(NEW YORK) — The number of flu cases, hospitalizations and deaths this season are rapidly increasing, according to data released Friday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
So far this season, there have been at least 4.4 million illnesses, 38,000 hospitalizations and 2,100 deaths from influenza.
The numbers are about 1.5 times higher than the 2.8 million illnesses, 23,000 hospitalizations and 1,300 deaths reported the prior week.
Additionally, the cumulative hospitalization rate currently sits at 8.1 per 100,000 — up from 5 per 100,000 the previous week — which is the highest at this point in the season since statistics began being recorded in the 2010-11 season.
The data also shows that 8,707 new patients were admitted to hospital this past week with flu complications, according to the CDC, compared to 6,465 the previous week.
Two pediatric deaths from the flu were recorded last week bringing the total this season to seven, the CDC said.
(WASHINGTON) — Former President Donald Trump launched his third White House campaign Tuesday evening, getting a very early head start in the next election cycle that could see challenges from, by some predictions, nearly a dozen other Republicans looking to oust him as the head of the GOP.
According to preliminary assessments by aides and observers in the party, the 2024 dynamic is likelier to seem more like 2016’s months-long primary fight — with its quarreling campaigns and competing headlines — than 2020’s glide to re-coronation.
While Trump enters the race as the front-runner for the 2024 GOP nomination, Republican operatives said they expect he won’t have the primary field to himself for long, given his mixed track record at the ballot box and his personal and legal baggage.
One GOP strategist allied with a potential primary challenger said Trump’s Tuesday announcement speech at his Mar-a-Lago resort — in which he promised “America’s comeback starts right now” — was “not anything that would discourage people from thinking about running against him.”
“He was subdued, he was on topic, he stayed on teleprompter. As far as what I would consider a dynamic announcement, I didn’t see much there,” said the person, who, like others, agreed to be interviewed for this story on the condition of anonymity so as to not direct ire to their professional relationships.
In roughly hour-long remarks, Trump portrayed his one term in office as a “golden age” and periodically alluded to a message of teamwork while contending that successor Joe Biden, whom Trump had sought to prevent from taking office, had brought “pain, hardship, anxiety and despair.”
Trump also occasionally veered into conspiracy theories, including about China, while returning to some frequent topics like what he called the scourge of drug dealers, widespread immigration and “rotting” cities turned into “cesspools of blood.” He touted his own style of international relations and his handling of the economy compared to Biden.
“If you were a pro-Trump person, you loved it. And if you were an undecided, it didn’t move you,” the strategist said. “And if you were somebody that didn’t like him, that didn’t change your mind.”
The setting, at a ballroom at his club, marked a departure from Trump’s typically boisterous campaign rallies that often toggle between prepared remarks on policy and stream-of-consciousness comments on the controversy du jour.
He also stayed away from cultural third rails like abortion after three Supreme Court justices he appointed helped scrap constitutional protections, fulfilling a promise Trump made to Republican voters during his previous two runs. And he made only a passing reference to the 2020 presidential race after election deniers in top midterm races fell short and exit polls indicated that midterm voters punished the party for its support of such views.
“He needed to show voters that he properly understands the stakes in 2024, and I think his speech accomplished that,” said another GOP strategist, who added that Trump has “got to show that he has the ability to look forward.”
Some allies of the former president swiftly announced their endorsement of his new bid, with House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik of New York voicing her support before he even made his speech.
“Yeah, 100%,” Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., said Wednesday when asked if he backed Trump’s 2024 campaign. “I look at winning and losing. He won while he was here. He helped the American people. And I like his policies. I like how tough he is. We need a president that’s gonna stand up, be tough, not just domestically but internationally. And he does that.”
Still, the speech’s tone didn’t please everyone in the party, with one Trump ally saying they were “bored,” while others cast doubt on whether Trump, famous for his reputation for riling up the grassroots, would maintain a restrained pitch.
“For all the people who claim they are turned off by his bombastic style, it’s ironic they are now complaining he’s too focused and toned down,” said one former administration official, who still conceded it was “doubtful” that Trump would remain as subdued moving forward.
And while Trump enters the race with a high floor of support with the Republican primary electorate, plenty of money and nearly universal name recognition, strategists expected he’ll still have to fight for the GOP nomination.
Among those thought to be considering presidential bids of their own are Govs. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., Asa Hutchinson, R-Ark., Larry Hogan, R-Md., Kristi Noem, R-S.D., and Glenn Youngkin, R-Va., former Vice President Mike Pence, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Sens. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., and Tim Scott, R-S.C.
Some may yet be dissuaded from running against Trump given his sway, though there have been indications the former president’s hold on the party is not as ironclad as it once was, particularly after the disappointing midterm cycle for Republicans in which some of his chosen candidates in marquee races lost — helping Democrats defy historical patterns and hold the Senate.
The Club for Growth, the anti-tax group that used to be close with the former president, released polls the day before Trump’s launch showing him trailing DeSantis in key states. And The New York Post, a conservative tabloid that lavished Trump with praise for years, buried news of his launch on page 26 on Wednesday with the headline “FLORIDA MAN MAKES ANNOUNCEMENT.”
Other potential contenders have also indicated their plans aren’t being adjusted in light of Trump’s launch.
Pence in recent days has insisted in media interviews that there are “better options,” while Pompeo tweeted on Wednesday that “we need more seriousness, less noise, and leaders who are looking forward, not staring in the rearview mirror claiming victimhood” after Trump called himself a “victim” over various investigations.
“I do think that over the coming weeks, multiple candidates are going to announce,” said John Thomas, the head of a pro-DeSantis super PAC. “I think the next five to 10 days are going to be telling to see if cracks begin to emerge, and those cracks may turn into canyons and end up causing the former president to lose a primary.”
Still, strategists warned against underestimating Trump, who emerged as the 2016 Republican nominee after a chaotic primary and went on to win the White House despite late-breaking scandals like the Access Hollywood tape.
And should the GOP field get crowded for 2024, strategists said that could simply help Trump repeat his 2016 success in which he won the nomination with a plurality of the vote while the rest of the party’s delegates were divided among a crowd so large that it required two debate stages.
“It will be incredibly hard if everybody gets in line with the president for anybody to challenge him,” Thomas said.
More immediately, Trump’s announcement has thrown the end of the current midterm cycle into uncertainty, with his candidacy possibly firing up both parties’ bases ahead of next month’s Georgia Senate runoff.
Republicans are eager for Herschel Walker to unseat Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock to keep the Senate at 50-50, creating some procedural obstacles for the majority party, while Democrats are hopeful that Warnock could win, bumping up their caucus to 51-49.
It’s still unclear if Trump intends to campaign for Walker — which the Republicans who spoke for this story said they don’t want after his involvement in last year’s two Georgia Senate runoffs preceded losses in both races.
“I just think it reminds people that he’s out there and with the Senate not being in the balance, it’s going to be even harder to get voters out to vote,” said Georgia conservative radio host Martha Zoller. “And I think that’s true for Democrats and Republicans.”
Drake and 21 Savage have agreed to take down the fake Vogue cover they posted in promotion of their joint album, Her Loss, after publisher Condé Nast filed a lawsuit against them, Billboard reports.
In a new document filed in New York federal court on Thursday, the two artists “voluntarily ceased and desisted” from using the Vogue trademark. Those actions were required under a restraining order issued last week by a federal judge.
According to Billboard, the document noted that Drake and 21 Savage only agreed to take down the image “to avoid unnecessary cost and expense” while they continue to fight the case. They said they were not “conceding any liability” or “wrongdoing.”
(WASHINGTON) — In a scathing statement, Tom Petty’s estate on Thursday night threatened to sue Arizona Republican Kari Lake’s “failed” campaign after it used Petty’s song, “I Won’t Back Down,” in a video this week, days after Lake’s opponent, Katie Hobbs, was projected to win the race for governor.
“The Tom Petty estate and our partners were shocked to find out that Tom’s song, ‘I Won’t Back Down’ was stolen and used without permission to promote Kari Lake’s failed campaign,” Petty’s estate said in a statement. “This is illegal. We are exploring all of our legal options to stop this unauthorized use of Tom’s beloved anthem.”
Lake had tweeted a video Wednesday of campaign trail highlights put to two minutes of the song from the late singer-songwriter.
Since the statement from Petty’s estate, the video tweet has been removed from Lake’s account. The Lake campaign did not immediately return an ABC News request for comment.
The warning comes days after singer-songwriter Issac Hayes’ estate said it was exploring legal options after former President Donald Trump played a song co-written by Hayes Tuesday at Mar-a-Lago when announcing his 2024 bid.
It’s also not the first time an artist has gotten angry with Lake.
Early in her campaign, when Lake previously walked out to “We’re Not Gonna Take It” by Twisted Sister, the band’s frontrunner, Dee Snider, publicly blasted what he said was her unauthorized use of it.
“As the songwriter & singer I DENOUNCE EVERYTHING @KariLake STANDS FOR!” Snider tweeted in August. “It was you and people like you that inspired every angry word of that song!”
With both Trump and Lake facing threats of legal challenges from artists’ estates, they also appear to be conferring on Lake’s own legal options from his Mar-a-Lago club, following her projected loss this week.
After long refusing to commit to accepting the results of her race if she lost, Lake also tweeted another video Thursday to say that she’s “still in this fight” and has legal minds exploring “every avenue,” while the latest statewide results have her down by 16,780 votes.
“Now I am busy here collecting evidence and data,” Lake said, after falling relatively silent since Hobbs’ projection. “Rest assured, I have assembled the best and brightest legal team, and we are exploring every avenue to correct the many wrongs that have been done this past week. I’m doing everything in my power to right these wrongs.”
Lake speaks directly to the camera in the two minutes and 27-second video, first telling supporters, “I wanted to reach out to you to let you know that I’m still in this fight with you.”
“My resolve to fight for you is higher than ever,” she says.
Lake traveled to Florida overnight Wednesday to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort, two people connected to the campaign told ABC News, and attended a luncheon Thursday hosted by Trump’s America First Policy Institute.
Hobbs, meanwhile, is focused on her transition, her campaign manager told ABC News Thursday, when asked about Lake’s videos and resolve to “fight.”
“Governor-elect Katie Hobbs is laser-focused on her transition, building a team that is ready to hit the ground running on Day One,” said Nicole DeMont, Hobbs’ campaign manager. “Arizonans made their voices heard on November 8th, and we respect the will of the voters.”
The statewide canvass of results is set for Dec. 5 in Arizona, leaving Lake a small window of time to bring any legal challenges.
Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse has been a globally beloved figure for the past 100 years, but how did this little mouse become an icon? Find out in the new documentary Mickey: The Story of a Mouse, which debuts Friday on Disney+.
Director Jeff Malmberg describes the ins and outs of the beloved character in the project, which he tells ABC Audio would be a good explanation of what’s going on if aliens ever visit Earth.
“I always kind of shared that thing that Shanique Smith says in the film. She and I were joking about it and she says it on camera, is ‘Aliens are going to come down and they’re going to see Mickey on all this stuff and go, What is happening? What happened here?’ So this would be like the decoder ring to that for them.”
Aliens aside, Malmberg says the film is for rabid fans and non-fans alike.
“The more you are a fan of Mickey, the more you might appreciate it. But I hope that anybody can look at it and learn something new and see something new inside of it,” he shares, adding that Mickey is a “phenomenon” that we’ve all agreed represents joy.
Even so, the documentary attempts to cover multiple iterations of Mickey, not just Disney-sanctioned ones.
“I find some of the off-brand Mickey stuff, for instance, the Milton Glaser short, Mickey Mouse in Vietnam, some of those kinds of things to be on equal footing with some of the things that Disney has done,” Malmberg shares.
So why does Malmberg like Mickey?
“It’s like shorthand to joy,” he says. “It’s just so bizarre that this little mouse binds us in this weird, short, brief, almost meaningless, but still somewhat meaningful connection.” (AUDIO IS ABC 1-ON-1)
The Jonas Brothers, GAYLE, Em Beihold and Pitbull will be headlining next year’s AT&T Playoff Playlist Live! college football series.
Billboardreports the lineup for the championship games was announced Friday, with the JoBros and Em holding down the fort on Saturday, January 7, while Pitbull and GAYLE will take the stage the following night. The series will be held at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles.
While the shows are free, fans will need to register in advance for tickets. Pre-registration will open on collegefootballplayoff.com starting at 1 p.m. ET on December 2. Tickets will be dispersed on a first-come, first-served basis.
Those unable to make the show will still be able to see it via the livestream experience AT&T 5G Concert Lens, on the ESPN app.
As for you college football fans, the championship match will be held Monday, January 9, at LA’s SoFi Stadium, with kickoff scheduled at 7:30 p.m. ET. The match will air on ESPN.
Disturbed‘s new album Divisive has arrived, and with it comes a duet with Ann Wilson.
The Heart vocalist guests on a new song called “Don’t Tell Me,” which finds her harmonizing with frontman David Draiman as they sing about an ending relationship.
Along with “Don’t Tell Me,” Divisive features the previously released songs “Hey You,” “Unstoppable” and “Divisive.” Disturbed has also premiered a video for the album cut “Bad Man,” which consists of 10,000 frames of AI-generated images. You can watch that streaming now on YouTube.
Divisive is Disturbed’s eighth studio album and the follow-up to 2018’s Evolution.
(“Bad Man” video contains uncensored profanity)
Elvis Costello & The Imposters just earned a Best Rock Album Grammy nomination for The Boy Named If, and now, fans are about to be treated to a new version of the record.
Costello just announced he’s dropping the companion album, The Boy Named If (Alive at Memphis Magnetic), on November 25. The record features live-in-the-studio takes on the album’s songs, recorded during tour rehearsals at Memphis Magnetic Recording in October 2021 and May 2022.
The album also includes a version of the Costello classic “Every Day I Write The book,” along with covers of The Rolling Stones’ “Out of Time”; Nick Lowe’s “Truth Drug”; The Byrds’ “So You Want Be A Rock and Roll Star”; The Beatles’ “Here There and Everywhere”; and Paul McCartney and Wings’ “Let Me Roll It.” Plus, there is a remix of Costello’s “Magnificent Hurt” by the Japanese duo chelmico, which has just been released.
(WASHINGTON) — Rep. Hakeem Jeffries on Friday formally announced his bid to become House Democratic leader, a move that, if successful, would make him the first Black lawmaker to lead a party in Congress.
In a letter to his Democratic colleagues, Jeffries, from Brooklyn, New York, said it is his “hope” to find “common ground” with Republicans, but if the opposing party “continues to major in demagoguery and minor in disinformation, their bankruptcy of ideas must be aggressively exposed on an ongoing basis.”
“Our top non-governmental priority, for the sake of the American people, must be retaking the majority in November 2024,” he wrote.
House leadership elections will take place Nov. 30.
His statement comes the day after Nancy Pelosi said Thursday she will not seek reelection as leader of the House Democrats at the start of the next Congress, when fellow California Rep. Kevin McCarthy succeeds her as speaker and Republicans take the majority.
“For me, the hour’s come for a new generation to lead the Democratic caucus that I so deeply respect, and I’m grateful that so many are ready and willing to shoulder this awesome responsibility,” she said in a speech from the House floor.
The two other top leaders in the Democratic caucus, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer of Maryland and Majority Whip Jim Clyburn of South Carolina, are also stepping aside from their roles.
Pelosi has led the conference for nearly 20 years and, as speaker, was for a time the highest-ranking woman in the federal government. She said in 2018 that she would only serve two more two-year terms as speaker, a post she previously held from 2007 to 2011.
Hoyer and Clyburn, too, have been in leadership for more than a decade each. Both of them said Thursday that they would support Jeffries, currently chair of the House Democratic Caucus, to be the next leader. (Clyburn has said he will seek to remain in another role on the leadership team.)
Along with Jeffries, two other lawmakers have emerged as the likely choices for the top of the Democratic leadership team in the House: Massachusetts Rep. Katherine Clark is expected to be minority whip and California Rep. Pete Aguilar is expected to be the caucus chair.
Here’s what to know about each of them:
Hakeem Jeffries
Jeffries, first elected in 2012, has long been considered Pelosi’s heir apparent, rising through the ranks to land a perch in the party’s House leadership.
In a statement after Pelosi’s speech on Thursday, he called her “the most accomplished” speaker in the country’s history but did not allude to his own plans.
“She has been the steady hand on the gavel during some of the most turbulent times the nation has ever confronted,” he said.
A 52-year-old descendant of enslaved people, Jeffries could be a potential history-maker himself if Democrats retake the House in future cycles: He would be the first Black speaker.
Jeffries has a reputation as a capable operator inside the conference with sharp media skills to sell a Democratic message to the public (and a penchant for referencing Biggie Smalls in floor speeches).
However, he could face some opposition from the most vocal progressives in the House, who labeled him a centrist.
“I’m a Black progressive Democrat concerned with addressing racial and social and economic injustice with the fierce urgency of now. That’s been my career, that’s been my journey and it will continue to be as I move forward for however long I have an opportunity to serve. There will never be a moment where I bend the knee to hard-left democratic socialism,” he told The Atlantic last year.
Katherine Clark
Clark, who currently serves as assistant speaker, would also represent a generational change at 59 years old.
Besides Pelosi, she is currently the only woman in House Democratic leadership and has built ties with the conference’s freshman.
With Pelosi’s departure, Clark’s ascension to the whip position — where she would be responsible for corralling unified votes from Democrats — would ensure that a woman would hold a senior leadership spot, something that Clark has said is important to her.
“I think there is something about women’s leadership styles that are built on listening, building consensus and listening not just to people — our constituents — but also to my colleagues that come from different districts, have different concerns, different pressures than I do,” Clark told Axios last year.
Pete Aguilar
At 43, Aguilar would be the youngest member of the expected Democratic triumvirate. As the current caucus vice chair, he is also the highest-ranking Hispanic member of Congress.
Aguilar has been heavily involved in immigration negotiations on Capitol Hill and saw his profile rise as a member of the select committee probing last year’s insurrection.
After he won reelection to his House seat last week, Aguilar said he intended to fight against Republicans’ legislative agenda and sought to cast the GOP as anti-social spending and anti-worker.
“As we wait for all the votes to be counted, I am deeply concerned about Republican plans to make inflation worse by cutting Social Security and Medicare and to help China by passing tax breaks for wealthy corporations that ship jobs overseas,” Aguilar said in a statement. “Democrats in Congress must fight back to give working families more breathing room and be prepared to stand up to Republican-led efforts to make it easier for oil companies to gouge consumers at the pump.”
Roger Waters has released a new version of a Pink Floyd classic. The track, “Comfortably Numb 2022,” was recorded during the rocker’s This Is Not A Drill North American tour and is now available on streaming services.
“During Lockdown I made a demo of a new version of ‘Comfortably Numb‘ as an opener for our new show This Is Not A Drill,” Roger shares. “I pitched it a whole step down, in A Minor, to make it darker and arranged it with no solos, except over the outro chord sequence, where there is a heartrendingly beautiful female vocal solo from Shanay Johnson, one of our new singers.”
The original “Comfortably Numb” was released in 1980 and appeared on Pink Floyd’s classic album The Wall.
