ABC(LOS ANGELES) — Elizabeth Olsen had some bad news for fans of her older sisters. She is not confirming that her siblings Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen will make a cameo on her upcoming Disney+ series, WandaVision.
Chatting on Jimmy Kimmel Live!recently, the Marvel star was grilled on several theories about her upcoming series.
A trailer for the show depicts Olsen’s character, Wanda Maximoff a.k.a. Scarlet Witch, trapped in a series of television sitcoms — which has fans hoping that will open the door to allow Marvel to parody Full House, the 80s sitcom Olsen’s older sisters starred in.
“What about this one? Wanda bears a striking resemblance to these actors,” host Jimmy Kimmel quipped while holding up a photo of the famous twins and hoped out loud that “Uncle Joey is about to join the MCU.”
Olsen, 31, had a hard time keeping a straight face after hearing the absurd theory and joked, “That would be incredible. It is very meta the whole thing.”
Kimmel tried his best to pry information out of the actress, such as confirming that the upcoming series is based off the popular “House of M” storyline from Marvel Comics that takes place when Wanda has a mental breakdown and tears a hole in the fabric of reality, throwing everyone into several alternate universes. The series ran for eight issues in 2005.
However, the Critics’ Choice-nominee refused to give out a straight answer and encouraged everyone to tune into WandaVision when it premieres on Disney+ on January 15.
Marvel is owned by Disney, the parent company of ABC News.
Myriam Borzee/iStockBy MORGAN WINSOR, ERIN SCHUMAKER and EMILY SHAPIRO, ABC News
(NEW YORK) — A pandemic of the novel coronavirus has now infected more than 87.1 million people worldwide and killed over 1.8 million of them, according to real-time data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.
Here’s how the news is developing Thursday. All times Eastern:
Jan 07, 9:13 am 1 in every 4 or 5 people testing positive in LA
Los Angeles County reported 258 new deaths and 11,841 new cases on Wednesday.
County Public Health Director Dr. Barbara Ferrer said Wednesday, “Today, I am more troubled than ever before.”
During the summer, 1 in every 10 people tested were positive; now, 1 in every 4 or 5 people are testing positive, she said.
The rate of transmission this month is almost double that of December and Los Angeles County hospitals are admitting more patients than they can discharge, she said.
Some paramedics told ABC News they’ve seen as many as 22 ambulances stacked up in hospital parking lots this week. They said they felt helpless waiting.
“They signed up to take care of people, not wait with people in agony,” EMT Bill Weston told ABC News.
“This is by far the worst disaster I’ve ever been involved in,” he said.
Jan 07, 8:43 am 787,000 workers filed for unemployment insurance last week
About 787,000 workers lost their jobs and filed for unemployment insurance last week, the U.S. Department of Labor said Thursday.
This is a decrease of 3,000 compared to last week’s figure — but the weekly tally still remains highly elevated by historical standards.
The DOL also said that more than 19 million people were still receiving some form of government unemployment benefits as of the week ending Dec. 19. For the comparable week in 2019, that figure was 1.8 million.
The latest data shows the ongoing pain to the labor market brought on by the pandemic-induced recession. It also comes some nine months since the virus arrived in the U.S., but as cases and hospitalizations continue to reach record highs across the country.
Thursday’s initial unemployment claims data also comes a day ahead of Friday’s highly anticipated job’s report from the DOL, which is set to provide more details on the economy and the road towards a recovery.
Jan 07, 5:58 am Japan declares state of emergency in greater Tokyo area
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga declared a state of emergency in Tokyo and three neighboring prefectures on Thursday, amid soaring COVID-19 infections and a growing death toll.
A state of emergency declaration gives the governors of those respective regions the authority to ask residents for cooperation in efforts to curb the spread of the virus. There are currently no legal ramifications for non-compliance.
“This global infection has surpassed our imagination and it has turned into a harsh struggle,” Suga said Thursday evening in televised remarks. “However, I believe that we can overcome the situation. In order to do so, once again, we ask people to have a limited lifestyle.”
Under the state of emergency, which takes immediate effect and will last for one month, Suga said governors will ask residents to refrain from dining out and to stay home after 8 p.m. unless for essential reasons. They will also ask companies to decrease the number of employees commuting to work by 70%.
Suga said bars and restaurants will be asked to stop serving alcohol by 7 p.m. and to close by 8 p.m. Governors may disclose the name of the businesses that don’t comply, while those that do will be given 1.8 million Japanese yen ($17,000) per month.
Spectator events will be limited to an audience of 5,000 people. Schools will not be asked to close, according to Suga.
“If we do that, I believe we can overcome the COVID crisis,” he said.
Suga’s predecessor, Shinzo Abe, declared a nationwide state of emergency relatively early in the pandemic in April, which lasted for a month. At that time, residents were asked to reduce person-to-person contact by 80% and to practice “jishuku,” or “self-restraint,” by staying at home and closing non-essential businesses.
The move comes after days of record-high numbers of newly confirmed COVID-19 infections. The Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare confirmed 5,946 new cases on Wednesday, bringing the country’s cumulative total to 257,196 confirmed cases with at least 3,790 deaths.
Jan 07, 4:39 am US sees record number of COVID-19 deaths for second straight day
There were a record 3,865 new deaths from COVID-19 registered in the United States on Wednesday, marking the deadliest day since the start of the pandemic, according to a real-time count kept by Johns Hopkins University.
It’s the second straight day that the country has logged a record number of fatalities from the disease within a 24-hour reporting period. Wednesday’s count tops the previous day’s peak of 3,775 deaths, Johns Hopkins data shows.
Meanwhile, 253,145 new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed nationwide on Wednesday, marking the second consecutive day that the country has reported more than 200,000 newly confirmed infections. Wednesday’s tally is less than the all-time high of 297,491 new cases, which the country logged the previous day, according to Johns Hopkins data.
COVID-19 data may be skewed due to possible lags in reporting over the holidays followed by a potentially very large backlog.
A total of 21,305,026 people in the U.S. have been diagnosed with COVID-19 since the pandemic began, and at least 361,279 of them have died, according to Johns Hopkins data. The cases include people from all 50 U.S. states, Washington, D.C., and other U.S. territories as well as repatriated citizens.
Much of the country was under lockdown by the end of March as the first wave of the pandemic hit. By May 20, all U.S. states had begun lifting stay-at-home orders and other restrictions put in place to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus. The day-to-day increase in the country’s cases then hovered around 20,000 for a couple of weeks before shooting back up over the summer.
The numbers lingered around 40,000 to 50,000 from mid-August through early October before surging again to record levels, crossing 100,000 for the first time on Nov. 4 and reaching 200,000 for the first time on Nov. 27.
Jan 07, 12:46 am US could see 438,000 total deaths from COVID-19 by end of month, CDC says
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s latest ensemble forecast projects a total of up to 438,000 deaths from COVID-19 could be reported nationwide by Jan. 30.
At least 361,072 deaths from the disease have been reported since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
The CDC predicts that 12,900 to 24,900 new deaths will likely be reported in the last week of the month.
ABC/Kelsey McNeal(LOS ANGELES) — Fans can now put a name and face to Witney Carson’s newborn baby boy.
Days after the Dancing with the Stars pro welcomed a baby boy with husband Carson McAllister she’s sharing his name and the sweet meaning behind it.
“Kevin Leo McAllister,” she announced on Instagram Wednesday night alongside an adorable picture of the newborn swaddled. “Named after his grandpa who sent him down to us.”
“Born on Jan. 3rd 2021. 7lbs. 2oz. 21″ long,” the 27-year-old added. “My little Leo, I love you more than words can express. You are the most precious gift. My life will forever be changed by your sweet spirit. Welcome to the world Leo.”
In an Instagram post on Monday, Carson shared that she welcomed her first born after “really hard 24-hour labor” and “an unexpected C-section.”
“…we are all healthy and well,” she added at the time. “We are so grateful & we’ve been soaking up every moment with our perfect angel boy. Thank you for all the prayers.”
The newborn is the first child for Carson and McAllister who wed in 2015.
ABC/Peggy Sirota(LOS ANGELES) — Jeopardy! super champ Ken Jennings is normally the expert at handling pressure, but that’s exactly what he’ll be feeling when he temporarily takes over hosting duties following the death of longtime Jeopardy! host, Alex Trebek.
“It’s nerve-wracking to know the legacy and the size of the shoes you’re filling,” Jennings tells E! Online.
“Just to be frank, nobody wants me there. I don’t want me there,” he continues. “We all want to see Alex there for 100 years in a perfect world and, you know, I really just wanted to do the best I could so as not to let him down and Jeopardy! viewers down, so I felt a lot of pressure.”
Fortunately, he was able to get some expert advice from the master himself before his death back in November.
“I actually talked to him on the phone the same weekend he passed,” he recalls. “We had talked about the possibility of me guest hosting for him at some point and he was so sweet.”
Adds Jennings, “He was thanking me very genuinely for helping out and I was like, ‘Alex, you gave us 37 years. We should be thanking you. It’s the least I could do.'”
As for how Trebek might rate his performance, Ken says, “I think he would have some serious words on stuff I needed to work on — hopefully a C+.”
Jennings will take over as guest host starting on Monday. A successor for Trebek has yet to be officially announced.
Marvel Studios(LOS ANGELES) — (NOTE LANGUAGE) Chaos erupted Wednesday when pro-Trump protestors breached the U.S. Capitol Building as lawmakers were counting Electoral College votes. The breach resulted in lawmakers being evacuated and ordered to shelter in place.
The violence that resulted in at least four deaths. A law enforcement official confirmed to ABC News that a woman was shot at the U.S. Capitol and later died. Three others died of unknown medical reasons.
In addition, protestors were photographed breaking into lawmakers’ offices, storming the Senate dais, ransacking desks in the Senate Chamber and stealing memorabilia.
Celebrities were quick to express their dismay over Wednesday’s scene. While some took to social media to urge for peace and unity, others slammed the protestors.
Tatyana Ali: I am crying tears of rage as I watch how these people, who stormed the capital, r being treated w such care. These individuals will be free to leave after their siege. They have more rights than anyone else & just proved it. What more can they possibly have the gaul to ask for?
KirstieAlley: I believe most protesters (98%) came in peace.. 2% can do so much damage … be part of the 98%.. I know you will and are.. keep everyone safe.. go home and love your friends and families ..
Alec Baldwin: How many chances did Trump have to heal the damage that he himself promulgated? He had many chances. But Trump is a psychotic maniac. So…
Joy Behar: Putin is so enjoying this. Happy, republicans who supported this monster?
Zac Braff: I’m glad my Father isn’t alive to see this.
Karamo Brown: Shame on the news referring to these Domestic Terrorist as ‘Trump Supporters’ as if they are peaceful people supporting a president. These are terrorist w/ visible guns! Imagine if they were Middle Eastern or Black… they would not be called supporters & they wouldn’t be alive.
Yvette Nicole Brown: He incited this riot and now won’t allow the National Guard to quell it. Realize what is happening in our nation right now.
Sharna Burgess: CNN is looking like the opening scene of the next purge movie. What the actual f*** am I witnessing here
Stephen Colbert: Now I’ve said before, violence is the last refuge of the incompetent. And if the last four years have taught us anything, it’s that there are a lot of incompetent people in our leadership… Let’s remember them for who they showed themselves to be today: Cynical cowards who believe the voters should not get to choose who governs this country. Let’s hope the voters prove them all wrong.
James Corden: What a crazy, sad day. A day that will go down as a dark one in the long history of America. It felt sad, it felt wrong, but mainly, it felt hopeless. I hope when the dust settles and we reflect on what happened on this awful day, that we still have hope… Today, people across the world, would have looked at these pictures in Washington and wondered what on Earth has happened to this great country? But I truly believe that the America they admire still exists. The America so many aspire to will be back. It’s been hijacked by a lunatic and his crazy army for the last four years. But that’s about to end.
John Cusack: Rember [sic] when people were peaceably protesting outside White House – not so long ago ? Then came the cops the horses the helicopters &tear gas came Are we really going to pretend US capital cannot be secured It’s a joke – an inside job
Ava DuVernay: “I know your pain. I know your hurt. But you have to go home now… We love you. You’re very special.” – Trump to his terrorists
Jimmy Fallon: This is what happens when there’s no peaceful transition of power and what happens when there’s bad leadership. This is not how you lose. If my grandfather were alive today and saw what was happening in the country that he fought for, he’d be disgusted. People walking around with the flag upside down thinking they’re patriotic? Today was not patriotism. Today was terrorism.
Mia Farrow: You do NOT represent a party of law and order. These terrorists are your supporters. Do something more than tweet. Show some leadership & order them away from the Capitol.
Josh Gad: Trump should be arrested for instigating this chaos.
James Gunn:Thinking positively, perhaps American is waking up after a long sleep and it hurts like hell getting out of bed.
Mark Hamill: The only other person enjoying this chaos & anarchy as much as our defeated president is Vladimir Putin.
Kevin Hart: 2 completely different America’s that we are living in. If these people were black they would have all been shot dead. This s*** is past the word sad….at this point it’s pure disrespect to all people of color. Why can’t we see this situation handled the same way that we have seen our people handled repeatedly….when the armed officers are supposed to use force they don’t….S*** is fucking SAD!!!!!
Mindy Kaling: There may be jaw-dropping, unlawful, Un-American acts being perpetrated in our capitol today, but what will last, when the dust of today has settled, is the work of this true patriot.
Khloe Kardashian: The epitome of white privilege! How disturbing!!! I am sick to my stomach !
Michael Keaton: I was chased and run through tear gas demonstrating against the war in the 70s. What the police DIDN’T do today was shocking. They sure were ready during the BLM demos which was peaceful.
Jimmy Kimmel: These people are not Americans. There is no” We the people,” there is “Me the people” and that’s it. The wildest part is these MAGA marchers think Donald Trump cares about them. He doesn’t care about you. He doesn’t care about your wife, or your job or your healthcare or the air you breathe, the water you drink. He cares about himself. And only about himself. Unless you were pushing a lawnmower, he wouldn’t let you into his golf club. He’d roll his limo right over you to get a Chik-Fil-A sandwich.
Karlie Kloss: Accepting the results of a legitimate democratic election is patriotic. Refusing to do so and inciting violence is anti-American.
Ashton Kutcher: Support the peaceful transition of power!!!!!!!! That’s being a patriot!
Rachel Lindsay: This is the type of America half the country votes for.
Jane Lynch: We have a most cowardly, unmotivated and lethargic Democratic leadership. Trumpism would never have taken such deep roots with an empowered and patriotic opposition ready to fight back.
Meghan McCain: This one one of America’s darkest days in our entire history.
Alyssa Milano: WHY ARE PEOPLE SURPRISED THIS IS HAPPENING? WE’VE BEEN TELLING YOU FOR MONTHS THAT HE WAS INCITING VIOLENCE.
Chloë Grace Moretz: Peaceful protesters during BLM were beaten, tear gassed, arrested , treated with BRUTALITY and you’re telling me that the capitol is being stormed and there is hardly any show of force to stop it ? This speaks for itself.
Sarah Jessica Parker: Unimaginable. Disgraceful. Shocking. But no surprise. So many to hold responsible. You know who you are. You dismissed the violent, divisive, cruel rhetoric. You made excuses. Cowards He/you are not leaders. We will try to re-build. You will try to live with yourselves
Ben Platt: naw the term “protestors” doesn’t really apply here they’re “domestic white nationalist terrorists incited to stage a coup by a dictator who should be removed and put in jail” but we are also accepting “violently sore losers” & “nazis”
Antoni Porowski: I thought many of these protestors said Blue Lives Matter just a few months ago… a lesson in hypocrisy.
Leah Remini: Praying for our country. Sickened & saddened by what I’m seeing-on so many levels. Cowards. Disgraceful. We will get through this. #CapitolRiots
ShondaRhimes: Not “supporters”. Not “rioters”. The word is “terrorists”.
Mark Ruffalo: The reality and shame of this country. Now we all see it. Today revealed the true enemies of this nation.
Octavia Spencer: If the election is invalid, then these newly elected people should technically not be in office. How can they reject the top of the ticket, but support their Own wins?
Uma Thurman: Tonight I feel so grateful for the better nature of the Congress to be so brave. The principle of the Loyal Opposition has been too long missing in those halls. I pray that they study the meaning of Loyal Opposition in order to safeguard the integrity of our dual party system. I share the grateful appreciation of a learning, mindful police facing domestic unrest, although the curve of learning could have been accelerated. Today we saw the civic defenders use extreme control. We must all appreciate it and hope to see it applied to all races. We will overcome this division of the just rule of law together, however too slowly. But no one has promised us fairness since we were children. I am a patriot: Long may our founding fathers’ Constitution be upheld, and improved, with a little dash of help from the American mothers.
Jonathan Van Ness: Trump still has 2 weeks left. He must be impeached immediately. He is unfit to ever hold office again which is one of the punishments offered by impeachment. Once our elected officials are out of F****** LOCKDOWN make sure to let them know
Dwayne Wade: Black people get pulled over and don’t make it out alive. We can’t sleep in our own beds without being killed. We can’t jog without being killed. We can’t walk down the street with our hoodies up without being killed but they can do this???
Susan Kelechi Watson: Eric was selling loose cigarettes. Phillando reaching for his identification. Trayon was walking through a neighborhood with skittles. George allegedly had a counterfeit $20. Anarchy in the capitol and law enforcement spent the first hour with their hands in their pockets. Ok.
ABC(LOS ANGELES) — Elizabeth Olsen had some bad news for fans of her older sisters. She is not confirming that her siblings Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen will make a cameo on her upcoming Disney+ series, WandaVision.
