12/12/2024: A Drunk & His Mule
PLUS: The $400 BILLION Man; Still Standing; and “Polo” Released
Today is Thursday, December 12, 2024.
It is the 347th day of the year.
19 days remain.
PROGRAMMING NOTES
UPGRADE TO TOP SHELF TODAY!
Beginning Monday, December 16, the full newsletter will only be available to Top Shelf subscribers.
Free subscribers will still get a scaled-back version, with about a half-dozen pieces from the Hit List, Showbiz News, and Casting Call sections.
CHRISTMAS SEASON PUBLISHING SCHEDULE:
There will be no regular newsletter from Monday, December 23 - Wednesday, January 1.
We will publish our Year in Review series December 26, 27, 30, and 31. Top Shelf subscribers get full access.
We will return to regular production for Thursday, January 2, 2025.
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WHAT’S ON TAP
A follow-up on the Wisconsin man who faked his death this summer and an ancient artifact hits the auction block. Details in HIT LIST.
More charges in connection to LIAM PAYNE’s death and JAMES PATTERSON shares the wealth. More in SHOWBIZ.
A fourth “Meet the Parents” movie is in the works and ROB SCHNEIDER shares plans to rival “The View.” Details in CASTING CALL.
KIM’s new SKIMS collab is not safe for the slopes. More in KARDASH.
The Sussexes’ latest project hits Netflix. Details in ROYALS.
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HIT LIST
FOLLOW UP: A Wisconsin man who faked his own death then disappeared to Europe is back home – and in jail.
IN AUGUST: Ryan Borgwardt disappeared after taking out his kayak on Green Lake and was presumed dead when law enforcement found his capsized vessel and empty vehicle in a nearby park. Investigators also found his tackle box, wallet, license, and keys. After an eight-week search, Borgwardt’s body was never found.
But analysis of his laptop showed he had been communicating with a woman from Uzbekistan, leading officials to try to track him down.
During a Wednesday press conference, Green Lake County Sheriff Mark Podoll said Borgwardt contacted police about a month ago when the story first made headlines. Since then, Podoll said police made an emotional appeal to try to get Borgwardt to come home.
On Tuesday, he landed back in the United States and was taken into custody by police, though the sheriff was light on the details of how he got back: “That’s going to be up to him someday. We’re not going to release that. ... We brought a dad back on his own,” the sheriff said.
HOWEVER: Police did explain the details of Borgwardt’s disappearance. He ditched his kayak in the lake, which he chose for being the deepest in the state. Then he paddled an inflatable raft to shore, rode an electric bike through the night to Madison, hopped a bus to Canada via Detroit, then got on a plane. Still no confirmation where he went.
The Green Lake Sheriff’s office has recommended multiple charges. [via AP, Morning Martini]
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If you’re going to drink in public, don’t drive. And don’t try to make a getaway on your mule, either.
Police in Murray, Kentucky, arrested 39-year-old Jonathan Mason twice in the last week for booze and animal-related offenses.
ON DECEMBER 7: A liquor store called police to report Mason for “unruly” behavior. When the fuzz arrived, he refused to leave and told them he had ridden his mule there. Then he got on his mule and refused to stop. Onlookers reported that Mason whipped the mule an “unnecessary amount” of times, among other unspecified mistreatments.
These infractions earned him an arrest and a slate of charges, including second-degree disorderly conduct, alcohol intoxication in a public place, third-degree criminal trespassing, resisting arrest, and second-degree cruelty to animals.
THEN, ON DECEMBER 9: Police responded to calls of a drunk man riding a mule down the road. It was Mason, again, and he refused to stop riding his mule, again. He was arrested, again, and charged with third-degree fleeing or evading police and second-degree cruelty to animals. [via KFVS]
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ELON MUSK crossed the $400 BILLION net worth mark this week. He’s the first person in history to achieve the feat.
The boost came after SPACEX announced plans to purchase $1.25 BILLION worth of common stock, valuing the company around $350 BILLION. Musk owns about 42% of the stock, but controls nearly 80% of the company’s votes. [via Trung Phan]
BY THE WAY: Kobeissi Letter points out that Musk’s net worth has increased, on average, FOUR BILLION DOLLARS PER DAY since the election. [via Kobeissi Letter]
ALSO: Tesla stock closed at $424.77 on Wednesday, an all-time high.
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TODAY I LEARNED: Canadians haven’t had their mail delivered in four weeks.
The union representing employees of Canada Post triggered a strike on November 15, demanding higher wages and improved working conditions, among other things. Since then, regular mail service has virtually ended, though the government did ensure mail for benefit checks would still be delivered on a very limited basis.
In the meantime, FedEx has picked up a lot of the slack, though prices have reportedly increased up to 40%.
Government mediators stopped negotiations two weeks ago. The National Post, a similarly named but entirely unrelated Canadian news outlet, reports that there is “no end in sight.” [via National Post]
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The oldest-known stone tablet inscribed with the Ten Commandments is hitting the auction block.
The 155-pound marble slab, dating from 300 to 800 A.D., was discovered during railroad excavations along the southern coast of Israel in 1913. Initially not recognized as historically significant, it was used as a paving stone until 1943 when it was sold to a scholar, who recognized its rarity.
The tablet will be auctioned on December 18 via Sotheby’s, which estimates it will go for between $1 million and $2 million. [via Sotheby’s]
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BREAKUPS
DONALD TRUMP JR. and KIMBERLY GUILFOYLE have ended their engagement.
He’s 46 and she’s 55.
News of the breakup comes after Trump was spotted holding hands with socialite BETTINA ANDERSON in Palm Beach. She’s 38.
Guilfoyle’s also been named future President DONALD TRUMP’s ambassador to Greece.
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SICK BAY
“Golden Bachelor” star GERRY TURNER has been diagnosed with an incurable slow-growing bone marrow cancer, called Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinemia.
He received the diagnosis just weeks before his split from now ex-wife THERESA NIST, who he met on the reality dating show.
Despite the timing, Nist says the diagnosis isn’t what ended their marriage.
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BY THE NUMBERS
📈 The DOW lost 99 points (0.22%) to close at 44,148 on Wednesday. The S&P increased 49 points (0.82%) to close at 6,084 and the NASDAQ climbed 347 points (1.77%) to close at 20,034 – an all-time high and the first time it’s broken the 20k mark.
🛢 WEST TEXAS INTERMEDIATE closed at $70; BRENT CRUDE at $73.
⛽ The national average price of a GALLON OF GAS was $3.02 on Wednesday.
₿ BITCOIN climbed Wednesday, stabilized over $101,000.
💰Friday night’s MEGA MILLIONS drawing will be for a $670 million jackpot or a $317.8 million cash payout.
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SHOWBIZ NEWS
STILL STANDING: During an appearance on “GMA” Wednesday morning, ELTON JOHN said his health has “never been better,’ despite losing sight in one of his eyes.
The 77-year-old explained that he and his husband have “blood tests every six months” and those show that their “health has never been better.”
As for his sight, John says it's been four months since he has been able to see out of his right eye and his left is now “not the greatest,” but he is working with doctors who have given him “hope and encouragement” that it will get better. [via @GMA]
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Two hotel managers who were in contact with LIAM PAYNE moments before his fatal fall have been charged in connection to his death, though it’s unclear what those charges are.
The managers are due in court on December 19, while the two men accused of giving Payne drugs are due in court on December 17.
Payne died in October after falling from the balcony of his third-story hotel room. [via Page Six]
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UK-based promotion company Medier is suing MIKE TYSON for $1.5 million.
The suit alleges that Tyson wrongfully terminated a promotional contract in order to fight YouTuber-turned-boxer JAKE PAUL.
Medier is seeking to recoup the more than $800,000 in fees paid to Tyson and an additional $729,000 for “wasted production and promotion costs.”
Tyson’s team claims Medier breached the contract by failing to obtain approval for promotional materials. [via ESPN]
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Author JAMES PATTERSON handed out $500 holiday bonuses to bookstore employees at 600 locations across the country.
“Booksellers save lives. Period,” he said in a statement released by his publishing company, Little, Brown and Company.
Patterson also gave millions of dollars to schools, libraries, and literacy programs throughout the country. [via AP News]
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DICK VAN DYKE fled his Malibu mansion, alongside his wife Arlene Silver, as fast-moving brush fires ravage Southern California.
The actor, who turns 99 on Friday, posted about the evacuation on Facebook, while telling followers that their family cat, Bobo, sadly escaped while they were leaving.
The Franklin Fire also forced CHER and BARBRA STREISAND from their homes, after it jumped the Pacific Coast Highway. As of Tuesday afternoon, the blaze had covered more than 2,800 square acres and is mostly uncontained. [via NY Post]
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MORGAN WALLEN’s chair-throwing case is moving forward.
According to WSMV, paperwork was filed on Tuesday, and Wallen is expected to appear in person today for initial proceedings.
Wallen was arrested in early April after throwing a chair off the roof of fellow country singer ERIC CHURCH’s Nashville bar, Chief’s. He was charged with three counts of reckless endangerment and one count of disorderly conduct. [via WSMV]
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CASTING CALL
BEN STILLER, ROBERT DE NIRO, TERI POLO, and BLYTHE DANNER are all in talks to reunite for a fourth “Meet the Parents” flick.
The new movie would come nearly 15 years after the last installment, “Little Fockers.”
While plot details are not known, it’s safe to assume the movie will center on Stiller’s Greg Focker getting into a stressful situation. [via Newsweek]
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ROB SCHNEIDER is working on a new daytime talk series that will rival ABC’s “The View.”
“We're going to have an entertaining show with people — from all over America. We're not just trying to bring people who are angry and bitter and reinforcing their political echo chamber,” he shared on “Fox News at Night.”
The show is slated to start filming ahead of DONALD TRUMP’s inauguration. [via Post Millennial]
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Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler’s story isn’t over yet.
Just days before the series finale of “Yellowstone,” Variety confirms that KELLY REILLY and COLE HAUSER’s characters are getting a spinoff.
No word on whether other “Yellowstone” characters will have supporting roles.
MEANWHILE: Executive producer Christina Alexandra Voros tells Variety that the finale of “Yellowstone” will give fans closure that is both “shocking” and “fated.” [via Variety]
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STEPHEN KING’s “Autopsy Room Four” is being made into a film.
The short story is about a man who wakes up after a life-threatening accident and finds himself in an autopsy room, where he confronts his own mortality.
Director RANJEET S. MARWA and executive JON LEVIN will helm the adaptation. [via Deadline]
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THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
An avid skier is warning others about wearing KIM KARDASHIAN’s SKIMS x North Face outfits on the slopes.
“This is dangerous guys,” @danilolatravel states in a TikTok video, explaining how the cream-colored outfits would be detrimental in the case of an avalanche.
“If everyone’s out there wearing neutral [effing] colours, the people are gonna pass you by and [think] that you’re a bark or think that you’re rocks or like dirt or sticks,” she continued.
Kim’s ever loyal fans came to her defense, with one writing, “I don’t care what you guys say about her, She’s a great businesswoman,” and another adding “I WANT IT NOW KIMBERLY!” [via @danilolatravel]
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WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS
Back in April, PRINCE HARRY and MEGHAN MARKLE were spotted at the Grand Champions Polo Club in Florida with a film crew in tow. At the time, onlookers criticized Meg for rearranging a lineup of award recipients so another woman wouldn’t be photographed standing next to Harry.
NOW: Footage from that very awards ceremony has landed in the final episode of their five-part Netflix docuseries “Polo,” marking Meg’s only appearance on screen in the project. Her and Harry’s Archewell Productions created the series for Netflix, as part of their development deal.
Meg’s on-screen time also includes her conversation with polo pro ADOLFO CAMBIASO from Argentina, all in Spanish. She tells Cambiaso, en español, that she lived in his native Argentia about 20 years ago while Harry looks on with goo-goo eyes and fawns, “She’s fluent in Spanish.” [via New York Post]
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DAY OF THE YEAR
Gingerbread House Day
Christmas Jumper Day
National Poinsettia Day
National Ambrosia Day
National Ding-A-Ling Day
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ON THIS DATE
1787 - Pennsylvania becomes the second state to ratify the new Constitution.
With so much religious and ethnic diversity in the state, this was no easy feat. Powerful anti-federalist voices frequently clashed with their federalist counterparts. One staunch proponent of the new constitution was James Wilson, who would later sit on the Supreme Court.
As one of the largest states, in both size and population, Pennsylvania could have stood to lose by joining a united conglomerate of states. But ultimately the federalist cause won out.
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1862 - The USS Cairo becomes the first ship ever to be sunk by an electrically-detonated naval mine.
The ironclad vessel was actually searching for mines in the river. When it came close enough to a floating mine hidden just below the surface, Confederate soldiers spying from the shore triggered the explosion.
It took 12 minutes to sink. Miraculously, no one was injured.
The Cairo would be raised from the bottom of the Yazoo River in 1964.
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1901 - Italian physicist Guglielmo Marconi sends the first radio signal across the Atlantic Ocean.
It was just one letter -- Morse code for S.
The brief transmission was successful nonetheless. Marconi would win the Nobel Prize in physics in 1909.
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1913 - Da Vinci's masterpiece “The Mona Lisa” is recovered two years after being stolen from the Louvre Museum.
It was found inside the hotel room of an Italian waiter living in Florence named Vincenzo Peruggia. He had spent some time working at the Louvre, and was complicit in an August 1911 heist.
Peruggia would spend just 14 months in jail for the crime.
SPEAKING OF DA VINCI: In 1980 - A notebook that once belonged to Leonardo Da Vinci sells for $5.1 million at auction.
It was dated to 1508. The 72 loose pages contained notes and drawings relating to the physics of water.
The notebook sold for more than an original Gutenberg Bible, which went for $2 million two years earlier.
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1989 - Leona Helmsley is sentenced to four years in prison, 750 hours of community service, and a $7.1 million fine for years of evading taxes.
The wealthy woman and her real estate mogul husband were known for living in gaudy penthouses and mansions, and treating their staff terribly.
Many of their business partners complained about the Helmsleys not paying bills on time, if at all.
It finally caught up with them when Leona was sent to jail -- she served two years of her four-year sentence.
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2000 - The US Supreme Court issues its ruling in the landmark case Bush v. Gore.
The High Court decided that the method Florida's Supreme Court outlined for recounting ballots violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. They also ruled that there would not be enough time to develop a fair recounting process for the ballots.
Not that it mattered -- after the fact, all recounts showed George W. Bush as the winner anyway.
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2015 - 196 countries reach a deal — the Paris Agreement — at the United Nations Climate Change Summit in Paris to limit the rise in global average temperature.
In the 12-page document, members agreed to reduce their carbon output and to keep global warming “well below 2 degrees Celsius.”
It would go into effect the following April.
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2022 - Emma Tucker is appointed editor-in-chief of The Wall Street Journal.
She succeeds Matt Murray, who took a senior role at News Corp.
Tucker became the first woman to lead the paper.
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BIRTHDAYS
Sky Katz - actress, “Raven’s Home” - 20
Lincoln Melcher - actor, “Bunk’d” - 21
Britain Dalton - actor, “Avatar: The Way of Water” - 23
Jaime Lorente - actor, “Elite” - 33
Kate Todd - actress, “Life with Derek” - 37
Andrew Whitworth - football player - 43
Mayim Bialik - actress, “Blossom” & “The Big Bang Theory” - 49
Regina Hall - actress, “Scary Movie” & “The Best Man” - 54
Jennifer Connelly - actress, “A Beautiful Mind” & “Top Gun: Maverick” - 54
Madchen Amick - actress, “Twin Peaks” & “Riverdale” - 54
Bill Nighy - actor, “The Men’s Room” - 75
Dionne Warwick - pop singer - 84
Born On This Date
Bob Barker - game show host, “The Price is Right” - 1923 (d. 2023)
Frank Sinatra - pop singer - 1915 (d. 1998)
Caroline Ingalls - mother of Laura Ingalls Wilder - 1839 (d. 1924)
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