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Politics

Derek Chauvin sentencing date set for June after homicide conviction

Former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin is shown in a combination of police booking photos after a jury found him guilty on all counts in his trial for second degree murder, third degree murder and second degree manslaughter in the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis , Minnesota, April 20, 2021.

Minnesota Department of Corrections | via Reuters

Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, died after Chauvin kneeled on his neck for more than nine minutes. The video of the incident sparked a nationwide protest movement against police brutality and systemic racism.

The most serious charges against Chauvin have a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison, although the guidelines for the conviction often call for much less prison than the maximum sentence.

Chauvin’s sentencing date is expected to be more than eight weeks after the verdict was pronounced by the anonymous 12-person jury after approximately ten hours of deliberation at the end of the three-week Minnesota trial.

Categories
Entertainment

25 Free Performances Come to Bryant Park Beginning in June

Once guests arrive at the park, they will have their temperatures checked and be shown to their seats, which will be provided with space for social distancing. The park has no plans to get vaccinations or negative virus tests, but is considering them as options, according to Dan Fishman, director of public events for the park.

Other organizations participating in Bryant Park’s series this summer include Elisa Monte Dance, Harlem Stage, National Sawdust, New York Chinese Cultural Center, Limón Dance Company, and Greenwich House Music School. New York City Opera singers will perform a Pride concert on June 18th.

Many groups and institutions have been downsized or completely cocooned since last year.

“We were in hibernation,” said Tom Wirtshafter, the city hall president, who ran more than 60 virtual programs during the pandemic but, like most venues, had to leave most of the staff.

City Hall, which opened in 1921, will wrap up Bryant Park’s season on September 20 with a 100th anniversary event attended by Chris Thile, the mandolin player whose eclectic tastes range from bluegrass to creek.

Tiffany Rea-Fisher, the artistic director of Elisa Monte Dance, who also curates dance performances in the park, said her company only played twice in the past year. It will perform with the Paul Taylor Dance Company on August 20, and Rea-Fisher said it was not easy to find other dance groups to prepare.

“Finding companies that were ready in terms of perseverance was a challenge,” she said. “You don’t want to bring dancers back after a year and let them do a performance – it’s all about injuries.”

Categories
Health

Covid vaccine maker CureVac hopes shot will get EU approval in June

Coronavirus vaccine maker CureVac is hoping its Covid shot will get European approval in the second quarter.

Franz-Werner Haas, CEO of CureVac, told CNBC on Thursday that the vaccine maker was close to finalizing recruitment for the vaccine’s Phase 3 clinical trial. In view of the urgent need for additional effective coronavirus vaccines and the accelerated regulatory approval process, approval cannot take place long afterwards.

“According to our calculations, we expect to have the data by late April or early May,” Haas told CNBC’s Squawk Box Europe.

“We therefore assume that, depending on the dates, we will receive the approval in early June.”

As soon as the study is running, the German biotechnology company CureVac will wait for safety data and then carry out an interim analysis of the results of the late study. It is also crucial that a certain number of study participants have to wait for Covid-19 to develop to determine how effective the vaccine is in preventing the virus.

The data is then sent to regulatory authorities such as the European Medicines Agency for so-called “ongoing review”. This is where the data is analyzed by regulators to expedite the evaluation of new, potentially life-saving vaccines or drugs in public health emergencies.

The UK and EU have pre-ordered up to 455 million doses of CureVac’s mRNA vaccine, pending regulatory approval. The company is already making its vaccine, even though it hasn’t been approved, pending approval of the shot.

Haas, CEO of CureVac, said the company is trying to avoid manufacturing pitfalls that have been hit by other vaccine manufacturers. This issue was perhaps most noticeable at AstraZeneca, and has significantly relieved the vulnerability of global supply chains.

“Manufacturing is certainly a struggle right now,” he said.

“It’s not just that we manufacture ourselves, we have a whole network in Europe, with other companies that also support us in manufacturing, but it is sometimes very difficult to get the equipment to set up the plants, however also the material for the production of the mRNA. “

“But we are doing everything we can to produce as many cans as possible,” added Haas.

Categories
Health

California to raise most Covid restrictions June 15, preserve masks mandate

California Governor Gavin Newsom visits a COVID-19 mobile vaccination center in South Gate, California on March 10, 2021.

Mario Tama | Getty Images

WASHINGTON – California Governor Gavin Newsom said Tuesday the state would reopen its economy by June 15, provided coronavirus vaccine and hospitalization cases remain stable.

“With more than 20 million vaccines administered across the state, it is time to turn the page on our animal system and try to fully reopen the California economy,” Newsom said in a statement.

“We can now start planning our post-pandemic life. We need to remain vigilant and continue the practices that brought us here – wearing masks and getting vaccinated – but the light at the end of this tunnel has never been brighter,” he said added.

Newsom’s announcement comes just over a year after California, the most populous state in the country, shut down its economy due to the spreading health pandemic.

The state should also end its four-color tier system that was used to determine the level of risk.

The latest revelation comes as federal health officials warn that Americans should continue to adhere to public health measures as the warmer summer months approach.

“You may remember a little over a year ago when we were looking for the summer to save ourselves from surges. It was just the opposite,” said White House Chief Medical Officer Dr. Anthony Fauci, on Monday during a White House coronavirus briefing.

“We saw some significant waves over the summer. I think we shouldn’t even think about relying on the weather to get rid of whatever we’re in right now,” he added.

Fauci also said Monday that Americans should continue to receive both doses of the Pfizer and Moderna Covid-19 vaccines, despite a recent study suggesting that only one dose might be enough.

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Categories
World News

S&P 500 pulls again barely after notching greatest day since June

US stocks fell on Tuesday, led by tech names as the market returned some of the strong gains from the previous session.

The S&P 500 was down 0.6% after the broad equity benchmark rose more than 2% on Monday for its best day since June. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 30 points and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite fell 0.8% as Apple and Microsoft fell 1% each.

Technology and real estate were the two worst performing sectors, falling more than 1% each. Slight increases in materials and consumer staples gave the broader market some cushion.

“Markets could be caught in a tug-of-war between what to expect and pandemic-induced uncertainties, compounded by other, more difficult-to-quantify market stimuli,” said Chris Hussey, chief executive officer at Goldman Sachs, in a note. “On days like today when there is no news and little macro to help investors maintain confidence, we see what if – sideways trading across all sectors coupled with a decline in interest rates.”

The 10-year Treasury yield, which has been a focus for stock investors lately, fell to 1.41%. The policy rate appeared to be stabilizing this week after hitting a high of 1.6% last week, allaying some fears about higher borrowing costs and inflation.

Still, some investors believe that it is inevitable that returns will trend higher this year amid an economic recovery and potentially stronger fiscal stimulus that could shrink the stock multiple.

“10-year returns are not (yet) at the level at which investors are selling their stocks wholesale, but the recent surge has put an end to the PE expansion process,” said Adam Crisafulli, founder of Vital Knowledge, in a note.

Meanwhile, others believe the jump in earnings reflects improving economic growth and rising earnings forecasts. Stocks should be able to absorb higher interest rates over the long term if they rise at a reasonable pace.

President Joe Biden said Tuesday that Merck will help manufacture Johnson & Johnson’s single-shot Covid vaccine as the country tries to increase supply.

The economically sensitive cyclical sectors continued to outperform the broader market amid optimism about vaccines and economic recovery. Energy and finance are up 28% and 12% respectively since the beginning of the year.

US stocks started March on Monday with a sharp rise: the S&P 500 rose 2.4%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose nearly 2%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq rose just over 3% after he lost 4.9% last week. Both the Dow and Nasdaq had their best trading day since November in return

Target’s stocks reversed early gains and traded more than 4% lower, despite booming sales. The retailer declined to give a forecast for 2021.

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Categories
Health

There can be sufficient Covid vaccines for the ‘complete U.S. grownup inhabitants by June,’ physician says

Dr. Johnson & Johnson board member Mark McClellan told CNBC Friday that there could be enough vaccinations for the entire US adult population by the summer.

“Assuming that accurate verification of the J&J data is no longer possible, we will have the capacity between Moderna, Pfizer and J&J to have enough vaccines available for the entire US adult population by June “said McClellan, a former FDA commissioner, said on” The News with Shepard Smith. ”

The US plans to buy 200 million doses of Covid vaccine from Moderna and Pfizer. The Department of Health and Human Services will increase its vaccine supply to states from 8.6 million to at least 10 million doses per week. To date, states have received more than 49 million doses, but only about half of those actually landed in people’s arms, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The agency reports that the US fires just over a million shots every day.

McClellan that the US should significantly increase the number of shots given per day and “should bring our ability to vaccinate closer to 3 million doses per day.”

The US has ordered 100 million doses of the J&J vaccine, which the company plans to deliver by June. J&J plans to apply for an emergency permit next week. If J & J’s vaccine is FDA approved, it will be the third emergency approved vaccine in the U.S. Pfizer’s vaccine was approved by the FDA on December 11th, and Moderna’s was approved a week later.

The efficacy numbers for J&J vaccines were lower than for Pfizer and Moderna. Pfizer’s vaccine was found to be 95% effective against Covid-19, while Moderna’s vaccine was about 94% effective. J & J’s vaccine was found to be 66% overall effective in preventing moderate to severe Covid.

Host Shepard Smith asked McClellan about the lower efficacy numbers compared to Pfizer and Moderna, explaining to Smith, “We are fighting a different virus today than three months ago when previous studies were done.”

In addition, J&J conducted its test on three continents, and the level of protection varied depending on the region. The vaccine showed an overall effectiveness of 72% in the US and 66% in Latin America. In South Africa, where the dangerous B.1.351 strain of Covid caused spikes in some cases, the J&J vaccine showed 57% effectiveness.

“Unfortunately, in three months’ time, we’ll likely be fighting another virus. The most important thing to winning this fight is getting as many people as possible vaccinated,” said McClellan. “The faster we shoot in the arms, the more people will be vaccinated here in this country and around the world, the better we can contain this further spread and further damage from Covid.”