Cardi B rapped “I was born to flex…big fat checks” in her 2018 hit “Money.” Now, the Diamond-certified star is literally putting her money where her mouth is: She presented her husband Offset with a $2 million check for his 30th birthday.
Cardi posted an Instagram Story of the Migos rapper joyfully holding an enormous check replica at his birthday party Tuesday night in Los Angeles. She commented, “Happy birthday!!! He literally got it all.” Offset’s birthday was December 14, but they waited a week to celebrate.
On Offset’s birthday, Cardi posted a photo of them snuggling and commented, “I love you so much and I’m so proud of you. We have overcome so much together. I love the man that you’re becoming and I love the father that you are. Thank you for always being there for me, for being a great confidant and advisor and for never allowing me to sell myself short.”
“I’m so lucky to have you as a partner raising our beautiful kids. You have soo many projects and businesses that you are managing and leading yet you have helped me so much in this journey wit our two babies,” the “Up” rapper continued. “May life keep blessing you and you continue to thrive. I’m so excited for the world to see what you got coming.”
In October, Offset purchased a sprawling mansion in the Caribbean as an investment-slash-gift for Cardi’s 29th birthday. The couple, who secretly married in 2017, have two children: Kulture, 3 and a 16-week-old baby son.
As Ed Sheeran looks ahead to family life, he says massive, worldwide tours are not part of his picture for much longer.
Speaking to the Teach Me a Lesson podcast recently, the “Shivers” singer explained, “I would hate to get to 20 years’ time and have a relationship with my kids that had suffered because I’d chosen work over them.” Ed said he fears missing birthdays or important family moments because he has to “play another stadium.”
Because of those concerns, the Grammy winner admitted, “I honestly think that this next tour that I’m going on, at the end of the tour, I can’t see myself going on one of them like that again.”
As for what his modified touring schedule would look like in the future, Ed mused over two options: “Six weeks in summer or six weeks in the winter.” He did stress that six weeks was the most he’d be willing to spend apart from his family.
“I want to put as much time into my kids as possible,” the British singer maintained, adding that it’s his firm belief that “life is about passing things on to the next generation.”
The “Bad Habits” singer kicks off hisMathematics Tour in April 2022 and will play for 27 dates across England and Europe before wrapping in September.
Ed is married to Cherry Seaborn and the two share a one-year-old daughter, Lyra. The singer previously revealed he would love to have more kids, but has yet to reveal when he’ll be welcoming a fourth member to his growing family.
Ed also gave fans a special Christmas present on Thursday by releasing a special a capella version of his 2020 hit, “Afterglow,” in which he sings in a church alongside eight backup singers.
Eric Church performs “Joy to the World” at In Performance at the White House: Spirit of the Season, (photographer Cable Risdon)
In Performance at the White House: Spirit of the Season aired on PBS Tuesday night, with artists of all genres coming together for powerful, classic renditions of favorite holiday songs.
Eric Church was among them, joining the lineup alongside his trusty back-up vocalist/singing partner Joanna Cotten for their version of “Joy to the World.” Accompanied by sparse instrumentation and Eric’s own guitarwork, the country superstar traded verses with Joanna throughout the performance.
They performed from the White House’s Green Room. The PBS special aired from various historic rooms in the building, with artists performing from the State Dining Room, the East Room and the Blue Room — the latter of which is the location of the Official White House Christmas Tree.
In case you missed it last night, you can stream In Performance at the White House: Spirit of the Season on PBS’ website.
(NEW YORK) — A month after the omicron variant was first identified, it has become the dominant strain in the United States, responsible for about three-quarters of new COVID infections.
As of Wednesday, cases have been identified in 49 states and Washington, D.C. South Dakota has not reported any omicron infections yet.
While there is still much to learn about omicron, more research is being done every day furthering health officials’ understanding of this highly transmissible variant.
Spreads more easily than any other variant
A growing body of evidence suggests the omicron variant may spread more easily than any other variant identified during the pandemic.
Health officials, such as Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky, say early data shows omicron doubles in prevalence every two to three days.
This is much faster than the delta variant which, at its peak, had a doubling time of about seven days.
“This is an incredibly fast-moving variant,” Dr. John Brownstein, an epidemiologist at Boston Children’s Hospital and an ABC News contributor, said. “We only identified it on Thanksgiving and it’s already the dominant variant in the U.S. The level of certainty we have in the U.S. that it is more transmissible than any variant before is high.”
Omicron partially impacts vaccines, but a booster helps
Omicron seems to evade — at least partially — protection offered by COVID-19 vaccines more easily than previous variants, but it’s unclear by how much. However, studies have been showing boosters help restore much of that lost protection
Preliminary data from Pfizer-BioNTech showed that people who received two doses of their vaccine had low levels of neutralizing antibodies against the variant.
Those who received their booster shot, however, saw their levels of antibodies increase 25-fold compared to pre-boost levels.
Additionally, early data from Moderna released on Monday showed its 50-microgram booster increases antibody levels 37-fold.
Two-dose vaccines still dramatically reduce the risk of severe illness and death, health officials say.
”It’s still an open question about what relative protection you get,” Brownstein said. “It appears vaccines still provide incredible protection around severe illness and death, especially if boosted.”
Additionally, it does not appear that previous COVID infection protects against reinfection from omicron the same way that it did against the delta variant.
A recent study from Imperial College London, which has not yet been peer-reviewed, suggests that the risk of infection with omicron is five times higher than with delta.
Monoclonal antibodies are less effective, but not pills
Treatments also appear to have been affected by the emergence of omicron.According to a readout of this week’s private call between U.S. governors and the White House, which was obtained by ABC News, two of three monoclonal antibody therapies used to treat COVID are less effective against the new variant.
The antibody treatments made by Regeneron and Eli Lilly are not as effective while the third option, made by Vir Biotechnology and GlaxoSmithKline, may be effective but in short supply.
Dr. Anthony Fauci stated that pills produced by Merck and Pfizer do not appear to be impacted by omicron, according to the readout.
Too early to tell if omicron causes severe illness
Health officials still do not know if omicron causes mild or severe illness.
Studies that have been published have offered conflicting findings. A study from South Africa found that the risk of hospitalization for adults was 30% lower compared to the delta-fueled surge during the fall.
But the study from ICL found that omicron did not show any signs of being milder than delta.
In a recent statement, the World Health Organization said it’s too early to say whether omicron causes more mild or severe illness.
So far, only one death from the omicron variant has been identified: An unvaccinated Texas man in his 50s who had previously been infected with the virus. It’s important to remember that not every COVID-related death is reported to health authorities.
Until we learn more about omicron, Brownstein said the best way to protect ourselves is to follow mitigation measures that are known to work, including vaccination and mask-wearing.
“The No. 1 thing that people can do is make sure they’re vaccinated and boosted. That is still our absolute No. 1 line of defense,” he said. “Use rapid tests as a way to identify if you may be contagious and wear a high-quality mask in indoor settings, especially if you’re around people with unknown vaccination status.”
ABC News’ Sasha Pezenik contributed to this report.
Tom Morello is helping add a bit more rage to Olivia Rodrigo‘s sound.
The Rage Against the Machine guitarist has posted a video on his Instagram showing him shredding an original solo over Rodrigo’s song “good 4 u.” Is there a wah-wah pedal involved? You’d better believe it!
Morello captioned the video “Freestyle jamming to the hits pt. 1,” suggesting we may be getting more Pop Against the Machine solos in the future.
“good 4 u” is one of several hits off Rodrigo’s 2021 smash album SOUR. The track credits Hayley Williams as a co-writer due to its similarity to Paramore‘s “Misery Business.”
In related Morello news, the guitar icon recently auctioned off the axe he played alongside grandson on The Tonight Show last month to raise money in support of Kellog’s workers on strike. The funds were used to provide hot meals to those on holding the picket line in cold weather.
Trey Songz is reportedly being sued for sexual assault, and his accuser is demanding $20 million.
Jahuara Jeffries is suing the “Can’t Be Friends” singer, birth name Tremaine Aldon Neverson, claiming that he assaulted her on January 1, 2018 at the E11EVEN nightclub in Miami, according to The Jasmine Brand.
They attended an earlier party hosted by Diddy, then she claims that Songz invited here and her friends to the club.
The lawsuit reads: “While Plaintiff was dancing on the couch, she noticed Defendant Songz standing on the floor next to her. She then felt fingers being inserted into her vagina, turned around, and saw Defendant Songz pulling his hand away from her bottom.”
“[The plaintiff] suffered negligent infliction of emotional distress and resulting pain and suffering, disability,” the document continued.
As previously reported, Songz is being investigated for a separate alleged incident in Las Vegas. Las Vegas Metro Police say that on November 28, they “received a report of a sexual assault incident alleged to have occurred at a hotel in the 3700 block of South Las Vegas Boulevard” involving the 37-year-old singer.
Rafael Henrique/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
(NEW YORK) — An at-home treatment for COVID-19 that can prevent serious illness was authorized by the Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday, offering a note of optimism for the future of the pandemic as the world faces the omicron variant.
When taken early, Pfizer’s pill was 89% effective at reducing the risk of severe illness and death from COVID-19, according to the company, and was effective against omicron.
Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla estimated that 1,200 deaths and 6,000 hospitalizations would be prevented for every 100,000 COVID-19 patients who take the pills.
The FDA said the pill, Paxlovid, was authorized for the treatment of mild-to-moderate coronavirus disease in anyone 12 years and older who weighs at least about 88 pounds. Patients must test positive and be at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death.
Paxlovid will be available by prescription only and should be started as soon as possible, ideally within five days of symptom onset, the FDA said.
“This authorization provides a new tool to combat COVID-19 at a crucial time in the pandemic as new variants emerge and promises to make antiviral treatment more accessible to patients who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19,” Dr. Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said in a press release.
The treatment course requires taking several pills, twice per day, for five days.
The government has ordered 10 million pills of Pfizer’s Paxlovid and another treatment pill, Merck’s Molnupiravir, which has yet to be authorized.
The order will come in as it’s produced, with some doses available upon FDA authorization, White House COVID coordinator Jeff Zients told governors on a call Tuesday.
The federal government has already contracted with Pfizer to purchase the pills at $530 a course, or $5.3 billion.
There is not expected to be any direct cost to patients.
The pills offer hope, particularly as the omicron variant spreads rapidly across the U.S.
Vaccination and booster shots are the best defense against omicron, offering up to 80% protection by some estimates, and unvaccinated Americans will be hit hardest by the surge. But there will also be more breakthrough infections among vaccinated people because of omicron’s mutations.
“While not a replacement for vaccines, the emergence of new variants has highlighted the need for new therapeutic lines of defense,” said Dr. John Brownstein, an epidemiologist at Boston Children’s Hospital and ABC News contributor.
“The combination of low friction access and high efficacy means that we finally have a therapy that can make a real impact on the trajectory of this pandemic,” he said.
Public health experts and the pharmaceutical companies who make the pills also have been firm that the treatments alleviate illness — they do not prevent it. Vaccines do, and they’re still the safest, most effective option to stay out of the hospital.
“I want to emphasize that no one should use the existence of the pill as an excuse to avoid vaccination,” Bourla, Pfizer’s CEO, said.
The U.S. will also likely face some hurdles in the initial rollout — another reason they shouldn’t be relied upon as an alternative to vaccination.
One concern is that the pills need to be taken early, which means patients will need a positive test and a doctor’s appointment very soon after they get sick. Testing delays and overburdened hospital systems could make that more challenging.
They are most effective “before a person becomes critically ill,” said Dr. Paul Currier, director of the Respiratory Acute Care Unit at Massachusetts General Hospital. “Once a patient becomes critically ill, the virus has already caused a lot of inflammation in the body that likely cannot be stopped by medicines that only target the virus itself.”
But pharmaceutical executives are optimistic that the pills will make a significant dent in the pandemic.
Pfizer’s pill has the “potential to save the lives of patients around the world,” Bourla said.
ABC News’ Dr. Navjot Kaur Sobti contributed to this report.
Before they became parents, Tyler Hubbard and his wife, Hayley, also figured they’d spank their kids occasionally. After all, that’s how both of them were raised, the couple explain during a new episode of the Meaning Full Living podcast, which Haley co-hosts.
The couple are parents to three young children now, and they haven’t yet used spanking as a form of discipline. That’s simply because they realize it’s not the best way to communicate with their kids’ particular, individual personalities, Tyler explains. For example, he remembers one time when he raised his voice to his oldest daughter, three-year-old Liv.
“She got scared, and she got upset. I thought, ‘Man, that’s terrible,’” the singer recounts. Rather than keep leaning into that stern, disciplinarian side, Tyler says he apologized to his daughter for raising his voice.
“I was able to come to her level and say, ‘Daddy is really sorry. I should not have talked to you that way,’” he continues. “Haley and I want compliant kids, but we also want kids who trust us and want to talk to us about things.”
Don’t worry, fans: There’s no trouble in paradise, as far as Nick Jonas and his wife Priyanka Chopra Jonas are concerned.
Some fans got concerned when Priyanka, whose Instagram handle used to be Priyanka Chopra Jonas, dropped the “Jonas” from the feed’s name. But according to the actress, who appears in the new Matrix film, she was just trying to be consistent with her social media.
Asked why she made the change, Priyanka told ETimes, the entertainment website of The Times of India, “I don’t know. I wanted the username to match my Twitter, I guess.”
She added, “I just find it really amusing that everything becomes such a huge deal to people. It’s social media, guys. Just chill out!”
In his first in-depth interview in nearly four years, James Franco is addressing the sexual misconduct allegations brought against him in 2018.
The actor sat down with Sirius XM’s Jess Cagle and opened up about why he hasn’t spoken out sooner.
“At that moment I just thought I’m gonna be quiet,” he says. “I’m gonna pause. Did not seem like the right time to say anything. There were people that were upset with me and I needed to listen.”
Franco says over the past four years he went to work on himself. He says that after getting sober from alcohol at age 17, he realized his addiction had turned to sex.
The actor admits to cheating on everyone he had been with until his current girlfriend, Isabel Pakzad, and says he slept with students at his former acting school, Playhouse West Studio 4, though stresses he didn’t start the school for that purpose.
“I didn’t want to hurt people,” he says. “…And the behavior spun out to a point where it was like I was hurting everybody.”
Over the summer, Franco reached a settlement with two of his former acting students who filed a sexual misconduct lawsuit against him in 2019.
Franco’s full interview with Jess Cagle airs Thursday.
