(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Monday’s sports events:
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
AMERICAN LEAGUE
NY Yankees 2, LA Angels 1
Tampa Bay 9, Baltimore 2
Kansas City 7, Houston 6
Chi White Sox 5, Oakland 2
Minnesota 5, Cleveland 4
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Atlanta 12, Miami 2
Cincinnati 14, Chi Cubs 5
Colorado 6, San Diego 5
LA Dodgers 2, Pittsburgh 1
San Francisco 7, NY Mets 5
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(SAVANNAH, Ga.) — Martin and Trina Daniel, married for over 20 years, both died of COVID-19 within hours of each other, leaving behind two teenage children facing an unimaginable loss.
The Daniels met at Savannah State University in the 1990s before Martin Daniel headed to Tuskegee University in Alabama for graduate school, their nephew, Cornelius Daniel, told ABC News.
The couple settled in Savannah, Georgia, where they raised two children: Miles, now 18, and Marina, 15.
Trina was a stay-at-home mom who loved supporting her immediate and extended family while Martin worked as a chemist, Cornelius Daniel said.
“He loved being a chemist,” he said. “One of the reasons I went to Tuskegee was because he went there.”
The Daniels’ niece, Quintella Daniel, added that she went to Savannah State because of her uncle.
“He was just a very motivational person,” she said.
When the COVID-19 pandemic erupted, Quinella, a nurse, headed to New York City, the first U.S. epicenter, calling it “a life-changing experience.”
“You may have a lot of people, 10 or 20 people, waiting for one to die to get on a ventilator,” she said. “I thank God every day that about 35 tests I took there … I never had COVID.”
Martin, 53, Trina, 49, and their teenagers — all unvaccinated — contracted COVID-19 in June, the family said.
Cornelius Daniel said his aunt and uncle were hesitant to get vaccinated in part due to the legacy of the Tuskegee Syphilis Study, which charted syphilis progression in unknowing Black men from the 1930s to the 1970s.
Martin Daniel had “a stubborn attitude toward vaccines in general,” Cornelius said.
“He trusted the vaccines that had been around for awhile,” like for polio, but felt the COVID-19 vaccines were developed too quickly, Cornelius said. (The quick COVID-19 vaccine development was possible because of decades of prior scientific studies demonstrating safety, as well as an unprecedented multibillion-dollar commitment by the federal government to accelerate research.)
The Daniels eventually came around to the idea and were scheduled to get the vaccine in mid-July — the week after they died, their nephew said. The Daniels’ symptoms hit at the end of June and quickly “spiraled out of control” around July 4.
Martin Daniel died at home on July 6. Trina was hospitalized and died that night, the family said.
“We were already taken aback by his passing, but to have to endure the passing of her … was traumatizing,” Cornelius said.
Miles and Marina, battling COVID-19 while their parents died, went to the hospital on July 7 for treatment. They were released hours later, Cornelius said, but had to quarantine for two weeks while dealing with the loss of both parents.
After a painful month, both teens are “doing well” and “adjusting to the new normal,” Cornelius said.
The family dropped off Miles at college this weekend and Marina is beginning her sophomore year of high school.
Miles and Marina now plan to get vaccinated, Cornelius said, adding that he hopes others who haven’t yet gotten the shot will follow the teens’ lead.
“The only bullets we have right now in our gun are the vaccines,” Cornelius said. “So I would prefer a vaccine over a ventilator every day. Too many families have already experienced the pain that we’re feeling.”
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
(NEW YORK) — The United States is facing a COVID-19 surge this summer as the more contagious delta variant spreads.
More than 622,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 and over 4.3 million people have died from the disease worldwide, according to real-time data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.
Just 59.3% of Americans ages 12 and up are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Here’s how the news is developing Tuesday. All times Eastern:
Aug 17, 4:56 am
US reports over 200,000 new cases in a day for 3rd time this month
There were 209,988 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in the United States on Monday, according to a real-time count kept by Johns Hopkins University.
It’s the third time this month that the U.S. has reported more than 200,000 newly confirmed infections in a single day.
Meanwhile, Johns Hopkins data shows an additional 683 fatalities from the disease were registered nationwide on Monday, down from this month’s peak of 1,889 new deaths on Aug. 13.
A total of 36,888,978 people in the U.S. have been diagnosed with COVID-19 since the pandemic began, and at least 622,321 have died, according to Johns Hopkins data. The cases include people from all 50 U.S. states, Washington, D.C., and other U.S. territories as well as repatriated citizens.
Aug 17, 4:38 am
Bangladesh extends COVID-19 vaccines to Rohingya refugees
Bangladesh has launched a COVID-19 vaccination program for Rohingya refugees housed in one of the world’s largest and most densely populated camps in Cox’s Bazar, according to a press release from the World Health Organization.
The campaign, led by the Bangladeshi government with technical support from the WHO and other partners, is initially targeting nearly 48,000 Rohingya refugees who are 55 and older. It’s part of Bangladesh’s national deployment and vaccination plan to ensure equity and fair allocation of vaccines across the country.
“Bangladesh is demonstrating what WHO has been advocating for — equitable access to vaccines,” Dr. Poonam Khetrapal Singh, regional director of the WHO South-East Asia Region, said in a statement Monday. “Inclusion is key to protecting vulnerable populations like the refugees, for safeguarding their health and that of their host communities and societies.”
More than 1 million Rohingya — a stateless ethnic group who predominantly practice Islam — are sheltering in crowded camps in Bangladesh after fleeing persecution in Buddhist-majority Myanmar.
Aug 16, 11:38 pm
Biden admin expected to recommend boosters for all Americans
The Biden administration could soon be urging Americans to get a booster shot eight months after completing their original vaccination, a source familiar with the discussions told ABC News Monday.
Federal health officials and experts are currently coalescing around the idea that all Americans should receive a booster, the source said. Those booster shots could be rolled out as soon as mid to late September — pending Food and Drug Administration authorization.
The announcement, first reported by The New York Times and The Washington Post, could come as soon as this week.
The new timeline for the booster shots in a significant shift for the administration, which previously had been non-comital on when boosters for the majority of Americans would be needed.
Aug 16, 10:20 pm
El Paso sues state of Texas over ban on mask mandates
The city of El Paso has filed a lawsuit challenging Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s ban on mask mandates in the state to allow for local protective measures to be ordered in the county.
Starting Wednesday at 12:01 a.m., a local health authority order will mandate that all individuals over the age of 2 wear some form of face covering while in public indoor spaces.
The parents of children under the age of 10 will be responsible for appropriately masking their children while outside their home, city officials said.
The order comes after El Paso City-County Health Authority Dr. Hector Ocaranza recommended masks at all indoor facilities in the county.
A face covering is not required on those who are eating or drinking or anyone who has trouble breathing, has a medical condition or disability that prevents wearing a face covering.
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
Now that Brett Young and his wife Taylor are parents to both their toddler, Presley, and their youngest daughter Rowan, who was born in July, it’s safe to say the two have their hands full. But Brett admits he’s perfected a dad superpower or two he hopes makes things a little easier.
“I think what I’ve realized is like the best “dad-ing” is to be able to identify mom’s needs without her having to tell you,” he explains. “Because [the mothers are] gonna take the brunt of it, especially at this age, like the baby needs mom all the time.”
“And so trying to figure out where you can insert yourself,” he continues, “and help without getting to the point where she’s like, ‘Ahh, help me!'”
“So I think at the beginning it was like taking out the trash,” Brett says, “or doing the dishes or things that I would normally do, but just making sure they were never — like there wasn’t ever a dish in the sink. The trash never got half full or things like that.”
With Presley about to turn two in October, Brett has had some time to perfect his technique.
“I think I’ve been able to watch Taylor be a mom long enough to know what she needs before she needs it,” he reflects. “And so I think that the skill set that I’ve kind of honed in on the most in the last year-and-a-half is being able to read Taylor and make sure she has what she needs from me before she has to ask me for it.”
Brett’s new children’s book, Love You, Little Lady, inspired by being a parent, comes out August 24.
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If you catch Beartooth on their current tour in support of their new album, Below, then you’ll finally be listening to it in its intended environment.
“Musically, it was truly designed for a live show,” frontman Caleb Shomo tells ABC Audio of Below. “The whole record, front-to-back.”
Shomo started writing the music to what became Below while on tour in early 2020, but the lyrics didn’t come until the world was plunged into the COVID-19 pandemic. The result is an album full of devastatingly dark lyrics set to energetic, driving riffs that explode into giant choruses bursting with emotion. In other words, it’s perfect for the Beartooth live experience.
“I think about what do I love when I go to a live show,” Shomo explains. “I love jumping around and going nuts to riffs, and I love singing until my voice is gone. I just try and curate an environment [where] that’s possible.”
Overall, Beartooth’s goal is for “every single person who buys a ticket gets every dollar’s worth out of that thing.”
“We wanna play more songs than we’ve ever played,” Shomo says. “We wanna play louder, play harder, have a better light show, have better production elements, have more interaction throughout the whole event.”
Beartooth’s tour continues Tuesday night in Sacramento, California.
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
Mari Under the Volcano, a new documentary about the state-of-the-art recording studio that late Beatles producer George Martin built on the Caribbean island of Montserrat, was released today via digital, streaming and video-on-demand platforms.
AIR Studios Montserrat opened in 1979 and was used by some of the world’s biggest music stars until the island was devastated by Hurricane Hugo in 1989. Then, in 1995, a volcanic eruption made most of Montserrat uninhabitable.
The film features new interviews with many artists who recorded at the facility, including The Police‘s three members, Dire Straits‘ Mark Knopfler, Jimmy Buffett and Duran Duran‘s Nick Rhodes.
Police guitarist Andy Summers, whose band recorded 1981’s Ghost in the Machine and 1983’s Synchronicity on Montserrat, tells ABC Audio that he considers Under the Volcano “an ode to…Martin.”
“[H]e had this vision to go and build this place on…this very funky island,” Summers says. “That kind of interested me, how he first went there and fell in love with it.”
Andy also notes that The Police felt like they’d really made it when they got to work on Montserrat, noting that it was “the ultimate rock star dream to go to the Caribbean” to record.
Summers recalls an incident during the Synchronicity sessions where the notoriously contentious band members decided to ask Sir George if he’d produce them to help resolve conflicts they were having.
Summers says he visited Martin at his home across the island, and, over a spot of tea, George told him, “I think you’re gonna sort this out. I don’t think I need to come over there.”
Andy says that after Martin’s “calming” words, the band “went through the rest of the album without a hitch.”
Visit UndertheVolcanoMovie.com for more info about the film.
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
Season two of Freeform’s Motherland: Fort Salem is coming to a close, but not before things get a little crazy. Sheryl Lee Ralph, who reprises her role as President Kelly Wade in the show’s final two episodes, tells ABC Audio that she just couldn’t help but return to the series.
“First of all, I love playing the President of the United States — the 45th president of the Unites States in an alternative world,” she says enthusiastically. “A world where the feminine power is strong and reigning all across the country.”
“How do you say ‘no’ to something like that?” she asks rhetorically. “And, I’m a woman of color! I love it.”
Thanking screenwriter Eliot Laurence for “choosing her for this role,” Ralph adds that the timing of receiving it was interesting because at the time she was “working hard” for now-Vice President Kamala Harris.
Ralph explains that her role as the POTUS in Motherland: Fort Salem continues to intertwine with her real life, even today, as she’s currently running to become the SAG-AFTRA LA Local Vice President.
“So, it’s like ‘wow,’ President Kelly Wade has an incredible impact on my life,” she expresses.
As for what’s next for her character in the show, Ralph reminds fans that General Alder used a puppet spell on President Kelly Wade, before teasing “you never know what happens in a mind meld” and “you never know how things will end up.”
“Sometimes the most powerful person never lets you know what their power is, never — until it bites you in the behind and you have to find out for yourself,” she says. “I have a funny feeling it’s going to get deep and it’s gonna get crazy!” (ABC AUDIO 1-ON-1)
Watch Motherland: Fort Salem Tuesdays on Freeform at 10pm and the next day on Hulu.
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
(KABUL, Afghanistan) — Chaos has enveloped Kabul after Afghanistan’s president fled the country over the weekend and the Taliban seized control of the presidential palace there, all but ending America’s 20-year campaign as it began: under Taliban rule.
As the crisis intensifies, with images from Kabul showing Afghans storming the airport tarmac and climbing onto military planes after the U.S. assumed control of the airport, President Joe Biden cut his time at Camp David short and headed back to the White House to address the nation Monday afternoon.
The Pentagon said that 6,000 U.S. troops would soon be in the country’s capital as the military races to evacuate diplomats and civilians from an increasingly chaotic Kabul. Despite criticism, the Biden administration is sticking by its decision to withdraw troops from the country by Aug. 31, ending America’s longest war.
Here are some key developments. All times Eastern:
Aug 17, 6:39 am
US ambassador to Afghanistan says he has not fled
Ross Wilson, acting U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, said he is still in Kabul despite media reports that he had fled as the country descended into chaos.
Wilson took to Twitter on Tuesday morning to address the “false reports,” saying he remains in Afghanistan’s capital “working hard to help [thousands] of U.S. citizens and vulnerable Afghans.”
“Our commitment to the Afghan people endures,” Wilson tweeted.
Aug 17, 6:23 am
Taliban declares ‘amnesty,’ urges women to join government
The Taliban on Tuesday declared an “amnesty” for all in Afghanistan and encouraged women to join their government.
“The Islamic Emirate doesn’t want women to be victims,” Enamullah Samangani, a member of the Taliban’s cultural commission, said on Afghan state television, using the group’s phrase “Islamic Emirate” to refer to the country of Afghanistan. “They should be in the government structure according to Shariah law.”
“The structure of government is not fully clear,” he added, “but based on experience, there should be a fully Islamic leadership, and all sides should join.”
There are fears that the militants will seek revenge on those who worked for the toppled Afghan government or foreign nations, such as the United States. There are also concerns for the future of girls and women under the Taliban’s government, which stripped them of nearly all their rights when it previously ruled Afghanistan.
Aug 17, 5:41 am
Former Afghan interpreters for US speak out: ‘It’s a nightmare’
Some former Afghan interpreters for the U.S. government are speaking out while they watch in fear from afar as the Taliban seizes control of their country.
Ismail Khan, a former interpreter for American troops in Afghanistan who worked with the U.S. Army as a translator from 2006 to 2012, described the situation as chaotic and dire.
“It’s a nightmare,” Khan told San Francisco ABC station KGO in an interview on Monday. “We never thought it would come to this.”
Khan, who is now the special immigrant visa ambassador for Seattle-based nationwide nonprofit No One Left Behind, said that any Afghans who have worked for or helped the U.S. government are at risk of being killed by the Taliban — and it’s not just interpreters.
“Cooks, cleaners, there are security guards, there are mechanics, there are laundry guys,” he explained. “There are a lot of people that worked with U.S. forces, and not only their lives but their family’s lives are also in danger.”
“People are going to die,” he added. “They (the Taliban) are going door-to-door to slaughter those who raised their hand and wanted to help.”
Khan believes there are more than 60,000 Afghans who need to be evacuated “right now,” but the Biden administration has only approved visas for a few thousand.
“They’re begging for help,” he said. “We should stand up and do something about it. It’s a matter of life and death.”
Another former interpreter, Muhammad, who withheld his last name for fear of retribution, said his wife and five children are still in Kabul. Muhammad worked as an interpreter for the U.S. embassy there until moving to Philadelphia in 2019. He and his family returned to Afghanistan’s capital this summer to visit relatives.
Muhammad went back to the United States last week while his family stayed behind, after receiving assurances from his contacts at the U.S. embassy that his wife and children would be safely evacuated. Now, they can’t get out.
“I cannot live without my family,” Muhammad told Philadelphia ABC station WPVI in an interview on Monday. “They are concerned, they are scared, but they have no option.”
Aug 16, 10:53 pm
Former President Bush calls on America to help Afghan refugees
Former President George W. Bush and former first lady Laura Bush released a statement late Monday night calling on America and its allies to aid the people of Afghanistan as the Taliban has taken over the country.
They said the Biden administration has the authority to help now.
“The Afghans now at the greatest risk are the same ones who have been on the forefront of progress inside their nation. President Biden has promised to evacuate these Afghans, along with American citizens and our allies,” they said in a statement. “The United States government has the legal authority to cut the red tape for refugees during urgent humanitarian crises. And we have the responsibility and the resources to secure safe passage for them now, without bureaucratic delay. Our most stalwart allies, along with private NGOs, are ready to help.”
Despite the sudden collapse of the Afghan government, the Bush’s said they remain hopeful for the country and its people.
“In times like these, it can be hard to remain optimistic. Laura and I will steadfastly remain so. Like our country, Afghanistan is also made up of resilient, vibrant people,” their statement said. “Nearly 65 percent of the population is under twenty-five years old. The choices they will make for opportunity, education, and liberty will also determine Afghanistan’s future.”
Aug 16, 8:11 pm
Details about C-17 flight mobbed by thousands at Kabul airport
In a dramatic video, hundreds of Afghan civilians surrounded a U.S. C-17 military transport aircraft as it taxied on the runway at Kabul’s airport.
A U.S. defense official said these were not special visa applicants, but people who had breached the runway from the civilian side of the airport.
According to the official, the C-17 had landed with cargo and as the landing crew attempted to unload, it was rushed by hundreds of Afghan civilians. The aircrew decided it was not safe to unload and began taxiing to fly away to safety.
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
Researchers from Lehigh and Northwestern Universities say, being in the heat makes people crankier, less cooperative, and less likely to help others.
In one experiment, researchers looked at the behavior of sales people in stores during a summer heatwave. And the data showed that on really hot days, in stores with no air conditioning, sales staff were 59% less likely to ask customers if they needed help, make suggestions, volunteer assistance, or even listen to the customers!
In another experiment, students attended a class in either an air-conditioned room, or one with no AC, on a stiflingly-hot summer day. After the class, students were asked to stay and complete an optional 100-question survey to help underprivileged children. Well, the students in the room with AC answered most of the survey questions. Students in the room with no AC? They only answered 6 questions out of 100 before bailing.
The researchers say, people are less helpful when the weather is uncomfortably hot. And these findings carry over into the workplace. And if companies want the best from their employees, they should keep them cool and comfortable.
What’s the formula for true happiness? That’s what researchers from Deakin University in Australia wanted to know. So, they surveyed more than 60,000 people over 15 years, and found there are three core elements that comprise, what they call, the “golden triangle” of happiness.
First: We need positive relationships. Harvard research found the happiest people tend to have the most quality relationships. And we don’t necessarily need romantic relationships to be happy. Instead, researchers say what matters is that the people around us are positive, empathetic and supportive.
Next, we need financial security for happiness. However, this report says the actual amount we make isn’t what matters… it’s whether or not we feel in CONTROL of our money. For example: If you’re living paycheck-to-paycheck, barely paying the bills, you probably won’t feel happy – even if you make a million dollars! Because stressing about money triggers a survival instinct.
The final happiness element is having a sense of purpose. Psychologist Dr. Patrick Hill says finding a direction for our life creates happiness, no matter how old we are when we discover what gives our life meaning. Having a reason to get out of bed every day also helps lower stress and makes us more resilient.
So, to recap: If you have positive relationships, financial security, and a sense of purpose, congratulations: You’ve found the golden triangle of happiness!