Slash has released a new song with his solo band, Myles Kennedy & the Conspirators.
The track, titled “Fill My World,” will appear on the group’s upcoming album, 4, due out February 11, 2022. You can download “Fill My World” now via digital outlets.
4, the fittingly titled fourth Conspirators effort, also features the lead single “The River Is Rising.”
In addition to recording a new Conspirators record, Slash has spent much of 2021 on the road playing live with Guns N’ Roses. The “Welcome to the Jungle” rockers have been touring pretty regularly since reuniting in 2016, which, as Slash tells CNN in a new interview, wasn’t necessarily the original plan.
“Everybody got along great,” Slash says of his GN’R band mates. “That’s actually why the tour has kept going, because initially it was just going to be a couple of shows.”
Former Parks and Recreation and current Master of None star Aziz Ansari is now engaged.
Page Six reports the actor and stand-up comedian broke the news Wednesday night, during a set at New York City’s The Comedy Cellar, and that his fiancée is Danish forensic data scientist Serena Skov Campbell.
“We all went nuts” about hearing the good news, a source who was there told the publication.
Ansari, who also revealed he’s been living in the U.K., reportedly joked that he hoped his kids would be more Indian than Dutch, according to the paper.
Ansari had mentioned Campbell on stage before. Things were apparently already serious between them back in 2019, when he revealed during a set at Radio City Music Hall that he planned to take Campbell to India to meet his grandmother.
(NEW YORK) — As the COVID-19 pandemic has swept the globe, more than 5.2 million people have died from the disease worldwide, including over 785,000 Americans, according to real-time data compiled by Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering.
Just 59.6% of the population in the United States is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Dec 03, 8:22 am
Vaccinated people make up ‘many’ of the omicron cases in US, CDC director says
With several cases of the omicron variant confirmed in the United States, officials have learned that “many” of those infected are vaccinated against COVID-19, according to Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
But many of the patients experiencing mild symptoms from omicron are also vaccinated, Walensky said, indicating that the current COVID-19 vaccines are fending off severe disease.
“We’ve seen omicron in about five states now and we’re continuing to do investigations in other states as probable cases emerge. But what we can say, based on what these cases are showing — some have mild disease, some may have more severe disease, many of them are vaccinated — and what we’re seeing now is that many of the people with mild disease were the vaccinated people,” Walensky told ABC News’ Cecelia Vega in an interview Friday on Good Morning America.
“So we still have a lot of science to do to understand how these vaccines are working against omicron, except to say that we know for every variant that we’ve had it’s better to be vaccinated than unvaccinated,” she added.
Walensky emphasized that, despite the global frenzy around omicron, delta remains the dominant variant in the U.S.
“We have 90,000 new cases of COVID-19 every day and about 99.9% of them continue to be delta,” she said. “So we can’t lose sight of the fact that the vast majority of what we have here in the United States is delta, and we know how to tackle delta with vaccines, with boosters, with masking and all of our prevention measures we have been using all along.”
Walensky acknowledged that there are still many unknowns about omicron, including the severity of disease, transmissibility and vaccine effectiveness.
“I think we really do need to follow the science here and understand how our vaccines are going to work against omicron,” she said. “It may very well be that our vaccines actually work quite well and continue to work quite well against severe disease, and those are the studies that are ongoing.”
Dec 02, 9:08 pm
Hawaii latest state to confirm omicron case
Hawaii became the fifth state to detect the omicron variant, after confirming a case through expedited genomic sequencing Thursday, health officials said.
The individual is an unvaccinated resident of Oahu who had a previous COVID-19 infection, the state health department said. The person is experiencing “moderate symptoms,” the department said.
The resident has no recent travel history, indicating that this is a case of community transmission, health officials said.
Dec 02, 8:44 pm
LA County detects 1st omicron case
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said Thursday evening it has confirmed its first case of the omicron variant.
The county resident had recently traveled to South Africa, returning via London on Nov. 22, and the infection “is most likely travel-related,” the department said.
The person is fully vaccinated and their symptoms are improving without medical care, health officials said. Several close contacts have all tested negative.
This is the second confirmed case of omicron in California, following identification Wednesday in a resident of San Francisco who had recently traveled to South Africa.
Dec 02, 7:38 pm
Preliminary analysis suggests omicron might be more likely to lead to reinfection
A new study from South Africa suggests that the new omicron variant might be more likely to lead to COVID-19 reinfection than prior variants, though more research is needed.
The study, which is not peer-reviewed, found that in November, there was an uptick in the rate of reinfections seen within three months of a primary infection, compared to prior surges driven by the delta and beta variants.
Researchers, who reviewed records of over 2.7 million people in South Africa with COVID-19 infections in 2020 and 2021, assumed many cases in November were caused by omicron, even though the first cases of the variant were not detected there until late November.
The vaccination status of individuals with suspected reinfections was unknown in the study, so it is unclear if they had immunity from prior infection or vaccination.
Dec 02, 6:27 pm
5 omicron cases identified in New York
Five cases of the new COVID-19 variant omicron have been detected in New York state, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced in a press conference Thursday evening.
Hochul emphasized that battling the delta variant is more of a challenge right now, adding that all five cases have been described as mild.
One case was located in Suffolk County, while three others were in New York City — two in Queens and one in Brooklyn, Hochul said. A fifth suspected case has also been detected, the governor said, but did not provide details.
New year, new Billie Eilish. The singer has undergone another transformation, trading in her platinum blonde hair for a shaggy brunette chop.
She teased the makeover on Thursday by taking to her Instagram story to share a selfie of just her eyes and a peek at her new, darker fringe. “Guess what,” she captioned the post, before taking to her profile to share the big update.
Unveiling her dramatic, new look, Billie simply captioned the post, “Miss me?”
Fellow Grammy-nominee Olivia Rodrigo approved of the new ‘do and raved in the comment section, “omg.”
This is the second time in a year the “bad guy” singer underwent a radical transformation. In March, she ditched her signature black and green hair she sported for two years and showed off her platinum bob. At the time, Billie revealed it took her six weeks to get the color right and wore a wig until her hair was ready.
This new look comes as Billie announces a new partnership with Gucci, which will release a limited-edition vinyl version of her Grammy-nominated album, Happier Than Ever. “The vinyl is made from recycled vinyl scraps from all the colors of the original pressing of the record and each piece is completely unique!!” Billie raved when announcing the new venture on Thursday, adding, “[T]he set is available starting today at the following boutiques!!!”
The shiny-looking record, which is now being sold worldwide, also treats fans to some nail stickers bearing the Gucci brand.
Elton John and his pal U.K. pop star Ed Sheeran are making sure fans ring in the holidays with a little extra cheer with their new single, “Merry Christmas.”
The song, which they co-wrote and released on Friday, sees the two powerhouse British singers explaining why it’s important to enjoy the season with those you love.
Sheeran begins the festive song by encouraging listeners to appreciate the season’s wonders by singing, “So kiss me under the mistletoe/ Pour out the wine, let’s toast and pray for December snow/ I know there’s been pain this year, but it’s time to let it go/ Next year, you never know.”
Sir Elton adds, “We’ve both known love, but this love we got is the bеst of all/ I wish you could see it through my eyes, then you would know.”
If that wasn’t enough to help bring some joy back to the holidays after another stressful year, Ed and Elton also released the official and ultra-campy music video for “Merry Christmas.” The two are decked out in several of their best holiday outfits, from sequined tuxedos to very short Santa-like robes, as they rotate through various Christmas-like scenes.
“Merry Christmas” is available to stream and purchase now across all platforms. Proceeds from the single will benefit the Elton John AIDS Foundation and the Ed Sheeran Suffolk Music Foundation.
The track also appears on the “Christmas Edition” of Sheeran’s latest studio album, = (Equals).
While the story of Annie is a classic one, NBC’s Annie Live!was able to add their own pizazz and create some very memorable moments on Thursday.
The beloved story about an orphan who is adopted by a billionaire saw newcomer Celina Smith bring the titular role to life, and you can bet your bottom dollar fans were blown away by her performance.
“Celina Smith as Annie is giving ACTINGGG she full on dropped tears live on tv she is a star and she is the moment,” one viewer raved on Twitter.
Likewise, Taraiji P. Henson‘s Miss Hannigan received lots of praise, with one fan writing, “Taraji p Henson is killing this live annie role the vocals on point.”
In addition to nailing the casting, NBC’s live version also paid tribute to late Broadway legend Ann Reinking, who portrayed Grace Farrell in the 1982 film, by including the epic dance number “We Got Annie” that had previously been omitted from stage versions of the show. Taking things up a notch, Nicole Scherzinger as Farrell, belted out the jazzy hit with a dance number complete with upside-down singing and a somersault.
The show also included its familiar songs “It’s The Hard Knock Life,” “Easy Street,” and, of course, “Tomorrow.”
While fans were overall impressed with the production, there was one aspect that couldn’t be ignored — the bald head that Harry Connick Jr. donned as Daddy Warbucks.
“His bald head is unsettling, but his performance is absolutely crazy good,” one social media user noted.
Annie Live! also starred Tituss Burgess as Rooster Hannigan and Megan Hilty as Lily St. Regis — a.k.a. Annie’s fake parents.
If you missed Annie Live! or simply can’t get enough, it’s available for streaming now on Hulu, Peacock, and NBC.com.
(NEW YORK) — A Columbia University graduate student has been stabbed to death near the Ivy League school’s New York City campus.
The student, 30-year-old Davide Giri, suffered a stab wound to his abdomen just before 11 p.m. Thursday near West 123 St. and Amsterdam Ave., at the north end of Morningside Park, according to the New York Police Department.
A second victim, a 27-year-old man, suffered a stab wound to his torso. He was found nearby, at the northwest corner of Central Park, and hospitalized in stable condition, police said.
While canvassing the area, a 25-year-old man fitting the suspect’s description was taken into custody in Central Park, police said. The 25-year-old “was observed menacing” a third victim, a 29-year-old man, with a knife, police said.
The 29-year-old wasn’t hurt and the knife was recovered, police said.
Columbia said Giri was a student at the School of Engineering and Applied Science.
“This news is both unspeakably sad and deeply shocking, as it took place only steps from our campus. The University is working closely with NYPD to learn more details of the attack,” university president Lee Bollinger said in a statement. “On behalf of the entire Columbia community, I send my deepest condolences to Davide’s family.”
The scene of his death is near where Barnard College student Tessa Majors was stabbed to death in Morningside Park in December 2019, allegedly by three teenagers who were later arrested.
Former The Daily Show host Jon Stewart has joined Jennifer Aniston, Gabrielle Union, Kathryn Hahn and Allison Tolman in the cast for the Facts of Life segment of NBC’s third Live in Front of a Studio Audience special, set to air December 7.
Stewart will be playing a “surprise role” in the show, per ABC. The Facts of Life re-enactment will be paired with a staging of its parent show, Diff’rent Strokes. That episode will feature Kevin Hart, John Lithgow and Damon Wayans. The Handmaid’s Tale star Ann Dowd will appear in both episodes as Mrs. Garrett, the role played by Charlotte Rae on both shows.
For Stewart, who currently hosts and executive produces The Problem with Jon Stewart on Apple TV, it will be taking on his first on-camera acting role that’s not a version of himself since 2002’s Death to Smoochy.
(NEW YORK) — As the COVID-19 pandemic has swept the globe, more than 5.2 million people have died from the disease worldwide, including over 785,000 Americans, according to real-time data compiled by Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering.
Just 59.4% of the population in the United States is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Dec 02, 9:08 pm
Hawaii latest state to confirm omicron case
Hawaii became the fifth state to detect the omicron variant, after confirming a case through expedited genomic sequencing Thursday, health officials said.
The individual is an unvaccinated resident of Oahu who had a previous COVID-19 infection, the state health department said. The person is experiencing “moderate symptoms,” the department said.
The resident has no recent travel history, indicating that this is a case of community transmission, health officials said.
Dec 02, 8:44 pm
LA County detects 1st omicron case
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said Thursday evening it has confirmed its first case of the omicron variant.
The county resident had recently traveled to South Africa, returning via London on Nov. 22, and the infection “is most likely travel-related,” the department said.
The person is fully vaccinated and their symptoms are improving without medical care, health officials said. Several close contacts have all tested negative.
This is the second confirmed case of omicron in California, following identification Wednesday in a resident of San Francisco who had recently traveled to South Africa.
Dec 02, 7:38 pm
Preliminary analysis suggests omicron might be more likely to lead to reinfection
A new study from South Africa suggests that the new omicron variant might be more likely to lead to COVID-19 reinfection than prior variants, though more research is needed.
The study, which is not peer-reviewed, found that in November, there was an uptick in the rate of reinfections seen within three months of a primary infection, compared to prior surges driven by the delta and beta variants.
Researchers, who reviewed records of over 2.7 million people in South Africa with COVID-19 infections in 2020 and 2021, assumed many cases in November were caused by omicron, even though the first cases of the variant were not detected there until late November.
The vaccination status of individuals with suspected reinfections was unknown in the study, so it is unclear if they had immunity from prior infection or vaccination.
Dec 02, 6:27 pm
5 omicron cases identified in New York
Five cases of the new COVID-19 variant omicron have been detected in New York state, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced in a press conference Thursday evening.
Hochul emphasized that battling the delta variant is more of a challenge right now, adding that all five cases have been described as mild.
One case was located in Suffolk County, while three others were in New York City — two in Queens and one in Brooklyn, Hochul said. A fifth suspected case has also been detected, the governor said, but did not provide details.
