iStock/Lalocracio(PORTLAND) — As protesters continue to clash with federal law enforcement agents in Portland, Oregon, a group of moms stepped up to help protect the protesters.
More than two dozen women created what they called a Wall of Moms over the weekend to create a barrier between protesters and federal officers, who are under fire for their use of force against people protesting police brutality after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis on Memorial Day.
The women, who wore face masks and helmets for safety, chanted, “Feds steer clear, moms are here,” as they linked arms to form the barrier, according to ABC News’ Kayna Whitworth, who is covering the protests in Portland.
“Many of them who were here last night tell me they were tear gassed by federal authorities – but they are back today – and they brought their friends,” Whitworth wrote on Instagram.
The Wall of Moms is the brainchild of Bev Barnum, a mom of two who organized a Facebook event calling on moms to meet at the protest site on Saturday evening.
“We moms are often underestimated. But we’re stronger than we’re given credit for,” Barnum, who could not be reached by ABC News, wrote on Facebook. “So what do you say, will you stand with me? Will you help me create a wall of moms?”
“Thank you so much for being brave. Thank you for being willing to help the protestors,” Barnum wrote on her post, which received more than 500 responses.
Barnum reflected on the success of the moms’ movement in a later post, writing alongside a photo of the moms at the protest, “When I asked moms to join me in protest on Friday night, while I was in my pj’s, getting ready for bed . . . I didn’t imagine that this would be my reality by Sunday morning.”
“In the span of 30hrs, women from all across the world have asked how they too can make this happen in their community,” she wrote. “You want to know the truth? You have to ask your friends to stand with you. You have to ask strangers to trust you enough to go into harms way. And you most especially have to trust that these women are going to show up until there isn’t a single protestor left to protect.”
Barnum and two other women also formed a Wall of Moms group on Facebook that now has nearly 3,000 members, including everyone from local moms interested in attending a protest to moms in states across the country asking how they can help.
“We got gassed last night and it did suck, but we’ve all been through childbirth, IEP meetings, and long barf-filled nights,” Maureen Kenny Mimiaga, one of Barnum’s co-founders, wrote on Facebook. “We got this.”
The federal agents deployed in Portland this week were part of a Department of Homeland Security task force established to respond to the growing protests and acts of civil disobedience that came after the death of Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police.
The state’s attorney general has launched a criminal investigation into two “unlawful” tactics allegedly made by federal agents.
Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum also announced she filed a federal civil lawsuit on Friday evening against the Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Marshals Service and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection to begin the process for a restraining order to stop the agents “from unlawfully detaining Oregonians.” ABC News’ Christina Carrega contributed to this report.
Ovidiu Dugulan/iStockBy JON HAWORTH and IVAN PEREIRA, ABC News
(NEW YORK) — The novel coronavirus pandemic has now killed more than 600,000 people worldwide.
Over 14.5 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 governments are hiding or downplaying the scope of their nations’ outbreaks.
The United States has become the worst-affected country, with more than 3.7 million diagnosed cases and at least 140,541 deaths.
Here is how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
1:42 p.m.: Heat wave forces Washington, D.C. to freeze public testing sites
The heatwave hitting the East Coast has forced Washington, D.C. to suspend its coronavirus testing Monday.
The city’s Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency sent an alert to residents that it would close all of its public testing sites because of the extreme weather. The National Weather Service said the temperature would top out at 99 degrees with a heat index above 100 in the city.
“Residents are encouraged to call their health care providers if they are in need of a test,” the alert said.
1:26 p.m.: Smithsonian to open 2 of its facilities
The Smithsonian announced it will begin the phased reopening of its Washington, D.C. cultural institutions on Friday.
The National Zoo in northwest Washington, D.C. and the National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia, will be open to visitors through a timed entry pass system. Visitors above 6 years old will be required to wear face coverings and adhere to social distancing guidelines in both locations, according to the Smithsonian.
The Smithsonian will release 5,000 timed passes per day for the Zoo and about 1,500 passes per day for the Udvar-Hazy Center.
12:45 p.m.: California puts pause on high school sports
The California Interscholastic Federation, which oversees the state’s high school sports, announced it will put a pause on the beginning of the athletic season.
“It is anticipated that most Section start dates will commence in December 2020 or January 2021,” the federation said in a statement.
California has seen a jump in cases over the last few weeks and currently has 384,692 total cases, according to the state’s Health Department.
12:00 p.m.: WHO says vaccine update is promising
The emergencies chief for the World Health Organization told reporters in Geneva that the latest findings from vaccine studies are good news, but warned that there is still work to be done.
Dr. Mike Ryan said the phase one results from a vaccine study at Oxford University were promising as it showed little to no adverse effects of the vaccine. He said that more research is needed with a larger sample scale.
“We now need to move into larger scale real world trials, but it is good to see more data and more products moving into this very important phase of vaccine discovery,” he said.
11:36 a.m.: Mississippi governor extends mask mandate for more counties
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves told “Good Morning America” he will extend his current order for mandated masks to more counties, but will not yet issue a statewide order.
Reeves said there are over 41,000 confirmed cases in the state and health officials are recording 1,000 new cases a day. He urged residents to take the pandemic seriously and abide by the social distancing and mask guidelines.
“We think that we’ve got to make sure that everyone understands that we need your participation to help us slow the spread of this virus,” he told “GMA.”
The governor’s original mask mandate for 13 Mississippi counties was set to expire Monday, however he said he was extending the order for those areas and was adding 10 more counties to the order.
Reeves said that he was not yet considering a statewide order even though the governors in neighboring states Texas and Alabama have done so.
“I believe this is the best strategy for Mississippi,” he said.
11:13 a.m.: Florida hospitals running out of ICU beds as cases soar over 360,000
Florida health officials say their hospitals are reaching capacity in their ICUs as the number of COVID-19 cases continues to climb, with the statewide total now over 360,000.
Roughly 18% of the state’s adult ICU beds are available and 53 medical facilities in the state have maxed out their ICU bed load, according to Florida’s Agency for Healthcare Administration.
There were 292 people were hospitalized in the last 24 hours, the Florida Health Department reported Monday morning, bringing the state’s total COVID-19 hospitalizations to 21,263. There are currently 9,397 active coronavirus hospitalizations, according to the health department.
The state recorded 10,347 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, bringing Florida’s total to 360,394, the Health Department said. The seven-day average of new cases has been over 10,000 for the last week, according to Health Department data.
There were 90 additional deaths recorded during that timeframe, bringing the state’s total casualty count to 5,181, according to the Health Department.
10:25 a.m.: New York officials warn of potential reclosings after crowds spotted outside restaurants
Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio gave harsh warnings to New Yorkers following several reports and viral videos over the weekend that showed crowds outside New York City bars and restaurants.
A frustrated governor called the incidents “stupid” and raised concerns that those actions could increase the spread of the virus and undo the work that was done to keep case numbers down.
“We cannot allow these congregations to continue,” Cuomo said at a news conference on Monday. “We’re going to have to roll back the reopening plan and close back bars and restaurants.”
De Blasio said during his daily briefing that he shut down a restaurant in Astoria, Queens, where some customers were seen loitering in the streets. He said police officials will be out near hots pots to enforce the city’s COVID-19 rules and they are ready to shut down more establishments that don’t comply.
“It’s not widespread, but where it’s happening it will be stopped,” he said.
New York City entered phase four of the state’s reopening plan Monday, with several industries being allowed to resume operations including indoor and outdoor film productions.
The number of COVID-19 hospitalizations across the state was 716, the lowest number since March 18, and there were eight related fatalities in New York, according to the governor. Cuomo said the state will have a challenge due to the increasing number of cases throughout the country and urged New Yorkers to remain cautious.
“We have to protect the progress we made. … “An outbreak anywhere is an outbreak everywhere.” 10:13 a.m.: Oxford study on coronavirus vaccine generates promising early results
A team of scientists at the University of Oxford released promising results showing their COVID-19 vaccine appears safe in a Phase 1/2 study.
The results, which were published Monday in the scientific journal The Lancet, found the vaccine appeared to activate several parts of the immune system. Experts say only the results of an ongoing larger Phase 3 study will show if the vaccine works to protect people from the virus.
8:25 a.m.: Surgeon General pleads with Americans to wear face masks
During an interview on Fox and Friends, Surgeon General Jerome Adams pleaded with Americans to wear face masks and cited their benefits, despite previous vocal doubts from the president.
Adams told the hosts Trump and the administration are on the same page and the most effective way to reopen the country safely was for every person to wear a mask voluntarily.
“I’m pleading with your viewers, I’m begging you, please understand that we are not trying to take away your freedoms when we say wear a face covering,” he said. “We are saying if we do these things, we can actually open and stay open.”
On Sunday, during his interview with Fox News’ Chris Wallace, Trump said he’s a believer of masks but also “masks cause problems too,” and said there would be no national mandate for masks. He also took issue with CDC Director Robert Redfield’s statement that if everyone wore a face mask over the next four to six weeks, “we could drive this epidemic to the ground.”
“I don’t agree with the statement that if everybody wears a mask everything disappears,” Trump said during the interview.
Trump also criticized Adams during the interview for earlier statements against mask use. The surgeon general admitted he and his team were wrong during the beginning of the pandemic.
“Once we realized that the science was different for this virus, we changed our recommendations,” Adams said.
Adams argued against a federal mask mandate citing concerns over enforcement.
“I would rather help people understand why they should cooperate with wearing a mask and how they benefit from it versus simply saying we are going to force you to do it particularly sending in federal troops and using federal mechanism,” he said.
3:55 a.m.: France makes wearing a mask indoors mandatory
France is taking a new step in the fight against the spread of the new coronavirus making the wearing of the mask mandatory in closed public spaces from today.
The Minister of Health, Olivier Véran, said on Saturday that the obligation to wear a mask would apply in shops, “establishments open to the public”, “covered markets” or even banks.
Wearing a mask on the street, in parks, at sea, on hiking trails or at the beach is not included in the new legislation.
The fine for non-compliance will be 135 Euros ($154 U.S.).
Meanwhile, France’s Health Minister said that there is an estimated “400 and 500 active clusters in France” of COVID-19.
Véran told local news outlet franceinfo on Monday morning that there were “worrisome signs of an epidemic resumption in certain territories”, including 400 to 500 active clusters.
“These places of contamination are mainly located in closed places and in specific environments such as slaughterhouses” said Véran. “We are very far from the epidemic wave … there is a dynamic of circulation of the virus that worries us.”
2:10 a.m.: 85 members of shipping vessel in Alaska test positive for COVID-19
At least 85 crew members on an American Seafoods ship have tested positive for COVID-19, according to the company.
A factory trawler called The American Triumph departed Oregon on June 27 with 119 crew members on board to make their way to Alaska to fish for pollock but two weeks after the ship departed seven members of the crew reported that they were suffering from symptoms potentially associated with COVID-19.
The seven crew members were tested in Unalaska and six out of the seven of them tested positive for the virus.
All crew members were then tested and a total of 79 more workers were found to have tested positive bringing the total to 85 crew members out of the 119 onboard the American Triumph, according to a statement by the city.
American Seafoods spokeswoman Suzanne Lugoni said that none of the crew showed COVID-19 symptoms before boarding and that the company screened employees before the fishing expedition began.
“We are moving expeditiously to relocate our crew and get them the care they need,” said American Seafoods CEO Mikel Durham. “I want to thank the Illiuliuk Family and Health Services, the City of Unalaska Unified Command, and the public health and critical infrastructure professionals in Alaska who provided us with support and clear guidance.”
Meanwhile, Alaska had 119 new cases of COVID-19 reported on Sunday — a new record for the state.
All of the crew members will now be moved to Anchorage where they will isolate.
“Our priority is supporting our crew members and protecting the community. I am deeply grateful for the entire Alaska community for working with us to get our crew the care they need,” said Durham.
Capitol Records NashvilleCarrie Underwood is releasing her first Christmas album this fall.
The superstar announced today that the album, My Gift, has been a “long time coming” and she knew that this would be her next project, following the completion of the Cry Pretty 360 Tour in 2019.
Set for release in September, the album will feature special collaborations, along with original songs and covers of holiday classics.
In a behind-the-scenes video that takes fans inside the studio with the powerhouse singer, Carrie says she’s always wanted to make a Christmas album and that it was “on my heart” to bring that dream to life this year.
“I love music, I love singing — that is my personal gift that I have that I’m so blessed to do, and I want to use that gift,” she explains of why she named the album My Gift.
While we’ll have to wait a bit for the official track list, Carrie does reveal that My Gift will feature a rendition of one of her favorite Christmas classics, “The Little Drummer Boy,” where she’s joined by a special guest — her five-year-old son, Isaiah.
Carrie has also unveiled the album cover, which shows her donning a stunning floor-length red gown amid a glistening winter scene in a snow-covered forest.
“For me, it’s more important than ever to focus on the true meaning of Christmas in a project like this,” Carrie says in a statement. “Even though it has been a tough year for all of us, sometimes I feel like the greatest realizations can be inspired by the most difficult times, and make us more grateful for the things we do have and for what truly matters.”
Barry King/WireImage(LOS ANGELES) — The cast of The Parent Trap reunited Monday on Katie Couric’s Instagram, for the first time since the remake hit theaters 22 years ago.
The reunion — held to raise funds and awareness for World Central Kitchen to help those in need during the COVID-19 pandemic — featured stars Lindsay Lohan, Dennis Quaid, Elaine Hendrix, Lisa Ann Walter and Simon Kunz, as well as the film’s writer-director, Nancy Meyers, and writer-producer Charles Shyer.
During the chat, the cast took a moment to pay tribute to the late Natasha Richardson, who played the mom of twins Annie and Hallie, both portrayed by Lohan, in the film. Richardson died in a skiing accident in 2009.
“Natasha had such an elegance and grace and she was so maternal to me,” Lohan said.
The cast also discussed what made the film so memorable. Meyers chalked it up to the idea that “there’s another you somewhere,” in addition to the film’s themes of love and family.
Lohan even credited the film for helping her through a difficult time in her life.
“My parents were kind of separating at the time this was all going on,” she explained, “and it made it a lot easier for me to play these characters that were figuring it out.”
“Without this movie, I wouldn’t have gotten that acting bug,” Lohan added. “The Parent Trap is beautiful, it’s timeless and it’s special. I just feel really blessed and really grateful to have been a part of it.”
Netflix/Amy Spinks (LOS ANGELES) — (NOTE LANGUAGE) Both Netflix and Charlize Theron are celebrating that their collaboration The Old Guard is a smash for the streaming service, but the Oscar winner is looking ahead to a new role: WWE wrestler.
Netflix touted that The Old Guard, in which Theron plays centuries-old warrior Andromache of Scythia, “is…currently on track to reach 72M households in its first 4 weeks!”
The streaming service also pointed out that The Old Guard‘s director, Gina Prince-Bythewood, is the first Black female filmmaker on their top-ten all-time most popular films list.
For her part, Theron replied with a meme of her character downing a bottle of vodka on Friday, split with a shot of her near immortal character dead on the floor Monday, noting in the caption, “I feel this.”
In the meantime, the actress — who’s been building quite the resume as an action movie star, including Mad Max: Fury Road, Atomic Blonde and TheOld Guard — is eager to step into the ring.
In a video chat with WWE star Kofi Kingston, he said, “I think you might actually have a career or a future, if you wanted it, as a WWE superstar. The fact for you to be able to pick up those moves so naturally; I would love to see you go one-on-one with a Becky Lynch or like a Sasha Banks. Or Bayley, or Charlotte [Flair]. I feel like you would fit right in.”
Theron’s eyes lit up. “Wow, is this an invite? Yes! When and where?”
Excitedly, she said, “I know we’re in a crisis situation right now, so it’s not any time soon. But that sounds awesome and I will get my a** kicked. So that would be really entertaining for everybody to watch because I am a mere actor.”
iStock/Lalocracio(PORTLAND) — As protesters continue to clash with federal law enforcement agents in Portland, Oregon, a group of moms stepped up to help protect the protesters.
