Warner Music NashvilleWillie Nelson is teaming up with a group of up-and-coming country artists for a special rendition of “On the Road Again.”
Through the Academy of Country Music’s charitable arm, ACM Lifting Lives, the country legend has recorded a reimagining of his classic hit, featuring 10 rising stars in Nashville who are nominated for New Female and New Male Artist at the 2020 ACM Awards.
Gabby Barrett, Ingrid Andress, Lindsay Ell, Caylee Hammack and Tenille Townes represent the New Female Artist nominees, while Russell Dickerson, Morgan Wallen, Jordan Davis, Cody Johnson and Riley Green are the New Male Artist nominees, all of whom join Willie on the to-be-released collaboration.
Proceeds from the song will go toward the ACM Lifting Lives COVID-19 Response Fund, which supports members of the country music community who have lost work due to the pandemic.
“On the Road Again (ACM Lifting Lives Edition)” will be available on August 13.
Originally scheduled for April, the 2020 ACM Awards were postponed to September in light of the pandemic. It will take place in Nashville, broadcasting from three of the city’s historic venues — the Ryman Auditorium, Grand Ole Opry and Bluebird Cafe — with Keith Urban serving as host.
The awards show airs on CBS on September 16 at 8 p.m. ET.
Myriam Borzee/iStockBy MORGAN WINSOR and EMILY SHAPIRO, ABC News
(NEW YORK) — A pandemic of the novel coronavirus has now killed more than 732,000 people worldwide.
Over 19.9 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.
Since the first cases were detected in China in December, the United States has become the worst-affected country, with more than 5 million diagnosed cases and at least 163,100 deaths.
Here’s how the news is developing today. All times Eastern. 1:20 p.m.: Philadelphia school sports suspended until 2021
The Philadelphia Public League is suspending all interscholastic sport competitions until 2021 following a recommendation from Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf, ABC Philadelphia station WPVI reported.
Wolf said Thursday, “We ought to do everything we can to defeat that virus … the guidance from us, recommendation, is that we don’t do any sports until January first.”
The Philadelphia Public League said, according to WPVI, “If guidelines released by the Governor’s office change, or are updated in a way that would allow programming to resume, we reserve the right to revisit our decision and provide further guidance on a safe return to play.” 12:40 p.m.: COVID-19 is not demonstrating a seasonal pattern, WHO says
COVID-19 “has demonstrated no seasonal pattern” so far, World Health Organization (WHO) emergencies chief Dr. Mike Ryan said Monday.
“What it has clearly demonstrated is: you take the pressure off the virus, the virus bounces back,” Ryan warned.
“You can call that a second wave, you can call that a second spike, you can call it a flare-up, you can call it anything you like,” he said. “Take the pressure off the virus, the virus will bounce back. And that’s what we would say to countries in Europe: keep the pressure on the virus.”
Many countries in Europe — like France, Germany, Spain and Italy — had major outbreaks but when they took action they were able to suppress it, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.
“We all want to see schools safely reopened but we also need to ensure that students, staff and faculty are safe. The foundation for this is adequate control of transmission at the community,” Tedros said. “My message is crystal clear: suppress, suppress, suppress the virus. If we suppress the virus effectively, we can safely open up societies.” 12:15 p.m.: DC adds 5 new states to its quarantine list
Washington, D.C. has added Alaska, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky and Minnesota to the district’s quarantine list.
Those traveling to D.C. from these high-risk states must quarantine for two weeks: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Wisconsin.
States are added to the list if their seven-day moving average of daily cases is 10 or more per 100,000 people.
Traveling to and from D.C.’s neighboring states, Maryland and Virginia, will not apply to the list.
11 a.m.: 20% of Florida’s ICU beds available
In hard-hit Florida, 20.79% of the state’s ICU beds were available as of Monday morning, the state’s Agency for Healthcare Administration reported.
Thirty-eight hospitals had no available ICU beds Monday while 22 hospitals in the state had just one available bed, the agency said.
These numbers are expected to fluctuate throughout the day as hospitals and medical centers provide updates.
Florida has the second-highest number of coronavirus cases in the U.S. behind California.
Florida has over 536,900 diagnosed cases and at least 8,406 fatalities, according to the state’s Department of Health
9:40 a.m.: TSA screens over 800K people for 1st time since March
The Transportation Security Administration screened 831,789 people on Sunday, marking the first time over 800,000 people traveled in one day since March 17.
This is still down about 70% compared to the same day last year when the TSA screened 2,647,897 travelers.
Major U.S. airlines don’t expect recovery to be linear as infection rates and state quarantine rules change over time in different parts of the country.
9:10 a.m.: Cases rising in Lebanon after explosion
Coronavirus cases are rising in Lebanon after the explosion in Beirut last week that killed at least 160 people.
Lebanon reported 294 new cases on Sunday, according to Health Ministry data. Seven days earlier, the daily number of new cases was 155, according to the data.
Lebanon now has a total of 6,517 diagnosed cases and at least 76 COVID-19 fatalities.
8:35 a.m.: Clorox says demand for its wipes is up 500%
Clorox says demand for its wipes is up 500% during the pandemic.
“We are making wipes in record numbers and shipping them to stores in record numbers,” Clorox CEO Linda Rendle told ABC News’ Good Morning America on Monday.
Since January, Clorox has made 100 million more disinfecting products than before — a 50% increase, Rendle said.
Clorox is now making nearly one million packages of disinfectant wipes every day, Rendle said.
7:25 a.m.: UK has ‘moral duty’ to fully reopen schools next month, PM says
U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson reiterated Monday that he’s “very keen” for all schools to fully reopen in England next month.
“It’s not right that kids should spend more time out of school,” Johnson told reporters while visiting a school in East London. “It’s much, much better for their health and mental wellbeing, obviously their educational prospects, if everybody comes back to school full-time in September.”
“It’s our moral duty as a country to make sure that happens,” he added.
Johnson said he’s been “impressed” by the work administrators and teachers have done to make sure schools are safe.
Last month, the U.K. government outlined a plan for the “mandatory” return to classrooms across England in September, with students being restricted to “class or year sized bubbles” and teachers being told to “address gaps in knowledge.”
Schools across the United Kingdom shuttered in mid-March at the start of the pandemic. Some pupils returned to classrooms in England in June.
Meanwhile, Scotland is set to fully reopen its schools on Tuesday.
6:49 a.m.: India’s former president tests positive for COVID-19
India’s former president, Pranab Mukherjee, has tested positive for COVID-19.
“On a visit to the hospital for a separate procedure, I have tested positive for Covid-19 today,” Mukherjee, who served as president of India from 2012 to 2017, announced via Twitter on Monday. “I request the people who came in contact with me in the last week, to please self isolate and get tested for Covid-19.”
With more than 2.2 million diagnosed cases of COVID-19, India has the third-highest tally in the world, behind the United States and Brazil.
5:36 a.m.: Coronavirus testing site opening along U.S.-Mexico border
A coronavirus testing site will open soon near the U.S.-Mexico border in Southern California’s San Diego County, according to a report by San Diego ABC affiliate KGTV.
The appointment-free, walk-up testing site will be located at the San Ysidro Port of Entry’s PedWest crossing, one of the world’s busiest pedestrian international border crossings. The site, among more than two dozen others across San Diego County, will be the closest one to the border with Mexico so far for the region.
The United States and Mexico are two of the worst-affected nations in the coronavirus pandemic.
The Hispanic community makes up just 34% of San Diego’s population and yet, as of Sunday, they accounted for 62% of the city’s COVID-19 cases, according to KGTV. That figure will likely rise after the new testing site opens up within the next couple weeks, since the area is dominated by Spanish speakers.
However, Chicano Federation Chief Strategy Officer Roberto Alcantar said many in the Latino community are still afraid of getting tested.
“Our community is nervous about losing their jobs, not being able to go to work, the real economic impact that comes from being positive and feeling that that might hinder them in a way,” Alcantar told KGTV.
4:21 a.m.: Australia sees record rise in virus-related deaths
An additional 19 coronavirus-related deaths were recorded in the Australian state of Victoria on Sunday — the highest single-day increase in fatalities that the country has seen since the start of the pandemic.
“This news is devastating no matter what age COVID affects people, and we just want to reaffirm again our support through every channel we can provide it,” Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison told reporters in Canberra on Monday.
Victoria’s Department of Health and Human Services also reported 322 new cases of COVID-19 — the lowest daily count recorded in the state since July 29.
“We are seeing some stability. That’s a good thing. But that’s not enough,” Victoria’s state Premier Daniel Andrews told reporters in Melbourne. “And that’s the product of masks and Stage 3. That’s what the experts tell us. The next stage, though, is all about these restrictions that we’ve had to painfully impose.”
Andrews declared a state of disaster in Victoria on Aug. 2, giving authorities additional powers to ensure people are complying with public health directions. Victoria is home to Australia’s second-largest city, Melbourne, which has become a hotspot in the country’s novel coronavirus outbreak.
In total, Australia has reported more than 21,000 diagnosed cases of COVID-19 with at least 313 deaths.
3:45 a.m.: US records under 50,000 new cases for first time in six days
There were 46,395 new cases of COVID-19 identified in the United States on Sunday, bringing the nationwide total soaring past five million, according to a count kept by Johns Hopkins University.
It’s the first time in six days that the nation has recorded under 50,000 new cases. An additional 516 coronavirus-related deaths were also reported.
Sunday’s caseload is well below the record set on July 16, when more than 77,000 new cases were identified in a 24-hour reporting period.
A total of 5,044,864 people in the U.S. have been diagnosed with COVID-19 since the pandemic began, and at least 162,938 of them have died, according to Johns Hopkins. The cases include people from all 50 U.S. states, Washington, D.C., and other U.S. territories as well as repatriated citizens.
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 and crossing 70,000 for the first time in mid-July.
Many states have seen a rise in infections in recent weeks, with some — including Arizona, California and Florida — reporting daily records. However, new data published last week in an internal memo from the Federal Emergency Management Agency suggests that the national surge in cases could be leveling off.
(CHICAGO) — At least 100 people were arrested in Chicago overnight as looting and violence overtook the streets, injuring multiple police officers, authorities said.
Thirteen officers were injured, including a sergeant who was attacked with a bottle, and at least two civilians were shot during the unrest after midnight Sunday, in the early hours of Monday morning, as hundreds overran the city’s upscale Magnificent Mile shopping district and surrounding areas with vandalism and violence, authorities said.
The suspects face several charges, including looting, battery against police and disorderly conduct, authorities said. Investigators are also searching for suspects who fired shots at police, Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown said on Monday.
“In one incident, officers were arresting a suspect who was seen carrying a cash register he had looted out of a store,” Brown said. “As officers were making the arrest, another vehicle passed by the officers and fired shots at the officers, as their vehicle turned the corner, resulting in an exchange in gunfire between officers and the suspects. A bullet was found lodged in the cage of the police vehicle.”
The officers were not wounded by gunfire.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said she implemented a community protection program — a lockdown with massive police presence — that will be in place “for foreseeable days until we know our neighborhoods are safe.”
Lightfoot said the criminal activity had nothing to do with “legitimate” organized protests and described it as “an assault on our city.”
“These individuals engaged in what only could be described as brazen and extensive criminal looting and destruction. To be clear, this had nothing to do with legitimate, protected First Amendment expression,” Lightfoot said on Monday.
Investigators said the unrest was sparked Sunday afternoon by inaccurate reports online about an unarmed juvenile being shot by police in the Englewood area. The shooting victim was actually a 20-year-old man who allegedly opened fire on police while being chased, authorities said.
“Tempers flared, fueled by misinformation as the afternoon turned into evening. CPD became aware of several social media posts encouraging looting downtown,” Brown said. “Officers were dispatched to our downtown area once we got word of the social media posts. Four hundred officers were dispatched to our downtown.”
Much of the unrest happened along the Magnificent Mile, one of the city’s most-popular tourist attractions, where looters were seen stuffing vehicles with shopping bags full of stolen merchandise and store equipment.
ATM machine were compromised, cash registers were stolen and at least one bank was broken into, according to the Chicago Tribune.
City officials said residents should expect a heavy police presence downtown until further notice. Lightfoot said the city was still “working on the specifics” of a looming lockdown that could include closing some bridges and expressways.
“We are working on the specifics now,” Lightfoot told reporters Monday. “We are looking at the bridges. But we want to make sure obviously that the people who work and live downtown have easy access to the downtown area.”
Blake Shelton, Luke Combs and Thomas Rhett are among the many artists donating special items to the auction, conducted by Julien’s Auctions, with proceeds going toward MusiCares’ mission of assisting artists who have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Blake has contributed a signed tour program and accompanying T-shirt, while Thomas and his hit songwriting father Rhett Akins have donated a signed Fender guitar with a green tree print.
Luke is donating a signed poster announcing his induction into the Grand Ole Opry, along with an autographed set list from a recent appearance. Similarly, Kelsea Ballerini is donating a signed poster celebrating her induction into the Grand Ole Opry in 2019, while Dolly Parton is also supplying signed Grand Ole Opry poster from the special show honoring her 50th anniversary as an Opry member.
Acoustic guitars signed by the likes of Taylor Swift, Keith Urban and Rascal Flatts are also on the auction list. The vast ranging list of stars contributing items to the auction include Billie Eilish, Harry Styles, Coldplay and many others.
The auction will be hosted online at Julien’s Live on September 9.
Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney(LOS ANGELES) — Katherine Schwarzenegger and Chris Pratt have welcomed their first child together.
The Guardians of the Galaxy actor, 41, and the Gift of Forgiveness author, 30, announced the birth of their newborn daughter on Monday. They named their bundle of joy Lyla Maria Schwarzenegger Pratt.
“We are beyond thrilled to announce the birth of our daughter, Lyla Maria Schwarzenegger Pratt,” Pratt wrote on Instagram, including a photo of their baby’s hands alongside his and Schwarzenegger’s. “We couldn’t be happier. Both mom and baby are doing great. We are extremely blessed. Love Katherine and Chris.”
The Jurassic World actor also shared two Bible verses showing what Lyla’s arrival means to him and Schwarzenegger, including “The LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.”
While this is Schwarzenegger’s first time as a mother, Pratt is already father to son Jack, who will be 8 later this month, whom he shares with ex-wife Anna Faris.
News first broke in April that the couple, who started dating in June 2018 and married a year later, had a baby on the way.
Though the pair kept relatively quiet throughout the pregnancy, Pratt took to Instagram on Aug. 1 to share a photo of Schwarzenegger. With her baby bump on display on a hike, he wrote that she was “ready to pop.”
For her part, Schwarzenegger toldGood Morning America in July her parents, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver, had been “amazing” during her pregnancy.
“I am always lucky to be able to have what I feel are the world’s most supportive parents and also best parents,” she said at the time.
Warner Music NashvilleWillie Nelson is teaming up with a group of up-and-coming country artists for a special rendition of “On the Road Again.” 
