Last week, BTS teamed up with Coldplay‘s Chris Martin for an episode of YouTube Originals’ series RELEASED. Now the two are teaming up on music.
“My Universe,” a collaboration between the superstar British band and BTS, will be released on September 24. Produced by Max Martin, it was co-written by both acts and is sung in both English and Korean. You can pre-order it now atmyuniverse.coldplay.com.
“My Universe” is the second single from Coldplay’s upcoming album Music of the Spheres, due out October 15.
(NEW YORK) — Tropical Storm Nicholas is closing in on Texas where a hurricane watch has been issued along the coast.
Nicholas, now churning with 60 mph winds, could strengthen to a hurricane when it makes landfall Monday (hurricanes have 74 mph or higher winds).
Nicholas is slow moving and will likely remain in Texas from Monday to Wednesday.
Flash flooding is possible along the Texas coast, including Houston. Some areas could see about 1 foot of rain.
Storm surge could be as high as 5 feet south of Galveston.
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner in a tweet Monday morning urged residents to stay off the roads.
In Louisiana, where residents are still recovering from the devastating hurricanes Laura and Ida, Gov. John Bel Edwards has declared a state of emergency.
“The most severe threat to Louisiana is in the Southwest portion of the state, where recovery from Hurricane Laura and the May flooding is ongoing. In this area heavy rain and flash flooding are possible,” the governor said in a statement. “However, it is also likely that all of South Louisiana will see heavy rain this week, including areas recently affected by Hurricane Ida. This tropical storm has the potential to disrupt some power restoration and recovery work currently underway.”
Ashton Kutcher continues to reap the consequences of igniting the great celebrity bathing debate of 2021, with things coming to a head at college football game that he recently attended.
Kutcher was serving as ESPN’s College GameDay guest picker on Saturday when the crowd at the Iowa State vs The University of Iowa football match began to loudly clap and chant “take a shower.” The That 70s Show alum was speaking about his new charity initiative when the stadium erupted, which partially drowned out his response.
The 43-year-old ignored the jeering and has yet to reference the incident on social media. However, the heckling happened live on television, with clips of the awkward interaction now going viral on Twitter.
Kutcher, along with wife Mila Kunis, first surprised the internet about their bathing habits in July when candidly revealing on the Armchair Expertpodcast that they do not bathe their children every day. While the two attested that they wash their armpits, face and private parts on the daily, their remarks ignited a firestorm over proper hygiene.
While celebs such as Kristen Bell and Jake Gyllenhaal defended Kunis and Kutcher by revealing that they, too, don’t wash themselves daily, others like Dwayne Johnson and CardiB made sure the public knew that they were firmly on the “bathe every day” train.
Kunis and Kutcher couple laughed off their now-viral interaction last month and even shared a hilarious clip of themselves bathing their young kids.
(NEW YORK) — The United States is facing a COVID-19 surge this summer as the more contagious delta variant spreads.
More than 659,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 while over 4.6 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 63% of Americans ages 12 and up are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Sep 13, 9:35 am
North Carolina school board votes to stop quarantines, contact tracing
In Union County, North Carolina, the school board voted Monday to end quarantines and contact tracing, meaning students can go to school even if they’ve been in close contact with someone who tested positive, ABC Charlotte affiliate WSOC reported.
Students and staff can only stay home if they test positive or have symptoms, WSOC said.
Sep 12, 9:14 pm
Nearly 74% of eligible Americans have at least 1 vaccine dose
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released its latest vaccine numbers Sunday afternoon and revealed that over 209.2 million Americans 12 and older have received a COVID-19 vaccine dose.
That represents 73.8% of all Americans 12 and older, the agency said.
In 13 states, over 80% of the population has at least one dose, CDC data shows.
Hawaii is in the lead, as 88% of its residents have at least one shot, according to the CDC. West Virginia is last, as just 54.6% of its residents over 12 have at least one dose, the CDC data shows.
More than 40.9 million COVID-19 cases have been confirmed in the U.S. since the pandemic began, according to Johns Hopkins University’s Coronavirus Resource Center.
And more than 659,000 Americans have been killed by the virus.
Sep 11, 4:25 pm
West Hollywood orders restaurants, bars and gyms to require vaccination proof indoors
The city of West Hollywood, California, issued an emergency executive order Friday requiring patrons to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination to enter the indoor portions of businesses such as restaurants, bars and gyms.
The order comes “as the transmission rate of the COVID-19 delta variant remains high in Los Angeles and throughout the entire nation,” the city said in news release.
Anyone 18 or older must show proof of vaccination prior to entering “any indoor portion of a facility, subject only to certain exceptions.” The requirement should be enacted “as soon as possible but no later than Oct. 11,” according to the order.
Individuals who do not provide proof of full vaccination will be allowed to use outdoor portions of business facilities.
Other businesses affected by the order include nightclubs, theaters, cannabis consumption lounges and entertainment venues as well as yoga studios and tattoo parlors.
Employees 18 and older and all affected businesses must “ensure all staff who routinely work onsite provide proof of full vaccination before entering or working in any indoor portion of the facility” by Nov. 1.
Sep 11, 3:01 pm
74 million in US eligible for vaccine but remain unvaccinated
Some 74 million Americans eligible for the vaccine still aren’t vaccinated, White House COVID-19 Data Director Cyrus Shahpar said Saturday.
Still, many are flocking to get their shots with “+903K doses reported administered over yesterday’s total,” Shahpar said, with 395,000 of them being new vaccinations.
Sep 10, 9:13 pm
Texas suing 6 school districts over mask mandates
The Texas attorney general has filed lawsuits against six school districts that mandate masks, the office said Friday.
The lawsuits target the school districts of Richardson, Round Rock, Galveston, Elgin, Spring and Sherman for flouting Gov. Greg Abbott’s executive order prohibiting local entities from requiring masks — what Texas Attorney General Ken Paxon referred to in a statement as “acts of political defiance.”
In a statement to ABC News, Sylvia Wood, a spokesperson for Spring Independent School District, said the district had yet to be served and had no details about the lawsuit beyond a press release.
“Spring ISD will let the legal process unfold and allow the courts to decide the merits of the case,” Wood said.
Elgin Independent School District Superintendent Jodi Duron also told ABC News the school district had not been served yet, and that schools in Travis County, part of Elgin ISD, are required to have students wear masks. “To the District’s knowledge, the Travis County Order has not been suspended,” she said.
Round Rock Independent School District spokesperson Jenny LaCoste-Caputo told ABC News the school district is following Texas Education Agency guidance that allows for mask requirements “for adults or students for whom it is developmentally appropriate” and is working with local authorities “who advise us that masks remain an essential tool in stemming the spread of COVID-19 in our classrooms.”
Sherman Independent School District told ABC News in a statement that it had not received any information on the lawsuit yet and for now “will continue to focus on promoting a safe and healthy learning environment for our students and staff.”
ABC News has reached out to the other school districts for comment.
Nearly 90 school districts currently have mask mandates, according to a list compiled by Paxton’s office. The attorney general anticipates more lawsuits if school districts “continue to defy state law,” his office said in a statement.
Several school districts have sued the state to challenge the ban on mask mandates.
Last week, the Texas Education Agency said it is not enforcing the governor’s executive order “as the result of ongoing litigation.”
(NEW YORK) — The United States is facing a COVID-19 surge this summer as the more contagious delta variant spreads.
More than 655,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 while over 4.6 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 62.7% of Americans ages 12 and up are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern.
Sep 12, 9:14 pm
Nearly 74% of eligible Americans have at least 1 vaccine dose
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released its latest vaccine numbers Sunday afternoon and revealed that over 209.2 million Americans 12 and older have received a COVID-19 vaccine dose.
That represents 73.8% of all Americans 12 and older, the agency said.
In 13 states, over 80% of the population has at least one dose, CDC data shows.
Hawaii is in the lead, as 88% of its residents have at least one shot, according to the CDC. West Virginia is last, as just 54.6% of its residents over 12 have at least one dose, the CDC data shows.
More than 40.9 million COVID-19 cases have been confirmed in the U.S. since the pandemic began, according to Johns Hopkins University’s Coronavirus Resource Center.
And more than 659,000 Americans have been killed by the virus.
Sep 11, 4:25 pm
West Hollywood orders restaurants, bars and gyms to require vaccination proof indoors
The city of West Hollywood, California, issued an emergency executive order Friday requiring patrons to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination to enter the indoor portions of businesses such as restaurants, bars and gyms.
The order comes “as the transmission rate of the COVID-19 delta variant remains high in Los Angeles and throughout the entire nation,” the city said in news release.
Anyone 18 or older must show proof of vaccination prior to entering “any indoor portion of a facility, subject only to certain exceptions.” The requirement should be enacted “as soon as possible but no later than Oct. 11,” according to the order.
Individuals who do not provide proof of full vaccination will be allowed to use outdoor portions of business facilities.
Other businesses affected by the order include nightclubs, theaters, cannabis consumption lounges and entertainment venues as well as yoga studios and tattoo parlors.
Employees 18 and older and all affected businesses must “ensure all staff who routinely work onsite provide proof of full vaccination before entering or working in any indoor portion of the facility” by Nov. 1.
Sep 11, 3:01 pm
74 million in US eligible for vaccine but remain unvaccinated
Some 74 million Americans eligible for the vaccine still aren’t vaccinated, White House COVID-19 Data Director Cyrus Shahpar said Saturday.
Still, many are flocking to get their shots with “+903K doses reported administered over yesterday’s total,” Shahpar said, with 395,000 of them being new vaccinations.
Sep 10, 9:13 pm
Texas suing 6 school districts over mask mandates
The Texas attorney general has filed lawsuits against six school districts that mandate masks, the office said Friday.
The lawsuits target the school districts of Richardson, Round Rock, Galveston, Elgin, Spring and Sherman for flouting Gov. Greg Abbott’s executive order prohibiting local entities from requiring masks — what Texas Attorney General Ken Paxon referred to in a statement as “acts of political defiance.”
In a statement to ABC News, Sylvia Wood, a spokesperson for Spring Independent School District, said the district had yet to be served and had no details about the lawsuit beyond a press release.
“Spring ISD will let the legal process unfold and allow the courts to decide the merits of the case,” Wood said.
Elgin Independent School District Superintendent Jodi Duron also told ABC News the school district had not been served yet, and that schools in Travis County, part of Elgin ISD, are required to have students wear masks. “To the District’s knowledge, the Travis County Order has not been suspended,” she said.
Round Rock Independent School District spokesperson Jenny LaCoste-Caputo told ABC News the school district is following Texas Education Agency guidance that allows for mask requirements “for adults or students for whom it is developmentally appropriate” and is working with local authorities “who advise us that masks remain an essential tool in stemming the spread of COVID-19 in our classrooms.”
Sherman Independent School District told ABC News in a statement that it had not received any information on the lawsuit yet and for now “will continue to focus on promoting a safe and healthy learning environment for our students and staff.”
ABC News has reached out to the other school districts for comment.
Nearly 90 school districts currently have mask mandates, according to a list compiled by Paxton’s office. The attorney general anticipates more lawsuits if school districts “continue to defy state law,” his office said in a statement.
Several school districts have sued the state to challenge the ban on mask mandates.
Last week, the Texas Education Agency said it is not enforcing the governor’s executive order “as the result of ongoing litigation.”
Following its record-breaking opening last week, Disney-Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings continued its box office domination by grabbing an estimated $35.7 million in its sophomore weekend.
The latest entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe has become the fastest film to reach the $100 million mark in North America during the pandemic, while crossing the $250 million mark worldwide.
Disney/20th Century’s Free Guy nabbed second place, delivering an estimated $5.8 million in its fifth week of release. Its domestic total now stands at $101.8 million, with a global tally of $276.5 million.
This week’s only major new release, Malignant, fizzled in its opening weekend. The horror flick from James Wan, who created the Saw and Conjuring franchises, finished in third place with an estimated $5.57 million.
Another horror film, Candyman scared up an estimated $4.8 million in it third week at the box office, for a fourth-place finish.
Rounding out the top five is Disney’s Jungle Cruise, pulling in an estimated $2.5 million in its seventh week of release. The movie, based on the popular Disney theme park attraction, has racked up a total of $109.9 million stateside and $86.9 million overseas, bringing its total worldwide tally to $196.8 million.
Marvel and 20th Century Studios are owned by Disney, the parent company of ABC News.
(ATLANTA) — Four people are injured and at least two people unaccounted for after an explosion rocked an apartment complex in an Atlanta suburb Sunday afternoon, first responders said.
At 1:24 p.m. the Dunwoody, Georgia, police department received a call about the explosion at the Arrive Apartments, a luxury apartment complex roughly 15 miles north of downtown Atlanta.
At least 15 to 20 units of the three-story building were damaged in the blast, Dunwoody Deputy Fire Chief Melvin Carter told reporters at a news conference Sunday afternoon. Jaeson Daniels with DeKalb County Fire Rescue told ABC News that four people were transported to the hospital with minor injuries.
Two people were unaccounted for, he said.
“Right now we’re still searching a building, we had a lot of structural damage and structural instability to the building,” Carter said.
First responders were using thermal imaging from drones to search the building, according to officials.
Daniels said that the explosion impacted three apartment units across three floors.
A leasing manager called Atlanta Gas prior to the explosion about a reported gas order, Carter said. But the cause of the explosion is still under investigation, Daniels said.
The utility is at the scene of the explosion, assisting first responders, Carter said. A spokeswoman Atlanta Gas Light told ABC News that the utility is cooperating with the emergency response.
The gas has been shut off in the impacted buildings, the spokeswoman said.
(NEW YORK) — If you want to find the best deals for holiday flights, experts say you will find the lowest prices of the season this week.
Airlines are being forced to drop fares this fall as business travelers that used to fill the skies are opting to work from home.
Nationwide domestic fares are projected to plummet 10% this month, with tickets expected to average $260 round trip, according to travel-booking app Hopper.
The cheapest destination this fall is Fort Lauderdale at $169 roundtrip — the only destination in the country that is still under $200.
Outdoor destinations are still overwhelming popular, Hopper says, with flights to Colorado Springs averaging $243.
International fares are also hitting record lows.
Flights from Washington D.C. to Dublin are a mere $281, and a ticket from Los Angeles to Paris will only cost you $305.
“We are seeing great prices to Europe, historically low in fact,” Hopper Economist Adit Damodaran told ABC News. “And as we approach Thanksgiving, we’re expecting prices for European travel to not only be lower than pre-pandemic 2019 airfares but also lower than 2020 airfares.”
If you are monitoring flights for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Hanukkah, analysts say these low prices won’t last long.
“We found that the absolute cheapest prices are going to start appearing around mid-September or this week,” Damodaran said. “Make sure you’re booking at least four weeks in advance, at least three weeks in advance for Thanksgiving as well.”
Hopper predicts fliers will face an 11% increase in fares by November, making Halloween the cut-off for finding any potential deals.
“We expect that prices will remain relatively low until about Halloween, so that’s kind of the day where if you know you get to Halloween, that’s when you should definitely book if you haven’t booked yet,” Damodaran said. “Because after Halloween, we’re expecting prices for Thanksgiving to start rising about 40% for domestic and international flights for Christmas.”
Scott Keyes, founder of Scott’s Cheap Flights and author of “Take More Vacations,” recommends at the very least starting to monitor flights you are thinking of taking in November or December.
“Right now we are in that sort of Goldilocks window when cheap flights are most likely to pop up,” Keyes said, “And so now is when you should be monitoring and pulling the trigger when you see a flight price that you really like that’s attractive to you for the particular route that you’re hoping to fly.”
He said you could wind up paying double the price if you wait another few weeks.
“Be one of those folks planning ahead, getting the better deals that we’re seeing pop up now,” he recommended, “and don’t be one of the folks who put it off and procrastinate and wind up paying double the price for their flights than folks who booked ahead.”
(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Sunday’s sports events:
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
INTERLEAGUE
Milwaukee 11, Cleveland 1
Arizona 5, Seattle 4
NY Mets 7, NY Yankees 6
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Detroit 8, Tampa Bay 7
Toronto 22, Baltimore 7
Chi White Sox, 2 Boston 1
Houston 3, LA Angels 1
Kansas City 5, Minnesota 3
Texas 4 Oakland 3
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Washington 6, Pittsburgh 2
Colorado 5, Philadelphia 4
Atlanta 5, Miami 3
St. Louis 2, Cincinnati 0
San Francisco 6, Chi Cubs 5
LA Dodgers 8, San Diego 0
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Arizona 38, Tennessee 13
Carolina 19, NY Jets 14
Cincinnati 27, Minnesota 24 (OT)
Houston 37, Jacksonville 21
LA Chargers 20, Washington 16
Philadelphia 32, Atlanta 6
Pittsburgh 23, Buffalo 16
San Francisco 41, Detroit 33
Seattle 28, Indianapolis 16
Denver 27, NY Giants 13
Kansas City 33, Cleveland 29
Miami 17, New England 16
New Orleans 38, Green Bay 3
LA Rams 34, Chi 14
WOMEN’S NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Washington 79, Chicago 71
Minnesota 90, Indiana 80
Los Angeles 81, Seattle 53
MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER
Los Angeles FC 3, Real Salt Lake 2
Ashley McBryde is one of the most-nominated artists at the upcoming 55th Annual CMA Awards, competing for Female Vocalist of the Year, as well as Single and Song of the Year for her top-10 hit “One Night Standards.”
But the “Little Dive Bar in Dahlonega” hitmaker is not just sitting back waiting for her next trophy. She’s already hard at work on the follow-up to last year’s Never Will.
“We jumped back in the studio August 8th,” she recently told ABC Audio backstage at the Opry. “So this is our first time to make a record this way.”
“We usually get everything together,” she explains, “get our ducks in a row, go rehearse it, talk to [producer] Jay [Joyce] about it, select which ones we’re gonna keep, and go cut ’em. And we’re not able to do that right now ’cause we’re on the road.”
That means historic venues like the Grand Ole Opry are often testing grounds for the new tunes from Ashley and her band Deadhorse.
“We’re using soundchecks to kind of test and arrange a song, and then we may throw it in the set that night and see if it sinks or swims,” she says. “And that’s how we’re choosing what’s going on this record right now. So it’s a little bit nerve-racking, but the first three I’m very happy with.”
She adds, “We’re gonna do one of them tonight. We’re gonna do ‘Whiskey and Country Music’ tonight.”
This fall, you can listen for new music from Ashley as she’s on tour with longtime pal Luke Combs. Meanwhile, the Grand Ole Opry is counting down to its mammoth 5000th show on October 30.
