10/4/2023: Another Murder in the Building
PLUS: Cruising the Seas; MJ’s Billions; and Andrew Stays Put
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Today is Wednesday, October 4, 2023.
It is the 277th day of the year.
88 days remain.
WHAT’S ON TAP
The long-awaited trial of SAM BANKMAN-FRIED is underway and an EV battery plant has unintended consequences. More in HIT LIST.
ED SHEERAN went blind smoking with SNOOP DOGG and TODD CHRISLEY is teaching a finance class in prison…how ironic. More in SHOWBIZ.
There will be more murders thanks to Hulu renewing this hit show. More in CASTING CALL.
ROB KARDASHIAN’s ex is broke. More in KARDASH.
After months of back-and-forth, PRINCE ANDREW will remain in the Royal Lodge. More in ROYALS.
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HIT LIST
FTX-FILES: Attorneys began jury selection yesterday in SAM BANKMAN-FRIED’s fraud and conspiracy trial. SBF appeared in court sporting a professional cropped haircut that departed from his iconic frizzy tangle.
Opening arguments are expected to begin today once the twelve jurors are finalized. [via Morning Martini]
MEANWHILE: Apparently SBF took out an insurance policy even before FTX collapsed that would help him pay for such a legal defense. That policy has failed to pay out adequately so far. His attorneys are now separately suing for those funds. [via CoinDesk]
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For all their avocado toast and student loan debt, millennials turn out to be ahead of the game in terms of retirement savings compared to their Gen X and Boomer counterparts.
The Wall Street Journal reports that when older millennials currently earning the median salary retire, they’ll be able to replace about 60% of their incomes with proceeds from retirement accounts and social security.
Comparatively, members of the older generations will only be able to replace about half their income in retirement.
TURNS OUT: Auto-enrollment in corporate 401(k) plans for millennial workers has been a boon to their accounts. [via WSJ]
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Every cell phone and smartphone connected to a cell network in the United States will get a message this afternoon to test the country’s emergency response system.
The test will begin at 1:20 pm Central and run for about 30 minutes. Radio and TV stations will announce a similar message around the same time. [via NPR]
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Last year, Japanese manufacturing company PANASONIC started building a massive electric vehicle battery factory in rural Kansas with the help of $6.8 BILLION in subsidies from the Inflation Reduction Act.
GO FIGURE: There’s not enough power supply in the area to make the factory operational – so the Kansas City government has authorized a coal power plant that was scheduled to be decommissioned to keep on burning in the meantime. [via Cowboy State Daily]
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ALL INCLUSIVE: A retired Australian couple booked back-to-back Princess Cruises -- totaling 795 days -- because it's “much cheaper than going to a nursing home.”
Marty and Jess Ansen set sail in June 2022 and are expected to deboard sometime in August 2024. [via Upworthy]
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BY THE NUMBERS
📈 The DOW had its worst day since March on Tuesday, sliding 430 points (1.29%) to close at 33,002. The S&P was down 58 points (1.37%) to close at 4,229 and the NASDAQ decreased 248 points (1.87%) to close at 13,059.
🛢 WEST TEXAS INTERMEDIATE closed at $89; BRENT CRUDE at $91.
⛽ The national average price of a GALLON OF GAS was $3.79 on Tuesday.
₿ BITCOIN was down half a point, trading around $27,300 on Tuesday.
🛩 There were more than 2,105 FLIGHTS delayed within, into, or out of the United States on Tuesday and more than 55 such cancellations.
💰Tonight’s POWERBALL drawing will be for a $1.20 BILLION jackpot or a $551.7 million cash payout.
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SHOWBIZ NEWS
Sports commentators ERIN ANDREWS and CHARISSA THOMPSON are the best wing-women in the world; just ask TRAVIS KELCE.
After Kelce shared his disappointment over not getting a face-to-face with TAYLOR SWIFT at one of her shows earlier this year, Andrews and Thompson took it upon themselves to try to convince Swift to give Kelce a shot.
“There’s no one who would give you a better time than this guy,” the ladies exclaimed on their podcast, “Calm Down With Erin and Charissa.”
Looks like their plea worked – but no word if Swift ever watched the episode. [via Page Six]
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Sources say actor JOSHUA JACKSON was “blindsided” and has been left “heartbroken” after his wife, model JODIE TURNER-SMITH filed for divorce.
Insiders told the Daily Mail that Jackson “isn’t thrilled” about the split, while insisting that there was no foul play, saying only that the marriage has “simply run its course.”
As previously reported, Turner-Smith cited “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for the split. She wants to share custody of their three-year-old daughter. [via Daily Mail]
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ED SHEERAN once smoked so much weed with SNOOP DOGG that he was temporarily blind.
During a recent appearance on the “Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend” podcast, Sheeran shared how Snoop offered him a joint after one of his shows in Melbourne and he did his best to keep up, which is hard as Snoop smokes like a chimney. Shortly into the smoke session, Sheeran says everything went hazy and he had a hard time seeing.
Despite his temporary loss of sight, Sheeran revealed that BURNA BOY is actually the biggest smoker he has encountered. [via Fader]
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MICHAEL JORDAN is one of the wealthiest 400 people in America.
According to Forbes, MJ is No. 379 on the list with his net worth of $3 BILLION dollars.
Also, he is the first professional athlete to ever make the list. [via Forbes]
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The outfit LEONARDO DICAPRIO wore as Jack Dawson in “Titanic” is hitting the auction block.
The corduroy pants, overalls, button-down long-sleeve shirt and vest are expected to fetch up to $230,000.
Other items in the upcoming auction include a light-up C-3PO head from “Star Wars: A New Hope,” MICHAEL KEATON’s batsuit from “Batman” and TOM HANKS’ sneakers from “Forrest Gump.” [via TMZ]
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TODD CHRISLEY is teaching a financial class behind bars.
His daughter SAVANNAH CHRISLEY spoke about her dad’s new venture on her “Unlocked” podcast, calling the subject “ironic.”
Remember, Todd is in prison for wire fraud, conspiracy to commit bank fraud and conspiracy to defraud the United States.
Meanwhile, her mom, JULIE CHRISLEY, who is serving time in a separate prison for the same set of charges, is teaching a real estate class. [via ET]
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KROY BIERMANN and KIM ZOLCIAK’s Georgia mansion has been listed on several real estate sites even though neither of them has put the house on the market.
The fake listing has a $3.2 million price on the pad, which has been at the center of Kim and Kroy’s ongoing divorce drama.
Remember, Kroy asked a judge to allow him to list the home in an effort to help pay off some of their massive debt, but a ruling has not yet been made. [via Daily Mail]
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A Los Angeles judge ruled that LADY GAGA does not owe the woman who found her kidnapped pups the $500,000 reward money that was offered. Why? Because the woman is also part of the group who dog-napped the two French Bulldogs.
Jennifer McBride filed a lawsuit against the singer in February, seeking the reward money plus $1.5 million in additional damages.
During a court hearing in July, McBride’s lawyer argued that because Gaga stated “no questions asked” as part of the reward offering, by failing to pay she committed a “breach of contract, fraud by false promise and fraud by misrepresentation.”
A judge saw through the BS this week and closed the case, awarding McBride nothing.
Turns out crime doesn’t pay. Literally. [via People]
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DICK VAN DYKE and his wife ARLENE SILVER surprised fellow park goers who spotted them checking out the attractions at Disneyland last week.
The 97-year-old toured the park via wheelchair, while his 52-year-old wife walked near his side.
A video of the two waving from a balcony was posted on Instagram, with one fan commenting, “TRUE DISNEY LEGEND!” and another writing, “I would have lost my collective spoon full [sic] of sugar if I saw the absolute legend there.” [via Instagram]
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CASTING CALL
Hulu has renewed “Only Murders in the Building” for a fourth season.
The series premiered in August 2021 and has received two Emmy nominations for outstanding comedy series and outstanding lead actor in a comedy series.
The Season 3 finale aired Tuesday and left the door open for solving yet another murder. [via THR]
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THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
ROB KARDASHIAN’s ex BLAC CHYNA is selling personal items to financially keep her head above water as she battles her other ex, rapper TYGA for full custody of their son.
So far she has made about $178 million selling off clothes, purses and shoes through an online consignment store, but that won’t go far when it comes to legal fees and insiders say she is concerned about what happens when she runs out of things to sell.
Tyga-sources claim he has been taking care of their son, paying for his private school tuition, medical bills and everyday expenses. [via TMZ]
KARTENTACLES: Rob and Chyna -- who share daughter Dream -- dated around the same time that Tyga dated Rob’s sister KYLIE JENNER.
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WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS
PRINCE ANDREW has struck a deal with KING CHARLES that will allow him to continue living in the Royal Lodge.
For months, Andrew has reportedly refused to leave the 30-room estate on the grounds of Windsor, where he resides with ex-wife SARAH FERGUSON.
NOW: The Mirror reports that after a discussion during Charles’ summer getaway to Balmoral, the King relented and just wants to move on from the issue. The King’s original intent was for his son, PRINCE WILLIAM, to move into the estate with his family, but the Waleses are intent on staying put at Kensington Palace for now, anyway. [via The Mirror]
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DAY OF THE YEAR
Cinnamon Roll Day
World Animal Day
Ship in A Bottle Day
National Golf Lovers Day
National Taco Day
Canadian Beer Day
National Vodka Day
Improve Your Office Day
Random Acts of Poetry Day
National Pumpkin Seed Day
National Kale 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 four 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 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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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” - 27
Mike Williams - football player - 29
Dakota Johnson - actress, “50 Shades of Grey” - 34
Lil Mama - rapper - 34
Derrick Rose - basketball player - 35
Melissa Benoist - actress, “Glee” & “Supergirl” - 35
Rachael Leigh Cook - actress, “She’s All That” - 44
Alicia Silverstone - actress, “Clueless” & “The Baby-Sitters Club” - 47
Liev Schreiber - actor, “Ray Donovan” & “Human Capital” - 56
Bill Fagerbakke - voice actor, Patrick Star on “SpongeBob Squarepants” - 66
Russell Simmons - entrepreneur, Def Jam & Phat Farm - 66
Sherri Turner - golfer - 67
Susan Sarandon - actress, “Thelma & Louise” & “Feud: Bette and Joan” - 77
Tony La Russa - baseball HOF manager - 79
Born On This Date
Anne Rice - novelist, “Interview with a Vampire” - 1941 (d. 2021)
Charlton Heston - actor, “The Ten Commandments” - 1923 (d. 2008)
Buster Keaton - actor & comedian, “Navigator” & “The General” - 1895 (d. 1966)
Rutherford B. Hayes - 19th POTUS - 1822 (d. 1893)
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