10/31/2022: Fake Meats Coming to a Restaurant Near You
PLUS: Sneaky Snake; Brady & Bundchen Divorce; and “Murder on the Menu”
Today is Monday, October 31, 2022.
It is the 304th day of the year.
61 days remain.
TRENDING
Saturday was National Hug a Sheep Day.
Inglourious Basterds, Pulp Fiction, Once Upon a Time In Hollywood and Shawshank Redemption were trending Saturday in response to Twitter user @bertkreishcher asking followers to name their “favorite and least favorite [Quentin] Tarantino film.”
#NationalCatDay landed in Twitter’s Top 10 Trends on Saturday as users showed off their furry feline friends.
Sunday was National Candy Corn Day.
#NFLLondon was trending Sunday as the Jaguars took on the Broncos at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Twitter was abuzz with people complaining that the game was only available on ESPN+.
Twitterverse blasted country singer Luke Bryan over the weekend after he welcomed a politically-controversial person on stage with him during a recent concert. More in Showbiz.
###
HIT LIST
As it became clear that ELON MUSK formally took control of Twitter last week, complaints exploded that already the site was turning into a hateful wasteland of bigotry. But as Musk clarified in the ensuing hours, no changes have yet been made to content moderation, and he plans for the company to maintain a council of people who decide what kind of talk can stay and what has to go.
Twitter’s Head of Safety & Integrity – who’s still around from before Musk took over – also pointed out that the appearance of offensive language was being broadly disseminated by a small number of users: “Over the last 48 hours, we’ve seen a small number of accounts post a ton of Tweets that include slurs and other derogatory terms. To give you a sense of scale: More than 50,000 Tweets repeatedly using a particular slur came from just 300 accounts.”
IN OTHER WORDS: This is yet another case study in confirmation bias – people are seeing what they want to see as a result of the Musk acquisition.
MEANWHILE: The New York Times reports that Musk has ordered department heads to draw up lists of people who for the chopping block, as he looks to decrease staff costs in coming weeks. Some firings could be imminent, as the Times stipulates firing them by the end of the day today would preclude having to pay out scheduled November 1 bonuses.
###
Have you heard of cultivated meats? – it’s technically real beef and poultry and pork, but it’s grown in a lab to be identical to animal muscle, instead of raising animals for slaughter. It’s popular in the animal rights and sustainable farming worlds.
Now, a survey of American chefs says 86% of them would be open to serving cultivated meats to their restaurant patrons. A similar 84% say they’d replace traditional meat with the cultivated kind.
WORTH NOTING: The survey was conducted by food tech firm SuperMeat, which would obviously have a stake in the success of such technology.
###
A king cobra escaped from its zoo enclosure in Sweden and managed to find its way back home after slithering out last week.
The 7-foot snake snuck out last week through a light fixture. X-ray technology was used to search for it, and it was eventually found between two walls. Efforts to drill holes that would allow it to return spooked the snake – but as zoo officials looked and looked, they realized it returned back to its original enclosure.
King cobras tend to be very dangerous, so it’s a miracle it didn’t stray out of the zoo entirely.
###
A fishing boat off the coast of Rhode Island picked up a World War II era depth charge in its fishing nets last week.
The MK 6 depth charge weighs in at over 500 pounds, half of which is TNT.
It was ultimately detonated a mile off shore.
###
At least one mega company is thriving in this slow market: McDonald’s hit its highest stock share price ever Friday, trading at $274 on a 3% increase for the day. The boost came as the Arches reported third-quarter earnings of $5.87 BILLION – while down year over year busted analyst expectations.
###
BY THE NUMBERS
📈 The Dow surged Friday, adding 828 points (2.59%) to close at 32,861. The S&P added 93 points (2.46%) to close at 3,901 and the Nasdaq added 309 points (3.87%) to close at 11,102.
🛢 West Texas Intermediate closed at $87 Friday. Brent Crude closed at $93.
⛽ The national average price of a gallon of gas was $3.76 on Sunday – 57% more than when President JOE BIDEN took office.
₿ Bitcoin slid Sunday, losing around $260 and trading just north of $20,562.
🛩 There were 2,409 flights delayed within, into, or out of the United States on Sunday and 62 such cancellations.
###
CHARTS
Weekend Box Office
10. Tar: $1 million (up from 12)
9. The Woman King: $1.1 million (down from 6)
8. Terrifer 2: $1.8 million (down from 7)
7. Till: $2.81 million (up from 13)
6. Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile: $2.82 million (down from 5)
5. Halloween Ends: $3.8 million (down from 4)
4. Smile: $5 million (down from 3)
3. Prey for the Devil: $7 million (new)
2. Ticket to Paradise: $10 million (stayed at 2)
1. Black Adam: $27.7 million (stayed at 1)
###
DEATHS
JERRY LEE LEWIS has died.
The rock ‘n’ roll icon passed away Friday morning. No cause of death was shared.
He was 87.
WORTH NOTING: The news of his passing comes two days after TMZ erroneously reported that a source told them Lewis had died.
###
VINCE DOOLEY has died.
The legendary Georgia Bulldogs Football coach passed away peacefully at his Athens home on Friday, according to a statement from the school. An official cause of death was not shared.
He was 90.
###
D.H. PELIGRO has died.
The longtime drummer for the Dead Kennedys, passed away Saturday after reportedly hitting his head after falling in the bathroom. An official cause of death is pending autopsy.
He was 63.
BREAKUPS
NFL superstar TOM BRADY, 45, and supermodel GISELE BUNDCHEN, 42, have finalized their divorce after 13 years of marriage.
Both of them announced the news on Friday, with Brady writing on Instagram they arrived at the decision “amicably and with gratitude for the time we spent together,” while Bundchen wrote “I feel blessed for the time we had together and only wish the best for Tom always.”
The former couple will reportedly share custody of their two kids, Benjamin, 12, and Vivian, 9. Brady also has son John, 15, from a previous relationship with actress BRIDGET MOYNIHAN.
WORTH NOTING: Rumors of an impending split have been swirling since August, when Brady missed 11 days of training camp to deal with “personal matters.”
MEANWHILE: There is already speculation over who Bundchen will date next, with PETE DAVIDSON leading the odds, according to BetOnline. Behind him are actors JASON MOMOA, LEONARDO DICAPRIO, BRADLEY COOPER and CHRIS EVANS, as well as singer JOHN MAYER. Also on the list are fellow football players, including Brady’s former teammates ROB GRONKOWSKI and ANTONIO BROWN and Green Bay Packers QB AARON RODGERS.
###
RELATIONSHIPS
Former Spice Girl MEL B, 47, is engaged to celebrity hairstylist RORY MCPHEE, 36, after three years of dating.
Mel was previously married to dancer JIMMY GULZAR (1998-2000), whom she shares daughter Phoenix Chi, 23, with. She was then married to producer STEPHEN BELAFONTE (2007-2018) with whom she shares custody of 10-year-old daughter Madison. She was in a prior relationship with comedian EDDIE MURPHY and they share 15-year-old daughter Angel Iris.
###
WEDDINGS
“Bachelor” alums ASTRID LOCH, 32, and KEVIN WENDT, 38, have tied the knot.
The reality stars said “I do” Friday at the Powel Crosley Estate in Sarasota, Florida, PEOPLE magazine reports.
Several of their “Bachelor” pals were in attendance.
Their one-year-old son, August, was part of their big day.
###
THE SWAMP
RealClearPolitics has shifted the US Senate race in Washington State from Lean Democrat to toss-up, as polls favor Republicans by historic margins ahead of next week’s midterm elections.
Incumbent Democrat PATTY MURRAY has pretty safely held the seat since 1992. Multiple polls now show she’s in a dead heat with Republican challenger TIFFANY SMILEY.
Smiley is just one of many Republican women running in tight statewide races across the country, including KARI LAKE for governor of Arizona and TUDOR DIXON for governor of Michigan.
###
Remember when everything former President DONALD TRUMP said was qualified by the media as being “without evidence”?
And remember when the Washington Post reassigned a reporter dedicated to fact-checking literally every statement the president makes as soon as President JOE BIDEN was inaugurated?
His most recent one is a doozy. Last week, Biden said at a speech that gas was “over $5 when I took office.”
INCORRECT: The average price of a gallon of gas was $2.39 – less than half that.
ECONOMICS 101: Energy prices are a futures market. Big Energy doesn’t sell only based on the cost of production at that very moment; they also consider things like how much they’ll have to spend on regulatory compliance costs. [SOURCE: the writer’s degree in Economics]
When as a candidate, Biden said all fossil fuel energy would get phased out, that sent an important signal to energy companies that, under his leadership, they might go out of business.
WORTH NOTING: Though fuel prices have fallen, remember that Biden has flooded the market from the nation’s strategic petroleum reserve, but only through midterms. If he and Democrats maintain control of the legislature, gas prices will quickly return to levels this summer, and perhaps this time without an upper limit.
###
LOTTERY
No winner for Friday night’s Mega Millions drawing. Tuesday night’s drawing will be for an $87 million jackpot or a $42.8 million cash payout.
###
No winner for Saturday night’s Powerball drawing. Tonight’s drawing will be for a $1 BILLION jackpot or a $497.3 million cash payout.
WORTH NOTING: This is only the second time in history Powerball has surpassed the billion-dollar mark.
###
SHOWBIZ NEWS
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. and his wife, CORETTA SCOTT KING, paid the hospital bill for JULIA ROBERTS’ birth when her parents couldn’t afford it.
The actress made the revelation during an interview with GAYLE KING on Friday, which was also her 55th birthday. Roberts described how her parents befriended the Kings while living in Atlanta and running a theater school, which their children attended.
“Coretta called my mother and asked if her kids could be part of the school because they were having a hard time finding a place that would accept her kids,” Roberts said, referring to segregation in the 1960s.
Gayle called her parents’ acceptance of all students “extraordinary” because people didn’t like seeing “little black children interacting with little white kids in acting school,” at the time.
###
MAYA RUDOLPH says she was “humiliated” and “embarrassed” by DAVID LETTERMAN when she appeared on his show in 2009.
“He said my name wrong, and I just say there, like, I grew up my whole life in love with you. And now my heart is broken,” the actress told The Wall Street Journal magazine in an interview published Friday.
Rudolph admitted to the outlet that during her early days of fame she “struggled” with interviews and red-carpet appearances.
###
RIHANNA released her first solo in six years.
The track, “Lift Me Up,” will be featured in “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.”
WHAT’S MORE: Sources say the song was written as a tribute to the late “Black Panther” star CHADWICK BOSEMAN, who died in 2020.
###
LUKE BRYAN was slammed by Twitter users over the weekend after bringing Florida Governor RON DESANTIS on stage during his Jacksonville concert.
After telling the crowd, “We’re gonna have some fun and raise some money tonight for the great state of Florida,” after the destruction caused by Hurricane Ian last month, he welcomed DeSantis out.
Twitterverse blasted Bryan, with several users calling the move a “political stunt.” Others took the move as an assumption that the country singer does not support the LGBTQ+ community, referring to Florida’s incorrectly nicknamed “Don’t Say Gay” Bill which was signed by DeSantis this year.
RESPONSE FROM BRYAN: On Sunday, Bryan tweeted a response to the critics, writing that while he has tried to stay out of politics, he understands DeSantis is a “very polarizing figure.” He continued on writing, “But I grew up in a country where if a governor ask[s] you if they can come and raise awareness to help victims of a natural disaster you help.” He also added a number to text to donate to relief efforts.
###
Actress MILLIE BOBBY BROWN teased a potential collaboration with singer MARIAH CAREY during her recent appearance on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.”
The two women reportedly formed a friendship after Brown met Carey’s 11-year-old twins Morocco and Monroe, who are fans of her character on “Stranger Things.”
Fallon asked if fans could expect a joint collaboration, to which Brown said, “Potentially, I don’t know.”
###
CHAKA KHAN thinks that singers who use auto-tune should be working at the Post Office and not in a recording studio.
Speaking to Page Six at the Angel Ball, the legendary diva shared her thoughts on the many artists topping the charts.
“There is some great stuff out there and some great artists…but the others, they just need to get them a job at the Post Office -- they are always hiring!”
###
SHANIA TWAIN announced Friday that she will be releasing her sixth studio album “Queen of Me” and heading out on a 49-date world tour.
The country singer will kick off her tour on April 28 in Spokane, Washington, hitting major cities across North America and in Europe.
She will be joined by KELSEA BALLERINI, LINDSAY ELL, HAILEY WHITTERS, BRELAND, and others on select dates.
“Queen of Me” drops on February 3.
###
CASTING CALL
LESLIE JORDAN’s final film, “Strangers in a Strange Land,” is in post-production.
The film consists of several shorts, filmed around the world, of foreigners getting into hilarious situations due to their confusion and language barriers. Jordan is featured in the part shot in Los Angeles.
There is no release date for the flick yet.
###
HENRY CAVILL is exiting “The Witcher.”
After playing Geralt Rivia for three seasons, Cavill announced Saturday that he is “passing on the baton” to LIAM HEMSWORTH for Season 4.
The news comes as no surprise, as Cavill is returning to the DC Universe as Superman.
###
SHELLEY DUVALL is returning to the big screen in a new horror flick, called “The Forest Hills.”
She will play the mother of a “distrubed man” name Rico, played by CHIKO MENDEZ, “who is tormented by nightmarish visions after enduring head trauma while camping in the Catskill Mountains,” according to Deadline.
The 73-year-old actress, who many will recognize from her role as the mom in “The Shining,” has not appeared on screen since 2002, when she appeared in “Manna From Heaven.”
###
Restaurateur BRUCE BOZZI is working on a new show about murders that have occurred in New York steakhouses.
“I love New York. I love steakhouses. True crime married to food seemed like a natural symmetry to me,” he told Page Six.
The show is tentatively titled “Murder on the Menu.”
###
“Real Housewives of New Jersey” star TERESA GIUDICE will star in the upcoming VH1 holiday movie, “Fuhgeddabout Christmas.”
The flick follows “an Italian American superstar whose family is fed up with her workaholic ways, so she seeks help from her celebrity friends, Santa and magical elves to give them all the best Christmas ever,” according to the official synopsis.
Giudice appears alongside NICK CANNON, VINNY GUADAGNINO (“Jersey Shore”), rapper FETTY WAP, RENEE GRAZIANO (“Mob Wives”) and gossip blogger PEREZ HILTON.
“Fuhgeddabout Christmas” premieres on December 21.
###
THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
KIM KARDASHIAN and Co. went all out for Halloween 2022.
Over the weekend the famous sisters showed off their spooky looks.
Kim was dressed as Mystique from the “X-Men” movies, covered in skin-tight blue latex. KYLIE JENNER dressed as the Bride of Frankenstein and KENDALL JENNER was a sexy-version of Jessie, the cowgirl from “Toy Story.”
###
WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS
MEGHAN MARKLE appears to have particular timing when it comes to releasing photos of herself, PRINCE HARRY and their children.
Here are just a few examples:
Last year Markle shared a photo of her taking Archie to school just hours after PRINCE WILLIAM and KATE MIDDLETON released a portrait of their youngest son, PRINCE LOUIS, ahead of his third birthday.
Then, Harry and Meg publicly shared a photo of their daughter LILIBET for the first time just days after QUEEN ELIZABETH’s Platinum Jubilee when the internet was full of pics of Louis’ antics from the event.
On October 1 of this year, Buckingham Palace released the first official portrait of KING CHARLES and CAMILLA PARKER BOWLES alongside William and Kate. Just hours later, Meg’s friend, photographer MISAN HARRIMAN shared a photo of the Sussexes from when they attended the One Young World Summit weeks prior.
And just last week, on the same day the new royal birthday cards featuring Charles and Camilla sent to UK citizens turning 100 years old were unveiled, Harriman once again released more photos of Meg and Harry from the One Young World Summit.
###
SPORTS
YouTuber-turned-superstar JAKE PAUL beat former UFC champion ANDERSON SILVA in the boxing ring on Saturday night in Phoenix.
The match lasted eight rounds, with neither fighter getting a knockout.
Paul was declared the winner by unanimous decision. He is now 6-0 in the ring.
###
DAY OF THE YEAR
National Magic Day
National Caramel Apple Day
World Savings Day
Girl Scout Founder’s Day
###
ON THIS DATE
1517 – Martin Luther nails a piece of paper with his 95 theses written on them to the front door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany.
The document outlined Luther's contempt for the corruption in the Catholic Church. More than anything, he decried "indulgences" -- by which Catholics could pay the church to forgive their sins faster.
While the Church tried to silence Luther, they failed. He then embarked on translating the Bible to German, which took 10 years.
###
1776 – In his first public speech since receiving the Declaration of Independence, King George III admits that the war is not going well.
He said that even though the Brits had won a few key victories, the resolve of the colonists to maintain independence was strong. Worse, there would be a need for more fighting.
It was largely assumed that the rebellion in the colonies in the New World would be short-lived, especially in the context of a free, non-monarchical society that was supposed to emerge from it.
###
1892 – The first print of “The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes” is printed.
It is the first collection of Detective Sherlock Holmes stories; previously they had only appeared in magazines, since 1887.
The author, Arthur Conan Doyle, would be knighted in 1902, not for his work as an author, but for his field work as a doctor.
###
1957 – The first US Headquarters for Toyota opens, in Hollywood.
The building itself was formerly a Rambler dealership.
Toyota was leveraging their cheap Crown sedans against other domestically-produced cars.
By 1975, Toyota would become the best-selling import in the US.
###
1961 – Nikita Khrushchev orders that Joseph Stalin's embalmed corpse be taken from the special mausoleum next to Vladimir Lenin.
The move came as Khrushchev liberalized the communist society and sought to get rid of its more despotic history.
Lenin remains on display.
###
2000 – A Soyuz spacecraft carries the first long-term crew to the International Space Station.
On board are 2 Russians and an American, William Shepherd. Under designation Expedition 1, the crew stayed on board until March 2001, when they returned to Earth on an American Space Shuttle.
###
2011 - The world population hits 7 billion, according to the United Nations.
###
2018 - The Statue of Unity is unveiled in the state of Gujarat, India.
It depicts Indian statesman and independence activist Vallabhbhai Patel, who was the first deputy prime minister and home minister of independent India.
It is the world’s tallest statue, standing 597 feet tall.
###
BIRTHDAYS
Willow Smith - pop singer & daughter of Will - 22
Danielle Rose Russell - actress, “Aloha” & “The Originals” - 23
Marcus Rashford - soccer player - 25
Sydney Park - actress, “Instant Mom” & “The Walking Dead” - 25
Itzan Escamilla - actor, “Elite” - 25
Noah Sebastian - metal singer, Bad Omens - 27
Letitia Wright - actress, “Black Panther” - 29
Vanessa Marano - actress, “Switched at Birth” & “Saving Zoe” - 30
Ben Bruce - guitarist, Asking Alexandria - 34
Frank Iero - guitarist, My Chemical Romance - 41
Vanilla Ice - rapper - 55
Rob Schneider - actor, “The Waterboy” & “Big Daddy” & “Grown Ups” - 59
Nick Saban - football coach - 71
Anita Kerr - country singer - 95
Born On This Date
Emiliano Sala - soccer player - 1990 (d. 2019)
John Candy - actor, “Uncle Buck” & “Cool Runnings” - 1950 (d. 1994)
Michael Collins - astronaut - 1930 (d. 2021)
Jimmy Saville - DJ - 1926 (d. 2011)
Christopher Columbus - explorer - 1451 (d. 1506)
###