(NEW YORK) — Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts has died at the age of 80.
A spokesperson for the musician confirmed the news of his death on Tuesday.
‘’It is with immense sadness that we announce the death of our beloved Charlie Watts,” the statement read. “He passed away peacefully in a London hospital earlier today surrounded by his family.”
“Charlie was a cherished husband, father and grandfather and also as a member of The Rolling Stones one of the greatest drummers of his generation,” the statement continued. “We kindly request that the privacy of his family, band members and close friends is respected at this difficult time.’’
The Stones announced earlier this month that Watts likely wouldn’t be able to join the band when it kicked off its 2021 “No Filter Tour” of North America.
Fans were told he was recovering from an unspecified medical procedure.
Watts released a statement at the time about his absence from the tour: “For once my timing has been a little off. I am working hard to get fully fit but I have today accepted on the advice of the experts that this will take a while. After all the fans’ suffering caused by Covid I really do not want the many RS fans who have been holding tickets for this Tour to be disappointed by another postponement or cancellation. I have therefore asked my great friend Steve Jordan to stand in for me.”
A longtime jazz aficionado, Watts developed a rock-steady style and swing that was the perfect complement to The Stones’ blues and R&B-influenced rock.
Other than frontman Mick Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards, Charlie was the only member of the band to appear on every Rolling Stones album.
Here’s just a small sampling of the classic Stones hits featuring Watts: “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction,” “Paint It, Black,” “Ruby Tuesday,” “Honky Tonk Women,” “Brown Sugar,” “Angie,” “Miss You” and “Start Me Up.”
Watts was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a member of The Rolling Stones in 1989.
Outside of the band, Watts has released albums with various jazz, blues and boogie woogie groups, including Rocket 88, The Charlie Watts Orchestra, The Charlie Watts Quintet, The Charlie Watts Tentet and The ABC&D of Boogie Woogie.
In addition to his drumming skills, Watts was known for being a stylish dresser who enjoyed wearing tasteful suits. In 2006, he was chosen for Vanity Fair’s International Best Dressed Hall of Fame List.
Contrary to The Rolling Stones’ bad boy image, Watts was a devoted husband who was married to his wife, Shirley, for over 56 years. The couple have one daughter, Seraphina, born in 1968.
In 2004, Watts was diagnosed with throat cancer, but after receiving radiotherapy treatment, the disease went into remission.
In a 2008 video interview posted on The Stones’ YouTube channel, Charlie reflected on his drumming style, noting, “My thing, whenever I play, is to make it a dance sound. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a blues or whatever, it should swing and bounce.”
Richards was one of the most passionate and vocal fans of Watts’ drumming. In a 2019 interview with U.K. newspaper The Sun, Richards gushed, “He’s absolutely amazing. It’s indescribable to find a drummer like Charlie Watts, exceptionally brilliant.”
(NEW YORK) — Two grandparents with one great love story celebrated 59 years of marriage by recreating their wedding day — complete with the bride’s original dress.
When Karen and Gary Ryan, both 79, got married in July of 1962 in Pocatello, Idaho, they said their wedding day looked very different to the ones we’re used to seeing today.
“It was so simple,” Karen told Good Morning America. “We went down the aisle, said our vows and went to the basement of our church for the reception.”
“I think we had punch and cookies. It was all over within an hour,” added Gary, who now has two sons and five grandchildren with Karen.
The couple’s daughter-in-law, Nikki, and granddaughter, McCall, each have their own wedding photography business and came up with the idea to stage a wedding photo shoot after the family found Karen’s wedding dress in storage at their current home in Handford, California.
The family was shocked when the wedding dress still fit her perfectly.
“I was really excited, but I just I couldn’t believe what was happening,” Karen said.
And after recent heart trouble for Gary, including a surgery this year to put in another stent, Nikki admitted they “didn’t think he was going to make it.” But after nursing him back to health, the family was determined to make every moment together count.
They still kiss every day, they still hug every day, they still tell each other ‘I love you’ every day, so it’s just really special.
“He’s on oxygen now, so he was really not doing very well the last few months, so we’re like, ‘If we could do this for their anniversary, and he can walk outside, then it’s going to be awesome.'”
The Ryans rented Gary a white tux to match the one he wore in 1962 and spent an hour one afternoon snapping photos of the couple and recreating special details from their original wedding day — and adding some modern traditions.
The couple did a “first look” during the shoot where Karen surprised Gary in her dress for the first time in nearly six decades.
“It was really emotional,” Gary said, adding: “She still looks pretty hot.”
The pair popped champagne and fed each other cake, true to their original reception all those years ago. Karen even wore the veil garter that came with her wedding dress.
“Just looking at the two photos, like that was them 60 years ago, and this is them now and they’re still just as in love. They just have so much fun together, always laughing, and they are such a solid team,” granddaughter McCall said.
The Ryans said one difference between weddings then and now is the price tag. The couple estimated their 1962 nuptials cost $500, a far cry from The Knot’s average 2019 wedding cost of $23,000.
“They spent $500 and they are still happy and in love,” said McCall.
“They still kiss every day, they still hug every day, they still tell each other ‘I love you’ every day so it’s just really special,” Nikki added.
Their biggest advice to other couples is to “just don’t take anything too seriously, unless it is serious. Just have fun in life.
(NEW YORK) — Laverne Cox is opening up to fans about her decision not to have children.
Taking to Instagram on Monday, the Emmy nominated actress made it clear that she isn’t interested in raising children because she is still working on herself.
“I see so many friends and colleagues becoming parents. I’m happy for all of you,” said Cox, 49, in a black and white text post. “I’m even happier for me, ecstatic even that I am NOT becoming a parent ever, never ever.”
She declared, “The thought brings me so much joy!”
“Enjoy the most important job on the planet, raising children. I’m enjoying watching you from a distance,” the “Promising Young Woman” star explained.
She said she is “doing the work of reparenting” her “inner child,” which she said is “more than enough work.”
Cox captioned the announcement, “It’s never too late to have a happy childhood.”
Many of the actress’ fans and followers took to the comments to praise her honesty. Many also said they related to not wanting children and commended her for publicly stating it.
(NEW YORK) — The United States is facing a COVID-19 surge this summer as the more contagious delta variant spreads.
More than 629,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 while over 4.4 million people have died from the disease worldwide, according to real-time data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.
Just 60.2% of Americans ages 12 and up are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Here’s how the news is developing Tuesday. All times Eastern:
Aug 24, 6:43 am
Tokyo Paralympics kicks off amid COVID-19 crisis
The delayed 2020 Summer Paralympics kicked off in Tokyo on Tuesday as Japan grapples with a growing COVID-19 crisis that has showed no signs of slowing down.
Protesters calling for the Games to be canceled gathered outside the Olympic Stadium in Japan’s capital ahead of Tuesday’s opening ceremony. Like the 2020 Olympics, which ended on Aug. 8, this year’s Paralympics is taking place amid a state of emergency. More than a dozen Japanese prefectures, including Tokyo, are currently under emergency measures related to COVID-19. The Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics were both postponed a year due to the pandemic.
Japan’s daily number of newly confirmed COVID-19 cases has been breaking records in recent days and weeks, while the daily death toll has stayed below the record 216 fatalities reported on May 18. The Japanese government and the Tokyo metropolitan government issued a joint appeal on Monday to hospitals in the capital to admit more COVID-19 patients as cases rise.
“The delta variant’s strong infectiousness just isn’t comparable to previous ones,” Japanese Health Minister Norihisa Tamura said as he stood alongside Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike. “We would like to have further support from the medical community to secure hospital beds for coronavirus patients.”
Aug 24, 3:59 am
3 Houston-area emergency rooms shutter due to COVID-19 surge
Memorial Hermann, one of the largest not-for-profit health systems in southeast Texas, said Monday it was forced to close three of its 24-hour emergency rooms in the Houston area “due to the continued COVID-19 surge.”
The emergency rooms inside Memorial Hermann’s convenient care centers in the Kingwood, Spring and Sienna neighborhoods will remain closed “until further notice.”
“Patients who are currently receiving care inside any of these Emergency Rooms will be safely discharged or transferred to another Memorial Hermann facility,” the health system said in an announcement on its website. “Members of our community who require emergent care should proceed to another nearby Emergency Center for assistance.”
Aug 23, 9:35 pm
Hawaii governor urges tourists to stay away
Hawaii Gov. David Ige is urging tourists to stay away from the state, which saw a huge number of visitors over the summer, due to the increase in COVID-19 cases.
“It is not a good time to travel to the islands. I encourage everyone to restrict and curtail travel to Hawaii,” Ige said at a news conference Monday.
The islands are dealing with a big COVID surge due to the delta variant, but have a limited number of hospitals. The governor even suggested that another full lockdown is on the table.
“Is a lockdown on the table? Yes, it would be if the number of cases continues to grow exponentially as it has in the last 10 weeks … then we will have to take action to limit and ensure that the hospitals aren’t overrun,” Ige said Monday.
Aug 23, 7:35 pm
CDC director touts FDA’s Pfizer approval
In an interview with ABC News’ Linsey Davis, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said she hopes unvaccinated Americans are spurred into action following Monday’s Food and Drug Administration’s approval of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.
Walensky said the FDA is “the gold standard for the safety and effectiveness of these vaccines,” and the move was “powerful signal in the safety and effectiveness.”
“We have an extraordinary amount of data, and I’m really pleased that the FDA not just took their time and did the due diligence that needed to be done, but did it quickly and efficiently to bring this to the American people as soon as possible,” she said.
Walensky didn’t have a timetable for when the Moderna vaccine would get full approval since they haven’t submitted its data to the FDA yet.
She did say that the current expectation is that the Pfizer vaccine will be authorized for children ages 5 to 12 by November.
While Walensky said she prefers Americans voluntarily get their shots, she encouraged more vaccine mandates to spur people.
“We’ve already seen just today many come through so that people will recognize if they were on the fence and they just needed that extra push that these mandates will get them there,” she said.
(NEW YORK) — The United States is facing a COVID-19 surge this summer as the more contagious delta variant spreads.
More than 628,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 while over 4.4 million people have died from the disease worldwide, according to real-time data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.
Just 60.2% of Americans ages 12 and up are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Here’s how the news is developing Monday. All times Eastern:
Aug 23, 4:40 pm
Honolulu suspending large gatherings due to dramatic uptick in cases
All large gatherings in Honolulu will be suspended due to a dramatic uptick in cases, Mayor Rick Blangiardi announced Monday.
Health care workers are “pushed beyond their limits,” the mayor said.
The ban begins Aug. 25 and will last for four weeks.
Aug 23, 3:39 pm
5 Southern states have ICUs over 90% full
Five states have intensive care units over 90% full: Alabama (100%), Florida (92.82%), Georgia (92.95%), Mississippi (93.81%) and Texas (91.27%), according to federal data.
The South also leads the country with the highest case rates. Louisiana and Mississippi have the highest case rates, followed by Florida, Tennessee, Georgia, Arkansas and South Carolina, according to federal data.
More than 95.6% of counties are either reporting high (89.32%) or substantial (6.24%) community transmission, federal data shows. Just 4.41% of counties are reporting moderate or low transmission.
Aug 23, 2:10 pm
FDA grants full approval for Pfizer vaccine
The Food and Drug Administration on Monday granted full approval of the Pfizer vaccine, becoming the first COVID-19 vaccine to transition from an emergency authorization status to full FDA approval.
The full approval indicates that Pfizer has shown enough effectiveness and safety data to meet the stringent Biologics License Application requirements, which includes at least six months of safety data from a majority of the volunteers in a large, final stage clinical trial.
Pfizer’s full approval will pave the way for further vaccine mandates in both the public and private sector. Some businesses and state leaders have held off thus far, signaling they’d wait for full approval before imposing tighter requirements.
Federal, state and local health officials have also expressed optimism that full approval will help dissolve some of the lingering hesitancy around taking a shot that until now has been only authorized for emergency use.
Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock called Monday’s announcement a “pivotal moment” made possible by a “rigorous and thorough review” done in record time.
“Working around the clock, FDA staff were able to complete the evaluation of this biologics license application in just over three months,” she said. “This is an unprecedented timeline given the volume of review and the meticulous manner in which it was done, but we want to underscore that our efforts to move as quickly as possible have in no way sacrifice scientific standards for the integrity of our process.”
President Joe Biden said Monday, “If you’re one of the millions of Americans who’ve said that they will not get the shot until it has full and final approval of the FDA — it has now happened.
Aug 23, 2:07 pm
More than 180,000 new cases reported among kids last week
More than 180,000 new COVID-19 cases were reported among kids last week, reaching levels of the previous winter surge of 2020-2021, according to a new report from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children’s Hospital Association.
More than 4.59 million children have tested positive for COVID-19 since the onset of the pandemic. Last week, children represented 22.4% of all reported cases.
Severe illness due to COVID-19 remains “uncommon” among children, the two organizations wrote in the report. In nearly two dozen states, 0.2%-1.9% of all child COVID-19 cases resulted in hospitalization.
AAP and CHA, however, warned that there is an urgent need to collect more data on the long-term consequences of the pandemic on children, “including ways the virus may harm the long-term physical health of infected children, as well as its emotional and mental health effects.”
Aug 23, 11:12 am
Pentagon preparing to make Pfizer vaccine mandatory
The Pentagon will move forward with making the Pfizer vaccine mandatory now that it has been fully approved by the FDA, Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said Monday.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced on Aug. 9 that he would seek authorization to mandate the vaccine for the military unless the FDA approved it before Sept. 15.
“Now that the Pfizer vaccine has been approved, the department is prepared to issue updated guidance, requiring all service members to be vaccinated,” Kirby said at a briefing. “A timeline for vaccination completion will be provided in the coming days.”
Aug 23, 10:50 am
NYC school staff must get vaccine
All of New York City’s nearly 150,000 public school employees must receive at least one vaccine dose by Sept. 27, Mayor Bill de Blasio will announce Monday. The new vaccination policy will not allow weekly testing as an option.
At least 63% of New York City’s Department of Education employees are already vaccinated, Schools Chancellor Meisha Porter said.
The previous requirement allowed for weekly testing of the unvaccinated, with unpaid suspensions for workers who didn’t comply.
New York City’s school year starts on Sept. 13.
Aug 23, 9:46 am
FDA grants full approval for Pfizer vaccine
The Food and Drug Administration on Monday granted full approval of the Pfizer vaccine, becoming the first COVID-19 vaccine to transition from an emergency authorization status to full FDA approval.
The full approval indicates that Pfizer has shown enough effectiveness and safety data to meet the stringent Biologics License Application requirements, which includes at least six months of safety data from a majority of the volunteers in a large, final stage clinical trial.
Pfizer’s full approval will pave the way for further vaccine mandates in both the public and private sector. Some businesses and state leaders have held off thus far, signaling they’d wait for full approval before imposing tighter requirements.
Federal, state and local health officials have also expressed optimism that full approval will help dissolve some of the lingering hesitancy around taking a shot that until now has been only authorized for emergency use.
Aug 23, 7:48 am
Rev. Jesse Jackson ‘responding’ to COVID treatment
Civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson, who is in the hospital with COVID-19, is responding positively to treatment, his son told ABC Chicago station WLS.
The 79-year-old, who has Parkinson’s disease, was vaccinated for COVID-19 in January, WLS reported.
His wife, Jacqueline, 77, is also in the hospital with COVID-19 and is resting comfortably, their son, Jonathan Jackson, said.
“She is having some oxygen but is able to function and breathe on her own without a respirator,” he told WLS.
Aug 23, 4:43 am
Over 880,000 Moderna vaccine doses donated by US arrive in Kenya
More than 880,000 doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine donated by the United States arrived in Kenya on Monday morning.
The 880,460 doses were given to the East African nation by the U.S. government via the global vaccine-sharing scheme COVAX, according to a press release from the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), which is leading vaccine procurement and delivery efforts on behalf of COVAX. It is the first of two shipments, totaling 1.76 million donate doses.
The donation marks the first time that Kenya has received the Moderna vaccine, widening the portfolio of COVID-19 vaccines available for the country’s ongoing rollout of its national immunization campaign. All Kenyans over the age of 18 are now eligible to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Kenya aims to vaccinate 10 million of its 53 million people by the end of the year.
So far, Kenya has reported more than 229,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including at least 4,497 deaths, according to the latest data from the Kenyan Ministry of Health.
(WASHINGTON) — The United States Capitol Police Office of Professional Responsibility has cleared the officer involved in the shooting of Ashli Babbitt, U.S. Capitol Police announced in a press release on Monday, saying that officer “will not be facing internal discipline.”
An internal investigation found the actions of the officer were “lawful and within Department policy,” it said.
Babbitt can be seen on video on Jan. 6 attempting to kick through a window, shortly after she entered the Capitol. She was subsequently shot and killed by the officer. The agency says they’ve reviewed all available evidence in connection with the shooting including video and radio calls.
Capitol Police stood by the officer and said their actions saved the lives of lawmakers and family members.
“The actions of the officer in this case potentially saved Members and staff from serious injury and possible death from a large crowd of rioters who forced their way into the U.S. Capitol and to the House Chamber where Members and staff were steps away,” the statement says. “USCP Officers had barricaded the Speaker’s Lobby with furniture before a rioter shattered the glass door. If the doors were breached, the rioters would have immediate access to the House Chambers.”
The statement adds that the officer’s actions were consistent with training and USCP policy and procedure.
Capitol Police did not identify the officer involved in the shooting, and a lawyer for the officer has not responded to ABC News’ request for comment.
“The officer and the officer’s family have been the subject of numerous credible and specific threats for actions that were taken as part of the job of all our officers: defending the Congress, Members, staff and the democratic process,” Capitol Police said in Monday’s statement.
In addition to the internal review, in April the U.S. Attorney’s office in D.C. decided not to pursue charges against the officer involved, saying there was not enough evidence.
Babbitt’s death has become a rallying cry for some on the right in the months since the Capitol attack, including former President Donald Trump.
(NEW YORK) — Henri continues to churn across the northeastern United States after weakening from a tropical storm to a tropical depression.
The storm made landfall as a tropical storm in Rhode Island early Sunday afternoon, bringing wind gusts up to 70 miles per hour and a storm surge of up to 4 feet to the surrounding regions.
The system weakened to a tropical depression on Sunday night and is expected to move northwest from upstate New York to southern Vermont on Monday.
Dangerous storm surge, hurricane conditions and flooding rain will continue in parts of the Northeast.
Here’s how the news is developing Monday. All times Eastern:
Aug 23, 6:46 am
Flash flood watches remain for 8 states
Henri continued to dump rain across the Northeast on Monday morning, as the storm’s remnants stalled in eastern New York.
Flash flood watches remain in effect for eight states in the region, from Pennsylvania to New Hampshire. The area could see an additional 2 to 3 inches of rainfall on Monday, according to the National Weather Service.
What’s left of Henri is forecast to move east later Monday before heading out of the Northeast by Tuesday.
Aug 23, 5:43 am
Over 53,000 without power in 2 states
More than 53,000 customers across two states were still without power early Monday morning as Henri slowly moved over the New England area.
As of 5 a.m. ET, there were 44,104 customers without power in Rhode Island, where Henri made landfall, while 9,737 were without power in Connecticut, according to data collected by PowerOutage.US.
Aug 22, 8:46 pm
Henri downgraded to tropical depression
Henri continued to weaken Sunday night and is now downgraded to a tropical depression, according to the National Hurricane Center.
The storm is now located 10 miles southwest of Hartford, Connecticut and has sustained winds of 35 mph.
The National Hurricane Center warned that the storm will continue to produce heavy rainfall and flooding across portions of southern New England and Northern mid-Atlantic states through Monday.
Aug 22, 7:35 pm
Power to be restored by mid-week: National Grid
National Grid said it is deploying over 4,000 personnel in Rhode Island and Massachusetts to restore power to affected areas.
As of 5 p.m. Sunday, approximately 72,600 customers in Rhode Island and 8,500 in Massachusetts were without power, according to the utility.
“The hardest hit communities in Rhode Island include South Kingstown, Narragansett, Westerly, Jamestown, Charlestown and North Kingstown,” National Grid said in a news release.
The utility said it estimates to have power restored to all affected customers by mid-week.
(NEW YORK) — Henri continues to churn across the northeastern United States after weakening from a tropical storm to a tropical depression.
The storm made landfall as a tropical storm in Rhode Island early Sunday afternoon, bringing wind gusts up to 70 miles per hour and a storm surge of up to 4 feet to the surrounding regions.
The system weakened to a tropical depression on Sunday night and is expected to move northwest from upstate New York to southern Vermont on Monday.
Dangerous storm surge, hurricane conditions and flooding rain will continue in parts of the Northeast.
Here’s how the news is developing Monday. All times Eastern:
Aug 23, 9:18 am
Biden approves emergency declaration for Vermont after New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island
The White House announced Monday that President Joe Biden has approved an emergency declaration for Vermont due to Henri, following his previous approvals for New York, Connecticut and Rhode Island.
Biden ordered federal assistance to supplement state and local response efforts in Vermont due to the emergency conditions resulting from the storm. The move authorizes the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to coordinate all disaster relief efforts and provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures, according to a press release from the White House.
Aug 23, 6:46 am
Flash flood watches remain for 8 states
Henri continued to dump rain across the Northeast on Monday morning, as the storm’s remnants stalled in eastern New York.
Flash flood watches remain in effect for eight states in the region, from Pennsylvania to New Hampshire. The area could see an additional 2 to 3 inches of rainfall on Monday, according to the National Weather Service.
What’s left of Henri is forecast to move east later Monday before heading out of the Northeast by Tuesday.
Aug 23, 5:43 am
Over 53,000 without power in 2 states
More than 53,000 customers across two states were still without power early Monday morning as Henri slowly moved over the New England area.
As of 5 a.m. ET, there were 44,104 customers without power in Rhode Island, where Henri made landfall, while 9,737 were without power in Connecticut, according to data collected by PowerOutage.US.
Aug 22, 8:46 pm
Henri downgraded to tropical depression
Henri continued to weaken Sunday night and is now downgraded to a tropical depression, according to the National Hurricane Center.
The storm is now located 10 miles southwest of Hartford, Connecticut and has sustained winds of 35 mph.
The National Hurricane Center warned that the storm will continue to produce heavy rainfall and flooding across portions of southern New England and Northern mid-Atlantic states through Monday.
Aug 22, 7:35 pm
Power to be restored by mid-week: National Grid
National Grid said it is deploying over 4,000 personnel in Rhode Island and Massachusetts to restore power to affected areas.
As of 5 p.m. Sunday, approximately 72,600 customers in Rhode Island and 8,500 in Massachusetts were without power, according to the utility.
“The hardest hit communities in Rhode Island include South Kingstown, Narragansett, Westerly, Jamestown, Charlestown and North Kingstown,” National Grid said in a news release.
The utility said it estimates to have power restored to all affected customers by mid-week.
(NEW YORK) — The United States is facing a COVID-19 surge this summer as the more contagious delta variant spreads.
More than 628,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 while over 4.4 million people have died from the disease worldwide, according to real-time data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.
Just 60.2% of Americans ages 12 and up are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Here’s how the news is developing Monday. All times Eastern:
Aug 23, 9:49 am
NYC school staff must get vaccine
All of New York City’s nearly 150,000 public school employees must receive at least one vaccine dose by Sept. 27, Mayor Bill de Blasio will announce Monday. The new vaccination policy will not allow weekly testing as an option.
Aug 23, 9:46 am
FDA grants full approval for Pfizer vaccine
The Food and Drug Administration on Monday granted full approval of the Pfizer vaccine, becoming the first COVID-19 vaccine to transition from an emergency authorization status to full FDA approval.
The full approval indicates that Pfizer has shown enough effectiveness and safety data to meet the stringent Biologics License Application requirements, which includes at least six months of safety data from a majority of the volunteers in a large, final stage clinical trial.
Pfizer’s full approval will pave the way for further vaccine mandates in both the public and private sector. Some businesses and state leaders have held off thus far, signaling they’d wait for full approval before imposing tighter requirements.
Federal, state and local health officials have also expressed optimism that full approval will help dissolve some of the lingering hesitancy around taking a shot that until now has been only authorized for emergency use.
Aug 23, 7:48 am
Rev. Jesse Jackson ‘responding’ to COVID treatment
Civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson, who is in the hospital with COVID-19, is responding positively to treatment, his son told ABC Chicago station WLS.
The 79-year-old, who has Parkinson’s disease, was vaccinated for COVID-19 in January, WLS reported.
His wife, Jacqueline, 77, is also in the hospital with COVID-19 and is resting comfortably, their son, Jonathan Jackson, said.
“She is having some oxygen but is able to function and breathe on her own without a respirator,” he told WLS.
Aug 23, 4:43 am
Over 880,000 Moderna vaccine doses donated by US arrive in Kenya
More than 880,000 doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine donated by the United States arrived in Kenya on Monday morning.
The 880,460 doses were given to the East African nation by the U.S. government via the global vaccine-sharing scheme COVAX, according to a press release from the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), which is leading vaccine procurement and delivery efforts on behalf of COVAX. It is the first of two shipments, totaling 1.76 million donate doses.
The donation marks the first time that Kenya has received the Moderna vaccine, widening the portfolio of COVID-19 vaccines available for the country’s ongoing rollout of its national immunization campaign. All Kenyans over the age of 18 are now eligible to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Kenya aims to vaccinate 10 million of its 53 million people by the end of the year.
So far, Kenya has reported more than 229,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including at least 4,497 deaths, according to the latest data from the Kenyan Ministry of Health.
(HUMPHREYS COUNTY, Tenn.) — At least 16 people are dead and 51 are missing after middle Tennessee was hit with record rainfall Friday into Saturday morning.
The flooding in the region caused cars to be tossed like toys and houses ripped off their foundations.
In Humphreys County, 10 were killed and about 40 people remain missing, according to Rob Edwards, chief deputy with the Humphreys County Sheriff’s Office.
“We are working very hard to locate the missing persons,” Edwards said in an email to ABC News. “We are doing house to house checks in the areas hit the hardest within our county.”
Humphreys County is located along the Tennessee River, about 90 minutes west of Nashville.
“We have power outages all over the area,” Edwards added. “Complicating issues is the loss of all cell phone coverage from the major carriers. They are bringing in portable units to assist with communications. We have lost a lot of roads both rural and major highways. In my 28 years it’s the worst I’ve ever seen it.”
A preliminary rainfall total of 17.02 inches was measured at McEwen, Tennessee, Saturday, which would break the all-time 24 hour rainfall record for the state of Tennessee, according to the National Weather Service. The old record was 13.06 inches, recorded in Milan on Sept. 13, 1982.
Flash flood watches were in effect across much of central Tennessee on Saturday.
The Hardin County Fire Department, which went to assist nearby Humphreys County, called the destruction “unbelievable” and said search teams would return to the region on Sunday morning.
The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency warned people to avoid traveling in Humphreys, Houston, Dickson and Hickman counties.
The Red Cross said it had opened emergency shelters at the YMCA Dickson County in Dickson; the Fairfield Church of Christ in Centerville; and the Waverly Church of Christ and Waverly First Baptist Church in Waverly.
ABC News’ Max Golembo, Victoria Arancio and Matt Foster contributed to this report.
