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Today is Friday, February 18, 2022
It is the 49th day of the year.
316 days remain.
TRENDING
#RandomActsofKindnessDay was all over social media on Thursday as users shared the small things they did to make others smile.
Elvis was trending after the trailer for the biopic about The King dropped. The flick stars Austin Butler as Elvis Presley.
Stranger Things was trending Thursday after the show’s creators made an announcement about the upcoming season. Head to Casting Call to find out what’s up.
Joy Behar was trending. Head to Showbiz to see what nonsense she is spewing now.
Chuck Yeager was remembered Thursday on what would have been his 99th birthday. Yeager was a United States Air Force officer, flying ace, and record-setting test pilot who in 1947 became the first pilot in history confirmed to have exceeded the speed of sound in level flight.
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“HOLD THE LINE!”
Days after aspiring tyrant Justin Trudeau issued an executive action that allows the government to freeze bank accounts without a court order, the government has started doing just that.
Rebel News from Canada confirms that a man named Shaun Zimmer traveled to Ottawa to join the truckers, and now he cannot access his bank account.
MEANWHILE: The Canadian government has ordered companies that process cryptocurrency transactions to stop facilitating funds between at least 29 different accounts. Cryptocurrency remains highly unregulated and this is a gray area for what jurisdiction the Canadian feds have – if any – to make such an order.
IT GETS WORSE: Last night, Ottawa police began arresting the principal organizers of the convoy. One of them, Tamara Linch, shouted “Hold the line!” to her colleagues as she was marched off.
NOT SO FAST: The Canadian Civil Liberties Union has announced it’s suing the government over the blanket emergency authority order, on the grounds that the standards to implement it have not been adequately met.
LOOKING AHEAD: While the protest swelled last weekend, it dwindled throughout the week. Local police have been spotted conducting training exercises near the perimeter of the convoy, where hundreds of truckers remain entrenched. Hold your breath for what transpires this weekend.
BUT WAIT: Rumors are swirling that truckers not participating in the Ottawa protest will begin a work strike across Canada until the mandates end.
MEANWHILE, IN NEW MEXICO: New Mexico’s governor has announced an immediate end to their universal mask mandate.
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Elon Musk has issued an official letter with a US District Court accusing the government of harassing him and his companies with investigations because he’s critical of their policies.
Musk’s attorney alleges: “Worst of all, the SEC seems to be targeting Mr. Musk and Tesla for unrelenting investigation largely because Mr. Musk remains an outspoken critic of the government; the SEC's outsized efforts seem calculated to chill his exercise of First Amendment rights.”
WORTH NOTING: There’s no official legal mechanism attached to the letter, but it’s a good way to make a lot of noise.
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A cargo ship loaded with Porsches headed to North America was on fire Thursday in the Atlantic Ocean. It was just off the coast of Portugal, en route to Rhode Island.
Early reports indicate all 22 crew members were rescued, and nearby ships were diverted from the area.
The Japanese shipping line that owns the cargo ship has arranged to tow the boat. As of Thursday evening, no word on the status of getting the fire out or getting it towed back to port.
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Check your recent purchase of canned Skyline Chili – it might actually be cream of chicken soup.
The manufacturer has issued a recall for 2,505 pounds of product that were mislabeled. To make things worse, the mislabeling also means the cans aren’t compliant with allergy warnings.
WORTH NOTING: Check your can for Lot code L2121 and product code CHC8T UPY.
BY THE WAY: No one has reported getting sick from the product so far – it’s just mislabeled.
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The Dow dropped 622 points Thursday, closing at 34,312. The Nasdaq shed 407 points, closing at 13,716.
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CHARTS
New to Amazon Prime:
Lov 3 (Rotten Tomatoes Score: Not Rated)
New to Hulu:
The Feast (Rotten Tomatoes Score: 82%)
The King’s Man (Rotten Tomatoes Score: Not Rated)
New to Netflix:
Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022) (Rotten Tomatoes Score: Not Rated)
Don’t Kill Me (Rotten Tomatoes Score: Not Rated)
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OLYMPIC MEDAL COUNT
After Day 13 of competitions:
Norway: 14 Gold, 7 Silver, 8 Bronze
Russia: 5 Gold, 9 Silver, 12 Bronze
Germany: 10 Gold, 7 Silver, 5 Bronze
US: 8 Gold, 8 Silver, 5 Bronze
Canada: 4 Gold, 5 Silver, 11 Bronze
BY THE WAY: The closing ceremony is Sunday.
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DEATHS
STEVE SALAS has died.
The co-founder of the Los Angeles-based R&B band Tierra, passed away Thursday morning. An exact cause of death was not shared, but his family said that he had been battling myeloma for two years and recently contracted COVID-19.
He was 69.
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The oldest New England Patriots fan has died.
MYRTLE MILLEDGE, who was recognized by the team earlier this month as their oldest fan, passed away in her sleep at the Hospice House in Auburn on Tuesday, according to the Sun Journal.
She was 106.
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BABY NEWS
BARRON and TESSA HILTON are expecting baby #2.
The son of hotel moguls RICHARD and KATHY HILTON confirmed to PEOPLE magazine that their second child is due to arrive at the end of summer.
The couple are already parents to daughter MILOU ALIZEE, who will turn 2 in March.
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RELATIONSHIPS
CONOR KENNEDY, 27, is dating Brazilian singer GIULIA BE, 22.
Be hinted at the new relationship on her social media on Valentine’s Day.
Kennedy, the grandson of Robert F. Kennedy, was previously dating AVA DASH the daughter of Damon Dash and Rachel Roy.
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THE SWAMP
President JOE BIDEN has no plans for stemming the influx of illegal immigration, and is instead focusing on accommodating more.
The Washington Free Beacon reports that the administration has circulated a memo to Customs and Border Protection officials about plans to build three more permanent processing facilities in Texas and double the capacity of an existing site in Arizona.
WORTH NOTING: Accepting expanded processing facilities also necessarily shifts the roles of border officials from actively patrolling the border to instead push as many illegal immigrants into the system as possible.
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The State of the Union is March 1, and it’s growing more likely that President JOE BIDEN will take the opportunity to declare victory over covid. But even if that’s the case, he’s headed right into another brick wall: A looming March deadline for Congress to fund the government.
And even then, Biden’s budget ask includes $30 billion for MORE covid spending (per The Daily Caller):
$17.9 billion to buy more vaccines and treatments – because things like monoclonal antibodies work
$4.9 billion for testing
$3 billion to subsidize uninsured who seek covid treatment
$3.7 billion to anticipate and plan for new variants.
WORTH NOTING: They want Congress to fund research on new potential variants so they have an excuse to start all over again.
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LOTTERY
No winner for Tuesday night’s Mega Millions drawing. Tonight’s drawing will be for a $64 million jackpot or a $42.2 million cash payout.
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No winner for Wednesday night’s Powerball drawing. Saturday night’s drawing will be for a $31 million jackpot or a $20.7 million cash payout.
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SHOWBIZ NEWS
These albums drop today:
Broods, “Space Island”
Carlie Hanson, “Tough Boy”
Del McCoury, “Almost Proud”
Lavender Country, “Blackberry Rose”
Shovels & Rope, “Manticore”
Various Artists, “Ocean Child: Songs of Yoko Ono”
White Lies, “As I Try Not to Fall Apart”
Wynona Bleach, “Moonsoake”
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GET A LOAD OF THIS: According to RadarOnline, on an episode of his podcast last October, BOB SAGET was talking to his wife about her favorite movies, which include The Godfather, Scarface, Casino, and Goodfellas — all of which are known for a good bit of head-bashing and other violence.
That’s when Saget joked: “I don't have long to live if these are your favorites. I'm going to be found dead in bed."
WORTH NOTING: It’s all probably a morbid coincidence, but yikes.
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BRITNEY SPEARS has been invited to speak before Congress.
The pop star posted a screenshot of a letter she received in December from Reps. ERIC SWALWELL and CHARLIE CRIST asking her and her attorney to explain how they “achieved justice,” referring to her conservatorship win.
The two men stated that they want to learn about the “emotional and financial turmoil” Spears faced during the 13-year conservatorship.
Britney didn’t say whether he planned to speak or not.
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JOY BEHAR says she will continue to wear a mask in public spaces, even after mandates are lifted.
The 79-year-old made the claim on Thursday’s episode of “The View” as the ladies discussed the CDC easing its guidance on mask-wearing.
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“Yellowstone” star FORRIE J. SMITH won’t be at the 2022 SAG Awards because of the COVID-19 vaccine requirement.
Smith explained in a now-deleted Instagram video that he will not be in attendance because he is unvaccinated.
The SAG Awards requires full vaccination, plus a booster shot AND proof of a negative COVID-19 test for all attendees.
Smith plays ranch hand Lloyd Pierce on the hit show.
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EMINEM made history this week.
His album “Curtain Call: The Hits” hit 500 weeks on the albums chart in the UK.
The album is the first hip-hop release in the country's history to spend 500 weeks anywhere on the list, according to Variety.
“Curtain Call: The Hits” debuted in 2005.
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ELLIOT PAGE, 34, is working on a memoir.
The book will cover everything from his film career to his transgender journey.
Flatiron Books announced that “Pageboy” will be published next year.
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CASTING CALL
“Stranger Things” will end with Season 5.
While announcing that Season 4 of the hit sci-fi series will kick off on May 27, Netflix also revealed that the fifth season will be the final chapter.
In an open letter to fans, creators the Duffer Brothers heavily emphasized that there will be spinoffs.
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OSCAR ISSAC is set to host “SNL” on March 5 with musical guest CHARLI XCX, who had to pull her performance in December after cast members caught COVID-19.
ZOE KRAVITZ will host on March 12 with musical guest ROSALIA.
Meanwhile, JOHN MULANEY will return to the stage on the last weekend of this month — marking his fifth time as host. He will be joined by electro punks LCD SOUNDSYSTEM.
This weekend’s show is a rerun.
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Pro-dancers and siblings DEREK and JULIANNE HOUGH will host “Step Into…The Movies” a pre-Oscars special celebrating the most legendary performances in film.
The one-hour special is set to air Sunday, March 20 on ABC; a week before the 94th Oscars.
The cast of singers, dancers, actors and film stars will be announced at a later date.
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AMANDA SEYFRIED will star opposite TOM HOLLAND in “The Crowded Room,” a new anthology series for Apple.
The series explores inspirational stories of those who have struggled with mental illness and learned to successfully live with it, according to Deadline.
Seyfried will play Rya, a clinical psychologist faced with one of the most challenging cases of her career. Holland stars as Danny Sullivan, who was the first person acquitted of a crime because of his multiple-personality disorder.
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LUKAS GAGE has joined the cast of Netflix’s “You” for Season 4.
He will play Adam, the youngest son of a wealthy East-Coast magnate, who is hiding a trove of secrets, according to the streamer.
He joins series stars PENN BADGLEY and VICTORIA PEDRETTI.
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KATE MCKINNON is the latest A-lister to join the cast of Warner Bros. “Barbie.”
She joins previously announced MARGOT ROBBIE, RYAN GOSLING and AMERICA FERRARA in the flick based on the iconic doll line.
No word on her role.
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COURT CASES
ERIK KAY, 47, has been found guilty in the death of MLB pitcher TYLER SKAGGS.
A jury found the former Los Angeles Angels communications director guilty on charges relating to drug distribution and drug conspiracy in connection to Skaggs’ death.
Kay faces a minimum of 20 years and a $1 million fine for the conviction.
Skaggs overdosed on drugs he was given by Kay in July 2019.
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THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
KANYE WEST is one of PETE DAVIDSON’s newest followers on Instagram.
After clicking the “follow” button, Ye took a screenshot of it, which he posted to his own account with the caption “FOLLOWED.”
Pete did not reciprocate. He is currently only following his girlfriend KIM KARDASHIAN and actor SEBASTIAN STAN.
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WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS
A recent poll, executed by global market research company Ipsos, asked 2,057 British people between the ages of 16 and 75 who their favorite royal family member is.
Almost half (45%) named QUEEN ELIZABETH as their favorite, an increase of five percentage points since March 2021, while KATE MIDDLETON rose seven percentage points to 34% and PRINCE WILLIAM increased three points to 31%.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, PRINCE HARRY fell by 12 percentage points to 13%, while MEGHAN MARKLE dropped by five points to 8%.
PRINCE ANDREW remains the most unliked royal in the family.
ALSO: The survey found that 22% think it would be better for Britain if the monarchy was abolished.
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SPORTS
Super Bowl winning coach SEAN MCVAY isn’t going anywhere.
Rumors have been swirling that the Rams head coach was possibly leaving the football field to work in TV.
While McVay previously shot down the rumors, his fiancé VERONIKA KHOMYN doubled down this week by posting a photo of him with the caption “And no. He’s not retiring!!” on social media.
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LIST OF THE WEEK
Shortest Men in Hollywood (courtesy of The Delite):
5’ 5”
Bruno Mars
Richard Dreyfus
Daniel Radcliffe
Ken Jeong
Jerry Stiller
Johnny Galecki
BD Wong
5’ 4”
Kevin Hart
Seth Green
Joe Pesci
Michael J. Fox
Tom Hollander
4’ 10”
Danny DeVito
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DAY OF THE YEAR
National Battery Day
National Crab Stuffed Flounder Day
National Drink Wine Day
No One Eats Alone Day
National Caregivers Day
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ON THIS DATE
1885 – "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” by Mark Twain is published.
It came 9 years after "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer," which first introduced the character, Huck. While the first book was fairly lighthearted, the story in Huckleberry Finn commented on slavery and other larger issues.
It has since been a perennial cause of criticism for its portrayal of black characters, though the depiction of slavery is considered to be accurate.
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1930 – Pluto is first discovered. Astronomer Clyde Tombaugh found it at the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona.
It had been theorized that a ninth, far-out planet existed in the early 1900s, based on the orbits of Uranus and Neptune. Percival Lowell theorized that the planet was causing their inconsistent orbit patterns.
Once the discovery was confirmed by other scientists, it took another month to formally announce.
Pluto's orbit around the sun takes 248 Earth-years. It would be decommissioned as a planet in 2006.
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1959 – Ray Charles records "What'd I Say."
The song first came to him while performing live. He and the band needed 10 minutes to complete a contractually-obligated 4-hour performance at a public dance in Pittsburgh.
It would become the closing song in almost all of his live performances for the rest of his career.
It was also his first crossover hit, charting #1 on the R&B rank in 1959 and #6 on pop charts that year.
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1964 – The US cuts military support to nations that continue trade with Cuba.
The US embargo began in 1962 in an effort to destabilize the communist regime of Fidel Castro. Allies were encouraged to also participate in order to help the fight against communism.
But the efforts to impose economic sanctions on Cuba had little effect in marginalizing Castro, who only recently gave up power to his brother Raul.
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2001 – NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt dies in a crash during the Daytona 500.
The collision happened in the last lap of the race after bumping into Sterling Martin's car.
He was pronounced dead at the hospital from severe brain injuries. Earnhardt's death was the fourth that season, and pushed NASCAR to implement safety guidelines, including the now-ubiquitous head and neck restraints.
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2013 – Bourbon maker Maker’s Mark responds to public backlash after announcing it would dilute its product.
Due to a supply shortage, the company said it would reduce the liquor content from 45 to 42 percent.
In response to the backlash, the company said it was “tremendously humbled,” and acknowledged the power of its customer base.
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2020 - Boy Scouts of America files for bankruptcy amid hundreds of sexual abuse lawsuits.
The organization said they intended to use the Chapter 11 process to create a Victims Compensation Trust that would provide equitable compensation to victims.
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BIRTHDAYS
Logan Miller - actor, “Escape Room” - 30
Le’Veon Bell - football player - 30
Jeremy Allen White - actor, “Shameless” - 31
Courtney Act - pop singer - 40
Jillian Michaels - TV show host - 48
Molly Ringwald - actress, “The Breakfast Club” & “Sixteen Candles” - 54
Dr. Dre - rapper - 57
Matt Dillon - actor, “The Outsiders” & “You, Me and Dupree” - 58
Vanna White - game show host - 65
John Travolta - actor, “Grease” & “Pulp Fiction” - 68
Yoko Ono - singer & second wife of John Lennon - 89
Born On This Date
Enzo Ferrari - race car driver & automobile maker - 1898 (d. 1988)
Mary I of England - Queen known as Bloody Mary - 1516 (d. 1558)
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