When it came to the box office, Venom: Let There Be Carnage certainly lived up to its name.
Sony’s comic-book movie sequel — which was produced in association with Marvel Studios — was easily the biggest film of the weekend, debuting at number one with an impressive $90 million three-day total.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Venom 2‘s haul is the biggest theatrical opening since the COVID-19 pandemic began in March 2020. That record previously belonged to Marvel’s Black Widow, which opened with over $80 million.
Venom 2 also bests the $80 million bow posted by the first Venom movie, which introduced us to Tom Hardy‘s take on the Spider-Man universe anti-hero back in 2018. Along with Hardy, Oscar-nominee Michelle Williams reprises her role in the sequel, while Woody Harrelson and Naomie Harris lead the additions to the cast.
Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, which had led the box office for four straight weeks, finally fell from the top spot to number three, adding another $6 million to its total, which now stands at over $200 million.
The animated family feature The Addams Family 2 slipped into the number-two spot with an $18 million opening. On the other side of the family-friendly spectrum, The Many Saints of Newark — a prequel to HBO’s iconic series The Sopranos, featuring the late James Gandolfini‘s son Michael as a young Tony Soprano — bowed at number four with $5 million.
Musical Dear Evan Hanson rounds out the top five, adding $2.5 million in its second week.
The Van Halen frontman dropped the bombshell news during a phone interview with the Las Vegas Review-Journal published Friday.
“I am throwing in the shoes. I’m retiring,” Roth said. “This is the first, and only, official announcement.”
Roth said his recently announced five-show solo Las Vegas residency at the House of Blues — taking place on New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day, and January 5, 7 and 8 — will be his final concerts.
“I’m not going to explain the statement,” Diamond Dave declared. “The explanation is in a safe. These are my last five shows.”
During the conversation, Roth also revealed that he talks frequently with Van Halen drummer Alex Van Halen, and that his longtime band mate was aware of his plans to retire.
“Al and I have been talking, and I can’t speak for him just yet, but he knows what I am about to say,” Roth said, adding, “We speak to each other constantly, two or three times a day. We laugh like pirates.”
He also suggested that the 2020 death of guitarist Eddie Van Halen was a factor in his decision.
“[I’ve been thinking about] the departure of my beloved classmate recently,” said Dave, noting, “I am encouraged and compelled to really come to grips with how short time is, and my time is probably even shorter.”
The 66-year-old Rock & Roll Hall of Famer also admitted that he thought he might have been the first Van Halen member to pass away.
Roth finished the interview by saying, “I’ve given you all I’ve got to give. It’s been an amazing, great run, no regrets, nothing to say about anybody. I’ll miss you all. Stay frosty.”
(ORLANDO) — A body believed to be 19-year-old college student Miya Marcano, who has been missing for just over a week, was discovered Saturday morning, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office announced.
Authorities searched around the Tymber Skan apartments in Orange County, Florida, on Saturday and discovered a body in a wooded area nearby “that we believe to be that of Miya Marcano,” Sheriff John Mina said.
Marcano, a student at Valencia College, was last seen at the Arden Villas apartments complex in Orlando where she lived on Sept. 24.
“Although we are very certain of the identity, the positive identification will have to come from the medical examiner’s office. At this time we cannot confirm a cause of death,” Mina said.
Mina said Marcano’s family has been notified about the discovery of the body, which was found around 10:45 a.m. Saturday. He said a purse with Marcano’s identification was found near the body as well.
Police were led to the area based on cellphone records of “prime suspect” Armando Caballero, 27, a maintenance worker at Arden Villas who was found dead Monday from an apparent suicide, authorities said.
The records showed Caballero was near Tymber Skan apartments the day Marcano went missing around 8 or 9 p.m. Mina said that Caballero had lived at the Tymber Skan apartments at one time.
Authorities said Caballero had expressed a romantic interest in Marcano but she rebuffed his advances. Caballero possessed a key fob to access apartments and his was used at Marcano’s unit just before her disappearance, authorities said.
“We believe Armando Caballero is solely responsible for this crime,” Sheriff Mina said Saturday.
“This is not the update I wanted to give everyone,” Mina added. “Our hearts our broken. Everyone wanted this outcome to be different.”
(WASHINGTON) — Women’s rights advocates are marching again in Washington, D.C., and other cities across the U.S. Saturday, with a focus on reproductive rights.
The fifth annual Women’s March is being held on a date specifically chosen for its proximity to the start of the U.S. Supreme Court’s new term on Monday.
Women’s March organizers said the restrictive abortion law that went into effect in Texas in September motivated them to act now.
The law, which bans nearly all abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, went into effect after the Supreme Court rejected a request by Texas abortion providers to block the law as legal challenges continued.
The Department of Justice and the state of Texas faced off in court over the law on Friday, but the judge did not give any specific timeline on when he would make his decision on the DOJ’s request for an emergency injunction.
“When the Supreme Court rejected an emergency request to block Texas’s abortion ban, they effectively took the next step towards overturning Roe v. Wade. Simply put: We are witnessing the most dire threat to abortion access in our lifetime,” reads a statement on the Women’s March website.
The Supreme Court also is scheduled to hear in December oral arguments in a case that could be the most consequential abortion rights case in decades. The state of Mississippi is asking the justices to overturn longstanding legal precedent that restrictions on abortion access before a fetus is viable outside the womb — around 22 to 24 weeks of pregnancy — are categorically unconstitutional. Mississippi wants to ban abortions after 15 weeks, or even earlier.
Reproductive rights advocates call the case, which centers around Jackson Women’s Health Organization, Mississippi’s last remaining abortion clinic, an existential threat to American abortion rights not seen in nearly 50 years.
This year’s protest follows in the footsteps of Women’s March protests that have taken place every year since 2017, when the first march drew more than a million people to various locations across the U.S. the day after the inauguration of President Donald Trump.
The protests have dwindled in size since the first march, but have continued across the country.
As women take to the streets this year to march, in addition to battles over reproductive rights, women have also experienced disproportionate job loss during the coronavirus pandemic and faced greater caregiving burdens than male counterparts, data shows.
Women’s March organizers said that in addition to the Washington, D.C., march, smaller marches are planned from Bangor, Maine, all the way to Seattle.
The Washington march began at Freedom Plaza and is continuing along Pennsylvania Avenue toward the Supreme Court building.
Busy Phillips, who has spoken publicly about having an abortion at age 15, is among the speakers confirmed for the Washington march.
(HOUSTON) — Police identified the suspected gunman who stormed YES Prep Southwest Secondary school in Houston, Texas, on Friday and wounded the principal as 25-year old Dexter Harold Kelsey.
Kelsey has been charged with aggravated assault against a public servant and deadly conduct in the 263rd State District Court, Houston Police announced Saturday.
Houston police said a call about reports of an active shooting came in at 11:45 a.m. at 4400 Anderson Road at Hiram Clarke.
Houston Police Chief Troy Finner said in a press conference Friday that officers arrived to the scene “within minutes” following the call and once inside the school came upon the suspect “armed with a rifle” and he “surrendered without incident.”
Finner said Friday the suspect was a former student of the school. Police said Kelsey confessed to his role in the shooting and was subsequently charged.
“When he came to the building, the front door, the glass door, it was locked. He gained entry by shooting on the glass door and immediately fired upon one of the employees of the school,” Finner said.
The employee sustained a gunshot wound to the back. Police named the victim Saturday as school principal Eric Espinosa, 36, who was treated at a hospital and later released.
Police said Espinosa was alerted about the shooting and attempted to warn teachers and students.
“During the gunfire, one of the bullets struck the principal in his lower back. As the principal continued to help students and teachers flee the school, responding police officers arrived, located the suspect and arrested him without further incident,” Houston police said.
YES Prep Southwest Secondary said in a statement Friday that “no students have been injured.” The school serves grades 6 through 12.
Audio from a dispatch call reveals an official said: “I’m gonna need units at 4411 Anderson Rd, just got a message that there’s a man with a gun in the school.”
The Houston Fire Department initially told ABC News one person was transported to Memorial Hermann Texas Medical Center Emergency Room.
First responders were on the scene to actively clear the building, Houston Fire said after reports of the shooting.
A seventh grader who was evacuated from the school told ABC Houston station KTRK, “When I was coming out, I saw blood and glass shattering everywhere.”
“My teachers told me to stay back in the classroom where nobody can see you and officers came, saying, ‘Put your hands up. Go outside,’” the student said.
A staging area for parents was set up at West Fuqua and Hiram Clarke and students were sent to that location.
The students had gone through active shooter training just two days earlier. Finner commended students for remaining calm during the evacuation.
Finner said there are no other potential suspects and no further threat to the students.
(NEW YORK) — The United States has been facing a COVID-19 surge as the more contagious delta variant continues to spread.
More than 696,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 while over 4.7 million people have died from the disease worldwide, according to real-time data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.
Just 65% of Americans ages 12 and up are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the CDC.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Oct 01, 9:10 pm
US death toll surpasses 700,000
The U.S. COVID-19 death toll surpassed 700,000 Friday night, though the latest surge continues to subside.
About 1,500 new deaths are reported each day on average in the U.S. The country’s daily case average has dropped to just under 106,000 cases a day, down by about 33% in the last month, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.
However, that number is still significantly higher than it was three months ago.
There have been over 43 million coronavirus cases in the U.S., which means 1 in approximately every 7 Americans has tested positive, and 1 in every 469 Americans has lost their life to the virus.
Some states — like Alaska and West Virginia — are experiencing record-breaking surges, while other states — including Alabama, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Texas — have an intensive care unit capacity of about 10% or less.
In other states — Maine, Minnesota and New Hampshire — infection rates continue to rise.
About 97% of counties across the country are reporting “high” or “substantial” community transmission, as the country nears the grim milestone of 700,000 deaths.
-ABC News’ Arielle Mitropoulos
Oct 01, 7:38 pm
American Airlines to require employee vaccinations
American Airlines told employees Friday that all U.S.-based employees and certain international crew members must be vaccinated in light of the federal vaccine mandate.
“While we are still working through the details of the federal requirements, it is clear that team members who choose to remain unvaccinated will not be able to work at American Airlines,” CEO Doug Parker and President Robert Isom wrote in a letter obtained by ABC News.
Those who cannot be vaccinated for medical or religious reasons “can request an accommodation,” they continued.
No deadline was set.
Reuters reported Friday that the White House has pressed U.S. airline CEOs to mandate vaccines for staff by early December.
Delta Air Lines said in a statement Friday that 84% of its employees were vaccinated and the airline continues “to evaluate the administration’s plan.”
Southwest Airlines said it “continues to strongly encourage employees to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.”
United Airlines has already put in place a vaccine mandate; 99.5% of its U.S.-based employees are vaccinated.
-ABC News’ Mina Kaji
Oct 01, 6:48 pm
‘Aladdin’ performances through Oct. 10 now canceled
“Aladdin” is canceling additional Broadway performances after more COVID-19 cases were detected among the company, the show announced Friday.
The musical returned Tuesday for the first time since Broadway closed for the pandemic, though Wednesday night’s performance was canceled after breakthrough COVID-19 cases among the company were confirmed.
“Aladdin” was back Thursday night, though now all performances through Oct. 10 will be canceled after more breakthrough cases were detected Friday, the show said.
“We apologize for the disappointment and inconvenience this causes ticket holders, but we trust that audiences will agree that safety must be at the forefront of our return to Broadway,” the show said in a statement on its website.
Members undergo PCR tests six times a week and are required to be vaccinated.
Oct 01, 5:20 pm
Deadline for NYC school employees to get vaccinated passes
The deadline for New York City public school employees has passed: At least 90% of public school employees are vaccinated, including 93% of teachers and 98% of principals, according to the Department of Education.
About 500 employees have been granted an exemption, representing .03% of the workforce.
Employees who did not provide proof of vaccination by 5 p.m. on Friday will be moved to Leave Without Pay status. Employees who get vaccinated this weekend and provide proof of vaccination on Monday may report to work as usual.
The DOE said 9,000 vaccinated substitute teachers are on standby.
Oct 01, 5:04 pm
US death toll set to surpass 700,000
The U.S. death toll is set to surpass 700,000, though the latest surge continues to subside.
About 1,500 new deaths are reported each day on average in the U.S. The country’s daily case average has dropped to just under 106,000 cases a day, down by about 33% in the last month, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.
However, that number is still significantly higher than it was three months ago.
There have been almost 43.4 million coronavirus cases in the U.S., which means 1 in approximately every 7 Americans has tested positive, and 1 in every 469 Americans has lost their life to the virus.
Some states — like Alaska and West Virginia — are experiencing record-breaking surges, while other states — including Alabama, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Texas — have an intensive care unit capacity of about 10% or less.
In other states — Maine, Minnesota and New Hampshire — infection rates continue to rise.
About 97% of counties across the country are reporting “high” or “substantial” community transmission, as the country nears the grim milestone of 700,000 deaths.
-ABC News’ Arielle Mitropoulos
Oct 01, 3:02 pm
White House COVID-19 team on rapid testing, vaccine updates
The White House COVID-19 team told ABC News that they are aiming to double the number of rapid tests available at market within the next two months.
“You’re right that the at-home rapid test is under a lot of demand,” said White House COVID-19 response coordinator Jeff Zients. “The manufacturing is scaling up significantly, doubling across the next couple of months, and we’re just going to keep at it to encourage those manufacturers to increase capacity and to drive down the cost of those tests.”
Zients added: “Overall, we’ll continue to pull every level we can to further expand the manufacturing and the production of these tests in order to make them more widely available, and to drive down the cost per test.” He did not offer further specifics.
Surgeon General Vivek Murthy also said that the shots for children ages 5 to 11 are “on the horizon.” Murthy deferred to the FDA and CDC’s “rigorous review process” and independent advisory panels to determine further absolutes.
The White House team urges Americans not to let their guard down even though the latest surge of COVID-19 may be subsiding. White House chief medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci said that it is not an excuse for unvaccinated Americans to remain unvaccinated.
“I think that the people who are unvaccinated, when they see the curve starting to come down, that is not a reason to remain unvaccinated, because if you want to ensure that we get down to a very low level and that we don’t re-surge again,” Fauci said. “We still gotta get a very large proportion of those 70 million people who are eligible to be vaccinated who have not been vaccinated, we’ve got to get them vaccinated.”
-ABC News’ Sasha Pezenik
Oct 01, 2:11 pm
California to require COVID-19 vaccine for all students
California will be the first state to require the COVID-19 vaccine for all eligible students, faculty and staff in public and private schools. Gov. Gavin Newsom says that the COVID-19 vaccine will be one of 11 vaccines required to attend schools in California.
The vaccine will be required at the start of the upcoming school term following the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s full approval of the vaccines. Terms begin in January and July.
The government has only fully approved the COVID-19 vaccine for those 16 and over.
School staff will be required to be vaccinated on the same timeline as grades 7-12, the earliest group to see full FDA approval.
There are exemptions for medical reasons and for personal and religious beliefs.
-ABC News’ Matthew Fuhrman
Oct 01, 12:20 pm
Vaccine acceptance at high amid delta surge: Polls
Polls found that coronavirus vaccine acceptance is at a high — with surveys finding 80% to 82% of people say they have been vaccinated or are likely to get vaccinated. These are the highest percentages [since the vaccine rollout began] ().
The CDC reports that 77% of adults have gotten at least one vaccine dose.
Vaccinations have gone up since August, and a study by [health policy research organization Kaiser Family Foundation] () indicates that gaps by race and ethnicity are almost eliminated — 73% of Hispanics, 71% of white people and 70% of Black people are said to be vaccinated.
However, vaccine gaps persist across party lines — KFF found that 90% of Democrats say they’ve gotten at least one dose of the vaccine, compared with 68% of independents and 58% of Republicans.
However, unvaccinated people continue to express doubts concerning the vaccines’ effectiveness and resistance to vaccine mandates in the workplace.
In a poll by [the Axios/Ipsos Coronavirus Index] (), 71% of unvaccinated Americans believe that the vaccine booster shots and breakthrough infections are signs that vaccines are not as effective as they are said to be.
Only about 29% of unvaccinated workers say they would get a shot if their employer mandates it, according to the Axios/Ipsos Coronavirus Index.
Oct 01, 8:35 am
Merck announces virus-fighting breakthrough in pill form
Merck Thursday morning announced the results of an ongoing Phase 3 study of an antiviral pill that may slash the risk of being hospitalized or dying of the virus by 50%.
The study’s results are so compelling that an independent monitoring board recommended, in consultation with the FDA, ending the trial early so the companies can swiftly seek authorization.
Sep 30, 4:33 pm
Daily hospital admissions down 32% in last month
Since the beginning of September, the U.S. has seen a drop of more than 27,000 patients in hospitals across the country, according to federal data. A little less than half of those patients come from Florida.
Daily hospital admissions are down by nearly 15% in the last week and by 32% in the last month, according to federal data.
The country’s daily case average has fallen to 107,000 — a 33% drop in the last month. However, about 97% of counties are still reporting “high” or “substantial” community transmission.
(CHICAGO) — Illinois State Police have opened a investigation into the death of a trooper found shot on a Chicago highway Friday.
Gerald Mason, 35, was found in his squad car suffering from a single gunshot wound at 1:42 p.m. on northbound local lanes of Interstate 94 at 43rd street, Illinois State Police announced.
Citizens on the highway, Chicago Police and ISP troopers arrived to the scene.
Mason was transported to the University of Chicago hospital with serious, life-threatening injuries. He succumbed to his injuries at 2:16 p.m.
“It is with profound heartache and unfathomable sadness that we inform you of the death of Trooper Gerald Mason. Trooper Mason was one of the many fearless Troopers assigned to ISP District Chicago. We are asking the public to respectfully give consideration to the family of Trooper Mason and the whole ISP family while we continue to grieve and work through this tragedy,” Director Brendan Kelly said in a statement.
Mason was an 11-year veteran of the ISP.
Mason was on duty at the time, ABC local Chicago station WLS reported.
”Many people called Mason ‘The Hulk’. He was a solid, strong man. He even ripped his trooper pants during a foot pursuit because of those big muscles,” Kelly said in a press conference Friday evening.
Kelly highlighted the challenging work troopers face day in and day out.
“The amazing men and women that we all ask to do so much, again and again and again, may seem like superheroes on many days, but they’re not immortal. They’re not indestructible. They are human beings with hearts, minds and souls as fragile as the next person. They have a breaking point,” Kelly said.
His mother Linda Mason was heartbroken to learn of his death.
“That’s my baby. My first born,” she said to WLS. “He always wanted to be a police officer because he always wanted to protect people. He wanted to make the world a better place.”
His body was escorted in a procession from the hospital to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office with Chicago police, ISP and Chicago firefighters paying their respects.
Police have not revealed any additional information about the circumstances of the shooting but said there is no safety threat to the public or police.
(NEW YORK) — She was an animal lover in Kentucky who was a “bright ray of sunshine” to all who knew her. He was a father of two and “young soul” in Florida who could often be found out on the water on his boat. They were excited about the next chapters in their lives — for her, a wedding; for him, his first grandchild.
Samantha Wendell and Shane O’Neal both also resisted getting vaccinated against COVID-19 for months, stemming from feelings of either fear or fearlessness, before deciding to make an appointment to get the shot. But before they could, they contracted COVID-19 and, following weeks of severe illness, died last month after doctors exhausted all options, their families said.
Their two tragic tales were shared publicly on social media and to news outlets by grieving family members trying to make sense of what happened, and maybe prevent others from going through the same loss.
They also represent a population that public health experts are still trying to reach, as millions in the United States remain unvaccinated against COVID-19 as the more contagious delta variant continues to spread.
‘Misinformation killed my cousin’
Days after returning home from her Nashville bachelorette party in July, Wendell, a surgical technician from Grand Rapids, started to feel sick, her cousin, Maria Vibandor Hayes, told ABC News. Her fiance, Austin Eskew, also fell ill, she said, about a month before the two college sweethearts were set to tie the knot on Aug. 21.
Eskew recovered, but Wendell’s illness progressed to the point where she was having trouble breathing and needed to be hospitalized the second week in August, according to Vibandor Hayes. The next month was a “rollercoaster” of progress and setbacks, her cousin said. Wendell was moved to a hospital in Indiana, where she was put on a BPAP (bilevel positive airway pressure) machine to help with her breathing, but the week of her wedding she was intubated and put on a ventilator, Vibandor Hayes said.
After a few more weeks of ups and downs, Wendell’s condition didn’t improve and doctors told the family they had done everything they possibly could, her cousin said. She died on Sept. 10 from COVID-19 at the age of 29.
“I didn’t think that this would be our story,” Vibandor Hayes said. “Surely, we’re gonna have a wedding to attend before the end of the year, Sam is gonna wake up and she’ll be better and we’re going to celebrate and live life. But that was not what was the case.”
“I just never want another family to experience what our family has gone through, to say goodbye to somebody on the phone,” she said.
It was particularly hard to see what her cousin went through because Vibandor Hayes is a COVID-19 long hauler, after contracting the virus in March 2020. “I remember how I felt, I remember how I thought I could possibly die,” said Vibandor Hayes, who still suffers from brain fog.
The couple had appointments to get vaccinated after Wendell returned from her bachelorette party, but then they both got sick, Vibandor Hayes said. They had previously hesitated due to concerns of infertility, but Wendell’s mother had encouraged them to get vaccinated ahead of their wedding and honeymoon, the cousin said.
Wendell was not alone in her fears of the vaccine — others have hesitated on getting the shot due to unfounded rumors that it might lead to infertility. Medical experts and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have stressed there is no link between the vaccines and fertility.
“Misinformation killed my cousin,” Vibandor Hayes said. “She is a smart young woman, she always has been. I feel like if she was able to look at things from another perspective and that if she had all the information at her hand, that she would have eventually not hesitated for so long.”
Delta variant a turning point
Shane O’Neal was an avid outdoorsman who could often be found fishing, jet skiing or hunting, his daughter, Kylie Dean, told ABC News.
The resident of Maxville, outside Jacksonville, wasn’t too concerned about getting vaccinated against COVID-19 — he mostly kept to himself on his boat when he wasn’t at his construction company, Dean said.
“He knew [COVID-19] was real, and he knew what was going on, but I don’t think he lived his life in fear of it,” Dean said.
The “turning point,” she said, was the delta variant, which has fueled a surge of cases and hospitalizations, particularly in the Jacksonville area.
“He knew people affected by it, that it’s not something that’s going away, it’s actually coming back with a vengeance almost,” Dean said. “So that’s why he was like, you know what, I’m just going to go ahead and do it.”
The week O’Neal planned to get the vaccine, though, he tested positive for COVID-19 in early August, his daughter said. He was hospitalized a week later and eventually put on a ventilator. He was a good candidate for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) treatment, a last resort for COVID-19 patients, though his hospital didn’t have the machine available, Dean said. After she put out a plea for an ECMO bed, doctors were able to find him one. But his condition deteriorated, and he died in the early morning hours of Sept. 3 at the age of 40.
About 20 minutes after he died, Dean gave birth to her baby boy, O’Neal’s first grandchild.
“I literally broke down, hysterically crying,” Dean said of when she got the call that her dad was going to pass soon. “I didn’t want him to die alone.”
The family is still “in shock,” Dean said. Her father was young and had no comorbidities, but his illness progressed rapidly.
Dean, an intensive care unit nurse, hopes to improve access to ECMO therapy and has been speaking out to warn others about the virus and urge them to protect themselves. “It’s a monster and people need to be careful,” she told ABC News Jacksonville affiliate WJXX.
Personal perspective
Wendell’s and O’Neal’s stories are akin to others shared by family members. Other recent reports of people who planned to get vaccinated but died after contracting COVID-19 include a 53-year-old former Texas councilman, a 39-year-old Illinois teacher, a 48-year-old teacher in Florida, and a 20-year-old college student in North Carolina.
Nearly all COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths are among people who are unvaccinated, as health care workers and in some cases those hospitalized themselves plead for vaccination.
As of Wednesday, some 70 million people who are eligible to get the COVID-19 vaccine remain unvaccinated, according to federal data. Over 65% of those ages 12 and up are fully vaccinated nationwide, which is low considering the level of access to free vaccines in the U.S., Rupali Limaye, director of Behavioral and Implementation Science at the International Vaccine Access Center, based at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, told ABC News.
At this stage, two main forces may get someone who is hesitant vaccinated, Limaye said — one is hearing about someone regretting not getting the vaccine, the other a vaccine mandate.
“If someone they know themselves is dealing with a very severe case, and someone they know dies from it or they’re close to death, I think that tends to change their mind,” Limaye said. “Or the vaccine mandate, because then that’s sort of an economic sanction.”
Hesitancy continues to be fueled by safety concerns and distrust of the vaccine development process, as well as the belief that preventative measures are unnecessary, she said. Public health experts continue to work to dispel misinformation, but hearing personal stories could be impactful.
“If it is someone that you know where you can hear from a friend, ‘This is what happened to my mom,’ I think that puts it into perspective for people a lot versus just public health folks saying you should get it,” Limaye said. “I think it makes it much more real.”
Vibandor Hayes said she has received “hate mail” from strangers after urging people to get vaccinated, but wants to continue to speak out to help prevent another family from experiencing the same heartbreak.
“If this is the gift she has left us, to share with others, then that’s what we’ll do,” Vibandor Hayes said.
The White Stripes‘ 2001 performance at the Detroit Institute of Arts museum is being released as a live album and concert film.
Live at the Detroit Institute of Arts will be available as a two-LP and DVD set as part of the latest installment in the Third Man Records Vault subscription service. The package also includes previously unseen photos from the performance, as well as a a custom gatefold jacket.
For a band known for playing unique venues, this particular White Stripes performance may have taken the cake. The show smashed the museum’s single-day attendance record, and found the overflowing crowd getting up close and personal with the artwork in a way for which the staff was not prepared. As one museum executive said of the show, “That was the best thing we’ve ever done. It was also the worst thing we’ve ever done.”
Luckily, as a press release says, “The only noticeable damage done on that evening was the ringing of eardrums.”
To obtain Live at the Detroit Institute of Arts for yourself, you need to sign up for the Third Man Vault before October 31. You can subscribe now via ThirdManStore.com.
Jeff Kravitz/MTV VMAs 2021/Getty Images for MTV/ViacomCBS
David Lee Roth has released his recent solo song, “Lo-Rez Sunset,” as a digital single, and also has debuted an animated music video for the quirky, acoustic-driven tune on his YouTube channel.
The surreal video features animated illustrations created by the Van Halen frontman, depicting Diamond Dave apparently stranded on a desolate beach accompanied by a frog-like creature, a horse and other critters.
Dave proceeds to head out to sea with his froggy friend on a rowboat he finds on the beach, but he eventually ends up back where he started. Near the end of the clip, he also happens to find a rocket ship on the beach, but perhaps his adventures are all just a daydream.
“Lo-Rez Sunset” is a jangly, melodic pop tune that initially debuted as one of five songs featured in Dave’s online interactive comic book The Roth Project, which premiered in fall 2020. The track features current Rob Zombie/former DLR Band member John 5 on guitar and bass, as well as drummer Greg Bissonette on drums, keyboardist Brett Tuggle and percussionist Luis Conte.
Meanwhile, after revealing during a backstage interview with Us Weekly at the recent 2021 MTV Video Music Awards that he had plans to play “Las Vegas on New Year’s,” Roth has now confirmed that he’ll be performing five upcoming concerts at the House of Blues Las Vegas, including shows on New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day, and on January 5, 7 and 8.
Roth’s “Rock Vegas” residency will feature “a changing set of 26 instantly recognizable songs, including ‘Jump,’ ‘Panama” and ‘California Girls.'”
Pre-sale tickets and VIP packages for the concerts are available now. Tickets go on sale to the general public starting Saturday, October 2, at 10 a.m. PT.
