Covid-Omicron booster vaccinations are meant to supply higher safety in opposition to an infection and severe sickness

US health officials expect new Omicron boosters will provide better protection against infections and serious diseases this fall as the new vaccines now match the dominant coronavirus variant.

The new Omicron images mark a milestone in the pandemic that will help the US fight the virus more effectively, said Dr. Ashish Jha, White House Covid Response Coordinator.

“For the first time since December 2020, our vaccines have caught up with the virus,” Jha told reporters during a Tuesday news briefing.

Jha said the US is moving towards a point where most Americans get a single Covid shot each year, which offers a high level of protection against the virus. People with serious illnesses or a weakened immune system may need additional vaccinations.

The Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week released new booster shots for people 12 and older targeting the dominant subvariant Omicron BA.5, as well as the original Covid strain first identified in Wuhan, China. occurred in 2019.

Jha said the FDA is working to make the new boosters available to children under 12 and to switch the primary two-dose vaccine line to Omicron.

Pfizer’s new booster is available for people aged 12 and over, while adults aged 18 and over can get Moderna’s syringe. People can get the new vaccine at least two months after their primary vaccination or last booster shot with the older vaccines.

dr Anthony Fauci, senior White House medical adviser, said the new boosters should provide better protection against Omicron than the original vaccines. He added that it is difficult to predict how much better they will do.

Fauci said clinical data from Pfizer and Moderna on shots targeting the original version of Omicron, BA.1, elicited a stronger immune response against Omicron and other Covid variants compared to the original vaccines. BA.1 is the variant that caused last winter’s massive surge.

Pfizer and Moderna originally developed the Omicron boosters to target BA.1, but the FDA told the companies to change gears and produce shots targeting BA.5 in June as the subvariant rose to dominance.

As a result, they did not collect human data specifically on the BA.5 boosters. But FDA officials have said data from the BA.1 vaccines should give a good indication of how the BA.5 vaccines will work because they are very similar.

“Based on what we know about the immunology and science of this virus, these new vaccines can be expected to provide better protection against infection, better protection against transmission, and sustained and better protection against serious disease,” he said yeah

Fauci said the clinical trials of the BA.1 shots, which were administered to more than 1,700 people, have not raised any new safety concerns.

A new Covid variant could always emerge, but US health officials will meet annually to consider whether vaccines need to be adjusted to keep up with the virus, Fauci said. He added that the new boosters should provide significant protection even if BA.5 easily mutates into a new subvariant.

The first-generation Covid vaccines were more than 90% effective in preventing Covid disease when they were first approved in December 2020. But the protection offered by legacy vaccines targeting the original Covid strain has diminished because the virus has evolved dramatically in the past two years into the highly immune, evasive Omicron variant.

Members of the CDC’s Independent Advisory Committee last week expressed concern about the lack of human data on the BA.5 shooting. They nonetheless recommended the new boosters by an overwhelming 13 to 1 vote, arguing that the potential benefits of the vaccines outweigh any risks.

CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said the new boosters could prevent up to 100,000 hospital admissions and 9,000 deaths. She added that the vaccinations could save billions in medical costs if people get them at the same level as the annual flu shot.

These numbers are based on a forecast by a consortium of scientists called the Covid-19 Scenario Modeling Hub. The model assumes that the new boosters provide 80 percent protection against disease.

Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said health officials will focus on making sure people who are at higher risk from Covid, particularly those aged 50 and over, are empowered with the new vaccinations this month.

CVS and Walgreens began offering dates for the new recordings over the weekend. By the end of this week, 90% of Americans will live within 5 miles of where they can get the new boosters, Becerra said.

You can visit Vaccines.gov to find a place where the shots are offered.

Jha said the Biden administration has asked Congress for additional funding to develop next-generation vaccines that can keep up with the virus over the long term.

Ray J takes a ballistic strategy to Kris Jenner and Kim Kardashian

Furious! What started as an ordinary Saturday night quickly turned into pure chaos courtesy of Ray J, who decided to air all about Kim Kardashian, Kris Jenner, and the sextape saga that just won’t die. After initially alerting his fans that he would provide receipts to prove that Kris Jenner and Kim Kardashian were the masterminds behind orchestrating their sex tape, Ray J kept his promises and dropped several bombshells!

Ray J set the tone for how deep he would get with receipts when he revealed that Kris Jenner allegedly got him and Kim Kardashian to reshoot their sex tape to make sure Kim looked the best in the video looked better, or as Ray put it, “to make her daughter look better.” That was just the beginning of his hour-long tea-spilling session, though.

Next, he called up past text messages between himself and Kanye West, which showed Kanye attempting to meet with him to secure the release of a second sex tape between Ray J and Kim. He also seemed upset that when Kanye posts text messages on social media he gets heaps of support, but Ray J doesn’t get the same love back.

Meanwhile, just as she was trying to share his Instagram DMs with Kim, she appeared to block him in the middle — and as a result, he couldn’t message her or go to her profile at all.

After dropping IG live multiple times, Ray J finally came back with the promised real receipts. He pulled out the original contract he and Kim had signed for the release of their sex tape and compared samples of Kim’s handwriting to prove that she not only signed, but also signed for him so the video could be released faster.

In the midst of all of this, neither Kris Jenner, Kim Kardashian, nor Kanye West have publicly responded, but we’re sure they will eventually … either through their attorneys or social media.

Every little thing we realized from Disney’s Parks panel at D23 Expo 2022

A masked family walks past Cinderella Castle in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.

Orlando Sentinel | Tribune News Service | Getty Images

Disney’s theme parks are recovering after the coronavirus pandemic closed their domestic and international locations in 2020.

Disney’s Parks, Experiences and Products division is growing in revenue and the company is seeing steady increases in visitor numbers, room nights occupied and cruise ship travel.

In terms of recent earnings, Disney noted that its new Genie+ and Lightning Lane products helped boost average ticket sales per capita for the quarter. These new digital features have been introduced to curate the guest experience and allow park-goers to skip-the-line at major attractions.

The company said it’s been able to bring back in-park experiences like character meet-and-greets, theatrical performances and nightly events at Disneyland, which has allowed it to increase capacity at its parks, CEO Bob said Chapek back then. Since reopening after the first round of pandemic closures in early 2020, Disney has limited visitor numbers and introduced a new online reservation system to help control crowds.

The company continues to add new features and attractions to its theme parks and cruise lines, which Josh D’Amaro, director of Disney’s parks, experiences and products division, outlined at its D23 Expo on Sunday.

Disneyland resort

D’Amaro welcomed The Mandalorian Executive Producer Jon Favreau on stage to announce that the Mandalorian will be appearing domestically with an animatronic grogu in Galaxy’s Edge as part of his costumed characters, used for meet-and-greets and interactions are available. He arrives in November.

Disney CEO Bob Chapek announced Friday that California-based Disneyland will be getting a third attraction on its Avengers campus. The ride is based on the multiverse and drivers will fight against villains from different universes including King Thanos.

Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige appeared in person, while Mark Ruffalo, who portrays the Hulk, appeared via video to reveal that Hulk will be at the park as part of a meet-and-greet opportunity. Developed as part of Project Exo, the version of Hulk will arrive at the park next week.

(LR): Jonathan Becker (Research and Development Imagineer), Josh D’Amaro (Chairman, Disney Parks, Experiences and Products), Richard-Alexandre Peloquin (Research Engineer Imagineer).

Christian Thomson

Pacific Wharf at Disney California Adventure is transformed into San Fransokyo from Big Hero Six and offers a chance to meet Baymax, the helpful health robot. Also, the Paradise Pier Hotel will become the Pixar Place Hotel.

Downtown Disney will add several new restaurants including Porto’s Bakery and Cafe and Din Tai Fung.

Disneyland’s Toon Town land is getting a version of Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway attraction from Hollywood Studios in Orlando, Florida, along with a number of cosmetic updates and a new children’s playground. These updates are expected in 2023.

Tiana’s bayou adventure, replacing Splash Mountain, is set directly after the events of Princes and the Frog and follows Princess Tiana on her quest to find a missing ingredient for a carnival party. The ride is scheduled to reopen in late 2024.

A model of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, which will reinvent Disneyland’s Splash Mountain, is on display during the Walt Disney D23 Expo on September 9, 2022 in Anaheim, California.

Patrick T Fallon | AFP | Getty Images

D’Amaro said music will be a big part of the ride and the film’s cast will return to lend their voices to the attraction. Anika Noni Rose, the voice of Tiana, took to the stage to sing “I’m Almost There” and “Dig a Little Deeper” from the 2009 animated film.

Walt Disney World

D’Amaro announced that Disney is in the process of creating a new nighttime extravaganza for Epcot to celebrate the company’s 100th anniversary. Additionally, Journey of Water, inspired by “Moana” announced back in 2019, will open in late 2023.

Also coming to Epcot is Figment, the fan-favorite purple dragon, who will return to the park for meet-and-greets in the future.

Also, the Hatbox Ghost will appear in the Haunted Mansion at Walt Disney World next year.

D’Amaro shared footage of his test ride of Tron Light Cycle Run, noting that the ride at Magic Kingdom is scheduled to open in Spring 2023.

Disney cruises

Disney’s sixth cruise ship is called Disney Treasure and celebrates Walt Disney’s spirit of adventure. The Great Hall is inspired by Aladdin and features a statue of Jasmine and Aladdin riding the magic carpet.

D’Amaro said the “Disney Wonder” will now travel to Australia and New Zealand starting in October 2023.

The company is also opening a new island resort in the Bahamas called Lighthouse Point. D’Amaro said that 90% of the electricity consumed at this site is provided by solar power.

International resorts

Duffy and Friends, adorable cuddly characters from Shanghai Disney Resort, are getting their own stop motion series on Disney+.

D’Amaro also showed off new images from Zootopia Land, which will feature a large animatronic of Officer Clawhauser. No date has been set for the country’s official opening.

Hong Kong Disneyland is getting a new Walt Disney statue inspired by how Walt watched his kids ride the carousel and inspired the launch of Disney’s theme parks. The park’s Frozen-themed land will open in the second half of 2023.

In Paris, a new promenade will be added to connect the new Frozen-inspired land to the rest of the park, and a Tangled-themed attraction will be added to the new garden area.

Tokyo Disney Resort is also in the process of adding a new land based on Frozen, Tangled, and Peter Pan to its park called Fantasy Springs.

Space Mountain at Tokyo Disneyland will be remodeled in 2024 with a new plaza to be completed in 2027.

Beyond the Great Thunder Mountain

At the end of the panel, D’Amaro discussed what he called “Blue Sky” projects that the Imagineering team is working on. There are projects that are still in the early stages of development and may not see the light of day in the end.

D’Amaro spoke about the opportunity to redesign Dino Land at Animal Kingdom in Orlando, Florida. Initial ideas for the space envisage the possibility of bringing “Zootopia” with its variety of districts and animal species or “Vaiana” into the park.

At Magic Kingdom, Disney asks, “What’s behind Big Thunder Mountain?” The company teased that an area based on “Coco” could be in that location or “Encanto.” Maybe both.

D’Amaro even teased the possibility of also bringing to life an area of ​​Magic Kingdom overrun by Disney villains. The crowd erupted in applause at the suggestion. Most often, villains appear during Disney’s Halloween special events.

“We will never stop pleasing you,” he said.

Controversy weighs on sustainable ETFs

Investing in ESGs has taken a controversial turn in recent weeks as some states have targeted the sustainable funds.

This month Florida banned its $186 billion pension fund from investing on ESG factors. And in Texas, the state comptroller accused 10 financial firms of boycotting energy companies. The move could force certain Texas state funds to sell stakes in those companies.

BlackRock was among those named in the indictment, although the company said in a statement it was not boycotting oil. But the shift in sentiment has led to increased scrutiny of the composition of ESG funds.

“Actually, it’s relatively simple, we don’t boycott energy companies,” Arne Noack, head of systemic investment solutions for the Americas at DWS, told Bob Pisani on CNBC’s ETF Edge on Wednesday.

DWS is a major provider of ESG ETFs, including the MSCI USA ESG Leaders Equity ETF (USSG) and the S&P 500 ESG ETF (SNPE).

“[USSG and SNPE] hold between 4% and 5% in energy companies, which is in line with the S&P 500,” he added.

Noack said that USSG, for example, is broadly sector neutral compared to the benchmark MSCI USA Index, but only invests in companies that perform better than average from an ESG perspective.

The politicization of sustainable funds arises in particular from the question of what the products do and promote and what factors are taken into account in the construction.

“ESG stands for Environmental, Social and Governance, and the focus has been on the ‘E’ part of it,” Todd Rosenbluth, head of research at VettaFi, said in an ETF Edge interview on Wednesday. “Whether companies are too focused on climate change and what’s related to it.”

Rosenbluth explained that the strategies are broad and are evaluated against 30 different sub-factors. Climate change is one of them, but so are issues such as fair wage practices and gender diversity.

Some of the largest ESG funds have significant holdings in the energy industry. According to VettaFi, BlackRock’s ESGU and SUSA ETFs have 4.8% and 3.8%, respectively, in companies like Baker Hughes, Chevron, Exxon Mobil, Halliburton, and Valero Energy. The weighting of energy stocks in these funds is in line with the S&P.

“So how can you favor ESG and still have exposure to these large-cap energy multinationals?” Rosenbluth said. “You can have both. These should be broadly diversified products.”

The ESG industry is made up of 186 sustainable ETFs, according to VettaFi, which make up 6% of total exchange-traded funds worth about $100 billion. That’s about 1.5% of the dollar value of the entire ETF business.

While efforts have been made to standardize and codify the meaning of ESG, the challenge remains to accurately define the products.

“We’re talking about funds that have different objectives, all of which are valid,” Mona Naqvi, global head of ESG capital markets strategy at S&P Global Sustainable1, told CNBC’s ETF Edge on Wednesday. It just depends on the individual investor: Some want to separate completely, that’s fine. Some want to hire companies to work with them to improve, that’s fine too. But I think painting all sustainable funds with the same brush and expecting the same results…it hurts the many different individual perspectives investors have and the choice we should be giving to investors in a free market.”

The process of greenwashing is another hot topic affecting the ESG industry. The term refers to when a company promotes a questionable green agenda by giving distorted impressions or misleading information about how its products are more environmentally friendly.

“I would not say [greenwashing] is a big problem,” said Noack. “They describe very clearly the underlying methodology and therefore make very transparent to what extent the ESG scores are used and not used.”

As a fund manager of ETFs, Noack said they have no discretion to deviate from the methodology and fully adhere to the rules, which are published in their prospectus.

“As a concept, it’s very easy for us to all agree on the definition [of greenwashing]’ added Naqvi. “But what does that mean in practice and how do you know when you see it?”

Naqvi cited the example of oil companies being included in low-carbon ESGs. What if the company diversifies and shifts more to renewable energy each year, she asked, or what if it has more green to brown or gray revenue?

“We have trouble defining ESG,” she said. “Defining greenwashing is even more difficult in many ways.”

SEC Chairman Gary Gensler has asked for more clarity and specific rules for product labeling. His proposed measures would prevent US funds from making misleading or deceptive claims about their ESG credentials and increase disclosure requirements.

“That’s a very reasonable request,” Noack said. “It is very much in our interest that our investors have a very clear understanding of what they are investing in. Having standards that everyone has to adhere to makes perfect sense to me.”

Strive recently launched its US energy ETF (DRLL) in a bid to roll back money managers’ alleged stakeholder capitalism. The fund performs similarly to the S&P Energy Index at higher costs.

According to Strive, the fund intends to use its shareholder engagement and proxy voting to unlock the potential of the U.S. energy sector by rejecting short-sighted policy agendas that it says have caused companies to invest too little in American oil, natural gas and investing in other forms of energy.

“Investors have choices,” Rosenblum said. “If you care that your energy company is going too far towards clean energy and you want to be part of a strategy.”

But Rosenblum added that most investors aren’t worried about how big companies like BlackRock vote on what to put in their funds, and that Strive is taking a more political approach to the issue.

“They call it capitalism in a different way,” he said. “It’s an ETF investment and should perform the way you ultimately want it to.

The debate lingers on whether an ESG fund’s success is due to profit or purpose, although the two don’t necessarily cancel each other out. While recent defensive moves by government agencies and industry alike pose a unique challenge to the future of sustainable funds, Naqvi stressed that time horizon is crucial.

“If you look at a very short time frame, certain things might seem more profitable,” she said. “But once you take that longer-term view, things like reputational considerations, potentially looming carbon taxes, and pricing that makes investments less viable matter.”

G-7 tries to recruit nations

Two months after agreeing to review price caps on Russian oil sales, the G-7 countries are still trying to win other countries over to their efforts before starting more detailed discussions about the policy’s details, US and European officials said .

“The coalition needs to be broader and that is the diplomatic phase [negotiators] received,” said a European official, requesting anonymity to discuss sensitive considerations.

The world’s major democracies – with the notable exception of India – have banned the import of Russian oil. They are now negotiating a ban on insuring Russian oil and shipping it to other countries unless sales are below a set price.

Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a session of the State Council Presidium on the development of the national tourism industry in Vladivostok, Russia, September 6, 2022.

Valery Sharifulin | Tass Host Photo Agency | via Reuters

They aim to limit the amount of revenue the Kremlin receives but keep Russian oil on the market to avoid supply disruptions.

The top importers of Russian oil – China, India and Turkey – have not yet said whether they will join the coordinated price cap or negotiate their own side deals with Russia. Their involvement could determine how much influence western nations have in setting prices.

“It is premature to discuss the price before the coalition meets,” a senior Treasury Department official told CNBC.

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Foreign state and financial officials will hold several meetings over the next two months — at the UN General Assembly in New York, International Monetary Fund and World Bank meetings in Washington, and at multilateral summits overseas — to discuss the mechanism. Negotiators expect the group of 20 nations — or 19 excluding Russia — to have reached a decision by their mid-November meeting in Bali, Indonesia.

“It is expected that by then the G-20 will be able to announce their possible participation,” the European official said. Until then, no discussions have taken place among the allies about the specific price at which Russian crude oil, high-value refined products and low-value refined products are allowed to be sold.

“We have ideas of what numbers can be, but they’re just numbers without a strong technical basis,” the European official said.

In recent days, G-7 negotiators have formalized their intention to continue the price cap after announcing it at the conclusion of the recent Alpine summit. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen suggested that the US does not necessarily need the participation of China or Russia for the policy to have its intended impact.

“We’re already seeing this initiative pay off as countries buy Russian oil at heavily discounted prices,” Yellen told MSNBC after a Sept. 2 meeting with G-7 negotiators. “We have impact.”

A senior White House official said the Biden administration expects the price cap to go into effect by the end of the year.

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Three takeaways from Wednesday’s ‘morning assembly’ of the Investing Membership

Helen Mirren, Emma Thompson and extra stars who performed Queen Elizabeth

Heavy is the head that wears the crown – especially when it comes to portraying Queen Elizabeth the secondone of the longest-serving monarchs in history.

Over the years, viewers have had more than a few nuanced glimpses into the riveting life of the Queen, who – before she died on September 8 at the age of 96 – was considered Britain’s longest-reigning monarch and longest-serving female Head of History wrote the state’s history at 70 years on the throne.

Most recently for the hit Netflix series, The Crown, actress Claire Foy took on the role of the Queen in both the first and second seasons Olivia Colman portrays her in both the third and fourth. When the series returns for season five later this year, the Emmy-nominated star will Imelda Staunton will sit on the throne as British ruler.

Other stars who have donned Her Majesty’s royal regalia include, among others Helen Mirren, Emma Thompson, SarahGadon and more.

The 5 greatest cities on the earth for touring child boomers

Holidu, a Germany-based travel search engine, has published its 2022 Generation Travel Index. The brand analyzed cities around the world based on factors that matter to the Baby Boomers: people born between 1946 and 1964.

Research has shown that baby boomers spend more money on food when traveling than any other generation and value exploring the great outdoors more than anything else.

Holidu’s Index measures key factors for baby boomers, including various Michelin Guide landscapes, green spaces and restaurants.

#1 Best Cities for Baby Boomers: Singapore, Singapore

Singapore’s capital has been ranked as the best city for baby boomers thanks to its abundance of green spaces.

According to Holidu, 46.5% of the city’s land was covered with green space in 2020, making it one of the greenest cities in the world.

There are also 249 Michelin restaurants in Singapore, of which 52 have at least one star and three at least three stars.

Top 5 Cities for Baby Boomer Travelers

  1. Singapore, Singapore
  2. Kyoto, Japan
  3. Berne, Switzerland
  4. Stockholm, Sweden
  5. Tokyo, Japan

In second place was another Asian city, Kyoto, Japan. Kyoto has the highest ranking of green space and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is also home to 207 Michelin Guide restaurants.

The Swiss capital Bern landed in third place.

Baby boomers love to be outdoors and Bern’s old town, with 100 water features to explore on foot, makes it the perfect spot for the generation.

Bern also scores best for its green spaces and parks.

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Do not miss:

These are the 10 best cities in the world for multigenerational family travel – and 2 of them are in the US

Three of the top 10 happiest travel destinations in the world are in the US – here’s what made the list

Correction: This story has been updated to indicate that no US cities made the Holidu top 5. An earlier version of the story misrepresented the number of US cities among the five.

The Eight greatest choices to finance small companies

For many small businesses, accessing finance can be a matter of life and death.

The stakes are particularly high when you consider that 18.4% of US companies fail within the first year, 49.7% after five years and 65.5% after 10 years, according to a LendingTree analysis of US data Bureau of Labor Statistics. One of the main reasons companies go under is lack of funding. It is therefore particularly important to know who to turn to when you need a lifeline.

While the options may depend on factors such as size, industry, quantity needed, time frame, and purpose, here are eight options to consider:

1. Family and Friends

This can be a great place to go as it generally doesn’t come with many financial background requirements or other requirements. “Uncle Charlie will be more willing to believe in you without asking for extensive financial documentation,” said Joshua Oberndorf, a manager in EisnerAmper’s Private Business Services Group.

Advantages: Easy access to needed funds without high interest rates.

Disadvantages: Failure to repay monies on time or abandon the waiver entirely could affect family relationships. “Money is both accounting and psychological,” Oberndorf said.

What else you should know: According to the IRS, family members should charge a minimum interest rate to avoid adverse gift tax consequences. The IRS publishes these Applicable Federal Rates (AFRs) monthly.

2. Banks

Advantages: Trusted and established funding source. Can be less expensive than other options and offers the opportunity to grow the credit and banking relationship over time.

Disadvantages: Banks can have stringent lending requirements, including good personal credit and sufficient cash flow and income, which may be unattainable for some borrowers, and the process can be slow, sometimes taking several weeks to secure a loan.

What else you should know: According to LendingTree, interest rates can range from about 3% to about 7%. Consider a smaller bank, which may be more willing to lend and walk you through some of your options, said Matt Barbieri, a chartered accountant at Wiss & Co. who offers business advisory services.

3. Online Lenders or Funders

Advantages: Provides quick access to capital, generally through a simple online process.

Disadvantages: It can be difficult to see the true cost of capital, especially with a merchant cash advance, which is an upfront payment that a business must pay back at a percentage of debit and credit card sales plus a fee. Some online lenders and funders may not have a long-standing track record and the option may be more expensive than others. For example, an online loan has an APR of between 7% and 99%, while the approximate APR of a cash advance at merchants ranges from 40% to 350%, according to NerdWallet.

What else you should know: Do your due diligence on any online lenders or funders you plan to use, said Craig Palubiak, president of Optim Consulting Group. Make sure the company has a good reputation and multiple good reviews, and be sure to compare multiple options. It is also important to break down the total cost of capital, taking into account the interest rate, any fees and any prepayment penalties.

Use an online calculator to understand the true cost of a dealer cash advance.

4. SBA Loan

Advantages: Federal support provides access to cheap bank financing for small and large loans. There are different types of loans and lenders and programs have unique eligibility requirements. Resource centers are available to help business owners, including those in underserved communities.

Disadvantages: The approval process can be slow. The period depends on the loan, but can usually take a few months. A deposit or security deposit may be required. Applicants with poor credit may not be admitted.

What else you should know: There are different types of SBA loans and maximum amounts vary. The most common SBA loan type is called a 7(a), and you can expect to pay anywhere from 7% to 9.5%. “Be prepared to work on a refinancing as soon as the agreement allows,” Barbieri said. This will allow you to remove personal guarantees and restrictive agreements that can stifle growth, he said. An SBA loan may offer a longer repayment period—up to 10 years for equipment and working capital under the 7(a) program; 25 years for real estate – and can offer competitive interest rates compared to traditional bank loans.

5. Credit Cards

Advantages: Fast access to capital with the possibility of bonuses. It could be a good option for short-term financing needs if you are confident that you can pay off the debt before interest accrues. Business cards typically have higher credit limits than personal cards.

Disadvantages: Interest rates can be high. Cards that are ranked well by Creditcards.com offer APRs ranging from almost 10% to almost 35%, and some cards charge an annual fee. Generally not a good option for large financing needs.

What else you should know: “Don’t rely on it as the sole source of growth funding; if you’re taking too much risk on the other categories, you should seriously consider doing so before engaging in consumer lending as a business,” Barbieri said.

6. Equity

Sources of financing can be private grants, private equity and private individuals with investment capital.

Advantages: Positive cash flow as well as expertise to drive the business forward.

Disadvantages: Dilution of capital, difficult to find the right match.

What else you should know: Palubiak encourages owners to use their network and partner with start-up communities and local organizations to create investor connections.

“Date as long as possible before choosing your partner,” Barbieri said. “Make sure their goals match your goals or it will end badly.”

7. Grants from the federal government, the states and economic development

Advantages: Typically non-dilutive, can be small or large.

Disadvantages: There may be administrative issues and restrictive admissions requirements.

What else you should know: This could be a good option if you’re a company that can be considered “important” to your area’s infrastructure, Barbieri said. Begin your research by searching the US Economic Development Administration website for resources to find EDA regional offices, state government contacts, and other information.

8. Crowdfunding

Advantages: Gives you access to capital without racking up debt and the ability to raise money and increase your brand awareness among potential investors and customers while testing an idea.

Disadvantages: May have a low success rate. Could be fees associated with certain platforms. Also, launching a successful campaign requires marketing resources and time.

What else you should know: There are a growing number of equity crowdfunding websites available. Before choosing a provider, make sure you understand how the platform works, what fees apply, who can invest, and how it might meet your specific funding needs.

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Disclosure: NBCUniversal and Comcast Ventures are investors in Acorns.

Al Franken says SCOTUS is illegitimate as a result of Republicans stole two seats

Al Franken responded to John Roberts, who complained that SCOTUS’ legitimacy was being questioned, by reminding everyone that Republicans had stolen two seats.

Video:

CNN’s Jim Acosta asked Franken: “Trust in the Supreme Court is at an all-time low. The Chief Justice can say what he likes, seems reluctant to accept this criticism. But it appears, based on Vice President Kamala Harris’ testimony, that there is wind at the Democrats’ backs because of this decision, which was overturned. Her thoughts?

Franken replied: “I disagree with what the Chief Justice said, the court’s legitimacy was undermined when they didn’t run for Merrick Garland and McConnell said it was because it was an election year and Lindsey Graham promised that it was a vacancy was revealed during an election year 20 that he would not vote for – they would not accept a candidate. They stole two seats. The one Merrick Garland wasn’t heard for. And Coney Barrett’s, where she sat a week before the election. That destroyed the legitimacy of the court.”

The court is illegitimate since Mitch McConnell blocked Merrick Garland’s nomination. Everything that happened after McConnell’s actions sprang from the original act of not having Garland’s nomination taken up by the Senate.

If the Supreme Court isn’t a motivating issue for Republicans, maybe Hillary Clinton wins Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania and there are no Trump nominees for the Supreme Court?

The Supreme Court lost its legitimacy before Trump took office. The person who destroyed the institution’s credibility was Mitch McConnell.

Mr. Easley is the managing editor. He is also a White House press pool and congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a bachelor’s degree in political science. His thesis focused on public policy with a specialization in social reform movements.

Awards and professional memberships

Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and the American Political Science Association