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(WASHINGTON) — Health officials are making another urgent push to encourage flu and COVID vaccinations, as multiple respiratory viruses swirl around the country inundating both pediatric and adult hospitals. About 75% of pediatric hospital beds are filled and flu hospitalizations are at the highest level in a decade, for this time in the season.
“Levels of flu-like illness, which includes people going to the doctor with a fever, cough or sore throat are at either high or very high levels in 47 jurisdictions and that is up from 36 jurisdictions just last week,” said Dr. Rochelle P. Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention during a telebriefing today.
This week, the CDC is observing National Influenza Vaccination Week to encourage everyone over 6 months and older to get a flu shot. Experts say it’s not too late to get vaccinated.
“I want to emphasize that flu vaccines can be lifesaving and importantly, there is still time to get vaccinated to be protected against flu this season and its potentially serious consequences,” said Walensky.
This flu season has been one of the most significant in recent memory with nearly 9 million illnesses, 78,000 hospitalizations and 4,500 deaths from flu so far, according to CDC estimates.
This year’s flu vaccine, as well as the updated COVID booster, have been formulated to better protect against currently circulating strains. Experts say you can get both shots at the same time.
“You can get both [flu and COVID] vaccines at the same time. I know everyone’s tired of getting shots. We all have booster fatigue. But understand, you could get really, really sick this year and ruin your holiday celebrations if you don’t get vaccinated,” said Dr. Sandra Fryhofer, board chair of the American Medical Association during the CDC telebriefing.
Those who have received the updated COVID booster have a 15 times lower risk of death from the disease, according to CDC data. Those over the age of 5 are currently eligible for the shot, while Pfizer and BioNTech have just submitted an application to the FDA to authorize the shot as a booster in children 6 months through 4 years of age, according to a press release out today.
COVID hospitalizations are beginning to trend upwards again as well, with those over the age of 70 seeing a nearly 28% increase in the past week.
While there are vaccines available for flu and COVID, RSV is another threatening virus that has especially impacted pediatric hospitals – a virus with no vaccine currently authorized in the U.S.
If you do get diagnosed with flu and COVID, there are antivirals available that can reduce the impact of symptoms as well as the possibility of severe illness and death.
“There are specific antivirals for flu and specific antivirals for COVID. But flu antivirals don’t work for COVID and vice versa. And the only way to know for sure what you have is to get tested,” said Fryhofer.
Experts also reiterated the importance of staying home when sick in addition to getting your shots.
“Please stay home when you’re sick. Share your love by not sharing your sickness. This holiday season, please get vaccinated, it’s the best way to protect yourself, it’s the best way to protect your loved ones and it’s the best way to protect your community,” said Dr. Sandra Fryhofer.
(WASHINGTON) — The White House on Monday and some Republicans in Congress condemned former President Donald Trump’s call for “termination” of the Constitution’s rules — while GOP congressional leaders kept silent on Trump’s comment and Democrats demanded Republicans rebuke him.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, asked about Trump’s comment, said she wanted to be “careful” about how she answered from the briefing room podium since Trump has declared his candidacy for 2024 but reminded that his own administration officials have called the 2020 election the most secure in American history.
“It was also upheld by the Trump administration’s attorney general, and by over 80 federal judges, [many] of whom were nominated by Donald Trump himself,” she said. “And so in 2022, the American people came together, these past midterms, and utterly rejected the dangerous conspiracy that we have been hearing — the big lie that we have been hearing from the former president, but also many Republicans.”
“The American people have been very clear,” she added. “They oppose the way that Republicans have talked about this. They oppose the violent rhetoric that extreme MAGA officials have engaged in, and so we should listen to what the American people had to say just a couple of weeks ago,” referring to the midterm elections.
Her deputy, Andrew Bates, said in a statement Saturday, “Attacking the Constitution and all it stands for is anathema to the soul of our nation and should be universally condemned.”
The former president, in a post on Truth Social on Saturday, called for the “termination of all rules, regulations, and articles, even those found in the Constitution,” citing debunked claims of voter fraud in 2020, claims that failed in court dozens of times.
Amid a flood of criticism, Trump posted another statement Monday on Truth Social attempting to deny that he posted as much, dismissing reports of his Saturday post as “disinformation and lies,”
“The Fake News is actually trying to convince the American People that I said I wanted to ‘terminate’ the Constitution,” he said.
Republican congressional leaders Sen. Mitch McConnell and Rep. Kevin McCarthy, in the final stretch on his quest to become House speaker, on Monday had yet to weigh in on Trump’s comment — which came just days ahead of a Senate runoff in Georgia where Trump has backed Herschel Walker.
McConnell told reporters we would address the issue in his weekly news conference on Tuesday after not addressing in his Monday Senate floor remarks. McCarthy, meanwhile, tweeted just over a week ago that the incoming Republican-led Congress “will read every single word of the Constitution aloud from the floor of the House,” on its first day, after all members take an oath to uphold the Constitution.
At the same time, some of Trump’s most ardent defenders did not try to excuse or justify his comments.
“I believe in the Constitution, and I believe in the rule of law and believe we should enforce it,” Florida Sen. Rick Scott, said. “Everybody’s gotta be even. Have to abide by it.”
“Yeah, I think what he said was inappropriate,” Sen. Lindsey Graham said Monday.
When ABC’s Jay O’Brien pressed Graham on whether Trump’s comments were disqualifying, he said, “I don’t think so.”
Missouri Republican Sen. Josh Hawley he doesn’t support suspension of the Constitution.
His Missouri colleague, retiring Sen. Roy Blunt, as the top Republican on the Senate Rules Committee, helped swear Trump in as president, said, “Well, I was standing ten feet from him when he took the oath of office and there was no emergency clause not to follow the Constitution,” Blunt said when asked about the comments.
Trump’s former national security adviser, John Bolton, told NBC on Monday that he will “seriously consider” running for president in 2024 if Republicans don’t come out stronger against Trump’s suggestion.
“When you challenge the Constitution itself, that is un-American. If the current GOP presidential candidates don’t repudiate Trump, I’m prepared to get in the race,” Bolton tweeted, along with a clip of the interview.
Alaska Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski, who voted to convict the former president in his second impeachment trial, and recently won reelection to the Senate, condemned the comment on Twitter.
“Suggesting the termination of the Constitution is not only a betrayal of our Oath of Office, it’s an affront to our Republic,” Murkowski tweeted.
Republican Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota tweeted rare criticism of the former president on Monday afternoon, without using Trump’s name.
“As I’ve said before, there is no evidence of widespread voter fraud that would alter the results of the 2020 election,” Rounds wrote. “Anyone who desires to lead our country must commit to protecting the Constitution. They should not threaten to terminate it.”
Texas GOP Sen. John Cornyn called Trump’s comments “irresponsible” at the Capitol on Monday.
“I don’t know why anybody would say something like that — certainly not an ex-president,” Cornyn said.
Outgoing Reps. Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, the only Republicans to sit on the Jan. 6 select committee, also called out the comment to warn against Trump.
“Donald Trump believes we should terminate ‘all rules, regulations and articles, even those found in the Constitution’ to overturn the 2020 election,” Cheney said. “That was his view on 1/6 and remains his view today. No honest person can now deny that Trump is an enemy of the Constitution.”
“With the former President calling to throw aside the constitution, not a single conservative can legitimately support him, and not a single supporter can be called a conservative. This is insane. Trump hates the constitution,” Kinzinger tweeted, tagging McCarthy and Reps. Elise Stefanik and Jim Jordan for their reaction.
Ohio Rep. Dave Joyce, a leading House Republican, told ABC “This Week” anchor George Stephanopoulos on Sunday that Trump’s comment was not a deal-breaker for him supporting the former president in 2024.
This marks the second time in back-to-back weeks that Republicans on Capitol Hill have started their Mondays having to answer questions about Trump — who remains their de facto party leader and only current 2024 candidate. Republicans last week fielded fallout over Trump’s meeting with a renowned antisemite and white nationalist.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, in a stern rebuke from the Senate floor on Monday, said Trump “cannot seem to go a week without doing or saying something disgusting, dishonorable and frankly disqualifying for higher office.”
“How can anyone hope to take the presidential office — oath of office — to preserve and protect the Constitution, while simultaneously calling for the Constitution’s termination?” Schumer said. “It’s wholly disqualifying on its face.”
“When a former president calls for the termination of the U.S. Constitution, there can be no silence, no equivocation, nothing less than total and fierce condemnation,” he added. “So, to my Republican colleagues, enough is enough.”
ABC News’ Olivia Rubin and Trish Turner contributed to this report.
Filter‘s new song “For the Beaten” is being released as a vinyl single alongside the launch of a new band from frontman Richard Patrick.
The limited-edition disc, due out in early 2023, will feature “For the Beaten” as the A-side and the debut single from A Place to Kill, featuring Patrick and vocalist Jim Louvau, as the B-side.
The A Place to Kill song is called “The Killing Field” and will be the first preview of the duo’s self-described “industrial trap metal” sound.
(MOSCOW) — Explosions that struck two military airbases deep inside Russia on Monday were the result of drone attacks launched by Ukraine, according to Russian and Ukrainian officials, in what appeared to be an audacious attempt to hit the long-range bombers Russia has used to devastate Ukraine’s power grid.
Russia’s defense ministry on Monday confirmed the attacks on the bases that are located hundreds of miles from the frontline, saying two of its aircraft were damaged and three military personnel killed.
The unprecedented strikes were the first time Ukraine has hit so far into Russia, targeting bases that had generally been thought of as untouchable, according to military experts.
A senior Ukrainian official from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s circle, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told ABC News that Ukrainian drones had struck the Russian military airfields Monday.
Russian media reported an explosion early Monday morning at the Engels-2 airbase in the Saratov region in southern Russia, a key airfield that houses Tu-95 and Tu-60 nuclear-capable bombers.
Another explosion was reported at the Dyagilevo military airbase in Ryazan, a city less than 150 miles from Moscow and also houses Tu-95 bombers. Russian state media initially reported that a fuel tanker exploded at the base, killing three people and wounding at least five others.
Russian officials initially avoided commenting on the explosions but on Monday evening, Russia’s defense ministry said “Soviet-made” Ukrainian drones had caused it. But the ministry said Russian air defenses had shot down the drones and the damage was caused by their wreckage landing on the airfields.
Hours after the attacks, Russia launched a new barrage of missile strikes against Ukraine, including from strategic bombers, again targeting its energy infrastructure. Ukraine’s air force claimed it shot down 60 of 70 Russian cruise missiles, but the strikes left several regions partially without power. Zelenskyy said the Russian attacks had also killed four people Monday.
Russia’s defense ministry claimed the drone attacks on its airbases had failed to disrupt the planned strikes, claiming they had destroyed 17 targets.
The airbase explosions, nonetheless, were a significant shift, marking the first time Ukraine has sought to hit the bombers that for months have regularly attacked its civilian infrastructure with impunity and recently sought to bring its energy grid to its knees. The Russian bombers usually launch cruise missiles from outside Ukraine’s borders, well beyond the reach of its air defenses, experts said.
Satellite images from the company Maxar taken over the two days before Monday’s attacks showed roughly two dozen Russian bombers parked at the Engels-2 base.
The Russian defense ministry said two of its aircraft had suffered “superficial” damage in the blasts. Video circulating on Russian social media appeared to show two Tu-22 bombers at the Dyagilevo base with damage to their tail ends, standing next to a burned out fuel truck.
Russian pro-war commentators reacted with fury to the attacks, calling it a humiliation that the country’s nuclear airbases were vulnerable to conventional drones and blaming it on negligence among commanders.
A top advisor to Zelenskyy posted a cryptic comment on Twitter mocking Russia over the explosions.
“The Earth is round – discovery made by Galileo. Astronomy was not studied in Kremlin, giving preference to court astrologers,” wrote Mykhailo Podolyak, the presidential adviser. “If it was, they would know: if something is launched into other countries’ airspace, sooner or later unknown flying objects will return to departure point.”
Demi Lovato confirmed they are back in the music studio, which has fans theorizing the singer’s working on their ninth studio album. Demi shared a TikTok video titled “When [you’re] getting back in the studio.” In the clip, Demi mouths along to a person screaming, “Here the f*** we go!”
Post Malone trolled TMZ on who will be co-headlining Rihanna’s Super Bowl halftime show by joking, “Alright guys, it’s me.” He also teased Rihanna’s partner, A$AP Rocky,could join her onstage. Rihanna has yet to say if she has any special guests lined up for her headlining event.
Ed Sheeran was filmed floundering in the ocean for a new music video, reports Daily Mail. Ed, who was wearing a yellow rain jacket, allowed himself to be tossed around by the icy Norfolk Sea. Ed got absolutely drenched. It’s believed he was filming a music video for a song that’ll be on his forthcoming album, – (stylized as Minus).
Harry Styles‘ shows at Madison Square Garden broke a BillboardBoxscore record. His 15-show residency in New York City earned him a whopping $63.1 million after selling over 277,000 tickets. The outlet deemed that number the highest-grossing headlining event in their Boxscore history.
Michael Bublé got a tattoo in honor of his baby girl Cielo and revealed on Instagram he’s tattooed all his children’s names on his forearm. “I’ve got enough space for at least six more kids. They will have one syllable names,” Michel joked. He shares sons Elias, 6, and Noah, 9, and daughters Vida, 4, and Cielo with wife Luisana Lopilato.
Lindsey Stirling is getting her fans in on her viral videos. Most recently she asked her audience to act as her backup dancers and lauded the “little one” who “stole the show.” Lindsay shared a video of her dancing down the aisle with some fans before a little girl in a blue dress spun around and around in front of the camera.
Ed Sheeran was filmed floundering in the ocean for a new music video, reports Daily Mail. Ed, who is wearing a yellow rain jacket, allowed himself to be tossed around by the icy Norfolk Sea. Ed got absolutely drenched. It’s believed he is filming a music video for a song that’ll be on his forthcoming album, – (stylized as Minus).
Amy Grant feels “fantastic” after crashing her bike in July. The singer spoke with Entertainment Tonight about recovering from her head injury,as well as dealing with “an extravagance of emotion.” She said, “Anytime I start to get emotional, I just start wiggling my toes because I don’t want the dam to break, or it’ll just be a big ugly cry.”
Harry Styles‘ shows at Madison Square Garden broke a BillboardBoxscore record. His 15-show residency in New York City earned him a whopping $63.1 million after selling over 277,000 tickets. The outlet deemed that number the highest-grossing headlining event in their Boxscore history.
The Brenaissance is here and, according to Brendan Fraser, it’s all due to his journey with fatherhood.
Fraser makes his return to Hollywood in Darren Aronofsky’s upcoming drama film The Whale, where he plays a reclusive English teacher trying to reconnect with his daughter.
The actor — who is a father to sons Griffin, 20, Holden, 18, and Leland, 16 – told Entertainment Tonight that the film’s themes of fatherhood are what drew him toward the role.
“I have kids now and that really warrants how I make decisions, what I’m going to do — and, whatever it is that I’m doing, how I feel about what I’m doing,” Fraser said. “Somehow stakes get raised to such a point that something that might seem garden variety or normal takes on much more gravity.”
While Fraser says he spent the first 25 years of his career generating hope and joy from simply the screenplays he read and the characters he played, he now insists it comes from a different place.
“Some alchemy happens when you have kids and suddenly everything clicks,” Fraser said.
The Whale opens in limited release on December 9 and will expand to more theaters on December 21.
If your musical taste falls in the middle of a Venn diagram of Radiohead and Iron Maiden, then we have a story for you.
Noah Yorke, son of Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke, and Dylan Gers, son of Maiden guitarist Janick Gers, have teamed up on a new song called “Red Skies.”
The track is described by Dylan as a reflection of “the inner workings of our mind.” You can listen to it now via digital outlets.
We can only hope this leads to a Radiohead/Iron Maiden collaboration.
David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images for Harris Reed
Adam Lambert has secretly been working on a new album and recently spilled the beans on his passion project.
The singer guested on British television show This Morning, where he revealed, “I’m very excited to announce that I have a new album coming out.” The album, High Drama, is “an album of covers.”
The singer teased of the “surprises” and “variety” of the songs featured his forthcoming work. “We thought, ‘Let me do an album where I take songs that you probably know, maybe a few you don’t know, and completely flip them around so they feel like something new and something that you haven’t heard before,'” he explained.
Information regarding the album’s release date and track list has not been made available at this time. But, it was revealed preorders start December 13.
Elsewhere in the interview, Adam reflected on his future with Queen, which he’s been performing with since 2011. “We are looking at creating another tour, possibly in the U.S.,” he disclosed. “It’s not confirmed, but we’re flirting with the idea now.”
This reflects what band co-founder Brian May told Varietylast month. “There’s a strong possibility that we’ll be going out together again … We’d like to go out there one more time,” the 75-year-old rocker said, noting his age doesn’t make touring easy. “I’m not 35 anymore,” he quipped.
(NEW YORK) — A convicted serial killer pleaded guilty Monday to murdering a dance teacher in 1968 outside a Long Island, New York, mall and admitted to killing four other women in the early 1970s.
DNA testing led to Richard Cottingham’s March indictment in the killing of Diane Cusick, a 23-year-old mother who went to buy dance shoes at the Green Acres Mall in Valley Stream, New York.
Cottingham, 76, currently an inmate at a Bridgeton, New Jersey, prison, is known as the “Torso Killer” because he dismembered some of his victims.
The South Woods State Prison inmate pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 25 years to life by a judge, the Nassau County district attorney’s office said in a news release.
Cottingham also admitted to the deaths of four other women — Mary Beth Heinz, Laverne Moye, Sheila Heiman and Maria Emerita Rosado Nieves — but won’t be prosecuted for their deaths since he’s already spending the rest of his life in prison because of prior murder convictions in New York and New Jersey, according to Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly.
“Serial killer Richard Cottingham has caused irreparable harm to so many people and so many families,” Donnelly said. “Today, he took responsibility for the murder of five young women here in Nassau County between 1968 and 1973. He overpowered, assaulted and brutally murdered them to satisfy his craven desires. Thankfully he will spend the rest of his life in prison where he belongs.”
Cusick’s parents discovered her body in the backseat of her car in the Green Acres Mall parking lot after growing concerned about why she hadn’t returned home after leaving earlier in the evening of Feb. 15, 1968, to buy shoes, according to Donnelly.
A medical examiner determined Cusick was strangled to death, officials said.
The Nassau County Office of the Medical Examiner retested evidence related to the case in 2021. Earlier this year, DNA evidence matched Cottingham’s profile, according to the district attorney.
ABC News’ Aaron Katersky contributed to this report.
