(NEW YORK) — The coldest air of the season is moving into the Northeast on Monday night, sending temperatures plummeting by Tuesday morning.
The wind chill — what temperature it feels like — is forecast to plunge Tuesday morning to minus 5 degrees in New York, minus 14 degrees in Boston and minus 24 degrees in Burlington, Vermont.
In Boston, where the wind chill is expected to stay below zero all day long, public schools will be closed Tuesday.
By 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday, the wind chill will only inch up to minus 3 degrees in Boston, 6 degrees in New York and 9 degrees in Philadelphia.
The Midwest and the South will also be feeling the freeze Tuesday morning. The wind chill is forecast to fall to minus 5 degrees in Chicago, minus 2 degrees in Detroit, minus 15 degrees in Green Bay, Wisconsin, 20 degrees in Nashville and 27 degrees in Atlanta.
But the brutal cold won’t last long — temperatures are expected to rebound by Wednesday.
Not long ago, Selena Gomez revealed that she’d gotten a huge new tattoo on her back that depicts a rose — and that her friend Cara Delevigne had gotten the same tattoo on her side. Now we know why.
Appearing on Live with Kelly & Ryan on Monday, Selena explained that Cara, who she describes as “one of my best friends” and who she says she’s known since she was 16, calls her by the nickname “Rosebud.” “I’ve always wanted a rose, and now I got one and I love it,” Selena laughed.
But it turns out that Cara, who’ll be appearing in the second season of Selena’s show Only Murders in the Building, isn’t the only one with whom Selena is tattoo-twinning.
“I have, actually, multiple tattoos with people who have honestly left a significant mark on my life,” she revealed. “I have one with Julia Michaels” — who co-wrote many of Selena’s hits — “my mom and my best friends.”
And in a case of art imitating life, in Only Murders in the Building, Selena’s character, Mabel, and her friends all happen to have the same tattoo.
Betty White‘s cause of death has reportedly been revealed.
According to a death certificate obtained by TMZ, the Golden Girls icon died due to a cerebrovascular accident, otherwise known as a stroke. She had reportedly suffered the stroke six days before her death.
White’s agent, Jeff Witjas, tells ABC News that he was not aware of the apparent stroke at the time, leading him to believe it was minor. He says he has not seen the death certificate and did not learn of the alleged cause of death until the TMZ report.
Witjas maintains that White was “talking and coherent” in the days preceding her death and that she died peacefully in her sleep.
White passed away on December 31 at age 99. She would’ve been turning 100 on January 17.
(SAN FRANCISCO) — The San Francisco Department of Public Health said it is reducing hours at some COVID-19 testing sites due to staffing shortages.
The decision comes despite warnings from experts about the importance of COVID testing to keep up with the surge of the highly transmissible omicron variant.
“On Monday, some SFDPH-affiliated sites will temporarily reduce testing hours due to challenges beyond our control,” the department tweeted Sunday. “Please check your health system first for testing. Do not go to the ER for tests.”
In a statement released Monday, SFPDH said it expects testing capacity will only be reduced “by about 4%, or approximately 250 tests per day out of the current 7-day average of 6,000 tests per day at SFDPH-affiliated sites.”
Additionally, only four sites are being impacted by reduced hours and the department insists the change is temporary.
It’s unclear how many workers are out sick. San Francisco Mayor London Breed revealed last week that more than 400 city employees were out due to either COVID-19 infections or isolation after potential exposure.
It comes as San Francisco is recording an average of 1,245 new cases per day, which is the highest ever since the pandemic began and a 1,600% increase from one month ago, city data shows.
Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease specialist at the University of California, San Francisco, told ABC News he is worried the reduced hours will mean that COVID-19 cases are missed.
“It’s going to have a terrible impact,” he said. “It reminds me of early March 2020 when we didn’t have enough testing. Of course we have a lot more tests numerically, but the proportion seems to be the same because the percentage of those needing testing is definitely not met by the number of available tests.”
Matt Haney, a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, said reducing the hours of operation at COVID-19 testing sites is unacceptable.
“It was already hard to get a test in San Francisco and now it just got harder and that’s unacceptable,” he told ABC News. “Our department of public health had expanded capacity at a number of sites. But it wasn’t enough. Now they’re cutting back because of staffing shortages.”
Testing capacity has been stretched to an all-time high, according to SFDPH.
Haney, however, argued that testing sites need to make sure they are consistently meeting demand.
“The level of demand for tests exceeds anything we had seen,” he said. “Health officials also feel the private providers need to do more testing. I think all of those things are true, yet our residents need our public health department to step up and get the job done.”
Haney wants to call a hearing on testing to get more answers on why it’s been so difficult for residents to get tests.
“You may have heard that people are calling 911 to get tested,” he said. “When people get exposed or they’re not feeling well, if the county tells them go to get a test and then they can’t get tested, that’s freaking them out and they’re calling 911 — and our 911 lines are overwhelmed because what people are being told to do can’t be done.”
There are ways to prevent the staffing shortages from having a large impact, according to Chin-Hong, such as deploying the National Guard to sites, which Gov. Gavin Newsom did over the weekend.
“There are also some creative strategies like utilizing student volunteers who are in health professions, like medicine, nursing, pharmacy, to go out,” he said. “They have some medical background. It’s kind of an all hands on deck perspective. It doesn’t take a lot of training to do a swab; people do that at-home after all.”
He also recommended that testing sites become more diverse and be expanded to offices, community centers and banks.
(NEW YORK) — Seventeen people, including eight children, after dozens were injured in a fire at a Bronx apartment in New York City.
Officials previously reported that 19 people — including nine children — had died in the fire, but the death toll was revised Monday. The victims were taken to seven different hospitals, which led to the miscount, New York City Fire Department Commissioner Daniel Nigro said Monday.
More than 200 firefighters responded to the scene of the five-alarm fire that originated Sunday morning in a duplex apartment on the third floor of a high-rise building, located in the Tremont section of the Bronx, officials said. More than 60 people were injured in the fire, according to the New York City Fire Department.
Many of the victims were located on the upper floors and likely suffered from severe smoke inhalation, Nigro said during a press conference Sunday afternoon.
Firefighters arrived on the scene within three minutes of the initial 911 call and were met with fire in the hallways, Nigro said. A door that was left open allowed the fire and smoke to spread, Nigro added, describing the fire as “unprecedented.”
The fire never left the hallway on the floor where it originated, he said.
The 19-story building was built in 1972 and has 120 units, according to city records.
The fire began due to a malfunctioning electric space heater in a bedroom, the FDNY said Sunday evening. Smoke alarms were operable, and it remains under investigation how the smoke traveled so far so quickly.
Guillermo Sanchez, a resident who lives on the 16th floor, was making breakfast when he began to smell smoke, he told ABC News.
“My son went to the door,” he said. “We opened the door. Smoke comes in immediately, so we closed the door.”
The smoke was so intense, Sanchez said he assumed it was from another apartment on the same floor.
Sanchez, emotional from the ordeal, said he and his son called 911 but felt they could not safely take the stairs to exit the building, he said, adding that they were calling family members to tell them they may not make it.
The firefighter who initially knocked on his door said everything was under control, but another firefighter who came a half an hour later said, “You have to come with us,” Sanchez said.
“This is going to be one of the worst fires we have witnessed here in modern times in the city of New York,” New York City Mayor Eric Adams told reporters Sunday.
Adams praised the first responders, saying many of the firefighters’ oxygen tanks eventually became empty but “they still went through the smoke.”
Dramatic pictures posted to social media show fire gushing out of multiple windows in the building. FDNY began receiving calls from multiple residents on upper floors just before 11 a.m.
Additional details, including the conditions of the other victims, were not immediately available.
The residents consisted of a largely Muslim and Gambian population and will be aided by the city with particular consideration to cultural needs, Adams told ABC News.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul appeared at the news conference, saying that she spoke with a mother who lost her entire family in the fire, telling the victims, “We will not forget you. We will not abandon you.”
The Bronx Park Phase III Preservation LLC, the name of the joint venture that owns building at 333 E 181st St., said in a statement that it was “devastated” over the tragedy that occurred.
“We are devastated by the unimaginable loss of life caused by this profound tragedy,” the statement read. “We are cooperating fully with the Fire Department and other city agencies as they investigate its cause, and we are doing all we can to assist our residents. Our thoughts are with the families and friends of those who lost their lives or were injured, and we are here to support them as we recover from this horrific fire.”
A total of 73 people died in New York City fires in all of 2021.
This was the second major fire in the Bronx over the weekend. A four-alarm fire in the Fordham Heights section of the Bronx that began early Saturday morning injured a firefighter and displaced three families, ABC New York station WABC reported. A lithium-ion battery sparked the fire, officials said.
Last week, a fire that broke out on the second story of a row house in Philadelphia killed 13 people, including seven children.
Mae Muller is starting off 2022 with “Better Days” because MTV has named her this month’s Global PUSH artist.
The British singer, who teamed with Polo G and Neiked for the viral hit, was cited for her optimism and evolution as an artist. Mae, who’s 24, says she is hard at work on her new album.
“I thought it was pretty much done,” she said of the project in a press release, but noted that the success of “Better Days” brought her back to the drawing board. “It’s kind of changed my thought process a bit,” Mae explained. “All of the songs I have, I still love them so much. But I want to make sure that with my new way that I’m looking at it, I’m looking at it in a much bigger way.”
Mae says her sophomore album is “not quite done yet” but is hopeful fans will be able to hear it this year. She adds that she is “very, very excited” to release it. Her first record, Chapter 1, was released in November 2020.
Mae’s PUSH honor now lets her join a roster of heavy hitters that includes the likes of Billie Eilish, Doja Cat, Lizzo, H.E.R., Khalid and many others.
(NEW YORK) — The man who bought Kyle Rittenhouse the AR-15-style rifle he used as a 17-year-old to shoot three people, two fatally, during a 2020 protest in Kenosha, Wisconsin, pleaded no contest on Monday to contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
Dominick Black’s attorney appeared in Kenosha County Circuit Court to finalize the plea bargain agreement that spares Black from being tried on felony charges stemming from the purchase of the gun. Black, 20, did not attend the hearing.
Black agreed to plead no contest to a non-criminal county ordinance citation of contributing to the delinquency of a minor stemming from his purchase of the semiautomatic weapon. Rittenhouse claimed he used the gun in self-defense when he fatally shot Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, and Anthony Huber, 26, and severely wounded Gaige Grosskreutz, 27.
A Kenosha County jury acquitted Rittenhouse in November of two felony counts of first-degree recklessly endangering safety, first-degree reckless homicide, first-degree intentional homicide and attempted first-degree intentional homicide.
Just hours before closing arguments in the high-profile case, Judge Bruce Schroeder threw out a misdemeanor charge against Rittenhouse of being a minor in possession of a dangerous weapon. Rittenhouse’s attorneys cited an exception in Wisconsin law that allows minors to possess shotguns and rifles as long as they’re not short-barreled.
“I do believe it is a serious offense to purchase a firearm for someone who is not legally able to do so. Our office will continue to vigorously prosecute those offenders,” prosecutor Thomas Binger said during Monday’s hearing. “And it is still our office’s position that 17-year-olds should not go armed with firearms.”
Binger credited Black for cooperating with police and prosecutors in the Rittenhouse case and testifying for the prosecution during the trial.
“He provided a statement early on, waived his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination and testified at the trial truthfully. And I want to give him credit for those actions because those are responsible and appropriate actions to accept responsibility and to cooperate,” Binger said.
As part of the plea deal, Black agreed to pay a fine of $2,000, which Binger described as a “form of punishment and a deterrence” to anyone thinking of purchasing such as firearm for a minor.
Black’s attorney, Anthony Cotton, declined to make a statement at the hearing other than to say “this is our agreement.”
No surprise considering what an awards-nomination magnet the series has become, but Apple TV+ has renewed The Morning Show for a third season.
Starring and executive produced by Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston, the Emmy-winning series delves into the on-camera and behind-the-scenes drama of an award-winning morning news program.
In a statement, Matt Cherniss, head of programming for Apple TV+, said, “It has been thrilling to watch The Morning Show go from strength to strength over the past two seasons, exploring topical storylines that have resonated with audiences around the world while also being incredibly addictive and entertaining.”
He added of season three showrunner Charlotte Stoudt, “We’re excited to see where Charlotte takes these extraordinary characters in season three and to watch the magic that Jennifer, Reese and our awe-inspiring cast continue to bring to the captivating world of morning television.”
James Mtume in January 1985; David Corio/Michael Ochs Archive/Getty Images
James Mtume, who recorded the 1983 RIAA-certified Gold single “Juicy Fruit,” passed away Sunday, his publicist confirmed to ABC News. He was 76.
The Grammy winner began his career as a jazz percussionist, and recorded and toured with jazz legend Miles Davis in the 1970s. He later recorded five albums with his group, Mtume, including their third album, 1983’s Juicy Fruit. The title track topped the Billboard R&B singles chart for eight consecutive weeks, and went on to become one of the most-sampled songs in hip-hop, including on the Notorious B.I.G.‘s first hit, 1994’s “Juicy.”
James Mtume also composed and produced hits for several other artists with his partner, Reggie Lucas. Mtume and Lewis’ credits include Stephanie Mills‘ Grammy-winning 1981 single, “Never Knew Love Like This Before,” and the Roberta Flack/Donny Hathaway 1978 classic, “The Closer I Get to You.” Mtume and Lucas also recorded with Phyllis Hyman, Lou Rawls and The Spinners in the early 1980s.
Mills commented on Instagram, “I am saddened to hear of the passing of my dear friend and producer #JamesMtume. He was so brilliant and an amazing music mind. The work chemistry we had along with your writing partner Reggie Lucas was second to none. I know you two are about to reconnect and make amazing music. I will forever be grateful and I will continue to lift you up through our music. You will be missed.”
Mtume also co-produced Mary J. Blige‘s 1997 album, Share My World, served as a music supervisor for the ’90s TV series New York Undercover, and scored the 1986 film Native Son, starring Oprah Winfrey.
Steve Miller Band, Stone Temple Pilots and The Smashing Pumpkins are part of the lineup for the 2022 BeachLife Festival, taking place May 13-15 in Redondo Beach, California.
Miller and his group will headline the event’s third and final day, while The Smashing Pumpkins will top the bill on day two, May 14. STP also will be performing on May 14, as will Matisyahu, Sugar Ray, Everclear frontman Art Alexakis and Michael Franti & Spearhead.
Weezer and 311 will headline the festival’s first day, which also will boast performances by Black Pumas, Cold War Kids and more.
The May 15 bill also includes Sheryl Crow, UB40 Featuring Ali Campbell, The Allman Betts Band, Ozomatli and others.
Tickets are on sale now. For the full lineup and all ticket info, visit BeachLifeFestival.com.
