11/22/2023: How Much Is Happiness?
PLUS: Who Is Banksy?; Paltrow’s Psychedelics; and Buckingham Palace State Dinner
Today is Wednesday, November 22, 2023.
It is the 326th day of the year.
39 days remain.
PROGRAMMING NOTE
There will be no newsletter on Thursday, November 23 or Friday, November 24 for Thanksgiving weekend.
WHAT’S ON TAP
ELON MUSK makes good on his lawsuit threat and another major crypto bust. Details in HIT LIST.
TAYLOR SWIFT didn’t let a broken heel get her down and TODD CHRISLEY will soon spend his first Thanksgiving behind bars. Check out these stories in SHOWBIZ.
KEVIN HART is using his love of sports for a new show on ESPN and NBC is ready to bring back scripted shows. More in CASTING CALL.
Does SCOTT DISICK have a famous long-lost twin? Find out more in KARDASH.
KING CHARLES hosted South Korea’s President and some others for a royal dinner this week. More details on the shindig in ROYALS.
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HIT LIST
Crypto trading firm BINANCE has been slapped with $4.3 BILLION in fines and its founder and CEO CHANGPENG ZHAO – better known as CZ – will personally pay $50 MILLION in fines to settle charges of money laundering brought by the Department of Justice.
A statement by the company noted that the fines “acknowledge our company’s responsibility for historical, criminal compliance violations, and allow our company to turn the page on a challenging yet transformative chapter of learning and growth.” CZ will also step down from his role as part of the arrangement. [via Morning Martini]
WORTH NOTING: Cryptocurrency remains largely unregulated but government agencies around the world are working to use existing securities laws to rein it in.
ALSO WORTH NOTING: El Salvador is the only country in the world that uses Bitcoin as a legal tender, since 2021.
WORTH NOTING: Disgraced crypto mogul SAM BANKMAN-FRIED worked aggressively to broker a buyout of FTX by Binance and CZ in the days, and even hours, before FTX’s fraud finally became public.
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X has filed the lawsuit against MEDIA MATTERS that ELON MUSK promised late last week.
The suit centers on Media Matters’ manipulation of the platform to accuse it of showing ads alongside racist content – in turn profiting off of hate speech. Media Matters’ report last week forced multiple major companies to pull their advertising spend.
According to X’s suit, here’s what happened: Reporters at Media Matters used accounts to only follow a small number of other accounts known to share problematic content. Then, they only followed a handful of accounts belonging to major advertisers. Finally, they refreshed over and over and over and over again until ads for these companies showed up alongside the content. The only people who saw these ads next to incendiary posts were the reporters themselves.
IN OTHER WORDS: Media Matters created a highly unrealistic scenario to squeeze the platform owned by a man they hate to pressure advertisers to stop spending their money there.
The suit is seeking a jury trial for Interference with Contract, Business Disparagement, and Interference with Economic Advantage. [via Morning Martini, h/t @Tracy Beanz]
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More than 55 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles for Thanksgiving this weekend – many by air.
The Transportation Security Administration expects to screen about 5.5 MILLION passengers between Tuesday and Wednesday this week. A majority of those travelers, 2.9 MILLION, will return home on Sunday.
MEANWHILE: East Coast storms will likely complicate travel plans, with up to seven inches expected in New England. [via AP]
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The average millennial won’t be giving thanks for his or her salary tomorrow.
A study by financial services firm Empower shows that the average millennial American desires an annual salary of $525,947 to be content. That’s more than FOUR TIMES the income than average Baby Boomer says they need to be happy, at $124,000 a year. Gen X was much closer in line, at $130,000.
WORTH NOTING: The median American income is $74,000.
MEANWHILE: 67% overall say inflation has outgrown their income and 42% say their standard of living is declining. [via DailyMail]
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The identity of Banksy, one of the art world’s most iconic UK-based street artists, may have been revealed in a recently unearthed BBC interview from 2003.
In an unheard part of the interview, which was edited for a spot on BBC radio, Banksy is asked by arts correspondent Nigel Wrench if his name is “Robert Banks,” to which he replies, “It’s Robbie.”
Several other artists have been “identified” as Banksy over the past two decades, including Robert Del Naja, co-founder of Massive Attack; Jamie Hewlett, co-creator of the band Gorillaz; and Robin Gunningham, who got into some legal trouble over his murals. [via THR]
Check out some of Banksy’s work here >
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POLL RESULTS: On Monday, after a bizarre report that one-in-four party hosts expect guests to arrive early to help clean, we asked you what you think.
GOOD NEWS: Not a single person thought this was a normal expectation.
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BREAKUPS
GUNS N’ ROSES drummer FRANK FERRER has filed for divorce from his wife, MAGDALENA MALICKA, after 16 months of marriage.
According to the court filing, he cited “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for the split.
Also, the date of separation was listed as September 30, 2023.
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BY THE NUMBERS
📈 The DOW lost 62 points (0.18%) to close at 35,088 on Tuesday. The S&P lost 9 points (0.2%) to close at 4,538 and the NASDAQ lost 84 points (0.59%) to close at 14,199.
🛢 WEST TEXAS INTERMEDIATE closed at $77; BRENT CRUDE at $82.
⛽ The national average price of a GALLON OF GAS was $3.29 on Tuesday.
₿ BITCOIN tanked following the DOJ announcement about Binance on Tuesday, down 3.2% and trading around $36,275.
🛩 There were more than 3,770 FLIGHTS delayed within, into, or out of the United States on Tuesday and more than 60 such cancellations.
💰Tonight’s POWERBALL drawing will be for a $313 million jackpot or a $144 million cash payout.
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SHOWBIZ NEWS
THE ROLLING STONES are heading out on tour.
The UK rock band announced their 2024 Hackney Diamonds Tour, a 16-date run of stadium concerts across the United States and Canada. The tour kicks off in April and runs through July.
Their album, “Hackney Diamonds,” was released last month.
WORTH NOTING: The tour is being sponsored by AARP. [via Variety]
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TAYLOR SWIFT didn’t let a wardrobe malfunction during her recent show in Rio de Janeiro get her down.
In a fan video of the show, Swift is seen doing the “Barbie Walk” after one of the heels on her sparkly Louboutin boots seemingly broke off mid-show.
The reference was made by a fan as a nod to MARGOT ROBBIE’s viral scene in “Barbie” where she walks around on her tiptoes. [via People]
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LUDACRIS is working on some new music.
Speaking to BET, Luda said that he is planning to release some new things next year.
The last music he released was 2015’s “Ludaversal.”
As for why there has been such a delay in his music, Luda said he has been busy filming movies, such as “The Ride,” “End of the Road,” and “Dashing Through the Snow.” [via BET]
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GWYNETH PALTROW is a fan of psychedelics.
During a recent game of People Magazine’s “Slay or Nay” on TikTok, the 51-year-old lifestyle guru said “Slay” to ingesting magic mushrooms.
“I think that psychedelics are going to absolutely be -- and currently are -- the next, most interesting area in addressing mental health,” she explained.
The Alcohol and Drug Foundation classifies magic mushrooms as a psychedelic drug because they can “affect all the senses, and alter a person’s thinking, emotions and concepts of time.”
Paltrow says she also loves lemon water, sound baths, saunas, cold plunges, melatonin, chlorophyll water and pimple patches. [via People, ADF]
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TODD CHRISLEY will spend his first Thanksgiving behind bars playing one-pitch softball, volleyball, checkers, chess and card games.
For the meal, he will enjoy turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, gravy, dressing and dessert.
His wife, JULIE CHRISLEY, will also enjoy a traditional holiday meal at her prison, FMC Lexington in Kentucky.
Despite being behind bars, the couple have something to be thankful for: their appeal motion is heading to court. According to Radar Online, the hearing is set to take place in March. [via Radar Online]
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Actress SUSAN SARANDON has been dropped by her talent agency after making several anti-Jewish rants, such as how “people afraid of being Jewish at this time [...] are getting a taste of what it feels like to be a Muslim in this country.”
A spokesperson for UTA told Page Six that several staffers were “extremely hurt” by Sarandon’s pro-Palestinian stance and comments.
Sarandon has been repped by UTA since 2014. [via Page Six]
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CASTING CALL
JACKIE CHAN and RALPH MACCHIO will reunite for a brand new movie set in the “Karate Kid” franchise.
While plot details are being kept under wraps, insiders say Macchio will reprise his role as Daniel LaRusso and Chan will return to the role of kung fu master Mr. Han.
The film is tentatively set for a December 2024 theatrical release. [via Variety]
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KEVIN HART is taking his love of sports to ESPN2.
Insiders told Page Six that the comedic actor is getting his own sports show, which will be similar in nature to “ManningCast,” hosted by brothers ELI and PEYTON MANNING.
Hart’s show will feature guests who come to chat while watching live sporting events. [via Page Six]
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ADAM SANDLER’s iconic “SNL” song “The Chanukah Song” was almost sung by ROSEANNE BARR.
In a recent interview with Access Hollywood, Sandler said he wrote the track after noticing there was a lack of songs about the holiday. It was right after that that Barr was set to host “SNL,” so producers thought she could sing it.
Barr turned down the opportunity saying, “Let Adam do that, that’s his, he wrote it, that’s his song.” [via Access Hollywood]
Listen to “The Chanukah Song” here>>>
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NBC’s “Chicago” and “Law & Order” franchises are set to return in January -- a quick turnaround considering the recent end of the actors’ strike.
“Chicago Med,” “Chicago P.D.” and “Chicago Fire” will debut on January 17, while the “Law & Order” shows follow suit the following night.
For comparison, ABC’s hit shows “The Connors,” “Not Dead Yet,” and “Abbott Elementary” are not set to premiere until February. [via THR]
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THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
A new social media theory has some convinced that actor JARED LETO and reality star SCOTT DISICK could be long lost twins.
When asked about the comparison on Sirius XM’s TikTok Radio, Leto said that he doesn’t know of any relation to the Kardashian-adjacent celeb, but thinks it would be cool to “have a rich relative.” [via TikTok Radio]
IT SHOULD BE NOTED: Disick and Leto have never been spotted in the same place at the same time.
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WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS
KING CHARLES hosted South Korean President YOON SUK YEOL at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday. An estimated 170 guests also joined the event, including PRINCE WILLIAM and PRINCESS KATE.
BBC reports that the lavish dinner included over 4,000 place settings in total and the set they’re using dates back to the 19th Century. [via Sky]
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DAY OF THE YEAR
National Cranberry Relish Day
Go For A Ride Day
National Jukebox Day
National Tie One On Day
Drinksgiving
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ON THIS DATE
1718 - Bloodthirsty pirate Edward Teach is killed in battle with the British Navy off the coast of North Carolina.
You'll know Teach better as Blackbeard.
His most notorious ship was the Queen Anne's Revenge, a 26-gun French merchant ship he upgraded to 40 guns. But that was shipwrecked earlier in the year.
In his last battle, legend says he survived five musket shots and 20 slashes from swords before eventually falling.
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1858 - General William Larimer, a veteran of the Pennsylvania Militia, establishes a little land speculation out West and names it for Kansas Territorial Governor James W. Denver.
Today, we know that town as Denver, Colorado.
Larimer laid cottonwood logs across each other to stake his claim, on a bluff that overlooked where the South Platte River and Cherry Creek flowed into each other. By naming it after the territorial governor, Larimer hoped to land a spot in the local government.
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1900 - The first official Mercedes car is taken for a drive in Cannstatt, Germany.
It was a custom build for Emil Jellinek, a businessman with a penchant for the new automobile technology. Jellinek thought it could do so well at motor races that he bought 36 of them.
In return for Jellinek's business, the production company agreed to name the cars after his daughter -- Mercedes.
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1963 - Dallas, Texas: Lee Harvey Oswald murders John F. Kennedy.
Oswald allegedly set up shop in a sixth-floor window of the Texas School Book Depository. As Kennedy's motorcade drove by the street below, the President was susceptible to such an attack in his open convertible.
Oswald was captured that afternoon, after shooting a police officer who tried to apprehend him.
Two days later, a Dallas restaurant owner would fatally shoot Oswald as he was being transported between the police station and the jail.
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1986 - Mike Tyson knocks out Trevor Berbick in just 5 minutes and 35 seconds.
The win makes Tyson the youngest heavyweight title holder in history.
Berbick was 13 years Tyson's elder, and wanted to stand up to this newcomer and take his punches rather than box him. Obviously, this was a mistake.
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1990 - British PM Margaret Thatcher resigns from office after 11 years.
She was the first female elected leader of the country. The Iron Lady was a staunch anti-communist and ally to American President Ronald Reagan.
Her capitalist reforms included privatization of government industries, pulling back government spending, and reducing the role of trade unions.
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2016 - The Vegas Golden Knights are revealed as the Las Vegas NHL expansion team’s name.
Team owner Bill Foley and General Manager George McPhee announced the name during a fan event at Toshiba Plaza outside of T-Mobile Arena.
They also revealed the logo, a knight’s helmet with a V etched into the middle. The colors are black with a gold outline.
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BIRTHDAYS
Auli’i Cravalho - voice actress, “Moana” - 23
JuJu Smith-Schuster - football player - 27
Hailey Bieber - model - 27
Trevor Tordjman - actor, “Zombies” - 28
Dacre Montgomery - actor, “Power Rangers” & “Stranger Things” - 29
Vinny Mauro - drummer, Motionless In White - 30
Jamie Campbell Bower - actor, “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” & “Stranger Things” - 35
Scarlett Johansson - actress, “Lost in Translation” & “Black Widow” - 39
Ville Valo - rock singer, HIM - 47
Michael D. Cohen - actor, “Henry Danger” - 48
Mark Ruffalo - actor, “Shutter Island” & “Avengers” franchise - 56
Mads Mikkelsen - actor, “Casino Royale” & “Doctor Strange” - 58
Jamie Lee Curtis - actress, “Halloween” franchise & “Freaky Friday” - 65
Richard Kind - actor, “Mad About You” & “Gotham” - 67
Billie Jean King - tennis player - 80
Born On This Date
Michael Kenneth Williams - actor, “The Wire” & “Boardwalk Empire” - 1966 (d. 2021)
Rodney Dangerfield - comedian & actor, “Caddyshack” - 1921 (d. 2004)
Wiley Post - aviator, first solo flight around the world - 1898 (d. 1935)
Abigail Adams - 2nd First Lady - 1744 (d. 1818)
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