Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence‘s latest film, Don’t Look Up, has yet to debut, but she’s re-teaming with its director, Adam McKay for a new project.
Variety reports Lawrence and McKay will tackle the Theranos scandal, with Lawrence producing and playing the company’s disgraced CEO Elizabeth Holmes. Holmes took Silicon Valley and Wall Street by storm with the invention of a revolutionary blood scanner, only to be exposed as a fraud when it was discovered she knew the machines never worked.
She’s currently on trial.
This project, for Apple Studios and Legendary Pictures will be based on Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist John Carreyrou‘s book Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup.
The scandal is also being turned into a limited Hulu series called The Dropout, starring Amanda Seyfried as Holmes; that project is based on the ABC News Radio podcast of the same name. Seyfried took on the role after Kate McKinnon exited; the SNL star is still producing. The series will also star William H. Macy, Laurie Metcalf, and Sam Waterston, among others.
Don’t Look Up hits theaters December 10, and streams on Netflix December 24.
Garth Brooks may have more Stadium Tour dates up his sleeve.
As Garth continues to roll out shows for 2022, he shared on Inside Studio GMonday night that fans can expect to see additional dates on the Stadium Tour schedule before the end of the year. And while many of the shows have been in the South and Midwest, the superstar suggests his territory may be expanding.
“There’s going to be at least a couple more, including maybe a third one that’s huge for us,” he hints, adding with a laugh, “I can’t imagine the West Coast and the East Coast both getting Christmas presents, but who knows!”
Garth continues to break records with his Stadium Tour, selling more than 70,000 tickets last week to his show at University of Arkansas’ Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville on April 23. He’s also set to play Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on April 30. Tickets for that show go on sale Friday.
The “Callin’ Baton Rouge” singer will conclude the Stadium Tour with five sold-out shows at Croke Park in Dublin, Ireland in September.
Instruments signed by Paul McCartney, Keith Richards and the late Tom Petty are among the interesting items that have been added to a recently announced memorabilia auction benefiting the MusiCares charity scheduled to take place January 30, one day before the 64th annual Grammy Awards ceremony.
The former Beatles icon has donated a signed Hofner violin bass guitar to the auction, which is estimated to fetch from $4,000 to $6,000.
The Rolling Stones legend has contributed an autographed ebony Gibson ES-335 electric guitar to the auction, while an NFT featuring a digital video of Richards signing the instruments also is included. The lot is estimated to bring in between $6,000 and $8,000.
A Gibson ES-355 Bigsby electric/acoustic guitar that Petty signed at the 2017 gala honoring him as MusiCares Person of the Year also is up for bid, along with a copy of the Ultra Deluxe version of Tom’s Wildflowers & All the Rest box set. The lot also is expected to sell for between $6,000 and $8,000.
Also added to the auction is U2 singer Bono‘s handwritten lyrics to his band’s new tune “Your Song Saved My Life,” which will be featured in the upcoming animated film Sing 2 that features Bono voicing one of the characters. The document is expected to sell for between $4,000 and $6,000.
In addition, a signed proof print of an oil painting of Jimi Hendrix by legendary singer/songwriter and 2022 MusiCares Person of the Year Joni Mitchell will be up for bid, valued at $2,000 to $4,000.
MusiCares provides medical, financial and personal assistance to in-need members of the music community. The sale, which is being hosted by Julien’s Auctions, will take place online and in Beverly Hills, California.
(NEW YORK) — Instagram announced a slew of updates on Tuesday that aim to protect teens on the app, in an announcement that notably comes one day before Head of Instagram Adam Mosseri is set to testify before lawmakers on social media’s impact on young users.
Mosseri announced the new features in a company blog post on Tuesday, which includes launching the “Take a Break” feature in the U.S., U.K., Ireland, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
“If someone has been scrolling for a certain amount of time, we’ll ask them to take a break from Instagram and suggest that they set reminders to take more breaks in the future,” Monserri said. “We’ll also show them expert-backed tips to help them reflect and reset.”
Mosseri said they will also be taking a stricter approach to what they recommend to teens on the app via search, explore, hashtags and suggested accounts and will stop people from tagging or mentioning teens that don’t follow them. Instagram will also start nudging teens towards different topics if they’ve been dwelling on one topic for a long time.
“We’ll also be launching our first tools for parents and guardians early next year to help them get more involved in their teen’s experiences on Instagram,” Mosseri said. “Parents and guardians will be able to see how much time their teens spend on Instagram and set time limits. And we’ll have a new educational hub for parents and guardians.”
The first tools for parents and guardians are set to launch in March, and will allow them to view how much time their teens spend on Instagram and set time limits. Teens can also notify their parents if they report someone, which Monserri says can give parents the opportunity to talk with their children about it. The educational hub for parents will also include additional resources like tutorials and tips from experts to help them discuss and understand their teens’ social media use.
“As always, I’m grateful to the experts and researchers who lend us their expertise in critical areas like child development, teen mental health and online safety, and I continue to welcome productive collaboration with lawmakers and policymakers on our shared goal of creating an online world that both benefits and protects many generations to come,” Mosseri said.
The updates come in the wake of a former Facebook employee testifying before lawmakers in October. Whistleblower Frances Haugen alleged blatant disregard from company executives when they learned their platforms could have harmful effects on the mental health of young people.
Documents leaked to the Wall Street Journal by Haugen cited the company’s own internal research said that Instagram made body image worse for 1 in 3 teenage girls.
Mosseri, meanwhile, is scheduled to testify on Wednesday before a Senate panel for a hearing titled “Protecting Kids Online: Instagram and Reforms for Young Users.” The hearing will commence at 2:30 p.m. ET.
(NEW YORK) — As the COVID-19 pandemic has swept the globe, more than 5.2 million people have died from the disease worldwide, including over 790,000 Americans, according to real-time data compiled by Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering.
Just 60% of the population in the United States is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Latest headlines:
-US daily death average surges
-NYC mandating vaccines for all private sector employees
-Man who became one of the 1st omicron cases in US speaks out
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern.
Dec 07, 1:50 pm
Fauci: Omicron ‘almost certainly’ not more severe than delta
Dr. Anthony Fauci on Tuesday told news agency Agence France-Presse that the omicron variant is “almost certainly” not more severe than delta.
He stressed, however, that it is important to not overinterpret early data, as the patients being followed skew younger and are less likely to become hospitalized. Severe illness can take weeks to develop.
“There is some suggestion that it might even be less severe, because when you look at some of the cohorts that are being followed in South Africa, the ratio between the number of infections and the number of hospitalizations seems to be less than with delta,” Fauci said.
He also reiterated that it would take at least several more weeks to understand key questions surrounding omicron’s severity.
Results from labs testing current vaccines against omicron should come in the “next few days to a week,” Fauci said.
ABC News’ Arielle Mitropoulos
Dec 07, 1:30 pm
US daily death average surges
The daily death average in the U.S. has increased to more than 1,150 — up by 57% in the last week, according to federal data.
The U.S. is about 10,000 deaths away from reaching yet another grim milestone of 800,000 Americans lost to COVID-19.
The U.S. is now averaging approximately 103,000 new cases per day, which is a 19% increase in the last week and a 62% jump since late-October, according to federal data.
Minnesota currently holds the country’s highest case rate followed by Vermont and Wisconsin. Puerto Rico, Hawaii and Louisiana have the nation’s lowest infection rate.
ABC News’ Arielle Mitropoulos
Dec 07, 10:27 am
Near pre-pandemic travel volumes expected to continue through December holidays
The TSA screened nearly 21 million travelers during the 10-day Thanksgiving holiday period. Despite new concerns over omicron, the agency expects to see the near pre-pandemic travel volumes continue through the December holidays.
ABC News’ Mina Kaji
Dec 06, 10:26 pm
Omicron detected in Houston’s wastewater, Houston Health Department reports
The omicron variant of the virus that causes COVID-19 has been found in Houston’s wastewater, the Houston Health Department announced Monday night. “The detection is the first indication the new variant is in Houston, although a case has not yet been confirmed in the city,” the department said.
Wastewater samples collected between Nov. 29 and Nov. 30 showed omicron at eight of the city’s 39 wastewater treatment plants, and the genomic sequencing results confirming the variant were received Monday evening.
“The Houston Health Department and Houston Water continue to do an exceptional job tracking the impact of the virus in our community. While no specific case of the Omicron variant has been confirmed in an individual in the city of Houston, we should use this information as a reminder to get fully vaccinated, including a booster shot,” Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said in a statement. “Vaccines help protect us, our loved ones, friends, and colleagues in the work environment. As the holidays approach, I encourage everyone to remain vigilant about their health and safety.”
The health department said it routinely tests the city’s wastewater for COVID-19, including variants, and recently started testing samples for omicron, as “people infected with COVID-19 shed the virus in their feces.”
“The wastewater data helps to more quickly identify emerging outbreaks and hotspots needing interventions to help stop the spread of the virus,” the health department added.
(NEW YORK) — The Biden administration on Tuesday issued a “nationwide call to action” on the maternal health crisis in the United States, which continues to have the highest rate of maternal mortality among developed nations, according to researchers.
Vice President Kamala Harris said in remarks at the White House’s first Maternal Health Day of Action that the call to action is being made to both the public and private sectors.
“This challenge is urgent, and it is important, and it will take all of us,” Harris said, kicking off a summit that convened lawmakers, Cabinet secretaries and celebrities, including Olympian Allyson Felix. “To put it simply, in the United States of America, in the 21st century, being pregnant and giving birth should not carry such great risk.”
“But the truth is, and this is a hard truth, women in our nation are dying before, during and after childbirth,” she said.
Harris announced Tuesday a new initiative in which hospitals across the country will be rated on the quality of their maternal health care and designated as “Birthing-Friendly” hospitals if they meet the criteria.
In addition, Harris said the administration has received pledges from more than 20 companies and nonprofits to invest more than $20 million in maternal health efforts in the U.S. and more than $150 million globally. The organizations supporting the effort range from Uber, Lyft and DoorDash to Pampers, CVS, the March of Dimes, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, according to the White House.
“They have pledged to invest in remote care monitors for rural communities, to invest in innovative care models for the postpartum period, to invest in education programs for maternal health providers and so much more,” she said.
The vice president, who introduced several pieces of legislation on maternal health during her time in the U.S. Senate, also touted the $3 billion investment in maternal health in the Build Back Better Act, which passed the House of Representatives in November but remains stalled in the Senate.
In addition to the $3 billion in funding, one maternal health provision in the legislation includes allowing states to establish “maternal health homes” to coordinate care for people before, during and after birth, according to the White House.
Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, also announced Tuesday that the agency is releasing new guidance to help states implement a new option, available April 1, 2022, that will allow them to extend Medicaid postpartum coverage from the current 60 days after birth to 12 months.
“This postpartum period is a very crucial time, with more than half of pregnancy-related deaths taking place after birth,” Brooks-LaSure said. “That makes maintaining continuous Medicaid or CHIP [Children’s Health Insurance Program] coverage and ensuring people can access the care they need during the postpartum period a critical issue.”
Tuesday’s summit marks the administration’s latest effort to draw attention to the issue of maternal mortality. In April, President Joe Biden issued the first presidential proclamation for Black Maternal Health Week.
At that time, Harris led a roundtable discussion with women of color affected by the maternal mortality crisis.
Black and Native American women in the U.S. are two to three times more likely to die during childbirth or in the months after than white women, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Black women are also more likely than white, Asian or Latina women to die from pregnancy-related complications regardless of their education level or their income, data shows.
Pregnancy-related deaths are defined as the death of a woman during pregnancy or within a year of the end of pregnancy from pregnancy complications, a chain of events initiated by pregnancy or the aggravation of an unrelated condition by the physiological effects of pregnancy, according to the CDC.
One reason for the disparity is that more Black women of childbearing age have chronic diseases, such as high blood pressure and diabetes, which increases the risk of pregnancy-related complications like preeclampsia and possibly the need for emergency C-sections, according to the CDC.
But there are socioeconomic circumstances and structural inequities that put Black women at greater risk for those chronic conditions, data shows, and Black women often have inadequate access to care throughout pregnancy, which can further complicate their conditions, according to a 2013 study published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
In her remarks, Harris called the “systemic inequities” that affect pregnant people of color a “matter of life and death.”
She also drew attention to how the issue of maternal mortality affects people who live in rural areas with limited access to care, saying they are 60% more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications.
“Regardless of income level, regardless of education level, Black women, Native women, women who live in rural areas are more likely to die or be left scared or scarred from an experience that should be safe and should be a joyful one,” Harris said. “And we know a primary reason why this is true, systemic inequities, those differences in how people are treated based on who they are and they create significant disparities in our health care system.”
Last December, in the final weeks of the Trump administration, the Department of Health and Human Services launched an action plan to combat the high rates of pregnancy-related complications and deaths.
The plan set out three key targets aimed at improving maternal health by 2025: reducing maternal mortality rate by 50%, reducing low-risk cesarean deliveries by 25% and controlling blood pressure in 80% of reproductive age women.
Also last year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention launched the “Hear her” campaign with the goal of creating public awareness of the warning signs of pregnancy emergencies.
The late Virgil Abloh was remembered by numerous celebrities during a memorial service Monday in Chicago.
Kanye West, Kim Kardashian, Rihanna, A$AP Rocky, Drake, Lauryn Hill, Frank Ocean and more attended the event Monday at the Museum of Contemporary Art in the Windy City, according to USA Today.
“All these different people — colors, ages, backgrounds, religions — all came for one man,” Tyler, the Creator said at the memorial. “That’s what he did: He brought, like, the illest people together.” Abloh’s sister, Edwina, also spoke, and Hill performed.
“Virgil was here,” read a pin Drake showed off in a video posted on Instagram. “love you g,” he captioned the post.
On Novmeber 30 in Miami, Kanye, Kim, Pharrell Williams, Erykah Badu, Kid Cudi and many more attended the first-ever Louis Vuitton United States fashion show, which became a somber tribute to the late Louis Vitton artistic director.
As previously reported, Abloh passed away November 28 after a private two-year battle with cardiac angiosarcoma, a rare, aggressive form of cancer. He was 41. Virgil was the founder of fashion brand Off-White and the first African American to serve as artistic director for Louis Vuitton.
Jimmie Allen says country music is in the midst of a “movement” when it comes to diversity.
Chatting with The Nick Cannon Show, Jimmie cites Charley Pride as a major source of inspiration for his career and paving the way for other Black country artists.
“I remember I was growing up listening to country music and my dad was like, ‘you should sing country music’ and I was like, ‘it’s cool, but I don’t know if there’s anybody that looks like us.’ And then he showed me what Charley Pride looked like,'” Jimmie recalls.
He also points to his contemporaries including Darius Rucker, Mickey Guyton, Kane Brown, Blanco Brown, Breland, Brittney Spencer, Willie Jones and Tiera as important voices in the genre.
“It’s a whole movement coming up. It’s beautiful to see where country is starting to get like every other genre where it’s not about the color of your skin, it’s about the music,” Jimmie observes. “It’s good to see that.”
The “Make Me Want To” singer is set to headline his first tour, the Down Home Tour, in 2022. His current single, “Freedom Was a Highway,” featuring Brad Paisley, is currently in the top 10 on country radio.
With 2021 coming to a close, it’s time to review the words that gave Americans the most agony over the past year. While many struggled over how to pronounce the newest COVID-19 variant, omicron (OH-mee-kraan, per ABC News standards), others butchered Billie Eilish‘s name.
The U.S. Captioning Company, which is the nation’s leading television captioning service, keeps track of the words that gave television personalities and newscasters the most trouble and released its annual list of the biggest offenders.
Surprisingly, Eilish was on this year’s roundup. Considering that the alt-pop superstar burst into the limelight more than two years ago following her breakout hit “bad guy,” it begs to question why her last name is only wreaking havoc now.
For those who still have doubts, U.S. Captioning Company says the correct way to pronounce Eilish is “EYE-lish.”
Two other individuals made the list this year, Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce — whose last name is pronounced “KELSS” with a hard S, not “KELL-see” — and Greek tennis star Stefanos Tsitsipas, whose name is pronounced “STEH-fuh-nohs TSEE-tsee-pas.”
Gen-Z slang, such as the millennial-bashing term Cheugy, pronounced CHOO-gee; and Yassify, pronounced YEAH-sih-fai, where multiple beauty filters are applied for comedic effect, also made this year’s roundup.
Other terms that made the cut include the restaurant chain Chipotle [chih-POHT-lay], the Scottish city Glasgow [GLAHZ-go], and the cryptocurrencies Dogecoin [DOJH-coin] and Ethereum [ih-THEE-ree-um], as well as the Ever Given [EV-er GIV-en], the ship that famously blocked the Suez Canal.
The report was commissioned by Babbel, a platform that teaches users how to speak other languages.
In a very emotional announcement, Nick Cannonrevealed Tuesday on his television show that his five-month-old son Zen Scott Cannon passed away over the weekend.
Zen died Sunday from brain cancer. Nick explained that he took Zen to the ocean to enjoy the sunrise, and he described “holding his son for the last time.”
“I have so much faith in God,” the talk show host said before a live audience. “He puts the heaviest weight on His strongest soldiers. So I am here. I’m gonna make it through.”
Nick left his family in California to fly to New York City for his television program.
“This is a special show dedicated to my beautiful son,” he proclaimed as tears welled in his eyes.
The 41-year-old entertainer told the audience that his son developed fluid in his head, and doctors discovered that he had a malignant tumor, which led to brain surgery.
“I embraced every moment,” Cannon said of his short time with Zen. “I am so grateful to my family for coming together during this time.”
Zen, whose mother was model Alyssa Scott, was the youngest of Nick’s seven children.
