For fans of the bounty hunter who were left hanging by the after-credits scene in the season 2 finale of The Mandalorian, rest easy: The Book of Boba Fett now has a premiere date: December 29 on Disney+.
As the two-minute set-up teased, Temuera Morrison‘s legendary hunter and his enforcer, Ming-Na Wen‘s Fennec Shand, have taken over the crime syndicate once run by Jabba the Hutt, whose throne was being kept warm by his former majordomo Bib Fortuna — the pasty-faced alien with the tentacles sticking out of his head — after Jabba’s death in 1983’s Return of the Jedi.
According to Disney+, the new Star Wars adventure finds Fett and Shand “navigating the Galaxy’s underworld” after Fett dispatches Fortuna in The Mandalorian‘s finale. Disney+ also released a teaser poster for the show, showing Fett as he was in the finale’s closing moments, sitting on the throne with his still-warm blaster in his lap.
Jon Favreau, the creator of the Emmy-winning The Mandalorian, is executive producing the new series, with his partner on that show, Dave Filoni, and life-long Star Wars fan-turned Mandalorian episode director Robert Rodriguez, along with Lucasfilm’s Kathleen Kennedy and Colin Wilson. Rodriguez got to realize a boyhood dream by bringing the bounty hunter back in his episode, “Chapter 14: The Tragedy.”
(NEW YORK) — The United States has been facing a COVID-19 surge as the more contagious delta variant continues to spread.
More than 693,000 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 64.9% 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:
Sep 29, 12:37 pm
CDC urges pregnant women to get vaccinated
The CDC on Wednesday issued an urgent health advisory to try to increase vaccinations among women who are pregnant, recently pregnant or may become pregnant.
Just 31% of pregnant people have been vaccinated, the CDC said.
As of Monday, pregnant people accounted for 125,000 COVID-19 cases and 161 deaths, the CDC said.
“Cases of COVID-19 in symptomatic, pregnant people have a two-fold risk of admission into intensive care and a 70 percent increased risk of death,” the CDC said.
The agency said it’s calling “on health departments and clinicians to educate pregnant people on the benefits of vaccination and the safety of recommended vaccines.”
Sep 29, 12:16 pm
About 118 million Americans remain unvaccinated
Approximately 118 million Americans remain completely unvaccinated, including 70 million over the age of 12, according to federal data.
On Wednesday, the U.S. is likely to reach a significant vaccine milestone of 200 million adults vaccinated with at least one dose.
Alaska currently has the country’s highest infection rate with daily cases up by nearly 2,500% since mid-July, according to federal data.
West Virginia, once a model for its vaccine rollout, now has more hospitalized patients than at any point in the pandemic.
But states including Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana and Georgia appear to be improving, federal data show.
Nationwide, around 79,000 people are hospitalized, down by more than 20% since the beginning of September. Even so, ICU capacities in several states, including Alabama, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky and Texas, remain at critical levels.
Sep 29, 8:44 am
United Airlines to fire 593 unvaccinated employees
United Airlines plans to immediately terminate up to 593 employees who chose not to get vaccinated under the airline’s mandate.
United said more than 99% of its employees chose to get vaccinated.
Roughly 2,000 employees sought a medical or religious exemption. Because of ongoing litigation, United said it will not reveal how many employees were granted exemptions. United says anyone who applied for an exemption will still be allowed to go to work until a final decision is made on how to handle their cases. The airline expects a decision by Oct. 15.
Sep 28, 7:29 pm
FDA approval for kids’ vaccinations could take longer: Source
The Food and Drug Administration’s approval for the Pfizer vaccine for children between 5 and 11 years old could begin in November, possibly before Thanksgiving, a federal official with knowledge of the agency’s process told ABC News.
This prediction comes after Dr. Anthony Fauci said Tuesday kids will likely start getting vaccinated by late October.
Another official told ABC News that Pfizer has yet to complete its full submission, and that the FDA is not going to be rushed on this.
Pfizer submitted it initial data on younger children to the FDA earlier Tuesday.
The FDA already has scientists reviewing that initial data submitted by Pfizer, according to the official.
Sep 28, 5:07 pm
Forecasters expect US pandemic to continue to improve
The COVID-19 Forecast Hub’s ensemble forecast, used by the CDC, predicts that U.S. hospitalizations will continue to fall — perhaps to as low as 4,600 per day — by Oct. 11.
Forecasters say around 1,600 fewer people are likely to die over the next two weeks than during the past two weeks. In the two weeks ending Sept. 25, at least 27,755 people died from COVID-19 in the U.S. Over the next two weeks ending Oct. 19, just over 26,000 deaths are expected.
Sep 28, 4:33 pm
Pfizer CEO says timeline on shots for kids up to FDA
Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla told The Atlantic Tuesday that the timeline on shots for children ages 5 to 11 is up to the FDA.
“I think it’s not appropriate for me to comment how long FDA will take to review the data. They should take as much time as they think it’s appropriate for them to have high levels of comfort,” Bourla said.
“If approved, we will be ready to have the vaccine available,” he added.
Vaccines may be authorized and available for 5- to 11-year-olds in October or November.
Bourla said he thinks once kids get vaccinated, the U.S. will get a “strong push” toward herd immunity.
Bourla said he thinks booster protection from Pfizer vaccines will likely last one year.
Chris Young doesn’t know where he would be without music education, and he doesn’t want to know. The Tennessee native has been an outspoken advocate of promoting music education in schools, largely because he knows how influential his education in his early years helped inspire his own successful career.
“The reason I’m so passionate about music in schools is that’s one of the first things that gets cut and people don’t think it’s very important,” Chris tellsNashville Lifestyles. “But it is important. It’s just not always top of mind.”
Even for those who don’t want to pursue a music career like he did, the Grand Ole Opry member says music education is invaluable in young people.
“That is a way for kids to not only express themselves,” Chris says. “But even if it doesn’t become their job, it’s a really great way for some kids to learn … It’s been proven statistically — and in the real world — that having music as an option in schools only betters [students]. Period.”
The song is the first single from Mellencamp’s upcoming, as-yet-untitled studio album, which is due out in 2022.
“Wasted Days,” which was written by John, features lyrics reflecting on mortality and making the most of our time on the planet. Springsteen contributes an electric guitar solo to the tune.
The video, which was shot in New Jersey this month by frequent Springsteen collaborator Thom Zimny, includes scenes of Mellencamp and The Boss playing acoustic guitars while sitting at a kitchen table and standing in front of a detached garage with an American flag draped from it.
Mellencamp first revealed that he’d worked on new music with Springsteen in May while taking part in music mogul Clive Davis‘ star-studded virtual benefit for the Grammy Museum. John told Billboard at the time, “Bruce is singing on the new record and is playing guitar.”
Springsteen, meanwhile, shared further information about the collaboration during a satellite radio interview in June. As reported by Billboard, Bruce said, “I worked on three songs on John’s album and I spent some time in Indiana with him.”
(NEW YORK) — Conditions at New York City’s jail complex, Rikers Island, are so bad that Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance has directed prosecutors not to ask for bail in nonviolent crimes and when a defendant’s record does not demonstrate recent violence — even if it risks an increase in additional “low-level” crime.
The directive comes amid a spate of deaths and a culture of violence that have spurred calls for emergency action.
The district attorney’s office said the conditions at Rikers “are of deep concern” and “will inform our bail practices for at least the next few weeks.”
“We hope that the conditions on Rikers Island improve quickly,” executive assistant district attorney Joan Illuzzi said in a memo obtained by ABC News. “While we are duty bound to insure public safety, we are also aware that no one can avert their eyes from the conditions being reported at Rikers. In light of the conditions faced by those individuals detained at Rikers, we have endeavored to ensure that our practices are as equitable as possible, even though we understand that releasing some individuals may, unfortunately, lead to additional low level crime.”
In a follow-up email obtained by ABC News, assistant district attorney Andrew Warshawer said prosecutors won’t ask for monetary bail, for the time being, when: the crime is legally and factually nonviolent and doesn’t implicate risk of physical harm; and the defendant isn’t a violent felon and doesn’t have sex crimes or violent misdemeanor convictions within the last 10 years; and the defendant hasn’t failed to appear for the case.
Warshawer said the office will still ask for supervised release and other non-cash conditions.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said Wednesday, “It has to be very, very carefully approached.”
“There are some low-level offenses where — I’ve said this for a long time — people do not belong in a jail setting. We can use supervised release, we can use a lot of other tools,” he said. “But when it particularly comes to anything regarding violent crime or serious crime, I would be very, very careful.”
Some artists will sing about their personal problems, but not many would sing about them in front of a screen filled with news headlines about their personal problems. Demi Lovato and G-Eazy do just that in their latest video, and they recreated it Tuesday night for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
Performing their new duet “Breakdown,” Demi and G-Eazy stood next to each other onstage, each in front of a video screen. Demi’s monitor displayed news headlines like, “Demi Lovato Says She Wanted to Give Up,” “Demi Lovato: Shocking 911 Call” and “Demi Lovato Suffered Three Strokes After Overdose.”
Meanwhile, the rapper performed in front of a screen with headlines like, “G-Eazy Arrested for Assault and Drug Possession,” “G-Eazy Sentenced in Swedish Court” and “More G-Eazy Breakup Drama.”
As G-Eazy delivered the song’s lyrics — which detail how the pressures of fame and having so many people depend on him led him to make bad decisions — Demi sang the hook, “Oh, I’m in the middle of a breakdown baby/I need you to come over/and tell me this’ll be over soon.”
The two shared a hug at the end of the performance.
“Breakdown” is from G-Eazy’s new album These Things Happen Too, which came out on Friday. He told Apple Music’s Zane Lowe that he applauds Demi’s “bravery” in sharing their troubles “on a very, very, very public level.”
(MOSCOW) — Russia’s state censor has threatened to block YouTube in the country in retaliation for the Google-owned video platform deleting two German-language channels belonging to the Kremlin-funded broadcaster RT for allegedly publishing misinformation around COVID-19.
The Russian censor, Roskomnadzor, sent a letter to Google warning that if it did not swiftly restore the two RT YouTube channels, then it faced a complete or partial block, according to Russian state news agencies that published parts of the letter Wednesday.
YouTube this week deleted the two RT channels, RT DE and Der Fehlende Part, for posting what it said was misinformation on the coronavirus pandemic. YouTube in a statement said RT DE had initially received a week-long suspension, blocking it from uploading videos, because it had violated misinformation rules.
But the platform said RT DE then tried to circumvent the restriction by using the other channel, Der Fehlende Part, to upload videos, a violation of YouTube’s user terms, which resulted in both channels being permanently banned.
Russia’s government has responded with fury and a torrent of threats to retaliate. The Russian foreign ministry on Tuesday called the deletions an “act of unprecedented information aggression” and asked the state censor to take actions against YouTube and German media in Russia.
RT’s editor in chief, Margarita Simonyan, claimed the bans amounted to a “true media war” by Germany on Russia and said she was “looking forward” to Russia banning the main German public television broadcasters, ARD, ZDF and Deutsche Welle.
Germany’s government on Wednesday said it had no involvement with YouTube’s decision to delete the RT channels and and criticized Russia’s threats to retaliate against German media.
“I want to say in crystal-clear terms that this is a decision by YouTube, and the German government, or representatives of the German government, have nothing to do with this decision,” Steffan Seibert, the German government’s spokesman told reporters, according to Euronews.
Seibert said anyone calling for retaliation against German media “doesn’t show a good relationship with press freedom, from our point of view.”
Russian authorities have sought to pressure German state news media in Russia over the past two years amid a broader crackdown on free media. Russian officials have previously publicly threatened to withdraw the accreditation of Deutsche Welle, the foreign-focused public news agency, that has a Russian-language service.
The Kremlin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Wednesday said that in blocking the RT channels, “there are signs” YouTube had “grossly” violated Russian laws.
He told reporters that if Russian law enforcement agencies concluded the same then it couldn’t be excluded that measures might be taken to “oblige this platform to fulfil our laws.”
The threats to block YouTube come amid an escalating campaign by Russian authorities to pressure American tech companies, as the Kremlin seeks to take tighter control over Russia’s internet.
Just over a week ago, Google and Apple bowed to Kremlin demands to remove some content relating to a tactical voting campaign promoted by the jailed opposition leader Alexey Navalny during Russia’s parliamentary elections.
Google removed an app as well as two videos from YouTube related to the campaign, called Smart Voting.
The move was seen as the biggest concession the tech giants have made to Kremlin demands to delete content from opponents and it has alarmed liberal Russians that it is a step toward the companies accepting broader censorship in Russia.
Apple and Google have largely declined to comment on the matter, except to indicate they were following local laws.
Russia’s government has pressed Google, Facebook and Twitter for years to remove more content critical of president Vladimir Putin’s rule, imposing hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines on the companies. But the Kremlin had stopped short of blocking the platforms, partly because it lacked the technical capacity to do so and because it feared a backlash at home and internationally.
Some experts believe that calculus has shifted though, and that the government is now prepared to take a hard line. Since earlier this year, Roskomnadzor has slowed down Twitter, causing videos and photos to load poorly.
Google, in particular, has faced increased pressure in recent weeks. In the days before the company deleted the Navalny voting content, bailiffs visited its Moscow office to demand unpaid fines imposed by the censor. Google and Apple representatives were also summoned before a committee of the Russian senate, where the companies were accused of enabling “election interference.” The New York Times reported that Google deleted the Navalny materials after Russian authorities threatened to prosecute specific employees at its Moscow office.
(WASHINGTON) — The Department of Homeland Security on Wednesday announced the formation of the Law Enforcement Coordination Council — an effort to “institutionalize best practices in law enforcement,” Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in an interview with ABC News.
The LECC, chaired by Mayorkas, is the “first ever” department-wide body that will serve as a governing organization for the department’s agencies like the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Mayorkas said.
During his previous stint at the department starting in 2009, best practices for law enforcement training and use-of-force policies have been a subject of Mayorkas’ portfolio.
“We are bringing a greater, in my opinion, a greater degree of organization, cohesion to [law enforcement policies],” Mayorkas said. “And the Law Enforcement Coordinating Council is comprised not only of the agencies that perform the law enforcement mission, but also offices within our department that have significant equities oversight offices as well, for example, such as the Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, the office of privacy and the office of the inspector general.”
The commission being announced Wednesday was not influenced by photos of border patrol agents on horseback aggresively pursuing migrants attempting to cross the southern border, Mayorkas said.
“These efforts began well before the incident at issue,” Mayorkas said.
“We have received broader inquires for some time now, with respect to our training, our practices and procedures are policies to include use of force … and as we are communicating in response to those inquiries, we felt it appropriate in the service of transparency, to communicate directly to the public,” he said.
Mayorkas said that he doesn’t have a sense of timing on when the investigation into the border patrol agents on horseback will be complete.
“I know that the investigators understand the need to move both thoroughly and quickly, and they’re conducting the investigation independently,” he said.
Mayorkas explained that the results of the commission and best practices will be integrated into the department’s federal law enforcement training center.
Many state and local law enforcement agencies train at the training center, the Secretary said so, while not directly applying to local departments, he said his hope is they will be able to receive best practices from the department.
Mayorkas also said that the commission will look into various Department of Homeland Security agency policies, to ensure that any law enforcement policy discrepancies between agencies is “intentional” to fit the needs of that agency.
Mayorkas said the department will move with “deliberate speed” in getting these policies up and running and sharing them with the public but did not offer any concrete timeline.
Kane Brown just teased his new collaboration, “Blessed & Free,” with H.E.R. Kane shared a snippet of his new tune with the R&B star on social media, ahead of the tune’s September 30 release date.
This is far from Kane’s first collaboration outside of country music. He previously joined with R&B star Khalid for a remix of “Saturday Nights,” and with Khalid and Swae Lee for “Be Like That.” He also sang with John Legend on “Last Time I Say Sorry,” and had a chart-topping hit with EDM DJ Marshmello on “One Thing Right.”
Kane is currently out on his Blessed & Free Tour. He had to unexpectedly cancel a show scheduled for Saturday, September 25, in Tupelo, Mississippi, due to maintenance issues at the BancorpSouth Arena, where the concert was slated to be held.
Kane’s current single, “One Mississippi,” is sitting in the top 30 at radio.
Francesco Prandoni/Archivio Francesco Prandoni/Mondadori via Getty Images
Another very worthy musician has now performed from Dave Grohl‘s throne.
Darin Wall, the bassist for the Seattle-based metal band Greyhawk, sat in the giant, guitar-adorned structure during a recent concert as he continues to recover from being shot in the leg.
According to the Idaho Statesman, Wall had suffered the injury while trying to protect others from a man who allegedly brandished a gun outside a Boise venue where Greyhawk was playing earlier this month. Upon seeing the weapon, Wall “started kicking and pushing [the suspect] to get him away from the patio where people had gathered.” In the commotion, the suspect shot Wall’s leg.
The Boise Police Department reports that the suspect, 26-year-old Ethan Byrd, was arrested and charged with aggravated battery.
Grohl — who, of course, has ties to Seattle — apparently heard of Wall’s bravery, and sent him his throne to use.
“It was beyond a thrill to sit in Dave Grohl from @foofighters throne last night,” Wall wrote in an Instagram post.
“This whole ordeal has been intense, surreal and humbling,” he added. “Of course I wish it never happened, and that this bullet was not in my leg, but the love and support the rock and metal community has shown is staggering. Words can’t describe how moving this night was.”
Grohl first used the throne in 2015 after he broke his leg falling off stage during a concert earlier that year. He later lent it to Axl Rose to use after he broke his foot in 2016.
