2/17/2023: Fool Me Four Times…
PLUS: Kim Family Values; Ashton Kutcher’s Weird Coffee; and Honoring Her Majesty
Today is Friday, February 17, 2023.
It is the 48th day of the year.
317 days remain.
WHAT’S ON TAP
North Korea’s KIM DYNASTY solidifies its footing while the EV wars heat up stateside. More in HIT LIST.
Some 2024 polling and a weird climate change protester seems to be missing key facts. More in THE SWAMP.
PARIS HILTON wore a disguise to keep her son’s birth a secret and SLASH says GUNS N’ ROSES would not survive today’s cancel culture. More in SHOWBIZ.
RYAN SEACREST is leaving “Live with Kelly and Ryan” and “How to Train Your Dragon” is getting a live-action remake. More in CASTING CALL.
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HIT LIST
The appearances by KIM JONG JUNIOR’s daughter KIM JU AE at public events in recent weeks is believed to be a direct response to the attention his sister, KIM YO JONG, has gotten.
Kim Yo Jong is a senior official in North Korea’s propaganda apparatus, and has signed her name to threatening statements directed at regional allies and the United States. At the time, analysts suggested this could mean she’s wrestling for power within the Kim family. She also rose to prominence when Junior disappeared from public appearances for a few weeks in 2020 amid the pandemic, when rumors swirled he was in poor health.
WORTH REMEMBERING: Threatening Junior’s power has been perilous for family members in the past. He had his uncle killed in 2013.
MEANWHILE: Radio Free Asia has reported that North Korea has ordered anyone with the name Ju Ae to change it, because you can’t share a name with the Supreme Leader. [via New York Post]
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Ford plans to build a $3.5 BILLION plant in Michigan for manufacturing EV batteries.
The site will employ 2,500 people and open in 2026.
MEANWHILE, AT CADILLAC: Cadillac plans to announce three EV models this year, which will hit the market in 2024. No word yet which models will get the electric battery treatment.
MEANWHILE, AT BENTLEY: Bentley plans to build a 61-story condo tower in Miami, where owners will have in-unit garages and a powered lift to take their vehicle right into their home.
Each garage will have space for up to four cars and charging ports. The entry-level units will cost $4.2 MILLION. [via Global Construction Review]
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The “Codex Sassoon” – the oldest, most complete Hebrew Bible – is slated for auction by Sotheby’s.
The book is comprised of more than 100 animal skins and is believed to have been penned by one writer.
The current owner is the heir to a wealthy banking family.
The auction will begin May 16. It’s expected to sell for at least $30 million. [via ARTNews]
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Germany will become the first country to sell plant-based Chicken McNuggets from McDonald’s next month. McPlant Nuggets were developed by meat-alternative company Beyond Meat and will be made from peas, corn, and wheat.
McDonald’s has plans for an eventual broader rollout of the product. The Arches has already made plant-based burgers a permanent menu item in a few foreign markets. [via Associated Press]
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FOOL ME ONCE, SHAME ON YOU. FOOL ME FOUR TIMES…: If you own a pizza franchise that gets robbed, you’d probably take some precautions to stop another robbery.
But what happens when you’re robbed four times in the span of a month – by the same guy?!
Police in Nashville have arrested a man who apparently broke into the same Donatos pizza place four times between October 30 and November 24 last year. Each time he walked away with some beer, and also racked up some cash and gadgets during the other break-ins.
The 46-year-old culprit has been charged with multiple burglary counts, vandalism, and theft of property. [via WSMV]
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CHARTS
What’s Streaming?
New to Amazon Prime:
Three Thousand Years of Longing (Rotten Tomatoes Score: 71%)
A Simple Favor (Score: 84%)
New to Hulu:
All Roads Lead to Rome (Score: 0%)
Black November (Score: 23%)
Forsaken (Score: 42%)
Game of Love (No Score)
Rogue Agent (Score: 73%)
Shut In (Score: 60%)
New to Netflix:
Unlocked (No Score)
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DEATHS
Former baseball player and broadcaster TIM MCCARVER has died.
He passed away Thursday of heart failure, according to the league.
He was 81.
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BABY NEWS
Actress CONSTANCE WU, 40, is expecting her second child with musician RYAN KATTNER, 42,.
While she has not confirmed the news, TMZ photogs spotted her out and about with a baby bump.
The couple are already parents to a 2-year-old daughter.
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Country singer PRESTON BRUST, 48, and his wife KRISTEN BRUST, 41, are expecting their third child.
The couple are already parents to son Legend, 4, and daughter Love, 6.
Brust is one half of the duo LOCASH.
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SICK BAY
BRUCE WILLIS’ aphasia has gotten worse.
According to a post from his daughter, RUMER WILLIS, he now has frontotemporal dementia or FTD.
Bruce was diagnosed with aphasia in 2022. At the time, his family revealed that aphasia would severely impact his ability to communicate, forcing him to end his acting career.
There are currently no treatments for FTD.
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Senator JOHN FETTERMAN checked himself into Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Wednesday night to receive treatment for clinical depression.
According to a statement from his office, Fetterman has battled depression on and off throughout his life, but it has become “severe in recent weeks.”
No word on how long he will be treated.
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THE SWAMP
With NIKKI HALEY in the 2024 fray, a Quinnipiac poll shows her registering 5% support among Republican-leaning voters. That same poll has former President DONALD TRUMP at 42% and Florida Governor RON DESANTIS – who hasn’t even announced his candidacy yet – at 36%.
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While giving a speech about foreign policy at the Heritage Foundation on Thursday, Senator JOSH HAWLEY was interrupted by a protester who ran on stage with a sign while she said to the room, “China is not our enemy. The climate crisis is.” Security pretty quickly shuffled her off the stage.
WORTH NOTING: If she believes that fossil fuel emissions drive global warming, she should know that China alone is responsible for about half of the world’s coal consumption. Wouldn’t that fact alone make China one of the biggest enemies to the climate crisis crusade?
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BY THE NUMBERS
📈 The DOW lost 431 points (1.26%) on Thursday to close at 33,696. The S&P lost 57 points (1.38%) to close at 4,090 while the NASDAQ lost 214 points (1.78%) to close at 11,855.
🛢 WEST TEXAS INTERMEDIATE closed at $78; BRENT CRUDE at $84.
⛽ The national average price of a GALLON OF GAS was $3.42 on Thursday.
₿ BITCOIN slid on Thursday, losing more than 1.25% and trading just over $24,000.
🛩 There were more than 4,137 FLIGHTS delayed within, into, or out of the United States on Thursday and more than 548 such cancellations.
💰Tonight’s MEGA MILLIONS drawing will be for a $84 million jackpot or a $44 million cash payout. Saturday night’s POWERBALL drawing will be for a $73 million jackpot or a $38.5 million cash payout.
SHOWBIZ NEWS
These albums drop today:
Anna B Savage, “inIFUX”
Avatar, “Dance Devil Dance”
Billy Lockett, “Abington Grove”
Inhaler, “Cuts & Bruises”
Jennifer Touch, “Midnight Proposals”
Joe Louis Walker, “Weight Of The World”
Jordan Davis, “Bluebird Days”
Lowly, “Keep Up The Good Work”
Maita, “Loneliness”
Pink, “Trustfall”
Tianna Esperanza, “Terror”
Tungz, “A Good Dream”
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At the end of his show at Atlanta’s State Farm Arena earlier this month, BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN tossed his guitar to a stagehand -- a move he has made hundreds of times before.
What made this time unique is that the stagehand missed and the instrument hit him in the head, knocking him to the ground.
After checking on him, Bruce joked on the mic, “One man down!!!” [via TMZ]
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In an effort to keep the birth of her son a secret PARIS HILTON says she wore a disguise to the hospital and checked in under a fake name.
Also, the only people who knew about the birth when it was happening were Hilton, her husband CARTER REUM and the surrogate.
“My entire life has been so public. I’ve never had anything for myself. We decided that we wanted to have this whole experience to ourselves,” Hilton told Harper’s Bazaar. [via People]
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During his recent appearance on “The Kelly Clarkson Show,” actor ASHTON KUTCHER revealed the unusual thing he puts in his coffee.
Kutcher, who says he doesn’t like coffee creamer, adds a splash of orange juice to his cup of joe in the morning.
“I take just a splash -- not very much -- of orange juice and it brightens up the coffee, and gives it a little sweetness,” he explained.
In response, Clarkson said “I think you might be alone here,” calling it an “odd obsession.” [via People]
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While promoting his new book “The Collection: Slash,” iconic guitarist SLASH admits that his band GUNS N’ ROSES would have been “canceled” if they started up today.
“We would not have fared well in this environment, for sure…on so many different levels,” he said.
“I’m just glad that we didn’t have the internet back then! It would’ve been a different world altogether…most of everything that [Guns N’ Roses] did would’ve gotten us canceled in this day and age,” he added. Several of the scandalous things he is referring to are documented in his self-titled memoir, which was released in 2007. [via Daily Mail]
WORTH NOTING: “The Collection: Slash” documents the stories behind some of his 400 guitars.
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REBEL WILSON recently revealed that in her contract for her role as Fat Amy in the “Pitch Perfect” films she was not allowed to lose or gain more than 10 pounds.
Speaking about it on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast, Wilson said she waited until she was done filming to start her weightloss journey. She also emphasized how much she enjoyed the role and how much fun she had with her co-stars, but that she wanted to get healthy and start a family. [via The Hollywood Reporter]
WORTH NOTING: Wilson welcomed her first child last November.
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A woman who grabbed rapper BUSTA RHYMES’ behind says she is sorry.
NIKITA MATHIS told The Shade Room this week that she “didn’t mean to touch his behind” and was just hoping to get a photo with him.
In a clip, Mathis is seen touching Rhymes who reacts by throwing a drink in her face.
Social media lit up with people arguing over whether he was in the right to react how he did. Some pointed out how different of a conversation it would be if she was a man and had touched a woman. [via NY Post]
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During Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl parade on Wednesday, QB PATRICK MAHOMES handed the Lombardi Trophy to a fan in the crowd while taking some selfies.
The incident was all captured on video, including the part where Mahomes walked away, forgetting to grab the trophy!
Watch:
WORTH ASKING: Is this worse than when TOM BRADY shovel passed the Lombardi Trophy to ROB GRONKOWSKI when they were on two separate boats?
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CASTING CALL
RYAN SEACREST is leaving the daytime talk show “Live with Kelly and Ryan.”
He announced his exit on Thursday, while also revealing that Ripa’s husband, actor MARK CONSUELOS, will take his seat.
The syndicated show will now be called “Live with Kelly and Mark.”
WORTH NOTING: Seacrest was on the show for six years, taking over for MICHAEL STRAHAN. [via The Hollywood Reporter]
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Director DEAN DEBLOIS is returning to the “How to Train Your Dragon” animated franchise to create a new live-action film.
The three films center around the relationship between a young Viking named Hiccup and a dragon named Toothless, who teach Hiccup’s village how to peacefully coexist with dragons, rather than hunt them.
The movie is due out in March 2025. [via People]
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THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
YE has a new way of handling paparazzi that doesn’t involve a battery charge.
Earlier this week, the rapper was spotted at the L.A. County Sheriff’s West Hollywood Station to report an argument he had with a reporter.
A source told TMZ that Ye told officers he asked the photographer to stop recording him and his family, and then they got into an argument. Instead of physically handling the situation, he decided to go to the police. [via TMZ]
WORTH REMEMBERING: Ye is still under investigation for battery after grabbing a woman’s phone and smashing it in the street.
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WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS
Actress HELEN MIRREN will lead a special tribute to the late QUEEN ELIZABETH at the 2023 EE BAFTA Film Awards in London this weekend.
The Queen had a close relationship with the organization. She served as patron of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, the Royal Variety Charity and the Cinema and Television Benevolent Fund. She also gave a portion of the proceeds from the 1969 BBC documentary “Royal Family” to the Society of Film and Television Arts -- the predecessor to the BAFTAs.
In 2013, she received a BAFTA of her own for her decades long support of film and TV in the UK. [via People]
WORTH NOTING: Mirren played Her Majesty in the movie “The Queen” and in the Broadway play “The Audience.”
ALSO: PRINCE WILLIAM, who has served as BAFTA president since 2010, and PRINCESS CATHERINE will be in attendance at Sunday’s event.
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LIST OF THE WEEK
NIKKI HALEY drew bizarre criticism this week for not using her first name, Nimrata. But she’s gone by Nikki her whole life — in Punjabi it means “little one.”
Here are other prominent politicians who don’t go by their legal first names either.
Rafael Edward "Ted" Cruz
Willard Mitt "Mitt" Romney
Thomas Jonathan "Jon" Ossoff
Ladda Tammy "Tammy" Duckworth
Addison Mitchell "Mitch" McConnell
Raymond Jon "Jon" Tester
John Peter "Pete" Ricketts
Cynthia Jeanne "Jeanne" Shaheen
Mark Wayne "Markwayne" Mullin
Marion Michael "Mike" Rounds
Mary Marsha "Marsha" Blackburn
(H/T danielp_reid)
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DAY OF THE YEAR
National No One Eats Alone Day
National Cabbage Day
National Random Acts of Kindness Day
World Human Spirit Day
My Way Day
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ON THIS DATE
1782 – The French and British Navies begin a 14-month conflict in the Indian Ocean, as part of the broader Anglo-French War.
The conflict was born from the American Revolution, in which the French very clearly allied themselves with the Americans.
This was the first of five such naval battles in the region, after which neither side ultimately won an advantage in the war. The weeks fighting proved the French Navy was able to keep the historically powerful British Navy at bay.
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1801 – The House of Representatives elects Thomas Jefferson as the third President of the United States.
The 1800 election marked the first time political parties nominated a ticket combination of president and vice president, but the Constitution still called for the person with the most electoral votes to become president, and the second-most to become vice president.
In this case, both Jefferson and his running mate Aaron Burr received the same number of electoral votes. Ultimately, Jefferson won.
By 1804, the States ratified the 12th Amendment, which, among other things, called for electors to cast votes separately for president and vice president.
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1915 – A German zeppelin crashes in the North Sea after flying through a torrential snowstorm.
It was returning from a scouting mission off the Norwegian coast, looking for Allied merchant vessels.
Eleven crew members were rescued by the Danish coast guard. The other four were missing and their bodies never recovered.
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1966 – The Beach Boys begin recording "Good Vibrations."
"Begin" is the operative word.
It took six months, four studios, and $50,000 of Brian Wilson's own money to perfect the three-minute-thirty-nine-second hit.
The final, successful cut is pieced together from more than 90 hours of tape.
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1972 – Volkswagen produces its 15,007,034th Beetle, making it the best-selling car in history.
The title had been held by the Ford Model T, which was produced from 1908 to 1927.
The Beetle was a Nazi invention, when Hitler tried to get simple automobiles in the hands of the masses. It was designed by Ferdinand Porsche, of sportscar fame.
After the war it went into full-scale production in Germany, and later in the Americas.
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2011 – The Arab Spring begins in earnest when reports of uprising and revolt in Libya begin to hit the American airwaves.
The revolt would eventually lead to the overthrow of dictator Moammar Qaddafi, who was later captured and executed.
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2013 – Cleanup efforts begin in Russia to fix damage caused by a meteor that exploded over the Ural Mountains.
Most of the damage was contained to Chelyabinsk, where buildings suffered broken windows and required minor repairs from debris impact.
A large hole was found in a frozen-over lake, but no fragments of the meteor were initially recovered.
Eventually, small fragments were recovered across the city.
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2020 - Amazon’s Jeff Bezos pledges $10 billion to help fight climate change, which he calls “the biggest threat to our planet.”
The funds will go toward the creation of the Bezos Earth Fund.
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BIRTHDAYS
Sasha Pieterse - actress, “Pretty Little Liars” - 27
Meaghan Jette Martin - actress, “Camp Rock” - 31
Jeremy Allen White - actor, “Shameless” & “The Bear” - 32
Bonnie Wright - actress, “Harry Potter” films - 32
Ed Sheeran - pop singer - 32
Chord Overstreet - actor, “Glee” - 34
Joseph Gordon-Levitt - actor, “Inception” & “The Dark Knight Rises” - 42
Paris Hilton - socialite, heiress & DJ - 42
Jason Ritter - actor, “Parenthood” & “Gravity Falls” - 43
Jerry O’Connell - actor, “Crossing Jordan” - 49
Billie Joe Armstrong - rock singer, Green Day - 51
Denise Richards - actress, “Wild Things” - 52
Dominic Purcell - actor, “Prison Break” - 53
Michael Bay - director - 58
Larry The Cable guy - comedian - 60
Michael Jordan - basketball player - 60
Jim Brown - football player - 87
Born On This Date
Taylor Hawkins - drummer, Foo Fighters - 1972 (d. 2022)
Jose Jose - world music singer - 1948 (d. 2019)
Vincente Fernandez - world music singer - 1940 (d. 2021)
Thomas J. Watson - businessman, IBM - 1874 (d. 1956)
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