Today is Monday, January 27, 2025.
It is the 27th day of the year.
338 days remain.
WHAT’S ON TAP
NOTABLE & NOTEWORTHY: The cheapest state to raise a family and some marine life bodily functions stump the British navy.
BILLY RAY CYRUS doesn’t appreciate his children’s concerns and SINEAD O’CONNOR left everything to her kids. More in SHOWBIZ.
BAD BUNNY worries about his colon during a recent appearance on “Hot Ones. Details in CASTING CALL.
PRINCESS KATE receives an interesting offer in ROYALS.
###
The United States averted a trade war with Colombia over the weekend.
The South American nation’s government announced on Saturday it had turned away two remigration flights of its citizens who had entered the United States illegally. The president, GUSTAVO PETRO, demanded more “dignified treatment” of the passengers before they would be allowed to land. For Petro, this meant sending immigrants back on civilian aircraft, not military cargo planes and troop transports, and that they not be bound in handcuffs.
By Sunday morning, President DONALD TRUMP announced a slate of immediate sanctions, including heavy tariffs and travel restrictions for Colombia’s socialist ruling party.
In response, Petro’s government announced it would send its presidential plane to fly back deportees, but Petro continued to raise the stakes. Colombia has added its own import tariff on American goods. He followed up with a lengthy statement posted on X that accused Trump of racism and that he expects Trump to have him assassinated.
A few hours later, a White House statement began circulating that Colombia had agreed to all of Trump’s terms and that tariffs would not be implemented.
MEANWHILE: The mayor of Medellín, Colombia, Fico Gutierrez, posted on X his desire to work with the United States to accept deported Colombian immigrants. Gutierrez accused Petro of undue arrogance that’s punishing the entire country. “We cannot allow Petro to lead us to a state of isolation like the one achieved by his friends and accomplices in Cuba and Venezuela.”
WORTH NOTING: Petro is a former leftist guerilla and a staunch ally of Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela, who has his political opposition jailed after beating him in the last election.
ALSO WORTH NOTING: Colombia supplies a significant percentage of cut flowers imported to the United States – about 37% on average between 2018 and 2022. Such a tariff just weeks before Valentine’s Day would make date night even more expensive than expected.
The UK’s Royal Navy was on high alert after picking up some mysterious sounds from the deep.
Naval officials feared the noises meant one of Russia’s drone subs had dropped a listening device onto the ocean floor between two islands in Scotland, about 100 miles from where the UK’s doomsday subs are based.
After a thorough investigation, it was determined that the noises were actually from some gassy whales. [via The Sun]
###
SINEAD O’CONNOR left all $1.7 million of her estate to her children following her 2023 death.
Her will also stated that her albums be released after her passing and “at the discretion of any of my children who are then over 18,” so “as to milk it for what it’s worth.”
She also asked to be dressed in priest clothing with a Hebrew bible and her album “Theology” at her side prior to her cremation.
O’Connor died in July 2023, just 18 months after the death of her son, Shane. She was 56. [via The Sun]
###
LORI HARVEY will be Playboy’s first cover model in five years.
The 28-year-old will grace the cover of Playboy’s return to print issue, which hits stands on February 10, 2025.
The new issue will also feature comedian NIKKI GLASER and a yet-to-be-revealed “Playmate of the Year.”
Playboy announced the return of print last August. [via People]
###
BAD BUNNY couldn't take the heat during his recent appearance on “Hot Ones.”
The Puerto Rican-born rapper made it almost to the end of the 20-minute episode before tapping for fear of what the hot sauce could do to his colon.
“I should’ve spoken with my doctor before doing this [expletive],” he told host SEAN EVANS. [via EW]
###
UP NEXT: LIZZO’s new look; PRINCESS KATE gets a major offer; and an historic technology gets retired, surprisingly late, on this date in history.
###
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Morning Martini to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.