It looks like Jennifer Hudson is ready to take the Verzuz stage in a battle with another Grammy-winning vocalist.
“I live for Verzuz,” says Hudson during a recent interview captured by The Shade Room on Instagram. When asked if she would go hit for hit with Fantasia Barrino, Hudson replies, “That’s a dope idea.”
“I got some Verzuz ideas too that I want to see as well,” she continues. That’s a beautiful idea maybe one day we can make that happen, maybe one day. I want to see somebody like Smokey Robinsonvs. Stevie Wonder.”
Hudson said she loves old-school music, adding, “That’s why I’m sitting here.”
Fans sounded off in the post’s comments, declaring whether Jennifer Hudson or Fantasia would win a friendly Verzuz battle.
“She don’t want no smoke with Fantasia,” said one fan, while others suggested Hudson go against JazmineSullivan. Still others made it point to mention that Jennifer Hudson and Fantasia previously competed against each other on the third season of American Idol in 2004. Both made it to the final 12, though Fantasia was chosen as the season winner.
“American Idol vs American Idol. I’m with it,” wrote one fan in the comments, while another said, “OMG I’d tear up lol. They both got so much love, passion and soul in their music.”
Verzuz co-founder Swizz Beatz also caught wind of Hudson’s response, writing, “Let’s go.”
(PHOENIX) — The Justice Department is opening an investigation into the policing practices of the Phoenix Police Department and the city of Phoenix, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced Thursday afternoon.
The investigation will examine whether the Phoenix Police Department uses excessive force, whether it engages in discriminatory policing practices, whether the department violated the First Amendment by retaliating against protesters and whether the department discriminates against people with disabilities.
This is the third pattern or practice investigation the Justice Department has opened during the Biden administration. Earlier this year, the DOJ opened investigations into the Louisville Police Department and Minneapolis Police Department.
“Each time I have noted that these investigations are aimed to promote transparency and accountability,” Garland said. “This increases public trust, which in turn increases public safety.”
Garland noted in his remarks that one important aspect of the investigation will be examining whether the Phoenix Police Department violated the rights of individuals experiencing homelessness by seizing or disposing of their belongings in a manner that violates the Constitution.
“Our society is straining the policing profession by turning to law enforcement to address a wide array of social problems,” Garland said. “Too often we ask law enforcement officers to be the first and last option for addressing uses that should not be handled by our criminal justice system. This makes police officers’ jobs more difficult, increases unnecessary confrontations with law enforcement and hinders public safety.”
The DOJ’s civil rights chief Kristen Clarke said the investigation was opened after a review of court files, media reports and citizen complaints, but she declined to say whether there was any “final straw” that led to Thursday’s formal announcement.
She said local officials in the city were contacted Thursday about the probe and the mayor and chief of police “pledged their full support.”
Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego tweeted out a statement Thursday, saying police reform has been a priority since she took office and she welcomes the review.
“The reccomendations that will result from this review will assist in our ongoing efforts to become an even safer, stronger, more equitable city,” it said.
With a hard-hitting teaser that plays like a commercial for the All Valley Karate Tournament, Netflix has announced that its Emmy-nominated Cobra Kai series will return for its fourth season in December.
“Grab your gi. Tie your belt,” a narrator intones. “The soul of The Valley is on the line.”
The trailer features quick cuts of Karate Kid-turned-Cobra Kai stars Ralph Macchio, William Zabka and Martin Kove, who plays merciless sensei John Kreese, as well as the show’s younger cast members, including Xolo Maridueña, Mary Mouser and Tanner Buchanan.
According to Netflix, “Season 4 finds the Miyagi-Do and Eagle Fang dojos joining forces to take down Cobra Kai at the All Valley Under 18 Karate Tournament…What tricks does Kreese have up his sleeve? Can Daniel and Johnny bury their decades-long hatchet to defeat Kreese? Or will Cobra Kai become the face of karate in the valley?”
Gloria Estefan sings a new song written by Lin-Manuel Miranda in the new Netflix animated film Vivo, which starts streaming on Friday. You can watch a video of the sequence where Gloria’s character performs the song, called “Inside Your Heart,” on YouTube now.
Vivo stars Miranda as the voice of Vivo, a kinkajou who entertains people on the street by playing music with his owner, Andrés. Andrés’ former musical partner, a now-famous Cuban singer named Marta Sandoval, played by Gloria, invites him to her farewell concert. However, it eventually falls to Vivo to deliver to Marta a song that Andrés wrote for her many years ago.
Miranda wrote all the songs for the film, and Gloria tells Variety it was hearing the sad romantic ballad “Inside Your Heart” that convinced her to accept a role in Vivo.
“It was a moment when I was so incredibly busy, I thought it was going to be impossible,” she says. “But he sent me the demo of him singing it, and it tore my heart apart.”
She adds of Vivo, “It’s a story after my own heart because I’m Cuban American, and that story of love, loss and separation is near and dear to my heart.”
(SAN FRANCISCO) — Amazon has pushed back the date for tech and corporate employees to return to office to 2022, as COVID-19 cases fueled by the highly transmissible delta variant continue to rise.
The company, which previously planned for employees to return the week of Sept. 7, has postponed reopening its doors to workers until at least Jan. 3, the company confirmed to ABC News.
The tech giant said it will continue to follow local government guidance in planning to reopen work spaces.
It’s not clear whether Amazon will require employees to be vaccinated to return to the office, but the company did tell ABC News it will require employees to wear masks in the office unless they can verify they’re fully vaccinated.
The move comes as other large companies, including several tech rivals, have made similar announcements on delaying return to in-person work and mandating staffers get vaccinated.
Microsoft announced earlier this week that return-to-office plans would be delayed to October, and employees will be required to be fully vaccinated to enter U.S. offices and work sites, The Associated Press reported.
Google, Facebook, Uber and a number of hospitals have announced similar requirements.
Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images
(NEW YORK) — The first woman to publicly accuse New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo of sexual harassment plans to sue him for allegedly retaliating against her after she came forward.
Lindsey Boylan, who formerly worked as an aide to the governor, spoke out in December in a series of tweets claiming Cuomo “sexually harassed me for years.”
“Our plan is to sue the governor and his and his coconspirators,” Boylan’s attorney, Jill Basinger, told ABC News’ “Good Morning America,” citing the retaliatory actions outlined in the New York attorney general’s scathing report published Tuesday.
The report substantiated sexual harassment claims of 11 women and found that he contributed to a hostile work environment. The report also found that Cuomo’s office retaliated against Boylan after she came forward.
Cuomo has denied the allegations raised by Boylan and all other accusations of sexual harassment and misconduct.
Basinger said the next step for her and Boylan is to file a lawsuit.
“There is no question that Lindsey was harassed, that she was subjected to a hostile work environment and that she was assaulted. But most problematically, she was retaliated against, not just by the governor, but by his inner circle, both inside the government and out,” Basinger said. “There was an entire conspiracy to diminish her and to hurt her credibility, and we find that to be the most offensive part of all this.”
When asked if she’s confident the suit will succeed, Basinger said she was.
“The attorney general and the investigators, after looking at all the facts, after doing an exhaustive examination, found with no ifs, ands or buts that Lindsey was 100% retaliated against,” Basinger said.
The report concluded that Cuomo allegedly violated federal and state law in retaliating against Boylan, and he and some senior staff in his office “actively engaged in an effort to discredit her.”
The report said that the executive chamber, along with a group of outside advisers, “engaged in a series of retaliatory actions” that included disseminating confidential and privileged files relating to complaints made against Boylan to the press, and drafting a proposed op-ed “that contained personal and professional attacks” on Boylan that was shared with current and former executive chamber employees. That draft was never published.
“The Governor and some of his senior staff questioned at the time (and continue to question) Ms. Boylan’s motivations, claiming that she made her allegations of sexual harassment for political reasons, i.e., to bolster her political campaign, or generally to be vindictive or retaliatory herself. But retaliation is unlawful regardless of whether the employer believes the complainant is acting with a good faith belief that she was harassed,” the report said.
Cuomo’s lawyer, Rita Glavin, denied Boylan’s sexual harassment allegations in a response released after Tuesday’s report. The response did not touch on the Cuomo’s alleged retaliation efforts.
“I want you to know directly from me that I never touched anyone inappropriately or made inappropriate sexual advances,” Cuomo said in a video statement following the report’s release Tuesday. “That’s not who I am.”
At the moment, the governor is facing investigations by multiple district attorney offices across New York that are looking into alleged incidents outlined in the report that possibly took place in those jurisdictions and could possibly lead to criminal charges. Experts have said the most serious accusations, if proven, could lead to misdemeanor charges.
At the same time, the New York State Assembly’s impeachment investigation into Cuomo is ongoing, and may ramp up soon.
The Assembly’s Judiciary Committee said Thursday the committee’s investigation “is nearing completion” and the Assembly “will soon consider potential articles of impeachment.” The Judiciary Committee requested the governor produce evidence or written submissions for consideration in the probe, due Aug. 13.
The Judiciary Committee is scheduled to meet in Albany on Monday at 9:30 a.m. to discuss the impeachment probe.
ABC News’ Aaron Katersky contributed to this report.
Weren’t in Los Angeles to catch Justin Bieber headline The Freedom Experience concert event last month? Well, you’re in luck. The whole show will be broadcast on YouTube for a limited time.
The concert, presented by 1DayLA, will be available to stream for free on the Love Has No Limits YouTube channel starting on Sunday, August 8, at 5:30 p.m. PT.
The show, which took place on July 24, also featured performances by Chance the Rapper, Jaden Smith, Tori Kelly, Kari Jobe and Chandler Moore, live from L.A.’s SoFi Stadium.
It capped off a week-long 1DayLA initiative that mobilized volunteers and helped organize city-beautification projects, back-to-school events, free medical clinics and homeless assistance, and aid distribution in communities throughout L.A.
(SAN FRANCISCO) — Wildfires in the West have spread so rapidly amid continuing dry, gusty conditions that a Northern California town has been destroyed.
Firefighters had made progress on containing the Dixie Fire, the largest in California, which has been burning near Feather River Canyon for weeks. But after the fire jumped containment lines earlier this week, it exploded, consuming an additional 48,000 acres on Wednesday alone.
The blaze destroyed homes and businesses in the downtown neighborhood of Greenville, about 150 miles northeast of Sacramento, as it ripped through the region.
Dramatic images show multiple structures engulfed in flames. The historic area of Greenville has been destroyed, leaving nothing but rubble behind, according to photographers who examined the ruins.
It is unclear how many structures have been destroyed.
Almost 100 wildfires are currently burning in the West, with the majority stretching from Northern California to western Montana, and there’s potential for more to spark as existing ones spread.
Much of the West is under critical fire danger alerts, with warnings issued for nine states from California to Colorado due to dry lightning threats and gusty winds that could reach up to 40 mph. Red flag warnings remain in effect through Thursday evening for dry and windy conditions.
The Dixie Fire has now scorched through more than 322,000 acres — more than 428 square miles — since it sparked on July 13 and is 35% contained.
The River Fire near Colfax, California, which prompted evacuations for several thousand residents, had burned through 2,400 acres by and is 0% contained.
Up to 40 structures have been destroyed by the River Fire.
Evacuations also have been ordered for the Monument Fire in Big Bar, California, and McFarland Fire in Wildwood, California. Both fires were spreading on Thursday.
Temperatures in Northern California, where the fires are burning, are expected to get hotter on Thursday, with Redding forecast to approach 100 degrees over the next few days.
Thermal, California, about 130 miles east of Los Angeles, reached 122 degrees on Wednesday, making it the hottest August temperature ever recorded in the region.
Record highs also were reported in Palm Springs (122 degrees) and Kingman, Arizona (107 degrees).
Excessive heat warnings are continuing for Nevada, California and Arizona, where temperatures are expected to reach 115 degrees on Thursday.
ABC News’ Marilyn Heck, Melissa Griffin, Max Golembo and Jenna Harrison contributed to this report.
(NEW YORK) — The United States is facing a COVID-19 surge this summer as the more contagious delta variant spreads.
More than 614,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 and over 4.2 million people have died worldwide, according to real-time data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.
Just 58.2% of Americans ages 12 and up are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The CDC last week, citing new science on the transmissibility of the delta variant, changed its mask guidance to now recommend everyone in areas with substantial or high levels of transmission — vaccinated or not — wear a face covering in public, indoor settings.
Here’s how the news is developing Wednesday. All times Eastern:
Aug 05, 2:03 pm
Amazon pushes return to office to January 2022
Amazon said it’s pushing its return to office date from September 2021 to Jan. 3, 2022.
For those already in the office, masks are required if not fully vaccinated, Amazon said.
-ABC News’ Zunaira Zaki
Aug 05, 1:55 pm
Education secretary tells Florida, Texas govs.: ‘Politics doesn’t have a role in this’
Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said he’s ready to work with states like Texas and Florida when it comes to reopening schools safely, telling Governors Greg Abbott and Ron DeSantis, who have banned mask mandates in schools, that “politics doesn’t have a role in this.”
“Don’t be the reason why schools are interrupted,” Cardona said at Thursday’s White House press briefing. “Our kids have suffered enough.”
Cardona said “educators know what to do” and that it’s “critically important” that he has direct conversations with governors and state leaders.
“We want to be an ally and make sure that we’re supporting our students,” he said.
-ABC News’ Justin Gomez
Aug 05, 11:35 am
US records highest number of daily vaccinations since July 3
The U.S. has seen 864,000 vaccinations in the last 24 hours, the highest daily number since July 3, White House coronavirus response coordinator Jeff Zients said Thursday.
Among those 864,000 vaccinations were 585,000 first shots — the highest since July 1.
Zients said “Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, Alabama, Oklahoma and Mississippi are now vaccinating people at a pace not seen since April.”
Tennessee has seen a 90% increase in first shots over the past two weeks and Georgia has recorded a 66% increase in first shots in the last two weeks.
However, seven states — Florida, Texas, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi – which have some of the lowest vaccination rates, “account for about half of new cases and hospitalizations in the past week, despite making up less than a quarter of the U.S. population,” Zients said.
-ABC News’ Cheyenne Haslett
Aug 05, 11:23 am
Yelp will show if businesses have vaccine requirements
Yelp now has a feature that will allow businesses to list if they have vaccine requirements.
The feature was mentioned at the White House’s COVID-19 briefing Thursday.
-ABC News’ Cheyenne Haslett
Aug 05, 10:06 am
Arkansas governor reverses course on masks in schools
In Arkansas, one of the states hit hardest by the delta variant, Gov. Asa Hutchinson has reversed course, lifting a previously signed ban on mask mandates.
Hutchinson told “Good Morning America” Thursday that masks are not needed in schools if students are vaccinated but he’s “particularly concerned” about kids under 12 who are too young to get the shot.
In those cases, he said, schools should have the option to enforce masks.
The governor added that he’s pushing vaccine efforts with high school students and “making sure the faculty is vaccinated.”
Aug 05, 8:45 am
Moderna vaccine 93% effective against symptomatic disease after 6 months
Moderna says its vaccine is 93% effective against symptomatic illness after six months (though this data collection ended before delta emerged in the U.S.).
Moderna said its booster candidates also demonstrate robust antibody responses to variants of concern, including delta.
Moderna President Dr. Stephen Hoge told “Good Morning America” Thursday that the Moderna vaccine offers protection from delta right after receiving it, but it’s not known yet if that’ll hold up through the winter. He called winter “the biggest test of that vaccine which is why we need to be vigilant and careful.”
Hoge said he thinks booster shots will be needed and that the company is “preparing options,” but he added that that’ll be for public health officials, not the company, to decide.
He also noted that Moderna’s goal is to be vaccinating kids under 12 by the end of the year. Moderna isn’t authorized for kids ages 12 to 17 yet, but Hoge hopes authorization could come “any day.”
Aug 05, 8:28 am
US ‘may sooner or later get another variant’ if spread not controlled: Fauci
Without control over the community spread of the delta variant, the virus has “ample opportunity to mutate,” so “you may sooner or later get another variant,” Dr. Anthony Fauci told “Good Morning America.”
Fauci warned that it’s possible a new “variant might be in some respects worse than the already very difficult variant we’re dealing with now, which is a major reason why you want to completely suppress the circulation of the virus in the community.”
There are still about 93 million eligible Americans who have not gotten vaccinated.
Fauci added, “People who say, ‘I don’t want to get vaccinated because it’s me and I’ll worry about me, I’m not having any impact on anybody else,’ that’s just not the case.”
-ABC News’ Cheyenne Haslett
Aug 05, 4:33 am
Tokyo sees 5,042 positive cases — a new record
There are 5,042 new positive COVID-19 cases in Tokyo as of Thursday, according to the city’s coronavirus information website.
Of those cases, 135 are severe and one has resulted in death.
It’s a new record for Tokyo and a 178% increase since last Thursday, as the highly contagious delta variant spreads rapidly across the globe.
Aug 04, 8:32 pm
Over 15,000 new COVID cases in Texas
Texas reported 15,558 new COVID-19 cases Wednesday, the highest one-day count since Feb. 3, according to state health records.
The state has seen a major jump in cases in the last month, brought on by the delta variant, according to officials.
The seven-day average of new daily cases has increased from about 1,500 on July 2 to nearly 10,000 on Aug. 3, according to state health data.
As of Wednesday, 62.58% of Texas residents 12 and older have received at least one shot, according to the state health department.
Aug 04, 7:32 pm
Hundreds of students, school staff quarantined in Arkansas district
Hundreds of student and staff members from the Marion School District in Arkansas are now quarantined in only the second week of the school year, officials announced.
The state has a ban on school districts imposing a mask mandate.
On Tuesday, the district said 253 students would begin their two-week quarantine due to 15 cases that were reported in the schools. This came after 168 students were already quarantined last week.
“If all students and teachers had been wearing a mask appropriately- then today’s 15 positive cases would be isolated- but there would be no resulting quarantines for anyone else,” the district said in a statement.
Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson told reporters Tuesday he regretted signing the bill that banned masks in schools and urged the state legislature to amend the law to give schools the option.
Aug 04, 7:11 pm
Florida school district says 2 employees dead from virus, pushes mask mandate
A Florida school district that defied Gov. Ron DeSantis’ ban on school mask mandates said Tuesday that two of its employees died from the virus last weekend.
Carlee Simon, the superintendent for the Alachua County Schools, said in a statement that the district “is experiencing this spike first-hand.”
“Over the weekend two of our employees passed away from COVID,” she said in a statement. “We’ve had 18 new cases in the last three days alone. More than 80 employees are now in quarantine, and that number is rising fast.”
The school district, which includes which includes Gainesville, voted Tuesday night to issue a mask mandate for students and staff for the next two weeks. The mandate will be reevaluated on Aug. 17, Simon said.
Aug 04, 6:30 pm
Hawaii issues vaccine mandate for middle, high school athletes
The Hawaii State Department of Education announced that all middle and high school athletes, athletic staff and volunteers will need to be fully vaccinated by Sept. 24 in order to participate in activities.
The rule affects students who are eligible for the vaccines, meaning they must be over 12.
“This decision was not made lightly because we know the important role athletics play in a well-rounded education, but we cannot jeopardize the health and safety of our students and communities,” interim Superintendent Keith Hayashi said in a statement.
The start of the athletic season was delayed to Sept. 24 due to the state’s rising positivity rate, according to the department.
This is the first state to require vaccinations for its student athletes.
-ABC News’ Bonnie McLean
Aug 04, 5:54 pm
Illinois governor issues mask mandate for schools
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker announced Wednesday that all pre-K through 12th grade schools and day cares must follow universal masking indoors regardless of vaccination status.
Pritzker said the state is facing a growing threat from the delta variant and noted that children under 12 aren’t yet eligible for COVID-19 vaccines.
“Far too few school districts have chosen to follow the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention prescription for keeping students and staff safe,” he said at a news conference. “Given the CDC’s strong recommendation, I had hoped that a state mask requirement in schools wouldn’t be necessary, but it is.”
Aug 04, 4:27 pm
Surge pushing hospital staffing to breaking point
The latest delta surge is once again pushing hospital staffing to breaking points across the U.S.
In Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington, some “facilities are experiencing substantial shortages of both clinical and support staff,” according to a Department of Health and Human Services planning document obtained by ABC News Wednesday.
In hard-hit Missouri, many hospitals “don’t have the staff to support a surge without further modification to operational strategies,” the document said.
At a Shreveport, Louisiana, hospital, where the number of COVID-19 patients are multiplying, nurse Melinda Hunt told ABC News, “To be honest, I probably cry most days at work. And I cry at home. I’m tired. I’ve been doing this a year and half. It feels like it’s never going to end.”
Aug 04, 4:08 pm US daily case average jumped 45% in the last week
The U.S. daily case average has climbed to more than 84,000, a 45.3% jump in the last week, according to federal data.
The daily case average is now more than seven times higher than it was six weeks ago.
All but three states are now reporting high (a seven-day new case rate ≥100) or substantial (a seven-day new case rate between 50-99.99) community transmission, according to federal data.
-ABC News’ Arielle Mitropoulos
Aug 04, 3:08 pm
Delta variant now 93% of all sequenced cases in US
The delta variant now accounts for 93% of all sequenced cases in the U.S., according to the latest CDC data, which was collected over the last two weeks of July.
Delta accounted for just 3% of cases sequenced in late May.
Across the Midwest, described as HHS regions 7 and 8, delta made up 97% to 98% of cases. This includes Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming.
-ABC News’ Cheyenne Haslett
Aug 04, 2:55 pm
WHO chief: No booster shots until at least end of September
The World Health Organization is calling for a moratorium on booster shots until more people from low-income countries have received a vaccine.
Low-income countries have only been able to administer 1.5 shots for every 100 people due to lack of supply, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, said Wednesday.
A moratorium on boosters until at least the end of September will “enable at least 10% of the population of every country to be vaccinated,” he said.
But White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in response that the U.S. doesn’t have to choose.
“We feel that it’s a false choice and that we can do both,” Psaki said Wednesday.
The U.S. has ordered enough supply for every American to get vaccinated, plus get a booster shot, according to the White House. The U.S. has already pledged to donate 580 million doses to the international community by 2022.
-ABC News’ Sarah Kolinovsky and Zoe Magee
Aug 04, 2:27 pm
Hospitalizations could more than triple this month
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention forecasts that daily hospitalizations “will likely increase over the next four weeks.”
About 7,000 new COVID-19 patients are hospitalized each day right now. That may soar to 24,000 per day, according to the COVID-19 Forecast Hub at U Mass Amherst.
Aug 04, 2:11 pm
Fully vaccinated people susceptible to ‘long COVID’: Fauci
Dr. Anthony Fauci is warning that fully vaccinated people are also susceptible to “long COVID” if they have a breakthrough infection.
“We already know that people who get breakthrough infections and don’t go on to get advanced disease requiring hospitalization, they too are susceptible to long COVID,” Fauci told McClatchy. “You’re not exempt from long COVID if you get a breakthrough infection.”
As the delta variant surges, Fauci said, “there could be a variant that’s lingering out there that can push aside delta.”
“If another one comes along that has an equally high capability of transmitting but also is much more severe, then we could really be in trouble,” he said.
-ABC News’ Cheyenne Haslett
Aug 04, 1:40 pm
NY auto show canceled
The New York International Automobile Show, set to begin Aug. 20 in New York City, has been canceled due to the spread of the delta variant.
“All signs were positive” when planning began “but today is a different story,” show organizers said.
Aug 04, 1:30 pm
Louisiana hospitalizations reach all-time high
Louisiana now has 2,247 COVID-19 patients in hospitals — a new all-time high for the state.
This surpasses the previous record set Tuesday of 2,112 patients, the state’s Department of Health said.
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards has reinstated a mask mandate for the month of August.
The governor said Wednesday that he won’t mandate vaccinations for state employees until the FDA grants full approval.
He said 37.1% of the Louisiana population is fully vaccinated.
Aug 04, 11:47 am
The Offspring drummer says he’s not playing at upcoming shows because he’s unvaccinated
Pete Parada, the drummer for pop-punk band The Offspring, says he is not playing with the band at upcoming shows because he is unvaccinated.
Parada wrote on Instagram that he’s avoiding the shot on his doctor’s advice, saying he’s had a lifelong battle with the rare neurological disorder Guillain-Barré syndrome and the vaccine’s “risks far outweigh the benefits.”
Because he’s unvaccinated, “it has recently been decided that I am unsafe to be around, in the studio, and on tour,” Parada said.
“I have no negative feelings towards my band,” he continued. “They’re doing what they believe is best for them, while I am doing the same.”
-ABC News’ Evan McMurry
Aug 04, 11:15 am
Florida hospitalizations reach highest point in pandemic
Florida has 12,408 COVID-19 patients in hospitals — the highest number to date of the entire pandemic.
Florida hospitals report that more than 95% of COVID-19 patients are not fully vaccinated, according to state data.
-ABC News’ Arielle Mitropoulos
Aug 04, 10:01 am
WHO chief: No booster shots until at least end of September
The World Health Organization is calling for a moratorium on booster shots until more people from low-income countries have received a vaccine.
Low-income countries have only been able to administer 1.5 shots for every 100 people due to lack of supply, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, said Wednesday.
A moratorium on boosters until at least the end of September will “enable at least 10% of the population of every country to be vaccinated,” he said.
Aug 04, 9:20 am
Alabama hospital sees deadliest day of pandemic
Four COVID-19 patients at Regional Medical Center in Anniston, Alabama — all unvaccinated — died within 24 hours, marking the hospital’s deadliest day of the pandemic, The Anniston Star reported.
As delta surges, patients are now getting sicker faster, a doctor at the hospital told the newspaper.
Only 28% of residents in Calhoun County are fully vaccinated, according to The Anniston Star.
Aug 04, 8:24 am
Obama to ‘significantly scale back’ 60th birthday party
Former President Barack Obama has decided to “significantly scale back” his 60th birthday party on Martha’s Vineyard due to the spread of the delta variant, according to a spokesperson. Hundreds of guests were expected to attend.
“This outdoor event was planned months ago in accordance with all public health guidelines and with covid safeguards in place. Due to the new spread of the delta variant over the past week, the President and Mrs. Obama have decided to significantly scale back the event to include only family and close friends,” spokesperson Hannah Hankins said in a statement.
Obama’s office did not give a new estimate of how many guests will attend.
(BARCELONA) — Soccer star Lionel Messi will not be staying at FC Barcelona, the club announced Tuesday.
“Despite FC Barcelona and Lionel Messi having reached an agreement and the clear intention of both parties to sign a new contract today, this cannot happen because of financial and structural obstacles (Spanish Liga regulations),” the club said in a statement.
Messi’s contract ended after the season and has been a free agent since.
“FC Barcelona wholeheartedly expresses its gratitude to the player for his contribution to the aggrandisement of the club and wishes him all the very best for the future in his personal and professional life,” the club said.
The Argentine national has spent his entire 17 year career with Barcelona winning ten La Liga titles, 4 Champion’s league titles, and scored 474 goals in 464 appearance’s.
