1/11/2024: Family Therapy
PLUS: War in Ecuador; Rodgers-Kimmel Feud; and Princess Anne Goes Abroad
Today is Thursday, January 11, 2024.
It is the 11th day of the year.
355 days remain.
WHAT’S ON TAP
NASA delays its moon mission and a new drone offering could upend the delivery business. Details in HIT LIST.
SELENA GOMEZ says bye to social media and 50 CENT is practicing abstinence. More in SHOWBIZ.
DON LEMON is heading to X and a new Baby Yoda movie is in the works. Details in CASTING CALL.
Tale of Two Rockys. More in KARDASH.
PRINCESS ANNE represents The Crown abroad. Details in ROYALS.
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HIT LIST
American astronauts won’t fly past the moon later this year after all.
NASA has suspended the ARTEMIS II mission until at least September 2025, from November of this year. That also means the scheduled lunar landing will be pushed until some time in 2026.
Officials cited three primary factors behind the delay, according to the New York Times: fixing technical issues in the crew capsule’s life support system, a deeper analysis of the crew capsule’s heat shield from the unmanned Artemis I mission, and repairs to the launch tower. [via New York Times]
MEANWHILE, IN SPACE: Astrobotic Technology aborted its moon landing mission barely a day after launch. The company cited an issue with the spacecraft’s propulsion system and battery. [via CNN]
MEANWHILE, IN CHINA: China announced Wednesday its next lunar explorer will launch in the first half of the year, after successfully arriving at its launch site on Hainan island. [via ABC News]
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President of Ecuador DANIEL NABOA said his country is in a state of war on Wednesday, a day after it formally labeled gangs as domestic terrorist organizations.
The disappearance of gang leader JOSÉ “FITO” VILLAMAR from prison over the weekend sparked the conflict, as the president instituted a nationwide curfew and ban on public gatherings. Since then, videos have emerged on social media of Ecuadorian police and military stopping civilians on the street to inspect them for gang tattoos.
Inside one prison, inmates have taken more than 120 security guards hostage and another 14 administrative staff. Unverified social media videos taken from within the facilities show prisoners murdering some of their hostages.
Naboa also announced the government will begin deporting foreign prisoners held in their facilities, noting that the country spends more on keeping those estimated 1500 prisoners behind bars than it does on the nation’s school breakfast program. [via Reuters]
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Consumer video drone company DJI says it will roll out its delivery drone globally by the end of March.
The FlyCart 30 can fly with a payload over 60 pounds and travel nearly ten miles on a single charge. It also supports a “winch mode” with the appropriate accessories, apparently to raise and lower its cargo from a height. [via DJI, HeliGuy]
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The US Coast Guard intercepted a ton of cocaine this week – a literal ton.
The street value of the haul is up around $32.2 MILLION. Guardsmen seized two separate boats and arrested six smugglers, hauling away 2,450 pounds of blow in the process, somewhere in the Caribbean Sea. [via ABC News]
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The 2024 Pantone Color of the Year is “Peach Fuzz.”
The hue is described as being “soft” and “heartfelt,” and expresses the “desire to nurture kindness, compassion, and connection -- all while fostering a deep coziness [for] a peaceful future.”
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Color of the Year program.
Last year’s color was “Viva Magenta.” [via Pantone, House Beautiful]
DEATHS
AMALIJA KNAVS, mom of MELANIA TRUMP, has died.
She passed away Tuesday after a brief, but serious illness.
Melania posted about her mother’s passing, calling her “strong woman who always carried herself with grace, warmth and dignity,” while her husband, DONALD TRUMP told a Florida crowd, “it’s a tough one, it's a very tough one.”
She was 78.
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BY THE NUMBERS
📈 The DOW increased 170 points (0.45%) to close at 37,695 on Wednesday. The S&P gained 27 points (0.57%) to close at 4,783 and the NASDAQ increased 111 points (0.75%) to close at 14,969.
🛢 WEST TEXAS INTERMEDIATE closed at $71; BRENT CRUDE at $76.
⛽ The national average price of a GALLON OF GAS was $3.07 on Wednesday.
₿ BITCOIN decreased more than 1.7% by Wednesday evening, trading around $45,270.
🛩 There were more than 3,280 FLIGHTS delayed within, into, or out of the United States on Wednesday and more than 680 such cancellations.
💰Friday night’s MEGA MILLIONS drawing will be for a $187 million jackpot or a $91 million cash payout.
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SHOWBIZ NEWS
SELENA GOMEZ let her followers know this week that she will be “off social media for a while.”
The break comes days after heightened speculation that she was gossiping with gal pal TAYLOR SWIFT at the Golden Globes about KYLIE JENNER and TIMOTHEE CHALAMET.
Viewers -- and several self-proclaimed lip readers -- believe Gomez told Swift that she asked to take a picture with Chalamet, but Jenner told her “no.”
Gomez addressed the incident before signing off, saying she simply told her friend that two of her other friends had hooked up. Chalamet also spoke out about the rumors saying there is no bad blood between his girlfriend and Gomez. [via NY Post]
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FEUD OVER?: AARON RODGERS responded to JIMMY KIMMEL’s lengthy monologue about his comments regarding the late-night host being on the now infamous “Epstein List.”
During another appearance on the “Pat McAfee Show,” Rodgers said his initial comments were taken out of context and he never called Kimmel a pedophile. He followed that up, telling McAfee that he doesn’t “give a shit what [Kimmel] thinks” about him, before adding that he is “all for moving forward.”
While not the apology that Kimmel was hoping for, maybe the two can now bury the proverbial hatchet. [via ET]
BUT WAIT: On Wednesday McAfee announced on his show that Rodgers will not appear on the show for the rest of the NFL season in response to the Kimmel drama. This is huge as Rodgers has been a weekly guest on the show. [via Athletic]
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COLDPLAY’s 2000 hit “Yellow” has joined YouTube’s Billion Views Club -- marking their fifth music video to hit 1 BILLION views on the platform.
Their other songs include, “Paradise,” “Adventure of a Lifetime,” “The Scientist,” and “Hymn for the Weekend.” [via Billboard]
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Celebs…they’re just like us.
JESSICA ALBA recently opened up about going to therapy with her 15-year-old daughter, Honor.
“We were arguing all the time about dumb stuff…I was like, ‘I don’t want to live like this. I didn’t want us to have a wedge between us,’” so to therapy they went, Alba told Real Simple.
As for how it is going, Alba said it has given both of them some “perspective” and has been a “valuable tool.” Her other daughter, 12-year-old Haven, has even joined in on some sessions too.
Alba shares both girls and 6-year-old son Hayes with husband CASH WARREN. [via Real Simple]
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DUA LIPA and SETH MEYERS got matching tattoos.
The ink session went down on a recent episode of “Late Night with Seth Meyers,” with celebrity tattoo artist Keith “Bang Bang” McCurdy doing the honors.
Lipa is no stranger to tattoos, but for Meyers, the star design was his first. [via People]
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50 CENT has so many things he wants to accomplish this year that he is turning away any and all distractions -- including sex.
The rapper says he won’t be “havin’ sex” or “makin’ love” in 2024 in an effort to focus on his goals. [via Billboard]
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On what would have been DAVID BOWIE’s 77th birthday, a street in Paris was named in his honor.
Located between the Jardin des Plantes botanical gardens and the National Library, the road honors Bowie’s lasting impact on music, fashion and culture in the city.
Bowie died in 2016 after a battle with liver cancer. He was 69. [via The Mirror]
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CASTING CALL
Just about the time Fox News fired TUCKER CARLSON, CNN also let go of controversial anchor DON LEMON. At the time, ELON MUSK publicly encouraged both men to bring their media brands to X.
Now Musk has snagged both. Months after Carlson started posting on the platform, X announced that Lemon has signed a deal to produce content on there. Former congresswoman and presidential candidate TULSI GABBARD and sports talk host JIM ROME will also bring video shows to X.
Lemon will produce three, half-hour shows a week about news and politics. Gabbard has a couple of short film projects in the works, and Rome’s show will stream five days a week beginning after the Super Bowl. [via Reuters]
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The cast of Season 3 of HBO’s “White Lotus” has been announced.
Joining NATASHA ROTHWELL, who starred in Season 1, are LESLIE BIBB, DOM HETRAKUL, JASON ISSACS, MICHELLE MONAGHAN, PARKER POSEY and TAYME THAPTHIMTHONG.
Season 3 will take place at another White Lotus location in Thailand.
Production kicks off next month. [via People]
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A new “Star Wars” movie focused on Grogu aka Baby Yoda is in the works.
Director JON FAVREAU, who created the Disney+ series “The Mandalorian” in which fans got their first glimpse of Grogu, will now produce “The Mandalorian & Grogu” movie for theaters.
It is unknown how the movie will tie into the series -- if at all -- as there are already three seasons on the platform, with a fourth in the works. [via Variety]
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THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
TRAVIS BARKER and KOURTNEY KARDASHIAN previously stated that their son, Rocky Thirteen Barker’s name was a nod to guitarist Rocky George and Rocky Balboa from the “Rocky” films.
Recently, Kardashian fans found another connection to the infant’s name -- a former pet owned by his aunt, KIM KARDASHIAN.
Remember Kim and football player REGGIE BUSH’s three-year relationship? During that time they shared a boxer named Rocky. (Fans of the show may recall Kim buying the pup a pair of fake testicles to help his self-esteem after getting neutered.) Also, Kourtney got upset with Kim for introducing the dog to her son Mason, who was only 6 months old at the time.
WORTH ASKING: Will Kourtney pull a KYLIE JENNER and change her baby’s name after the revelation?
ALSO: A Reddit thread discusses the pooch, who -- like many Kar-Jenner pets -- simply disappeared from the show. [via Reddit]
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WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS
PRINCESS ANNE was spotted flying commercial and carrying her own bags on a trip to Sri Lanka from London.
SriLankan Airlines released a couple photos of the Princess Royal on X, depicting Anne in a brown shawl and khaki-colored pants.
Anne and husband Sir Timothy Laurence are in Sri Lanka on a two-day official state visit. [via @flySriLankan]
DAY OF THE YEAR
Paget’s Awareness Day
Human Trafficking Awareness Day
International Parity at Work Day
National Hot Toddy Day
National Step in a Puddle and Splash Your Friends Day
National Learn Your Name in Morse Code Day
National Girl Hug Boy Day
Secret Pal Day
National Arkansas Day
National Milk Day
Heritage Treasures Day
World Sketchnote Day
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ON THIS DATE
1863 - Union General John McClernand and Admiral David Porter capture Arkansas Post, a Confederate stronghold on the Arkansas River.
The victory secured central Arkansas for the Union and lifted Northern morale just three weeks after the Battle of Fredericksburg, Virginia. Arkansas Post was a massive fort 25 miles from the confluence of the Arkansas and Mississippi rivers.
It was designed to ensure Confederate control of the White and Arkansas rivers, and to keep pressure off Vicksburg, Mississippi, the last major Rebel city on the Mississippi River.
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1908 - Outdoorsman president Teddy Roosevelt declares the Grand Canyon a national monument.
The declaration sought to preserve the giant hole in the ground. Roosevelt said it was so wondrous, it could not possibly be improved.
In 1919, Congress outlawed private development around the Grand Canyon.
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1937 - Striking workers at a General Motors plant clash with police, when the cops tried to cut off supplies from supporters outside the factory.
The strike was organized by United Auto Workers, who were seeking better working conditions.
Eventually the violence got so bad, the governor contemplated sending in the National Guard. But he also wanted to maintain good standing in the eyes of unionists, so he called them off.
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1989 - Ronald Reagan gives his final address to the nation as President of the United States.
In it, he spoke of America rediscovering a commitment to freedom and being a respected leader around the world.
Most of all, he lauded the end of communism in the Soviet Union.
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1996 - Space Shuttle STS 72 (Endeavor 10) launches from Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Its mission was to capture and return to Earth a Japanese microgravity research spacecraft known as Space Flyer Unit.
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2007 - JK Rowling finishes the 7th and last “Harry Potter” book — “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” — in room 552 of the Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh.
The room is now called the JK Rowling suite.
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2021 - Ireland becomes the country with the world’s highest COVID-19 infection rate after a surge results in a seven-day rolling average of 1,394 cases per million.
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BIRTHDAYS
Shareef O’Neal - basketball player - 24
Cody Simpson - pop singer - 27
Lindsay Arnold - dancer, “DWTS” - 30
Jedidiah Goodacre - actor, “Descendants” - 35
Jamie Vardy - soccer player - 37
Rachel Riley - TV show host, “Countdown” - 38
Devin Ratray - actor, “Home Alone” & “Damage Control” - 47
Marc Blucas - actor, “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” - 52
Amanda Peet - actress, “The Whole Nine Yards” - 52
Mary J. Blige - R&B singer - 53
Kyle Richards - reality star “Real Housewives” - 55
Yolanda Hadid - reality star, “Real Housewives” - 60
Kim Coles - actress, “Living Single” - 62
Ben Crenshaw - golfer - 72
Born On This Date
Naomi Judd - country singer - 1946 (d. 2022)
Rod Taylor - actor, “The Birds” & “Time Machine” - 1930 (d. 2015)
Alice Paul - suffragist, National Women’s Party - 1885 (d. 1977)
Alexander Hamilton - first Secretary of the Treasury & aide to Washington - 1755 (d. 1804)
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