Foo Fighters are mandating that anyone set to attend their shows in Alaska must prove they have been vaccinated against COVID-19 or have tested negative for the virus prior to the event.
Anchorage Daily Newsreports that the band, set to perform three shows in the state between August 17 and August 21, will not be requiring masks at their events, but masks are encouraged. However, the band is requiring that fans show proof of vaccination at the door or a negative COVID-19 test that was taken within 48 hours of the concert. Audience members must also show an ID that matches the information on the vaccination card or negative COVID-19 test document.
Prior to their Alaska shows, the Foos performed before a fully vaccinated audience in June at New York City’s Madison Square Garden — the venue’s first arena show since COVID-19 shut it down in March 2020.
Following its release on Friday, the duo’s new album has set a record by becoming the first country album in the streaming era to be RIAA-certified Gold upon its release, defined as 500,000 units sold.
The duo celebrated the album’s release with a concert at Centennial Park in Nashville that drew 10,000 fans.
Additionally, the Grammy-winners’ current single, “Glad You Exist,” sits at #1 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart, the latest in a streak of six consecutive #1 hits that includes “Tequila,” “Speechless,” “All to Myself,” the crossover smash “10,000 Hours,” featuring Justin Bieber, and “I Should Probably Go to Bed.” The duo has also scored three other chart-topping singles, starting with “Nothin’ Like You,” “From the Ground Up” and “How Not To.”
Dan + Shay have also announced that “Steal My Love” is their new single, with the video dropping tonight at 6 p.m. ET. They’re set to perform on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Wednesday night.
Travis Barker has reportedly refused to get on a plane since surviving a crash in 2008 that killed nearly everyone aboard. That changed on Sunday when he was photographed climbing aboard a jet — supposedly for the first time in 13 years — with girlfriend Kourtney Kardashian.
TMZ snapped photos of the Blink-182 drummer on a flight to Cabo on Kylie Jenner‘s private plane. He and Kourtney were joined Corey Gamble and Kris Jenner. TMZ reports that the flight landed safely at its destination.
In a May interview with Men’s Health, Barker shared his struggle with survivors guilt stemming from the 2008 crash, which claimed the lives of the two pilots, assistant Chris Baker and security guard Charles Stil, — and left much of his body covered in third-degree burns. Barker and Adam “DJ AM” Goldstein were the only two survivors, but Goldstein died of an overdose a year later.
The drummer, who was diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder stemming from the incident, says he committed himself to flying on a plane again because “I want to make the choice to try and overcome [my fear.]”
“Why should I still be afraid of airplanes?” he declared.
Billie Eilish‘s sophomore album, Happier Than Ever, held on to its crown as the number-one album in the country for a second week in a row.
The album, released July 30, topped the Billboard200 after moving an additional 85,000 units in its second week of release.
Eilish’s fans streamed Happier Than Ever 66.1 million times in the past week and purchased 36,000 physical copies.
This is only the second time this year an album has stayed at number one in its first two weeks of release. Morgan Wallen‘s Dangerous: The Double Album accomplished that feat at the start of the year.
Another teenager has jumped to the number-two spot on this week’s chart, with Olivia Rodrigo‘s SOUR rising to second place, moving an additional 61,000 units. The album is boosted by two of Rodrigo’s singles, “good 4 u” and “Deja Vu,” taking spots two and nine, respectively, in the Billboard Hot 100’s top 10.
As for Eilish’s Happier Than Ever, the effort produced six Billboard Hot 100 top-40 singles: “Therefore I Am,” “My Future,” “Your Power,” “Lost Cause,” “NDA” and, as of this week, the album’s title track, which bowed in 11th.
If you thought peanut butter and jelly is the perfect pair, think again — it’s peanut butter and Ludacris.
The rapper has teamed up with Jif to launch the That Jif’ing Good ad campaign. Luda tells ABC Audio that while brainstorming ideas for their partnership, “it sparked the inspiration of going in the studio and making a song.” And, so he did just that.
Luda linked up with Bubba Shakespeare to produce the song “Butter.Atl,” which was released on Friday. For the visuals, he tapped Emmy-winning music video and film director, Dave Meyers.
Together, with some help from Atlanta’s finest new school hip-hop artist, Gunna, the components tell the humorous story of how Ludacris’ legendary flow evolved — all thanks to Jif peanut butter.
“It’s like a dream collaboration,” he shares.
Also joining Luda on the project is his daughter, Karma Bridges, who makes a brief cameo in the advert, expressing her love for the song, saying, “Dad, this slaps!” The opportunity to have his daughter participate is one that Luda says was only natural.
“Once you get [to] a certain time in hip-hop, it’s like you’re children are telling you what’s cool,” he explains. “She’s telling me about the track and the commercial and that’s why it was organic to put her in.”
The collaboration with Jif was also organic for Luda, who shares that he’s loved the brand since he was a kid and that, after 20 years in the entertainment industry, he only does partnerships that are “organic to my lifestyle.”
“It truly is my favorite peanut butter,” he expresses, adding that “everyone around me knows the one thing that I do and never get tired of every day is eat peanut butter.”
“Butter.Atl” is now available on all streaming platforms.
Korn was forced to cancel a Saturday night concert in Pennsylvania a few hours before start time after a member of their “camp” tested positive for COVID-19.
In a statement on social media, the “Freak on a Leash” rockers tweeted, “Unfortunately, there has been a confirmed COVID-19 case within the Korn camp. The safety of our artists, crew, venue staff, and fans are our top priority, so we must postpone the show tonight.”
“We’re deeply sorry for this unfortunate last minute news, but please hold on to your tickets while we work to get your rescheduled date sorted ASAP with Live Nation and the pavilion at Montage Mountain,” the tweet continues. “Thank you for your understanding, and stay safe out there. We’ll be back soon.”
Korn didn’t disclose who contracted the illness and have not returned request for comment. It’s unknown how the positive COVID case will affect their future tour dates.
Korn’s next scheduled to perform this Tuesday in Wantagh, NY, at Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater.
It looks like Jennifer Lopez has made her break-up with Alex Rodriguez Instagram official: She’s apparently deleted all shots of her former fiancée from the social media platform.
What’s more, she also unfollowed A-Rod’s account.
While she reportedly re-kindled her relationship with once-former fiancée Ben Affleck back in April, J-Lo only recently made things official on the social media platform. But her 170 million Instagram followers noticed there are other changes in the air — and online: all previous shots on Lopez’s Insta home page that featured Rodriguez are now gone.
Lopez formerly displayed shots of the former couple at the Golden Globes and other Hollywood events, as well as at President Biden‘s inauguration, at which Lopez performed.
Instead, fans are now treated to various shots of Lopez modeling swimsuits, a sweet picture of her with her daughter and, of course, snaps from that Internet-breaking birthday photo shoot, which was capped off with a photo of Jen smooching Affleck in all its “Bennifer 2.0 is Instagram official” glory.
(KABUL, Afghanistan) — United States troops have taken control of the airport in Kabul, Afghanistan as chaos continues after Afghanistan’s president fled the country over the weekend and the Taliban seized control of the presidential palace, all but ending America’s 20-year campaign as it began: under Taliban rule.
U.S. troops have established large barriers and roadblocks on the streets near the airport in an effort to both slow and control the fleeing population.
White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan stood by the administration’s decision to withdraw troops by Aug. 31 on ABC’s Good Morning America Monday and placed blame for the speed of the Taliban takeover on the Afghan army for its decision “not to step up and fight for their country.”
“What the president was not prepared to do was enter a third decade of conflict, flowing in thousands of more troops, which was his only other choice, to fight in the middle of a civil war that the Afghan army wouldn’t fight for itself,” Sullivan said. “He would not do that to America’s men and women or their families, and that is why he made the decision to withdraw U.S. forces from Afghanistan this year.”
As with Pentagon officials, Sullivan would not say that the takeover took the administration by surprise but did acknowledge it “certainly unfolded at an unexpected speed.” Presented with the fact that thousands of allies appear stranded in the country, Sullivan said the U.S. had planned for a “wide range of contingencies,” though he didn’t offer more specifics on timing or numbers of people that will be moved.
“We believe that we can effectuate an ongoing evacuation of American citizens, of Afghans who worked for us, including interpreters and translators and others vulnerable Afghans at risk. We’re working to do that by securing the airport today and in the days ahead by taking people out one flight at a time, flight after flight,” Sullivan said.
Sullivan insisted Afghanistan presented the U.S. with an opportunity to prove “that we can fight terrorism effectively without having a large military footprint on the ground.”
He also said the American people can expect to hear from the president “soon” as President Joe Biden faces criticism from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle and the public for how the withdrawal has played out.
The increase of service members in Kabul follows Gen. Frank McKenzie, the commander of U.S. Central Command, meeting with representatives of the Taliban earlier Sunday in Doha, Qatar, to inform them not to interfere with the U.S. mission at the airport, according to a U.S. official.
As the Taliban advanced last week, the U.S. State Department announced it was reducing its staff levels at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul and the Pentagon began sending in U.S. troops — now up to 6,000 — to help facilitate departures of Americans and Afghan allies.
The world reacts
An emergency session of the United Nations will be held Monday, and leaders around the globe have been issuing responses to the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan.
British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace was speaking about the race against time to evacuate Brits and Afghans who helped the military when he became overcome with emotion after saying that some people who served the U.K. will not come back.
When asked in an interview with British radio station LBC why he was taking it so personally, he said, “Because I’m a soldier. It’s sad, and the West has done what it’s done, and we have to do our very best to get people out and stand by our obligations.”
Russia’s top envoy on Afghanistan has said Moscow will not rush to recognize the Taliban as the country’s new government.
But the envoy, Zamir Kabulov who oversees Russia’s Afghan policy, said in a radio interview with Echo of Moscow the Taliban had learned its lesson from 20 years ago when the world moved against them as terrorists.
He said the Taliban had promised no Russians would be harmed and that the group’s fighters have now taken Russia’s embassy under protection in Kabul. Russia has not evacuated its embassy so far, though it has pulled out some staff.
Meanwhile, official statements from China lay the groundwork for Beijing recognizing a Taliban government.
Spokesperson Hua Chunying noted that the Taliban said Sunday that the “war in Afghanistan is over” and that they will work to establish an inclusive government and ensure the safety of foreign missions in Afghanistan. Chunying said China expects these statements to be implemented in order to ensure a smooth transition and curb terrorist and criminal acts, so the Afghan people can avoid war and rebuild their country.
China has been wanting to expand their Belt and Road infrastructure initiative into Afghanistan but the U.S.-backed government had been reluctant to commit. China is connected to Afghanistan by a sliver of land called the Wakhan Corridor, which has historically been a well-traveled trade route. It connects to China’s Xinjiang region, and if it were opened, it would provide a better route from Kashgar, China, to Peshawar, Pakistan.
2022 will mark the 40th anniversary of Madonna‘s recording debut, and today, her 63rd birthday, she’s announced that she’s entered into a new partnership that will allow her to celebrate that milestone to the fullest.
Madonna has made a deal with Warner Music Group to administer her entire recorded music catalog, including the classic albums she released on Sire/Maverick Warner: Madonna, Like a Virgin, True Blue, Like a Prayer and Ray of Light.
Her three most recent studio albums, MDNA, Rebel Heart and Madame X, will join Warner in 2025. The deal in total includes 17 studio albums, singles, soundtracks, live albums and compilations.
Thanks to the new deal, 2022 will see the release of expanded deluxe editions for many of Madonna’s classic albums, which she will personally curate. There will also reportedly be “unique releases” for “special events.”
In a statement, Madonna says, “Since the very beginning, Warner Music Group has helped bring my music and vision to all my fans around the world with the utmost care and consideration. They have been amazing partners, and I am delighted to be embarking on this next chapter with them to celebrate my catalogue from the last 40 years.”
As previously reported, Madonna will release her documentary, Madame X, on Paramount+ on October 8.
(NEW YORK) — The United States is facing a COVID-19 surge this summer as the more contagious delta variant spreads.
More than 621,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 and over 4.3 million people have died worldwide, according to real-time data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.
Just 59.3% 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 Monday. All times Eastern:
Aug 16, 9:58 am
Positivity rate climbs to 25% at Children’s Hospital New Orleans
The positivity rate has climbed to 25% at Children’s Hospital New Orleans, Dr. Mark Kline, the hospital’s physician-in-chief, told ABC News on Sunday.
The hospital had 12 pediatric patients on Sunday. Half of them were under 2 years old, Kline said.
Five of the 12 patients in the hospital were in the ICU: an 8-week-old, a 3-month-old, a 13-month-old, a 23-month-old and a 17-year-old, Kline said.
“As we see more children infected and ill with COVID-19, it occurs to me that our children have become the collateral damage of many adults who frame refusal of masks and vaccines as an issue of personal freedom rather than the common-sense public health measures that they are,” Kline said.
“Children currently have no way out of this pandemic other than through the advocacy and personal responsibility of their parents and all adults,” Kline added. “So far, we are failing them miserably.”
