11/28/2023: Small World Streaker 🏃
PLUS: Word of the Year; Dolly’s a “Rockstar”; and “oh so California”
Today is Tuesday, November 28, 2023.
It is the 332nd day of the year.
33 days remain.
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TOP SHELF
Yesterday we announced plans to open up paid subscriptions for premium “Top Shelf” content starting on Monday, December 18 – and we’re already overwhelmed by the incredible response from so many of you. Thank you!
WORTH REMEMBERING: We intend to keep the daily email free. Premium subscribers will have access to special content, starting with our Year in Review over Christmas week.
Beginning in January, we’re launching a Saturday email for Top Shelf subscribers summarizing and analyzing the week’s campaign and election news through the 2024 cycle. We also have some special independent reporting projects in the works, too.
Subscription pledges will activate and get billed on Monday, December 18.
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WHAT’S ON TAP
ELON MUSK visits Israel and a kooky passenger gets a flight canceled. Details in HIT LIST.
SHAKIRA faces more accusations from Spanish authorities and OZZY OSBOURNE is holding out hope for one more show. More in SHOWBIZ.
TAYLOR SWIFT’s “Eras Tour” movie is heading to streaming and NICOLAS CAGE is planning to take on fewer roles. Find out more in CASTING CALL.
KIM KARDASHIAN’s movie is heading to Netflix. More in KARDASH.
PRINCE WILLIAM’s cheeky insult for his hip brother and sister-and-law revealed in ROYALS.
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HIT LIST
MERRIAM-WEBSTER announced its Word of the Year on Monday: the word is “authentic.”
In a statement, the company noted that the word has several applicable meanings in the current climate.
On one hand, the word relates to much of the culture surrounding identity politics; on the other, “authentic” describes actual reality, as opposed to content that is increasingly easy to generate with artificial intelligence technology. [via Merriam-Webster]
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ELON MUSK visited Israel on Monday and saw firsthand the destruction caused by Hamas’ slaughter last month.
During a live chat streamed on X with Israel Prime Minister BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, Musk said he would like to help with rebuilding Gaza – though he did not share any specifics. Netanyahu remained firm on his commitment to destroying Hamas and deradicalizing its supporters. [via Morning Martini]
ALSO: Musk last week said that X would be donating a chunk of its advertising revenue to hospitals in Israel and relief organizations serving war victims in Gaza. [via @TreyYingst]
MEANWHILE: The ceasefire that has allowed for hostage and prisoner exchanges between Israel and Hamas is expected to continue for another 48 hours.
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In addition to being one of the biggest and most valuable companies in the world, AMAZON now also holds the title as the biggest parcel delivery company in the country.
In 2020, Amazon delivered more packages than FedEx, and last year, it surpassed UPS.
WORTH NOTING: The US Postal Service still handles the most deliveries by volume, but it’s also a money-sucking, government-backed organization, too.
GO FIGURE: More than 10% of UPS’ total revenue comes from Amazon packages alone. [via WSJ]
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Disneyland’s iconic ride “It’s a Small World” was put on pause over the weekend after a man stripped down and joined the animatronic figures.
Fellow riders were quick to film the indecency, with one catching a staff member yelling at the unhinged man. Another eyewitness video shows the guy wading in a small pool that is located in the Taj Mahal part of the ride.
Eventually the streaker exited the ride enclosure and was then seen walking around the park -- still without clothes. He was eventually arrested for indecent exposure and being under the influence of a controlled substance. [via NY Post]
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An unidentified 38-year-old man opened the emergency door on a Southwest plane before the aircraft even left the gate.
He then climbed out onto the wing and jumped onto the tarmac, where he was quickly detained by personnel on the ground. Officials say the man was incoherent and confused and was taken for a mental health evaluation.
Remarkably, the culprit faces no immediate local charges but will be investigated by federal authorities. [via DailyBeast]
WORTH NOTING: The flight was canceled and everyone on board had to leave the plane – which itself should be a crime worth prosecuting.
WATCH: Video of the ensuing chaos here >
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DEATHS
Soul singer JEAN KNIGHT has died.
She passed away November 22 of natural causes, according to a statement from her publicist.
Knight is best known for her 1970’s hit “Mr. Big Stuff.”
She was 80.
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SICK BAY
STEPHEN COLBERT’s “Late Show” is on an indefinite hiatus as he recovers from surgery for a ruptured appendix.
Colbert shared the news on Instagram Threads Monday, joking that “Going forward, all emails to [his] appendix will be handled by [his] pancreas.”
Last month the show was canceled as Colbert dealt with a bout of covid.
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BY THE NUMBERS
📈 The DOW lost 56 points (0.16%) to close at 35,333 on Monday. The S&P lost 8 points (0.2%) to close at 4,550 and the NASDAQ dropped just 9 points (0.069%) to close at 14,241.
🛢 WEST TEXAS INTERMEDIATE closed at $75; BRENT CRUDE at $79.
⛽ The national average price of a GALLON OF GAS was $3.25 on Monday.
₿ BITCOIN dropped 1.2% to trade under $37,000 on Monday evening.
🛩 There were more than 3,460 FLIGHTS delayed within, into, or out of the United States on Monday and more than 40 such cancellations.
💰Tonight’s MEGA MILLIONS drawing will be for a $335 million jackpot or a $153.1 million cash payout.
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SHOWBIZ NEWS
There appears to be more legal trouble brewing for SHAKIRA.
According to multiple sources, Spanish prosecutors are once again coming for the singer over some alleged tax fraud, this time from 2018.
Remember, it was just a week ago that she settled a separate tax fraud case with the Spanish government by forking over $27 million.
For this latest case, insiders claim that Shakira has paid over $7 million toward the investigation, though it is unknown what exactly that money is going toward.
Stay tuned…
FOR THE RECORD: Shakira’s net worth is about $300 million. [via TMZ]
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DOLLY PARTON’s latest solo album release “Rockstar” is her highest-charting album ever on the Billboard 200 charts.
The album, which was released on November 17, debuted at the No. 3 spot.
Parton has only ever had two top 10 titles prior to “Rockstar” -- peaking at the No. 6 spot.
WHAT’S MORE: “Rockstar” landed at No. 1 on Billboard's Top Album Sales chart with 118,500 copies sold in the US for the week ending November 23. [via Billboard]
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After his doom and gloom interview with Rolling Stone UK, in which he declared he feels he only has “ten years left” to live, OZZY OSBOURNE is thinking about his fans.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Osbourne said he is “[effing] pissed off at” not getting a chance to give an official good-bye after making the decision to retire from touring. But says he plans to use that anger to try to put on one last show to tell fans, “Hi guys, thanks so much for my life.”
And afterward “if I drop down dead [...] I’ll die a happy man,” he concluded. [via THR]
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Actress SELMA BLAIR revealed on a recent episode of “Meet the Press” that when she was first diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, one of the medical professionals she saw suggested she “get a boyfriend” to help her with her chronic pain.
Blair explained the gender bias is something she had experienced her whole life when it came to medical issues, adding that she would often be told she is “just dramatic.”
Despite being in remission from MS since 2021, Blair says she still struggles with pain on a daily basis. [via Daily Mail]
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TIFFANY HADDISH has addressed her weekend DUI arrest.
In a new interview with ET the actress said that she is seeking help to “learn balance and boundaries,” while also vowing “this will never happen again.”
This is a different take on the incident than she had just 24 hours after the fact, where she joked about the arrest at her stand up show in Long Beach. [via ET]
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CASTING CALL
TAYLOR SWIFT’s “Eras Tour” movie will be available to stream on December 13 -- her birthday.
It will include songs that were not performed on her tour or in the movie’s theatrical release.
Fans can watch it on Apple TV, Vudu, Prime Video, Xfinity, Google Play and YouTube. [via Variety]
BY THE WAY: Swift performed her final show in Brazil on Sunday night. Her tour will resume in February. This leaves lots of time for canoodling with boyfriend TRAVIS KELCE.
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BRADLEY COOPER would love an opportunity to reprise his role as Phil in a new “Hangover” movie.
During a recent appearance on The New Yorker Radio Hour, he declared that he would “do Hangover 4 in an instant,” because he loves his co-stars -- ED HELMS, ZACH GALIFIANAKIS, JUSTIN BARTHA, and KEN JEONG -- so much.
IN REALITY: Cooper says he doesn’t think director TODD PHILLIPS is up for doing another sequel. [via Decider]
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JENNIFER LOPEZ announced Monday that her forthcoming ninth studio album, “This Is Me…Now,” will drop on February 16.
What’s more…there will be a film that accompanies the release of the new tracks. “This is Me…Now: The Film” will be available to stream on Prime Video on that same date.
MEANWHILE: JLo’s first single from the album, “Can’t Get Enough,” will debut on January 10. [via Rolling Stone]
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In honor of the 25th anniversary of “The Big Lebowski,” hundreds of items from the film will hit the auction block for a Julien’s Auctions and Turner Classic Movies joint event.
Included in the auction is JEFF BRIDGES’ “The Dude” costume aka a brown fleece bathrobe, white t-shirt and sunglasses, which is expected to fetch at least $30,000. There are also several items signed by Bridges, including replica bowling pins and a bowling ball from the set.
A portion of the proceeds will benefit Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign, of which Bridges serves as a national spokesperson for. [via THR]
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When he turns 60 in January, NICHOLAS CAGE says he plans to take a step back from acting.
Speaking to ET about the milestone, Cage said that as he gets older he has been “taking more stock of what’s important,” such as spending more time with his one-year-old daughter, August.
Cage, who shares August with his fifth wife RIKO SHIBATA, is also dad to 32-year-old son Weston and 18-year-old son Kal-El, who were products of previous relationships. [via ET]
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THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
Netflix has won the bidding war over KIM KARDASHIAN’s forthcoming comedy film, “The Fifth Wheel.”
Deadline reports that there were a total of six contenders vying for the rights, but Netflix pulled out ahead; though it is not known how much they paid for it.
WORTH NOTING: The movie is not yet written, Kim simply sold an idea.
ALSO: She will play the lead. [via Deadline]
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WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS
Some more details are emerging from OMID SCOBIE’s book pulling back the curtain on the drama within the House of Windsor.
While it’s no secret there’s long been animosity between PRINCE WILLIAM and PRINCE HARRY, Scobie reports that William blames “an army of therapists” for brainwashing his brother. Wills also repeatedly mocks Harry and MEGHAN MARKLE’s perceived self-importance as being “oh so California.”
IT GETS WORSE (BETTER?): Both William and PRINCESS KATE apparently thought that the South Park spoof of Harry and Meg’s “worldwide privacy tour” was hilarious. [via Express]
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DAY OF THE YEAR
National French Toast Day
National Day of Giving
Red Planet Day
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ON THIS DATE
1520 - Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan reaches the Pacific Ocean, becoming the first European to reach it through the Atlantic.
He and his crew set sail 14 months earlier from Spain, in search of a western sea route to Indonesia.
It took an astounding 38 days to get through what is now named the Strait of Magellan. The explorer was so overjoyed upon entering the Pacific that he wept for joy.
In 99 days he crossed the newfound ocean, whose waters were remarkably calm. He thus named it after the Latin word "pacificus" -- which means "tranquil."
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1582 - William Shakespeare marries Anne Hathaway. He was 18, she was 26.
Their first daughter would be born six months later. Oops.
Shakespeare of course would go on to write numerous plays and sonnets.
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1777 - John Adams is appointed commissioner to France.
He replaced Silas Deane, who was accused of mismanaging French money sent to America. Though Deane held his innocence, he was forced to live in exile.
When Congress cleared his name in 1842, his heirs were paid $37,000 in reparations.
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1895 - America’s first motor-car race takes place.
The race, organized by the Chicago Times-Herald, was from Chicago to Evanston and back.
Six cars traveled the 55 miles, with mechanic and inventor Frank Duryea claiming victory.
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1914 - After four months of closure, the New York Stock Exchange reopens.
It shut down with the outbreak of World War I, after foreign investors cashed out to raise money for war.
Trading would resume on December 12th. That day the Dow Jones Industrial Average would tank 24% in one day -- it was its worst fall since its founding in 1896.
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1925 - The Grand Ole Opry debuts, broadcasting from Nashville.
It started as a one-hour radio program called Barn Dance. As its popularity grew, so did the show; in the 1930s it expanded to four hours once a week, and in 1939 was syndicated nationally on NBC Radio.
Since then, country legends like Hank Williams, Ernest Tubb, and Minnie Pearl have all graced the Opry's stage.
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1994 - Serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer is killed while serving out his life sentence at Columbia Correctional Institution in Portage, WI.
He was serving as a janitor in the prison gym when another inmate attacked him with a broomstick handle, causing severe head trauma. Dahmer died on the way to the hospital.
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2021 - Barbados becomes a Republic by removing Queen Elizabeth as head of state.
The former British colony revived its plan to become a republic the year before. The country’s governor general, Sandra Mason, was sworn in as the country’s first President after being elected by parliament in October month.
Also, singer Rihanna is declared a national hero.
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BIRTHDAYS
Shane Harte - actor, “The Next Step” & “Good Witch” - 27
Chase Elliott - race car driver - 28
Bryshere Gray - actor, “Empire” - 30
Jarvis Landry - football player - 31
Adam Hicks - actor, “Lemonade Mouth” & “Freakish” - 31
Joe Cole - actor, “Peaky Blinders” - 35
Karen Gillan - actress, “Doctor Who” & “Not Another Happy Ending” - 36
Mary Elizabeth Winstead - actress, “Live Free or Die Hard” & “A Good Day to Die Hard” - 39
Trey Songz - R&B singer - 39
Summer Rae - wrestler - 40
Erick Redbeard - wrestler - 42
Chamillionaire - rapper - 44
Aimee Garcia - actress, “George Lopez” - 45
Jon Stewart - TV show host, “The Daily Show” - 61
Judd Nelson - actor, “The Breakfast Club” - 64
Ed Harris - actor, “Right Stuff” & “Walker” - 73
Berry Gordy - founder of Motown Records - 94
Born On This Date
Anna Nicole Smith - model, Playboy Playmate & reality star - 1967 (d. 2007)
Henry Bacon - architect, Lincoln Memorial - 1866 (d. 1924)
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