Raphael Stevens

A general view of the Oakland Athletics playing against the Houston Astros with a limited capacity crowd at RingCentral Coliseum on April 03, 2021 in Oakland, California.Ezra Shaw | Getty ImagesPerhaps Major League Baseball is bluffing as it plays a game of baseball liar’s dice to help the Oakland Athletics secure a new ballpark site.Major League Baseball said on Tuesday that the Oakland Athetics could explore other cities if a $12 billion waterfront development project, which would include a new stadium, isn’t approved.The team wants out of the Oakland Coliseum, which first opened in 1966. To get a sense of how old the Coliseum is, the Atlanta Braves and Texas Rangers have landed two new stadiums since the A’s began playing at the Coliseum in 1968.The frustration from this dice game is well described in Marcus Thompson’s recent article in The Athletic. Saying goodbye to the A’s was the theme.It’s sort of like the scene from the second “Pirates of the Caribbean” movie when Davy Jones played pirates liar’s dice with Will Turner and his dad. The game is built on deception and bluffing, but eventually a liar will be revealed and lose the game.”It’s just another pebble in a pond of confusion,” said sports executive and former A’s vice president Andy Dolich.”Every decade, since the late 1980s, it’s been at some point under consideration,” added former MLB executive Marty Conway. “Should the A’s move? Will they move? What’s the circumstance?”Remember the Montreal ExposConway, who served as a special assistant under former MLB commissioner Peter Ueberroth, compared the A’s dilemma to the Montreal Expos. MLB’s first Canadian team moved in 2004 after a battle to replace the aging Olympic Stadium, which hosted its first baseball game in 1977.”It just became impossible to go forward with,” said Conway of playing at Olympic Stadium. The Expos are now the Washington Nationals and play in a $400 million stadium that opened in 2008.The A’s have their eyes on a new park at Oakland’s Charles P. Howard Terminal. The development would feature a 35,000-seat stadium, shopping, hotel property, commercial and residential units. The team presented its plan and is hoping for approval this summer.”It’s either Howard or bust for Oakland,” A’s president Dave Kaval told an NBC Sports Bay Area earlier this week. “We’re going to do everything we can to keep advancing that.”But if the city doesn’t approve, what will the A’s do? Other towns can be used for leverage, but where would the A’s play? And would MLB owners approve relocation to an expansion territory and miss out on a $2 billion fee?”There are a few more pieces on the board to think about,” Conway said, adding the league still needs to resolve labor issues with players before seriously worrying about stadium problems.”And if you’re the owner, moving a baseball team and remaining the owner is a difficult situation,” Conway added. “What usually works is you end up selling to somebody, and they move it.”John Fisher during the game against the Seattle Mariners at the Oakland Alameda Coliseum on April 21, 2017 in Oakland, California.Michael Zagaris | Getty ImagesWhere is the owner?The A’s are worth roughly $1.12 billion, according to Forbes. The team is historically known for mastering the use of baseball analytics, thanks to Billy Beane. And right now, the A’s are in first place in the American League West division.Still, A’s ownerJohn Fisher remains out of the spotlight. He’s the son of Doris and Donald Fisher, the founders of retail empire Gap Inc., and he’s relying on Kaval to land him a new park the same way Kaval did in 2015 for the San Jose Earthquakes, a Major League Soccer franchise Fisher also owns.The $12 billion number is for the entire waterfront development project, but landing a new park at the terminal location would cost $2 billion. The A’s want public money, though, and Oakland officials appear in no hurry provide it.There is a sense is among some sports bankers that Fisher wants to remain in the Bay Area, and if he can’t land a new park, perhaps he’ll sell the team or move.A move to Sacramento might work. There is a push in Nashville, where former A’s legend Dave Stewart is helping to lure a team. Portland’s interest has gone quiet. Las Vegas, where the former Oakland Raiders of the National Football League now reside, is tweeting about its interest.The speculation about the A’s future is all over the place.”One of the easiest things to do in sports is to say you’re going to buy a sports team,” Dolich said. “One of the hardest things to do is to end up owning one. I think it’s just another level of confusion that has to drive their fans crazy.”Now a sports business professor at Georgetown University, Conway said the decision could come down to the wire in 2024, when the A’s lease expires.”It’s easy to say ‘let the lease run out, and then you can do whatever,'” he said. “But those are difficult times – those single and two-year renewals.”Matt Chapman #26 of the Oakland Athletics hits a single against the Tampa Bay Rays in the eighth inning at RingCentral Coliseum on May 09, 2021 in Oakland, California.Thearon W. Henderson | Getty ImagesThree strikes and Oakland is outEventually, city officials will reveal their dice, too. Will they let MLB escape like the NFL and the National Basketball Association, whose Golden State Warriors relocated across the Bay to San Francisco? Oakland mayor Libby Schaaf used her media appearance on Wednesday to express optimism about the A’s staying.The executives with a history of MLB experience suggested caution moving forward, as the risk of losing a third pro sports team is greater than ever.”There is a football team that used to be called the Oakland Raiders. Now, they aren’t,” said Dolich. “There is a basketball team that used to play in that Oakland arena; now it doesn’t. So, you’ve got to think about that seriously.””And if they move, there is no going back,” Conway added. “It’s not like Oakland is going to get an expansion team if they lose this team. It’s not going to happen. Baseball will not go back to a market where they already have the Giants.”The game of baseball liar’s dice continues in Oakland. And once complete, a similar contest awaits MLB in Tampa Bay. More

Fully vaccinated people no longer need to wear a face mask or stay 6 feet away from others in most settings, whether outdoors or indoors, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in updated public health guidance released Thursday.There are a handful of instances where people will still need to wear masks — in a health-care setting or at a business that requires them — even if they’ve had their final vaccine dose two or more weeks ago, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky told reporters at a press briefing. Fully vaccinated people will also still need to wear masks on airplanes, buses, trains and other public transportation, she said.”Anyone who is fully vaccinated can participate in indoor and outdoor activities, large or small, without wearing a mask or physical distancing,” Walensky said. “If you are fully vaccinated, you can start doing the things that you had stopped doing because of the pandemic. We have all longed for this moment, when we can get back to some sense of normalcy.”Walensky said unvaccinated people should still continue to wear masks, adding they remain at risk of mild or severe illness, death, and risk of spreading the disease to others. People with compromised immune systems should speak with their doctor before giving up their masks, she said.She added there is always a chance the CDC could change its guidance again if the Covid pandemic worsens or additional variants emerge.”This is an exciting and powerful moment, it could only happen because of the work of so many who made sure we have the rapid administration of three safe and effective vaccines,” she said.CNBC Health & Science Read CNBC’s latest coverage of the Covid pandemic:The Seychelles is the most vaccinated nation on earth but Covid-19 has surged Mix and match Covid vaccine study finds increased risk of mild to moderate symptoms CDC OKs Pfizer’s Covid vaccine for use in adolescents, clearing way for shots to begin ThursdayCDC says 28 blood clot cases, 3 deaths may be linked to J&J Covid vaccineThe announcement from the CDC comes just ahead of the Memorial Day and Fourth of July parade season. President Joe Biden has said he hopes to see enough Americans vaccinated by Independence Day to safely hold outdoor gatherings.Last week, Biden announced his administration’s latest goals in the fight against the coronavirus: getting 70% of U.S. adults to receive at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine and having 160 million adults fully vaccinated by July 4.As of Wednesday, more than 151 million Americans age 18 and older, or 58.7% of the U.S. adult population, have received at least one dose of a Covid vaccine, according to data compiled by the CDC. Roughly 116 million American adults, or 45.1% of the U.S. adult population, are fully vaccinated, according to the agency.To reach the president’s goal, the administration is working to make getting a Covid vaccine shot as simple and convenient as possible.Biden is directing thousands of local pharmacies to provide walk-in vaccinations to people without appointments, a senior administration official told reporters last week. The Federal Emergency Management Agency will also support pop-up and mobile clinics, which are aimed at individuals who may otherwise have trouble reaching vaccination sites.On Tuesday, the White House announced a new partnership with Uber and Lyft that will offer free rides to vaccination sites until July 4.The new CDC guidance Thursday marks a turning point in the pandemic and is likely to encourage more Americans, especially those still hesitant about receiving the shots, to get vaccinated, health experts say.U.S. health officials stressed that the Covid vaccines are highly effective, pointing to several studies, including one out of Israel that found the Pfizer-BioNTech shot was 97% successful in preventing symptomatic infections in fully vaccinated people.Dr. Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and a member of the FDA’s advisory panel, called the new guidance an “important step forward.””And yet another incentive to get vaccinated,” he added.The guidance is “pragmatic [and] aligns with science,” said Dr. Isaac Bogoch, an infectious disease specialist at the University of Toronto. “It also demonstrates how mass vaccination can truly be a path toward normalcy and that the U.S. is far along on that path.”He added it will be “nearly impossible” to enforce with those who aren’t vaccinated and said some businesses that lift restrictions may need to impose an honor system.– CNBC’s Rich Mendez contributed to this report. More

Move in or check out?Shares of Airbnb are down 36% from their February highs following the vacation rental company’s earnings announcement after Thursday’s closing bell. Airbnb’s revenue grew 5% in the first quarter, the company said in its second report since going public in December.With the shares falling more than 3% to close at $135.75 on Thursday, there’s limited hope for a rebound, TradingAnalysis.com founder Todd Gordon told CNBC.”If we make new lows, it’s never good,” Gordon said in a Thursday interview with CNBC’s “Trading Nation” after Airbnb broke below the $138 support level he was watching.Still, with 20% share of the U.S. lodging market, Airbnb is “bigger than the top five hotel brands combined” and thus positioned well to capitalize on pent-up travel demand, Gordon said.”Once this housing market loosens back up, pent-up demand eases, supply chain issues calm, more rooms will become available,” he said.Airbnb’s gross bookings declined by roughly a third in 2020. In its latest reuslts, the short-term lodging service reported a 39% quarterly increase and 13% year-over-year boost in nights and experiences booked.”I think those problems are transitory and I think people will reemerge in this market,” Gordon said. “I’m bullish. I’d like to see technical support, a little evidence of a reversal, before getting in, but I wouldn’t give up on this yet.”Another trader wasn’t so sure.”Competition is really becoming a problem for Airbnb,” Boris Schlossberg, managing director of FX strategy at BK Asset Management, said in the same “Trading Nation” interview.”VRBO is really giving Airbnb a run for its money, mainly because Airbnb has a much larger inventory in the urban core and VRBO is much, much better positioned in the vacation rental propert[ies], which is where most people want to go,” he said.Airbnb’s fees are also starting to deter consumers and lead them to alternative offerings, Schlossberg said.”I think what’s happening with Airbnb, the swan dive in the price, is that it’s lost the imagination of Wall Street,” he said. “Wall Street has kind of lost faith in its model at this point and I think it’s going to be very tough going for the company going forward.”Disclaimer More

In this articleTMatt Le Blanc as Joey Tribbiani, Matthew Perry as Chandler Bing, Jennifer Aniston as Rachel Green and Courteney Cox as Monica Geller on NBC’s “Friends.”NBC | Getty ImagesThe long-awaited “Friends” reunion special will arrive on HBO Max on May 27, exactly one year after it was originally expected to debut on the streaming service.The reunion was delayed multiple times due to production shutdowns during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. It had been slated to be filmed in early 2020, but was only able to begin filming this April.The program will feature all six “Friends” stars — Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, and David Schwimmer. It’s estimated that each actor was paid $2.5 million for participating in the special.”Friends” aired its final episode in 2004, but has had a major resurgence in pop culture because of streaming. Younger generations, who missed out on the sitcom in the late ’90s, have gravitated toward it in recent years. Its popularity resulted in a bidding war from platforms that wished to own the content.In 2020, all 10 seasons of the show left Netflix and went to HBO Max in a deal that is rumored to have cost WarnerMedia around $400 million. The show originally aired on NBC.Disclosure: Comcast is the parent company of NBCUniversal and CNBC. More

In this articleDISDwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt star in Disney’s “Jungle Cruise.”Disney”Jungle Cruise” is the latest Disney feature to find itself as part of a hybrid theatrical and streaming release strategy.On Thursday, the studio said the film, which stars Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt, will premiere in theaters and on Disney+ premier access on July 30.Disney has used a similar tactic for “Mulan” and “Raya and the Last Dragon” and plans to use it for the debut of the upcoming films “Cruella” and “Black Widow.”Notably, the company released Pixar’s “Soul” on Disney+ for free and then released it theatrically in countries that did not have access to the streaming service. “Luca” will have a similar rollout in June.”Disney has made it clear via other strategy shifts on summer movies that they’re holding out for broader global box office recovery…” said Shawn Robbins, chief analyst at Boxoffice. “Combined with the desire to grow its streaming subscriber base in late summer and a still-crowded release slate in Q3 and Q4, the studio’s reliance on international markets is integral to shareholders.”Disney isn’t the only studio experimenting with different releases in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Warner Bros.’ entire 2021 slate will debut on HBO Max and in theaters on the same day. Meanwhile, Universal and Paramount have struck deals with movie theater chains for shorter theatrical windows that allow the studios to place features on streaming earlier than in previous years.”With so many theatres still closed or having seating restrictions it would be tough for Disney to recoup their production budgets and advertising spend with an exclusive theatrical window,” said Eric Handler, managing director of media and entertainment equity research at MKM Partners. “Until we are towards the end of the pandemic and seating capacity gets back to 100% and people are fully comfortable returning to theatres we will likely see Disney have a simultaneous window.”Still, investors in the company, which releases its fiscal second-quarter earnings after the bell Thursday, have little guidance on how these films are performing on Disney+ financially.While some third-party analytics have released information on viewership based on number of minutes watched and viewers who have stuck with a program for at least two minutes, Disney has not shared what these films have garnered monetarily.Analysts and investors had expected to hear about the performance of “Mulan,” the first film that was available for the $30 price tag, during its fiscal fourth-quarter earnings report in November. It said it would have more to say in December at its investor day, but has so far remained mum on the details.It’s unclear if the company will provide insight into how “Raya” fared on the streaming service or if it will share any other details on these types of releases in the future.”As always, the lack of transparency around streaming data leaves a big question mark surrounding the logic of this move versus an outright delay,” Robbins said. “Now, the question pivots to Marvel’s ‘Shang-Chi’ and whether or not that remains a pure theatrical title come Labor Day. We’ll see.”Disclosure: Comcast is the parent company of NBCUniversal and CNBC. More

Visitors to Times Square sit and enjoy the warm Spring weather on March 25, 2021 in New York City.Roy Rochlin | Getty ImagesAmericans need to start getting used to seeing people outside without masks as more and more people get vaccinated against Covid-19, White House chief medical advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci said Thursday.Fauci reiterated new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that says fully vaccinated people don’t need to wear masks in public unless they are in a crowd.”We got to make that transition,” Fauci said in an interview with CBS News after anchor Gayle King said people give her “the side-eye” when she takes her mask off outside, even though she’s fully vaccinated. “If you are vaccinated and you are outside, put aside your mask, you don’t have to wear it.””If you are going into a completely crowded situation where people are essentially falling all over each other, then you wear a mask,” Fauci said.There is debate among medical experts over how much outdoor transmission is driving cases.”The top-line result of all studies included in the systematic review said less than 10% of cases are transmitted outdoors,” CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said Tuesday at a Senate hearing.Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, blasted Walensky during the hearing, saying the agency’s “conflicting, confusing guidance … has undermined public confidence and contradicts the scientific guidance of many experts.”A report by The New York Times cites epidemiologists that say the CDC number is misleading, and that the actual number of outdoor transmissions could be below 0.1%.Reports of new Covid-19 cases continued to decline in the U.S., averaging 36,700 new cases per day over the last week as of Wednesday, the lowest daily case average since Sept. 14, data compiled by Johns Hopkins University shows. More