1/5/2024: Exploding Toilet 🚽
PLUS: Pistorius Goes Free; T-Swift’s Little Golden Book; and Other Royals on the Rocks
Today is Friday, January 5, 2024.
It is the 5th day of the year.
361 days remain.
WHAT’S ON TAP
Smartphone tech comes full circle and El Salvador celebrates a major milestone. Details in HIT LIST.
JEREMY ALLEN WHITE shows off his Calvins and BRITNEY SPEARS is not getting back into the music biz. More in SHOWBIZ.
“Killers of the Flower Moon” will hit Apple TV+ next week. Details in CASTING CALL.
KIM KARDASHIAN’s mobile game is dunzo. More in KARDASH.
The monarchs-to-be in Denmark appear to be on rocky ground. Details in ROYALS.
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HIT LIST
Bandits in Omaha ran off with more than 10,000 comic books that a local collector kept in a storage unit.
Chris Renstrom says he’s amassed more comics than he can count, building on a hobby he developed as a kid. He tells local media the total collection adds up to somewhere between 60- and 100,000 comics.
IT GETS WORST: This is the second time Renstrom has lost valuables he kept at that storage unit. He estimates he’s lost $75,000 worth between the two heists.
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OSCAR PISTORIUS will be released from prison today, after serving nine years of a murder sentence for fatally shooting his girlfriend, model REEVA STEENKAMP, on Valentine’s Day in 2013.
Upon his release, the former Olympian will reportedly move into his uncle’s mansion, located just outside of Pretoria, South Africa, which is where he lived during the trial. According to the Department of Corrections, he will be under supervision through December 2029, which is when his murder sentence ends.
In addition to being under supervision, Pistorius will have to attend anger management and violence against women programs, as well as perform community service. He will also be limited on when he can leave the home and cannot consume any alcohol or other banned substances.
WORTH NOTING: In South Africa, offenders are eligible for parole after serving at least half of their sentence -- regardless of how serious the crime.
ALSO: The Department of Corrections says they do not use monitoring devices for paroled offenders. Instead Pistorius will be monitored by a department official appointed to his case. [via Reuters, AP News]
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The government of El Salvador announced this week a near-total eradication of violent crime in the country as a result of President NAYIB BUKELE’s reform agenda.
Murders fell from 495 in 2022 to 154 in 2023, in a population of more than 6.6 MILLION people. Last year’s stats represent a nearly 94% decrease in murders since Bukele took office in 2019 and is one-third of the UN’s average global murder rate.
Since March 2022, the government in El Salvador has thrown 75,000 gang members and their associates in prison and regularly publishes videos of gang members lined up behind bars. [via Barron’s]
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Smartphone technology comes full circle with the release of a special iPhone case that includes a physical keyboard underneath the screen.
The $139 offering from Clicks Technology works with newer iPhone models and the company expects an updated version in early spring to work with the newest iPhone 15 Pro Max.
The last time a company rolled out such a case, Blackberry managed to sue them out of existence for copying the look and design of their keyboards that pioneered smartphone technology. [via The Verge]
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An Orlando-area man is seeking $100,000 in damages from DUNKIN’ after he says a toilet at one of their locations exploded, not only covering him in waste but also inflicting “severe and long term injuries.”
The January 2022 incident also required him to undergo mental health counseling, as one imagines would be necessary after surviving a toilet explosion.
The alleged victim says when he emerged from the restroom – apparently, with the toilet exploded and covered in feces – employees acknowledged they were aware of a “problem with the toilet.”
No kidding.
STILL UNCLEAR: What caused the porcelain to pop. [via ABC News]
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DEATHS
Actress GLYNIS JOHNS has died.
She passed away of natural causes at an assisted living home in Los Angeles.
Johns is best known for her role as Mrs. Banks in “Mary Poppins.”
She was 100.
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BY THE NUMBERS
📈 The DOW increased 10 points (0.02%) to close at 37,440 on Thursday. The S&P lost 16 points (0.34%) to close at 4,688 and the NASDAQ lost 81 points (0.56%) to close at 14,510.
🛢 WEST TEXAS INTERMEDIATE closed at $72; BRENT CRUDE at $77.
⛽ The national average price of a GALLON OF GAS was $3.09 on Thursday.
₿ BITCOIN rebounded on Thursday, up over 3% and trading around $44,200 Thursday evening.
🛩 There were more than 2,605 FLIGHTS delayed within, into, or out of the United States on Thursday and more than 95 such cancellations.
💰Tonight’s MEGA MILLIONS drawing will be for a $140 million jackpot or a $68.8 million cash payout. Saturday night’s POWERBALL drawing will be for a $35 million jackpot or a $17.7 million cash payout.
SHOWBIZ NEWS
New Music Friday
French Montana, “Mac & Cheese 5”
Pile, “Hot Air Balloon” EP
Sarunosa, “one of these nights”
Soulja Boy, “Swag 6”
SPRINTS, “Letter To Self”
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Calvin Klein’s new ad featuring actor JEREMY ALLEN WHITE nearly broke the internet on Thursday.
Not only were photos posted across every social media platform, but White also shared a video of the shoot, featuring the buff actor running, sweating and stripping as he shows off the brand’s underwear. [via Instagram]
HEY CK: The ladies in the room are all for a Jeremy Allen White collaboration with MARK WAHLBERG, by the way.
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It turns out BRITNEY SPEARS is not actually working on a 10th studio album and has no plans to do anything music-related any time soon.
As reported yesterday, insiders said fellow musicians CHARLIE XCX and JULIA MICHAELS had been tapped by Spears’ team to help write some tracks. In response, Spears took to Instagram to let her fans know that reports are not true.
That being said, it’s been eight years since her last album, “Glory,” was released. [via TMZ]
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JOE JONAS and model STORMI BREE were spotted boarding his private plane in Cabo this week.
While there was no physical interaction as the two boarded, fans were quick to assume they are dating and began searching for more clues.
HERE’S WHAT THEY FOUND: This appears to be the first public sighting of the singer and former Miss Teen USA and so far neither of them follows the other on any social media platforms.
MEANWHILE: Things appear to be going well with Jonas’ ex-wife SOPHIE TURNER and her new man British aristocrat PEREGRINE PEARSON. The two spent the holidays together, though it is unknown if she introduced him to her kids. [via Page Six]
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ZENDAYA is no longer following anyone on Instagram, including her boyfriend, actor TOM HOLLAND.
Fans noticed the actress made the clean sweep after posting a poster for her upcoming movie, “Challengers,” which she captioned with the release date of April 26.
While she gave no explanation for the move, Zendaya has in the past spoken out about taking breaks from social media for the good of her mental health. [via People]
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RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE is disbanding…again.
Drummer BRAD WILK made the announcement on Instagram, letting fans know that they should not hold out hope for the group’s “Public Service Announcement” reunion tour.
This is RATM’s third goodbye. They also split in 2000 and 2011. [via Deadline]
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“Taylor Swift: A Little Golden Book Biography” is the fastest-selling title in Little Golden Book history, selling more than 1 million copies in its first seven months.
In its first month on the shelves, the book sold over 167,000 copies -- a huge leap from the 5,000-6,000 copies a typical Little Golden Book biography sells in that time frame. [via NBC26]
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ROD STEWART left a $13,000 tip for the staff at the Gleneagles Hotel in Scotland after he and his family rang in the new year there.
“I’ve been lucky enough to stay in some of the top hotels in the world and the service at Gleneagles is second to none,” he told the Daily Record.
Rooms at the hotel start at about $2,000 a night. [via Daily Record]
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SHIA LABEOUF has seen the light.
The controversy-ridden actor has joined the Catholic Church “through the sacrament of confirmation” according to the Catholic News Agency.
He also is reportedly looking into becoming a deacon in the church “sometime in the future,” per the outlet.
HERE’S THE CONNECTION: LaBeouf’s confirmation sponsor Brother Alexander Rodriguez told CNA that the actor has been considering becoming a deacon ever since his role as Italian priest Francesco Forgione in the 2022 movie “Padre Pio.” [via CNA]
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CASTING CALL
MARTIN SCORSESE’s “Killers of the Flower Moon” will be available to stream on Apple TV+ on January 12.
The release comes after the film made over $156 million at the global box office.
“Killers of the Flower Moon” is set in 1920s Oklahoma and centers on the serial murder of members of the oil-wealthy Osage Nation, a string of brutal crimes that came to be known as the Reign of Terror. It stars LEONARDO DICAPRIO, ROBERT DE NIRO, LILY GLADSTONE and more. [via Deadline]
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THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
That’s a wrap for KIM KARDASHIAN’s mobile game “Kim Kardashian: Hollywood.”
For the past 10 years fans have been able to try to “achieve A-list stardom by making their mark with events, acting, modeling, club appearances and dating,” but now Kim says she needs to “focus that energy into other passions.”
With the announcement, the game has been removed from app stores, but those who have already downloaded it will have through April 8 to reach Kim K status. [via People]
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WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS
Following the sudden, unexpected abdication announcement from Denmark’s QUEEN MARGRETHE, royal watchers in the country note that King-to-be Crown Prince FREDERIK and his wife PRINCESS MARY have a frosty relationship.
The couple attended a New Year’s Day celebration over the weekend, and newspaper Ekstra Bladet reports that “the future royal couple did not look like someone enjoying themselves when they arrived on Wednesday morning at Christiansborg Castle.” The couple apparently exchanged some terse words and then, as the paper notes, “The mood was at a freezing point.”
Rumors have swirled about the couple’s rocky status since Frederik was spotted late last year in Spain with a Mexican socialite, though they’ve publicly denied any rumors of a split or break in the marriage. [via The Daily Beast]
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DAY OF THE YEAR
National Keto Day
National Screenwriters Day
National Whipped Cream Day
National Bird Day
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ON THIS DATE
1709 - The Great Frost begins in France.
The cold snap arrived during the night, killing thousands across the country.
It remains one of Europe’s coldest winters ever, reaching temps of 10.4 degrees Fahrenheit.
To this day, climatologists have been unable to explain away the phenomenon.
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1846 - The U.S. declares sole occupation and control of the Oregon Territory.
Until that point, it was shared with the British, primarily through the Hudson Bay Company, a trading company.
While President Polk supported grabbing the territory, even by war, he was distracted with fighting in Mexico. But British delegates agreed to move north of the 49th parallel, into what is today Washington state.
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1920 - The New York Yankees purchase George Herman “Babe” Ruth from the Boston Red Sox for $125,000.
Ruth's contract with the Yankees called for about $10,000 a year, but he negotiated a slightly higher price.
That season Ruth would smash his own home run record, slugging 54. He hit 59 the following year.
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1933 - Excavation at the site of what would become the Golden Gate Bridge begins.
It was the brainchild of engineer Joseph Strauss.
The bridge would open to cars four years later.
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1972 - President Nixon signs a bill that authorizes $5.5 million for the development of a reusable space shuttle.
The new technology would also permit longer-term missions in space.
The first shuttle would launch in 1981. It was called Columbia.
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1998 - Former crooner Sonny Bono dies in a skiing accident.
He was on vacation in South Lake Tahoe, California. He went off skiing alone for the afternoon, and hours later still had not returned. Searchers were able to recover his body.
Bono was at the time married to his fourth wife. His most famous spouse, though, was Cher.
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2007 - Bill Cowher resigns as the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
In his 15 seasons as head coach, he led his team to eight division titles and 10 playoff appearances which led to two Super Bowl runs and one victory.
He is the second coach in NFL history to reach the playoffs in each of his first six seasons as head coach.
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2020 - “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” wins Best Comedy/Musical and “1917” wins Best Drama at the 77th Golden Globes.
Renee Zellweger, Joaquin Phoenix, Awkwafina and Taron Edgerton also took home the night’s big awards.
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BIRTHDAYS
Griffin Santopietro - actor, “Cobra Kai” - 18
Bianca Censori - wife of Ye - 29
Suki Waterhouse - model & singer - 32
Kristin Cavallari - reality star, “Laguna Beach” - 37
Jason Mitchell - actor, “Straight Outta Compton” - 37
January Jones - actress, “Mad Men” - 46
Bradley Cooper - actor, “The Hangover” trilogy & “Silver Linings Playbook” - 49
Marilyn Manson - rock singer - 55
Carrie Ann Inaba - dancer & judge on “DWTS” - 56
Vinnie Jones - actor, “Snatch” - 59
Clancy Brown - actor, “Highlander” & “Starship Troopers” - 65
Diane Keaton - actress, “The Godfather” & “The Young Pope” - 78
Juan Carlos I - King of Spain - 86
Robert Duvall - actor, “The Apostle” & “The Godfather” - 93
Born On This Date
Chuck Noll - HOF football coach, Pittsburgh Steelers - 1932 (d. 2014)
Walter Mondale - 42nd Vice President - 1928 (d. 2021)
George Reeves - actor, “Adventures of Superman” & “Gone With the Wind” - 1914 (d. 1959)
King C. Gillette - inventor of disposable safety razor blades - 1855 (d. 1932)
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