(NEW YORK) — Israel is now the first in the world to give a third booster COVID-19 vaccine shot to those over 60 and other vulnerable people as cases rise.
The U.K. expected to roll out boosters next month.
Watch the full report from ABC’s Good Morning America:
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Lorde will be performing live in New York City’s Central Park later this month for Good Morning America’s 2021 Summer Concert Series.
The New Zealand singer-songwriter will be hitting the stage on August 20 — the same day her new album, Solar Power, is released. She debuted the title track off the album back in June.
Tickets are required to attend the free concert and strict COVID-19 protocols will be enforced. GMA requires all attendees to be fully vaccinated on the day of attendance.
Can’t be in New York City? You can get a front row seat for the performance at home by watching GMA live on August 20 and tweeting @GMA on social with the hashtag #LordeonGMA.
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(NEW YORK) — The United States is facing a COVID-19 surge this summer as the more contagious delta variant spreads.
More than 613,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 and over 4.1 million people have died worldwide, according to real-time data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.
Just 58.1% 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 Monday. All times Eastern:
Aug 02, 9:44 am
Tokyo COVID-19 cases up 200% in 1 week
There are 2,195 new COVID-19 cases in Tokyo, a 206.9% increase since last Monday, according to the Tokyo Media Center.
At the Olympics, there are 281 new COVID-19 cases, an increase of 17 cases in the last 24 hours, according to Tokyo 2020 organizers. None of these cases are athletes; they are all contractors, personnel or media.
Aug 02, 8:56 am
At least 1 patient checked in every hour at Louisiana hospital
At least one COVID-19 patient was checked in every hour Monday morning at Our Lady of the Lake Hospital in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, hospital officials told ABC Baton Rouge affiliate WBRZ.
Our Lady of the Lake Hospital is among 45 hospitals in the state requesting extra staff, reported WBRZ.
Aug 02, 8:19 am
TSA screens highest number of people since start of pandemic
The Transportation Security Administration screened 2,238,462 people at U.S. airports on Sunday, the highest number since the start of the pandemic, the agency said. The continued spread of the highly contagious delta variant has not stopped travelers this summer and the TSA put out a tweet reminding fliers to mask up and socially distance.
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After 40 years, MTV’s Moon Person trophy is getting a makeover.
The reimagining of the familiar image coincides with the network’s 40th anniversary, which was on Sunday. While the original Moon Person features an astronaut on the moon to planting an MTV flag, the new version, designed by artist Kehinde Wiley, takes a botanical twist.
In a statement, MTV explained, “Kehinde Wiley’s Moon Person sculpture represents inclusivity and diversity marked by the historical, environmental and nature relevance of the botanicals. The design features botanical vines seamlessly flowing up and around the figure’s legs, body, and arms as a commentary on the ethnic histories that surround America. Each intertwined vine or leaf has a different historical relevance, such as the seeds from African slaves, that are woven into the American tapestry.”
“The sculpture complements Wiley’s forthcoming series of portraits, in which he plans to create paintings featuring his subjects lying on their sides as vines encircle their bodies,” MTV added.
MTV launched on August 1, 1981 with footage of NASA’s Apollo 11 expedition, the spaceflight that landed humans on the moon in 1969. To help commemorate the moment, a life-sized version of Wiley’s Moon Person is also available for public viewing at the Kennedy Space Center’s Visitor Complex.
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As of last weekend, Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds have been a couple for over a decade. To celebrate the milestone, the famous duo took a step back in time by recreating their first date.
In a series of adorable Instagram Story updates on Saturday, Lively revealed she had taken her husband to O Ya, a Boston-based sushi restaurant.
“If it weren’t for this place. We wouldn’t be together. No joke,” the Gossip Girl alum dished while sharing a photo of Reynolds posing by the location. “No restaurant means more to us.”
Lively, 33, revealed that the two have made a tradition of celebrating their first date every year, adding in a second update, “10 years later, we still go out on our ‘first date.’ But in much more comfortable shoes.”
The actress wore a gorgeous white and black polka dot button-down sundress and black sandals on her anniversary date, while Reynolds opted for a navy print polo over a white undershirt with dark jeans and tan sneakers.
The Deadpool star also hailed his 10th anniversary on Saturday, taking to his Story to tease his spouse.
“Our favorite restaurant with her 4th favorite date,” he joked while sharing a selfie of the two standing outside the restaurant.
Unfortunately for him, he committed a sin by writing that caption over a portion of Lively’s outfit — so he had to re-post the photo. “Posting this again because I cut out my wife’s cute earrings. She trained me better than this,” Reynolds, 44, shared. “Sorry if I let anyone down.”
Lively and Reynolds wed in September 2012 after meeting the year prior on the Green Lantern set, on which they both starred. They share three daughters.
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Tom DeLonge, the former guitarist/vocalist of the band Blink-182, provided a positive update about his ex-bandmate Mark Hoppus‘ cancer battle.
Hoppus, who previously confirmed he was diagnosed with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, is currently undergoing chemotherapy to treat the illness. Now, DeLonge has great news about his fellow Blink-182 co-founder: the treatment is working.
Taking to Instagram recently, DeLonge shared a throwback photo of the two and declared in the caption, “Mark is doing well! Cancer is disappearing!”
“But, he still has more chemo to do. As tough as it is, IT IS working,” DeLonge continued. “Mark is a real life superhero.”
According to the rocker, the photo was snapped when the band was recording their debut studio album, Cheshire Cat, which was released February 1995.
Last week, Hoppus proved his condition was improving by hopping on the live-streaming site Twitch to play the bass, which he said he hadn’t been able to do since he was diagnosed.
DeLonge co-founded Blink-182 alongside Hoppus and drummer Scott Raynor, who was replaced by Travis Barker in 1998. DeLonge left the band in 2015 and was replaced by Alkaline Trio‘s Matt Skiba.
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Disney’s Jungle Cruise, the action comedy based on the popular Disney theme park ride, topped the box office with an estimated $34.2 million in its debut weekend. The movie is also available on Disney+ Premier Access, where it added an additional $30 million.
Jungle Cruise — starring Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt — was originally set to open a year ago, but, like many other high-profile releases, it was delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The adventure film had a rougher voyage overseas, where it only managed to snag an estimated $27.6 million in 47 overseas markets, bringing its worldwide theatrical total to $61.8 million.
There’s a tight battle for second place, between newcomer The Green Knight and the M. Night Shyamalan thriller, Old. As of Sunday, The Dev Patel-led Green Knight had the edge, delivering an estimated $6.78 million.
Meanwhile, Old, in its second week of release, slipped from first to second with an estimated $6.76 million, bringing its domestic total to $30.6 million. The film has added $17.9 million overseas, bringing its global total to $48.5 million.
Disney also nabbed fourth place with Marvel’s Black Widow, earning an estimated $6.4 million from the box office in its fourth week of release. The film’s stateside haul now stands at just shy of $167.1 million. Its worldwide total hovers around $343.6 million.
As with Jungle Cruise, Black Widow can also be streamed on Disney+ Premier Access, where it raked in $60 million on the streamer in its opening weekend.
Disney is the parent company of Marvel and ABC News.
Rounding out the top five is another newcomer, Stillwater. The thriller, starring Matt Damon, delivered an estimated $5.1 million in its opening weekend.
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The Weeknd is leaving his After Hours era in the rear-view mirror and gearing up for the release of his fifth studio album.
Wiping his Instagram clean on Sunday, the 31-year-old artist shared two cryptic updates that hinted his new music is on the horizon.
The first image, which he shared late Sunday night with his 32 million followers, is mysterious in nature — depicting him in profile, bathed in white-blue light while wearing an oversized black leather jacket as he looks down through amber-tinted sunglasses.
The second update is a nearly two-minute preview of his upcoming new single. The visual continues his theme of daylight, taking viewers on a first-person ride over a dark landscape and toward the setting sun until the entire screen is blanketed in white light.
Minimally captioned as “.” , the preview is reminiscent of the music made by his Starboy collaborators Daft Punk. The undulating, retro-sounding techno beat pulsates over a loud snare and a chorus of “oohs.”
Prior to wiping his Instagram clean, The Weeknd teased his next chapter in music over on Twitter by writing, “F*** it … IT STARTS TONIGHT.”
The Grammy winner first alluded to his upcoming album in April and, during a May interview with Variety, he stated, “If the last record is the after hours of the night, then the dawn is coming.”
A release date and title for The Weeknd’s upcoming work are currently unknown.
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(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.
Jade Carey wins gold, Simone Biles to compete in balance beam finals
Gymnast Jade Carey took the gold in the individual floor exercise final, her first gold and the fifth medal overall for the U.S. gymnastics team in the Tokyo Games. Carey was coming off an eighth place finish in the individual vault Sunday but returned to score a 14.366 and take the gold in the floor exercise.
USA Gymnastics confirmed that Simone Biles will compete in the balance beam finals on Aug. 3, along with teammate Sunisa Lee. Biles had previously withdrew from individual competitions in vault, uneven bars and floor events.
Women’s basketball extends winning streak
The U.S. women’s basketball team defeated France 93-82 in their last game of the group round. Led by A’ja Wilson with 22 points, the team extended their Olympic winning streak to 52, a feat reaching all the way back to 1992.
Women’s basketball extends winning streak
The U.S. women’s basketball team defeated France 93-82 in their last game of the group round. Led by A’ja Wilson with 22 points, the team extended their Olympic winning streak to 52, a feat reaching all the way back to 1992.
U.S. women’s soccer ends its bid for gold
The U.S. women’s soccer team lost to Canada 1-0, and with it end their run for a gold medal. U.S. goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher left with an apparent knee injury in the first half and Canada capitalized on a penalty kick in the 74th minute of play. Team USA will now play for the bronze medal.
COVID-19 cases at Tokyo Olympics rise to 281
There were 17 newly confirmed cases of COVID-19 at the Tokyo Olympics on Monday. No athletes were among the new cases. The total now stands at 281, according to data released by the Tokyo 2020 organizing committee.
The surrounding city of Tokyo reported 2,195 new cases on Sunday, a seven-day average increase of 206.9%, according to data released by the Tokyo metropolitan government.
For more Olympics coverage, see: https://abcnews.go.com/Sports/Olympics
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(NEW YORK) — The nation’s largest gun violence prevention organization is stepping up efforts to address the scourge of recent shootings across the country as part of a new initiative unveiled exclusively by ABC News on Monday.
Everytown for Gun Safety is delivering millions of dollars in grants and providing support to local organizations that aim to reduce gun crimes by tapping into communities most impacted by firearms. The new initiative, known as the Everytown Community Safety Fund, is dedicating $25 million over five years to gun violence prevention programs. The first million is set to be distributed across organizations next month.
“It’s an urgent moment,” said Michael-Sean Spence, Everytown’s director of community safety initiatives who is leading the rollout of the new initiative. “We’re in the middle of a public health crisis — one that has been brewing for a number of years and has really taken off over the last year, year and a half.”
The rate of homicides with a firearm is nearly 25 times higher in the U.S. compared to similar economically developed countries, according to a 2015 study published in the journal of Preventive Medicine. More recently, 2020 marked the highest number of firearm deaths in at least 20 years, according to Britannica, the group behind the famed encyclopedia, and the Gun Violence Archive.
On a recent week in July, a joint analysis by GVA and ABC News found that 2.4 people were killed and 5.5 people were wounded every hour.
“The trends we’re seeing today don’t approach the ’90s levels of gun homicides that we fortunately were able to reverse,” Spence told ABC News. “But they are some of the highest numbers we have seen since the early 2000s, and we’ve also seen a prolonged, persistent spike.”
The funds from Everytown will support 100 local intervention programs, building on its original list of 60 programs funded by the organization over the past two years.
“There are a number of factors that drive gun violence. One is the lack of opportunity,” Spence said. “Many of these programs, once they’ve identified individuals, can put them into workforce development programs and connect them with other opportunities to change their life.”
One of the groups set to receive funding is No More Red Dots, which runs a handful of gun violence prevention programs in Louisville, Kentucky. The organization maintains a database of high-risk individuals in the area and works to prevent them from engaging in future shootings.
Led by Dr. Eddie Woods, who has more than 20 years of experience in community safety, No More Red Dots has deep roots in Louisville. Some of the organization’s programs include an artist’s workshop and basketball league that are designed to build the skills and interests of at-risk youth and provide them with mentorship opportunities.
“We’ve been around forever, so a lot of the young people’s parents, and maybe in some cases grandparents, were in our group sessions back in the day,” Woods told ABC News. “So we kind of got a feel for the culture in some families — the personalities of some families.”
The hyper-local formula appears to be moving the community in a positive direction. Thousands of kids have gone through the program, Woods said, and more than 115 have gone from engaging in dangerous activity in the streets to obtaining a college education.
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