RCA NashvilleChris Young raises a glass to his hometown in his upcoming single, “Famous Friends,” featuring Kane Brown.
Dropping on Friday, the two hitmakers trade vocals on the single that finds them celebrating their small Southern towns, with reference to three counties of significance: Rutherford County in Chris’ hometown of Murfreesboro, Tennessee; Kane’s native Hamilton County, on the Tennessee and Georgia border; and Davidson County, where they both currently reside in Nashville.
Kane teased the track in May, offering fans a one-minute clip on Twitter where the singers can be heard chanting, “I’ve got some famous friends you’ve probably never heard of/But back in Rutherford County our crowd is second to none/You might not know ‘em here in this big city we’re in /But when I go back home I’ve got some famous friends.”
“This song is a piece of me, and it means a lot because it’s honest and it’s real-life. Plus, Kane and I are good friends and being able to have that history together, it adds a whole other level to the track,” Chris explains. “‘Famous Friends’ is one of my favorite songs — it’s personal and it’s a lot of fun, so I’m glad it’s getting out there for people to hear it.”
“Famous Friends” is the third single off Chris’ forthcoming album, Raised on Country. It follows the 2019 singles “Drowning” and the top-five hit title track.
narvikk/iStockBy JON HAWORTH and ERIN SCHUMAKER, ABC News
(NEW YORK) — A pandemic of the novel coronavirus has now killed more than 1.3 million people worldwide.
Over 54.4 million people across the globe have been diagnosed with COVID-19, the disease caused by the new respiratory virus, according to data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. The actual numbers are believed to be much higher due to testing shortages, many unreported cases and suspicions that some national governments are hiding or downplaying the scope of their outbreaks. The criteria for diagnosis — through clinical means or a lab test — has also varied from country to country.
Since the first cases were detected in China in December, the virus has rapidly spread to every continent except Antarctica. The United States is the worst-affected nation, with more than 11 million diagnosed cases and at least 246,236 deaths.
Nearly 200 vaccine candidates for COVID-19 are being tracked by the World Health Organization, at least 10 of which are in crucial phase three studies. Of those 10 potential vaccines in late-stage trials, there are currently five that will be available in the United States if approved.
Here’s how the news is developing Monday. All times Eastern: Nov 16, 1:12 pm Labor Department issues $2.8 million in fines to companies that didn’t protect workers
The U.S. Labor Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has issued more than $2.8 million in fines for failing to properly protect employees from COVID-19.
The violations compiled by OSHA include failure to implement plans to protect workers from respiratory viruses; failure to provide workers with PPE or train them to wear it properly; failure to report illness or death; and failure to to provide a safe workplace.
Since the pandemic began, OSHA has issued 204 citations and $2,856,533 in penalties, many in nursing homes and health care facilities. ABC News’ Stephanie Ebbs contributed to this report. Nov 16, 11:50 am Nearly 70,000 Americans currently hospitalized
Nearly 70,000 people are currently hospitalized due to complications with COVID-19 as intensive care units around the country run out of space and supplies.
The number of hospitalization shows no signs of slowing down after the seven-day average of patients currently hospitalized with COVID-19 increased by 23%, according to an ABC News analysis of the trends across 50 states, Guam, Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C., using data from the COVID Tracking Project.
The virus also continues to disproportionally impact Americans of color. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the week ending on Nov. 7, hospitalization rates for Hispanic or Latino individuals are 4.2 times higher than that of non-Hispanic White individuals. American Indian or Alaska Native individuals have been hospitalized at 4.1 times the rate of non-Hispanic White individuals, and Black individuals have been hospitalized at 3.9 times the rate of non-Hispanic White individuals.
The U.S. is now averaging almost 145,000 new cases a day — nearly four times the daily average from just two months ago. In the last seven days, the average number of new COVID-19 cases has increased by 35%.
The 1 million Americans diagnosed with the virus in the last seven days equates to 101 every minute. -ABC News’ Arielle Mitropolous
Nov 16, 7:41 am Moderna announces initial Phase 3 data showing its COVID-19 vaccine is up to 94.5% effective
In another promising medical development, the biotechnology company Moderna has announced its COVID-19 vaccine could be up to 94.5% effective.
The news comes a week after Pfizer announced its vaccine could be up to 90% effective based on a similar, early analysis from its Phase 3 trial.
In a release Monday, Moderna said its Phase 3 trial “met statistical criteria with a vaccine efficacy of 94.5%,” according to an early analysis of the data that included 95 participants with confirmed cases of COVID-19.
However, vaccine specialists caution that these numbers are not set in stone — both estimates could increase or decrease as the respective trials continue, and the vaccines may ultimately prove to work better in some groups than in others.
Despite the promising data, Moderna isn’t ready to roll out its vaccine in a mass immunization campaign just yet. The company will first need to ask the Food and Drug Administration for emergency use authorization (EUA), a limited green-light for higher-risk groups.
The company said it plans to seek EUA “in the coming weeks.” That application will include at least two months of safety data after the last injection in half the volunteers. 
Moderna has said it expects the FDA application will include the “final analysis” of 151 cases of COVID-19 in its trial, rather than just the initial 95 cases.
This puts them roughly on track along with Pfizer for possible limited authorization by the FDA as soon as December. Moderna is expected to have 20 million doses to go along with Pfizer’s 50 million for global distribution before more can be made in 2021.
Moderna also announced promising data Monday about how the vaccine can be shipped and stored. According to the company, the vaccine can safely be stored for up to six months in a normal freezer, and up to 30 days in a normal refrigerator.
Pfizer’s vaccine must be kept at around -94 degrees Fahrenheit — far colder than a typical freezer can accommodate. Because of these temperature requirements, the company will ship vaccine doses in special temperature-controlled thermal boxes packed with dry ice.
With the new data published this week, Moderna could be the second company to seek authorization in the United States, after Pfizer.
Nov 16, 5:12 am Russia’s daily coronavirus cases hit all-time record
Russia registered a total of 22,778 new coronavirus infection cases and 303 coronavirus-related deaths in the past 24 hours, according to the coronavirus response headquarters in a statement that was released on Monday.
The city of Moscow alone recorded 6,360 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours.
Russia has now seen a total of 1,948,603 coronavirus infection cases and 32,489 people have died of coronavirus in Russia over the entire period of the pandemic.
Nov 16, 5:12 am Russia’s daily coronavirus cases hit all-time record
Russia registered a total of 22,778 new coronavirus infection cases and 303 coronavirus-related deaths in the past 24 hours, according to the coronavirus response headquarters in a statement that was released on Monday.
The city of Moscow alone recorded 6,360 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours.
Russia has now seen a total of 1,948,603 coronavirus infection cases and 32,489 people have died of coronavirus in Russia over the entire period of the pandemic.
Nov 16, 4:52 am Olympic optimism as IOC’s Bach meets with Japan PM Suga
As global coronavirus infections spread and countries impose new lockdowns, a glimmer of hope for the Summer Olympic Games was seen briefly in Japan’s capital on Monday. International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach is in Tokyo, his first visit since coronavirus forced the decision to postpone the summer games for a year.
At the prime minister’s office, Bach and Prime Minister Suga met for about 30 minutes. The two fistbumped for photographers before making optimistic statements.
Bach said, “We again will make this Olympic Games a great symbol of solidarity and unity of humanity in this world, which by then will be a post-coronavirus world.”
Suga said, “We are determined to host the games as proof that humanity has defeated the coronavirus pandemic.”
Bach’s four-day visit to Tokyo began on Sunday. On Monday night, the IOC president is expected to meet Japan’s long-serving former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who made the call to delay the games in March. Bach is also scheduled to meet Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike and Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee president Yoshiro Mori.
Despite not implementing harsh measures to combat COVID, such as a European-styled hard lockdown, Japan seems to have sidestepped the ravages of the disease.
There are currently under 120,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases and less than 2,000 deaths. Like other nations, as temperatures fall and people head indoors, coronavirus numbers are expected to rise. Health officials reported 1,441 new coronavirus cases on Sunday.
(CLEVELAND) — The Cleveland Browns’ practice facility is shut down for the second consecutive week due to COVID-19.
A statement on the Browns website said, “the individual has immediately self-isolated and the Browns facility is closed while contact tracing is being conducted.”
On Friday, the team closed its training complex in Berea, Ohio, and placed reserve offensive lineman Chris Hubbard on the reserve/COVID-19 list after he tested positive for the coronavirus, ESPN reports.
During the week prior, the Browns closed the facility after Baker Mayfield came into contact with a team staffer who had contracted the virus. Mayfield later received a negative COVID-19 test and returned to practice Wednesday.
The Browns are scheduled to host the Philadelphia Eagles next weekend. It’s unclear whether the recent shutdown will impact that game.
Netflix(LOS ANGELES) — Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman died in August following a silent four-year battle with colon cancer. While his final film, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, isn’t due out until December 18, the Gotham Awards have already nominated Boseman for Best Actor.
The late actor’s big brother, Kevin Boseman, emotionally reacted to the nomination on Saturday and expressed why it is so meaningful.
“I had to sit with this for a couple days,” the elder Boseman commented on Instagram. “After screening this with [Chadwick,] I told him he was about to get all the nominations and… I was so faithful he’d be here to experience this moment.”
He closed out the announcement with, “Congratulations, Baby Brother.”
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom is based off the 1982 play written by August Wilson about a pivotal recording session where “Mother of the Blues” Ma Rainey, played by Viola Davis, went to bat with her white manager and producer over who had the right to control her music.
Boseman plays aspiring trumpeter Levee in the movie, who uses the tension mounting during the recording session to make a name for himself in the music industry.
The Denzel Washington-produced movie has garnered serious awards buzz due in part to Boseman’s electrifying performance.
Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images(LOS ANGELES) — Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has an idea why his song “You’re Welcome” from the Disney animated film Moana went 4x platinum. It’s because, according to the actor, he’s been singing it nonstop all year long.
Ever since his baby girl Tiana listened to “You’re Welcome,” she’s been mercilessly begging her father to sing it over and over again — all while refusing to believe her father voiced Maui in the 2016 movie.
And, just as Tia has a hard time believing that her father sang the original song, Johnson is also struggling to understand how “You’re Welcome” hit such a major milestone.
Admitting that he usually has “a cool and calm demeanor when I hear good news,” the announcement from the Recording Industry Association of America about his now-4x platinum song made him freak out.
“Thank you to my brother – the one and only iconic maestro, Lin Manuel Miranda for writing this classic for me to sing and the world to sing along to,” the Jumanji star gushed on Saturday. “Thank you to all of you around the world who love the song and the swaggy, fun it brings.”
However, he says there is one person above all else who deserves the credit — his toddler, Tia.
“A huge daddy thank you to the real reason this song is 4Xs Platinum and growing – my 2 year old boss, Baby Tia who LOVES hearing me sing this song to her,” he smiled, but confirmed to fans that she still “has no idea I’m actually, Maui – which kinda makes this whole thing that much more awesome.”
To prove that the two-year-old remains obstinate, Johnson posted a new video of him singing the song before asking little Tia, “Is Daddy Maui?”
“No,” she adorably replied, wanting to hear the song again.
RCA NashvilleChris Young raises a glass to his hometown in his upcoming single, “Famous Friends,” featuring Kane Brown.
