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Russian junior hockey player Timur Faizutdinov died on Tuesday at age 19 after being struck in head by a puck during a game. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

Russian junior hockey player Timur Faizutdinov has died after being hit in the head by a puck during a game. He was 19.

According to the Associated Press, the hit happened on Friday when Faizutdinov, a defenseman for Dynamo St. Petersburg's junior team, was on the ice during a playoff game against Loko Yaroslavl. An opposing player struck the puck, and Faizutdinov strayed into its path. He immediately began clutching his head.

Faizutdinov collapsed on the ice, where the team doctor and several paramedics treated him. He was then taken to a hospital in the city of Yaroslavl.

Via the Associated Press, the Junior Hockey League said that "doctors fought for Timur's life over the course of three days," but were unable to save him. He died on Tuesday.

For the rest of the month, Junior Hockey League and Kontinental Hockey League games will begin with a moment of silence to honor Faizutdinov, who had been named captain of Dynamo at the start of the season. Dynamo and Loko, the other team involved in Friday's game, started their most recent game by honoring their fallen teammate.

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Russian hockey player Timur Faizutdinov dies at 19 after being hit in the head by a puck - Yahoo Sports

Last week, all the living former U.S. presidents, Democratic and Republican, joined together for an ad campaign touting the safety and effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccines except Donald Trump.

At the same time, a new Yahoo News/YouGov poll found that a full 50 percent of unvaccinated 2020 Trump voters now say they will never get vaccinated for COVID-19, up 6 percent from last month.

According to the survey of 1,629 U.S. adults, which was conducted March 4-8, no other unvaccinated group is nearly as likely to say they will never get inoculated: not Biden supporters (8 percent), not Black Americans (33 percent) and not Hispanic Americans (22 percent), all of whom have moved in the opposite direction and become less hesitant over time.

Asked Monday if President Biden want[s] to see President Trump who is also the only president who chose to keep his own vaccination private help persuade his supporters by getting involved in this messaging, White House press secretary Jen Psaki did not mince words.

Well, if former President Trump woke up tomorrow and wanted to be more vocal about the safety and efficacy of the vaccine, certainly wed support that, Psaki said. Every other living former president ... has participated in public campaigns. They did not need an engraved invitation to do so.

The growing concerns about Trumps lack of involvement in Americas vaccination campaign underscore a looming challenge for the Biden administration: how to ensure that vaccines dont become the latest public-health precaution to fall prey to partisanship and polarization, much like masks before them.

In recent days, the White House has begun to publicly acknowledge that it might have trouble reaching conservatives, who could become even more hesitant the harder Democrats push. We recognize as a Democratic administration with a Democratic president that we may not be the most effective messenger to communicate with hard-core supporters of the former president, Psaki said at Fridays press briefing when Yahoo News asked about the administrations plans. We have to be clear-eyed about that.

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But according to a source familiar with the White Houses plans to address vaccine hesitancy among conservatives, who was granted anonymity to discuss strategy, Team Biden is still finalizing plans on who to enlist in that effort.

By nearly every measure, Americas COVID-19 vaccine rollout is rapidly improving. All of the available data from clinical trials and real-world studies has shown the approved vaccines are safe and extremely effective. The U.S. is now administering an average of 2.4 million doses each day, up from 900,000 a day when Biden took office; 21 percent of the population has received at least one shot, which ranks among the highest rates in the world. All told, the U.S. has administered more than 107 million doses to date, nearly a third of the global total given so far. By May, Biden announced last week, providers will have enough supply to vaccinate every adult in America.

But theres a problem, or there will be soon: Not every adult in America plans to get vaccinated particularly the adults who identify as Republicans. In order to end the pandemic and resume normal life, experts say, the U.S. needs to maximize the number of people it inoculates. Yet while vaccine acceptance in general is rising as the rollout gains steam, hesitancy among Republicans is actually hardening. In fact, demand for the vaccines may already be waning in conservative states such as Alabama, South Carolina and Louisiana.

According to the Yahoo News/YouGov poll, most Americans (54 percent) say theyve either gotten vaccinated (22 percent) or plan to get vaccinated in the future (32 percent). Nearly three-quarters of Democrats (74 percent) say the same. But even though Democrats (28 percent) and Republicans (26 percent) say theyve already gotten jabbed in roughly equal numbers, the share of Republicans who are currently unvaccinated and plan to remain that way (35 percent) is three times as large as the corresponding share of Democrats (just 12 percent).

A nurse gives the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to a man in Seattle on Saturday. (Jason Redmond/AFP via Getty Images)

The combined number of Americans who plan to forgo vaccination means that tens of millions of citizens may be helping to undermine U.S. progress toward herd immunity, lengthening the pandemic and leaving the country vulnerable to future outbreaks. Thats why convincing the skeptics to do otherwise is so important.

Over the weekend, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nations top infectious disease expert, said it would be a game changer if Trump used his incredible influence among Republicans to help reach a demographic that Biden may not be able to reach alone.

If he came out and said, Go and get vaccinated. Its really important for your health, the health of your family and the health of the country, it seems absolutely inevitable that the vast majority of people who are his close followers would listen to him, Fauci told Fox News Sunday.

So far, Trump has limited his promotion of COVID-19 vaccines to a single public quip.

So everybody, go get your shot, Trump said during his Feb. 28 speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference.

John Bridgeland, co-founder of the Covid Collaborative, a coronavirus education initiative that co-created the recently released presidential PSA, agreed in an interview with Yahoo News that Trump could help much more than that.

If President Trump were to convey to his supporters that the vaccine is safe and effective, that he played a key role and his administration played a key role in moving this vaccine in record time, and that trials showed safety and efficacy, and that he himself and the first lady got the vaccine, that will help improve the larger context in which people are making their individual decisions as to whether to get vaccinated, said Bridgeland, who served as domestic policy chief under former President George W. Bush.

Yet Bridgeland added that engaging with local leaders is just as important as nurturing national atmospherics when trying to persuade hesitant communities.

At one level, creating the atmospherics, the larger context, thats an environment that is more conducive to people getting the shot, Bridgeland explained. Then [we have to get] extremely local with doctors, nurses, pharmacists, faith-based leaders places that have direct trusted influence on these millions of Americans that are going to make an individual choice that will help us get to herd immunity or not.

Its unclear if the White House has reached out directly to Trumps team; Psaki dodged a question on the subject at Fridays briefing, and the current administration has been reluctant to credit or communicate with Bidens predecessor. Equally unclear is whether the norm-busting Trump would even agree to participate in such a campaign.

Yet Trump probably shouldnt expect an engraved invitation anytime soon. The White House source told Yahoo News that officials there are basing their strategy in part on findings by veteran Republican pollster Frank Luntz, who recently published data in the Washington Post showing that hesitant conservatives trust local health officials far more than national politicians, Trump included. Likewise, the Biden administration has been working with outside groups such as Bridgelands to identify leaders who might sway conservatives.

According to the Post, the 19 participants in Luntzs focus group blamed their hesitation on factors like the unknown long-term effects of new vaccines and accused politicians and government scientists of repeatedly misleading them this past year often echoing Trumps charges that Democrats used the virus as an election-year weapon and overhyped its dangers.

The participants rejected direct efforts by prominent Republican politicians (including House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy) to persuade them, adding they would trust their spouse or doctor more than Trump. Instead, the group responded positively to apolitical, data-driven pitches from Tom Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention under President Barack Obama, who emphasized that it took two decades of research to develop the vaccine and that nearly every doctor who has been offered a dose has accepted it.

Asked Monday how he planned to reach reluctant Republicans, Biden sounded as if hed been briefed on Luntzs findings. I discussed it with my team, and they say the thing that has more impact than anything Trump would say to MAGA folks is what the local doctor, what the local preacher, what the local people in the community say, Biden explained. I urge all local docs and ministers and priests to talk about why it is important to get that vaccine.

Initially Psaki seemed to be caught off guard when asked Friday about hesitancy among Republicans, redirecting her response toward nonwhite communities hard-hit by the virus and neglecting to reveal specifics about conservative outreach.

Asked again Monday afternoon, however, Psaki offered up a more substantive framework a sign that Bidens effort to reach conservatives is finally ramping up.

The new focus on hesitant Republicans comes as the West Wing becomes increasingly confident in its vaccine rollout. To help deliver an accurate message about vaccine safety and efficacy to conservative communities, the White House has already partnered with groups such as the National Rural Health Association, the National Farmers Union, NTCA - the Rural Broadband Association, the Country Music Association Awards and NASCAR.

Former President Donald Trump at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando on Feb. 28. (Elijah Nouvelage/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Bridgelands group which has met weekly with Biden staffers since the transition began in December and works closely with key members of the White House COVID team is co-chaired by several bipartisan bigwigs, such as former George W. Bush administration staffer and Idaho Sen. Dirk Kempthorne, Democratic presidential candidate Deval Patrick, former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, former Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a Trump ally.

Christies vaccine advocacy was particularly effective with Luntzs focus group not chiefly because of his proximity to the former president but rather because of his personal experience attending a superspreader event at the White House and subsequently spending a week in an intensive care unit with COVID-19.

We really shouldnt be all marching in lockstep like lemmings to go and do what the government tells us to do, the former two-term governor told Luntzs focus group, according to the Post. Theyve screwed up too many times for us to do that. But I really do believe the facts that Ive learned, and the experiences Ive had, should make at least everybody ... think hard about getting vaccinated.

According to Bridgeland, stories like Christies are so critical to get. In the coming weeks, Psaki said Monday, Americans should expect earned media partnerships with trusted messengers as part of a big public campaign run out of HHS with funding from Bidens recently passed $1.9 trillion stimulus package.

According to the White House source familiar with operations, Bidens team sees Dr. Francis Collins, the geneticist and devout Christian who leads the National Institutes of Health, as a significant asset. In 2009, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Collins a member of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, and he frequently appears on faith-based outlets such as the Christian Broadcasting Network. On Tuesday, Collins and Fauci will meet with evangelical leaders at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C.

President Biden in the State Dining Room of the White House on Monday. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

The same source adds that the White Houses health equity task force is intimately engaged with vaccine-hesitant communities and is developing specific plans to reach religious and rural Americans.

With vaccine eligibility and availability set to skyrocket in the weeks ahead, one of Bidens biggest challenges will be ensuring that the pace of vaccination particularly on the right keeps up.

The presidents goal is to vaccinate all Americans, not just those who voted for him, Psaki said Monday. Right now, the phase were in is that demand for the vaccine still outstrips supply. We wont be in that phase forever.

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Poll: 50% of unvaccinated Trump voters say they will 'never' get inoculated for COVID. How Biden hopes to change their minds. - Yahoo News

(Bloomberg) --

Oil plunged by 7%, the most since September, as vaccination efforts in some parts of the world stalled, casting uncertainty over the speed of an economic recovery and a full rebound in global oil demand.

West Texas Intermediate crude futures declined for a fifth session, the longest stretch of daily losses in more than a year. China lifting less crude and U.S. Gulf Coast refineries still recovering from a cold blast last month have put short-term pressure on physical oil demand. Meanwhile, some efforts to distribute Covid-19 vaccines have faltered and a stronger dollar is reducing the appeal of commodities priced in the currency.

The collapse in prices has wiped out more than two weeks of gains for the U.S. benchmark crude and represents a setback for a market that has otherwise staged a remarkable recovery since the depths of the pandemic. Oil futures are still up well over 20% since the start of the year with the worlds largest oil producers reining in supply and travel around the world recovering post-lockdowns.

Short-term supply and demand considerations are temporarily casting a shadow over the bright future that is likely to arrive in the third quarter of the year, said Tamas Varga, an analyst at PVM Oil Associates Ltd.

Global benchmark Brent also notched considerable losses, falling by the most since June on Thursday. Oils move lower may also be linked to some unwinding of long positions by commodity trading advisors as daily price gains or losses of more than 3% can often trigger funds to quickly unload. This is a risk-off moment with some of the cyclical trades, said Rob Haworth, senior investment strategist at U.S. Bank Wealth Management.

Beyond headline prices, crudes closest timespreads are signaling that, despite the outlook for a longer-term recovery, near-term demand remains fragile. WTIs front-month contract is trading at a discount again to the following month, while Brents backwardation -- a bullish structure signaling tighter supplies -- is weakening.

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The plunge is all about the demand outlook, said Edward Moya, senior market analyst at Oanda Corp. This will be a temporary retreat, but the concern is that we dont have any strong signs that Europe is about to turn the corner here.

The global recovery from the pandemic remains uneven. In Brazil, Covid-19 cases are expanding by record numbers and crimping activity, while in the U.K., delayed shipments of AstraZeneca Plcs vaccine will cut supply this month.

Demand hasnt gotten as far back to normal as we expected, with the vaccine news out of Europe definitely concerning in terms of short-term demand, said Michael Lynch, president of Strategic Energy & Economic Research. Thats making people think that the time for $70 Brent has not yet come.

(An earlier version corrected the lead to say oils decline was the biggest since September.)

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Oil Falls By Most in 6 Months as Recovery Falters - Yahoo Finance

Denis Shapovalov (pictured) has hit out at the prize money on the ATP Tour as Covid-19 continues to impact tennis. (Getty Images)

Denis Shapovalov has spoken out about a looming tennis crisis after pointing out the prize money for ATP 250 and 500 events has hit a critical low.

The ATP and WTA were hit hard during the coronavirus pandemic as tournaments were called off and revenue dipped as many players opted to travel only for Grand Slams.

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Canadian Shapovalov attempted to address the issue at the Dubai Open after a big announcement this week.

Following his quarter-final win over Jeremy Chardy at the Dubai Open, where he hasn't dropped a game on serve, the in-form World No.12 talked about the whopping drop in prize money.

The Miami Masters just announced a huge 66 per cent (approximately) reduction in the prize pool for the up-coming tournament.

The Miami Open winner will take home $310,000 in prize money in 2020, compared to in 2019 when Roger Federer took home roughly $1.35 million.

Prize money isn't the only issue, with big names such as Rafael Nadal, Federer, Nick Kyrgios and Dominic Thiem all absent for various reasons.

Shapovalov said if prize money remains low, players may opt to just play Grand Slams due to the hassle and risk of travelling.

"I definitely think there's going to be a lot of withdrawals and a lot of people not going to tournaments," Shapovalov said.

"I do agree the prize money is low, and it's not motivating to play every week, and play all the big tournaments. There's not really a lot in it for us other than the Slams at this point, that are paying just as much or better."

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The Canadian said he hoped the ATP take action so players have more incentive to attend tournaments outside the majors.

"Hopefully the ATP or someone can do something to improve the prize money and bring it back to what it was," he added.

"But it is what it is right now, you know. So we have other obligations from sponsors, contracts that obligate us to play as well.

Denis Shapovalov celebrates a point in his Quarter-Final singles match against Jeremy Chardy of France during Day Twelve of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships at Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium on March 18, 2021 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Francois Nel/Getty Images)

"So for sure, that's definitely one reason why a lot of players are still playing, because otherwise, I feel like a lot of players just dont want to play at all."

This isn't the only issue raised as the Covid-19 pandemic continues to hurt tennis.

Recently, Mexican Open tournament director Raul Zurutuza claimed Federer had a deal with Dubai - which means he has never played in Accapulco - and hoped more of its kind would 'never repeated' so big name players can visit multiple events.

Furthermore, Zurutuza admitted the tournament didn't have the money to pay Nadal his appearance fee, despite the Spaniard being defending champion.

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The tournament director at the Mexican Open has hit out at contracts like Roger Federer's (pictured), which ties him to the Dubai Open. (Getty Images)

The tournament director of the Mexican Open has hit out Roger Federer and his involvement with the Dubai Open after never appearing at the Acapulco event.

Federer has always played the Dubai Open when he is available, never appearing in Mexico.

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This means the 20-time Grand Slam champ can't appear at Acapulco due to the tournaments occurring at the same time of year.

Not being able to draw the biggest names obviously impacts the marketability of ATP 250 and 500 events.

The Swiss maestro has won the Dubai tournament eight times - missing it six times - but will be unavailable this year.

Despite Rafael Nadal often visiting the Mexican event and boosting its prestige, Federer withdrew from Dubai after resting following his return to the ATP Tour in Doha.

Tournament director Raul Zurutuza claimed Federer had a deal with Dubai and hoped more of its kind would 'never repeated' so big name players can visit multiple events.

There are many players that one as a manager would like to have, the truth is we talk a lot with their representative, Zurutuza said at a pre-event press conference.

Roger Federer poses with the winners trophy after victory during day fourteen of the Dubai Duty Free Championships at Tennis Stadium on March 02, 2019 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Francois Nel/Getty Images)

I have seen him (Stefanos Tsitsipas) happy, I received him at the airport, he is a super relaxed guy. I hope he falls in love with Mexico and stays with all due respect to Dubai.

That story of Roger (Federer) who never came to Mexico because of the Dubai issue, I hope it will never be repeated with another player.

It is important that each player can be in as many tournaments as possible.

Tsitsipas arrived well, he trained and it is interesting, I think we will have good things with him.

Nadal announced that he had pulled out of the Rotterdam Open due to the back injury, which has troubled the 20-time grand slam this year.

But early reports suggested Nadal had also withdrawn from Acapulco, where he is the defending champion, with speculation the competition was unable to match his appearance fee.

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Tournament director Raul Zurutuza has confirmed the competition didn't have the money to attract the Spaniard.

But Zurutuza said the tournament would go on without the Spaniard, despite him being missed, and other big names such as Tsitsipas gave the tournament weight.

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'Never repeated': Roger Federer caught in tennis tug-of-war - Yahoo Sport Australia

There was coincidental symmetry in the NFL announcing a new, streaming-enhanced broadcast package on the same day the NCAA mens tournament began. Why? Because where the NCAA tournament is now, the NFL will be soon.

The early rounds of the tourney are famous (or infuriating, depending on your point of view) for the mad, nationwide scramble to figure out where the hell TruTV is. Its a case of careful-what-you-wish-for. Yes, its great to have the opportunity to see every single game live if you want to, but the tradeoff is that you have to navigate through a thicket of broadcast options and, before long, subscription streaming services.

The NFLs new 11-year, $100 billion-with-a-B broadcast rights package is a reaffirmation of the standing order and a complete break with tradition. Yes, all your favorite stalwarts Fox, NBC, CBS, ESPN will continue to broadcast the most valuable property on television. Beyond that, a new player Amazon has entered the chat, and the role of streaming services in bringing games to you is going to only increase. Football on your phone was a cute gimmick when the Brothers Manning rapped it back in 2013 but by 2030, its going to be the norm.

(That video still rules, though it appears DirecTV is out of the NFL market under this new deal.)

This new broadcast arrangement isnt aimed at anyone who remembers Howard Cosell. This is meant to capture the people who know Madden only as the name of a video game franchise, not as a broadcaster or coach. The days of knowing exactly where every game will be shown, every week, are coming to a close.

The NFL would undoubtedly prefer to have all its fans watch games only on over-the-air channels. Thats where tradition lies "Monday Night Football" on ABC/ESPN, NFC games on Fox, AFC games on CBS but its also where the most money lies at the moment. Streaming services draw in only a fraction of the eyeballs (and, hence, revenue) of broadcast TV. NFL games regularly dominate ratings, both seasonally and historically. Twenty-nine of the top 30 broadcasts of all time are Super Bowls the "M*A*S*H" finale is still hanging in there and Sunday Night Football has been the top series on TV for the past 10 years running.

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In the NFL, tradition lasts only as long as its profitable. The league began playing football on Monday nights in the 1960s as a way to edge the NFL into competition with scripted TV. Monday Night Football launched in September 1970 and immediately became a broadcast institution appointment television decades before that term was invented.

MNFs ratings suffered in the 2000s, and the franchise moved from ABC onto ESPN to start the 2006 season. That year also marked the debut of Thursday Night Football, as the league expanded its weekly reach further. Its tough to remember now, but the games move to ESPN was met with howls of protest from fans complaining they wouldnt be able to watch games on cable.

Less than a decade later, the league broadcast its first game entirely on the web a Jaguars-Bills London game streamed right here on Yahoo Sports. (It was a fascinating story; heres an in-depth breakdown of how it all came together.) Again, the idea of watching a football game only on the phone or laptop was met with condescension, if not outright derision. Fast-forward to this years Super Bowl, where CBS reported that an average of 5.7 million fans per minute streamed the game, a record by a large margin.

So the future of the NFL is digital, but you already knew that. Thursdays news made it clear, however, that for many games, the future will be only digital. Amazon acquired the exclusive rights to "Thursday Night Football," marking the leagues first all-streaming package. And tucked into the news release was the tidbit that Peacock, NBCs streaming service, will deliver an exclusive feed of a select number of NFL games over the course of the agreement.

What this all means for you, the consumer, is that youre going to need to start signing up for more streaming services and remembering more passwords. Amazon, ESPN+, Paramount+, Peacock, and Tubi all will carry games, some matching the broadcast, some exclusively and if you dont know a Peacock from a Tubi, well, youre going to have to figure it out.

What it also means is that the entire broadcast format of the NFL could change, perhaps slightly, perhaps dramatically. The NFL has already experimented with multiple broadcast teams on a single game. Now imagine a range of Amazon feeds with widely varying broadcasters, from former players to semi-retired broadcasting legends to Gen Z influencers to completely announcer-free booths. Imagine if the concept of a commercial break no longer had any meaning, since broadcasters' revenue would be coming from subscription fees. Imagine a Nickelodeon-style feed, where the game itself is only one part of the total package. Streaming opens up broadcast opportunities that network and cable cant touch, and thats a net benefit for fans.

Big questions loom for the NFL and its many broadcasters: how far down the streaming rabbit hole will fans chase the league? How many fans will sign up for streaming services or, lets be honest, borrow passwords so they can watch a Week 7 Packers-Bears game? Will the weekly challenge of wheres-the-damn-game drive away casual fans, or will it become an endearing scavenger hunt like in the NCAA tournament?

Getting fans trained to jump from service to channel to service is a challenge for 2023 and beyond. For now, lets see if we can figure out where the Gonzaga game is playing.

Football and your phone, made in America. (Photo Illustration by Budrul Chukrut/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

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Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Follow him on Twitter at @jaybusbee or contact him at jay.busbee@yahoo.com.

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Celebrations may be in order for Novavax, Inc. (NASDAQ:NVAX) shareholders, with the analysts delivering a significant upgrade to their statutory estimates for the company. The analysts have sharply increased their revenue numbers, with a view that Novavax will make substantially more sales than they'd previously expected.

Following the upgrade, the current consensus from Novavax's four analysts is for revenues of US$5.0b in 2021 which - if met - would reflect a huge increase on its sales over the past 12 months. Prior to the latest estimates, the analysts were forecasting revenues of US$4.2b in 2021. The consensus has definitely become more optimistic, showing a nice increase in revenue forecasts.

View our latest analysis for Novavax

earnings-and-revenue-growth

Another way we can view these estimates is in the context of the bigger picture, such as how the forecasts stack up against past performance, and whether forecasts are more or less bullish relative to other companies in the industry. It's clear from the latest estimates that Novavax's rate of growth is expected to accelerate meaningfully, with the forecast 9x annualised revenue growth to the end of 2021 noticeably faster than its historical growth of 57% p.a. over the past five years. Compare this with other companies in the same industry, which are forecast to grow their revenue 18% annually. Factoring in the forecast acceleration in revenue, it's pretty clear that Novavax is expected to grow much faster than its industry.

The most important thing to take away from this upgrade is that analysts lifted their revenue estimates for this year. The analysts also expect revenues to grow faster than the wider market. Seeing the dramatic upgrade to this year's forecasts, it might be time to take another look at Novavax.

These earnings upgrades look like a sterling endorsement, but before diving in - you should know that we've spotted 2 potential risk with Novavax, including major dilution from new stock issuance in the past year. For more information, you can click through to our platform to learn more about this and the 1 other risk we've identified .

Another way to search for interesting companies that could be reaching an inflection point is to track whether management are buying or selling, with our free list of growing companies that insiders are buying.

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.

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Analysts Are Betting On Novavax, Inc. (NASDAQ:NVAX) With A Big Upgrade This Week - Yahoo Finance

If Roman Gonzalez were a heavyweight for most of his incredible career and not a flyweight, wed be asking if he is as good as Tyson, Holyfield, Lewis or Louis.

If he were a heavyweight, hed be treated like royalty as opposed to a guy who could stand on Las Vegas Boulevard for an hour and not have a single person recognize him.

But despite his size hes the only fighter in history to have won titles in each of the four lightest weight classes Gonzalez is a giant in the sport of boxing.

He fights Juan Francisco Estrada in a rematch on Saturday at the American Airlines Center in Dallas on DAZN for the WBA and WBC super flyweight titles. Win or lose, hes a first-ballot Hall of Famer.

Hes won 50 of his 52 fights and, with any luck, could have won one of the two he lost. That was a March 18, 2017, bout with Srisaket Sor Rungvisai at Madison Square Garden in New York, in which he dropped a majority decision.

Hes scored 41 knockouts among his 50 wins, but isnt simply a Mike Tyson-esque puncher. This is a brilliant boxer who knows how to break down his opponents and, even at the advanced age of 33 for a super flyweight, gets better as the fights wear on.

The question isnt whether hes a Hall of Famer or whether hes the best fighter 115 pounds or under in boxing history.

No, its pretty clear given his record, his performance and his quality of opposition that Gonzalez is one of the 25 greatest fighters who ever lived.

Roman Gonzalez, left, punches Moises Fuentes during their bantamweight boxing match Sept. 15, 2018, in Las Vegas. Gonzalez won by TKO. (AP Photo/Isaac Brekken)

To see him fight is a privilege. To see him in a significant fight in a rematch against a longtime rival like Estrada is something that anyone who calls himself or herself a boxing fan couldnt possibly miss.

Gonzalez is all but unknown among American sports fans and is only marginally better known among boxing fans in this country.

Hes a humble, unassuming guy who doesnt care to promote himself. But as he nears the end of a legendary career, hes finally getting the accolades he should have gotten years ago.

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Its not like he cares, though. He doesnt.

I consider myself a man whos done the best that I could, Gonzalez said. I had difficult times growing up, but in the end, it worked out well. Life has taught me a lot of things, and I learned. And I feel and think that Ive already conquered many things in boxing. What comes now with this title is just extra.

I never imagined myself getting to where I am now. But wow, it is still hard. It costs me because I train the right way. I do things the way they should be done. But I like it. And its what let me help my family, help my kids. But I dont complain because I thank God for where I am now.

Estrada is favored at BetMGM at -170, while Gonzalez is +140. Estrada himself is a future Hall of Famer and is three years younger than Gonzalez.

Estrada is at his peak now, but its difficult to say that Gonzalez is on the decline. His only losses were back-to-back to Rungvisai. He lost a majority decision to Rungvisai in the first bout, one that many media at ringside, including Yahoo Sports, felt Gonzalez had won. Rungvisai decisively won the rematch, knocking him out in the fourth round on Sept. 9, 2017.

Rungvisai defeated Estrada by majority decision on Feb. 24, 2018, but Estrada came back to win the rematch on April 26, 2019, by unanimous decision.

It would be a monumental victory for Gonzalez if he can win, and though hes the underdog, hes the kind of guy who performs best when his back is to the wall.

He told the story of how he spent time at his countryman and idol Alexis Arguellos home before a Jan. 20, 2006, bout against Roberto Meza, and he got so relaxed he got dropped in the first round.

It was just his fifth pro fight and Gonzalez was just 18 years old. Getting dropped early could have caused him to lose his composure, but he instead came back to drop Meza three times later in the first.

I always respected all the orders Alexis gave me because hes a three-time champion, Gonzalez said of Arguello, who took his own life in 2009. Its an honor. He was like my father. We were very close. Sometimes, he invited me to his house, and I remember being at his house, eating and I got relaxed, and he dropped me off at my fight. That day was the first time that I got hit hard.

I was scared, but I got up and knocked the guy out. But those are life experiences that I had with him where I learned. Because I think I could not have gotten up after that punch. But due to the conditions, it made me get up again. Alexis was a very demanding person in the gym.

Gonzalez learned those tough lessons, and more, and now as this jockey-sized fighter storms down the backstretch of his career, it would be wise to remember that were not just watching a good, or a great fighter.

We are watching one of the best to have ever done it and realize what a treat this has been.

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One reliable trend in nearly 30 years of NFL free agency is that teams better not go into it looking for a franchise quarterback.

QBs who hit the market are almost always too old, coming off injury, irreparably flawed or, in Kirk Cousins' case, significantly overpaid. Sometimes there's a Peyton Manning or Drew Brees who beat the odds coming off a major injury, but good luck investing in those lottery tickets.

This year is no different. The unrestricted free agents are either backups or gambles, and sometimes both. But there's extra intrigue due to the trade market.

While the carousel might never spin like some hyped in the offseason, it could take just one key trade to set other moves in motion. Since finding a quarterback in free agency is usually a fool's errand, let's combine the quarterbacks who can be free agents along with others who have been involved in trade rumors.

5. Marcus Mariota, Las Vegas Raiders: Mariota played only one game last season, but that's the trick. He looked good replacing an injured Derek Carr in that game against the Chargers, and that was the last impression of him. NFL teams are prone to recency bias, which is why you hear plenty of buzz for Mariota possibly being traded.

4. Sam Darnold, New York Jets: In two months, have you heard one argument for Darnold that didn't center on former head coach Adam Gase being terrible? Gase was a problem, but it's not like Darnold has played well. If you buy Darnold doing well in his second stop that's reasonable, but it's based solely on Gase being a bad coach and not Darnold being a good player (yet).

3. Jimmy Garoppolo, San Francisco 49ers: It seems hard to believe the 49ers will move Garoppolo without securing a replacement, but it's not out of the realm of possibility. For all the criticism of Garoppolo, if the 49ers get a stop on "Jet Chip Wasp," Garoppolo has a Super Bowl ring and those who overrate that would look at him in a totally different light.

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2. Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks: We're still unpacking where the relationship between Wilson and Seattle stands. The Seahawks have always done things differently than other teams and if there's a franchise that could trade an all-time great quarterback in his prime so it can focus on the run game, maybe it's the Seahawks. A no-trade clause limits who can even discuss Wilson with the Seahawks, but if he's traded it would be a seismic move around the NFL.

1. Deshaun Watson, Houston Texans: If Watson gets traded, he'll become the most talented quarterback ever to get dealt anywhere near a prime age. He's fantastic. He wants out of a dysfunctional franchise, and perhaps a team will bowl the Texans over with an offer. To be clear, the Texans would be making a mistake to trade away a quarterback that good. It wouldn't be their first mistake.

Will Deshaun Watson be traded this offseason? (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)

7. Alex Smith, Washington Football Team: Smith was a great story and an easy pick for NFL Comeback Player of the Year. But it's not like Smith played all that well. His days as a preferred starter are likely over. Washington released him last Friday and he could be a great backup and mentor for another team.

6. Andy Dalton: He started poorly for the Cowboys after Dak Prescott's injury before settling into what he'll be the rest of his career: A good, reliable backup who can keep a team afloat for a few weeks. There aren't many available quarterbacks who have three Pro Bowls and are still at a capable age. Dalton is going to fill this role for many years.

5. Cam Newton: What to make of Newton after his 2020 season? He struggled throwing, but he didn't have much to work with on the offense. He became a throwback quarterback, relying far more on his running ability than his arm. Newton threw eight touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Is it possible he's done as a starter? Any team signing him would be gambling on a physical rebound.

4. Mitchell Trubisky: In 2018, Trubisky made a Pro Bowl. It's true. It was due to being an injury replacement, but it still happened. Trubisky didn't continue to develop, but a decent finish to last season could revive hope for the former No. 2 overall pick. There's never a shortage of teams that think they can turn around a high draft pick who failed elsewhere.

3. Ryan Fitzpatrick: The quarterback everyone roots for showed last season he's still capable of some good stretches of play. Fitzpatrick's experience is a big reason he can come off the bench cold and give a team an instant spark (the Don Strock role, for the older football fans out there). He still has at least a year or two left as a capable backup who will resurface during games or on the odd week when the starter is hurt.

2. Jameis Winston: The analysis of Winston typically ignores that he can do some good things. You can't lead the NFL with more than 5,000 passing yards if you can't play. We all know, of course, that the turnovers overshadow any positives. Winston made the shrewd move of signing for practically nothing with the New Orleans Saints, aligning himself as a potential replacement if Drew Brees retires. A return to New Orleans is the most likely outcome for him in free agency, though some team would sign him as a fix for its issues.

1. Dak Prescott (UPDATE: Prescott signed an extension with the Cowboys): Not that anyone was surprised the Cowboys retained Prescott, but on Monday they officially took him off the market by inking him to a four-year, $160 million deal.

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Australia's higher education system remains under threat from researchers working discreetly on behalf of foreign governments, despite authorities being more alert to the problem in recent years.

A parliamentary inquiry into national security risks affecting Australia's higher education system held its first day of public hearings on Thursday as the government continues to grapple with the issue.

Foreign nationals working in Australia's universities and research centres are often targeted in talent recruitment programs, most notably run by the Chinese government, in order to "harvest information" in critical areas of defence technology, cryptography, telecommunications and other critical infrastructure, critics warn.

While international collaboration on research between universities is considered vital, the government ties of some researchers are sometimes "not fully disclosed," says Mr Alex Joske, an analyst of the Chinese Communist Party for the Australian Strategic Policy Institute.

Australian universities are under pressure to protect against foreign threats. Source: AAP

The sector has shored up its vetting processes in the past two years after the US began cracking down on researchers affiliated with the Chinese government at its own universities, he said, but Australian institutions are still catching up to the problem.

Speaking to the parliamentary committee on Thursday Mr Joske urged universities to "strengthen their investigative capabilities" when it comes to academic relationships.

Mr Joske said some instances of fraud, theft, interference and espionage through universities require a strong law enforcement involvement.

He said the threat was coming primarily from China" but there are also concerns from countries like Russia and Iran.

We should be concerned about these activities regardless of which country theyre coming from, he said.

"Recruits are encouraged to transfer technology to China and commercialise it, including technologies with military and security applications," he said in his written submission to the committee earlier this year.

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He pointed to a former University of Queensland professor who provided AI-enabled surveillance technology to authorities in Xinjiang where China is accused of running concentration camps, to highlight the human rights implications of such technology transfer.

Officials from Home Affairs and ASIO (the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation) also fronted the inquiry on Thursday. Home Affair official Marc Ablong said the government was still working out which critical and emerging technologies will incur more rigorous scrutiny when it comes to collaborations with overseas researchers.

"We will be publicly communicating that" he said. "We're not quite there yet."

Acting as Education Minister, Dan Tehan blocked taxpayer grants to top university scientists due to fears over foreign relationships. Source: AAP

Last month The Australian reported that top scientists at Australian universities were denied lucrative research grants when then education minister Dan Tehan stepped in to block their approval over fears about projects that could hand military or economic advantage to foreign adversaries.

Meanwhile the Director-General of Security at ASIO, Mike Burgess, said the scale of foreign interference in universities is higher than at any time since the Cold War. ASIO had 60 engagements with universities in 2020 over the issue, he said.

Controversial University of Queensland (UQ) student Drew Pavlou was also due to front the inquiry on Thursday.

In his written submission, he warned of an "authoritarian creep" happening on Australian campuses due to a growing reliance on Chinese funding and students.

Former University of Queensland student and activist Drew Pavlou and others protest in support of Hong Kong in Brisbane. Source: AAP

"In my experience as a campus human rights activist opposed to Chinese government atrocities, I believe universities like UQ are now so economically dependent on China that they are willing to censor Chinese government critics to safeguard positive ties.

"This authoritarian creep illustrates the insidious danger Chinese state interference poses to our national security and democratic way of life."

The inquiry is due to hand down its findings in July.

Some academics and university officials have expressed concerns an overreaction by Canberra that could impact important research and collaboration across borders.

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