after an appeal.

The TikTok soon made its way to Twitter, and as it got passed around, people couldn’t believe they were watching a video of a woman so angered by a flag showing Tigger the stuffed tiger that she pestered one of her neighbors.

Some joked that Tigger is the latest children’s character who’s been dragged into today’s culture wars.

Some argued that Tigger was now a Black Lives Matter symbol.

Others dwelled on the more troubling sides of the video.

And others praised Ambrosia for her infinite patience in de-escalating what could have been an even more febrile situation.

(Via Yahoo!)

Back in May the BBC reported that none other than Ed Sheeran would be the sponsor for Ipswich Town Football Club, a soccer team in Suffolk, England, where Sheeran also lives. According to his Instagram, Sheeran grew up as a fan of the team, so sponsoring the men’s and women’s jerseys (aka shirts) for a year seems like a natural fit. The pop star is currently ramping up promo for his newest album, releasing his newest single “Bad Habits” and his logo on the Ipswich jerseys promises a tour coming very soon.

Here’s what that logo looks like, for those who are curious:

As a show of gratitude for the support of Sheeran, the club decided to give him his own jersey and number for the season. The team posted a photo of Sheeran wearing his new gear on Twitter, writing: “@edsheeran might be used to being number one, but it’s 17 that is next to his name on Town’s official squad list for the 2021/22 season!”

“When Ipswich told me I thought they were joking but I love the idea,” Sheeran told the BBC. “I think this is going to be a great season and I’m honoured to be a part of it. I just hope this squad number is only ceremonial because I want to see us promoted and that’s not going to happen if I’m playing.”

In a recent livestream concert hosted at the stadium where Ipswich Town plays, Portman Road, Sheeran was wearing the number 17, part of what inspired the team to designate that his jersey for the season. Ipswich Town chief executive Mark Ashton said he and manager Paul Cook “spoke about it and we agreed to offer Ed the chance of that squad number,” adding: “It’s our way of thanking him for his support and we look forward to welcoming him to Portman Road this season.”

The Las Vegas edition of NBA Summer League opened on Sunday with a full slate of action. The centerpiece of the first day was a doubleheader featuring Cade Cunningham, Jalen Green, and Evan Mobley, with plenty of intrigue on all sides. While the second day of games wasn’t quite as overwhelming from a matchup perspective, the marquee contest pitted the Golden State Warriors against the Orlando Magic with quality prospects all over the place. In addition to former first-round selections like Cole Anthony and RJ Hampton, four Lottery picks were on the floor in Orlando’s Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs and Golden State’s duo of Moses Moody and Jon Kuminga. In fact, the game needed more than the scheduled 40 minutes, with the Magic coming back from a late deficit and prevailing in overtime, 91-89.

It was a solid day for the Warriors’ prospects. With the caveat that Golden State participated in the California Classic, meaning this was not the pro debut for either player, both Kuminga and Moody entertained and excelled. Kuminga, who spent last season with the G League Ignite squad, made the kind of flash plays that remind observers of his sky-high potential and physicality, and he finished the evening with 16 points, six rebounds, and three steals.

Moody’s start was a bit slower, but he came on strong to finish with 15 points and four rebounds. The former Arkansas wing and No. 14 overall pick settled in after the uneven start, showing off his scoring package, creation potential, and general awareness on both ends.

For Orlando, Wagner largely struggled offensively (including 0-for-6 from three) and, even with plenty of talent on the floor, the Magic scuffled with their starters in play. Ironically, it was the team’s largely unheralded bench that made the game competitive, but Suggs did leave his mark on the festivities. He finished with 24 points, nine rebounds, three blocks, and two steals, and Suggs’ trademark competitiveness and two-way ability were in full view.

The stretch run brought a tighter margin on the scoreboard, putting all four players in a more competitive setting. That largely brought out the best in all involved, with Golden State’s pair teaming up for buckets.

Suggs made huge plays for Orlando on both ends, engineering the offense and forcing overtime with a defensive stand.

Golden State dominated the game when playing Kuminga and Moody together. Of course, the final score is often the least relevant piece of any Summer League game, but the Warriors have to be thrilled with what their lottery picks have put on tape, both in California and Las Vegas, and the Magic can take solace that Suggs produced well and Wagner isn’t the kind of player — namely in that he is a supporting piece offensively that thrives in a team context on the defensive end — that is set up to shine in a Summer League setting. It wasn’t exactly the NBA Finals in terms of overall game quality, but Monday’s primetime tilt did bring some memorable moments, a competitive finish, and a spotlight on four interesting prospects.

Anthony Edwards is at NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. The runner-up in the 2020-21 Rookie of the Year voting is not playing at Summer League, ostensibly because the Minnesota Timberwolves don’t see much of a need for him to play in it, but the good news is that we at least got an interview with him out of it, which is always good news.

Edwards is high on the list of the NBA’s most fun and engaging personalities, and seemingly every time a microphone was in front of his face during his rookie campaign, the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft made people laugh. That applied once again on Monday evening, as Edwards, who attended the Timberwolves’ game against the San Antonio Spurs on Monday, gave a fun little update on his summer. The highlights:

• The ankle sprain he suffered as a member of the USA Basketball Select Team before the Tokyo Olympics has healed and he’s good.
• He’s “got a new hobby: bowling.” Being asked if he uses bumpers did not sit well with him, but Edwards says he’s bowling around 200.
• He was “baptized in Lake Minnetonka.” He would like it if Timberwolves fans join him to swim (he can do that “like Michael Phelps”) and jet ski.

“Multi-talented, baby,” Edwards says to end the interview. I hope we get a daily check-in with him while he is at Summer League.

Rudy Giuliani came out of what was effectively retirement to help then-president Donald J. Trump. He made ridiculous claims on the record. He spearheaded the Four Seasons Total Landscaping Debacle. He had mystery goo drip down his head during a press conference. He introduced the world to the Wine Lady Witness. He got himself sued and had his office in New York City, where he once resided as a beloved mayor, raided by the feds. He repeatedly humiliated himself and destroyed his reputation. And it was all for Trump. And now no one is helping him out of a rapidly deepening financial hole.

We’ve already known that Trump seems to be letting his beleaguered personal attorney drown in legal fees, but as per The Daily Beast, it’s worse than that. No one in the Trump camp is lending him a dime. But it’s also worse than that: Most are’t even acknowledging the existence of the legal defense fund set up by his longtime friend Bernard Kerik to save him from bankruptcy:

“There have been times when I’ve asked people in the [former] president’s orbit to see if Trump wanted to draw attention to the fundraising,” said an ally and longtime associate of the former New York City mayor. “That went nowhere. Many of these people wouldn’t even tweet or retweet [links to the legal fund] when I asked them to.”

Indeed, since he was booted from Twitter in January, Trump himself has only issued one formal statement about his close ally. After Giuliani’s New York lawyer license was rescinded, the former president called him te “greatest Mayor in the history of New York City” and “the Eliot Ness of his generation.”

The next closest thing to support is an aside he made during one of his Fox News phone-ins, when he called the feds searching his NYC office “unfair” and “a double standard like I don’t think anybody’s ever seen before.”

But that’s it. Meanwhile, with his law license suspended in both New York and Washington States, he’s been robbed of an important source of income. And legal bills are pilin gup. There’s the billion-dollar defamation lawsuit from Dominion Voting Systems, the claims that he helped incite the Jan. 6 Capitol siege, plus a Justice Department criminal probe into his dealings with Ukraine.

All of it was for Trump. And so far he’s not returned the favor.

Sources claim there have been several attempts to convince Trump to swoop in and help, be it giving him money — perhaps from the millions and millions he’s bilked from his supporters — or simply releasing a public statement, advising people to donate to his cause. But it’s all been for naught.

To make it worse, Giuliani knows he can’t complain, lest he make Trump worse than disinterested. Which is to say: angry.

According to a person with knowledge of the matter, Giuliani has reminded those close to him to not name Trump when complaining in public or on social media about how top Republicans have abandoned Giuliani in his time of distress.

“We are allowed to call out the RNC and other Republican leaders,” this source said. “But not Donald Trump.”

Lesson learned: Maybe don’t destroy your life for someone infamous for demanding absolute loyalty but also prone to throw anyone under the bus if it suits him. Invite a vampire into your life, and they’ll destroy your life, as the United States continues to find out.

(Via The Daily Beast)

As schools start up for the fall across the country, the question of kids and masks looms large. In some states, masks are mandated for all public schools, regardless of vaccination status. In other states, mask mandates are banned. In still others, the decision is left up to local leaders, with perspectives on what is right and safe falling across the spectrum.

Such uncertainty and inconsistency have left parents reeling, especially with the highly contagious Delta variant surging, millions of kids too young to be vaccinated yet, and drastically differing opinions on whether kids should mask up in the classroom.

The evidence for universal masking preventing viral spread is quite deep and wide at this point, but concerned parents may be looking for more specific guidance. Which masks are best for kids? And where do I even start trying to figure that out?

Thankfully, there’s a guy who has answers to those questions.

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Aaron Collins is a mechanical engineer who wrote his Master’s thesis on the science of aerosols—tiny particles in the air from things like smoke or viruses—and worked for years developing instruments to measure and describe them. During the peak of the pandemic, he built an aerosol lab in his bathroom to test which masks are most effective at preventing aerosol spread and has been meticulously recording the results of his tests ever since.

He has collected his data in a Google doc that anyone can access and shares his findings in YouTube videos. According to his FAQ, this is the goal of the project:

• Identify both highly protective masks, and suppliers that have quality controls in place so that there is a high confidence that products sold meet these requirements.
• Test and identify as many high quality protective masks as possible.
• Help explain the complex discussion about masks, provide context to the different types and test standards
• Provide a transparent data collection and data analysis so people can see what is happening, the limitations of my test.
• Be completely independent from a mask supplier or source. Independent reviews is the most important thing, I want no bias!

In one of his most recent videos, Collins shared what kid masks he recommends if you’re looking for high filtration masks. (High filtration masks protect the wearer in addition to protecting those around them.) Check it out:

Current Top Mask Picks & Kids Masks

www.youtube.com

You can read his FAQ here for more information about how he analyses the masks. Also, check out the Google spreadsheet with all of his data and links to where you can find these masks here.

As COVID cases increase and kids start congregating in classrooms, the question of protection is only going to grow more important. Getting ahead of the spread with effective masks is one way families can ease some of the concern as well as (hopefully) protect us all from worsening variants in the coming months.

Employers have tried to get their employees to take the COVID-19 vaccine by giving them benefits including time off to get the shot, extra vacation days, and bonuses. Walmart, the country’s largest private employer, has announced its employees that work in stores and warehouses are eligible for a $150 bonus as an incentive to be vaccinated.

McDonald’s offers workers at its corporate headquarters up to four hours of time off to get vaccinated.

Kroger, the nation’s largest supermarket chain, announced it will give a $100 bonus to employees who show proof of vaccination.

But instead of just incentivizing workers with positive rewards, a number of employees may start leveling financial penalties against those who refuse to get vaccinated.

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As people return to their workplaces during the Delta variant spike, unvaccinated employees are increasingly becoming a liability. They open up workplaces to outbreaks and drive up healthcare costs for the company, insurers, and employees.

Coming soon for the unvaccinated: a $50 monthly paycheck deduction from your employer https://t.co/6flyGC3RC9 https://t.co/7GTCkziOsM

— Forbes (@Forbes)
1628547126.0

“Getting hospitalized with Covid-19 in the United States typically generates huge bills,” Dr. Elisabeth Rosenthal and Stanford University’s Glenn Kramon wrote in The New York Times. Kramon said that a 14-day hospitalization for an uninsured person in the Miami area can result in a $104,000 bill.

Now, companies are considering more drastic measures to combat the costs of the unvaccinated by docking their pay.

“Employers have tried encouraging employees to get vaccinated through offering incentives like paid time off and cash, but with the Delta variant driving up infections and hospitalizations throughout the country – at the same time that vaccination rates have stalled – we have received inquiries from at least 20 employers over the past few weeks who are giving consideration to adding health coverage surcharges for the unvaccinated as a way to drive up vaccination rates in their workforce,” said Wade Symons, Mercer’s regulatory resources group leader.

Mercer is one of the world’s largest employee benefits consultants.

Mercer hasn’t disclosed which companies are considering docking workers’ pay but said that the average surcharge will be somewhere between $20 to $50 a month. The hope is that the surcharge will help offset the costs associated with unvaccinated workers and will encourage them to get the shot to avoid the penalty.

Docking an employee’s pay stops short of the more drastic tactics being used at Walmart, Google, Tyson Foods, and United Airlines. They have all imposed vaccine mandates on some or all of their employees. Those who still refuse inoculation can be terminated.

Health insurance companies are also considering a financial penalty for those who refuse to get vaccinated. Given the fact that 97% of all COVID-19 hospitalizations are now unvaccinated people, insurers want to encourage people to get the jab to avoid unnecessary six-figure payouts. Such a policy would also benefit the vaccinated who won’t have to pay for rising premiums caused by the unvaccinated.

Even though there has been a recent uptick in people getting vaccinated due to the spread of the Delta variant, the U.S. is still far from reaching herd immunity. Employers have exhausted most of the carrots to get people to get the shot and now’s the time for the sticks. Things are only going to get more difficult for those who refuse the shot.