Discover more from Morning Martini
10/4/2022: Trump Sues CNN
PLUS: War Reparations; Ringo Starr Gets Covid; and Ye’s Surprise Message
Today is Tuesday, October 4, 2022.
It is the 277th day of the year.
88 days remain.
PROGRAMMING NOTE
There will be no daily newsletter next week, October 10-14.
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TRENDING
Kanye landed in Twitter’s Top 10 Trends Monday. Head to Kardashopus to see why!
#MeanGirlsDay was trending yesterday. Fans of the flick will recall the scene with Lindsay Lohan asking about the date on October 3rd.
#WakandaForever was trending as Marvel fans reacted to the brand-new trailer that dropped on Monday.
Twitter users created mushy posts in honor of National Boyfriend Day yesterday.
Monday Night Football landed in Twitter’s Top 10 Trends as the Rams took on the 49ers.
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HIT LIST
Poland’s government is formally demanding monetary reparations from Germany for the damage and destruction caused during its occupation in World War II.
The official letter calls for the German government to pay $1.3 trillion to Poland. The sum accounts for not just reparations, but the cost of missing artwork and stolen bank deposits.
WORTH NOTING: In 1953, Poland made a formal declaration that no further damages would be sought from Germany – but that was while the country was under communist Soviet control. Money paid during the Cold War was filtered through Moscow, and didn’t necessarily go fairly and equitably to the war-ravaged, Eastern Bloc countries.
How ironic.
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Peloton is still reworking its business model after booming during the pandemic. It’s now sitting on thousands of unsold units, after the previous leadership had far too many manufactured.
BUT WAIT: The exercise company says it’s partnering with Hilton hotels to offload its surplus stash. Guests at all their hotels, from the consumer-level Hampton by Hilton to the fancy Waldorf Astoria will have at least one Peloton bike in each fitness center.
IT GETS BETTER: If you’re a Hilton Honors rewards member, you’ll also get $100 off a new Peloton device between now and the end of the year.
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And now for an installment of “Entitled Elitist College Brat Storytime”: An organic chemistry professor has been axed by New York University because his students say his exams are just too darn hard.
Last spring, 82 of Dr. Maitland Jones Jr.’s students signed a petition because so many in his organic chemistry course were failing exams and they wanted to make it easier to pass.
WORTH NOTING: Organic chemistry is a notoriously complicated and difficult subject, and is usually a requirement for undergraduates pursuing a higher degree in medicine.
ALSO WORTH NOTING: Jones Jr. isn’t just some crotchety old codger sticking it to the young-’uns: He says he’s made exams easier in recent years to accommodate a new generation of students who have difficulty studying and focusing. He wrote the gold standard textbook on the subject, now in its fifth edition. Amid the pandemic, he spent $5,000 out of pocket to record 52 lectures on the subject so students could revisit them on demand.
As students returned to in-person learning, Jones said they just weren’t doing the work: “They weren’t coming to class, that’s for sure, because I can count the house … They weren’t watching the videos, and they weren’t able to answer the questions,” he told the New York Times.
AND YET: The snotty “let’s fire the professor because we’re failing” brats moaned in their petition to ax Jones, “We are very concerned about our scores, and find that they are not an accurate reflection of the time and effort put into this class.”
WORTH NOTING: Sometimes, you try your best and put in a lot of effort and it’s still just not good enough. And that’s okay.
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London’s Heathrow Airport – usually the biggest and busiest in Europe – had to cap the number of daily departing passengers earlier this year as staffing shortages caused hours-long waits through much of its system.
Now, they’re announcing an end to the cap – which was 100,000 a day – but it won’t be until the end of the month.
FRET NOT: Airlines are responsible for managing how many passengers leave in a given day, so if you’re leaving from there, don’t worry about getting stranded on account of some bureaucratic rule.
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A wildfire that broke out in Nebraska on Sunday expanded to more than 15,000 acres by Monday afternoon.
Officials believe human interference sparked the blaze. No significant population centers are in immediate danger, though local campgrounds have been evacuated and facilities at a youth camp were destroyed.
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BY THE NUMBERS
📈 The Dow surged Monday, adding 765 points (2.66%) to close at 29,490. The S&P added 92 points (2.59%) to close at 3,678 and the Nasdaq added 239 points (2.27%) to close at 10,815.
🛢 West Texas Intermediate ticked up to $83 on Monday. Brent Crude closed at $88.86.
⛽ The national average price of a gallon of gas was $3.79 on Monday.
₿ Bitcoin boomed in the afternoon Monday, adding more than $500 and trading around $19,500.
🛩 There were 2,099 flights delayed within, into, or out of the United States on Monday and 243 such cancellations.
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CHARTS
Top 5 Songs on iTunes:
Sam Smith & Kim Petras, “Unholy”
Coolio, “Gangsta’s Paradise (feat. L.V.)”
David Guetta & Bebe Rexha, “I’m Good (Blue)”
Kane Brown & Katelyn Brown, “Thank God”
Christina Perri, “A Thousand Years”
Top 5 Songs on Spotify:
Sam Smith & Kim Petras, “Unholy”
Harry Styles, “As It Was”
Bad Bunny, “Titi Me Pregunto”
David Guetta & Bebe Rexha, “I’m Good (Blue)”
Nicki Minaj, “Super Freaky Girl”
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RELATIONSHIPS
Former “Bachelorette” star GARRETT YRIGYOEN, 33, is engaged to yoga instructor ALEX FARRAR, 28.
The reality star shared photos from the proposal on Instagram, which included a shot of him down on one knee on a yacht.
Yrigyoen was on BECCA KUFRIN’s season of the reality dating show, which aired in 2018.
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SICK BAY
RINGO STARR, 82, has tested positive for COVID-19.
The former Beatle will now put his tour on hold to recuperate.
No word on his symptoms.
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THE SWAMP
SHE’S RUNNING: Former Clintonworld aide DICK MORRIS says HILLARY CLINTON is doing all the things a future presidential candidate should be doing.
On New York’s WABC, Morris said, “I see more and more signs that Hillary’s going to run.”
In particular, Morris thinks Hillary will position herself as the moderate alternative to JOE BIDEN – and especially the clown car of far-left wingnuts eyeing the White House themselves, like GAVIN NEWSOM and KAMALA HARRIS.
WORTH REMEMBERING: This was ultimately the calculus that got Biden elected: the steady, old hand at the wheel; your blue collar grandfather’s kind of Democrat – and look where that’s gotten us.
WORTH ASKING: Why do Democrats have to lie about their agenda to win?
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Former President DONALD TRUMP is suing CNN for $425 million, claiming defamation.
In a statement, Trump added, “I will also be commencing actions against other media outlets who have defamed me and defrauded the public regarding the overwhelming evidence of fraud throughout the 2020 Election. I will never stop fighting for the truth and for the future of our Country!”
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LOTTERY
No winner for Friday night’s Mega Millions drawing. Tonight’s drawing will be for a $380 million jackpot or a $198.4 million cash payout.
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SHOWBIZ NEWS
Germaphobe HOWARD STERN went out in public for the first time since the start of the pandemic.
The 68-year-old ventured out of his home -- where he has been broadcasting his SiriusXM show from since March 2020 -- to dine at Israeli restaurant Laser Wolf in Williamsburg over the weekend.
Joining him for dinner were close friends JENNIFER ANISTON, JIMMY KIMMEL, JON HAMM, JUSTIN THEROUX and JASON BATEMAN.
On his radio show Monday, Stern called the outing “exhausting” and said he plans to “remain a hermit.”
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Friends of actress MARGOT ROBBIE and model CARA DELEVINGE have been accused of assaulting a paparazzi who allegedly rushed the celebs and started “aggressively” taking photos.
Speaking to Page Six, insiders said the two women were getting into an Uber in Argentina over the weekend when a paparazzo, named PEDRO ALBERTO ORQUERA, got in their face with his camera.
Orquera says he was pushed down and attacked by two male friends of Robbie and Delevingne’s, while a source close to them told the outlet that he “fell on his own, causing his own injuries.”
The two men Orquera accused of attacking him were arrested, but it is unknown if any actual charges were filed. Robbie and Delevinge have not commented on the incident.
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SNOOP DOGG and DR. DRE are working on a new album.
Three decades after the release of their collaboration, “Doggystyle,” the rappers are now gearing up to drop a new album in November, titled “Missionary.”
When asked about the name on STEPHEN A. SMITH’s “Know Mercy” podcast, Snoop responded, “well the first album is Doggystyle,” alluding to the idea that they are running down a list of sexual positions for inspiration.
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A bus carrying country singer HARDY and three others crashed as they headed home from a show over the weekend in Bristol, Tennessee.
The bus overturned on Interstate 40 early Sunday, according to local news outlets.
All four people on the bus were injured and will take some time off from the road to heal.
No further details on what caused the crash were shared.
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SETH ROGAN says he wants to smoke a blunt with BARBRA STREISAND.
Speaking with reporters over the weekend at the 10th annual Hilarity for Charity carnival, Rogan said, “She told me she smoked weed with Peter Sellers [...] I don’t know anyone who’s smoked weed with anyone cooler than Peter Sellers.”
WORTH NOTING: Rogan has his own cannabis company, called Houseplant, that he launched with his filmmaking partner EVAN GOLDBERG.
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Singer JACK JOHNSON was granted a temporary restraining order against a woman he says has been stalking and harassing him for years.
According to court docs obtained by TMZ, the final straw came after the fan approached him at a Houston hotel and got in his face. Jack, who was with his band at the time, called the interaction “frightening.”
He also stated that his team has sent several cease and desist letters to the woman, which were clearly ignored.
The order of protection covers Jack, his wife and their teen son.
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Former “Saturday Night Live” star COLIN JOST revealed the name he has given the decommissioned Staten Island Ferry that he purchased with PETE DAVIDSON.
“Pete and I bought this boat, and like -- there’s so many immediate decisions you have to make. You have to create a financial entity to deal with this boat. And so we’re on a call and I’m just like, ‘Alright, well how about Titanic 2?’” Jost quipped during a recent appearance on SETH MEYERS late night show.
Jost and Davidson bought the boat in January, winning it at an auction for $280,000. Their plan is to turn it into a nightclub.
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CASTING CALL
Apple Films has announced theatrical and streaming premiere dates for “Emancipation,” starring WILL SMITH.
The film will debut in theaters on December 2 and on Apply TV+ on December 9.
There has been much speculation over whether the film would be shelved or not after Smith slapped CHRIS ROCK at the Oscars, leading to him getting banned by the Academy.
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RACHEL MADDOW is launching another new podcast series with MSNBC, titled “Rachel Maddow Presents: Ultra.”
The eight episode series will “guide listeners through history to tell the story of Americans who plotted to overthrow the government and democracy during World War II, the members of Congress who aligned themselves with that movement, and their attempts to cover their tracks when they were exposed,” per the network.
The first two episodes will debut on October 10, with subsequent episodes released on Mondays there after.
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CBS is working on “Watson,” a medical drama with detective elements.
Set a year after the death of Sherlock Holmes, the series centers on Watson taking over the clinic dedicated to treating rare disorders.
No casting details were shared.
WORTH REMEMBERING: CBS previously aired “Elementary,” starring JOHNNY LEE MILLER as present-day Sherlock Holmes and LUCY LIU as his companion, Dr. Joan Watson. The series ran for seven seasons. No word on whether the two shows will have a connection.
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THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
KANYE WEST made a surprise appearance on stage during his Yeezy fashion show in Paris wearing a “White Lives Matter” t-shirt and bedazzled flip-flops.
“I am Ye, and everyone here knows that I am the leader. You can’t manage me,” he told the audience.
Some of the models also wore clothing with “White Lives Matter” on them, which didn’t go over well on social media.
One Twitter user wrote, “Sending a WHITE LIVES MATTER t-shirt down a runway in Paris is literal insanity and no amount of gospel is getting that man through Heaven’s gate, I’m so sorry,” while another called out the fact that just weeks ago Ye was calling his ex-wife KIM KARDASHIAN and her mom KRIS JENNER “the kkk.”
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KIM KARDASHIAN has agreed to pay $1.26 million in penalties, disgorgement and interest to the SEC after being found guilty of failing to disclose that she was paid $250,000 to publish a post on social media about cryptocurrency.
The post in question provided a link to EthereumMax, a crypto security company, which detailed instructions for her followers to purchase Emax tokens.
Kim will also “cooperate with the Commission’s ongoing investigation,” the SEC said in a statement on Monday.
WORTH NOTING: Kim is worth about $1.8 billion.
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WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS
KING CHARLES will reportedly make a decision on whether PRINCE HARRY and MEGHAN MARKLE’s children -- ARCHIE and LILIBET -- will get to keep their HRH titles after the release of the couple’s upcoming projects.
Despite the children automatically adopting the titles of “prince” and “princess” after the death of QUEEN ELIZABETH, the two are still listed as “Master Archie Mountbatten-Windsor” and “Miss Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor” on the family’s website.
The projects in question include Harry’s memoir and the couple’s Netflix docuseries.
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SPORTS
DAK PRESCOTT and the Dallas Cowboys should get a better idea of when he will be able to return to the field after his doctor appointment today.
The QB underwent surgery on September 12 to repair a fracture in his right thumb.
The Cowboys have gone 3-0 with COOPER RUSH filling in.
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DAY OF THE YEAR
Cinnamon Roll Day
National Golf Lovers Day
National Taco Day
National Vodka Day
Improve Your Office Day
National Fruit at Work Day
Ship in A Bottle Day
World Animal Day
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ON THIS DATE
1777 – An early-morning clash between Patriot and British troops at Germantown, Pennsylvania leaves hundreds of troops on each side dead.
The Americans were undertrained, under-rationed and probably not ready for a fight against professional warriors. A thick fog separated the four columns that General Washington had sent toward the British forces. Though the Americans were forced to retreat, both sides suffered hundreds of casualties.
The battle was one of only a few before Washington hunkered his troops down for a cold winter at Valley Forge.
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1824 – A democratic government in Mexico enacts a new constitution after the overthrow of the Agustin de Iturbide government.
Key items in the document included declaring definitive separation from Spain, Roman Catholicism as the only legal religion and three branches of government similar to the United State’s.
The period marked the beginning of decades of political turmoil for the country, with government overhauls implemented every couple of decades. The next constitution would come 33 years later, in 1857.
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1918 – German Chancellor Max von Baden sends a telegram to President Wilson requesting an armistice to end hostilities in World War I.
Wilson responded by refusing to negotiate with a military dictatorship, even though von Baden and the Kaiser had made such a promise. Diplomatic finagling continued throughout the month as Germany’s military position deteriorated.
German General Paul von Hindenburg reignited armistice negotiations in early November; major hostilities would end November 11.
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1957 – Soviet scientists successfully launch Sputnik I, scaring Americans into accelerating their space program. Most importantly, putting the first probe into space gave the USSR an edge in the mounting arms race.
Almost 4 months later the US responded in kind, launching the Explorer I probe, and kicking off the space race.
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1965 – Pope Paul VI visits the United States. He’s the first reigning pope to make it across the pond to America.
He only spent one day stateside, confined exclusively to New York City, where he visited St. Patrick’s Cathedral and met with President Johnson at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.
His Holiness also addressed the General Assembly at the UN, said Mass at Yankee Stadium, and visited the Vatican Exhibit at the World’s Fair.
All in less than 14 hours.
An estimated 1 million spectators turned up to see the Pope in person; another 100 million watched on TV.
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1970 – Rocker Janis Joplin overdoses on heroin in an L.A. hotel room and dies.
Joplin was working on her album “Pearl,” which would be the best seller of her career.
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1990 – “Beverly Hills, 90210” debuts on FOX.
The series, produced by Aaron Spelling, followed the lives of a group of friends living in the upscale and star-studded community of Beverly Hills, California.
The show would run for ten seasons before ending in 2000.
It would be revived on August 7, 2019 on FOX. It was called “BH90210” and featured the original cast members.
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2006 - WikiLeaks is launched by publisher Julian Assange.
The media organization and associate library specializes in large datasets of censored or otherwise restricted official materials involving war, spying and corruption.
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2015 - Van Halen’s final public performance takes place at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, California.
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2018 - Tom Brady becomes the third QB to record 500 career touchdown passes.
The pass that got him the record was to Josh Gordon in the Patriots’ 38-24 win over the Colts at Foxborough.
He joins Peyton Manning and Brett Favre.
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BIRTHDAYS
Ella Balinska - actress, “Charlie’s Angels” - 26
Dakota Johnson - actress, “Fifty Shades of Grey” films & “Ben and Kate” - 33
Lil Mama - rapper - 33
Stacey Soloman - pop singer - 33
Melissa Benoist - actress, “Glee” & “Supergirl” - 34
Derrick Rose - basketball player - 34
Shontelle - R&B singer - 37
Jimmy Workman - actor, “Addams Family” - 42
Rachael Leigh Cook - actress, “She’s All That” - 43
Alicia Silverstone - actress, “Clueless” & “The Baby-Sitters Club” - 46
Liev Schreiber - actor, “The Sum of All Fears” & “Ray Donovan” - 55
Russell Simmons - co-founder of Def Jam Records - 65
Bill Fagerbakke - voice actor, Patrick Star on “Spongebob Squarepants” - 65
Linda McMahon - WWE CEO - 74
Susan Sarandon - actress, “Thelma & Louise” & “Feud: Bette and Joan” - 76
Born On This Date
Anne Rice - gothic novelist, “Interview with a Vampire” - 1941 (d. 2021)
Charlton Heston - actor, “The Ten Commandments” - 1923 (d. 2008)
Buster Keaton - comedian - 1895 (d. 1966)
Rutherford B. Hayes - 19th POTUS - 1822 (d. 1893)
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