Moderna And U.S. Government Agree To Deal For 100M Doses Of COVID-19 Vaccine

Biotechnology company Moderna reached a deal with the U.S. government on Tuesday to deliver 100 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate. Moderna said the deal for its mRNA-1273 vaccine candidate is worth $1.525 billion and includes the option for the United States to purchase up to 400 million doses of the potential vaccine. The United States has invested $2.48 billion in Moderna’s vaccine candidate. Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel said, “We appreciate the confidence of the U.S. government in our mRNA vaccine platform and the continued support.”

The United States has also reached agreements with Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson for their vaccine candidates. President Trump said during a briefing at the White House Tuesday, “We are investing in the development and manufacture of the top six vaccine candidates to ensure rapid delivery. The military is ready to go, they’re ready to deliver a vaccine to Americans as soon as one is fully approved by the FDA and we’re very close to that approval.”

US government strikes deal with Moderna for 100M coronavirus vaccine doses

Via finance.yahoo.com
President Trump announced a deal on Tuesday between the U.S. government and biotechnology…
 

Joe Biden Picks California Sen. Kamala Harris As Vice Presidential Running Mate

Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden announced Sen. Kamala Harris of California would be his vice-presidential running mate, making her the first woman of color on a major party’s presidential ticket. Harris is also the fourth woman to ever be nominated by a major party on a presidential ticket.

Biden said in a statement, “Her record of accomplishment—fighting tooth and nail for what’s right—is why I’m choosing her. There is no door Kamala won’t knock on, no stone she’ll leave unturned, if it means making life better—for the people.”

Harris added in her own statement, “@JoeBiden can unify the American people because he’s spent his life fighting for us. And as president, he’ll build an America that lives up to our ideals. I’m honored to join him as our party’s nominee for Vice President, and do what it takes to make him our Commander-in-Chief.”

Harris, 55, was briefly a front-runner in the 2020 Democratic presidential-primary race but dropped out in December. Harris was the first woman and African American person to serve as San Francisco district attorney and later as California attorney general. She joined the Senate in 2017 after winning the race to succeed longtime Sen. Barbara Boxer, becoming only the second Black woman to serve in the chamber and the first South Asian American elected to the Senate. 

 

Joe Biden selects Sen. Kamala Harris as his running mate

Via www.nbcnews.com
 

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Tampa Bay Lightning Defeat Columbus Blue Jackets In OT To Take 1-0 Lead In 1st Round Of NHL Playoffs

The Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-2 on Tuesday in the fourth-longest game in Stanley Cup playoff history.

Brayden Point scored 10:27 into the fifth overtime, beating Joonas Korpisalo after the goaltender made an NHL-record 85 saves. Point also scored way back in the first period of Game 1 of the best-of-seven series. The teams combined for 151 shots – most in a NHL game since the league began officially tracking the statistic in 1955-56.

Because of the length of the game, the first game between the Carolina Hurricanes and Boston Bruins was pushed to Wednesday morning at 11 a.m. ET (NBCSN).

Game 2 between the Lightning and Blue Jackets will be Thursday, 8/13.

Lightning prevail in Game 1 after 6 hours, 5 OTs

Via www.espn.com
Blue Jackets goalie Joonas Korpisalo set an NHL playoff record with 85 saves, but it was the…
 

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Big Ten, Pac-12 Postpone Fall College Football, Other Sports This Season

The Big Ten became the first Power 5 conference to cancel its fall sports seasons Tuesday, announcing that there will be no football, men’s and women’s cross country, field hockey, men’s and women’s soccer and women’s volleyball played in the conference this fall.

Citing “too much uncertainty” with medical risks related to the coronavirus pandemic, Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren said Tuesday, “The overarching issues that we had to always keep at the top of our mind was the fact … that the health, the safety, the wellness and both physical and mental for our student athletes was going to be at the top of my list. When you look at this decision, we just believe collectively there’s too much uncertainty at this point in time in our country and to really encourage our student-athletes to participate in fall sports.”

The Pac-12 Conference followed with a similar decision and will postpone all fall sports through the 2020 calendar year after its athletics directors consulted with the conference’s COVID-19 Medical Advisory Committee. The Pac-12 voted unanimously on the decision.

Both the Big Ten and Pac-12 plan to explore the possibility of playing their fall seasons in the spring. 

Big Ten, Pac-12 postpone fall college football: What you need to know

Via www.espn.com
What does this mean for the rest of the Power 5? Answering that question and more following…
 

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Bindi Irwin Expecting First Child With Husband Chandler Powell

Bindi Irwin and Chandler Powell announced they are expecting their first child together, just 4 months after their private wedding.

22-year-old Irwin and 23-year-old Powell shared the news in an Instagram post with a photo of the couple holding a miniature version of the Australia Zoo uniform and the caption: “Baby Wildlife Warrior due 2021. Chandler and I are proud to announce that we’re expecting! It’s an honour to share this special moment in our lives with you.”

Chandler also posted the same photo on his Instagram page with the message: “We’re going to be parents!! We have a baby Wildlife Warrior on the way coming in 2021. Becoming a dad is the highlight of my life. I cannot wait to embark on this new adventure and life chapter with my gorgeous wife, @bindisueirwin. Bee, you’re going to be the most amazing mother.”

The couple were married in March 2020 at the Australia Zoo gardens, with no guests due to coronavirus pandemic except for Bindi’s brother, Robert (who walked her down the aisle), and her mom, Terri.

Bindi Irwin announces her pregnancy, five months after her wedding

Via rss.cnn.com
Bindi Irwin, the 22-year-old daughter of the late conservationist and television personality…
 

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Hulu Will Air Episode Of ‘Black-ish’ That Was Pulled In 2018

The Black-ish episode that never aired will finally make its debut on Hulu. The episode, titled “Please, Baby, Please,” focused on racism and the state of the country one year after Donald Trump was elected President, but was shelved by Disney/ABC in 2018.

Now, Hulu will finally be airing the episode, which series creator Kenya Barris announced on Twitter:  “In November 2017, we made an episode of ‘black-ish’ entitled ‘Please, Baby, Please.’ We were one year post-election and coming to the end of a year that left us, like many Americans, grappling with the state of our country and anxious about its future,” he wrote. “Those feelings poured onto the page, becoming 22 minutes of television that Iwas, and still am, incredibly proud of. Please, Baby, Please’ didn’t make it to air that season, and while much has been speculated about its contents, the episode has never been seen publicly… until now.”

A ‘Black-ish’ episode premiering on Hulu says more about ABC than the show

Via rss.cnn.com
A long-shelved episode of ABC’s “Black-ish” has finally reached the public — not on the…
 

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Member Of Secret Service, Male Suspect Taken To Hospital After Shooting Outside White House

President Donald Trump was escorted out of a press conference on Monday evening after a person was shot by Secret Service outside of the White House. The Secret Service tweeted Monday night that a Secret Service officer and a male subject were both taken to a local hospital after an officer-involved shooting took place at 17th Street and Pennsylvania Ave.

A Secret Service agent approached Trump as he was delivering his daily press briefing in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room. After about 10 minutes the president returned and resumed the press conference, stating that there had been a shooting outside the White House.

“There was an actual shooting and somebody’s been taken to the hospital. I don’t know the condition of the person,” Trump said. 

Secret Service escorts Trump from briefing room after shooting outside White House

Via www.msn.com
President Donald Trump was rushed out of the White House briefing room Monday and later said the…
 

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Major Gas Explosion Leaves One Dead, 7 Injured In Baltimore

One person was killed and seven others were injured in Baltimore on Monday by a natural gas explosion that destroyed three homes, authorities said. The explosion occurred in the northwestern part of the city shortly before 10 a.m., officials said. The cause of the explosion was not immediately known.

The Baltimore City Fire Department confirmed that as of Monday night one person was killed and seven others were injured and transported to local hospitals. Four people were in serious condition, the department said. “We will continue to dig through the debris through the night,” the department said via Twitter. “The cause remains under investigation. Baltimore Gas and Electric Co. said in a statement that it’s working with the fire department to “make the situation safe” and switch off gas to buildings in the area.

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan tweeted, “We are closely monitoring the situation in northwest Baltimore following this morning’s horrific explosion. We have reached out to offer our full support to the ongoing response and recovery efforts, and are deeply grateful to the first responders on the scene.”

1 dead and 7 injured after massive gas explosion destroys houses in Baltimore

Via www.nbcnews.com
The cause of Monday morning’s blast near Labyrinth and Reisterstown Roads was not immediately known.
 

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New York Rangers Win NHL Draft Lottery; Will Get First Chance At Alexis Lafreniere

The New York Rangers won Monday’s NHL draft lottery and will have the first chance to select consensus No. 1 overall pick Alexis Lafreniere. It is only the second time in the franchise’s 94-year history that it holds the top-overall selection.

“Really good news,” Lafreniere said in an interview on NHL Network. “Rangers are an unreal team with really good players and a really nice city. So for sure it’s really good news, and I’m really happy.” Lafreniere is represented by Emilie Castonguay, who could become the first woman to represent a No. 1 overall pick as an NHLPA-certified agent.

Lafreniere, a native of Quebec, Canada, led the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League with 112 points in 52 games before the season was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic. The 18-year-old won the Canadian Hockey League Player of the Year award for the second consecutive season.

Rangers win draft lottery with sights on Lafreniere

Via www.espn.com
The New York Rangers, whose commitment to a rebuild in 2018 has since been expedited, won…
 

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Cleveland Indians Pitcher Mike Clevinger Quarantining After Violating COVID-19 Protocols

Cleveland Indians pitcher Mike Clevinger has “been instructed to quarantine” after the team learned Monday that he broke COVID-19 protocols while on the team’s road trip in Chicago. The team said in a statement: “The Cleveland Indians will continue to keep the health and safety of our players, coaches and staff members as our top priority.”  They added tht Clevinger will also need to undergo additional testing while he is away from the team. 

29-year-old Clevinger is the second Indians pitcher instructed to spend time away from the team after Zach Plesac was also sent home for reportedly leaving the team hotel to go out with friends in Chicago on Saturday night. Clevinger is 1-1 in three starts this year with a 3.24 ERA. He last pitched on Aug. 5. 

Clevinger to miss start after violating protocol

Via www.espn.com
Mike Clevinger will miss his scheduled start Tuesday after the team learned that he accompanied…
 

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