1. S&P 500 and Dow set to open lower this weekTraders work at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on August 4, 2021. ReutersS&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average indicated lower open levels for benchmark indexes in the week ahead. Dow futures fell 0.2% or 81 points. This indicates a drop of 83 points in the 30-stock index. S&P 500 futures fell 0.1% in the opening. The tech-heavy benchmark saw marginal gains in the Nasdaq 100 futures. Wall Street ended last week on a high note, as the Dow notched a record closing high on the back of a stronger-than-expected U.S. jobs report. The Federal Reserve could start to reduce its massive bond-buying program as signs of the economy improving at a rapid pace, which could put pressure on the market.2. Judge orders Norwegian Cruise Line to require Florida residents to provide proof of Covid vaccination.The Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. Norwegian Bliss cruise ship docks at the Ogden Point Cruise Terminal, British Columbia, Canada. BloombergNorwegian Cruise Line announced that a federal judge has granted temporary injunction to a Florida law prohibiting businesses from asking customers to present proof of vaccination against Covid-19. Norwegian Cruise Line can now require that passengers show proof of vaccination against the virus. This ruling comes just as the Norwegian Gem cruise departs Miami on Sunday. This will be the first time the company has left Florida since the outbreak. As the highly contagious delta variant of Covid spreads across the country, new Covid cases are on the rise in the U.S.3. Operating earnings at Berkshire Hathaway jump 21%Warren Buffett attends Berkshire Hathaway’s annual meeting in Los Angeles, California. May 1, 2021. Gerard Miller | CNBCWarren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway reported an operating profit of $6.69 Billion for the second quarter. This represents a 21% increase over the previous year. These results were largely due to Berkshire's railroads and utilities seeing an increase in earnings of more than 27%, or $2.26 billion. Other businesses such as homebuilders also saw improvement for the conglomerate. Berkshire admitted that its second quarter numbers are impressive, despite the fact that they have recovered from a low base during the pandemic. Berkshire also stated that it was impossible to predict the extent of the effects on longer periods.4. According to epidemiologist, the covid pandemic is not over.Courtney Herron and Kim Dimaunahan (RN), are working in the Little Company of Mary Medical Center's covid unit Friday, July 30, 2021, in Torrance, CA. Francine Orr | Los Angeles Times | Getty ImagesAccording to Dr. Larry Brilliant, the world has much more work to do before the Covid pandemic ends. Only a small percentage of the global population have been vaccinated against this virus. Brilliant, who was part of the World Health Organization team that eradicated smallpox, said that "I think that we're closer towards the beginning than we're to the end [of this pandemic]." There will always be new variants if we don't vaccinate everyone living in more than 200 countries. Brilliant said that the delta variant could be "the most contagious viral disease" in history.5. PSG offers Lionel Messi two-year contract, according to reportsLionel Messi attends an emotional FC Barcelona press conference. REUTERS
