The Rundown: Top headlines today: Feb. 10, 2021
Stay up to date on the developing stories making headlines.
Stay up to date on the developing stories making headlines.
The U.S. has hit a plateau in coronavirus cases and deaths that signal a "potential shift in the trajectory of the pandemic," the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned states on Monday not to loosen restrictions and get in front of the progress the country has made since it hit a monumental 300,000 cases a day in January, the worst point of the pandemic so far. Over the last week, the daily number of cases and deaths, on average, has risen by about 2% compared to the week prior, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said during a White House press briefing, to about 67,000 cases per day and 2,000 American lives lost to the virus each day. It's nearly a third of what the U.S. was seeing during its holiday surge, but still no better than what the U.S. saw during the summer peak.
The Senate Monday evening voted 64-33 to confirm Miguel Cardona to lead the U.S. Education Department as schools across the country attempt to return to safe, in-person instruction -- something the Biden administration has prioritized as part of its COVID-19 response plan. Coming into office, President Joe Biden said ensuring students and educators are able to return to the classroom safely was a top priority -- which included a goal to get a majority of K-8 students back to school in the first 100 days of his presidency. At his confirmation hearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, Cardona reiterated this goal, and said he plans to address "inequities head on."
A 15-year-old boy has been shot at his school in Arkansas, allegedly by a fellow student, police said. The shooting at Watson Chapel Junior High School in Pine Bluff took place around 10 a.m., police said. The teen, the only one hurt, was hospitalized in very serious condition.
Marvel Studios' "Avengers: Endgame" is the highest-grossing movie of all time, having made more than $2.79 billion at the global box office. Now, with the global COVID-19 pandemic, more than half of movie theaters in the U.S. are still shuttered, yet millions of cinema lovers are hungry for the moviegoing experience. Two lifelong movie fans who can't wait to get back to theaters are Joe and Anthony Russo, the sibling duo that directed 2014's "Captain America: The Winter Soldier," 2016's "Captain America: Civil War," 2018's "Avengers: Infinity War" and, of course, the aforementioned "Endgame."
“This must be a mistake,” Jodie Foster said after earning a Golden Globe for best supporting actress for “The Mauritanian,” a win no one had predicted, especially the actress. Welcome to the Golden Globes, the laughingstock of awards shows, where Sunday night’s telecast proved that the 87 voting members of the Hollywood Press Association were up to their old tricks. Full of technical snafus, the 78th annual gala was hosted by Amy Poehler in Los Angeles and Tina Fey in New York before a masked, socially-distanced audience of -- in Fey’s words -- “smoking-hot” first responders and essential workers so celebrities “could stay safely at home.”
Teachers in Los Angeles County will be able to sign up for a COVID-19 vaccine starting Monday, as part of a wave of essential workers who are newly eligible to get vaccinated. In addition to educators, child care and emergency service workers, law enforcement and food and agriculture workers are also newly eligible, which translates into roughly 1.2 million newly approved people in LA County.
Katy Perry, Post Malone and J Balvin all took the virtual stage Saturday to celebrate the grand occasion. According to a press release, Capitol Records will release "Pokémon 25: The Album" this fall and it will feature several surprise artists. The compilation album will include 14 songs from 11 different artists belonging to the Universal Music Group umbrella.
As Republicans in nearly every state push new voting restrictions in the aftermath of the 2020 election, the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday will hear a major case to decide how those new rules should be judged under federal civil rights law. State legislators in at least 43 states are considering more than 250 bills that would make it harder to vote, according to the Brennan Center for Justice, a nonpartisan voter advocacy group tracking the trend. Sponsors of the measures said they're necessary to prevent fraud; civil rights advocates claim they primarily suppress minority voters who overwhelmingly back Democratic candidates.
Minneapolis has scrapped plans to pay social media influencers to share information during the upcoming trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin for the death of George Floyd. In an email sent to city elected officials and obtained by ABC News, Minneapolis' Director of Communications Greta Bergstrom and Director of Neighborhood and Community Relations David Rubedor confirmed plans to cancel the initiative. "We would like to take a moment to address the recommendation to use social media 'influencers' as part of the Joint Information System information sharing strategies," the email stated.
"Grey's Anatomy" star Ellen Pompeo is flirting with a future without the long-running medical drama in her life. This weekend, the 51-year-old actress appeared on "CBS Sunday Morning", where the conversation gravitated toward her starring role as Dr. Meredith Grey and her future with the series. The show's pilot aired on March 27, 2005, on ABC, which makes it television's longest-running prime-time medical drama.
Hundreds of thousands of residents in the South are still dealing with the after effects of two devastating winter storms as cities struggle to provide drinking water. Residents in Jackson, Mississippi, are still under a boil water alert, and some residents still do not have running water after the back-to-back winter storms last month wreaked havoc on the city's water system. While significant progress was made Sunday on restoring pressure to the system, and water for flushing toilets was restored on Monday, the city's water system does not have a time table on when a full restoration will be complete, ABC Jackson affiliate WAPT reported.
If you wear glasses and happen to be a "Sesame Street" fan, there's a fresh new launch that's probably right up your alley. Pair Eyewear, a mission-driven direct-to-consumer, customizable eyewear brand, has collaborated with the children's television series to release limited-edition frames that feature Sesame Street's beloved characters. Whether you are an Ernie or Elmo lover, both kids and adults can get their hands on Pair Eyewear's latest and greatest.
"Wonder Woman" star Gal Gadot is pregnant with her third child, the Israeli-born actress announced Monday. "Here we go again," she wrote on social media alongside a photo of her family -- including husband Yaron Varsano and daughters Alma, 9, and Maya, who turns 4 later this month -- with their hands resting on her stomach. Gadot, who married Varsano in 2008, previously welcomed Alma in Nov. 2011 and Maya in March 2017, just months before the first "Wonder Woman" film was released.
Nail polish brand Sally Hansen has teamed up with mint brand Mentos for a super fresh collaboration. The two brands just launched an 8-piece nail polish collection including bright colors, pastels and, of course, glitter.
Jane Fonda has been known to make a powerful statement, and her latest look at the 2021 Golden Globe Awards spoke volumes. The legendary actress and activist attended this year's ceremony wearing a cream-toned suit paired with metallic Sarah Flint pointy-toe pumps that was equal parts sophisticated and chic. While Fonda most likely has access to the latest designer looks straight off the runway, she opted for a timeless ensemble that was pulled out of her own closet.
A 40-year-old man has gone missing at the Grand Canyon, sparking a search by the National Park Service. John Pennington, of Walton, Kentucky, was last known to be at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, near Yaki Point, the National Park Service said. Pennington abandoned his vehicle at Yaki Point on or around Feb. 23 and is believed to be traveling alone, possibly on a yellow motorcycle, the park service said.
Myanmar's ousted de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi was seen Monday for the first time since she was detained in a military coup one month ago, appearing in a Naypyitaw court via videoconference. Suu Kyi, 75, appeared "healthy" during her virtual court appearance, one of her lawyers told Reuters. The Nobel laureate, who leads the National League for Democracy (NLD) party, was initially charged with illegally importing six walkie-talkie radios.
The world got its first look over the weekend at Prince Harry's and Meghan's sit-down interview with Oprah Winfrey, which is being billed as a bombshell interview in which Harry and Meghan give more insights as to why they stepped down from their royal roles. “You’ve said some pretty shocking things here," Winfrey says to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in a pair of clips released Sunday by CBS. In one of the clips, Winfrey says there was "no subject that was off limits" and asks Meghan if she was “silent or silenced."
Evanston, Illinois, is like a lot of American cities. The city just north of Chicago appears picturesque, updated and grand on one side -- but not far away, one can see the signs of economic and racial segregation, despite the city's proud, diverse and liberal reputation. What sets Evanston apart from other cities, however, is its groundbreaking plan to address the impact of that segregation and Black disenfranchisement: reparations.
Hong Kong is a step closer to being left without a democratic opposition camp as authorities brought charges against 47 activists for conspiracy to commit subversion under the national security law. It’s the most wide-reaching use yet of the controversial legislation which was imposed by Beijing eight months ago and would leave the majority of Hong Kong's once-vocal opposition detained, in prison or in exile. The 47 detainees include some of Hong Kong’s most well-known activists, including veteran democrat Benny Tai, Claudia Mo and Leung Kwok-hung.