Today is Thursday, October 3, 2024.
It is the 277th day of the year.
89 days remain.
WHAT’S ON TAP
Fat Bear Week returns and a lottery winner keeps his winnings for good. Details in HIT LIST.
GREEN DAY gets banned and RASCAL FLATTS gears up to hit the road. More in SHOWBIZ.
Proud father DANIEL DAY-LEWIS comes out of retirement star in son’s directorial debut. Details in CASTING CALL.
Another day, another lawsuit for YE. More on that in KARDASH.
Photos of PRINCESS KATE’s most recent meeting with a young cancer patient make a splash. Details in ROYALS.
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HIT LIST
The death toll from Hurricane Helene now exceeds 170, making it one of the deadliest hurricanes in American history; an estimated 1,000 people remain unaccounted for. Here’s the latest on the recovery efforts:
– Up to 1,000 members of the 82nd Airborne stationed at Fort Liberty, North Carolina, have been deployed to assist National Guard members from the state to support “manpower and logistical capabilities,” according to a White House statement.
– A private helicopter pilot conducting rescues and supply drops was threatened with arrest for continuing his heroic efforts by a local fire official. The pilot reluctantly complied with the order, when a temporary flight restriction was implemented near the area he was covering. When it was raised again on Monday, he resumed his flights – no word who the official was or why he tried to wave off the pilot.
– The North Carolina Department of Transportation fears that two highway routes connecting the state with Tennessee will take months to repair, specifically I-40 and the I-26 alternate routes. Nearly 400 routes remain closed due to flooding impacts.
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A man who defected to South Korea from the north over a decade ago apparently tried to hijack a bus and drive it over the border to return home on Tuesday.
South Korea’s Yonhap news agency says the incident happened in the early hours Tuesday local time, when the unidentified suspect ignored warnings from security personnel as he accelerated a stolen bus into a barricade on a bridge near the DMZ. The bus did not break through and the man, who’s in his 30s, was detained.
Initial media reports the suspect struggled to settle in the South. Seoul’s “unification ministry” reports that 30 defectors have ultimately returned to the north since 2012. [via NBC News]
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Classic blue jeans have never gone out of style, but fancier khaki pants may be out of favor: LEVI STRAUSS & CO is looking to sell off the Dockers brand entirely.
Despite Levi’s sales showing a 5% increase in third quarter sales year over year its overall revenue was flat, dragged down by losses by Dockers. The khaki brand showed a 15% decrease in revenue year over year.
In a very corporate speak statement, a rep for Levi’s says, “We believe the exit of Dockers will allow both Dockers and Levi’s to independently operate and maximize each other’s value independently.” [via CNBC]
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The winner of the biggest jackpot in Powerball history will be able to hold onto his riches for good.
Last year, a man named Jose Rivera sued winner Edwin Castro, arguing that he was the rightful owner of the winning ticket. A judge previously tossed the suit, arguing that Rivera had the obligation to secure his ticket against theft, loss, damage, or destruction.
Castro won a more than $2 BILLION jackpot that amounted to around $628 MILLION after paying taxes on the lump sum payout. [via TMZ]
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Fat Bear Week is back!
Voting is now open in Alaska’s Katmai National Park and Preserve annual event, where fans pick their favorite among a dozen brown bears fattened up to survive the long winter months.
There are 12 bears on this year’s bracket, with eight facing off in the first round and four receiving byes to the second round.
Voting ends October 8.
FOR THE RECORD: Grazer, a fierce mama bear, won last year’s event, during which over 1.3 million votes were cast. [via NPS]
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BABY NEWS
NASCAR driver BUBBA WALLACE and his wife, AMANDA CARTER, welcomed their first child together, a baby boy named BECKS HAYDEN.
He’s 30 and she’s 29.
He arrived on September 29.
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BY THE NUMBERS
📈 The DOW increased 39 points (0.09%) to close at 42,196 on Wednesday. The S&P was flat on the day to close at 5,709 and the NASDAQ increased 14 points (0.08%) to close at 17,925.
🛢 WEST TEXAS INTERMEDIATE closed at $70 on Wednesday; BRENT CRUDE at $74.
⛽ The national average price of a GALLON OF GAS was $3.19 on Wednesday.
₿ BITCOIN continued to slide on Wednesday, trading around $60,300.
🛩 There were more than 1,630 FLIGHTS delayed within, into, or out of the United States on Wednesday and more than 50 such cancellations.
💰Friday night’s MEGA MILLIONS drawing will be for a $108 million jackpot or a $53.8 million cash payout.
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SHOWBIZ NEWS
A pornographic video featuring SEAN COMBS and an even more famous “high-profile person” is being “shopped around” Hollywood, according to ARIEL MITCHELL-KIDD, an attorney for one of the music mogul’s many accusers.
“This was in his Atlanta home, and it doesn’t seem like the person is looking into the video. To me, it doesn’t seem like that person knows they’re being videotaped,” Mitchell-Kidd explained. [via NY Post]
MEANWHILE: Toxicology reports from some of Combs’ accusers show they had cocaine and Xylazine (horse tranquilizer) in their system after a night of partying with him. A night where the accusers claim they remember nothing after having one drink. [via Page Six]
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Dr. MARK CHAVEZ pleaded guilty Wednesday to conspiring to distribute ketamine in connection to the death of “Friends” star MATTHEW PERRY.
He signed a plea agreement with prosecutors back in August, so the hearing was mostly just a formality.
Perry’s assistant KENNETH IWASAMA and friend ERIK FLEMING also pleaded guilty their involvement in his fatal overdose last October, while two others connected to the case, Dr. SALVADOR PLASENCIA and JASVEEN SANGHA aka the “Ketamine Queen,” have pleaded not guilty. They will both go to trial in March.
Even with the plea agreement, Chavez still faces up to 10 years in prison. [via Reuters]
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The officially unofficial TAYLOR SWIFT guitar that a guy bought for $4000 at auction last week, only to smash it with a hammer on stage, is once again up for sale.
The buyer donated the smashed up guitar back to the Texas nonprofit it was purchased from, with the intention of donating all proceeds from the secondary sale to go toward supporting agricultural education for local youth.
There is some back and forth on whether or not the guitar is signed by Swift; her people say no, but the hammer-happy-buyer-turned-seller says it was signed. [via TMZ]
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GREEN DAY has been banned from two Vegas-based radio stations after frontman BILLIE JOE ARMSTRONG called the city “the worst s--thole in America,” during a show in San Francisco last month.
The Oakland native’s issue with the city is that JOHN FISHER, owner of the Oakland A’s, is relocating the team there, after more than 100 years of being in California.
Listeners aren’t quite on board with the band’s songs being banned however, with one person saying if the stations banned every artist based on their opinions on matters -- including politics -- they’d “quickly run out of artists to play.”
FOR THE RECORD: The A’s played their last game in the city this weekend. They will play in Sacramento until their new stadium in Las Vegas is complete; likely 3-4 seasons. [via Sky News]
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NICOLAS SPARKS’ chicken salad recipe has some people raising their eyebrows.
The romance author shared the recipe in a recent interview, and while things started off strong, it was the final ingredient he added that pushed some over the edge.
“You can use real sugar, but why throw sugar in if you can use Splenda,” he explained -- 16 packets of Splenda to be exact.
“This is the second most cursed thing I’ve read this morning,” one person commented, while another added, “You’ve gone too far.” [via NYT]
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RASCAL FLATTS is hitting the road for their 25th Anniversary Tour.
GARY LEVOX, JOE DON ROONEY, and JAY DEMARCUS took a hiatus from touring during covid, but are now ready to get back out and perform for their fans.
The “Life Is A Highway Tour” kicks off in February. Along for the ride are fellow country singers LAUREN ALAINA and CHRIS LANE. [via Rolling Stone]
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Former friends of reality stars JIM BOB and MICHELLE DUGGAR have lost custody of their three minor children.
Two elder siblings, now adults, filed for protection orders alleging “severe physical and mental abuse” at the hands of their father JIM HOLT. Their mom, BOBYE HOLT, is also named in the filing as being party to the abuse.
The minor children have been ordered to the care of their siblings, while their parents are allowed two phone calls a week.
The Holts were featured in the Prime show “Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets,” where they dished on all things Duggar, including JOSH DUGGAR’s charges and sentencing for child pornography. [via The Sun]
BACK STORY: The couples became close when the Holts’ oldest daughter entered a courtship with Josh. Things eventually fell through, however. She sure dodged a bullet there!
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CASTING CALL
DANIEL DAY-LEWIS is making a comeback to the movie biz.
After announcing his retirement in 2017, the three-time Oscar winner is heading back to the big screen to star in a new film, titled “Anemone,” directed by his son, RONAN DAY-LEWIS.
According to the official synopsis, the film “explores the intricate relationships between fathers, sons and brothers, and the dynamics of familial bonds.”
It also stars SEAN BEAN, SAMANTHA MORTON, SAMUAL BOTTOMLEY, and SOFIA OAKLEY-GREEN. [via EW]
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Showbiz legend LIZA MINNELI is co-producing the off-Broadway show “DRAG: The Musical.”
This is Minneli’s first time producing a full-length musical, but its far from her first rodeo in theater. The EGOT-winner has four Tony Awards, including two for best leading actress in a musical.
The show officially opens on October 21. [via People]
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“The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” is getting a second season.
The move makes total sense as Season 1 of the docuseries became Hulu’s No. 1 unscripted premiere of the year.
All of the ladies of MomTok are expected to return. [via TMZ]
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THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
The guy tasked with keeping an eye on YE’s gutted Malibu mansion claims he wasn’t compensated for his time.
JONATHAN MONROE says Ye hired him as a full-time security guard in August 2021, with a promise of $30 and hour to protect the home. Monroe says he worked 36 to 50 hours a week until he was fired by the rapper in October 2021, at which point he had not been paid.
Three years later and Monroe says he still hasn’t seen a dime. He is suing Ye for unpaid wages plus interest and punitive damages.
Ye should have the funds as he just sold the mansion for $21 million. [via TMZ]
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WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS
In her first public event since announcing completion of her chemotherapy treatment, PRINCESS KATE met with a 16-year-old photographer battling cancer.
PRINCE WILLIAM invited the young woman, Liz Hatton, to meet with him and Kate after learning about her story through the London Air Ambulance Charity he supports. While technically a private event on the Wales’ schedule, they released photos of the meeting, showing Kate warmly embracing Hatton.
In a caption of photos from the encounter, Kate and William described Hatton as a “talented young photographer whose creativity and strength has inspired us both.” [via DailyMail]
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DAY OF THE YEAR
National No Sugar Day
National Poetry Day
Bring Your Bible to School Day
National Wide Awakes Day
International Crumhorn Day
Mean Girls Day
National Boyfriend Day
National Techies Day
Virus Appreciation Day
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ON THIS DATE
1849 - Edgar Allan Poe is found delirious in a gutter outside an Irish tavern in Baltimore, Maryland.
He was wearing soiled clothing that did not belong to him and was unable to explain what had happened.
The man who found Poe brought him to a hospital where he would remain in a state of semi-consciousness for several days, before passing away on October 7.
The circumstances of his death remain a mystery.
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1913 - President Woodrow Wilson signs into law the Revenue Act of 1913.
It reestablished a federal income tax in the US and substantially lowered tariff rates from 40% to 26%.
The law also established a 1% tax on income above $3,000 per year. This affected approximately 3% of the population at the time.
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1952 - Britain detonates a nuclear weapon off the coast of Australia. It is the third country to have such weapons.
The bomb was similar in size to the one dropped over Nagasaki, Japan.
It was detonated inside the hull of an emptied British ship. The project manager for the development and detonation was an American, William Penney, who helped develop the first American nuclear weapons.
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1961 - Ford factory workers strike across the country, hoping to get better wages and benefits.
Behind the strike was the United Auto Workers union. The last deal struck was 20 years old.
Ford was virulently anti-union. Though he conceded the economic terms of the new contract, he was steadfast in opposition to cushy union regulations that promoted greater benefits for less work.
Ultimately, he would have to cave completely to get production moving again.
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1990 - East and West Germany celebrate Unity Day.
It celebrated the joining of the two countries, more than a year after the fall of the Wall.
The Soviet Union would remain for another year, but on weak legs that would soon collapse.
The first president of united Germany was Helmut Kohl.
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1995 - OJ Simpson is acquitted of murdering his wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman.
After a 252-day trial that gripped the nation, Simpson's attorneys were successful in defending their client -- despite a mountain of evidence implicating him for the crime.
Footprints in the dirt matched OJ's shoe size and the type of shoe he was known to wear, DNA on a bloody glove linked him to the scene of the crime, and a knife he had recently purchased was never recovered by police.
Two years later, he was found liable in civil court and held for $35.5 million for the victims' families.
Justice was very indirectly served in 2008, when Simpson was convicted of armed robbery and kidnapping, and sentenced to 33 years in prison. He would be granted parole and released on October 1, 2017 after having served almost 9 years.
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2011 - Amanda Knox's murder conviction is overturned in Italian court.
The American exchange student was accused of killing her roommate while living in Italy.
The circumstances surrounding the crime were bizarre and a zealous Italian prosecutor saw to Knox's conviction in 2009. Her family rallied support and helped win an appeal, during which the defense was able to throw into question much of the evidence's legitimacy.
One day after Knox's freedom, she was on a plane back home.
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2021 - Tom Brady becomes the NFL’s all-time leader in career passing yards.
He hit the milestone as his Tampa Buccaneers beat the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium 19-17.
Saints QB Drew Brees previously held the title with 80,358.
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BIRTHDAYS
Noah Schnapp - actor, “Stranger Things” - 20
C.J. Stroud - football player - 23
Michele Morrone - actor, “365 Days” - 34
A$AP Rocky - rapper - 36
Alicia Vikander - actress, “The Danish Girl” & “Tomb Raider” - 36
Ashlee Simpson-Ross - pop singer - 40
Tessa Thompson - actress, “Thor: Ragnarok” - 41
Erik von Detten - actor, “Brink!” & “The Princess Diaries” - 42
Danny O’Donoghue - rock singer, The Script - 44
Neve Campbell - actress, “Party of Five” & “Scream” films - 51
Keiko Agena - actress, “Gilmore Girls” - 51
Kevin Richardson - pop singer, Backstreet Boys - 53
Gwen Stefani - pop singer - 55
Tommy Lee - drummer, Motley Crue - 62
Jack Wagner - actor, “General Hospital” - 65
Al Sharpton - minister & civil rights leader - 70
Chubby Checker - pop singer - 83
Glenn Hall - HOF hockey player - 93
Born On This Date
Thomas Wolfe - novelist, “Look Homeward Angel” - 1900 (d. 1938)
George Bancroft - historian, “History of the United States” - 1800 (d. 1891)
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