Today is Thursday, October 10, 2024.
It is the 284th day of the year.
82 days remain.
WHAT’S ON TAP
A beloved children’s character wreaks havoc on Germany’s roads and North Korea continues its diplomatic aggression. Details in HIT LIST.
JENNA FISCHER is cancer-free and JLO is ready to embrace the single life. More in SHOWBIZ.
HUGH does Radio City Music Hall and NATE heads back to Netflix. Details in CASTING CALL.
KRIS JENNER wants to distance her famous daughters from SEAN COMBS’ parties. More in KARDASH.
Future king PRINCE GEORGE has a grueling new athletic hobby. Details in ROYALS.
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HIT LIST
HURRICANE MILTON made landfall in Florida late Wednesday evening. Here’s the latest:
— Tropical storm conditions began in western Florida Wednesday afternoon, bringing sustained winds nearly 40 miles per hour and tornadoes. Before it made landfall, wind speeds slowed enough to downgrade Milton to a Category 3 storm.
— First responders responsible for St. Pete Beach, just west of St. Petersburg, expressed concerns that buildings that have still not been repaired from Helene damage are likely to collapse in the storm.
— As electric company linemen stage resources in anticipation of Milton, DONALD TRUMP’s Doral Miami resort is giving free accommodations to 275 workers.
Here’s the latest on HURRICANE HELENE recovery efforts.
— State investigators in Tennessee are looking into a plastics plant that apparently did not give workers adequate notice about storm warnings before Helene hit. In the storm, 11 workers were swept away. Only five so far have been safely recovered while four remain missing and two have been confirmed dead. Families of the victims say the management of Impact Plastics Inc. did not give flood warnings or alerts before or during the shift when the employees were impacted.
— The Blue Ridge Parkway that runs more than 400 miles between North Carolina and Virginia will remain closed indefinitely as National Park Service staff fix catastrophic damage that has made the route impassable.
LOOKING AHEAD: Morning Martini is on the ground in Boone, North Carolina, assisting with cleanup and recovery efforts this week. Subscribe to TOP SHELF PREMIUM ACCESS for a firsthand look at what’s actually happening and what’s the real misinformation.
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FOLLOW UP: After weeks of back-and-forth with Brazil’s government, X is once again accessible in the country.
Ultimately, the ELON MUSK-owned platform capitulated to all of the demands from Brazil’s Supreme Court, including the removal of some posts and suspension of certain accounts.
Musk has not posted about meeting the demands of Brazil’s government, nor has X issued a public statement regarding the matter. [via Newsweek]
ALSO IN ELONWORLD: The fifth test flight of SPACEX’s Starship rocket, the most powerful rocket model ever built, could happen as soon as Sunday, pending regulatory approval. [via SpaceX]
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North Korea’s military began severing all infrastructure connecting it to the South on Wednesday, cutting off roads and railways.
Free travel between the countries is impossible to begin with, but the added blockades further and intentionally exacerbate tensions between the countries, and with the United States. Just like recent nuclear threats, North Korean state media says the move to further cut off connection is a response to ongoing hostility from the United States — so nothing new.
At the same time, North Korea’s Supreme People’s Assembly met in Pyongyang this week, but so far no word on any official diktats coming from the meeting. [via NBC News]
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A homeowner in Paulson, Washington, just outside Seattle, says she’s fed raccoons when they visit the house she’s owned for 35 years, just a few at a time — until now.
About six weeks ago, more and more began showing up, until she was unable to get into her house at all. The raccoon swarm was so intense, she called law enforcement, which counted an estimated 100 raccoons on the property.
A rep for the county sheriff says, “Somehow the word got out in raccoon land and they all showed up to her house expecting a meal.” Take a look >
A neighbor tells local media her own dog has been taken to the vet for tussling with the raccoons and hopes her neighbor stops feeding the hungry critters completely. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is weighing its options, whether it can handle the situation. A private organization said it would charge $500-a-head to take care of the problem. [via KING 5]
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Cookie Monster is wanted in Dortmund, Germany for excessive speeding.
A person dressed as the muppet was clocked going 60 mph in a 50 mph zone last month. While officers think it was all done in jest, they still would like to talk to the individual about the dangers of speeding -- especially while wearing a vision-inhibiting muppet head.
The car is registered to a 57-year-old man from a nearby town of Hagen, but it is not clear if he was the driver. [via The Mirror]
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SICK BAY
ETHEL KENNEDY, the widow of ROBERT F. KENNEDY, is in the hospital after suffering a stroke last week.
Her daughter shared the news on X, letting the public know that the 96-year-old is “receiving treatment and resting comfortably.”
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BY THE NUMBERS
📈 The DOW gained 431 points (1.03%) to close at 42,512. The S&P increased 40 points (0.7%) to close at 5,792 and the NASDAQ increased 108 points (0.6%) to close at 18,291.
🛢 WEST TEXAS INTERMEDIATE closed at $73; BRENT CRUDE at $76.
⛽ The national average price of a GALLON OF GAS was $3.20 on Wednesday.
₿ BITCOIN was mostly flat on Wednesday, trading around $63,100.
🛩 There were more than 1,460 FLIGHTS delayed within, into, or out of the United States on Wednesday and more than 1,940 such cancellations amid hurricane weather in the south.
💰Friday night’s MEGA MILLIONS drawing will be for a $150 million jackpot or a $71.5 million cash payout.
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SHOWBIZ NEWS
SEAN COMBS’ attorneys headed to court Wednesday to discuss potential dates for his sex trafficking charges, arguing their client has the right to a speedy trial and would like a “trial date in April or May 2025.”
Combs’ attorneys also filed a bail appeal late Tuesday. This comes after his bail was denied twice by two separate judges.
A pre-trial hearing is scheduled for today. [via NBC]
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Attorneys for the woman accusing GARTH BROOKS of sexual assault are speaking out after he outed her in a new complaint filed this week.
In the new filing, Brooks identified the woman, who up until now had only been referred to as “Jane Roe,” while accusing her of “extortion” and “defamation.”
Specifically, he says she “devised a malicious scheme to blackmail” him into “paying her millions of dollars” after he “rejected her request for salaried employment and medical benefits.”
Roe’s claims against Brooks surfaced last week. He has denied the allegations. [via NY Post]
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Actress JENNA FISCHER is celebrating being cancer-free after undergoing surgery, chemotherapy and radiation.
She was diagnosed with stage 1 triple-positive breast cancer in December 2023. That following January she had a lumpectomy to remove a tumor, followed by 12 rounds of chemo in February and three weeks of radiation in June.
Today, Fischer says she takes infusions of Herceptin and a daily dose of Tamoxifen, but feels good -- and is embracing her new shorter ‘do. [via USA Today]
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JENNIFER LOPEZ is “excited” to be single again.
The 55-year-old told Interview magazine that while this “new territory” is “lonely, unfamiliar, scary” and “sad,” she “can’t be looking for happiness in other people.”
“I have to have happiness within myself,” she continued.
This is all, of course, referencing her divorce from BEN AFFLECK after two years of marriage. Her fourth divorce, for those keeping track. [via Page Six]
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The TAYLOR SWIFT guitar that was purchased at auction for $4000, smashed and then re-listed for sale on eBay, sold this week for over $6500.
This is huge as the guitar’s authenticity is still in question.
Regardless, it's all for a good cause as the funds are going to support agricultural education for local youth in Ellis County, Texas. [via Daily Mail]
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SNOOP DOGG’s 1993 murder case is officially sealed.
Earlier this year, Snoop asked a judge to seal the records, and his petition was granted.
For those unfamiliar, Snoop was arrested early in his music career over allegations that he and a bodyguard fatally shot a rival gang member in a Los Angeles-area park in 1993. He was found not-guilty three years later.
The timing of the court order is notable as it all went down ahead of Snoop heading overseas for the 2024 Summer Olympics as a celebrity spokesperson -- during which his thug past was a notable topic. [via TMZ]
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JUSSIE SMOLLETT’s latest run in with the cops was for legitimate reasons.
On Monday night, two individuals attempted to gain entry into Smollett’s mom’s Los Angeles home. After causing a ruckus -- and $300 in damage -- breaking in the back door, Smollett’s mom confronted the would-be thieves, who in turn bolted.
Smollett arrived shortly after the break-in, where he supported his mother as she spoke with officers.
No arrests have been made. [via The Blast]
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CASTING CALL
HUGH JACKMAN will perform 12 concerts at Radio City Music Hall next year.
The shows, dubbed “From New York, With Love,” will be a career retrospective, with songs from his Broadway films and musicals, including “The Boy From Oz,” “The Greatest Showman,” and “The Music Man.”
The first performance is set for January 24, with the remainder taking place in the spring and summer months. [via X]
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Comedian NATE BARGATZE has two stand-up specials heading to Netflix.
“Your Friend, Nate Bargatze” will launch on December 24, followed by a second, unnamed special in 2025.
Bargatze has two other specials on the streamer -- “The Tennessee Kid” and “The Greatest Average American” -- which aired in 2019, and 2021, respectively. [via Deadline]
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CHRISTOPHER NOLAN is working on his next film, which already has a release date of July 17, 2026.
After the success of “Oppenheimer,” the famed director is sticking with Universal Studios for the project, of which no details have been shared, though some insiders did speculate to The Hollywood Reporter that MATT DAMON will most likely star.
FOR THE RECORD: “Oppenheimer” grossed $975 million globally, making it Nolan’s third-biggest film behind Batman films, “The Dark Knight Rises” ($1.084 billion) and “The Dark Knight” ($1.003 billion). [via THR]
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THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
The Kar-Jenner family is doing their best to distance themselves from SEAN COMBS and his “freak off” parties, insisting they had no knowledge of them.
The famous sisters have long bragged about partying with Combs, which has become a taboo topic as of late.
Now, momager KRIS JENNER is working her magic to be sure her daughters’ past with the music mogul don’t resurface in a negative way.
WORTH NOTING: Kourtney, Kim and Khloe all attended several parties thrown by Combs over the years, including one at which there were “butt-naked” guests. [via Hindustan Times]
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WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS
PRINCE WILLIAM told guests at a recent event that his son and future king PRINCE GEORGE has found an affinity for triathlons.
The young prince is only 11 and likely does not yet have the physical prowess for a full triathlon competition, which includes running, cycling, and swimming. He has, though, learned some tips and tricks from pros, according to William, like putting talcum powder in his shoes, since competitors often don’t wear socks.
George has taken to the advice, using the powder for himself and sharing it with friends at school.
Like any parent of an 11-year-old, William has previously said he and wife PRINCESS KATE struggle to regulate screen time for their kids, but it seems the future king has found active hobbies regardless. [via The Mirror]
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DAY OF THE YEAR
World Mental Health Day
World Homeless Day
World Porridge Day
World Sight Day
National Hug a Drummer Day
National Cake Decorating Day
National Walk to a Park Day
World Day Against the Death Penalty
National Handbag Day
National Angel Food Cake Day
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ON THIS DATE
732 - Frankish leader Charles Martel stops an invasion of Moors into Europe. The decisive battle ended years of invasions from Islamic powers in the Iberian Peninsula.
Martel’s victory continued his family’s line, the Carolingians. The most famous of the royal line was Charlemagne, who vastly expanded Frankish influence across present-day Europe.
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1780 - A hurricane in the West Indies kills more than 20,000 people, making it the deadliest hurricane ever recorded.
Obviously, it hit before our modern naming system was implemented, so it’s just known as the Great Hurricane of 1780.
French and British Navies protecting assets in the region were decimated as well.
The next deadliest storm recorded was Hurricane Mitch, in 1998, which killed an estimated 18,000.
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1845 - The US Naval Academy begins its first session.
The institution, in Annapolis, Maryland, started with 50 midshipmen and seven instructors. For the next five years, it was known simply as the Naval School and taught navigation, chemistry, English, and French, among other topics.
When it became the official US Naval Academy in 1950, a four-year curriculum was instituted. During summers, students would train on real vessels. That system is still in use today.
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1877 - George Armstrong Custer’s funeral is held at West Point.
He was killed a year earlier in the Battle of the Little BigHorn.
Custer had graduated from the military academy in 1861, ranking last in his class.
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1957 - The Milwaukee Braves win their first World Series in 43 years -- their last win was as the Boston Braves.
Against historic manager Casey Stengel and power-hitters Yogi Berra and Mickey Mantle, the Braves took all 7 games to win, ultimately shutting out the Yankees 5-0 in New York.
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1973 - Vice President Spiro Agnew resigns on the same day he pleads no contest to a charge of federal income tax evasion.
His plea was part of a deal that dropped political corruption charges.
President Nixon would resign less than a year later, on August 9th, 1974.
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2001 - Construction on the longest cable-stayed bridge in the world begins.
It would eventually span across the River Tarn in France. The tallest support beam on the bridge is higher than the Eiffel Tower.
The bridge spans 1.5 miles. It replaced a long, winding 62-mile route that took more than four hours to drive across.
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2016 - Actress Shailene Woodley is arrested for trespassing and engaging in a riot while protesting the proposed Dakota Access Pipeline.
Her arrest was filmed on Facebook Live and shared to her official page. It was viewed more than 2.7 million times in less than 24 hours.
She spent a few hours in the clink before posting a $500 bond and getting released.
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BIRTHDAYS
Josh Giddey - basketball player - 22
Isabela Ferrer - actress, “It Ends With Us” - 24
Da’Vinchi - actor, “All American” & “Grown-ish” - 29
Geno Smith - football player - 34
Rose McIver - actress, “iZombie” & “The Lovely Bones” - 36
Lzzy Hale - rock singer, Halestorm - 41
Dan Stevens - actor, “Downton Abbey” & “Beauty and the Beast” - 42
Mya - R&B singer - 45
Dale Earnhardt Jr. - race car driver - 50
Mario Lopez - actor & TV show host - 51
Brett Favre - football player - 55
Gavin Newsom - politician - 57
Jodi Benson - actress, “The Little Mermaid” - 63
David Lee Roth - rock singer, Van Halen - 70
Born On This Date
Chris Penn - actor, “The Wild Life” - 1965 (d. 2003)
Jane Winton - actress, “Hell's Angel” & “Patsy” - 1905 (d. 1959)
Helen Hayes - first female EGOT & actress, “Caesar & Cleopatra” - 1900 (d. 1993)
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