Concert films featuring Pink Floyd, David Gilmour and Nick Mason, released digitally worldwide today

Concert films featuring Pink Floyd, David Gilmour and Nick Mason, released digitally worldwide today
Concert films featuring Pink Floyd, David Gilmour and Nick Mason, released digitally worldwide today
Sony Music

A collection of eight archival concert films by Pink Floyd, guitarist David Gilmour, and Nick Mason’s Saucerful of Secrets, the new project featuring the group’s drummer, were released worldwide for purchase and rental on multiple digital platforms today.

The Pink Floyd films are 1988’s Delicate Sound of Thunder, 1994’s Pulse and 2014’s The Endless River. The Gilmour movies are 2001’s David Gilmour in Concert, 2006’s Live in Gdańsk and Remember That Night: David Gilmour Live at The Royal Albert Hall, and 2016’s Live at Pompeii.

Rounding out the collection is the 2020 Nick Mason’s Saucerful of Secrets concert flick Live at the Roundhouse.

Delicate Sound of Thunder features a performance by Pink Floyd’s trio lineup of Gilmour, Mason and keyboardist Richard Wright performing at New York’s Nassau Coliseum.

Pulse features the same Pink Floyd lineup performing at London’s Earls Court venue while the band promoted 1994’s The Division Bell album.

The Endless River is a film created by director Ian Emes set to the band’s final studio album of the same name, which was put together using unheard recordings from The Division Bell sessions.

David Gilmour in Concert features Gilmour performing at London’s Royal Festival Hall during the 2001 Meltdown Festival.

Live in Gdańsk features David playing in the Polish city with accompaniment from the Baltic Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra.

Remember That Night captures Gilmour’s solo group performing at London’s Royal Albert Hall, joined by some famous special guests, including David Bowie and David Crosby & Graham Nash.

Live at Pompeii features Gilmour performing at Italy’s Pompeii Amphitheatre, the first artist to play to an audience at the historic site.

Lastly, Live at the Roundhouse captures Mason and his group, which pays tribute to early Pink Floyd, playing at the London venue.

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COVID-19 live updates: 21 states see at least 10% jump in daily cases

COVID-19 live updates: 21 states see at least 10% jump in daily cases
COVID-19 live updates: 21 states see at least 10% jump in daily cases
Tomwang112/iStock

(NEW YORK) — As the COVID-19 pandemic has swept the globe, more than 5 million people have died from the disease worldwide, including over 764,000 Americans, according to real-time data compiled by Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering.

Just 68.9% of Americans ages 12 and up are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Latest headlines:
-Pfizer asks FDA for COVID-19 pill authorization
-21 states see at least 10% jump in daily cases
-US sees increase in pediatric cases for 2nd week in a row

Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern.

Nov 16, 2:10 pm
Pfizer asks FDA for COVID-19 pill authorization

Pfizer has asked the Food and Drug Administration to authorize its COVID-19 pill, the company announced in a press release Tuesday.

Both Merck and Pfizer are working on pills that appear very effective at keeping patients out of the hospital, according to the companies.

The Merck medication could be FDA authorized, recommended and available by the end of the year. The FDA’s advisory committee is slated to discuss the Merck application on Nov. 30.

Authorization for Pfizer is not expected until early next year.

ABC News’ Sony Salzman

Nov 16, 1:59 pm
21 states see at least 10% jump in daily cases

The U.S. daily case average has surged to more than 80,000 — a 27% jump in three weeks, according to federal data.

Over the last two weeks, 21 states have seen at least a 10% uptick in daily cases: Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wisconsin.

Last week marked the first national increase in total hospitalizations in nearly 10 weeks, according to federal data. There are now more than 48,000 patients with COVID-19 currently receiving care, up by about 3,000 patients from a week ago.

Twelve states (and Washington, D.C.) have seen an increase of 10% or more in hospital admissions over the last week: Alaska, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, South Dakota, Vermont and Wisconsin.

ABC News’ Arielle Mitropoulos

Nov 16, 12:01 pm
DC to lift indoor mask mandate on Monday

Washington, D.C., will lift its indoor mask mandate on Monday.

“Instead of following a blanket mandate, residents, visitors, and workers will be advised to follow risk-based guidance from DC Health that accounts for current health metrics and a person’s vaccination status,” Mayor Muriel Bowser’s office said in a statement

Private businesses can still require masks.

Masks will still be required in places including public transportation, schools, childcare facilities and nursing homes.

ABC News’ Beatrice Peterson

Nov 16, 11:36 am
Times Square reopening to vaccinated revelers for New Year’s Eve

Times Square is reopening this New Year’s Eve after being closed last year due to the pandemic.

Revelers must bring proof of full vaccination and a photo ID.

“This has been a heroic city fighting through COVID. We are turning the corner. We’ve got a lot to celebrate. It’s going to be a big moment in Times Square on New Years Eve,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said, ABC New York station WABC-TV reported.

 

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Hundreds displaced due to intense flooding in Washington state: Latest

Hundreds displaced due to intense flooding in Washington state: Latest
Hundreds displaced due to intense flooding in Washington state: Latest
djperry/iStock

(NEW YORK) — Over 1 foot of rain pummeled the Pacific Northwest in five days, bringing rivers into major flood stages and flooding roads and neighborhoods.

In Whatcom County, Washington, in the northwest part of the state along the Canadian border, about 500 people were displaced Monday due to flooding, the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office said.

In Bellingham, in Whatcom County, the flooding and mudslides closed Interstate 5 overnight.

Flooding also shuttered Highway 5 in British Columbia, with one official calling the conditions “a disaster waiting to happen.”

High winds — with gusts up to 77 mph — toppled trees and knocked out power. An 18-wheeler was nearly knocked off a bridge.

Tuesday morning, the rain and snow showers will begin to taper off, with conditions improving by the afternoon. But major river flooding will still be an ongoing threat, and a flood watch remains in effect through Tuesday afternoon in parts of western Washington.

Three rivers are in major flood stage: Bogachiel, Nooksack and Skagit. The Skagit River in Mount Vernon is expected to rise to a crest of 37.6 feet by Tuesday afternoon, topping the 1990 record crest of 37.4 feet.

A winter weather advisory is also in effect; over 1 foot of snow possible in the highest elevations — above 1,500 feet — in western Washington.

Although nearly the entire western U.S. is in a drought, western Washington is the only area that is drought-free. Seattle has seen rain every day this month and parts of western Washington have received 40 inches of rain in the last 30 days.

The Pacific Northwest will dry out over the next few days, before more rain arrives later this week.

 

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Julius Jones’ execution set for Thursday, federal court rejects appeal

Julius Jones’ execution set for Thursday, federal court rejects appeal
Julius Jones’ execution set for Thursday, federal court rejects appeal
iStock/nirat

(NEW YORK) — Julius Jones has spent the past 20 years fighting for his life on death row, but on Friday a federal appeals court rejected his final appeal.

As of now, Jones will be executed this week on his scheduled execution date of Nov. 18 unless the Oklahoma governor decides to grant him clemency.

In September, the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board recommended commuting Jones’ sentence to life in prison with the possibility of parole to Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt.

The decision still remains with Stitt, who said in September in a news release that he was waiting to make a decision based on the clemency hearing.

“I am not accepting the Pardon and Parole Board’s recommendation to commute the sentence of Julius Jones because a clemency hearing, not a commutation hearing, is the appropriate venue for our state to consider death row cases,” Stitt said in a Sept. 28 press release.

On Nov. 1, the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board voted to recommend clemency for Jones in a 3-1 favor. As of Tuesday, Stitt hasn’t publicly announced a decision.

“Nightline” spoke to Jones’ family in September. Jones’ mother, Madeline Davis-Jones, said the parole board’s decision instilled renewed hope for her son’s survival and called the news “magical.”

“I’m still in shock, because it’s not over, you know? We still have so much ground [to] cover,” Jones’ sister, Antoinette Jones, said. “I don’t know. I can’t explain it, but it was a good feeling.”

Antoinette Jones said her brother was calm when he heard the parole board’s recommendation, as he knows work still has to be done to secure his freedom.

“He said, ‘I’m good. I’ll be even better when I get out and I can hug y’all and we can start helping change the world,'” Antoinette Jones said. “It was a relief. I could breathe a little bit easier.”

Jones’ sister remains hopeful that he will be freed, and said she can picture justice for her brother.

“Julius being able to feel the sun on his skin, the natural sun on his skin. It looks like him having no chains [on] when he gets to go outside,” she said. “It looks like freedom.”

Julius Jones was 19 years old when he was arrested for the 1999 murder of Oklahoma businessman Paul Howell, and sentenced to death in 2002. What followed were decades of public scrutiny and relentless work from his legal team.

“We think Julius was wrongfully convicted and that Oklahoma is at risk of executing an innocent man,” Jones’ attorney, Amanda Bass, said.

Now 41 years old, Jones has spent most of his life behind bars. Even after so many years, his sister and mother have yet to give up hope.

Before he was in prison, friends and teachers knew Jones as a champion high school basketball player who attended the University of Oklahoma on an academic scholarship.

That all changed in 1999 when Howell, 45, was shot in his family’s driveway after a car-jacking in the wealthy suburb of Edmond, Oklahoma.

Howell’s GMC Suburban went missing and his sister, Megan Tobey, was the only eye-witness.

“Megan Tobey described the shooter as a young black man wearing a red bandana, a white shirt, and a stocking cap or skullcap. She was not able to identify the shooter’s face because it was covered,” Bass told ABC News in 2018.

Two days after Howell was killed, police found his Suburban parked in a grocery store parking lot. They learned later that a man named Ladell King had been offering to sell the car.

King named Chris Jordan and Julius Jones to investigators and said the two men had asked him to help them sell the stolen Suburban.

“Ladell was interviewed by the lead detectives in this case. He told the police that on the night of the crime, a guy named Chris Jordan comes to his apartment. A few minutes later, according to Ladell King, Julius Jones drives up,” attorney Dale Baich told ABC News in 2018.

King accused Jordan of being the driver and claimed that he and Jones were looking for Suburbans to steal, but it was Jones who shot Howell.

“Both Ladell King and Christopher Jordan were directing police’s attention to the home of Julius Jones’ parents as a place that would have incriminating items of evidence,” Bass said.

Investigators found a gun wrapped in a red bandana in the crawl space of Jones’ family home. The next day, Jones was arrested for capital murder.

Jones’ attorneys say the evidence police found could have been planned by Jordan. They say Jordan had stayed at Jones’ house the night after the murder, but Jordan denied those claims during the trial.

In the years since, Jones’ defense team has argued that racial bias and missteps from his then public-defense team played a role.

Jones’ team has submitted files to the parole board that they said proved his innocence, including affidavits and taped video interviews with inmates who had served time in prison with Jordan. They said they allegedly heard Jordan confess to Howell’s murder.

In a statement to ABC News, Jordan’s attorney, Billy Bock, said that “Chris Jordan maintains his position that his role in the death of Paul Howell was as an accomplice to Julius Jones. Mr. Jordan testified truthfully in the jury trial of Mr. Jones and denies ‘confessing’ to anyone.”

Jordan served 15 years in prison before he was released.

In 2020, Jones’ story was thrown back into the spotlight when unlikely legal ally Kim Kardashian drew public attention to his case. Kardashian, who is studying to take California’s bar exam, has been vocal on the issue of the death penalty and prison reform and has campaigned to free a number of men and women who were incarcerated.

“Kim Kardashian, I felt like maybe one of my sorority sisters … she was down to earth,” Davis-Jones said.

Antoinette Jones said Kardashian put in the effort to help her brother.

“She sat down and she broke down my brother’s case. That means that she actually did the work,” Jones said. “She did the work to go back and check certain things, to point out certain things.”

“The fact that she told me that she was able to go see my brother, it was almost like she took a piece of him and brought it to us and then we could feel like he was there with us,” Jones added.

But despite all the efforts, Julius Jones’ execution date is still in place.

His family said they have to just wait to see if Stitt will agree with the parole board’s recommendation and commute Jones’ November death sentence. Three members of the Pardon and Parole board were appointed by the governor, a fact that gives Davis-Jones some hope.

“I’d like for [Stitt] to do the right thing, because the truth will set you free,” Davis-Jones said. “But most of all, being in leadership, I know sometimes it’s hard … to make decisions, [but] you have to try to make the right decisions.”

 

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Which states have opened COVID-19 vaccine boosters for all?

Which states have opened COVID-19 vaccine boosters for all?
Which states have opened COVID-19 vaccine boosters for all?
iStock/Pornpak Khunatorn

(NEW YORK) — With COVID-19 infection rates steadily increasing across the country, a growing list of states are now moving ahead of federal authorization, to recommend booster shots for all residents 18 years or older, six months after receiving their second COVID vaccine dose.

Last week, Pfizer formally asked the Food and Drug Administration to allow all Americans over the age of 18 to be eligible for booster shots.

However, in recent weeks, leaders from seven states — Arkansas, California, Colorado, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York and West Virginia — have moved to formally and informally endorse the expansion of booster shots to all adult residents who are at least six months out of their second Pfizer or Moderna vaccine.

At this time, booster shots are recommended by federal agencies for anyone over the age of 18 who has received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, two months after receiving their first dose. Moderna and Pfizer recipients are encouraged to get a booster shot six months after receiving their second dose, if they are over the age of 65, have an underlying medical condition or are at high risk for exposure.

Earlier this fall, West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice was the first state legislator to call for all residents regardless of their age or status of underlying condition, to receive a booster.

“I think that is absolutely the message that I’ve been trying to get out to people,” Justice reiterated on Monday. “I absolutely believe that if you’re 18 years of age, you can get your booster shot.”

On Monday, Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson adjusted state policy recommendations to green light boosters for adults, adding that the current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations on boosters are “somewhat confusing and limiting.”

Two states — Colorado and New Mexico — which have seen significant increases in COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations have gone as far as to sign executive orders, urging all fully vaccinated adults to get boosters once they meet the six- or two-month thresholds, given the high risk for exposure and transmission in those states.

“We want to ensure that Coloradans have every tool they need to protect themselves from this deadly virus and to help reduce the stress on our hospitals and health care workers,” Colorado Gov. Jared Polis wrote.

The concerns over high transmission have also pushed other officials to pull the trigger on booster shots for all adults.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said on Monday that she is “strongly encouraging all New Yorkers who live or work in a high-risk setting to get the booster,” and in New York City, Health Commissioner Dr. Dave Chokshi, announced during a press conference on Monday that he is issuing a Commissioner’s Advisory to all health care providers to allow boosters for all adults.

Last week, in California, Health Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly also announced that he was encouraging residents to “absolutely” sign up to get a booster shot.

With winter holidays just weeks away, and millions of Americans expected to travel and gather with family members, some officials say the expansion of boosters is now more critical than ever.

“We think this is a big step we can take with the holidays coming up. We need as many people boosted as possible. It’s that simple,” New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said on Monday during a press conference.

Murphy signaled that he would likely formally support boosters for all adults, adding that “if you’re in doubt, get the darn booster.”

To date, more than 30 million people nationwide have received an additional dose of a COVID-19 vaccine since early August, according to federal data.

 

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Report: Chico DeBarge arrested for drug possession

Report: Chico DeBarge arrested for drug possession
Report: Chico DeBarge arrested for drug possession
Chico DeBarge in 2015; Monica Morgan/Getty Images

Chico DeBarge has reportedly been arrested for possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

The “Talk to Me” singer was taken into custody after officers found methamphetamine in his motor home, according to TMZ. Police reportedly  received a complaint about a man causing a disturbance inside a RV. Drugs were found, and when it was discovered that DeBarge’s registration had expired over six months ago, his motor home was impounded.

The 55-year-old was previously arrested for drug possession in 2007, 2019 and January of this year. For his latest arrest, he was also charged with false impersonation for pretending to be his brother, James DeBarge. James married Janet Jackson in 1984, though their marriage was annulled one year later.
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Chico has recorded six solo albums, beginning with a self-titled project in 1986. His latest solo album, named Addiction, was released in 2009.

Chico’s brother, 64-year-old Tommy DeBarge from the group Switch, passed away October 21 after suffering from liver and kidney failure.

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ABBA announces “Little Things,” their first-ever holiday song

ABBA announces “Little Things,” their first-ever holiday song
ABBA announces “Little Things,” their first-ever holiday song
Courtesy of Capitol Records

Just in time for Christmas, ABBA has announced their first-ever holiday single. The Swedish superstars will officially release the song “Little Things” on December 3.

Taking to Instagram on Tuesday to share the track’s official artwork, the band teased, “Christmas is around the corner – Take a look at the cover art for ABBA’s Christmas song ‘Little Things’ being released December 3d on CD. Maybe something for the Christmas stocking?”

The gentle song centers on the joy parents feel waking up on Christmas morning and imagining what it’ll be like to watch their children open presents under the tree.

“Little Things” is featured on ABBA’s new album, Voyage, which is their first in 40 years.  The track is available for pre-order now. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by ABBA (@abba)

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Pearl Jam to launch rescheduled North American tour in May 2022

Pearl Jam to launch rescheduled North American tour in May 2022
Pearl Jam to launch rescheduled North American tour in May 2022
Credit: Danny Clinch

Pearl Jam has finally announced plans for a rescheduled North American tour.

Eddie Vedder and company were originally supposed to launch a run through the U.S. and Canada to support their new album, Gigaton, in March 2020, but the outing was postponed indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a news post Tuesday, the grunge icons reveal that the tour is current set to kick off in May 2022. The exact itinerary is set to be announced “early next year.”

“For nearly two years, the band has wanted nothing more than to play their new music live for you,” the post reads. “The whole Pearl Jam team shares your excitement for us all to be safely on the road again together.”

Pearl Jam’s 2022 also includes a European tour, which will begin in June.

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“Fully vaccinated” ‘Dancing with the Stars’ judge Derek Hough says he has COVID-19

“Fully vaccinated” ‘Dancing with the Stars’ judge Derek Hough says he has COVID-19
“Fully vaccinated” ‘Dancing with the Stars’ judge Derek Hough says he has COVID-19
ABC/Adrienne Raquel

Dancing with the Stars judge Derek Hough has been diagnosed with COVID-19.

Hough, 36, announced the news Tuesday on Instagram, telling his followers in a video: “I have some news to share and I wanted you to hear it straight from me. Even though I’ve been fully vaccinated, I have just been diagnosed with a breakthrough case of COVID. I just found out.”

The pro dancer, who has won the Mirror Ball trophy six times, as well as three Emmys for his choreography on the show, said he’s feeling “OK” and “strong.”

“I’m currently taking advice from medical professionals [and] doing everything I can to get better as fast as I can,” he added. “I’m currently in quarantine, and I’ll make sure I keep you guys all updated with what’s going on.”

Hough, who just appeared on Monday’s episode of DWTS, ended the video by sending “a lot of love” to his followers and urging them to “stay safe.” He also said he was rescheduling his shows in Las Vegas, which were set to take place this week, and will “announce the new dates shortly.”

The news comes as DWTS is set to air its season-30 finale in less than a week, with the episode set to take place on Monday, Nov. 22.

Hough isn’t the only person on DWTS this season to be diagnosed with COVID-19: contestant Cody Rigsby and his pro dancer partner, Cheryl Burke, each had breakthrough cases despite them both being vaccinated. The pair recovered and have made it to the season 30 finals alongside contestants JoJo SiwaAmanda Kloots and Iman Shumpert, whose respective pro dancer partners are Jenna JohnsonAlan Bersten and Daniella Karagach.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Ed Sheeran heading to South Korea to perform at Mnet Asian Music Awards

Ed Sheeran heading to South Korea to perform at Mnet Asian Music Awards
Ed Sheeran heading to South Korea to perform at Mnet Asian Music Awards
Dan Martensen

Ed Sheeran just received a major invitation from Seoul, South Korea.  The Mnet Asian Music Awards, known as the MAMA Awards, asked the British pop star to perform at their event.

Entertainment Tonight describes the MAMAs as K-pop version of the Grammy Awards.  They will be held on December 11 and will be broadcast worldwide.

Ed recently collaborated with the K-pop group BTS on their summer hit “Permission to Dance” this year and co-writing their 2019 single, “Make It Right.”

The singer has yet to comment on the MAMA Awards invitation.

This announcement comes as the MAMA Awards revealed that they are thinking about moving the ceremony from South Korea to the U.S. because of K-pop’s growth in global popularity.  If they do, the organizers will evaluate nominees on their international influence.

As for why they want to move the show to America, Kim Hyun-soo, who is the CJ ENM director-general of music content, said it’s because the U.S. is the “world’s biggest music market.”  He adds that these changes will help “further heighten MAMA as one of the top-tier global awards show.”

The MAMA Awards go live Saturday, December 11, at 4 a.m. ET/1 a.m. PT.

 

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