Raphael Stevens

U.S. President Joe Biden speaks about his $2 trillion infrastructure plan during an event to tout the plan at Carpenters Pittsburgh Training Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, March 31, 2021.Jonathan Ernst | ReutersMore than half of Americans say they support President Joe Biden’s performance in office so far and approve of his sweeping infrastructure proposal, according to a new NBC News poll.The poll findings released Sunday showed that 53% of respondents approve of Biden’s job in office, including 90% of Democrats, 61% of independents and 9% of Republicans, while 39% of respondents disapprove of Biden’s performance.The president also received support for his coronavirus relief package passed in March and his $2 trillion infrastructure proposal aimed to help boost the post-pandemic economy.The poll showed that 46% percent of Americans believed the president’s $1.9 trillion Covid relief bill —which sent direct payments to Americans and extended unemployment insurance, among other policies —was a good idea, while 25% said it was a bad idea and 26% did not have an opinion.Additionally, 61% of respondents said they believe the worst of the pandemic is over in the U.S., while only 19% think the worst is yet to come.Biden’s infrastructure plan, which aims to revitalize U.S. transportation infrastructure, water systems, broadband and manufacturing, as well as combat climate change, was also popular among respondents. 59% said the plan is a good idea, while 21% disagreed and 19% did not have an opinion.Responses diverged across party lines: 87% of Democrats, 68% of independents and 21% of Republicans said they supported the infrastructure plan.CNBC PoliticsRead more of CNBC’s politics coverage:Biden pressured to disclose political appointees’ ethics agreements as advisor’s brother lobbies White HouseCitigroup will pay NY mayoral candidate, former exec Ray McGuire $5.7 million over next few yearsSenate Republicans outline their own infrastructure plan — here’s what’s in it”What we don’t know is if this is part of a 100-day honeymoon or something more durable and lasting for the Biden-Harris administration,” Democratic pollster Jeff Horwitt of Hart Research Associates, who conducted the poll with Republican pollster Bill McInturff of Public Opinion Strategies, told NBC News.”What we do know is that Joe Biden’s presidency is meeting the times,” Horwitt said.The president also received high marks on his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, which garnered 69% approval, as well as his handling of the economy, which received 52% approval.On the issue of uniting the country and grappling with race relations, 52% and 49% of respondents approved, respectively.Participants were less happy with how Biden has handled relations with China, gun issues and border security and immigration. The poll also showed that 80% of people still believe the U.S. is mostly divided, despite Biden’s pledge to unify the country.The poll surveyed 1,000 adults nationwide from April 17 to April 20. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points. More

In this articleAMZNAn employee looks for items in one of the corridors at an Amazon warehouse.Carlos Jasso | ReutersIn his final letter to shareholders, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos urged a deep dive into musculoskeletal disorders, which account for about 40% of work-related injuries across the company and affect millions of workers globally across sectors. It is often synonymous with jobs in manufacturing and places like warehouses.Of course, Amazon’s treatment of its employees has become a high-profile issue, from the recent union battle in an Alabama warehouse to conditions for its essential workers during the pandemic. And it has been cited for a high incidence of workplace injuries in recent years, though the company has said in the past that it also reports more workplace incidents than peers due to a more proactive safety culture.”If you read some of the news reports, you might think we have no care for employees,” Bezos wrote in his letter, released earlier this month. “In those reports, our employees are sometimes accused of being desperate souls and treated as robots. That’s not accurate. They’re sophisticated and thoughtful people who have options for where to work.”But they also do suffer from MSDs that occur on jobs that include what can be described as robot-like repetition. The extended remarks by Bezos about this workplace injury amounted to one of the first announcements by a large corporation to draw broader attention to the issue, according to several experts consulted by CNBC. Estimates suggest that MSDs cost U.S. companies over $50 billion each year and resulted in between 21 and 32 days away from work on average between 1997 to 2010, and in addition to Amazon warehouse work, MSD issues in meat processing and poultry plants have drawn recent attention.The CNBC @Work Summit returnsThis fall, October 13, Facebook CIO Atish Banerjea, Bank of America Chief Operations and Technology Officer Cathy Bessant, WeWork CEO Sandeep Mathrani and Estee Lauder CFO Tracey Travis will talk building a resilient future and more. Register now.MSDs, often called “ergonomics injuries,” are typically strains and sprains caused by repetitive motions, overexertion, or task performance in awkward positions and include issues like carpal tunnel syndrome and tendonitis. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, retail trade, manufacturing, and social assistance jobs accounted for 50% of all MSD cases in the private sector. While common in factory-line workplaces and among first-time workers, they can also occur through sports, desk-work and everyday use.”MSDs are common in the type of work that we do and are more likely to occur during an employee’s first six months,” Bezos wrote, adding that the company launched a program to coach small groups of employees on body mechanics and safety which contributed to a 32% decrease in injuries between 2019 and 2020, while the time away as a result of the injuries “decreased by more than half,” Bezos said in the recent letter.  “We need to invent solutions to reduce MSDs for new employees, many of whom might be working in a physical role for the first time.”Amazon declined to provide additional information on its ongoing MSD efforts to CNBC.While MSD cases in the U.S. workplace have declined over the last decade, approximately 1.71 billion people suffer from musculoskeletal conditions globally with lower back pain being the most common occurrence, the World Health Organization reported. That number is expected to increase as the population ages and grows.”Many of these injuries are actually preventable, they’re not accidents, they’re things we can work to avoid and make a huge difference to patients,” says Anna Miller, vice chair for the department of orthopedic surgery and chief of the orthopedic trauma division at Washington University School of Medicine.The dangers of repetitive workWhile common among manufacturing employees working along the repetitive assembly line, they can also occur from sitting in a home office, conducting remote work.One of the biggest issues with MSDs is that there’s no concrete reason why they occur and they can happen spontaneously from a seemingly menial task like walking up a flight of stairs, says John Dony, senior director of the National Safety Council. There’s little research about how they happen, why they occur and who is the most susceptible. While older workers often suffer wear and tear MSDs, younger workers often try to “tough it out” or fail to understand the risks, Dony said. Some studies suggest obesity, genetics or smoking can increase the risk of MSDs but the data is not very clear on causal relationships, says Andrew N. Pollak, senior vice president for clinical transformation and chief of orthopedics at the University of Maryland Medical System.Very limited federal funding is devoted to this research, but large corporations like Amazon, which now employs over a million workers, can better collect information they can share with other companies. “That kind of research has been difficult to accomplish in smaller companies because you simply don’t have the same number of people doing the same jobs as you do at a big behemoth like Amazon,” Pollak says. MSDs can also lead to mental health issues for many frontline workers, and many people continue working even after suffering a strain because they need the money, says Miller.In many service-oriented jobs, workers feel pressure to continue working to make the customer happy and work through injuries to meet objectives, says Jaimo Ahn, a professor and associate chair for education in the department of orthopedic surgery at the University of Michigan Health System. “If you’re not reaching your objective or you feel like you aren’t where you need to be then you keep going,” Ahn said.Solving the MSD problemIn addition to the WorkingWell coaching program included in Amazon’s workplace safety efforts, which launched for 859,000 employees across 250 sites last year, Amazon is also developing automated staff schedules that use “sophisticated algorithms to rotate employees” across several jobs to prevent overusing certain muscle groups and injury, and that began rolling out this year.Rotational schedules are one of the simplest precautionary solutions that prevent sustained use of one specific muscle, as is teaching workers how to lift from the legs instead of the arms or back. Engineering out a task that involves excessive bending, requiring anti-slip shoes, or requiring workers to lift heavy objects with a partner, also help. Some companies already have these policies in place, but they are sometimes ignored or not well-communicated, Dony said.Other alternatives include automation and implementing robots or machines that minimize hand use and can help when lifting, or wearable devices that show surroundings and detect in detail the span and range of motion. Robots have been a source of contention when it comes to workplace injuries in the past, in some cases cited for increasing risks to human workers, including forcing workers to move too fast to keep up in an ergonomically safe manner. But the company’s top officers have rejected that argument.Solving MSDs beyond Amazon, throughout the world of work and across many smaller, less deep-pocketed employers, begins with assessing the risk and walking through the workspaces. “If you never even go into assess what risk or exposure you’re putting someone at, you’re already behind the game,” Dony says. More

urbazon | E+ | Getty ImagesYou may want to reconsider any plans to travel abroad.That’s the recommendation from the U.S. State Department, which updated its Travel Advisories list this week warning Americans against foreign travel to include about 80% of countries worldwide.Calling the risks the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic poses to travelers as “unprecedented,” the State Department said in an April 19 statement that it “strongly recommends U.S. citizens reconsider all travel abroad.”The department said its advisories will now better reflect Travel Health Notices issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as taking into account factors such as in-country testing availability and travel restrictions on U.S. citizens.More from Personal Finance:The most popular spots Americans are booking this summerTop-rated frequent flyer programs can cut travel costsHere’s what post-pandemic travel might look like”We believe the updated framework will help Americans make better-informed decisions about the safety of international travel,” said a State Department official. “We are closely monitoring health and safety conditions across the globe, and will continue to update our destination-specific information for U.S. travelers as conditions evolve.”As a result of the update, some 8 out of 10 nations around the globe are classified as “Level 4: Do Not Travel.” More than 100 countries were recategorized Level 4, including popular destinations such as Canada, France, Mexico and the U.K.The nations not downgraded to Level 4 are largely in East Asia, Oceania and parts of Africa and the Caribbean.While many countries in the updated list of Level 4 destinations have their own restrictions against travel by foreigners, some do allow entry by air with proof of vaccination, a negative Covid test or other criteria. Americans may travel to Britain, for example, as long as they test negative within 72 hours before arrival; they must also fill out documentation and quarantine for 10 days.Mexico, meanwhile, permits air arrivals and has no testing requirements although you may be screened or temperature checked at the airport.The country has remained popular with Americans throughout the pandemic, despite testing or proof of recovery requirements upon return to the U.S.For example, from the end of 2020 and through February, the Mexican state of Quintana Roo — home to resorts like Cancun, Playa del Carmen and Tulum — welcomed nearly 1 million Americans.The State Department’s advisories system is comprised of four color-coded levels: Level 1 (blue) – Exercise Normal Precautions; Level 2 (yellow) – Exercise Increased Caution; Level 3 (orange) – Reconsider Travel; and Level 4 (red). The latter is reserved for countries with a “greater likelihood of life-threatening risks” and U.S. citizens are advised not to travel there or to leave as soon as it’s safe to.All international destinations had been labeled Level 4 at the start of the pandemic last March, but the State Department lifted that advisory in August. Not one nation listed, however, is currently rated Level 1.The latest Travel Advisory levels can be found on the State Department website at Travel.state.gov. More

In this articleSJMKMBHSYMDLZGISKHCPEPPGKOShoppers search for items at a Costco Wholesale store August 4, 2020 in Colchester, Vermont.Robert Nickelsberg | Getty ImagesInflation is coming.Look no further than Coca-Cola and Procter & Gamble sharing plans this week to raise prices to offset rising commodity costs. The costs of raw materials, ranging from lumber to resin, are surging, so companies are taking steps to protect profits.The price increases follow a year of surging demand for a host of items from paper towels to jars of peanut butter. Sales of consumer packaged goods rose 9.4% to $1.53 trillion last year, according to the Consumer Brands Association. Many manufacturers pulled back on advertising and promotions as they tried to keep up with demand, gaining market share without much marketing.ING Chief International Economist James Knightley is forecasting consumer prices will continue to rise in the near term and could gain almost 4% by May, compared with the same time a year ago. The consumer price index, which tracks how much U.S. consumers pay for a basket of goods, rose 2.6% in March from the year-ago period, according to the Department of Labor.Inventories are ‘too low’Low inventory is helping companies flex their pricing power, he said.”According to the Institute for Supply Management, their latest survey showed a net 40% of manufacturers are reporting that their customer inventories are ‘too low,'” Knightley said. “This offers more evidence that corporate pricing power is strengthening.” Zoom In IconArrows pointing outwardsFood industry analyst Phil Lempert said numerous factors have increased costs for farmers that pick produce, factories that make consumer packaged goods and meatpacking plants that process beef, pork and chicken. Ports are congested, truck drivers are in short supply and food workers must try to socially distance. That’s made it harder to keep up with demand and get items, from grains to Italian cheeses, shipped across the globe.Price hikes get stealthy Moody’s analyst Linda Montag said that she doesn’t view higher prices as a competitive advantage because all consumer companies are facing higher commodity costs. Besides Coke and P&G, PepsiCo, Kimberly-Clark, General Mills and J.M. Smucker have addressed raising prices. And consumers might not even notice that they’re paying more for diapers or soda.”Consumer companies across the board have gotten very savvy about how to implement price increases without just slapping on five to 10% price increases,” Montag said in an interview.Some of those methods include using new packaging, selling smaller-size packs for the same price or offering promotions that bring the price down until consumers are used to the higher sticker price. Hedging positions may also give some manufacturers, like Coke and Pepsi, more flexibility to raise their prices gradually because they won’t feel the impact of higher commodity costs for several quarters.More cash in consumer pockets means less risk Hiking prices always carries a risk that demand for those products will fall. However, Moody’s analyst Chedly Louis said that she isn’t expecting consumers to trade down to private label products because consumers put their trust in bigger brands during the crisis. That behavior is expected to stick around longer.”There’s a potential for the consumer to trade down within P&G’s product portfolio to cheaper, lower margin products. It’s still P&G, but it’s cheaper,” Louis said.Many consumers also have more cash in their wallets from government stimulus checks and foregoing travel, sports games and fine dining for year.Not all companies have the same flexibility to raise prices. Piper Sandler downgraded Kraft Heinz stock on Friday, citing the company’s relatively weak pricing power as one reason for the decision. Analyst Michael Lavery wrote that the company’s pricing power lags behind that of peers like General Mills, Mondelez and Hershey, so hiking prices could hurt demand.Discounts are rareMost retailers will pass on the higher prices to consumers. Lempert said that grocers are juggling pricier services, like online grocery delivery or curbside pickup, leaving little room in profit margins to absorb higher food costs.The cost of groceries had already been rising as retailers offered fewer discounts while shoppers cleared shelves last spring and bought more cooking supplies than usual in the months that followed. Phil Tedesco, vice president of retail intelligent analytics for NielsenIQ, said in a typical month, 31.5% of units are sold on promotion. In March, only 28.6% of units were sold on promotion.”This has led to shoppers having fewer opportunities to take advantage of sales in the store, and as a result, the total cost of grocery products has increased slightly,” he said.J.P. Morgan analyst Ken Goldman wrote in a note to clients on Monday that higher prices will help food retailers, particularly as they face tough comparisons to last year’s skyrocketing demand.”Too much inflation is bad for grocers, but an incremental 2-3% (roughly the percentage the producers need to pass through), with a mix shift toward higher-priced products, is probably very helpful right now,” he said.—CNBC’s Melissa Repko contributed to this report. More

In this articleNFLXDISCMCSATGary Oldman stars as Herman J. Mankiewicz in Netflix’s “Mank.”Source: NetflixIn recent years, Netflix’s films have had no trouble earning top spots on Oscar ballots, but it has had a hard time turning those nominations into trophies.The streaming service first appeared on the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ radar in 2013 when it was nominated for best documentary feature for “The Square.”Eight years later, Netflix has a total of 36 Oscar nominations across 17 films — the most of any distributor in this year’s slate. Its film “Mank,” a film centered around “Citizen Kane” co-writer Herman Mankiewicz, leads the pack with 10 nods. While Netflix is outpacing its rivals in nominations in recent years, it hasn’t collected many wins. Since 2013, the streamer has garnered 54 nominations and 8 wins.In the past, some have attributed Netflix’s lack of wins to Hollywood being wary of rewarding the streaming service with top prizes because of how it has rebuffed traditional theatrical release windows, a sacred piece of the film industry. However, it’s much more likely that it’s a combination of steep competition and Netflix having multiple films nominated for the same categories. This year, for example, “Mank” and “Trial of the Chicago 7,” which are both Netflix films, are up against each other for best picture.Last year, Netflix had 24 nominations, the most of any distributor at the Academy Awards, but won only two categories. It seems the streaming service could be poised for a repeat of that fate this year. However, Netflix’s track record of nominations proves that it has a place in Hollywood.While “Mank” has the most nominations of any film, it hasn’t picked up many accolades along the awards circuit. The film had six nominations for February’s Golden Globes, once again the most of any film, but it went home empty handed.”Mank” has won several awards of production design, cinematography and art direction, so it could still take home a trophy at the Oscars. However, the best picture and best director awards are likely going to Searchlight Picture’s “Nomadland,” along with the best adapted screenplay award. Best original screenplay is forecast to go to Focus Features’ “Promising Young Woman.”Netflix is expected to earn the best actor award for the late Chadwick Boseman’s performance in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” And it could earn the best actress trophy as well if Viola Davis (“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”) or Vanessa Kirby (“Pieces of a Woman”) wins, but at the moment that category is too close to call.Warner Bros. is expected to pick up the best supporting actor win for Daniel Kaluuya’s performance in “Judas and the Black Messiah,” while independent distributor A24 is the frontrunner for the best supporting actress win with Yuh-Jung Youn of “Minari.”Oscars 2021 coverage from CNBCRead more about this year’s Academy Awards:’Nomadland’ leads the pack for best picture, but best actress award is wide openOscars sells out ad inventory despite awards show ratings declinesAs women directors enter the Oscar spotlight, here are 13 filmmakers to watchNetflix earns most Academy Award nominations in a year where diversity shines10 snubs and surprises from this year’s Academy Award nominationsEven if Netflix doesn’t collect many Oscars on Sunday night, the streaming service’s nomination record is impressive. It proves that as the streaming service has worked to bolster its library content, it has made quality decisions about the product it has either acquired or produced in-house.Netflix is interested in providing content to its subscribers as soon as possible, which means even when its films are placed in theaters, they often head to the platform soon after. The streaming service has rebuffed the traditional Hollywood release window, in which a film runs in theaters for about three months before being available on video-on-demand or on a streaming service’s site or app.While Netflix did not need to turn to theaters this year to be eligible for the Oscars, in the past it has run its movies for just long enough to make the cut and then placed the films on its streaming service.The goal for Netflix has been to make great content with top creators and top talent. In that regard, it is succeeding. Talent from Netflix’s nominated films this year include Aaron Sorkin, Viola Davis, Chadwick Boseman, David Fincher, Sacha Baron Cohen, as well as Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross.Check out the full list of nominees for this year’s Academy Awards here.Disclosure: Comcast is the parent company of NBCUniversal and CNBC. NBCUniversal owns Focus Features. More

In this articleGOOGLABI-BEAMZNBMBLCompanies like TikTok and Bumble are hiring college students to work as brand ambassadors on campus. These jobs pay better than typical college jobs like food service and retail — and provide valuable career experience.Students say they’ve learned about marketing, content creation and management while working as brand ambassadors — and grown their network by connecting with other campus representatives across the country. And, in a hyper-competitive internship and job market, brand ambassador experience is one way to stand out, the students said. “My life changed because of the TikTok ambassadorship program,” said Bita Motiie, a senior at the University of North Texas studying marketing. Bita Motiie, a senior at the University of North Texas, says being a brand ambassador for TikTok opened up a lot of job opportunities for her.Photo: Michael ChaviraMotiie has been working as a campus representative for the social media platform since the fall of 2019 and says it helped her identify her interest in branding and building online communities — and jumpstart her career.”I have had so many new job opportunities,” Motiie said. “Even the place that I currently work at, they specifically hired me because I had experience as a TikTok brand ambassador.”Campus ambassador programs benefit brands, too. A study by Jonah Berger, a marketing professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and research firm Keller Fay Group, found that 82% of consumers were likely to follow a recommendation made by a micro-influencer (a person with more reach than the average person — though not a celebrity — in a very specific category or demographic like college students).More from College Voices:I want to move to New York after college graduation. Can I afford it?College students call on lawmakers to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hourHow college students are turning hobbies into side hustles — and extra cash”These programs are a win-win proposition because they give valuable exposure to brands while students gain marketing experience as they move closer to graduating,” said Julie Jatlow, a partner at Fuse, an agency that runs college ambassador programs for TikTok, Amazon and other brands.Depending on the company, campus ambassador duties typically include posting content on social media, handing out merchandise or samples, hosting branded events and reaching out to student organizations.”Finding creative and passionate students who have qualities that specifically align with the brand’s DNA is paramount,” Jatlow said. “We’re always looking for proactive students with drive and enthusiasm.”Student representatives are typically compensated by an hourly rate or a monthly stipend, and able to work on their own schedule. Wages for campus ambassadors range from roughly $15-25 per hour, according to job postings on employment website Indeed. That’s well above the hourly rate for jobs common among college students such as food and beverage service, which pays around $11 an hour, and retail sales, which pays around $13 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.”It’s a lot more flexible than a standard work-study job,” said Cedoni Francis, a 2020 graduate of Vanderbilt University who worked for brands including TikTok, dating app Bumble and beer company Anheuser-Busch when she was in school.Cedoni Francis, a 2020 graduate of Vanderbilt University, worked as a student brand ambassador for TikTok, Bumble and Anheuser-Busch. She now works in marketing at Google.Photo: Warner TidwellFrancis, who is now an associate product marketing manager at Google, said her experience in campus ambassador programs helped her develop skills like time management and stakeholder engagement.Her experience with TikTok, in particular, gave her a crash course on viral marketing, expertise that she uses in her current job.”It’s a good primer,” Francis said. “There are certain things that other people need to be taught how to do that I don’t need to be taught how to do.”Peter Corrigan, associate director of employer and alumni connections for University of Arizona’s Student Engagement and Career Development, said working as a campus brand ambassador helps students build key skills.”Students strengthen communications skills as they talk to a lot of people trying to create brand awareness on campus,” Corrigan said. “It stretches students out of their comfort zone and gives them sales experience with companies they may want to work for.”Candice Nguyen, a third-year public administration student at Drexel University, represents brands like Bumble, Victoria’s Secret Pink and Red Bull on her campus.Candice Nguyen, a student at Drexel University, represents brands like Bumble, Victoria’s Secret Pink and Red Bull on her campus.Source: Candice NguyenLike Francis, Nguyen said her work as a campus ambassador translated into professional experience. She recently completed a certification in project management and is interning full-time in a project management role.”I realized a lot of the work I’ve been doing was project management, like running events and being able to supervise and coordinate with teams,” Nguyen said of her brand ambassador experience.Michigan State University senior Montserrat Lewin Mejia got her start in campus ambassador programs as a representative for retail brand Rent the Runway during the second semester of her junior year before the Covid-19 pandemic shut down the program. She’s now a brand ambassador for Bumble and fashion start-up Qatch.Montserrat Lewin Mejia, an engineering student at Michigan State University, has worked as a brand ambassador for Rent the Runway, Bumble and fashion start-up Qatch. Her new career goal is to become a full-time influencer.Photo: Mindy Melinda Carmack As an engineering student, Mejia said campus brand ambassador programs introduced her to the world of influencer marketing and helped her realize new career goals.”Since I’ve started doing all this, I have a really big goal of potentially becoming a full-time influencer,” Mejia said.TikTok campus representative Tatum Riley, a junior at Duke University, sees how college ambassador programs help build brand awareness. Riley and her fellow brand representatives on campus tried to “personalize the promotion” by catering events and outreach to Duke students specifically.Tatum Riley, a junior at Duke University, represents TikTok on her campus.Photo: Griffin Riley”It’s a cool way of humanizing the app and bringing it to life in the eyes of your peers because seeing someone close to you enjoying something makes you more likely to engage with it,” said Riley.CNBC’s “College Voices” is a series written by CNBC interns from universities across the country about getting their college education, managing their own money and launching their careers during these extraordinary times. Hannah Miao is a senior at Duke University studying public policy. The series is edited by Cindy Perman.SIGN UP: Money 101 is an 8-week learning course to financial freedom, delivered weekly to your inbox.CHECK OUT: The 12 big cities where single people are best set up to grow wealth via Grow with Acorns+CNBC.Disclosure: NBCUniversal and Comcast Ventures are investors in Acorns. More

SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft Endeavour docks with the International Space Station on April 24, 2021.NASA TVThe second operational SpaceX crew mission arrived at the International Space Station early on Saturday morning, carrying four astronauts for a six month stay in space.SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft ‘Endeavour,’ which launched on a Falcon 9 rocket the day before, docked with the ISS at 5:22 a.m. EDT. The capsule carries an international cadre of astronauts: NASA’s Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur, JAXA’s Akihiko Hoshide and ESA’s Thomas Pesquet.”Welcome to ISS, we are so excited to have you aboard,” NASA astronaut and space station commander Shannon Walker said. The Crew-2 mission temporarily brings the total number of astronauts on board the orbiting research laboratory to 11.The view from SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft Endeavour of the International Space Station, as well as the company’s Crew Dragon spacecraft Resilience, as the capsule approached to dock on April 24, 2021.NASA TVEndeavour joins another Crew Dragon spacecraft, ‘Resilience,’ which arrived at the space station in November carrying astronauts for the Crew-1 mission. SpaceX is planning to return Resilience to Earth with the four Crew-1 astronauts on Wednesday, April 28.From left: Mission specialist Thomas Pesquet of the ESA, pilot Megan McArthur of NASA, commander Shane Kimbrough of NASA, and mission specialist Akihiko Hoshide of JAXA.SpaceXThe Crew-2 mission marks additional firsts for SpaceX as well, with the company reusing both a rocket and a capsule for the mission, with Endeavour previously flying the Demo-2 mission and the Falcon 9 rocket booster previously launching the Crew-1 mission. Additionally, SpaceX surpassed the total number of astronauts launched to space under the Mercury program that began in 1958. More