Jeff Kravitz/MTV VMAs 2021/Getty Images for MTV/ViacomCBS
Avril Lavigne wasn’t kidding earlier this week when she asked if she should drop her new single “next week” — that’s exactly what she’s doing.
The new track, “Bite Me,” arrives November 10. Avril announced it with a photo of herself wearing massive black boots, a blue plaid skirt and a studded bustier, sitting next to a heart-shaped cake inscribed with the song’s title.
“Are you ready to ‘BITE ME?’ My new song, November 10th,” she wrote in the caption.
Lately, the Canadian singer has been working with the artists connected to the recent pop/punk revival, such as Machine Gun Kelly, Mod Sun and WILLOW, and announced earlier this week that she’d signed to Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker‘s DTA record label.
Avril’s most recent single, “In Flames,” was a collaboration with her boyfriend, Mod Sun. Her most recent solo single was 2020’s “We Are Warriors,” a re-recording of a song from her 2019 album that she released as a charity single.
(NEW YORK) — Some 100 million American workers are expected to be impacted by the Biden administration’s new workplace COVID-19 vaccine mandate come January, under a sweeping new plan that labels coronavirus as an occupational hazard in the workplace.
Here is what to know about the new regulations, enforced by the Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and how it might impact you.
Will the vaccine mandate apply to me?
Most likely, as it’s estimated that the regulation will cover the majority of the nation’s workforce. There are four types of workers who fall under some kind of mandate: federal workers, federal contractors, health care workers and anyone employed by a company with 100 or more employees.
Federal workers are required to get the shot by Nov. 22. Everyone else in the private sector has until Jan. 4.
Some workers also have the option to test weekly for the virus instead, but this only applies to people in the private sector who don’t work with the federal government or in health care facilities that accept Medicare or Medicaid. If you work at a large company that is included under the federal rule, it will be up to your employer to decide if you will be given the option to test weekly and wear a mask instead.
Firms that don’t comply could be fined $14,000 per infraction, and health care facilities like nursing homes and hospitals could lose access to Medicare and Medicaid dollars.
What if I work remotely?
If you work remote full-time, your company isn’t required to mandate a vaccine or weekly testing. But you will fall under a mandate if you go into the office or workplace even some of the time.
Keep in mind, your employer might require vaccination anyway as a term of employment. Some businesses, including some hospitals, have already done so.
Private businesses also can decide against giving the option of testing as allowed under the federal regulation.
What if I work at a franchise outpost of a larger company?
You wouldn’t fall under the mandate if the number of employees at your site is under 100 workers, and so long as the franchise location where you work is independently owned and operated.
Corporate employees at a company’s headquarters and employees at other franchise sites would be counted separately.
For example, if you work at an independently owned local gym that only has 50 employees, you would not be included in the mandate — even if that gym is part of a larger, nationwide chain.
Won’t this hurt the trucking industry ahead of the holidays?
Probably not, because the rule exempts people who work by themselves. Truck drivers who drive alone in their cabs wouldn’t be at risk of exposure.
The Truckload Carriers Association, which issued a statement insisting the rule would “undoubtedly ensure the trucking industry loses a substantial number of drivers,” did not immediately respond to ABC News’ inquiries about why they believe their members would be impacted.
It’s possible the rollout of the new regulations could cause some hiccups in the mounting supply chain issues the nation is seeing, but economists have expressed hope that these troubles will be temporary and lessen as the pandemic wanes. Vaccinations, meanwhile, have been effective at preventing hospitalizations and deaths, which in turn helps the overall job market and economy.
What about the impact on other businesses like retail?
As for other industries, the regulation’s impact remains to be seen. Because the rule for the private sector won’t take effect until Jan. 4, the Biden administration says it’s unlikely to cause problems ahead of the holiday season.
Still, businesses will have to prepare to implement a vaccine verification program during the busy shopping season.
It’s also possible a few workers with hardline views on the vaccine will try to opt out of the job market to wait out the regulation. As a temporary emergency standard, it’s expected to expire eventually although the government hasn’t said yet when that might happen.
Some business officials have argued that broader vaccine mandates might actually help by “leveling the playing field.” If every company is required to mandate vaccinations, it makes it harder for workers to jump jobs to avoid getting the shot. Supporters of the regulation also argue that while a vocal minority of workers will protest, the vast majority of Americans will wind up complying.
While once a touchy subject in the private sector, recent data has actually indicated that a majority of companies plan on having COVID-19 vaccine mandates for their workforce, separate from the federal regulation.
(PERTH, Australia) — Terence Darrell Kelly was charged Thursday afternoon with one count of forcibly taking a child under 16 for allegedly abducting 4-year-old Cleo Smith from a campsite on Oct. 16.
Kelly has been held by authorities in Perth, Australia, since Friday, according to the Western Australian Police Force. Prior to being charged, police reported he had twice been taken to the hospital for self-inflicted injuries, and that he needed to be held under maximum security.
“A person in that situation would not remain in Carnarvon anyway, so the normal process will take place. We’ll put extra security measures for obvious reasons,” Western Australia Police Commissioner Chris Dawson said at a news conference in Perth.
Kelly was taken into custody on Wednesday morning after a tip led police to a suburban home in Carnarvon, Australia, where Cleo was found unharmed.
Cleo had been missing for 18 days after she was abducted from her tent while camping with her family in a remote part of western Australia. The search for her had gained national attention.
Cleo’s family released a statement Friday morning thanking everyone who helped recover their daughter.
“We would like to take this opportunity to thank all those involved in the rescue of our daughter Cleo Smith. In particular, we would like to thank Western Australia Police, all those involved in the initial search, the Carnarvon community, local businesses and of course our family and friends,” the statement said. “We are humbled by the love and support that we have received from not only our local community but the whole of Western Australia and across the country.”
Ed Sheeran‘s new album = (Equals) has blasted into the top of the U.K. albums chart with the biggest opening week for an album in the U.K. this year.
= (Equals), which gives Ed his fifth number-one album in the U.K., sold 139,000 copies in its first week. That may not sound like a lot, but to put things in perspective, it outsold every other album in the Top 30 combined. Not only is it the biggest sales week for an album this year in the U.K., but it’s also the biggest since Ed’s last album, ÷ (Divide), came out in 2017.
In a statement to Britain’s Official Charts Company, Ed said, “Thank you so much for making Equals the Number 1 album in the U.K. this week. I don’t know what else to say — you guys are great. Thank you so much for all listening to it, I hope you enjoy it and I hope to see you on tour next year. Nice one!”
Over on Britain’s Official Singles Chart, Ed missed the number-one spot, with Adele reigning for a third straight week with “Easy On Me.” However, Ed can’t be too upset: His song “Shivers” is number two, “Bad Habits” is number three and his new single “Overpass Graffiti” is number four.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse have debuted a music video for “Heading West,” the second advance track that the veteran rockers have released from their upcoming album Barn.
Like the clip for the first advance track released from Barn, “Song of the Seasons,” this video was directed by Young’s wife, Daryl Hannah, and features time-lapse footage of the Rocky Mountain area where Neil and the band made the album.
The “Heading West” clip shows the actual barn where the Barn album was recorded.
“This is the second of our series,” Neil writes in a post about the video on his website. “We are featuring ‘nature on the move’ in the area of the BARN where the music is emanating…Watch the door pulsing with the beat! It’s wonderful the way the videos let you listen and watch undisturbed at the same time.”
In a separate post, Young explained what inspired him to write “Heading West.”
“My mom and I travelled across the country together, heading west. She was on her way back home to start over. I was on my way there with her,” he wrote. “Here’s a song about me and my mom and those ‘growing up’ times. It’s so great to remember her this way!”
As previously reported, Barn, which you can pre-order now, is a 10-track collection that will be released on December 10. It will available on CD, vinyl, cassette and digital formats, and as a deluxe box set.
The box set includes a CD and a vinyl LP, as well as a Blu-ray disc that features a film directed by Hannah offering a look at the making of Barn. The Blu-ray will also be released separately.
After a wait that lasted over a year, the Duttons are finally back. The big question is, though, who is coming back to Yellowstone after last season’s cliffhanger.
Season 3 ended with assassins hunting the entire Dutton clan down, with patriarch John Dutton, played by Kevin Costner, being shot in a roadside attack and left for dead. One of the plot’s suspected masterminds is Jamie Dutton, who learned he was adopted.
Wes Bentley, who plays the aspiring politician, tells ABC Audio the revelation left Jamie “lost” and “broken more than ever” because “he was told who to be and he did it. And now they’re saying he’s not even a part of it.”
Despite Jamie wallowing in emotional turmoil, he is also “powerful,” which Bentley teases will only add to the Duttons woes.
“[He] definitely has potential for damage. And maybe that’s where Jamie is right now. Ready to fight back,” the actor hinted.
Cole Hauser, who plays fan favorite Rip Wheeler, is looking ahead to the next season because it’ll further test his character’s loyalty to the Duttons, who raised him as one of their own.
The actor — who had to “power through” a few scenes — also hints Rip will be physically tested, sharing, “I’ve put in the work and saddle time… I’m getting a little older, so it’s starting to settle in a little bit more!”
Also excited for the new season is Gil Birmingham, who plays casino magnate, tribal leader and Dutton frenemy Thomas Rainwater.
Birmingham is of Comanche descent and is pleased that the Paramount show correctly represents Native Americans.
“There is a lot more indigenous content coming out and I feel very privileged to be on the forefront of that,” he added.
Yellowstone premieres Sunday, November 7, at 8 p.m. ET with a two-episode special event.
Billy Porter is apologizing to Harry Styles after calling out the singer’s Vogue cover.
During his appearance on The Late Show with Stephen ColbertThursday night, the Pose actor clarified that it was never his intent to drag Harry specifically and he never expected his comments to get so much traction.
“Apparently, I’m famous now and it was a slow news day,” he told Colbert.
Porter added, “The first thing I wanna say is, Harry Styles, I apologize to you for having your name in my mouth. It’s not about you. The conversation is not about you.”
“It is about the systems of oppression and erasure of people of color who contribute to the culture,” the Emmy winner explained.
Last year, Harry became the first solo male to grace Vogue’s cover and he did so while wearing a dress. In an interview with U.K.’s The Sunday Times last month, Porter said he was disappointed by Vogue’s choice to put Harry, “a straight white man,” on the cover and pointed out that he has been pushing gender boundaries with fashion way before Harry was.
“I’m sorry, Harry. I didn’t mean no harm,” Porter reiterated on The Late Show. “I’m a gay man. We like Harry. He’s cute.”
(EAST ORANGE, N.J.) — 14-year-old Jashyah Moore has been missing since Oct. 14. Her family is pleading with her community for answers that would help bring her daughter home.
“I cannot imagine what she might be going through just being away from us this long, being away from her family who loves her very much,” her mother, Jamie Moore, said through tears at a press conference Friday morning. “If anybody knows anything, please, please come forward.”
She was last seen around 10 a.m. at Poppie’s Deli Store in East Orange, New Jersey, after her mother asked her to go to the store for groceries. According to police, surveillance footage shows Jashyah entering the store with an older male who paid for her items. The footage does not appear to show them leaving the store together, police say.
When she returned home to her mother, Moore said Jashyah had lost the card the family uses for groceries, and Moore told her daughter to go retrace her steps to find it.
Moore says that was the last time she has seen her daughter since.
Jashyah is 5-foot 5-inches tall and weighs about 135 pounds. She was last seen wearing khaki pants, a black jacket, and black boots, according to an East Orange City Hall press release.
“Jashyah is a smart girl and I can’t reiterate that enough,” Moore said. “She would not stay out. She would not go out, go off with anyone. She’s a homebody. She plays video games. She like to cook, she likes to play with her brothers, like, her best friend.”
East Orange Police, the FBI, and the New Jersey State Police are working in collaboration to help find Jashyah. They say if anyone sees her or knows of her whereabouts, to call the East Orange Police at 973.266.5041.
“Jashyah, if you are out there, we are all looking for you,” said Chief Phyllis Bindi. “We know that you are loved by this community and your family.”
ABC News’ Kasim Kabbara contributed to this report.
Kanye West had harsh words for his former GOOD Music artist Big Sean when he appeared Thursday on Revolt’s Drink Champs podcast.
“The worst thing I’ve ever done is sign Big Sean,” Ye said about the Detroit MC. Sean recently left West’s label after releasing all five of his studio albums on GOOD. He complained that he needed a bigger cut of the royalties.
Kanye also attacked Sean, and another of his protégés, John Legend, for not supporting him during his brief 2020 presidential campaign.
“Both John Legend and Big Sean, when I ran for office, got used quick by the Democrats to come at their boy that actually changed their life and that’s some sellout s**t. And I don’t rock with neither of them and I need my apologies.”
Sean quickly responded on Twitter. “Was just [with] this man, he ain’t say none of that!!! And this was after the interview! I’m dying laughing at you @kanyewest.”
“I didn’t get used by anybody or endorse anyone publicly at all,” the “Bounce Back” rapper added. “Cause I’m not political. That’s what’s hilarious, none of it’s true [and] he doesn’t even know what he’s talking about. I’m rollin.”
Sean was asked to appear on the next show so he can further respond to his mentor’s diss.
“I can’t wait to go on drink champs now!!!,” he declared.
Carrie Underwood is dropping a special surprise in fans’ stockings this year: The Special Edition of her My Gift Christmas album, including three bonus songs in addition to the original track list, is now available on vinyl.
Pressed on Crystal Clear Double Vinyl, a limited edition version of the product will also be available on White Vinyl at Walmart. Those picking up their copies at Target have exclusive access to a limited-edition Green Vinyl version, along with a collectible poster.
My Gift, originally released in 2020, is Carrie’s first-ever full-length Christmas album. It features a collaboration with John Legend, “Hallelujah,” as well as a version of “The Little Drummer Boy” featuring vocals from the singer’s six-year-old son, Isaiah.
Since releasing My Gift, Carrie followed up her holiday project with My Savior, a collection of gospel hymns. More recently, Carrie topped the country charts with her Jason Aldean duet, “If I Didn’t Love You.”
