1/16/2023: YET ANOTHER Biden Document Dump!
PLUS: New Big Tech Douchebag Alert!; Miss Universe Crowned; and Ye Ties the Knot
Today is Monday, January 16, 2023.
It is the 16th day of the year.
349 days remain.
WHAT’S ON TAP
JOHN LEGEND and CHRISSY TEIGEN had a baby, their fourth! More in BABY NEWS.
President JOE BIDEN is in the thick of a full-blown scandal as the White House admitted more confidential documents were found in his private library in Delaware last week. More in SWAMP.
More details about the tragic early death of LISA MARIE PRESLEY. More in SHOWBIZ.
Creep comedian ANDY DICK was arrested outside of Los Angeles on Friday and KEVIN SPACEY has formally entered a not guilty plea for sexual assault charges in the United Kingdom. More in CELLBLOCK and COURT CASES.
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HIT LIST
NEW BIG TECH DOUCHEBAG ALERT: In September 2021, JPMorgan Chase bought a website that helped college students find financial aid, for $175 million.
Late last week, the bank announced the service – simply called “Frank” – would be shut down.
OOPS: When JPMorgan bought Frank, its founder – a woman named CHARLIE JAVICE – said more than four million students had created accounts on the platform. It turns out Javice appears to have invented almost all of those four million accounts.
In a fraud lawsuit, JPMorgan alleges that when it tried to send a marketing email to a batch of 400,000 of those accounts, about 70% bounced back as undeliverable. By contrast, a typical marketing campaign of that size would only get a one percent bounceback rate.
BUT WAIT: As part of the acquisition, Javice apparently became an employee at JPMorgan, as the company’s “head of student solutions.” She was axed early last year during an initial investigation of the apparently fraudulent data. Now she’s countersuing, claiming that she was only fired so the bank could avoid paying her a $20 million bonus payment. Her lawyer is calling her a whistleblower.
WHO’S HER LAWYER? The same guy who represented ELON MUSK last year when he sued Twitter arguing the platform had inflated its number of active users. [via CNBC, New York Post]
IN OTHER DOUCHEBAG-ADJACENT NEWS: The arena where the Miami Heat play has formally removed FTX as its named sponsor, and will just be called “Miami-Dade Arena” until someone else shells out for the naming rights.
FTX pledged $135 million for a 19-year naming rights deal. [via Associated Press]
MEANWHILE, AT TWITTER: A federal judge has ruled against five former Twitter employees who were laid off as part of ELON MUSK’s takeover, saying that they can’t create a class-action lawsuit accusing Musk of terminating their jobs without adequate notice.
WORTH NOTING: They can still file the suit, but individually, not as a class. [via CNN]
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The Dallas Zoo closed temporarily on Friday after park officials could not locate a clouded leopard. The big cat – named Nova – was fortunately found before the end of the day and re-secured in its habitat.
An initial police investigation indicates the enclosure was intentionally breached by a human who used some sort of cutting tool to open the fencing in Nova’s habitat. A similar cut was found later around an enclosure housing langur monkeys, though all were accounted for and unharmed. [via CBS News, Dallas Zoo Twitter]
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Archeologists have found a previously undiscovered 3,500-year-old tomb in Luxor, Egypt.
The country’s Supreme Council of Antiquities announced the find on Saturday, which they say dates back to the 18th dynasty, a period of prosperity in Ancient Egypt.
Researchers guess the tomb is the resting place of a female royal, possibly a pharaoh's wife or daughter – but note that the tomb is in poor condition. They believe ancient floods washed away wall inscriptions and art.
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The software snafu that grounded all air traffic in the country last week has been chalked up to human error, the FAA has reported.
An official statement blames “personnel who failed to follow procedures” and a “damaged database file” – suggesting the outage was not a cyberattack.
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An American woman won the Miss Universe pageant on Saturday. R’Bonney Gabriel beat out finalists from Venezuela and the Dominican Republic to take the crown.
This was the first pageant run under the ownership of Anne Jakkaphong Jakrajutatip, a trans woman and business mogul who bought the pageant – along with Miss USA and Miss Teen USA – for $20 million last October.
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CHARTS
Weekend Box Office
10. Waltair Veerayya: $1 million (new)
9. Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody: $1.1 million (down from 6)
8. The Whale: $1.4 million (down from 7)
7. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever: $2.1 million (down from 5)
6. House Party: $3.8 million (new)
5. Plane: $10 million (new)
4. Man Called Otto: $12.5 million (stayed at 4)
3. Puss in Boots: The Last Wish: $13.4 million (stayed at 3)
2. M3GAN: $17.9 million (stayed at 2)
1. Avatar: The Way of Water: $31.1 million (stayed at 1)
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DEATHS
AL BROWN, famous for his role as Col. Stan Valchek in “The Wire, has died.
He passed away Friday in Las Vegas after battling Alzheimers, his daughter told TMZ.
Before becoming an actor, Brown was in the Air Force, and served two tours in Vietnam.
He was 83.
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ROBBIE KNIEVEL, the son of stuntman EVEL KNIEVEL, has died.
He passed away Friday after a battle with pancreatic cancer, according to a statement from his family.
Robbie followed in his father’s footsteps, performing over 350 jumps, setting world records for 20 of them.
He was 60.
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DEVIN WILLOCK, an offensive lineman for the University of Georgia, has died.
He passed away early Sunday in a car crash -- just hours after the team’s national championship parade.
Willock was traveling with 24-year-old Georgia recruiter CHANDLER LECROY, when their vehicle left the road and crashed into a pole and several trees. LeCroy also passed away. Two other passengers in the vehicle were injured -- one seriously.
Willock was only 20.
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BERLIN, the oldest polar bear in captivity in the United States, has died.
She was euthanized Wednesday morning after suffering from hypertension and kidney failure. Her caregivers from the Kansas City Zoo, where she lived for the last decade, were by her side for the euthanization, the zoo said in a statement.
She was 33.
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At least 68 people are dead after an airplane crashed near the city of Pokhara, Nepal on Sunday.
Seventy-two people were on board the aircraft -- four crew and 68 passengers -- when it went down. First responders are still searching for the remaining four people.
The plane was traveling from Kathmandu to the town of Pokhara; about a 27-minute flight.
The crash is the country’s deadliest in more than three decades, according to a government official.
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BABY NEWS
Singer JOHN LEGEND, 44, and his wife, model CHRISSY TEIGEN, 37, welcomed their fourth child on Friday morning.
Legend announced the news during a performance that night, People reports. No details about the birth or the baby have been shared.
The couple are parents to son Miles, 4, and daughter Luna, 6. Their newborn son, Jack, passed away in September 2020.
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Actress CAREY MULLIGAN, 37, and her husband, singer MARCUS MUMFORD, 35, are expecting their third baby.
The couple are already parents to daughter Evelyn Grace, 7, and son Wilfred, 5.
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RELATIONSHIPS
RUPERT MURDOCH was recently spotted in Barbados with a new lady friend, ANN-LESLEY SMITH.
He’s 91, she’s 66 – and the widow of Chester Smith, who recorded some country tunes while not running a small local media empire of television stations on the west coast; Smith died in 2008.
The couple were apparently hanging with fellow British billionaire ANTHONY BAMFORD. Murdoch finalized his divorce from JERRY HALL late last summer. [via DailyMail]
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THE SWAMP
President JOE BIDEN now faces a full-blown scandal over his private possession of classified documents.
REMEMBER WHEN: When news first broke last week, the media called this an isolated incident. They wrote stories about how busy Biden’s last days in office were as VP. They covered and made excuses.
Now, all of those excuses have fallen apart – namely that this was an isolated incident and that Biden had no idea he inadvertently kept the documents.
NOT ISOLATED: On Saturday, the White House announced yet another tranche of documents were discovered at Biden’s private home in Delaware, this time inside Biden’s library, in addition to the previously-announced documents that had been kept in Biden’s garage.
NOT BY ACCIDENT: That documents were found in three different locations suggests they were moved around at some point in the six-odd years between Biden leaving the Vice Presidency and the scandal first breaking.
WORTH ASKING: If Biden’s defense is that he didn’t move them, how is it better that other people who didn’t at some point hold a security clearance and weren’t running for president had access to them?
ALSO WORTH ASKING: Where is the FBI raid? Where are the leaked photos of the documents spilled all over the carpet? Did media outlets receive these photos but not plant them on screens around the clock for a days-long news cycle? Where is the detailed inventory of the types of documents in his possession, like the one CNN reported on after confidential documents were found at Mar-a-Lago?
MEANWHILE, ON CAPITOL HILL: The newly-minted Republican leadership of the House Oversight Committee has sent a letter to White House Chief of Staff RON KLAIN asking for the visitor log to Biden’s private residence in Delaware. [via WSJ]
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President JOE BIDEN will deliver the State of the Union on February 7.
Congress needed to elect a Speaker before a formal invitation could be extended, which Speaker KEVIN MCCARTHY did last week.
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BY THE NUMBERS
📈 The DOW added 112 points (0.33%) to close at 34,302 on Friday. The S&P added 15 points (0.4%) to close at 3,999 while the NASDAQ added 78 points (0.71%) to close at 11,079.
🛢 WEST TEXAS INTERMEDIATE closed just shy of $80 on Friday; BRENT CRUDE at $85.
⛽ The national average price of a GALLON OF GAS was $3.30 yesterday.
₿ BITCOIN soared over the weekend and is well over $20,000 for the first time since the news of FTX’s collapse broke in November. It was trading near $20,900 Sunday evening.
🛩 There were more than 2,690 flights delayed within, into, or out of the United States on Sunday and more than 120 such cancellations.
💰A winning MEGA MILLIONS ticket for the $1.35 BILLION jackpot was drawn in Maine on Friday, January 13. Tuesday night’s drawing will be for a $20 million jackpot or a $10.7 million cash payout. Tonight’s POWERBALL drawing will be for a $416 million jackpot or a $224.9 million cash payout.
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SHOWBIZ NEWS
The 28th annual Critics’ Choice Awards aired live last night from the Fairmount Century Plaza in Los Angeles. Comedian CHELSEA HANDLER was on hand to host the evening’s festivities.
And the winners are…
Overall
Picture - “Everything Everywhere All at Once”
Actor - Brendan Fraser, “The Whale”
Actress - Cate Blanchett, “Tar”
Supporting Actor - Ke Hu Quan, “Everything Everywhere All at Once”
Supporting Actress - Angela Bassett, “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”
Young Actor/Actress - Gabriel LaBelle, “The Fabelmans”
Acting Ensemble - “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery”
Director - Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert, “Everything Everywhere All at Once”
Original Screenplay - Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert, “Everything Everywhere All at Once”
Adapted Screenplay - Sarah Polley, “Women Talking”
Cinematography - Claudio Miranda, “Top Gun: Maverick”
Production Design - Florencia Martin & Anthony Carlino, “Babylon”
Editing - Paul Rodgers, “Everything Everywhere All at Once”
Costume Design - Ruth E. Carter, “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”
Hair & Makeup - “Elvis”
Visual Effects - “Avatar: The Way of Water”
Song - “Naatu Naatu,” “RRR”
Score - Hildur Guonadottir, “Tar”
Talk Show - “Last Week Tonight With John Oliver”
Drama
Series - “Better Call Saul”
Actor - Bob Odenkirk, “Better Call Saul”
Actress - Zendaya, “Euphoria”
Supporting Actor - Giancarlo Esposito, “Better Call Saul”
Supporting Actress - Jennifer Coolidge, “The White Lotus”
Comedy
Film - “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery”
Series - “Abbott Elementary”
Actor - Jeremy Allen White, “The Bear”
Actress - Jean Smart, “Hacks”
Supporting Actor - Henry Winkler, “Barry”
Supporting Actress - Sheryl Lee Ralph, “Abbott Elementary”
Special - “Norm Macdonald: Nothing Special”
Limited Series/Made for TV Movie
Limited Series - “The Dropout”
Made for TV Movie - “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story”
Actor - Daniel Radcliffe, “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story”
Actress - Amanda Seyfried, “The Dropout”
Supporting Actor - Paul Walter Hauser, “Black Bird”
Supporting Actress - Niecy Nash-Betts, “Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story”
Animated
Feature - “Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio”
Series - “Harley Quinn”
Foreign Language
Film - “RRR”
Series - “Pachinko”
SPEAKING OF CHELSEA HANDLER: During her recent appearance on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” she revealed that she didn’t know the sun and moon were not the same until she was 40.
Handler explained that she was riding elephants with her sister during a trip to Africa when her sister pointed out that both the sun and the moon were visible in the sky, to which Handler responded, “But they’re always together.”
After she stopped laughing, Handler’s sister asked her to explain her thinking.
“I just assumed when the sun went down, it popped back up as the moon,” Handler replied. [via Page Six]
WORTH NOTING: The story was shared as an explanation to why Handler says she shouldn't have kids.
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Multiple outlets reported over the weekend that LISA MARIE PRESELEY’s heart stopped a second time after arriving at the hospital last week, but since she had already been pronounced brain dead her family told doctors not to resuscitate her.
It is unknown how long Presley had been without oxygen before she was found by her housekeeper Thursday morning. Her ex-husband DANNY KEOUGH was also there and administered CPR while waiting for EMTs to arrive. Paramedics were able to get a pulse before transporting her to the hospital.
An autopsy was performed Saturday, but according to TMZ, an official cause of death won’t be known until toxicology results come in.
Meanwhile, People reported that Presley will be laid to rest next to her son BENJAMIN KEOUGH, who died by suicide in 2020, at Graceland. He was only 27. [via People]
WORTH NOTING: Keough’s was the first burial at the site in 40 years, after Elvis’ grandmother’s in 1980.
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BRITNEY SPEARS appeared to have a meltdown at LA hotspot Joey on Friday.
Other patrons told Page Six that Spears was acting “manic” and started “speaking gibberish,” causing her husband SAM ASGHARI to leave the establishment.
Spears eventually followed in her husband’s footsteps, leaving with a bodyguard in tow.
After the bizarre incident at the eatery, Spears posted a video on Instagram. In the clip, she dances chaotically, sticks out her tongue and flips off the camera, all while the Divinyls’ hit, “I Touch Myself” plays in the background. [via Page Six]
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After saying she would never join OnlyFans, rapper IGGY AZALEA has done just that.
Speaking to Variety, Iggy says she joined the app to release exclusive photos, videos, music, illustrations and poetry from her “Hotter Than Hell” project, without the “censorship” of other platforms.
Those who subscribe to her OnlyFans account will also get first-look access to Iggy’s upcoming fourth studio album, due out this summer. [via Variety]
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DAMAR HAMLIN cheered on his teammates Sunday as they took on the Miami Dolphins from the comfort of his home.
Many had hoped the Buffalo Bills safety would be on the sideline for the game, especially after he visited his teammates at their training facility over the weekend.
The Bills defeated the Dolphins 34-31.
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Former “Dancing With the Stars” dancer CHERYL BURKE has won primary custody of Ysabella, the French bulldog she and ex-husband, actor MATTHEW LAWRENCE once owned together.
According to TMZ, Lawrence agreed to give up his rights to the pooch rather than take the battle to court.
Burke and Lawrence finalized their divorce in September. [via TMZ]
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CASTING CALL
Actor JOHN LARROQUETTE says he was paid in marijuana to narrate the prologue of the 1974 flick, “Texas Chainsaw Massacre.”
In a recent interview with Parade he revealed that director TOBE HOOPER asked him “for an hour of [his] time to narrate something for this movie he just did,” and afterward, he shook his hand and handed him “some marijuana.”
Larroquette would go on to narrate several sequels in the franchise, for which he said he was paid in cash. [via Parade]
BY THE WAY: Larroquette admitted that he has never seen any of the “Massacre” films.
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JAMES CAMERON recently shared that he had to work hard to convince LEONARDO DICAPRO to star in “Titanic.”
Speaking to Fox News, Cameron said Leo auditioned for the role as Jack Dawson and was “spectacular.” But even so, he says it took “three or four weeks” to ultimately convince him to get on board (literally!).
As for Leo’s hesitation, Cameron said he thought the role would “be too easy,” and he wanted to do something he felt was “more of a problem, because he saw that as actable.” [via Fox News]
IN OTHER NEWS: Cameron’s hand and footprints were immortalized in front of the TCL Chinese Theater last week.
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RYAN REYNOLDS will narrate a new National Geographic series, titled “Underdogs.”
The show will tell the story of the “heroic underdogs of the natural world, the good, the bad and the frankly ugly,” according to a statement shared with Deadline.
Reynolds said he agreed to narrate because he loves “making things [his] kids can actually watch.” [via Deadline]
Here’s a teaser:
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Director JAMES GUNN is shutting down rumors that “Euphoria” star JACOB ELORDI has been picked to star in his forthcoming “Superman” projects.
“No one has been cast as Superman yet,” Gunn said in response to a tweet a fan posted featuring Elordi’s face photoshopped on the Man of Steel.
The role was previously held by HENRY CAVILL, who left after Gunn and producer PETER SAFRAN took over DC Studios as co-CEOs. [via People]
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COURT CASES
Actor KEVIN SPACEY pleaded not guilty to sexual assault charges in a UK courtroom on Friday.
The seven charges against him all come from one accuser who says the actor sexually assaulted him on separate occasions between the years of 2001 and 2004.
A trial date has been set for June 6. [via Deadline]
WORTH NOTING: The seven recent charges have been combined with five separate charges Spacey pleaded not guilty to last July. By combining them, the accusations can be addressed in one single trial.
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CELEBRITY CELLBLOCK
Comedian ANDY DICK was arrested Friday for public intoxication and failing to register as a sex offender.
Officers responded to a concerned citizen’s call about Dick’s erratic behavior at a bar in Lake Elsinore, California, a suburb of Los Angeles. During a routine check, officers discovered that he wasn’t up to date on his sex offender registration and booked him.
He was released after posting a $5,000 bond. [via CBS News]
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THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
Kanye West, 45, -- who now goes by YE -- has reportedly married Yeezy designer BIANCA CENSORI, 27.
TMZ, who was the first to report the news, says the pair tied the knot in a private ceremony last week, though things are not yet official as no marriage license has been filed. [via TMZ]
WHO IS CENSORI?: She has worked for Yeezy as the head of architecture since November 2020, according to her LinkedIn Page.
WHY THE RUSH: Many are speculating that the whirlwind romance many be explained in one of Ye’s new songs, called “Censori Overload,” in which he says “And The Bible said, ‘I can’t have any more sex ‘til marriage.’”
The nuptials come just two months after Ye and KIM KARDASHIAN settled their divorce.
SPEAKING OF KIM: Insiders told Page Six that she “hates [Censori].” As for why the harsh feelings, the sources said that Kim always “suspected” she wanted to do more than just help Ye with his designs. Another insider added “She’s pretty. And Kim hates pretty girls.” [via Page Six]
MEANWHILE: Censori’s family is reportedly “happy” to welcome Ye into the family. “It’s very exciting news,” her sister, Angelina Censori told the Herald Sun, per the Daily Mail. [via Daily Mail]
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WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS
PRINCE HARRY had much more to say in his memoir, “Spare,” but decided to cut most of it out.
Speaking to The Telegraph, Harry said that the initial draft was “double the length” of the final.
As for the parts taken out, Harry said they were mostly about his dad, KING CHARLES, and brother, PRINCE WILLIAM.
“There are some things that have happened, especially between me and my brother, and to some extent between me and my father, that I just don’t want the world to know. Because I don't think they would ever forgive me,” he explained. [via The Telegraph]
WORTH ASKING: Then why even bring it up at all?
AND: At this point, does he even expect to be forgiven for what he has put out there?
BIG D ENERGY: For those keeping track at home, Harry mentioned his “todger” more than 15 times in “Spare.” [via New York Post]
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DAY OF THE YEAR
Brew Monday
National Quinog Day
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Idaho Human Rights Day
National Good Teen Day
International Hot and Spicy Food Day
National Appreciate A Dragon Day
National Religious Freedom Day
Blue Monday
National Nothing Day
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ON THIS DATE
1861 – A legislative attempt to keep the North and South together falls apart in Congress.
It was called the Crittenden Compromise, named for Senator John Crittenden from Kentucky.
The compromise would have legalized permanent slavery in the southern states, and also permanently protected northern states from ever legalizing slavery. The language of the bill said it could never be repealed or amended.
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1919 – Prohibition is ratified.
The manufacture, sale, and transportation of booze is outlawed across the country.
A special department of the Treasury Department was created to enforce the law, as part of the Volstead Act. Nonetheless, organized crime ended up doing very well during this time.
Fourteen years later prohibition was finally repealed, with the passage of the 21st amendment.
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1945 – It's the beginning of the end for Adolf Hitler, as he spends his first of 105 days in his secure bunker in Berlin.
The bunker had its own water and electric supply. Most of the Nazi brass came in to see him, and he rarely left.
As the Allies push closer into Germany, hope would soon be lost for the Nazis. der Fuhrer would commit suicide on April 30.
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1970 – St. Louis Cardinals center fielder Curt Flood sues the MLB over the reserve clause.
The rule prevented baseball players from switching teams unless they were traded. Flood argued the policy violated antitrust laws.
No active players agreed to testify on Flood's behalf, leading to his case's demise.
Eventually the players would benefit from the publicity of the case, however. In 1973, MLB would allow federal arbitration of players' salary demands. This would eventually lead to free agency, first in baseball, then in all pro sports.
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1979 – The Shah of Iran flees in the wake of violent uprisings in the country.
He had been in power since 1941. In that time, he took steps to westernize and modernize the Arab state.
Ayatollah Khomeini then took over, having been exiled for 15 years.
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1991 – The United Nations deadline for Iraq to remove invading forces from Kuwait comes and goes.
Saddam Hussein had until midnight on January 16th, 1991 to retreat from Kuwait. Just after midnight, President Bush authorized Operation Desert Storm, led by General Norman Schwarzkopf.
Major fighting would end by March 3, when Iraqi generals formally surrender.
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2019 – Stephen Curry is the first player in NBA history to hit 8+ three pointers in 3 consecutive games.
The Golden State Warriors guard then went on to drain 9-of-17 three pointers in the team’s 147-140 win over New Orleans.
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BIRTHDAYS
Eddie Benjamin - pop singer - 21
Curran Walters - actor, “Titans” - 25
FKA Twigs - singer-songwriter - 35
Mason Gamble - actor, “Dennis the Menace” - 37
Joe Flacco - football player - 38
Max Joseph - reality star, “Catfish” - 41
Nick Valensi - guitarist, The Strokes - 42
Albert Pujols - baseball player - 43
Lin-Manuel Miranda - actor, “Hamilton” - 43
Kate Moss - model - 49
Debbie Allen - actress, “Grey’s Anatomy” - 73
John Carpenter - director, “Halloween” - 75
A.J. Foyt - race car driver - 88
Born On This Date
Aaliyah - R&B singer - 1979 (d. 2001)
Edith Frank - mom of Anne Frank - 1900 (d. 1945)
Andre Michelin - tire manufacturer, Michelin - 1853 (d. 1931)
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