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COVID-19 live updates: Michigan hospital officials warn of strained health system

November 23, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — As the COVID-19 pandemic has swept the globe, more than 5.1 million people have died from the disease worldwide, including over 772,000 Americans, according to real-time data compiled by Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering.

Just 59.2% of the population in the United States is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Here’s how the new is developing. All times Eastern:

Nov 23, 10:46 am
Unvaccinated 9 times more likely to be hospitalized, 14 times more likely to die: CDC

In September, unvaccinated people had a 5.8 times greater risk of testing positive for COVID-19 compared to vaccinated individuals, according to federal data pulled from 24 states and jurisdictions that has been published on the CDC website.

The unvaccinated are 14 times more likely to die from COVID-19, according to the CDC.

At Monday’s White House COVID-19 briefing, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said unvaccinated adults are nine times more likely to be hospitalized for the virus compared to vaccinated adults.

-ABC News’ Arielle Mitropoulos

Nov 23, 9:34 am
Michigan hospital officials warn of strained health system

The Michigan Hospital Association is warning of strained health systems as COVID-19 surges across the state.

Michigan is fast approaching its highest number of COVID-19 hospitalizations since the pandemic began, with more than 3,900 patients currently receiving care, according to state data. The vast majority of patients in the ICU and on ventilators are unvaccinated.

“Most hospitals throughout the state have more patients in their emergency departments than they do available rooms and staff to care for them,” officials wrote in a statement on Monday. “This results in long wait times, patients being placed in hallways or conference rooms, and diverting patients away from a hospital because there is no physical room or medical staff available to accept more patients.”

“We are extremely concerned because our best predictions are that COVID-19 patients will continue to increase during the weeks ahead as we enter the yearly flu season,” they said.

-ABC News’ Arielle Mitropoulos

Nov 22, 2:31 pm
US sees another increase in pediatric cases

The U.S. has reported an increase in pediatric COVID-19 cases for the third week in a row.

Nearly 142,000 children tested positive in the last week, which is a 16% increase from the week prior and a 41% jump over the last three weeks, according to a new report from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children’s Hospital Association.

Nearly 6.8 million children have tested positive for COVID-19 since the pandemic began.

COVID-19 cases among children remain “extremely high,” the organizations said, and there have been almost 1.7 million additional cases since the first week of September.

The Midwest continues to see the highest number of pediatric cases.

Severe illness due to COVID-19 remains “uncommon” among children, AAP and CHA said. However, AAP and CHA continue to warn that there is an urgent need to collect more data on the long-term consequences of the pandemic on children, “including ways the virus may harm the long-term physical health of infected children, as well as its emotional and mental health effects.”

-ABC News’ Arielle Mitropoulos

Nov 22, 12:44 pm
Hospital admissions on the rise

Daily COVID-19-related hospital admissions are on the rise in the U.S., up 8.4% in the last week, according to federal data.

Nineteen states reported at least a 10% jump in hospital admissions over the last week: Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

Michigan, which is now reporting more cases than at any other point in the pandemic, has the nation’s highest infection rate, followed by Minnesota, New Mexico, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Wisconsin and Maine.

Puerto Rico, Florida and Hawaii have the nation’s lowest infection rates, according to federal data.

-ABC News’ Arielle Mitropoulos

Nov 22, 10:01 am
TSA vaccine mandate won’t impact holiday travel

About 93% of TSA employees are in compliance with Monday’s deadline for the federal employee vaccine mandate, TSA spokesperson Lisa Farbstein said.

“In compliance” means employees have had at least one shot or have filed for a medical or religious exemption.

Holiday travel won’t be impacted by the mandate, Farbstein said.

-ABC News’ Gio Benitez, Anne Flaherty

Funeral for 9-year-old Astroworld victim held Tuesday morning

November 23, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(HOUSTON) — The funeral of the youngest victim in the deadly Travis Scott Astroworld concert will be held Tuesday at 11 a.m. Nine-year-old Ezra Blount was hospitalized following the violent crowd surge at the Nov. 5 concert and later died from his injuries, his family confirmed.

Ezra was “trampled and catastrophically injured” at the festival, when a wave of concertgoers began pushing one another during Scott’s performance, according to a statement issued by the Blount family attorneys.

Ezra was on his father’s shoulders when the crowd surge began, Ezra’s grandparents told ABC Houston station KTRK.

His father, Treston, passed out and fell, and Ezra fell along with him, getting trampled by others in the crowd, according to the family’s GoFundMe. He was separated from his father, and his grandparents said they found him alone at the hospital in a coma, suffering from major organ damage and severe brain swelling.

His family has joined more than 300 Astroworld concertgoers in lawsuits being filed by civil rights attorney Ben Crump and Texas trial attorney Thomas J. Henry against the event organizers, venue management and performers at the concert.

The family’s lawsuit, filed by Crump, alleges negligence regarding crowd control, medical attention and event staffing.

“The Blount family tonight is grieving the incomprehensible loss of their precious young son,” Crump said. “This should not have been the outcome of taking their son to a concert, what should have been a joyful celebration. Ezra’s death is absolutely heartbreaking. We are committed to seeking answers and justice for the Blount family. But tonight we stand in solidarity with the family, in grief, and in prayer.”

Following the concert, Scott released a statement on the tragedy, saying, “I’m absolutely devastated by what took place last night. My prayers go out to the families and all those impacted by what happened at the Astroworld festival.”

Scott announced he will cover the funeral costs and further aid to individuals affected by the tragedy and will refund all of the Astroworld concertgoers and ticket holders. He has also said he is cooperating with investigators.

Michael …Spaceman? ‘Good Morning America’ co-host Michael Strahan going to space aboard next Blue Origin flight

November 23, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Good Morning America co-anchor Michael Strahan will fly to space on Blue Origin’s next space flight.

The Dec. 9 mission will be the New Shepard rocket’s third human flight this year and marks the first with a full astronaut manifest of six crew members in the capsule, according to Blue Origin.

Liftoff is targeted for 9:00 am CT on Thursday, Dec. 9 from the company’s Launch Site One facility in a remote area in the West Texas desert.

Strahan joins Laura Shepard Churchley, the eldest daughter of Alan Shepard — the first American to fly to space and the namesake of New Shepard — and four others on the space flight.

Space industry executive and philanthropist Dylan Taylor, investor Evan Dick, and Bess Ventures founder Lane Bess and his child, Cameron, will also be part of the crew for New Shepard’s 19th mission. Lane and Cameron Bess will become the first parent-child pair to travel to space.

Blue Origin invited Strahan to join the crew of this flight. As a crew member, Strahan will receive a stipend, which is being donated to The Boys & Girls Club.

On July 20, 2021, Amazon and Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos was among the history-making crew aboard Blue Origin’s first human flight along with his brother, Mark Bezos. Also onboard were the oldest and youngest people ever to go to space: pioneering female pilot Wally Funk, 82, and Oliver Daemon, 18.

On Blue Origin’s second crewed mission in October 2021, actor William Shatner, 90, set a new record as the oldest person ever to go to space.

Diet talk can be overwhelming at Thanksgiving. Here are tips to cope

November 23, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — A holiday like Thanksgiving that is centered on food, family and more food can be a precarious time for people struggling with eating disorders or disordered eating.

Alex Mutti, 27, of New York City, said she always loved Thanksgiving until her early teens, when she began to suffer from an eating disorder and the holiday became “really terrifying.”

She said making it through Thanksgiving became even more difficult even as she went through recovery.

“In my experience, a lot of eating disorder recovery was around eating mindfully and creating routine around my eating,” Mutti told Good Morning America. “And Thanksgiving throws all that out the window. Not many people are eating mindfully on Thanksgiving.”

“Losing that kind of routine that became safe for me was always really anxiety-provoking,” she said. “And being around the extended family and friends was difficult, even if they didn’t say anything.”

Lauren Larkin, now a mental health counselor in private practice in New York City, said she recalls many Thanksgivings she “white-knuckled” her way through the worst stages of her eating disorder, prior to recovery.

“Thanksgiving is really the holiday where you talk about food and talk about regretting the food you ate,” she said. “I would push myself to show up and act like everyone else and be like everyone else, even when maybe I couldn’t, and then I would have really intense anxiety afterwards.”

This holiday is approaching as the United States has seen a mental health crisis during the coronavirus pandemic, of which eating disorders are a major part.

The number of people who were hospitalized for eating disorders doubled in the U.S. during the pandemic, according to research published recently in JAMA Network.

And even for people who may more casually struggle with disordered eating, this Thanksgiving holiday may be more fraught with discussions on weight and looks as family members see each other for the first time in months due to the pandemic.

“I think about the stereotypical great-aunt who is stuck in the diet culture and who is going to make comments about your weight,” said Larkin. “Thanksgiving is probably the most triggering holiday for anyone who has struggled.”

As Thanksgiving Day nears, here are five tips from experts to help cope with diet and negative food talk.

1. Set boundaries.

If you are at a holiday meal with supportive family members or friends, Christy Harrison, a registered dietitian and author of the book “Anti-Diet” recommends setting boundaries ahead of time, like asking loved ones to not comment on your body or what you’re eating, and to do the same for others too.

If difficult conversation does emerge at the dinner table, Harrison suggests appealing to people on an emotional level.

“They probably care about you, they’re people you’re spending the holidays with, so talk on a human level about why diet talk hurts you or what you have found to be helpful in your own relationship with food,” she said. “And keep it focused on yourself, like, ‘for me,’ and, ‘in my experience.'”

“And if you’re not quite as close, you can say something a little less personal, like, ‘I’ve found that talking about this kind of stuff just makes the meal less fun for me,” she said.

2. Remember it is one meal, one day.

“Remember that it’s just one day, it’s just another day of eating and you can have those foods anytime you want,” said Larkin. “Try to minimize the importance and the exact rules around food and remember, you can have it anytime. You can have more. “You can have less. It’s just one day out of 365 days of the year.”

Speaking of her own recovery, she added, “Those are the kinds of conversations I had to have with myself and with my individual therapist leading up those these events until it became true for me.”

Larkin and other experts also recommend staying in a routine with meals both before and after a Thanksgiving lunch or dinner, again reinforcing that it is just one meal among many.

3. Start new traditions.

Larkin said that during certain parts of her eating disorder and her recovery, she chose to travel over the Thanksgiving holiday instead of joining family.

“I had to put my needs in front of my family’s need of wanting to see me and had to say, ‘Even though you want to see me, this holiday is too triggering and I’m not going to participate in the way that I normally would,'” she said. “That’s okay.”

In other cases, a healthy new tradition may be going to a Thanksgiving dinner hosted by friends instead of family, or organizing activities before and after a Thanksgiving meal that don’t involve sitting and talking about food, according to Larkin.

4. Have an ally by your side.

Chelsea M. Kronengold, a spokesperson for the National Eating Disorders Association, said it is important to have a support system on hand around a stressful holiday like Thanksgiving.

“If you have a therapist or a nutritionist, talk to them about your concerns prior to the holiday so you can work together on helpful coping strategies,” she said. “And in addition to professional support, if you have a friend or a family member who’s either in the room with you or available for you to text if the meal is challenging or the family dynamics are challenging, that can be extremely helpful.”

5. Practice self-compassion.

“It’s okay to acknowledge that Thanksgiving and other food and family-focused holidays won’t be easy,” said Kronengold. “If you end up restricting or bingeing, remember that tomorrow is a new day.”

“When you perpetuate that cycle of shame and guilt, it’s only going to be counterproductive to your mental health and your recovery journey,” she said.

If you or a loved one is struggling with food and body image concerns this Thanksgiving, the National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA) Helpline is available via click-to-chat on Thanksgiving Day from 12 pm – 8 pm ET. For 24/7 crisis support, text “NEDA” to 741-741.

Ahmaud Arbery death trial live updates: Prosecutor’s rebuttal begins

November 23, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(BRUNSWICK, Ga.) — The lead prosecutor got the final word on Tuesday before a Georgia jury is to begin deliberating the fates of three white men charged with trapping Ahmaud Arbery with their pickup trucks and fatally shooting the 25-year-old Black man.

Linda Dunikoski, the Cobb County, Georgia, assistant district attorney appointed as a special prosecutor in the Glynn County case, is expected to take up to two hours to rebut the closing arguments made on Monday by attorneys for the three defendants.

The jury is expected to be given the case to begin deliberations following Dunikoski’s presentation and final jury instructions from the judge.

The panel, comprised of 11 white people and one Black person, heard wildly different summations on Monday of the same evidence in the racially-charged case. Dunikoski alleged the defendants pursued and murdered Arbery because of wrong assumptions they made that the Black running through their neighborhood had committed a burglary, while defense attorney’s countered that Arbery was shot in self-defense when he resisted a citizen’s arrest.

Travis McMichael, the 35-year-old U.S. Coast Guard veteran; his father, Gregory McMichael, 65, a retired Glynn County police officer, and their neighbor, William “Roddie” Bryan, 53, each face maximum sentences of life in prison if convicted on all the charges.

The defendants have pleaded not guilty to a nine-count state indictment that includes malice murder, multiple charges of felony murder, false imprisonment, aggravated assault with a 12-gauge shotgun and aggravated assault with their pickup trucks.

The McMichaels and Bryan were also indicted on federal hate crime charges in April and have all pleaded not guilty.

Here’s how the news developed. All times Eastern:

Nov 23, 10:03 am
Defense attorneys call for a mistrial

As prosecutor Linda Dunikoski continued her rebuttal argument, defense attorneys for Greg and Travis McMichael objected several times, accusing Dunikoski of misstating the law that pertains to citizen’s arrest.

After one of the defense attorneys called for a mistrial in front of the jury, Judge Walmsley sent the panel out of the courtroom.

Walmsley appeared frustrated at all the interruptions to Dunikoski’s rebuttal, saying, “I like to get the closing arguments done.”

Walmsley denied the motion for a mistrial, telling the attorneys, “I indicated the law is going to be provided to the panel. I’ve indicated the court’s position with respect to the law.”

Nov 23, 9:42 am
‘This isn’t the Wild West’: Prosecutor

Prosecutor Linda Dunikoski went through the felony counts against the defendants, telling the jury that the evidence shows they are guilty of each charge, including malice murder.

“This isn’t the Wild West,” Dunikoski said, referring to the actions the McMichaels and Bryan allegedly took.

“But for the criminal intent at false imprisonment, but for the false imprisonment, but for the assault with the motor vehicles, but for the aggravated assault with the shotgun, he (Arbery) wouldn’t be dead. That’s how you think about it,” Dunikoski said. “You can’t take out any of these crimes. You take out any one of these crimes that they committed and he’s still alive.”

Dunikoski added, “All of the underlying felonies played a substantial and necessary part in causing the death of Ahmaud Arbery.”

Nov 23, 9:18 am
‘Ignorance of the law is no excuse’: Prosecutor

Prosecutor Linda Dunikoski began her rebuttal argument by telling the jury she wants to make sure “we are on the same page as far as the facts and the law goes.”

She said the law requires “a fair-minded and impartial juror to honestly seek the truth.”

“In other words, do you think they committed the crimes? That’s all you need. Oh, if you go, ‘Yeah, I think they committed the crimes, you’re good. That’s all you need.”

Dunikoski’s statement prompted objections from the defense attorneys that she was misstating the law. Judge Timothy Walmsley told the jury he will instruct them on the law once Dunikoski is finished.

The prosecutor then told the jury that “ignorance of the law is no excuse.”

“If you’re going to take the law into your own hands, you better know what the law is,” Dunikoski said, referring to the laws of self-defense and citizen’s arrests that the defendants are claiming.

“The state is not saying that Greg and Travis McMichael ran out of their house to go murder him,” Dunikoski said. “It started out as one thing and it escalated and it escalated until it became murder.”

Nov 22, 8:30 pm
Jury sent home for the night

After Kevin Gough, the attorney for William “Roddie” Bryan, wrapped up his closing argument, Dunikoski informed the judge that she’d need another two hours to present her rebuttal argument.

Judge Walmsley polled the jury and they said they didn’t want to stay longer.

Dunikoski will present her rebuttal argument on Tuesday morning before the jury is given final instructions on the law and sent to begin deliberations.

Court will resume at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, about a half-hour earlier than usual.

Why Jennifer Lawrence took $5M less than Leonardo DiCaprio for Netflix’s ‘Don’t Look Up’

November 23, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Why Jennifer Lawrence took M less than Leonardo DiCaprio for Netflix’s ‘Don’t Look Up’

Jennifer Lawrence and Leonardo DiCaprio both star in Netflix’s upcoming comedy Don’t Look Up, but Lawrence’s paycheck was $5 million less — and here’s why she’s okay with that.

Speaking with IndieWire, the actress, 31, candidly said of her 47-year-old costar, “Look, Leo brings in more box office than I do.”

“I’m extremely fortunate and happy with my deal,” Lawrence explains. “But in other situations, what I have seen — and I’m sure other women in the workforce have seen as well — is that it’s extremely uncomfortable to inquire about equal pay. And if you do question something that appears unequal, you’re told it’s not gender disparity, but they can’t tell you what exactly it is.”

Don’t Look Up, which was directed by Adam McKay, tells the story of two astronomers, played by Lawrence and DiCaprio, who try to warn people about a comet that could destroy the Earth. Although the Hunger Games star took a lesser payout for the film, she did receive top billing, which means her name will appear before the Titanic star’s in the credits.

“I was number-one on the call sheet,” Lawrence shared. “[Am I ok] with being number one on the call sheet? Yeah. And I thought [the credits] should reflect that.”

“Leo was very gracious about it,” she continued. “I think we had something called a Laverne & Shirley, which is this billing they invented where it’s an equal billing. But I guess maybe somewhere down the line, I kicked the stone further, like, ‘What if it wasn’t equal?'”

Don’t Look Up hits Netflix December 10.

‘GMA’ co-anchor Michael Strahan to fly to space on Blue Origin’s next space flight

November 23, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Good Morning America co-anchor Michael Strahan will fly to space on Blue Origin’s next space flight.

The Dec. 9 mission will be the New Shepard rocket’s third human flight this year and marks the first with a full astronaut manifest of six crew members in the capsule, according to Blue Origin.

Liftoff is targeted for 9:00 am CT on Thursday, Dec. 9 from the company’s “Launch Site One” facility in a remote area in the West Texas desert.

Strahan joins Laura Shepard Churchley, the eldest daughter of Alan Shepard, the first American to fly to space and the namesake of New Shepard, and four others on the space flight.

Space industry executive and philanthropist Dylan Taylor, investor Evan Dick, and Bess Ventures founder Lane Bess and his child, Cameron, will also be part of the crew for New Shepard’s 19th mission. Lane and Cameron Bess will become the first parent-child pair to fly in space.

Blue Origin invited Strahan to join the crew of this flight. As a crew member, Strahan will receive a stipend, which is being donated to The Boys & Girls Club.

On July 20, 2021, Amazon and Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos was among the history-making crew aboard Blue Origin’s first human flight along with his brother, Mark Bezos, as well as the oldest and youngest people ever to go to space, pioneering female pilot Wally Funk, 82, and Oliver Daemon, 18.

On Blue Origin’s second crewed mission in October 2021, actor William Shatner, 90, set a new record as the oldest person ever to go to space.

Wendy Williams’ brother shuts down rumors she’s confined to wheelchair, showing signs of dementia

November 23, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Wendy Williams‘ brother, Tommy, is speaking out after reports emerged that the talk show host has been confined to a wheelchair and is showing signs of dementia.

According to The Sun, Tommy said Wendy is not “displaying that type of behavior to the family.”

“We haven’t had any alerts like that and I haven’t seen anything like that or have had conversations with her that would lead me to believe that,” he said, adding that he and the rest of their family, all of whom reside in Florida, “routinely” visits and checks on Wendy.

Tommy continued, “So no, we don’t have any concerns concerning her mental state. It’s all physical.”

Wendy’s brother even shared that his sister could possibly be traveling down to Florida to spend the upcoming holiday with the family, adding, “I am trying to find out if she’s coming down for Thanksgiving. I mean, she’s normal like that.”

Tommy’s update comes after The Ricky Smiley Morning Show’s Toine The Don, also known as Antoine Edwards shared the supposed update on Wendy’s health. “It is being reported that the 57-year-old talk show host has completely lost all blood circulation in her legs and in her feet,” he said.

Wendy last gave fans an update on her health on November 8.

“HOW YOU DOIN’? I MISS YOU ALL! As everyone knows, my health has been a hot topic,” Williams said in a statement. “I’m making progress but it’s just one of those things that’s taking longer than we expected.”

Due to Wendy’s absence, The Wendy Show has aired its 13th season with a slew of celebrity guest hosts, including Leah Remini, Michael Rappaport and Sherri Shepherd. Fat Joe and Remi Ma are co-hosting for Thanksgiving week.

Malcolm X’s daughter found dead in her apartment

November 23, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Malikah Shabazz, a daughter of Malcolm X, was found dead in her Brooklyn, New York, home Monday, police told ABC News.

Shabazz, 56, was found by her daughter just before 5 p.m. ET, police said.

The death does not appear suspicious.

The news comes as two men found guilty in Malcolm X’s assassination are expected to have their convictions thrown out.

Minister and human rights activist Malcom X was killed 57 years ago in the New York City neighborhood of Washington Heights.

Shabazz was one of Malcolm X’s six daughters.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

‘The Humans’ serves up a Thanksgiving feast full of family drama

November 23, 2021 by WDNY Radio

One new movie opening this week may get you in the mood for Thanksgiving — or just happy that you’re not stuck in this family.

The Humans stars Beanie Feldstein, Amy Schumer, Steven Yeun and Richard Jenkins in a tense, funny, and dark drama. Stephen Karam wrote and directed the film, based off his own play, and he tells ABC Audio why it’s a great movie to watch on Turkey Day.

“Because it’s not your family, the joy of, I think, the entertainment value of this story is that no matter how bad things get, it’s not your family, he explains. “So I feel safe recommending it at any moment, both before or after eating.”

Karam says the beauty of The Humans is that while people relate to different characters, they always identify with someone.

“Maybe some people are the mother and are likewise this daughter’s so spoiled, and some people are 25 going, ‘Oh my God, I feel similarly clinically insane when I go home and I become like a teenager again. Like, what is this insanity, I’m 25. I shouldn’t be doing this anymore,'” he explains.

Jenkins tells ABC Audio that the squabbling family at the center of it may not be that different from your own.

“They make horrible mistakes. They do, they say, mean things to each other,” he says. “But you know, I think if we saw a film of our own Thanksgiving dinner, we’d be a little surprised at, it may not be exactly what you think it is.”

The Humans opens Wednesday in theaters and on Showtime.

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