(LONDON) — One child died and eight others were injured after a bouncy castle overturned near the Spanish port city of Valencia on Tuesday evening, authorities said.
The accident occurred at a fairground in the town of Mislata, just west of Valencia. Several children became trapped inside a bouncy castle as a gust of wind lifted the inflatable structure into the air, local officials told ABC News.
Two children — an 8-year-old girl and a 4-year-old girl — suffered serious injuries after they were ejected from the overturned castle, local officials said.
Both were rushed to La Fe University and Polytechnic Hospital in Valencia. The 8-year-old girl died about 12 hours after she was admitted, a hospital spokesperson told ABC News. The 4-year-old girl remains hospitalized, the spokesperson said. Her condition was unclear.
An investigation into the fatal incident is ongoing, but preliminary evidence did not indicate foul play, according to local officials.
The tragedy in Spain comes less than a month after a similar accident left five children dead in Australia.
(NEW YORK) — Almost 80 million people across the United States are on alert this week for heavy snow, brutally cold temperatures, gusty winds and icy conditions.
As of Wednesday morning, the National Weather Service has issued various advisories, alerts, watches and warnings for 32 states — from Oregon to New York — related to two winter storm systems.
The first is currently in the Upper Midwest region, bringing snow and wind across the Northern Plains and Great Lakes. The second is in the Pacific Northwest and Northern Rocky Mountains, bringing rain and wind to the West Coast and heavy snow to the nearby mountain ranges, from the Cascades to the Rockies. This storm could reach the East Coast by Friday morning, bringing more snow to the areas along Interstate 95, one of the busiest travel corridors in the country.
On Wednesday, the first storm will continue to sweep the Great Lakes region, with the heaviest snowfall in parts of Wisconsin, Michigan and western New York. A frigid arctic blast with wind chill temperatures well below zero degrees Fahrenheit will move in behind it, according to the latest forecast. As the cold front swings through the East, temperatures will be mild enough to keep most precipitation in the form of rain showers across the Northeastern states.
However, drizzles of freezing rain are possible Wednesday morning from eastern Virginia to Connecticut before likely changing to rain showers by mid-morning due to warmer temperatures. This could create icy road conditions for morning commuters.
Meanwhile, the second storm will continue to move from West to East across the Rockies, with heavy snow in the mountains and gusty winds hitting Wyoming and Colorado. The system may redevelop in the Southern central states on Thursday, according to the latest forecast. Both long-term storm models, European and American, are predicting snow across the Northeast region on Thursday night into Friday morning.
Hundreds of people were stranded in a massive traffic jam across a 48-mile stretch of I-95 in Virginia, following a multi-vehicle accident that occurred Monday afternoon amid a heavy snowstorm. Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine told ABC News it took him almost 27 hours to drive from his Richmond home to the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C. I-95 in Virginia reopened Tuesday night at about 9 p.m. local time, after being closed for emergency response for most of the day.
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(NEW YORK) — As the COVID-19 pandemic has swept the globe, more than 5.4 million people have died from the disease worldwide, including over 827,000 Americans, according to real-time data compiled by Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering.
About 62% 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.
Jan 05, 6:55 am
Michigan governor isolating after husband’s positive test
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer was isolating after her husband, Dr. Marc Mallory, tested positive for COVID-19, her office said in a statement.
Whitmer’s office said the governor tested negative on Tuesday using a rapid test. She was awaiting the results of a PCR test.
“Thankfully, the entire family is fully vaccinated and boosted, so the governor has not tested positive and is not experiencing symptoms,” Whitmer’s office said in a statement. “Until the PCR test comes back, the governor is isolating in a separate area of the house and has taken steps to complete contact tracing to keep others safe.”
Jan 05, 2:43 am
Chicago cancels classes after teachers vote for remote learning
Chicago Public Schools canceled its Wednesday classes after the Chicago Teachers Union voted against in-person learning amid a wave of COVID-19 cases.
All classes, both in-person and virtual, and all after-school activities have been cancelled.
“I understand your frustration and deeply regret this interruption to your child’s learning,” said Pedro Martinez, chief executive of the schools. “We want out children back in their classrooms as soon as possible and will continue working with the CTU to reach an agreement that addressed their concerns and that is in the best interest of all in our CPS community, especially our children.”
About 88% of the union’s leadership and 73% of members voted on Tuesday to return to remote education, the union said in a statement.
“To the parents and guardians of this city, we want you to know that when you put your children in our care we put their well-being and safety first,” the union said in a statement. “We fight for your children like they are our own, because they are. As this pandemic continues, we will do everything in our power to ensure that our classrooms are the safest and healthiest places for your children to learn, thrive and grow.”
Teachers were being locked out of their Google Classrooms, the union said on Twitter.
Jan 05, 1:49 am
Mayo Clinic lays off 1% of staff for vaccine noncompliance
Mayo Clinic said it will lay off about 1% of its staff for failing to get at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine by a company deadline.
“While Mayo Clinic is saddened to lose valuable employees, we need to take all steps necessary to keep our patients, workforce, visitors and communities safe. If individuals released from employment choose to get vaccinated at a later date, the opportunity exists for them to apply and return to Mayo Clinic for future job openings,” Mayo Clinic said in a statement to ABC.
Last October, Mayo Clinic had set a Jan. 3 deadline for all employees to get at least their first vaccine dose or face dismissal.
The health care organization said the number of staffers being let go was “comparable to what other health care organizations have experienced in implementing similar vaccine requirement programs.”
Mayo Clinic employs about 73,000 people, according to its website.
Jan 04, 7:53 pm
FDA: Do not swab your throat with at-home COVID-19 tests
The FDA is warning people not to swab their throats as part of an at-home COVID-19 test.
In a statement obtained by ABC News, the FDA said that is not how the tests were designed and it could pose a safety concern.
“The FDA advises that COVID-19 tests should be used as authorized, including following their instructions for use regarding obtaining the sample for testing,” the statement said.
Social media posts promoting at-home COVID-19 rapid test swabbing techniques claim that throat swabs collect a better sample. However, this hasn’t been proven for currently authorized tests.
Jason Derulo got into a bit of a tussle in Las Vegas, attacking two men after one cursed him out and referred to him as “Usher,” as seen in video footage.
The incident went down early Tuesday morning and video obtained by TMZ shows the “Savage Love” singer walking through Aria Resort & Casino when a man off camera is heard shouting, “Hey Usher! F*** you b****!” Derulo then flew over to the man and began throwing punches as bodyguards and several others are seen trying to break up the scuffle.
It is unclear whether the victim genuinely mistook Derulo for Usher, who currently has a Las Vegas residency, or if it was just a dig at Derulo.
Las Vegas police tell ABC News, “The altercation started when the suspect, identified as Jason Derulo, committed a battery against two individuals. The victims did not want to press charges against Derulo, who was trespassed from the property.”
Since the victims did not press charges, no police report was taken and Derulo was not cited or arrested.
In 2021, the band released their album Human, but front man Ryan Tedder tells ABC Audio, “I mean, we have a whole subsequent album coming, we’re dropping a new single in January.”
“We have another big collaboration coming up,” he continues. He adds that the band also has the lead single from the soundtrack of what he says is “a huge summer film” that was supposed to come out last year, but will finally hit theaters this year.
As for a timetable, Ryan says, “Our goal is to have album six out by June, early June. That’s the goal. We have the songs to do it and really…push the envelope of the sound for us, as far as we can do it.”
OneRepublic also has a European tour booked for the spring, but whether or not that goes forward depends on COVID-19, of course. And all that doesn’t even count any of the songs that Ryan is likely to write and produce for other artists this year.
Lainey Wilson and Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan are part of a mutual admiration society, so much so that Taylor has used Lainey’s music on the hit TV show multiple times, which Lainey calls a “blessing.”
It all started when Taylor discovered Lainey’s music when her self-titled EP was released in 2018 and he incorporated one of the tracks into the Paramount series. Soon after, Taylor invited the country star to Las Vegas, where he was hosting a horse-reining competition, and the two hit it off.
“I went out there and met him and we really bonded over horses, because I grew up riding too, and developed this friendship,” she explains. “He has been a huge champion. I’m a fan of his…he’s a fan of mine, and it’s introduced my music to a crowd of people that might not listen to radio or might not know how to download music. It’s been such a blessing.”
After her song “Small Town, Girl” was featured in the season-three finale in 2020, Lainey surprised fans on the season-four finale that aired Sunday night when she was featured performing a trio of songs: “Workin’ Overtime,” “Rolling Stone” and her #1 hit “Things a Man Oughta Know.”
“You dream about your music being played on the radio and people singing it back to you, but you don’t ever think about your songs making it into one of the coolest, most bada** shows that’s out there right now,” Lainey professes. “It has been so cool.”
“Things a Man Oughta Know” became the Louisiana native’s first #1 song in 2021. Meanwhile, her duet with Cole Swindell “Never Say Never” is currently climbing the charts, inching toward the top 20 on the Billboard Country Airplay tally.
Megan Thee Stallion will headline Afro Nation Puerto Rico in March, described as the “world’s biggest Afrobeats festival.”
The “Hot Girl Summer” rapper will be joined by more than 20 acts, including Nigerian Grammy winner Wizkid, at the three-day event taking place March 24-26, 2022, in Balneario de Carolina, Puerto Rico. Another Nigerian artist, Tems, who is featured on Drake‘s Certified Lover Boy album, will also perform. She is a featured artist on Wizkid’s song “Essence,” which is nominated for a Grammy for Best Global Music Performance.
Megan is also headlining Afro Nation Portugal, which is scheduled for July and is billed as the world’s number one beach festival. Wizkid, as well as Burna Boy and Beenie Man, will perform at the three-day festival, which will be held July 1-3 at The Algarve in Portimao, Portugal.
Megan Thee Stallion enjoyed an incredible year in 2021, and posted a recap video on New Year’s Eve. She fulfilled her late mother’s dream on December 11 by graduating with a bachelor’s degree in health administration from Texas Southern University. The next day, Megan received the 18th Congressional District Humanitarian Award.
In December, the Houston MC also announced a new production deal with Netflix. The previous month, she was honored as one of Glamour‘s Women of the Year. Meg also won American Music Awards for Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Album for her debut album, Good News; Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Artist; and Favorite Trending Song for her hit “Body.”
In addition, Megan is nominated for two Grammy Awards: Best Rap Performance for “Thot Sh**,” and Album of the Year for Lil Nas X‘s Montero, thanks to her contributions as songwriter on “Dolla Sign Slime.”
GAYLE is starting the New Year off right: Thanks to her hit “abcdefu,” the teen singer from Texas is appearing on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon Wednesday evening. Of course, the version of “abcdefu” you hear on the radio is the censored version, swapping “forget you” for “eff you.” But GAYLE isn’t sure it fully conveys the breakup anthem’s emotion.
“I don’t know if it’s as angry,” GAYLE says of the censored — or “nicer” — version. It’s one of several versions of the song, including an “angrier” version and a “chill” version.
“I like to think that it can maybe spark people’s interest enough to at least, like, try and hear the original,” she notes. “The goal with that song was for, hopefully, the censored version to hit as hard. I don’t know if ‘forget you’ is as, like, angry.”
GAYLE’s anger was was sparked by a real-life event: Her breakup with a boyfriend who, she says, inspired several of the other songs she’s released.
“I have a song called ‘Orange Peel’— it’s about him. ‘Happy for You‘ — it’s about him and it’s…like, ‘You’re the best thing ever and I’m the complete worst,’ basically,” she explains to ABC Audio. “So it definitely shows the evolution of emotion. Like…’I love you so much. Oh my God, I’m the worst. I’m the problem…Wait a minute. Eff you!’“
But Gayle, just named Billboard‘s Chartbreaker for January, realizes that just because one of her songs is getting popular doesn’t automatically mean she’s now a huge pop star.
“‘abc…’ is…just one song,” she notes. “And so, my goal is to just keep telling my story and keep doing what I do, and hopefully people don’t hate it and we’re just going to kinda go from there and see what happens.”
The longtime Van Halen frontman’s statement, which EW.com received via his manager, reads, “Sometimes you win…Sometimes you lose…We got rained out…Covid cancelled…Future shows? When the benefit concerts for Colorado, Farm Aid, and hospital workers ‘everywhere’ come up; Call me.”
Accompanying the note was a photo of a road case that features multiple images the singer wearing a red top hat and holding a microphone, along with the message, “To be continued…”
As previously reported, Roth had announced in an October 2021 interview with the Las Vegas Review-Journal that he planned to retire after his Vegas shows. David scheduled nine concerts at the House of Blues, on New Year’s Eve and January 1, 5, 7, 8, 14, 15, 21 and 22, all of which were canceled in recent days.
Another celebrity has unfortunately tested positive for COVID-19, this time it was Lupita Nyong’o.
Taking to Twitter on Tuesday the Oscar winner announced, “I too have tested positive for COVID-19. I’m fully vaccinated and taking care in isolation, so I trust I will be well.”
“Please do all you can to keep yourself and others protected from serious illness. #StayMaskedAndVaxxed,” she concluded.
Lupita’s diagnosis and consequent isolation forced her to drop out of virtual interviews for her upcoming film The 355, where she was set to join co-stars Jessica Chastain, Penelope Cruz,Diane Kruger, Fan Bingbing, Sebasitan Stan and director Simon Kinber to promote the spy film.
The 355 hits theaters this Friday.
I too have tested positive for COVID-19. I’m fully vaccinated and taking care in isolation, so I trust I will be well. Please do all you can to keep yourself and others protected from serious illness. #StayMaskedAndVaxxed
