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Five ways parents can protect infants and toddlers from COVID-19

August 18, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(BALTIMORE) — With the delta variant surging, and new data indicating young people can spread COVID more readily than previously thought, many parents with infants and toddlers are now left with questions about how to best protect their child.

Children who are less than two years old cannot safely wear a mask and do not have an option to receive a vaccine against COVID-19 yet. They can’t decide for themselves where they go, who they are around or what is in their environment — that is left up to a parent or caretaker to decide for them.

Scientists are still learning more about COVID-19 risk and transmission among young children under two. The good news is that even when they do get COVID, they seem less likely to become severely sick compared to adults. And there are several concrete steps parents can take to procreate a safe environment for young children.

1. Get vaccinated

Three vaccines, Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson and Johnson, are authorized by the Food and Drug Administration for use for anyone who is 18 years old. Pfizer is authorized for anyone over the age of 12. All three have proved to be safe and effective. Even as the new delta variant takes over as the dominant variant in the United States, these vaccines can still work against it.

Very often, children who are hospitalized with COVID-19 are living in households in which parents are not vaccinated, said Dr. Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center and professor of pediatrics in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

“It’s always tragic when children fall sick with COVID-19,” Offit told ABC News. “This year, these stories are more tragic because they’re preventable.”

2. Make sure everyone around your child is vaccinated

Young children aren’t yet eligible for vaccination, but if every person around them was vaccinated, this creates protection against the virus. Limiting the number of people you encounter who are unvaccinated can help create a safer environment for you and your family that will then offer some protection for your unvaccinated child.

This can be a very hard thing to do, especially if you live in a largely unvaccinated community, but weighing the risk COVID-19 can pose to your child is worth it. It may also be the push some people need to get vaccinated, too.

3. Get vaccinated if you are pregnant or breastfeeding

Vaccines are now recommended for people who are pregnant after a study showed taking a COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy is safe for parent and child. Meanwhile, new research indicates mothers may be able to pass along antibodies against COVID-19 to your baby.

Antibodies are a part of our immune systems that help recognize and fight off infections. When a woman is pregnant, some antibodies can cross through the placenta and are found in babies’ blood up to a few months after they are born. Antibodies can also be passed through breastmilk.

This type of antibody protection for babies is called “passive immunity.” Your baby’s immune system will not be able to make their own antibodies from what is passed through the placenta or breastmilk, but experts say every bit counts, and some protection is likely better than nothing.

4. Social distancing and masking in public

When you and your young child are in public, it may be impossible to know if those around you are vaccinated. Try to maintain a safe distance away from others and wear a mask, especially in indoor areas where there may be many unvaccinated people.

If your infant is in a carrier, a blanket can be draped over the carrier, but make sure that’s only done when the carrier is in your view and the blanket should not be touching the baby. If you can, find a trusted, vaccinated babysitter if you need a night or day out, so you don’t have to bring your more vulnerable baby with you, especially to activities such as indoor dining that carry a higher risk of COVID-19 exposure.

5. Everyone should wash their hands

Every time someone visits your home from outside, make sure the first thing they touch is soap and water to wash their hands, especially before touching your child. In fact, pediatricians recommend this all year round, with or without a pandemic in any home that has a child less than two years old. It is an easy way to prevent the spread of many infectious diseases that can be tough on young children.

Dr. Jade A. Cobern, a pediatric resident in Baltimore entering the field of preventive medicine, is a contributor to the ABC News Medical Unit.

Old Navy unveils its most diverse sizing ever by offering every style in every size

August 18, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Old Navy is championing size inclusion with the launch of the brand’s latest “Bodequality” campaign.

More than a campaign, the fashion retailer announced it would be fully revamping the company’s size offerings to feature every women’s style in every size ranging from 0-30 and XS-4X, along with no price differences.

The brand also confirmed Wednesday that these changes will start rolling out in stores and online starting Aug. 20.

The store’s entire shopping experience surrounding size inclusion, store visuals and more are getting a full-on upgrade, the company said.

In 2016, a study published by the International Journal of Fashion Design, Technology, and Education revealed that the average size of an American woman is between 16 to 18.

At the top of this year, the CDC published 2015-2018 data revealing that the average weight of American women is 170.8 pounds and 5 feet 3 inches. In most U.S. stores, these measurements equate to a pants size of 16 and up or large to extra large.

However, GMA previously reported that only about 2,000 stores cater to women above size 12 compared to more than 60,000 stores that cater to traditional straight sizes, 00 to 12, according to Torrid’s CEO Liz Muñoz.

Old Navy’s president and CEO Nancy Green noticed an opportunity to change the women’s shopping experience by making it more inclusive regardless of size, and she essentially ran with it.

“Bodqueality is not a one-time campaign, but a full transformation of our business in service to our customers based on years of working closely with them to research their needs,” Green said. “I’m proud of the collaboration across our Old Navy teams to evolve the retail experience for women.”

With efforts to provide updated sizing that felt true to a variety of body types, Old Navy said it administered 389 body scans to create digital avatars based on real women’s bodies.

Fit clinics with models that wear sizes 20-28 were also ran to build fresh fit blocks based on each of their unique proportions.

Old Navy also said it partnered with full-time fit models in sizes 8 – 20 to review the brand’s updated styles.

Similar to other big-name stores such as Nike and most recently Victoria’s Secret, the company said it will feature mannequins in a variety of sizes such as four, 12 and 18.

Online, shoppers can also use a new toggle feature that allows them to select their preferred default model display.

Prior to the launch of Bodequality, Old Navy offered sizes 0-14 as part of its Women’s collection and sizes 16-30 as part of its Women’s Plus collection. With its new initiative, all women’s sizes will be integrated where all customers can participate in the same brand experience with the same access to product.

Several other retailers have a designated area for plus sizes, but Old Navy is also doing away with separate sections and creating space where everything will be displayed in one place in-store and online.

Pricing will now also be the same throughout sizing. Before Bodequality, there was a price difference between straight sizes and the plus collection.

“Traditionally, to create extended size garments it requires more fabric and a different production process,” an Old Navy spokesperson told GMA. “As we launch Bodequality, we’ve transformed our process so we’ve been able to create price parity for all.”

Old Navy employees are also participating in customer-focused training with an aim to create more of an environment where everyone feels they belong, the company said.

Old Navy initially debuted its first Plus line in 2004 and in 2018 launched dedicated Plus shops in 75 U.S. stores. The following year, the company transformed 30 of those locations into size-integrated concept stores.

“Developing Bodequality allowed us to rethink the way we serve women in the retail industry,” Alison Partridge Stickney, head of women’s and maternity merchandising at Old Navy, said in a statement.

“This launch is a transformative moment for our brand and the fashion industry,” Partridge said.

With a goal to introduce Bodequality to women everywhere, the retailers will premiere a TV spot starring Emmy-nominated actress and comedian Aidy Bryant dancing alongside a diverse group of women to “I Am 100%” by Jarina De Marco.

Afghanistan updates: US Embassy destroyed some Afghans’ passports during evacuation

August 18, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(KABUL, Afghanistan) — Chaos has enveloped Kabul after Afghanistan’s president fled the country over the weekend and the Taliban seized control of the presidential palace, all but ending America’s 20-year campaign as it began: under Taliban rule.

As the crisis intensifies, with images from Kabul showing Afghans storming the airport tarmac and climbing onto military planes after the U.S. assumed control of the airport, President Joe Biden briefly left Camp David to address the nation from the White House on Monday.

The Pentagon said that 6,000 U.S. troops were being sent to the country’s capital as the military races to evacuate people from an increasingly chaotic Kabul. Despite criticism, the Biden administration is sticking by its decision to withdraw troops from the country by Aug. 31, ending America’s longest war.

Here are some key developments. All times Eastern:

Aug 18, 6:23 am
Taliban delegation meets with former Afghan president in Doha

A high-level Taliban delegation has met with Afghanistan’s former president, Hamid Karzai, and the head of the High Council for National Reconciliation, Abdullah Abdullah, in Qatar’s capital and assured them of security, a Taliban source told ABC News on Wednesday.

The Taliban has said there is a general amnesty for all in Afghanistan, including former government officials, and that no one should flee the country.

Aug 18, 5:51 am
UK to take in 20,000 Afghan refugees over 5 years

The United Kingdom announced Tuesday a plan to welcome 20,000 Afghan refugees over five years.

The resettlement program will prioritize women, children and religious minorities.

“We have an enduring commitment to the Afghan people, and we will honour it,” British Prime Minister Boris Johnson wrote on Twitter. “A new resettlement scheme will create a safe and legal route for those in most need to come and live safely in the UK.”

While addressing members of parliament on Wednesday morning, Johnson said his government has so far secured the safe return of 306 U.K. nationals and 2,052 Afghan citizens as part of the resettlement program, with a further 2,000 applications for Afghan nationals completed “and many more being processed.” An additional 800 British troops will be deployed to Afghanistan’s main international airport in Kabul to “support this evacuation operation,” according to Johnson.

“We are proud to bring these brave Afghans to our shores — and we continue to appeal for more to come forwards,” he said.

Aug 17, 11:55 pm
US Embassy destroyed some Afghans’ passports during evacuation

Last week when the U.S. Embassy in Kabul ordered staff to destroy sensitive material, including documents, passports were destroyed as well.

During the evacuation, embassy personnel destroyed the passports of Afghans that had been submitted for visa processing, according to a Democratic lawmaker’s office.

Rep. Andy Kim, D-NJ, has been compiling requests for assistance for Afghans on the ground, with his office funneling pleas for help through an email address. In the email’s response note, obtained by ABC News, it says, “Passports that were in the Embassy’s possession have been destroyed. Currently, it is not possible to provide further visa services in Afghanistan.”

A State Department spokesperson acknowledged that was true, but called it “standard operating procedure” during an evacuation and said it “will not prevent people who are otherwise eligible for evacuation from traveling.

Aug 17, 9:38 pm
House Armed Services Committee Republicans request Biden’s plan for Afghanistan

Republicans on the House Armed Services Committee sent a letter to Biden requesting information about his “plan” for Afghanistan.

“For months, we have been asking you for a plan on your withdrawal from Afghanistan. You failed to provide us with one and based on the horrific events currently unfolding in Afghanistan, we are confident that we never received your plan because you never had one,” the letter says.

“The security and humanitarian crisis now unfolding in Afghanistan could have been avoided if you had done any planning. Pretending this isn’t your problem will only make things worse. We remain gravely concerned the void left in Afghanistan will be rapidly filled by terror groups. The Taliban now control the country. Al Qaeda used Afghanistan to plot and execute the 9/11 attacks and other acts of terrorism,” the letter continues. “You cannot let this happen again.”

Notably, Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo. — a member of the committee — has also signed the letter.

Cheney appeared on ABC’s “This Week” Sunday and said that Biden “absolutely” bears responsibility for the Taliban’s rapid takeover of Afghanistan, as does former President Donald Trump and his administration.

“What we’re watching right now in Afghanistan is what happens when America withdraws from the world,” Cheney told ABC “This Week” co-anchor Jonathan Karl. “So everybody who has been saying, ‘America needs to withdraw, America needs to retreat,’ we are getting a devastating, catastrophic real-time lesson in what that means.”

Scoreboard roundup — 8/17/21

August 18, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Tuesday’s sports events:

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

INTERLEAGUE
Washington 12, Toronto 6

AMERICAN LEAGUE
NY Yankees 5, Boston 3
NY Yankees 2, Boston 0
Tampa Bay 10, Baltimore 0
LA Angels 8, Detroit 2
Kansas City 3, Houston 1
Chi White Sox 9, Oakland 0
Seattle 3, Texas 1
Cleveland 3 Minnesota 1

NATIONAL LEAGUE
Atlanta 2, Miami 0
Chi Cubs 2, Cincinnati 1
Milwaukee 2, St. Louis 0
Colorado 7, San Diego 3
San Francisco 3, NY Mets 2
Arizona 3, Philadelphia 2
LA Dodgers 4, Pittsburgh 3

WOMEN’S NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Connecticut 72, Minnesota 60
Dallas 80, Chicago 76
Las Vegas 93, Washington 83
Phoenix 84, Indiana 80
Los Angeles 85, Atlanta 80 (OT)

MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER
Colorado 2, LA Galaxy 1
Minnesota 1, San Jose 1 (Tie)

“If It Wasn’t for…” Riley Green, this might be just another song about “Trucks”

August 18, 2021 by WDNY Radio

At first glance, Riley Green‘s latest hit, “If It Wasn’t for Trucks,” might seem like just another ode to country’s favorite vehicle for riding backroads, throwing tailgate parties, and hauling hay.

But for the Alabama native, it hits much closer to home than that.

“The whole song is really personal,” Riley reveals. “And talking about when my granddaddy died, and ‘where would I have first heard Merle [Haggard],’ the line about ‘where was I supposed to cry.'”

“You didn’t cry in front of anybody,” he explains. “You pulled off in your truck somewhere if you were gonna do it.”

“And I love the line, ‘how would anybody’s daddy get around,'” he goes on. “That thought to me is pretty cool to go, ‘Everybody’s dad drives a truck. What would they do if there weren’t trucks?’ They’d have to walk everywhere, because nobody’s dad drives a car.”

While Riley freely admits it’s almost impossible to come up with an entirely new idea, he maintains it’s the execution that can really make a song special.

“Everything’s probably been said. Anything you can ever say, any idea’s probably been written in one of the eight billion country songs that are out there,” Riley points out. “But finding a cool way to say it and finding a personal way to say it, I think is what makes a song stick out, in my mind.”

Right now, Riley’s busy with the Beers on Me Tour with Dierks Bentley and Parker McCollum.

“If It Wasn’t for Trucks” is the title track of Riley’s 2020 EP, and is also included on his new collection, Behind the Bar.

Imagine Dragons’ Dan Reynolds recalls early pushback to “Radioactive”: “This song won’t play on radio”

August 18, 2021 by WDNY Radio

For the last seven years, Imagine Dragons‘ hit “Radioactive” has held the record for the most weeks spent on the Billboard Hot 100. While that record has now been broken by The Weeknd‘s “Blinding Lights,” it’d be hard to call “Radioactive” anything but a rousing success, especially given where it started.

As frontman Dan Reynolds tells Billboard, “Radioactive” wasn’t on anybody’s radar when ID was first getting started.

“Once we signed [to Interscope], it wasn’t like everybody at the label was like, ‘This is the song,'” Reynolds recalls. “In fact, it was the opposite. ‘It’s Time’ was the first single, and we [already] had ‘Radioactive’ at that point.”

“Nobody thought that that song would play on radio,” he continues. “In fact, I remember our radio department specifically being like, ‘This song won’t play on radio.’ But the song just started to go on its own, and then it just went to radio because it kind of had a life of its own, and it kinda dictated its own way.”

Surely that conversation will be a pivotal scene if anyone decides to make an Imagine Dragons biopic.

As for “Radioactive’s” now-beaten record, Reynolds feels good that it fell to The Weekend, whom he calls a “legend” and an “icon.”

“I think his music is the type of music that’s going to live on for a long time, and do good things,” Reynolds says. “So if there was ever someone to take the record, I think it’s good company.”

Meanwhile, Imagine Dragons is gearing up to release a new album called Mercury — Act 1 on September 3. It features the singles “Follow You,” “Cutthroat” and “Wrecked.”

Meghan Trainor’s “super-lucky” that for her, every day is “take your child to work day”

August 18, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Since becoming a mom, Meghan Trainor has pivoted from music to TV, because it allows her to spend more time with her son Riley — and the Grammy winner says she knows how lucky she is to be able to have that option.

Along with Adam Lambert and others, Meghan will be a judge on the upcoming reality competition show on E! called Clash of the Cover Bands. She’ll also be the host of a new Top Chef spinoff called Top Chef Family Style, which will stream on Peacock. In both cases, she gets to work a normal day and return home in the evening, with the added bonus of Riley being able to join her on set. It’s quite a change from her previous life as a globe-traveling pop star.

“Yeah, it’s my dream and I still get to, like, come home and be working on music whenever I can,” Meghan tells ABC Audio. “And I just love that I don’t have to travel, honestly!” She laughs, “Like, I don’t even know…I couldn’t even picture me dragging him on a plane right now. It seems like a lot of work!

“I’m just so happy that we can drive 10 minutes to work and do our work and he gets to come with me,” she notes. “So many moms out there can’t bring their child to work every day. And I get to do that. So I’m super-lucky and I know how blessed I am. So it’s been awesome!”

So far, neither show has a premiere date set. Meghan’s most recent album was A Very Trainor Christmas, which came out in October of 2020.

Camila Cabello says Taylor Swift taught her the value of friendship

August 18, 2021 by WDNY Radio

There was a time, if you can believe it, when Camila Cabello “never had any friends,” she tells Bustle. But now she has plenty, and she says she was taught the importance of friendship by none other than Taylor Swift.

Camila tells Bustle that when her music career began, she and her mom did everything together “to the extreme. Because I never had any friends.” She explains, “I’ve been [working] since I was 15. I’ve been traveling so much, and it’s been really hard for me to water the soil for friendships.”

But when Camila was chosen to open for Taylor Swift on her 2018 Reputation tour, she says, she finally learned how important it was to cultivate non-romantic relationships.

“Taylor has always been so kind and supportive and also goes out of her way to give you artist advice,” Camila tells Bustle. “[She’s] really about making friendships and relationships the most important thing. She is so brave at watering those seeds of friendships and relationships.”

Camila adds, “She always answers my texts and she’s so busy. I don’t even answer texts because I’m just worse at it. It takes intention to be like, ‘Let me write all my friends back.’”

Luckily, Camila isn’t lacking in the romantic relationship department either, as her romance with Shawn Mendes proves. “There’s a lot of sweetness and tenderness [between us],” she tells Bustle. “I think we’re both sensitive. I’m really lucky to be able to surround myself with tenderness; it’s really important to me.

Director’s cut of Rush’s 2019 ‘Cinema Strangiato’ film to be screened in theaters on September 9

August 18, 2021 by WDNY Radio

An updated version of Rush‘s 2019 screening event Cinema Strangiato will be shown in select theaters for one night only on September 9 in honor of the 40th anniversary of the legendary Canadian prog rockers’ 1981 album, Moving Pictures.

Rush: Cinema Strangiato — Director’s Cut will feature an alternate version of the film, which boasts highlights from the 2015 concert film R40 Live, plus behind-the-scenes segments and soundcheck footage.

The updated flick features bonus performances of “One Little Victory” and “Red Barchetta,” as well as the Neil Peart drum medley “Cygnus X-1″/”The Story So Far,” which is described as Neil’s “final recorded drum solo masterpiece.”

R40 Live features performances filmed in 2015 at a number of stops on Rush’s 40th anniversary trek, which turned out to be the band’s farewell tour. Peart died of brain cancer in January 2020.

Cinema Strangiato also includes interviews with The Smashing Pumpkins‘ Billy Corgan, Foo Fighters‘ Taylor Hawkins, Rage Against the Machine‘s Tom Morello, The Trailer Park Boys, Rush producer Nick Raskulinecz, and others.

Tickets for Cinema Strangiato — Director’s Cut are on sale now in the U.S. at CinemaStrangiato.com. Tickets will be available for screenings in Canada on September 1.

‘Nine Perfect Strangers’ cast reveals how they cope with stress

August 18, 2021 by WDNY Radio

The team behind Big Little Lies is back for more drama with Nine Perfect Strangers, launching today on Hulu.

The miniseries is set at a boutique health-and-wellness resort whose director, played by Nicole Kidman, is on a mission to reinvigorate the tired minds and bodies of nine stressed city dwellers. Bobby Cannavale, who plays one of the resort’s guests, tells ABC Audio it’s not the kind of place you’re likely to find him.

“Sandals with the kids,” is the closest he’s come to visiting a health spa, although he doesn’t even think that qualifies. “[A] 50 minute massage is 10 minutes too long for me,” he admits. “I don’t like when they’re putting their hands on me and… I’m not into the facials and I can’t do it. They’re not relaxing to me. I like to be in a place that’s nice looking, but people leave me alone.”

Samara Weaving and Melvin Gregg play a couple in need of therapy, and Gregg says tinkering around the house helps him keep his mental health in check.

“I really enjoy like carpentry and like landscape work,” he reveals. “So, that’s how I kind of escape.”

Weaving’s routine for decompressing includes practicing as much self-care as possible.

“Every day,” she tells ABC Audio, “I’m riddled with anxiety, so I’m always try to fix it. Yeah, I’m crazy. I usually do yoga for like twenty minutes a half an hour if I can most days and then I’ll sit and meditate for like ten minutes. That’s always helpful. Therapy every week.

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