Raphael Stevens

Academy Awards Oscar trophies are displayed backstage during the 93rd Annual Academy Awards at Union Station on April 25, 2021 in Los Angeles, California.Handout | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty ImagesIf there’s one redeeming thing about Sunday’s Oscars, it’s that we all now know the Academy really doesn’t know what’s in the envelopes.Even after the 2017 best picture debacle in which the wrong title was named the top prize of the night, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has continued to keep the winners a secret until they are read on air.It seems the producers had placed a large bet that the late Chadwick Boseman would be named best actor. In a break with tradition, the academy announced the best picture winner before it announced the recipients of best actor and best actress. Typically, the best picture award is saved as the final reveal of the evening.Many have speculated that this was done in order for the night to end with Boseman’s win and a tribute to the actor. However, the award went to Anthony Hopkins for his role in “The Father,” leading to an anticlimactic finish to a show that already felt too hurried and, yet, too long.Hopkins, 83, is the oldest person to win an Oscar in an acting category, and did not attend the ceremony. Instead, he was at home in Wales. He addressed the win in a video posted to social media Monday morning.”Good morning, here I am in my homeland of Wales and at 83 years of age, I did not expect to get this award. I really didn’t,” said Hopkins. “I am grateful to the academy and thank you. I want to pay tribute to Chadwick Boseman, who was taken from us far too early, and again, thank you all very much. I really did not expect this, so I feel very privileged and honored. Thank you.”Hopkins’ heartbreaking performance as a man struggling with dementia also earned him a BAFTA for best actor as well as critical praise. This is his second Academy Award from six nominations and follows his 1991 best actor win for “Silence of the Lambs.”His absence from Sunday’s event may not have caused much controversy if the show’s producers had not switched the best actor presentation to last. Much of the ire for the abrupt ending and innocuous ceremony was directed at the producers for hyping up the prospect of Boseman winning.Following Hopkins’ win, which was accepted on his behalf by Joaquin Phoenix, who had presented the award, the Academy Awards unceremoniously ended.The ceremony’s ending was par for the course for the evening.There’s no denying that the 93rd annual Academy Awards brought a much needed spotlight on diverse talent and honored those in the industry, who up until now, have not been widely celebrated. However, the ceremony, which was expected to break the mold and shake things up, turned out to be just like every other Oscars show before it.Filmmaker Steven Soderbergh, who helmed the production, teased major changes to the telecast ahead of the ceremony. Producing alongside Stacey Sher and Jesse Collins, he said the team would treat the event like a movie, not a TV show. One of the most notable changes was the cobalt blue color scheme of the event, which replaced the traditional crimson curtains and carpet of past Oscars.While there was some promise of a unique experience, particularly as Regina King strutted through Union Station in Los Angeles as colorful credits popped up on screen, showcasing the presenters of Sunday’s program, ultimately the show slipped back into old form.Academy Award nominee Glenn Close dances to “Da Butt” during the 93rd annual Oscar ceremony on Sunday, April 25, 2021, at Union Station Los Angeles.ABC | Walt Disney Television | Getty ImagesDue to the coronavirus pandemic, the academy vastly limited the guest list for the event and decided to prerecord the best song nominees and play them before the awards show began. Usually, the best song performances help break up the ceremony, offering moments of levity and spectacle between speeches.Without these performances, more focus was on the presenters. They were working solo due to social distancing guidelines, which also limited the typical moments of comedic banter between the presenters. The production replaced the scripted repartee with “fun facts” about the nominees, including last year’s best director Bong Joon-ho reciting this year’s directing nominees’ answers to the question: What is directing?The pre-award biographies about nominees’ favorite movies or first jobs in Hollywood were well meaning, but ultimately only served to lengthen the run time of the event. The show also seemed to confirm why the academy has in the past placed caps on how long winners are allowed to speak after collecting their trophies.Oscars 2021 coverage from CNBCRead more about this year’s Academy Awards:‘Nomadland’ wins best picture at the 93rd Academy AwardsThe Oscars were a well-intentioned mess that flopped despite an elite producing teamAcademy Awards ratings plummet to all-time low as viewership drops below 10 millionNetflix snags 7 awards, nearly doubling its all-time Oscars tallyChloe Zhao becomes second woman to win best director at Academy AwardsAs women directors enter the Oscar spotlight, here are 13 filmmakers to watchHostless ceremonies have been all the rage since 2019 when actor Kevin Hart stepped away from the gig after old, problematic tweets he’d posted resurfaced. However, Sunday’s ceremony could have benefited from a celebrity guide. Especially to smooth things over at the end of the night and provide closure to the ceremony.The night was somewhat salvaged by impassioned speeches, particularly from filmmaker Tyler Perry who accepted the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, and a strange scripted moment where Glenn Close danced to the ’80’s funk hit “Da Butt.”Ultimately, Sunday’s Academy Awards were a product of the coronavirus, but also a representation of how difficult it can be to reimagine award ceremonies. More

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration is slated to relax federal public health guidance on wearing masks outdoors as soon as this week, a source familiar with the plans told NBC News.The announcement, which may come as early as Tuesday, could give separate recommendations for fully vaccinated people and those who have not received a coronavirus vaccine, added the person, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. The administration is still finalizing the guidance, NBC reported.Over the weekend, White House chief medical advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci indicated that the new mask guidance was imminent but also warned that Americans should adhere to public health measures until the CDC makes an assessment.”What I believe you’re going to be hearing, what the country is going to be hearing soon, is updated guidelines from the CDC,” Fauci told ABC’s Sunday program “This Week With George Stephanopoulos.” “The CDC is a science-based organization. They don’t want to make any guidelines unless they look at the data and the data backs it up.””But when you look around at the common sense situation, the risk is really low, especially if you’re vaccinated,” he said.The CDC’s current guidance states that “masks may not be necessary when you are outside by yourself away from others, or with people who live in your household.””However, some areas may have mask mandates while out in public, so please check the rules in your local area (such as in your city, county, or state). Additionally, check whether any federal mask mandates apply to where you will be going,” the agency adds.Dr. Isaac Bogoch, an infectious disease specialist at the University of Toronto, said he supports the anticipated guidance from the CDC. He added that more research is showing that very few Covid-19 infections happen in outdoor settings.But masks should still be mandated in indoor settings, he said, until most of the U.S. population is vaccinated and it is difficult for the virus to spread from one person to the next.”It’s been over a year. We have a very good understanding of who gets infected and how they get infected,” he told CNBC in a phone interview. “I think it’s fair to say you don’t need to wear a mask outside unless you can’t maintain 2 meters or 6 feet of social distancing.””Masking outdoors likely doesn’t provide much added protection,’ he added.On Monday, Dr. Scott Gottlieb told CNBC that he believes outdoor mask mandates are no longer necessary as the U.S. vaccinates more people.More than 42% of the U.S. population has received at least one vaccine dose, including 28.5% who have been fully vaccinated, according to CDC data.”People could choose to wear a mask if they want to. I think there shouldn’t be requirements that they have to wear masks outdoors,” the former Food and Drug Administration commissioner said on “Squawk Box.” More

In this articleHWINHometown Deli, Paulsboro, N.J.Mike Calia | CNBCThe mysterious $100 million company that owns only a single New Jersey deli on Monday killed the consulting agreement that since last May has been paying $15,000 per month to a firm controlled by the father of its chairman, according to a financial filing.The move by Hometown International to end the consulting deal with Tryon Capital LLC by mutual agreement came after articles by CNBC detailing close ties between Tryon Capital partner Peter Coker Sr. and the deli owner, whose chairman is Hong Kong-based Peter Coker Jr.The elder Coker is also a shareholder in Hometown International, whose sales in the past two years combined were about $10,000 less than what the company paid Tryon Capital in consulting fees.”In light of the recent negative press regarding the Company and the principals of Tryon, the parties determined that it was in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders to terminate the Consulting Agreement at this time,” Hometown International said in its 8-K filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.”The parties believe that such termination will reduce distractions and enable the Company to move forward with its planned acquisition strategy,” the filing said.The filing was signed by Hometown International CEO Paul Morina, who is also principal and head wrestling coach at Paulsboro High School in Paulsboro, New Jersey, where the deli is also located.At the same time on Monday E-Waste — a shell company linked to both Coker Sr. and to Hometown International — ended its own consulting deal, which was paying Tryon Capital $2,500 per month, a Securities and Exchange Commission filing said.Hometown Deli in Paulsboro, N.J.CNBCE-Waste’s own 8-K filing announcing the end of the consulting agreement likewise noted “the recent negative press” regarding that firm “and the principals of Tryon.”The end of the contracts was lauded by Manoj Jain, the founder of Maso Capital in Hong Kong, a major investor in Hometown International. Maso Capital is understood to be using Hometown International and E-Waste as vehicles for acquisitions.Jain in a statement made a reference to CNBC’s reporting over the last week or so about past controversies surrounding Peter Coker Sr., others associated with Tryon Capital, and E-Waste.”We are very concerned by these serious allegations and we are glad that the relationship between both companies and Tryon Consulting has now been terminated,” Jain said in a statement to CNBC.”We look forward to both public companies taking forward their stated acquisition plans,” Jain said.Jain holds sole voting power over about 2.5 million common stock shares of Hometown International, or more than 20% of the nearly 8 million common shares outstanding. The stock closed Monday at $13.29 per share, up .38%.An SEC filing by Hometown International in April 2020 and a similar filing by E-Waste this month suggest that both companies intend to use investments by Jain and others to finance efforts to evaluate potential merger candidates with other companies, particularly private firms.The filings by each company almost exactly a year apart indicate they either sold or were selling 2.5 million shares of stock apiece as part of those efforts.While Hometown International has had sales of only about $36,000 in the past two years combined at its Paulsboro deli, and E-Waste has no business to speak of, both companies could be attractive to private companies looking to become publicly traded entities in the United States through the use of a reverse merger or other means.The end of Tryon Capital’s consulting deals comes days after Hometown International was delisted from the more prestigious over-the-counter market platform OTCQB, and relegated to the less prestigious Pink market because of “public interest concerns.”Hometown International also was slapped with a “buyer beware” warning label by OTC Markets Group, which operates those marketplaces.Executives at OTC Markets said the demotion resulted from “irregularities” in Hometown International’s public disclosures.OTC Markets executives also said they were eyeing the filings of E-Waste, whose mailing address is that of another North Carolina company linked to Coker Sr., who has lent E-Waste more than $200,000.E-Waste also owes $150,000 to Hometown International, according to a promissory note filed with the SEC.E-Waste, which trades on the Pink market, had no sales of stock recorded Monday, ending the day at $8.41 per share, giving it a market capitalization of an eye-popping $105 million.CNBC has detailed how Peter Coker Sr., who holds more than 63,000 shares of Hometown common stock, has been sued in the past for allegedly hiding money from creditors and business-related fraud. He has denied those allegations.In August 1992, Coker Sr. was arrested in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and charged “with prostitution and other offenses after he allegedly exposed himself to three girls as he drove around” a school one night, The Morning Call newspaper reported at the time. Coker Sr. and his son have not responded to repeated requests for comment.CNBC also has detailed Coker Sr.’s ties to E-Waste.Coker Sr.’s partner in Tryon Capital, Peter Reichard, in 2011 entered a plea in a criminal case that led to his conviction for a scheme to illegally contribute thousands of dollars to the successful 2008 campaign for North Carolina governor of Bev Perdue, a Democrat.The scheme involved the use of a bogus consulting contract between Tryon Capital Ventures and a fast-food franchisee who wanted to support Perdue. Coker Sr. was not charged in that case.Reichard also is a managing member, with Coker Sr., of an entity called Europa Capital Investments, which owns 90,400 common shares of Hometown International, and has warrants for another 1.9 million shares.James Patten, a financial analyst at Tryon Capital, wrestled in high school with Morina, Hometown International’s CEO.Patten is barred by FINRA, the broker-dealer regulator, from acting as a stockbroker or associating with broker-dealers, according to the regulator’s database, which details multiple disciplinary actions against Patten over his career.Hometown International has drawn widespread scrutiny for nearly two weeks after hedge fund manager David Einhorn noted that the company’s market capitalization topped $100 million despite the company owning just a tiny deli.A major investor in both Hometown and E-Waste is a Macao, China-based entity named Global Equity Limited.An owner of Global Equity, Michael Tyldesley, is listed in financial filings as managing director of another Macao entity, VCH Limited, which also holds shares in Hometown International.VCH Limited has a consulting agreement with Hometown International that pays it $25,000 per month, according to SEC filings.That agreement was not mentioned in the filings Monday that announced the cancellation of Tryon Capital’s consulting agreements with Hometown International and E-Waste. More

India has reported a record number of coronavirus cases for the fifth day in a row, with a second wave pushing its health-care system to the brink.There were some 352,991 new cases of Covid-19 reported in the last 24 hours, seeing India’s total number of infections top 17 million, with 5 million cases counted in April alone. At least 2,182 people have died from the virus in the last 24 hours, taking the South Asian nation’s death toll to over 195,000, though media reports indicate the official figure is being understated.Before the second wave, India was reporting an average of around 10,000 new cases a day. Its government has been criticized for allowing religious festivals and election rallies to go ahead this year.India’s hospitals have run out of beds and are suffering an extreme shortage of oxygen to treat patients.A patient sits inside an ambulance waiting to enter a Covid hospital for treatmentA patient with breathing problem is seen inside an ambulance waiting to enter a COVID-19 hospital for treatment, amidst the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Ahmedabad, India, April 20, 2021.Amit Dave | ReutersA man runs past the burning funeral pyres of those who died from CovidA man runs past the burning funeral pyres of those who died from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), during a mass cremation, at a crematorium in New Delhi, India April 26, 2021.Adnan Abidi | ReutersA man prepares a funeral pyre to cremate a bodyA man prepares a funeral pyre to cremate the body of a person, who died due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), at a crematorium ground in New Delhi, India, April 22, 2021.Danish Siddiqui | ReutersMedical staff attends to a person in a temporary care centerMedical staff in PPE attending to a person in the temporary Covid-19 care centre attached to LNJP Hospital, at Shehnai Banquet Hall, on April 23, 2021 in New Delhi, India.Raj K Raj | Hindustan Times | Getty ImagesA man wearing an outfit resembling the Covid virus moves around a marketplace urging people to follow safety protocolsA man from a Non-governmental organization (NGO) wearing an outfit resembling the Covid-19 coronavirus moves around a marketplace urging people to follow the safety protocols during an awareness drive held in Siliguri on April 25, 2021.Diptendu Dutta | AFP | Getty ImagesA worker disinfects nozzles of oxygen cylinders as they are refilled in a factoryA worker disinfects nozzles of oxygen cylinders as they are refilled in a factory, amidst the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Ahmedabad, India, April 25, 2021.Amit Dave | ReutersUmar Farooq mourns over the body of his mother, who died of Covid, before her burial at a graveyard in SrinagarUmar Farooq mourns over to the body of his mother, who died of Covid-19 coronavirus, before her burial at a graveyard in Srinagar on April 26, 2021.Tauseef Mustafa | AFP | Getty ImagesPeople wait to cremate those who died due to the coronavirus in New DelhiPeople wait to cremate victims who died due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), at a crematorium ground in New Delhi, India, April 23, 2021.Danish Siddiqui | ReutersA doctor tends to a patient’s breathing problem inside an ambulance as she waits to enter a Covid hospitalA doctor tends to a patient with a breathing problem inside an ambulance waiting to enter a COVID-19 hospital for treatment, amidst the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Ahmedabad, India, April 25, 2021.Amit Dave | ReutersPeople wearing protective face masks wait to receive a vaccine in MumbaiPeople wearing protective face masks wait to receive a vaccine for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at a vaccination centre in Mumbai, India, April 26, 2021.Niharika Kulkarni | ReutersPeople cremate the bodies of coronavirus victims at a crematorium ground in New DelhiPeople cremate the bodies of victims of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), at a crematorium ground in New Delhi, India, April 24, 2021.Danish Siddiqui | ReutersRickshaw drivers hold oxygen cylinders outside a private refilling stationRickshaw drivers hold oxygen cylinders outside a private refilling station, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in New Delhi, India, April 19, 2021.Adnan Abidi | ReutersA patient breathes with the help of oxygen provided by a Gurdwara, a place of worship for Sikhs, inside an auto rickshawA patient breathes with the help of oxygen provided by a Gurdwara, a place of worship for Sikhs, inside an auto rickshaw parked under a tent along the roadside amid Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic in Ghaziabad on April 26, 2021.Sajjad Hussain | AFP | Getty ImagesA woman is consoled after her husband diedA woman is consoled after her husband died due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outside a mortuary of a COVID-19 hospital in Ahmedabad, India, April 20, 2021.Amit Dave | ReutersA man carrying wood walks past the funeral pyres of those who died from the coronavirus disease A man carrying wood walks past the funeral pyres of those who died from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), during a mass cremation, at a crematorium in New Delhi, India April 26, 2021.Adnan Abidi | ReutersA man wearing personal protective equipment stands next to funeral pyresA man wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) stands next to funeral pyres of those who died from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), during a mass cremation, at a crematorium in New Delhi, India April 26, 2021.Adnan Abidi | ReutersA view of multiple funeral pyres at Nigambodh Ghat crematorium in New DelhiA view of multiple funeral pyres of Covid-19 victims, at Nigambodh Ghat crematorium, on April 23, 2021 in New Delhi, India.Sanjeev Verma | Hindustan Times | Getty ImagesHealth workers carry bodies of victims Health workers wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) carry bodies of people who were suffering from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), outside the Guru Teg Bahadur hospital, in New Delhi, India, April 24, 2021.Adnan Abidi | ReutersRelatives carry the body of a man during his funeral in New DelhiRelatives carry the body of a man who died from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), during his funeral at a graveyard in New Delhi, India, April 23, 2021.Adnan Abidi | ReutersFamily members sit next to the burning funeral pyres of coronavirus victims in New DelhiFamily members sit next to the burning funeral pyres of those who died from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), during a mass cremation, at a crematorium in New Delhi, India April 26, 2021.Adnan Abidi | Reuters More

In this articleRCLThe Mariner of the Seas cruise ship, operated by Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., shown in 2018.Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesRoyal Caribbean Cruises is temporarily suspending all assignments for its staff from India and will halt hiring in the country, amid a surge of Covid-19 cases there, according to a report by Crew Center.India reported a record number of coronavirus cases for the fifth consecutive day on Monday, with over 350,000 new infections over a 24-hour period and 17 million total infections in the country.”It’s always unfortunate when we must cancel assignments but we believe this is a prudent decision at this time,” the news outlet quoted Royal Caribbean International as saying, citing a letter to the crew that it had obtained. “It’s not the way that we want to operate, but it is the reality of the quick changes we need to make based on different reasons that are often unplanned and beyond our direct control.”According to Crew Center’s report, around 300 Indian crew members were supposed to work on the company’s Anthem of the Seas ship, starting on May 3. A person familiar with the matter told the news outlet that accommodations will be provided to crew under quarantine guidelines. Some of the workers were already in St. Maarten, the report said.A Royal Caribbean spokesperson told CNBC in an email: “We continue to monitor impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic around the world including travel restrictions to and from areas with a high rate of cases. To ensure the continued health and safety of our crew, guests and the residents of the destination we visit, we are currently exercising extra caution in the movement of any crew from India to our ships due to the recent surge of COVID-19.” More

In this articleTSCOMany millennials are leaving dense urban centers to settle in more rural communities, and the relocation trend has been a boon for Tractor Supply, CEO Hal Lawton told CNBC Monday.”We’ve been gaining market share with our core customer, but also with the new customer: the millennial customer,” Lawton said in a one-on-one with Jim Cramer on “Mad Money.” “We’re really seeing a revitalization of rural led by millennials.”After years of facing barriers to entering the housing market, the millennial generation, ranging roughly between ages 25 and 40, has emerged as a large share of first-time homebuyers in recent years. It’s led to higher demand for products for pets, poultry, gardening and self-reliance, Lawton said.”We saw a 4 point sales penetration change last quarter with the millennial cohort,” he said.Tractor Supply, which operates nearly 2,000 stores and has 42,000 employees, posted results from the first quarter Thursday that were much stronger than expected. The farm equipment supplier, which is valued at $22 billion, saw same-store sales surge 39%, helping produce $2.79 billion in revenue and earnings of $1.55 per share. Sales were up 53% from pre-pandemic levels.”There absolutely are structural trends that are driving our business that we think have a longstanding trend to them,” Lawton said.The stock closed at $190.95 Monday, up 6% since the company reported. Tractor Supply also raised its full-year outlook.Questions for Cramer? Call Cramer: 1-800-743-CNBCWant to take a deep dive into Cramer’s world? Hit him up! Mad Money Twitter – Jim Cramer Twitter – Facebook – InstagramQuestions, comments, suggestions for the “Mad Money” website? [email protected] More