10/20/2022: “Twister” Sequel In the Works
Discover more from Morning Martini
10/20/2022: “Twister” Sequel In the Works
PLUS: Bakon King; Matthew Perry’s Near Death Experience; and Meg Speaks to Variety
Today is Thursday, October 20, 2022.
It is the 293rd day of the year.
72 days remain.
TRENDING
Dean Biasucci was trending Wednesday as the answer to Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay’s tweet, “Name this Colts pro bowl former player AND his vocation following his retirement from the NFL.” One lucky Twitter winner with the correct answer would win four seats and cash to this weekend’s Colts game against the Tennessee Titans.
Twitter users roasted Kimberly Guilfoyle yesterday for her own plastic surgery procedures after she said Nancy Pelosi has had too much work done on her face.
The CDC was trending after several outlets reported Wednesday that the health organization is considering adding the COVID-19 vaccine to the childhood immunization schedule.
Bear in the Big Blue House was trending after the children’s TV show was added to Disney+.
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HIT LIST
Budget airline Spirit has cleared a hurdle to get acquired by JetBlue, after its shareholders approved the $3.8 billion cash buyout – but the merger still faces scrutiny from federal regulators.
Moving Spirit’s planes and staff under JetBlue’s brand would make JetBlue the nation’s fifth largest airline and eliminate one of the cheapest-priced carriers. A final close of the sale, if it goes through, would happen in early 2024.
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After Netflix announced rebounding subscriber growth, news also broke it’s going to crack down on accounts using shared passwords – so no more mooching off your old roommate’s ex’s stepmom’s manicurist’s account.
While multiple user accounts are expected to remain within the same household, analysts anticipate extra fees for adding more outside users.
HOW NICE OF THEM: Netflix is also rolling out a program so you can take your account history – like what you’ve watched and Netflix’s algorithm of what you might like – with you to your new account.
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The governing body for competitive events and activities between Colorado high schools has formally sanctioned Esports – meaning students will compete against rival schools in video games.
More than one hundred schools will have teams this school year.
Are you skeptical this is a good idea? One high school principal was too – but now he tells Denver’s ABC affiliate, “I was 100% against it and within a year, I was 100% behind it.”
“To get kids connected to the school, to get them to be part of something bigger than themselves, and to learn some of those life-skills – they’re totally getting that in Esports. We’re jumping in all the way,” the principal added.
Students will be able to learn letters, like any other sport, and must meet academic requirements. They’ll also have to try out in many cases.
WORTH NOTING: High schools are just behind collegiate esports programs – which in some cases even offer scholarships for the dorks playing at an especially high level.
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Last week a group of Springfield, Massachusetts-area police approached a home to serve an eviction notice. As they approached, protestors trying to keep the delinquent renter in the home surrounded the officers – and at one point a woman named Rorie Woods drove up with a trailer stashed with bee hives that she subsequently shook in the direction of the officers.
WORTH NOTING: Woods was apparently in full beekeeper garb for her own protection. She was eventually arrested, but not before a few officers were stung, three of whom have bee allergies.
She’s now facing assault and battery charges.
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A single Burger King location in Bristol, England, is swapping all of its meat products for plant-based substitutes for two weeks beginning October 26.
The menu will include the Bakon King – with a “K” – and the Vegan Royale, their spin on a fake-chicken sandwich.
Burger King has reported it wants to make half its menu plant-based by the end of the decade as part of broader sustainability goals.
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BY THE NUMBERS
📈 The Dow lost 100 points (0.33%) Wednesday, to close at 30,423. The S&P lost 24 points (0.67%) to close at 3,695 while the Nasdaq lost 91 points (0.85%) to close at 10,680.
🛢 West Texas Intermediate was at $86 a barrel Wednesday. Brent Crude closed at $92.
⛽ The national average price of a gallon of gas was $3.85 on Wednesday.
₿ Bitcoin slid Wednesday in a volatile day, trading around $19,200 in the evening.
🛩 There were 2,103 flights delayed within, into, or out of the United States on Wednesday and 62 such cancellations.
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CHARTS
Rebecca Clark was hiking at Caprock Canyons State park & Trailway in Texas when she was charged and gored by a bison.
She filmed the attack on her phone, which she later posted to TikTok to “support safety while enjoying Texas State Parks.”
***WARNING*** Language and potentially triggering sounds.
Tiktok failed to load.Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser
The video has over two million views.
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DEATHS
ROBERT GORDON has died.
The ‘70s musician passed away Tuesday, his record label announced. No cause of death was shared, but Gordon had previously been diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia.
He was 75.
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BABY NEWS
Country singer RANDY HOUSER, 46, and his wife TATIANA, 28, have welcomed their second child, a baby boy.
The pair announced the news on Instagram this week, introducing Harlan “Banks” Houser, who arrived on Wednesday, September 21.
Harlan joins big brothers Huckleberry, 2, and Houser’s 10-year-old son from a previous relationship, West.
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BREAKUPS
Reality stars BRAUNWYN WINDHAM-BURKE, 44, and SEAN BURKE, 55, are calling it quits after 23 years of marriage.
According to court documents, Braunwyn listed irreconcilable differences as the grounds for divorce.
The couple, who appeared on the “Real Housewives of Orange County,” were together for 28 years and share seven children.
As fans of the reality show know, the news comes two years after Braunwyn came out as a lesbian. Since then the two have remained married while dating other women.
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THE SWAMP
Democrats like to tell you that widespread vote-by-mail schemes are totally safe and there have been literally zero problems ever in the history of mail-in voting.
That’s not the case in Arizona. Up to 6,000 voters have already received ballots with only federal races listed on them ahead of next month’s midterm elections – and this is just the glitch the Associated Press has reported on.
WORTH REMEMBERING: President JOE BIDEN carried Arizona in 2020 by a mere 10,000 votes.
WORTH NOTING: Arizona Secretary of State KATIE HOBBS oversees elections and is the Democrat running for governor there. She has not recused herself from managing the situation and has campaigned on the integrity of the 2020 election.
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GET A LOAD OF THIS: In Indiana’s First Congressional District, a young woman named JENNIFER-RUTH GREEN is challenging the incumbent, a man named FRANK MRVAN.
EXHIBIT A: Green has served more than twenty years in the United States Air Force including a deployment to Baghdad and served as the Deputy Chief at a nuclear weapons base. She works in her community at a non-profit that helps prepare elementary-aged students for careers in science and technology. She’s also a woman of color.
EXHIBIT B: The explicit stated goal of the Congressional Black Caucus, per their website, is to use “the full Constitutional power, statutory authority, and financial resources of the federal government to ensure that African Americans and other marginalized communities in the United States have the opportunity to achieve the American Dream.”
SO, THEN, IT’S WORTH ASKING: Why is the CBC supporting Frank Mrvan, a white guy who’s been a public employee his whole professional life, when they could put their support behind elevating a young, talented, accomplished Black woman?
OH: Green is a Republican. Frank Mrvan is a Democrat.
So much for equity.
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As every cable news network except Fox breathlessly covers the January 6 witch hunt, their analysts wonder why more Americans aren’t more wrapped up in the proceedings.
HERE’S WHY: A Washington Post poll asked voters what the biggest threat to democracy is in America.
The top response, at 59%? The mainstream media.
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LOTTERY
No winner for Tuesday night’s Mega Millions drawing. Friday night’s drawing will be for a $30 million jackpot or a $14.9 million cash payout.
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SHOWBIZ NEWS
MATTHEW PERRY says he almost died a few years ago after his colon burst from years of opioid abuse.
Speaking to PEOPLE magazine, the “Friends” alum said that he suffered a “gastrointestinal perforation” that led to him spending two weeks in a coma, five months in the hospital and forced to use a colostomy bag for nine months.
“The doctors told my family that I had a 2 percent chance to live,” he shared.
Perry, now 53, openly shares his drug and alcohol addictions in his new memoir, “Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing,” which hits shelves on November 1.
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OLIVIA WILDE has shared the recipe for her infamous “special salad dressing,” that her former nanny claims led to an epic fight with ex JASON SUDEIKIS.
The recipe, which comes from NORA EPHRON’s book, “Heartburn,” reads: “Mix 2 tablespoons of Grey Poupon with 2 tablespoons of good red wine vinegar. Then whisk constantly with a fork, slowly add 6 tablespoons of olive oil until the vinaigrette is thick and creamy; this makes a very strong vinaigrette that's perfect for salad greens like arugula and watercress and endive.”
According to the nanny, Wilde once made the “special salad dressing” for her new man, HARRY STYLES, prompting Sudeikis to “throw himself under her car” in order to stop her from leaving.
The former couple’s ex-nanny has been on a tirade this week, spewing -- what Wilde and Sudeikis claim are -- untruths.
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Actress ANNA FARIS claims that the late director IVAN REITMAN inappropriately touched her on the set of their 2006 rom-com, “My Super Ex Girlfriend.”
She disclosed the accusation on her podcast “Unqualified” saying Reitman “slapped [her] ass” and also “yelled” at her on her first day on set, leaving her feeling “angry, hurt and humiliated.”
Faris spoke out about the incident in the past, but had not shared a name.
Reitman passed away in February.
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DANIEL CRAIG was honored with the title of Companion of the Order of St. Michael and St. George at Windsor Castle on Tuesday.
The honor, first bestowed on the actor by QUEEN ELIZABETH in January, was handed down by her daughter, PRINCESS ANNE.
Craig received the award for his services to film and theater as part of Queen Elizabeth’s annual New Year’s honors list.
WORTH NOTING: It's the same honor bestowed upon Craig’s character James Bond.
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Author RICK RIORDAN announced that he is working on a new book in the “Percy Jackson & the Olympians” series.
Tweeting about the news, Riordan wrote: “Nearly a decade after the release of THE BLOOD OF OLYMPUS, Percy Jackson, Annabeth Chase and Grover Underwood will star in a brand new adventure!.”
The new book will hit shelves on September 26, 2023.
For those unfamiliar, the fantasy series had five books published between 2005 and 2009.
WORTH NOTING: Disney+ is set to release a TV series based on the books in 2024.
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Actor DICK VAN DYKE was spotted handing out cash on Friday to homeless people looking for work at the Malibu Community Labor Exchange.
Sources told Page Six that the 95-year-old is a “massive fan” of the nonprofit and often visits the location to help those seeking employment.
Staff told the outlet that Van Dyke first started coming to the exchange in May 2021, during the height of the coronavirus pandemic.
“Just call him an angel from God,” another staff member added.
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CASTING CALL
For the second week, Netflix’s “Luckiest Girl Alive” has topped the streamer’s Top 10 Film Chart globally.
The mystery thriller, starring MILA KUNIS, was the most-watched movie with more than 57 MILLION hours viewed last week. That is up from its premiere week the week prior, which hit more than 43 MILLION hours.
“Luckiest Girl Alive” is based on the 2015 book by Jessica Knoll.
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A “Twister” sequel is in the works.
A follow-up to the 1996 storm-chasing hit, set to be titled “Twisters,” is in the works, according to Deadline.
The sequel will focus on the daughter of Jo and Bill, played by HELEN HUNT and BILL PAXTON, respectively, in the original, who caught the storm-chasing bug from her parents.
Insiders told Page Six that they hope to bring Hunt back for the sequel. Sadly, Paxton passed away from heart complications in 2017.
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Judge YODIT TEWOLDE and Judge RACHEL JUAREZ are joining the panel of the syndicated courtroom series “Hot Bench.”
They will sit alongside veteran Judge MICHAEL CORRIERO.
Tewolde and Juarez are replacing Judge PATRICIA DIMANGO and Judge TANYA ACKER, who left the show at the end of last season.
The upcoming ninth season of “Hot Bench” will feature the three-judge panel taking on real small claims cases from courthouses across the country.
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MICHELLE MONAGHAN (“Echoes”) is set to star opposite MARK WAHLBERG in Apple Original Films action comedy “The Family Plan.”
The flick tells the story of a suburban dad (Wahlberg) who must take his family on the run when his past catches up with him.
While unconfirmed, Deadline reports that Monaghan is expected to play Wahlberg’s wife.
No further details were shared.
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THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
KIM KARDASHIAN’s Spotify original podcast titled “Kim Kardashian’s The System: The Case of Kevin Keith,” has overtaken MEGHAN MARKLE’s “Archetypes” on the US Spotify Top Podcast Chart.
“Archetypes” launched on August 23, and just two days later topped the charts, knocking down the longstanding No. 1 podcast “The Joe Rogan Experience.” JOE ROGAN did, however, quickly regain his reign after the release of new episodes.
But now, Kardashian has widened the gap with her podcast pushing Markle out of the Top 5.
WORTH NOTING: Meg and Kim’s podcasts are very different. The former focuses on experiences of women in society, while the latter is a limited eight-part series that provides an in-depth exploration of the legal case of Kevin Keith.
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WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS
MEGHAN MARKLE spoke about the Royal Family for the first time since QUEEN ELIZABETH’s death in an exclusive cover story with Variety.
When asked about the passing of the Queen, Meg said that “there’s been such an outpouring of love and support.” She later added that Her Majesty was a “shining example” of female leadership.
Meg also spoke about her and PRINCE HARRY’s upcoming Netflix documentary, explaining that while it is their story, it is being told through someone else’s lens, so “it may not be the way [they] would have told it.”
The documentary is due out in December, despite outlets reporting its being pushed back.
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SPORTS
Racer BUBBA WALLACE has been suspended from an upcoming NASCAR event after he was involved in an altercation with fellow driver KYLE LARSON during a race in Las Vegas over the weekend.
After crashing both of their vehicles, the two men got into each other’s faces on the track, with Wallace shoving Larson several times. They were eventually separated by an official.
Wallace’s racing club -- 23XI -- told NBC Sports that JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK will be driving the No. 45 Toyota car at the Homestead-Miami Speedway this upcoming weekend.
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DAY OF THE YEAR
Get to Know Your Customers Day
International Chefs Day
Office Chocolate Day
National Get Smart About Credit Day
National Brandied Fruit Day
Information Overload Day
Suspenders Day
Conflict Resolution Day
Community Media Day
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ON THIS DATE
1803 – Congress approves the Louisiana Purchase.
The 828,000 acres sold for a paltry 3 cents an acre, or $15 million. That’s about $219 million today, or only 42 cents an acre today.
Napoleon decided to sell the land to America, rather than risk it falling into British control. It also helped the French dictator secure funds for his wars in Europe.
At the time, President Jefferson received criticism that the Constitution did not provide the Executive powers to make such a purchase, but persuaded the legislature otherwise. One controversial move was Jefferson’s allowance of slavery in the territory, which would impel the civil war less than 60 years later.
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1944 – 130 people die when two gas tanks explode in Cleveland, Ohio.
Natural gas tanks at the East Ohio Gas Company near Lake Erie had been leaking, and were later ignited, shooting flames more than 2,000 feet into the air. The explosion radius was a half-mile; everything was leveled.
10,000 residents and workers were evacuated from the surrounding area. The explosion inflicted $10 million in damages.
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1947 – A Congressional committee begins its investigation of communists in Hollywood.
The House Un-American Activities Committee called a number of witnesses to the stand, famously asking directly whether they had affiliations with the American Communist Party.
Under pressure from Congress, 325 actors, writers, and directors were blacklisted. Among them were Dashiell Hammett, Dorothy Parker, and Orson Wells.
In the 1960s, Senator Joe McCarthy became famous for looking into bureaucrats with alleged communist ties.
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1968 – Dick Fosbury high-jumps 7-feet 4-and-one-quarter inches at the Olympic Games in Mexico City.
The feat gave the U.S. its first gold medal in the event since 1956.
Fosbury’s style was known as the “Fosbury Flop,” in which he landed on the back of his head over the high-bar, rather than on his feet or torso.
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1977 – The plane carrying Lynyrd Skynyrd bandmates crashed en route to Baton Rouge.
Ronnie Van Zant, Steve Gaines, and Cassie Gaines all died, along with their assistant road manager and the pilot and co-pilot. Twenty others survived.
The crash was attributed to insufficient fuel and came just three days after the release of the band’s fifth studio album.
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1990 – Rappers from the group 2 Live Crew are acquitted of obscenity charges after a trial for performing songs filled with explicit lyrics in Hollywood, Florida.
The evidence used against the group was shoddy to begin with; the recording used in court was fuzzy and barely audible. One officer on the stand tried to decipher the tapes, much to the amusement of the jury.
Naturally, the trial sparked a national debate over how First Amendment rights applied to music lyrics. The case did much of the work to encourage record labels to put the Explicit Content sticker on objectionable material.
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2015 – Joe Biden adamantly states he will not run for President.
Five years later he would change his mind.
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2020 - Argentina becomes the fifth country in the world to record over 1 million cases of COVID-19.
The death toll sits at 26,716.
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BIRTHDAYS
Paige Bueckers - basketball player - 21
Asante Blackk - actor, “This Is Us” - 21
NBA YoungBoy - rapper - 23
Candice Swanepoel - model - 34
Jennifer Freeman - actress, “My Wife and Kids” - 37
John Krasinski - actor, “The Office” & “A Quiet Place” - 43
Snoop Dogg - rapper - 51
William Zapka - actor, “Karate Kid” - 57
Kamala Harris - VP - 58
Viggo Mortensen - actor, “A Perfect Murder” & “Crimson Tide” - 64
Born On This Date
Mitch Lucker - metal singer, Suicide Squad - 1984 (d. 2012)
Scott Hall - wrestler - 1958 (d. 2022)
Tom Petty - rock singer, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - 1950 (d. 2017)
Mickey Mantle - baseball player - 1931 (d. 1995)
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