1/19/2023: High Speed Tween Chase
Discover more from Morning Martini
1/19/2023: High Speed Tween Chase
PLUS: Whoopi Gets Heckled; Meryl Streep’s New Role; and Royal Rivalry
Today is Thursday, January 19, 2023.
It is the 19th day of the year.
346 days remain.
WHAT’S ON TAP
A tight economy continues to batter Big Tech and EL CHAPO wants to serve his prison sentence in Mexico. More in HIT LIST.
The federal government reaches the debt ceiling today and former President DONALD TRUMP wants to get back onto Facebook. More in THE SWAMP.
TAYLOR SWIFT tops Billboard’s Hot 100 and BRITNEY SPEARS takes a trip down memory lane. More in SHOWBIZ.
KIM KARDASHIAN couldn't care less about her ex’s new marriage. More in KARDASHOPUS.
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HIT LIST
The recession-that-isn’t continues to hammer Big Tech, with Microsoft announcing Wednesday it will lay off 10,000 workers, representing about 5% of their total staff headcount around the world.
WORTH NOTING: Microsoft hired more than 75,000 people in the last three years as revenue exploded, so the layoffs do appear to be a healthy adjustment to respond to economic realities.
BUT WAIT: Microsoft generated $17.6 billion in profit in the third quarter of 2022. This move is to shore up balance sheets ahead of economic uncertainty. [via NYT]
MEANWHILE, AT PARTY CITY: The parent company for Party City filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Tuesday. The company’s leadership says they expect to have restructuring done by the middle of the year. Party City was pretty useless in the early months of the pandemic, when gatherings were made illegal, and its varied supply of cheap party supplies hit supply chain snags as the global economy slowly rebounded. [via Reuters]
MEANWHILE, AT TWITTER: You, too, can own a part of Twitter, and you don’t even have to buy a Blue subscription or partner with ELON MUSK.
A bunch of fancy decor and other assets were put up for auction online Wednesday, including things like high-end lounge chairs and espresso machines.
WORTH REMEMBERING: Pre-Elon, Twitter offered employees crazy benefits like wine-on-tap, game tables, and best of all, getting paid to not really having to even do anything, as was demonstrated in a viral TikTok video last year.
The auction closed yesterday afternoon, but you can peruse what was sold off yesterday here >
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There’s a major shortage of accountants heading into tax season, The Wall Street Journal reports.
The industry has lost more than 300,000 accountants and auditors in the last two years, leaving tax and accounting firms large and small scrambling to find staff to service their clients. These companies are turning to overseas firms to help with data entry and other tasks, freeing up their staff to focus on the more complicated tax issues. [via WSJ]
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A lawyer for EL CHAPO has petitioned the Mexican government to extradite him to a prison in his home country, a request that Mexican President ANDRES MANUEL LOPEZ OBRADOR says he’s considering.
El Chapo’s lawyer says he has no access to sunlight or visitors. [via Associated Press]
MAKES SENSE: He’s escaped prison twice before and is currently at ADX Florence, the Supermax prison in Colorado. His fellow inmates include al-Qaeda operative Zacarias Moussaoui, Boston marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, domestic terrorist Terry Nichols, and Russian spy Robert Hanssen.
GO FIGURE: The announcement of the petition comes on the anniversary of El Chapo’s first escape from prison in 2001. More in History.
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Astronauts aboard the International Space Station are retrofitting the docked SpaceX Dragon capsule with a fifth seat in case it needs to be used to evacuate those on board.
The update comes after Russia’s MS-22 Soyuz capsule was damaged in a debris strike last month. Officials on the ground aren’t taking any risks if it needs to be used in the event of an emergency.
The update to the Dragon capsule is a short-term safety measure, though. The Russkies are launching an unmanned replacement capsule in February that can accommodate three astronauts. While the Dragon capsule has so far launched no more than four astronauts into space, it can accommodate seven people if need be. [via Space.com]
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State troopers in Nebraska spent 20 minutes on a high speed chase Monday before being able to stop the car – to find a 13 year-old-girl behind the wheel and an 11-year-old boy riding shotgun.
The chase started after police initiated a traffic stop, when the car was spotted driving well under the high speed limit. That’s when the driver gunned it and reached speeds over 100 miles per hour.
Only details about the renegade kids is that they’re from Colorado, and that police found weed and a gun with the passenger. [via NBC News]
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CHARTS
Recommended Reading:
The Canadian Centra on Substance Use and Addiction recently updated its guidance on alcohol consumption from two drinks per day to two drinks per week for women and six drinks per week for men.
People Magazine reported on the changes Wednesday, which basically state that any amount of alcohol is bad for your health.
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DEATHS
Professional wrestler JAY BRISCOE has died.
He passed away in a fatal car accident in Delaware on Tuesday, according to a tweet from All Elite Wrestling founder, Tony Khan.
Briscoe wrestled alongside his brother Mark as the tag-team duo, The Briscoe Brothers. The pair were inducted into the ROH Hall of Fame in 2022.
He was only 38.
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The world’s oldest person, French nun SISTER ANDRE, has died.
She passed away in her sleep at her retirement home in France, according to Reuters.
Sister Andre assumed the title of the world’s oldest person in April 2022, after the death of Kane Tanaka, who was 119.
She was 118.
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Former NBA player and coach CHRIS FORD has died.
He passed away Wednesday, according to a statement from his family. No cause of death was shared.
Ford played on the Boston Celtics 1981 championship team, and is credited with scoring the league’s first three-point basket.
He was 74.
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RELATIONSHIPS
“Outer Banks” star CHASE STOKES, 30, confirmed to TMZ photogs this week that he is in fact dating country singer KELSEA BALLERINI, 29.
Speculation over their potential relationship started last week when the two were spotted cuddling at the College Football National Championship game.
Ballerini recently divorced fellow country singer MORGAN EVANS, 37, while Stokes was last linked to his “Outer Banks” co-star MADELYN CLINE, 25.
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THE SWAMP
TODAY: The federal government will hit the debt ceiling while the Republican House and President JOE BIDEN continue to dance around each other.
WORTH NOTING: Reaching the debt ceiling doesn’t trigger a government shutdown.
The concern is over whether the government can continue to pay its bills once the debt ceiling is reached. Since the federal government has been operating in historic deficits for years now, it can’t operate without borrowing, and roughly 15% of all federal spending goes just to servicing interest on the debt.
ALSO WORTH NOTING: The government remains funded until September 30, and federal programs will remain funded and federal workers will keep getting paid until then. If Congress and Biden can’t agree to a spending plan before then, the shutdown kicks in. Or they pass some limp continuing resolution to keep kicking the can down the road.
WORTH ASKING: If you have to borrow to pay your bills, but you can’t borrow any more money, how do you keep spending? Is it maybe all just made up at this point?
WORTH REMEMBERING: The national debt is around $31.5 trillion. US Gross Domestic Product is around $22 trillion. We could theoretically liquidate the entire economy and still be left with trillions in debt – and then we’d really have no way to pay for it.
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Former President DONALD TRUMP wants his Facebook account back.
His campaign petitioned the platform to reinstate his account, which they axed following the election integrity protests in Washington DC on January 6, 2021.
A rep for Meta – Facebook’s parent company – says an announcement on their decision will be forthcoming. [via NBC News]
WORTH REMEMBERING: Trump is currently contractually bound to post all social media messages on Truth Social at least a few hours before any other sites.
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BY THE NUMBERS
📈 The DOW lost 613 points (1.81%) to close at 33,296. The S&P lost 62 points (1.56%) to close at 3,928 while the NASDAQ lost 138 points (1.24%) to close at 10,957.
🛢 WEST TEXAS INTERMEDIATE closed at $79; BRENT CRUDE just shy of $85.
⛽ The national average price of a GALLON OF GAS increased to $3.35 on Wednesday.
₿ BITCOIN tumbled after Tuesday's takeoff, trading just over $20,700 Wednesday evening.
🛩 There were more than 2,750 FLIGHTS delayed within, into, or out of the United States on Wednesday and more than 490 such cancellations.
💰The MEGA MILLIONS jackpot has been won in back-to-back drawings. On Tuesday night a ticket for a $20 million jackpot was drawn in New York. The jackpot will once again reset to $20 million (or $10.6 million cash) for Friday night’s drawing.
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SHOWBIZ NEWS
Work on LISA MARIE PRESLEY’s burial site has started ahead of Sunday’s celebration of life.
Page Six reports that she will be buried among family members -- opposite her dad ELVIS PRESLEY -- around the backyard fountain of the estate at Graceland. [via Page Six]
MEANWHILE: On Wednesday, People Magazine reported that the Los Angeles coroner has deferred ruling on Lisa Marie’s cause of death.
A spokesperson for the L.A. County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner explained that “deferred” means that the medical examiner is seeking “more information into the death, including additional studies.”
As previously reported, Lisa Marie died on January 12 after suffering suspected cardiac arrest. Via People]
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“Boy Meets World” star BEN SAVAGE wants to toss his hat in the political ring.
He has filed paperwork showing his interest in running for California’s 30th District, taking over a seat left vacant by Rep. ADAM SCHIFF, who is likely to run for DIANNE FEINSTEIN’s Senate seat.
Many may recall that Savage ran for Los Angeles City Council in November, but lost. [via TMZ]
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KENNY LOGGINS is heading out on his “This Is It!” farewell tour.
Speaking to People Magazine, Loggins said that after spending nearly his entire life on the road, he wants “to have more time at home.”
The 12-date tour will run from January to October. [via People]
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TAYLOR SWIFT’s new song “Anti-Hero” has topped Billboard’s Hot 100 list for eight weeks, making it her longest-running No. 1 hit to date.
Swift reacted to the news with a post thanking her fans aka Swifties for making the single a success. [via People]
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SNOOP DOGG was announced as one of the latest inductees of the Songwriters Hall of Fame on Wednesday.
Joining him are GLORIA ESTEFAN, SADE ADU, Electric Light Orchestra founder JEFF LYNNE, and others.
The 52nd Annual Induction and Awards Gala is set for June 15. [via Deadline]
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WHOOPI GOLDBERG was heckled by an audience member during yesterday’s episode of “The View.”
As the ladies walked up to the table at the beginning of the show, a woman in the audience called Whoopi an “old broad.”
In response, Whoopi told her co-hosts, “She said, ‘You old broad,’ and I was like, ‘Hey, it’s Wednesday, and I am an old broad, and happy about it.’”
Whoopi’s co-host SUNNY HOSTIN chimed in on the comment saying, “old broad is far better than the alternative.” [via Entertainment Weekly]
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JENNIFER LOPEZ told E! News that she was supposed to kiss MADONNA at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards along with BRITNEY SPEARS, instead of CHRISTINA AGUILERA.
“I was filming a movie [...] and we had met -- me, [Madonna] and Britney to do it -- [...] And I just couldn’t get off the film, so they got Christina to do it,” she explained.
Many may recall the shocking performance, when Britney was joined on stage by Aguilera and Madonna, the latter of which leaned in for a smooch. [via E! News]
SPEAKING OF BRITNEY: She shared some throwback photos of her playing basketball with ex-boyfriend JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE. “When we used to shoot hoops TOGETHER…that’s when miracles happened!!!” she captioned it. Spears also showed clips of her getting a new tattoo, though wouldn’t share the ink because she says “it sucks.” No word on what her husband, SAM ASGHARI, thinks about her taking a stroll down memory lane.
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CASTING CALL
As filming for Season 3 of “Only Murders in the Building” begins, star STEVE MARTIN revealed that MERYL STREEP has joined the cast.
Martin tweeted the news, sharing a photo of himself alongside Streep and fellow cast members MARTIN SHORT, SELENA GOMEZ and PAUL RUDD.
“Grey’s Anatomy” star JESSE WILLIAMS is also set to make an appearance in the show, though no timeline has been announced. [via People]
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A MICHAEL JACKSON biopic is in the works from director ANTOINE FUQUA.
The Hollywood Reporter confirmed Wednesday that Fuqua and Lionsgate are working together on the project, titled “Michael.” According to a statement from Lionsgate, the biopic will “address all aspects of Jackson’s life.”
It is unknown how Fuqua will address the allegations of child sex abuse that were brought against the late singer.
John Branca and John McClain, co-executors of Jackson’s estate, will also be part of the project. [via The Hollywood Reporter]
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The VON TRAPP family, the one from “The Sound of Music,” will be the focus of a new series, called “Baroness.”
The scripted drama is headed by MYLES VON TRAPP DERBYSHIRE, the grandson of GEORG VON TRAPP’s eldest son RUPERT VON TRAPP.
Instead of retelling “The Sound of Music,” Myles told Page Six that the historical drama will be centered around the family of his grandmother BARONESS HENRIETTE VON TRAPP, the wife of Rupert. The show will be set after the family fled Europe in the early 1940s. [via Page Six]
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THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
For those wondering how KIM KARDASHIAN feels about her ex-husband, YE’s, rumored new marriage, she “does not care.”
A Kardashian-insider told Hollywood Life that “Kim does not care what [Ye] does with his romantic life, as long as he keeps up his duties as a father to their kids.”
The source added that Ye has not spoken to Kim about the marriage, so she does not know if it is legal or was just a ceremony. [via Hollywood Life]
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WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS
PRINCESS DIANA’s former butler Paul Burrell spoke to The Sun about the early rivalry he witnessed between PRINCE HARRY and PRINCE WILLIAM.
He recalled an incident when the boys were much younger and their nanny gave Will three sausages with his breakfast, while Harry only got two.
“How come he gets three?” Harry asked, to which the nanny replied that Will needs more because, “He’s going to be king one day.”
Burrell told the outlet that he feels Harry’s attacks on the Royal Family stem from “playing second fiddle to William.” [via The Sun]
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DAY OF THE YEAR
Brew a Potion Day
Get to Know Your Customers Day
Artist as Outlaw Day
Good Memory Day
National Popcorn Day
National Tin Can Day
Women’s Healthy Weight Day
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ON THIS DATE
1810 - The temperature in Portsmouth, New Hampshire drops from 67 degrees to minus 33 degrees in one day.
Many froze to death in the sudden chill.
It is known as Cold Friday.
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1840 - Captain Charles Wilkes claims Eastern Antarctica for the United States.
Wilkes and his crew set out in 1838 from Hampton Roads, Virginia,, sailing around South America to the South Pacific, then to Antarctica. There, they explored the eastern coast -- and Wilkes said it belonged to the U.S.
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1883 - The first electric lighting system employing overhead wires begins service at Roselle, New Jersey.
It was built by Thomas Edison.
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1977 - President Ford pardons Tokyo Rose.
Though several Japanese women voiced the seductive radio personality whose propaganda made American sailors long for home, the woman in question was Iva Toguri, who was Japanese-American.
She was an American who was in Japan at the time the country bombed Pearl Harbor, and was forced to participate in the program.
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1993 - Fleetwood Mac reunites to begin rehearsals for an inauguration party for president-elect Bill Clinton.
Their hit song "Don't Stop" was a theme song used throughout Clinton's campaign.
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2001 - Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman escapes from Puente Grande maximum-security prison near Guadalajara – his first of two high-profile prison escapes.
He was rolled out of the prison in a laundry cart by prison guards, who he had bribed. Guzman remained on the lam until 2014, when he wiggled out of prison again after about 15 months.
That time, he was caught again after only about six months. After that, the feds tossed him into the supermax prison ADX Florence in Colorado.
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2013 - During an interview with Oprah, Lance Armstrong admits to doping in all of his Tour de France victories.
Following the admission, he was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles.
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BIRTHDAYS
Natalia Bryant - model & daughter of Kobe - 20
Hunter Doohan - actor, “Your Honor” & “Westworld” - 29
Josh Dylan - actor, “Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again” - 29
Sarah Fisher - actress, “Degrassi: The Next Generation” - 30
Shawn Johnson - Olympic gymnast - 31
Logan Lerman - actor, “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” - 31
Erin Sanders - actress, “Zoey 101” & “Big Time Rush” - 32
JaVale McGee - basketball player - 35
Jodie Sweetin - actress, “Full House” - 41
Jenson Button - race car driver - 43
Ron Killings - wrestler - 51
Shawn Wayans - actor, “Scary Movie” films & “In Living Color” - 52
Paul Rodriguez - comedian - 68
Paula Deen - chef - 76
Dolly Parton - country singer - 77
Born On This Date
Mac Miller - rapper - 1992 (d. 2018)
Janis Joplin - rock singer - 1943 (d. 1970)
Edgar Allan Poe - poet - 1809 (d. 1849)
Robert E. Lee - military officer, Confederate Army - 1807 (d. 1870)
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