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11/17/2022: Waukesha Murderer to Rot
PLUS: Mink Massacre; “Princess Diaries” Three-quel; and Will Rides the Fence
Today is Thursday, November 17, 2022.
It is the 321st day of the year.
44 days remain.
TRENDING
#RIPJimmyFallon was trending Wednesday despite the late night host being alive and well. In response to the hashtag, Fallon tweeted “Elon, can you fix this? #RIPJimmyFallon,” to which Elon replied, “Fix what?”
Florida Man Makes Announcement landed in Twitter’s Top 10 Trends after the New York Post trolled Donald Trump’s presidential election news by covering it in small text on the front page.
#DarrellBrooksTrial was trending yesterday as Twitter users discussed what a “narcissistic” and “disgusting” human being Darrell Brooks is. Several also questioned why major news networks weren’t covering his trial like they did other trials.
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HIT LIST
Convicted murderer Darrell Brooks will spend six consecutive life sentences in prison for killing six people and injuring dozens more when he drove his SUV through a Christmas parade in Waukesha, Wisconsin last year.
In an hours-long, blistering explanation of her sentence, Judge JENNIFER DOROW outlined Brooks’ total lack of remorse and insincere apology throughout the course of the trial. After victim impact statements concluded, Brooks himself went on a nearly two-hour tirade during which he blamed mental illness for his actions – which, in her sentencing, Dorow called a disservice to those with real mental health issues. She noted that he was capable throughout the trial of making complex legal arguments and that testimony shows he acted strategically as he fled from police after the attack.
Brooks was removed from the courtroom twice for his outbursts and arguing with Dorow. She brought him back in so that he could be there in person for his sentencing, but he continued his insolence, and she ordered him back out, to watch from a video feed in an adjacent courtroom.
In addition to the consecutive life sentences, Brooks faces six consecutive 25-year sentences for hit-and-run resulting in death. For the 61 reckless endangerment charges for injuring dozens others, he faces the maximum for each, which adds 762-and-a-half years in prison and 305 years of extended supervision.
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Disgraced crypto fraud SAM BANKMAN-FRIED apparently contacted a reporter for Vox late Tuesday, wanting to tell his side of the story that wiped out $8 billion in customer investments.
As the journalist points out, it’s very odd for someone under investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission to talk to a reporter.
Bankman-Fried won the support of dork journalists in recent months because he preached altruism: making money so he can give it away (which he did – by the millions – to Democrat candidates and causes). In the Twitter interview, Bankman-Fried acknowledged that this talk was mostly a front.
He also acknowledged lying outright to the public, like when he said FTX would never invest customer deposits: “it was factually inaccurate,” he said.
It’s a wild read, check it out here >
MEANWHILE: In a series of tweets after the article was published, Bankman-Fried tried to further explain himself. At one point he flippantly wrote, “It sucks. I’m really sorry that things ended up as they did. And as I said – I’m going to do everything I can to make it more right.”
IT GETS WORSE (for SBF): A class action lawsuit filed by investors accuses Bankman-Fried and his company of making false representations of deceptive conduct. Also named in the suit are the celebrities who touted his exchange, including TOM BRADY, GISELE BUNCHDEN, STEPH CURRY, SHAQ, LARRY DAVID, NAOMI OSAKA, and “Shark Tank” star KEVIN O’LEARY, among others.
The suit seeks $11 billion in damages.
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ELON MUSK expects remaining Twitter employees to start hustling harder than ever.
Musk sent a brief email to all employees explaining that, “Only exceptional performance will constitute a passing grade” and will expect “working long hours at high intensity.” All employees have been required to click a box on a website page confirming they’re down with the new culture by the end of the workday today. And if not, no hard feelings – they’ll get three months severance pay.
WORTH NOTING: It’ll be an abrupt U-Turn from the previous culture where staff had free gourmet meals, yoga rooms, played foosball on company time, and enjoyed free wine on tap, among other absurd perquisites.
MEANWHILE: Musk headed to Delaware on Wednesday to testify in a lawsuit alleging he was grossly overcompensated by Tesla for the 2018 pay package that earned him billions of dollars in stock options.
Musk says he played no role in the board discussions that established the pay.
BY THE WAY: The judge overseeing this case is the same who oversaw Twitter’s suit back in July to force Musk to make good on his acquisition of the social media site.
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An estimated 10,000 mink are on the loose in northwestern Ohio after the animals escaped a farm Tuesday night.
The farm owners say vandalism caused a break in their enclosure allowing them to escape.
HOPE YOU’RE NOT EATING BREAKFAST: The local sheriff said so many minks were killed in traffic while trying to cross a nearby road that a plow came in to scoop up their corpses.
No word yet on who released the minks or why.
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A Ukrainian sniper may have logged the second-place record for longest-distance combat kill.
Unverified video shows the sniper’s mark dropping dead after he fired at a distance of 1.7 miles.
WORTH NOTING: A Canadian sniper holds the confirmed record after taking out an Isis terrorist in 2017 from a distance of more than 2.1 miles.
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BY THE NUMBERS
📈 The Dow lost 39 points (0.12%) on Wednesday to close at 33,553. The S&P lost 32 points (0.83%) to close at 3,958. Nasdaq lost 174 points (1.54%) to close at 11,183.
🛢 West Texas Intermediate traded at $85 on Wednesday; Brent Crude at $92.
⛽ The national average price of a gallon of gas was $3.74 on Wednesday.
₿ Bitcoin was mostly flat Wednesday, trading around $16,600.
🛩 There were 4,210 flights delayed within, into, or out of the United States on Wednesday and 110 such cancellations.
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CHARTS
How many kids know what a VHS tape is?
This kid had no idea!
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DEATHS
Actress and Playboy Playmate KYMBERLY HERRIN has died.
She passed away peacefully in her home in Santa Barbara, California on October 28, according to her obituary. No further details were shared.
She was 65.
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French actor and Holocaust survivor ROBERT CLARY has died.
He passed away Tuesday, his granddaughter told the Hollywood Reporter. No other details were shared.
He was 96.
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VIRGINIA MCLAURIN has died.
The centenarian, who once danced with the Obamas at the White House, passed away in Maryland on Monday after spending a few days in hospice, according to a statement posted on her Facebook page.
She was 113.
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BABY NEWS
JESSE TYLER FERGUSON, 47, (“Modern Family”) and JUSTIN MIKITA, 37, have welcomed their second baby.
Their little girl, named Sullivan Louis Ferguson-Mikita, arrived via surrogate on Tuesday.
The pair are already parents to son Beckett, 2.
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RELATIONSHIPS
BILLY RAY CYRUS, 61, is engaged to singer FIREROSE, 34.
Cyrus confirmed the news on social media Wednesday.
They met 12 years ago while he was filming “Hannah Montana,” but didn’t start dating until after Cyrus filed for divorce from his wife TISH CYRUS in April of this year, according to a recent PEOPLE magazine article.
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THE SWAMP
The race has been called in California’s 27th Congressional District, handing the GOP the 218th seat needed to hold a majority. A handful of seats remained uncalled.
MEANWHILE: Karen Bass has won the Los Angeles Mayor’s race, making her the first woman to hold the job. She was previously a US Rep and was for a time in the mix to be President JOE BIDEN’s 2020 running mate.
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The US Senate has cleared a procedural vote to enact a law that protects same-sex and interracial marriage, instead of relying on court precedent.
A dozen Republicans crossed the aisle for the vote that broke a filibuster. Ultimately 62 were for the measure. Expect a final vote after Thanksgiving – though Majority Leader CHUCK SCHUMER says a final vote could happen today.
The bill already passed the House earlier this year.
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Ever wonder why Democrats and Trump-haters specifically use the word “insurrection” to describe what happened on January 6 last year?
The Fourteenth Amendment specifically says that anyone who “shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion” against the government is ineligible to hold federal or state office.
Now Democrat Rep. DAVID CICILLINE is drumming up support for a bill with specific language that would bar former President DONALD TRUMP from ever taking office if he wins his 2024 election bid, on the grounds that he engaged in insurrection on January 6.
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IVANKA TRUMP says she won’t be a part of her father’s campaign or administration if he wins.
“This time around, I am choosing to prioritize my young children and the private life we are creating as a family,” she said in a statement.
WORTH NOTING: She wasn’t on hand for former President DONALD TRUMP’s announcement Tuesday night, but neither was DONALD TRUMP JR. who is a very involved member of his father’s inner circle. However, their respective partners, JARED KUSHNER and KIMBERLY GUILFOYLE were there.
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LOTTERY
No winner for Tuesday night’s Mega Millions drawing. Friday night’s drawing will be for a $238 million jackpot or a $119.1 million cash payout.
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SHOWBIZ NEWS
JAY LENO is expected to make a full recovery, according to the doctor who has been treating him.
On Wednesday, Dr. PETER GROSSMAN of the Grossman Burn Center in West Hills revealed that Leno has undergone one surgery so far and will have another later this week.
While he is suffering from second and third-degree burns on his face, hands and chest, Dr. Grossman says he believes the comedian will make a full recovery.
For those unfamiliar with what happened, Leno was burned in a freak accident while working on one of his many vintage vehicles.
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MARIAH CAREY has been blocked from claiming the title “Queen of Christmas” by fellow singer ELIZABETH CHAN.
Last year, Carey filed an application with the US Patent and Trademark Office to market herself as the sole “Queen of Christmas.” In response, Chan, who also claims to have ties to the title, filed a formal declaration of opposition to Carey’s trademark claim.
This week, Chan announced that the US Trademark Trial and Appeal Board blocked Carey’s attempt of owning the rights to the name.
WORTH NOTING: Carey wanted the trademark for her new bath and body collection, which includes festive candles, body lotions and bath gels.
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Actor KEVIN SPACEY has been charged with seven additional sex offenses in the UK.
According to the Crown Protection Service, he faces three counts of indecent assault, three counts of sexual assault and one count of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent. The charges all stem from incidents involving one man that occurred in 2001 and 2004.
There seems to be a history of this with Spacey. Most recently, he was found not liable in a civil sexual assault suit brought against him by actor ANTHONY RAPP in NYC.
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GLORIA STEINEM and over a hundred of her feminist friends want everyone to quit picking on actress AMBER HEARD.
An open letter written by the group condemns the “vilification of Ms. Heard and ongoing online harassment of her and those who have voiced support for her,” referring to the harassment she felt during the defamation trial between her and her ex-husband, JOHNNY DEPP.
The letter also touches on the jury’s verdict from the trial, saying it indicates “a fundamental misunderstanding of intimate partner and sexual violence and how survivors respond to it.”
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RIC FLAIR has a new way to get high with his friends.
The WWE legend showed off his weed blower (for lack of a better name) on a recent social media video, blowing the ganja into the faces of those around him.
“Let’s Wake Up To Ric Flair! See You Soon Vegas! WOOOOO!” he captioned the video.
As many may recall, Flair teamed up with MIKE TYSON in the cannabis business earlier this year, with the two token it up at a cannabis conference in Chicago.
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CASTING CALL
Disney is working on the third “Princess Diaries” movie.
The Hollywood Reporter and The Wrap both reported the news this week, while adding that star of the franchise ANNE HATHAWAY has not yet signed onto the project.
Hathaway first played Mia Thermopolis opposite JULIE ANDREWS’ Queen Clarisse Renaldi in the 2001 original.
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Actor RALPH FIENNES says he would love to reprise his role as villain Lord Voldemort in any future “Harry Potter” films.
Speaking to Variety about the possibility of “HP” author JK ROWLING working on one more film in the franchise, Fiennes said he would return, “No question about it.”
SPEAKING OF ROWLING: Fiennes defended the author last month over the harassment she received for her views on transgender issues. “The verbal abuse directed at her is disgusting, it’s appalling,” he told the New York Times.
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JIMMIE ALLEN and ELLE KING are set to ring in the New Year on CBS’ “New Year’s Eve Live: Nashville’s Big Bash.”
Airing from downtown Nashville on December 31, the show will feature performances by KELSEA BALLERINI, LITTLE BIG TOWN, ZAC BROWN BAND, and more, as fans countdown to the Nashville music note drop and fireworks at midnight.
“Entertainment Tonight” co-host RACHEL SMITH will return to host alongside Allen and King.
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JOEY LAWRENCE is once again teaming up with his brothers MATTHEW and ANDREW LAWRENCE for a new FOX show.
The trio of brothers first worked together on “Brotherly Love,” a family sitcom that ran from 1995 to 1997, and later teamed up for a Christmas movie. Now, Lawrence said a sequel to that film is in the works.
“It’s been too long. The fans have been such a blessing and so patient with us,” he told Fox News this week.
No further details on the project were shared.
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Despite the rumored controversy over his hosting, DAVE CHAPPELLE’s third gig on the “SNL” stage was a ratings hit.
Over 4.8 million viewers tuned in last Saturday night, according to live + same-day Nielsen data.
While those numbers are mediocre for most seasons of the show, they are a significant increase for the current Season 48, which so far has averaged about 4 million viewers an episode.
The number does fall short to the last time Chappelle hosted in 2020, when 9 million tuned in.
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THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
In their latest joint TikTok post KIM KARDASHIAN and her daughter NORTH WEST lip synced to ARIANA GRANDE’s “Santa Tell Me.”
In the clip, Kim laughs as North sings the second verse about whether one should avoid mistletoe and if “it’s true love that he thinks of.”
Followers were quick to point out the connection to Kim’s ex, PETE DAVIDSON, who was previously engaged to Grande. Others also noted that the video was posted the same day that rumors started swirling about Davidson dating newly single model EMILY RATAJKOWSKI.
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WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS
PRINCE WILLIAM revealed who he will cheer for as England and Wales face off at the World Cup.
While he is a longtime supporter of England’s soccer team, and President of the Football Association, this will be the first time Wales appears in the tournament since 1958. (Remember, he is the Prince of Wales!)
During his visit to the Welsh capital of Cardiff yesterday, William said that he will be “backing both sides.”
The two teams face off on November 29.
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SPORTS
The University of Virginia athletics department has canceled this weekend’s football game against Coastal Carolina University after the fatal shooting of three of its players.
The game was UVA’s final home game of the 2022 season.
It is unknown whether the team’s final game of the season, set for November 26, will also be canceled.
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DAY OF THE YEAR
International Students’ Day
National Take a Hike Day
National Homemade Bread Day
National Unfriend Day
World Prematurity Day
Social Enterprise Day
Use Less Stuff Day
National Baklava Day
World Philosophy Day
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ON THIS DATE
1558 - Queen Elizabeth I takes the British throne.
She succeeded her half-sister, Mary the First.
Liz was just 25 years old when she became queen. She was a major proponent of Protestant reform, which irked much of the Catholic establishment that had been prominent in Britain.
She made permanent the Protestant Church of England.
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1777 - The ragtags trying to run the budding American government establish the Articles of Confederation.
It took 16 months to finalize the document, which was designed to give power to the states individually, with a small federal government.
Much of that changed with the passage of the US Constitution 11 years later.
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1869 - The first boats pass through the newly-completed Suez Canal.
The small passage connected the Mediterranean and Red Seas.
The project took 10 years, with much of the work done with picks and shovels.
Workers were even plagued by cholera outbreaks along the way.
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1973 - President Nixon utters his famous words, that he is "not a crook."
The phrase came when talking to AP editors in a live TV Q-and-A.
He did take the blame for not adequately supervising some elements of his campaign.
He would resign the presidency in August of the following year.
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2003 - A court convicts John Muhammad of killing random people in the Washington DC area with a sniper rifle.
He was dubbed the "Beltway sniper." The attacks caused extra-cautious behavior in the area for the time -- school recesses were held inside, teams practiced indoors, and families avoided outdoor activities.
Muhammad was known for leaving odd clues at the murder scenes -- one was a Tarot card.
His trial took 6 weeks, but it only took 10 hours to convict him. He was sentenced to death, and put down in November of that year.
ON THE SAME DAY:
Arnold Schwarzenegger becomes the governor of California.
He'd be the 38th executive of that state, succeeding recalled governor Gray Davis. He was later re-elected to a full term in November 2006.
Of course, the other famous actor/politician to run California -- was Ronald Reagan.
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2015 - Charlie Sheen confirms that he is HIV-positive.
After revealing his diagnosis, Sheen said that he’s been extorted for “millions” of dollars by a select few who he thought he could trust with his secret.
He also stated that he is unsure how he contracted the virus.
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2021 - The CDC reports that over 100,000 Americans died of drug overdoses from April 2020 to April 2021.
That number set a new record.
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BIRTHDAYS
Devin Haney - boxer - 24
Ryan Braun - baseball player - 39
Coyote Peterson - YouTube personality & wildlife educator - 42
Rachel McAdams - actress, “The Notebook” & “Mean Girls” - 44
Tom Ellis - actor, “Lucifer” - 44
Brandon Call - actor, “Step By Step” & “Blind Fury” - 46
Daisy Fuentes - model - 56
Jeff Buckley - singer - 56
RuPaul - TV show host, “RuPaul’s Drag Race” - 62
Elvin Hayes - basketball player - 77
Danny DeVito - actor, “Matilda” & “Batman Returns” - 78
Lorne Michaels - comedy writer, “SNL” - 78
Martin Scorsese - director - 80
Born On This Date
Sarah Harding - pop singer, Girls Aloud - 1981 (d. 2021)
Jeff Buckley - rock singer - 1966 (d. 1997)
Yolanda King - civil rights leader & daughter of MLK Jr. - 1955 (d. 2007)
Rock Hudson - actor, “McMillan & Wife” - 1925 (d. 1985)
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