Raphael Stevens

In this articleBURLROSTTJXThe reflection of shoppers are seen in a window at a TJ Maxx store in Peoria, Illinois.Daniel Acker | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesAny doubts about whether shoppers would return to discount retail stores to rummage through racks in the hunt for bargains were crushed this week when TJX Companies and Ross Stores reported their first-quarter earnings.Both companies’ sales surged past analyst estimates, as consumers started packing back into their stores to look for new outfits, shoes, luggage and home goods as pandemic-induced lockdowns eased.TJX and Ross cited a pent-up demand from shoppers, many of whom have been armed with extra stimulus dollars in recent months, but also a desire among many people to still look for good deals. So-called treasure hunting in stores could be something that many consumers end up craving more than they did before the Covid health crisis.”We believe the appeal of our entertaining, treasure-hunt shopping experience gives consumers a compelling reason to shop us,” TJX CEO Ernie Herrman said in an earnings conference call. “In-store shopping is not going away.””We see our stores as a desirable destination for consumers seeking some stress relief,” Herrman said, “and also a great place to shop when they are seeking inspiration and looking to discover new things, which is difficult to replicate online.””Our business model now resonates more than it even did pre-Covid,” he said.One year earlier, TJX’s net sales were more than cut in half and it swung to a first-quarter net loss, as the pandemic forced the company to temporarily close more than 4,500 stores in the U.S. and abroad. It was a devastating blow to the company, which relies on in-store shopping. TJX has a shoppable online platform for some of its brands, including TJ Maxx, but not all of them.Ross similarly swung to a loss in the year-ago period when all of its stores shut beginning March 20, 2020, through the end of the quarter.But this week, TJX staged a first-quarter comeback when it reported net sales that rose nearly 130% to $10.09 billion from $4.41 billion a year earlier, topping Wall Street estimates for $8.62 billion, according to data from Refinitiv. TJX is the parent company of Marshalls and TJ Maxx.Though its shares fell following its blowout quarterly report, that was largely due to the ongoing struggles the company faces outside of the United States. Due to Covid, TJX still has about 300 stores closed in Canada and Europe. And in the second quarter, TJX forecast its Canadian and European locations would remain shut for 17% and 7% of the period, respectively.TJX shares are down about 1% year to date.A pedestrian walks by a now hiring sign at Ross Dress For Less store on April 02, 2021 in San Rafael, California.Justin Sullivan | Getty ImagesRoss’ first-quarter sales more than doubled to $4.52 billion, compared with $1.84 billion a year earlier, beating Wall Street estimates for $3.87 billion.CEO Barbara Rentler said the company is particularly optimistic about its chance to grab market share from the growing number of retail store closures and bankruptcies that have transpired in the past few years. In addition to its Ross Dress for Less business, Ross also owns DD’s Discounts.For its full fiscal year, which ends on Jan. 29, 2022, Ross is forecasting comparable sales will grow between 7% and 9% compared with 2019 levels.Ross shares are down less than 1% since the start of the year.”We continue to expect ongoing [market] share grabs, believing that off price wins because they don’t have e-commerce, not in spite of it,” BMO Capital Markets analyst Simeon Siegel said.It’s true that these companies struggled more than other retailers during the pandemic due to their lack of presence online. The off-price business has traditionally been centered around the store experience, not the internet. Ross doesn’t have an e-commerce site. Discount chain Burlington Stores got rid of its website in early 2020.But now, as consumers are regaining the freedom and the confidence to leave the house and shop, that might not matter as much.”Hunting for a bargain and finding a bargain has come back with a little bit of a vengeance,” GlobalData Retail Managing Director Neil Saunders said in an interview. “I think the value segment could actually find themselves with a really nice influx of customers.”The upbeat results from both TJX and Ross led Telsey Advisory Group to raise its expectations ahead of peer Burlington’s earnings report, which is expected on May 27.For the first quarter of 2021, Telsey now anticipates Burlington will post per-share earnings of $1, up from a prior outlook of 62 cents. It sees net sales growing roughly 127% year over year, to $1.81.While it maintains an outperform rating on Burlington shares, the firm raised its price target in a note to clients Friday, to $370 from $320. Burlington’s stock had closed Thursday at $321.44, up about 22% year to date.Department store chain Nordstrom, which operates the off-price chain Nordstrom Rack, is also set to report quarterly financial results after the bell Tuesday.— CNBC’s Michael Bloom contributed to this report. More

Breeze Airline debut.Source: BreezeAirlines scrambling to capitalize on a rebound in travel as the pandemic wanes in the U.S. have yet another competitor in the skies.Breeze Airways, a new airline started by JetBlue Airways’ founder David Neeleman, started selling tickets on Friday. It is the second U.S. carrier to debut in about a month.Neeleman’s fifth airline, Breeze Airways is offering fares that start at $39, for routes it says are underserved around the U.S. Flights begin May 27, just before Memorial Day weekend, with service from Charleston, South Carolina, to Tampa, Florida, and Hartford, Connecticut. It plans to operate 39 routes by July 22, including Charleston to Columbus, Ohio, New Orleans and Huntsville, Alabama. Breeze will use 10 all-economy class Embraer E-190 jets with 108 seats and three E-195 planes with 118 seats.Other routes, which will be added in July, include service from New Orleans to Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Louisville, Kentucky.”Covid’s been really tough on our industry, but we’ve been able to take advantage of low aircraft prices,” Neeleman told CNBC’s “Squawk Box” on Friday. “We have really low prices. We’re flying routes that really haven’t been flown nonstop, really, ever, and with really low trip costs.”Breeze says it won’t charge fees for changing or canceling flights. Major carriers got rid of change fees during the pandemic for standard economy tickets in an effort to win back travelers. The start-up will charge $20 for checked or carry-on bags.Breeze isn’t the only new low-cost entrant into the U.S. market. Avelo Airlines’ first flights took off last month from Burbank, California, on used Boeing 737s. Andrew Levy, the airline’s founder and CEO, a former executive at Allegiant Air and until 2018 United Airlines’ CFO, is also targeting underserved markets with nonstop service.Breeze raised $83 million from investors, and Neeleman invested $17 million.The new carriers are debuting when airlines are hoping to stop their losses as travelers come back.”I think all the competition is significant for us,” Southwest Airlines CEO Gary Kelly told shareholders this week. “And a lot of it will depend with what routes new airlines choose. For the most part, I don’t think … that we’re seeing any direct overlap with a lot of the — well, what I’ve seen with two new entrants into the market … plus at this stage of their corporate lives, they’re relatively small.”Neeleman first announced he planned to start a new low-cost airline in June 2018. More

LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers drives to the basket against the Golden State Warriors during the 2021 NBA Play-In Tournament on May 19, 2021 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California.Adam Pantozzi | National Basketball Association | Getty ImagesLeBron James made his feelings known. National Basketball Association team owner Mark Cuban did, too. Some like it, and others don’t.But the NBA play-in games went from pandemic necessity to possible permanent feature.The play-in games pair seeds 7-to-10 in each conference, with winners securing the final four playoff spots. The NBA installed the games last summer because the season was interrupted due to Covid-19.”It added some excitement for our TV partners and for our fans to watch games that are important and meaningful,” Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver told CNBC when asked about the games. “And from an additional entertainment aspect, it’s an additional asset for our media partners.”The latest on the viewership front is the NBA reached over 5 million viewers for the premium play-in: James’ Los Angeles Lakers against the Steph Curry-led Golden State Warriors. It’s not pro football viewership stats, but nothing in U.S. sports will ever match the NFL. And few media pundits will frown at 5 million viewers on a Wednesday night.Now NBA commissioner Adam Silver will now navigate the politics of continuing playoff play-in games. He’ll have to deal with the basketball traditionalists, the egos in the ownership group and the players who will make their feedback known. But Silver’s job to convince his NBA constituencies shouldn’t be difficult, and here’s why.Viewership is strong, and that’s what mattersLast year, only one play-in game occurred – the Memphis Grizzlies against the Portland Trail Blazers – as disparity guidelines were in place. The Blazers-Grizzlies averaged over 1 million viewers and peaked at 2.6 million on a Saturday afternoon in August. For two small-market teams, that’s a success for ESPN.Turner Sports said the seventh-seed Boston Celtics win over the Washington Wizards averaged 2.5 million viewers. And the lower-seeded contest (Charlotte Hornets and Indiana Pacers) averaged 1.4 million viewers.And James helped ESPN average 5.6 million viewers with his appearance. The Los Angeles Lakers beat the Golden State Warriors 103-100 thanks to James’ game-winning shot. ESPN also averaged 2.2 million viewers for the first contest featuring Memphis Grizzlies rising star Ja Morant.”The early returns are good,” said NBA executive Evan Wasch, one of the people James suggested should be fired for his part installing the play-in. Wasch is the executive vice president of basketball strategy and analytics. Part of his job is to help format the games, which were on the NBA’s radar before he arrived at the league.With the potential of six new games added, that should only help the NBA when it comes back to the negotiating table with its national media partners. Early speculation is the NBA would seek just around $70 billion for new rights. The current agreement runs through 2024.But if fans are watching, which so far they are, things could get interesting for Disney and the new Discovery-WarnerMedia.Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban shakes hands with Luka Doncic (77) after the 117-110 win over the San Antonio Spurs in an NBA basketball game Monday, Nov. 18, 2019, in Dallas.Richard W. Rodriguez | APTeam business will benefitLike James, Cuban was adamant about his dislike for the games. The thing is, he commented when his Dallas Mavericks were on the verge of competing in the play-in. The Mavs escaped, though, and Cuban went back to discussing NFTs. But even he can’t deny the play-in games are suitable for his pocketbook.The play-in games are basically playoff contests. For the seventh seed, it provides at least two elimination games at home. So, for instance, if the Mavs had finished seventh, they’d play the exact amount of guaranteed games at American Airlines Center as they would in a traditional playoff format. And if they win the play-in and advance far in the playoffs, that’s more gameday revenue, and that jersey patch increases in value, too. The play-in stats don’t count, but the money coming in does.”The seventh seed sort of ends up in a net positive place from a team business perspective,” Wasch said. “That seed is getting an incremental benefit from being in this play-in by virtual of having more [playoff] home games.”How can Cuban argue against that? Asked if his stance has changed, in an email, Cuban stayed quiet. But when asked his perspective, Sarver said, “I would have no problem supporting it.”Ja Morant #12 of the Memphis Grizzlies rebounds the ball against the San Antonio Spurs during the 2021 NBA Play-In Tournament on May 19, 2021 at FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee.Joe Murphy | National Basketball Association | Getty ImagesThe competition will be goodTake away the dull games featuring the Pacers and Wizards and the play-in games were fun to watch. But it’s the competition before the games that elevated the NBA’s fan engagement.Over the final two weeks of the regular season, the play-in races were one of the most discussed topics in sports. Would the Lakers fall? Could Curry get in? Plus there was James’ dislike of the format.”It certainly has not hurt the level of interest around the play-in to have some of our prominent players and owners speaking up about it, whether positive or negative,” Wasch said.He added the race for the sixth-seed was intensified, as teams wanted to avoid the play-in. It’s here the NBA has created a race in the middle of the standings. When discussing the topic with CNBC, a prominent Western Conference team executive noted 24 teams were competing for positioning over the last few weeks of the season. Asked if he would support it permanently, the executive said yes. And Sarver noted it discourages teams from tanking to position for draft picks.”What we learned is that our teams and players are responsive to the competitive dynamics that are presented in front of them,” Wasch said. “When you give teams the opportunity to earn greater rewards for finishing higher in the standings, and those rewards are outsized relative to what they’ve been traditionally, then you see a response.”We saw it in the bubble last year with the teams in the Western Conference fighting to get into the play-in,” Wasch added. “And we’re seeing it fourfold this year because it’s just not eight and nine [seeds]. … If that were to continue, then this format is a success. So far, all the learnings have been positive.”Now what happens?The viewership for the Lakers-Warriors contest was solid, but that number could be tough to capture again. It did feature two of the top athletes in the world (Curry and James). The chances those two meet in that position again are slim.Still, after Silver gets team owners in line, convincing the National Basketball Players Association is next. At that point, the NBA will reveal how much these play-in games mean to the league.”I think they are going to have the play-in again,” said former NBPA executive Charles Grantham. “The thing is: what is it going to cost for them to get the players to agree? It’s no question that it will be a subject to negotiation for the next agreement.”Now the director of the sports management program at Seton Hall, Grantham said he expects the NBPA to request that the play-in games’ revenue gets added to the NBA’s gross revenue, which they split with the players in the form of basketball-related income, according to their existing agreement.And eliminating preseason games could be an option, too, as players could have questions about wear and tear on their bodies. But these days, teams have rest strategies so the obstacles shouldn’t prevent an agreement.There’s still things to figure out, fairness being one of them, but the NBA found its new asset. The play-in games are fun and prove they work.”If we found that fans felt it devalued the regular season, that would be something take a look at to see if we can squeak it in any way to adjust to that,” Wasch said. “But I’m optimistic we’ll find that it was actually a welcomed addition.” More

In this articleFFord officially unveilied the new electric F-150 Lightning pickup on May 19, 2021 at its world headquarters in Dearborn, Mich.Michael Wayland / CNBCDETROIT — If anyone doubted the importance of the electric Ford F-150 Lightning to Ford Motor, they shouldn’t after the vehicle’s theatrical debut at the automaker’s world headquarters this week in Michigan.Ford turned its 12-story home — known as the “Glass House” for its boxy, glass-clad modern design — into a 64,000-square-foot projection screen for the vehicle’s official unveiling Wednesday night. It was an over-the-top presentation that spoke to the significance of the vehicle and Ford’s pickup truck franchise, which hauls in the lion’s share of the company’s profits.Ford Chairman Bill Ford called it a “defining moment” and a “historic day” for the company. Ford CEO Jim Farley said it was a “moment of tremendous pride” and would test whether mainstream Americans truly want electric vehicles.Ford did everything it could to make the vehicle appealing to pickup truck customers — from its price to its functionality and design. It also added some surprising features that would not be possible with a gas-powered vehicle, such as an enormous front trunk, or frunk, and the ability to power a house for days.Here’s more on those features as well as other things to know about the truck.Anti-Tesla designThe pickup resembles the automaker’s current F-150 but includes new interior and exterior features. It’s powered by two electric motors and a battery pack instead of a traditional gas engine. It will be offered in two battery options with targeted ranges of 230 miles or 300 miles, Ford said.The design and functionality of the F-150 Lightning pickup is meant to be a truck, “not a science experiment,” according to Linda Zhang, chief engineer of the vehicle.A promotional shot of Tesla’s Cybertruck.handoutTaking a jab at Tesla’s Cybertruck design, Jasen Turnbull, marketing manager for the Lightning, put it a different way: “Our customers told us they want something modern and advanced, but did not want their truck to look like a doorstop or a spaceship,” he said. “They wanted something distinct but not different.”Tesla’s upcoming Cybertruck has a unique and polarizing design that was inspired by the films “Blade Runner” and “The Spy Who Loved Me.”It can power a houseThe F-150 Lightning is available with 11 outlet plugs, including four in the frunk and one 240-volt in the pickup box for heavy-duty equipment. Using the vehicle’s battery, the truck also works as an electric generator. Depending on the amount of electricity being drawn, it could power a house for up to 10 days, Ford said.Ford is partnering with solar company Sunrun to offer an at-home EV charger and an inverter that would automatically draw power from the truck when it’s plugged in — enough to power an entire home or certain critical products during a power outage. They’ll also offer solar installation for owners.A current hybrid electric-gas model of the 2021 F-150 also features an electric generator but not the level of power of the EV version.The F-150 Lightning is estimated at up to 563 horsepower and 775 pound feet of torque — about 130 horsepower and 200 pound feet of torque more than the top-rated version with an engine.’Frunking awesome’The Lightning also boasts a massive front trunk, or frunk.The frunk, located where the engine would typically be, is unique, as the vehicle’s grille is integrated into the hood. It creates an open, flat area that’s easier to load and unload than a bin-type frunk found on most EVs. It adds 14.1 cubic feet of secured storage for dry or wet items. For the latter, it also features a drain at the bottom.2022 Ford F-150 LightningFord”I like to say it’s frunking awesome,” said Nancy Reppenhagen, Ford supervisor of global feature process who led development of the frunk. For tailgating, she said, it could be used as a cooler, table or stand for a large flat-screen TV.The frunk also features four 110-volt outlet plugs and two USB ports for charging. It is designed to store up to 400 pounds.Price and profitsThe vehicle’s price, much like the traditional F-150, has a wide bandwidth. Ford said a work-oriented version of the truck will start at $39,974. More consumer-centric models will start at $52,974 and top out at around $90,000.The “74” at the end of the price has a hidden meaning, a Ford spokesman told CNBC. It’s a nod to the 74th anniversary of the Ford F-Series in 2022, which is the first model year of the F-150 Lightning.Ford said the vehicle will be profitable, however, executives declined to comment on whether every model would make money.It is expected to be one of the first mainstream electric pickups, if not the first, when it arrives in dealer showrooms by mid-2022.ReservationsFord is taking refundable $100 reservations for the F-150 Lightning on its website. It took more than 44,500 reservations in less than 48 hours after the truck’s official debut, Farley tweeted Friday morning. That was up from more than 22,000 as of Thursday morning.”The response has been great,” Farley said during an interview Thursday on CNBC’s “Squawk Box.” The strong response is not unique. Two days after unveiling the Tesla Cybertruck in November 2019, CEO Elon Musk tweeted that the company had taken 146,000 reservations for the steel trapezoid-shaped pickup. More

In this articleWNBAFX-OSabrina Ionescu #20 of the New York Liberty shoots the ball during the game against the Minnesota Lynx on May 18, 2021 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.Steven Freeman | National Basketball Association | Getty ImagesSports betting firm PointsBet agreed to a partnership with the Women’s National Basketball Association. It’s the first deal with a women’s sports league for the company.The licensing agreement, announced Friday, allows PointsBet to use WNBA team logos and players’ images across its platforms to grow its brand awareness. The company wants to position itself for sports betting among women’s sports consumers, and the WNBA says viewership is up.Financial terms of the one-year agreement were not provided.In a statement, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said the deal with PointsBet will provide a digital second-screen experience. The deal gives WNBA consumers a new way to watch games infused with PointsBet betting odds.”Innovating at the WNBA and enhancing the fan experience starts with recognizing how our fans want to interact with the players, teams, and the league,” Engelbert said.The WNBA is celebrating its 25th anniversary this season and says it’s seeing a bump in viewership. Turner Sports reported a 27% increase (81,000 viewers) for the May 14 NBATV telecast, a season opener featuring New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu. That’s compared with the Washington-Connecticut game last July, which averaged 64,000 viewers.In October, ESPN said the three-game WNBA Finals series featuring the Seattle Storm and Las Vegas Aces averaged 440,000 viewers, with Game 3 averaging 570,000 viewers. The network said the final game had a 34% increase in viewers over the 2019 WNBA Finals Game 3 contest.PointsBet believes in the growth potential in betting activity around women’s sports. It measures the success of the 2021 women’s college basketball tournament as proof women’s sports can lure bettors. In April, ESPN said the title game between Arizona and Stanford averaged roughly 4 million viewers and peaked at 5.9 million. The network said it was the most-watched women’s contest since 2014.”We are thrilled to align with the WNBA and bring the world-class PointsBet experience to one of the most digitally-engaged fan bases on earth,” said PointsBet CEO Johnny Aitken. “The WNBA has done a phenomenal job with growing fan engagement, and PointsBet is excited to be a piece of that puzzle moving forward.”Based in Australia with a U.S. headquarters in Denver, PointsBet is also aligning for the future of in-game bets. In March, it acquired Banach Technology — referred to as the Robinhood of sports gambling. In-play wagering allows consumers to make micro-bets during games. More

In this articleTSLAA Tesla supercharger station photographed on January 4, 2021 in Hawthorne, California.PATRICK T. FALLON | AFP | Getty ImagesTechnology from Tesla will be used at a new U.K. facility that’s being described as “Europe’s most powerful EV charging hub.”The announcement comes as authorities attempt to ramp up infrastructure to meet an expected increase in electric vehicle ownership over the coming years. The Oxford Superhub, which will be based at a park-and-ride site to the south of the English city, is slated to open later this year, offering electric vehicle users “fast and ultra-rapid chargers.”Other parties involved in the project include Oxford City Council, charging firms Fastned and Wenea, and Pivot Power, which is part of part of EDF Renewables.In a statement Friday, Oxford City Council said the development would use 10 chargers from Fastned and 16 from Gamma Energy. In addition, the station — which will be powered by renewable energy — will offer 12 of Tesla’s Superchargers. The U.K. government plans to stop the sale of new diesel and gasoline vehicles from 2030. From the year 2035, all new cars and vans will need to have zero tailpipe emissions.  These targets will require a significant ramp up of electric vehicle charging infrastructure in order to meet increased demand and dispel fears about “range anxiety,” a term which refers to the idea that electric vehicles aren’t able to undertake long journeys without losing power and getting stranded.In an interview with CNBC’s “Squawk Box Europe” on Friday, Ford of Britain and Ireland’s managing director, Lisa Brankin, touched upon the need for more infrastructure.”I think there’s a lot of concern out there amongst consumers over what infrastructure is in place,” she said.Brankin went on to reference a recent estimate from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders that roughly 2.3 million public chargepoints would be required by 2030 in order to “provide adequate coverage and tackle range anxiety.” If this target were to be met, over 700 new charging points would need to be installed per day until 2030, the industry body added.Drawing on figures from Zap-Map — which provides information on the location of public charging points — for the 30 days to March 22, the SMMT said around 42 were being installed daily. “We need a really comprehensive plan across multiple stakeholders to help us get to that charging infrastructure,” Ford’s Brankin said.”The other bit of support that I think we really need is support from the government around purchase incentives for customers,” she added. “Electric vehicles are a little bit more expensive than conventional engine vehicles, and to help all of the population make the switch I think we need some support around incentivization.”As the U.K. shifts toward battery electric vehicles, discussions and debate surrounding how best to manage this major transition will continue.Just this week, the U.K. Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee published a report which said consumers were “not all yet convinced that zero-emission cars are a suitable alternative to petrol and diesel models.”Among other things, the report cited concerns about affordability, the length electric vehicles can travel using a single charge, as well as the “availability and accessibility of charge points when and where required.”The PAC added: “We are not convinced that government has sufficiently thought through how the charging infrastructure will expand at the pace required to meet the ambitious timetable to phase out petrol and diesel vehicles.”In response to the PAC’s report, a government spokesperson said it had “a highly ambitious and world-leading approach to increasing the uptake of zero emission cars, and the progress we’re making in this area will help us to meet our targets.” “Already, we’re investing £2.8 billion in helping industry and drivers make the switch,” they added, “and will continue our work to install thousands of chargepoints and boost the development of new technologies to meet our goals.” More

Michael Binparuis (15) of Nesconsit, New York, receives a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at Northwell Health’s Cohen Children’s Medical Center in New Hyde Park, New York, U.S., May 13, 2021.Shannon Stapleton | ReutersThe U.S. is reporting an average of fewer than 30,000 new Covid cases per day for the first time in nearly a year.The seven-day average of new infections is about 29,100 as of Thursday, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University, the first time the average has dipped below 30,000 since June 22, 2020.Federal data shows that the country is reporting 1.8 million daily vaccinations on average over the past week, with 48% of the population having received one shot or more.U.S. Covid casesFollowing roughly 30,100 reported cases on Thursday, the nationwide average of daily new infections stands at 29,100. The country had reported fewer than 30,000 cases for five straight days through Wednesday, another milestone not seen since last summer.Zoom In IconArrows pointing outwardsThe pace of daily infections is down 18% from one week ago, and a CNBC analysis of Hopkins data shows that daily case counts have declined by 5% or more in 40 states and the District of Columbia over the past week.U.S. Covid deathsThe U.S. is seeing an average of 552 Covid deaths per day, according to Hopkins data, the lowest level since July.Zoom In IconArrows pointing outwardsMore than 588,000 Covid deaths have been reported in the U.S. since the start of the pandemic.U.S. vaccine shots administeredCenters for Disease Control and Prevention data shows that the U.S. is reporting an average of 1.8 million shots per day over the past week.Zoom In IconArrows pointing outwardsThe daily average is down 12% from a week ago, but has increased slightly in recent days. The CDC last week signed off on expanded usage of Pfizer and BioNTech’s Covid-19 vaccine for 12- to 15-year-olds, which could help boost the vaccination numbers.U.S. share of the population vaccinatedAbout 48% of the U.S. population has received one shot of a vaccine or more, with 38% of the population fully vaccinated. Zoom In IconArrows pointing outwardsOf those aged 18 and older, 60.5% are at least partially vaccinated.CNBC Health & Science Read CNBC’s latest coverage of the Covid pandemic:CDC chief says lab-based origin of Covid possible but animal host is most commonEmergent CEO says FDA is holding over 100 million J&J Covid vaccine doses for further testing after botched doses Employees at plant that ruined millions of J&J Covid vaccine doses failed to shower, change clothes60% of U.S. adults have received at least one vaccine dose as case counts fall further India’s daily death toll crosses 4,500 as Covid-19 cases stay below 300,000 Texas Gov. Abbott threatens to fine cities and local officials if they impose mask mandatesAs more colleges decide to require Covid vaccines for students, some protest Olympic organizers should mandate Covid vaccines for athletes and fans at Tokyo Games  From employer mandates to TV ads: What full FDA approval could mean for Covid vaccines India Covid variant set to be dominant in UK ‘in a matter of days,’ posing unknown dangers More