Today is Friday, December 22, 2023.
It is the 356th day of the year.
9 days remain.
PROGRAMMING NOTES
There will be no newsletter December 25-29 or January 1-2. Regular publishing resumes on Wednesday, January 3, 2024.
BUT WAIT: Top Shelf subscribers will get full access to our Year in Review series going out the week after Christmas and the Year Ahead preview on January 2!
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WHAT’S ON TAP
Bird goes bankrupt and American energy production explodes. Details in HIT LIST
TAYLOR SWIFT will spend the holidays with TRAVIS KELCE and BEY and JAY take the kids sight-seeing in NYC. More in SHOWBIZ.
MORGAN WALLEN teams up with DRAKE for a new music video and ZAC EFRON wears shades while promoting his new movie. Details in CASTING CALL.
YE is selling his would-be bomb shelter. Find out more in KARDASH.
Forthcoming court filings are expected to leave PRINCE ANDREW antsy at Christmas. Details in ROYALS.
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HIT LIST
City-dwellers well remember the explosion of on-demand scooter rental companies in the late 2010s. One of those companies, Bird, managed to rake in $1.2 BILLION in investments for a $2.5 BILLION valuation by 2019.
NOW: Bird is filing bankruptcy but will continue operations as it restructures its debt.
Though it was flush with cash for a while, it faced ongoing operational issues – in one case the company notoriously expanded into Santa Barbara, California, without getting the necessary permission from the city government. Last year it was delisted from the New York Stock Exchange after losing 90% of its value following an admission the company had been routinely inflating its revenue numbers. [via Business Insider]
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A report published by the US Census Bureau shows New York State had the most net loss in residents this year, with the population falling by more than 100,000 between July 2022 and July 2023. Texas and Florida have larger populations than New York State, and those states saw the top two most gains in total population.
Overall, the national population increased by more than 1.6 MILLION. Analysts inside the Bureau suggest a drop in death rates and an increase in immigration drove the increase. These numbers also do not account for those living inside the United States without authorization as they await trial dates years in the future to determine their asylum claims. [via Census.gov]
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An Oklahoma man will spend a year in prison after getting busted illegally selling elephant tusks to an undercover US Fish & Wildlife special agent.
Though he only pocketed $350 on the sale, Dusty Caudill will also have three years of supervised release following the completion of his time in the clink. One of his co-conspirators has already begun a one-year probation and another began a one-year sentence of his own earlier this year. [via KLTV]
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The United States is now on pace to produce more oil than any country in history, ramping up to more than 13.3 barrels per day. That pace puts the US at an even keel with Saudi Arabia and Russia.
One energy analyst tells CNN that the increase in output is a result of the White House getting “mugged by the reality of high gas prices and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine” and that “President Biden has been dragged kicking and screaming from his initial keep-it-in-the-ground strategy towards a more pragmatic policy.” [via CNN]
WORTH REMEMBERING: In early 2021 the White House moved quickly to shut down the Keystone XL pipeline over environmental concerns but recently authorized the Willow project in Alaska.
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A dozen French Bulldogs were stolen from a pet shop in California last month.
Surveillance footage from the heist shows four masked men grabbing cages and tossing them into the back of a van, while some of the dogs were tossed in “like they were stuffed animals,” store owner Andres Avalos told KTLA.
Collectively the pups are worth around $100,000. Avalos is offering a reward for their safe return, though an amount was not disclosed.
WORTH NOTING: In 2022, the American Kennel Club named French bulldogs as the most popular breed in the U.S. [via KTLA]
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BREAKUPS
MARIAH CAREY and her longtime boyfriend BRYAN TANAKA have called it quits after seven years together.
He’s 40 and she’s 54.
According to insiders the split is because he wants to have kids and she is content with the two she already has.
Carey shares 12-year-old twins with her ex-husband NICK CANNON.
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RELATIONSHIPS
“Jackass” alum BAM MARGERA is engaged to model DANNII MARIE.
He’s 44 and she’s 35.
He popped the question in October, according to a statement from his rep.
Margera was previously married to NICOLE BOYD, who filed for divorce in February. They share 6-year-old son Phoenix.
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Actors ROBERT PATTINSON and SUKI WATERHOUSE are engaged.
He’s 37 and she’s 31.
The couple announced they’re expecting their first child together last month. They haven’t made an official announcement but insiders confirmed the news to People magazine Thursday evening.
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BY THE NUMBERS
📈 The DOW added 322 points (0.87%) to close at 37,404 on Thursday. The S&P added 48 points (1.03%) to close at 4,746 and the NASDAQ increased 185 points (1.26%) to close at 14,963.
🛢 WEST TEXAS INTERMEDIATE closed at $74; BRENT CRUDE at $79.
⛽ The national average price of a GALLON OF GAS was $3.12 on Thursday.
₿ BITCOIN has modest gains on the day, trading around $43,780 Thursday evening.
🛩 There were more than 2,500 FLIGHTS delayed within, into, and out of the United States on Thursday and more than 75 such cancellations.
💰Tonight’s MEGA MILLIONS drawing will be for a $57 million jackpot or a $28.4 million cash payout. Saturday night’s POWERBALL drawing will be for a $620 million jackpot or a $310.8 million cash payout.
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SHOWBIZ NEWS
New Music Friday
Conway the Machine & Wun Two, “Palermo”
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TAYLOR SWIFT will spend Christmas and New Years with boyfriend TRAVIS KELCE in Kansas City.
The location makes sense as Kelce, and his Chiefs, play on Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve.
Insiders say she will attend both games. [via Page Six]
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JENNIFER LOPEZ says she and BEN AFLLECK still struggle with things from their 2003 failed engagement.
Speaking to Variety, JLo said they make their marriage work now because they are “older” and “wiser” and have a better sense of “what’s really important in life.”
IN OTHER NEWS: Jen’s new album and film “This is Me…Now” debuts in February. [via Variety]
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FRANK SINATRA’s 1948 recording of “Jingle Bells” has landed in Billboard’s Hot 100 Top 20.
The single is his fourth Top 20 hit and his first to reach the Top 20 since 1967. The other three are “Strangers in the Night” (1966); “That’s Life” (1966); and “Somethin’ Stupid” (1967).
From December 8 through December 14 streams of the song increased by 19%, totalling 16.9 million. [via Billboard]
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A year after her death, KIRSTIE ALLEY’s children are ready to part with some of her things.
“Our mom collected so many fun and unique things over her incredible life. We want to share some of them with others in the hopes of spreading her love of decorating,” her daughter stated.
The “Property from The Collection of The Late Kirstie Alley” will include many of her “own household furnishings and salvaged pieces from her three homes in Maine and California and Clearwater, Florida,” according to People.
Alley passed away in December 2022 after a brief battle with cancer. She was 71. [via People]
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BEYONCE and JAY-Z rented out a private bus this week to take in Christmas time in NYC.
The family of five toured Times Square and Bryant Park, taking in the iconic Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree.
At one point 11-year-old BLUE IVY dined with some friends at Serendipity 3.
The family outing closes out a busy year for the crew, especially Bey with her “Renaissance Tour” and concert film. [via Page Six]
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CASTING CALL
Fans were ecstatic to see MORGAN WALLEN in the opening shot of DRAKE’s new music video, for his song “You Broke My Heart.”
The video shows the two sitting in a restaurant, with Morgan saying, “I’ve got to tell you; I didn’t like her. I think she might’ve been the wrong girl anyway.”
Drake then responds with, “Well, what now?”
Then the two high five and leave the restaurant, at which point their car gets blown up. [via ET]
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DREW BARRYMORE is ready to get serious about dating and says she has TAYLOR SWIFT to thank.
Speaking to actress GWYNWTH PALTROW on her self-titled talk show, Barrymore revealed that she has been casually seeing someone for the last few years, and recently invited him to be her plus-1 at a wedding.
In response, Barrymore said the gentleman appeared shocked and said, “Wow. After three-and-a-half years, you’re going to invite me to a wedding.”
Barrymore explained that “something about Taylor Swift going out and just dating like a normal person and not being a dark horse about it,” gave her the courage to stop over-thinking things. [via Decider]
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ZAC EFRON appeared on the “Today Show” this week to promote his new movie “Iron Claw.”
Sitting alongside his co-stars JEREMY ALLEN WHITE, HARRIS DICKINSON and STANLEY SIMONS, co-anchor CRAIG MELVIN asked Efron why he was wearing sunglasses inside.
“I just have a bit of an eye infection, but I really wanted to be here,” he explained.
As for the movie, it’s about the “Von Erich brothers, who made history in the intensely competitive world of professional wrestling in the 1980s,” according to the official description.
“Iron Claw” hits theaters today! [via Today]
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“The Family Plan,” starring MARK WAHLBERG, debuted as Apple TV+’s most-viewed movie ever on December 15.
It is now also the most-viewed movie in the streamer’s history.
For shows, JENNIFER ANISTON and REESE WITHERSPOON’s “The Morning Show” is the streamer’s series record holder. [via Deadline]
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THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
Remember the Malibu beach home YE bought, gutted and left to sit? Now it seems he is ready to cut his losses and sell the place and has enlisted “Selling Sunset” star JASON OPPENHEIM to handle that.
Despite buying the pad for over $57 million just two years ago, Ye is reportedly listing it for only $53 million due to the interior being gutted. Remember, he reportedly wanted to turn the place into a windowless bomb shelter from the 1910s.
A contractor, who has since been fired and is suing Ye for unpaid wages, said the rapper wanted “no electricity [...] only wanted plants [...] only wanted candles [...] only wanted battery lights.”
He wanted a place to “hide from the Clintons in and the Kardashians in,” the guy added. [via Daily Mail]
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WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS
PRINCE ANDREW expects to have an anxious Christmas, as a court will unseal documents that name names connected to JEFFREY EPSTEIN’s various crimes early next year.
Last year, Andrew settled a sexual assault lawsuit filed against him by Virginia Giuffre – but Giuffre has since successfully petitioned the court to unseal more documents about Epstein’s crimes and expose those involved in his human trafficking operation.
There are more than 170 names of both associates and victims in the documents. Pending any appeals, those names are expected to be revealed in the first days of the new year. [via The Sun]
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DAY OF THE YEAR
Mathematics Day
Forefathers’ Day
National Cookie Exchange Day
National Short Person Day
National Date Nut Bread Day
National Flashlight Day
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ON THIS DATE
1666 - Seven French mathematicians and seven physicists meet to form the French Academy of Sciences. Before the end of the century, King Louis XIV decreed that the organization would have official royal protection.
At first the French monarch would oversee and control the group -- but eventually it was allowed to vote in members by election.
Even prolific scientists were denied membership because they were women -- among them, Marie Curie, who won the Nobel Prize -- twice.
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1894 - French military officer Alfred Dreyfus is found guilty of treason by a court martial.
He was sentenced to life in prison for allegedly spying on behalf of the Germans.
A prominent French novelist named Emile Zola published a letter that appeared on the front page of a French newspaper, titled "J'Accuse" -- it was the first time the phrase was publicly used in such a visible forum. The letter blamed French judges of treating Dreyfus unfairly in the court-martial.
Today the phrase can be used to accuse someone of hypocrisy.
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1900 - The first Mercedes car is delivered to Austrian racer Emil Jelinik.
Exactly one month earlier it famously took its first road test.
Jelinik was so confident in the car's potential for success he was afraid other racers would buy it too -- so he purchased all 36 of the first-run models. With Jelinik spending so much money, the company named the automobiles after his daughter -- Mercedes.
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1939 - A train collision in Germany kills 132 people. It is assumed the accident occurred because all the trained railroad engineers had been enlisted to fight in the war.
One train was sitting still at a station. Another express train was barreling in from behind it. After it ignored a stop signal, it was too late.
The rear three cars of the train at the platform were completely demolished.
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1989 - After 23 years, Romania ousts Communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu.
The anti-communist front ended 42 years of dictatorial rule. The uprising began when Ceausescu ordered demonstrators to be shot three days earlier.
The Army defected. The dictator and his wife tried to flee by helicopter, but were stopped. Within four days, both he and his wife were found guilty of mass murder, and promptly executed.
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2010 - President Obama repeals the “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy.
The 17-year policy prohibited any homosexual or bisexual person from disclosing their sexual orientation or from speaking about any homosexual relationships, including marriage.
The act was issued in December 1993, under the Clinton Administration.
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2019 - Receiver Michael Thomas sets an NFL record for most catches in a season with 144.
The catch was made as his New Orleans Saints beat the Tennessee Titans 38-28.
The 17-year-old record was held by Marvin Harrison.
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BIRTHDAYS
Joshua Bassett - actor, “Stuck in the Middle” - 23
Latto - rapper - 25
Genevieve Hannelius - actress, “Dog with a Blog” - 25
Naomi Biden - granddaughter of Joe Biden - 30
Meghan Trainor - pop singer - 30
DaBaby - rapper - 32
Jordin Sparks - pop singer - 34
Chris Carmack - actor, “The O.C.” & “Nashville” - 43
Mike Thompson - football player - 51
Ted Cruz - politician - 53
Ralph Fiennes - actor, “Schindler's List” & “Red Dragon” - 61
Diane Sawyer - newscaster - 78
Steve Carlton - HOF baseball player - 79
Born On This Date
Robin Gibb - singer, Bee Gees - 1949 (d. 2012)
Maurice Gibb - singer, Bee Gees - 1949 (d. 2003)
Barbara Billingsley - actress, “Leave it to Beaver” - 1915 (d. 2010)
Frank Kellogg - former US Secretary of State - 1856 (d. 1937)
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