What you must find out about SLS, Orion

NASA plans to launch the Artemis I mission on Monday from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, sending the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion capsule on a more than month-long journey around the moon.

The uncrewed launch marks the debut of the most powerful rocket ever assembled and kicks off NASA’s long-awaited return to the moon’s surface. It’s the first mission in NASA’s Artemis lunar program, which is expected to land the agency’s astronauts on the moon by its third mission in 2025.

While Artemis I will not carry astronauts, nor land on the moon, the mission is critical to demonstrating that NASA’s monster rocket and deep space capsule can deliver on their promised abilities. Artemis I has been delayed for years, with the program running billions over budget.

The Artemis I mission represents a crucial turning point in NASA’s moon plans.

Despite the delays, and absorbing much of NASA’s relatively small budget by federal agency standards, the Artemis program has enjoyed strong bipartisan political support.

Officials in 2012 estimated that the SLS rocket would cost $6 billion to develop, debut in 2017 and carry a $500 million per launch price tag. But the rocket is only just now debuting, having cost more than $20 billion to develop, and its per launch price tag has ballooned to $4.1 billion.

NASA’s Inspector General, its internal auditor, earlier this year said Artemis is not the “sustainable” moon program that the agency’s officials say it is. The watchdog found more than $40 billion has already been spent on the program, and projected NASA would spend $93 billion on the effort through 2025 – when the first landing is planned.

But even that 2025 date is in doubt, according to NASA’s Inspector General, which said that development technologies needed to land on the moon’s surface are unlikely to be ready before 2026, at the earliest.

NASA’s Artemis I Moon rocket is rolled out to Launch Pad Complex 39B at Kennedy Space Center, in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on August 16, 2022.

Chandan Khanna | AFP | Getty Images

NASA’s Artemis plan relies on the success of another monster rocket as well: SpaceX’s Starship. The agency last year awarded SpaceX with a $2.9 billion contract to develop a moon-specific version of the rocket to serve as the crew lunar lander for the Artemis III mission.

SpaceX began testing its Starship spacecraft in earnest in 2019, but that rocket has yet to reach orbit.

A host of aerospace contractors across the US support the hardware, infrastructure and software for NASA’s Artemis I – Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Aerojet Rocketdyne and Jacobs lead the effort. According to NASA, the Artemis program supports about 70,000 jobs around the country.

Multiple NASA centers are involved as well, beyond Kennedy as the launch site – including the DC headquarters, Marshall in Alabama, Stennis in Mississippi, Ames in California, and Langley in Virginia.

In the event that technical issues or weather delay the Aug. 29 launch attempt, NASA has back-up launch dates scheduled for Sept. 2 and Sept 5.

Here’s what you should know about the launch:

The rocket: SLS

NASA’s SLS moon mega rocket topped by the Orion spacecraft rolls out of the Vehicle Assembly Building at the Kennedy Space Center on its way to launch complex 39B for a launch rehearsal on March 17, 2022 in Cape Canaveral, Florida.

Paul Hennessy | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images

Standing as high as a skyscraper at 322 feet tall, the SLS rocket is a complex vehicle built on technologies used and improved on from NASA’s Space Shuttle and Apollo programs.

Fully fueled, SLS weighs 5.7 million pounds, and produces up to 8.8 million pounds of thrust – 15% more than the Saturn V rockets last century. SLS uses four liquid-fueled RS-25 engines, which flew on the Space Shuttle before being refurbished and upgraded, as well as a pair of solid rocket boosters.

SLS’s core stage gets its orange color from the thermal protection system that covers it, which is a spray-on foam insulation. For the first three Artemis missions, NASA is using a variation of SLS known as Block 1. For later missions, NASA plans to roll out an even more powerful variation, known as Block 1B.

The capsule: Orion

NASA’s Orion spacecraft

Source: NASA

NASA’s Orion capsule can carry four astronauts on missions up to 21 days long without docking with another spacecraft. At its core is the crew module, which is designed to endure the harsh conditions of flying into deep space.

After launch, Orion is fueled and propelled by the European Service Module, which was built by the European Space Agency and contractor Airbus.

For Artemis I, there will be three mannequins inside the Orion capsule to collect data via sensors about what astronauts will experience on the trip to and from the moon. The return to Earth will be especially crucial, as Orion will re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere at about 25,000 miles per hour. A heat shield protects the exterior of Orion, and a set of parachutes will slow it down for a splash landing in the ocean

The mission around the moon

NASA’s Artemis I Moon rocket sits at Launch Pad Complex 39B at Kennedy Space Center, in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on June 15, 2022.

Eva Marie Uzcategui | AFP | Getty Images

Artemis I will travel about 1.3 million miles over the course of 42 days, spanning several phases. After separating from SLS, the capsule will deploy solar arrays and begin a multi-day journey to the moon – departing from Earth’s orbit in what is known as a “trans-lunar injection.”

NASA plans to fly Orion as close as 60 miles above the moon’s surface, before moving into a wide orbit around the lunar body. To return, Orion will use the moon’s gravity to assist it in setting a trajectory back into Earth’s orbit.

Orion is expected to splash down in the Pacific Ocean – off the coast of San Diego, California – where a team of NASA and Department of Defense personnel will recover the capsule.

In addition to the mannequins onboard Orion, Artemis I carries several payloads such as cube satellites, technology demonstrations and science investigations.

Fighting lengthy Covid? This is what it’s best to and should not eat

Fatigue, brain fog, heart palpitations and breathing difficulties.

Those are just some of the common symptoms of “long Covid” that can affect people in the long term after recovery from infection, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

However, according to Dr. Greg Vanichkachorn, director of the Mayo Clinic’s Covid Activity Rehabilitation Program, symptoms are only “half of the picture.”

“The other half is how those symptoms affect a person’s ability to live their lives. Unfortunately, the symptoms of long-haul COVID can be quite limiting.”

He added that over a third of Mayo Clinic’s patients with long Covid report having troubles with some of the most basic activities of life, such as getting dressed, showering, and eating.

“It’s just a bad movie that we still don’t have the ending for,” said Dr. Joan Salge Blake, Boston University’s clinical professor of nutrition.

Heart disease, certain cancers … you can fight all of those diseases with a knife and a fork. That is empowering because you have control of what’s on your plate and what you eat.

dr Joan Salge Blake

Clinical professor, Boston University

Long Covid is essentially post-infection conditions that could linger for weeks, months or years — long after a person tests negative for Covid-19. It can also be referred to as post-Covid conditions or chronic Covid.

Experts who spoke to CNBC Make It said there’s still a lot to learn about long Covid, but nutrition plays a vital role in feeling better.

“Heart disease, certain cancers, stroke and type two diabetes … you can fight all of those diseases with a knife and a fork,” said Blake.

“That is empowering because you have control of what’s on your plate and what you eat.”

CNBC Make It finds out what you should and shouldn’t eat if you think you have long Covid.

1. Mediterranean diet

Vanichkachorn and Blake both emphasized the importance of a balanced diet, which they say will be beneficial for general health — specifically, a Mediterranean diet, which is rich in vegetables, fruits, olive oil, nuts and whole grains.

Fruits and vegetables, in particular, are “powerhouses” when it comes to essential vitamins and minerals, Blake said.

However, that doesn’t mean forgoing meat or protein, Vanichkachorn said, adding that fish and chicken are good options.

A Mediterranean diet is rich in vegetables, fruits, olive oil, nuts and whole grains.

Cristina Pedrazzini/science Photo Library | Science Photo Library | Getty Images

Blake added, “Poor protein [intake] can contribute to fatigue, and that’s the one thing you don’t want because Covid is going to give you fatigue … it sure isn’t going to help if you don’t have enough protein in your diet.”

Fatty fish, like tuna and salmon, is a good source of omega-3 acids, which can improve cardiovascular health.

But ultimately, the focus should be building a well-rounded “super diet,” instead of focusing on “superfoods,” Blake said. Superfoods are those rich in antioxidants, fiber and fatty acids, which are beneficial for health.

“It’s a super diet that will help you fight chronic diseases. When all the vitamins and minerals are working together, that is going to be your best defense.”

2. Beware of vitamin deficiencies

Research hasn’t confirmed if specific vitamins are helpful in fighting long Covid, but it is nevertheless important to treat vitamin deficiencies, said Vanichkachorn.

“For example, a deficiency of vitamin B12 can lead to symptoms such as fatigue, shortness of breath, and difficulty thinking,” he said.

Minerals like iron are important too. A recent study indicated that patients with long Covid may have trouble with how their bodies use and store iron.

Ekaterina Goncharova | moment | Getty Images

“Iron deficiency can cause many symptoms, including anemia and fatigue. Deficiency can occur from many reasons, such as poor intake, but can also be associated with chronic diseases,” said Vanichkachorn.

However, he cautioned against using vitamin or mineral supplements without first seeking medical advice.

“If you are worried about vitamin or mineral deficiencies, the first step is to speak to your medical provider,” he said.

3. Stay hydrated

Vanichkachorn stressed that all patients with long haul Covid should stay hydrated.

“When individuals have acute Covid, they are often resting and sleeping for prolonged periods of time. With this, their nutrition gets thrown off, particularly hydration,” he added.

“Unchecked, dehydration can make anyone feel miserable, not just patients who are experiencing long-haul COVID.”

If plain water is too boring, you can also add a piece of fruit such as lemon or lime to help with the taste.

dr Greg Vanichkachorn

Director, Mayo Clinic’s Covid Activity Rehabilitation Program

Acknowledging that patients often need reminders to stay hydrated, Vanichkachorn encouraged those with long Covid to carry a bottle with them.

He added, “If plain water is too boring, you can also add a piece of fruit such as lemon or lime to help with the taste. These simple changes can make staying hydrated so much easier.”

4. What to stay away from

Because acute Covid can cause “very significant inflammation” in the body, said Vanichkachorn, it’ll be good to stay away from anything that will worsen it.

“We have seen some markers of inflammation … be elevated in this patient population [suffering from long Covid]. The inflammation likely is secondary to immune system abnormalities, perhaps even autoimmune type probabilities,” he added.

Acute Covid can cause significant inflammation in the body and it’ll be a good idea to stay away from sugary drinks and dessert, said Vanichkachorn.

Elizabeth Perez Holowaty | moment | Getty Images

Authorized Consultants Say Judicial Order Granting Trump’s Movement For Particular Grasp As ‘Unprecedented,’ And Pandering

It should be anathema to mention that a judge was “Trump-appointed” and yet legal experts across the spectrum are using words like “pandering” to explain a judicial order about “intending” to appoint a special master to analyze Trump’s motion to examine the Materials taken from Mar-a-Lago to be covered by executive privilege. One never wants to believe that a judge is being nakedly political, but there is precious little else to explain why a judge would issue an “intention” (Judges either order or deny an order, they don’t issue things that they “intend” to order), especially when the judge did not allow DOJ to even respond to Trump’s motion.

According to the New York Times:

A federal judge in Florida gave notice on Saturday of her “preliminary intent” to appoint an independent arbiter, known as a special master, to conduct a review of the highly sensitive documents that were seized by the FBI this month during a search of Mar- a-Lago, former President Donald J. Trump’s club and residence in Palm Beach.

In an unusual action that fell short of a formal order, the judge, Aileen M. Cannon of the Federal District Court for the Southern District of Florida, signaled that she was inclined to agree with the former president and his lawyers that a special master should be appointed to review the seized documents.

Again, “preliminary intent” is not really a “thing,” except for perhaps some cases in family court where a judge is desperately looking for more information. Judges don’t issue rulings regarding “preliminary intent’ that are set to be heard in oral argument on Thursday:

But Judge Cannon, who was appointed by Mr. Trump in 2020, set a hearing for arguments in the matter for Thursday in the federal courthouse in West Palm Beach — not the one in Fort Pierce, Fla., where she typically works.

Again, something isn’t right and legal experts across the country have had no trouble picking apart a highly problematic order that could interfere with an ongoing investigation that is of the utmost importance:

According to former prosecutor Glenn Kirschner:

“Before I read this one sentence, Michael, mind you, that she entered this tentative border before the Department of Justice prosecutors even had an opportunity to weigh in on the issue. she said quote, ‘The court hereby provides notice of its preliminary intent to appoint a special master in this case.’ And she has only heard from Trump’s defense team,’

“I think this indicates a judge who has extraordinarily poor judgment at best, and at worse is biased in favor of Donald Trump, As a footnote, I think it is worth mentioning that she was confirmed by the Senate, Mitch McConnell’s Senate after Donald Trump lost the presidential election.”

Former federal prosecutor Cynthia Alksne went further:

“Pandering, I think that is the legal term for this garbage.”

There were certainly plenty of others:

Another reason Cannon’s order is nuts is bc she’s basing it off Trump’s egregious misrepresentation of what happened in SDNY with Rudy, in which the District Judge had been involved in the case for years.

Rudy and Vic weren’t charged. They still aren’t. But Parnas was. pic.twitter.com/Mvp0VpjwHW

— emptywheel (@emptywheel) August 27, 2022

I wouldn’t rule out the possibility that Judge Cannon is going out of her way to be as generous as possible to Trump not because she is biased, but because she is afraid that she might be threatened or endangered by Trump’s sicarios if she throws it out right and he slams her

— Asha Rangappa (@AshaRangappa_) August 28, 2022

In 30 years of prosecuting cases, I never saw a judge make up her mind on an issue BEFORE the other party had an opportunity to respond to the request. This is dead wrong.
Note: this judge, Aileen Cannon, was confirmed by Mitch McConnell’s Senate AFTER Trump lost the election. https://t.co/AmFa1QVUBz

— Glenn Kirschner (@glennkirschner2) August 28, 2022

A preview of likely points in DOJ’s response to Judge Cannon re the Special Master.

1) there is no such thing as a SM for classified documents

2) there is no such thing as a SM for Executive Privilege documents

3) even if there was, it would all be in camera and ex parte.

— Bradley P Moss (@BradMossEsq) August 27, 2022

Once DOJ responds to Judge Cannon, and she hopefully understands there are no documents subject to executive privilege and at most a handful subject to atty-client, she should reverse ground on her initial indication of appointing a special master. Already a fine process in place

— Harry Litman (@harrylitman) August 27, 2022

@JasonMiciak believes a day without learning is a day not lived. He is a political writer, features writer, author, and attorney. He is a Canadian-born dual citizen who spent his teen and college years in the Pacific Northwest and has since lived in seven states. He now enjoys life as a single dad of a young girl, writing from the beaches of the Gulf Coast. He loves crafting his flower pots, cooking, and currently studies philosophy of science, religion, and non-math principles behind quantum mechanics and cosmology. Please feel free to contact for speaking engagements or any concerns.

Celebrities Have been Prepared To Slay And Drip On The MTV VMAs Crimson Carpet!

As the summer winds down, the 2022 MTV VMAs officially closed out the season with a bang…and your favorite celebrities were in attendance to collect trophies and shut down the red carpet! Music’s biggest stars didn’t disappoint at this year’s MTV VMAs, as they graced the red carpet with drip-ready ensembles that turned heads and quickly became viral moments.

Lizzo brought the drama to the red carpet at this year’s MTV VMAs, wearing a voluminous navy blue gown paired with slicked back hair and dramatic makeup, she was one of the first celebrities to make a fashion statement.

As one of the three hosts of the 2022 MTV VMAs, Jack Harlow kept his fashion pretty simple, opting for an all-black leather suit with matching sunglasses and loafers.

Chloe Bailey does what she does best…serve up an effortless slay on the red carpet and this year’s MTV VMAs was no exception. Draped in an all silver form-fitting gown, Chloe accentuated her hourglass figure with matching accessories.

Latto hit the MTV VMAs red carpet with a vivid color palette of lime green, rocking a monochromatic look for head to toe in the vibrant shade, which is perfect way to say goodbye to summer 2022.

Shenseea switched things up a bit and tried out an edgier, more avant-garde design that was serving up serious futuristic vibes.

True to form, Lil Nas X absolutely shut down the MTV VMAs red carpet as soon as he arrived. His floor-length black ensemble appeared to be made out of hair, complete with a full skirt, headpiece and black leather pants underneath. He was a trending topic in a matter of minutes.

Snoop Dogg and Irv Gotti embraced the streetwear aesthetic of hip hop, rocking a few of genres signatures, including sweatsuits, denim and tees at this year’s MTV VMAs.

How Amazon is giving Rivian an edge within the EV business

Following in Tesla’s footsteps, another electric vehicle company has been making a name for itself, with a unique spin: Rivian Automotive.

Founded in 2009, Rivian is focusing on upscale electric trucks and SUVs with an emphasis on outdoor adventure. CNBC’s John Rosevear calls them the “Patagonia of electric vehicles.”

Rivian launched its first vehicle, the R1T electric truck, at the end of last year. It’s been working to scale up production and is planning to ship its SUV — the R1S — built off of the same platform, later this year.

It’s been a long and arduous road to get to this point. But Rivian has received some major assistance, including $700 million from Amazon in 2019 and $500 million from Ford a few months later. Initially, Rivian and Ford sought to develop a joint vehicle together, but the companies ended up canceling those plans.

However, the partnership with Amazon is still on track. Following its investment, Amazon said it would purchase 100,000 custom-built electric delivery vans, part of its move to electrify its last-mile fleet by 2040.

When Rivian went public in November 2021, it had one of the largest IPOs in US history. But the turbulent economy has cast a shadow over its rocketing success. As the market responded to inflation and fears of a recession, the stock took a big hit. But with the Amazon deal secured, some are confident the EV maker can weather the storm.

“When Amazon invested in them…but more importantly, put a commitment to buy all of those vehicles from them, they changed the market dynamic around that company,” said Mike Ramsey, an auto and smart mobility analyst at Gartner.

Last month, Rivian and Amazon rolled out the first of the electric vans. They are starting to deliver packages in a handful of cities, including Seattle, Baltimore, Chicago and Phoenix.

Watch the video to find out more.

After a year-long dip, shopper spending energy might be again in 2023

Customers shop at a Walmart in Houston on Aug. 4, 2021.

Brandon Bell | Getty Images

After a year-long dip, household cash flow will begin growing again right after Christmas, and accelerate through the new year, according to new research by analysts at Goldman Sachs.

These gains will reverse a year of negative growth of about $600, or 4.2%, in household discretionary cash flow, according to Goldman’s analysis.

“This year, we’re looking at negative discretionary cash flow for the first time since the 2008-09 financial crisis,” Goldman consumer goods analyst Jason English said on a recent webinar with the press. The biggest driver of the cash flow improvement next year, he said, will be wagers.

That’s good news for retail sales after a yearlong struggle to keep up with inflation, and for the economy’s ability to avoid a recession, according to Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics, which has a similar forecast of improving consumer finances.

“Cash flow got hit during 2022 but it’s coming back, and cash flow is what drives spending,” Zandi said. “Businesses are unlikely to cut jobs because they know their biggest problem is finding workers,” Zandi added.

The link between consumer cash flow and retail

While much has been made of the consumer resilience during a period of slowing economic growth, the market has punished retail companies, which have declined roughly twice as much as the broader US stock market index this year, measured by the relative performance of the SPDR S&P Retail ETF and S&P 500 Index. This year’s sloppy performance in consumer spending is happening because households have less cash coming in — even though they have more savings — since stimulus payments designed to fight the Covid pandemic ended in 2021.

Retail sales in the US have risen about 10% in the last year, but most of that reflects the surging dollar value of gasoline and other goods sold at this year’s inflated prices, according to recent Commerce Department data. Auto sales have risen just 1.5 percent, far below the pace of inflation. That has helped the pace of inflation-adjusted consumer spending growth slow to about 1.5 percent in the first half of 2022, compared with nearly 12 percent a year earlier.

The surge in capital goods spending during the brief Covid recession, as consumers snapped up furniture and other home-related goods when they spent more time at home due to the pandemic, contributed to retail’s slump this year because it pulled demand forward, English said.

But the turn is coming, according to Goldman.

The drop in consumer cash flow began as a steep one, but the spread between 2021 and 2022 has been steadily narrowing. In the first quarter, consumers had 10% less discretionary cash available than in the same month a year earlier, which Goldman says will narrow to a 2.7 percent dip this quarter and a 1.2 percent drop for the holiday season.

The cash flow measure Goldman uses adds other sources of cash, like government transfer payments and borrowing, to current income, and subtracts essential expenses like food and fuel, giving a fuller picture of consumers’ likely ability and willingness to spend.

Next year, the numbers get more positive through the year, Goldman’s estimates show. Consumer cash flow will rise by 2 percent in the first quarter, and rise to 6 percent-plus in the second half of 2023, an overall gain of about $600 billion.

Big box retailers may benefit the most

While the upswing in consumer income is good news for the economy, it may not benefit all firms equally, according to CFRA Research analyst Arun Sundaram, who expects the gain in consumer income will help big retailers the most. Large-scale players like Amazon and Walmart, and to a lesser degree Target, will be winners and take market share, he said.

The sluggish retail conditions of this year may keep smaller consumer companies from gaining access to capital markets that have gotten more selective even as conditions improve. “They should have raised money a year ago,” Sundaram said. “Now markets are tighter … They’re trying to cut expenses and reduce their cash burn.”

While Sundaram was focusing on consumer startups that went public in recent years, such as Oatly and Beyond Meat, the mood among America’s broader small business community is not optimistic, with inflation continuing to hurt Main Street’s ability to maintain margins at a time of higher prices in inputs, from raw materials to energy, transportation and labor. Most small business owners believe a recession is inevitable; in fact, some think the recession has already begun and have reduced their sales outlook into the next year, according to the latest CNBC|SurveyMonkey Small Business Survey for Q3 2022, which saw small business confidence hit an all-time low.

Meanwhile, the world’s largest retailer Walmart — which had lowered second-quarter profit targets but then reported a beat on August 16, devoted much of its second-quarter earnings call to explaining its investment plans — which chief financial officer John David Rainey said will be one source of the chain’s hopes to boost profitability in the year ahead.

Walmart has boosted capital spending 50% to $7.5 billion in the first half of its fiscal year, which ends in January. Rival Target, which experienced a 90 percent drop in second quarter earnings, nearly doubled investment, to $2.52 billion from $1.34 billion. Walmart CFO John Rainey cited the buildout of automation and technology throughout its business, and how it will continue to help drive greater efficiency, in a call with analysts after its earnings. He pointed to the company’s augmented-reality Viz Pick technology, which uses workers’ cell phones to speed up restocking of shelves to avoid lost sales.

Before the coming pop in customer income, retailers still have to get through the back to school and holiday shopping seasons, when household income will still be a little lower than it was in 2021 and retailers will still be dealing with excess inventory of home-related goods that they have been marking down and writing off.

“If we’re cleared by the holidays, we’re in much better shape going forward than the market is currently estimating,” English said.

Amazon is shutting down Amazon Care telehealth service

Amazon is shutting down its telehealth service, Amazon Care, marking a major retreat by the retail behemoth in its efforts to break into the health care space.

Amazon will shutter the service after Dec. 31, Amazon Health Services lead Neil Lindsay announced Wednesday in a company email. The e-commerce giant decided to make the move after determining it wasn’t “the right long-term solution for our enterprise customers,” Lindsay wrote in the memo, which was previously reported by GeekWire.

“This decision wasn’t made lightly and only became clear after many months of careful consideration,” Lindsay said. “Although our enrolled members have loved many aspects of Amazon Care, it is not a complete enough offering for the large enterprise customers we have been targeting, and wasn’t going to work long-term.”

Even though the service is ending, Amazon gained a deeper understanding of “what’s needed long-term to deliver meaningful health care solutions for enterprise and individual customers” through its rollout of Amazon Care, Lindsay wrote in the memo.

Amazon Care launched in 2019 as a pilot program for employees in and around the company’s Seattle headquarters. The service provides virtual urgent care visits, as well as free telehealth consults and in-home visits for a fee from nurses for testing and vaccinations.

The service was several years in the making. In 2017, Amazon held a secret meeting in Seattle to learn more about patient care that was attended by heavyweights from the health care industry, CNBC reported. It then hired a small group of doctors to start a pilot clinic for some employees.

In February, the company rolled out Amazon Care’s virtual offerings nationwide for its employees and other companies, signaling it had greater ambitions for the service.

It’s unclear how much traction Amazon Care had gained. Last June, Babak Parviz, a vice president working on Amazon Care, said Amazon had attracted multiple companies interested in using the service. Its corporate customers include Hilton, Silicon Labs, TrueBlue and Whole Foods, the company-owned upscale grocer.

Amazon is sunsetting the service even as CEO Andy Jassy has committed to make inroads in the health care industry. Last month, Amazon acquired boutique primary care provider One Medical for $3.9 billion. It also has sought to develop at-home medical diagnostics. And earlier this week, The Wall Street Journal reported Amazon is bidding for home health services provider Signify Health.

Here’s the entire memo to employees:

health services team,

We are working on an important, missionary opportunity. Our vision is to make it easier for people to access the health care products and services they need to get and stay healthy. We know accomplishing this won’t be easy or fast, but we believe it matters.

One of the ways we’ve worked towards this vision for the past several years has been with our urgent and primary care service offering, Amazon Care. During that time, we’ve gathered and listened to extensive feedback from our enterprise customers and their employees , and evolved the service to continuously improve the experience for customers. However, despite these efforts, we’ve determined that Amazon Care isn’t the right long-term solution for our enterprise customers, and have decided that we will no longer offer Amazon Care after December 31, 2022.

This decision wasn’t made lightly and only became clear after many months of careful consideration. Although our enrolled members have loved many aspects of Amazon Care, it is not a complete enough offering for the large enterprise customers we have been targeting, and wasn’t going to work long-term.

Our work building Amazon Care has deepened our understanding of what’s needed long-term to deliver meaningful health care solutions for enterprise and individual customers. You’ve heard me say it before, but I believe the health care space is ripe for reinvention, and our efforts to help improve the health care experience can have an immensely positive impact on our quality of life and health outcomes. However, none of these reasons make this decision any easier for the teams that have helped to build Amazon Care, or for the customers our Care team serves.

Our priority right now is to support you, regardless of the path you take. Many Care employees will have an opportunity to join other parts of the Health Services organization or other teams at Amazon — which we’ll be discussing with many of you shortly — and we’ll also support employees looking for roles outside of the company.

To the Amazon Care and Care Medical teams, thank you for all of your hard work over these last several years. You should be very proud of what this team has been able to accomplish in a short period of time. I am also thankful to our members and business customers for entrusting us with their care; this is not a responsibility we take lightly. As we take our learnings from Amazon Care, we will continue to invent, learn from our customers and industry partners, and hold ourselves to the highest standards as we further help reimagine the future of health care.

Sincerely,

Neil

Watch the 2022 MTV VMAs On-line and on TV

Who is nominated for the 2022 MTV VMAs?

Harlow, Harry Styles other Doja Cat are tied for the most 2022 MTV VMAs nominations with eight nodes each, while drakes, Kendrick Lamar other Lil Nas X closely follow behind with seven nodes each. Additionally, Billie Eilish is nominated in six categories, while Lizzo, Futures, bts, the weekend, Dua Lipa, Ed Sheeran other Taylor Swift each have five nominations.

Minaj is set to take home a gold-plated moonperson for the coveted 2022 VMA Video Vanguard Award, which is awarded to artists in recognition of their “outstanding contributions and profound impact on music video and popular culture,” according to a press release from MTV . Past recipients of the award include Beyonce, Janet Jackson, Madonna, rihanna, Jennifer Lopez, Missy Elliot and more.

Additionally, the Red Hot Chili Peppers will be awarded the prestigious Global Icon Award, which is given to “an artist or band whose unparalleled career, continued impact, and influence have maintained a unique level of global success in music and beyond, leaving an indelible mark on the music landscape,” via MTV. Previous recipients of the Global Icon Award include U2, Eminem, Green day, Foo Fighters and more.

Find the full list of nominees here.

dr Ouncessides with power business after receiving oil, fuel donations

dr Mehmet Oz has championed the oil and gas industry as he sees to win a coveted Senate seat in Pennsylvania.

The former TV personality’s vocal support for the energy business follows years of industry donations to his nonprofit and then his campaign, according to financial records reviewed by CNBC. Oz also has a personal stake in oil and gas through investments in two major energy companies, according to his financial disclosures.

Pennsylvania’s next senator will be a key vote for the energy industry, as it has a major presence in the Keystone State. Pennsylvania is the nation’s second-largest natural gas producer after Texas and the third-largest coal producer, according to the US Energy Information Administration.

Oz backed the energy industry this year as Americans felt the strain from spiking gas prices. In a recent interview, he ripped President Joe Biden after he called on companies that run gas stations to bring down prices at the pump.

“Now, they’re blaming the energy companies for the gas prices. And I’m thinking, like most Americans, what are you talking about? I mean, you did things that make it, make it impossible for these companies to exist, ” Oz said in a July interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity. He called Biden’s comments “class warfare.”

As Oz champions oil and gas in his bid to represent Pennsylvania in the Senate, both his campaign and personal coffers have benefited from the industry and its executives.

Oz, a veteran physician and television host, is running against Democrat John Fetterman for a Senate seat being vacated by Republican Sen. Pat Toomey. Oz is trailing Fetterman by just under 8 percentage points in an average of recent polls, according to RealClearPolitics. Fetterman’s campaign has raised over $25 million, while Oz and his team have brought in just over $18 million, according to data from the nonpartisan OpenSecrets.

Oz and his wife, Lisa, have a financial stake in the industry he has championed, as they own shares of oil and gas giants ConocoPhillips and Pioneer Natural Resources, according to their financial disclosure report. The filing notes they own shares of ConocoPhillips valued between $15,001 and $50,000 and Pioneer stock valued between $1,001 and $15,000.

Oz’s connections to the industry formed before he pursued politics.

His nonprofit HealthCorps, which promotes itself as a group aiming to help teens with their health and wellness, has seen at least $210,000 in contributions from gas and oil producer Continental Resources since 2016, according to the group’s annual financial reports. Continental’s support has continued into Oz’s Senate bid: The company’s founder and chair, Harold Hamm, endorsed Oz for Senate in an April campaign video.

The backing from energy industry leaders has led to contributions to Oz’s campaign.

Hamm is among a group of over a dozen oil and gas industry leaders who have combined to contribute over $200,000 to Oz’s campaign since he announced his run for Senate late last year, according to a CNBC review of Federal Election Commission filings. Others with ties to the oil and gas business who have donated at least $2,900 to Oz’s campaign include Jimmy Haslam, an owner of the Cleveland Browns and chair of Pilot Company, a business that owns fueling stations across the country. His father and Pilot founder, James Haslam II, also donated to the Oz campaign.

Other top energy donors in recent months include Brad Cox, the chair of oil producer Cox Operating, and Janet Cafaro, the president of Silcor Oilfield Services, FEC records show.

Jimmy Haslam and his wife, Susan “Dee” Haslam, combined to give $50,000 to the per-Oz super PAC American Leadership Action.

Jimmy and Dee Haslam told CNBC in a statement that they have “tremendous respect for the long, successful career Dr. Oz has had in the private sector and appreciate that he now wants to serve his country by bringing his expertise and experience to the United States Senates.” The Haslam family, as of 2015, had a net worth of $6 billion, according to Forbes.

Representatives for Cox and Cafaro did not return requests for comment.

Hamm told CNBC in a statement that he considers Oz a “friend.” He said the two have known each other for almost a decade, with the goal of bringing HealthCorps’ services into Oklahoma schools.

Hamm explained that he believes Oz will be a key advocate for the energy sector, which has enriched the oil billionaire. He and his family have a net worth of at least $21 billion, according to Forbes.

“Dr. Oz will champion American energy in the US Senate much like he’s championed health his entire career,” Hamm said.

The nonprofit’s annual reports from 2016 through 2020 give a range of how much donors contributed to HealthCorps. Continental Resources regularly ranked among the Oz group’s top backers. The company is often listed as donating between $50,000 and $99,999 during those years. A HealthCorps filing says it received a range of $10,000 to just under $25,000 from Continental in 2018.

In its earlier filings before 2016, HealthCorps lists Continental as either a “national” or a “community” sponsor. The group’s website notes that its national sponsors contribute $1 million and its community donors write checks for $250,000. The disclosures pre-2016 do not say or show a range of how much the company gave those years.

Oz’s support from the massive energy industry coincides with an apparent shift in his opinion on fracking, which allows companies to drill deep into the earth for oil and gas resources. Critics say that fracking hurts the environment by harming water supplies and polluting the air.

Before Oz ran for Senate, he repeatedly wrote columns that took aim at fracking, noting its potential threat to public health, Vice reports.

“And in Pennsylvania, there are multiple reports of air and water contamination, possibly from hydraulic fracturing sites, causing folks breathing problems, rashes, headaches, nosebleeds, numbness, nausea and vomiting,” Oz said in a 2014 column critical of fracking.

Brittany Yanick, a spokeswoman for the Oz campaign, said the candidate has not changed his view on fracking and is a strong supporter of the drilling method. She also took aim at Fetterman’s position on the issue.

“As a scientist, Dr. Oz understands that, like with COVID, the Biden administration is ignoring the science and the benefits of natural gas in order to satisfy the radical Left, the same liberal Democrats that are supporting radical environmental measures and funding John Fetterman’s campaign,” Yanick said in an emailed statement. “John Fetterman has called fracking a ‘stain’ on Pennsylvania, he’s called for a moratorium on fracking, and he would be a rubber stamp for the failing Biden Agenda.”

Fetterman has a mixed history with where he stands on fracking. Inside Climate News reported that Fetterman dropped his support for a fracking moratorium after his failed 2016 primary run for Senate. His position evolved after the state moved toward stricter regulations on fracking.

Emilia Rowland, a spokeswoman for Fetterman’s campaign, told CNBC that “John does not support a ban on fracking in Pennsylvania and that includes a moratorium on new fracking sites.” She said he hasn’t taken any campaign money from the fossil fuel industry.

“John believes fully heartedly that we have to preserve the union way of life for the thousands of workers currently employed by the natural gas industry in Pennsylvania and the communities where they live. We can’t just abandon these people, and tell them to go learn how to code,” Rowland said in a statement. “It’s a totally false choice that we have to choose between jobs and a clean environment. That’s just not true. We can have both.”

Still, Oz appears more vocal than Fetterman in publicly supporting the oil and gas industry. In a recent op-ed, he said it’s “gross, and deeply unpatriotic” for oil companies to charge high gas prices while their businesses are making massive profits. Fetterman namechecked Chevron, Exxon and Shell in the op-ed.

Oz has rubbed elbows with industry officials during his campaign.

He was invited to a June “energy industry meet and greet” by longtime lobbyist Missy Edwards. The invite says the meeting was set to take place at Edwards’ offices in Washington. Her current clients include Southern Company and General Motors, OpenSecrets says.

A spokeswoman for General Motors said she was “not sure if GM had a representative in attendance.” Edwards and a representative for Southern Company did not return requests for comment.

Enjoying the sustainable vitality transition

Earlier this month, the Biden administration took a major step in combating the climate crisis with the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, which includes roughly $370 billion in energy and climate incentives – mostly in the form of tax credits, according to Goldman Sachs.

But with potential ripple effects on global supply chains as the domestic economy shifts toward a more energy-efficient era, strategic ETF investors can stand to benefit from the advances.

“It’s very clear that the administration is using the carrot,” Tim Johnston, partner at Blue Horizon Capital and co-founder of Li-Cycle, told Leslie Picker in an interview Monday on CNBC’s “ETF Edge.” “Trying to incentivize people to domesticate or at least work with fair trade countries in order to bolster the supply chain.”

Johnston said that incentives are decisive in building infrastructure for a sustainable energy generation, and how we use that energy all the way through.

“This capital that’s flowing in through the administration, it’s not just coming from the form of loans and grants,” he said. “It’s also coming through in the form of tax incentives, so all we’re expecting to see is a structural benefit that’s geared towards some of these companies that are really helping with this overall transition.”

And with a recent push toward sustainable ETFs, the move could double as a catalyst to drive further flows in those clean energy companies and industries that stand to benefit.

“It’s not as though clean energy is new to the ETF space,” Tom Lydon, vice chairman at VettaFi, said in the same interview. “There have been some great ETFs have been around for over a decade.”

Two of the biggest, Lydon said, are the iShares Global Clean Energy ETF (ICLN) and the Invesco Solar ETF (TAN). The two funds collectively have $9 billion in assets and are up year to date.

“Most of those ETFs that we have today tend to be cap weighted, so there’s more invested in fewer companies,” he said, which leaves less allocation to bolster up-and-coming companies in the clean energy space.

Beyond the dominating ETFs in the clean energy sphere, Lydon said that strategic investors need to look at other areas like smaller and overseas companies, and producers of lithium cobalt – not just battery or solar companies.

“We’re going to need those minerals as we continue to move this clean energy process forward,” Lydon said.

Among the funds driving the transition to new energy is the Blue Horizon New Energy Economy ETF (BNE), which acts as a single index solution to gain global exposure to clean energy themes.

Johnston said that Blue Horizon looks at the transition as being broken out across five broad segments: energy generation, distribution and storage, as well as e-mobility and performance materials – commodities like lithium, nickel, cobalt, copper and rare earths.

“This transition is really broad based, it’s not just here in North America,” he said. “And what we’re trying to do is identifying what we consider the leaders.”

That includes staple companies like Tesla that most every ETF investor has, Johnston said, while also incorporating areas like new types of battery technology subgroups and solar power.

“We see them as being an important part of this transition as we go forward,” he said.