11/8/2023: “Code H” 💩
PLUS: Debt Spike; OJ’s Looking Old; and The King’s Speech
Today is Wednesday, November 8, 2023.
It is the 312th day of the year.
53 days remain.
WHAT’S ON TAP
Another unicorn company collapses and some closure for a weary landlord. Details in HIT LIST.
BARBRA STREISAND’s memoir is a lengthy read and HUGH JACKMAN wants his ex to sign an ironclad NDA. More in SHOWBIZ.
Another “Longest Yard” remake is in the works and CHRISSY TEIGEN is heading back to reality TV. Find out more in CASTING CALL.
Which KarJenner could hang with the “Real Housewives”? ANDY COHEN gives his answer in KARDASH.
The King’s Speech has returned for the first time in decades. More in ROYALS.
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HIT LIST
A few weeks after the first public buzz about its demise, shared workspace company WEWORK has filed for bankruptcy.
The company made headlines in the 2010s under the eccentric leadership of its bombastic founder ADAM NEWMANN, who was later pushed out by the Board of Directors for using investment funds for his own enrichment.
NOW: The company’s leadership has filed for Chapter 11 protection in New Jersey.
Chapter 11 bankruptcies give companies an opportunity to renegotiate debts with lenders and is often called a “reorganization” (as opposed to the common Chapter 7 procedures for individuals that wipes almost all debts clean).
At its peak in 2019, WeWork’s value exceeded $47 BILLION. [via Morning Martini]
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Another pandemic habit appears here to stay, at least for now: fast food drive-thrus.
Research firm Technomic reports that drive-through traffic increased 30% between 2019 and 2022 while diners choosing to order inside fell 47% between 2019 and this year. Ordering at the speaker now accounts for two in three fast food purchases.
INTERESTING: One analysis suggests that the pandemic pet-buying boom is another factor in the behavior change, since it’s easier to take your pooch through the drive-through lane than leave it in the car while you dine in. [via NY Times]
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FOLLOW UP: Remember the kooky AirBNB renter who refused to leave a Los Angeles-area guest house? That woman, Elizabeth Hirschhorn, finally left the premises – after living there rent-free for 575 days.
The owner, Sasha Jovanic, had no legal recourse to evict her because he had not gotten the proper licenses from the city to maintain a rental unit on his property. And AirBNB was no help because he had extended her stay off the app.
GO FIGURE: Jovanic says he was sitting on camera for an interview about his plight for a documentary when he spotted movers entering the guest house. To cover his own bases, he also called the cops, who walked out with Hirschhorn. Within an hour, Jovanic and his attorney had a locksmith on site to change the keys.
Jovanic’s attorney is still pursuing legal action to collect past-due rent. [via LA Times]
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American households are sitting on $17.29 TRILLION in debt as of the end of October. Just over $1 TRILLION of those obligations are credit card debts.
Total past-due debts are approaching pre-pandemic levels, representing the decrease in savings hoarded during lockdowns amid abundant government cash handouts.
Younger Americans are more likely to have higher debt balances and be past due. [via NY Fed, NY Post]
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There is a pooping problem at Disney World and Disneyland that employees have dubbed “Human Code H” -- a spinoff of “Code H,” which stands for “horsecrap.”
According to a Reddit thread, one park goer was in line for the Rise of the Resistance at Disney World and witnessed a kid “take a dump on the floor” and walk away from it. An employee commented on the post writing that was “one of 3 s**t-related incidents” at that particular ride -- which does have a lengthy wait time -- on that particular day.
Another employee recalled a “poop hall” where guests waiting for an unspecified ride would often visit to defecate. “We even put up a camera and it didn’t stop it,” the cast member wrote.
If you’re interested in more stories like these, two former employees wrote a book about cleaning up crap, called, “Cleaning the Kingdom: Insider Tales of Keeping Walt’s Dream Spotless.” [via NY Post]
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BY THE NUMBERS
📈 The DOW was up 56 points (0.17%) to close at 34,152 on Tuesday. The S&P added 12 points (0.28%) to close at 4,378 and the NASDAQ added 121 points (0.9%) to close at 13,639.
🛢 WEST TEXAS INTERMEDIATE closed at $77; BRENT CRUDE at $81.
⛽ The national average price of a GALLON OF GAS was $3.40 on Tuesday.
₿ BITCOIN surged Tuesday, trading over $35,500.
🛩 There were more than 1,385 FLIGHTS delayed within, into, or out of the United States on Tuesday and more than 35 such cancellations.
💰Tonight’s POWERBALL drawing will be for a $196 million jackpot or a $90.2 million cash payout.
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SHOWBIZ NEWS
FOLLOW UP: Actor ALAN RUCK’s truck ending up in the side of a pizzeria may have been due to a technical error.
Investigators told TMZ that there is no evidence that Ruck was under the influence, distracted or otherwise impaired during the accident, so they are laying blame on his brand-new, super high-tech truck, a Rivan R1T.
According to schematics for the electric truck, there are three all-wheel drive systems, and depending on which one is in gear the vehicle can go from 0 to 60 mph real quick.
As far as authorities are concerned -- and because no one was injured -- the case has been closed. Now it is up to the insurance companies to figure it all out. [via TMZ]
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BARBRA STREISAND’s book, “My Name Is Barbra,” was released on Tuesday and some were shocked to see the girth of the book -- which is nearly 1,000 pages long.
That being said, some may opt for the audio version, read by Streisand herself, but that is reportedly 48 hours and 14 minutes long, per Audible. [via Variety]
FOR THE RECORD: Most audiobooks span anywhere from 8 to 12 hours.
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RadarOnline reports that actor HUGH JACKMAN wants his estranged wife DEBORRA-LEE FURNESS to sign an ironclad NDA prohibiting her from sharing intimate details about their marriage.
“[Hugh’s] a man with lots of secrets and doesn’t want any of them exposed,” an insider told the outlet.
If Furness agrees to the NDA, sources say Jackman is willing to be “very generous” with his 100 million fortune.
The couple, who were together for 27 years, announced their split in September.
WHAT’S MORE: Jackman is rumored to be writing a memoir that will contain some “big bombshells,” though this has not yet been confirmed. [via RadarOnline]
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Insiders are shedding some light on comments “Real Housewife” KYLE RICHARDS made at BravoCon regarding her current status with husband MAURICIO UMANSKY.
Those in-the-know told TMZ that neither of them have lawyered up and things are still amicable -- even as they continue to co-habitat.
In other news, if or when they do decide to officially call it quits things could get messy as there is reportedly no prenup in place. [via TMZ]
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Record producer TIMBALAND is being blasted by BRITNEY SPEARS’ fans after comments he made about her memoir in a recent interview.
When asked about his collaboration with JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE, “Cry My a River,” making headlines again because of the book, Timbaland said that he was tempted to call JT and say “you gotta put a muzzle on that.”
Elsewhere in the interview Timbaland said that he thinks Spears’ memoir was “something to get people’s attention.”
For his part, JT has not addressed any of the bombshells written in the book. [via Page Six]
FOR WHAT IT’S WORTH: “Cry Me a River” led many to believe that Spears cheated on JT. There was also a Spears look-a-like who appeared in the music video for the song.
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A GoFundMe account set up for the family of “Black Panther” stuntman TARAJA RAMSESS has raised over $96,000 (as of Tuesday afternoon).
As previously reported, Ramsess and three of his children were killed in a car accident on October 31 when his truck collided with a tractor-trailer in Atlanta.
An investigation into the crash is still ongoing. [via Fox5]
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OJ SIMPSON was recently spotted looking stiff and frail as he exited an SUV parked on a street in Las Vegas.
At 76-years-old the former convict and running back appears to be feeling all the aches and pains of getting older.
Some may recall that while serving his 33-year prison sentence for stealing sports memorabilia in 2007 Simpson used a cane to get around inside Lovelock Correctional Center in Nevada. At the time he also reportedly weighed 340-pounds, according to the Daily Mail. [via NY Post, Daily Mail]
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CASTING CALL
Tuesday, November 21 will be “Taylor Swift Night” on ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars.”
If dancing to a song from one of the biggest stars in the biz wasn’t enough, choreographer MANDY MOORE (not the actress/singer) will be a guest judge for the episode.
Moore is the lead choreographer for Swift’s “Eras Tour.” [via NY Post]
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Another remake of “The Longest Yard” is rumored to be in the works at Paramount.
The original prison sports comedy film was released in 1974 and starred BURT REYNOLDS. A 2005 remake starred ADAM SANDLER, with a cameo by Reynolds.
No word on whether any of the actors from the original or the first remake will appear in this one. [via Deadline]
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CHRISSY TEIGEN will host a new foodie show for Hulu.
“Chrissy and Dave Dine Out” follows Teigen, and co-stars restaurateur DAVID CHANG and actor/writer JOEL KIM BOOSTER, as they visit several must-try restaurants in Los Angeles.
For his part, Chang will hang with the chef at each joint, while Teigen and Booster host a dinner party with a slew of handpicked celebrity guests.
“Chrissy and Dave Dine Out” is set to premiere in January. [via Billboard]
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THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
On a recent episode of his “Watch What Happens Live,” Bravo host ANDY COHEN was asked which KarJenner he could see joining the “Real Housewives” franchise.
“Kris Jenner calls you and says you can have one of my daughters…but only one,” E! News’ JUSTIN SYLVESTOR prompted Cohen, who didn’t have to think very long before naming KHLOE KARDASHIAN.
As for why he thinks Khloe would be the best “Real Housewife,” Cohen highlighted her humor, saying, “She’s the funniest of all of them.” [via E!]
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BABY BARKER WATCH: As of Tuesday there has still been no public release of information -- or even a photo -- from KOURTNEY KARDASHIAN or TRAVIS BARKER on their bundle of joy, Rocky Thirteen Barker.
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WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS
KING CHARLES returned from Kenya just in time for the formal opening of Parliament under the leadership of Prime Minister RISHI SUNAK.
For his first time as King, Charles gave “the King’s Speech,” which lays out the government majority’s policy priorities for the upcoming session – though Charles had nothing to do with the language and substance of the speech.
IN FACT: Much of the speech surrounding expanded oil leases likely contradicts Charles’ own personal feelings about green energy and sustainability initiatives.
But still, he delivered it monotonously, on purpose, signaling the monarch’s role above the day to day political fray. [via Washington Post]
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DAY OF THE YEAR
Roast Dinner Day
National Cappuccino Day
Cook Something Bad and Pungent Day
World Radiography Day
National Harvey Wallbanger Day
Shot Day
National STEM/STEAM Day
Eating Healthy Day
National Dunce 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.
While he won the Electoral College, Clinton won the popular vote.
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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
Connor Cain - actor, “Schooled” - 18
Jade Pettyjohn - actress, “United States of Tara” & “School of Rock” - 23
Benjamin Wadsworth - actor, “Deadly Class” & “Girls Meets World” - 24
Lauren Alaina - country singer - 29
Riker Lynch - bassist, R5 - 32
SZA - R&B singer - 34
Jeffrey Jordan - basketball player - 35
Erica Mena - model - 36
Jack Osbourne - actor, tv show host, podcaster & son of Ozzy - 38
Keith Lee - wrestler - 39
Tara Reid - actress, “American Pie” franchise - 48
David Muri - journalist, “20/20” - 50
Tech N9ne - rapper - 52
Parker Posey - actress, “Dazed and Confused” - 55
Gordon Ramsay - chef - 57
Born On This Date
Minnie Riperson - soul singer - 1947 (d. 1979)
Norman Lloyd - actor, “Dead Poets Society” & “Modern Family” - 1914 (d. 2021)
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