2/23/2024: Shmollege Update
PLUS: More Media Collapse; Club Pillar; and Protest and Windsor
Today is Friday, February 23, 2024.
It is the 54th day of the year.
312 days remain.
WHAT’S ON TAP
A huge milestone for space exploration and another big media company collapse. Details in HIT LIST.
TAYLOR takes TRAVIS on a tour of the Sydney zoo and BILLIE EILISH is prepping some new music. More in SHOWBIZ.
JOE MANGANIELLO auditioned to be on “Survivor”. Details in CASTING CALL.
YE’s new album is a success. More in KARDASH.
Anti-monarchists air grievances at Windsor. Details in ROYALS.
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HIT LIST
NASA wants you to live on Mars -- or rather, a simulated version of the red planet.
The space agency is seeking volunteers for the CHAPEA (Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog) mission at Johnson’s Space Center in Houston.
For the year-long experiment, four volunteers will be “living and working inside a 1,700 square-foot, 3D printed habitat” known as the Mars Dune Alpha. The goal of the simulation is to examine “potential challenges that may arise from living on Mars” such as “resource limitations, equipment failures, communication delays and other environmental stressors.”
There already is a crew living out the simulation. They entered on June 25, 2023 and will leave on July 6, 2024. The next mission is set to begin in 2025. [via SimpleMost]
MEANWHILE, ON THE MOON: Space exploration company INTUITIVE MACHINES successfully put a lander on the Moon on Thursday, the first U.S. spacecraft to touchdown on the lunar surface in five decades, and the first private enterprise to achieve the feat. More details on the status of the spacecraft and its mission will be announced in the coming days.
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SHMOLLEGE: Yale University is reimplementing its policy that requires applicants to submit ACT or SAT scores to be considered for admission, beginning with the Fall 2025 class. The Ivy League school canceled the practice in the midst of the pandemic.
In a nod to its DEI policy commitment, a statement from Yale insists, “when used thoughtfully as part of a whole-person review process, tests can help increase rather than decrease diversity in our class.” [via Yale]
Dartmouth has reinstated its own similar policy – but that doesn’t go into effect until 2029(!!). [via NBC News]
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The parents of Gabby Petito will not take the parents of her killer to trial in a civil case, instead settling out of court.
The emotional distress lawsuit alleged that Brian Laundrie’s parents knew of Petito’s murder well before news of her disappearance became a national news story in 2021. A statement from Petito’s parents and their lawyer say they accepted the settlement “reluctantly,” “in order to avoid further legal expenses and prolonged personal conflict.”
Laundrie confessed to the murder in a written note. He later took his own life. [via CNN]
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Federal investigators are looking into whether the widespread AT&T outage Thursday morning was part of a cyberattack.
A confidential memo circulated among agencies from the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency said there was no initial indication that the outage was malicious.
Major providers Verizon and T-Mobile independently reported having no similar problems with their networks. In statements, they chalked up any problems their customers had to AT&T’s connectivity issues. [via ABC News]
COINCIDENCE?: IT company Change Healthcare, whose software powers prescription providers across the country, reported widespread system issues since Wednesday. They say there’s no doubt the issue is the result of a cyberattack. [via Daily Express]
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Alternative media company VICE announced Thursday it is shutting down its main website and laying off hundreds of staffers.
The subversive reporting organization says it is focusing on social media and distributing the content it will continue to produce through other, existing platforms.
Vice’s management filed for a Chapter 11 restructuring bankruptcy last year to keep creditors at bay while it shopped for potential buyers, but so far nothing has panned out. Pink slips are expected to go out early next week. [via Variety]
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DEATHS
Actor PAUL D’AMATO has died.
He passed away last Monday after a battle with progressive supranuclear palsy, a rare brain condition that resembles Parkinson’s disease.
D’Amato is known for his role in “Slap Shot.”
He was 76.
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Motocross racer JAYDEN “Jayo” ARCHER has died.
He passed away while practicing in Melbourne, Australia on Wednesday. No further details were shared.
Archer was the first rider to perform a triple backflip in competition.
He was only 27.
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SICK BAY
WENDY WILLIAMS has been diagnosed with Aphasia and Frontotemporal Dementia.
The 59-year-old former talk show host was diagnosed last year.
The conditions are the same as what BRUCE WILLIS has been diagnosed with, and can cause speech issues, emotional problems and changes in personality.
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BY THE NUMBERS
📈 The DOW increased 456 points (1.18%) to close at 39,069 on Thursday. The S&P increased 105 points (2.11%) to close at 5,087 and the NASDAQ added 460 points (2.96%) to close at 16,041.
🛢 WEST TEXAS INTERMEDIATE closed at $78; BRENT CRUDE at $82.
⛽ The national average price of a GALLON OF GAS was $3.27 on Thursday.
₿ BITCOIN dipped slightly Thursday, down 0.5% and still trading under $51,600.
🛩 There were more than 2,700 FLIGHTS delayed within, into, or out of the United States on Thursday and more than 50 such cancellations.
💰Tonight’s MEGA MILLIONS drawing will be for a $525 million jackpot or a $247.1 million cash payout. Saturday night’s POWERBALL drawing will be for a $376 million jackpot or a $177.5 million cash payout.
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SHOWBIZ NEWS
New Music Friday
Ace Frehley, “10,000 Volts”
Blaze Bayley, “Circle of Stone”
Eric Hilton, “Sound Vagabond”
JJ Grey, “Olustee”
Liam Bailey, “Zero Grace”
Mary Timony, “Untame the Tiger”
MGMT, “Loss of Life”
Remo Drive, “Mercy”
Rod Stewart with Jools Holland, “Swing Fever”
The Snuts, “Millennials”
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TAYLOR SWIFT and TRAVIS KELCE were spotted checking out the Sydney Zoo on Thursday -- just one day after she apparently went to scope out the place solo.
The pair were hand-in-hand as they ogled the animals and even got to feed a kangaroo.
No word on what other sights the two will take in or how long Kelce is planning to stay down under. [via TMZ]
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KYLIE KELCE -- the wife of Eagles center JASON KELCE -- made her Fashion Week debut last week.
The 31-year-old mom-of-three attended the Alberta Ferretti Ready to Wear Fall/Winter 2024-2025 fashion show in Milan, wearing a metallic silver pantsuit.
She later told fans that not only was it her first Fashion Week, but her first fashion show ever! [via People]
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Former “Real Housewives of New York City” star LEAH MCSWEENEY is working on a new sober dating app, called Club Pillar.
The app is described as the “first sober private members community” that “seeks to redefine dating and social experiences” without an emphasis on alcohol.
McSweeney has been on her own sobriety journey, so the idea of a sober dating app seemed to fit perfectly with her lifestyle.
Club Pillar is set to launch this year. [via People]
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BILLIE EILISH announced her third album is “mastered.”
While no other details were shared, an album’s “mastering” is typically the final step in the recording process.
The highly-anticipated album will follow 2021’s “Happier Than Ever” and 2019’s “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?”. [via Instagram]
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DANNY MASTERSON is getting settled in his third prison in under two months, though the reason why is not as juicy as some may think.
According to those in the know, the actor was moved from North Kern State Prison to Corcoran State Prison -- where Charles Manson was housed -- and is now living at the California Men’s Colony in San Luis Obispo.
As for why all the shuffling, sources say North Kern is where inmates go to get processed into the California prison system, so he was never going to stay there permanently. As for him ending up at the Men’s Colony, that is where he was always meant to end up, but had to detour to CSP until a spot opened.
So now -- pending any future relocations -- Masterson will call the Men’s Colony home as he serves out his 30-year sentence. [via USA Today]
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JOE EXOTIC is a big fan of MACHINE GUN KELLY’s new blackout ink.
The “Tiger King” star posted a flirty message to the rapper on X this week, writing “A tiger and a bit of meth, I can make MGK gay.”
Exotic, who is currently locked up, followed up the flirty text with a plea to MGK to help him get free. [via TMZ]
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The trial of “Rust” armorer HANNAH GUTIERREZ-REED kicked off Thursday.
Prosecutors told the jury she was “negligent” on set, while the defense said she is a “scapegoat” for the fatal shooting of cinematographer HALYNA HUTCHINS.
If convicted on the charges of involuntary manslaughter and evidence tampering, Gutierrez-Reed faces up to three years in prison.
MEANWHILE: The one who actually fired the prop weapon -- ALEC BALDWIN -- faces only 18 months behind bars if found guilty of involuntary manslaughter. [via Deadline]
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CASTING CALL
Former NFL star SHAQUEM GRIFFIN wants MICHAEL B. JORDAN to play him in a potential biopic about his life.
Griffin, who made it into the league despite having his left hand amputated when he was a child, has been working on the project for two years.
He retired from the NFL in 2021.
No word on whether or not Jordan is actually interested in the role. [via TMZ]
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Before JOE MANGANIELLO made blood pressures surge in “Magic Mike,” he auditioned to be on “Survivor.”
The 47-year-old told Entertainment Tonight that he auditioned for the CBS reality series when it first came out. For his audition tape, Manganiello showed off his skills as a construction worker, which was his job at the time.
He ultimately wouldn’t land a role on the series because he was also set to star in a new pilot, “and you can’t be on TV and be on ‘Survivor’.” [via ET]
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THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
YE’s “Vultures 1” album earned over $1 million in its opening week in the US and most of that is going straight into his pocket thanks to him being an “independent” artist.
Ye -- and collaborator TY DOLLA $IGN -- released the album without a label, using only a distribution company (Label Engine) to get the tracks on streaming services. While Label Engine states their clients get 82.5% of the revenue, insiders believe Ye and Ty likely argued for a much higher percentage.
The success of “Vultures 1” is being called a “breakthrough moment” for independent artists on social media. [via Billboard, X]
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WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS
An anti-monarchist group staged a protest against “royal secrecy” on the Windsor grounds Thursday.
They targeted the location specifically to speak out against the secrets being withheld from the public and stored at the official Royal Archives in the “Round Tower” at Windsor. Protestors are demanding that the royal archives be subject to the same freedom of information laws the rest of the government complies to.
But even then, the group, called “Republic,” won’t be totally satisfied. They said in a statement, “The monarchy must be abolished in favour of an accountable, transparent, elected head of state." [via Express]
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DAY OF THE YEAR
National Banana Bread Day
National Tootsie Roll Day
International Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day
National Play Tennis Day
Curling is Cool Day
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ON THIS DATE
1885 - A young man marches to the gallows, to be executed for the murder of one of Queen Victoria’s handmaidens.
But when John Lee stood on the platform, with the noose around his neck, the lever would not release the floor.
He stepped aside, and it was tried two more times, without Lee on the platform and it worked.
When he stood there again, the lever malfunctioned again.
Lee was taken back to prison. He maintained his innocence throughout the ordeal.
He was released 22 years later after his sentence was commuted from Death Row.
British authorities maintained it was an act of God that saved him.
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1861 - President-elect Abraham Lincoln arrives in Washington.
His visit was kept secret to protect him from assassination attempts, as seven states had already joined the Confederacy.
A plot to assassinate Lincoln while he passed through Baltimore had also recently been uncovered. But all the security precautions frustrated Lincoln, who did not want to seem a coward.
Still, he managed to slip in unnoticed by train.
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1945 - An American flag is raised atop Mt. Suribachi, an inactive volcano, on the island of Iwo Jima, marking the capture by US Marines of the island’s highest point and a strategic position on the island. The strategic victory came after five days of fighting, following the invasion on February 19. Fighting continued for more than a month until Marines were able to completely secure the island.
Marine photographer Louis Lowery captured the famous moment. He took three iconic shots, but the first showed six Marines struggling to get the flagpole upright. By some accounts, this has become the most reproduced picture in history.
A motion picture of the raising affirms that the shot indeed was not staged, but instead was a special, iconic moment in World War II history.
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1954 - The first children receive preemptive polio vaccinations.
Dr. Jonas Salk developed the vaccines.
Polio was a contagious and dangerous disease whose spread was near impossible to stop at the time.
Some who contracted the ailment survived but were left disabled. Most famously, FDR fell victim to Polio in 1921 — but he would go on to become president.
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1997 - “Schindler’s List” appears uncut on NBC, drawing criticism from the government and decency groups.
NBC chose not to sell traditional advertisements, but rather sold sponsorships on brief intermissions on the film.
Republican Senator Tom Coburn famously blasted NBC for airing the movie on Sunday night, a time when families often gathered to watch TV.
65 million viewers tuned in to watch anyway.
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2020 - The first major COVID-19 outbreak in Europe is identified in Italy.
After 152 cases were discovered — and three deaths — emergency measures were put into place, locking down 10 towns.
Surrounding countries began blocking travel to and from the country.
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2020 - China’s Supreme Leader Xi Jinping describes the country’s COVID-19 outbreak as China’s “fastest spreading, most extensive and most challenging public health emergency” since the founding of the People’s Republic in 1949.
At that point, the virus had killed over 2,400 people and infected more than 77,000.
Hundreds of millions were under restrictions on movement.
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BIRTHDAYS
Jamal Murray - basketball player - 27
D’Angelo Russell - basketball player - 28
Andrew Wiggins - basketball player - 29
Dakota Fanning - actress, “Man on Fire” & “I Am Sam” - 30
Samara Weaving - actress, “Home and Away” - 32
Skylar Grey - pop singer - 38
Aziz Ansari - actor, “Parks and Recreation” & “Master of None” - 41
Emily Blunt - actress, “Into the Woods” & “Mary Poppins Returns” - 41
Josh Gad - actor, “The Book of Mormon” & “Beauty and the Beast” - 43
Kelly Macdonald - actress, “No Country for Old Men” - 48
Niecy Nash - actress, “Reno 911!” - 54
Daymond John - entrepreneur, FUBU & “Shark Tank” - 55
Steve Stricker - golfer - 57
Michael Dell - computer manufacturer, Dell Technologies - 59
Marc Garneau - astronaut, 1st Canadian to enter space, STS 13 & 77 - 75
Born On This Date
Victor Fleming - director, “Wizard of Oz” & “Gone With the Wind” - 1889 (d. 1949)
W.E.B. Dubois - author, Civil Rights activist - 1868 (d. 1963)
Mayer Amschel Rothschild - banker & founder of the Rothschild banking dynasty - 1744 (d. 1812)
George Frideric Handel - composer - 1685 (d. 1759)
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