10/25/2023: Guess What’s Expensive?
PLUS: French Sketch; Ultimate Swiftie; and Wills (Sort Of) Goes Green
Today is Wednesday, October 25, 2023.
It is the 298th day of the year.
67 days remain.
WHAT’S ON TAP
UAW strikes expand to Texas and a new study gives clues to how to age well. More in HIT LIST.
BRITNEY SPEARS has another run in with police and LIL WAYNE doesn’t think his wax figure resembles him. More in SHOWBIZ.
CLIVE DAVIS is working on an in depth documentary centered on his annual pre-Grammys party. More in CASTING CALL.
“House of Kardashian” is heading to the US. Find out when in KARDASH.
PRINCE WILLIAM wants you to know he backs the green movement, but he’s not nuts about it. Details in ROYALS.
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HIT LIST
UNITED AUTO WORKERS authorized yet another expanded strike – this time at a GM plant in Texas.
An estimated 5,000 workers walked off the job Tuesday morning at a plant in Arlington that makes the Chevy Tahoe and Cadillac Escalade. The total number of striking UAW workers is now around 46,000, representing about one-third of all UAW members.
Amid it all, Ford’s leadership says they’ve put forward their best and final offer and Stellantis is “outraged” that the union rejected a 23% wage hike. [via Associated Press]
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A headless statue is at the center of a feud between the Cleveland art museum, New York authorities and the country of Turkey.
The statue, which may or may not be of Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius, dates back to A.D. 180 to 200 and is worth about $20 million.
The Cleveland museum, where the statue has been since 1986, recently filed a lawsuit against New York attorney general Alvin Bragg, whose office is investigating works of art that may have been stolen from Turkey and smuggled into the US through Manhattan. That investigation is what led a Manhattan judge to order the seizure of the statue in August.
The museum effectively told the judge to go pound sand, noting in their filing how there is zero proof that the statue was ever looted. Also, they feel they should be declared the statue's rightful owner. [via AP News]
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In today’s segment of “guess what’s really expensive”: cocoa.
Bloomberg reports that cocoa has hit a 44-year high. Analysts blame a bad crop season in the Ivory Coast and Ghana. On the demand side of the equation, chocolate and candymakers are managing increased demand.
With a strong El Nino current heading toward West Africa, analysts don’t expect prices to recover any time soon, either. [via Bloomberg]
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A 20-year study out of the National University of Singapore suggests caffeine plays a crucial role in keeping frailty at bay in older ages.
The research showed healthier outcomes among those aged 45 to 74 who drank four cups of coffee a day. Those who had black and green tea also benefited as they aged.
Those who stuck to this caffeine habit saw better outcomes for day-to-day energy, handgrip strength, and ability to get up from a sitting position. They also overall experienced less exhaustion and weakness. [via Study Finds]
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An unidentified 80-something French man has won court approval to sell a sketch done by Leonardo Da Vinci of Saint Sebastian, after the country’s Culture Ministry blocked the sale to a foreign buyer.
French law requires that sellers of high-value art acquire an export license granted by the government. The government also has a right of first refusal to purchase the valuable before it heads to a foreign buyer. The sketch first went up for sale in 2016 and the government offered the seller $10.6 million, which he declined.
Now, the sketch has been appraised for about $15.6 million and a judge has ordered the government to drop their protest. No word on how much it has sold for. [via Artnet]
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BREAKUPS
“Real Housewives of New Jersey” alum LAUREN MANZO and her husband VITO SCALIA are getting divorced after eight years of marriage.
Rumors of a split have been circulating for years, as Scalia has been absent from Manzo’s social media.
The pair reportedly plan to share custody of their young daughter.
By the way -- he’s 36 and she is 35.
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WEDDINGS
FRANCES BEAN COBAIN, the daughter of KURT COBAIN and COURTNEY LOVE, has tied the knot with RILEY HAWK, the son of skateboarder TONY HAWK.
She’s 31 and he’s 30.
According to those in the know, the nuptials occurred earlier this month in Los Angeles, with Frances’ godfather R.E.M. frontman MICHAEL STIPE officiating the ceremony.
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BY THE NUMBERS
📈 The DOW added 204 points (0.62%) to close at 33,141. The S&P was up 30 points (0.73%) to close at 4,247 and the NASDAQ added 121 points (0.93%) to close at 13,139.
🛢 WEST TEXAS INTERMEDIATE closed at $83; BRENT CRUDE at $87.
⛽ The national average price of a GALLON OF GAS was $3.54 on Tuesday.
₿ BITCOIN continued its surge, up over 2.5% and trading around $33,800 Tuesday evening.
🛩 There were more than 1,865 FLIGHTS delayed within, into, or out of the United States on Tuesday and more than 45 such cancellations.
💰Tonight’s POWERBALL drawing will be for a $100 million jackpot or a $43.4 million cash payout.
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SHOWBIZ NEWS
As BRITNEY SPEARS’ memoir hit the shelves on Tuesday, so did reports of another run in with police officers.
According to Page Six, the pop star was pulled over for making an improper turn and given a $327 fine.
The infraction comes after Spears was fined over $1,000 last month for driving without possession of a license and failing to provide proof of insurance.
The fines shouldn’t break the bank, as her tell-all was No. 1 on Amazon’s bestsellers list before it was even released. [via Page Six]
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Comedian NIKKI GLASER may just be the ultimate Swiftie.
During a recent appearance on “The Kelly Clarkson Show,” Glaser said she spent $25,000 last summer to go see nine of TAYLOR SWIFT’s “Eras Tour” concerts.
“I don’t have kids, and I did the math and if I had kids, I’d be paying for dance camp and swim lessons,” she explained as a way of justifying the amount. [via TMZ]
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Nine months out from his near fatal snow plow accident, actor JEREMY RENNER says he no longer has time for “fat in [his] life.”
“I’m really clear about how I want to spend my time, and who I want to spend my time with,” he told CNN.
While recovering from the accident, Renner has been promoting the liquor brand Sweet Grass Vodka and working on some new music, which he says is inspired by “different milestones in [his] journey of recovery.”
For those unaware, Renner broke over 30 bones and suffered severe internal injuries after his snow plow ran him over on New Year’s Day at his Reno, Nevada home. [via CNN]
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BEYONCE announced her latest fragrance, "Cé Noir," on Tuesday.
The floral scent contains top notes of clementine and golden honey, heart notes of rose absolute and jasmine sambac, and base notes of Namibian myrrh and golden amber, according to her website.
The bottle, which is outfitted in the same reflective silver from Bey’s “Renaissance World Tour,” is currently available for preorder. It costs $160.
Bey’s other perfumes include 2014’s “Rise,” 2010’s “Heat” and 2011’s “Pulse.” [via Fashionista]
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LIL WAYNE isn’t so sure that the wax figure recently unveiled at the Hollywood Wax Museum in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee resembles him at all.
Just hours after the statue was revealed, Wayne tweeted, “Sorry wax museum but dat [expletive] ain’t me!!!”
His followers seemed to agree with him; “This looks like a bunch of rappers…not so much Lil Wayne,” one person wrote.
The criticism comes one day after DWAYNE “The Rock” JOHNSON shared his thoughts on his wax replica that was recently unveiled at the Grevin Museum in Paris. [via E!]
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Just weeks before signing her first record deal, PINK says she suffered a near-fatal overdose.
Speaking to “60 Minutes,” the singer detailed how she attended a rave on Thanksgiving Day in 1995 where she took “ecstasy, angel dust, crystal -- all kinds of things.” Oh, and she was only 16 at the time.
It was shortly after that Pink signed her deal with LaFace Records as part of an all-girl R&B group. While the group was short-lived, it got her solo career off the ground.
It was the last time she ever did hard drugs. [via Decider]
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BLINK-182 will kick off the North American leg of their “One More Time” tour next July in Los Angeles.
From there the trio will travel to 29 other cities, performing hits from their newly released “One More Time” album. [via Deadline]
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CASTING CALL
CLIVE DAVIS is working on a documentary focused on his iconic annual pre-Grammys gala.
Speaking on the “Billboard Pop Shop” podcast, Davis said that he is “ready to pull back the curtain on the famously exclusive event,” with unseen footage dating back to the event’s inception in 1976.
The plan is to propose the project to Netflix or Paramout+. [via Billboard]
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LEBRON JAMES, PEYTON MANNING and BARACK and MICHELLE OBAMA are reportedly in talks to create a new major sports docuseries about professional basketball players.
Insiders told The Hollywood Reporter that the “format would bring the same approach to the NBA that ‘Quarterback’ brought to the NFL.”
It is not yet known which players would appear, though “Quarterback” had a mix of superstars and lesser-known players.
As for where the project will land, there is a high probability it will go to Netflix, which has seen series following Formula 1 drivers (“Drive to Survive”), PGA Golfers (“Full Swing”) and “Quarterback.” [via THR]
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Warner Bros. has teamed up with Barbie to make a trio of “Ted Lasso” dolls -- based on JASON SUDEIKIS’ titular character, HANNAH WADDINGHAM’s Rebecca Welton and JUNO TEMPLE’s Keeley Jones.
Ted Lasso’s doll wears his signature blue AFC Richmond Tracksuit, a pair of aviators, sneakers, a whistle, and a soccer ball. Welton is dressed in a satin blouse, black pants, stilettos and statement jewelry, while her bestie, Jones, dons a hot pink, satin slip dress with gold heels, a faux fur cape, bold jewelry and a high ponytail.
Each doll comes with a doll stand, certificate of authenticity, and a show-themed box. They cost $50 a pop. [via EW]
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THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
“House of Kardashian” will soon debut in the U.S.
The British docuseries, which features former patriarch CAITLYN JENNER, examines the famous family’s dynamic, personal struggles, and business empire.
While none of the Kardashian or Jenner family members appear in the series, adjacent KarJenners are featured. It also features never-before-seen archival footage of the family.
The three-part series will air on Peacock on November 16. [via People]
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WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS
PRINCE WILLIAM might have saving the earth from global warming in his portfolio of causes – but he wants to be practical about it.
He’s headed to Singapore in a couple weeks for the 2023 Earthshot Awards, which gives grants to groups that present ideas and initiatives to combat climate change. In an official statement, The Firm acknowledged that Wills will be flying commercial to the ceremony – despite the frequent finger-wagging from some climate activists about the environmental impact of airplanes.
The statement said in part, “The Earthshot Prize is about finding innovative solutions that are going to help scale and change the future direction of [the] planet, and what [William] or the Earthshot Prize will never do, is tell people not to get on planes and not to get in their cars.”
It concluded, "We’re not looking back to the Ice Age, we’re looking forward to the Green Age.” [via Express]
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DAY OF THE YEAR
National I Care About You Day
World Opera Day
National Greasy Food Day
World Pasta Day
International Artist Day
Sourest Day
Crisp Sandwich Day
Punk for a Day Day
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ON THIS DATE
1760 - King George II dies, with little fanfare, atop the Royal Throne.
Minutes after entering his enclosed toilet area, his personal valet heard a loud crash. The valet found the monarch keeled over on the floor. George was taken to his bed, but died moments later. It was determined he died of an aortic aneurysm.
George II was succeeded by George III, his grandson.
Which brings us to:
1774 - The First Continental Congress petitions King George III with complaints about the colonies’ treatment.
While many were still willing to pledge loyalty to the Crown, it was difficult to stomach such allegiance with unfair treatment under the Intolerable Acts. These rules, issued by the King, included ridiculous taxes and the Quartering Act, which permitted British troops to reside in any house, by force.
George brushed off the petition.
Eight months later, the Second Congress would adopt the Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms – an outline of the reasons for war.
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1828 - One of the first major naval docks to service London opens.
Construction on St. Katharine Docks had begun more than a year before, with more than a thousand houses demolished to accommodate the project. 11,300 people lost their homes.
The docks failed commercially and would be combined with the nearby London Docks in 1864.
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1944 - Nazi Reichsfuhrer Heinrich Himmler starts pursuing the Edelweiss Pirates, a youth group of renegades who counteracted the growing influence of the Hitler Youth.
By November, thirteen leaders would be captured and executed; six were teenagers.
Later the remnants of the group in East Berlin would play a role in fighting against communist oppression by the Soviets – but also caused trouble for Allied rebuilding efforts throughout Germany.
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1983 - By order of President Reagan, US Marines invade Grenada to overthrow the small island’s Marxist regime. The Operation’s codename was Urgent Fury.
Almost 2,000 troops stormed the island, and within a week had taken over control. Free elections would be held in December of the following year.
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1990 - The first lung transplant from one live donor to another is successfully performed.
A mother donated to her 12-year-old daughter.
The chief surgeon was also the first to previously transplant a heart and lung into an infant.
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1995 - Singer Cliff Richard is granted knighthood by Queen Elizabeth.
He is the first rock star to be knighted.
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2005 - The Chicago White Sox beat the Houston Astros 7-5 in Game 3 of the World Series at Minute Maid Park in Houston.
At the time it was the longest World Series game, lasting 5 hours and 41 minutes. It tied for the most innings with 14.
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2020 - Pope Francis appoints 13 new cardinals.
One of them is Wilton Daniel Gregory, who is the first African American to be appointed.
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BIRTHDAYS
Juan Soto - baseball player - 25
Mia Goth - actress, “The Survivalist” - 30
Mia Wasikowska - actress, “Alice in Wonderland” - 34
Ciara - R&B singer - 38
Katy Perry - pop singer - 39
Antony Starr - actor, “The Boys” - 48
Persia White - actress, “Girlfriends” - 51
Craig Robinson - actor, “The Office” - 52
Adam Goldberg - actor, “Dazed and Confused” & “Zodiac” - 53
Kevin Michael Richardson - voice actor, “The Cleveland Show” & “Uncle Grandpa” - 59l
Chad Smith - drummer, Red Hot Chili Peppers - 62
Nancy Cartwright - voice actress, “The Simpsons” & “Kim Possible” - 66
Born On This Date
Richard E. Byrd - first aviator to reach both the North and South Poles (disputed) - 1888 (d. 1957)
Pablo Picasso - painter - 1881 (d. 1973)
John Francis Dodge - co-founder of Dodge Brothers Company - 1864 (d. 1920)
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