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Chile’s coronavirus circumstances hit document ranges regardless of vaccine rollout

A health worker administers a dose of the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine against Covid-19 to a man at Medalla Milagrosa Church in Valparaiso, Chile, on April 6, 2021.

JAVIER TORRES | AFP | Getty Images

LONDON – Chile’s vaccination campaign against the coronavirus has been one of the fastest and most extensive in the world, but a recent surge in infections has raised concern beyond its borders.

Almost 40% of the total population of the South American country have received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, according to statistics from Our World in Data, reflecting one of the highest vaccination rates in the world.

Only Israel and the UK have vaccinated a greater proportion of their population with at least one dose.

Nonetheless, Chile has seen a sharp increase in coronavirus infections in recent weeks, despite the world-famous vaccine rollout and strict bans affecting a large part of its 19 million residents.

The regional director of the Pan American Health Organization has since emphasized that for most countries in the region, vaccines are insufficient to prevent rising infection rates.

The number of daily cases in Chile rose to a record high on April 9, rising to over 9,000 for the first time since the pandemic began and well above the high of nearly 7,000 last summer.

Health Minister Enrique Paris told reporters on Thursday that he hoped the increase in daily cases has now peaked.

“Once we hit that peak, we don’t expect a decrease, but rather a stabilization and then a return to a smaller number of positive patients,” he said, according to Reuters.

What went wrong?

Health experts say the country’s recent surge in cases is partly due to more virulent strains of the virus, easing public health measures, increased mobility, and defiance of simple precautions like physical distancing and wearing a mask.

The center-right government of Chile, led by President Sebastian Pinera, ordered the country’s borders to be closed from March to November 2020, albeit with a few exceptions, before it was decided at the end of last year to reopen them to international passengers.

Shops, restaurants and some resorts have also opened to help boost the country’s pandemic-hit economy.

Passengers in protective suits against the spread of the novel coronavirus disease are queuing at the counters of Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport in Santiago on April 1, 2021, after Chile announced that it would close its borders in April as COVID-19 rose sharply is cases.

MARTIN BERNETTI | AFP | Getty Images

While the country’s vaccination rollout was ahead of most, the spread of a more virulent strain of the virus – like the P.1 variant first spotted in travelers from Brazil – has resulted in a significant spike in cases.

Given the widespread use of CoronaVac, the coronavirus vaccine manufactured by Chinese company Sinovac, questions about the vaccine’s effectiveness have also been raised.

After the head of the China Center for Disease Control and Prevention stated earlier this month that China may need to replace its Covid vaccines or change the way they are administered to make them sufficiently effective.

“We will solve the problem that current vaccines do not have very high protection rates,” said George Gao, director general of China’s CDC, at a conference on April 11th. He has since told the state media that his comments have been misunderstood.

Late-stage data from China’s Covid vaccines remain unpublished, and the data available from the CoronaVac vaccine varies. Brazilian studies found the vaccine to be just over 50% effective and significantly less effective than Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and Oxford-AstraZeneca, while Turkish researchers reported 83.5% effectiveness.

An ambulance leaves Carlos Van Buren Hospital in Valparaiso, Chile on April 6, 2021, overwhelmed by the large number of Covid-19 positive cases.

JAVIER TORRES | AFP | Getty Images

A study published earlier this month by the University of Chile reported that CoronaVac was 56.5% effective in the country two weeks after giving the second doses. It was also crucial, however, that a dose was only 3% effective.

“This would explain why Chile – with one of the most robust vaccine launches in the world, but 93% of the doses sourced from China – has seen a significant spike in cases and a much slower decline in hospital admissions and deaths compared to the early rollouts in.” Israel, UK and US, “said Ian Bremmer, President of Eurasia Group’s Risk Advisory Group, in a research note.

“Chile and the United Arab Emirates are both considering introducing a third dose (a second booster) of the Chinese vaccine accordingly. A change in communication will make the vaccine more hesitant for Chinese vaccines in general,” said Bremmer.

“Comprehensive Strategies”

“I cannot stress this enough – for most countries, vaccines are not going to stop this wave of the pandemic,” PAHO director Carissa Etienne said during a weekly press conference Wednesday. “There just isn’t enough of it to protect everyone in the most at-risk countries.”

Etienne urged policymakers in the region to implement “comprehensive strategies” to accelerate vaccine adoption and stop transmission through best public health measures.

On April 14, America reported more than 1.3 million Covid infections and nearly 36,000 deaths in the past week, according to the United Nations Health Department.

To date, America has recorded 58.8 million cases and more than 1.4 million deaths, making it the worst-hit region in the world.

“We are not acting like a region in the middle of a worsening outbreak,” said Etienne of PAHO, describing South America as the “epicenter” of the virus.

In addition to easing restrictions in some areas, Etienne said that new and highly communicable variants of the virus had accelerated cases sharply. Currently, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, Peru and some areas of Bolivia are seeing a sharp increase in infections.

Paraguay, Uruguay, Argentina and Chile are also seeing sustained increases in Covid cases, Etienne said.

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Business

Enterprise funding soars to report $64 billion in Q1, Ernst & Younger says

After a boom year for the tech industry, investors poured money into grocery shipping companies, online brokers and Elon Musk’s SpaceX in early 2021, creating a record quarter for US venture finance.

Venture-backed firms raised $ 64 billion in the first three months of the year. This came out of an analysis by Ernst & Young this week that used data from Crunchbase. That’s 43% of the $ 1.48 billion raised in all of 2020, a record year.

“We are technically still in a pandemic and trying to get out of it,” said Jeff Grabow, US venture capitalist at Ernst & Young, in an interview. “A year ago everyone thought we were falling into the abyss. To have a record quarter like this is pretty amazing.”

Grabow said while we are clearly on track to see a fourth straight year of $ 100 billion in venture funding, “the question is – will there be a $ 200 billion year?”

The late-stage market continued at a rapid pace after a historic second half for IPOs that included offerings from Snowflake, DoorDash, and Airbnb. The first two quarters of 2020 were calm as companies changed their plans due to Covid-19, but the market recovered dramatically and continued.

Grabow said there were 183 venture deals worth at least $ 100 million in the first quarter, more than half of last year’s total. The biggest deal was the $ 2 billion financing round of autonomous automotive company Cruise in January, led by Microsoft under a strategic agreement with General Motors, the majority owner of Cruise.

Gopuff digital convenience store raised $ 1.15 billion in March for the second-largest deal of the quarter. Cloud data analytics software provider Databricks raised $ 1 billion during the period, as did its investment in the Robinhood app, which needed liquidity after wild trading with GameStop plunged the company into a financial crisis.

The largest sub-billion dollar round was for private space company SpaceX, which raised $ 850 million in February, valued at roughly $ 74 billion. Top deals also included the $ 600 million donation from payment software company Stripe, valued at $ 95 billion.

In addition to the increasing number of mega-rounds, the early-stage market is also brand new. Grabow said there was record funding on Series A and B deals in the first quarter.

Smaller funds are popping up from week to week, and the AngelList website also allows investors to bring together syndicates of people who want to raise money for startups without networking locally. With so much capital in the system and the advent of virtual dealmaking through Zoom, venture rounds are coming together much faster than in the past.

“There’s been a lot of buoyancy and excitement in the market because people believe we got through Covid,” Grabow said. “The digitization and technological enablement of the industry has been carried over to steroids.”

The record level of venture investing coincides with the phenomenon of special purpose vehicles (SPACs), or blank check companies, which private companies acquire and go public. SPACs are a possible alternative to late-stage rounds.

According to SPACInsider, around 306 SPACs collected 98.9 billion US dollars as early as 2021. That surpasses the $ 83.4 billion raised throughout 2020, which was by far a record year. Grabow admits that between traditional funding and SPACs venturing into a company, there are sure to be investors taking undue risk.

“It’s called Venture for a reason,” Grabow said. “These are high return situations that involve high risk.”

CLOCK: Elon Musk wants to connect vehicles to the internet

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World News

Futures little modified after S&P 500 hits recent report

US stock futures were subdued in early trading on Friday morning after the S&P 500 hit a new high in its regular session.

Dow futures only rose 16 points. S&P 500 futures moved above the flatline while Nasdaq 100 futures traded in slightly negative territory.

Key averages rose on Thursday, aided by gains in technology stocks. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 57 points, aided by a nearly 2% rise in Apple stock.

The S&P 500 rose 0.42% to close at a record high for the second day in a row.

The Nasdaq Composite was the relative outperformer, gaining more than 1% as Amazon, Netflix, Microsoft, and Google’s parent Alphabet closed higher.

Investors largely shook off an unexpected surge in unemployment claims from last week. The Department of Labor reported that total initial claims for the week ending April 3 totaled 744,000, well above the 694,000 expectation of economists polled by Dow Jones.

Government bond yields fell from their recent highs, with 10-year government bond yields at 1.6%.

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell described Thursday’s recovery from the pandemic as “uneven,” suggesting a more robust recovery is needed.

“The recovery remains uneven and incomplete,” Powell said Thursday in a virtual event presented by the International Monetary Fund and hosted by CNBC’s Sara Eisen. “This unevenness that we are talking about is a very serious problem.”

The major averages are supposed to end the week higher. The Dow is up nearly 1.6% this week. The S&P 500 has gained more than 1.9% since Monday. The Nasdaq Composite gained more than 2.5% towards Friday.

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Business

Forgotten Copy of Tremendous Mario Bros. Units File at Public sale

Super Mario Bros., a legendary fan-favorite video game that has spawned several variations since then, was first produced in 1986.

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Updated

April 2, 2021, 3:58 p.m. ET

It depicts two brothers, Mario and Luigi, who live in the Mushroom Kingdom and are accused of rescuing Princess Toadstool, who was kidnapped by Bowser, King of the Koopa. With a recognizable theme song, Mario has been a popular character with fans for decades.

According to the story in the original instructions for use, the kingdom of the peaceful mushroom people had been occupied by the Koopa, a tribe of turtles who turned the “calm, peace-loving” mushroom people into stones, bricks and plants. The only person who can reverse the spell is Princess Toadstool, the daughter of the Mushroom King.

In the game, players lead Mario on a quest to free the princess and save the kingdom of the mushroom people. He navigates through eight levels full of giant mushrooms, threatening turtles and other strange obstacles.

“You are Mario! It’s up to you to save the Mushroom People from the black magic of the Koopa! “The original instructions tell the players.

Since Super Mario Bros. debuted, the brothers have been featured in numerous games to save new countries and save more princesses, including Super Mario Sunshine, Super Mario Galaxy, and Super Mario Odyssey. The latest version, Super Mario 3D World, was released for the Nintendo Switch system in February.

Mario’s presence extends beyond the video game world as well.

In March, Super Nintendo World opened at Universal Studios Japan in Osaka. Visitors can stroll through the famous green whistle at the park entrance, explore Princess Peach’s castle, and eat burgers in a giant mushroom with the Mario theme song playing in the background.

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Business

Covid vaccinations hit one other report, common now above three million each day

Larry Wiggins receives Moderna Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine from Anya Harris at the Red Hook Neighborhood Elderly Center in the Red Hood neighborhood of Brooklyn on February 22, 2021 in New York City.

Michael M. Santiago | Getty Images

The US reported another daily record of newly administered Covid vaccine doses on Saturday, bringing the weekly average of new vaccinations per day to over 3 million, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The health department reported Saturday that 4.1 million new doses were administered, the highest daily mark since the Food and Drug Administration approved emergency vaccines late last year.

Around 104.2 million US citizens, or 31% of the population, have received at least one dose of vaccine, according to the CDC, while 59.9 million people, or 18% of the population, are fully vaccinated. Pfizer and Moderna vaccines require two doses for full immunity protection. Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine, which received limited approval in late February, is a single-shot regimen.

According to CDC data, three-quarters of US citizens age 65 and older have received at least one dose of vaccine that provides crucial protection against the disease for a vulnerable group of Americans. As of March 31, nearly 81% of the country’s Covid deaths were among people 65 and over.

The increase in daily vaccine doses is due to the increasing supply available and eligibility expanding across the country. In states like Texas, Kansas, and Ohio, everyone 16 and over can now get the vaccine.

Saturday’s vaccine milestone hits a somewhat mixed picture for coronavirus cases and deaths over the past week. According to a CNBC analysis of Johns Hopkins University data, the 7-day average of new daily infections in the country is 64,617, up 6% from a week ago. Cases are on the rise in 26 states and Washington DC, according to CNBC’s analysis.

However, the weekly average of US deaths per day is down 12% to 847.

President Joe Biden has urged the country to remain vigilant about the spread of coronavirus, despite significant advances in the introduction of the vaccine. “Too many Americans pretend this fight is over,” said Biden on Friday. “It is not.”

Also on Friday, the CDC announced that people fully vaccinated against Covid can travel at “low risk for themselves” while continuing to emphasize the need to wear a mask and maintain physical distance.

“We continue to encourage every American to get vaccinated as soon as it is their turn so we can begin to safely return to our daily lives,” said CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky in a statement accompanying the change in guidelines. “Vaccines can help us get back to the things we love about life. That’s why we encourage every American to get vaccinated as soon as they have the opportunity.”

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Business

$19 million mansion sells in Delray Seaside, setting new native dwelling gross sales file

A 21,000-square-foot mega-home in South Florida is the most expensive oceanfront home ever sold in Delray Beach. With a retail price of $ 19 million, it’s the top sale in the city for over three years, according to MLS.

“Resort-style life is a driving force in the ultra-luxury market,” listing agent Senada Adzem told CNBC. “Because of the pandemic, people are rethinking their way of life – their wants and needs.”

Aerial view of the Rockybrook Estate in Delray Beach, FL

Douglas Elliman

Known as the Rockybrook Estate, the property was originally listed at $ 23.5 million in May in the middle of the pandemic. Adzem says the house could only be viewed virtually for its first month on the market due to Covid-19. The price was cut to just over $ 21.9 million before it went on sale for $ 19 million earlier this month.

According to MLS, the most expensive sale in Delray Beach last year was $ 17 million for 9200 Rockybrook Way, known as The Sundara Estate. The 18,000-square-foot mansion was also represented by Adzem, whose team had sales of over $ 200 million during the pandemic, which was their team’s best year, according to real estate brokerage firm Douglas Elliman.

The Rockybrook Estate, located adjacent to Sundara at 9192 Rockybrook Way, consists of seven bedrooms and 14 baths on 2.5 acres in a private community called Stone Creek Ranch. The gated neighborhood has 37 properties in total and is about twenty miles south of Palm Beach and fifty miles north of Miami

The following is in the record breaking house in Delray Beach:

The large double staircase in the foyer

Douglas Elliman

The foyer has 32-foot ceilings and a large double staircase in a style that Adzem describes as “modern classicism with glamor thrown back”.

The great room

Douglas Elliman

The large room walls are clad with white marble and inlaid with inlaid stainless steel, which has been laser-cut into an arabesque pattern and polished to a mirror-like finish. The 32-foot wall of windows overlooking the back yard, Adzem says, is hurricane-proof.

Rockybrooks 250,000 gallon pool

Douglas Elliman

“The convenience-rich property includes a 250,000-gallon heated pool reminiscent of the Wynn Las Vegas, plus a grotto, summer kitchen, and tennis court,” Adzem told CNBC.

View of the pool and pavilion with waterfall function

Douglas Elliman

The water world in the back yard includes fire games, waterfalls and a large pavilion.

Main kitchen

Douglas Elliman

The main kitchen of the house has two massive white marble islands, two sinks, two dishwashers, two sub-zero refrigerators, two Wolf ovens under the counter, and two more pairs of ovens built into a wall of custom-made cabinets.

Cooking kitchen

Douglas Elliman

Just a few steps from the main kitchen is a completely separate kitchen area.

Owner’s suite

Douglas Elliman

The owner’s suite has a king-size bed with a solid leather headboard and glass doors that lead to a private terrace with a view of the house’s mega pool.

Your bathroom with a fireplace, whirlpool, and amethyst accents.

Douglas Elliman

Her bathroom is covered in white marble and amethyst. The super-large bathroom has a fireplace and a large crystal chandelier that hangs over the hot tub.

His walk-in closet

Douglas Elliman

His walk-in closet includes leather-covered drawers and lighted shelves.

Your closet

Douglas Elliman

Your closet has an island with a glass top for storing accessories, three crystal chandeliers and floor-to-ceiling shelves and cupboards.

One of three en-suite bedrooms in the children’s wing.

Douglas Elliman

The “children’s wing” of the house, as Adzem describes it, comprises three en-suite bedrooms,

Lounge in the children’s wing.

Douglas Elliman

a lounge, a living room, a kitchenette

Two-lane bowling alley

Douglas Elliman

and a two-lane bowling alley.

Wine cellar with glass cladding

Douglas Elliman

The wine storage room is a combination of glass and polished steel that creates the illusion of wine bottles floating in the air.

dining room

Douglas Elliman

The dining room seats fourteen guests under a mother-of-pearl-lined ceiling.

The bar in Rockybrooks Club Lounge.

Douglas Elliman

The property’s clubby lounge includes a bar flanked by two wine coolers, a wall of backlit stone, and over a dozen pendant lights hanging over a stone bar.

Salon treatment room

Douglas Elliman

There is also a salon and treatment room.

Cinema room

Douglas Elliman

And a cinema for 20 people with a retro Hollywood theme. The reclining seats are clad in imported Italian leather and the surround sound system is seamlessly integrated into the backlit walls.

The sellers were Bradley Cohen, co-founder of Insurance Care Direct, and Sandra Cohen, founder of Baciami Moda, the buyer of the house remains unknown.

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World News

Wall Road rally pauses after shares hit document highs

Stocks were flat on Monday, with the Dow and S&P 500 hovering near record highs on optimism about the economic reopening.

The Dow rose about 10 points after hitting a daily high in the Open. The S&P 500 was down 0.1% and the Nasdaq Composite was down 0.2%.

Stocks, which will benefit the most from a quick economic comeback from the pandemic, drove the gains. American Airlines and United Airlines stocks rose 7% and 8%, respectively.

As part of the $ 1.9 trillion stimulus package that went into law last week, the IRS began processing $ 1,400 in direct payments for millions of Americans, which is expected to add juice to the already recovering economy.

Air traffic over the weekend hit its highest level in more than a year when the Covid-19 vaccine was introduced and Americans went back on vacation.

Stocks hit their lows when Italy, along with France, Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands stopped using the coronavirus vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University because of blood clot concerns.

The 10-year Treasury yield was trading at 1.616% on Monday after hitting its highest level in more than a year on Friday. The surge in bond yields has challenged growth stocks for the past few weeks, dragging investors into cyclical pockets of the market.

“Bond yields remain the main risk to the stock market,” said Jim Paulsen, chief investment strategist at Leuthold Group. “They are calm until this morning, however, and as the pace of their recent advance slows, investors can focus more on how low overall returns remain.”

“Investors will continually grapple with the fear of economic overheating and Fed tightening that have gripped markets over the past few weeks,” David Kostin, Goldman’s chief US equities strategist, wrote in a note. “We believe stock valuations should be able to digest 10-year returns of around 2% with little difficulty.”

Shares rose last week, the Dow rose 4% and the S&P 500 rose 2.6%. The S&P 500 and the Dow both closed at record highs on Friday. The Nasdaq Composite was up 3% last week despite a sell-off on Friday triggered by rising interest rates.

Investors will prepare for Wednesday when the Federal Reserve will make its rate decision. The central bank is expected to recognize much better economic growth. Bond professionals are also watching to see if Fed officials will tweak their interest rate outlook, which now doesn’t include rate hikes through 2023.

On the vaccine front last week, Biden announced that he would instruct states to question all adults for the vaccine by May 1. Biden also made a goal of allowing Americans to meet in person with friends and loved ones in small groups to celebrate the Fourth of July.

(Correction: In an earlier version of the story, Goldman’s Kostin title was incorrectly stated.)

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Business

Bitcoin surpasses $60,000 in document excessive as rally accelerates

The representation of the virtual currency Bitcoin can be seen on a motherboard in this illustration from April 24, 2020.

Given Ruvic | Reuters

Bitcoin hit a record high of $ 60,000 on Saturday morning and continued its rally as large corporations and financial institutions launched cryptocurrencies.

Bitcoin, the world’s largest cryptocurrency, stood at $ 60,415.34 as of 7:25 a.m. ET, according to Coinbase, rebounding from a decline in late February that followed an earlier record high this month.

According to Coinbase, the digital currency has risen 963% in the past 12 months. Its value exceeded $ 1 trillion last week for the second time this year.

Bitcoin’s rally is due in part to increased adoption by larger institutional investors and corporations, as well as speculative demand. Tesla has purchased $ 1.5 billion worth of Bitcoin and plans to accept the digital coin as a means of payment for its products. This decision aroused greater interest.

Mastercard also said it will open its network to some digital currencies. And PayPal and BNY Mellon have taken some steps into space.

Bitcoin believers argue that the current rally is driven by institutional investor demand and is different from previous rallies, such as when Bitcoin rose to nearly $ 20,000 in late 2017 before losing about 80% of its value the next year.

Others argue that Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies have no intrinsic value, and fear that Bitcoin could be one of the largest stimulating market bubbles ever recorded.

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World News

Inventory futures rise barely after Dow units document excessive

A trader on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.

Source: NYSE

Stock futures rose slightly on Wednesday evening after the market’s blue-chip average hit another record high during regular trading hours.

Futures contracts for the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 72 points, or 0.2%. Those for the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 rose 0.3% and 0.4%, respectively.

The futures move came after the Dow rose 464 points to a record high on Wednesday. The S&P 500 rose 0.6% while the Nasdaq Composite fell slightly as the rotation away from growth stocks resumed.

Wednesday’s gains came as the House passed the $ 1.9 trillion stimulus package and sent it to President Joe Biden. While the bond market digested an auction of 10-year government bonds worth $ 38 billion with no volatility spike.

Rising interest rates in recent weeks have accelerated the move away from technology and growth stocks to more cyclical sectors like energy. Higher interest rates make profits less attractive to investors in distant years and can knock down stocks with relatively high valuations.

“The faster-than-expected acceleration in US economic growth appears to be raising inflation and longer-term interest rates,” said Gary Schlossberg of the Wells Fargo Investment Institute in a note. “The pace of these increases has been a recent concern of investors, but a rebound in interest rates and inflation is a typical occurrence at the beginning of a rebound – faster this time, in our opinion, as economic growth rebounds abnormally.”

However, this week was stronger overall for growth stocks as a rise in the Nasdaq on Tuesday pulled the index out of correction territory. The Invesco QQQ Trust, which tracks the Nasdaq 100, is up slightly this week after falling over the past three weeks.

In terms of data, investors will receive two new pieces of information on the labor market recovery on Thursday. The first number of unemployment claims for the past week will be published at 8:30 a.m. CET. The economists surveyed by Dow Jones expect 725,000 new claims. The January job posting and turnover survey will take place later this morning.

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Entertainment

Who Will Win Report of the Yr on the Grammys? Let’s Talk about.

How do you feel when you look at this record of the year category? “Sad.” “What the hell did you think?” “It feels like 50-year-olds think that pop music was.” “It feels like 2020 because it’s kind of unsatisfactory.” “The record of the year is the culture category. Where in the culture was this music in 2020? “” But it should be good. It should be the song that is good enough to represent the year, not just the song that was zeitgeist enough. “(SINGING) Motherland, Motherland, Motherland, Motherland is dripping on me.” Do you like this song? “I like this song.” “I like this song.” “It’s good.” “Actually, I really like Black Parade.” “It’s very structured and multilayered, and the more you hear it, the more interesting it gets.” “There is the flute. There is the African choir. There is the fact that she is very timely talking about protests against Black Lives Matter. “” Is it like the Beyonce bang that I want to hear every day? Not necessarily. “” And we’re talking about one of the Olympian gods of pop music. This is a mortal song. She’ll probably win. “” And I think it might have an inside trail because they keep berating Beyonce. “She’s the queen of nominations and then the non-queen of winning, especially in the major categories.” “But she’s even better at Savage.” We come to Savage. “(SINGING) With all my favorite colors.” What is this song called? “Every time it starts I think maybe this will be the time I think it’s deeper than it actually is. But it really isn’t. It’s very simple. “” It’s a song that exists for the Grammys. “” The Grammys appreciate that kind of musicality. “” There’s good guitar work on this song. The organ in this song is really strong. The voice is sing well) [INAUDIBLE] I am shaded by the trees. “” But what I’m missing is the punch or the drama. I mean, it’s for people at big Starbucks that withdrawal of participation is what it is. “One of the things that impressed me about this category is that a lot of them are guitar songs. Even the rap song is a guitar song. “Right. But they’re guitar songs, but they’re guitar songs. It’s funny because the next thing we’re going to talk about is DaBaby, which is definitely a guitar song.” [INAUDIBLE] Rock star. That’s not a guitar, bitch, it’s a glock. “” Of every song in this category, it’s the best writing. The guitar part is so pretty, I feel like you’re catching almost everything it says. ““ (SINGING) PTSD. I always wake up in a cold sweat like I have the flu. My daughter a G. She shows me how to kill a [INAUDIBLE] before the age of two. And I would kill another [INAUDIBLE] “I doubt it can win. Historically, the Grammys don’t do well with things like this.” “I don’t think they want to give two black men a Grammy either. They just don’t. Outkast was last time in a long time in the main categories. “” (SINGING) I would let you if I had known. Why don’t you say that? “Doja Cat, Say So, produced by a man named Tyson Trax. Have you ever heard of this guy, Tyson Trax? “Isn’t that a pseudonym for someone who might have a bad reputation?” “Oh wait, isn’t it Dr. Luke?” Yes. It’s Dr. Hatch. “He really used a pseudonym?” Yes. Tyson Trax. “Ew. That’s reprehensible. “” I have to imagine that the number of people in the nomination or voting process who know that this is a pseudonym for Dr. Luke is less than 1%. “Do you like Say So?” No. Not really. It’s a disco without luxury. Everything about disco and spinning around in furs under a disco ball. And this song sounds to me like a sad person dancing under a single lightbulb. “” It’s more like that, hey. ” Yes. It’s Uber Music. “Hi Guys.” It’s music for the Uber. “It’s Uber Music. That’s it. “” (SINGING) I got everything I wanted. “” That’s typical Grammy stuff. Hey that worked. Let’s do this again. ” Is it too early for Billie Eilish to win again? “Yes.” “(SINGING) Don’t show up. Don’t come out Don’t bother about me now. “Dua Lipa, don’t start now. “Yes.” “Is that the record of the year?” “Yes. Disco Strings, Base of the Year.” “(SINGING) Don’t show up. Don’t show up. Don’t …” “It’s a kiss for an ex trying to make a comeback. “” It’s the opposite of Robyn’s Dancing On My Own. “” (SINGING) I’ll be in the corner and watch you kiss her. “” Dua says don’t come and see me in the club with someone else I’m because I’m going out now and I’m over you. “” Don’t Start Now is a disco blast. “” It sounds like make-up. “” (SINGING) Run away, but we’re running in circles. ” “The idea that this person made White Iverson too.” “(SINGING) I got myself some braids and I got myself a couple of hoes.” “It’s fascinating to think that this is the same artist.” Isn’t this a rap song? “No.” “I don’t even know what this song is.” “You know what? This was Post Malone’s song that won me over. I thought, OK, you are a songwriter. This is a really good song. “” I don’t like it because it’s almost like it’s structurally impossible not to like it. ” But you wouldn’t vote for it either? “No, I wouldn’t.” “(SINGING) I’m a savage. OK Nobel, Bougie, Ratchet, OK Sassy – “Is just the record of the year? “Yes it is.” “A big streaming hit. A huge TikTok hit and dance trend before Beyoncé ever shows up. Beyoncé shows up because of it. But Megan Thee Stallion, she’s like a manager. ” Right. “She’s a great transaction rapper. It’s not just about capitalism. But it’s also about orgasm, pleasure and body fluids. “” Do you think this is a bigger TikTok song than WAP? ” That’s a good question. WAP could obviously fall into this category. Cardi B. reportedly didn’t put it in for nominations because she wants to save it for the next Grammys. But Beyoncé is Beyoncé. So, you know … “Yeah. Yes. “” Beyoncé in this song is the big steak the Flintstones get at the end of each episode that knocks the whole car over. Beyoncé is the steak. She can’t help it. And if you’re Megan Thee Stallion, what are you going to say ? ” Right. Is this the song to beat in this category? “Yes. I think it’s between this and Dua.” What will this category win? “I think Black Parade.” “I choose Black Parade.” “Savage or Billie Eilish.” “I’ll say Dua think she should win and I think she will win. “And who should win?” I’ll give it back to Beyoncé and Black Parade. “” The Dua Lipa song and Savage are my two favorite songs. “” My voice is a rock star. “And what are you missing in this category? What’s supposed to be here?” Watermelon Sugar. “” (SINGING) High. “” It’s a classic record of the year. I can’t believe it’s not here. And Blinding Lights is that Another song. “Right.” (SINGING) When I’m like this, you’re the one I trust. “” Taylor Swift cardigan isn’t there. “” (SINGING) You dressed me up and said I was your favorite. “” That’s a cozy, old-fashioned, subliminally catchy song. “” My heart will always be with this dua song because I think it’s crisp and is perfect. But if Beyoncé came to the awards and gave an acceptance speech and she would confront the Grammys so it would take this long to get properly honored, the potential of the Black Parade win is the most interesting. “(SINGING) Black Parade.” “That assumes I think the Grammys are valid.” For sure. “So let’s start with that. That is a dubious statement. Start there. “- – [VOCALIZING] “I just got the idea that it should ricochet.” “(SINGING) I have the horses in the back.” – – [VOCALIZING] “(SINGING) Man, what’s going on? Man i’m getting through It’s your girl Lizzo. “