12/2/2025: Lion Attack!
PLUS: Tariff Talk; John (Not Johnny) Legend; and Christmas Tree Kerfuffle
Today is Tuesday, December 2, 2025.
It is the 336th day of the year.
29 days remain.
WHAT’S ON TAP
NOTABLE & NOTEWORTHY: The Department of Transportation drops the hammer on illegal CDLs.
TAYLOR SWIFT is ready to say good-bye to single life and MILLIE BOBBY BROWN has a new name. More in SHOWBIZ.
Disney’s latest animated sequel is a box office hit. Details in CASTING CALL.
A tale of two Royal Lodges in ROYALS.
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TARIFF TALK
COSTCO has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration that demands a full refund of all tariffs the company has paid this year. The suit, if successful, would also block further implementation of those tariffs.
Even though the Supreme Court is already considering the legality of PRESIDENT TRUMP’s tariffs scheme, Costco wants to be sure it gets its money back if the tariffs are overturned.
Other companies have filed similar suits in the US Court of International Trade, but Costco is one of the largest so far. [via CNBC]
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Pretrial hearings are underway this week in Luigi Mangione’s murder trial.
The first batch of testimony included the 911 dispatcher validating the tape of the call from a McDonald’s manager that reported Mangione, after customers in the restaurant thought he matched the description circulating online.
A prison guard, Tomas Rivers, testified that while Mangione was first held in a Pennsylvania jail, he was monitored around the clock to avoid an “Epstein-style situation.” The guard said he had to complete a form describing Mangione’s actions and locations seven times every hour – more than every 10 minutes.
Rivers also said Mangione described his adventures in Thailand, where the accused killer says he had been beaten up by a pack of “ladyboys” during the trip.
Expect more wild testimony throughout the course of the week. [via NBC News]
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The Department of Transportation is cracking down on the highly-underreported problem of truck driving schools handing out Commercial Drivers Licenses like candy to illegal immigrants.
A report released Monday shows nearly half of the 16,000 driving schools in the country do not comply with federal regulations. The DOT is threatening 3,000 schools with immediate closure if they don’t comply with training requirements before year’s end. Another 4,500 schools face closure but have a little more time to fix their problems.
If the schools are decertified, students who earned their licenses through those institutions could lose their licenses, too.
In a post on X, Secretary SEAN DUFFY said, “The days of a ‘Wild Wild West’ trucking industry are over under the Trump administration.” [via AP]
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STARBUCKS is shelling out about $35 MILLION to shut down a lawsuit brought by 15,000-plus employees in New York City who say the coffeehouse chain violated labor laws.
In particular, the suit alleges that Starbucks does not offer stable schedules and arbitrary cut hours. Eligible employees will receive $50 for every week worked from July 2021 through July 2024, which could work out to some hefty change for some employees.
Starbucks will also fork over $3.4 MILLION to the city in civil penalties. [via ABC News]
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Remember the teenager who snuck on an Africa-bound plane because he wanted to pursue his dream of being a lion tamer? He once again attempted to make his dream happen, though this time it cost him his life.
On Sunday Gerson de Melo Machado climbed over a wire-topped fence and climbed down a tree into a lioness’ pen at a zoo in Brazil. As he scurried down the tree, the big cat, named Leona, ran over to him and pounced.
Horrified zoo goers could only watch as Machado was dragged by Leona behind a wall in the enclosure. He did reappear briefly, trying to run away, though was soon pounced on again.
Machado, who had a schizophrenia diagnosis, did not survive the attack.
As for Leona, the zoo says she will not be euthanized because the attack was not her fault. [via CBS]
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THE SWAMP
SHUTDOWN SHOWDOWN: Unless Congress passes nine spending bills in the next 60 days, the federal government will, again, at least partially shut down.
IN THE SENATE: Majority Leader JOHN THUNE says he’s trying to get his colleagues behind a slate of spending bills before Christmas, in order to hit the ground running at the start of 2026.
Putting it mildly, Thune tells Politico, “There’s a lot of stuff we’ve got to deal with.”
IN THE HOUSE: Minority Leader HAKEEM JEFFRIES says Speaker MIKE JOHNSON has tanked a White House plan that would fully extend enhanced Obamacare subsidies for two years.
Trump has been teasing a plan that would reform healthcare spending, but has been slim on details.
Johnson is in a tough spot. Ending subsidies makes for easy campaign season attack ads for Democrats. But continuing subsidies is wildly unpopular among Republican voters.
But maybe, for once, Republicans are committed to getting something done while they have power instead of pants-wetting over the next election.
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BY THE NUMBERS
📈 The DOW ⬇️ fell 427 points (0.9%) to close at 47,289 on Monday. The S&P ⬇️ fell 89 points (0.38%) to close at 23,275 and the NASDAQ ⬇️ fell 36 points (0.53%) to close at 6,812.
🛢 WEST TEXAS INTERMEDIATE closed at $59 on Monday; BRENT CRUDE at $63.
⛽ The national average price of a GALLON OF GAS was $3.00 on Monday.
₿ BITCOIN fell on the day, down nearly 4% and trading around $86k.
💰Tonight’s MEGA MILLIONS drawing will be for a $90 million jackpot or a $41.9 million cash payout.
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SHOWBIZ NEWS
RUMOR IS: TAYLOR SWIFT has some big bachelorette plans ahead of her forthcoming nuptials to TRAVIS KELCE.
Insiders say Swift’s bridesmaids have planned “at least three or four girls’ trips” to some of her favorite places, including Nashville, NYC, Italy, and the Bahamas.
Those trips are all rumored to be taking place over the next few months. [via The Sun]
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MILLIE BOBBY BROWN is now Millie Bonnie Bongiovi.
The name change comes 18 months after the “Stranger Things” star married JAKE BONGIOVI, son of BON JOVI.
MEANWHILE: The couple has still not revealed their daughter’s name, though a major clue was dropped via Millie’s cell phone case, which has the letters “R” “W” “B” on it. [via Page Six]
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Poet AMANDA GORMAN is UNICEF’s newest ambassador.
The announcement came ahead of today’s 20th annual UNICEF Gala, which Gorman will perform an original poem at.
The 27-year-old has been working with the children’s rights organization since 2021. [via People]
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JERRY O’DONNELL is putting his onscreen police skills to work in the real world.
The “Bosch” star is an official trainee with the Asheville Police Department. (That’s in North Carolina). His status as a full-fledged police officer is pending as he recently completed Basic Law Enforcement Training and passed a state test.
Despite a decades-long career in showbiz, the 65-year-old says his new venture has given him a “deeper sense of fulfillment.” [via EW]
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GWEN STEFANI shut down divorce rumors with a sweet snap of husband BLAKE SHELTON smooching her on the cheek.
The PDA-filled photo should quiet the rumors, which started circulating after they skipped the CMA Awards last month, despite Shelton being nominated for Musical Event of the Year.
The last time Stefani posted Shelton on Instagram was last June when she sent him birthday wishes, however.
Apparently they are too busy living their lives to post about living their lives. [via InStyle]
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Before JOHN LEGEND was JOHN LEGEND, he performed under his birth name, John Roger Stephens. The idea for the new stage name came up during a recording session with then-friend YE and performer JOHN IVY.
Legend’s attorney said he needed to trademark the moniker if he wanted to use it professionally, and it was during that process that he discovered there was another guy with a similar name -- a porn producer who dabbled in rockabilly music and went by Johnny Legend.
“We had to find Johnny Legend, negotiate with him, cut a mutually exclusive deal stating that he was Johnny Legend, and I was John Legend. He wouldn’t sue me. I wouldn’t sue him. He wouldn’t try to get into the soul music business pretending to be John Legend. And I’m happy to make clear that I kept my side of the agreement. I didn’t produce any porn, didn’t make any rockabilly music pretending to be Johnny Legend,” he explained.
All went smoothly and a deal was made without any cash exchanging hands. [via The Mirror]
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“Home Improvement” alum ZACHERY TY BRYAN was arrested in Oregon over the weekend -- his sixth bust in just five years.
This time he was booked on a parole violation from a previous domestic violence case.
Bryan was given no bail and will not see a judge until Wednesday. [via The Wrap]
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CASTING CALL
Disney’s “Zootopia 2” grossed over $559 million globally in its weekend debut, making it the fourth-highest global debut of all time.
It follows “Avengers: Endgame,” “Avengers: Infinity War,” and “Spider-Man: No Way Home.”
The sequel also set two other opening weekend records, including the largest global and international animated launch in history and the biggest worldwide start of any movie released this year. [via Variety]
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CHARLIE PUTH, BRANDI CARLISLE, and COCO JONES are all set to perform during the Super Bowl pregame show.
Puth will sing the national anthem, followed by Carlisle’s take on “America the Beautiful,” and Jones’ “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”
The performances -- and big game -- are scheduled for February 8 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
And yes -- Puerto Rican native BAD BUNNY is still the halftime performer. [via THR]
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“Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” star WHITNEY LEAVITT will make her Broadway debut as Roxie Hart in “Chicago.”
The gig follows her recent stint on “Dancing With the Stars.”
Her role as Roxie begins February 2 at the Ambassador Theatre in NYC.
The show is scheduled for a six-week run. [via Page Six]
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SEAN COMBS thinks Netflix’s documentary series, “Sean Combs: The Reckoning,” made with the help of rapper 50 CENT, is a “shameful hit piece.”
He also blasted the streamer for giving creative control to his long-time adversary, who he says has a “personal vendetta” against him, and used “stolen footage that was never authorized for release.”
“The Reckoning” is currently streaming. No word on if Combs is now fighting to have it taken down. [via Deadline]
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WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS
With PRINCE WILLIAM and PRINCESS KATE moving into the Forest Lodge on the Windsor Estate, locals are having trouble getting to a nearby Christmas tree nursery.
New security protocols require customers of the aptly-named The Christmas Tree Shop to take a mile-long detour from their normal route, before the Waleses setup shop. The confusion has nearly caused accidents among drivers navigating the traffic cones and signs, the DailyMail reports.
“I have already seen a few near misses where people have driven the wrong side of the cones,” one local says. [via DailyMail]
SPEAKING OF LODGES: Royal observer Rob Shuter reports that ex-PRINCE ANDREW has decided he has nothing to lose and is leaning on his ironclad lease to the Royal Lodge, yet again!
Andrew has every legal right to the property until the lease expires, and he’s reportedly using that leverage to extort his brother KING CHARLES for 75 MILLION Pounds to leave and disappear from public life. Andrew is also seeking a bigger mansion than what he was offered on the Sandringham Estate with a full contingent of staff and attendants also paid for by the King.
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DAY OF THE YEAR
Giving Tuesday
National Mutt Day
National Fritters Day
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ON THIS DATE
1804 - Pope Pius VII declares Napoleon Bonaparte “emperor,” and he takes the name Napoleon the First. The Pope handed Napoleon his crown, which he put on his own head.
By 1807, Napoleon’s territory reached through Italy and across the Pyrenees – but he was ultimately exiled to the Island of Saint Helena, where he died in May 1821.
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1845 - President Polk addresses Congress, calling for further Westward Expansion in the spirit of the Monroe Doctrine.
James Monroe, who was Polk’s predecessor in the White House, argued to remove European influences in the country and surrounding territory. Both presidents were for a strong, aggressive nation responsible for its own future without the help of European superpowers.
Polk’s policy agenda included acquiring California and making the southern border of the US the Rio Grande River.
Obviously, both policies were rather successful.
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1901 - King C. Gillette begins selling safety razor blades.
Born in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, and raised in Chicago, Gillette was working for the Crown Cork and Seal Company when he noted the value in basing a business on a product that was used a few times, then discarded.
While safety razors already existed, they still used a forged blade. Gillette improved the design, introducing a stamped razor blade made from carbon steel sheet.
To sell the product, Gillette founded the American Safety Razor Company; later known as Gillette Safety Razor Company. In the first year he sold 51 razors and 168 blades. The following year that exploded to 90,884 razors and 123,648 blades.
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1961 - Fidel Castro publicly explains his support for Marxist-Leninist philosophy.
This came on the heels of his increasingly strained relations with the US, and Castro wanted the world to know just whose side he was on. While some at the time thought the dictator was seeking Soviet support, Castro remained a staunch communist throughout his years of control.
Castro held on to power until 2006, when his younger brother Raul would take the reins of Cuba.
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1997 - “Good Will Hunting” premieres in Los Angeles.
It was the movie that shot Ben Affleck and Matt Damon to overnight stardom in Hollywood. The pair won Best Screenplay at the Oscars the following year.
Both actors at the time had taken major acting roles, but were not the household names they are today. Robin Williams won an Oscar for best supporting actor for his role in the film.
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2001 - Energy giant Enron files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
The move instigated one of the largest corporate scandals to ever rock the US.
The company got in trouble for its creative -- and illegal -- accounting practices that defrauded shareholders and employees. The company’s stock price dropped from $90 a share in mid-2000 to less than a dollar by December 2001.
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2020 - The UK becomes the first western country to authorize a COVID-19 vaccine — the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine.
Meanwhile…
The US records its largest daily death toll from COVID-19 at 2,885. Also, for the first time, the number of hospital patients with the virus exceeds 100,000.
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BIRTHDAYS
Charlie Puth - singer - 34
Cassie Steele - actress, “Degrassi: The Next Generation” - 36
Jana Kramer - singer & actress, “One Tree Hill” - 42
Aaron Rodgers - football player - 42
Britney Spears - singer - 44
Nelly Furtado - singer - 47
Chris Wolstenholme - bassist, Muse - 47
Nate Mendel - bassist, Foo Fighters - 57
Lucy Liu - actress, “Ally McBeal” - 57
Rick Savage - bassist, Def Leppard - 65
Dennis Christopher - actor, “Django Unchained” - 75
Edwin Meese - 75th U.S. Attorney General - 94
Born On This Date
Juice WRLD - rapper - 1998 (d. 2019)
Gianni Versace - fashion designer - 1946 (d. 1997)
Harry Reid - politician - 1939 (d. 2021)
Adolph Green - screenwriter & playwright - 1914 (d. 2002)
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