2/6/2024: Farmer Rebellion Expands 🚜
PLUS: Space Flight Record; “Flip Your Life”; and The King Has Cancer
Today is Tuesday, February 6, 2024.
It is the 37th day of the year.
329 days remain.
WHAT’S ON TAP
A new trial sheds some light on who is – and isn’t – the creator of Bitcoin. Details in HIT LIST.
Find out more about rapper KILLER MIKE’s Grammy’s arrest in SHOWBIZ.
NBC is moving forward on a “Suits” spinoff and TIM BURTON is remaking a classic. Details in CASTING CALL.
LANDON BARKER has a fear of babies. More in KARDASH.
KING CHARLES has been diagnosed with cancer. Details in ROYALS.
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HIT LIST
The European farmer protests have expanded to Italy, where about 50 tractors have gathered outside Rome to block traffic and demand lighter regulations and taxes. Another 200 or so tractors have also been parked in Turin, in the northwest corner of the country.
The group organizers say they expect up to 2,000 tractors by the end of the week.
Prime Minister of Italy GIORGIA MELONI rose to power as a conservative populist in October 2022 and has expressed sympathy with the farmers. Publicly, she blames European Union regulations that she doesn’t have the ability to ease. [via France24]
MEANWHILE: Social media videos show Spanish farmers preparing similar blockades, with a full-on national protest scheduled for February 21. [via RMXnews]
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Oleg Kononenko now holds the human record for most time in space, when he hit 879 cumulative days on Sunday.
The Russian cosmonaut’s current mission runs until late September, by which he’ll have racked up more than 1,110 total days. Kononenko tells Russian news service Tass, "I am proud of all my achievements, but I am more proud that the record for the total duration of human stay in space is still held by a Russian cosmonaut."
Soviet astronaut Gennady Padalka, who retired in 2017 after a nearly 20-year career, previously held the top spot with 878 days, 11 hours, 29 minutes and 48 seconds. [via Reuters]
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No one knows for sure who invented Bitcoin but a forthcoming trial may shed some light on the mystery.
Bitcoiners know the creator of the technology as Satoshi Nakamoto, whose current Bitcoin holdings are worth more than $46 BILLION. Since 2016, Australian computer scientist CRAIG WRIGHT has said he is Nakamoto and has sued people who have challenged his claim.
NOW: A suit brought in 2021 by the Crypto Open Patent Alliance – or COPA – finally heads to trial in London, where Wright currently lives. Twitter co-founder JACK DORSEY, a billionaire himself, is financing the lawsuit.
During the expected month-long trial, Wright will have to prove in court he’s the creator of Bitcoin – otherwise he’ll have to cut out his lawsuits against other Bitcoiners who publicly say he isn’t. [via The Sun]
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When a man living near Bellevue, Washington, called the National Museum of the US Air Force offering to donate a nuclear missile, museum officials immediately called local police.
SURE ENOUGH: Police found the donor in possession of an AIR-2 Genie unguided air-to-air rocket designed to carry a nuclear warhead – fortunately, without the nuclear warhead.
The man told officials he bought the item at an estate sale – which is apparently totally legal without any, y’know, nuclear weapons included. No word yet if the museum will accept the donation after all. [via KPTV]
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The Minnesota Department of Transportation recently announced the winners of its 2023-2024 Name a Snowplow Contest.
More than 32,500 people cast a vote in the contest, with an overwhelming majority selecting “Taylor Drift” as the favorite.
Other winners include, “Clark W. Blizzwald,” “Dolly Plowton,” “Waipahinte” (the Dakota word for “snowplow”), and “Beyonsleigh.”
Honorable mentions were “You’re Killin’ Me Squalls,” “to Fast and Flurrious” and “Barbie’s Dream Plow.” [via StarTribune]
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DEATHS
Musician WAYNE KRAMER has died.
He passed away Friday after a battle with pancreatic cancer, according to a statement from his nonprofit, Jail Guitar Doors USA.
Kramer was a founding member of the legendary Detroit punk band MC5.
He was 75.
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BABY NEWS
Dancers PETA MURGATROYD and MAKS CHMERKOVSKIY are expecting baby #3.
The announcement comes just seven months after the pair welcomed their second son, Rio.
They are also parents to 7-year-old son Shai.
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BY THE NUMBERS
📈 The DOW lost 274 points (0.71%) to close at 38,380 on Monday. The S&P lost 15 points (0.32%) to close at 4,942 and the NASDAQ lost 31 points (0.2%) to close at 15,597.
🛢 WEST TEXAS INTERMEDIATE closed at $72; BRENT CRUDE at $78.
⛽ The national average price of a GALLON OF GAS was $3.14 on Monday.
₿ BITCOIN was down a bit on the day, trading under $42,400 Monday evening.
🛩 There were more than 3,475 FLIGHTS delayed within, into, or out of the United States on Monday and more than 140 such cancellations.
💰Tonight’s MEGA MILLIONS drawing will be for a $358 million jackpot or a $174.2 million cash payout.
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SHOWBIZ NEWS
FOLLOW UP: Rapper KILLER MIKE has been charged with misdemeanor battery after allegedly knocking down a security officer who had gotten in his way.
He was released on his own recognizance an hour after being arrested at the 2024 Grammy awards.
Mike is due to appear in court on February 29. [via NY Post]
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Just a week after resigning from the WWE, VINCE MCMAHON is reportedly under a federal investigation.
Specifics have not been disclosed, but the Wall Street Journal reports that the investigation is likely looking into the millions of dollars McMahon allegedly paid several accusers over the past two decades to settle the allegations.
As previously reported, McMahon left the WWE after former employee Janel Grant filed a lawsuit, accusing him of “psychological torture and physical violence” in exchange for her continued employment. The suit also accuses McMahon of trafficking Grant to other male employees. [via WSJ]
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In his forthcoming memoir, “Flip Your Life,” HGTV star TAREK EL MOUSSA says he was charged with attempted murder at the age of 17 for hitting someone with a bat.
El Moussa writes that he was actually hit with the bat first, and when the other individual dropped it, that is when he grabbed it, swung and clocked the guy in the head. Cops showed up before things got even more out of hand, and El Moussa says the next thing he remembers was “sitting in the back of a police car, in handcuffs” and facing charges of “assault and battery, aggravated assault, attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon.”
After a brief stint in juvie, El Moussa said prosecutors determined he acted in self-defense and the charges were dropped.
That isn’t the only violent encounter he has had, however. Elsewhere in the book he details shootings, knife fights and other battles with bats.
“Flip Your Life: How to Find Opportunity in Distress -- in Real Estate, Business, and Life” hits shelves today. [via Page Six]
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JAMIE LEE CURTIS celebrated a huge sobriety milestone over the weekend.
“One day at a time. 9,125 of them,” she wrote in an Instagram post, marking 25 years of being “clean and sober.”
Curtis has always been open about her past drug use, and how lucky she is to have been able to find her way out. [via Instagram]
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Following her duet with country singer LUKE COMBS at the Grammy Awards, TRACY CHAPMAN’s 1988 hit “Fast Car” has surged to the top of the iTunes charts.
In fact, the song hit the top just moments after the pair finished performing on Sunday night.
Last November Chapman won a Country Music Award Song of the Year for the hit, becoming the first black woman to win a CMA. [via NY Post]
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BRUCE WILLIS’ wife, EMMA HEMING WILLIS, is working on a book focusing on caring for loved ones dealing with dementia.
In light of Bruce’s frontotemporal dementia diagnosis, Emma has taken it upon herself to find a variety of resources to support not only her husband but also those around him; all of which she has compiled in the book. There will also be interviews and advice from experts interspersed in the book.
The not-yet-titled book is scheduled to be released in 2025. [via AP News]
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CASTING CALL
A FanDuel Super Bowl ad featuring CARL WEATHERS is being “adjusted” in light of his recent passing.
The actor makes a cameo appearance in the ad, featuring former NFL player ROB GRONKOWSKI, who is set to attempt another field goal kick.
FanDuel issued a statement on Weathers’ passing, saying they are “adjusting [the] campaign out of respect for the family.”
No word on if they are removing Weathers’ cameo or adding some sort of “in memory of.” [via THR]
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RUMOR IS…JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE may be sitting down for a tell-all interview with OPRAH WINFREY.
A source told the Daily Mail that JT wants a platform to explain his side of things when it comes to the drama with his ex-girlfriend BRITNEY SPEARS.
Of course, things hit the proverbial fan again after he seemingly dissed Spears at a recent show, telling the crowd that he wants to apologize to “absolutely [effing] nobody.”
In response, Spears took to Instagram writing, “Do you want to bring it to the court or will you go home crying to your mom like you did last time ??? I’m not sorry !!!.” [via Daily Mail]
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NBCUniversal has ordered a pilot for a “Suits” spinoff series, titled “Suits L.A.”
Set in the same universe as the original, the project will feature a new cast.
Production is set for late March and if all goes to plan the series will likely be released later this year.
It is unknown if any members of the original cast will appear in the spinoff, though many have expressed interest in returning. [via People]
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TIM BURTON is working on a remake of the 1958 flick “Attack of the 50 Foot Woman” alongside writer GILLIAN FLYNN.
The original movie starred ALLISON HAYES as a woman who becomes giant-sized after an alien encounter and seeks revenge on her cheating husband. No word on how close the remake will stay to the original.
The news comes ahead of Season 2 of Burton’s “Wednesday” series at Netflix and the highly-anticipated sequel to his 1988 film “Beetlejuice,” which hits theaters in September. [via Variety]
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THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
LANDON BARKER, the 20-year-old son of TRAVIS BARKER, says he has not yet held his three-month-old brother, Rocky.
When asked how it has been having a newborn around the house, Landon told ET that “it’s been amazing,” while revealing that he is “a little bit scared of babies,” so he has not spent much time with him.
The interview comes months after Landon said he had wished the baby was a girl so he could remain the “only Barker boy.” [via ET]
KEEPING UP: In addition to Landon, and baby Rocky, Travis is also dad to 17-year-old Alabama, and considers his ex-wife Shanna Moakler’s daughter, 24-year-old Atiana, his child. Travis is also step-dad to KOURTNEY KARDASHIAN’s three kids, 13-year-old Mason, 11-year-old Penelope and 8-year-old Reign.
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WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS
KING CHARLES has been diagnosed with an unspecified type of cancer.
The Firm announced the development Monday. Doctors discovered the cancer as part of the monarch’s prostate procedure last week, but Daily Mail royal correspondent Rebecca English reports that the cancer is unrelated.
The King is reportedly resting and receiving treatment at Clarence House, quite literally across the street from Buckingham Palace. In a statement, the palace said the monarch chose to make his diagnosis public to “prevent speculation” and to raise awareness; the King has been a longtime patron of several cancer research and treatment charities.
In the meantime, he will fulfill royal duties privately and, on the advice of doctors, avoid public appearances. [via X/Rebecca English, Buckingham Palace]
MEANWHILE: The Guardian reports that PRINCE HARRY has spoken to his father, the King, and will travel to see him in the coming days. [via The Guardian]
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DAY OF THE YEAR
National Frozen Yogurt Day
National Chopsticks Day
Safer Internet 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 10 sons in the Dalton family.
A stealing 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 became 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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1928 - A woman claiming to be Anastasia of the Romanov family arrives in New York City.
The Romanovs were murdered in the Bolshevik takeover of Russia in 1918, but it had been rumored that one child escaped with the help of a soldier.
Several women came forward claiming to be the heir to the throne. But this woman's story was consistent.
Any gaps in knowledge the real Anastasia should have known were blamed on the time she spent in an asylum following the murder of her family.
After her death, her DNA was analyzed against that of a great nephew to Czar Nicholas -- confirming her lineage.
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1952 - Princess Elizabeth becomes the Queen of England when her father, George VI dies. (He's the guy with the stammer in the movie “The King's Speech.”)
Elizabeth was in Kenya at the time on holiday. She was 27 years old, married to distant cousin Philip Mountbatten, and had one child, Charles.
She would be crowned on June 2, 1953.
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1980 - John Wayne Gacy goes on trial for the murder of 33 young men in Cook County, Illinois.
First-degree murder was not a capital crime under Illinois law, but multiple murders or murder during the commission of a felony was. So, in order to ensure Gacy faced the death penalty, he was charged with seven murders which he had confessed to in January 1979.
During the months leading up to the trial, the remains of 26 more bodies were discovered under Gacy’s house and in the river near his home. The victims were added to the original charge for a total of 33 counts of murder.
He would be sentenced to death on March 13, 1980. He would spend 14 years on death row before being executed by lethal injection on May 10, 1994.
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2014 - Jay Leno ends his time on “The Tonight Show.”
Jimmy Fallon took over hosting duties and moved the talk show from California to New York.
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2022 - Queen Elizabeth becomes the first British monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee -- marking 70 years on the throne.
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BIRTHDAYS
Jada Williams - basketball player - 19
Charlie Heaton - actor, “Stranger Things” - 30
Dominic Sherwood - actor, “Vampire Academy” & “Shadowhunters” - 34
Dane DeHaan - actor, “In Treatment” - 38
Kris Humphries - basketball player & Kim Kardashian’s ex-husband - 39
Crystal Reed - actress, “Teen Wolf” & “Swamp Thing” - 39
Brian Stepanek - actor, “Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn” - 53
Rick Astley - pop singer - 58
Axl Rose - rock singer, Guns N’ Roses - 62
Kathy Najimy - actress, “Hocus Pocus” - 67
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 Hitler (for less than 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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