Selena Gomez has two new fans in her Only Murders in the Building co-stars Steve Martin and Martin Short.
Martin, 76, and Short, 71, told InStyle that they were blown away by Selena’s talent in the upcoming Hulu murder mystery series, before remarking that the 29-year-old has been acting for as long as they have.
“I knew her as a singer, but it’s not like I have the radio on constantly. When I looked up her performing work, I realized she’s been around almost as long as I have and she’s done as many movies as I have,” said Martin. “She denies it, but I see her credits. They’re, like, 40 things. That’s what I have.”
Martin also hinted that he learned quite a bit from Selena. “We got to know a person who’s not only a different generation but different multi-generations away from us,” he said.
He explained, “It was a great experience to have her input, to have her awareness. Some of my favorite things in the show are when Marty and I are two, I’ll say, older guys, still kind of living in the vocabulary of the past, and she will correct us on camera!”
The praise didn’t stop there, with Martin calling Selena “extremely professional” before joking, “What you hope for in your acting partner is at least that they’re on time. And she definitely was. Beside her talent, she had that going for her.”
When describing the characters they play in the series, Martin teased, “Marty gets to be flamboyant. I get to be lonely. And Selena gets to be Selena.”
Christina Ricci announced Tuesday that she has a bundle of joy on the way.
This will be the second child for the Addams Family star, who shares seven-year-old son Frederick “Freddie” Heerdegen with her estranged husband, cinematographer James Heerdegen.
Ricci, 41, hinted that Heerdegen may not be the father of her second child when sharing a photo of a recent sonogram. She captioned the snap, “Life keeps getting better” and tagged celebrity hairstylist Mark Hampton.
Hampton shared the announcement on his respective Instagram on Tuesday by posting more sonogram photos and repeating Ricci’s words in the caption.
Several of Ricci’s famous friends sent their well wishes to the happy couple, including Ruby Rose, WandaVision star Kat Dennings and singer Lana Del Rey.
This announcement brings new meaning to the birthday wishes Ricci previously sent to Hampton on July 14, when she wrote, “This next year is going to be the best one yet.”
Ricci filed for divorce from Heerdegen in July 2020, citing irreconcilable differences. They wed in 2013.
(PARIS) — In his first press conference as a player for Paris Saint-Germain, soccer star Lionel Messi says he is hoping to win the UEFA Champions League for a fifth time.
Messi officially signed with PSG on Tuesday, inking a two-year deal with an option to continue with the club for an additional season. Sources told ESPN’s Julien Laurens that he will earn $35-41 million per year.
Messi’s departure from FC Barcelona came as a surprise to many, after he spent his entire professional career with that club. At his Wednesday press conference, Messi called it “very tough” to leave Barca.
“As soon as I arrived here I was so happy, so motivated, so excited,” Messi said. “My goal and my dream is to win the Champions League once more. I think that we have the team to do it here.”
Messi will join PSG stars Neymar and Mbappe, something he expressed great pleasure about.
“I am very happy. It’s crazy. I’m going to play with the best players in the world, and that’s always good.”
Messi had voiced his desire to remain with Barcelona, but the club failed to register his five-year contract due to what they cited as financial complications. The deal Messi had agreed to would have put Barcelona well above the rules La Liga holds on how much money a club can spend on players compared to their revenue.
Messi scored 672 goals in 778 matches for Barcelona, winning La Liga 10 times, the Copa dey Rey seven times, and the Champions League four times. He won his first major international competition this summer, helping his native Argentina to the Copa America title.
(INDIANAPOLIS) — After reaching the playoffs in two of the last three seasons, the Indianapolis Colts have signed head coach Frank Reich and general manager Chris Ballard to contract extensions through 2026.
The deals have been in the works throughout the summer, with Ballard’s deal completed in June and Reich’s finalized last week.
In a statement, Colts owner Jim Irsay praised the pair, calling them “as great a general manager-head coach combination as there is in the NFL.” Irsay also insisted he believes the team is “on the doorstep of great things.”
Irsay has previously spoken publicly about wanting to win multiple Super Bowls. The team has won just one title since 1970.
Ballard and Reich have taken a more patient approach, building the current Colts roster largely through the draft. Key players like offensive lineman Quenton Nelson, linebacker Darius Leonard, and running back Jonathan Taylor have all been added through the draft.
The team has, however, had constant issues at the quarterback position, losing Andrew Luck first to injury, and then to a surprise retirement. The organization acquired Carson Wentz from the Philadelphia Eagles this offseason, but Wentz will miss five to 12 weeks following surgery on his foot.
(TIJUANA, Mexico) — A California man has been arrested in connection with the deaths of his two young children in Mexico, authorities said.
The man, identified by Mexican authorities as Matthew Taylor, 40, of Santa Barbara, California, checked into a hotel near Tijuana, Mexico with the two children on Saturday, Baja California prosecutor Hiram Sánchez Zamora’s office said in a statement Tuesday.
On Monday at 2:54 a.m. local time, Taylor allegedly left the hotel with his children — a 3-year-old girl and a 1-year-old boy — and returned at 6:33 a.m. that day without them, authorities said. He left the hotel about three hours later, according to Zamora’s office, which shared security footage that allegedly shows Taylor checking into the hotel with the children and then leaving without them.
Mexican authorities responded to a 911 call around 7:30 a.m. Monday reporting the discovery of the children’s bodies near a ranch about 18 miles from the hotel, authorities said. The girl had been found stabbed 12 times in the chest and the boy stabbed 17 times, authorities said. A wooden stake believed to be the alleged murder weapon was found at the site.
U.S. authorities arrested Taylor when he attempted to cross the border via the San Ysidro bridge, according to Zamora.
Taylor, who authorities said owns a surf school in Santa Barbara, is currently in federal custody amid the ongoing investigation, according to the FBI. It is unclear if he has an attorney.
Santa Barbara police had received a missing persons report for a man and his two children who were “believed to have crossed the southern border into Mexico,” the FBI said in a statement to ABC News Tuesday. “A joint investigation is underway among the Santa Barbara Police Department, the FBI in Los Angeles and San Diego, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Mexican authorities.”
The children’s mother had reported the three missing after approximately 24 hours, according to the Santa Barbara Police Department.
“The mother was concerned for the wellbeing of her husband and their two children,” the department said in a statement Tuesday.
The American consulate is also assisting relatives in identifying and claiming the bodies of the two children, Zamora said.
(NEW YORK) — As Tropical Storm Fred takes aim on the Florida Keys, a heat wave is gripping 33 states.
Heat wave
A heat wave is spreading to the Northeast as well as parts of the Midwest, South and Pacific Northwest.
By Thursday, the heat index — what the temperature feels like — could climb to 103 degrees in Boston, 105 in New York City and 109 in Philadelphia.
Excessive heat warnings have been issued in New York City and Philadelphia. Boston has declared a heat emergency Wednesday through Friday.
“When it is this dangerously hot during the day and the temperatures do not drop at night, your body doesn’t have time to recover,” Boston Mayor Kim Janey said. “I am urging everyone to drink lots of water and find ways to stay cool. Anyone who needs a place to beat the heat can come inside and rest in the air conditioning at one of our cooling centers.”
The dangerously high temperatures are also reaching cities including Chicago, Memphis, Dallas, Portland and Sacramento.
Tropical Storm Fred
Tropical Storm Fred formed overnight near Puerto Rico, where gusty winds and heavy rain are hitting through the morning.
A tropical storm warning is in effect for the Dominican Republic, where Fred is expected to reach Wednesday afternoon.
A tropical storm watch was issued for the southern Bahamas for Thursday and Thursday night.
By Friday night into Saturday morning, Fred is expected to move over the Florida Keys with heavy rain and gusty winds.
It’s possible Fred could strengthen as it heads into the Gulf of Mexico Saturday night into Sunday, though the forecast could change in the next few days.
Sophia Bush is engaged to her boyfriend Grant Hughes!
The One Tree Hill alum revealed the exciting news on Tuesday, sharing a stunning photo of couple together on a boat in Lake Como, Italy, with Hughes down on one knee as she stands.
“So it turns out that being your favorite person’s favorite person is the actual best feeling on planet Earth,” Bush, 39, captioned the Instagram post, adding #YES.
Bush followed up with two more Instagram posts: One of the pair cuddled up on the vessel, with the caption “Fovever Favorite,” and another of them driving the boat.
Hughes also took to Instagram to make the joyous announcement, choosing to display a snapshot of the newly engaged couple smooching.
“She is my forever Favorite. This is my favorite,” he penned. “And our life is that we’re building because she said “Yes” is already my favorite. I am SO EXCITED to do life with you, my love.”
Bush and Grant first sparked romance rumors when they were spotted holding hands in Malibu in May 2020. However, they were friends for eight years before they pursued a romantic relationship with each other amid the pandemic.
In a post from January, Grant, who’s a Los Angeles-based entrepreneur, expressed, “[Sophia] was in my life as a friend for 8 years and the pandemic forced us to slow down and stay in one place long enough to realize what I’d been looking for all along was closer than I could have known.”
Prior to Hughes, Bush was married to her One Tree Hill co-star Chad Michael Murray for five months in 2005.
Lil Nas X says he already knows where he’ll take his music after dropping his debut studio album, Montero.
Taking to Twitter recently, the “Industry Baby” rapper remained tight-lipped about when fans can expect to hold a physical copy of his debut effort in their hands, but did admit he’s already mapped out his next music era.
“After i drop the album i will be finish[ed] with my gay era and returning to my cowboy era,” the 22-year-old teased.
The “cowboy era” that Nas referenced is most likely a nod to his RIAA-certified 14x Platinum hit “Old Town Road” with Billy Ray Cyrus, which became the longest-running number one in the history of the Billboard Hot 100 chart. He released two subsequent tracks, “Panini” and “Rodeo,” that are also considered part of his “cowboy era.”
However, fans were quick to point out this could be the rapper’s way of trolling those who say his new music is not up to par with his older work.
The declaration comes as Nas hit a new milestone in his music career. His new single, “Industry Baby,” officially surpassed over 100 million streams on Spotify. In addition, he replaced DaBaby as the streaming service’s most listened-to male rapper. Nas boasts 52 million monthly listeners, while DaBaby, who previously dethroned Drake, has 51 million.
(NEW YORK) — The United States is facing a COVID-19 surge this summer as the more contagious delta variant spreads.
More than 617,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 and over 4.3 million people have died worldwide, according to real-time data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.
Just 58.7% 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 Wednesday. All times Eastern:
Aug 11, 8:31 am
TSA sees its lowest checkpoint numbers in nearly 2 months
As COVID-19 surges, the Transportation Security Administration screened 1,727,075 travelers across the U.S. on Tuesday — the lowest number since June 15.
Aug 11, 3:25 am
Texas county will sue over state’s mask mandate ban
The largest county in Texas is set to file a lawsuit challenging the governor’s mask mandate ban.
The commissioner’s court of Harris County, which encompasses the city of Houston, had the county attorney file a lawsuit challenging Gov. Greg Abbott’s executive order that prohibits local governments in the state from requiring masks, ABC’s Houston station KTRK reported.
“First responders and school leaders are speaking out and standing up as Delta ravages our community. We have their back,” Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo wrote on Twitter. “Protecting the community during an emergency is a duty, not an option for government leaders.”
“It’s the job of local officials to protect our students, our vulnerable, our neighbors,” said Harris County Attorney Christian D. Menefee. “But [Abbott] has banned us from doing so during a pandemic. Tonight Commissioners Court authorized my office to take legal action against the governor’s overreach. Enough is enough.”
Aug 10, 8:51 pm
Hawaii reinstates capacity restrictions amid COVID-19 spike
Hawaii Gov. David Ige announced new capacity restrictions on businesses and limits on social gatherings Tuesday amid a spike in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.
Effective immediately, bars, restaurants and gyms are limited to 50% capacity. Additionally, social gatherings are limited to 25 people outdoors and 10 people indoors.
COVID-19 case counts doubled every seven to 10 days in July, and there have been record daily highs of over 600 cases in recent days, Ige said. Hospitalizations have also increased from 48 a month ago to 219 currently.
“We need to take action, and we need to take action now,” Ige said during a press briefing.
Aug 10, 7:43 pm
CDC advisory panel to discuss vaccine boosters on Friday
A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory panel is expected to meet later this week to discuss the possibility of COVID-19 vaccine booster shots for people who are severely immunocompromised.
The meeting of the CDC’s ACIP panel — scheduled for Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. — will be closely watched as the nation awaits a decision by federal regulators on whether to authorize a booster shot for certain vulnerable groups.
If the Food and Drug Administration greenlights boosters, the ACIP panel would have to make its own recommendation on who should get the shot and what factors they might want to consider. Those recommendations are typically adopted by the CDC as nationwide public health guidance.
During a meeting last month, ACIP members agreed an extra shot probably does help protect immunocompromised people but that more research was needed*.*
Aug 10, 5:08 pm
At least 1 million people got unauthorized third booster shot
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that more than 1 million people who have received the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine have gone back for an unauthorized third booster shot.
Florida is among the states reporting the highest number of people opting for a booster shot, followed by Ohio, California, Illinois and Tennessee.
The estimated 1.1 million, included in an internal CDC briefing document reviewed by ABC News, likely is an undercount because although it counts Moderna and Pfizer shot recipients it ignores people who may have received the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine and got another shot.
It’s also unclear whether people who received a third shot did so under the direction of a doctor. The Food and Drug Administration hasn’t authorized a third shot to boost immunity, although there are reports of some physicians encouraging severely immunocompromised patients to do so.
Boosters for the immunocompromised may be recommended by the FDA within weeks.
Aug 10, 3:23 pm
Hospitalizations among vaccinated on the rise
The proportion of hospitalized COVID-19 cases among vaccinated people has risen sharply since spring, coinciding with the sudden rise of the delta variant, according to the CDC’s internal briefing slides reviewed by ABC News.
The finding doesn’t mean the vaccines aren’t working. People are still considerably less likely to wind up in the hospital or die if they are vaccinated, health officials have said.
The reality of more breakthrough cases also could be tied to the larger number of Americans getting vaccinated. While breakthrough cases remain relatively uncommon, the more people in the U.S. who are vaccinated increases the chances for breakthrough cases to be counted.
According to the CDC, vaccinated individuals who end up hospitalized tend to be elderly, medically vulnerable or live in long-term care facilities. They also are more likely to be asymptomatic and are hospitalized for reasons other than COVID-19.
On July 17, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky estimated that 97% of hospitalizations were occurring among people who weren’t immunized.
Aug 10, 2:17 pm
Fauci says he supports vaccine mandates for teachers
Dr. Anthony Fauci supports a mask mandate for teachers, he told MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” Tuesday.
“We are in a critical situation here. We’ve had 600,000+ deaths and we are in a major surge now as we’re going into the fall,” Fauci said. “I know people must like to have their individual freedom and not be told to do something, but I think we’re in such a serious situation now that, under certain circumstances, mandates should be done.”
Fauci said it’s only a matter of time until the FDA approves the vaccine and people shouldn’t use that as a reason to delay getting the shot.
“There’s no doubt that these vaccines are going to get fully approved,” he said. “You should consider this as good as fully approved and get vaccinated.”
(WASHINGTON) — The Internal Revenue Service is warning taxpayers of ongoing scams related to the child tax credit — with some landing directly in Americans’ email or smartphone.
“Right now we’re seeing scammers trying to take advantage of the American public by attempting to gain information — using phone calls, emails, text messages, through social media — all attempting to target families eligible for this credit,” Jim Lee, chief of the IRS Criminal Investigation Division told ABC News.
The IRS said families who qualify for the child tax credit, which was expanded as part of President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan, would receive monthly payments without taking any further action. Initial eligibility was based on 2019 or 2020 tax returns.
“For tax year 2021, the child tax credit is increased from $2,000 per qualifying child to: $3,600 for children ages 5 and under at the end of 2021; and $3,000 for children ages 6 through 17 at the end of 2021,” according to the IRS.
But several scam e-mails and text messages obtained by ABC News, show what appear to be official documents.
“Economic Impact Payments Status Available Jul 26,” one scam e-mail reads and appears to be written on official letterhead.
Lee said that they are seeing scammers send “thousands of text messages and e-mails every day, hoping that they’ll get people to respond and fall prey to their scam.”
“Once you click on that link, you know, it usually directs you to a fake IRS website where then you’re prompted to enter all of your personal information to claim this child tax credit. And just like that, scammers have all your information,” he said.
In another example, a scam text message purports to be from the secretary of the treasury and asks the recipient to complete an “eligibility form.”
Lee said the IRS never sends emails or text messages requesting them to fill out a form with personal information on it.
In addition to e-mails and text messages, Lee said they are also seeing scammers call people directly and in some cases threaten them with arrest if they don’t pay up.
“The IRS doesn’t leave prerecorded or urgent threatening messages or make aggressive phone calls warning to individuals about a lawsuit or arrests. These are fake. The IRS is not going to ask you for payment using a gift card or wire transfer or painting via a cryptocurrency. It’s another sign of a scheme. And the IRS is not going to call taxpayers asking them to provide or verify financial information so they can obtain the monthly child tax credit payments,” he explained.
For anyone who thinks they may have received a scam message or is a victim, Lee said to visit the IRS.gov website for more information.
