COVID-19 LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
Michigan has emerged as the current epicenter for the virus in the United States. The state recorded 91,000 new cases over the last two weeks, more than Texas and California combined. Doctors and public health experts point to contagious new variants and a drop-off in mask-wearing and social distancing as potentially being behind the surge. Notably, the demographics of the outbreak are skewing younger. The Michigan Health & Hospital Association said the state's hospitals are admitting twice as many patients in their 30s and 40s compared to the fall peak. CHEDDAR
J&J VACCINES RESUME
The CDC ended an 11-day pause in the distribution of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine on Friday. The agency first recommended the pause out of an abundance of caution after six cases of a rare blood clot in recipients. During the pause, there were reports of another nine cases. All were women, mostly between ages 18 to 49. A CDC advisory committee voted 10 to 4 in favor of resuming but also advised that the single-shot vaccine include a warning and a fact sheet about the potential risks. NBC
INDIA CALLS FOR AID
Elsewhere in the world, India is being ravaged by coronavirus, and the U.S. is stepping up to provide raw materials for vaccines, medical equipment, and protective gear to help clamp down on skyrocketing infections. The U.S. had previously restricted exports of certain materials needed for making vaccines, but the Biden administration is under increasing pressure from drugmakers in India who said they need the supplies to expand production to keep pace with the case surge. Meanwhile, in a sign of the pandemic's diverging impact, the European Union announced that American tourists who are fully vaccinated can visit countries in the bloc this summer — if their vaccines are approved by the European Medicines Agency. NY TIMES
AN UNUSUAL OSCARS NIGHT
The 93rd Academy Awards were unusual for a lot of reasons — no host, no audience, a new location — but after years of #OscarsSoWhite, this year marked a real win for diversity: Chloé Zhao became only the second woman in history to win best director, taking home the prize for her acclaimed third feature "Nomadland." Earlier in the night, Daniel Kaluuya won best supporting actor for his role in “Judas and the Black Messiah,” and Yuh-Jung Youn won best supporting actress for her performance in the Korean-American drama “Minari.' Emerald Fennell also won best original screenplay for the revenge thriller "Promising Young Woman." AP
CEOS MAKE BANK
Despite a pandemic-wracked economy, corporate executives made out like gangbusters in 2020. Median pay for executives at the 300 largest U.S. public companies rose from $12.8 million in 2019 to $13.7 million last year, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis. Given that equities make up a large chunk of executive compensation, CEOs can thank a booming stock market for the pay hike. Just ask outgoing Gamestop CEO George Sherman, whose exit agreement calls for the accelerated vesting of more than 1.1 million shares, worth about $169 million, as of Friday’s close. WSJ
ANOTHER POSSIBLE HATE-CRIME
A 61-year-old Chinese American man is in critical condition after an assault in East Harlem on Friday night that the New York City Police Department is investigating as a possible hate crime. The attack comes amid a surge of anti-Asian violence across the country, which led the U.S. Senate to pass legislation aimed at bolstering efforts to protect targeted populations last week. President Joe Biden has spoken up as well, tweeting "These attacks are wrong, un-American, and must stop." NPR
NO VACANCIES IN SPACE
The International Space Station is overbooked. The second manned SpaceX mission arrived at the orbiting lab on Saturday morning with a crew of four astronauts, bringing the total number on board to 11. Usually just three to six astronauts reside at the station, so the crew built some extra beds for the new arrivals. The overcrowding won't last long, however, as plans to bring home its previous manned crew following a six-month stay start on Wednesday. SPACE.COM
MUSK ON SNL
In another moonshot, Saturday Night Live has announced that Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX and “Technoking” of Tesla, will host the program on May 8 along with Miley Cyrus as musical guest. This isn't the first time the long-running sketch-comedy show has featured a guest from the business world (former president Donald Trump hosted the show twice before taking office) though it could be the first time an SNL opening monologue moves markets. Investors, and the SEC, just might be tuning in — not to mention Dogecoin bulls. CNN
[via @nbcsnl on Twitter]
SPOTTED…
...In a fitting tribute to hip-hop legend Earl Simmons (aka DMX), a winding funeral procession carried his crimson casket from the rapper's hometown of Yonkers to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, where celebrities such as Kanye West, Beyond, and Jay-Z were in attendance to honor his life and work. VULTURE
LEFTOVERS: HISTORICAL RECKONING
After years of lobbying from human rights activists and Armenian Americans, a U.S. president has recognized for the first time that the killing of 1.5 million Armenians from 1915 to 1923 by Ottoman Turks was an act of "genocide." President Biden's declaration comes as a relief for many still traumatized by the historic tragedy, but others see it as a snub. The foreign minister for Turkey, which has long denied the designation of the century-old events as a genocide, said last week that the recognition would "harm ties" between the two countries. USA TODAY
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