It’s been over 20 years since Peter Gabriel released an album of new, original songs, but the acclaimed singer/songwriter has hinted that his next record will likely be arriving soon.
During a recent gallery event in New York City promoting his daughter Anna‘s new photo book, Eye-D, Gabriel told ABC Audio, “It’s reaching completion. I’m just finishing things up. So, there should be … some news about it soon.”
Gabriel’s last studio album of new music, Up, was released in September 2002. The new album is tentatively titled I/O.
Meanwhile, Peter and his daughter also shared some details about a new multimedia project they’re involved with, called Reverberation. The project, as Anna explained to ABC Audio, focuses on “how music can affect your brain and sort of the power of music and how to use it in your daily life.”
In conjunction with the project, a book called Reverberation: Do Everything Better with Music, featuring a foreword by Peter, was recently published. Anna also noted that the book will be followed by a TV show, a podcast and more.
Peter also discussed some of the interesting scientific studies tied in with Reverberation about the positive effect music and sound can have on people.
As he pointed out, “Some older folk that had lost the capacity to talk, when they were played music that was significant in their teens to them, they were able to talk again … not permanently, but it just shows the power [music has] to activate certain switches in the brain.”
Visit AbramsBooks.com for more info about Reverberation: Do Everything Better with Music.
The People’s Choice Awards will bestow “The People’s Icon” award to Ryan Reynolds at this year’s ceremony, coming up on December 6 on NBC.
The actor/writer/producer/businessman will be recognized for his contributions to film and television, in addition to being nominated in the “Male Movie Star” and “Comedy Movie Star” categories for his role in his newest film The Adam Project.
“In any endeavor — whether it’s acting, producing, marketing or business — Ryan Reynolds has the unique ability to create joy and authentically connect with his audience. He’s received many accolades over the years, but it’s these innate qualities that makes him so beloved,” Cassandra Tryon, SVP, Entertainment Live Events, NBCUniversal Television and Streaming said in a statement on Thursday. “We cannot wait to present Ryan with ‘The People’s Icon’ award at this year’s show.”
Reynolds, 46, began his acting career in 1991, rising to prominence in the comedy series Two Guys, A Girl and a Pizza Place and dozens of blockbuster films, including The Proposal, Definitely, Maybe, Mississippi Grind and Deadpool.
He’s also an owner of Aviation Gin, Mint Mobile and Wrexham Football Club, Chief Creative Officer of MNTN and a co-founder of Maximum Effort Productions.
Past recipients of “The People’s Icon” award include Halle Berry, Jennifer Lopez, Jennifer Aniston and Melissa McCarthy.
Voting for the 2022 People’s Choice Awards runs through Wednesday, November 9 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Fans can view all 40 categories, as well as vote at www.votepca.com. Votes can also be cast via Twitter by sending a public tweet or retweet and including one category hashtag and one corresponding nominee hashtag.
(NEW YORK) — The sudden death of 49-year-old author Julie Powell, whose life inspired the movie Julie & Julia, is raising new questions about her health, including a recent battle with COVID-19.
Her husband, Eric Powell, reported to The New York Times on Tuesday that the author died of a cardiac arrest on Oct. 26 at their home in Olivebridge, New York.
As many fans took to social media to express condolences, questions arose around some of Powell’s final tweets, including her recent COVID-19 recovery and a “black hairy tongue.”
On Oct. 25, a day before Powell reportedly died, the food writer tweeted that she woke up with black hairy tongue, adding further, “people, including my doctor, seem to think it’s no big deal, and will go away soon, but it certainly is gross.”
While alarming by sight, black hairy tongue is a benign and temporary condition that can be caused by a variety of factors including excessive alcohol, coffee or black tea intake, dehydration, smoking, poor oral hygiene or even certain medications, according to Dr. Darien Sutton, a board-certified emergency medicine physician and ABC News medical contributor.
Earlier this fall, in September, Powell — who gained notoriety as the food writer behind the Julie/Julia blog that chronicled her journey cooking all 524 recipes in Julia Child’s Mastering The Art of French Cooking — tweeted about suffering from COVID-19, writing that her symptoms included fatigue and a cough.
According to Sutton, there is “no reason to believe” that Powell’s diagnosis of black hairy tongue is associated with her battle with COVID-19.
Sutton said we also have “no evidence” that her death was associated with her COVID diagnosis.
“I think the reason why people speculated about this is that we know that there’s an association between COVID-19 and an increased risk of certain conditions that can cause cardiac arrest,” said Sutton, noting that data shows patients with COVID-19 are more likely to face increased risks of heart attacks, abnormal heart rhythms and blood clots.
In Powell’s case, the only known fact about her death is her husband’s report that it was due to cardiac arrest, which is a broad term, according to Sutton.
“It simply means that the heart has stopped functioning,” he said of cardiac arrest. “We do not know her medical history other than what she relayed in her tweets.”
Cardiac arrest is the cause of as many as 450,000 deaths in the United States each year, according to the National Institute of Health.
Heart disease is also the number one cause of death for women in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The disease can be caused by a range of things like diabetes, smoking, an unhealthy diet, lack of physical activity and more. Sutton added it is also possible to suffer cardiac arrest due to factors not related to having heart disease, such as problems with the lungs, electrolytes or blood disorders.
“Unfortunately for cardiac arrest, there are no real symptoms,” said Sutton. “It’s often a sudden loss of consciousness.”
If you see a person lose consciousness, Sutton recommends immediately dialing 911 and starting CPR.
The American Heart Association offers resources for people who want to get education and training to provide first aid and CPR that could save a life.
(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Thursday’s sports events:
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL PLAYOFFS
Houston 3, Philadelphia 2 (Houston leads 3-2)
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Orlando 130, Golden State 129
Denver 122, Oklahoma City 110
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Detroit 3, Washington 1
Vegas 5, Ottawa 4
Boston 5, NY Rangers 2
Carolina 4 Tampa Bay 3 (SO)
Seattle 4, Minnesota 0
Winnipeg 3, Montreal 2 (OT)
NY Islanders 5, St. Louis 2
Chicago 2, Los Angeles 1 (OT)
Nashville 4, Calgary 1
New Jersey 4, Edmonton 3
Vancouver 8, Anaheim 5
Dallas 7, Arizona 2
Florida 4, San Jose 3 (SO)
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Philadelphia 29, Houston 17
(NEW YORK) — Pfizer and BioNTech have launched a clinical trial on a vaccine targeting both COVID-19 and influenza, the companies announced Thursday.
The phase 1 trial is being done in the United States with 180 participants between the ages of 18 and 64, with the first participant dosed this week, the companies said. The follow-up period for each participant will be six months.
“By combining both indications in one vaccine approach, we aim to provide individuals with an efficient way to receive immunization against two severe respiratory diseases with evolving viruses that require vaccine adaptation,” Dr. Ugur Sahin, CEO and co-founder of BioNTech, said in a statement.
The combination vaccine is based on the currently available bivalent COVID-19 booster and a quadrivalent mRNA flu vaccine, which is designed to protect against four different flu viruses.
The phase 1 trial will test for safety, immune response and optimal dose level of the combination vaccine, before moving on to larger trials. The data will also provide insight into the potential of mRNA vaccines to address more than one pathogen, Sahin said.
Annaliesa Anderson, senior vice president and chief scientific officer of vaccine research and development for Pfizer, called this an “exciting step in our ongoing journey with BioNTech as we collectively look to transform the prevention of infectious diseases around the world.”
“Even with existing seasonal influenza vaccines, the burden of this virus is severe across the world causing thousands of deaths and hospitalizations every year,” she said in a statement.
Studies indicate COVID-19 vaccine efficacy fades over time, though it’s not clear if every American will need an annual COVID-19 booster. As scientists continue to assess the need, several companies are at work on creating a single injection each fall that protects against both seasonal flu and COVID-19.
In addition to Pfizer, pharmaceutical companies Moderna and Novavax have announced plans to work on a combo shot.
Moderna said it anticipates starting clinical trials on a single-dose vaccine that combines a booster against COVID-19 and a booster against flu by the end of the year, with hopes of the vaccine being available for the 2023 season.
“We believe this is a very large opportunity that is ahead of us, if we could bring to market a high efficacy pan-respiratory annual booster,” Moderna COE Stéphane Bancel said during the Sept. 9 investor meeting.
Last year, Novavax enrolled people in a Phase 1/2 study to evaluate the safety, tolerability and immune response of a combination vaccine using the company’s seasonal influenza and COVID-19 vaccines. A phase 2 confirmation trial is expected to begin later this year, the company said in October.
(UVALDE, Texas) — Emilia “Amy” Marin watched a briefing on the Robb Elementary school shooting on May 27, three days after the rampage that killed 19 students and two teachers.
She listened live as Col. Steven McCraw, director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, told dozens of reporters and millions of viewers watching live that a “teacher” had propped the door open with a rock, allowing the shooter to enter the school through a door that was supposed to lock automatically.
“He’s lying. That’s a lie,” Marin said to her daughter, who was watching with her.
Though unnamed at the time, Marin was the woman McCraw was talking about. Marin was an afterschool program coordinator at the time of the Robb shooting.
Months later, Marin is still waiting to hear how and why the false accusation was broadcast to the nation.
“Nobody is going to point the finger at me because I know what I did,” Marin told ABC News correspondent John Quiñones. “I knew what I did from day one.”
Three days later, DPS retracted that statement, but that was not until after many in the community had blamed Marin for the attack. In the months since, community members and state politicians have criticized DPS for that mistake.
“They’re either incompetent or they are dishonest,” said Don Flanary, Marin’s lawyer, about the department. “Neither is acceptable.”
DPS has not offered an explanation on how the error was made or the route it took to reach McCraw. DPS officials declined to respond to questions for this report about the origin of the mistake and have referred ABC News to the agency’s prior statements and apology.
In a previous statement to ABC News, DPS spokesman Travis Considine explained: “At the outset of the investigation, DPS reported that an unnamed teacher at Robb Elementary School used a rock to prop open the door that the shooter used to enter the school building. It was later determined that the same teacher removed the rock from the doorway prior to the arrival of the shooter, and closed the door, unaware that the door was unlocked.”
Considine said, “DPS corrected this error in public announcements and testimony and apologizes to the teacher and her family for the additional grief this has caused to an already horrific situation.”
McCraw testified during a state Public Safety Commission hearing last week. “At the time, that’s exactly the information that we had. It was wrong,” he said. “I take responsibility for it.”
Security camera footage obtained by ABC News shows Marin placing the rock in the doorway only to return and kick it away a few minutes later. She closed the door behind her.
“If you’re an investigator, you’re sitting there watching that video and you saw me walk out,” Marin told ABC News. “Why didn’t you sit there and watch the whole video to see if I ran back in?”
“Obviously I should have apologized a lot sooner,” McCraw said at that public safety meeting. “I did say the teacher pushed the rock or put placed the rock in the door. I said that on that Friday and didn’t correct it until the next week.”
During last week’s hearing, state Sen. Roland Gutierrez, who represents Uvalde, said Marin was deeply traumatized by the assertion that her actions gave a killer access to Robb Elementary.
“She was haunted by this in her own hometown,” Gutierrez told ABC news.
“And that happened because (DPS) defamed her,” he said. “They defamed her.”
Gutierrez told the commission that the explanation of a simple mistake was unconvincing and hard to believe because, in the first days after the school shooting, he said he personally watched as a team of DPS investigators reviewed surveillance camera footage closely.
In an interview with ABC News, Gutierrez elaborated, saying he watched 10 troopers in their signature DPS cowboy hats closely examining video captured that day. Though he couldn’t say exactly which videos he saw them reviewing, he watched as they scrutinized the footage, repeatedly rewinding, fast-forwarding and slowing portions of video. He said the detailed analysis of the evidence that he witnessed contradicts the information McCraw was given prior to the briefing Marin watched with her daughter on May 27.
“It defies logic that these people didn’t know the truth as to what Amy Marin did or didn’t do,” Gutierrez said. “When they accused Amy Marin, they knew that she absolutely did the right thing and yet they let her feel the pain of that accusation for five days, and she will never be the same.”
Marin told ABC News that an FBI agent and a Texas Ranger interviewed her before McCraw went on television with his inaccurate statements about her actions. She told the officers at that time what happened on the day of the shooting, including her shutting the door behind her.
“They had the video and the FBI and Rangers had already interviewed her and confirmed with her that she kicked the rock out,” said Flanary. “It doesn’t make sense.”
Jesse Rizo, the uncle of Jackie Cazares who was among the students killed at Robb, confronted McCraw at the hearing.
“Your officers either lied to you or you painted a picture that was favorable to your department,” Rizo said to McCraw.
Marin has decided to take action in the wake of this tragedy and has filed suit against the manufacturer of the gun used in the Robb shooting. She is also considering other legal options.
It is expected that substantial additional information about the probe will be revealed once the criminal investigation is completed by the end of 2022.
Uvalde:365 is a continuing ABC News series reported from Uvalde and focused on the Texas community and how it forges on in the shadow of tragedy.
(NEW YORK) — The number of people with the respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, has surged, with cases hitting a two-year high, according to data by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
RSV is twice as high among people of all ages at this point this year compared to last year, with the U.S. seeing more than twice as many cases per week, according to ABC News contributor Dr. John Brownstein, an epidemiologist and chief innovation officer at Boston Children’s Hospital.
One reason for the surge amongst kids is because they are socializing in ways reminiscent of how they mingled pre-pandemic, Brownstein told ABC News.
“Those respiratory viruses have been on a hiatus because kids have been somewhat isolated and have returned to normal school,” he said.
While RSV affects children and adults, it’s particularly dangerous for kids under 1-year-old and seniors 65 years old and older.
According to the CDC, there are between 100 to 500 pediatric deaths and 14,000 adult deaths each year related to RSV, with the actual figure likely being higher due to undercounting.
There isn’t much testing for RSV because of the prevalence of the illness.
Pediatric hospitalizations from RSV are up 1% this week compared to last week. Nationally, pediatric bed occupancy is the highest it’s been in 2 years — with 76% of the estimated 40,000 beds filled with patients, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Washington, D.C. and 17 states, including Tennessee, Connecticut, Delaware, Arizona and Rhode Island, are seeing between 80% and 90% of pediatric hospitalizations bed capacity, according to HHS data. Maine sits at 102%, which means it has more patients than beds available.
Brownstein said that RSV isn’t the sole cause of the hospitalizations among kids, as other respiratory diseases, including the common cold, are spreading.
The rise in RSV cases on top of the spread of COVID-19 and the flu during the fall and winter have doctors worried that Americans are facing a potential “tripledemic” this year.
According to the CDC, respiratory illnesses have appeared earlier and in more people than in recent years. The federal health agency says there have also been early increases in flu activity across most of the U.S., with indications that this season could be much more severe than the recent seasons.
ABC News’ Eric Strauss contributed to this report.
(NEW YORK) — A New York judge has approved a preliminary injunction and an independent monitor to oversee the Trump Organization in an order that follows several hours of oral arguments Thursday.
The judge chided the Trump defense team for failing to submit “an iota of evidence” that would rebut the New York attorney general’s allegations of “comprehensive demonstration of persistent fraud” within the Trump Organization.
In deciding to appoint a monitor to supervise parts of former President Donald Trump’s business and grant a preliminary injunction to stop, what the attorney general’s office described as “ongoing fraudulent activities,” Judge Arthur Engoron said Trump has “demonstrated propensity” to engage in fraud, specifically calling out the overvaluation of Trump’s New York City apartment.
Until he moved to Florida, Trump lived in an 11,000-square-foot triplex in Trump Tower. Between 2012 and 2016, Trump represented the size of the apartment to be 30,000 square feet and valued it as high as $327 million.
Former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg testified the valuation “overstated the apartment’s value by give or take $200 million,” according to the attorney general’s office.
“To the extent that defendants assert that the over-valuation of approximately $200 million was not intentional but an inadvertent mistake, such argument is irrelevant under Executive Law 63 (12),” Engoron wrote.
Trump’s attorney decried the judge’s ruling.
“This unprecedented Order effectively seizes control of the financial affairs of a highly successful private corporate empire based on nothing more than gross exaggeration of standard valuation differences common in complex commercial real estate financing transactions,” Trump’s attorney Christopher Kise said in a statement to ABC News.
“The New York Attorney General has stretched the bounds of her authority to set a very dangerous precedent,” he said.
The preliminary injunction prevents Trump from moving assets, so they’re available in New York should the state prevail in its $250 million civil lawsuit against the former president and his family.
“In the absence of an injunction, and given defendants’ demonstrated propensity to engage in persistent fraud, failure to grant such an injunction could result in extreme prejudice to the people of New York,” Engoron’s order said. “The relief sought is appropriately tailored to curbing unlawful conduct and ensuring that funds are available for potential disgorgement at the conclusion of this case.”
As for the independent monitor, the judge said the monitor’s function will be “narrowly tailored” to assure there is no fraud or illegality at the Trump Organization.
The monitor will be chosen later this month after the two sides submit candidates. The monitor will oversee the company’s preparation of Trump’s statements of financial condition and ensure accurate information is conveyed to lenders and third parties.
During oral arguments, Kise said this kind of relief should make every commercial real estate developer concerned about what he argued was the improper injection of the court into private business affairs.
On Wednesday, Trump asked a Florida court to shield his revocable trust from New York Attorney General Letitia James.
When he became president, Trump put his ownership of the Trump Organization into the revocable trust that he is now trying to shield from the attorney general’s lawsuit.
(NEW YORK) — Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving has been suspended without pay for at least five games after promoting a film that contains “deeply disturbing antisemitic hate,” the team announced Thursday.
“We were dismayed today, when given an opportunity in a media session, that Kyrie refused to unequivocally say he has no antisemitic beliefs, nor acknowledge specific hateful material in the film,” the Nets said in a statement. “This was not the first time he had the opportunity — but failed — to clarify.”
The decision comes a week after Irving tweeted a link to the 2018 movie “Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America” on Amazon Prime Video. The synopsis states that the film, based on a 2015 book of the same name, “uncovers the true identity of the Children of Israel.” Several Jewish rights organizations, including the American Jewish Congress and the Anti-Defamation League, have denounced the film as antisemitic.
The Nets said it has spent the last several days working with Irving to “help him understand the harm and danger of his words and actions, which began with him publicizing a film containing deeply disturbing antisemitic hate.”
Speaking with reporters earlier Thursday, Irving, who has since deleted his original tweet, said he takes responsibility for posting about the film.
“I didn’t mean to cause any harm,” Irving said. “I’m not the one that made the documentary.”
When asked whether he had any antisemitic beliefs, Irving responded, “I don’t know how the label becomes justified because you guys ask me the same questions over and over again. But this is not going to turn into a spin-around cycle — questions upon questions.”
He continued, “I told you guys how I felt. I respect all walks of life and embrace all walks of life. That’s where I sit.”
When pressed to answer yes or no to that question, he said, “I cannot be antisemitic if I know where I come from.”
In announcing his suspension, the Nets said Irving’s “failure to disavow antisemitism when given a clear opportunity to do so is deeply disturbing, is against the values of our organization, and constitutes conduct detrimental to the team.”
“Accordingly, we are of the view that he is currently unfit to be associated with the Brooklyn Nets,” the statement continued. “We have decided that Kyrie will serve a suspension without pay until he satisfies a series of objective remedial measures that address the harmful impact of his conduct and the suspension period served is no less than five games.”
Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, also pushed back against Irving’s latest comments.
“The answer to the question ‘Do you have any antisemitic beliefs” is always ‘NO’ without equivocation,” Greenblatt said on Twitter. “We took @KyrieIrving at his word when he said he took responsibility, but today he did not make good on that promise. Kyrie clearly has a lot of work to do.”
Earlier Thursday, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement that he was disappointed that Irving “has not offered an unqualified apology and more specifically denounced the vile and harmful content contained in the film he chose to publicize.”
Irving has maintained that he never meant to hurt anyone. On Wednesday, he and the Nets announced that each of them will donate $500,000 to the Anti-Defamation League.
“I oppose all forms of hatred and oppression and stand strong with communities that are marginalized and impacted every day,” Irving said in a statement announcing his donation. “I am aware of the negative impact of my post towards the Jewish community and I take responsibility. I do not believe everything said in the documentary was true or reflects my morals and principles. I am a human being learning from all walks of life and I intend to do so with an open mind and a willingness to listen. So from my family and I, we meant no harm to any one group, race or religion of people, and wish to only be a beacon of truth and light.”
(SAN FRANCISCO) — Paul Pelosi has been released from the hospital, six days after being attacked in his home.
Paul Pelosi, 82, was struck at least twice with the hammer, sources told ABC News, after an intruder broke into Nancy and Paul Pelosi’s San Francisco home on Oct. 28.
He underwent surgery following the assault to repair a skull fracture and “serious injuries” to his right arm and hands and is expected to make a full recovery, the speaker’s spokesperson said.
Nancy Pelosi confirmed in a statement issued Thursday that her husband is now home, “surrounded by his family who request privacy.”
“Paul is grateful to the 911 operator, emergency responders, trauma care team, ICU staff, and the entire [Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital] medical staff for their excellent and compassionate life-saving treatment he received after the violent assault in our home,” Nancy Pelosi said in the statement.
“Paul remains under doctors’ care as he continues to progress on a long recovery process and convalescence,” she added.
During a press conference earlier this week, San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins described the attack as “politically motivated.”
“What is clear based on the evidence thus far is that this house and the speaker herself were specifically targets,” Jenkins said.
A suspect in the attack, 42-year-old David Depape, now faces multiple state and federal charges in connection with the incident.
According to the federal complaint, DePape allegedly used a hammer to break into the Pelosi residence just before 2 a.m. local time. He then went upstairs, where Paul Pelosi was asleep, and demanded to talk to “Nancy,” according to the complaint.
Nancy Pelosi was in Washington, D.C., with her protective detail at the time, according to the Capitol Police.
Paul Pelosi was able to call 911 after telling DePape he needed to use the bathroom, according to the complaint.
Two police officers arrived minutes later and entered the home, encountering DePape and Paul Pelosi struggling over a hammer, police said.
The officers told the men to drop the hammer, at which time DePape allegedly swung it, striking Paul Pelosi in the head. The officers immediately restrained and disarmed DePape, police said.
The officers later secured a second hammer, a roll of tape, white rope, zip ties as well as a pair of rubber and cloth gloves from the crime scene, according to the complaint.
DePape allegedly later told officers “that he was going to hold Nancy hostage and talk to her,” according to the complaint.
The suspect also allegedly told investigators that he intended to break Nancy Pelosi’s kneecaps if she didn’t tell him the “truth” about “lies told by the Democratic Party,” according to the complaint.
DePape pleaded not guilty to state charges, including attempted murder, residential burglary and assault with a deadly weapon, during an arraignment on Tuesday.
He has been ordered held without bail and a preliminary hearing has been scheduled for Friday. He has yet to be arraigned on federal charges of assault and attempted kidnapping.
