Today is Monday, October 7, 2024.
It is the 281st day of the year.
85 days remain.
WHAT’S ON TAP
An update on a wandering water buffalo in Iowa and a sketchy vacation opportunity in HIT LIST.
TUPAC’s family hires a high-profile attorney to look into his murder and GARTH BROOKS sells his Tennessee home. More in SHOWBIZ.
“The Princess Diaries 3” is happening and a ‘90s cartoon is getting a live-action adaptation. Details in CASTING CALL.
KIM thinks the MENENDEZ BROTHERS should be freed. More in KARDASH.
KING CHARLES has a new lunchtime habit. Details in ROYALS.
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HIT LIST
The Korea International Travel Company, a travel agency operated by KIM JONG JUNIOR’s regime in North Korea, has released promotional videos encouraging vacationers to visit – but only Russians. WATCH >
The online ads were filmed at Majeon Beach on the country’s east coast, showing young, attractive Russians running on white sandy beaches and playing volleyball while others pilot jet skis across cool, blue waters and fit women exercise in the sand. The women even wear skimpy bikinis, which the Kim regime has banned. It’s all very idyllic.
It’s not exactly clear where the ads are running, but they’re likely playing online in Russia. The campaign follows strengthened relations in recent months between Russia and North Korea, which share a small border in the north. North Korea has also reportedly supplied Russia with military support in its war against Ukraine. [via NDTV]
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Israeli intelligence is playing whack-a-mole with the new leaders of terrorist organization Hezbollah.
Hassan Nasrallah had led the organization since 1992 before being killed in September in an airstrike that included dropping more than 80 bombs, including a 2,000-pound bunker buster, on an underground hideout.
On Friday, his presumed successor, Hashem Safieddine, was believed to have been killed in another strike in Beirut.
ALSO MISSING: The head of Iran’s Quds Force, Esmail Qaani, who has been unreachable since the Friday strike that killed Safieddine.
The strikes follow a volley of missiles sent into Israel by Iran last Tuesday that the Iron Dome largely intercepted. That strike was in retaliation for an ingenious plot years in the making by Israeli intelligence that turned the pagers used by terrorist operatives into remote-detonated bombs and took out thousands of their rank-and-file. The Washington Post has a fascinating expose about that plan; read it here >
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During a recent QANTAS flight between Australia and Japan, a technical glitch played the same movie for every passenger: the racy 2023 flick “Daddio” starring DAKOTA JOHNSON and SEAN PENN. The film includes the exchange of salacious text messages and graphic sex scenes.
IT GETS WORSE: The glitch made it impossible for even the more wholesome passengers to turn off the screen. Eventually the crew realized they picked the worst possible selection and played an unspecified, “kid-friendly” movie instead.
Qantas has confirmed the incident, adding that in most circumstances individual passengers can select what they want to watch. “We are reviewing how the movie was selected,” one rep said. [via news.com.au]
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FOLLOW UP: In August, a water buffalo got loose near Des Moines, leaving locals to share tips on where to find the animal before police eventually tracked it down.
NOW: The owner has been fined $105 for having an “animal at large,” according to the Des Moines Register, plus court fees.
The buffalo, nicknamed PHill, for being spotted around the town of Pleasant Hill, was on its way for slaughter when it got loose. Now, though, PHill is staying with the farm sanctuary that cared for the infections it contracted after getting hit with tranquilizer darts. Reps for the farm say PHill is doing well. [via AP News]
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More than 575,000 votes were cast in this year’s “Best Cities in the World: 2024 Readers’ Choice Awards” survey.
Taking the top spot is Victoria, Canada, with its exquisite offerings of food, wine, architecture and art. The No. 2 spot is held by San Sebastian, Spain, followed by San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Florence, Italy and Salzburg, Austria round out the Top 5. [via CNTraveler]
Locally, the “Best City in the U.S.” goes to Charleston, South Carolina, for its history, culture and food. Santa Fe, New Mexico comes in at No. 2, followed by Alexandria, Virginia; Lexington, Kentucky; and Greenville, South Carolina. [via CNTraveler]
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DEATHS
Hall of Fame football player BILLY SHAW has died.
He passed away Friday of hyponatremia, according to a statement from his family.
Shaw is remembered as an all-time great, who spent his entire career in the American Football League.
He was 85.
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MADONNA’s brother CHRISTOPHER CICCONE has died.
He passed away on Friday after a battle with cancer, according to his rep.
Ciccone’s passing comes less than two weeks after the deaths of his and Madonna’s stepmother.
He was only 63.
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WEEKEND BOX OFFICE
10. Megalopolis: $1 million (down from 6)
9. The Substance: $1.3 million (up from 11)
8. Deadpool & Wolverine: $1.5 million (down from 7)
7. White Bird: $1.53 million (new)
6. Sam and Colby: The Legends of the Paranormal: $1.7 million (new)
5. Speak No Evil: $2.8 million (stayed at 5)
4. Transformers One: $5.3 million (down from 3)
3. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice: $10.3 million (down from 2)
2. The Wild Robot: $18.7 million (down from 1)
1. Joker: Folie a Deux: $40 million (new)
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BY THE NUMBERS
📈 The DOW gained 341 points (0.81%) to close at 42,352 on Friday. The S&P increased 51 points (0.9%) to close at 5,751 and the NASDAQ increased 219 points (1.22%) to close at 18,137.
🛢 WEST TEXAS INTERMEDIATE closed at $73 on Friday; BRENT CRUDE at $77.
⛽ The national average price of a GALLON OF GAS was $3.17 on Sunday.
₿ BITCOIN gained slightly on the weekend, trading around $62,400.
🛩 There were more than 3,340 FLIGHTS delayed within, into, or out of the United States on Sunday and more than 70 such cancellations.
💰Tuesday night’s MEGA MILLIONS drawing will be for a $129 million jackpot or a $62.3 million cash payout. Tonight’s POWERBALL drawing will be for a $315 million jackpot or a $154.9 million cash payout.
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SHOWBIZ NEWS
TUPAC SHAKUR’s family has hired high-profile New York attorney ALEX SPIRO to look into whether or not SEAN COMBS played a role in his murder.
DUANE “Keffe” DAVIS was arrested and charged last year in Tupac’s death. He previously accused Combs of being the mastermind behind the murder; a sentiment echoed by MARION “Suge” KNIGHT JR.
Fellow rapper EMINEM touched on Tupac’s murder in two of his songs, calling out Combs in both instances.
Combs has denied having anything to do with the homicide.
WORTH NOTING: Spiro most recently defended ALEC BALDWIN in his “Rust” manslaughter trial. [via CourtTV]
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A day before GARTH BROOKS was publicly accused of sexual assault, he and his wife, TRISHA YEARWOOD, sold their Tennessee home for $3.34 million.
While the timing may seem suspicious to some, the home has been on the market since 2023.
As for the accusation, Brooks says for the past two months he has been the victim of “targeted threats and lies” from the accuser, a former hairstylist, identified only as Jane Roe. [via InTouch]
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Things are getting messy between ARTEM CHIGVINTSEV and NIKKI GARCIA.
Both have now addressed the domestic violence incident that led to Artem’s arrest and Nikki’s divorce filing. He says she is the aggressor, who lashes out when she doesn’t get her way, while she claims he has held her down on multiple occasions to keep her from leaving.
The final blow apparently escalated after an argument about how to properly toast their 4-year-old son, Matteo’s, bagel.
Meanwhile, Nikki has been granted a restraining order against Artem, protecting both herself and their son. Artem is allowed visitation, however. [via TMZ]
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An NSYNC reunion may be on the horizon.
An insider told The Sun that JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE, JOEY FATONE, CHRIS KIRKPATRICK, JC CHASEZ, and LANCE BASS are “closer than ever to a full-scale return.”
This includes recording a new album and filming a documentary about their rise to fame in the ‘90s.
FOR THE RECORD: Next year is the band’s 30th anniversary. [via The Sun]
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KEANU REEVES’ professional auto racing debut took a terrifying turn on Saturday when he spun out and nearly crashed.
It was during the ninth lap at the Toyota GR Cup Series race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway that the 60-year-old swerved off the track and onto the grass, narrowly avoiding a collision with another racer.
After shaking it off, Reeves jumped back in the race and finished in 25th place. [via Page Six]
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TRAVIS KELCE is being plagued with calls from adult entertainment establishments who want to hire him for a gig or two.
This all came about after his debut in FX’s “Grotesquerie,” in which he plays a former stripper named Ed Lachlan.
One of the most well-known establishments looking to get their hands on Kelce is Thunder From Down Under. Owner Adam Steck thinks he’d be hit, saying, “I think the audience would go wild for a little NFL meets thunder magic!” [via TMZ]
SPEAKING OF TRAVIS: He celebrated turning 35 on Saturday -- without TAYLOR SWIFT at his side -- but fear not, she will be at tonight’s game against the Saints.
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CASTING CALL
As TOM SELLECK’s 14-year run as Commissioner Frank Reagan on CBS’ “Blue Bloods” comes to an end, he is sharing his frustration over the cancellation of the show.
Speaking to TV Insider, Selleck said he feels the show was “always taken for granted because it performed from the get-go.” He’s not wrong, as it was ranked No. 9 on a list of Top 100 Shows of 2023-2024.
News of the cancellation broke last year.
The first of the final eight episodes airs on October 18. [via TVInsider]
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A threequel to Disney’s “The Princess Diaries” is officially a go!
ANNE HATHAWAY, who stars as teenager-turned-princess Mia Thermopolis, confirmed the news on Instagram.
No word on whether JULIE ANDREWS will reprise her role as Mia’s grandmother, the former Queen of Genovia. [via EW]
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Paramount Pictures is working on a CGI/live-action hybrid version of Nickelodeon’s “Rugrats.”
No word on which characters will appear in the film, beyond the titular characters.
For those unfamiliar, “Rugrats” follows a group of toddlers in their day-to-day lives and all the mischief they get into. It ran from 1991 to 2004. [via IGN]
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Bravo is working on a new reality show centered on the wives and girlfriends of Kansas City Chiefs players.
Those expecting to see TAYLOR SWIFT and BRITTANY MAHOMES will be sadly disappointed as a source close to the besties told People Magazine that not only will the girls not star in the show, they won’t be filmed at all.
A pilot for the show was filmed during the offseason, after the team won their second consecutive Super Bowl. An official cast has not yet been announced. [via People]
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THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
KIM KARDASHIAN penned an emotional essay on why she believes ERIK and LYLE MENENDEZ should be freed.
“We are all products of our experiences. They shape who we were, who we are and who we will be,” she started before getting into how the brothers were “sexually, physically and emotionally abused for years by their parents.”
Kim writes that because their trial was televised, Erik and Lyle “became entertainment for the nation” and were turned into “monsters” by the media -- a subject she is able to speak on from experience.
From there she detailed the time she spent with the brothers, calling them “kind” and “honest men” who both have “exemplary disciplinary records.”
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WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS
KING CHARLES is incorporating a new habit into his everyday routine – eating lunch.
The monarch has famously skipped lunch his whole adult life. The TV show “The Crown” even alludes to it during a dramatized conversation between a young CAMILLA PARKER-BOWLES and PRINCESS DIANA. In the past, insiders have said Charles doesn’t have the time.
But on Doctor’s orders as part of his cancer treatment, the King now takes a mid-day meal regularly and prioritizes eating half an avocado. One palace insider tells the Daily Mail, “With some reluctance, he now has something to eat at lunchtime – a snack, really. He now eats half an avocado to sustain him through the day. It's important, particularly if you have got an illness.” [via DailyMail]
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DAY OF THE YEAR
National Bathtub Day
World Architecture Day
National Inner Beauty Day
World Habitat Day
National Consignment Day
National Propane Day
World Day of Bully Prevention
National Child Health Day
National LED Day
National Frappe Day
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ON THIS DATE
1691 - The monarchs of England, Scotland and Ireland grant a royal charter to the Province of Massachusetts Bay in the New World.
The area had been inhabited by European settlers for 70 years, but faced constant struggles with natives, and always feared running out of food.
With a royal charter, they were guaranteed certain protections from the British government, but the government also increased its control over the settlers.
The charter for the Province of Massachusetts Bay is different from the Massachusetts Bay Colony; the province encompassed several colonies, including Massachusetts Bay, Plymouth, Martha's Vineyard, New Brunswick, and the Province of Maine.
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1763 - King George III forbids settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains.
The decree followed Great Britain's acquisition of French territory after the end of the French and Indian War. The Crown sought to stabilize the colonies politically and economically, then establish trade and commerce with the Native Americans.
The move was certainly a point of tension in the colonies, but not a major impetus for the Revolutionary War. Just 5 years later, new lands were progressively opened up for settlement, under the authority of the British monarch.
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1862 - The Granite Railway begins operations in New England.
Its principal purpose was to move granite to Quincy, Massachusetts for the construction of a monument to those who died at the Battle of Bunker Hill.
But the railway was not powered by steam locomotives. It was an express route for horse-drawn wagons to effectively haul materials across a three-mile stretch.
The technology was still new, and quickly turned into a tourist attraction.
It was not until 1871 that Old Colony and Newport Railway took over control of the tracks and retrofitted them with contemporary technology for steam trains.
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1949 - The German Democratic Republic establishes a constitution, and formally becomes a Soviet-powered cog in the communist machine following World War II.
East Germany would be one of the Soviet's most prosperous countries, though the people lived under dictatorial rule and were shot for trying to leave the country.
The regime collapsed alongside other Soviet bloc countries, and the Soviet Union, in 1990.
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1959 - The Soviets notch another win in the space race, capturing the first pictures from the far side of the moon.
Luna 3's closest approach to the moon was just over 6,200 kilometers.
In total it took 29 pictures, mapping roughly 70% of the far side of the Moon.
Being a Soviet project, the Reds were only able to capture 17 of the 29 photos taken—and they weren't even that good.
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2003 - Arnold Schwarzenegger is elected governor of California in the recall of Gray Davis.
It was the first time a California governor was successfully recalled.
Schwarzenegger won in a landslide, beating Democrat lieutenant governor Cruz Bustamante by more than a million votes.
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2008 - Spotify is launched.
The music, podcast and streaming service was created by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon.
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2023 - Hamas launches a major air and ground attack on Israel from Gaza.
More than a thousand people were killed and hundreds were taken hostage.
The attack prompted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to declare “We are at war.”
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BIRTHDAYS
Kira Kosarin - actress, “The Thundermans” - 27
Lewis Capaldi - pop singer - 28
Mookie Betts - baseball player - 32
Holland Roden - actress, “Teen Wolf” - 38
Celeste Beryl Bonin - wrestler - 38
Shawn Ashmore - actor, “Animorphs” & “The Rookie” - 45
Aaron Ashmore - actor, “Smallville” & “Ginny & Georgia” - 46
Taylor Hicks - pop singer - 48
Allison Munn - actress, “What I Like About You” - 50
Thom York - rock singer, Radiohead - 56
Toni Braxton - R&B singer - 57
Simon Cowell - producer, executive & talent manager - 65
Yo-Yo Ma - cellist - 69
Vladimir Putin - Russian President - 72
John Mellencamp - rock singer - 73
Oliver North - political commentator - 81
Joy Behar - TV show host, “The View” - 82
Born On This Date
Desmond Tutu - Archbishop of South Africa - 1931 (d. 2021)
Chuck Klein - HOF baseball player - 1904 (d. 1958)
Jack Mulhall - actor, “The Three Musketeers” - 1887 (d. 1979)
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