Today is Tuesday, October 1, 2024.
It is the 275th day of the year.
91 days remain.
WHAT’S ON TAP
A widespread service outage hamstrings cell customers and a carmaker leans into EV incentives. Details in HIT LIST.
JASON SUDEIKIS would really like fans to stop chasing him and BRITNEY SPEARS details another accidental fire. More in SHOWBIZ
NETFLIX learns the definition of “Go Woke, Go Broke.” Details in CASTING CALL.
YE takes in another wrestling match in Tokyo. More in KARDASH.
New stories about the trials and tribulations of working for MEGHAN MARKLE in ROYALS.
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HIT LIST
The suspect in the second attempted assassination of DONALD TRUMP pleaded not guilty to federal charges related to the September 15 fiasco on Monday. Ryan Routh appeared in court with his attorneys for only a few minutes on Monday, where they formally requested a jury trial and entered the plea.
Since Routh’s capture, evidence against him includes a handwritten letter that expressed Routh’s intent to kill Trump and an acknowledgement of his failure to do so.
MEANWHILE: Trump announced he intends to again hold a rally at the site of the first attempted assassination in Butler, Pennsylvania on October 5. [via Morning Martini]
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Countless VERIZON customers reported having no cellular access on Monday across the country, but the company was pretty quiet on details throughout the day. Other than a social media post acknowledging an unspecified issue that its engineers were “engaged” with to resolve, no other formal communication was posted on Verizon’s site.
The Federal Communications Commission announced it would investigate the outage, which reportedly first began around 8:30 am Monday morning, with the situation proactively resolved throughout the day.
The widespread outage mirrors a February incident that left thousands of AT&T customers unable to make voice class and prevented more than 25,000 attempts to reach 911 at the time. [via CNBC]
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FORD is dangling a handsome new incentive to get new-car customers more interested in electric vehicles: the company is offering a free charging station plus installation between now and the end of the year for customers who buy or lease a new E.V.
Customers who already have the charging rig installed get $2,000 cash in the promotion.
One rep for Ford says that their research shows general interest in EVs among customers, but they’re “sitting on the fence” to take the plunge – those concerns could be alleviated in part by having convenient access to charging. They’re also ramping up production of adapters so that Ford EVs can be charged using TESLA’s existing Supercharger network.
Other new EV-buyer benefits include 24/7 phone and text support. [via The Verge]
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A new study in the science journal Circulation again shows the benefits of weekly exercise – even if it’s all concentrated within just a day or two.
The study examined outcomes of those who got at least two-and-a-half hours of moderate to vigorous physical activity each week. Both the “weekend warriors” who sweat a ton just one or two days a week showed the same physical benefits as those who worked out consistently over the week: each group showed a 50% lower risk of developing conditions like hypertension, obesity, diabetes, and sleep apnea.
“Because there appears to be similar benefits for weekend warrior versus regular activity, it may be the total volume of activity, rather than the pattern, that matters most,” one of the study authors says. [via StudyFinds]
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UBER wants to help you into the wild.
The rideshare giant announced it will soon start safari day trips from Cape Town, South Africa, as part of their “Go Anywhere” program.
The outings will take visitors from Cape Town to the Aquila Private Game Preserve, which is about a two hour drive. From there, riders will leave their Uber and jump into a typical safari truck to take in the wildlife -- elephants, rhinos, lions, African buffalo and leopards.
It’s way more cost effective than traditional safaris too; costing only $200 for up to four guests.
Booking opens tomorrow. [via Uber]
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DEATHS
NBA legend DIKEMBE MUTOMBO has died.
He passed away Monday after a battle with brain cancer.
Mutombo spent 18 seasons in the league, and was an eight-time All-Star and four-time Defensive Player of the Year.
He was only 58.
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Baseball star PETE ROSE has died.
He passed away early Monday at his home in Las Vegas. Nor further details were shared.
Rose was one of the greatest to ever play, earning 17 All-Star Game nods, winning three World Series and the National League MVP in 1973.
He was 83.
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BABY NEWS
MILO VENTIMIGLIA and his wife, model JARAH MARIANO are expecting their first child together.
He’s 47 and she’s 39.
The pair secretly wed last year, confirming the nuptials in October.
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YouTuber-turned-wrestler LOGAN PAUL and his fiance, model NINA AGDAL welcomed their first baby, a daughter named ESME AGDAL PAUL.
He’s 29 and she’s 32.
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“Bachelor” alum COLTON UNDERWOOD and his husband JORDAN C. BROWN announced the arrival of their son, BISHOP COLTON BROWN-UNDERWOOD.
He was born on September 26, via surrogate.
By the way -- Underwood is 32 and Brown is 41.
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BY THE NUMBERS
📈 The DOW gained 17 points (0.04%) to close at 42,330 on Monday. The S&P increased 24 points (0.42%) to close at 5,762 and the NASDAQ increased 69 points (0.38%) to close at 18,189.
🛢 WEST TEXAS INTERMEDIATE closed at $68; BRENT CRUDE at $71.
⛽ The national average price of a GALLON OF GAS was $3.21 on Monday.
₿ BITCOIN slid on Monday, down over 3% and trading around $63,600.
🛩 There were more than 2,425 FLIGHTS delayed within, into, or out of the United States on Monday and more than 100 such cancellations.
💰Tonight’s MEGA MILLIONS drawing will be for a $93 million jackpot or a $46 million cash payout.
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SHOWBIZ NEWS
Actor JON-ADRIAN “JJ” VELAZQUEZ has been fully exonerated after serving 24 years in prison for murdering a retired New York police officer in 1998. He was convicted despite not matching the suspect description and having an alibi.
“I was kidnapped by the country and enslaved,” Velazquez said as he left the courthouse. “This is not a celebration. This is an indictment of the system.”
The now 48-year-old was released from Sing Sing prison in September 2021 after being granted executive clemency by then New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, but only fully exonerated yesterday. From there he worked on a film based on his life, titled, “Sing Sing.”
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A video of a man purchasing an autographed TAYLOR SWIFT guitar for $4,000 and then immediately smashing it is going viral on social media.
“What a normal, well-adjusted human,” one person wrote, while another said that money could have “fed a family of four for a whole week.”
Speculation is that the individual wanted to share his displeasure with Swift endorsing KAMALA HARRIS. [via The Blast]
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BROS OVER JLOS: There is nothing JENNIFER LOPEZ could tell MATT DAMON that could get him to ditch his longtime friend BEN AFFLECK.
An insider told In Touch that JLo is doing all she can to win over Damon, but she won’t get far as “Matt’s loyalty to Ben is unshakable.” [via In Touch]
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“Rust” armorer HANNAH GUTIERREZ-REED will not be getting a new trial after a judge ruled that the evidence withheld from her first trial “would not have changed the outcome,” thus upholding her guilty verdict.
That evidence was a forensic report and an interview with weapons supplier Seth Kenney.
Gutierrez-Reed is serving an 18-month sentence for involuntary manslaughter in the death of cinematographer HALYNA HUTCHINS.
MEANWHILE: Santa Fe prosecutor KARI MORRISSEY is still trying to revive the manslaughter case against actor ALEC BALDWIN. [via Variety]
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JASON SUDEIKIS would really like fans to stop chasing after him for a meet-and-greet.
Over the weekend, the actor was annoyed with a group of fans who waited for him outside, telling them, “Guys, please, stop, stop, I’m not going to sign anything. I literally have to go.”
He did end up signing a couple of autographs, however, before leaving in his car. [via NY Post]
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BRITNEY SPEARS updated her Instagram followers about a “really dangerous” incident that took place about six months ago.
“I was in my room, I turned the fire on, and all of the sudden, it blew up in my face,” she explained -- in a British accent. “It took all my eyelashes off, my eyebrows and -- see these baby bangs?”
Unsure of what to do, Spears says she iced her face and took some Tylenol, adding, “All is good now.”
This isn’t her first time with a fiery accident; four years ago she accidentally started her home gym on fire with some candles. [via Page Six]
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Fans of the late JOHN RITTER asked his son, JASON RITTER, to impersonate one of his father’s famous characters.
“Can you do the creep face your dad used to do chasing the girls around the apartment on 3’s company…That was always my favorite thing,” the fan asked.
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Newlyweds CHRISTIAN MCCAFFREY and OLIVIA CULPO are the ones who purchased GEORGE CLOONEY’s Studio City mansion.
The couple scooped it up for $14.5 million. [via TMZ]
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CASTING CALL
DEMI MOORE’s latest film “The Substance” has some movie goers retching in their seats.
Many viewers shared their reactions to the movie on social media, recounting how they (or their dates) got sick afterward. One person called it the “most graphic film” they’d ever seen.
In the movie, Moore plays Elisabeth Sparkle, an aging celebrity who uses a black market drug to create a younger version of herself, played by MARGARET QUALLEY. [via The Mirror]
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NETFLIX cancellations TRIPLED following co-founder REED HASTINGS’ $7 million donation to KAMALA HARRIS.
The streamer typically reports the lowest rate of cancellations -- known as churn -- across the industry, but following Hastings’ July donation Netflix reportedly lost more than 2 MILLION subscribers.
FOR THE RECORD: Hastings posted about his donation on X on July 22 -- three days later Netflix saw its single worst day of cancellations. [via Bloomberg]
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THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
YE was spotted ringside at a Pro Wrestling NOAH event in Tokyo on Monday.
LA DINASTIA WAGNER, who was wrestling in the event, pointed out the rapper and strolled over to give him a fist bump. Ye hesitantly bumped him back, clearly thinking he wasn’t about to get in the ring with the guy.
Ye was also greeted by LOS GOLPEADORES, SUPER CRAZY, and DAGA as they each entered the ring.
This wasn’t Ye’s first wrestling event in Tokyo; he appeared at the TJPW x Alexander Wang Event WangMania earlier this year, where he performed some of his new music.
BY THE WAY: No sighting of BIANCA CENSORI. [via Ringside News]
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WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS
Royal observer TOM SYKES has collected some more dirt on what life is like working for MEGHAN MARKLE, published in The Times of London.
In the wake of new reports that Meg has earned the nickname “Duchess Difficult” among her staff, Sykes throws some more gas on the fire, detailing one instance where Meg called up a florist after they posted images of a bouquet they were working on for her – without ever identifying Meg as the client. That detail didn’t stop Meg from berating the florist by phone for a half hour, anyway. One source tells Sykes about the florist: “They vowed never to work with her again, despite the prestige of having her as a client.”
Another palace insider who worked for Meg before her wedding to PRINCE HARRY says, “She is lovely when it is all going her way but a demon when the worm turns.” [via The Times]
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DAY OF THE YEAR
International Coffee Day
Sausage Day
Model T Day
World Ballet Day
National Fire Pup Day
World Postcard Day
National Fruit at Work Day
National Green City Day
National Hair Day
International Raccoon Appreciation Day
International Music Day
National Homemade Cookies Day
World Vegetarian Day
CD Player Day
National Black Dog Day
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ON THIS DATE
1867 - Karl Marx’s “Das Kapital” is published.
The publication is a foundational theoretical text in materialist philosophy, critique of political economy and politics.
It is the most cited book in the social sciences published before 1950.
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1890 - Congress allocates 1500 square miles in the southwest to be used for Yosemite National Park.
In order to ease upkeep, the park was eventually downsized to 540 square miles.
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1908 - The first Ford Model T rolls out of the factory in Detroit.
Over the next 19 years, Ford Motor Company would produce 15 million making it the second longest run of the same model after the Volkswagen Beetle.
The Model T made automobiles accessible to the masses. During much of its production, it was the only model car that Ford produced, making workers and engineers very efficient at producing them.
Toward the end of its run, Ford began developing more varied models, focusing on style and design, not just functionality.
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1949 - Rebel leader Mao Zedong declares China a communist state, and makes himself the head of the country.
Initially the U.S. government did not recognize the Communist State. Meanwhile, the U.S. supported the remnants of the Free Republic of China on the island of Taiwan.
It wasn't until 1979 that China was officially recognized as a legitimate nation by the State Department.
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1961 - Roger Maris breaks Babe Ruth's single-season home run record -- depending on who you ask.
Maris had been neck-and-neck with teammate Mickey Mantle in the 1961 season, but Mantle suffered a hip injury a few weeks earlier after hitting 54 home runs.
In the last game of the regular season, Maris hit his 61st on his second at-bat of the day.
But the commissioner of baseball would not certify the record. In order to beat Babe Ruth's record officially, Maris would have had to hit more than 60 in fewer than the 154 games Ruth played.
The commissioner, Ford Frick, a friend of Ruth's, had personal interest in protecting the record.
In 1991, an MLB committee would vote to give the record fully to Maris. That record would be broken again in 1998 by both Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire.
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1962 - Johnny Carson hosts “The Tonight Show” for the first time as the regular host.
Despite being one of the biggest names in American entertainment, Carson largely stayed out of the public eye. His run as host would last almost 30 years, with his last show airing on May 22, 1992.
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1995 - Astronomers announce the discovery of the farthest known galaxy ever discovered.
It's estimated to be 15 trillion lightyears away, a remnant of the birth of the universe.
The only way to detect its existence was through high-powered telescopes measuring changes in very dim visible light.
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2017 - Stephen Paddock kills 58 people and injures 489, at a concert in Las Vegas in the deadliest mass shooting in American history.
The 64-year-old fired more than 1,000 rounds from his suite at the Mandalay Bay Hotel into the crowd at the Route 91 Harvest music festival.
Paddock shot himself in this hotel room as officers closed in.
The motive remains unknown.
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BIRTHDAYS
Livvy Dunne - gymnast - 22
Angela Giarratana - actress, “2 Broke Girls” & “ - 31
Brie Larson - actress, “Room” & “Captain Marvel” - 35
Louis Cordice - actor, “Harry Potter” films - 35
Matthew Daddario - actor, “Shadowhunters” - 37
Jurnee Smollett-Bell - actress, “Suicide Squad” & “Birds of Prey” - 38
Sarah Drew - actress, “Grey’s Anatomy” - 44
Zach Galifianakis - actor, “The Hangover” films - 55
Mark McGwire - baseball player - 61
Esai Morales - actor, “ - 62
Randy Quaid - actor, “SNL” & “Midnight Express” - 74
Rod Crew - HOF baseball player - 79
Julie Andrews - actress, “Sound of Music” & “Mary Poppins” - 89
Jimmy Carter - 39th POTUS - 100
Born On This Date
Richard Harris - actor, “Gladiator” & “Camelot” - 1930 (d. 2002)
Walter Matthau - actor, “The Odd Couple” - 1920 (d. 2000)
Bonnie Parker - outlaw - 1910 (d. 1934)
William Boeing - founded The Boeing Company - 1881 (d. 1956)
Caroline Harrison - 1st Lady - 1832 (d. 1892)
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