10/30/2023: Is It Cold In Here? đ„¶
PLUS: Charged Lemonade; Taylorâs Billions; and Inside Megxit
Today is Monday, October 30, 2023.
It is the 303rd day of the year.
62 days remain.
WHATâS ON TAP
SAM BANKMAN-FRIED takes the stand and UAW strikes a second deal. More in HIT LIST.
GOLDIE HAWN shares her extraterrestrial interaction and 50 CENT is back to bashing MADONNA. More in SHOWBIZ.
There is more drama surrounding one of Disneyâs upcoming live-action movies. More in CASTING CALL.
YEâs anti-semitic beliefs were no surprise to Adidas employees. More in KARDASH.
New details regarding the mechanics of the falling out between PRINCE HARRY and his family in ROYALS.
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HIT LIST
SAM BANKMAN-FRIED appeared on the witness stand in front of a jury for the first time in his fraud case on Friday. His defense attorney didnât unearth any testimony that was remotely exonerating, based on reports from those inside the room.
The prosecution is expected to begin cross-examination today, with defense rebuttal and closing arguments to follow. The jury could get the case as soon as Thursday. [via Morning Martini]
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UNITED AUTO WORKERS and STELLANTIS have struck a deal for new union contracts and workers are expected back on the job early this week as the union takes steps to formalize the contracts.Â
One major union victory includes the re-opening of a plant that Stellantis shuttered in Illinois earlier this year that will put 1,200 people back to work.Â
BUT WAIT: Just as this deal was getting finalized, UAW expanded strikes against GM, this time targeting a plant in Tennessee that produces SUVs. GM is the last of the Big Three holdouts, following a deal with Ford last week. [via CNN]
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A Yale study shows that individuals conversing by video chat use a lot less brain power than when they talk face-to-face.Â
âWe find that the social systems of the human brain are more active during real live in-person encounters than on Zoom,â the lead author writes, adding that Zoom is âan impoverished social communication system relative to in-person conditions.â
The study also showed â shocker! â a better mutual understanding and interpretation of social cues between two people talking in-person compared to on video. [via SciTechDaily]
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PANERA restaurants are now actively warning customers about the dangers of their very own special drinks.Â
FLASHBACK: A young woman with a heart condition died last year after drinking Paneraâs âCharged Lemonadeâ â a caffeine-enhanced drink that reportedly has more caffeine than cans of Red Bull and Monster energy drinks, combined.Â
Now, the company is adding warning labels on its caffeinated offerings, days after the womanâs family sued the restaurant chain for not adequately warning customers of the potential risks. [via NBC News]
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Guinness World Records recently certified that a group of 465 couples gathered on International Kissing Day (July 6) to set a new record for the most people eating a single piece of spaghetti simultaneously.Â
The event was put on by German restaurant Vapiano, which is located in Cologne. The eatery first set the record in 2020 to commemorate their limited-edition dish of 60-cm (about 2 feet) long pieces of linguine called âItalian Kissâ -- think âLady and the Tramp.âÂ
To complete the record, couples had to eat the lengthy piece of pasta in under 30 seconds, without breaking it. [via NY Post]
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DEATHS
Actor MATTHEW PERRY has died.Â
He passed away Saturday at his home in Los Angeles. According to several sources, he drowned in his hot tub after suffering cardiac arrest.Â
Perry is best known for his role as Chandler Bing on âFriends.â He also starred in â17 Again,â âFools Rush In,â âThe Whole Ten Yards,â âThe Whole Nine Yards,â and many more shows and movies.Â
He was only 54.Â
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Actor RICHARD MOLL has died.Â
He passed away Thursday at his home in Big Bear Lake, California. No cause of death has been shared.Â
Moll is best known for playing bailiff Aristotle Nostradamus âBullâ Shannon on âNight Court.âÂ
He was 80.Â
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WEEKEND BOX OFFICE
10. The Creator: $1 million (down from 7)
9. Saw X: $1.6 million (down from 6)
8. The Nightmare Before Christmas: $2 million (re-release)
7. Freelance: $2.1 million (new)
6. PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie: $2.2 million (down from 4)
5. The Exorcist: Believer: $3.1 million (down from 3)
4. After Death: $5 million (new)
3. Killers of the Flower Moon: $9 million (down from 2)
2. Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour: $14.7 million (down from 1)
1. Five Nights at Freddyâs: $78 million (new)
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BY THE NUMBERS
đ The DOW lost 366 points (1.12%) to close at 32,417 on Friday. The S&P lost 19 points (0.48%) to close at 4,117 and the NASDAQ increased 47 points (0.38%) to close at 12,643.
đą WEST TEXAS INTERMEDIATE closed at $85; BRENT CRUDE at $89.
✠The national average price of a GALLON OF GAS was $3.49 on Sunday.
âż BITCOINâs rally resumed over the weekend, up about $600 on the day and trading around $34,700.
đ© There were more than 2,765 FLIGHTS delayed within, into, and out of the United States on Sunday and more than 80 such cancellations.
đ°Tuesday nightâs MEGA MILLIONS drawing will be for a $159 million jackpot or a $69.4 million cash payout. Tonightâs POWERBALL drawing will be for a $137 million jackpot or a $60.2 million cash payout.
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SHOWBIZ NEWS
TAYLOR SWIFT has reached BILLIONAIRE status.Â
A Bloomberg News analysis has the singerâs current net worth at $1.1 BILLION thanks to her worldwide âEras Tour.âÂ
Forbes estimates the US leg of the Eras Tour grossed $780 MILLION, and Swift pocketed about $300 MILLION of that. She begins international dates in South America on November 9. [via Bloomberg]
BILLIONAIRE BUDDIES: Former NBA star MAGIC JOHNSON is also now in the billionairesâ club. According to Forbes, he has a net worth of about $1.2 BILLION. [via Forbes]
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A judge ruled Friday that if SAM ASGHARI doesnât submit proof that he served BRITNEY SPEARS with divorce papers the case will be dismissed.Â
Asghari filed for divorce from Spears in August, with their date of separation listed as July 28.Â
It is unclear what the delay is.Â
A hearing on the matter has been set for November 15. [via RadarOnline]
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JAMES MIDDLETON, the younger brother of PRINCESS KATE, shared the first images of his newborn son on Instagram on Friday, while also revealing his name: Inigo.
According to NameBerry, Inigo means âfiery.âÂ
Many may recognize the moniker from the 1987 film, âThe Princess Bride, with MANDY PATINKINâs characterâs line, âHello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.â [via Hello!]
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A newly released report states that âReal Housewives of Orange Countyâ star SHANNON BEADORâs blood-alcohol content was 0.24% after her hit-and-run last month.Â
As previously reported, Beador was booked on two misdemeanor charges -- DUI and hit-and-run -- after crashing into a home in Newport Beach.Â
Her arraignment is set for today.
Despite her ongoing legal battles, insiders say that Beador will attend BravoCon in Las Vegas this week. [via TMZ]
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When GOLDIE HAWN was about 20-years-old she claims to have had an encounter with aliens while sleeping in the West California desert.Â
âThey touched my face, and it felt like the finger of God. It was the most benevolent, loving feeling. This was powerful. It was filled with light,â she told People.Â
As for what they looked like, Hawn says they had âtriangular-shaped headsâ and were âsilver in colorâ with a âslash for a mouth, tiny little nose [and] no ears.â [via People]
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It appears that 50 CENT has reignited his feud with MADONNA.Â
Over the weekend, the rapper posted a photo of the Material Girl alongside a photo of a cartoon ant, claiming her behind resembles the insectâs.Â
Fans were quick to defend Madonna, with one writing, âItâs very sad when a man attacks a woman and criticizes her body. Shame on you.âÂ
âStop bullying THE QUEEN OF POP,â another added.Â
Many may remember that in 2021, 50 went after Madonna for a racy photo she shared on Instagram. She clapped back, sharing a photo of her and 50 smiling and laughing together, writing, âHere is 50 Cent pretending to be my friend.â [via Complex]
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Moments In Time is selling a never-before-seen booking photo of TUPAC SHAKUR from his time at Clinton Correctional Facility in New York in 1995 for $35,000.Â
Also for sale is his prison ID, which is going for $75,000.Â
The items were reportedly given to a family member after Tupac was released from prison, and were passed around before ending up with a private collector.Â
His first prison ID was sold in 2019 for $30,000. [via World News]
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When it came to tying the knot PARIS HILTON had lots of dress options -- 45 to be exact.Â
As for how many she actually wore on the big day, Hilton told British Vogue that she only changed into six of them, but had a goal to wear âas many as possible.âÂ
Hilton married CARTER REUM in 2021. [via British Vogue]
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CASTING CALL
After harsh criticism following the casting of average height actors to play the seven dwarfs -- newly named âmagical creaturesâ -- in the live-action remake of âSnow White,â Disney has decided to go a different route.Â
In a new look at the forthcoming movie, the dwarfs now appear to be CGI, which many say is ânot an inclusive step in the way that casting an actor with dwarfism would be.âÂ
That being said, the film has been pushed back from a March 22, 2024 release date to March 21, 2025, so there is still time for Disney to get it right. [via Screenrant]Â
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JEAN-CLAUDE VAN DAMME is âashamedâof his appearance on an episode of âFriendsâ that aired in 1996.Â
In the episode Van Damme played himself opposite JENNIFER ANISTON and COURTENEY COX, whose characters, Rachel and Monica, develop a crush on him, leading to a fight over who should get to date him.Â
Looking back, Van Damme told the New York Post that his âacting [was] so bad,â but overall, his time on the set was âa good memory.â [via NY Post]
WORTH NOTING: The interview was posted just days before the death of MATTHEW PERRY.
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THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
KIM KARDASHIANâs latest Skims product is perky and planet friendly.
The reality star has announced her new line of push-up bras, which include built-in, prosthetic nipples. In her sales spiel, Kim connects the lingerie to climate change, discussing Earthâs increasing temperature, rising sea levels, and melting ice sheets.Â
And to really drive the point home she says, âSo, no matter how hot it is, youâll always look cold. Some days are hard, but these nipples are harder. And unlike the icebergs, these arenât going anywhere.â
Skims is donating 10% of sales from the Ultimate Nipple Bra to the 1% for the Planet organization, which works with businesses and environmental groups to help people and the planet. [via Vogue]
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Adidas was reportedly well aware of YEâs anti-semitic ideation long before his public rants.Â
Insiders told the New York Times that 11 years ago Ye was in a production meeting for new sneaker decisions. After saying he didnât like anything that had been presented, he allegedly drew a swastika on the board.Â
Another insider said Ye told âa Jewish Adidas manager to kiss a picture of Adolf Hitler every day,â while telling other employees that Hitler was a âmaster marketer.âÂ
Fast forward to 2022 and Adidas was forced to cut ties with Ye after he made several public anti-semitic rants and social media posts. [via NYT]
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WEâLL NEVER BE ROYALS
A new report suggests that KING CHARLES had PRINCE HARRY cut off financially after Harry accused a top palace aide of leaking private family information to the media, just before the formal announcement of âMegxitâ in January 2020.
Harry was to receive 700,000 British Pounds for a year (about $850,000) while he and MEGHAN MARKLE moved their family to Canada in 2020. But after Harry implicated the top-level aide in a scheme to sell stories about him to the notoriously salacious British press, Charles cut off the funds, hoping that doing so would force Harry and Meghan back into the royal fold.Â
As he has discussed on multiple occasions, the trauma of losing his mother has made Harry particularly sensitive to media scrutiny and desire for security protections. [via Byline Times]
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DAY OF THE YEAR
National Candy Corn Day
National Text Your Ex Day
National Checklist Day
Create a Great Funeral Day
Haunted Refrigerator Night
Mine Rescue Day
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ON THIS DATE
1775 - The Continental Congress begins laying the groundwork to form the American Navy.
Seven men were appointed to acquire and staff a fleet of ships that would be used to fight the British at sea.
The committee included John Adams and Silas Deane, among other revolutionaries.
By the time fighting began in earnest, there would be 40 armed ships.Â
This fighting force was disbanded following the end of the American Revolution. It would be formally reestablished in April 1798.
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1890 - Oakland, California becomes one of the first large cities to outlaw major drugs.Â
Opium, morphine, and cocaine would only be available with a prescription.Â
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1938 - The "War of the Worlds" radio broadcast spooks Americans across the country.
The performance dramatized a news broadcast of a martian invasion of Earth. Orson Welles, who got famous as a radio character actor, helmed the adaptation of the science fiction novel by H.G. Wells.Â
Despite his notoriety and repeated announcements that the ensuing broadcast was indeed fiction, an uproar followed.
By some estimates, a million people actually believed Earth was being taken over by aliens.
Highways were clogged and panic erupted.Â
Soon, news of the hysteria reached the studio, and Welles broke character to remind everyone they were performing theater.
Welles thought he was through with showbiz -- but three years later he would direct, write, produce and star in âCitizen Kane,â often regarded as one of the greatest movies of all time.
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1974 - Muhammad Ali wins his second heavyweight championship.
The "Rumble in the Jungle" pitted Ali against George Foreman.
The fight took place in Zaire. It did well for Zaire's local economy -- the country's president, Mobutuu Sese Seko personally paid each fighter $5 million just to make the trip.
Ali knocked down Foreman in the fifth round.
With the win, he became the second dethroned champion to win the title again.
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1995 - The citizens of Quebec narrowly reject a legislative effort to secede from Canada.
Some of the largely French-speaking populace was opposed to the encroaching British and American influences across the rest of Canada. They feared they'd lose their relative autonomy and unique culture.
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2012 â Disney purchases Lucasfilm Ltd and its rights for âStar Warsâ and âIndiana Jonesâ for $4.05 billion.Â
The buyout was at the time Disneyâs fourth largest deal ever.Â
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2021 - The Grand Ole Opry broadcasts its 5,000th Saturday night radio program from Nashville, Tennessee.Â
The country music radio show debuted on Saturday, November 28, 1925.
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BIRTHDAYS
Devin Booker - basketball player - 27
Marcus Mariota - football player - 30
Ashley Barnes - soccer player - 34
Nastia Liukin - gymnast - 34
Janel Parrish - actress, âPretty Little Liarsâ - 35
Ashley Graham - model - 36
Clemence Poesy - actress, âHarry Potterâ films - 41
Ivanka Trump - heiress, socialite, businesswoman & daughter of Donald - 42
Matthew Morrison - actor, âGleeâ - 45
Edge - wrestler - 50
Nia Long - actress, âThird Watchâ & âBoiler Roomâ - 53
Gavin Rossdale - rock singer, Bush - 58
Henry Winkler - actor, âHappy Daysâ - 78
Born On This Date
John Adams - 1st VP and 2nd POTUS - 1735 (d. 1826)
Christopher Columbus - explorer who discovered the âNew Worldâ - 1451 (d. 1506)
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