1/15/2024: That’s Super-Hot! 🌋
PLUS: Buried By Marilyn; Officially Carmen Electra; and Transfer of Power
Today is Monday, January 15, 2024.
It is the 15th day of the year.
351 days remain.
WHAT’S ON TAP
An update on the gang war in Ecuador and a tech titan shuffles its teams. Details in HIT LIST.
JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE will put on a free show this week and THE WEEKND hits a Spotify milestone. More in SHOWBIZ.
EMMA STONE really wants to be on “Jeopardy!” and “Oppenheimer” will be available for streaming soon! Details in CASTING CALL.
KHLOE KARDASHIAN and YE hug it out. More on that in KARDASH.
Details on the Royal transfer of power in Denmark over the weekend in ROYALS.
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HIT LIST
ECUADOR: Amid the gang crackdown in Ecuador, a social media video allegedly shows military officers forcing gang members to scrub off and whitewash graffiti symbols that had marked their territory. One local journalist describes the vandalism as “symbols of their reign of terror in the streets.”
MEANWHILE: Prison gangs holding 178 guards and prison administrators hostage across five different facilities since Monday let them go on Saturday. At least one guard is confirmed dead. [via ABC News]
STILL AT LARGE: No word yet on where gang kingpin ADOLFO “FITO” VILLAMAR, who disappeared from his cell more than a week ago, could be hiding out. Theories abound that he’s still hiding in a gang-controlled prison or fled to Venezuela.
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An Icelandic research group will attempt to dig a hole more than one mile deep to access “super-hot” geothermal energy in a world first.
While tapping into the heat given off by underground volcanic activity for energy has existed for decades, this new technology would produce ten times the output of a typical geothermal well, one researcher says.
In theory, the project promises unique potential to revolutionize sustainable energy in the area – but organizers of the drilling project acknowledge they still need to develop metals capable of withstanding temperatures over 840 degrees as the drill and hole approach the magma chamber. [via New York Post]
MEANWHILE: The Grindavik volcano erupted Sunday morning local time in Iceland, a few weeks after another bout of activity that forced evacuations but did not incur significant damage. Barriers previously put in place are no longer withholding the lava flow.
Helicopter footage shows the slow advance of lava > [via Newsweek]
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Two Navy SEALs went missing during a mission off the coast of Somalia last week.
Three officials confirmed to the Associated Press that the soldiers were scaling the side of a vessel when waves knocked one off his line. Following protocol, the soldier behind him jumped in after him.
Officials say the water temperature is warm in the Gulf of Aden as a search and rescue mission unfolds.
Intelligence analysts suggest the SEALs were part of a mission to intercept weapons bound for Yemen, amid the Biden White House’s ongoing involvement there. [via AP News]
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Add APPLE to the list of companies moving their business out of California – sort of.
Bloomberg reports that Apple told 121 employees working in San Diego on the Siri voice-assistant program that they have until the end of January to decide if they want to relocate to Austin, Texas and keep their jobs or take a risk and apply for other internal positions.
BUT WAIT: Even those taking the pink slip will be cared for: Apple is offering four weeks severance plus one week of pay per year they were on payroll and six months of health insurance. [via The Verge]
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Want to spend eternity next to Marilyn Monroe? It will cost you!
Julien’s Auctions of Beverly Hills will soon auction off a mausoleum crypt at Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park & Mortuary in Los Angeles that is located one row above and four spaces to the left of Monroe.
The opening bid for the crypt is $50,000 though it is expected to go for as much as $400,000, according to Julien’s.
Others entombed at Westwood include Hugh Hefner, Natalie Wood, Farrah Fawcett, Ryan O’Neal, Dean Martin, Truman Capote, Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon. [via NY Post]
DEATHS
Soap star BILL HAYES has died.
He passed away Friday in Los Angeles, according to his rep. No cause of death was shared.
Hayes is best known for his role on “Days of Our Lives.”
He was 98.
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Actor PETER CROMBIE has died.
He passed away Wednesday after a brief illness, according to a family member. It is unclear what the illness was.
Crombie is best known for playing “Crazy” Joe Davola on “Seinfeld.”
He was 71.
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Actor and model ALEC MUSSER has died.
He passed away at his home in Del Mar, California, according to his fiance. No cause of death is known.
Musser is known for his role as Del Henry on “All My Children” and a brief appearance in the film “Grown Ups.”
He was 50.
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JOYCE RANDOLPH has died.
She passed away in her sleep on Saturday at her home in New York, according to a statement from her son.
Randolph is best known for her role as Ed Norton’s wife in “Honeymooners.”
She was 99.
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BREAKUPS
Former football player RYAN SHAZIER has filed for divorce from his wife MICHELLE SHAZIER.
The filing comes less than two months after Michelle publicly accused him of cheating.
The pair tied the knot in 2019 and are parents of two boys.
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WEDDINGS
Former New Zealand Prime Minister JACINDA ARDERN tied the knot with her longtime partner CLARKE GAYFORD on Saturday.
While few details of the big day were shared, the couple reportedly said “I Do” at a luxury vineyard in the Hawke’s Bay region.
Prior to the ceremony officers were called to remove a small group of protesters who were on hand with anti-vaccination posters.
REMEMBER: New Zealand, under Ardern’s government, had some of the strictest Covid-19 mandates in the world. She stepped down in 2023.
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WEEKEND BOX OFFICE
10. American Fiction: $1.9 million (up from 15)
9. The Iron Claw: $2.4 million (down from 8)
8. The Book of Clarence: $2.5 million (new)
7. The Boys in the Boat: $3.5 million (down from 6)
6. Night Swim: $4.6 million (down from 2)
5. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom: $5.2 million (down from 3)
4. Migration: $6.1 million (stayed at 4)
3. Anyone But You: $6.9 million (up from 5)
2. Wonka: $8.3 million (down from 1)
1. The Beekeeper: $16.7 million (new)
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BY THE NUMBERS
📈 The DOW lost 118 points (0.31%) to close at 37,592 on Friday. The S&P gained 3 points (0.07%) to close at 4,783 and the NASDAQ increased 2 points (0.017%) to close at 14,972.
🛢 WEST TEXAS INTERMEDIATE closed at $72; BRENT CRUDE at $78.
⛽ The national average price of a GALLON OF GAS was $3.07 on Sunday.
₿ BITCOIN fell over the weekend, trading around $42,800 Sunday evening.
🛩 There were more than 3,780 FLIGHTS delayed within, into, or out of the United States on Sunday and more than 1,105 such cancellations.
💰Tuesday night’s MEGA MILLIONS drawing will be for a $208 million jackpot or a $101.5 million cash payout. Tonight’s POWERBALL drawing will be for an $88 million jackpot or a $43.5 million cash payout.
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SHOWBIZ NEWS
CARMEN ELECTRA officially filed to go by her stage name, ditching her birth name Tara Leigh Patrick.
The move isn’t a surprise as she hasn’t used “Tara” in decades.
FUN FACT: The name Carmen Electra was bestowed upon her by PRINCE, who gave it to her when she auditioned to be part of an all-girl group he was putting together in the ‘90s. She didn’t make the cut, but kept the name. [via TMZ]
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JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE is performing a free concert at the Orpheum Theatre in Memphis on Friday.
The surprise concert is likely to stir up some buzz ahead of his forthcoming new music and tour.
Today is the last day to apply for free seats to the show. Fans will find out Thursday if they got tickets. [via Deadline]
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Country singer JELLY ROLL plans to participate in his first 5K this May.
The 39-year-old shared the goal in an Instagram video of him training for the race, explaining how a recent appearance on the “Full Send” podcast inspired him.
JR is taking part in comedians BERT KREISCHER and TOM SEGURA’s 5K By May challenge. A city has not-yet-been announced as host of the race, but proceeds will benefit a not-yet-named charity. [via NY Post]
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THE WEEKND’s “Blinding Lights” is the first song to pass 4 BILLION streams on Spotify.
The song passed ED SHEERAN’s “Shape of You” as the all-time most-streamed song on the platform just last year. [via Variety]
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CASTING CALL
“Top Gun 3” is reportedly in the works.
Puck reports that “Top Gun: Maverick” director Joe Kosinski will return for the third installment and hopes to reunite TOM CRUISE and next-gen co-stars MILES TELLER and GLEN POWELL.
While the news is exciting, it will be a bit before a film comes to fruition as Cruise is currently working on the eighth “Mission: Impossible” movie, which isn’t due out until May 2025. [via Puck]
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It turns out JOY BEHAR was likely never in the running to play Ted Lasso’s mom.
After making the revelation on “The View” podcast “Behind the Table,” “Ted Lasso” co-creators JASON SUDEIKIS and BRENDAN HUNT said the offer was news to them.
The role ultimately went to actress BECKY ANN BAKER, who earned an Emmy nomination. [via Decider]
ON THAT TOPIC: We asked last week if Joy Behar had landed the role, would it have made the show better? 33% said “No,” while an astounding 67% went with the third option, that she is “the antichrist.”
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DAN LEVY was offered a role as one of the Kens in “Barbie,” but had to turn it down due to scheduling conflicts, which he says now “haunts” him on a daily basis.
“It’s not like it isn’t like one of the biggest movies of all time. That was a tough, that was a tough day,” he told People about turning down the role.
Levy currently stars in “Good Grief” on Netflix. [via People]
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EMMA STONE says she applies to be a contestant on “Jeopardy!” every June.
While discussing her “treasure trove of useless facts” on Variety’s “Awards Circuit” podcast, Stone said she has yet to be invited to appear on the gameshow.
Stone also shared that she wants to “earn [her] stripes” by being on the regular show, not “Celebrity Jeopardy!”
In the meantime, she says she will keep watching the show and practicing. [via ET]
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Two “Friends” scripts that were rescued from the garbage sold at auction for over $28,000.
The BBC reports that the discarded scripts were for two episodes that were filmed in the UK during the fourth season of the show, when DAVID SCHWIMMER’s character Ross was set to marry Emily, played by HELEN BAXENDALE. [via BBC]
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The summer’s other box office hit will be available for streaming next month.
“Oppenheimer,” which recently took home five Golden Globes and was the third-highest grossing film of 2023, will land on Peacock on February 16. [via Deadline]
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THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
YE and his ex-sister-in-law KHLOE KARDASHIAN appeared cordial at his son SAINT WEST’s basketball game over the weekend.
The two were spotted exchanging pleasantries and even hugging, though body language expert Judi James says Khloe seemed to be wanting to keep Ye “at a distance” while he appeared to be “very relaxed and confident” during the interaction.
Neither KIM KARDASHIAN nor Ye’s wife BIANCA CENSORI were at the game. Khloe attended with her daughter True and niece Dream. [via Mirror]
WORTH NOTING: When it comes to keeping up appearances, no one does it better than Khloe. She has remained friendly with the majority of her sisters’ exes (and there are a lot of them!), as well as her own ex, and father of her two kids, TRISTAN THOMPSON.
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WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS
OFF TO DENMARK: QUEEN MARGRETHE II formally signed the instrument of abdication on Sunday, elevating FREDERIK X as the nation’s King.
Margrethe became the first monarch in nine centuries to give up the throne.
According to tradition, Frederik adopted a unique royal motto upon assuming the crown: “United, committed, for the kingdom of Denmark.” [via NBC News]
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LAST WEEK: News broke that PRINCE HARRY would take home a “Legend of Aviation” award, alongside BUZZ ALDRIN and a posthumous recognition for NEIL ARMSTRONG.
NOW: The former head of the Royal Navy, Lord Alan West, says such an award for the prince is “pathetic”: “[Harry] is not a living legend of aviation. To suggest he is, is pathetic. It makes the whole thing seem a bit of a nonsense [sic] if they’re willing to pick someone like Prince Harry.”
West adds that he thinks this is just another typical publicity stunt for the Sussexes, another move he calls “really rather pathetic.” [via DailyMail]
IT GETS WORSE: A retired military officer points out to The Sun that Harry wasn’t an Apache pilot in Afghanistan – he was a gunner! Colonel Richard Kemp explains, “An Apache is crewed by two people - a pilot and a gunner. Harry was a gunner. He was number two in the aircraft.” [via The Sun]
DAY OF THE YEAR
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
National Hat Day
National Booch Day
Brew Monday
National Fresh Squeezed Juice Day
National Strawberry Ice Cream Day
Elementary School Teachers Day
National Pothole Day
Wikipedia Day
National Bagel Day
Blue Monday
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ON THIS DATE
1559 - Queen Elizabeth I takes the throne.
Her half-sister Mary had died two months earlier. Elizabeth was a Protestant, and her sister a Catholic. It took a while to figure out whether it would be okay for a British monarch to assume control without subscribing to Catholicism. But the nobility favored a split from the Vatican, and approved of Elizabeth's reign.
Elizabeth established the Church of England, which encouraged greater acceptance of Catholics.
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1797 - The first top hat is worn by John Etherington.
As the story goes, the sight caused a riot on the streets of London, with several women fainting, children screaming, dogs yelping and a young boy breaking his arm after falling down in the melee.
Etherington was charged with breach of the peace and ordered to pay a fine.
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1870 – Thomas Nast publishes a cartoon that depicts the Democratic Party as a donkey, at least indirectly.
In the cartoon, the donkey was labeled "Copperhead Papers," meant to refer to the Southern newspapers heavily influenced by Democratic politics.
The allegory did not catch on immediately. Four years later, Nast would depict the Republican Party as an elephant.
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1934 - While robbing the First National Bank in East Chicago, Indianapolis, John Dillinger is shot several times by responding officers.
He would survive the shooting thanks to his bullet proof vest.
Five months later Dillinger would be named America’s first Public Enemy Number One.
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1967 - The Packers and Chiefs face off in the first Super Bowl.
The world championship brought together the teams of the separate National and American Football Leagues.
Coach Vince Lombardi and QB Bart Starr led the Packers to a 35-10 win. Each player pocketed $15,000 for winning - an astronomical sum for the time and a record for professional sports.
Three years later the NFL and AFL would merge.
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1970 - Muammar Qaddafi takes control of Libya.
He had been an army captain who helped lead the overthrow of the previous monarch, King Idris, the year before.
Qaddafi's rule was marked by orthodox Islam and far-left based on hatred for Western culture.
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2009 - Sully Sullenberger lands the historic "Miracle on the Hudson" flight.
The passenger jet hit a flock of geese just as it was ascending and lost power in both engines. Sully was unable to return to the runway and prepared for a water landing.
Everyone survived, though one passenger suffered two broken legs.
The disaster also demonstrated the influence of social media in the digital age: photos and videos of the plane in the water began popping up on computer screens and smartphones around the globe almost instantly, both from witnesses and the victims.
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2021 - The global death toll from the COVID-19 pandemic passes 2 million.
The actual number is believed to be much higher.
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BIRTHDAYS
Chicago West - daughter of Kim & Ye - 6
Chloe Kelly - soccer player - 26
Valentina Zenere - actress, “Soy Luna” - 27
Deebo Samuels - football player - 28
Dove Cameron - singer & actress, “Descendants” - 28
Caroline Arapoglou - actress, “Outer Banks” - 33
Kelly Kelly - wrestler - 37
Ben Shapiro - journalist, The Daily Wire - 40
Pitbull - rapper - 43
Drew Brees - football player - 45
Regina King - actress, “If Beale Street Could Talk” & “ Jerry Maguire” - 53
Shane McMahon - sports executive, WWE - 54
Chad Lowe - actor, “ER” & “Melrose Place” - 56
Born On This Date
Ronnie Van Zant - rock singer, Lynyrd Skynyrd - 1948 (d. 1977)
Martin Luther King Jr. - civil rights leader - 1929 (d. 1968)
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