10/28/2022: Elon Owns It
10/28/2022: Elon Owns It
PLUS: “SNL” Star Attacked; New York Post Hacked; and “Cribs” Returns
Today is Friday, October 28, 2022.
It is the 301st day of the year.
64 days remain.
TRENDING
#NationalBlackCatDay landed in Twitter’s Top 10 Trends Thursday.
Donda Academy was trending as Twitterverse reacted to the news that the academy has closed its doors. More in Kardashopus.
Twitter users shared the outlandish headlines posted by the New York Post yesterday after the publication was reportedly hacked. More in Showbiz.
Andre the Giant was trending Thursday after a fake post went viral showing what scientists at Stanford University believe Joseph, the husband of Mary the Mother of Jesus Christ, might have looked like.
Check it out:
###
HIT LIST
Short of an official announcement – which, in the days of social media, are less of a thing – it appears the Twitter deal has closed and ELON MUSK has taken over.
More photos have surfaced of him talking to staff at Twitter HQ. CNBC reported late Thursday that CEO PARAG ARGAWAL was out. No word yet on who’s in charge, though Musk has suggested he’ll personally helm at least the transition.
He tweeted a lengthy note to advertisers outlining his vision for Twitter. He said it is “important to the future of civilization to have a common digital town square” and that, “[f]undamentally, Twitter aspires to be the most respected advertising platform in the world that strengthens your brand and grows your enterprise.”
“This is why I bought Twitter,” he wrote – suggesting it’s all a done deal.
MEANWHILE: Over at Meta, which used to be Facebook, the stock price continues to fall. It traded under $100 for the first time since 2015. It’s lost more than $600 billion in value so far this year. Analysts blame founder MARK ZUCKERBERG’s investment in the “metaverse” – but it turns out people aren’t eager to spend even more of their lives in an alternate digital reality.
IT GETS WORSE: Investors are encouraging Zuck to layoff 20% of Facebook’s workforce to curb costs as earnings fell short of goals.
WORTH ASKING: Zuck is credited as a genius for largely inventing modern social media. Is he single-mindedly confident his big ideas will have the same mass appeal?
###
A new study suggests that bacteria can survive hundreds of millions of years when buried deep under the surface and away from radiation and solar particles – leading researchers to wonder if the same could be thriving deep under the surface of Mars.
It would follow the theory that Mars was much more hospitable billions of years ago.
###
Kill Devil Hills is a city with a population of about 7,770 people, right on the Atlantic Coast, just north of Nags Head, North Carolina.
In just one night on Tuesday, the local police department got reports that 23 cars had been broken into. Authorities note that none of the cars had signs of forced entry – suggesting the sleepy coastal town got a little too trusting and local criminals took advantage.
###
A nursing home in the Chicago suburb of Westmont is cleaning up after a deer smashed through a window earlier this week.
Video shows the deer trying to break through the car dealership across the street, to no avail, just before 8:00 am. But it did make it into the care facility, where it was still running around as police arrived. The commotion spooked the deer into running back outside.
No serious injuries have been reported.
###
Hawaiians on the Big Island are on alert as officials warn Mauna Loa is showing signs it could erupt.
It’s the world’s largest active volcano. Analysts report that they’re on alert, but a massive eruption isn’t imminent, and that even if it were, people would have time to get to safety.
Mauna Loa last erupted in 1984.
###
BY THE NUMBERS
📈 The Dow added 194 points (0.61%) on Thursday to close at 32,033. The S&P lost 23 points (0.61%) to close at 3,807. The Nasdaq lost 178 points (1.63%) to close at 10,792.
🛢 West Texas Intermediate traded at $89 a barrel Thursday. Brent Crude closed at $94.
⛽ The national average price of a gallon of gas was $3.76 on Thursday.
₿ Bitcon lost more than $350 Thursday, trading around $20,400 in the evening.
🛩 There were 2,673 flights delayed within, into, or out of the United States Thursday and 51 such cancellations.
###
CHARTS
New to Amazon Prime:
Run Sweetheart Run (Rotten Tomatoes Score: 79%)
Unhuman (Score: 53%)
New to Disney+:
Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel (Score: 21%)
New to Hulu:
The French Dispatch (Score: 75%)
Clean (Score: 100%)
Crimes of the Future (Score: 80%)
The Way Way Back (Score: 84%)
New to Netflix:
Wendell & Wild (Score: 84%)
Wild is the Wind (No Score)
###
WEDDINGS
“Bachelor” couple JOE AMABILE, 36, and SERENA PITT, 25, are married.
The couple quietly tied the knot at a New York City courthouse on Thursday.
Sources told PEOPLE magazine that the newlyweds plan to have a larger ceremony for friends and family to attend next fall.
###
THE SWAMP
Two US Senators who have been actively looking into HUNTER BIDEN’s nefarious business dealings for years have done the work the FBI apparently refuses to do.
Senators CHUCK GRASSLEY and RON JOHNSON announced Thursday they submitted hundreds of pages of bank statements and other evidence supporting claims that Hunter Biden traded on the family name in China that had been gathered from their own investigative authority.
“Today, in light of your and DOJ’s failure to respond to our legitimate congressional oversight requests and as part of our ongoing congressional investigation, we are transmitting to you over two hundred pages of records relating to the Biden family’s connections to the Chinese regime and persons connected to its military and intelligence elements,” the statement said.
WORTH NOTING: The only chance of bringing justice to the Biden Family Crime Syndicate is a Republican congressional majority.
###
Amid record inflation and ever-increasing grocery store prices, President JOE BIDEN is coming after businesses harder than ever.
Biden announced that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will be investigating bank overdraft fees. He’s ordered other federal agencies to look at every sector and find other unpopular surprise fees, for things like airline tickets and cable or internet.
WORTH NOTING: This is like if your neighbor lops his leg off with a chainsaw, and rather than run to call an ambulance and get him a tourniquet, you go to the blood bank because he’ll probably need a blood transfusion. It’s helpful – kind of – but also doesn’t hold the neighbor responsible for juggling with a chainsaw in the first place.
From a consumer standpoint, of course more transparency in fees would be ideal – but Biden isn’t looking at whether onerous regulations and compliance costs levied by the government are responsible for these costs in the first place.
###
LOTTERY
No winner for Tuesday night’s Mega Millions drawing. Tonight’s drawing will be for a $64 million jackpot or a $31 million cash payout.
###
No winner for Wednesday night’s Powerball drawing. Saturday night’s drawing will be for a $800 million jackpot or a $383.7 million cash payout.
###
SHOWBIZ NEWS
These albums drop today:
Aoife Nessa, “Protector”
Babehoven, “Light Moving Time”
The Backseat Lovers, “Waiting To Spill”
Benjamin Clementine, “And I Have Been”
Blessed, “Circuitous”
Bonnie Trash, “Malocchio”
Charles Lloyd, “Trios: Sacred Thread”
Dan Mangan, “Being Somewhere”
Dazy, “Outofbody”
Dear Nora, “Human Features”
Devin Townsend, “Nightwork”
Garbage, “Anthology”
The Hunna, “The Hunna”
Junior Boys, “Waiting Game”
Lee Fields, “Sentimental Fool”
Neil Diamond, “A Neil Diamond Chirstmas”
Pentatonix, “Holidays Around The World”
Theo Parrish, “DJ-Kicks: Detroit Forward”
Tom Odell, “Best Day Of My Life”
Wand, “Spiders in the Rain”
Yung Gravy, “Marvelous”
###
Comedian CHRIS REDD was rushed to the hospital on Wednesday night after being sucker punched outside of the Comedy Cellar in NYC.
Eyewitnesses told Page Six that two men approached Redd and hit him “out of nowhere” before running off.
As of Thursday evening, there has been no update on his condition.
Many are asking if the attack had anything to do with the fact that Redd is dating CHRISTINA EVANGELINE, the ex-wife of his former “SNL” co-star KENAN THOMPSON.
###
VALERIE BERTINELLI is “mortified” after MATTHEW PERRY publicly revealed they once made out.
The 62-year-old actress shared her embarrassment on TikTok, telling the camera, “Hi, it’s me. Anyone else misbehave in their 20’s and early 30’s? Are you mortified?”
As reported yesterday Perry details in his new book how he once made out with Bertinelli while her husband EDDIE VAN HALEN was passed out next to them. The two were filming the movie “Sydney” at the time.
###
LESLIE JORDAN’s hometown of Chattanooga, Tennessee will honor the late actor.
A rep for the city told TMZ that Jordan is remembered as “one of the cherished sons of Chattanooga” and a memorial service is now in the works.
Other ideas being floated around include renaming a street or building in his honor, but the city rep says the final decision will be left up to his family.
###
ADELE is heading back to school.
The 34-year-old singer revealed Thursday that after she wraps up her Vegas residency she plans to head back to college to pursue an English literature degree.
She will not actually attend a university, but rather take classes online, she told The Sun.
Her Vegas residency kicks off on November 18 and will run through March 2023.
###
Actor OMRI KATZ was “high” while filming the iconic Halloween film “Hocus Pocus.”
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Katz said that he was “high from cannabis use while filming scenes” for the family flick.
“Let’s just say, some of those scenes, I was having a good old time.”
WORTH NOTING: Katz was not featured in the recently released sequel, much to the disappointment of the original fan base who were looking forward to him reprising his role as Max Dennison.
SPEAKING OF THE SEQUEL: According to Variety, “Hocus Pocus 2” scored 2.7 billion minutes watched during its debut weekend -- taking the top spot on Nielsen’s top 10 streaming chart. The previous record holder was “Encanto,” with 2.2 billion minutes viewed over its debut weekend.
###
A “Golden Girls”-themed pop up is heading to the Big Apple.
The temporary fixture is described as a “fully immersive pop-up restaurant” that will take fans of all ages to 1980s Miami…transporting them into the world of their favorite golden gals.” All the food and desserts served will be based on recipes from the show, such as “Sophia’s Lasagna Al Forno” and “Blanche’s Georgia Style Cookies.”
“Golden Girls Kitchen” is set to open in Midtown Manhattan on November 16.
WORTH REMEMBERING: “The Golden Girls” -- starring BETTY WHITE, BEA ARTHUR, RUE MCCLANAHAN and ESTELLE GETTY -- ran for seven seasons on NBC from 1985 to 1992.
###
The New York Post’s Twitter account and website were hacked early Thursday.
Tweets and posts targeted politicians, including President JOE BIDEN, ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ, New York City Mayor ERIC ADAMS, gubernatorial candidate LEE ZELDIN and others.
The posts were removed by midmorning, with the publication stating that an employee was behind the hack.
An investigation is ongoing.
###
CASTING CALL
Netflix’s “The Crown” filmed what appears to be PRINCESS DIANA’s fatal car crash this week.
Crews were spotted shooting around the Pont de l’Alma tunnel Thursday, which many will recall is where Diana’s driver crashed in 1997 while being tailed by paparazzi.
Sources from the show and the streamer told TMZ that they will not be recreating the crash itself.
###
“MTV Cribs” is back.
As many may recall, the hit series from the 2000s showcased the homes and lifestyles of some of the biggest names in Hollywood.
The new season, which premiered last night, features the homes of NICOLE SCHERZINGER, OLIVIA CULPO, DWIGHT HOWARD and more!
###
AMY SCHUMER is heading back to “SNL.”
The comedian will return to Studio 8H to host the sketch-comedy show for the third time on November 5, alongside musical guest STEVE LACY.
###
THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
Parents of students attending KANYE WEST’s Donda Academy received an urgent email Wednesday evening stating, “…at the discretion of our founder [Ye], Donda Academy will close for the remainder of the 2022-23 school year effective immediately.”
Ye posted about the closure on social media, writing “Here’s the clout you’re looking for. My school is being shut down.”
BY THE WAY: Ye returned to Instagram Thursday after being banned for three weeks.
The shutdown affects approximately 100 students who attend the academy.
BUT WAIT: In a bizarre twist, Donda Academy announced they were reopening their doors, emailing parents and staff late Wednesday that they “are back and returning with a vengeance!”
No word from Ye on the re-opening.
###
WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS
The title and cover of PRINCE HARRY’s upcoming memoir has been revealed.
“Spare” will hit shelves on January 10, 2023.
Photo courtesy of Penguin Random House.
WORTH NOTING: Harry was paid $20 million to tell his story. According to Penguin Random House he will donate his paycheck to “support British charities with donations.”
###
PRINCE HARRY and PRINCE ANDREW may lose yet another royal role.
This week, the upper House of the British Parliament questioned whether the two men should be allowed to continue as Counsellors of State, meaning they can step in for KING CHARLES on official duties.
House of Lords Viscount Stansgate called for Charles to be asked whether “sensible arrangements can be made” to the Regency Act, which lays out the order of succession of Counsellors of State.
As of now, those currently on the list are the monarch’s spouse and the first four people in the line of succession to the throne who are over the age of 21. This includes, QUEEN CAMILLA, PRINCE WILLIAM, PRINCE HARRY, PRINCE ANDREW and Andrew’s eldest daughter, PRINCESS BEATRICE.
With Harry living in California and Andrew being pushed into the shadows, many in the House of British Parliament are wanting QUEEN ELIZABETH’s other two children, PRINCESS ANNE and PRINCE EDWARD, to replace them, according to the Daily Mail.
###
SPORTS
DAVID STEARNS is stepping down as president of baseball operations for the Milwaukee Brewers organization.
He will remain on in an advisor role to owner MARK ATTANASIO, the team announced Thursday.
Senior vice president and general manager MATT ARNOLD will take over the lead role in overseeing baseball operations.
AS FOR WHY?: Stearns told reporters Thursday that he “just needs a break.”
###
LIST OF THE WEEK
15 Comments Made By People Who Are Annoying:
“I don’t mean to be rude, but…”
“It’s common sense.”
“I simply have a powerful personality.”
“Let’s agree to disagree.”
“No offense, but…”
“It’s just a joke.”
“Let’s unpack this.”
“Do you know who I am?”
“It is what it is.”
“Smile.”
“Trust the science”
“Full Stop.”
“I need to speak to the manager.”
“Love the sinner, hate the sin.”
“Here’s the deal.”
*List courtesy of Reddit
###
DAY OF THE YEAR
Frankenstein Friday
National Chocolate Day
National Bandana Day
International Animation Day
Plush Animal Lover’s Day
National Immigrants Day
National First Responders Day
National Breadstick Day
###
ON THIS DATE
1775 – British General George Howe locks down the city of Boston.
No citizens were allowed outside its boundaries and the men were ordered to form militias to fight in the name of the Crown against insurrection.
Boston remained occupied until March 27 of the following year, when an army led by George Washington, chased out the Brits.
###
1886 – Grover Cleveland dedicates the Statue of Liberty, which had recently been delivered to New York Harbor.
The ceremony marked the end of a 2-year journey for the statue. It had been finished two years earlier in France.
In July of that year, the first stones were laid for the statue's pedestal. It was delivered in June 1885 in more than 200 crates. The copper sheets were slowly put together - finally finished on this date in 1886.
In 1924, the Statue of Liberty would become a national monument.
###
1919 – Congress overrides President Wilson's veto of the Volstead Act. It was designed to enforce the provisions of the 18th Amendment, effectively enforcing Prohibition.
The amendment prohibited the manufacture, sale, or transport of booze, but not its possession.
These laws endured 14 years. During that time, organized crime flourished while building large distribution networks for alcohol.
###
1922 – The first nationwide radio broadcast of a college football game is played on the radio.
Princeton and the University of Chicago squared off at Stagg Field in Chicago -- Princeton won. Listeners heard a re-enacted broadcast, based on the reporting of a reporter at the stadium, who was wiring in the events.
The first live broadcast with announcers at the game would be in 1924 -- with Michigan taking on Wisconsin at Ferry Field.
###
1967 – Construction ends on the St. Louis Arch -- officially called the Gateway Arch, and the marker for the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial.
The 630-foot steel parabola was designed by Finnish designer Eero Saarinen. Its location marks the beginning of President Jefferson's expansion initiatives. St. Louis was a key trade point for settlers and explorers headed westward.
###
2005 – Dick Cheney's Chief of Staff Scooter Libby is indicted for obstruction of justice, perjury and making false statements to a grand jury and federal investigators, in relation to the Valerie Plame scandal.
He would resign soon after.
Libby's trial began in January of the following year, with his conviction coming that following March and he was convicted in March. He would receive 30 months in prison, a $250,000 fine and 2-year probations after his release.
President Bush would later commute the sentence, but the felony conviction remained, along with the fine and probationary period.
###
2015 - The Kansas City Royals beat the New York Mets 5-4 in the longest ever first game of the World Series.
The game went 14 innings that lasted 5 hours and 9 minutes.
###
2020 - Global COVID-19 cases record a one-day increase of more than 500,000 for the first time.
###
2021 - [EDITOR’S NOTE: The following event allegedly happened October 29, 2021… but tomorrow’s Saturday and there’s no newsletter and it would be a crime to not mention it]
While visiting Pope Francis at the Vatican, President Joe Biden reportedly had to step aside to clean up after a case of loose bowels soiled his drawers.
The buzz spurred the social media hashtag #PoopyPantsBiden, which became the number one trending topic of the day.
The incident came less than a year into his failed presidency and just weeks after his failed withdrawal of military troops from Afghanistan, which resulted in the deaths of American soldiers and countless Afghan in the chaos as the Taliban retook Kabul in a matter of hours. The White House never denied the pants-pooping incident, which was yet another indication the geriatric president did not have the mental acuity and physical stamina to lead the free world.
###
BIRTHDAYS
Nolan Gould - actor, “Modern Family” - 24
Joy-Anna Duggar - one of the 19 - 25
Lucy Bronze - soccer player - 31
Frank Ocean - pop singer - 35
Finn Whittrock - actor, “All My Children” - 38
Matt Smith - actor, “Doctor Who” & “The Crown” - 40
Joaquin Phoenix - actor, “Joker” & “Walk the Line” - 48
Brad Paisley - country singer - 50
Julia Roberts - actress, “Pretty Woman” & “Mona Lisa Smile” - 55
Andy Richter - Conan O’Brien’s sidekick - 56
Bill Gates - entrepreneur, Microsoft - 67
Annie Potts - actress, “Ghostbusters” & “The Fosters” - 70
Caitlyn Jenner - formerly Bruce Jenner - 73
Born On This Date
Jonas Salk - medical scientist, credited with creating the polio vaccine - 1914 (d. 1995)
John Laurens - soldier & statesman, Revolutionary War - 1754 (d. 1782)
###