Fauci warns of a rise in Covid infections after Christmas

Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute for Allergies and Infectious Diseases, speaks to Alex Azar, the unpictured Secretary for Health and Human Services (HHS), before receiving the Cova-19 vaccine from Moderna Inc. during an event at the NIH Clinical that Center Masur Auditorium in Bethesda, Maryland, the United States, on Tuesday, December 22, 2020. The National Institutes of Health are hosting a livestream vaccination event to kickstart the organization’s efforts for its workers on the front lines of the pandemic. Photographer: Patrick Semansky / Associated Press / Bloomberg via Getty Images

Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Dr. Anthony Fauci warned on Sunday that an already soaring tide of coronavirus infections could get another surge as Americans reunite for Christmas and New Years despite warnings from health officials.

“We could very well see an increase after the season – in the sense of Christmas, New Year – and, as I have described it, as an increase after another,” Fauci said of CNN’s State of the Union.

Fauci, a White House advisor and one of the foremost infectious disease specialists in the country, was optimistic about the pace of vaccine distribution, which began this month after federal regulators approved two drugs made by Pfizer and Moderna.

But he said he agrees with President-elect Joe Biden’s assessment, who warned Tuesday that “our darkest days in this fight against Covid are ahead, not behind”.

“I share President-elect Biden’s concern that things may actually get worse in the next few weeks,” said Fauci.

According to a CNBC analysis of the data compiled by Johns Hopkins University, the United States saw an average of 189,578 new Covid-19 cases per day and 2,250 deaths over the past week. It is possible that these numbers are undercounted due to a decline in holiday coverage.

“When you’re dealing with a baseline of 200,000 cases per day and 2,000 deaths per day in hospitalizations over 120,000, we are really at a very critical point,” said Fauci.

Fauci said “Travel and the likely gathering of people for the good, warm causes of being together on vacation” add to the pressure on the deepening crisis.

He also addressed a mutation in the coronavirus identified in the UK, saying, “We are looking at it intensely now.” Doctors in that country have said the mutation appears to be spreading faster, causing a number of countries to suspend travel off the block. In the US, those flying out of the country will have to test negative for Covid-19 as of Monday.

Initial evidence suggests the mutation does not affect the effectiveness of the Covid-19 vaccine and that it is not a “more serious virus in terms of virulence,” Fauci added.

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GOP blocks Home Democrats’ try and move $ 2,000 stimulus checks

House Republicans blocked a Democratic attempt Thursday to send $ 2,000 direct payments to Americans as the fate of the massive coronavirus aid package passed earlier this week is pending.

Democrats sought to increase checks after President Donald Trump threatened to oppose the $ 2 trillion pandemic aid and federal funding bill because it contained only $ 600 in direct payments instead of $ 2,000.

Congress passed the proposal on Monday after Trump played no role in weeks of talks. The plan provided for coronavirus aid worth $ 900 billion.

To limit the cost of the plan, most of the Republican Party asked Trump to pay direct payments of $ 600 instead of the $ 1,200 passed in March’s CARES Act. In criticizing the end-of-year legislation, Trump also pointed to the foreign aid spending that Washington includes in its financial bills each year.

The House attempted to remit the $ 2,000 in payments during a pro forma meeting on Christmas Eve, a short session of the Chamber that typically few members attend. Democrats wanted to unanimously approve the measure, which means any lawmaker can block it.

Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., Offered the proposal from the floor of the House, but was blocked because the move was not approved by the Chairman of the Minority House of Representatives, Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif.

Subsequently, Rep. Rob Wittman, R-Va., Tried to get lawmakers to reconsider aspects of foreign aid spending accounting. This move was blocked by the Democrats.

House spokeswoman Nancy Pelosi said in a statement after her party’s move failed, she would hold a full vote on Monday on the $ 2,000 payment proposal.

“If the president takes the $ 2,000 direct payments seriously, he must urge the Republicans in the House to end their disability,” Pelosi said.

The Democrats have urged Trump to sign the coronavirus facilitation and state funding law and support the separate cash payment plan.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and McCarthy, the two leading Republicans in Congress, and their aides have remained silent about Trump’s request for larger checks.

But McCarthy, in a letter to Republicans late Wednesday, described a counter-attack his party would be planning Thursday to seek changes to the foreign aid component of the spending bill.

It’s unclear who would be eligible for $ 2,000 in payments under the Democrats’ plan. Individuals earning up to $ 75,000 and couples who submit together and earn up to $ 150,000 will receive the full $ 600. In addition, the measure would pay $ 600 for each dependent child. Trump did not address the payments to children.

If Trump rejects the legislation, Congress may have enough support to override its action. Depending on how soon the 5,000-page bill arrives at his desk after formally enrolling, he could let it die by refusing to sign it before the new Congressional session begins on January 3 at 12:00 PM ET.

Along with the direct payments, the bailout package would add a weekly unemployment allowance of $ 300, expand unemployment benefits expansion provisions and a federal eviction moratorium, provide $ 284 billion in Paycheck Protection Program loans, and more than $ 8 billion provide provisions for the distribution of Covid-19 vaccines, among other things. If Trump doesn’t sign the legislation in the coming days, about 12 million people would lose unemployment benefits on Saturday – the day after Christmas – and the government would close on Tuesday.

Many economists and Democrats have called the $ 900 billion aid plan inadequate after months of stalemate on Capitol Hill.

Democrats have announced that they will push for another bailout bill after President-elect Joe Biden takes office on Jan. 20. Biden has announced that he will present his own plan to lawmakers early next year and push for a third round of direct payments.

Democrats have cited more direct payments and state and local government aid as a top priority.

The White House did not immediately return a request for comment on Thursday.

– Reuters contributed to this report.

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Saweetie is giving Quavo a $ 300,000 Richard Mille look ahead to Christmas

We already know Saweetie was on Santa’s good list this year when her Bae Quavo surprised her with a $ 300,000 Icy Bentley earlier this week. However, it looks like Quavo was good this year too, in exchange for Saweetie dropping a bag and gifting him a Richard Mille watch worth $ 300,000.

She surprised him with the watch by trying to disguise it in a Birkin box, and by the way things looked, he was just as surprised as she was when he gave her her new whip.

By now you will know that Saweetie and Quavo are no strangers when it comes to putting their love first, and it’s safe to say that showing your love for one another is definitely a way to do it giving each other some pretty amazing extravagant gifts.

If you remember, Qavo gave Saweetie not one but TWO Birkin bags for her 26th birthday in July.

Saweetie’s love for her Birkins later became a hot topic after it went viral while telling her followers to send their men back on the streets if they couldn’t buy them a Birkin bag. At that time she was promoting her latest single, “Back to the Streets” with Jhené Aiko. However, the moment definitely started a pretty memorable debate on social media.

Saweetie says if he can’t buy you a Birkin you don’t need it sis🗣🤷🏾‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/3qTA6svZQ5

– The Shadow Room (@TheShadeRoomEnt) October 23, 2020

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Jeff Ricchetti, who helps Amazon as a brother, turns into Joe Biden’s advisor

President-elect Joe Biden speaks at the Queen Theater on December 22, 2020 in Wilmington, Delaware before the holidays. Speaking before the Christmas break, Biden called the $ 900 billion coronavirus aid bill passed by Congress on Monday as a start and insisted on more post-inaugural economic relief.

Joshua Roberts | Getty Images

The brother of one of President-elect Joe Biden’s closest advisors has just selected Amazon as a new customer.

Jeff Ricchetti, the brother of Steve Ricchetti, a White House advisor in Biden, recently entered into a lobbying deal with Amazon Web Services, Amazon’s cloud platform and a subsidiary of the tech giant. This emerges from a new report on lobbying disclosure.

The report reveals that Ricchetti was registered in the lobby for Amazon Web Services on November 13, just a week after Biden was supposed to defeat President Donald Trump. Ethics attorneys previously told CNBC that Steve Ricchetti, who was also a lobbyist over a decade ago, may have to back off on matters that could affect his brother’s clients.

A person familiar with the brothers’ relationship said that they keep their professional lives completely separate and that Jeff Ricchetti would never lobby Steve Ricchetti.

“Jeff has never and never will lobby his brother on behalf of any of his clients, and Steve has not played a role in his brother’s business since selling his stake in the company in 2012,” the source told CNBC. “Steve and Jeff keep their professional activities clearly separate from each other.” This person declined to be named because the relationship is private.

Biden’s stance on Amazon included calls for the company to pay its taxes.

“I think no company, I don’t care how big they are, the Almighty Lord, should absolutely be able not to pay taxes and make billions and billions and billions of dollars, No. 1,” said Biden during a “Squawk Box” interview in May.

The disclosure report shows that Jeff Ricchetti will lobby Amazon on issues related to the coronavirus pandemic and the implementation of the CARES law. Amazon appears to be on the verge of expanding its healthcare business known as Amazon Care.

The Amazon customer is the latest for Ricchetti as Biden was the planned 2020 election winner.

Ricchetti signed up for Evofem Biosciences in the lobby on November 15, days after he officially started working for Amazon. Ricchetti will focus on “federal health policy related to contraceptive coverage” for Evofem, according to the lobbying disclosure report.

For Amazon, the last step is to quietly prepare for the incoming Biden administration.

Reuters reported that two officials from the e-commerce firm are on the Biden agency’s review team. Amazon executives have reportedly been pushing allies into roles within the Biden administration.

During the Trump administration, Amazon hired those close to the president to lobby. One such lobbyist was Jeff Miller, a longtime fundraiser for Trump’s campaign.

Amazon and Jeff Ricchetti have not returned CNBC’s requests for comments.

The infamous “Membership Youngsters” killer Michael Alig is 54 years outdated useless: report

Convicted murderer Michael Alig died at the age of 54, E! Messages can confirm.

According to the New York Police Department, law enforcement responded to a 9-1-1 call to West 159th on Dec. 25 that left Alig unconscious and unresponsive. EMS arrived shortly afterwards and, according to a police report, declared Alig dead. Although it is unclear what caused his death, NBC New York states that he died of a suspected overdose. Authorities say the cause of death has yet to be determined and the investigation is ongoing.

In the 1990s, Alig, a promoter, co-founded Club Kids, a group of party goers who became notorious on the New York nightclub scene. It became a tabloid for parties, as well as for its theatrical costumes and drug use. In 1997, however, it got dark when he and his friend Robert “Freeze” Riggs pleaded guilty killing their drug dealer and friend Andre “Angel” Melendez. Riggs and Alig, who claimed they had been doing a lot of drugs at the time of the murder, reportedly kept Melendez’s body in their apartment for a week – and even gathered at home with his body in the tub – before dismembering his body and disposed of in the Hudson River.

5 issues it’s best to know earlier than the inventory market opens on Wednesday

Here are the top news, trends, and analysis investors need to get their trading day started:

1. Trump slams Covid Stimulus Bill

United States President Donald Trump waves as he departs from the South Lawn of the White House on December 12, 2020 in Washington, DC.

Al Drago | Getty Images

President Donald Trump railed against the US $ 900 billion Covid aid bill passed by Congress, calling it an inappropriate “disgrace” in a tweet on Tuesday evening. He called on lawmakers to make a number of changes to the measure, most notably the amount earmarked for direct payments to Americans.

Trump did not threaten a veto and was expected to sign the laws along with the draft law to keep the government open. The legislation passed both Houses of Congress with a majority with a veto-safe majority.

In a surprise move, House spokeswoman Nancy Pelosi said she agreed to Trump’s demand for $ 2,000 payments to Americans. “The Democrats are ready to unanimously bring this to the ground this week. Let’s do it!” she tweeted.

2. Markets shake off the stimulus saga, futures rise

Traders work on the trading floor of the New York Stock Exchange.

NYSE

The market seems to be shaking off the risk that Trump could delay the passage of the much-needed coronavirus relief package. Futures linked to the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose about 50 points, which translates into an opening gain of about 60 points. The S&P 500 futures rose 0.2% and the Nasdaq 100 futures were unchanged.

The S&P 500 was just experiencing a three-day losing streak when some investors looked to profit after an unexpected year of solid earnings. The broad equity benchmark is up more than 14%, and there are six trading days left in 2020.

3. Pfizer reaches an agreement to provide additional doses of vaccine

A health care worker draws coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine from a vial at Dignity Health’s Glendale Memorial Hospital and Health Center in Glendale, California on December 17, 2020.

Lucy Nicholson | Reuters

Pfizer and BioNTech announced a second contract with the U.S. government on Wednesday to supply an additional 100 million doses of their jointly developed Covid-19 vaccine. The deal brings the total number of cans to be shipped to the US by the end of July to 200 million. The government is paying $ 1.95 billion for the additional doses.

Pfizer shares rose around 1% in premarket trading on Wednesday.

4. Trump apologizes to 15 people

US President Donald Trump waves as he walks on the south lawn of the White House on his return from Camp David on November 29, 2020.

Yuri Gripas | Reuters

Trump on Tuesday apologized to 15 people, including two men convicted as part of Special Envoy Robert Mueller’s investigation and four former Blackwater US guards convicted of the 2007 murders of 14 unarmed Iraqi civilians in Baghdad.

Others who received pardons included two former Republican congressmen who admitted to having committed financial crimes. Trump also commuted all or some of the criminal convictions of five other people as the president is nearing his final month in office.

5. Elon Musk says Tim Cook refused to buy Tesla

Elon Musk announced that he had reached out to Apple years ago about the sale of Tesla, but CEO Tim Cook turned down the meeting.

“During the darkest days of the Model 3 program, I reached out to Tim Cook to discuss the possibility of Apple acquiring Tesla (for 1/10 of our current value). He refused to attend the meeting,” said Musk in a tweet on Tuesday.

His comment came after Reuters reported that Apple was pushing ahead with its automotive efforts to plan to produce a self-driving vehicle powered by lithium iron phosphate batteries in 2024.

– Follow all developments on Wall Street in real time with CNBC Pro’s live market blog. Find out about the latest pandemics on our coronavirus blog.

Russia celebrates that Trump “burned the USA” on his method out

If there was any doubt that the filthy Don Trump was a gigantic asset in Vladimir Putin’s attempt to harm the Western world, especially the United States, the Russian media this week confirmed what every sane American already knew was a fact. Trump was Russia’s candidate, and despite being a loser, Russians celebrate that he “burned the United States” on his way out of office.

Last week, after the electoral college confirmed that Trump was defeated in last month’s general election, Russian President Vladimir Putin finally sent a congratulatory message to President-elect Joe Biden. As the Russian media noted, Putin was the very last leader of a G20 nation to acknowledge that Trump is a loser. However, Putin recognized Trump’s loss to “Moscow” Mitch McConnell.

According to an article in the Daily Beast, Russian lawmakers, TV presenters and experts have recognized that Trump is “our candidate” and are delighted with the damage Trump has done over four years. Damage that the Russians are extremely happy about.

Russian media gleefully described Trump as “our candidate Trump”, “our friend Donald”, “our grandpa” and “poor, poor Trump”. Although Russian state television eventually admitted Trump was a loser, they also saw a positive side to Trump’s “four year reign”.

For example, Karen Shakhnozoarov, CEO of Mosfilm Studio and an expert on Russian state television, was delighted with Trump’s damage to the American electoral and political system. Ms. Shakhnozoarov also admitted that Trump had successfully completed his “mission to destroy the United States’ political system”.

The director of the International Institute of Newly Established States, Alexi Martynov, is a well-known Russian political expert who noted that Trump, with the help of the GOP, “burned the reputation of US institutions” during these elections.

Mr. Martynov’s assessment was fully supported by the host of the Russian 60-minute program. Sergey Strokan said:

“He [Trump] discredits the American electoral system. Let’s be happy about that. I definitely am. The worse for them, the better for us. “

Evgeny Popov, the co-host of 60 minutes, weighed on a map of America during the broadcast, showing states that support Trump’s attempt to overthrow a legal and fair election in order to stay in office. Mr. Popov said:

“Just look at this card, it’s a real beauty. Exactly half of the country, divided. America is divided! “

Apparently, Russians are most proud of their puppet for “fueling racial tensions to sow discord in American society”. According to the Russian media, Trump’s incessant insults against people of color and defamation of immigrants with the silent approval of Republicans “worked even better than the Kremilin’s most successful operations.”

As noted in the article, “creating racial tensions has long been one of the Kremlin’s preferred methods of sowing discord in American society.” A fact that was confirmed in Robert Mueller’s report on the interference in the Russian elections, which was noted by the American intelligence community and finalized by the US Senate.

For any American with a pulse and not keen on Trump, none of this information is illuminating and shocking, yes, but nothing that most observers haven’t already suspected. However, it is astonishing that the official Russian state media did not try to hide exactly what many already believed in. Trump is a Russian asset, and he actually included everything Putin wanted in every Trump administration policy. Even so, there are tens of millions of Trump acolytes who might not care that Trump putin’s command for the sole purpose of destroying American society, its once-lauded reputation in the world, and creating a divide among Americans that has not been there since was seen wielding the civil war.

If anyone wondered why Trump and his Republican mediators installed cabinet-level abuses that in the past tried to destroy the agencies they ran, it was not a conspiracy theory that he wanted to decimate every American institution created to serve the people and protect them.

Some may rightly believe that Trump’s only reason to even seek the White House was to pollute the nation, and it is certainly true. Given that Russia is celebrating the fact that Trump has destabilized America’s political system and created an atmosphere in its substantial base in which America’s democratic system of governance is turned against them, no conscious person can believe anything other than serving Russia’s interests , Trump’s secondary objective actually burned America during his four-year reign and when he was sent to pack. – exactly as Vladimir Putin intended.

Audio engineer and trainer for SAE. Posted a comment that supports the secular humanist cause and exposes the oppression of women, the poor and minorities. An advocate of religious freedom and especially freedom without religion.

Born in the South, raised in the Midwest and California for a comprehensive overview of America. it does not look good

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ASAP Rocky and Rihanna found holding palms in Barbados (photographs)

Rihanna and ASAP Rocky together

Roommate, it’s holiday season and although social media is flooded with gifts and Christmas cheer, Rihanna and ASAP Rocky have switched gears and slapped Barbados on a baecation! On Christmas Eve, ASAP Rocky and Rih were seen holding hands as they walked towards a yacht awaiting the rest of Rih’s family. If you remember, we reported exclusively a few weeks ago that the two love birds were spotted together in New York City and were out for a walk in the evening. Although this seemed like the start of their budding romance, they quickly got ready to meet the family part!

About backgrid

More pictures of ASAP and Rihanna online with their family enjoyed their time together, but this holding hands attitude definitely shows that they are a couple. Rihanna has yet to address her relationship with ASAP, but the two are known to have chemistry. Check out a recent interview with GQ magazine where they interviewed each other about their facial routines. See below:

As we reported, Rihanna quietly parted ways with her billionaire Hassan Jameel earlier this year. While we still don’t really know why they decided to split up, it’s obvious that Sister moved on! It looks like we have Fenty makeup, Fenty skin, Fenty Savage, and now we have a whole Fenty relationship, but NO music YET! At this point, it seems more likely for Rih to walk down the aisle before we get another music project. Still, I wish her and ASAP Rocky the best!

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The antibody injection from Sorrento Therapeutics, nasal drops in opposition to Covid

Medical worker Christina Mathers attends to an unconscious patient who is holding the patient’s hand in the COVID-19 intensive care unit at the United Memorial Medical Center in Houston, Texas on December 21, 2020.

Go Nakamura | Getty Images

Sorrento Therapeutics is working on new antibody therapeutics that it hopes will be a game changer in the fight against Covid-19.

The company recently won a $ 34 million contract from DARPA, co-funded by JPEO, to develop an intramuscular injection that delivers gene-encoded neutralizing antibodies to Covid-19 and its variant strains. The award was given to Sorrento’s wholly owned subsidiary SmartPharm Therapeutics and will fund development through a Phase 2 clinical trial.

It is hoped that the injection could provide rapid protection against and / or treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infections and Covid-19 so that patients can produce their own protective antibodies within days of receiving the injection. Sorrento will apply for additional funding to support the program pending successful clinical trials.

The company has begun manufacturing the neutralizing antibody STI-2020 in protein form to produce 100,000 doses, which are expected to be available early next year, pending emergency approval by the FDA.

If successful, the new antibody-encoded plasmid DNA injection could provide an alternative method of protecting populations for months or more. It can be an important therapeutic for people for whom vaccines do not work as well as the elderly or immunocompromised.

The injection is a formulation of the highly effective SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody STI-2020. The company said it could potentially be stored at refrigerator temperatures to avoid some of the cold chain management challenges associated with the use of Pfid-19 vaccines currently being developed, such as the first Pfizer-BioNTech approved in the US.

At the same time, the company has submitted a new drug application to the FDA for a clinical phase 1 study to test the safety and effectiveness of COVI-DROPS. Antibody nasal drops are said to boost immunity to Covid-19 by blocking the infection and spreading the virus. The intranasal drops are a formulation of the antibody STI-2099. In previous animal studies, COVI-DROPS reduced the severity of the disease and shortened the duration of the disease in infected hamsters.

Dr. Slobodan Paessler, Scientific Director of Animal Biosafety Laboratory 3 at the University of Texas Medical Department, has been researching antibodies from Sorrento Therapeutics in hamsters since March to find product candidates. As a molecular virologist, his laboratory is known for conducting research on viral pathogenesis, vaccine development, and developing animal models to test new vaccine candidates and antiviral drugs.

“My studies have shown that hamsters infected with the Covid-19 virus develop severe lung and nasal infections, but when treated with COVI-DROPS it prevents all tissue damage and signs of the disease. It’s an exciting one Discovery and Sorrento have a right to be hopeful, “he said.

“When you think about how such a nasal drop can enable a patient to treat themselves at home, you can see the tremendous benefit.”

If tests are approved in human patients and the drops prove effective, therapy may one day mark a turning point in treatment for the coronavirus that has killed 322,611 Americans to date. There are currently over 18 million cases in the United States, and an average of more than 200,000 Americans are diagnosed with Covid-19 every day, according to John Hopkins University.

Possible antibody treatments in development

Dr. Henry Ji, Chairman and CEO of Sorrento Therapeutics, said, “Our research so far has shown that COVI-DROPS work within 24 hours. The antibodies neutralize viral infection of susceptible cells in the nasal passages and along the airways.”

Upcoming studies will show how many months of protection it could provide from a single dose, and therefore complement approved vaccines.

Dr. Henry Ji, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, stands in the Sorrento Therapeutics laboratory in San Diego, California on May 22, 2020.

Ariana Drehsler | AFP | Getty Images

The reason for both Sorrento’s therapies could be a game changer as existing antibody treatments are expensive and difficult for states to administer. They require an intravenous infusion, which requires patients to go to health centers. However, because they are likely to be contagious, existing IV facilities, such as patients receiving chemotherapy, cannot be used. They must also be given early in the course of the disease – within 10 days of the onset of symptoms – and not when patients are so sick that they are hospitalized.

Moncef Slaoui, chief scientific adviser to Operation Warp Speed ​​of the US government, told CNBC’s Squawk Box last week that the federal government is distributing about 65,000 doses of antibody drugs from Eli Lilly and Regeneron to states every week. But only 5% to 20% of the doses are given to patients. As he explained, it is a challenge for some health systems to set up the infrastructure for the delivery of these drugs.

Companies developing similar antibody therapies include Auris Medical, Eli Lilly, and Regeneron. The nasal mucous membrane is the first barrier against continuously inhaled substances such as allergens and pathogens.

Scientists from the University of Pennsylvania and the biotech company Regeneron are investigating whether the technology developed for gene therapy can be used to manufacture a nasal spray that prevents infection with the new coronavirus.

Regeneron’s antibodies are in clinical trials themselves but have received emergency approval for use in patients with mild or moderate Covid-19 who are at high risk of serious illness – and which have recently been used to treat President Donald Trump in particular.

The researchers hope the nasal spray will be injected through the nostrils, enter the nasal epithelial cells, and hijack their protein-making machinery so that they can make Regeneron’s antibodies.

In Europe, researchers from the University of Birmingham, UK, already announced in November The team at the Healthcare Technologies Institute developed the product using compounds that have already been approved by regulatory agencies in the UK, Europe and the US. This suggests that they are safe for humans.

In response to official sources, investigators are investigating greater than 500 leads in bombings in Nashville

Debris lies on the street near an explosion site in the Second and Commerce area of ​​Nashville, Tennessee, the United States, on December 25, 2020.

Elliott Anderson | via Reuters

Investigators received more than 500 tips about the Christmas morning explosion in Nashville, but failed to establish the bomber’s identity, officials said on Saturday afternoon.

Local law enforcement agencies are working with federal agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, to investigate the explosion site, which includes dozens of companies across the city.

“This is where we are in this investigation. We continue to follow every lead we have, and we will continue to do so until we find out what happened,” said Don Cochran, the US attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee.

The explosion in downtown Nashville early Christmas morning shattered the windows and shut down communications. Authorities said they believe the explosion was intentional and came from a motor home parked on the street.

According to the FBI, the RV arrived in the area just after 1 a.m. local time, and the explosion occurred around 5:30 a.m. A warning to residents in the area to evacuate from the RV before the explosion.

Doug Korneski, the FBI’s special agent in charge of the Memphis Field Office, said Saturday there was no evidence of an ongoing bomb threat in the area. When asked about reports that investigators have identified a person of interest to the case, Korneski said the investigation was still examining several people.

NBC News reported, citing several senior law enforcement officers, that investigators in connection with the bombing ransacked the home of 63-year-old Anthony Quinn Warner. A Google Streetview image of Warner’s Antioch, Tennessee address shows a RV that matches the description of the vehicle that exploded Friday morning.

Metro Nashville police chief John Drake said Friday that there were no known deaths from the explosion, although police were testing tissue found at the scene to see if it could be human remains, according to NBC News. Korneski said investigators are still examining the tissue.

Nashville Mayor John Cooper has imposed a curfew on part of downtown, which will last until Sunday afternoon. Federal regulators briefly suspended flights into the city on Friday as the investigation began.

Social media users reported problems with phone and internet services in Nashville after the explosion. AT&T announced on Saturday morning that portable cellular sites will be deployed in the area to quickly restore coverage.