Raphael Stevens

In this articleNKEVanessa Bryant is launching the Mambacita clothing line.Source: MambacitaVanessa Bryant, the widow of the late NBA star Kobe Bryant, wants Nike to explain why the Mambacita sneakers that she worked on to honor her daughter have been released without her permission.Bryant said Thursday in an Instagram post that she was upset that the black-and-white shoes, with the names “Kobe” and “Gigi” engraved on them, were released when neither she nor her other daughters had received pairs.Gianna Bryant — who has the nicknames “Mambacita” and “Gigi” — died in the helicopter crash that also killed her father, Kobe, in January 2020.Vanessa Bryant had been working with Nike on a deal to sell the shoes, she explained, but the partnership was nixed when she didn’t re-sign her husband’s contract with the sneaker giant.The Mambacita shoes were not approved to be made in the first place, Bryant said on her Instagram account. “I do not know how someone else has their hands on shoes I designed in honor of my daughter,” she said.A representative from Nike did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment.Bryant shared a picture of someone holding one of the shoes, which feature the number 2 in gold. That was the number that Gianna wore on her basketball uniform.Some individuals said in the comments of Bryant’s post that a sneaker shop called Footpatrol in the United Kingdom had released some pairs of the shoes early.The shoes are also shown as sold out on resale marketplaces Goat’s and Flight Club’s websites. Footpatrol, Goat and Flight Club were not immediately available to comment.Bryant launched on May 1 her own Mambacita clothing line, with proceeds going toward her nonprofit foundation. May 1 would have been Gigi’s 15th birthday. More

[The livestream has ended. A replay is available above.]SpaceX sent the latest cargo mission for NASA to the space station on Thursday, with Elon Musk’s company completing its 17th launch this year.The company’s Falcon 9 rocket took off at 1:29 p.m. EDT from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The mission, called CRS-22, has SpaceX’s Cargo Dragon spacecraft carrying more than 7,300 pounds of research and supplies to the International Space Station.A few minutes after the launch, SpaceX landed the Falcon 9 booster — the largest, bottom portion of the rocket — on an autonomous ship in the Atlantic Ocean. The Cargo Dragon capsule separated from the rocket about 12 minutes after liftoff, with the spacecraft expected to dock with the ISS on Saturday.During a pre-launch press conference, SpaceX director of Dragon mission management Sarah Walker noted that CRS-22 is the fifth Dragon capsule the company has sent to the International Space Station in the past 12 months. The company has launched multiple crew and cargo missions in the past year, with a full slate in the year ahead as well.Additionally, CRS-22 is SpaceX’s 17th mission of 2021. The company is on a blistering launch pace, as missions are going up an average of every nine days since 2021 began.SpaceX’s current pace puts it on track to conduct about 40 launches this year, which would easily top its annual record of 26 launches set last year. It has launched 119 of its Falcon 9 rockets to date, landed 79 of the Falcon 9’s boosters, and reused boosters for 61 missions.The company’s Cargo Dragon spacecraft rolls out to the launchpad in Florida atop a Falcon 9 rocket.SpaceXWalker also pointed out that CRS-22 is the first mission of this year to launch on a new Falcon 9 rocket booster, as the company has been reusing boosters for all its recent missions.”We’re actually surprised when we get to a mission [in which we’re] flying a new booster,” Walker said.CRS-22 carries dozens of research investigations for the astronauts on the ISS, including experiments about the survival of tardigrades in space, a portable ultrasound device, robotic operations demonstrations and more. Cargo Dragon is also bringing the first two of six new solar arrays called iROSA, built through Boeing and space infrastructure conglomerate Redwire Space. The new solar arrays are expected to improve the ISS’ power generation by 20% to 30%.This Cargo Dragon spacecraft is expected to return to Earth in July, splashing down in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Florida with 5,300 pounds of experiments and cargo.Become a smarter investor with CNBC Pro.Get stock picks, analyst calls, exclusive interviews and access to CNBC TV. Sign up to start a free trial today. More

The Oxford-AstraZeneca covid vaccine.Karwai Tang | Getty ImagesThe U.S. government will share the majority of its donated Covid-19 vaccine doses through COVAX, the World Health Organization-led program that provides shots to countries in need, the White House announced Thursday.The Biden administration has committed to donating at least 20 million doses of Covid vaccines produced by Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson as well as 60 million doses of AstraZeneca’s vaccines, which has not yet been authorized for use in the United States.The U.S. plans to allocate 75% of the vaccines through the COVAX global vaccine sharing program, the White House in an email. Of the first 25 million doses, about 6 million will go to countries in South and Central America, 7 million to Asia and 5 million to Africa, the White House said. About 6 million will go to neighboring countries and U.S. allies.CNBC Health & Science Read CNBC’s latest global coverage of the Covid pandemic:Slow to start, China now vaccinating against Covid at a staggering paceU.S. to share majority of donated Covid vaccine doses through WHO programG-7 must donate Covid shots to avoid 1918-scale pandemic disaster, CEPI chief says Delta variant first found in India spreads to 62 countries, WHO says Biden to double down on U.S. efforts to get more Americans vaccinated by the Fourth of July   At least 25% of shots will be kept for immediate U.S. needs and for “countries in need, those experiencing surges, immediate neighbors, and other countries that have requested immediate U.S. assistance,” according to the plan.The administration is donating the shots to “save lives” and thwart the emergence of new variants,  national security advisor Jake Sullivan said Thursday.”The United States is not doing this as some kind of back-and-forth deal where we are getting something in return,” Sullivan said at a White House briefing. “We are giving these for a single purpose. It is the purpose of ending this pandemic.”The announcement comes as world leaders urge wealthy nations such as the U.S. to donate Covid shots to other countries. While the U.S. has returned to some form of normality as more Americans get vaccinated and new cases fall, other countries, like India, have experienced huge outbreaks.Just last week, the WHO said Africa needed at least 20 million doses of AstraZeneca’s vaccine within six weeks to get the second round of shots to people who have received the first.The head of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations told Reuters that leaders of the Group of 7 rich nations must donate shots urgently to avoid an outcome akin to the 1918 flu pandemic, which killed 50 million people.”It’s a moral imperative if we want to avoid situations like Peru, if we want to avoid impacts that could rival those of the 1918 flu, we must send vaccine to countries to protect their health-care workers and protect the vulnerable populations now,” Richard Hatchett, chief executive of CEPI which co-runs the COVAX vaccine sharing facility, told Reuters.In addition to donating the doses, the White House also announced it is lifting restrictions as part of the Defense Production Act that gave the U.S. priority for vaccines developed by AstraZeneca, Sanofi and Novavax. More

Triplets guard Alan Anderson (6) drives to the basket during the BIG3 championship game between the Triplets and the Killer 3’s on September 1, 2019 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA.Brian Rothmuller | Icon Sportswire | Getty ImagesSocial media company Triller agreed to a joint venture deal with rapper Ice Cube’s Big3 basketball league and will host its first all-star game, the parties told CNBC. Specific terms of the agreement were not made available, but Big3 and Triller will share advertising revenue earned from events. The companies will also share arena signage and will cross-promote their brands.Big3 is a traveling circuit league and features former National Basketball Association stars playing in a three-on-three style format in the summer. Participants of the league usually earn roughly $10,000 per game plus bonuses that are tied to winning. Salaries can reach up to $100,000.”There’s nothing as fun and fast in sports as Big3 basketball, and once you watch one game, you’ll be hooked,” Triller co-owner Ryan Kavanaugh said in a statement. “We are excited to partner with Ice Cube and the Big3 organization to bring this exciting and growing sport to Triller audiences around the world.” Triller will also feature 30 hours of exclusive games from the Big3 2021 season and host its draft on June 14. The Big3 was founded by Cube and entertainment executive Jeff Kwatinetz in 2017. In a joint statement, Cube and Kwatinetz said the deal allows Big3 to expand its reach to Generation Z, or those under 24. They said the agreement is a “perfect combination of sports and entertainment for that demographic.”In this photo illustration the Triller logo is seen displayed on a smartphone.Sheldon Cooper | SOPA Images | LightRocket | Getty ImagesTriller wants to expand in sportsTriller, which competes with TikTok, wants to add more sports content to increase its user base. Triller leverages short video content and successfully promoted a fight between boxing icons Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr. in November on its platform. The company makes money via e-commerce, branded content integration, streaming pay-per-view events and other digital content monetization. But Triller has faced questions about its user base and has shuffled its top executives over the last few months.People with knowledge of Triller’s business dealings told CNBC the company raised $250 million at a $1.5 billion valuation. The people asked not to be identified due to privacy concerns as the company does not publicly discuss its financials.   The people said Triller had 300 million downloads of its mobile app but didn’t say how many active users it has. Still, Triller used the funds to expand, purchasing Fite TV, a combat sports streaming service, and a tech company called Amplify.ai. It appointed that company’s CEO, Mahi de Silva, as the new CEO of TrillerNet, the parent company that operates Triller. He replaced former Triller CEO Mike Lu.Triller also purchased Verzuz, a music-based content platform that gained popularity on Instagram. Triller outbid Apple to acquire Verzuz, according to Bloomberg. And the company also agreed to a licensing deal with Universal Music Group to leverage the company’s catalog.By entering a partnership with Big3, Triller hopes to grow its brand awareness and streaming opportunities with a unique sports audience that supports the league. Triller could also see its signage displayed on ViacomCBS’ network and its Paramount+ streaming service, since Big3 also has a media rights deal with ViacomCBS. Triller’s agreement calls for all Big3 games to feature its signage courtside, which is in view of Big3 broadcasts. Last year, Big3 made changes to its game structure before the pandemic canceled the 2020 season, its fourth. The Big3 will start its 10-week season July 10 in Las Vegas.  More

A man receives a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) test at a mobile testing van in Brooklyn, New York, June 2, 2021.Brendan McDermid | ReutersThe level of average daily Covid cases remained below 20,000 for the third straight day Wednesday, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.At the same time, federal data shows the pace of daily reported vaccinations fell to a seven-day average of 1.1 million, the lowest level in months. White House Covid data director Cyrus Shahpar wrote in a tweet Wednesday that the Memorial Day holiday is responsible for lower vaccine administration and a lag in reporting.About 51% of the total U.S. population and 63% of American adults have received one vaccine shot or more, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.U.S. Covid casesThe U.S. is reporting an average of roughly 16,300 infections per day over the past week, according to Hopkins data. Many states did not report data on Memorial Day and may still be in the process of clearing their backlogs.Zoom In IconArrows pointing outwardsU.S. Covid deathsThe seven-day average of daily U.S. Covid deaths is 537, Hopkins data shows. That figure could also be affected by a lack of Memorial Day weekend reporting and is further complicated by data audits being conducted by state health departments.On Tuesday, for example, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear announced that an audit found 260 new Covid deaths, according to the Associated Press. All of those are currently being attributed to June 1 in the Hopkins data despite having occurred earlier in the pandemic.Zoom In IconArrows pointing outwardsStill, daily reported death counts are far below the elevated levels seen last spring and this past winter.U.S. vaccine shots administeredThe U.S. is reporting an average of 1.1 million daily vaccine shots over the past week, CDC data shows.Zoom In IconArrows pointing outwardsPresident Joe Biden on Wednesday doubled down on his administration’s efforts to get more Americans vaccinated against Covid-19 by July 4. Biden has set a goal of getting 70% of American adults to receive at least one jab by then.U.S. share of the population vaccinatedAbout 51% of Americans have received one shot of a vaccine or more, and 41% are fully vaccinated.Zoom In IconArrows pointing outwardsAmong those ages 18 and older, 63% are at least partially vaccinated.CNBC Health & Science Read CNBC’s latest global coverage of the Covid pandemic:Slow to start, China now vaccinating against Covid at a staggering paceU.S. to share majority of donated Covid vaccine doses through WHO programG-7 must donate Covid shots to avoid 1918-scale pandemic disaster, CEPI chief says Delta variant first found in India spreads to 62 countries, WHO says Biden to double down on U.S. efforts to get more Americans vaccinated by the Fourth of July    More

[The stream is slated to start at 11 a.m. ET. Please refresh the page if you do not see a player above at that time.]President Joe Biden’s Covid-19 response team is holding a news briefing Thursday on the nation’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, which has infected more than 33.3 million Americans and killed at least 595,849 people.On Wednesday, Biden said the administration was doubling down on its efforts to get more Americans vaccinated against Covid-19 by the Fourth of July, a date the president has said he hopes will mark a turning point in the pandemic in the U.S.In early May, Biden announced his administration’s new goals in the fight against this virus: getting 70% of U.S. adults to receive at least one dose of a vaccine and having 160 million adults fully vaccinated by Independence Day.Speaking from the White House on Wednesday, Biden announced June as the “national month of action” to get more Americans vaccinated. He urged unvaccinated Americans to get the shots, saying they are still at risk of becoming seriously ill, dying and spreading the disease to others, especially once fall approaches. More

Alan Graf | Cultura | Getty ImagesDenmark’s Orsted said Thursday it would “reuse, recycle, or recover” all turbine blades in its worldwide portfolio of wind farms once they’re decommissioned.  The world’s largest offshore wind farm developer said it had “a clear responsibility to help find solutions to the challenge of recycling blades.”The issue of what to do with wind turbine blades when they’re no longer needed is a headache for the industry. This is because the composite materials blades are made from can be difficult to recycle, with Orsted noting that “most” blades, once decommissioned, were landfilled.As governments around the world attempt to ramp up their renewable energy capacity, the number of wind turbines globally looks set to increase.The European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, said that in the offshore sector alone it wants capacity to hit at least 60 gigawatts by 2030 and 300 GW by the middle of the century.The U.K., which left the EU at the end of January 2020, wants its offshore wind capacity to reach 40 GW by 2030. The U.S. is also looking to significantly increase its offshore wind capacity this decade.Given the above, the problem of what to do with turbine blades will become even more pressing going forward. For its part, Orsted explained it would “temporarily store” decommissioned blades if finding a solution to recycling them took “longer to solve than anticipated.” A number of companies involved in the sector have attempted to find solutions to the issue in recent years. In January 2020, wind energy giant Vestas said it was aiming to produce “zero-waste” wind turbines by the year 2040.Last December, GE Renewable Energy and Veolia North America signed a “multi-year agreement” to recycle blades removed from onshore wind turbines in the United States.More recently, it was announced that a collaboration between academia and industry would focus on the recycling of glass fiber products, a move that could eventually help to reduce the waste produced by wind turbine blades.Orsted, Vestas and LM Wind Power — which is part of GE Renewable Energy — are also part of the DecomBlades consortium, an initiative focused on blade recycling. More