10/31/2023: Vampire Real Estate đŚ
PLUS: Prosecutors Clobber SBF; Taylor the G.O.A.T.; and Becks Picks a Side
Today is Tuesday, October 31, 2023.
It is the 304th day of the year.
61 days remain.
WHATâS ON TAP
An update on ELONâs purchase of X and the UAW wraps up its strikes. More in HIT LIST.
BRITNEY SPEARS says she has Volume 2 of her memoir in the works and two southern rock groups are heading on tour. More in SHOWBIZ.
JOJO SIWA is getting into the podcast game. More in CASTING CALL.
KIM KARDASHIAN is adding to her impressive portfolio. More in KARDASH.
A famous former friend of the Sussexes sticks it to âem in pursuit of his own ambitions. Details in ROYALS.
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HIT LIST
Cross-examination of SAM BANKMAN-FRIED yielded some excellent exchanges as prosecutors eroded the credibility of his testimony and character.
He appears to have taken guidance from his attorneys to heart to not over explain unnecessarily, keeping his answers to âyes,â âno,â and âI donât recallâ when possible.
The lead prosecutor raked his lavish spending over the coals. When asked he said he couldnât recall whether he had flown to the Super Bowl on a private jet, she asked, âIs that because you fly on private planes that often?â
On Friday, SBF said he wasnât aware of the $8 BILLION in Alameda Researchâs liabilities until October last year. Today, he said that as of June 2022, he did not think Alameda would be able to make good on its obligations.
Cross-examination continues today. [via Morning Martini]
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Just about a year into his tenure as owner of X, the company formerly known as Twitter is worth about half what ELON MUSK paid for it.
Equity grants made to employees value the company at $19 BILLION at $45 per share, a 55% drop from the purchase price.
Now as a private company its value is established by the Board of Directors â but Musk is the Chairman and there has not been any formal announcement of a board. [via The Verge]
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The weekslong targeted strike by UNITED AUTO WORKERS has been tentatively resolved, after the union struck a deal with GENERAL MOTORS.
A weekend strike at a GM plant in Tennessee helped push a deal over the finish line early Monday morning.Â
In a statement, UAW celebrated that the deal brings the biggest base wage increases in 22 years. It also restores regular cost of living adjustments that were taken out in 2009 amid the auto industryâs precarious financial situation. [via Detroit Free Press]
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Have you heard of âcoulrophobiaâ? Itâs better known as the very common fear of clowns.Â
An Australian study sheds light on why some people experience this phobia â and so intensely.
The researchers highlight a few clown traits that make people uneasy: that you donât know what the person under the weird makeup is really thinking, that the exaggerated makeup is itself kind of disturbing, clowns are by nature unpredictable, and a few movie franchises have made clowns particularly freaky. [via Washington Post]
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A survey of the best cities for vampires to inhabit found that New York City is the place to be!
Lawn care company Lawn Love surveyed the top 500 cities across the country, examining all factors vital to vampiric lifestyles.Â
NYC scored highest in all categories with its abundance of vampire-friendly clubs, groups, casket makers, blood centers and society-type balls and parties, according to the survey.Â
If the Big Apple isnât where a vampire wants to hang around, the survey found that Chicago could be a good secondary choice due to its high volume of homes with basements. Or there is Columbus, Ohio, which came in third thanks to its average annual sunshine of 46% of the year and its high number of blood drives.
Rounding out the Top 10 are: Philadelphia, PA; Los Angeles, CA; Houston, TX; Portland, OR; Madison, WI; Seattle, WA; and Omaha, NE. [via Lawn Love]
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DEATHS
Former NHL player ADAM JOHNSON has died.Â
He passed away on Saturday after a cut to his neck from another playerâs skate during a game in Englandâs professional hockey league.
He was only 29.Â
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BABY NEWS
Olympian MICHAEL PHELPS and his wife, NICOLE JOHNSON, are expecting baby #4.Â
The couple, who tied the knot in 2016, are already parents to sons 7-year-old Boomer, 5-year-old Beckett and 3-year-old Maverick.Â
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RELATIONSHIPS
âReal Housewives of New Jerseyâ star FRANK CANTANIA is engaged to BRITTANY MATTESSICH -- and his ex-wife, DOLORES CATANIA couldnât be happier.Â
Mattessich was introduced in the most recent season of the show, where she appeared to be welcomed with open arms by Frankâs family and friends.Â
Fans of the show may recall that Dolores and Frank were married from 1994 to 1998 and share two adult kids.Â
By the way -- Frank is 52 and Brittany is 33.
No word on whether or not she will become an official âhousewifeâ now.Â
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WEDDINGS
Actor MILO VENTIMIGLIA has secretly tied the knot with model JARAH MARIANO.Â
Heâs 46 and sheâs 38.Â
According to his rep, the wedding went down earlier this year with only family and a few close friends in attendance.Â
The pair have been rumored to be a thing since last year though neither ever confirmed the relationship.Â
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BY THE NUMBERS
đ The DOW gained 511 points (1.58%) to close at 32,928 on Monday. The S&P increased 49 points (1.2%) to close at 4,166 and the NASDAQ was up 146 points (1.16%) to close at 12,789.
đ˘ WEST TEXAS INTERMEDIATE closed at $82; BRENT CRUDE at $86.
â˝ The national average price of a GALLON OF GAS was $3.49 on Monday.
âż BITCOIN was down on the day half a percent, trading around $34,350.
đŠ There were more than 2,610 FLIGHTS delayed within, into, or out of the United States on Monday and more than 55 such cancellations.
đ°Tonightâs MEGA MILLIONS drawing will be for a $159 million jackpot or a $69.4 million cash payout.Â
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SHOWBIZ NEWS
As many fans, friends and celebs mourn the loss of actor MATTHEW PERRY, one tribute stands out the most.Â
âSimpsonsâ voice actor HANK AZARIA took to social media to reflect on their long friendship, and revealed that Perry was the first friend he made in Hollywood. He also said that Perry was the one who introduced him to sobriety, while calling the actorâs own struggle with drugs âheartbreaking.âÂ
Azaria, who starred on a handful of episodes of âFriends,â was a notable presence in Perryâs memoir, âFriends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing.â [via Instagram]
FRIENDS SAY FAREWELL: Perryâs âFriendsâ co-stars -- JENNIFER ANISTON, COURTNEY COX, LISA KUDROW, MATT LEBLANC and DAVID SCHWIMMER -- released a joint statement on Monday, saying in part, âWe are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just cast mates. We are a family. There is so much to say, but right now weâre going to take a moment to grieve and process this unfathomable lossâŚâ [via People]
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BRITNEY SPEARS isnât done sharing her story.Â
The singer announced that Vol. 2 of her memoir, âThe Woman in Meâ will be released next year.Â
Vol. 1 was released last week, and while Spears claimed it to be the âhighest-selling celebrity memoir in history,â actual numbers will be released this week. [via Deadline]
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TAYLOR SWIFTâs latest re-recording -- â1989 (Taylorâs Version)â -- hit a new milestone.Â
After debuting on Friday, it became Spotifyâs most-streamed album in a single day this year and landed Swift the title of most-streamed artist in a single day in the streamerâs history. She also replaced herself as the most-streamed artist record holder, a year after capturing the title in October 2022.Â
Swift originally released â1989â in 2014. [via Variety]
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Rapper FLAVOR FLAV completed a bucket list item on Sunday when he performed a rendition of âThe Star Spangled Bannerâ before the Milwaukee Bucks-Atlanta Hawks game.Â
Wearing one of his signature clocks -- and a Bucks jersey -- Flav smiled through his acapella take on the national anthem.
After the performance, Flav took to social media to share his excitement over the accomplishment, writing, âthat was fun!âÂ
As for fansâ reactions -- the reviews were mixed. [via EW]
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JENNIFER LOPEZ, DRAKE and ADAM LAMBERT are the latest in a growing number of celebs to have signed an open letter to President JOE BIDEN asking for a ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas.Â
The letter asks the administration, as well as other world leaders, to âhonor all the lives in the Holy Landâ and âfacilitate a ceasefire without delay -- an end to the bombing of Gaza and the safe release of hostages.âÂ
Other names on the letter include, DUA LIPA, MIGUEL, MACKLEMORE, CATE BLANCHETT, JOAQUIN PHOENIX, JOHN CUSACK, and more. [via Billboard]
Read the letter here.Â
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OZZY OSBOURNE says he is not going to move with wife SHARON OSBOURNE to their native England unless he can also bring their dogs -- all 11 of them!Â
As previously reported, the rocker and his wife were planning to move across the pond, where the BBC is set to film a new show chronicling their lives called, âHome to Roost.â
On a recent episode of their family podcast, Ozzy told son JACK OSBOURNE that Sharon âwill be lonelyâ when she moves.Â
It is unclear what or who is potentially saying the dogs have to stay. [via RadarOnline]
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LYNYRD SKYNYRD and ZZ TOP are teaming up for âThe Sharp Dressed Simple Man Tour.âÂ
From March through September of next year, the two southern rock groups will perform 36 shows across North America.
Lynyrd Skynyrd currently features a lineup of Rickey Medlocke, Johnny Van Zant, Michael Cartellone, Mark Matejka, Peter Keys and Keith Christopher, while ZZ Top is made up of Billy Gibbons, Frank Beard and Elwood Francis, who is replacing the late Dusty Hill. [via People]
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CASTING CALL
YouTuber, dancer and singer JOJO SIWA has launched her own podcast on iHeartMedia.Â
âJoJo Siwa Nowâ will feature interviews with people from her past, including former dance teacher ABBY LEE MILLER, and âDancing With the Starsâ partner JENNA JOHNSON. In addition to the interviews, Siwa will also share stories about her own life and career.Â
Her first episode debuted on Monday. [via THR]
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LEONARDO DICAPRIO turned down the role of Max Dennison in the 1993 cult classic âHocus Pocus.âÂ
In a newly resurfaced interview from 2014, DiCaprio alluded to a big Disney movie that he was offered a role in and how âproudâ he is in âthat moment at 16 to [turn it down].â
Declining the gig allowed him to star in âWhatâs Eating Gilbert Grape,â which landed him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.Â
The role of Max Dennison ultimately went to actor OMRI KATZ. [via Decider]
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Tomorrow TBS will kick off a celebration of the life of MATTHEW PERRY with a âBest of Chandlerâ marathon.Â
The episodes will each highlight Perryâs upbeat and most heartwarming moments on âFriendsâ and will be combined with special tributes of what he and his character meant to fans.Â
The marathon will air through the weekend. [via Deadline]
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COURT CASES
ROBERT DE NIRO took the stand Monday in a civil case brought against him by a former assistant who alleges that he âharassedâ and âoverworkedâ her.Â
While being questioned by the accuserâs attorney, insiders said the actor became combative, calling the line of questioning and allegations ânonsense.âÂ
The lawsuit was filed in 2019 shortly after the assistant quit working for De Niro.Â
He is expected to return to the stand today. [via Deadline]
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THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
KIM KARDASHIANâs Skims has been named the new official underwear partner of the NBA, WNBA and USA Basketball.Â
âTogether, Skims and the NBA will connect people of all backgrounds through fashion, sport and talent,â Kim said of the partnership, while NBA Commissioner ADAM SILVER called Skims âone of [the] most culturally-influential brands.â
As part of the collaboration, Skims will receive media exposure across a variety of league platforms, including virtual signage during games and on the leaguesâ official social media platforms.
Skims was valued at $4 BILLION this summer. [via Bloomberg]
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WEâLL NEVER BE ROYALS
BACK IN JULY: PRINCE HARRY and MEGHAN MARKLE had a falling out with DAVID and VICTORIA BECKHAM, after Meg called them up to accuse them of leaking stories about her and Harry to the media. This left David furious and the couples cut ties with each other.Â
NOW: KING CHARLES has reportedly invited David Beckham to discuss his role as a celebrity ambassador for the Princeâs Foundation, a royal charity that facilitates job training for young Brits.
Insiders say that Beckham has had his sights set on a knighthood someday, and this would get him closer to that honor, and show the King that heâs picked a side.Â
And if it irritates the Sussexes just a little bit, that doesnât hurt, either. [via The Sun]
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DAY OF THE YEAR
Halloween
National Magic Day
National Caramel Apple Day
World Savings Day
Girl Scout Founderâs Day
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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.Â
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1776 - In his first public speech since receiving the Declaration of Independence, King George III admits that the war is not going well for Britain.
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.Â
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1892 - The first print of âThe Adventures of Sherlock Holmesâ hits shelves.
It was the first collection of Detective Sherlock Holmes stories; previously they had only appeared in magazines, starting in 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.Â
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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.
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1961 - Nikita Khrushchev orders that Joseph Stalin's embalmed corpse be taken from a 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.
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2000 - A Soyuz spacecraft carries the first long-term crew to the International Space Station.
On board are two 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.Â
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2011 - The world population hits 7 billion, according to the United Nations.Â
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2018 - The Statue of Unity is unveiled in the state of Gujarat, India.Â
It depicts Indian statesman and independence activist Vallabhbhai Patel, who was the first deputy prime minister and home minister of independent India.Â
It is the worldâs tallest statue, standing 597 feet tall â about twice as high as the Statue of Liberty.
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BIRTHDAYS
Willow Smith - pop singer - 23
Danielle Rose Russell - actress, âThe Originalsâ - 24
Marcus Rashford - soccer player - 26
Sydney Park - actress, âInstant Momâ & âThe Walking Deadâ - 26
Noah Sebastian - vocalist, Bad Omens - 28
Letitia Wright - actress, âBlack Pantherâ - 30
Vanessa Marano - actress, âSwitched at Birthâ & âGilmore Girlsâ - 31
Justin Chatwin - actor, âShamelessâ & âWeedsâ - 41
Frank Iero - guitarist, My Chemical Romance - 42
Piper Perabo - actress, âCoyote Uglyâ & âYellowstoneâ - 47
Vanilla Ice - rapper - 56
Dermot Mulroney - actor, âMy Best Friendâs Weddingâ & âNew Girlâ - 60
Rob Schneider - actor, âThe Waterboyâ & âBig Daddyâ & Grown Upsâ - 60
Nick Saban - football coach - 72
Born On This Date
John Candy - actor, âCool Runningsâ & âUncle Buckâ - 1950 (d. 1994)
Michael Collins - astronaut, Apollo 11 - 1930 (d. 2021)
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