2/6/2023: Monkey Thief Caught!
PLUS: More Biden Family Values; Woody Harrelson To Do “SNL”; and Priscilla Presley-Kardashian
Today is Monday, February 6, 2023.
It is the 37th day of the year.
328 days remain.
WHAT’S ON TAP
A credible suspect has admitted to stealing monkeys from the Dallas Zoo last week and Elon’s off the hook in his latest trial. More in HIT LIST.
More bizarre developments and questions for the Biden family and their convoluted web of influence peddling. More in THE SWAMP.
See who won during last night’s Grammy Awards and HULK HOGAN puts his best foot forward. More in SHOWBIZ.
“Squid Game: The Challenge” contestants have spoken out about their horrible treatment during filming. More in CASTING CALL.
A woman claiming to be the one who got it on with PRINCE HARRY in a field behind a pub – his first – has come forward. More in ROYALS.
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HIT LIST
ELON MUSK has been found not liable in a lawsuit about whether his tweets in 2018 about taking Tesla private ran afoul of securities law.
Musk tweeted that he had secured investors and funding to take Tesla private, pending a shareholder vote, but the deal never materialized. A class-action suit argued Musk’s promises caused harm, because his tweets encouraged them to sell their shares.
The jury found there was not enough evidence to support this claim. [via WSJ]
MEANWHILE: Musk also says he regrets settling with the Securities and Exchange Commission over the same tweets. He said he caved to pressure and paid the $20 million fine in order to move on, and that this jury trial helped “clear the record.”
MEANWHILE, AT TWITTER HQ: One of Musks’ first big changes at Twitter was to diversify the blue checkmarks that denoted official, verified accounts. Now, elected officials have a gray check, celebrities and people who pay for Twitter Blue get a blue check, and brands and organizations have a gold check.
BUT WAIT: To keep that gold check, organizations will have to shell out $1,000 a month. They can also pay another $50-a-month to associate other accounts with their organization. For example, if the New York Times were to play along and pay the $1,000-a-month, the journalists who write for the Times could get a little badge on their profile to indicate they’re employees of the newspaper.
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Iran and Russia are partnering to build a factory in Moscow that would build drones for use in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine using Iranian technology.
Russia has been heavily relying on Iranian drones since it began its invasion. In return, Russia has been training Iranian pilots to fly their jet fighters, and will trade those plans to Iran at the end of the year. [via WSJ]
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Dallas police have arrested a 24-year-old suspect connected to the theft of two monkeys from the Dallas Zoo last week.
The man, Davion Irvin, faces animal cruelty and burglary charges. He was picked up after he was spotted on security cameras at the zoo on Thursday, appearing to check out mesh enclosures, as if to prepare for another heist.
During questioning, he reportedly admitted to stealing the monkeys, and asked authorities questions about the clouded leopard that had gone missing from its habitat after its enclosure was cut in January. [via WFAA]
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There’s a real-life “Call of the Wild” situation happening in Nevada, where an all-white dog has been spotted living with a coyote pack in recent months.
The local Fox affiliate reports the dog has not only been fully integrated with the pack, but appears to lead it.
BUT WAIT: After a local spotted the dog – nicknamed Ghost – limping, she hatched a plan to trap it in a crate, which she pulled off last week. Ghost remains happy as can be, however, despite having multiple infections, a broken toe, and some rocks in his belly. [via Fox5 Vegas]
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Ahead of the Super Bowl on Sunday, more Americans than ever are leaning toward plant-based chicken wings.
A report by animal rights group Compassion in World Farming suggests ten million Americans will eat an estimated 160 million plant-based wings on Sunday.
That’s about one-tenth of the 1.4 BILLION wings typically consumed on the day of the big game.
Vegan wings are typically made from frying wheat protein and dousing them in sauce. [via Vegconomist]
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CHARTS
Weekend Box Office
10. Pathaan: $2.7 million (down from 3)
9. The Chosen Season 3: Episode 1 & 2: $3.6 million (up from 10)
8. Missing: $3.7 million (down from 6)
7. M3GAN: $3.8 million (down from 5)
6. A Man Called Otto: $4.1 million (down from 4)
5. BTS: Yet to Come in Cinemas: $6.3 million (new)
4. Puss in Boots: The Last Wish: $7.9 million (down from 2)
3. Avatar: The Way of Water: $10.8 million (down from 1)
2. 80 for Brady: $12.5 million (new)
1. Knock at the Cabin: $14.2 million (new)
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DEATHS
Actress MELINDA DILLION, known best for her role as the matriarch on “A Christmas Story,” has died.
She passed away on January 9, according to an obituary. No cause of death was revealed.
Dillon was 83.
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GEORGE R. ROBERTSON has died.
The actor, who played Commissioner Henry Hurst in the first six “Police Academy” films, passed away on January 29 at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center in Toronto. No other details were shared.
He was 89.
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Actor CHARLES KIMBROUGH, known for his role as TV anchor Jim Dial on “Murphy Brown,” has died.
His son told the New York Times that he passed away on January 11 in Culver City, California. No other details are known.
He was 86.
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LE LE, a Giant panda living at the Memphis Zoo, has died.
According to a statement posted on the zoo’s Facebook page, Le Le was found dead last week. A cause of death is not known.
He was 25.
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BABY NEWS
Baby #2 is on the way for “Game of Thrones” stars KIT HARINGTON, 36, and ROSE LESLIE, 35.
Harington, who played Jon Snow in the hit show, announced the news during his appearance on “The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon.”
The couple are already parents to a two-year-old son.
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THE SWAMP
In a statement published by the New York Times, the Chinese Communist Party calls the decision to blow up the spy balloon that traversed the United States over the last week “an excessive reaction that seriously violates international convention” and that the country “retains the right to respond further.” China also maintains that the balloon was a civilian airship not engaged in espionage.
The balloon was taken down Saturday afternoon once it was over the Atlantic. The Biden Administration maintains that it was actively jamming whatever spy capabilities were on board the vessel while it was over American territory and blew it up over the ocean in order to avoid civilian casualties. [via NYT]
WORTH REMEMBERING: On November 1, 2018, former President DONALD TRUMP ordered the creation of the “China Initiative,” a task force under the Department of Justice focused on identifying and stopping Chinese Communist Party espionage programs. President JOE BIDEN shut down this task force after he became president.
WORTH ASKING: Why?
MEANWHILE: The New York Post reports that ERIC SCHWERIN, one of HUNTER BIDEN’s partners at influence-peddling shop Rosemont Seneca Advisors, was responsible for managing the transfer of documents from Joe Biden’s Senate office to the University of Delaware in 2010, after Biden became Vice President.
An email on Hunter’s laptop reveals that Schwerin was the point-man for coordinating the transportation of 1,850 boxes of files to the university – which took 33 pallets carried on two trucks and 415 gigabytes of electronic records – and that he was communicating with officials in the Obama administration, who had concerns over the sensitive materials that would be in the boxes. [via New York Post]
WORTH ASKING: How is it possible you’ve never discussed your son’s business with him and then have his partner take charge of transferring nearly 2,000 boxes worth of information that almost certainly contain classified papers?
BY THE WAY: Joe and Jill got a $250,000 reverse equity line of credit against their house in December, ostensibly to help cover Hunter’s legal expenses.
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BY THE NUMBERS
📈 The DOW lost 129 points (0.38%) on Friday to close at 33,926. The S&P lost 43 points (1.04%) to close at 4,136 and the NASDAQ lost 193 points (1.59%) to close at 12,006.
🛢WEST TEXAS INTERMEDIATE fell to $73; BRENT CRUDE closed at $79.
⛽ The national average price of a GALLON OF GAS was $3.47 on Sunday.
₿ BITCOIN slid over the weekend, trading just over $23,000.
🛩 There were more than 3,070 FLIGHTS delayed within, into, or out of the United States on Sunday and more than 107 such cancellations.
💰Tuesday night’s MEGA MILLIONS drawing will be for a $31 million jackpot or a $16.6 million cash payout. Tonight’s POWERBALL drawing will be for a $747 million jackpot or a $403.1 million cash payout.
SHOWBIZ NEWS
TREVOR NOAH returned for the third year in a row to host last night’s 65th annual Grammy Awards, live from the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
NOTEWORTHY: Actress VIOLA DAVIS has reached EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony) status with her Grammy win for her audiobook memoir, “Finding Me.” Only 18 people have reached the milestone.
RECORD-BREAKING: With her multiple wins last night, BEYONCE broke conductor GEORG SOLTI’s record of 31 Grammys to become the artist with the most Grammy wins ever.
And the winners are…
Overall
Record - Lizzo, “About Damn Time”
Album - Harry Styles, “Harry’s House”
Song - Bonnie Raitt, “Just Like That”
New Artist - Samara Joy
Video - Taylor Swift, “All Too Well: The Short Film”
Pop
Solo Performance - Adele, “Easy On Me”
Duo/Group Performance - Sam Smith & Kim Petras, “Unholy”
Album - Harry Styles, “Harry’s House”
Traditional Vocal Album - Michael Buble, “Higher”
Dance/Electronic
Recording - Beyonce, “Break My Soul”
Album - Beyonce, “Renaissance”
Rock
Performance - Brandi Carlile, “Broken Horses”
Song - Brandi Carlile, “Broken Horses”
Album - Ozzy Osbourne, “Patient Number 9”
R&B
Performance - Muni Long, “Hrs and Hrs”
Traditional Performance - Beyonce, “Plastic Off the Sofa”
Song - Beyonce, “Cuff It”
Album - Robert Glasper, “Black Radio III”
Rap
Performance - Kendrick Lamar, “The Heart Part 5”
Song - Kendrick Lamar, “The Heart Part 5”
Album - Kendrick Lamar, “Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers”
Country
Solo Performance - Willie Nelson, “Live Forever”
Duo/Group Performance - Carly Pearce & Ashley McBride, “Never Wanted to Be That Girl”
Song - Cody Johnson, “Til You Can’t”
Album - Willie Nelson, “A Beautiful Time”
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Disgraced actor ARMIE HAMMER spoke out for the first time since facing a series of sexual abuse allegations a little over two years ago.
Speaking to Air Mail, Hammer revealed that his interest in BDSM is the result of being sexually abused as a teen by a youth pastor, explaining that it “introduced sexuality into [his] life in a way that was out of his control.”
He also shared that in 2021 he contemplated suicide, by swimming as far out in the ocean as he could, hoping to drown, be hit by a boat or fall victim to a shark. What stopped him was the fact that his children were on shore.
As for the sexual abuse allegations, Hammer admitted to being “emotionally abusive” but said he never forced himself on anyone.
Currently, Hammer is helping a fellow recovering addict with his sobriety, something that played a huge part in his life and led to several of his troubles. [via Air Mail]
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A memorial for the late OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN will be held at the Hamer Hall Arts Centre in Melbourne later this month.
The event, organized by her family, will feature special tributes from her family and friends, according to a statement from Daniel Andrews, Premier for the State of Victoria. [via People]
WORTH REMEMBERING: Newton-John passed away last August at the age of 73.
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HULK HOGAN was spotted out and about with a cane in hand last week, shutting down speculation that he is paralyzed after undering going back surgery.
Rumors of the WWE Champion being paralyzed started after WWE Hall of Famer KURT ANGLE said on his podcast, “The Kurt Angle Show,” that the 69-year-old “can’t feel his lower body” after having “the nerves cut from his lower body.”
Hogan’s rep responded to the claims, telling the New York Post that he is “doing well and not paralyzed.” [via NY Post]
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REESE WITHERSPOON said she had no idea who ROBERT DE NIRO was when she auditioned in front of him at 14-years-old for a role in the film “Cape Fear,” around 1990.
During a recent appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” the actress said she “bricked the audition” after a receptionist told her who De Niro was, calling him the “most important actor of our time.”
A decade later, Witherspoon says she ran into De Niro again and he told her he remembered her and the audition.
WHAT’S MORE: Witherspoon also shared that she worked as an intern on the film “Devil in a Blue Dress,” starring DENZEL WASHINGTON. One of her duties was to park his Porsche. “I stripped all the gears,” she told Kimmel. [via NY Post]
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“Tiger King” star JOE EXOTIC told TMZ that he isn’t sure how much time he has left, so he is getting all of his affairs in order.
In the prison-recorded phone call, Exotic said everything he owns will go to his fiancee SETH POSEY. He also revealed that he added a DNR to his will.
The 59-year-old still has 20 years left on his sentence for his murder-for-hire conviction against his nemesis CAROLE BASKIN. [via TMZ]
LOVE STORY: Posey met Exotic on the internet in 2021 when he won the reality star’s “Bachelor King” competition. Their initial courtship did not last long. After their split, Exotic moved on with fellow inmate John Graham. When Graham got released, Exotic got back together with Posey.
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ADELE is planning to attend the Super Bowl next weekend, but not to watch the game.
“I’m going just for Rihanna,” she told a crowd at one of her Las Vegas shows over the weekend.
The two women have been friends for a long time, with Adele writing an essay for Time 100 about RIHANNA, calling her “gracious, loyal and funny.” [via Page Six]
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LIAM NEESON is not a fan of his fellow Irishman UFC fighter CONNOR MCGREGOR.
Speaking to Men’s Health, the actor compared UFC matches to “a bar fight,” and said that McGregor is a “little leprechaun” who gives “Ireland a bad name.”
Also in the interview -- which was based on questions from fans -- Neeson said he has no plans to appear in a “Star Wars” spinoff. Remember, he played Qui-Gon Jinn in “Episode I: Phantom Menace.” [via Men’s Health]
MEANWHILE: McGregor will soon be part of Neeson’s world. He is set to star opposite JAKE GYLLENHAAL in a reboot of “Road House.”
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CASTING CALL
Contestants on “Squid Game: The Challenge” are calling the reality competition show “inhumane” as they share the details of what actually happened during filming.
The show, inspired by Netflix’s series “Squid Game” which features people participating in gruesome games based on nursery rhymes for millions of dollars. The real-life version has 456 contestants all competing, in a similar format, for $4.56 million dollars.
The anonymous contestants told Rolling Stone that at least 10 people collapsed while spending nine hours in a freezing airport, and that medics were held back from responding to ill or injured contestants because producers were concerned about the footage.
“It was the cruelest, meanest thing I’ve ever been through,” one former player told the magazine.
For their part, Netflix has denied the allegations. [via Rolling Stone]
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WOODY HARRELSON will host “SNL” on February 25, for the fifth time.
He previously hosted in 1989, 1992, 2014 and 2019.
JACK WHITE will be the musical guest.
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THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
PRISCILLA PRESLEY was almost a Kardashian.
Years after separating from ELVIS PRESLEY, Priscilla dated ROBERT KARDASHIAN.
While the two were smitten with each other, according to Robert’s friend Joni Migal, Priscilla was adamant that she was not going to marry anyone until Elvis died.
The two eventually split and Robert married KRIS JENNER and fathered KOURTNEY, KIM, KHLOE and ROBERT -- thus creating the Kardashian empire. [via Evening Standard]
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WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS
British actor RUPERT EVERETT is the latest person to call PRINCE HARRY a liar.
Speaking to The Telegraph, the “My Best Friend’s Wedding” star said that Harry’s story about losing his virginity to an older woman is not the whole truth.
“I know who the woman he lost his virginity to is. And it wasn’t behind a pub. And it wasn’t in this country,” Everett said.
Many may recall that Harry claimed in “Spare” that his first time was with a woman who “liked horses” in a “grassy field behind a busy pub.” [via The Telegraph]
BUT WAIT: A woman named SASHA WALPOLE told the Daily Mail she was the one who got it on with Harry. Her story contradicts his a bit, as he claims it was an older woman, but she is only two years his senior. What makes it more juicy is that Walpole worked as a stable girl for Harry’s dad, which tracks with what he said about the woman liking horses. Walpole added that she is embarrassed that Harry shared details of their tryst. [via Daily Mail]
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DAY OF THE YEAR
National Chopsticks Day
National Sickie Day
National Frozen Yogurt Day
National Lame Duck Day
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ON THIS DATE
1778 – American and French delegates meet to formalize an alliance during the American revolution.
The Treaty of Amity and Commerce made the U.S. a sovereign and independent country in the eyes of the French government, and opened up trade between the two countries.
The Treaty of Alliance outlined France's military support against Great Britain. It said the only term for peace would be the complete independence of the United States from Great Britain.
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1891 – The Dalton Gang attempt their first train robbery—and fail.
Bob, Emmett, and Grat Dalton were three of ten sons in the Dalton family.
A thieving-spree of banks and trains would continue for over a year. But in their last robbery, the townspeople in the bank fought back, killing Bob and Grat, and wounding Emmett. Emmet was captured and would serve 14 years in prison.
After his release from prison in 1907, Emmett would become a successful real estate magnate in Los Angeles.
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1917 – A German U-Boat torpedoes an American passenger steamer called the California off the coast of Ireland.
The ship sank in only nine minutes, killing 43.
The attack came three days after Woodrow Wilson declared publicly that the U.S. would sever diplomatic ties with Germany if such attacks continued.
Later British intelligence would uncover the Zimmerman telegram: a correspondence between the Germans and Mexicans about an invasion of the U.S. via Mexico.
These events would force the U.S. into World War I on April 6 that year.
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1952 – Princess Elizabeth becomes the Queen of England when her father, George VI dies.
Elizabeth was in Kenya at the time on holiday. She was 27 years old, married to distant cousin Philip Mountbatten, and had one child, future King Charles.
She would be coronated on June 2, 1953.
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2014 – Jay Leno ends his time on “The Tonight Show” - for good this time. He first gave up hosting duties in 2009, when Conan O’Brien took over, but only for less than eight months, before Leno took the show back for another four-year stint.
This time, Jimmy Fallon took over hosting duties and moved the talk show from California to New York.
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2019 - 2018 is named the fourth warmest year on record by NOAA and NASA.
The top three warmest years are 2016, 2015 and 2017.
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BIRTHDAYS
Aviva Mongillo - actress, “Don’t Talk to Irene” - 25
Charlie Heaton - actor, “Stranger Things” - 29
Dominic Sherwood - actor, “Vampire Academy” & “Shadowhunters” - 33
Allison Holker - dancer - 35
Dane DeHaan - actor, “Chronicle” & “Lawless” - 37
Crystal Reed - actress, “Teen Wolf” & “Swamp Thing” - 38
Kris Humphries - basketball player - 38
Amy Robach - former journalist, “GMA” - 50
Brian Stepanek - actor, “The Suite Life of Zack & Cody” - 52
Rick Astley - pop singer - 57
Axl Rose - rock singer, Guns N’ Roses - 61
Born On This Date
Bob Marley - reggae singer - 1945 (d. 1981)
Zsa Zsa Gabor - actress, “A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors” - 1917 (d. 2016)
Eva Braun - wife of Adolf Hilter for 40 hours - 1912 (d. 1945)
Ronald Reagan - 40th POTUS - 1911 (d. 2004)
Babe Ruth - baseball player - 1895 (d. 1948)
Aaron Burr - 3rd Vice President - 1756 (d. 1836)
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