(NEW YORK) — After being postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, the annual Met Gala is making a comeback with updated COVID-19 protocols.
As opposed to its usual “first Monday in May,” the highly acclaimed fashion extravaganza will be held on Sept. 13 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
While we are used to seeing celebrities and fashion insiders show up in full glam and wide smiles, this year’s attendees will be required to wear face masks.
Anyone attending must also provide proof of a COVID-19 vaccination to partake in this year’s festivities.
“Currently, all attendees at The Met Gala on September 13 must provide proof of full vaccination and will also be expected to wear masks indoors except when eating or drinking,” a spokesperson for The Met confirmed to People. “We will update these guidelines as needed.”
The guidance comes shortly after New York City announced a vaccine mandate for many indoor activities this week.
The Council of Fashion Designers of America and IMG also announced that all September New York Fashion Week events will require proof of vaccination for any guests, staff members or individuals on site.
While the Met Gala will look very different with COVID-19 restrictions in place, one aspect that does remain the same is this year’s theme: “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion.”
Also, the affair will be broken into two events starting with the ball and following with an exhibition set to open on Sept. 18 at the Anna Wintour Costume Center, exploring “a modern vocabulary of American fashion.”
This year’s event will also commemorate the Costume Institute’s 75 birthday.
“The @metmuseum’s annual Costume Institute Gala has become synonymous with striking displays of couture, rivaled only by the masterful coifs — decorated with subtle blooms and subversive headpieces alike — that accompany them,” Vogue Magazine captioned a photo by Phil Oh.
For the first time ever, the Met Gala is also planning to feature a sustainable plant-based menu with recipes from 10 New York City chefs, including Fariyal Abdullahi, Nasim Alikhani and Emma Bengtsson.
The chefs were chosen by restaurateur Marcus Samuelsson and Bon Appétit to showcase the talent throughout the industry.
“After a difficult two years for the restaurant industry, this will showcase the work and tell the stories of a dynamic group of chefs while presenting an exciting menu of delicious, plant-based dishes,” Samuelsson told Vogue. “The gala offers an incomparable opportunity for emerging talent to elevate their careers and share their perspectives and craft.”
The Weeknd will release his eagerly anticipated new song “Take My Breath” on Friday, but the video for the clip won’t premiere in IMAX theaters as originally planned.
A source tells Variety that the video was set to air before showings of the new movie The Suicide Squad, but those plans have been cancelled because there is “intense strobe lighting” in the clip, and that might trigger epileptic seizures in some viewers.
The Weeknd announced the track on Instagram as part of an Olympics promo focusing on the U.S. Women’s Track & Field team through the eyes of runners Sydney McLaughlin, Dalilah Muhammad, Gabby Thomas and Athing Mu.
There are several shots on The Weeknd’s Instagram that appear to be stills taken from the video. In one shot, he appears to be holding onto the waist of a woman wearing black leather and chains, while inhaling from an oxygen mask.
The singer recently toldGQ, “I am not dark. My art is dark, and I’ve gone through dark times. I’ve used those dark times as inspiration for my art. But I feel like because I’m not dark, I was able to channel it and put it into my music and into my art.”
As he considers reevaluating his Stadium Tour plans due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Garth Brooks is making one thing clear: He doesn’t want anybody to feel uncomfortable for wearing a mask to a show.
Ahead of his planned August 7 concert in Kansas City, Missouri, Garth spoke to fans via his Inside Studio G Facebook series.
“Follow all the rules. Make up your own rules, too,” the singer said. “You can’t be safe enough. You can’t be cautious enough. Keep your space. Keep your distance.”
He also encouraged concert-goers to mask up if doing so makes them more comfortable. “Please feel free to wear the masks at the concert. Nobody is going to look at you strange, I promise,” Garth stressed.
The Kansas City stadium show — which is expecting to host 70,000 Garth fans — will feature an on-site vaccination clinic. Per Rolling Stone, those who get vaccinated at the show will be eligible for a “ticket upgrade raffle.”
Earlier this week, Garth announced that he’s hitting pause on ticket sales for the Stadium Tour after next week’s sold-out Lincoln, Nebraska date. There will be a three-week window in which no shows will be scheduled, and ticket sales for his recently-announced Seattle date on September 4 will be halted.
A trailer for the upcoming Rick James doc, B*tchin’: The Sound and Fury of Rick James has been released.
Directed by Emmy-nominee and hip-hop journalist Sacha Jenkins, the new feature offers an in-depth look at one of the most controversial and confrontational figures in “punk-funk” music. Known for hits songs like “Super Freak” and “Give It to Me,” James, who passed away in 2004, was a formidable figure in music during the ’70s and ’80s as a songwriter, performer and producer. According to Showtime, the doc will “present a full picture of James’ dramatic rise and fall,” as well as feature rare footage of James’incredible live shows, never-before-seen home video and original interviews with legendary artists. B*tchin’: The Sound and Fury of Rick James will premiere on Friday, September 3, at 9 p.m. ET on Showtime.
In other news, Leslie Jones has been tapped as a recurring guest star on Taika Waititi and David Jenkins‘ HBO Max pirate comedy series Our Flag Means Death, Deadline has learned. She joins Nat Faxon, who was also announced. The series follows a pampered aristocrat who “abandoned his life of privilege to become a pirate.” Other stars include Kristian Nairn, Nathan Foad, Samson Kayo, Rory Kinnear, Con O’Neill, Vico Ortiz, among others.
Finally, Charmaine Bingwa, Gilbert Owuor, Mustafa Shakir and Ben Foster have joined the cast of the Antoine Fuqua-directed thriller Emancipation, Varietyreports. Inspired by the true story of “Whipped Peter,” the film follows an enslaved person who emancipates himself and later joins the Union Army. As previously reported, Will Smith will star as Peter, a runaway slave who flees a Louisiana plantation in hopes of traveling north to freedom. A release date for Emancipation has yet to be announced.
(LONDON) — The British government recorded a drop in COVID-19 cases for the fifth day in a row Tuesday. Daily deaths rose slightly to 138, but for almost a week had been under 100.
It’s a far cry from public warnings earlier in summer, when the country’s newly minted Health Secretary Sajid Javid warned the nation of the possibility of 100,000 daily cases.
Despite those warnings, the government lifted all remaining restrictions on social distancing and mandated mask-wearing in England on July 19. Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s “Freedom Day” was criticized as an irresponsible move in the midst of a third wave driven by the highly transmissible delta variant. “A murderous policy,” said Dr. Gabriel Scally, a leading public health expert at the University of Bristol. “Epidemiological stupidity,” a World Health Organization official said.
But then, cases dropped by around 40%, and deaths and hospitalizations have stayed low, despite the ending of all restrictions — and the world has been baffled as to why.
Many are pointing to the high vaccination rate in the U.K. More than 72% of all adults have received their full dose of vaccination, and the Office for National Statistics recently announced it estimated that 92% of the population in England has antibodies, either through vaccination or through previous infection of COVID-19.
Some experts, such as King’s College London professor of genetic epidemiology Tim Spector, have called foul on the data. Spector suggested in an interview with Sky News that the sudden drop in cases — “unheard of in pandemics” — was likely due to a lack of young people getting tested and asymptomatic cases not being counted in the official reported figures.
But that’s just not true, said John Edmunds, an epidemiologist and member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies committee that advises the British government on COVID-19 policy.
Edmunds told ABC News that several key circumstances appear to explain the sudden drop in cases.
End of Euro 2020 championships
A surge largely triggered by a return to normal, non-pandemic behavior during the Euro 2020 soccer championships has now mostly dissipated.
“The Euros was a glimpse of what would happen if we started to go back to much more normal behavior and went back to the pubs to watch football and so on,” Edmunds said. “Suddenly cases surge.”
But since the tournament is over, Brits aren’t going to the pubs and nightclubs as much, according to Edmunds’ behavioral surveys.
“People’s behavior at the moment is nowhere near normal behavior,” he said, even though there are no more restrictions in place.
The ‘pingdemic’
Shortly after the Euros, in mid-July, the British government’s contact tracing app also became embroiled in a situation that became known as the “pingdemic.”
Hundreds of thousands of people across the U.K. were suddenly ordered to self-isolate at home, after being notified by the app that they had come into contact with someone who had tested positive for the virus.
Businesses were faced with staffing shortages, and there were chaotic scenes at Heathrow Airport in London when suddenly hundreds of security staff were told to go home and isolate.
School vacations
Another key factor is the closure of schools during summer vacations. During the school year, schoolchildren and teachers are regularly tested, but they aren’t tested while on summer vacation. The break seems to account not just for a dip in daily tests but also in the virus spreading between children, parents and teachers, Edmunds said.
“School closure has been very important, and we’ve seen the effect of it throughout the pandemic, with schools opening and closing,” he said. “But it’s so important now because we’ve concentrated so much infection into the younger age groups because they are not vaccinated.”
The government has opened vaccination eligibility to young people within three months of turning 18. Health advisers say there is little benefit to vaccinating children because so few become seriously ill or die from the virus. There is currently no vaccine authorized for use in children younger than 12 years old, though some children deemed to be of particular risk to COVID-19 are allowed to be vaccinated under current rules.
It is the return of schools and businesses that worries Edmunds.
“My fear has always been September when schools open again, and I think at that point, businesses, companies, organizations will start to assess employees to come back in to the office,” he said. “I hope they don’t, but if they do I think we will see another surge in cases in the autumn.”
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Savage X Fenty Show Presented by Amazon Prime Video
Halsey is working to end the stigma around breastfeeding.
First, she aimed to do it with the symbolic cover art for her upcoming album If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power. Now, she’s putting it into real-life practice with her newborn baby, Ender.
The singer posted a photo of herself breastfeeding the baby outdoors in celebration of World Breastfeeding Week.
“We arrived just in time!” she captioned the photo, using the hashtag #worldbreastfeedingweek.
Ender Ridley, the first child for Halsey and her partner Alev Aydin, was born on July 14.
Halsey’s new album, in which she explores “the joys and horrors of pregnancy and childbirth,” is due out August 27.
Halsey previously said of the album’s cover art, “This cover image celebrates pregnant and postpartum bodies as something beautiful, to be admired. We have a long way to go with eradicating the social stigma around bodies & breastfeeding. I hope this can be a step in the right direction!”
(WASHINGTON) — Thousands of Spirit Airlines passengers are still facing canceled flights on Wednesday as the airline’s operational meltdown stretches into a third day.
As of Wednesday afternoon, Spirit cancelled 418 flights, or 60% of its daily operations.
So far this week, Spirit has had to cancel around half of its flights each day: 42% of its Monday flights and 61% of its Tuesday flights.
“What’s this been like for you?” ABC News’ Correspondent Victor Oquendo asked a traveler who has been trying to get to Washington, D.C., from Miami.
“Nothing to eat, nothing to drink, nothing,” Natasha Baptiste responded.
Other Spirit customers told ABC News that they were stranded and forced to spend the night at Spirit bases such as Fort-Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport in Florida.
The airline initially said cancelations would slow down by Tuesday, but a spokesperson explained that the cancelations were the result of a “perfect storm,” blaming weather, staffing shortages and crews reaching the hour limits in which they are legally able to fly.
In its latest statement issued on Wednesday, Spirit vowed that the cancelations will finally start dropping on Thursday.
“We’ve dealt with overlapping operational challenges including weather, system outages and staffing shortages that caused widespread irregularities in our operation and impacted crew scheduling,” Spirit said in a statement. “These issues were exacerbated by the fact that we are in peak summer travel season with very high industry load factors and more limited options for Guest re-accommodations.”
After being hit with an IT issue Tuesday that affected crew scheduling, the airline said they have “implemented a more thorough reboot of the network” which allows them to get crews where they need to be to restore normal operations.
The airline will now provide double pay to flight attendants who pick up extra shifts.
The low-cost carrier said that they’ve taken an “in-depth” look at the challenges they are currently facing and have “identified opportunities for improvement.”
“We continue to work around the clock to get our Guests where they need to be,” Spirit insisted.
Spirit recommends customers affected by the cancelations use its online chat feature for assistance.
The cancelations come as air travel continues to break pandemic records.
Transportation Security Administration officers screened more than 2.2 million people at U.S. airports nationwide Sunday — the highest checkpoint volume since the start of the pandemic.
ABC News’ Sam Sweeney and Amanda Maile contributed to this report.
(WASHINGTON) — For the first time in 50 years, a Senate committee has voted to repeal decades-old war powers measures that twice launched the U.S. into war with Iraq, giving a green light to then-President George W. Bush’s ill-fated plan to invade that country to topple its despotic president, Saddam Hussein, under the later-discredited justification of ridding that country of weapons of mass destruction never found.
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee Wednesday voted 18-14 to repeal both the 1991 and 2002 Authorizations for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) with supporters saying it was long past time for Congress to reassert its constitutional authority to declare war.
Three Republicans — Todd Young of Indiana, Ohio’s Rob Portman, and Rand Paul of Kentucky — voted with all the panel’s Democrats for repeal, with some Republicans who opposed the move Wednesday arguing that though they support scrapping both AUMFs, the time is not right amid rising tensions with neighboring Iran.
Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., who along with Young has worked for years to gain the support of their colleagues, noted that no current action by the U.S. is using either AUMF “as the legal basis for any current U.S. military activity, nor are they needed to justify the detention of even a single detainee now in U.S. custody.”
“I ask this committee to send a clear and bipartisan message that a Congress that initiated military action against Iraq can also recognize the end of hostilities against Iraq,” Kaine said.
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who has also fought for years to repeal the costly war, applauded the impending, bipartisan congressional action.
“It’s much easier to start a war than to end a war,” Paul said. “I think the vote today is not meaningless and symbolic. It is to say that we do not give any president, Republican or Democrat, permission for a large land scale war in Iraq. We’re taking away that permission. If you want to go back, come before the people with a big important vote – we all say it’s the most important vote — well, let’s take it back and make it part of the Senate.”
The panel’s chairman, Bob Menendez of New Jersey, in encouraging support for repeal, told members, “I believe it would be a grave mistake if we do not act now to repeal the 1991 and 2002 AUMFs. As we heard very clearly from the administration yesterday in testimony from the deputy secretary of state and two senior lawyers on this matter, repeal of these will have no impact whatsoever on our operations or detention activities.”
Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman had told lawmakers on Tuesday, “I want to state clearly that the Biden-Harris administration believes the 2002 authorization for use of military force against Iraq has outlived its usefulness and should be repealed, and the administration has made clear that we have no ongoing military activities that rely solely on the 2002 AUMF.”
Menendez argued that any U.S. personnel on the ground in Iraq now would not be affected “because they are there at the invitation of the Iraqi government,” so, he said, no related mission in the Middle East would be affected.
And President Joe Biden and Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Kadhimi announced after meeting last week in Washington that the U.S. mission in Iraq would transition by year’s end from one of combat to an assist and advisory role.
Nevertheless, the top Republican on the committee, Jim Risch of Idaho, argued against repeal, saying that though rescinding these Congressional approvals now would have no practical effect, doing so risks sending a dangerous message in a volatile part of the world, particularly with regard to Iran.
“I would disagree that this has no useful purpose, and I think that the purpose of this is to communicate our resolve in the region and particularly as it affects Iran,” Risch said.
“There are people that are going to look at this and say, ‘Aha, the U.S. is getting weak in the region. The U.S. is not committed. They’re not keeping the same commitment it’s had to the region,'” Risch claimed, adding that it would do no harm to allow the authorization to merely “sit on the shelf” so as not to risk “sending a message that we are not committed to the region and committed to protecting our troops and American interests.”
“I understand what the vote is here and where this thing is going to go, but I really believe that it would be a bad message to send as far as repealing this AUMF that gives even the slightest inclination … that we’re backing away from this,” said Risch.
But Young, a Navy and Marine Corps veteran, countered that though he, too, shares his colleagues’ concerns about Iran, these two Iraq-specific AUMFs are not relevant to that consternation.
“I believe that the threat from Iran is so significant and so different from the wars since 9/11 or Saddam Hussain’s Iraq, that we must pass a new AUMF should the situation require it,” he contended. “Those advocating for leaving the 2002 AUMF in place as a means of deterring Iran, when that was in no way the intention of this authorization, would be building on past abuses and advocating for precisely the kind of expansion of war power authorities that ultimately makes Congress and this committee irrelevant.”
The repeal action now moves to the full Senate for its expected approval, a decided change in sentiment from decades since the twin military campaigns in Iraq. But it does follow overwhelming public sentiment in recent years that has turned against America’s long wars in the Middle East.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., who announced earlier this year that he now supports the repeal of both AUMFs, reiterated Wednesday that a vote by the full chamber would happen later this year.
“Allowing an authorization for military force to just lie around forever, is an invitation to a future administration to use it for any military adventurism in the region,” Schumer said in a floor speech. “Americans frankly are sick of endless wars in the Middle East. Congress simply has to exert more authority over matters of war and peace, as we all know the Constitution prescribes.”
The House in mid-June passed by an overwhelming bipartisan vote a repeal of both outdated authorizations, so once the full Senate acts, the repeal effort would then move to President Biden who has signaled support.
The last repeal of a military authorization came in January of 1971 when Congress voted to end the then-deeply unpopular 1964 Gulf of Tonkin resolution that led to the U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War.
One AUMF — issued in 2001 to allow then-President Bush to order the invasion of Afghanistan in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks — is still in effect. Some lawmakers are targeting that for repeal potentially later this year, but there is not the same bipartisan support for that move at this time, particularly as the situation in Afghanistan, where the U.S. has withdrawn its forces, spirals increasingly into chaos at the hands of the Taliban.
(MINNEAPOLIS, Minn.) — Three former Minneapolis police officers facing federal charges of violating George Floyd’s civil rights have filed motions asking that their cases be severed from Derek Chauvin’s, arguing they won’t get a fair trial if they have to go to court with the convicted murderer of the 46-year-old Black man.
Attorneys for J. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao filed separate requests in U.S. District Court in Minnesota. Thomas Lane’s attorney filed a motion to join his two former colleagues in their requests to be tried separately from Chauvin.
“There is a conflict of interest between the defendants. The conflict flows from Mr. Chauvin’s level of culpability,” Kueng’s attorney, Thomas C. Plunkett, argued in court papers filed on Monday. “Due to this conflict, the jurors will not be able to follow the Court’s instructions and compartmentalize the evidence as it related to Mr. Kueng.”
Thao’s lawyer, Robert M. Paule, made a similar argument in a motion he filed on Tuesday, but added that he wants Thou to be tried separately not from just Chavin but also Kueng and Lane.
“Mr. Thao will obtain a fair and more impartial trial [if] he is tried separately from his co-defendants,” Paule wrote, arguing that a jury “will have insurmountable difficulty distinguishing evidence presented on one count from that evidence presented on the other counts, and will inevitably consider the evidence cumulatively.”
In May, a federal grand jury indicted Chauvin, 45, Thao, 35, Kueng, 27, and Lane, 38, of federal civil rights crimes for their roles in Floyd’s May 25, 2020, death as they attempted to place him under arrest on suspicion of using a counterfeit $20 bill to buy cigarettes at a convenience store.
The three-count indictment alleges Chauvin, Thao, Kueng and Lane deprived Floyd his rights when they saw him lying on the ground “in clear need” of medical care but “willfully failed to aid Floyd, thereby acting with deliberate indifference to a substantial risk of harm.”
All four former officers are scheduled to be arraigned on Sept. 14 on the federal charges. A trial date has yet to be set.
During the encounter, Chauvin held his knee on the back of Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes. Floyd, who was handcuffed and in a prone position on the pavement, repeatedly said he couldn’t breathe before falling unconscious and losing a pulse, according to evidence presented at Chauvin’s state trial. Floyd was later pronounced dead at a hospital.
Video footage — from police body cameras, security cameras and civilian witnesses — played at the trial showed Kueng and Lane helping Chauvin hold Floyd down, and Thao keeping away witnesses who were expressing concerns for Floyd.
Floyd’s death triggered massive protests and prompted police agencies across the nation to promise reforms.
On April 20, a state court jury found Chauvin guilty of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. He was sentenced on June 25 to 22 1/2 years in prison by Judge Peter Cahill.
Cahill cited four aggravating factors in the case that allowed him to give Chauvin a longer sentence than the 12 1/2 years recommended under state sentencing guidelines. The aggravating factors included Chauvin abusing a position of trust and authority as a police officer, his treatment of Floyd with “particular cruelty” and that he committed the crime as part of a group with at least three other people in front of children.
Chauvin was tried separately from his co-defendants in the state case due to COVID-19 restrictions that limited the number of people allowed in the courtroom.
Thao, Kueng and Lane are awaiting a joint trial in state court scheduled for March 2022 on charges of aiding and abetting second-degree murder, and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter.
Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images
(NEW YORK) — New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo vehemently has refused to step down after the release of a report that found he sexually harassed multiple women and created a hostile work environment.
The blistering report, by New York Attorney General Letitia James, was released on Tuesday after a four-month investigation. Cuomo has denied all allegations of sexual misconduct.
Here’s how the political saga could continue:
While James said that the state attorney’s probe would have no criminal referral, district attorneys in Manhattan, Albany, Westchester County and Nassau County have now requested the investigation’s materials to look into the accusations, which allegedly took place in those jurisdictions and could lead to criminal charges.
Albany District Attorney David Soares said Tuesday his office is reviewing the report’s findings to see whether criminal charges should be filed and encouraged more victims to come forward. He called the matter “developing” and said his office would be reviewing the documents.
On Wednesday, the Westchester County district attorney’s office also asked for the investigative materials to conduct a criminal investigation into Cuomo’s alleged conduct.
“As this is an ongoing investigation, we will not comment further at this time,” Westchester District Attorney Mimi Rocah said in a statement.
The Westchester District Attorney intends to review the governor’s alleged interactions with the female state trooper at his Mount Kisco home, while the Albany district attorney plans to review Cuomo’s alleged interactions with female staff members in that county.
Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance also said in a statement that the office requested materials pertaining to incidents that occurred in Manhattan.
Acting Nassau County District Attorney Joyce A. Smith slammed the report’s findings as “deeply disturbing” and said the office requested documents for incidents that occurred in Nassau County to “investigate any potential crimes.”
In a recorded video, Cuomo responded to the report on Tuesday by again denying the allegations, saying that “the facts are much different than what has been portrayed.”
Cuomo has fielded calls to resign, including from President Joe Biden, formerly a close political ally.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said on Wednesday, “The president believes Governor Cuomo should do the right thing, resign, and leave space for future leadership in New York.”
The governor insisted, yet again, that he “never touched anyone inappropriately or made inappropriate sexual advances.” His video message displayed a series of photos of him kissing his parents and other figures, male and female, on the cheek as he said that such touching and kissing were a part of his culture and nature.
The State Assembly in Albany said it’s moving “expeditiously” to wrap up up its own impeachment investigation into the sexual harassment allegations, which began in March.
Speaker Carl Heastie said in a statement Tuesday, after the Assembly had gathered to discuss the report, “It is abundantly clear to me that the Governor has lost the confidence of the Assembly Democratic majority and that he can no longer remain in office.”
The Assembly has the power to bring impeachment charges against Cuomo. To impeach the governor, a majority of Assembly members must vote to impeach, after which the case would move to the impeachment court, where a two-thirds vote would be required to convict and oust Cuomo.
James, the state’s attorney general, also is investigating whether Cuomo broke the law in having members of his staff help write and promote a book on his leadership in the pandemic, for which he was set to rake in more than $5 million, The Associated Press reported. Federal investigators also are probing the state’s handling of data on nursing home deaths during the pandemic. The State Assembly is also investigating Cuomo for the book deal and nursing home deaths.
Despite the probes, Cuomo could still run for a fourth term as governor if he’s not impeached. He’s already begun to fundraise for the 2022 race, and no Democratic challenger has been announced for the primary. U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin and Andrew Giuliani may run as Republicans.
ABC News’ Aaron Katersky contributed to this report.
