10/12/2023: ACTs In Decline
PLUS: Fat Bear Week Winner; Britney Gets Busted; and Royal Lodge Drama Continues
Today is Thursday, October 12, 2023.
It is the 285th day of the year.
80 days remain.
WHAT’S ON TAP
Lawyers for SAM BANKMAN-FRIED might need a new strategy and a retail scheme robs a popular home improvement chain out of more than $1.4 MILLION. More in HIT LIST.
FLOYD MAYWEATHER is sending supplies to Israel and TODD CHRISLEY believes his prison sentence was all in God’s plan. More in SHOWBIZ.
MARGOT ROBBIE and RYAN GOSLING are teaming up on a new film. More in CASTING CALL.
YE and BIANCA CENSORI tied the knot so they could get frisky. More in KARDASH.
The Firm deploys yet another tactic to get PRINCE ANDREW out of the Royal Lodge. More in ROYALS.
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HIT LIST
FTX-FILES: In CAROLINE ELLISON’s second day of testimony in SAM BANKMAN-FRIED’s fraud trial, she said that SBF didn’t believe that common societal rules like “don’t lie” and “don’t steal” applied to him.
SBF has a well-documented streak of believing in “utilitarianism” – a belief in generating the greatest good for the most people, even if it meant breaking laws. She said the belief wore off on her, too: “It made me more willing to do things like lie and steal over time,” she said.
Ellison also said that SBF ordered her to alter financial documents to help secure loans. [via Morning Martini]
WORTH NOTING: This testimony wrecks the defense strategy that SBF didn’t know what he was doing was wrong.
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Overall ACT scores dropped this year for the sixth consecutive year.
The average college prep test score was 19.5 out of 36, down 0.3 points from last year. It’s the second straight year that the average score slipped below 20 – a first since 1991. [via WSJ]
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A Florida man has been indicted for a weeks-long retail theft scheme that saw him steal at least $1.4 MILLION worth of products from Home Depot stores around the state.
The 56-year-old suspect, Robert Dell, enlisted his family and friends to walk out with unpaid merchandise that he later sold through an eBay store.
IT GETS WORSE: Dell is a former pastor at a Tampa-area church – which has made very clear he is no longer associated with it. [via USA Today]
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Popular fast casual burrito chain CHIPOTLE has announced the fourth menu price increase in two years.
No word yet which menu items specifically will be affected. Reps for the company say the price bump is a response to ongoing inflation concerns. [via Business Insider]
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BIG FAT FOLLOWUP: A mama bear named “128 Grazer” has been crowned the winner of Alaska’s Katmai National Park and Preserve’s 2023 Fat Bear Week.
“The gutsy girl grounded the guy with a gut,” the park wrote on Facebook. “The Mondo mountain of a male, 32 Chunk, proved his prominent posterior was worthy of a whopping win (Chin up, Chunk). But in the end, Chunk got Grazered.”
128 Grazer received an overwhelming majority of the votes in the final round -- 108,321 to 23,134.
Fat Bear Week is an annual event held to celebrate the bears of Brooks River as they bulk up to go into hibernation. [via Washington Post]
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DEATHS
A 15-year-old Connecticut student died this week during football practice.
Elijah-Jay Mariano Rivera was practicing with his teammates on Tuesday afternoon when he lost consciousness. He was taken to Connecticut Children’s Medical Center in Hartford where doctors were unable to revive him.
As of Wednesday a cause of death was still not known.
WORTH ASKING: Why are so many young athletes collapsing? What is happening? Why are these occurrences not being more readily investigated?
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BREAKUPS
WILL SMITH and JADA PINKETT-SMITH are separated -- and have been since 2016.
In a clip from an upcoming interview with NBC’s HODA KOTB, Jada says that while the two are still legally married, they are “no longer romantically together,” and have been living “completely separate lives” for the past seven years.
Details about their relationship are laid out in Jada’s upcoming memoir, “Worthy,” due out October 17.
The interview with Hoda airs Friday evening.
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BY THE NUMBERS
📈 The DOW was up 65 points (0.19%) to close at 33,804 on Wednesday. The S&P added 18 points (0.43%) to close at 4,376 and the NASDAQ increased 96 points (0.71%) to close at 13,659.
🛢 WEST TEXAS INTERMEDIATE closed at $83; BRENT CRUDE at $85.
⛽ The national average price of a GALLON OF GAS was $3.66 on Wednesday.
₿ BITCOIN fell more than 2.5% percent, trading under $26,700.
🛩 There were more than 2,030 FLIGHTS delayed within, into, or out of the United States on Wednesday and more than 70 such cancellations.
💰Friday night’s MEGA MILLIONS drawing will be for a $48 million jackpot or a $21.2 million cash payout.
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SHOWBIZ NEWS
FLOYD MAYWEATHER has arranged to send his private plane, full of supplies, to the front lines of Israel.
The boxing legend, who has teamed up with a relief organization in Israel, is sending everything from food and water to bulletproof vests for the Israel Defense Forces and civilians. The items are expected to arrive this weekend.
Mayweather shared his feelings on the matter on social media, writing, “This is not a time for politics. This is a time for safety first and foremost. God Bless America. God Bless Israel. God Bless Human Kind!” [via The Mirror]
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BRITNEY SPEARS was pulled over last month and fined for failing to provide the officer with a valid license and proof of insurance.
For the two infractions, she was fined $1,140.
Her attorney Mathew Rosengart told Page Six that the fine is basically a “parking ticket” because Britney does “at all times [have] a license and insurance.”
Many may recall that Brit’s driving privileges were reinstated just months before her conservatorship ended in November 2021. [via Page Six]
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ALEC BALDWIN may not be off the hook in connection to the death of “Rust” cinematographer HALYNA HUTCHINS.
New Mexico prosecutors are currently combing through the movie’s pre-production plans to see how weapons training was handled on the set and whether any corners were cut.
Depending on what is found, Baldwin could once again face charges.
WORTH REMEMBERING: Baldwin was initially charged with involuntary manslaughter, but that was dropped in April. [via TMZ]
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TOM BRADY says he is only allowed one “un-retirement.”
Joking about his return to the NFL on his SiriusXM podcast, “Let’s Go,” Brady said that his family “would not be happy” if he went back…again.
“They’d kill me,” Brady said of his parents and kids if he ever even thought about considering a return. [via Insider]
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TODD CHRISLEY believes that his prison sentence was all “part of God’s plan,” and he has vowed to use his time behind bars to do some good.
Insiders claim that Todd feels “blessed” to use the platform he has been given to shed some light on the mistreatment he -- and other inmates -- face behind bars. His plans include launching programs and resources to help address several problems that inmates face, such as what he calls “negligent” living conditions.
Todd is currently serving a 12-year sentence for bank fraud and tax evasion. His wife JULIE CHRISLEY is serving seven years for the same charges. [via OK!]
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During a late night smoke session, comedian PETE DAVIDSON ordered 3,000 to 5,000 sealed VHS tapes in hopes that he can make a fortune reselling them.
Davidson shared the story during a recent appearance on JIMMY FALLON’s “Tonight Show,” telling the audience that 2026 will mark 20 years since the last VHS was made -- meaning he could possibly turn a decent profit if he holds onto the tapes. [via EW]
BY THE WAY: Davidson is set to host the Season 49 premiere of “Saturday Night Live” this weekend. He was supposed to host an episode last season, but the writers’ strike put the kibosh on that.
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“Vanderpump Rules” star RAQUEL LEVISS is selling her lightning bolt necklace and TomTom sweatshirt -- the ones she wore during her infamous affair with co-star TOM SANDOVAL -- for a good cause.
The items will be listed on eBay, with all proceeds going to the National Alliance of Mental Illness.
Fans of the show will remember when Raquel bought the necklace to match Sandoval’s toward the start of their affair. The sweatshirt is from Sandoval’s restaurant and bar, TomTom. She wore it to BravoCon last year. [via E!]
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LEBRON JAMES 'son, BRYCE JAMES, took one of SEAN “Diddy” COMBS’ twin daughters to homecoming.
Photos of Bryce, and another young man, with their arms about JESSIE and D’LILA COMBS were shared on Instagram.
The girls coordinated in sparkling back dresses and styled their hair in matching elegant ponytails.
No word on whether or not they are a couple or just friends. [via Instagram]
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CASTING CALL
“Barbie” stars MARGOT ROBBIE and RYAN GOSLING are reuniting for a new -- and much less pink -- movie.
The pair have been tapped to star in a prequel to the “Ocean’s 11” franchise.
Not much is known about the new film, except that it takes place in 1960’s Europe. [via NY Post]
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The obsession that “Yellowstone” has brought to the state of Montana is bittersweet for those who live there.
While tourism in the state is booming, one local rancher says the show gives “ranchers a bad name.” Mark Green told The Washington Post that the show’s depiction of widespread violence and corruption doesn’t fit the reality; at least not where he works at Nine Quarter Circle Ranch.
Another criticism is that the show only shows the pleasant days of summer and not the harshness that comes with winter.
“They’re not showing the hard days when it’s below zero and the calves are frozen,” Three Forks native, Hillary Folkvord told the outlet. [via Washington Post]
FAST MONEY: About 12.5 million people visited Montana in 2022, and spent about $730 million while there. Montana’s population is 1.1 million, per the July 2022 census.
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THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
Days after it was confirmed that YE and BIANCA CENSORI are in fact legally wed, Metro reports that the union was a strategic decision.
Many may remember that after splitting from KIM KARDASHIAN, Ye vowed to remain abstinent until he married again. Now, fans have connected the dots and realized that the two tied the knot for “religious reasons”.
An insider also confirmed as much to Us Weekly, saying they said “I do” so they could “be intimate.” [via Metro, Us Weekly]
THAT TRACKS: In JULIA FOX’s newly released memoir, she writes that during her one-month relationship with Ye, they were never intimate with one another.
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WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS
PRINCE ANDREW’s Royal Lodge saga might not be over after all.
LAST WEEK: Reports suggested that Andrew and his brother and landlord, KING CHARLES, agreed at Balmoral to let the disgraced prince stay at the Royal Lodge, with the caveat that Andrew would be on the hook for financing repairs.
NOW: The Crown Estate – which manages the monarchy’s extensive real estate portfolio – has told Andrew that if he doesn’t move into the nearby Frogmore Cottage on the grounds of Windsor, they’ll lease the property out.
GOOD ENOUGH: One of Andrew’s daughters could move into Frogmore too – but the Estate doesn’t want it to go on empty.
Frogmore had been the home of PRINCE HARRY and MEGHAN MARKLE and has since largely been empty, except for when it’s used as a crash pad by PRINCESS EUGENIE or PRINCESS BEATRICE when they’re visiting London. [via OK!]
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DAY OF THE YEAR
World Sight Day
National Farmers Day
National Pulled Pork Day
World Arthritis Day
National Gumbo Day
National Savings Day
National Freethought Day
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ON THIS DATE
1492 - Christopher Columbus arrives in the New World.
He believed he had reached the shores of East Asia, when in reality he was on a Bahamian island. Columbus claimed the land for Ferdinand and Isabella, the monarchs of Spain. He was eager to discover and collect the gold and spice that the Far East promised – obviously to no avail.
Ultimately Columbus would lead four trips to the Americas – charting the Gulf of Mexico, South and Central America, and many Caribbean islands – but without ever stepping foot in the United States.
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1810 - The Crown Prince of Bavaria marries Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen, and locals celebrate the union with drinking and horse races.
The spectacle turned into an annual gala – we know it now as Oktoberfest. With time, it turned into a days-long event, beginning in late September and ending the first Sunday in October.
Over 1 million gallons of beer are drunk every year at the fest.
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1929 - The Philadelphia Athletics pound 10 runs in the 8th inning of Game 4 of the World Series against the Cubs.
They had been trailing 0-2 until then. In a “Dewey Defeats Truman” moment, 10,000 copies of the Springfield Daily News had already been printed deploring the A’s terrible gameplay before the 7th inning had even ended.
The A’s would eventually win the series in Game 5 – their first in 16 years.
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1960 - Ticked off at the Philippine delegation to the United Nations, Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev bangs his shoe against a table in a meeting of the countries.
The Philippines accused the Soviet Union of hypocrisy for decrying colonialism in southeast Asia while occupying East Berlin.
Khrushchev grew furious, and in a fit of rage pulled off his sneaker and did the deed.
It took quite some work to restore order. The General Assembly President pounded his gavel so forcefully that it broke.
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1964 - USSR spaceship Voskhod 1 blasts off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. The mission would mark two feats for manned space travel:
-FIRST with a crew of more than 1 person – in fact there were 3.
-FIRST to not have the crew wear spacesuits
The mission would end two days later. It was another blow to the dawdling American space program, a dynamic that would not shift until the US landed on the moon just before the end of the decade.
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2000 - Terrorists attack the USS Cole while refueling in Yemen.
A rubber dinghy filled with explosives charged the ship, blowing a gaping hole in the hull and killing 17 sailors; 38 more were wounded.
It was assumed to be the handiwork of Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda.
An investigation ensued – but there was no clear connection to the terrorist kingpin.
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2007 - The UN grants Internet Inventor Al Gore with the Nobel Peace Prize for … making a movie about global warming.
The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change credited the flick with kickstarting the global “green” movement.
Al also won an Oscar for Best Documentary.
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2020 - Chinese health officials say they will test every resident in the city of Qingdao — 9 million people — for COVID-19 after a dozen cases are reported.
The testing was laid out over a 5-day period.
At this point, China’s death toll was 4,634 and more than 85,578 reported cases of the virus.
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BIRTHDAYS
Iris Apatow - actress, “Funny People” & “Love” - 21
Fiona Palomo - actress, “Control Z” - 25
Chad Thomas - football player - 28
Josh Hutcherson - actor, “The Hunger Games” - 31
Tyler Blackburn - actor, “Pretty Little Liars” & “Ravenswood” - 37
Lara Trump - TV producer & daughter-in-law of Donald - 41
Marion Jones - Olympic track & field star, forfeited medals over drug use - 48
Kirk Cameron - actor, “Growing Pains” - 53
Hugh Jackman - actor, “X-Men” & “Van Helsing” - 55
Les Dennis - comedian - 70
Sally Little - golfer - 72
Born On This Date
Jean Nidetch - founder of Weight Watchers - 1923 (d. 2015)
Maribel Vinson - figure skater, 9x national champion - 1911 (d. 1961)
Rick Ferrell - HOF baseball player - 1905 (d. 1995)
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