2/21/2023: Print Your Next House!
PLUS: Biden Does Ukraine; DA Drops Baldwin’s Gun Charge; and Meghan Doesn’t Like Being Mocked
Today is Tuesday, February 21, 2023.
It is the 52nd day of the year.
313 days remain.
WHAT’S ON TAP
Spanish authorities bust an art-robber ring and the BBC goes rugged. More in HIT LIST.
President JOE BIDEN visits Ukraine and a GOP bomb-thrower says it’s time to split up the country. More in THE SWAMP.
JIM CARREY claims he doesn’t know JEFFREY EPSTEIN and SHAQ defends RIHANNA. More in SHOWBIZ.
“Avatar: The Way of Water” is now the third highest-grossing film of all time at the global box office. More in CASTING CALL.
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HIT LIST
Some FTX customers are getting their money back – in Japan.
Last year, FTX purchased a crypto-trading company called Liquid Japan that continued to operate under the same name, but under the FTX umbrella. It paused all customer distributions in November.
“The bankruptcy of our parent company [...] has had a wide range of impacts, and we have had to wait for a long time to resume operations,” the company said in a statement on its website. [via Decrypt]
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Once known as the gold standard for broadcast professionalism, the British Broadcasting Corporation has relaxed the on-camera dress code for reporters in the field.
The BBC News’ Director of Digital Naja Nielsen has reportedly told staff that a rugged look makes reporters more trustworthy to viewers. “It’s a bit like, be as sweaty and dirty as when we’re in the field is actually more trustworthy than if we look like we’ve just stepped out of an awards ceremony or a fine dinner party,” she said.
MAKES SENSE: Nielsen is also encouraging reporters to film with their phones, especially as younger people embrace raw, organic, first-person perspectives. [via Deadline]
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A British cement and concrete company has successfully 3D-printed ten homes in Kilifi, Kenya, making it the largest such project ever completed.
The company uses a massive rig, including a horizontal robotic arm secured between two tracks, which programmatically dispenses concrete building material in order to create vertical walls, layer by layer. They completed the project in just ten weeks – so a house a week.
The homes aren’t giant, but they’re definitely more spacious than some big city apartments: The three bedroom models are 836 square feet and the two bedrooms are 616 square feet.
Now, the same organization is looking to keep building one structure a week over the next 52 weeks. [via COBOD]
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Authorities in Spain have detained three brothers in connection with a string of art thefts last year, after they recovered a trove of valuable art and jewelry in their possession. The crooks targeted homes in affluent areas of Barcelona, Spain in recent months.
Among the robbers’ haul are sketches by SALVADOR DALÍ worth an estimated $300,000.
Authorities also confiscated 55 luxury watches, high-end pens, and cash and coins in various currencies. [via Reuters]
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New York City’s animal control captured a 4-foot alligator from Prospect Park Lake in Brooklyn over the weekend. After arriving on the scene, they noticed it was moving slowly, likely due to cold shock.
WORTH NOTING: Apparently it’s an urban myth among New Yorkers that alligators live in the sewer system – but officials say it’s most likely the gator is just someone’s unwanted pet. [via Associated Press]
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CHARTS
EDITOR’S NOTE: We have switched from Top 5 Songs on iTunes to Top 5 Songs on Apple Music for a better representation of top tunes.
Top 5 Songs on Apple Music:
Morgan Wallen, “Last Night”
PinkPantheress & Ice Spice, “Boy’s a liar Pt. 2”
SZA, “Kill Bill”
Miley Cyrus, “Flowers”
SZA, “Snooze”
Top 5 Songs on Spotify:
PinkPantheress & Ice Spice, “Boy’s a liar Pt. 2”
Miley Cyrus, “Flowers”
SZA, “Kill Bill”
RAYE & 070 Shake, “Escapism”
Metro Boomin & The Weeknd & 21 Savage, “Creepin’”
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DEATHS
JANSEN PANETTIERE, the younger brother of actress HAYDEN PANETTIERE, has died.
He passed away over the weekend, sources told TMZ. No other details were shared.
Jansen followed in his famous sister’s acting footsteps, appearing in “Even Stevens,” “Blue’s Clues” and in Nickelodeon’s “The X’s.”
He was only 28.
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One of the quintuplets who was recently born in Poland has died.
Dominikia Clark, 37, gave birth to the quints (two boys and three girls) earlier this month. The babies were born early, at 30 weeks.
Clarke and her husband revealed this week that one of their sons -- named Henry James Clarke -- passed away at only 3-days-old. No word on how the other babies are currently doing.
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BABY NEWS
Actor ADAM DRIVER, 39, and his wife, actress JOANNA TUCKER, 40, are expecting baby #2.
The couple, who keep their family life private, have one son together, who is believed to be about four-years-old.
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THE SWAMP
President JOE BIDEN flew into Poland and took a 10-hour secret train ride into Ukraine to meet with VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY on Monday, just days before the one year anniversary of Russia’s invasion.
The White House reportedly told Russian diplomats about the official visit hours before the departure in order to safeguard against any military offensive that would inadvertently start a global crisis if Biden were under attack while there.
During one event, Biden promised another $500 million in US assistance.
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Republican lightning rod MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE tweeted on Monday her support for a national divorce.
“We need to separate by red states and blue states and shrink the federal government. Everyone I talk to says this. From the sick and disgusting woke culture issues shoved down our throats to the Democrat’s traitorous America Last policies, we are done,” she wrote.
WORTH ASKING: Do woke progressives and traditional conservatives share any common vision for the future of the country? Is any unity of purpose and goals salvageable?
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BY THE NUMBERS
📈 The DOW added 129 points (0.39%) to close at 33,826 on Monday. The S&P lost 11 points (0.28%) to close at 4,079 while the NASDAQ lost 68 points (0.58%) to close at 11,787.
🛢 WEST TEXAS INTERMEDIATE closed at $77; BRENT CRUDE at $83.
⛽ The national average price of a GALLON OF GAS was $3.41 on Monday.
₿ BITCOIN was up Monday, trading north of $24,770.
🛩 There were more than 2,994 FLIGHTS delayed within, into, or out of the United States on Monday and more than 68 such cancellations.
💰Tonight’s MEGA MILLIONS drawing will be for a $104 million jackpot or a $53.1 million cash payout.
SHOWBIZ NEWS
JIM CARREY is threatening to sue YouTuber VINCENT BRIATORE over claims that Carrey traveled to JEFFREY EPSTEIN’s private island.
According to RadarOnline.com, Carrey’s lawyers sent cease and desist letters to Briatore, giving him 48 hours to take down the video featuring the actor’s name on an alleged flight log.
Briatore posted the clip, titled “Jeffrey Epstein’s Island Flight Logs Finally Released: What does this Mean?” last month. At the time, he admitted to not knowing whether the source was legit, but vowed to do some additional investigating.
In an effort to protect himself, Briatore has added a line that reads, “FULL DISCLOSURE: Jim Carrey’s attorneys have contacted me to inform me that Jim Carry [sic] has never met Jeffrey Epstein.” [via RadarOnline]
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While those closest to her remain deeply concerned about her mental health, BRITNEY SPEARS is out living life with her husband SAM ASGHARI by her side.
The couple, along with Spears’ manager, were spotted hitting up Nobu in Malibu on Sunday night. There didn’t appear to be any interactions with photogs or fans as they entered or exited the establishment. No word on anything crazy happening inside either.
The outing comes shortly after reports that those closest to Spears planned -- and later canceled -- an intervention over her mental health and alleged substance abuse. She later addressed the reports on Instagram, saying there was never going to be an intervention; Asghari doubled-down on her statement.
Meanwhile, Spears’ lawyer MATTHEW ROSENGART has repeatedly refused to comment on whether there was an intervention planned. [via TMZ]
WORTH ASKING: As well-intentioned as the Free Britney movement was, should people who have no direct involvement or knowledge regarding someone else’s well-being be so heavily involved in potentially life-altering decisions?
MORE HARM THAN GOOD: From what the public knows about her conservatorship, it didn’t appear to be healthy, but with what has happened since it has been removed, maybe fans shouldn’t have been so quick to jump to someone’s defense simply because they idolize them.
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LIAM NEESON thinks all of the “Star Wars” spinoffs are “diluting” the “mystery and the magic” of the original films.
His feelings on the matter came up during an appearance on ANDY COHEN’s “Watch What Happens Live” when he was asked if he would ever reprise his role as Jedi master Qui-Gon Jinn in a “Star Wars” spinoff.
In the past, Neeson has said that he would consider reprising the role for film, but not TV, though he did have a brief cameo in the Disney+ series “Obi-Wan Kenobi.” [via Variety]
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In a recent interview with The Sunday Times, actor DANNY DEVITO shared that his longtime friend ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER is a big time animal lover that lets his pets walk all over his property.
“The animals just roam all around all over the place -- they’re coming to getcha!” Devito said.
Schwarzenegger has several pet donkeys, who have free rein inside his home, and a miniature pony he keeps in his backyard for his granddaughters, according to the actor. [via The Sunday Times]
WORTH NOTING: The two go way back, first starring opposite one another in the 1988 film “Twins,” followed by 1994’s “Junior.”
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BLAKE SHELTON plans to take his coach’s chair from “The Voice” home with him.
The 46-year-old, who is leaving the show after the upcoming Season 23, told RadarOnline.com that he feels they “owe [him] the damn chair” since he helped make country music more mainstream.
As for what his wife, singer GWEN STEFANI thinks, a source told the outlet that “she thinks the chair looks just fine on ‘The Voice’ set, but it would be butt-ugly as home decor.” [via RadarOnline]
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Police officers were called to JOHN MAYER’s home last month after his security team spotted an intruder on the property.
A spokesperson for the LAPD told Page Six that a person was seen outside of the singer’s home, though when officers arrived they could not find anyone. Mayer was not home at the time of the incident.
It is unknown if they are still searching for the individual. [via Page Six]
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Minor league baseball player ANDERSON COMAS, who plays for the White Sox organization, announced on Instagram that he is gay.
The 23-year-old started off the announcement with a disclaimer that read: “if you’re homophobic, this post may not [be] for you.”
The Chicago White Sox shared their support of Comas’ coming out, tweeting “We are all so proud of you, Anderson!”
He is the third minor league player to publicly announce that they are gay, according to MLB.com. The other two include, DAVID DENSON, who was part of the Milwaukee Brewers organization and FRANCISCO GIANTS, who played for the San Francisco Giants minor league team. [via People]
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Don’t let SHAQUILLE O’NEAL hear you bashing RIHANNA’s Super Bowl Halftime performance.
The NBA legend came to Rihanna’s defense on his “The Big Podcast with Shaq,” telling all the critics to “shut the [f-word] up.”
He later added, “She’s pregnant, she blessed it, she did her thing, she didn’t fall. Just leave it there.”
Reactions to the performance were mixed from both celebs and viewers watching at home. [via People]
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Officers in Marina del Rey want to speak with “Euphoria” star ANGUS CLOUD who was believed to have been involved in a hit-and-run last week.
According to TMZ, the actor and another male were in an SUV that rear-ended a Toyota and then took off. One of the occupants of the Toyota suffered minor injuries from the incident.
Law enforcement sources told the outlet that officers have been attempting to get in touch with Cloud, to determine his involvement in the accident. [via TMZ]
WORTH NOTING: A hit-and-run can be a felony in the state of California.
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CASTING CALL
“Avatar: The Way of Water” passed “Titanic” over the weekend as the third highest-grossing film of all time globally.
The movie has grossed over $2,243.2 BILLION globally since it was released on December 16. “Titanic” has made $2,242.8 BILLION globally.
At the domestic box office, “Avatar” passed 1993’s “Jurassic Park,” making it the ninth highest-grossing film of all-time in the US.
Director JAMES CAMERON has three of the top four highest-grossing films. [via People]
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COURT CASES
The Santa Fe district attorney has dropped the gun enhancement charge against ALEC BALDWIN and “Rust” armorer HANNAH GUTERRIEZ-REED.
Defense attorneys for the actor argued against the additional charge, saying it does not apply in this case. Per New Mexico law, a gun enhancement charge can only be applied if the gun was displayed with intent to intimidate or injure a person. That is not what happened in the accidental death of “Rust” cinematographer HALYNA HUTCHINS.
This means that Baldwin and Guterriez-Reed may face zero time behind bars, as the gun enhancement charge came with a five-year minimum sentence. Now, both Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed both face one count of involuntary manslaughter, which comes with an 18-month sentence -- or less. [via NY Post]
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THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
KRIS JENNER sparked engagement rumors after posting a photo of her hand on top of longtime boyfriend COREY GAMBLE’s with a huge rock on her ring finger.
The momager left the post captionless, leaving fans rushing to the comments to see if anyone could confirm the two were engaged.
Days after the post, Jenner’s team told several outlets that the two are not engaged and have no plans to ever marry. [via Page Six]
WORTH NOTING: The ring is estimated to be worth over $1.2 million.
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WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS
ADELE and ED SHEERAN have both turned down performing at KING CHARLES’ Coronation concert.
Organizers told OK! Magazine that Charles will be “disappointed” as he was “very keen” that the two musicians be part of the celebration. Sheeran is unable to make it due to a scheduling conflict, but Adele’s team gave no reason as to why she couldn’t make it.
The concert is scheduled for May 7, the day after the official Coronation.
RUMOR IS…LIONEL RICHIE, the SPICE GIRLS and even HARRY STYLES may take the stage. This is all pure speculation and has not been confirmed. [via OK!]
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MEGHAN MARKLE is “upset and overwhelmed” by “South Park’s” recent parody that skewered her and PRINCE HARRY’s media victimhood tour.
Once insider tells The Spectator that they’re so frustrated by the show they’re “taking it out on eachother” while weighing the stressful decision over whether they’ll attend KING CHARLES’ Coronation in May. [via The Spectator]
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DAY OF THE YEAR
Pancake Day
Mardi Gras
National Sticky Bun Day
International Mother Language Day
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ON THIS DATE
1848 – German philosopher Karl Marx publishes “The Communist Manifesto”.
The document proclaimed to represent all workers of the world, united in an ongoing fight against The Man.
The philosophies and ideas of a universal workers’ movement have continued to percolate around the world. By 1950, about half the world would live under communism. It is estimated more than 100 million people have died as a cause of communist policies since its inception.
The document itself has inspired dictators, despots, and former bartenders from the Bronx who end up getting elected to the US House.
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1885 – The Washington Monument is dedicated.
At 555 feet, the obelisk was first proposed before Washington took office, by Pierre L'Enfant. The plans for the monument did not move forward until well after Washington died, in 1832.
Construction began in 1848 but was suspended completely during the Civil War. Money wasn't allocated again to complete the project until 1876. Even casual observers will notice that the brick color used changes about one-third of the way up, because the source materials had changed in the nearly 30 years between construction phases.
Though it was dedicated in 1885, it wouldn't open to the public for another three years.
It was the tallest man-made structure in the world when it was completed, later surpassed by the Eiffel Tower in 1889.
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1948 – NASCAR is founded.
The National Association for Stock Car Racing was officially incorporated, thanks to the efforts of Bill France Sr. He was a mechanic in Daytona, Florida, who appreciated racing but hated the inconsistent and disjointed rules from race to race.
He got together racers and sponsors in the small community to help create a unified set of rules and governance for racing.
The first NASCAR-sanctioned race was held June 19 the following year in North Carolina. The winner took home a $2,000 prize.
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1965 – Malcolm X is assassinated.
The preacher was preparing to make a speech in Manhattan when a man in the audience pulled out a sawed-off double-barrel shotgun and rushed the stage.
The assassin managed to put one round in Malcolm's chest. Meanwhile, two accomplices approached with handguns, successfully getting off several shots.
Malcolm was pronounced dead before making it to the hospital, ultimately suffering 21 gunshot wounds. The shooters were all convicted of the murder.
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1972 – Marking a shift in foreign policy, President Nixon arrives in China.
It was a major step in thawing relations between the Communist East and the U.S.
Since Mao's takeover in 1949, the State Department did not recognize the People's Republic as a legitimate state at the time.
Nixon had been a vocal anti-communist before his presidency, but with the outcome of the Vietnam War uncertain and fear that the communists could further consolidate their power in the region, the Nixon Administration took action.
The meetings were also a tool to create tension between the Chinese and Soviets.
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2013 – The New York Times announces plans to sell The Boston Globe, and a handful of other regional papers.
The Grey Lady’s parent company had tried to sell off the Globe in 2009, but couldn’t attract buyers with such an unprofitable business model. In the ensuing years, employees agreed to wage cuts and other cost-cutting measures were taken to right the ship.
It was eventually purchased by John Henry, owner of the Boston Red Sox.
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2021 - 21-year-old Jasmine Harrison becomes the youngest woman to row across an ocean as part of the Atlantic Challenge.
It took her 70 days, 3 hours and 48 minutes to row from Spain to Antigua (about 3,000 miles).
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BIRTHDAYS
Blanket Jackson - youngest son of Micheal Jackson - 21
Anne Wilson - rock singer - 21
Sophie Turner - actress, “Game of Thrones” - 27
Giveon - R&B singer - 28
Hayley Orrantia - actress, “The Goldbergs” - 29
Joe Alwyn - actor, “The Sense of an Ending” - 32
Riyad Mahrez - soccer player - 32
Corbin Bleu - actor, “High School Musical” films - 34
Ashley Greene - actress, “Twilight” films - 36
Elliot Page - actor, “Juno” & “The Umbrella Academy” - 36
Ashley Costello - rock singer, New Years Day - 38
Jordan Peele - comedian - 44
Jennifer Love Hewitt - actress, “Party of Five” & “Ghost Whisperer” - 44
Michael McIntyre - comedian - 47
Jonathan Cheban - entrepreneur & besties with Kim K - 49
Kelsey Grammer - actor, “Frasier” - 68
Born On This Date
Alan Rickman - actor, “Harry Potter” films - 1946 (d. 2016)
John Lewis - politician - 1940 (d. 2020)
Nina Simone - jazz singer - 1933 (d. 2003)
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