11/8/2022: Midterms Preview
PLUS: Populous Planet; Ozzy The American; and Bradshaw’s Blunder
Today is Tuesday, November 8, 2022.
It is the 312th day of the year.
53 days remain.
TRENDING
#ElectionDay was trending Monday as Twitter users reminded their followers to get out and vote on November 8th (today).
Ryan Murphy was trending after Netflix ordered two more cycles of his “Monster” anthology series and a second season of his show “The Watcher.”
Subtropical Storm Nicole was trending yesterday after weather advisories popped up for the Florida Keys. The National Weather Service issued a statement on the storm saying it could be as strong as a hurricane when it hits Florida’s east coast later this week.
Hooters was trending after conservative author Nick Adams -- known to some as Donald Trump’s favorite author -- posted a tweet defending males who choose to dine at the fast food establishment. Comments were less than supportive of his argument.
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HIT LIST
The United Nations Population Fund says Earth will have EIGHT BILLION inhabitants on November 15.
This is, of course, a very rough estimation and guess, and the planet could certainly have already passed that number – what with the unreported millions in detention camps and held in slavery in despotic countries around the world.
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A 31-year-old Philadelphia-area man has completed his self-imposed challenge of eating one whole rotisserie chicken every day for forty days straight. He started documenting the feat on Twitter – where else? – and the challenge picked up steam.
When he noted that he would eat his fortieth at a public pier, the tweet really went viral, and he was surrounded by onlookers for the culmination of the challenge.
WORTH ASKING: Was this for charity? For awareness of a pressing social issue?
No.
As the man told the New York Times, “I just felt like it seemed right.”
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Dustin Procita is a very unlucky man.
The Nevada County, California resident was sitting at home Friday night with his two dogs when he heard a loud bang and suddenly noticed his porch was almost instantly on fire. Living in the middle of nowhere surrounded by farmers and fields, he had no idea what caused the chaos.
Now Procita believes a meteor was responsible for the damage.
An unidentified bright ball of light was spotted by many others in the area that night, around the time of the explosion – but there’s no confirmation what that bright ball of light was. Authorities say figuring it all out could take a few weeks.
Tragically, one of Procita’s dogs died in the fire.
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A hot pepper enthusiast has managed to down ten Carolina Reaper chilies in just 33.15 seconds, marking a new world record.
The man, Gregory Foster, previously held the record for speed in putting down three such chiles, which took him 8.72 seconds. The Carolina Reaper is the hottest known chile, with a Scoville Ranking north of 1.6 million.
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A chemical plant fire in Georgia has prompted mass evacuations in the coastal town of Brunswick, just over an hour south of Savannah. Everyone within a mile was ordered to evacuate, affecting about 100 households.
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BY THE NUMBERS
📈 The dow added 423 points (1.31%) to close at 32,827 on Monday. The S&P added 36 points (0.96%) to close at 3,806. The Nasdaq added 89 points (0.85%) to close at 10,564.
🛢 West Texas Intermediate traded at $91 Monday; Brent Crude at $97.
⛽ The national average price of a gallon of gas was $3.80 on Monday.
₿ Bitcoin tumbled Monday, losing more than $300 and trading just over $20,600.
🛩 There were 2,540 flights delayed within, into, or out of the United States on Monday and 96 such cancellations.
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CHARTS
Top 5 Songs on iTunes:
Sam Smith & Kim Petras, “Unholy”
Taylor Swift, “Anti-Hero”
Rihanna, “Lift Me Up”
Timcast, “Genocide (Losing My Mind)”
Meghan Trainor, “Made You Look”
Top 5 Songs on Spotify:
Drake & 21 Savage & Travis Scott, “Pussy & Millions”
SZA, “Shirt”
Sam Smith & Kim Petras, “Unholy”
Taylor Swift, “Anti-Hero”
Selena Gomez, “My Mind & Me”
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BABY NEWS
REBEL WILSON, 42, is a mom.
The actress revealed the news on Monday, showing off her newborn daughter Royce Lillian, who arrived via surrogate.
It is unknown if she plans to co-parent Royce with her partner Ramona Agruma.
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RELATIONSHIPS
CHER, 76, is dating music executive ALEXANDER EDWARDS, 36.
The musical icon confirmed her relationship on Twitter, writing that she doesn’t care what the “haters” think about their 40-year age gap.
The two met at Paris Fashion Week in September.
While Edwards previously dated, and shares a son with model AMBER ROSE, Cher was famously married to SONNY BONO from 1964 to 1975 and GREGG ALLMAN from 1975 to 1979. She famously dated WARREN BEATTY, TOM CRUISE, VAL KILMER and GENE SIMMONS.
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THE SWAMP
WHAT’S ON THE BALLOT?: Voters in every state head to the polls today – if they haven’t already voted early or by mail – to cast ballots for a variety of candidates and issues. Here’s a look at what’s going on across the country:
There are 34 US Senate seats up for election today. In Oklahoma, voters will elect both their Senators, as one incumbent, JIM INHOFE, is retiring early; his official announcement did not give a reason for his early departure, though he is 87 years old. (Fun Fact: In Oklahoma, the Democrat challengers are named KENDRA HORN and MADISON HORN, sharing a last name but having no common family heritage).
Of course, every US Representative is up for re-election.
In 33 states, voters will elect their governor; 17 have Republican incumbents, 16 have Democrat incumbents.
ABORTION: In five states, voters will vote to codify law regarding abortion, both to expand and restrict access to the barbaric procedure:
In California, Michigan, and Vermont, voters will weigh in on a constitutional referendum to expand abortion protections for residents.
In Kentucky, voters will decide whether to include this language in the state’s constitution: “To protect human life, nothing in this Constitution shall be construed to secure or protect a right to abortion or require the funding of abortion.”
In Montana, a ballot measure, if passed, would require healthcare professionals to save any child born alive, even if an abortion has been botched.
WEED: Voters in another five states will decide whether to permit recreational marijuana: Those states are North Dakota, South Dakota, Missouri, Arkansas, and Maryland.
ELECTION PROCESS: Multiple states have a variety of provisions about election administration laws:
Voters in Nevada will vote on whether to change their election process to a ranked-choice system for Congressional and some state elections, similar to processes in Maine and Alaska.
Ohio and Louisiana have ballot measures to explicitly ban noncitizens from voting.
Arizona and Nebraska will ask voters if they want to strengthen voter ID laws.
Connecticut asks a question to permit in-person early voting through an amendment to their state Constitution.
A Michigan provision, if approved, would require by law nine days of early voting, and a politically-charged and otherwise meaningless assertion that “people have a right to vote without harassment, interference or intimidation.”
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?: Total federal midterm election spending is poised to shatter the last record, set in 2018, exceeding $17 billion between candidate and third party expenditures.
But is there too much money in politics? In 2019, Americans spent about $12 billion on Halloween costumes and candy – for just one day of ghoulish fun, while NANCY PELOSI haunts the US Capitol for two years at a crack.
Or, for Christmas in 2019, Americans spent $718.6 billion on food and gifts and decorations – more than 42 times midterm election spending.
WHAT’S AT STAKE?: “Democracy is on the ballot,” President JOE BIDEN and his media bootlickers have said for weeks, repeating a meaningless platitude to scare voters in the exact rhetoric failed presidential candidate HILLARY CLINTON accuses Republicans of deploying.
But there are real and pragmatic concerns to consider.
Biden said just this weekend he wants to end all oil drilling in the country. A Republican Congress would stop any legislation happening to create a drilling moratorium, but would have little authority to stop executive orders or bureaucratic directives.
Nearly 80% say that had more people known about the HUNTER BIDEN laptop saga, they wouldn’t have voted for Joe Biden. A Republican Congress will have the power to investigate the Biden Family Crime Syndicate, its pay-for-play schemes that facilitate millions of dollars from foreign governments into Joe Biden’s coffers through his son’s businesses, and Hunter’s role in human trafficking and drug use while doing so.
Biden said just this weekend Americans shouldn’t have guns. “Ban them! Ban them! Ban them!” he told a Pennsylvania crowd. A Republican Congress would stop any gun confiscation program legislation that bans the unique American right to self-protection.
Biden thinks rampant inflation is a result of not enough government spending. Electing Democrats will mean more borrowing, a bigger debt, and higher prices at the grocery store. Inflation isn’t a theoretical question, it’s math; it happens when there’s too much money chasing too few goods. A Democrat Congress wouldn’t care; they would be emboldened to spend more.
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LOTTERY
No winner for Friday night’s Mega Millions drawing. Tonight’s drawing will be for a $154 million jackpot or a $74.7 million cash payout.
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SHOWBIZ NEWS
AARON CARTER’s cause of death is still listed as “undetermined” following an autopsy that took place on Sunday.
The Los Angeles County Medical-Examiner Coroner’s office released a statement Monday, stating that additional tests and studies have been requested and an “official cause of death will be made once the results are in.”
As reported yesterday, Carter was found Sunday morning in his bathtub. He was only 34.
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JESSICA SIMPSON responded to the concern raised after her recent appearance in an ad for Pottery Barn Kids posted on social media last week.
After showing off the items from the collection that she used in her daughter Birdie’s room, fans quickly filled up the comment section with concern over Simpson’s gaunt appearance and slurred speech.
Taking to social media, the 42-year-old singer wrote that “peoples’ comments and judgments can still hurt deeply with their incessant nagging.” While she doesn’t directly call out the worry from fans, she added “I have learned the last 5yrs without alcohol being a guard for escapism, is that I CAN and ALWAYS WILL get through it.”
Many may recall that Simpson has been on a journey of self-love for years, following her bouts with alcoholism.
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POST MALONE officiated a wedding between two fans on stage at his recent show in Seattle.
The two women stood face-to-face as the rapper called for everyone’s attention. After walking them through the “I do’s”, Post gave them the green light to share a kiss. He then declared them married “in the eyes of space” as the crowd cheered them on.
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GIGI HADID is done with Twitter.
The model announced on Instagram that she has deactivated her Twitter account following ELON MUSK’s takeover.
In her announcement, she called the app a “cesspool of hate & bigotry.”
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JINGER DUGGAR -- one of the 19 Duggars from reality TV -- is releasing her first book.
The “Counting On” alum announced in a recent YouTube video that she has written a memoir, titled “Becoming Free Indeed,” about her spiritual journey.
Duggar says the book “is a journey of disentangling truth from lies” in regards to her spiritual journey. It is full of “stories of fear and uncertainty but also of discovery and hope.”
This is not Duggar’s first time releasing a book, she joined her sisters JANA, JILL and JESSA in 2015 as co-author on the book “Growing Up Duggar: It’s All About Relationships.”
“Becoming Free Indeed” hits shelves on January 31, 2023.
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KEVIN HART has a new whip.
The actor unveiled his new car, an upgraded 1987 Buick Grand National GNX, last week at the MagnaFlow booth at SEMA, a famous car show in Las Vegas.
He also revealed the name for the ride, calling it “The Dark Knight.”
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Less than three months after saying he was moving to the UK because of all the gun violence in the United States, OZZY OSBOURNE now says he would rather not leave.
In the cover story for Consequence magazine, Osbourne said, “To be honest with you, if I had my way, I’d stay in America. I’m American now.”
Chances of him choosing to stay are slim however, as he and his wife SHARON OSBOURNE announced they are filming a 10-part reality series for BBC about their journey back to Britain, called “Home to Roost.”
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ASHTON KUTCHER completed the 2022 TCS New York City Marathon on Sunday for a good cause.
With a time of 3 hours, 54 minutes and 1 second, Kutcher crossed the finish line while raising more than $1 million to help fight child sex abuse through his foundation Thorn, according to his fundraising page.
Thorn recently celebrated 10 years of helping victims and survivors of sexual abuse.
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CASTING CALL
Most people with a history of wearing blackface get canceled…but not if you’re JIMMY KIMMEL.
Despite his past choices and abysmal ratings the last time he hosted, Kimmel has been asked to host the Oscars yet again.
For the third time the late night host will hit the Dolby Stage for Hollywood’s biggest night of the year on Sunday, March 12.
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KELLY CLARKSON is here to stay.
NBC announced Monday that her daytime talk show has been renewed for another two seasons, bringing it through 2025.
Clarkson’s show has continued to grow its audience since its debut in 2019. This season, she took over the time slot left vacant by “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.”
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THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
KIM KARDASHIAN’s beauty line, KKW (or a variation of that), may be making a comeback.
A fan tweeted at the reality star last week, asking if she will be releasing more makeup soon. In response, Kim wrote, “We’re working on it! You guys are going to love our new formulas.”
Many may recall that Kim announced last year plans to shut down KKWBeauty.com, in order to “come back under a completely new brand with new formulas.”
WORTH NOTING: The new brand likely had to do with Kim ditching her last name “West” which is the “W” in KKW.
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WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS
Royal author OMID SCOBIE says the media has it all wrong when it comes to PRINCE HARRY’s memoir, “Spare.”
Specifically, Scobie says that the “breathless outrage” over the title seems preposterous as all his life, Harry has been referred to as the “spare heir.”
“Harry [is] finally owning the term after a lifetime of being called it,” Scobie bluntly points out.
He also claims that while only a few details about the book have been released by the publisher, Harry does not use the 416 pages to bash his family, but rather to share a “sympathetic look at the realities of their near-impossible existence.”
Scobie also states that there were no “rewrites” or “edits” following QUEEN ELIZABETH’s passing, which is something that will be acknowledged in the book.
“Spare” hits shelves on January 10.
WORTH ASKING: Are the choices Harry is making really hurtful to his family or is it just too easy to blame “the spare”?
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SPORTS
Hall of Fame QB TERRY BRADSHAW came under fire after a comment he made during “Fox NFL Sunday.”
While discussing Arizona Cardinals running back JAMES CONNER, Bradshaw told his fellow analysts “I think if this kid ran five or six runs in a row, I think he’d commit suicide or something.”
His remark was met with harsh criticism on Twitter, with many calling for him to be fired.
As of Monday afternoon, neither Fox or Bradshaw have commented on the incident.
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DAY OF THE YEAR
National STEM/STEAM Day
National Cappuccino Day
National Harvey Wallbanger Day
World Radiography Day
Shot Day
World Quality Day
National Dunce Day
Cook Something Bold and Pungent Day
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ON THIS DATE
1793 – The Louvre opens in Paris.
The historic French museum began as an archive and private gallery of royal art. After the French Revolution, it opened to a wider audience.
Today it displays artifacts from more than 11,000 years of human history.
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1887 – Gunslinger Doc Holliday dies in Glenwood Springs, California, from tuberculosis.
The friend of Wyatt Earp was only 36 years old at the time of his death. He was NOT in his prime.
He famously fought in the 1881 shootout at the OK Corral.
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1917 – Vladimir Lenin takes control of the brand-new All-Russian Congress of Soviets, one day after the Bolsheviks took over the Russian government.
Lenin called for an end to fighting in World War I.
His Bolshevik party held a 60 percent majority in the legislature. They approved a formal ceasefire between the Soviets and the Central Powers, effective December 2nd.
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1939 – Adolf Hitler escapes an assassination attempt following a speech commemorating the anniversary of his Beer Hall Putsch.
Hitler famously gave speeches to commemorate his first attempted power grab --1939 was no different.
The bomb went off 12 minutes after Der Fuhrer left the hall. Seven died and 63 were wounded.
Though the Nazis publicly denounced British intelligence for making the attempt, inner circles suggested it came from homegrown German anti-Nazi rebels.
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1994 – The Republican Party takes control of Congress in Bill Clinton's first midterm election.
Georgia Representative Newt Gingrich became Speaker. He famously touted his 10-point Contract with America to jump-start the economy.
The entire package of legislation was passed in the first 100 days of that Congress' session -- accepting a constitutional amendment that would enforce Congressional term limits.
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2002 – The United Nations enforces its final and most powerful wrist-slap on Iraqi despot Saddam Hussein.
He had just days to give up his weapons programs or face military actions. The Security Council voted unanimously to support the resolution. A week later, Iraq complied, but inspectors found no evidence of WMD.
Since then, however, al Qaeda has carried out at least 100 chemical attacks on coalition forces in Iraq, using repurposed chemical warheads from what was once Saddam Hussein's arsenal. That's according to Chuck Pfarrer, in his book, “Seal Target Geronimo.”
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2016 - Donald Trump is elected President of the United States of America, defeating democrat Hillary Clinton.
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2020 - Global cases of COVID-19 pass 50 million.
The death toll is more than 1.2 million, according to John Hopkins data.
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BIRTHDAYS
Jade Pettyjohn - actress, “United States of Tara” & “School of Rock” - 22
Benjamin Wadsworth - actor, “Deadly Class” & “Teen Wolf” - 23
Lauren Alaina - country singer - 28
Riker Lynch - bassist, R5 - 31
Giancarlo Stanton - baseball player - 33
SZA - R&B singer - 33
Jack Osbourne - TV personality & son of Ozzy - 37
Tara Reid - actress, “American Pie” & “Sharknado” - 47
David Muir - journalist - 49
Parker Posey - actress, “Dazed and Confused” - 54
Gordon Ramsay - chef - 56
Born On This Date
Peter van Pels - hid alongside Anne Frank during WWII - 1926 (d. 1945)
Margaret Mitchell - author, “Gone With the Wind” - 1900 (d. 1949)
Edmond Halley - astronomer, Halley’s comet - 1656 (d. 1742)
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