(NEW YORK) — Consumer demand has soared for some grocery store products and retailers are scrambling to keep up.
According to The Wall Street Journal, some grocers are struggling to keep items in stock. From kid-favorite frozen waffles to certain beverages and Lunchables, the fight to keep store shelves filled with many popular brands is real.
“In the 50 years I’ve been in the business, we’ve never seen the markets like they are today. They’re wild,” Stew Leonard, CEO of his eponymous Northeast-based grocery chain, told Good Morning America.
Kraft Heinz said in a statement it is “seeing an all-time high demand for our brands.”
Kraft said it’s seen “double-digit growth for the first time in five years.”
The company told ABC News that it has increased production to meet demand and is “working fast and furiously to get more product into the hands of consumers as soon as possible.”
In the meantime, as demand outpaces supply for some items, Leonard said his stores have tried to come up with new solutions.
“Lobster is probably at a record high right now as far as the price per pound and lobster rolls are a big hit,” he said. “One of the things we’ve done is make a shrimp roll right now.”
According to the Food Marketing Institute, a national trade association, demand pressures have yet to go back to pre-pandemic levels. The food and retail organization told ABC News that a combination of factors such as shortages of materials and ingredients, combined with labor and transportation, “will continue to be disruptive and will create an uneven supply chain recovery, but we ask that shoppers hold on as we continue to recalibrate.”
Market research firm IRI, which examines consumer, shopper and retail market intelligence, found in its data that monthly grocery store sales are up 3% from last year and nearly 14% from August 2019.
The change, according to IRI, comes down to the simple factor that consumers have been eating at home more and out less.
“So many behaviors changed during the pandemic. And that’s kind of what we’re experiencing. There’s a lot more confidence in the kitchen,” Joan Driggs, vice president of content and thought leadership for IRI, told GMA. “We have a whole new generation of cooks out there who like it, they get more of exactly what they want, they take great pride in it.”
Driggs is telling consumers there’s no need to panic shop.
“People are able to go and fulfill their list — I don’t think we’re going to go back to that big stop, stock up panic shopping that we experienced in the spring of 2020,” he said.
If you’re looking for any scoop about Levar Burton and his possible future as the host of Jeopardy! following Mike Richards‘ short stint, don’t ask the man himself.
The affable Star Trek: The Next Generation and Reading Rainbow star was tracked by a TMZ reporter to a Staples store in Los Angeles, where he asked Burton about the gig.
“No comment,” a masked Burton replied, adding, “I’ve got nothing to say.”
The reporter persisted, insisting he — and “so many people” — were pulling for him, to which a giggling Burton noted, “What does ‘no comment’ mean?”
Well, at least he answered that in the form of a question.
Officially, the search for a new host continues after Richards stepped down last week in light of past insensitive comments he made on a podcast. In the meantime, Mayim Bialik, who was recently announced as a host for Jeopardy! specials, is filling in behind the podium.
Burton is a fan favorite to host Jeopardy! and was one of the guest hosts, along with Bialik, prior to Richards’ being announced as host.
Spencer Elden, who was photographed as a baby for the cover of Nirvana‘s Nevermind, is suing the band for child pornography.
The suit, which was obtained and posted by Pitchfork, alleges Nirvana committed “commercial child sexual exploitation of [Elden] from while he was a minor to the present day” with the album artwork, which depicts the then-infant Elden swimming underwater naked while reaching for a dollar bill.
“Defendants knowingly produced, possessed, and advertised commercial child pornography depicting Spencer, and they knowingly received value in exchange for doing so,” the suit reads.
Defendants named in the suit include the late Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love, who’s the executor of her husband’s estate, as well as drummer Dave Grohl, bassist Krist Novoselic and former member Chad Channing. Photographer Kirk Weddle, art director Robert Fisher and labels including Universal Music Group, Geffen Records, Warner Records and MCA Music are also named.
“Neither Spencer nor his legal guardians ever signed a release authorizing the use of any images of Spencer or of his likeness, and certainly not of commercial child pornography depicting him,” the suit reads. It also accuses Nirvana of specifically choosing to show Elden reaching for a dollar in an effort to depict him “like a sex worker.”
Nirvana nor any of its members have responded publicly to the suit as of Wednesday morning.
Nevermind was released September 24, 1991. It’s considered perhaps the most defining album of the ’90s grunge and alternative scene — if not the entire decade — and has been certified Diamond by the RIAA for over 10 million copies sold.
Lorde‘s debut album Pure Heroine celebrates its eighth anniversary next month, and the singer admits to feeling pure nostalgia when thinking about her first studio effort.
Speaking to Apple Music 1’s Zane Lowe, the “Royals” singer expressed, “That album, to me, is just that mixture of toughness and cluelessness that you have at 15.”
“I felt totally invincible and also totally uninformed, or very specifically informed by my existence up to that point, being a kid on the North Shore,” said Lorde, now 24. “It’s so cozy to me when I think about it.”
The Grammy winner said she recently listened to Pure Heroine again and was brought straight back into her teenage mindset when flipping through the tracks.
“I was like, ‘Man, just the feeling of being out after dark as a kid, waiting at some bus stop or being in someone’s car, it was kind of exotic to be on your own and doing your own thing,'” she grinned. “I was tough at that age. It’s cool to think about baby [me.]”
Lorde, who released her new album Solar Power on Friday, demonstrated how much she’s grown as an artist since her 2013 debut.
“I definitely thought about wellness in many forms for this album,” she said, taking note of the single “Mood Ring” and the vibe it exudes. “This song is very much getting at the deep weirdness to it and the questionable elements of white women like me, trying to achieve a sense of spiritual oneness. Whether they’re burning sage or palo santo or having this crystal around.”
She continued, “I was really careful to say, ‘Look, I’m not a climate activist. I’m a pop star.’ I have this massive machine. I’m trying to symbolize my commitment to be better, environmentally.”
(NEW YORK) — Tennis star Serena Williams will not compete in this year’s U.S. Open tournament, another setback in her quest to win her first Grand Slam title since giving birth to her daughter.
Williams, who will turn 40 next month, announced on social media that a torn hamstring injury will keep her from competing at Flushing Meadows in New York.
“After careful consideration and following the advice of my doctors and medical team, I have decided to withdraw from the US Open to allow my body to heal completely from a torn hamstring,” Williams wrote on Instagram. “New York is one of the most exciting cities in the world and one of my favorite places to play — I’ll miss seeing the fans but will be cheering everyone from afar.”
Williams has not competed since injuring her right leg in in her first-round match at Wimbledon in June, according to ESPN.
Williams’ U.S. Open withdrawal ends her bid this year to win a Grand Slam tournament, which would be her 24th Grand Slam title and her first since giving birth to her daughter, Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr., in 2017.
The four Grand Slam tournaments in tennis are the U.S. Open, Wimbledon, the French Open and the Australian Open.
Winning a 24th Grand Slam title would tie Williams with Margaret Court for single majors titles.
It would also make her a member of the very small club of professional tennis player moms who have won Grand Slam titles, joining only Court, Evonne Goolagong and Kim Clijsters.
The last mom to win a Grand Slam title was Clijsters in 2009 at the Australian Open, according to the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA).
Williams won her first singles title since becoming a mom in January 2020.
Lizzo dropped her Cardi B-assisted single “Rumors” almost two weeks ago, but there’s one line that people seem to be stuck on.
At one point in the track, Lizzo says, “No I ain’t [expletive] Drake yet.” While appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Tuesday, guest host Niall Horan asked the singer to “explain.”
“Okay. So the original line was ‘No I ain’t [expletive] Niall yet but…the label said it was a little bit provocative,” the Grammy winner joked. “So…I changed it to Drake, a safer bet.”
When asked if she’s heard from the Toronto rapper, Lizzo made reference to where she landed on the Billboard music charts, cheekily saying, “I think he’s heard the #4 song in the country.”
On a serious note, Lizzo quickly added, “I have heard from Drake, but that’s all I’m going to say on that.”
Whether that means the two hitmakers will be collaborating on music soon, or whether they’ll be taking their relationship to another level, fans will just have to wait and see.
Whoopi Goldberg is apparently fed up with cancel culture, and she spoke about it during an appearance at the Edinburgh TV Festival on Tuesday, according to Variety.
The View co-host, who was there to deliver the annual International Icon Interview, said, “I feel like the truth doesn’t seem to matter as much these days.”
“Because there is cancel culture, people will call or text and say, ‘I’m not buying your product. This is who you have talking about your product, me and my five million followers — if you keep her — we’re not going to buy your car, or we’re not going to buy your shampoo or we’re not going to buy your toothbrush or we’re not going to buy your Pampers,” Goldberg went on.
The Oscar winner, who said she was out of work for five years after she allegedly joked about President George W. Bush in 2004, was able to restart her career when Barbara Walters offered her a hosting gig on The View.
“Lucky for me, Barbara Walters offered me a job and said, ‘Hey, would you like to do this?’” the 65-year-old comedian and TV personality recalled. “And I was like, ‘You know, I’m not in favor in the general public.’ [Barbara] said, ‘You’ll be perfect.’”
Asked whether she considered herself as having been canceled at the time because of the Bush joke, Goldberg replied, “No. I would describe that situation as a lot of people covering their backsides, because the joke was never about him.”
“But no one ever stood up and said, ‘Hey, here’s what actually happened.’ And they put it in the newspaper,” she continued. “They’d never seen what I exactly said, or what I said at all. But all somebody has to do is say you said it.”
Photo by Washington County Sheriff’s Office via Getty Images
Attorneys for 19 Kids and Counting star Josh Duggar have asked a judge to dismiss the child pornography case against him.
E! News obtained copies of the filing, in which Duggar’s attorneys requested the court to dismiss both charges against him, that of possessing and receiving child pornography.
His attorneys argue that investigators failed to preserve “exculpatory evidence” that could have helped exonerate Duggar, 33. In addition, his legal team claims that two acting secretaries of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security were not properly appointed when the Duggar investigation was unfolding, which they claim merits dismissal of the charges.
In addition to seeking dismissal, the reality star’s lawyers also requested the court prevent certain evidence from being shown in court, should it head to trial — such as statements Duggar provided police before speaking to his lawyer, as well as photos of their client’s hands and feet, which they claim were not authorized.
Duggar is accused of downloading child sexual abuse material, some of which depicts children younger than 12, and having it in his possession in May of 2019, according to the indictment. He has pleaded not guilty. If convicted on all charges, he could face up to 40 years in prison.
Duggar has been the focus of several controversies over the years, starting in 2006 when he was investigated for allegedly molesting five underage girls when he was a teenager. Since then, two of his sisters — Jill, 30, and Jessa, 28 — have come forward as two of his victims.
(NEW YORK) — Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, one in five kids in the U.S. has experienced anxiety, according to data published this month in JAMA Pediatrics, a medical journal.
Now with most kids returning to school in-person this year amid the delta variant and as mask mandate debates continue throughout the country, it is to be expected that anxiety and stress levels may again be on the rise, experts say.
“We need to make space for the fact that kids may be experiencing very new things,” said Dave Anderson, Ph.D., vice president of school and community programs at the Child Mind Institute, an organization dedicated to mental health work with children and families. “It’s really important
to say, ‘Just because we’re excited to be returning to some sense of normalcy, what do I need to support you around? What might you be nervous about?'”
Leena and Sunil Saini, of Newtown, Pennsylvania, said they are in the midst of anxiety-inducing change as they send their daughters, Kirina and Ela, to school after socially isolating together for the past 18 months.
“We’ve been in this protective bubble until now and now we’re sending them out into the world,” said Leena Saini, whose husband, Sunil, is also returning to work in-person. “Sending them back to school now, it’s kind of anxiety-provoking, and what’s hard is we as parents are anxious, but don’t want to transfer that anxiety to our kids.”
Here are four tips from Anderson to help the anxiety families like the Sainis are experiencing in this time of big changes.
1. Stay calm and open with your child.
While parents like the Sainis’ may be worried about pushing their own anxiety onto their children, Anderson said it is okay for parents to talk to a certain extent with their kids about how they’re feeling.
“The answer is always something in moderation,” said Anderson. “We don’t want a parent to fully suppress everything that they’re feeling.”
When talking with their kids about school, parents should try not to ask leading questions, like, “Are you nervous about going back to school?” according to the Child Mind Institute’s back to school guide.
Anderson recommends parents listen to and validate their child’s feelings by telling them, “We know you’re going to have feelings. Those feelings are very valid. Let’s focus on the things that might you might be optimistic about this particular change, and then beyond that, we’re just going to take it as it comes.”
And parents themselves can help to ease their own anxiety by, first, taking a deep breath, according to Anderson. He noted that parents may also find it helpful to review the procedures their child’s school has put in place to help ease their worries.
2. Reassure your child you’ll still have time with them.
For many families, the pandemic lockdown meant more time together than they were used to spending. For some children, adjusting back to the routine of being apart during the day may prove difficult, according to Anderson.
“We can say to kids, ‘Even as I go back to the office, maybe those days where you see me less, know that I have valued this time where we’ve been able to see each other, and there will still be days when that rhythm is still kind of there,'” he said. “And I think kids get comforted by that.”
3. Talk to your child about things to do to stay safe.
Wearing face masks and taking other safety measures against COVID-19 may be anxiety-inducing for some students who are being asked by their parents to do so when their peers are not.
Especially when it comes to masks, which have become a heated debate in some school districts, parents should have conversations with their child ahead of time, according to Anderson.
“It’s going back and saying to the child, ‘Well, look, we’ve made the decision that you’re going to wear a mask. We’re going to find you a good fitting one,'” said Anderson, who added that parents can also talk to their child about when they can take mask breaks and the fact that some classmates may be unmasked. “And the reality is that any child who’s in a mixed-mask environment is going to feel comfortable fairly quickly with that norm, likely even more quickly than adults.”
4. Focus on sleep, diet and movement.
In addition to focusing on kids’ feelings, parents should also pay attention to what their kids are eating and how much sleep and movement they’re getting, according to Anderson.
Those elements of an overall healthy lifestyle can help children, and parents, cope with stress.
“It’s going back to basic wellness habits. Get some sleep, make sure you’re feeding yourself, make sure you’re moving your body in some way and that you’re getting some sort of social support,” said Anderson. “If you can check off those boxes a bit, you’re going to be better able to confront the challenges.”
Bonus tips:
Encourage flexibility.
A lesson from the pandemic is that anything can change at any time, so parents should prepare their children to be flexible and prepared for potential changes with school, according to the Child Mind Institute’s back to school guide.
“It’s helpful for kids to know that you’re prepared for changes that may occur. Let your child know that the whole family is going to have to be flexible,” the guide recommends.
Know when to seek help.
Parents can look for several behavior changes in their child that signal it is time to seek professional mental health help.
Those changes include having severe meltdowns at drop-off time for more than two or three weeks, and being unable to recover or to even stay at school, for more than three or four weeks, or having school-related worries that cause repeated headaches and stomachaches, constant visits to the school nurse, or refusal to go to school, according to the Child Mind Institute.
Sayed Khodaiberdi Sadat/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
(KABUL, Afghanistan) — Chaos has enveloped Kabul after Afghanistan’s government’s collapsed and the Taliban seized control, all but ending America’s 20-year campaign as it began: under Taliban rule.
The U.S. has evacuated approximately 37,000 people since the effort began on Aug. 14, Pentagon officials said Monday, while reiterating their focus remains on maintaining the airport perimeter and increasing the number of evacuees out of Kabul ahead of the Aug. 31 withdrawal deadline.
President Joe Biden sat down with ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos for an exclusive one-on-one interview at the White House last week, the president’s first interview since the withdrawal from Afghanistan. Biden has also addressed the nation several times since.
Here are the latest developments. All times Eastern:
Aug 25, 7:18 am
US evacuates 19,000 people from Kabul in past 24 hours
The United States has evacuated and facilitated the evacuation of some 82,300 people from Kabul since Aug. 14 when the Taliban closed in on Afghanistan’s capital, according to a White House official.
In a 24-hour period from Tuesday to Monday, 42 U.S. military flights carried approximately 11,200 evacuees out of Kabul. Another 7,800 people were evacuated via 48 coalition aircraft. Since the end of July, approximately 87,900 people have been relocated from Kabul via U.S. military and coalition flights, the White House official said.
Aug 25, 6:20 am
World Bank freezes aid to Taliban-ruled Afghanistan
The World Bank said it has suspended funding for projects in Afghanistan in the wake of the Taliban’s return to power, becoming the latest international organization to do so.
“We are deeply concerned about the situation in Afghanistan and the impact on the country’s development prospects, especially for women,” a World Bank spokesperson told ABC News in a statement Wednesday. “We have paused disbursements in our operations in Afghanistan and we are closely monitoring and assessing the situation in line with our internal policies and procedures.”
“As we do so, we will continue to consult closely with the international community and development partners,” the spokesperson added. “Together with our partners we are exploring ways we can remain engaged to preserve hard-won development gains and continue to support the people of Afghanistan.”
The World Bank, headquartered in Washington, D.C., has committed some $5.3 billion for reconstruction and development projects in Afghanistan since 2002.
Last week, the International Monetary Fund announced that its financial resources will no longer be accessible to Afghanistan due to a “a lack of clarity within the international community” over the country’s government, after the Taliban seized control of the capital.
Aug 24, 9:09 pm
2 House lawmakers take unauthorized trip to Kabul amid evacuation operation
Veterans and Reps. Peter Meijer, R-Mich., and Seth Moulton, D-Mass., traveled to Afghanistan to review the situation at the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul – an unauthorized trip they are now defending amid criticism that they distracted from the evacuation mission.
The Washington Post first reported on their unauthorized trip, and the anger it prompted inside the Pentagon and State Department as officials work around-the-clock to evacuate endangered Americans and Afghans.
Their trip prompted the letter to lawmakers House Speaker Nancy Pelosi sent Tuesday that said travel to the region would distract from the ongoing evacuations.
Official travel by members of the House must be approved by the speaker or relevant committee chairs.
In a joint statement, the two representatives said they conducted the visit in secret to gather information about operations there and not disrupt them.
They provided few details on what they learned — except to say how proud they are of the U.S. officials — military and civilian — on the ground. They added that “Washington” should be “ashamed” of the position they’ve put these public servants in.
They added that they went into the visit wanting Biden to extend his deadline, but after talking to commanders on the ground, it is impossible to get “everyone out on time,” even if Biden pushed back the full withdrawal until Sept. 11.
“Sadly and frustratingly, getting our people out depends on maintaining the current, bizarre relationship with the Taliban,” they said in the statement.
While a congressional delegation to this humanitarian crisis took up time and seats, the two lawmakers defended themselves in their statement by saying in part, “We left on a plane with empty seats, seated in crew-only seats to ensure that nobody who needed a seat would lose one because of our presence.”
Aug 24, 7:52 pm
Pelosi warns lawmakers to avoid travel to Afghanistan
In a dear colleague letter, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi warned lawmakers to avoid traveling to Afghanistan given security concerns.
“Given the urgency of this situation, the desire of some Members to travel to Afghanistan and the surrounding areas is understandable and reflective of the high priority that we place on the lives of those on the ground,” she wrote. “However, I write to reiterate that the Departments of Defense and State have requested that Members not travel to Afghanistan and the region during this time of danger.”
“Member travel to the Afghanistan and the surrounding countries would unnecessarily divert needed resources from the priority mission of safely and expeditiously evacuating (Americans) and Afghans at risk from Afghanistan,” she continued.
