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(BRIDGEPORT, Conn.) — The UConn’s women’s basketball team is headed to its 14th straight Final Four appearance after defeating No. 1 seed NC State in a tough battle Monday night.
It took two overtimes but the No. 2 seed Huskies were able to top the Wolfpack 91-87 in the Elite Eight matchup at Total Mortgage Arena in Bridgeport, Connecticut.
UConn guard Paige Bueckers led the team with 27 points, followed by guard Christyn Williams, who scored 21.
The Huskies will now go up against No. 1 seed Stanford on Friday. Tip off begins at 9:30 p.m. ET at the Target Center in Minneapolis.
(NEW YORK) — Another COVID-19 vaccine booster shot may be on the horizon for Americans, as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is expected to greenlight a fourth dose for those aged 50 and older as soon as Tuesday.
It comes after Pfizer-BioNTech requested the FDA authorize a fourth dose for Americans aged 65 and older earlier this month and Moderna asked the same, but for those aged 18 and older.
Several other countries have already begun administering a second booster, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention currently recommends immunocompromised Americans receive a fourth dose.
Two officials familiar with the matter told ABC News the fourth shots will likely be only offered and not formally recommended.
Experts suggest U.S. health officials want another booster authorized for the rest of the population before the next potential COVID-19 wave.
“This is an attempt to be sort of ahead of what might happen in the future,” said Dr. John Brownstein, an epidemiologist at Boston Children’s Hospital and an ABC News contributor. “We will likely have another surge, whether sooner or later we don’t quite know, but there is a recognition that, over time, immunity wanes.”
He added, “And booster protection is at least helpful for those older and with underlying conditions.”
What is the data behind recommending a fourth dose?
Several countries, including Israel, Chile and Sweden, have begun offering fourth COVID-19 doses to older adults and other at-risk groups.
However, very few studies have been released exploring the benefits of a fourth dose. All are from Israel.
One study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, looked at 274 health care workers who received a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine four months after their first shot.
The team found a fourth shot boosted antibody levels comparable to those seen after a third dose but did not boost protection against infection.
There were no hospitalizations in either the single-boosted group or double-boosted group.
Another study, which was published Thursday and has not yet been peer-reviewed, looked at more than 563,000 patients between 60 and 100 years old.
Over the study period, about 58% of the group received a second booster dose.
They found that participants who received a second booster dose were less likely to die within 40 days of vaccination, after adjusting for baseline health status and other factors.
“The second study was the one that made everyone pay attention … that sort of changed the discussion [about recommending a fourth dose], I think,” Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious diseases specialist at the University of California, San Francisco, told ABC News. “But if you look at a percentage, that’s kind of still very low. So basically, getting a booster in that population results in low mortality just overall.”
Brownstein said the data is limited and should be interpreted with caution, but added that Israel has been a harbinger of what’s to come in the U.S.
“Israel has already been a reasonably good indicator of what we might see in the U.S., both the impact of COVID and the efficacy of vaccines,” he said. “I think that provides some support with those who want to get that additional shot.”
Should I get a fourth dose if I’m above age 50?
Although there have not been specific studies looking at the risk of COVID-19 infection or complications in those aged 50 and older who have been doubled boosted compared to those aged 49 and younger, other studies have shown that overall protection declines in older populations.
“It might seem arbitrary, but data suggests that after age 50, your ability to fight infection decreases,” Brownstein said. “The number of underlying chronic conditions increases with age, too.”
But experts said there is no current evidence to suggest that young, healthy Americans need a fourth vaccine dose.
Chin-Hong pointed to recent CDC data, which, as of Jan. 29, showed the rate of COVID deaths among those aged 18 to 49 was 0.8 per 100,000 for the unvaccinated, 0.13 for those fully vaccinated and 0.10 for those vaccinated and boosted.
“The benefit of just being vaccinated is really the discussion rather than how many boosters you got,” he said.
What if I’ve had omicron recently?
Chin-Hong said he doesn’t think boosted Americans who were infected with omicron during the most recent wave need to get a fourth shot.
He added that a COVID-19 infection will likely have boosted antibody levels high enough that a fourth shot won’t add much protection.
“For these people, when you get an infection, it’s almost like getting a shot itself,” he said. “You can consider it as your own booster shot and that hybrid immunity will generally be thought of as being very powerful.”
Chin-Hong added, “You can run out and get the shot any time if you’re eligible but, in terms of biological need, it’s probably less important, particularly if you’ve gotten a recent breakthrough infection.”
Dierks Bentley took part in in the Gosh Darn bike rice, and it looks like it was quite the adventure.
The superstar chronicled his journey on the 100-mile trip on Instagram, revealing that he endured three flat tires and got lost along the way, adding seven miles to the trip. The journey also began with Dierks and his fellow riders crossing a creek at 7 a.m. in 40-degree weather that left him with freezing-cold feet.
Clips show Dierks carrying his bike as he wades through a creek, and cycling a winding road as wind blows in his face. “I need the eagle to carry me home,” he says, panning to the bald eagle and American flag emblem on his shirt.
But Dierks persevered and completed the excursion, which took more than 10 hours. “It was…..fun?” Dierks writes in the caption about the “epic” day.
Gosh Darn, an annual gravel race in Middle Tennessee, benefits Oasis Bike Workshop the helps youth refurbish bicycles for transportation. Dierks also used to host the Miles & Music for Kids motorcycle event in Nashville.
When the members of The Head and the Heart were finally able to meet up and record their upcoming album Every Shade of Blue, they decided to head home.
“We chose to go back to Seattle,” vocalist Jonathan Russell tells ABC Audio. “We chose to go to the same studio that we did our first two records at.”
That return to the city where The Head and the Heart was first founded in 2009, coupled with the fact that the band members hadn’t seen each other in person in over a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, made recording Every Shade of Blue feel like a “homecoming.”
“We just had so many memories there,” Russull says. He recalls stumbling upon a bike that he had left at the studio a decade earlier.
“My bicycle was literally in the same position in the garage in the studio,” he shares. “It had some flat tires, but other than that, it was good to go.”
For a recording process so steeped in Seattle, it may seem odd that the current single off Every Shade of Blue pays tribute to a place on the complete other side of the country. The song, titled “Virginia (Wind in the Night),” refers to Russell’s pre-Seattle home, where he’s since moved back to and lives now.
Writing a song about Virginia with a band formed in Seattle, Russell says, represents the “strange dichotomy” of The Head and the Heart.
“We all met in Seattle…but the funny thing was it was purely coincidental,” Russell says. “Two people were from California that came up in completely separate times for different reasons, two of us were from Virginia at different times, and then two members were born-and-raised in Seattle.”
A new tune co-written and recorded by Mick Jagger called “Strange Game” will serve as the theme song to the new Apple TV+ series Slow Horses and will be released this Friday, April 1, coinciding with the premiere of the show’s first two episodes.
The Rolling Stones frontman co-wrote the track with Academy Award-nominated film composer Daniel Pemberton, who produced the song and also is responsible for the score and soundtrack of Slow Horses.
The six-part series, which stars Gary Oldman, Kristin Scott Thomas, Jonathan Pryce and Olivia Cooke, focuses on a group of dysfunctional British intelligence agents who are relegated to Slough House, a department that serves as a dumping ground for spies who have made major career mistakes.
“Strange Game” is described as an “atmospheric and infectious” track that includes clever references to various aspects of the program’s storylines.
“Working with Mick Jagger has been one of the most exciting collaborations of my professional career,” says Pemberton, whose previous credits include the scores of Being the Ricardos, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, The Trial of the Chicago 7, Ocean’s 8 and Yesterday. “I think we have managed to create an incredibly unique and original titles theme and I cannot wait for the rest of the world to hear it.”
Adds Slow Horses director James Hawes, “We always wanted a song to set the tone for the show and there was only ever one name in my mind — Mick Jagger. Hearing the track for the first time was utterly thrilling. Mick’s lyrics and performance have totally nailed the mood of Slow Horses, with all the humour and swagger I dreamed of.”
Getting right to business, the first round of Hollywood week saw the singers choose the genre they felt best represented them and give their best audition for the judges, as they began to narrow down the competition.
The contestants weren’t all on their own though, they had help from Idol alums. Season two winner Ruben Studdard mentored R&B, while season six winner Jordin Sparks mentored Pop. Rock got a hand from season seven winner David Cook and season nine winner Lee DeWyze mentored Folk/Singer-songwriter. Season 10 runner-up Lauren Alaina mentored country and season 10’s second runner-up Haley Reinhart mentored Soul. Reigning American Idol champ Chayce Beckham also made an appearance to help out the country singers.
While everyone was singing to secure their spot in the next round, the three platinum ticket winners — HunterGirl, Kenedi Anderson, and Jay Copeland — got to relax and move straight to the duets round of Hollywood week thanks to their impressive first auditions. However, they did serenade everyone with a performance of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin'” when all the auditions were said and done. And, in a surprise twist, the trio had the advantage of picking their partners for duet week, while the judges will pick for the rest of the contestants.
American Idol returns Sunday, April 3 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
(NEW YORK) — Russian forces are continuing their attempted push through Ukraine from multiple directions, while Ukrainians, led by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, are putting up “stiff resistance,” according to U.S. officials.
The attack began Feb. 24, when Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a “special military operation.”
Russian forces moving from neighboring Belarus toward Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, have advanced closer to the city center in recent days despite the resistance. Heavy shelling and missile attacks, many on civilian buildings, continue in Kyiv, as well as major cities like Kharkiv and Mariupol. Russia also bombed western cities for the first time last week, targeting Lviv and a military base near the Poland border.
Russia has been met by sanctions from the United States, Canada and countries throughout Europe, targeting the Russian economy as well as Putin himself.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Mar 29, 3:22 am
Talks between Russia, Ukraine begin in Turkey
The latest round of in-person peace negotiations between Russian and Ukrainian delegations kicked off in Istanbul on Tuesday morning, with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in attendance.
Erdogan addressed both sides with a brief speech before the talks began.
“Establishing a cease-fire and peace as soon as possible will be to everyone’s benefit. We think that we’ve entered a period where we need to achieve concrete results from negotiations,” Erdogan said. “As members of the delegations, you’ve taken on a historic responsibility. The whole world is awaiting the good news that will come from you.”
Footage showing the start of the meeting was broadcast by Russian state-backed television channel RT.
Tuesday’s negotiations are taking place in Dolmabahce Palace in the Besiktas district of Turkey’s capital, according to Turkish state-run news agency Anadolu Agency. It’s the first face-to-face talks to take place between Russia and Ukraine in more than two weeks.
(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Monday’s sports events:
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Cleveland 107, Orlando 101
Atlanta 132, Indiana 123
Denver 113, Charlotte 109
Miami 123, Sacramento 100
New York 109, Chicago 104
Toronto 115, Boston 112 (OT)
San Antonio 123, Houston 120
Memphis 123, Golden State 95
Oklahoma City 134, Portland 131 (OT)
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Carolina 6, Washington 1
St. Louis 4, Vancouver 1
Buffalo 6, Chicago 5
Edmonton 6, Arizona 1
Seattle 6, Los Angeles 1
(WASHINGTON) — The House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol attack recommended on Monday that the full chamber hold senior Trump White House officials in contempt of Congress for their refusal to comply with congressional subpoenas for records and testimony related to efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
The panel released a 34-page report on Sunday laying out congressional investigators’ interest in Peter Navarro and Dan Scavino, and how both Trump loyalists rebuffed requests for their cooperation, ahead of Monday night’s vote on whether to refer the matter to the House.
Both men “stonewalled” the committee, Chairman Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., said Monday.
“They’re not fooling anybody. They are obligated to comply with our investigation. They have refused to do so. And that’s a crime,” he said.
A successful House vote would send the referrals to the Justice Department, which would decide whether to pursue criminal charges. Each contempt charge could carry up to a $100,000 fine and up to one year in jail.
Navarro, who officially served as a trade adviser to then-President Donald Trump in the White House’s West Wing, produced a report alleging that the presidential election was stolen from Trump — which he said Trump distributed to all Republican members of Congress prior to Jan. 6.
The committee said it had evidence that Navarro’s work was distributed by then-Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and attorney John Eastman, who also worked on Trump’s effort to overturn the election results.
The committee wrote in its report that Navarro also worked closely with Trump ally Steve Bannon to delay Congress’ certification of the election and to overturn the results, a plan Navarro dubbed the “Green Bay Sweep” in his book, “In Trump Time.” According to the committee, Navarro spoke to Bannon on Jan. 6, encouraged Trump associates to contact Trump ally Roger Stone to discuss Jan. 6 plans, and encouraged hundreds of state legislators to “take action” ahead of the certification of the election results.
The Justice Department has indicted Bannon for refusing to comply with the committee’s subpoena. The trial for Bannon, who has pleaded not guilty, could begin this summer.
The DOJ has not taken action on a referral from the House over Meadows’ refusal to fully cooperate with the committee’s subpoena.
Navarro has repeatedly rebuffed the committee and has refused to comply with its subpoena, arguing that Trump invoked executive privilege over their communications, even though he detailed parts of his work in his book — and even though President Joe Biden, as the current commander-in-chief, declined to invoke privilege over his testimony.
“My position remains this is not my Executive Privilege to waive and the Committee should negotiate this matter with President Trump.” Navarro said in a statement Sunday, in response to the committee’s report. “If he waives the privilege, I will be happy to comply; but I see no effort by the Committee to clarify this matter with President Trump, which is bad faith and bad law.”
Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., on Monday called Navarro a “key witness” who had “written a book boasting about his role in planning and coordinating the activity of Jan. 6, and yet he does not have the courage to testify here.”
The Supreme Court previously rejected Trump’s claims of privilege and refused to block the committee from some Trump White House records. The panel has also argued that Navarro’s election-related work was not done in his capacity as a government official and would not be covered by executive privilege.
“We want to talk to Mr. Scavino and Mr. Navarro about their roles in an attempt to overturn an election. The American people didn’t pay their salaries to do that,” Thompson said, dismissing their claims of privilege.
The committee wrote in its report that Scavino, a deputy chief of staff and longtime Trump aide, was “uniquely positioned to illuminate” Trump’s knowledge and actions leading up to Jan. 6.
Scavino also played a central part in amplifying Trump’s unfounded claims of widespread election fraud in his role managing the then-president’s Twitter and other social media accounts.
“President Trump, working with Mr. Scavino, successfully spread distrust for our courts — which had repeatedly found no basis to overturn the election. And Trump’s stolen election campaign succeeded in provoking the violence on Jan. 6. On this point, there is no doubt — the Committee has videos, interviews, and sworn statements from the violent rioters demonstrating these facts,” Cheney said.
According to the committee’s report, the panel has obtained evidence that Scavino spoke to Trump “several times” on Jan. 6 and was with him at the White House as he faced public and private calls to help stop the violence at the Capitol.
Pointing to his online presence and links to Trump’s following on social media, the committee said it had “reason to believe” that Scavino “may have had advance warning of the possibility of violence on Jan. 6,” given online activity on pro-Trump forums that suggested potential violence in Washington.
“Whether and when the President and other senior officials knew of impending violence is highly relevant to the Select Committee’s investigation and consideration of legislative recommendations,” the committee wrote.
The panel issued three subpoenas to Scavino — including one delivered by U.S. Marshals to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida — and agreed to delay his deposition and document production deadline half a dozen times last year. Yet the committee said in its report that Scavino had “not produced a single document, nor has he appeared for testimony.”
Scavino also sued Verizon in January to stop the carrier from turning over his cell phone records to the committee.
Although Scavino, Navarro, and several other Trump allies have refused to cooperate with the probe, investigators have questioned more than 750 witnesses, including senior Trump White House and administration officials, as the committee works to wrap up the first phase of its inquiry ahead of public hearings and the issuance of a final report later this year.
“We’re now in a critical phase of our investigation,” Cheney said.
An attorney representing Scavino did not respond to requests for comment from ABC News.
(NOTE LANGUAGE) Actor Will Smith apologized Monday for slapping Chris Rock after the comedian made a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, at the Oscars.
“I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. I was out of line and I was wrong. I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be. There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness,” Will Smith wrote in an Instagram post.
Rock, who was presenting for best documentary, made a joke about Pinkett Smith’s hair when Smith walked onto the stage and struck Rock in the face.
Once back in his seat Smith said, “Keep my wife’s name out of your f****** mouth,” After the strike, most of the exchange was bleeped out for U.S. viewers.
Less than an hour later, Smith would go on to win best actor for his role in King Richard.
“Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive. My behavior at last night’s Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable. Jokes at my expense are a part of the job, but a joke about Jada’s medical condition was too much for me to bear and I reacted emotionally,” Smith said Monday.
