12/4/2024: Chaos in South Korea
PLUS: Tesla Turmoil; Beyonce Is the G.O.A.T.; and Meg the Executive
Today is Wednesday, December 4, 2024.
It is the 339th day of the year.
27 days remain.
WHAT’S ON TAP
An English soccer star (literally) wears his faith on his sleeve and a community searches for a missing neighbor. Details in HIT LIST.
BRITNEY SPEARS says odd things and ROSIE O’DONNELL’s daughter gets busted again. More in SHOWBIZ.
DANIEL CRAIG teaches proper enunciation and “Moana 2” continues to score big at the box office. Details in CASTING CALL.
ROB doesn’t want his daughter to be another Kardashian star. More in KARDASH.
MEGHAN MARKLE turns to the only person she can trust to run her company. Details in ROYALS.
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HIT LIST
In 2018, a TESLA investor who only owned a handful of shares sued the company over ELON MUSK’s compensation package, at the time worth about $56 BILLION. That investor won the suit, earning his attorneys hundreds of millions of dollars. The judge on the case ruled that Tesla shareholders would have to approve Musk’s compensation package, not just the board.
Earlier this year, the shareholders indeed approved the compensation package. They also approved formally incorporating Tesla in Texas, not Delaware, where the litigious investor originally brought the suit.
NOW: That same judge has again rescinded the pay package, even after the shareholders explicitly approved it, and awarded $345 MILLION in attorney fees to the plaintiff’s team. In her decision, the judge reasoned that because Musk controlled the pay negotiations, the entire shareholder vote was conflicted. She also accused Tesla of making “multiple misstatements in its proxy statement regarding the vote, and could not claim the vote was a ‘cure-all’ to justify restoring Musk’s pay,” according to Reuters. [via Reuters]
WORTH REMEMBERING: The compensation package in question was almost entirely performance-based, so Musk would not be rewarded if the company did not perform, and the targets originally set were so ambitious, board members and analysts scoffed at the idea they’d be attainable.
In a statement on X, Tesla said it will appeal the decision. Musk tripled down, saying, “shareholders should control company votes, not judges.”
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FOLLOW UP: After toymaker MATTEL shipped promotional dolls for the movie “Wicked” in packaging that included a website for hardcore porn instead of the movie’s actual site, lawyers have begun to assmble a class action lawsuit against the company.
LAST MONTH: Mattel apologized and stores pulled the mislabeled boxes after it came to light that the web address as printed, Wicked.com, went to some very adult content, when it should have been printed as wicked-movie.com.
NOW: The suit alleges, “These scenes were hardcore, full-on nude pornographic images depicting actual intercourse… The products are adulterated, worthless and unfit for its intended and advertised age-appropriate audience.”
The person leading the class, a mother from South Carolina, is demanding restitution and damages as a result of negligence and emotional distress, and a jury trial to boot. [via The Wrap]
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The people and government of South Korea spent Tuesday evening into Wednesday, local time, in a state of chaos, after President Yoon Suk Yeol made a surprise announcement declaring martial law. He accused the main opposition party of aligning itself with North Korea, corruptly trying to impeach prosecutors, and holding up his budget proposal. Yoon did not immediately establish what restrictions would be put into place, but a formal decree later established the executive’s power to halt all political activity and issue arrests without a warrant.
WORTH NOTING: Yoon won by a slim, one-point margin in 2022, taking a hardline stance on North Korea.
Within the hour, demonstrators gathered outside the National Assembly building, where soldiers had already gathered to block lawmakers from entering. However, enough members of parliament were either already inside or found their way in to cast a vote, and 190 of them voted unanimously to block the martial law declaration.
Shortly after the vote, the troops deployed to the National Assembly building retreated, but the crowd of protestors continued to grow well after midnight. Yoon bowed to the public pressure and lifted the order. He now faces pressure to step down by the opposition party, and even his supporters remain vexed by the surprise announcement. [via CNN, Morning Martini]
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For the last week, teams in The Football Association of England have introduced rainbow-themed flags and kit for their players in support of LGBTQ+ activism. Players wear rainbow-colored laces, corner flags have a rainbow design, and team captains sport rainbow armbands.
Christian Guehi, the captain of Crystal Palace, wrote “I love Jesus” on his armband for a match over the weekend, drawing a rebuke from the Football Association that religious messages are banned. Despite the admonishment, on Tuesday, Guehi wore a different band that read instead, “Jesus loves you.”
No word yet what further consequences Guehi will face. [via Goal]
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The community of Unity Township, Pennsylvania gathered Tuesday to search for a woman who is feared to have fallen down a 30-foot sinkhole.
According to WPXI, 64-year-old Elizabeth Pollard went missing late Monday while looking with her 5-year-old granddaughter for her missing cat, Pepper.
The granddaughter was found safe in Pollard’s vehicle, which was parked near a large sinkhole that had opened up behind a local bar and grill. Emergency crews began looking for the missing woman early Tuesday morning, but as of the time of reporting, had found no sign of her.
The sinkhole, meanwhile, is believed to be part of an old coal mine shaft. [via WPXI]
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DEATHS
EMINEM’s mom, DEBBIE NELSON, has died.
She passed away on Monday from complications related to lung cancer.
Nelson had a rocky relationship with her son over the years, though the two seemed to have patched things up in recent years.
She was 69.
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Australian tennis star NEALE FRASER has died.
He passed away Monday. No further details were shared.
Fraser won three Grand Slam singles crowns and was part of four Davis Cup title teams.
He was 91.
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BY THE NUMBERS
📈 The DOW lost 76 points (0.17%) to close at 44,705 on Tuesday. The S&P increased 2 points (0.045%) to close at 6,049 and the NASDAQ increased 76 points (0.4%) to close at 19,480.
🛢 WEST TEXAS INTERMEDIATE closed at $69; BRENT CRUDE at $73.
⛽ The national average price of a GALLON OF GAS was $3.03 on Tuesday.
₿ BITCOIN was mostly flat on the day, trading around $95,800.
💰Tonight’s POWERBALL drawing will be for a $240 million jackpot or a $113.6 million cash payout.
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SHOWBIZ NEWS
It’s official: BEYONCE has been named Billboard’s Greatest Pop Star of the 21st Century.
She was awarded the top spot for her 25 years of “influence, evolution and impact.”
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BRITNEY SPEARS says she is only 5 years old and has left the country.
She made the declaration on Instagram, during an odd rant in which she claims paparazzi put her on a plane with a mask over her face while carrying a “torch” given to her by a friend.
From there she incorrectly states that she turned 42 on Monday, when she actually turned 43, and then says that she’s only 5 and going to kindergarten.
She continues on with the concerning tirade, saying she has also moved to Mexico. [via @BritneySpears]
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ROSIE O’DONNELL’s daughter, CHELSEA O’DONNELL has been arrested again -- marking her third time in two months.
The latest arrest comes after Chelsea and a friend were pulled over for a loud exhaust pipe while driving through Niagara, Wisconsin. During the stop, the officer found drugs in the vehicle, a major issue for the 27-year-old currently out on bail for other drug charges.
In addition to the narcotics, Chelsea was reportedly combative with the officer, leading to further charges.
She remains behind bars with a court date set for December 12.
In an Instagram post, Rosie said in part, “we all hope she is able to get the help she needs to turn her life around.” [via Page Six]
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As OZZY OSBOURNE celebrates turning 76, he is reflecting on the highs and lows of his career.
While feeling mostly pride for his work, there is one album he wishes he could erase: his 1986 solo album, “The Ultimate Sin.”
In addition to having new bandmates, Osbourne said the songs all sounded “the [effing] same,” calling out producer Ron Nevison for his lack of “imagination.”
The album also led to some legal issues for Osbourne, who failed to credit two musicians that had worked on the songs, including guitarist JAKE E. LEE and bassist BOB DAISLEY. Both cases were eventually resolved. [via The Mirror]
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LL COOL J thinks he is the “most important rapper that ever existed.”
“I’ma say this humbly, but I really mean this,” he said during a chat with “Le Code” host MEHDI MAIZI. “I think one day people are going to wake up and realize that LL Cool J is the most important rapper that ever existed.”
In addition to his iconic rap career, LL is also credited with originating the term “G.O.A.T.”, landing major endorsements, appearing in several TV shows, and authoring four books, including his autobiography, “I Make My Own Rules.”
“I’ve done so much for the culture, it’s almost unfathomable,” he concluded. [via HipHopDX]
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JOE JONAS is using TikTok to call out actor TIMOTHEE CHALAMET for ghosting him.
“Last December I sent Timothee Chalamet a text from my friends phone anticipating a response,” Jonas captioned a screenshot of the text.
“This December he still hasn’t texted back. Hope this helps,” he captioned a second slide.
Fans were quick to jump on the gag, with one writing, “He’s just thinking of a good response, it’ll come soon enough,” to which Jonas replied, “Good things can wait.”
In his defense, Chalamet has been busy filming multiple movies and keeping up with his girlfriend, KYLIE JENNER. [via Express]
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CASTING CALL
DANIEL CRAIG really wants people to enunciate when saying his name.
During a recent appearance on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” the actor explained the proper pronunciation of his surname, really emphasizing the vowel sounds.
“CrAIg” versus “Creg.”
Tiktok failed to load.Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser
BY THE WAY: The proper enunciation of “Craaaaiiiig” is an exact plot point in an episode of “Veep.” WATCH:
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KENDRICK LAMAR and SZA are hitting the road on a co-headlining tour.
The “Grand National Tour” kicks off next April in Minneapolis and will play stadiums across the U.S. before wrapping in June.
The two recently collaborated on songs “Gloria” and “Luther” for Lamar’s new album, “GNX.”
They also worked on 2018’s “All Stars” from the “Black Panther” soundtrack. The song received Grammy, Oscar, and Golden Globe Award nominations. [via People]
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Six days since it was released, “Moana 2” is already the ninth highest-grossing film of the year.
With over $404.5 million worldwide, the sequel surpassed “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” ($397.4 million) and “Bad Boys: Ride or Die” ($404 million).
Domestically, “Moana 2” sits at around $231.2 million.
FOR THE RECORD: 2016’s “Moana” grossed $643.3 million in total worldwide, and $248.7 million domestically. [via Deadline]
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BOBBY FLAY’s latest cookbook is a reflection of some of his “most important dishes.”
“Bobby Flay: Chapter One: Iconic Recipes and Inspirations from a Groundbreaking American Chef” features dishes from his restaurants, and memoirs from his time on “Iron Chef.”
In addition to the recipes, which are broken down into three categories -- seafood, meat, and vegetables -- Flay includes eight essays describing his career, including several accolades he’s won, and cooking a state dinner for President BARACK OBAMA and Chinese President XI JINPING.
“Bobby Flay: Chapter One” is available now. [via AP News]
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THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
RUMOR IS: Recluse ROB KARDASHIAN is not thrilled with his mom, KRIS JENNER, for pushing his 7-year-old daughter, DREAM, into the limelight.
“Rob doesn’t want his mom to turn his daughter into another fast-food faux celebrity,” an insider tells RadarOnline. “He wants Dream to live a more normal life.”
Despite his hesitation, Rob, who shares Dream with ex-fiance BLAC CHYNA, allowed her to walk in a show for New York Fashion Week.
In Kris’ defense, once a momager, always a momager. [via RadarOnline]
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WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS
MEGHAN MARKLE has spent recent months battling rumors she’s impossible to get along with. In one instance, earlier this year former palace officials reportedly called her “Duchess Difficult” for her litany of demands when she and PRINCE HARRY were still in the royal fold.
The surly reputation has also reportedly made it difficult to find a CEO for her American Riviera Orchard brand, which has had its own set of administrative challenges, most recently with its trademark applications.
NOW: Meg has reportedly taken on the top job herself to run the day to day operations and be more than just the face and star of the brand.
One insider tells Page Six, “She’s been keeping her cards close to her chest. But I can tell you that she is the CEO of American Riviera Orchard, so all these rumors about her having a hard time finding a CEO are false.” [via Page Six]
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DAY OF THE YEAR
National Cookie Day
National Sock Day
World Wildlife Conservation Day
Santa’s List Day
International Cheetah Day
National Dice Day
Package Protection Day
Wear Brown Shoes Day
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ON THIS DATE
1783 - General George Washington tells his closest officers that he will resign as general.
He fully intended to quietly return to civilian life.
The typically stoic Washington reportedly choked up and cried briefly while embracing and bidding goodbye to his closest confidantes.
The official resignation would be delivered to Congress on December 23.
He would spend six relatively quiet years as a farmer before winning election as the first President of the United States in 1789.
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1917 - Psychiatrist WH Rivers publishes a report called "The Repression of War Experience," marking the first appearance of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in academic literature.
It included anecdotal evidence of British troops who had returned from combat during World War I. The young men suffered from anxiety and nightmares.
Rivers suggested that the emotional toll could often rival the physical toll that war took on soldiers.
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1918 - Woodrow Wilson departs Washington on a trip in which he would become the first sitting president to visit Europe on state business.
He traveled for 9 days aboard the SS George Washington. It first docked in France, and Wilson went to Versailles. From there, he began negotiations for a formal peace treaty to end World War I.
For his efforts, he would be awarded the 1920 Peace Prize.
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1945 - The Senate authorizes the United States to become a participating member of the United Nations.
The organization was founded by China, France, the Soviet Union, Britain and the U.S. in October that year, following the end of World War II.
With approval from the Senate, the U.S. could constitutionally participate and contribute.
After the failure of the League of Nations after World War I, the country and the world was desperate for an organization that promised to mediate and end all future war conflicts.
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2009 - An Italian Court convicts Amanda Knox of murder.
The American student studying abroad was implicated in the murder of her roommate, with her boyfriend as an accomplice.
After a series of appeals, Knox would eventually be acquitted in 2011. Then in 2013 a new trial was ordered and she would be convicted again in 2014.
The highest court in Italy would overturn the murder conviction in 2015.
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2022 - Mt Semeru, Indonesia’s tallest volcano, erupts.
Clouds of gas and rivers of lava cover the island of Java, with some columns of ash blasted more than 5,000 feet into the sky.
Semeru’s last eruption was a year prior; 51 people died.
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BIRTHDAYS
Jin - pop singer - 32
Max Holloway - MMA fighter - 33
Nafessa Williams - actress, “One Life to Live” - 35
Orlando Brown - actor, “That’s So Raven” - 37
Ronnie Ortiz-Magro - reality star, “Jersey Shore” - 39
Joe Thomas - football player - 40
Jelly Roll - country singer - 40
Tyra Banks - model & TV show host - 51
Jay-Z - rapper - 55
Fred Armisen - comedian - 58
Marisa Tomei - actress, “My Cousin Vinny” & “What Women Want” - 60
Jeff Bridges - actor, “The Big Lebowski” - 75
Born On This Date
Tony Todd - actor, “Candyman” - 1954 (d. 2024)
Chester Greenwood - invented earmuffs - 1858 (d. 1937)
Crazy Horse - Sioux chief - 1840 (d. 1877)
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