10/6/2023: “Million Dollar Search for Extraterrestrials” 👽
PLUS: Driving in Singapore; David Beckham For President; and Let’s Go Antiquing!
Today is Friday, October 6, 2023.
It is the 279th day of the year.
86 days remain.
WHAT’S ON TAP
A former colleague of SAM BANKMAN-FRIED says there’s no question the company committed fraud, an early blow to his defense strategy. More in HIT LIST.
ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER was a super strict parent and AMY SCHUMER sends out a warning about getting old. More in SHOWBIZ.
CHRIS ROCK is in talks to produce a biopic about MLK JR. and SUNNY HOSTIN wants to host a controversial new reality series. More in CASTING CALL.
CAITLYN JENNER no longer speaks to this ex. Find out who it is in KARDASH.
The Waleses quietly went on a high-end date night last week. More in ROYALS.
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HIT LIST
A former FTX executive said in his testimony on Thursday that he and his colleagues absolutely committed fraud while managing the company.
WORTH REMEMBERING: Convicting SAM BANKMAN-FRIED hinges on proving that he knew it was wrong to use money in customer accounts for personal expenses and business operations.
NOW: GARY WANG, credited as a co-founder of the crypto exchange, says there’s no question about it. “We gave special privileges to Alameda Research to allow it to withdraw unlimited funds … and lied about it,” he said. [via CoinDesk]
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Here’s a good ol’ case of stone cold irony.
Last Saturday, California Highway Patrol pulled over a man named Raymond Barrantes for erratic driving, later to discover he was drunk behind the wheel.
In 2015, Barrantes received an award from Mothers Against Drunk Driving – because he was responsible for the most DUI arrests by the Sacramento Police Department.
FOR WHAT IT’S WORTH: Barrantes was off duty at the time of his arrest. [via KCRA]
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Believe it or not, the cost of buying and maintaining a car could be much, much worse.
In Singapore, buying a driver’s license now costs the equivalent of $76,000 – just for the license.
And if you want an SUV, it’ll cost over $106,000.
WORTH NOTING: Singapore is an island, country, and giant city all in one, and is often rated the most expensive place in the world to live. The median household income is over $7,000 a month.
GOOD NEWS: You can still get around on wheels for a much lower price: a motorbike license runs just under $8,000. [via CNN]
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The growth of CHICK-FIL-A in recent years has had major downstream effects for the American fast food chicken experience.
Over the last year, KFC has lost five percentage points of market share in the chicken-chain business, pulling it down to the number three spot – enough to get overtaken by POPEYE’S, which has surged from a 12% market share to 15%.
Chick-fil-A now accounts for almost half of all chicken-chain-restaurant sales in the US. [via CNBC]
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RING has announced a “Million Dollar Search for Extraterrestrials.”
The home security company is offering $1 million to anyone who captures “scientific evidence” of an extraterrestrial on their device.
HERE’S HOW IT WORKS: Starting November 3, anyone over the age of 18 can submit a video of what they believe to be an out-of-this-world being caught on their Ring camera. All footage will be reviewed by a “Space and Extraterrestrial Expert.”
One lucky winner will get $1 million in two $50,000 yearly payments for two decades, according to the announcement.
FUN MONEY: Ring is also offering a $500 Amazon gift card for the “most creative submissions” aka people dressed as aliens. [via People]
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DEATHS
Hall of Fame football player RICHARD MARVIN BUTKUS aka Dick Butkus has died.
He passed away Thursday at his home in Malibu, California. No cause of death was shared.
Butkus is best known for being the hard-hitting middle linebacker for the Chicago Bears in the 1960s and ‘70s. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1979 -- his first year of eligibility.
He was 80.
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BREAKUPS
Less than a week after being traded to the Milwaukee Bucks, DAMIAN LILLARD had filed for divorce from his wife of two years, KAY’LA.
He cited “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for the split, noting that it has caused an “irremediable breakdown of their marriage.”
The two share three young kids.
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BY THE NUMBERS
📈 The DOW was mostly flat Thursday, down 10 points (0.03%) to close at 33,119. The S&P lost just 5 points (0.13%) to close at 4,258 and the NASDAQ lost 16 points (0.12%) to close at 13,219.
🛢 WEST TEXAS INTERMEDIATE fell to $82; BRENT CRUDE to $84.
⛽ The national average price of a GALLON OF GAS was $3.76 on Thursday.
₿ BITCOIN tumbled more than 1.25% Thursday, trading around $27,400.
🛩 There were more than 3,255 FLIGHTS delayed within, into, or out of the United States on Thursday and more than 125 such cancellations.
💰Tonight’s MEGA MILLIONS drawing will be for a $350 million jackpot or a $155.9 million cash payout. Saturday night’s POWERBALL drawing will be for a $1.40 BILLION jackpot or a $643.7 million cash payout.
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SHOWBIZ NEWS
These albums drop today:
BCMC, “Foreign Smokes”
BoyWithUke, “Lucid Dreams”
Citizen, “Calling the Dogs”
Colbie Caillat, “Along the Way”
Darius Rucker, “Carolyn’s Boy”
Drake, “For All the Dogs”
Glasser, “crux”
Incubus, “Morning View XXII”
Jolie Holland, “Haunted Mountain”
Old Dominion, “Memory Lane”
Omar Apollo, “Live For Me” EP
Van Halen, “The Collection II”
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The People Have Spoken.
Fans of Netflix’s new series, “Beckham,” think DAVID BECKHAM should be the moderator for the 2024 Presidential Debates.
HERE’S WHY: In the show, his wife, VICTORIA BECKHAM, was doing a solo interview, during which she claimed to have grown up in the “working class.”
Beckham pokes his head into the room and repeatedly tells her to “be honest.” She insists she is, to which David asks, “What car did your dad drive you to school in?”
Eventually she says, “Ok. In the ‘80s, my dad had a Rolls-Royce.”
The exchange has gone viral on social media, with one person calling David’s “relentless questioning” a “masterclass.” [via Insider]
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Two tickets to one of TAYLOR SWIFT’s “Eras Tour” concerts sold at auction for $15,000, making it the biggest item of the night.
The tickets were auctioned off at the inaugural Rare Impact Fund Benefit, which is part of SELENA GOMEZ’s ongoing campaign to bring awareness to people struggling with mental health.
By the way -- the tickets are good for any of her shows at any location. [via TMZ]
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ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER was a strict parent.
The actor and former governor opened up about raising his four kids with ex-wife MARIA SHRIVER on RICH ROLL’s podcast, saying, “there was discipline in the house.”
“You don’t turn out that light? I will unscrew those light bulbs,” he shared as one example of his strict expectations.
Another time, Schwarznegger said his daughter repeatedly left her shoes in front of the fireplace, so he threw them “in the fire right in front of her.”
As for how the now-adults with kids of their own feel about their strict father’s parenting, he says they “respect” how he raised them. [via YouTube]
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JASON DERULO is being sued by an aspiring musician who claims he only signed her because he wanted to sleep with her.
EMAZA GIBSON told NBC News that Derulo made “unwanted sexual advances toward her after they began working together in a professional capacity.” After not accepting the advances, Gibson says her deal was prematurely terminated in September 2022.
She is now suing for intimidation, illegal retaliatory termination and breach of contract. [via NBC News]
WORTH NOTING: Gibson is represented by Rob Zambrano, who is the attorney behind the sexual harassment lawsuits against LIZZO.
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AMY SCHUMER posted a warning to 20-somethings about the effects of aging with side-by-side photos of herself on Instagram this week.
In the post, 42-year-old Schumer shared a throwback snap of her all dolled up alongside a more recent snap of her on the toilet, in a hospital gown, with an IV in her arm and hair all in disarray.
“Warning 20 somethings. I looked like this at your age. Life is coming for you,” she captioned the post. [via Instagram]
JUST LIKE US: Isn’t it refreshing when a celeb posts a real life behind-the-scenes snapshot and not one that has been staged and photoshopped? Makes them seem almost human. Almost.
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CASTING CALL
SUNNY HOSTIN wants her name in the running for host of the U.S. version of Max’s new reality series “Naked Attraction.”
As previously reported the show -- originally from the UK -- features one contestant who gets to gradually view six potential dates who are all naked. When there are only two potential dates left the contestant strips down and picks one person to go on a date with.
Hostin has been a huge fan of the show, and has discussed it several times with her “View” co-hosts, who suggested other titles for the series, such as “Naked and Well-Lit” or WHOOPI GOLDBERG’s NSFW suggestion of “Naked and Well-Hung.” [via Decider]
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CHRIS ROCK is in talks to direct and produce a biopic about the life of Martin Luther King Jr, with STEVEN SPIELBERG as executive producer.
The film will be based on the biography, “King: A Life,” by Jonathan Eig, which has been nominated for the National Book Award. Eig’s book “sketches out the courageous man who demanded peaceful protests in the segregationist south, all the while grappling with his own frailties and a federal government that haunted his every step instead of treating him like the hero history shows him to be.”
The biography contains newly declassified FBI information, though whether that will be part of the biopic is not yet known. [via Deadline]
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The passion project that has kept KEVIN COSTNER away from the set of “Yellowstone” will hit theaters next year.
Chapter 1 and 2 of “Horizon: An American Saga” will hit theaters next June and August, respectively. Chapters 3 and 4 have not yet been filmed due to the writers’ strike (now ended) and ongoing actors’ strike.
The premise of “Horizon” is pre- and post-American Civil War and the expansion of the American West.
As for “Yellowstone,” it is unclear if Costner will return to finish out his time as patriarch John Dutton. [via ABC News]
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Netflix is opening up a real-life version of Netflix’s “Squid Game” in Los Angeles.
The immersive experience, called “Squid Game: The Trials” features a live high-intensity competition, a “Night Market” with Korean food, drinks and a “Squid Game” store.
According to the streamer, those willing to participate will be greeted by the “Front Man” aka the masked villain in the series, before attempting to complete “a series of six escalating challenges, accumulating points as you advance.”
No word on if there will be a prize for the winner -- who will need “nerves of steel, cunning strategy, and a touch of luck” -- or if they simply get to walk away with bragging rights. [via THR]
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CRIB NOTES
BILL GATES recently scooped up the historic Portofino Castle in Italy for $60 million.
The 12,917 square-foot castle is split into 12 mini apartments, which insiders say Gates plans to turn into a luxury hotel.
It was originally used for military defense during the Roman Times. [via Daily Mail]
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THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
CAITLYN JENNER is no longer keeping up with ex-wife KRIS JENNER.
The 73-year-old recently appeared on UK talk show “The Morning” where she said that she and Kris “never really talk” anymore, calling the distance “sad.”
Cait was on the show to promote the new series, “House of Kardashian,” which aims to explore the family’s dynamics, scandals, controversial business dealings and personal struggles.
Remember, Cait and Kris were married for 22 years and share two daughters, KYLIE and KENDALL JENNER. [via Page Six]
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WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS
PRINCE WILLIAM and PRINCESS KATE took a date night to go antiquing at a high-end auction shop well outside of London last week, the Daily Mail reports.
The collection was curated by a former designer commissioned by KING CHARLES to oversee the redecoration of his Highgrove estate and Clarence House.
One insider tells the Mail that the Waleses were shopping for gifts for Kate’s family.
The entire lot is expected to fetch at least 1.5 MILLION Pounds. [via DailyMail]
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DAY OF THE YEAR
National Transfer Money to Your Daughter Day
National Mad Hatter Day
Plaidurday
Wakey Wakey Hospice PJ Day
National Physician Assistant Day
World Smile Day
National Noodle Day
National Badger Day
World Cerebral Palsy Day
Inbox Zero Day
Kids Music Day
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ON THIS DATE
1683 – The first Mennonites land in America, on board the Concord, making them the first Europeans of German heritage to attempt to colonize the New World.
Early settler William Penn offered 5,000 acres of property in Pennsylvania to Mennonite immigrants. The Protestant sect had been persecuted across Europe, and especially in Germany.
Francis Daniel Pastorious was the leader of the first group, hailing from Krefeld, Germany.
When the American Revolution came around almost 100 years later, there were 100,000 Germans in Pennsylvania – almost one-third of the total population.
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1847 – Charlotte Bronte’s “Jane Eyre” is published by Smith, Elder and Co. in Britain. She wrote under the pseudonym Currer Bell.
It was published the following year stateside by Harper & Brothers.
As the novel’s success accelerated, Bronte revealed her real identity and started rubbing elbows with other prolific British authors.
Bronte died while pregnant only eight years later.
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1866 – The first recorded robbery of a moving locomotive is committed.
The Reno Gang is the culprit and makes off with more than $10,000. Train line owners had been subject to stickups while trains were sitting at freight yards or public stations, but none had ever been assaulted while en route.
For 20 years trains were widely susceptible to robberies while moving, but owners got wise and hired armed guards, installed safes, and fortified their boxcars.
By the late 1880s, attempting to rob a moving train became a very dangerous and costly business.
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1926 – Babe Ruth homers three times against the Cardinals in Game 4 of the World Series, propelling the Yankees to a 10-5 victory. It was a new record that has only been tied once: Reggie Jackson hit three homers in a World Series game on October 18, 1977.
The Yankees actually lost that series anyway, in Game 7.
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1979 – Pope John Paul II is the first Pope to visit the White House.
Since that first visit to Jimmy Carter, every President has had at least one meeting with His Holiness. George W. Bush holds the record with five meetings with two different popes: John Paul II and Benedict XV.
With over 64 million Catholics in the country, it’s a politically expeditious move.
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1981 – A terrorist sect assassinates Egyptian president Anwar Sadat while he was reviewing troops to commemorate the Yom Kippur War.
Sadat took four bullets and died two hours after the attack. Ten others were killed.
Sadat’s presidency was controversial in extremist Muslim circles for his cooperation with Israel.
The year before, Muammar Qadaffi had been behind another assassination attempt against Sadat.
Five of the assassination conspirators were put on trial and executed for the murder. Another 17 went to prison.
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1996 – Bob Dole and President Bill Clinton meet in their first debate.
The debate took place in Hartford, Connecticut and was moderated by Jim Lehrer of PBS.
Most voters considered Clinton the winner. He would go on to win re-election in November.
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2018 – Brett Kavanaugh is confirmed and sworn into the US Supreme Court, creating a generational conservative majority.
Protestors were on hand to share their disappointment in the decision, as many believed the accusations of sexual assault levied against him.
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BIRTHDAYS
Bronny James - basketball player - 19
Addison Rae - actress, “He’s All That” - 23
Jazz Jennings - reality star, “I Am Jazz” - 23
Trevor Lawrence - football player - 24
Matt Cornett - actor, “Bella and the Bulldogs” - 25
Braxton Berrios - football player - 28
Scarlett Byrne - actress, “Harry Potter” films - 33
Brett Gelman - actor, “Love” & “Fleabag” - 47
Jeremy Sisto - actor, “Six Feet Under” - 49
Ioan Gruffudd - actor, “The Fantastic Four” - 50
Amy Jo Johnson - actress, “Power Rangers” - 53
Elisabeth Shue - actress, “Cocktail” & “Adventures in Babysitting” - 60
Born On This Date
Janet Gaynor - actress, “A Star Is Born” - 1906 (d. 1984)
George Westinghoue - entrepreneur & engineer (air brakes, A/C) - 1846 (d. 1914)
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