1/29/2024: Farm-surrection in France
PLUS: Super Swiftie; “Selfish” vs “Selfish”; and At Kate’s Side
Today is Monday, January 29, 2024.
It is the 29th day of the year.
337 days remain.
WHAT’S ON TAP
A Russian stowaway faces a jury and Americans dread tax season. Details in HIT LIST.
VINCE MCMAHON steps down and CHRIS YOUNG is cleared. More in SHOWBIZ.
JOJO SIWA joins “So You Think You Can Dance?” and DOLLY PARTON is looking for some “Dollys”. Details in CASTING CALL.
Kardashian family members help promote KIM KARDASHIAN’s new makeup line. More on that in KARDASH.
PRINCE WILLIAM prioritizes his role as husband. More in ROYALS.
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HIT LIST
The United States has issued a formal travel advisory for the Bahamas, after the country registered 18 murders so far in January.
Officials blame the crime spike on gang activity, which runs particularly rampant on the east side of Nassau, the Bahamas’ capital city. Amid the crisis, authorities are implementing roadblocks and security checkpoints, which the government there cautions will delay travel within and around the city. [via New York Post]
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Farmers in France have pledged to continue protests even as the government offered some concessions to their demands for lightened agricultural regulations.
On Friday, France’s Prime Minister announced an end to diesel fuel taxes for farm equipment and drastic simplification of some regulatory measures. In a speech, the PM emphasized the importance of honoring the “heritage and identity” of French agriculture, and in a surprise twist, suggested the government needed to reevaluate how it goes about levying rules and regulations: “We have to open a new chapter, change the mentality … firstly that of the state,” he said, then met with farmers at a nearby traffic blockade.
Reps for farmers unions say the deregulation doesn’t go far enough. They expect to continue blockades and work their way toward Paris. [via AP News]
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TAX SEASON: A study published by The Associated Press shows 66% of Americans think they pay too much federal income tax. Similarly, about 70% say their property taxes are too high and 60% say state sales taxes pinch their pocketbooks.
Only 6% say the federal government spends their tax dollars responsibly; 16% say the same about local school district spending.
Half of respondents said they’d be willing to pay less in taxes and get fewer government-run services. [via Associated Press]
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FOLLOW UP: Earlier this month, airport security officials in Los Angeles detained a Russian man who arrived on a flight from Denmark without any ticket or immigration papers.
LAST FRIDAY: A jury convicted the man, 46-year-old Sergey Ochigava, of stowing himself away on an aircraft.
An investigation showed Ochigava closely following another passenger in Copenhagen through security turnstiles, camping out at the airport, and boarding a Scandinavian Airlines flight destined for the United States. Once on board, he changed seats multiple times and requested multiple meals, stirring the crew’s suspicion, and resulting in his detainment upon landing.
Ochigava faces five years in prison. [via BBC]
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Bilal Ilyas Jhandir may be the ultimate Swiftie.
The self-proclaimed “die-hard fan” set a new Guinness World Record for identifying the most TAYLOR SWIFT songs from their lyrics in one minute.
Jhandir had to identify songs taken from a list of Swift’s top 50 best-selling tracks. Only the beginning lyrics with no music in the background were read aloud to him. He was able to name 34 correctly in one minute, breaking the previous record of 27.
NOT HIS FIRST RODEO: Jhandir set his first world record in 2021 for most animals identified from animal sounds in one minute, with 23, and in 2023 he broke the record for most JUSTIN BIEBER songs identified in one minute, with 29. [via NY Post]
DEATHS
GISELE BUNDCHEN’s mom, VANIA NONNENMACHER, has died.
She passed away Sunday at a hospital in Brazil after a battle with cancer.
In addition to Gisele, Vania was mom to five other daughters.
She was 75.
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BABY NEWS
Model SOFIA RICHIE is expecting her first child with husband, music executive ELLIOT GRAINGE.
The pair announced the news on Instagram, with photos from a recent Vogue photoshoot.
Richie is currently six months along with a baby girl.
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WEEKEND BOX OFFICE
10. The Boys in the Boat: $2.2 million (down from 9)
9. Godzilla Minus One: $2.6 million (up from 18)
8. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom: $2.8 million (down from 6)
7. American Fiction: $2.9 million (up from 12)
6. Poor Things: $3 million (up from 10)
5. Anyone But You: $4.8 million (stayed at 5)
4. Migration: $5.1 million (stayed at 4)
3. Wonka: $5.9 million (stayed at 3)
2. Mean Girls: $7.2 million (down from 1)
1. The Beekeeper: $7.4 million (up from 2)
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BY THE NUMBERS
📈 The DOW added 60 points (0.16%) to close at 38,109 on Friday. The S&P lost 3 points (0.06%) to close at 4,890 and the NASDAQ lost 55 points (0.36%) to close at 15,455.
🛢 WEST TEXAS INTERMEDIATE closed at $78 on Friday; BRENT CRUDE at $82.
⛽ The national average price of a GALLON OF GAS was $3.10 on Sunday.
₿ BITCOIN gained over the weekend, trading over $42,300.
🛩 There were more than 2,820 FLIGHTS delayed within, into, or out of the United States on Sunday and more than 180 such cancellations.
💰Tuesday night’s MEGA MILLIONS drawing will be for a $311 million jackpot or a $147 million cash payout. Tonight’s POWERBALL drawing will be for a $174 million jackpot or a $83.9 million cash payout.
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SHOWBIZ NEWS
Following allegations of sexual assault from a former employee, VINCE MCMAHON has resigned from his position as executive chairman of TKO, the parent company of WWE.
Despite his exit, McMahon continued to deny any wrongdoing.
A lawsuit alleges that McMahon forced former employee Janet Grant into a sexual relationship in order for her to keep her job. It also states that McMahon (allegedly) passed around photos and videos of her to other men, including WWE employees.
Former wrestler and former head of talent relations and general manager for the WWE, JOHN LAURINAITIS, is also named in the suit.
Grant is seeking unspecified monetary damages and is asking the court to void a $3 million NDA, of which she says she only received $1 million. [via CNBC]
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All charges against country singer CHRIS YOUNG have been dropped stemming from an alleged scuffle between him and some Alcoholic Beverage Commission agents in Nashville.
While checking IDs, the agents claim Young became “hostile” and was harassing them, which led to him being detained and booked for disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and assault of an officer last Monday.
Two days later, cell phone camera footage of the interaction showed that Young was not the aggressor and was actually pushed down by one of the agents. [via NY Times]
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JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE’s newly released single “Selfish” was dethroned by ex-girlfriend BRITNEY SPEARS’ 2011 song of the same name.
Spears’ 13-year-old hit surpassed JT’s new release, taking the top spot on the US iTunes Top Songs chart.
It seems Britney fans are taking their anger out where it could hurt him the most…his music. [via People]
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ED SHEERAN kicked off his +–=÷× Tour (pronounced "Mathematics") over the weekend at the Kyocera Dome in Osaka, Japan with a tumble.
As he was running up the steps to the stage, Sheeran tripped and fell, with his guitar in hand. Making a quick recovery, he started strumming the guitar while smirking at a cameraman who caught his stumble.
“Styled it out,” Sheeran captioned an Instagram clip showing his fall. [via Instagram]
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JESSICA BIEL’s favorite pastime is snacking in the shower.
“I find it deeply satisfying,” she said of the habit on TikTok.
Biel made sure to advise viewers that if they want to have a shower snack they should remember to keep their mouth shut while chewing and be sure to have a nice ledge to set the food on while applying soap and shampoo.
The multitasking was heavily applauded by moms, who called it a “time saver.” [via Page Six]
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MACKENZIE SCOTT sold off a quarter of her stake in Amazon last year.
The 53-year-old philanthropist, novelist and ex-wife of Amazon CEO JEFF BEZOS unloaded 65.3 million Amazon.com Inc. shares, worth about $10.4 BILLION, according to Bloomberg.
After splitting from Bezos in 2019, Scott ended up with about a 4% stake in Amazon worth $38.3 BILLION. Over the past five years, she has sold off about half of that.
Scott’s current net worth is $37.6 BILLION. [via Bloomberg]
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PAULY SHORE is being sued for alleged assault and battery by a man who claims the actor encouraged security guards at Los Angeles’ The Comedy Store to attack him in 2022.
Sean Kehoe says he sustained “severe injuries” after he was “violently grabbed and attacked” by security at the behest of Shore. The suit also states that his daughter, who witnessed the incident, has faced “mental and emotional distress” and “extreme mental anguish.”
The father-daughter-duo are seeking monetary compensation for previous and future medical bills and a to-be-determined amount for loss of earnings. [via HuffPost]
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JAY LENO filed for conservatorship of his wife Mavis, who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.
Mavis, who is 77, and Leno have been married for over 40 years and do not have any children. [via NY Post]
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CASTING CALL
DOLLY PARTON wants to hold a “Finding Dolly” contest to find the perfect talent to play her in a Broadway musical about her life and career.
Parton told People that she envisions casting three performers playing her at different phases of her life, including a “little Dolly,” an “earlier years Dolly” and “an older Dolly.”
As for when fans can expect the show to hit the stage, Parton said she is hoping for spring of 2025. [via People]
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JOJO SIWA will replace NIGEL LYTHGOE as a judge for Season 18 of “So You Think You Can Dance.”
The “Dance Moms” alum will join ALLISON HOLKER and MAKISM CHMERKOVSKIY as judges for the “reimagined season that seeks to reflect the authentic experience of building a successful career in dance,” according to FOX.
Lythgoe announced he would be stepping away from the series after sexual assault allegations were made against him earlier this month. [via NPR]
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THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
NORTH WEST gave fans an honest review of her mom’s new Skkn by Kim makeup line.
In a video -- shared by KIM KARDASHIAN -- North showed off some matte lipsticks, matte lip liners and an eyeshadow palette.
“I like it, like to go out. Like dinner. This is classic Kim. This is what she would wear all the time. Never like, too bright colors but neutral,” she said while showing off the different eyeshadow colors.
Viewers thought the clip was hilarious and a good promotional tactic. [via Page Six]
MEANWHILE: Kim’s mom KRIS JENNER also showed off her daughter’s new line, though fans were not as impressed with her video because she used a filter, hiding the true look of the makeup. [via Page Six]
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WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS
PRINCE WILLIAM, ever the dutiful husband, has visited wife PRINCESS KATE every day she’s been laid up in the hospital following an unspecified abdominal procedure on January 16.
Wills has also pulled back on his public calendar as she recuperates and he manages the household. He was last spotted in public two days after her operation – on his way to visit her.
Insiders say the kids have yet to visit Kate at the London Clinic, and have spent some weekend time with her parents, Michael and Carole Middleton. [via Hello!]
DAY OF THE YEAR
Freethinkers Day
Curmudgeons Day
National Corn Chip Day
National Bubble Wrap Day
National Carnation Day
National Puzzle Day
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ON THIS DATE
1820 - King George III dies. The monarch oversaw the collapse of British holdings in the Americas, causing a tremendous loss of revenue back to England.
The stress of the American Revolution led to a nervous breakdown and mental illness. By 1810, he was certifiably insane, and completely withdrew from public life.
His son took over as Regent beginning in 1810, and took the crown in 1820 as King George IV.
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1861 - Kansas becomes the 34th state in the Union. Amidst the tension of the civil war, it joined as a Free State.
Kansas and Nebraska became formal territories in 1954, whose citizens would cast votes nationally on the issue of slavery. Most of the settlers were transplants from the Midwest, and were abolitionists.
Regardless, Kansas would be a battleground often during the Civil War.
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1962 - Folk band Peter, Paul and Mary ink their first recording contract.
Though they rose to fame alongside the likes of Bob Dylan and other contemporary legends, the group would not become quite the icons.
They were the product of commercial America - good looking people who could sing, but didn't write their own material.
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2002 - President George W. Bush first publicly uses the term Axis of Evil to describe rogue nations with despotic leaders. The nations included Iran, Iraq, and North Korea.
These were countries that harbored and supported terrorist groups around the country. President Bush most heavily criticized Iraq's actions. He would lead efforts to oust Saddam Hussein in the coming years.
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2009 - Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich is unanimously ousted from office by the state senate.
The latest major scandal for a public officer in Illinois came when Blagojevich was caught trying to sell the Senate seat vacated by President Obama.
Phone tapes caught Blago shopping the seat around in return for cash and other perks. He at one point tried to offer it to Oprah.
Following his federal trial he was found guilty on 17 of 20 counts of extortion and bribery. He was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison, where he's presently serving in Littleton, Colorado.
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2019 - Jussie Smollett claims he was attacked in Chicago.
The actor described his attackers as white men, wearing MAGA hats, who shouted racial and homophobic slurs, poured an unknown chemical substance on him and tied a noose around his neck.
It would later come to light that the alleged attack was staged by Smollett.
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BIRTHDAYS
Madison Bailey - actress, “Outer Banks” - 25
Lewis Pullman - actor, “Top Gun: Maverick” & “Catch-22” - 31
Adam Lambert - pop singer - 42
Heidi Mueller - actress, “Passions” - 42
Riff Raff - rapper - 42
Andrew Keegan - actor, “Party of Five” & “Step by Step” - 45
Justin Hartley - actor, “Smallville” & “This Is Us” - 47
Sara Gilbert - actress, “Roseanne” & “The Connors” - 49
Heather Graham - actress, “Drugstore Cowboy” & “Diggstown” - 54
Paul Ryan - politician - 54
Romario - soccer player - 58
Oprah Winfrey - TV show host & producer - 70
Charlie Wilson - R&B singer - 71
Ann Jillian - actress, “Mr Mom” - 74
Tom Selleck - actor, “Magnum PI” & “Blue Bloods” - 79
Born On This Date
John D. Rockefeller Jr. - financier & philanthropist - 1874 (d. 1960)
William McKinley - 25th POTUS - 1843 (d. 1901)
Thomas Paine - writer, “Common Sense” - 1731 (d. 1809)
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