News

(NEW YORK) — The United States is facing a COVID-19 surge this summer as the more contagious delta variant spreads.

More than 617,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 and over 4.2 million people have died worldwide, according to real-time data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.

Just 58.7% 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 10, 8:59 am
Dallas, Austin school districts to require masks

The Dallas Independent School District, the second largest in Texas, said it’s temporarily requiring face masks for all students, staff and visitors as of Tuesday.

It’s not clear how long the mask mandate will last.

In the Austin Independent School District, students, staff and visitors must wear face masks beginning Wednesday.

This comes after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott imposed a ban on mask mandates.

In Houston, Texas’ biggest school district, the board of education will vote this week on a proposed mask requirement, according to ABC Dallas affiliate WFAA.

Aug 10, 8:29 am
Pediatrician warns parents and governors: Don’t ‘underestimate’ the virus

Dr. Richard Besser, president and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and former acting director of the CDC, said parents should not get to choose if their kids wear masks in school.

“Allowing it to be an issue of personal choice is fine if it only affected your child, but it doesn’t. It affects everyone around your child as well,” Besser told “Good Morning America” Tuesday.

“There’s a lot we don’t know about this virus,” Besser said. “I urge parents, I urge schools, I urge governors, not to underestimate what we’re dealing with.”

Aug 09, 7:27 pm
No ICU beds available at top Mississippi hospitals: Official

Mississippi’s top health official warned Monday that the state’s top-level hospitals have no ICU beds left, and things are going to get worse.

Mississippi State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs cited the latest stats on the growing number of COVID-19 cases, stating there were 6,912 new cases and 28 deaths recorded.

“Keep in mind – this will translate into around 500 new hospitalization in coming days, and we have ZERO ICU beds at Level 1-3 hospitals, and we have

Aug 09, 7:06 pm
Abbott seeks out of state health care personnel to help Texas

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced several measures Monday to curb the state’s growing COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.

Health care personnel from other states will be coming to Texas to assist the Texas Department of State Health Services with their recent wave of cases, Abbott said.

The governor sent a letter to the Texas Hospital Association urging them to suspend elective surgeries.

He also announced the health department will open more antibody fusion centers and vaccine sites for residents.

Aug 09, 5:38 pm
Arkansas hospitalizations reach record high, 8 ICU beds left

Arkansas saw its highest number of people hospitalized with the coronavirus since the pandemic began, according to state health data.

The number of hospitalizations rose by 103, its biggest one-day increase, to 1,376, which is five hospitalizations higher than the previous record set in January, the state health data showed.

Gov. Asa Hutchinson tweeted that only eight ICU beds remained in the entire state. He encouraged more people to get a vaccine.

As of Monday, 49.3% of eligible residents in Arkansas have received one vaccine shot, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Aug 09, 4:43 pm
Washington governor issues vaccine mandate for state employees

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee announced Monday that he has ordered that all state employees must be vaccinated or face termination.

Inslee cited increased hospitalizations and cases throughout the state, which have mostly affected the unvaccinated, as the factor for his executive order.

“We do so to protect our vulnerable communities, to prevent further calamity to our state and to be further on the path to recovery,” he said at a news conference.

The deadline for the vaccine mandate is Oct. 18. Inslee’s executive order does provide medical and religious exemptions.

As of Aug. 2, 69.6% of Washingtonians 12 and older have received at least one dose of a vaccine, according to the state’s health department.

“We need more people to roll up their sleeves,” Inslee said.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — The United States is facing a COVID-19 surge this summer as the more contagious delta variant spreads.

More than 617,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 and over 4.2 million people have died worldwide, according to real-time data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.

Just 58.7% 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 10, 8:59 am
Dallas, Austin school districts to require masks

The Dallas Independent School District, the second largest in Texas, said it’s temporarily requiring face masks for all students, staff and visitors as of Tuesday.

It’s not clear how long the mask mandate will last.

In the Austin Independent School District, students, staff and visitors must wear face masks beginning Wednesday.

This comes after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott imposed a ban on mask mandates.

In Houston, Texas’ biggest school district, the board of education will vote this week on a proposed mask requirement, according to ABC Dallas affiliate WFAA.

Aug 10, 8:29 am
Pediatrician warns parents and governors: Don’t ‘underestimate’ the virus

Dr. Richard Besser, president and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and former acting director of the CDC, said parents should not get to choose if their kids wear masks in school.

“Allowing it to be an issue of personal choice is fine if it only affected your child, but it doesn’t. It affects everyone around your child as well,” Besser told “Good Morning America” Tuesday.

“There’s a lot we don’t know about this virus,” Besser said. “I urge parents, I urge schools, I urge governors, not to underestimate what we’re dealing with.”

Aug 09, 7:27 pm
No ICU beds available at top Mississippi hospitals: Official

Mississippi’s top health official warned Monday that the state’s top-level hospitals have no ICU beds left, and things are going to get worse.

Mississippi State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs cited the latest stats on the growing number of COVID-19 cases, stating there were 6,912 new cases and 28 deaths recorded.

“Keep in mind – this will translate into around 500 new hospitalization in coming days, and we have ZERO ICU beds at Level 1-3 hospitals, and we have

Aug 09, 7:06 pm
Abbott seeks out of state health care personnel to help Texas

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced several measures Monday to curb the state’s growing COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.

Health care personnel from other states will be coming to Texas to assist the Texas Department of State Health Services with their recent wave of cases, Abbott said.

The governor sent a letter to the Texas Hospital Association urging them to suspend elective surgeries.

He also announced the health department will open more antibody fusion centers and vaccine sites for residents.

Aug 09, 5:38 pm
Arkansas hospitalizations reach record high, 8 ICU beds left

Arkansas saw its highest number of people hospitalized with the coronavirus since the pandemic began, according to state health data.

The number of hospitalizations rose by 103, its biggest one-day increase, to 1,376, which is five hospitalizations higher than the previous record set in January, the state health data showed.

Gov. Asa Hutchinson tweeted that only eight ICU beds remained in the entire state. He encouraged more people to get a vaccine.

As of Monday, 49.3% of eligible residents in Arkansas have received one vaccine shot, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Aug 09, 4:43 pm
Washington governor issues vaccine mandate for state employees

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee announced Monday that he has ordered that all state employees must be vaccinated or face termination.

Inslee cited increased hospitalizations and cases throughout the state, which have mostly affected the unvaccinated, as the factor for his executive order.

“We do so to protect our vulnerable communities, to prevent further calamity to our state and to be further on the path to recovery,” he said at a news conference.

The deadline for the vaccine mandate is Oct. 18. Inslee’s executive order does provide medical and religious exemptions.

As of Aug. 2, 69.6% of Washingtonians 12 and older have received at least one dose of a vaccine, according to the state’s health department.

“We need more people to roll up their sleeves,” Inslee said.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — At least 150 million Americans are at risk for severe weather as a triple threat of extreme events stretches across the country.

While there are more than 100 fires burning throughout the United States — including the Dixie Fire, which has become the 2nd largest in California history — other severe weather is also on its way.

A tornado outbreak hit the Midwest with more storms headed to the area, record temperatures are possible in both the Northeast and Northwest, and a tropical system is likely to become Tropical Storm Fred later Tuesday.

Tornadoes in the Midwest

After a tornado outbreak on Monday in the Midwest, several more rounds of severe weather are expected in that region through at least Thursday.

There were 16 reported tornadoes in the Midwest, with 14 of them happening in Illinois alone.

The severe weather will pick up again Tuesday from Kansas to Michigan, including parts of already hard-hit Illinois and Wisconsin. While brief tornadoes will be possible, widespread damaging winds are the main concern.

Summer heat waves

The severe weather is being fueled in part by extreme heat. A heat wave is already developing across the Mississippi River valley with temperatures that will feel like over 100 degrees Fahrenheit from Texas to Illinois. The heat index may reach over 105 degrees in cities like Little Rock, Arkansas, and Memphis, Tennessee.

Record high temperatures will be challenged in both the Northwest and Northeast later this week.

In the Northwest, temperatures will exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit in parts of Oregon, Idaho and Northern California. Portland, Oregon, could see temperatures top 107 degrees by Thursday

In the Northeast, temperatures are soaring into the 90s from Washington, D.C., to Boston. Of particular concern will be parts of New Jersey, where the heat index may reach 110 degrees on Thursday.

Tropical system in Caribbean

A tropical system is brewing in the Atlantic and is currently affecting the Caribbean; the current forecast shows that it could begin affecting Florida as soon as this weekend.

This system will likely become Tropical Storm Fred sometime Tuesday. Tropical storm alerts have been issued for parts of the Caribbean, including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The system will likely weaken a little bit over the Dominican Republic, and while it’s too early to determine the magnitude and location of exact impacts, ABC News’ forecast models in the last 24 hours have seemed to indicate that a restrengthening tropical system may head toward Florida by the end of this week.

This system could continue to be a nuisance — particularly to the southeast U.S. — through early next week.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — Quentin Tarantino said he has made good on a vow he made as a child never to give money to his mother.

In an interview with “Billions” co-creator Brian Koppelman for “The Moment” podcast, Tarantino said that because his mother was not supportive of his writing career when he was young, he’s never felt obligated to share his riches with her.

Tarantino said that as a child, he struggled academically and that his mother was frustrated that he’d write screenplays instead of doing his schoolwork.

“in the middle of her little tirade, she said, ‘Oh, and by the way, this little writing career — with the finger quotes — this little writing career that you’re doing, that s— is f—— over,'” he recalled. “When she said that to me in that sarcastic way, I was in my head and I go, ‘OK lady, when I become a successful writer, you will never see penny one from my success. There will be no house for you. There’s no vacation for you, no Elvis Cadillac for mommy. You get nothing because you said that.'”

The “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” director added that despite his success, he’s never purchased a car or a house for his mother, who is still living. However, he added, “I helped her out of a jam with the IRS.”

Throughout his career, Tarantino, 58, has won two Academy Awards for screenwriting; one for “Pulp Fiction” and the other for “Django Unchained.” When Koppelman tried to persuade him to buy his mother something extravagant, Tarantino remained resolute.

“There are consequences for your words,” he said with a laugh. “As you deal with your children, remember there are consequences for your sarcastic tone [about what’s] meaningful to them.”

 

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(WASHINGTON) — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will request approval for the COVID-19 vaccine to become mandatory for all U.S. military service members by mid-September, according to a memo he sent to all Defense Department employees.

“I want you to know that I will seek the President’s approval to make the vaccines mandatory no later than mid-September, or immediately upon the U.S. Food and Drug Agency (FDA) licensure, whichever comes first,” Austin wrote in the memo.

A U.S. official initially confirmed Austin’s decision to ABC News before it was later made public in a written message to all U.S. military service members.

“By way of expectation, public reporting suggests the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine could achieve full FDA licensure early next month. The intervening few weeks will be spent preparing for this transition,” Austin wrote.

Given the rising coronavirus case numbers amid the increasing spread of the highly transmissible delta variant, Austin noted that “I will not hesitate to act sooner or recommend a different course to the President if l feel the need to do so.”

In a statement released shortly after Austin’s memo was sent out, the president said, “I strongly support Secretary Austin’s message to the Force today on the Department of Defense’s plan to add the COVID-19 vaccine to the list of required vaccinations for our service members not later than mid-September. Secretary Austin and I share an unshakable commitment to making sure our troops have every tool they need to do their jobs as safely as possible. These vaccines will save lives. Period. They are safe. They are effective.”

“We cannot let up in the fight against COVID-19, especially with the Delta variant spreading rapidly through unvaccinated populations. We are still on a wartime footing, and every American who is eligible should take immediate steps to get vaccinated right away,” Biden’s statement continued.

Because the COVID-19 vaccines are currently only being used under an emergency use authorization from the FDA, Biden will have to grant a waiver to enable the Pentagon to make vaccinations mandatory.

According to the Pentagon’s latest statistics more than 70% of all active-duty service members have received at least one dose.

Until Austin’s recommendation for a mandate, the U.S. military could only recommend to service members that they should take the vaccination. However, Pentagon officials had said that once the FDA approved a COVID vaccine that they would begin a review of whether it should be made mandatory for U.S. military personnel, just like the 17 other vaccines that are mandatory for U.S. military personnel.

Austin’s decision follows Biden’s announcement two weeks ago that federal employees would be required to provide proof of vaccination or face regular testing. Biden also ordered the Pentagon to explore “how and when” it could require service members to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.

In addition to the recommendation to make the vaccine mandatory Austin wrote that “we will comply with the President’s direction regarding additional restrictions and requirements for unvaccinated Federal personnel.”

“I strongly encourage all DoD military and civilian personnel — as well as contractor personnel — to get vaccinated now and for military Service members to not wait for the mandate,” he wrote.

“All FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccines are safe and highly effective,” said Austin. “They will protect you and your family. They will protect your unit, your ship, and your co-workers. And they will ensure we remain the most lethal and ready force in the world. Get the shot. Stay healthy. Stay ready.”

Read the memo:

Message to the Force Memo -… by ABC News Politics

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