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AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc./ GameStop Corp.
https://www.marketwatch.com/investing/stock/AMC/options
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https://www.marketwatch.com/investing/stock/GME/options
https://www.marketwatch.com/investing/stock/AMC/options
My Picks
GB & Under
BUF & Over
Thanks!
Biden introduces $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package that includes $1,400 stimulus checks
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2021/01/14/biden-covid-relief-package-includes-vaccination-stimulus-checks/4164949001/
https://stockcharts.com/freecharts/candleglance.html?SDOW,UDOW,SQQQ,TQQQ,SPXS,SPXL,TZA,TNA,SSG,SMH,FAZ,FAS|C|D20|0
Biden said he would introduce his vaccine distribution plan Friday. During his Thursday remarks, Biden criticized the Trump administration's rollout of the vaccine.
"The vaccine rollout in the United States has been a dismal failure thus far," he said, adding that he "will have to move heaven and earth to get more people vaccinated."
The relief plan also includes:
$170 billion to help reopen schools, as well as provide financial relief to students
Expand to 14 weeks paid sick and family and medical leave
$25 billion in rental assistance and an additional $5 billion to cover home energy and water costs
Extending the 15 percent Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits increase to September 2021
$15 billion for grants to more than 1 million small businesses
A $20 billion investment to Indian Country to support tribal governments' response to the COVID-19 pandemic
Raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour
Biden’s goal is to provide 100 million vaccinations during the first 100 days of his administration starting Jan. 20. But the pace has been slower than that so far, with 22 million doses distributed and 6.7 million administered by Friday, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About 150,000 people have received both necessary doses, according to a New York Times survey of 50 states.
“My No. 1 priority is getting vaccine in people’s arms,” Biden said Monday as he received his second dose. “It’s going to be hard. It’s not going to be easy. But we can get it done.”
Senate GOP torn over convicting Trump: 'There's no love lost'
https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/14/politics/mitch-mcconnell-republican-senator-plans/index.html
So many Senate Republicans, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, there's no question in their minds: President Donald Trump committed impeachable offenses.
But getting McConnell and at least 16 other Republicans to convict Trump after he's left office is another question entirely.
"There is no love lost within the Senate Republican Conference for Trump," said one GOP source familiar with internal discussions. "Everybody is ready for this to end. But there is a really open question about how many people will vote to convict him after his term will have expired."
Several senior GOP sources told CNN on Thursday that many Republicans are torn over whether Trump's actions warrant the unprecedented step of prohibiting him from ever serving in office again after he leaves the White House next week.
Republicans say it will ultimately be up to a combination of factors -- the case built by House impeachment managers, whether new information comes out about Trump and the deadly Capitol riot and whether emotions are still raw when it comes time to vote -- to determine whether Republicans will break ranks and end Trump's political career for good.
Privately, Republicans have reviewed internal polling showing Trump's support cratering among GOP voters since Election Day -- especially since last week when he incited a violent mob of his supporters to riot in the Capitol leading to the deaths of five people, two sources said. But even after he leaves office, he is bound to still maintain significant sway with the GOP base, something Republicans facing reelection -- and potential primary challengers -- will be forced to confront.
Republicans are by and large split into several camps. Some, like Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton, oppose the proceedings because, they argue, it's constitutionally dubious to convict a President once he leaves office, a position many Republicans are bound to take.
"I doubt we can even have a trial for a former President, which is what we are dealing with here," GOP Sen. Kevin Cramer of North Dakota told CNN on Thursday.
Others, such as Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, are likely to align with many House Republicans who said that the impeachment proceedings will further divide the country.
"An impeachment vote will only lead to more hate and a deeply fractured nation," Scott, who is facing voters in 2022, said this week.
Yet, some Republicans say that it's critical to lay down a marker to make clear that Congress will not stand for future presidents who may follow Trump's path -- and that the President's actions crossed a clear line that must never be replicated again.
"I believe that this President has committed an impeachable offense," Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski told Alaska television station KTUU on Wednesday, adding that it would be "appropriate" for the Senate to bar him from holding office again.
Murkowski Is Latest G.O.P. Senator to Signal Possible Support for Convicting Trump
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/01/14/us/impeachment-trump#murkowski-trump
Ms. Murkowski said the second impeachment of Mr. Trump stood “in stark contrast” to the first, which she and virtually every other Republican opposed. She said Mr. Trump had perpetuated “false rhetoric that the election was stolen and rigged” and launched a “pressure campaign against his own vice president, urging him to take actions that he had no authority to do.”
“On the day of the riots, President Trump’s words incited violence, which led to the injury and deaths of Americans — including a Capitol Police officer — the desecration of the Capitol, and briefly interfered with the government’s ability to ensure a peaceful transfer of power,” Ms. Murkowski said.
Her remarks came the day after the House — with support from 10 Republicans — impeached the president on a single charge of “incitement of insurrection,” and as Republicans faced the prospect of a trial that could begin as soon as next week.
Murkowski Is Latest G.O.P. Senator to Signal Possible Support for Convicting Trump
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/01/14/us/impeachment-trump#murkowski-trump
Ms. Murkowski said the second impeachment of Mr. Trump stood “in stark contrast” to the first, which she and virtually every other Republican opposed. She said Mr. Trump had perpetuated “false rhetoric that the election was stolen and rigged” and launched a “pressure campaign against his own vice president, urging him to take actions that he had no authority to do.”
“On the day of the riots, President Trump’s words incited violence, which led to the injury and deaths of Americans — including a Capitol Police officer — the desecration of the Capitol, and briefly interfered with the government’s ability to ensure a peaceful transfer of power,” Ms. Murkowski said.
Her remarks came the day after the House — with support from 10 Republicans — impeached the president on a single charge of “incitement of insurrection,” and as Republicans faced the prospect of a trial that could begin as soon as next week.
Wells Fargo in talks to sell asset management unit to GCTR
https://seekingalpha.com/news/3651523-wells-fargo-in-talks-to-sell-asset-management-unit-to-gctr-reverence-reuters
Wells Fargo (WFC +3.1%) is in exclusive talks to sell its asset management business to a private equity group led by GTCR LLC and Reverence Capital Partners, Reuters reports, people familiar with the matter.
Although the price being negotiated wasn't disclosed, Reuters previously reported that Wells Fargo was seeking more than $3B for the unit.
The sale of the asset management would represent one of the most visible parts of its overhaul undertaken by CEO Charlie Scharf.
Earlier Thursday, WFC announced that it will sell its Canadian Direct Equipment Finance business to Toronto-Dominion Bank; terms of the deal were undisclosed. Last month, it agreed to sell its private student loan portfolio to investors.
New unemployment claims jump to 965,000, the highest level since August
https://www.newsnationnow.com/business/your-money/weekly-unemployment-claims-jump-to-near-one-million-as-virus-rages-on/
The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits rose last week to almost a million people as the latest unemployment figures still remain at levels never seen until the virus struck.
The latest report released by the Labor Department Thursday shows that the number of people filing for jobless benefits increased by 181,000 to a total of 965,000, the most since late August. The previous week showed a slight decrease.
“The rise and level of new unemployment claims is shocking, at the highest point seen since late August,” said Mark Hamrick, senior analyst at Bankrate. “This reminds us that the economic crisis has not gone away, far from it, at a time when multiple crises have been vying for our attention. It hasn’t helped that administration of COVID-19 vaccines has been slow to gather momentum since the pandemic is at the epicenter of the economy’s ills.”
https://stockcharts.com/freecharts/candleglance.html?SDOW,UDOW,SQQQ,TQQQ,SPXS,SPXL,TZA,TNA,SSG,SMH,FAZ,FAS|C|D20|0
Weekly unemployment claims jump to nearly one million as virus rages on
https://www.newsnationnow.com/business/your-money/weekly-unemployment-claims-jump-to-near-one-million-as-virus-rages-on/
The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits rose last week to almost a million people as the latest unemployment figures still remain at levels never seen until the virus struck.
The latest report released by the Labor Department Thursday shows that the number of people filing for jobless benefits increased by 181,000 to a total of 965,000, the most since late August. The previous week showed a slight decrease.
“The rise and level of new unemployment claims is shocking, at the highest point seen since late August,” said Mark Hamrick, senior analyst at Bankrate. “This reminds us that the economic crisis has not gone away, far from it, at a time when multiple crises have been vying for our attention. It hasn’t helped that administration of COVID-19 vaccines has been slow to gather momentum since the pandemic is at the epicenter of the economy’s ills.”
Trump Refuses To Pay Rudy Giuliani For Legal Work
https://www.yahoo.com/huffpost/trump-wont-pay-rudy-giuliani-election-legal-work-032513094.html?.tsrc=daily_mail&uh_test=1_03
Trump was unhappy with Giuliani’s demand for $20,000 a day in fees and “has privately expressed concern” with some of his attorney’s moves.
The former mayor last year denied seeking that specific amount, claiming a much more unusual fee structure instead.
“I never asked for $20,000,” he told The New York Times in November. “The arrangement is we’ll work it out at the end.”
The Times on Wednesday confirmed the latest Post report, adding that White House officials were blocking Giuliani’s calls to Trump.
Trump has not only refused to pay Giuliani’s legal fees but has told aides that all reimbursement requests for travel and other expenses need to go through him.
Rudy Giuliani Facing New York State Bar Revocation
President-Elect Joe Biden unveiled a $1.9 trillion stimulus package that includes direct payments to Americans, a $15 minimum wage, aid to small businesses, and a national vaccination program, among many other provisions.
https://www.yahoo.com/money/biden-pandemic-stimulus-plan-222717126.html
The $1.9 trillion legislation includes $1,400 stimulus payments on top of the $600 being distributed, the extension of key unemployment programs that are set to expire in the spring, aid to small businesses, $350 billion to state and local governments, increase in tax credits for low- and middle-income families, and $160 billion for a national program on vaccination and testing.
The $2,000 direct payments would be an increase from the $600 direct payments currently being distributed, meaning eligible Americans would potentially receive an additional $1,400 (as well as an additional $1,400 for each dependent). The legislation would also expand the additional bonus for dependents from each dependent under 17 to each dependent of any age.
The extra weekly amount in unemployment benefits would be increased to $400 a week, up from the current $300 a week. Biden’s plan would also extend those benefits through September — currently, the additional benefit lapses on March 14. Under his plan, Biden would also extend the program that provides jobless benefits to workers who typically don’t qualify for regular benefits.
As of 1-14-2021
My Picks
LAR & Under
BAL & Over
KCC & Over
TBB & Over
Thanks!
My Picks
BUF & Over
SEA & Under
TBB & Over
BAL & Over
NOS & Under
PIT & Under
Thanks!
options trade for Micron MU
https://www.marketwatch.com/investing/stock/mu/options
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U.S. Stocks Slide to Start 2021
https://ih.advfn.com/stock-market/FTSE/UKX/stock-news/84017941/u-s-stocks-slide-to-start-2021
U.S. stocks tumbled on the first trading day of the year, retreating sharply from records set just days ago.
Investors are starting off the new year fixated on the same issue that dominated markets for much of 2020: the coronavirus pandemic. Many believe economic activity will pick up later this year as more of the population is vaccinated and businesses are able to reopen. But they acknowledge the path to recovery will likely be long and uneven.
News on the pandemic front has painted a grim picture in recent days. Hospitalizations in the U.S. jumped to a record Sunday. Meanwhile, governments across Europe are extending lockdowns to try to slow the spread of the virus.
The difficulties that countries face in containing the pandemic mean many companies will remain vulnerable to financial pressures in the near term.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 382.59 points, or 1.3%, to 30223.89. The S&P 500 shed 55.42 points, or 1.5%, to 3700.65 and the Nasdaq Composite declined 189.83 points, or 1.5%, to 12698.45.
"We have continued concerns over Covid-19 and the ability to staunch this wave, not just in the U.S. but globally," said Quincy Krosby, chief market strategist at Prudential Financial.
Ms. Krosby added that there appeared to be growing nervousness over Tuesday's Georgia runoff races, which will determine whether Republicans are able to hold on to control in the Senate. In recent days, betting markets have shown the Republican lead shrinking, pointing to what will likely be a tight race.
"These are all of these concerns, and then we have a market that is priced to perfection, which is denting returns right now," Ms. Krosby said.
Among individual stocks, Coca-Cola shares fell $2.07, or 3.8%, to $52.77. RBC Capital Markets analysts downgraded the stock to "sector perform" from "outperform," saying they believe the pandemic will continue to limit major public events and dining at restaurants, potentially hurting demand for Coca-Cola's products.
Airline stocks, another group that has been hard hit by the pandemic, fell as well, with American Airlines falling 65 cents, or 4.1%, to $15.12 and Delta Air Lines losing $1.48, or 3.7%, to $38.73.
Hotel operators also retreated, with Hilton Worldwide Holdings shedding $3.74, or 3.4%, to $107.52 and Marriott International losing $7.11, or 5.4%, to $124.81.
One stock that bucked the trend Monday: Tesla. The electric-car maker rose $24.10, or 3.4%, to $729.77 after saying it delivered a record 499,550 cars last year, just shy of its half a million target.
As investors broadly withdrew from stocks, gold prices jumped 2.7% to $1,944.70 a troy ounce, posting their biggest one-day percentage gain since April. The precious metal tends to gain favor with investors when market volatility increases.
Overseas, the pan-continental Stoxx Europe 600 rose 0.7%, paring earlier gains.
The U.K.'s FTSE 100 added 1.7%. The trade deal struck on Christmas Eve between the U.K. and the European Union is likely delivering a boost to British stocks, said Sebastian Mackay, a multiasset fund manager at Invesco.
"A lot of the tail risks of a no deal [Brexit] have been removed now. This will lead people to start dipping their toes again in the U.K. market," he said.
Investors also said they were reassured by newly released data on the health of the manufacturing sector. Factories in Asia and Europe increased their output as 2020 drew to a close, according to surveys of purchasing managers that showed strong rises in activity during December.
"We're going through renewed lockdowns, which is curtailing activity to some extent, but what we've seen through the pandemic is that manufacturing activity tends to hold up quite well," Mr. Mackay said.
Most major stock benchmarks in the Asia-Pacific region advanced. South Korea's Kospi Composite led gains, rising 2.5%.
China's Shanghai Composite rose 0.9%, even after a private survey showed China's manufacturing activity moderated in December due to weak demand for the country's exports.
Ben Luk, senior multiasset strategist at State Street Global Markets, said the data pointed to continued fragility in the Chinese economy. But he said that helped ease concerns that China's central bank would act prematurely to tighten monetary policy.
Japan's Nikkei 225 dropped 0.7% after Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said he might declare a state of emergency in Tokyo and surrounding areas as new coronavirus infections continue to rise.
Haven, the Amazon-Berkshire-JPMorgan venture to disrupt health care, is disbanding after 3 years
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/04/haven-the-amazon-berkshire-jpmorgan-venture-to-disrupt-healthcare-is-disbanding-after-3-years.html
Haven, the joint venture formed by three of America’s most powerful companies to lower costs and improve outcomes in health care, is disbanding after three years, CNBC has learned exclusively.
The company began informing employees Monday that it will shut down by the end of next month, according to people with direct knowledge of the matter.
Many of the Boston-based firm’s 57 workers are expected to be placed at Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway or JPMorgan Chase as the firms each individually push forward in their efforts, and the three companies are still expected to collaborate informally on health-care projects, the people said.
Haven, the Amazon-Berkshire-JPMorgan venture to disrupt health care, is disbanding after 3 years
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/04/haven-the-amazon-berkshire-jpmorgan-venture-to-disrupt-healthcare-is-disbanding-after-3-years.html
Haven, the joint venture formed by three of America’s most powerful companies to lower costs and improve outcomes in health care, is disbanding after three years, CNBC has learned exclusively.
The company began informing employees Monday that it will shut down by the end of next month, according to people with direct knowledge of the matter.
Many of the Boston-based firm’s 57 workers are expected to be placed at Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway or JPMorgan Chase as the firms each individually push forward in their efforts, and the three companies are still expected to collaborate informally on health-care projects, the people said.
TB to win LAR to lose, Happy New Year!
CLE to win
ATL to Lose
Merry Christmas!
TEN to win
HOU to lose
TY
KC to win
SF to lose
TY
LV to win and DEN to lose, TY
MIA to win
CHI to lose
TY
MIN to win, LAR to Lose
TY
PIT to win
NE to lose
TY
NE to win
DAL to lose
TY
GB to win
NYG to lose
TY
BUF to win
JAX to lose
TY!
BAL to win
CIN to lose
Thanks!
New Orleans to win and Las Vegas to lose, sir.
‘Massively concerning’ jobs report sends a signal that the economic recovery could be fading
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/10/02/massively-concerning-jobs-report-sends-a-signal-that-the-economic-recovery-could-be-fading.html
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Weaker-than-expected job growth in September sent a signal that the sharp economic recovery off the coronavirus shutdown may be hitting a wall.
The Labor Department reported Friday that nonfarm payrolls increased by 661,000 in September, held back by declines in government employment and an exodus of workers from the labor force.
In normal times, that type of hiring pace would be considered a sign of a robust job market. The total, in fact, would have been the best month the U.S. had seen since 1983 – if these were normal times and not amid the Covid-19 era that has changed the benchmarks by which economic data is measured.
As it stood, the total was a fairly wide miss from Wall Street’s expectation of 800,000. The unemployment rate fell more than expected to 7.9%, but that was mostly due to a sharp decline in labor force participation.
Taken together, the report is a potential early flare from the business community that a rebound during which 11 million jobs were refilled in four months could be petering out.
“This report is an illusion of progress at a time when we needed accelerating gains in the labor market. The number of jobs added this month is just not enough,” said Nick Bunker, economic research director at job placement site Indeed. “This report is massively concerning. We are not where we need to be, nor are we moving fast enough in the right direction as we head into fall.”
Data has looked good, but ...
The timing of the report is inauspicious in that most of the backward-looking economic indicators have been solid.
Housing stands out the most as the residential market is struggling to find supply to meet all the demand. Retail sales have been solid, and manufacturing is back into expansion after heading in the wrong direction for a few months.
The Citi Economic Surprise Index, which measures the data versus Wall Street expectations, has cooled since soaring to its historic peak in mid-July but still is above anything before the pandemic.
Most tellingly, consumer confidence remains strong. But that may not last, particularly if the jobs numbers weaken and the stock market continues to struggle.
“The real question in my mind is why consumers are so upbeat and why they remain upbeat. Until I can answer that, I don’t know how persistent the expansion is going to be,” said Drew Matus, chief market strategist at MetLife Investment Management. “People are underestimating how long the impact of what we’ve been through is going to last. In that regard, there’s some downside risk to the outlook.”
At the moment, the economy remains mostly in a rally mode off the unprecedented slump in the second quarter brought on by the coronavirus-induced shutdown. GDP is projected to increase by as much as a 32% annualized pace in the second quarter after tumbling 31.4% in Q2 and 5% to start the year.
‘Massively concerning’ jobs report sends a signal that the economic recovery could be fading
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/10/02/massively-concerning-jobs-report-sends-a-signal-that-the-economic-recovery-could-be-fading.html
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Weaker-than-expected job growth in September sent a signal that the sharp economic recovery off the coronavirus shutdown may be hitting a wall.
The Labor Department reported Friday that nonfarm payrolls increased by 661,000 in September, held back by declines in government employment and an exodus of workers from the labor force.
In normal times, that type of hiring pace would be considered a sign of a robust job market. The total, in fact, would have been the best month the U.S. had seen since 1983 – if these were normal times and not amid the Covid-19 era that has changed the benchmarks by which economic data is measured.
As it stood, the total was a fairly wide miss from Wall Street’s expectation of 800,000. The unemployment rate fell more than expected to 7.9%, but that was mostly due to a sharp decline in labor force participation.
Taken together, the report is a potential early flare from the business community that a rebound during which 11 million jobs were refilled in four months could be petering out.
“This report is an illusion of progress at a time when we needed accelerating gains in the labor market. The number of jobs added this month is just not enough,” said Nick Bunker, economic research director at job placement site Indeed. “This report is massively concerning. We are not where we need to be, nor are we moving fast enough in the right direction as we head into fall.”
Data has looked good, but ...
The timing of the report is inauspicious in that most of the backward-looking economic indicators have been solid.
Housing stands out the most as the residential market is struggling to find supply to meet all the demand. Retail sales have been solid, and manufacturing is back into expansion after heading in the wrong direction for a few months.
The Citi Economic Surprise Index, which measures the data versus Wall Street expectations, has cooled since soaring to its historic peak in mid-July but still is above anything before the pandemic.
Most tellingly, consumer confidence remains strong. But that may not last, particularly if the jobs numbers weaken and the stock market continues to struggle.
“The real question in my mind is why consumers are so upbeat and why they remain upbeat. Until I can answer that, I don’t know how persistent the expansion is going to be,” said Drew Matus, chief market strategist at MetLife Investment Management. “People are underestimating how long the impact of what we’ve been through is going to last. In that regard, there’s some downside risk to the outlook.”
At the moment, the economy remains mostly in a rally mode off the unprecedented slump in the second quarter brought on by the coronavirus-induced shutdown. GDP is projected to increase by as much as a 32% annualized pace in the second quarter after tumbling 31.4% in Q2 and 5% to start the year.
Stocks fall following Trump’s positive virus test, but close off the worst levels on stimulus hopes
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/10/01/stock-market-futures-open-to-close-news.html
U.S. stocks fell in volatile trading on Friday after President Donald Trump’s coronavirus diagnosis fueled concerns about the election and a worsening pandemic.
Major averages clawed back some of the steep losses after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi signaled aid for the airline industry could be coming soon, perhaps even as part of a much-anticipated broad relief bill.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed 134.09 points, or 0.5%, lower at 27,682.81 after dropping 430 points at its session low. The S&P 500 slid 1.0%, or 32.36 points, to 3,248.44 after falling as much as 1.7% earlier. The Nasdaq Composite declined 2.2%, or 251.49 points, to 11,075.02.
Shares of airlines jumped higher in unison after Pelosi called on the industry to delay furloughs, saying relief for airline workers is “imminent.” American Airlines and United erased earlier losses and popped 3.3% and 2.4%, respectively.
President Trump Tested COVID-19 Positive and being taken to Walter Reed Military Medical Center
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/10/02/president-trump-being-taken-to-walter-reed-military-medical-center-as-a-precautionary-measure.html
Trump wearing mask walked to helicopter Marine One which will fly him to Walter Reed Military Medical Center
The move, which appears to mark an escalation in the efforts to treat the president, is being made “as a precautionary measure,” a senior administration official told NBC News.
“President Trump remains in good spirts, has mild symptoms, and has been working throughout the day,” press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said in a statement to reporters at the White House.
“Out of an abundance of caution, and at the recommendation of his physician and medical experts, the President will be working from the presidential offices at Walter Reed for the next few days. President Trump appreciates the outpouring of support for both he and the First Lady,” McEnany said.
“Out of an abundance of caution, and at the recommendation of his physician and medical experts, the President will be working from the presidential offices at Walter Reed for the next few days. President Trump appreciates the outpouring of support for both he and the First Lady,” McEnany said.
The president’s transfer to the medical facility comes less than a day after he announced his diagnosis. First lady Melania Trump also tested positive for Covid-19.
Earlier Friday afternoon, the White House physician said Trump was “fatigued but in good spirits.” The physician, Dr. Sean Conley, also said Trump, 74, had been given an experimental antibody cocktail treatment, and was taking several nutritional supplements as well.
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Trump use experimental antibody cocktail drugs from Regeneron
instead of his fav drug Hydroxychloroquine, thousands doses still sitting in the Fed's warehouse
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/02/health/trump-antibody-treatment.html
Eli Lilly also has ties to the Trump administration. Alex M. Azar II, the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, is a former executive at the company.
During the pandemic, Mr. Trump has promoted a range of unproven or scientifically questionable treatments for the virus, and himself took hydroxychloroquine in the hopes that it could prevent infection. The Food and Drug Administration authorized hydroxychloroquine for emergency use this spring, then revoked its approval after concluding that the drug’s potential benefits did not outweigh the risks.
Mr. Trump has also enthusiastically endorsed the use of convalescent plasma and pushed for the F.D.A. to authorize the treatment for emergency use even though there is still not good evidence that it works. He suggested that injecting a disinfectant like bleach could help combat the virus, although later said he was joking.
Other treatments — an inexpensive steroid, dexamethasone, and remdesivir, an antiviral drug developed by Gilead — have been shown in clinical trials to help patients with Covid-19 who are sick enough to be hospitalized. Neither drug has gone through the rigorous F.D.A. approval process to determine that it is safe and effective, although dexamethasone is widely available for other uses, and remdesivir has received emergency authorization.
Mr. Trump in 2018 signed the Right to Try law, which allows patients and their doctors to directly request an experimental treatment from a company, without first seeking approval from the F.D.A., which typically approves the vast majority of such requests. The Right to Try law is rarely used, however, with most doctors and hospitals preferring to use the existing process of seeking agency approval.
Some ethics experts said it would not be surprising if President Trump were given the drugs on an experimental basis, given that they have passed safety trials.
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Attendees tested positive for Covid-19 nearly a week after attending SCOTUS announcement with no mask
https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/02/us/notre-dame-president-covid-trnd/index.html
The president of Notre Dame has tested positive for Covid-19 nearly a week after he attended a White House event where he was spotted without a mask.
Fr. John Jenkins tested positive and is now isolated with mild symptoms, according to a message from the school sent to members of the Campus Community Friday afternoon.
"During self-quarantine this week, University of Notre Dame President Rev. John I. Jenkins, CSC, learned that a colleague with whom he has been in regular contact tested positive for COVID-19. Fr Jenkins was tested and found to be positive for COVID-19 too. As a result, he is entering an extended period of isolation as indicated by University medical personnel and county health officials," the message said.
"My symptoms are mild and I will continue work from home," Jenkins said in the press release. "The positive test is a good reminder for me and perhaps for all of how vigilant we need to be.
This comes nearly a week after Jenkins attended the announcement for the White House Supreme Court of the United States nominee Judge Amy Coney Barrett.
He was seen at the announcement shaking hands and not wearing a mask.
On Monday, Jenkins wrote a letter to his students titled "I regret my error of judgment in not wearing a mask," in which he apologized and said he would quarantine out of an abundance of caution in accordance with university protocols.
"I know many of you have read about the White House ceremony I recently attended. I write to express my regret for certain choices I made that day and for failing to lead as I should have," Jenkins said in the letter.
Trump's Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett was diagnosed with coronavirus this summer
https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/02/politics/amy-coney-barrett-coronavirus-supreme-court-nominee/index.html
This is so unfortunate for Trump to early nominate a supreme court judge since this is against Judge Ginsburg's dying wish!
Granddaughter confirms Ginsburg’s dying wish: That Trump not fill her seat
https://www.timesofisrael.com/relative-confirms-ginsburgs-dying-wish-was-to-keep-trump-from-filling-her-seat/
Trump’s promotion of hydroxychloroquine is almost certainly about politics
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/04/07/trumps-promotion-hydroxychloroquine-is-almost-certainly-about-politics-not-profits/
For weeks, President Trump has actively hyped the possibility that the antimalarial drugs chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine might prove to be miracle cures for covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus that has spread across the country. His promotion of the drugs — which are already broadly in use in the United States without having been proved to be unusually effective at treating covid-19 — has spurred questions about his motivation. Why promote these unproven drugs over and over instead of just continuing to allow them to be used? Why keep focusing on them overtly?
Trump was asked a version of that question specifically over the weekend.
“I want them to try it,” Trump said. “And it may work, and it may not work. But if it doesn’t work, it’s nothing lost by doing it. Nothing.”
San Francisco to W
Philadelphia to L
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Disney to lay off around 28,000 workers at its parks in California and Florida due to pandemic
https://finance.yahoo.com/m/4175bc14-36e6-3577-93e8-8647491f0e09/disney-to-lay-off-28-000-amid.html
The massive job reduction was the most eye-opening among several severe cost-cutting measures made by Disney DIS, -0.46% , which has lost billions of dollars in potential revenue because of suspended operations at its amusement parks, live-production units and cruise lines since COVID-19-imposed closures dating back to March.
About two-thirds of the 28,000 who lost their jobs worked part time, according to D’Amaro. The company did not specify how many were laid off from parks.
Disneyland and California Adventure in Anaheim, Calif., remain shuttered while theme parks in Florida, Paris, Shanghai, Japan, and Hong Kong have reopened to limited capacity.
LAC to win
NYJ to lose
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Chi to win
Det to Lose
TY
Japan_s economy sinks deeper into worst postwar contraction
, intensifies challenge for new leader after PM Abe resigned last week
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-japan-economy-gdp/japans-economy-shrinks-more-than-expected-in-second-quarter-heightens-woes-for-new-leader-idUSKBN25Z00R?il=0
The world’s third-largest economy shrank an annualised 28.1% in April-June, more than a preliminary reading of a 27.8% contraction, revised gross domestic product (GDP) data showed on Tuesday, suffering its worst postwar contraction.
The record drop roughly matched a median market forecast of a 28.6% contraction in a Reuters poll.
The main culprit behind the revision was a 4.7% drop in capital expenditure, much biggest than a preliminary 1.5% fall, suggesting the COVID-19 pandemic was hitting broader sectors of the economy.
The data will put the new prime minister, to be elected in a ruling party leadership race on Sept. 14, under pressure to take bolder economic support measures.
Many analysts expect the BOJ hold off on ramping up stimulus for now as steps to spur demand could get people moving more freely into shops and risk spreading the virus.
“Even though restrictions to economic activity have been relaxed, some of them will remain under the new lifestyle forced upon by the pandemic,” said Yoshiki Shinke, chief economist at Dai-ichi Life Research Institute.
“It will probably take a long time for the economy to normalise and return to levels before the pandemic.”
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