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"It’s gonna have a family vibe": Lady A get into the holiday spirit for 'CMA Country Christmas'

• No Comments • Country Music News

John Russell/CMALady A will get festive on the CMA Country Christmas stage when the special airs tonight, and the three band mates agree that they’re more than ready for the holiday season to kick off.

“It can’t get here fast enough,” laughs Hillary Scott. “But then at the same time, I want it to last forever, because it’s the most enjoyable part of the year.”

The special includes Lady A’s performances of “Wonderful Christmastime” and “Little Saint Nick,” two of the additions included on the new deluxe version of their holiday album, On This Winter’s Night.

“We love Christmas songs and the harmonies, especially these two,” Hillary continues. “Particularly the harmonies. These songs are just really fun for us to sing.”

“You say fun, I say tortuously difficult,” jokes singer Charles Kelley, adding that nailing the harmonies in the Beach Boys classic “Little Saint Nick” was especially tricky.

But demanding vocal challenges aside, the trio couldn’t be more excited to be a part of the annual holiday tradition, especially at the end of what has been such a challenging year. Due to social distancing protocols, the special wasn’t able to have its usual live audience in 2020. Instead, CMA Country Christmas this year focuses on a relaxed and cozy aesthetic. The special will trade glitzy, expansive stages for an at-home feel, dressing the performance sets to look like a family’s living room.

Plus, having Thomas Rhett and his wife Lauren Akins as hosts will add to the homey feel.

“It’s gonna have a family vibe,” Hillary says. “I feel like the holidays are always so much about family, and having the two of them host the night will just be really special.”

CMA Country Christmas airs tonight at 9:00 p.m. ET on ABC.

By Carena Liptak
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Fear grips New England town after string of unprovoked street attacks

• No Comments • National News

Waltham Police Department via FacebookBY: BILL HUTCHINSON, ABC NEWS

(BOSTON) — One man was out for an evening stroll when someone came up behind him and bashed him in the face with a blunt object. Another victim was taking out the trash at his apartment complex when he was ambushed, and a U.S. Postal Service carrier was badly beaten while out delivering the mail after dark.

Residents of Waltham, Massachusetts, are on edge after police said at least 10 men have been targeted by a mystery assailant in a string of unprovoked assaults that have occurred since Nov. 10.

“Waltham police are using all means necessary to bring these cases to an end as quickly as possible,” Detective Sgt. Steve McCarthy said in a statement.

McCarthy said the latest attack occurred around 8 p.m. on Friday when a culprit came up behind a man walking on a residential street, hit him in the face with a blunt weapon and ran off under the cover of darkness. As in the other cases, McCarthy said the person responsible for the serial assaults appears to be lying in wait and attacking victims by surprise.

On Saturday, police released surveillance video of an individual they described as “a suspect in the string of recent assaults around Waltham” and urged the public to contact them with any information on the person’s identity.

The video shows a man dressed in a dark hooded coat, light blue jeans and sneakers running down a street. Police did not specify when or where the video was taken.

Investigators only have a general description of the assailant, saying he appears to be a Black male, 5-foot-6- to 5-foot-10-inches tall and 160 to 180 pounds.

Police also took the unusual step of making reverse 911 calls to alert residents of the city, cautioning them to be vigilant and remain aware of their surroundings, especially after dark.

Authorities said that in all of the “random, unprovoked” attacks, the suspect has struck between 5:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. in the city 22 miles northwest of Boston.

Initially, the assailant appeared to be targeting residents of an apartment complex but has since spread out across the community of roughly 63,000 people, attacking several recent victims in the city’s downtown area, according to police.

David Cameros, one of the victims, told ABC affiliate station WCVB-TV in Boston, that he was attacked Wednesday night outside his apartment complex. He said he had just taken out his garbage and was talking on his cell phone while having a smoke when he was clobbered in the head by what he believes was a baseball bat.

Cameros said he was knocked unconscious and left with a fractured skull.

“I don’t know if it is only one or there are more attackers. The aggressor always attacks from behind,” Cameros said.

Another victim, who would only give his first name, Emerson, a mechanic, told WCVB he was targeted while out for an evening stroll also on Wednesday evening. Emerson remains in a hospital being treated for several fractures to his face and skull.

Emerson said the attacker came up behind him like a “coward” and that he didn’t have a chance to see his face.

“I did not have the opportunity to defend myself,” Emerson said Saturday, adding that he is awaiting surgery on his face.

Melissa Gallant, a friend of Emerson, said she and other residents of the city have been left rattled by the attacks.

“I know he’s beat up bad, bad, bad and he’s such a nice guy,” Gallant told WCVB of Emerson. “It’s heartbreaking. It’s not right. He helps everybody. He’s a very good man.”

Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

'Star Wars' original Darth Vader, David Prowse, dead at 85

• No Comments • Entertainment News

Dave Prowse in 2013; THIERRY ZOCCOLAN/AFP via Getty Images(LONDON) — David Prowse, the British bodybuilder-turned-actor who wore the menacing black suit of Darth Vader in the original Star Wars trilogy, has died.  He was 85.

Prowse’s managers confirmed the news via Twitter, writing in part, “It’s with great regret and heart-wrenching sadness for us and million of fans around the world, to announce that our client DAVE PROWSE M.B.E. has passed away.”

Standing 6’7″ in his prime, Prowse parlayed his physical stature into a film career, with a role as a bodyguard in Stanley Kubrick’s 1971 cult classic A Clockwork Orange, which caught the eye of Star Wars creator George Lucas when he needed to fill the menacing boots of his Dark Lord of the Sith.  James Earl Jones famously provided Vader’s unmistakable baritone growl after production, which came as a surprise to Prowse, who thought his arguably far less menacing pipes would be used onscreen.

Prowse appeared in numerous television shows and movies, including Doctor Who and as Frankenstein’s monster in several Hammer horror films.  A champion weightlifter, he used his experience to train celebrities such as Christopher Reeve for 1978’s Superman and Carey Elwes in The Princess Bride.

Prowse was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2000 for services to charity for starring in a series of road safety ads for children in the ’70s, and he continued to be a presence at science fiction conventions and the like until his retirement in 2016.

On Twitter, his onscreen son, Mark Hamill, who played Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars saga, remembered Prowse as, “a kind man & much more than Darth Vader.” Hamill added, “He loved his fans as much as they loved him. #RIP.”

Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. 

New York City public elementary schools to reopen in-person

• No Comments • National News

fernandogarciaesteban/iStockBY: ALEXANDRA SVOKOS, ABC NEWS

(NEW YORK) — New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced elementary schools will be reopening in-person on Monday, Dec. 7, in a reversal from a previous decision.

De Blasio said Sunday testing would be done weekly and testing consent forms will be required for students to return. Additionally, district 75 schools that cater to students with disabilities will reopen beginning Thursday, Dec. 10.

The mayor added that the city would be moving to five-day in-person learning as much as possible, moving away from a hybrid model.

The nation’s largest school district shut its doors in mid-November as novel coronavirus rates crept upward in New York City, with a positivity rate above 3% over a seven-day rolling average, a standard the city had set at which schools would close.

It was a move that frustrated many parents, teachers and students — and even prompted questions from public health experts.

The reopening of schools is focusing on younger grades, de Blasio said, as studies have shown that coronavirus impacts younger children less harshly. There is no word yet on reopenings for middle and high schools.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

San Francisco 49ers not allowed to play in stadium for 3 weeks under new COVID-19 restrictions

• No Comments • Sports News

Michael Vi/iStockBy MEREDITH DELISO, ABC News

(SANTA CLARA, Calif.) — The San Francisco 49ers will not be allowed to practice or play in their stadium for three weeks under new county health restrictions that prohibit contact sports.

Stanford University’s athletics, including its football program, will also be affected.

Santa Clara County health officials announced the new restrictions on Saturday, as the county reported a record 760 COVID-19 cases.

“Our case rates have been surging since November. In fact, we have the highest case rate of any county in the San Francisco Bay area,” county health officer Dr. Sara Cody said at a press briefing.

Hospitalizations have also doubled since Nov. 12, she said, with a record 239 reported on Saturday.

The restrictions, which start Monday and last through Dec. 21, impact gatherings, capacity limits and recreational activities.

Among them, professional, collegiate and youth sports that involve direct contact are temporarily prohibited.

Health officials confirmed that means that the 49ers will not be allowed to play home games at Levi’s Stadium. The team has games scheduled there on Dec. 7 and Dec. 13. It is unclear if the games will be moved or postponed.

The Stanford Cardinal football team also currently has a home game scheduled for Dec. 12.

Neither team has allowed fans into their stadiums this season.

Additionally, people who travel more than 150 miles from home will have to quarantine for 14 days. The 49ers are currently headed to Los Angeles for a game against the Rams Sunday afternoon, as noted by sports reporter Jennifer Lee Chan. It’s unclear if the new quarantine order will impact the team.

“We are aware of the Santa Clara County Public Health Department’s emergency directive,” the 49ers said in a statement. “We are working with the NFL and our partners on operational plans and will share details as they are confirmed.”

Stanford has not publicly responded to the new measures. Neither have the NFL or Pac-12.

The San Jose State football program would also be affected by the regulations. Training camp for the NHL’s San Jose Sharks, set to begin in early December, could also be affected.

Other new county restrictions will limit hotels to essential travel, health care workers and quarantine or isolation purposes. Card rooms will also close. Capacity at most indoor facilities will be reduced to 10% (grocery stores and pharmacies can operate at 25% capacity), and outdoor gatherings will be limited to 100 people.

Health officials also urged residents to stay home as much as possible.

“This pandemic is like a high-speed train, and our projections tell us that we are on target to derail by around the third week of December if we don’t apply brakes right now with all our collective might,” Cody said.

The current projections do not take Thanksgiving into account, with holiday gatherings and travel likely to “create a surge,” she added.

The measures are in addition to a nightly curfew and nonessential business closures issued by the state for counties including Santa Clara that are in the “purple” tier, indicating widespread COVID-19 risk.

ABC News’ Abigail Shalawylo and Matthew Fuhrman contributed to this report.