Eric Ryan Anderson/A&M/Interscope/Cherrytree Records
Sting has announced plans for a new album, The Bridge, which will be released on November 19. The upbeat first single, “If It’s Love,” which describes being in love as some kind of symptom, is out now on all digital platforms.
Speaking about the song, Sting says in a statement, “I’m certainly not the first songwriter to equate falling in or out of love with an incurable sickness, nor will I be the last. ‘If It’s Love’ is my addition to that canon where the tropes of metaphorical symptoms, diagnosis, and downright incapacity are all familiar enough to make each of us smile ruefully.”
Sting wrote and recorded The Bridge over the past year in lockdown, with the musicians contributing their parts remotely.As for the title, he explains, “These songs are between one place and another, between one state of mind and another, between life and death, between relationships. Between pandemics, and between eras — politically, socially and psychologically, all of us are stuck in the middle of something. We need a bridge.”
The Bridge, which can be pre-ordered now, will be available in various formats, including standard and deluxe CD and vinyl, and on cassette. The deluxe CD and vinyl versions will feature bonus tracks, including a cover of Otis Redding‘s “(Sittin’ on) The Dock of the Bay.”
The Bridge is Sting’s first solo album of original material since 2016’s 57th & 9th.
Sting will return to performing live later this month with a September 27 gig in Sicily, Italy, followed by two shows in Greece. His Las Vegas residency, My Songs, kicks off October 29.
Here’s The Bridge‘s full track list:
“Rushing Water”
“If It’s Love”
“The Book of Numbers”
“Loving You”
“Harmony Road”
“For Her Love”
“The Hills on the Border”
“Captain Bateman”
“The Bells of St. Thomas”
“The Bridge”
“Waters of Tyne”*
“Captain Bateman’s Basement”*
“(Sittin’ on) The Dock of the Bay”*
“I Guess the Lord Must Be in New York City”**
Jonathan Scott and actress Zooey Deschanel recently celebrated their two-year dating anniversary, and the Property Brothers star admitted that he knows he’s very lucky to have her in his life.
Speaking to Entertainment Tonight, the media personality joked, “I know I am dating up!”
“It means I just need to keep raising the bar and keep up with those expectations,” Jonathan clarified before diving into how his relationship has also inspired him to come up with new ideas on how to expand his Property Brothers empire. The Emmy nominee hinted that he has a new show in the works, which allows him to work side-by-side with Deschanel.
“[My brother Drew Scott] actually came up with a good concept, because Zooey is obsessed with real estate,” Jonathan teased.
As for how the Property Brothers will be allowed to fix up a random stranger’s home, Jonathan exclaimed, “Is someone going to say no if Zooey Deschanel just walks up to their door and knocks on it and says, ‘Hey, this guy will fix your house if you want it!’?”
The HGTV star also revealed that he and his brother can be credited for Hollywood’s latest hot couple — Ant Anstead and Renee Zellweger. Apparently, the two met on their show Celebrity IOU: Joyride, and Jonathan says sparks were flying between the two almost instantly.
“There was a scene where they were joking about being flirtatious, and Ant was like, via zoom, was putting on the flirty moves,” he dished. “It was just a joke, but apparently it worked!”
Drew chimed in, “He is that smooth… It’s that British accent, I tell you. He just charms with that!”
Colman Domingo knows the power of having a Black woman at the helm. The actor, who starred in Janicza Bravo‘s Zola and Nia DaCosta‘s Candyman, says there’s something special about having a Black woman behind the lens.
“As we know in our experiences in this entertainment industry…it’s hard to get any job, especially if you’re a Black woman in this industry,” Colman shares. “And by the time you get to the plate, to get your opportunity, you were ready to meet it.”
Colman says that that readiness is what made Bravo “the perfect director for Zola” and DaCosta the “perfect director for Candyman.”
“They were ready,” he emphasizes. “They’re young, they’re smart, they’re innovative, they are willing, they’re game. They are great collaborators.”
Domingo says getting to work with all that talent actually helped to make him a better actor.
“When I tell you I feel like I’ve done some of my best work in both of these films, it’s because there was such a level of care and love and grace,” he says. “And also interrogation and intelligence. And also saying, ‘Colman, do the thing that you do. Go forward and try that thing.'”
He continues, “But then I listened and I’m guided as well. So there’s an ease, honestly, working with both of them. They didn’t come in with some bravado and something else. They came in with strict talent. And they came in with grace and love, and appreciation for the moment. And I think that’s why they’re two of my favorite directors that I’ve worked with recently.”
Candyman is in theaters now. Zola is available on Video on Demand.
BTS: BIGHIT Music; Elton John: Ben Gibson/Rocket Entertainment
Elton John is revealing his thoughts on being name-dropped by BTS and — no surprise here — he found it “very flattering.”
According to Billboard, during an interview with UK radio show The Official Big Top 40, the legendary singer, who’s mentioned in the opening verse of the K-pop group’s hit “Permission to Dance,” said, “It was so cool to be name-checked by someone like BTS.”
“It does blow my mind but it’s because I love new, young music,” he added. “That’s what inspires me.”
“Permission to Dance” dropped in early July and became a mega-hit thanks to the group’s army of fans. And, earlier this month, John actually did a short cover of the track, ending his clip with a message of appreciation.
“Thanks BTS,” he said. “Love to the ARMY.”
During the interview, the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer also shared that younger artists like BTS remind him of the days when he was just getting started in the industry.
“I love the old music, but the new music, when you hear something great by someone new, like Holly Humberstone or The Kid LAROI or someone like that, you just think ‘God, I wish I could have done something like that when I was that young,'” John said.
Every day brings us one step closer to Lil Nas X‘s debut album, Montero, due out September 17.
On Tuesday, the “Industry Baby” artist debuted the album’s official artwork, a psychedelic piece that depicts a nude Lil Nas X floating over a waterfall while surrounded by rainbows, butterflies and droplets of water. The cover also features buildings reminiscent of Greco-Roman architecture, lush green grass and a twisted tree, underneath which a smaller Lil Nas X is reclining while playing with bubbles and butterflies.
As fans furiously attempted to decode the hidden messages and meanings in Montero‘s cover art, Lil Nas X revealed that a certain yellow sponge inspired his pose.
Taking to Twitter after the reveal, he shared a SpongeBob SquarePants meme, which features the titular character rising up to the rainbow sky while an iPod, connected by a pair of headphones, dangles beneath him.
Lil Nas X then featured the meme side-by-side with his new album artwork and captioned it, “inspiration.”
“The album art is a continuous loop, to represent the circle of life,” he added in another tweet before revealing that he was inspired by another external source for the colorful album cover.
Lil Nas X revealed in a follow up that the concept was inspired by a Bible verse found in Genesis 2:1-2, “Thus the heavens and the Earth were completed in all their vast array. By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work.” He also revealed the album’s backdrop was a tribute to a painting by artist John Stephens and shared a side-by-side comparison, as well.
Lil Nas X also promised on Twitter that he will reveal Montero‘s track list today.
Taylor Swift‘s surprise eighth studio album, folklore, celebrated its first anniversary on July 24 and, to celebrate the occasion, the “Cardigan” singer is rolling out exclusive merchandise with Urban Outfitters.
Taylor’s partnership with the retailer allows her to roll out all the stops for her celebratory collection, which currently features a limited-edition hoodie, tee shirts, and an exclusive double-LP vinyl sleeve.
Each clothing item celebrates a track that appeared on folklore, with a burnt umber-colored hoodie bearing a lyric from “Peace” that reads, “I’m a fire and I’ll keep your brittle heart warm.”
The merchandise line also features an oversized white tee that bears Taylor’s face on the front and folklore‘s track list on the back.
Another tee shirt, which is also a burnt umber color, celebrates the track “August” with the lyric “August slipped away into a moment of time” emblazoned across the chest.
The folklore double LP features 17 tracks, including “The Lakes,” all of which appeared on the Deluxe Edition of folklore, and retails for $29.
Both tee shirts are being sold for $39, while the hoodie can be purchased for $75, all for a limited time.
(NEW YORK) — The United States is facing a COVID-19 surge this summer as the more contagious delta variant spreads.
More than 639,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 while over 4.5 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 61.3% 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 Wednesday. All times Eastern:
Sep 01, 10:42 am
Pfizer studying new pill in hopes it’ll help with mild COVID symptoms
Pfizer is launching a large clinical study for a new pill that it hopes could prevent worse symptoms for patients with mild COVID-19.
The first participant has now been dosed in this “pivotal Phase 2/3 clinical trial,” Pfizer said.
Drugs like Remdesivir and Dexamethasone can help people recover faster, but those are only reserved for people who are extremely ill and in the hospital.
If proven effective, Pfizer will ask the FDA for authorization.
Sep 01, 9:52 am
Virginia Tech disenrolls 134 students who didn’t meet vaccination policy
Virginia Tech says 134 students have been disenrolled after they didn’t comply with COVID-19 vaccine requirements.
The university’s roughly 37,000 students were required to submit vaccination documentation or receive a medical or religious exemption, Virginia Tech said.
“The university does not know whether any of these [134] students were not planning to return for reasons unrelated to the COVID-19 vaccine requirement,” Virginia Tech said.
Sep 01, 9:19 am
TSA screens lowest number of travelers since May
Just 1,345,064 travelers were screened at U.S. airports on Tuesday, the lowest since May 18 when 1,408,017 were screened, the TSA said.
United CEO Scott Kirby said Monday he thinks holiday travel will return to normal.
Sep 01, 8:52 am
San Diego County declares medical misinformation a public health crisis
San Diego has become the first county in the U.S. to declare that health misinformation is causing a public health crisis in its community. This follows the County Board of Supervisors’ 3-2 vote Tuesday night.
Changes to county strategy to combat the pandemic will include: labeling health misinformation and providing timely health information to counter it; modernizing public health communications; investigating in digital resources and training for health practitioners and health workers; and developing a website to be a central resource for fighting health misinformation.
The new policy was introduced when 96.7% of hospitalizations in San Diego County were residents who were not fully vaccinated.
Aug 31, 8:01 pm
Gene Simmons tests positive for COVID, KISS postpones shows
KISS co-lead singer Gene Simmons tested positive for COVID-19, the band shared on its Twitter page Tuesday evening.
In a statement, the band said the 72-year-old was experiencing “mild symptoms.”
His diagnoses comes less than a week after co-lead singer Paul Stanley, 69, tested positive for COVID-19 as well.
In a statement released on Aug. 26, the band said that, “everyone on the entire tour, both band and crew, are fully vaccinated.”
KISS has postponed four of its “End of the Road” tour shows from Sept. 1 to Sept. 5.
“The band and crew will remain at home and isolate for the next 10 days,” the band said in a statement.
Aug 31, 6:56 pm
2 officials working on COVID-19 vaccine review to leave FDA
Peter Marks, the director of the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER), announced the upcoming departure of two top vaccine regulators to his staff in an internal memo, which was obtained by ABC News.
Dr. Marion Gruber, director of the FDA’s Office of Vaccines Research and Review (OVRR) and her deputy, Dr. Phil Krause, are set to leave the agency in October and November respectively, according to the memo.
Krause, who’s been with the agency for over a decade, and Gruber, who has been with the FDA for over 30 years, were instrumental in the review and authorization of the three COVID-19 vaccines, the memo said.
The memo said that Gruber will be “retiring” and gave no other details about Krause’s departure.
ABC News has reached out to both Gruber and Krause for comment.
When reached for comment about their departure, an FDA spokesperson told ABC News the agency is “confident in the expertise and ability of our staff to continue our critical public health work, including evaluating COVID-19 vaccines.”
Their departures come at a critical time for the vaccine review team. After facing pressure to move as fast as possible to get vaccines’ full licensure done, the agency is now weighing booster shots for a wider pool of Americans.
The timing of the booster shot approval has been a bone of contention amongst federal agencies after the Biden administration announced the availability of booster shots would begin ahead of any ruling from the FDA or Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory groups.
Aug 31, 4:57 pm
Rev. Jesse Jackson’s wife out of ICU
Jacqueline Jackson, the wife of civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson, is out of the ICU as both Jacksons continue to fight COVID-19, their family said.
“Our father remains at The Shirley Ryan AbilityLab where he is continuing to receive intensive occupational and physical therapy,” their son, Jonathan Jackson, said in a statement Tuesday.
Jesse Jackson, who is 79 and has Parkinson’s disease, was vaccinated, reported ABC Chicago station WLS.
“Our mother remains in the Northwestern Memorial Hospital and has been moved out of the ICU and back into her regular hospital room where she continues to receive oxygen,” the statement said. “Both of our parents are continuing to receive excellent medical care and we thank God for the progress that both seem to be making.”
Aug 31, 4:24 pm
Vaccination rate nearly double than it was in mid-July
The U.S. vaccination rate per day is now nearly double than it was in mid-July, according to the White House.
“Back in mid-July we were averaging 500,000 vaccinations per day. Today, we’re averaging 900,000,” White House COVID response coordinator Jeff Zients told reporters Tuesday. “Last week we got over 6 million shots, the biggest weekly total since July 5.”
The increase in vaccinations comes amid fear about the rapidly spreading delta variant.
The delta variant, which is more transmissible, has also been part of the conversation around booster shots of the mRNA and J&J vaccines. The Biden administration said Americans would need a third shot eight months after their second because of waning immunity.
The Biden administration is standing by its decision to call for vaccine boosters beginning Sept. 20 despite questions about whether there’s enough data and the unusual process of announcing a plan before the FDA has evaluated the data and made a recommendation.
Alec Baldwin broke a record at the United States Tennis Association (USTA) Foundation’s annual charity gala, where he auctioned off tickets to the French Open and made history when he secured a winning bid of $250,000.
A source who attended the Monday night gala told Page Six that said the event was also attended by stars Mike Tyson, Billie Jean King, Anna Wintour and many others.
However, the highlight of the night “was when [the night’s co-host] Baldwin adopted an Inspector Clouseau-like French accent and started auctioning off the Roland Garros package,” said the source, referring to the French Open by its official name.
The package included six tickets to the French Open, which also included a stay at the Ritz Paris, complementary round-trip travel on a private Gulfstream G550 jet, and other perks.
“Alec started the bidding at $100K, and his comedic chops got the room rocking,” the insider dished. “[He] ultimately sold the package for $250K…the highest price in the gala’s history.”
Another package that included French Open tickets also went for a jaw-dropping $250K. In all, the source says the event raised over $2 million.
Britney Spears‘ lawyer claims that her father, Jamie Spears, is trying to extort the pop star.
According to TMZ, which says they obtained copies of the legal documents, filed Tuesday, Britney’s law team claims that Jamie is requesting two million dollars from his daughter. While some of the funds would reportedly go toward paying the patriarch’s legal fees, Britney’s lawyer, Matthew Rosengart, stated, “The status quo is no longer tolerable, and Britney Spears will not be extorted.”
The “Toxic” singer’s team also suggested that the court suspend Jamie from the conservatorship if he doesn’t fully step away by September 29.
The claim comes just weeks after ABC News confirmed that Jamie filed paperwork to willingly step down as Britney’s conservator. Jamie has denied any claims he mistreated his daughter or otherwise acted against her interests, and has noted that he is stepping down without any grounds for his removal.
(WASHINGTON) — The U.S. is poised to begin rolling out booster shots in a matter of weeks, with still one major sticking point to resolve: It’s not entirely clear yet that third shots are needed.
President Joe Biden recently vowed to begin deploying boosters the week of Sept. 20, pending a green light from federal regulators.
But health experts advising the government on that decision say the August announcement by Biden’s political appointees came as somewhat of a surprise. It also was unclear, they said, why that date was chosen at all.
Evidence for boosters is still mixed, and announcing a timetable — while likely popular with much of the public — put independent government regulators in a corner by suggesting they would sign off no matter what.
“That doesn’t mean you can’t get out (of the decision), but I think the public expectation is that boosters are needed now,” said Dr. Henry Bernstein, a pediatrician at Northwell Health Cohen’s Children Medical Center in New York who has advised the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on vaccines.
“There’s a lot more data to be reviewed and work to be done in evaluating whether boosters are needed in various populations,” Bernstein added.
The question of whether America’s immunity is waning has become an urgent question in recent months with the rise of the delta variant and large pockets of the country still unvaccinated.
The latest analysis, released Monday by the CDC, found troubling signals on the ability of vaccines to prevent infections and to keep older people out of the hospital.
Whereas the vaccines were 90% effective in June at preventing hospitalization in people ages 75-plus, that number fell to around 80% in July.
But even with such a drop, the data still suggests extraordinary protection against becoming seriously ill with COVID-19. It also raises more questions than it answers: Is immunity waning with time? Is the delta variant making people sicker? Is this a problem mostly for older Americans, whose immune systems are less robust to begin with?
Young adults under age 49 are still 24 times more likely to end up hospitalized if unvaccinated. And the vast majority of people in the hospital are unvaccinated, suggesting the vaccines are holding up in real world scenarios.
“We don’t have a lot of evidence of reduced vaccine effectiveness against important outcomes in most of the population based on our current data,” said Dr. Beth Bell, a professor at the University of Washington and independent adviser to the CDC who will help decide whether to recommend boosters to Americans.
Dr. Yvonne Maldonado, who works with the CDC advisory panel on behalf of the American Academy of Pediatrics, was among those who said the Sept. 20 date was a surprise and that it’s unclear why it was chosen.
During a meeting of CDC advisers, Maldonado said she was fielding text messages from colleagues asking: “Why are we rolling out detailed plans for this when it sounds like we still don’t know?”
Typically, the Food and Drug Administration reviews data before announcing any decision on whether a vaccine can be administered. Then a CDC advisory group of experts weighs in, and the CDC director signs off on whether to recommend the vaccine to the public.
In this case, Biden’s political appointees involved in the pandemic response — including acting FDA chief, Dr. Janet Woodcock — agreed on the Sept. 20 date before that process played out. And with the crisis in Afghanistan still unfolding, the president switched gears to the pandemic, publicly unveiling his commitment to every American getting a booster shot eight months after their immunization.
Pfizer and BioNTech, which partnered to develop the nation’s first vaccine, have said they have early data suggesting that a booster dose anywhere from six to 12 months after the initial vaccination will help maintain a high level of protection. That data has not yet been shared publicly.
“The frustration too comes in part due to the sense of urgency here as well, because of the public pressure to get the booster. Everyone would like data that are still evolving,” Maldonado said.
On Tuesday, the FDA confirmed two longtime vaccine officials were planning to depart the agency. Their exit, addressed in a memo to staff, followed news reports citing the officials’ frustration with the process. Woodcock told colleagues she was confident in the leadership of the FDA’s vaccine chief Peter Marks, who planned to remain in his position.
“We have put together a plan that will allow us to continue prioritizing science, while meeting timelines that are important to ensuring the end of this devastating pandemic,” she wrote in the staff email.
Other top political appointees also defended the Sept. 20 date on Tuesday. CDC Director Rochelle Walensky told reporters during a White House press briefing that there was international data that will be presented and likely play a role in the regulatory decision on boosters.
Jeff Zients, Biden’s COVID coordinator, noted that the FDA and CDC had signed on to the plan for a Sept. 20 rollout.
“The bottom line, this virus has proven to be unpredictable, and we want to stay ahead of it, and plan for every scenario, and that’s been our approach from day one and will continue to be our approach,” he said.
