Unfortunately, when a Hollywood legend of a certain age trends on Twitter, fans assume the worst — but thankfully that’s not the case with 91-year-old Gene Hackman.
The two-time Oscar winner’s name began trending on the social media service thanks to a tweet from film historian James L. Neibaur, who posted a picture of the iconic American actor, with a caption reading, “Gene Hackman retired from acting 17 years ago, but had this recent pic taken to show he is alive and well at 91, and living in New Mexico. He goes bike riding every day and remains active and engaged with hobbies, and friends.”
The post went viral, with fans cheering on the star — and with more than a few admitting they feared bad news when Hackman’s name began trending.
Neibaur later tweeted a clarification, because he couldn’t edit his original post, informing followers that the picture was actually two years old, but the sentiment still stands.
“I was informed that this pic is 2 years old, when he was a young, strapping 89 — Grinning face with smiling eyes,” Neibaur wrote, adding, “Still great that Mr. Hackman is alive and well, and has so many supportive fans.”
(NASHVILLE, Tenn.) — An employee allegedly shot and injured three co-workers at a Smile Direct Club manufacturing facility in the Antioch neighborhood of Nashville, Tennessee, early Tuesday, officials said.
One worker was struck in the chest, one in the abdomen and one in the leg, Nashville police spokesman Don Aaron said at a news conference.
One of the victims is in critical condition, he said.
The suspected gunman, a 22-year-old employee, left the building as officers responded to the call, but officers spotted him at an intersection and demanded he drop the weapon, police said.
The suspect, armed with a semi-automatic pistol with an extended magazine, instead directed the gun toward officers, according to Aaron.
The suspect was shot by police and taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead, police said.
It appears the gunman acted alone, police said. The suspect, who was not named, started working at Smile Direct Club in June, police said. He also worked there from late 2019 to early 2020.
Smile Direct Club said in a statement, “The safety of our team members is a top priority for our Company and we maintain strict security protocols and a no weapons policy at all of our facilities. We are working with the local police as they investigate this matter.”
(NASHVILLE, Tenn.) — Three employees were shot and injured at a Smile Direct Club manufacturing facility in the Antioch neighborhood of Nashville, Tennessee, early Tuesday, officials said.
One employee was struck in the chest, one in the abdomen and one in the leg, Nashville police spokesman Don Aaron said at a news conference.
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One of the victims is in critical condition, he said.
The suspected gunman left the building as officers responded to the call, but officers spotted him at an intersection and demanded he drop the weapon, Aaron said. The suspect, armed with a semi-automatic pistol with an extended magazine, instead directed the gun toward officers, according to Aaron.
The suspect was shot by police and taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead, police said.
Smile Direct Club said in a statement, “The safety of our team members is a top priority for our Company and we maintain strict security protocols and a no weapons policy at all of our facilities. We are working with the local police as they investigate this matter.”
Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan will be back behind the judges’ table when American Idol returns on ABC in the spring of 2022. It’ll be the show’s fifth season on ABC, but its 20th season overall. Host Ryan Seacrest is also on board for this historic season.
American Idol‘s executive producer and showrunner Megan Wolflick said in a statement, “The chemistry and passion Katy, Luke, Lionel and Ryan bring is second to none. We couldn’t be more ecstatic that they are returning for this iconic 20th season in search of the freshest new talent that this nation has to offer.”
Auditions for the new season start this Friday, August 6 with the return of the virtual nationwide “Idol Across America” search, which will take place in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. The most recent American Idol champ, Chayce Beckham, auditioned via “Idol Across America.”
Visit AmericanIdol.com/auditions to find out how to sign up. Here are the dates; you can audition on any date, regardless of where you live:
Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina (Aug. 6)
Connecticut, New Jersey, New York (Aug. 8)
Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas (Aug. 11)
Florida, Michigan, Virginia, West Virginia (Aug. 13)
Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi (Aug. 16)
Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee (Aug. 18)
Alaska, California, Hawaii, Nevada (Aug. 21)
Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, Wyoming (Aug. 23)
Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Wisconsin (Aug. 25)
Open Call: Nationwide (Aug. 27)
Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah (Aug. 31)
Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont (Sept. 2)
Delaware, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Washington D.C. (Sept. 8)
Open Call: The South (Sept. 10)
Open Call: East Coast (Sept. 13)
Open Call: West Coast (Sept. 16)
Open Call: Nationwide (Sept. 21)
(TOKYO) — Each day, ABC News will give you a roundup of key Olympic moments from the day’s events in Tokyo, happening 13 hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Standard Time. After a 12-month delay, the unprecedented 2020 Summer Olympics is taking place without fans or spectators and under a state of emergency due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Simone Biles finishes Tokyo Games with a bronze medal
After previously withdrawing from the team all-around and individual events, Simone Biles rejoined the competition and won the bronze medal in the individual balance beam competition. Biles ended her Olympic events by completing a solid routine, one that did not include any twists and had one minor balance check. Biles is now tied with Shannon Miller as the most decorated U.S. Olympic gymnast with seven medals.
Teammate Sunisa Lee, who won the gold medal in the individual all-around, did not place in the balance beam event.
U.S. men’s basketball advances to semifinals
The U.S. men’s basketball team defeated Spain 95-81, advancing to the semifinals against the winner of the game between Australia and Argentina. The effort was led by Kevin Durant with 29 points. Team USA is looking to continue its streak of winning a medal in every Olympic Games since competing in 1936.
COVID-19 cases at Tokyo Olympics rise to 299
There were 18 newly confirmed cases of COVID-19 at the Tokyo Olympics on Tuesday, including one athlete who was staying at the Olympic Village at the time of the positive test. The total now stands at 299, according to data released by the Tokyo 2020 organizing committee.
The surrounding city of Tokyo reported 3,709 new cases on Tuesday, a seven-day average increase of 189.3%, according to data from the Tokyo metropolitan government.
U.S. takes silver in long jump, 400m hurdle world record obliterated
Team USA’s Brittany Reese won the silver medal in long jump in Tuesday’s event. The U.S. now has five silvers in the athletics competitions with the only gold in discus throw.
Norway’s Karsten Warholm took home the gold in the men’s 400m hurdles but also finished with a new world record of 45.94 seconds. He broke the previous record by .76 seconds.
Sport climbing makes its Olympic debut
Sport climbing in the Tokyo Games began with two of the three disciplines: The men’s combined bouldering qualifier and the men’s combined lead qualifier. This is the first time sport climbing has been featured in the Olympics and consists of bouldering, lead and speed disciplines.
Hugh Jackman hoped to inspire more fans to wear sunscreen when revealing Monday that he had to undergo a skin biopsy after his doctor noticed something “a little irregular” on his skin.
Taking to Twitter, the Australian actor shared a video where he pulled down his mask and showed his bandaged nose. “I just want to let you know, I just went to see… my amazing dermatologists and doctors and they saw something that was a little irregular,” the Greatest Showman star explained. “So they took a biopsy and they’re getting it checked.”
Jackman, 52, assured fans they need not be concerned or “freak out” and promised to “let you know what’s going on.”
“It’s probably fine,” he continued. “But remember… wear sunscreen. Don’t be like me as a kid.”
The actor revealed in a 2015 interview with ABC News that he spent most of his childhood playing in the hot Australia sun and neglected to wear sunscreen. He was diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma, a form of skin cancer, in 2013.
In the years since, Jackman’s continued to remind fans of the importance sunscreen, and revealed in 2016 that he had to undergo another biopsy.
“An example of what happens when you don’t wear sunscreen. Basal Cell. The mildest form of cancer but serious, nonetheless. PLEASE USE SUNSCREEN and get regular check-ups,” he shared on Instagram.
In 2017, he shared a similar message about his ongoing battle with skin cancer and credited his “frequent checks” for catching it early.
The Mayo Clinic says basal cell carcinoma is believed to be caused by long-term exposure to UV sunlight and recommends the best way to prevent it is to wear sunscreen.
Christopher Polk/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images
After sharing a cryptic two-minute teaser the other day about an upcoming single, The Weeknd confirmed on Monday that his next music era is finally here.
Taking to Instagram, the “Blinding Lights” singer announced fans will hear his brand new song “Take My Breath” this Friday, August 6.
The Weeknd tapped the Tokyo Olympics to share the track and release info in an official promo, which focused on the U.S. Women’s Track & Field team through the eyes of runners Sydney McLaughlin, Dalilah Muhammad, Gabby Thomas and Athing Mu.
The promo features joyous moments the four celebrated at the finish line in past races before revealing the song’s title and teasing the next crop of Olympic track and field events that Team USA is primed to dominate.
The Weeknd, also feeling the gold medal vibes, captioned his comeback, “8.6.21 new single [gold medal emoji].”
No word yet on when that new album is supposed to come out, but fans are buzzing that an announcement is on the horizon.
(NOTE LANGUAGE) Kathy Griffin underwent successful surgery following her lung cancer diagnosis.
On Monday morning, Griffin, 60 revealed that she was about to have half of her left lung removed because of the cancer. Later that day, a rep for the comedian told People, “She is now out of surgery and everything went well, per her doctor.”
Before surgery, Griffin elaborated on her diagnosis and treatment plan on social media, writing, “Yes, I have lung cancer even though I’ve never smoked!”
“The doctors are very optimistic as it is stage one and contained to my left lung,” she explained. “Hopefully no chemo or radiation after this and I should have normal function with my breathing. I should be up and running around as usual in a month or less.”
“It’s been a helluva 4 years, trying to get back to work, making you guys laugh and entertaining you, but I’m gonna be just fine,” Griffin declared.
The comedian recently sat down with ABC News’ Juju Chang to discuss her reaction to her diagnosis, admitting she was “in shock.”
“Once a day, I’ll just turn to nobody next to me and go, ‘Can you believe this s—? Is this a b—- or what?” she said.
(NEW YORK) — While states like Missouri end a second month enduring a surge in COVID-19 cases as the more contagious delta variant spreads, public health officials across the country are hearing the same story from an increasing number of people getting the vaccine: someone they know recently caught the virus and the experience was unsettling.
“We don’t want to see more people getting sick as a driving force to get people vaccinated, but we know the case counts and more people in the hospital will play a role in that conversation,” Dr. Sam Page, St. Louis county executive, told ABC News.
Missouri has seen an increase of nearly 560% in new cases, 205% virus-related hospitalizations since early June — staggering increases, which have been exacerbated by the low number of residents — just over 41% — who are fully vaccinated.
“We really need higher vaccination penetration in our communities to slow this down,” Page said.
However, Missouri is one of the many states in the nation which has experienced a significant, newfound demand for COVID-19 vaccinations in the last several weeks. Vaccinations statewide increased by approximately 100% in the last two weeks of July.
While the uptick in shots has been most notable in the states that have been recently hardest hit by the coronavirus, the entire country is experiencing a rising vaccination rate.
According to an ABC News analysis of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data from the last three weeks, every state has reported an increase in its average number of first doses administered, with the national rate of Americans receiving their first dose up by more than 73%.
Similarly, in the last week alone, vaccination rates have increased by nearly 20% in young Americans, ages 12-17, and by more than 25% in adults.
And on Sunday, the White House reported more than 800,000 vaccine doses administered, including first and second doses, marking the fifth consecutive day with more than 700,000 doses were reported administered. The uptick pushed the national vaccination average to more than 637,000 doses administered each day — up by more than 24% in the last two weeks.
There are many factors at play — fear of the delta variant, incentives from the government and the rising popularity of vaccine requirements for school or work — but regardless of why it’s happening, Page said the increase in vaccinations could not come soon enough.
“The delta variant is a whole new virus,” Page said.
Slowly but surely, officials have started to see their public urgings translate into shots in arms, data showed — a sobering silver lining to the immeasurable grief that has accompanied the virus.
But Page urged other states and counties to get ahead of the delta variant while they could, pulling out every stop to increase vaccination rates before the virus hits their community, because when it does, it’s too late.
The uptick in vaccinations in Missouri, for example, will only begin to give ample protection beginning around September, since full vaccination requires two shots and then about two weeks for the antibodies to kick in.
“We just wish that we could get people vaccinated sooner because the illness has an unfortunate loss of life associated with it. And that’s just a terrible thing to watch,” Page said.
In the final weeks of July, 14 states saw an increase of 100% or more in their first-dose average. All of those states have vaccination totals below the national baseline of eligible Americans who have had one at least shot — 67.6%.
The five states which have seen the most significant increases in their vaccination rates — Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas and Oklahoma — are also among the states with the current highest seven-day case rates per capita. Louisiana, which currently has the nation’s highest case rate, has experienced a nearly 335% increase in individuals receiving their first vaccine dose. Similarly, Arkansas, which has the nation’s second highest case rate, has seen a 193% increase in recent weeks.
“This increase in vaccination rates in states that have been lagging is a positive trend. Americans are seeing the risk and impact of being unvaccinated and responding with action. And that’s what it’s going to take to get us out of this pandemic,” White House COVID-19 coordinator Jeff Zients said Monday at a briefing with reporters.
But experts caution that it will be critical for this trend to see even greater increases for the country to avoid more unnecessary hospitalizations and deaths.
“While the increasing caseload has had an impact on vaccine uptake, it has been minor, relative to the need,” Maureen Miller, professor of epidemiology at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, told ABC News.
“Since the delta variant is so much more contagious, we’ll need to see more people vaccinated to get this pandemic under control — in the range of 85%-90% of the population.”
The introduction of the delta variant, which now results in 8 out of 10 new cases in the U.S., has resulted in a rapid and significant increase in infections across the country.
The United States’ daily case average is now up to more than 72,400 cases a day, a 532% increase since mid-June. On Friday alone, the country recorded more than 100,000 new cases, marking the highest single-day report in nearly six months.
Nationally, as of Friday, nearly 40,000 patients were receiving hospital care across the country, up nearly 190% increase in the last month.
Several states with the lowest vaccination rates are now seeing viral surges equal to or higher than the peaks they experienced last winter and spring.
“The combination of the new, highly transmissible delta variant and the lack of both vaccination and implementing preventive behaviors, such as mask wearing and social distancing, have ensured that the unvaccinated will continue to become infected, hospitalized, and a needless amount will die,” Miller said.
In Louisiana — reporting the nation’s highest case rate — the average number of first doses administered has tripled over the last three weeks.
“My hope and my prayer today, is that that slope — that trajectory of increases in vaccinations — will continue for a long period of time. Because when that happens, you will see that case growth lines start to come down,” Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said.
Edwards on Monday imposed an indoor mask mandate congruent with case numbers climbing and the CDC’s most recent mask guidance for everyone, including vaccinated people, to mask up if they’re in areas with a lot of transmission.
Health experts like Miller praised the increased restrictions, since mandating vaccines — considered to be the most effective way to reach herd immunity — isn’t currently an option.
“A current stumbling block to mandating vaccines is the (Food and Drug Administration) emergency use authorization status. Once the FDA provides full regulatory status, that will provide strong legal cover to institute mandatory vaccination,” said Miller.
But a piecemeal effort to mandate vaccines is underway, and quickly gaining momentum as the spread of the delta variant grows. The American Medical Association (AMA) and the American Nurses Association (ANA) joined up with over 50 other health care organizations to call for mandatory vaccinations within their industry last week, citing rising COVID cases and the delta variant as reasons.
“Due to the recent COVID-19 surge and the availability of safe and effective vaccines, our health care organizations and societies advocate that all health care and long-term care employers require their workers to receive the COVID-19 vaccine,” the organizations wrote in a joint statement.
And last week, the U.S. government announced that federal workers must receive the COVID-19 vaccine or contend with regular testing. The announcement came as a growing list of companies are requiring shots for employees, including Walmart, Google and Disney, ABC News’ parent company.
Vaccination is the “primary way” to move out of the pandemic, the AMA wrote, without having to revert to state lockdowns and additional mitigation measures.
“This surge was preventable. Unfortunately, it takes dying loved ones begging their family members to get vaccinated. Some people are starting to listen,” Miller said.
Jennifer Hudson stars as the legendary Aretha Franklin in the upcoming biopic Aretha, out August 13. Unfortunately, the iconic soul singer died in 2018, but Hudson still remembers the last conversation she had with her.
“I definitely remember our last call,” Hudson told E!’s Daily Pop. “I miss hearing from her.”
“The last thing we spoke about was what she’d been eating and I was telling her about my son cooking. And he’s like, ‘Mother, is that Aretha Franklin on the phone?!’ I was so glad he was there to share that moment,” she expressed.
Hudson also recalled being hand-picked by the “Natural Woman” songstress for the leading role in Aretha, which she says gave her the “encouragement to get through it.”
“But it’s still adds pressure because you don’t want to let her down. It’s personal to me, for that reason,” she explained. “One minute it’s like, ‘oh my gosh, I’m so excited,’ and the next second it’s a bunch of anxiety.”
On Monday, the Oscar winner shared a throwback photo of herself visiting Franklin’s childhood home with some of the singer’s family members, Diamond Franklin, Victorie Franklin, Tonja Franklin, Edward Franklin, Kecalf Franklin, Jordan Franklin and Grace Franklin.
“I enjoyed all of Detroit but my favorite moment was sitting on Aretha’s childhood porch with her beautiful family,” she wrote alongside a picture of the group. “As we reflected on the Queen, we listened to her grandbaby sing “Ain’t No Way” with her beautiful voice. The world needs to hear more from the Franklin family. I will never forget this sweet moment together!”
