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COVID-19 live updates: US deaths increasing to highest point in nearly 1 year

January 26, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — As the COVID-19 pandemic has swept the globe, more than 5.6 million people have died from the disease worldwide, including over 872,000 Americans, according to real-time data compiled by Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering.

About 63.5% of the population in the United States is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:

Jan 26, 5:00 pm
NIH trial finds mixing and matching boosters is safe and effective

A study from the National Institutes of Health published in the New England Journal of Medicine found mixing and matching boosters are safe and create a similar immune response to sticking with your initial vaccine.

An earlier version of this study, with more preliminary findings, helped guide the CDC’s decision to allow mix-and-match.

The study authors make no claims about specific combinations being more or less effective. The study did find that people who got an mRNA vaccine (Pfizer or Moderna) and then received the Johnson & Johnson booster had a significant increase in T-cell response, a part of immunity.

The trial looked at 458 participants who received a vaccine with no prior COVID-19 infection. This data is only for the first 29 days after receiving the booster; researchers plan to follow the participants for one year, allowing for more data.

-ABC News’ Vanya Jain, Sony Salzman, Eric Strauss, Dr. Alexis Carrington

Jan 26, 4:47 pm
Unvaccinated child dies in Mississippi

An unvaccinated child has died in Mississippi from COVID-19, according to the state’s health department.

The department confirmed to ABC News that the child was between the ages of 11 and 17, an age bracket that is eligible to receive Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine.

This marked the 10th child — including an infant — to die in Mississippi from COVID-19. None of the 10 children were vaccinated, according to the health department.

-ABC News’ Josh Hoyos

Jan 26, 10:40 am
US hospital admissions projected to fall for 1st time in months

COVID-19-related hospital admissions in the U.S. are expected to fall in the weeks to come, the first time the nation would see a decline in months, according to forecast models used by the CDC.

Estimates suggest between 4,900 and 27,800 Americans could be admitted to the hospital each day by Feb. 18.

Deaths from COVID-19 are expected to remain stable or have an uncertain trend. Estimates suggest about 33,000 more Americans could die from COVID-19 over the next two weeks.

-ABC News’ Arielle Mitropoulos

Jan 25, 6:06 pm
All Super Bowl attendees to get KN95 mask

Every attendee of next month’s Super Bowl in Los Angeles will receive a KN95 mask, health officials said Tuesday.

Additionally, “safety team members” will remind fans to keep their masks on unless they are eating or drinking, Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said during a county Board of Supervisors meeting.

Attendees at the Super Bowl Experience will also receive a free at-home rapid test kit, Ferrer said, with messaging to test before the big game on Feb. 13 at SoFi Stadium.

The county expects to distribute over 60,000 take-home kits during the Super Bowl Experience, held at the Los Angeles Convention Center from Feb. 5 to Feb. 12.

-ABC News’ Jennifer Watts

Wolfgang Van Halen pays tribute to late dad Eddie on what would’ve been his 67th birthday

January 26, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Today would have been the late Eddie Van Halen‘s 67th birthday, and to mark the occasion, his son, Wolfgang, has posted a touching tribute on his Instagram page.

The homage features a photo of Eddie with his son when Wolf was a young child and shows the two sitting next to each other on some steps, with both looking back over their shoulders at the camera.

The photo is accompanied by a note from Wolf that reads, “Happy Birthday, Pop. I love and miss you more than you could ever know.”

Eddie died of lung cancer at age 65 on October 6, 2020.

Wolfgang, who is now 30, played bass with his dad in Van Halen from 2006 until Eddie death. He also fronts his own solo group, Mammoth WVH, which released its self-titled debut last June. The band is teaming up with Dirty Honey for a trek dubbed the Young Guns Tour, whose kickoff date recently was moved from January 18 to February 20.

No longer Home Alone? Macaulay Culkin reportedly engaged to Brenda Song

January 26, 2022 by WDNY Radio

People is reporting that Macaulay Culkin and Brenda Song are now engaged. Reps for the pair have yet to confirm the news.

The 41-year-old Culkin and 33-year-old Dollface star Song were spotted out together in Beverly Hills on Monday, where the actress was reportedly photographed wearing a sparkler on her left ring finger.

The pair first met back in 2017, on the Thailand set of the 2019 movie Changeland, and last April welcomed their first child, a son named Dakota.

As previously reported at the time, the child was named in honor of Culkin’s late 29-year-old sister, who was fatally struck by a car in Los Angeles back in 2008.

‘Tyler Perry’s A Madea Homecoming’ trailer, Serena and Venus Williams honored by the Smithsonian Institute, and more

January 26, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Netflix dropped the trailer Wednesday for the 11th film in the Madea franchise, Tyler Perry’s A Madea Homecoming, which debuts February 25.

Writer-director-producer Tyler Perry is back as Madea, who is excited about her great-grandson’s college graduation. Franchise veterans return as Tamela Mann once again portrays Cora, her real-life husband David Mann is Mr. Brown, and once again, Cassi Davis Patton plays Aunt Bam. It’s been six years since the previous film in the franchise, Boo! A Madea Hallloween, was released in 2016.

In other news, Serena and Venus Williams are being honored by the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C. They are among the seven 2022 Portrait of a Nation honorees. The award recognizes extraordinary individuals who have made transformative contributions to the United States and its people across numerous fields of endeavor, ranging from the arts and sciences to sports and humanitarianism.

Clive Davis, chief creative officer of Sony Music Entertainment, who discovered the late Whitney Houston, and director Ava DuVernay, are also being featured in the new portrait gallery. The awards will be presented at the Portrait of a Nation Gala on November 12. Each honoree’s portrait will be displayed as part of the museum’s “Recent Acquisitions” exhibition from November 10 through October 22, 2023.

Finally, Bobby Brown will be the subject of two new biographical television projects on A&E. Biography: Bobby Brown, a two-night event, airs Monday, May 30, and Tuesday, May 31, at 8 p.m. ET/PT. The 12-episode Bobby Brown: Every Little Step premieres Tuesday, May 31 at 10 p.m. ET/PT with new episodes airing Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

The “My Prerogative” singer is performing with New Edition on The Culture Tour kicking off February 16 in Columbus, GA and continuing through April 10.

Jamaica’s 1st alpine skier gears up to compete in 2022 Winter Olympics

January 26, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — British-born Benjamin Alexander had never put on a pair of skis until the age of 32. Only six years later, and he’s now going for gold next month in Beijing as Jamaica’s first Olympic alpine skier.

It didn’t come easily, he said.

“I hit the ground like 20 plus times on my first time skiing. I absolutely was not a natural,” Alexander told ABC News Live Prime on Tuesday. “But I was tenacious, and I had grit and determination. I really wanted to get good enough to ski with my friends. And so I just kept trying, and little by little, one step at a time, I got better and better.”

Alexander said he was inspired by the legendary 1988 Jamaican bobsled team, which marked the first time the Caribbean nation had ever competed in the Winter Olympics. He said former Olympian Dudley Stokes, who was the pilot of the 1988 team, became a personal mentor of his.

“It’s just incredible to have someone who basically wrote the book ‘I’m Doing Outlandish Things for a Caribbean Nation in the Winter Games’ … just giving me advice along the way,” he said.

For the past two and a half years, Alexander said he’s been training as a full-time athlete in thanks to sport sponsorships. He said that despite some setbacks, such as mountain closures due to the pandemic, he’s ready to compete.

“I’ve been planning meticulously to get to this point, and sometimes when you actually get to the place you’ve been looking at for so long, it feels weird to have arrived, so surreal is the one word I’ve been using,” he said.

Alexander said his identity as a mixed-race skier is what motivated him to represent Jamaica instead of the U.K.

“You always represent the minority of any group you’re in, at any given time. That can change, second by second, room by room. So if I’m with my white friends, I’m the Black guy, and with my Black friends, I’m the white guy,” Alexander said. “As a skier, in the predominantly white sport of skiing, I was always the Black representative.”

Along with representation, Alexander said he also wants his story to prove that it’s never too late to start something new.

“You think something has passed you by, that you should have started it when you were younger … I call you on that,” he said. “You can do that thing that you thought was impossible. At least give it a try.”

Biden, lawmakers prepare for Supreme Court vacancy, react to Breyer’s retirement

January 26, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — President Joe Biden on Wednesday declined to expand on reports Justice Stephen Breyer would be retiring from the Supreme Court at the end of the current term, saying he would wait to speak further until the justice personally announces his plans.

“Every justice has the right and opportunity to decide what he or she is going to do, announce it on their own. There’s been no announcement from Justice Breyer. Let him make whatever statement he’s going to make, and I’ll be happy to talk about it later,” Biden said.

Breyer, the most senior member of the U.S. Supreme Court’s liberal wing and staunch defender of a nonpartisan judiciary, stepping down from the bench fulfills the wish of Democrats who lobbied for his exit and for Biden’s first high court appointment.

The vacancy now paves the way for Biden to nominate a Black woman to the court — a historic first and something he promised during the 2020 campaign.

Biden’s first public appearance since the news was at an afternoon White House event with American business executives to discuss his stalled Build Back Better agenda.

Several progressive House lawmakers have already amped up the pressure on Biden with Reps. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., Cori Bush, D-Mo., and Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., all reminding Biden on Twitter of his promise to elevate a Black woman to the position.

When reporters followed up with the president on Wednesday, Biden added, “I’ll be happy to talk about this later. I’m gonna get into this issue.”

White House press secretary Jen Psaki shared the president’s sentiment in an earlier tweet.

“It has always been the decision of any Supreme Court Justice if and when they decide to retire, and how they want to announce it, and that remains the case today,” she said.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, in a statement, said the Senate is prepared to move to confirm Biden’s nominee to fill the Supreme Court vacancy with “all deliberate speed.”

“President Biden’s nominee will receive a prompt hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee, and will be considered and confirmed by the full United States Senate with all deliberate speed,” he wrote in a statement.

Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, which holds hearings for court nominees, said in a statement that the vacancy presents Biden “the opportunity to nominate someone who will bring diversity, experience, and an evenhanded approach to the administration of justice” and that he looks forward to moving the nominee “expeditiously through the Committee.”

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina reacted to the news with a reminder that Democrats — having the slimmest of majorities in the Senate — still have the ability to pass Biden’s nominee without Republican support. Sen. Mitch McConnell, as majority leader in 2017, lowered the threshold to break the Senate filibuster from 60 votes to 51 votes for Supreme Court nominees in order to pass former President Donald Trump’s first pick.

“If all Democrats hang together – which I expect they will – they have the power to replace Justice Breyer in 2022 without one Republican vote in support. Elections have consequences, and that is most evident when it comes to fulfilling vacancies on the Supreme Court,” Graham said in a statement, in a nod to the 2020 Senate elections in Georgia which Democrats won.

Progressive activists had put unprecedented public pressure on Breyer, who was nominated in 1994 by President Bill Clinton, to retire. McConnell said in June that the GOP may try to block a Democratic nominee to the court if the party wins control of the Senate in November and a vacancy occurs in 2023 or 2024.

ABC News’ Devin Dwyer, Allison Pecorin and Eric Fayeulle contributed to this report.

Kane Brown + his wife debut new tattoos they got for their daughter Kodi Jane

January 26, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Kane Brown is showing off some new ink that he and his wife, Katelyn, recently got in celebration of their youngest daughter, Kodi Jane.

The singer posted a photo on Instagram, showing himself and his wife holding hands. Kane has got fresh ink on his left hand, with bold letters reading “KODI.” Meanwhile, Katelyn’s got the same name in a similar font, plus Kodi’s middle name, tattooed on her right forearm.

Kane and Katelyn welcomed Kodi late last year, after keeping Katelyn’s pregnancy a secret. Kodi is the couple’s second child: Their first daughter, Kingsley, arrived in October 2019.

Both Kane and Katelyn had tattoos already. Katelyn’s are relatively small, while Kane has long rocked full sleeves. After the couple got married, Kane got a tattoo of Katelyn’s name on his right hand, with the “y” stylized into the shape of an infinity symbol.

Of course, the country-star couple didn’t forget their oldest daughter: They’ve got matching “Kingsley” tattoos, too.

Watch Dream Theater’s video for “Transcending Time”

January 26, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Dream Theater has premiered the video for “Transcending Time,” a track off the band’s new album, A View from the Top of the World.

The clip takes us to a strange land filled with majestic eagles, flying fish and broken clocks. You can watch it now streaming on YouTube.

A View from the Top of the World, the 15th Dream Theater album, was released last October. At 6 minutes and 24 seconds long, “Transcending Time” is actually the shortest song on the record, which closes with the 20-minute title track.

Dream Theater will launch a tour in support of A View on February 2 in Mesa, Arizona.

Miley Cyrus to headline Steven Tyler’s Grammy Awards viewing party

January 26, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Miley Cyrus has booked her next gig and it’s with rock legend Steven Tyler. The “Midnight Sky” singer will headline the Aerosmith frontman’s Janie’s Fund Grammy Awards Viewing Party, set for April 3 at the Hollywood Palladium.

In a press release, Tyler officially announced Miley as this year’s entertainer for the fourth annual edition of gala, which raises funds for his Janie’s Fund charity. Tyler chose Miley because of her support for Janie’s Fund, which aims to help female victims of abuse and neglect.

“The support that this GRAMMY Awards Viewing Party has received is incredibly moving, and we can’t wait to continue the tradition this year,” Steven said in an official statement. “Miley joined me in this important work when we launched Janie’s Fund in 2015 and is a powerful voice and advocate for women. I can’t think of another artist that better aligns with our mission…It’s going to be an incredible night.”

Aside from a special performance, the festivities will include an auction, a red carpet, a cocktail hour and more. Among those serving as event chairs are Aerosmith, John Stamos, Paula Abdul, Randy Jackson and Jim Carrey. Andrea Bocelli, Sir Elton John and Lionel Richie will serve as honorary event chairs.

Tyler’s first viewing party was held in 2018 and, since then, the event has raised more than $7.6 million for Janie’s Fund. The charity gets its name from the 1989 Aerosmith hit “Janie’s Got a Gun,” which is about a girl who takes revenge on an abusive parent.

Dwayne Johnson put in the work to get his big screen ‘Black Adam’ bigger than he is in the comic books

January 26, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NOTE LANGUAGE) While most superheroes have bodies most can only dream about, Dwayne Johnson may be the only actor to be even more ripped than his godly alter-ego, in the upcoming Black Adam.

The Rock is no slouch in the gym on a normal day, as any of his 293 million Instagram followers can attest, but he tells Men’s Journal his “exhausting” regimen for Black Adam pushed even him to his limits.

“The training we did for this movie was the most arduous I’ve ever done in my life,” the 49-year-old Johnson admits, explaining the goal was to “surpass” Adam’s physique in the pages of DC Comics.

“One of the things that drew me to Black Adam is his origin,” Johnson says. “He started out enslaved. Any time you have a character…who has wrongfully been held down by others, it means so much more when they begin to rise up.”

He adds, “[A]s we all know, if you do something wrong, Superman and Batman are gonna try and bring you to justice. If you do something wrong to Black Adam, you’re going to die. It’s that simple.”

The star, producer, and entrepreneur also teases of a future project, “We’re going to bring one of the biggest, most bada** games to the screen — one that I’ve played for years.”

The Rock won’t reveal which game he’s adapting, though Johnson’s likeness was recently added to the super-popular multiplayer game Fortnite.

For now, he’ll only say, “Of course we’re going to do right by our gamer friends — but really we’re just going to make a great movie.”

Black Adam, which also stars Pierce Brosnan as Doctor Fate, Aldis Hodge as Hawkman, and Quintessa Swindell as Cyclone, opens July 29.

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