11/1/2022: “Congress shall make no law…”
PLUS: China Completes Space Station; Chris Redd Recovers; and No Sympathy for Maya
Today is Tuesday, November 1, 2022.
It is the 305th day of the year.
60 days remain.
TRENDING
Happy Halloween landed in Twitter’s Top 10 Trends on Monday. Twitter users posted photos of their costumes, decor and candy. Lots and lots of candy!
Stargirl was trending after news broke that the CW show will end with its current third season.
Affirmative Action was trending as the Supreme Court debated the issue and how it relates to college admissions on Monday.
SHE DID IT was trending Monday as Swifties celebrated the new records set by Taylor Swift’s latest album, “Midnights.” More in Showbiz.
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HIT LIST
The remaining top executives at Twitter worked with ELON MUSK’s personal lawyer over the weekend to plan the company’s first round of layoffs, which the Washington Post reports will cull about 25% of the 7,000-person headcount.
MEANWHILE: Regulatory filings show that Twitter’s board of directors has been disbanded, leaving Musk in full control of the company. A separate filing shows that Twitter co-founder JACK DORSEY rolled his shares into the acquisition, and remains invested in the new Musk-led enterprise.
Insiders tell the Post that no formal communications about layoff plans have been made to staff.
WORTH NOTING: There still hasn’t been an official announcement about the takeover from Twitter’s communication team, either.
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China’s space agency has launched the third and final component of its permanent space station into orbit. It’ll join the orbiting Tiangong station, which has been crewed full time since June by three Chinese astronauts.
The new addition heats up the intensifying space supremacy race between China and the United States. This new module will allow for expanded research experiments in zero gravity. It also includes an external arm to assist with docking cargo.
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Darrell Brooks, who was convicted last week of killing six people and injuring 62 others, will be sentenced on November 15. Between victim impact statements and other testimony, the hearings are expected to take two days.
Per the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, court records indicate Brooks plans to appeal his conviction. No word on whether he’ll represent himself again.
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Security camera footage from a restaurant near Oklahoma City shows a robber crashing to the floor after climbing into an air duct on the ceiling.
This is the second break-in attempt for the restaurant in recent months. The first time, the safe was completely cleaned out; now, the owner says security was beefed up and the crook only made off with some electronic tablets.
In a moment of shocking compassion, the ripped-off owner tells local ABC affiliate KOCO he has a message for the thief: “If you need some help, need some money, you know we don't mind. You can come ask, pick up trash, or we'll even hire you. Everybody's hiring.”
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Just in time for Halloween yesterday, Guinness World Records certified the heaviest pumpkin ever in North America, weighing in at 2,560 pounds in Half Moon Bay, California.
After being recorded as the heaviest, it took the global spot as the world’s heaviest jack-o-lantern, after an eagle’s head was carved into it. The pumpkin also scored the record for largest jack-o-lantern by circumference, at just over 20 feet.
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BY THE NUMBERS
📈 The Dow lost 128 points (0.39%) on Monday, closing at 32,732. The S&P lost 29 points (0.75%) to close at 3,871. The Nasdaq lost 114 points (1.03%) to close at 10,988.
🛢 West Texas Intermediate closed at $86; Brent Crude at $92.
⛽ The national average price of a gallon of gas was $3.76 on Monday.
₿ Bitcoin fell sharply Monday afternoon, losing more than $230 after an afternoon rally and trading close to $20,400.
🛩 There were 2,172 flights delayed within, into, or out of the United States on Monday and 245 such cancellations.
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CHARTS
Top 5 Songs on iTunes:
Rihanna, “Lift Me Up”
JIN, “The Astronaut”
Sam Smith & Kim Petras, “Unholy”
Taylor Swift, “Anti-Hero”
Meghan Trainor, “Made You Look”
Top 5 Songs on Spotify:
Rihanna, “Lift Me Up”
Taylor Swift, “Anti-Hero”
Sam Smith & Kim Petras, “Unholy”
Harry Styles, “As It Was”
SZA, “Shirt”
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DEATHS
South Korean actor-singer LEE JIHAN has died.
He was one of the 154 people who were killed during a deadly Halloween crowd surge in the town of Itaewon, Seoul on Saturday.
The mass-casualty incident occurred at a popular nightlife spot that was swarmed by at least 100,000 residents who were out celebrating Halloween. It was the first event that required no masks in the area, according to the BBC.
He was 24.
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Singer and songwriter BRUCE ARNOLD has died.
His family announced his passing on Monday, but did not share a date or cause.
He was 76.
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CORMAC ROTH, the son of actor TIM ROTH, has died.
He passed away October 16 after a year-long battle with a rare cancer, his family announced yesterday.
He was 25.
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SICK BAY
Former child star DAWN LYN, 59, is fighting for her life after undergoing brain surgery and falling into a coma.
STANLEY LIVINGSTON and TINA COLE, her former “My Three Sons” costars, shared the news on social media Monday.
According to the post, Lyn underwent surgery to remove a brain tumor.
After the news began circulating, Lyn’s brother, actor LEIF GARRET addressed her situation, asking fans to keep her in their thoughts and prayers.
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THE SWAMP
While the First Amendment protects Americans from Congress abridging free speech rights, it apparently doesn’t account for the actions of federal bureaucrats.
A bombshell report by The Intercept shows through documents and messages obtained through leaks and public records request an active effort by the Department of Homeland Security to coordinate with social media sites to police content posted by American citizens.
As recently as February of this year, a Microsoft executive named MATT MASTERSON, who also used to work at DHS, texted a colleague, “Platforms have got to get comfortable with [government]. It’s really interesting how hesitant they remain.”
IT GETS WORSE: Earlier this year, the Biden Administration shut down plans for a “Disinformation Governance Board” after justified public outrage. At the time that board was shut down, news broke that government agencies had a direct line to “flag” posts on platforms like Twitter and Facebook that they wanted removed.
Now, it’s been revealed just how this happened on Facebook and Instagram. A special login portal was created for government and law enforcement entities to login and request to take down specific posts from specific people.
While a rep for Twitter denied they gave the government such access, Facebook did not respond for comment, and neither did the FBI. However, Twitter’s former legal counsel, who was fired by ELON MUSK late last week, reportedly met every month with DHS to help discuss plans for censorship.
As the story’s reporters point out, “The inherently subjective nature of what constitutes disinformation provides a broad opening for DHS officials to make politically motivated determinations about what constitutes dangerous speech.”
IN OTHER WORDS: Deep state government bureaucrats worked hand-in-hand with private companies to spin specific news narratives and determine what is and isn’t truth – and the perpetrators of this travesty have the audacity to accuse their political opponents of fascism.
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Over at The Atlantic magazine, Emily Oster opines that the people responsible for lockdowns that destroyed small businesses and erased years of educational achievement growth for children across the country should not be held to account. “Treating pandemic choices as a scorecard on which some people racked up more points than others is preventing us from moving forward,” she whines, adding, “We have to put these fights aside and declare a pandemic amnesty.”
NO: Because the people sounding the alarm for years about this gross overreaction were silenced and called racists and bigots and everything in between for doing so.
WORTH NOTING: When it’s time to vote next Tuesday, remember who wanted common sense, and who wanted to dictate where you could go, who you could see, and what you could buy.
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President JOE BIDEN on Monday threatened energy companies with a windfall profit tax if they don’t bring down their prices.
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DID NOT TAKE EVEN A BASIC INTRODUCTORY ECONOMICS COURSE: TAXES ARE ALWAYS PASSED ON TO THE CONSUMER AND THIS KIND OF LAW WILL ONLY MAKE PRICES GO UP MORE.
WORTH ASKING: How is someone who does not understand something so basic, so fundamental, about markets, allowed to run the whole damn country?!
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LOTTERY
No winner for Friday night’s Mega Millions drawing. Tonight’s drawing will be for an $87 million jackpot or a $42.8 million cash payout.
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SHOWBIZ NEWS
TAYLOR SWIFT’s latest album, “Midnights” has reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, with 1.578 million albums sold domestically -- marking the largest week for any album since 2015, per Billboard.
She is now tied with BARBRA STREISAND as the female artist with the most No. 1 albums in the chart’s history.
Swift is also the only artist to have five albums debut with over 1 million units sold in their first week in US Nielsen history.
WHAT’S MORE: Swift teased a collaboration with U2 frontman BONO after he declared himself a “Swiftie” (the nickname for her diehard fans) when they both recently appeared on “The Graham Norton Show.”
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Comedian CHRIS REDD updated fans over the weekend about how he is recovering after being hit in the face last week in NYC.
“I’ve been resting up like crazy but I want to thank you for all the messages of love, the jokes and the concern!” he wrote on Instagram.
As previously reported, Redd was entering The Comedy Cellar when he was attacked by an unidentified assailant.
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The ladies of “The View” dressed up as some of TV’s greatest heroines for Halloween on Monday.
WHOOPI GOLDBERG dressed as June Osborne, the role ELISABETH MOSS plays in “The Handmaid’s Tale.” SARA HAINES was Moira Rose from “Schitt’s Creek,” ANA NAVARRO dressed as April Lopez from “The Love Boat, JOY BEHAR was Peggy Bundy from “Married…With Children,” SUNNY HOSTIN dressed as Queen Charlotte from “Bridgerton” and ALYSSA FARAH GRIFFIN was Carrie Bradshaw from “Sex and the City.”
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Social media users think MAYA RUDOLPH is “fragile” and “egotistical” for whining about DAVID LETTERMAN mispronouncing her name when she appeared on his show in 2009.
RECAP: In a recent interview with WSJ magazine, Rudolph said she “did not have a good time” after Letterman “said [her] name wrong” prior to her walking out on stage.
One person tweeted: “So #davidletterman mispronounced @MayaRudolph’s name decades ago (and apologized on air at the time, btw) and all this time later she’s dragging him through the mud saying he humiliated her?!!! Really?!?!?”
Another bluntly wrote: “Oh, boo hoo. ‘He mispronounced my name!’ Correct him and move on, you egotistical adult baby. There’s kids who are dying of cancer. Get some perspective and stop torturing us with you strangled cat singing @MayaRudolph.”
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DREW BARRYMORE says during her time filming “E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial,” she thought the “big-eyed alien was real.”
She shared the revelation during a reunion with fellow cast members on her talk show yesterday, explaining that she “loved him in such a profound way…[she] would go and take lunch to him.”
Actress DEE WALLACE, who played the mom in the flick, shared that when director STEVEN SPIELBERG found out the then 7-year-old Barrymore thought the alien was real, he “appointed two guys to keep E.T. alive so whenever you [Barrymore] came over to talk to him, he could react.”
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MATTHEW PERRY shared more bombshells from his battle with drugs and alcohol during a sitdown interview with DIANE SAWYER.
The “Friends” alum told Sawyer that he would do just about anything to feed his “55-Vicodin-pill-a-day habit and avoid withdrawal,” including stealing pills from random people’s homes.
“The weirdest thing I did was on Sundays I would go to open houses and go to the bathrooms…in the open house and see what pills they had in there and steal them,” Perry said.
He explained that he believed no one would suspect him because of the association with his lovable “Friends” character Chandler Bing.
Perry’s new book, “Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir” hits shelves today.
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LEONARDO DICAPRIO and model GIGI HADID were spotted hanging out at Circoloco’s Halloween bash at the Brooklyn Navy Yard over the weekend.
The two, who were first linked in September, partied alongside her sister BELLA HADID, model IRINA SHAYK and art dealer HELLY NAHMAD.
DiCaprio wore a mask that was “half monster, half zombie,” eyewitnesses told Page Six. No word on what Hadid was.
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CARRIE UNDERWOOD, IMAGINE DRAGONS, YOLA and PINK are set to hit the stage at the American Music Awards this month.
The show, hosted by WAYNE BRADY, will air live from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on November 20.
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CASTING CALL
DANIEL RADCLIFFE is shutting down rumors that he is succeeding HUGH JACKMAN as the next Wolverine in the “X-Men” movie franchise.
“It’s purely a press tour rumor,” he recently told GQ magazine.
For now, Jackman will continue to play the character, confirming to Deadline in September that he will next appear as the character in “Deadpool 3,” which is expected to be released in November 2024.
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Apple is developing a scripted limited series based on the “Wild Things: Siegfried & Roy” podcast.
According to the company, the half-hour series will be told from various perspectives focusing on the two greatest showman-magicians and also diving into their “last fateful Las Vegas show,” during which Roy was bitten in the throat by one of their tigers.
“Wild Things: Siegfried & Roy” launched in January of this year.
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THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
KOURTNEY KARDASHIAN’s ex SCOTT DISICK says he is “done” with KANYE WEST after his anti-Semitic remarks.
Sources close to Disick told HollywoodLife that he is “very disappointed” in Ye and does not want his children -- whom he shares with Kourtney -- around him.
Another insider shared that Disick’s issues with Ye started before the anti-Semitic remarks, back when he was harassing KIM KARDASHIAN’s former boyfriend, PETE DAVIDSON.
Scott “thought he [Ye] showed his true colors then. And now, after all of this, Scott is done with Kanye,” the insider explained.
WORTH NOTING: Scott is Jewish.
SPEAKING OF YE: The dad of four stormed off the field during his son SAINT’s soccer game over the weekend after getting into a heated exchange with another parent, who insiders tell TMZ is a Kardashian family friend. Eyewitnesses reported he came back a few minutes later after he had seemingly cooled off. Kim watched the melee from a mere 30 yards away.
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WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS
SARAH FERGUSON claims to have never spoken with producers of Netflix “The Crown,” despite multiple outlets reporting she did in fact reach out.
The Daily Mail claims a source told them Fergie told producers she “had an inside view” of the family, making her “invaluable” to the show as a consultant. To that, a spokesperson the Duchess of York told the Daily Mail that PRINCE ANDREW’s former wife never offered to provide “advice and background information” to the creators of the show.
The rumor comes as several Brits have criticized the show, including actress JUDI DENCH, who blasted the show on social media writing that it has a tendency to “blur the lines between historical accuracy and crude sensationalism.”
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SPORTS
Kansas City Chiefs QB PATRICK MAHOMES returned to his alma mater over the weekend to be inducted into Texas Tech University’s Hall of Fame and Ring of Honor.
The ceremony went down during halftime of the Tech-Baylor football game at Jones AT&T Stadium on Saturday.
Mahomes is the eighth member in school history to land in the Ring.
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DAY OF THE YEAR
World Vegan Day
National Cinnamon Day
National Cook For Your Pets Day
Extra Mile Day
Scented Candle Day
National Authors Day
National Vinegar Day
National Deep Fried Clams Day
National Calzone Day
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ON THIS DATE
1512 – The public is able to view the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Rome for the first time.
The work is heralded as among the master Michelangelo’s finest.
The most famous of the nine ceiling panels depicting biblical stories is "The Creation of Adam," which shows God giving the spark of life to Adam.
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1765 – British Parliament approves the Stamp Act, which forced American colonists to use special paper for all printing purposes. It was designed to raise money for the British Army serving in America.
Organizations like the Sons of Liberty sprang up in reaction to the measure.
The outcry was loud enough that Parliament did repeal the Stamp Act the following March; however, they also passed the Declaratory Acts, which asserted Parliament's legislative supremacy over the colonies.
Of course, the back-and-forth culminated in the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War in 1775.
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1800 – John Adams moves into the President's House in Washington, D.C.
Only a few months of his presidency remained, which was fortunate, as there remained much work to be done to complete the house.
The winter months were indeed cold and uncomfortable and Abigail Adams insisted that fires be lit in every room to warm the place. She had to hang her laundry indoors, in what is today the East Room.
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1950 – Two lame assassins botch an even lamer assassination attempt on President Truman.
The commander in chief and his family had been living in Blair House, across the street from the White House, which was undergoing renovations.
The two assassins, Grisello Torresola and Oscar Collazo ran up to the front door and started shooting, willy nilly.
They were quickly subdued by police officers and secret service, one of whom died in the fight. Torresola was also killed.
Collazo later admitted that their plan was ill-conceived. They were even unsure whether the president was home at 2 pm that afternoon — the time of the attack.
Truman kept his schedule that day. His only remarks: "A president has to expect these things."
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1952 – The world's first thermonuclear bomb is detonated over Eniwetok atoll in the Pacific Ocean.
The blast came 7 years after the explosion of the atomic bombs over Japan. The Soviets caught up in 1949 with their own atom bomb. In the meantime, this gave the United States the most powerful weapon in the world. It was 1,000 times more destructive than other atomic bombs.
The Soviets would catch up the following year, with the detonation of their own hydrogen weapon.
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1993 – With the passage of the Maastricht Treaty, the European Union becomes a real institution.
Named for the town in the Netherlands where negotiations over formation of the EU took place, the Maastricht Treaty called for a centralized European parliament, a central European bank, and universal foreign policy across the member nations.
It was also the first step for the foundation of the Euro currency.
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1998 – 49ers Steve Young and Jerry Rice hook up for their 80th career touchdown at Lambeau Field.
They would ultimately lose the game to the Green Bay Packers 36-22.
The record was previously held by Dolphins tandem Dan Marino and Mark Clayton.
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2018 - Palau becomes the first country to ban sunscreen and its chemicals.
The Pacific nation made the decision as the cream can be harmful to corals and sea life.
Hawaii would follow three years later.
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2021 - Johns Hopkins reports that the global death toll from COVID-19 has surpassed 5 million.
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BIRTHDAYS
Jayden Bartels - actress, “Side Hustle” & “Camp Nick” - 18
NLE CHOPPA - rapper - 20
Kaylee Bryant - actress, “Kickin’ It” & “Legacies” - 25
Alex Wolff - drummer, The Naked Brothers Band - 25
Anthony Ramos - stage actor, “Hamilton” - 31
Penn Badgley - actor, “Gossip Girl” & “You” - 36
Jenny McCarthy - TV personality, “The View” & “The Masked Singer” - 50
Anthony Kiedis - rock singer, Red Hot Chili Peppers - 60
Tim Cook - business executive, Apple - 62
David Foster - music producer - 73
Born On This Date
Lil Peep - rapper - 1996 (d. 2017)
Larry Flint - magazine publisher, Hustler - 1942 (d. 2021)
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