2/8/2023: Michael Jackson Catalog for Sale!
PLUS: SOTU Wrap Up; “Billions” Spinoffs; and Ye Gets Served
Today is Wednesday, February 8, 2023.
It is the 39th day of the year.
326 days remain
WHAT’S ON TAP
How the world’s richest man plans to divide his empire up among family and a drop in wholesale egg prices. More in HIT LIST.
Summary, analysis, and reactions to last night’s State of the Union address. More in THE SWAMP.
JENNIFER LOPEZ says she had a great time at the Grammys with BEN AFFLECK and POST MALONE is the healthiest he has ever been. More in SHOWBIZ.
GILLIAN ANDERSON joins the cast of “Scoop,” a Neflix film based on PRINCE ANDREW’s disastrous interview about sexual assault allegations and his friendship with JEFFREY EPSTEIN. More in CASTING CALL.
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HIT LIST
On January 30, a district court judge ordered the unsealing of the names of the two guarantors who signed on to SAM BANKMAN-FRIED’s $250 million bond. It’s likely they put up 10% of the total amount in cash, meaning they’re on the hook for at least $25 million.
BUT WAIT: SBF’s lawyers successfully delayed the process on Tuesday, arguing that revealing their names exposes them to danger.
The judge is now extending the unsealing date until February 14, and will consider arguments to keep the names under wraps. [via Yahoo! Finance]
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Indonesia is in talks to produce a steady stream of batteries for Chinese companies and Tesla’s cars. The country’s president wants its new “green industrial park” on more than 40,000 acres to be a global hub for industrial manufacturing.
BUT WAIT: In order to power this industrial park, they’re building coal power plants. The news comes after the Biden administration pledged last November to give Indonesia $20 billion to get off of coal power. [via NPR]
MEANWHILE: British Petroleum is backing off its green energy goals, because they’re just too expensive.
The company has revised down its goal to reduce carbon emissions by as much as 40% to about half that. [via Washington Post]
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Newly-minted World’s Richest Man BERNARD ARNAULT has concerns that his luxury fashion empire could fall to pieces when he dies and his five kids inherit his estate.
All five kids, aged between 24 and 47, apparently work in the company in various roles.
The New York Post reports that Arnault has split his assets equally five-ways through a new holding company to prevent too much mudslinging. The family owns a minority stake in LVMH, but they have 64% of voting rights to maintain total control. That stake is currently worth about $200 billion. [via New York Post]
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North Korean leader KIM JONG JUNIOR had not been seen in public for 36 days until Monday – if you believe state media, which released a photo of Junior meeting with military advisers and telling them to “prepare for war.”
A military parade is expected today in Pyongyang to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Korean People’s Army.
WORTH NOTING: If he’s not there, that’s a big red flag that something’s very wrong inside the Hermit Kingdom.
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Wholesale egg prices have fallen 50% since December, though retail prices have not yet caught up.
One analyst tells CNBC it typically takes about a month for retail prices to catch up to wholesale rates.
BUT WAIT: The break from high egg prices might be short lived, as people in March start stocking up to dye their eggs before Easter. [via CNBC]
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CHARTS
Top 5 Fiction & Nonfiction Books Currently on the New York Times Best Sellers List:
FICTION:
“It Starts With Us,” Colleen Hoover
“It Ends With Us,” Colleen Hoover
“Lessons in Chemistry,” Bonnie Garmus
“Verity,” Colleen Hoover
“The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo,” Taylor Jenkins Reid
NON-FICTION
“Spare,” Prince Harry
“I’m Glad My Mom Died,” Jennette McCurdy
“The Body Keeps the Score,” Bessel van der Kolk
“Never Give An Inch,” Mike Pompeo
“The Light We Carry,” Michelle Obama
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DEATHS
Rock and Roll Hall of Famer CHARLIE THOMAS, who was part of THE DRIFTERS, has died.
He passed away on January 31 at his home in Bowie, Maryland. According to his friend, fellow singer PETER LEMONGELLO JR, Thomas died from liver cancer.
He was 85.
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BABY NEWS
TV show host and actress MARIA MENOUNOS, 44, and her husband, executive producer KEVEN UNDERGARO, 55, are expecting their first child via surrogate.
After a “decade of trying,” Menounos shared the exciting news with People Magazine, saying the couple worked with Family Match Consulting to find the perfect person to carry their child.
No word on when the baby is due.
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SICK BAY
WWE legend JERRY LAWLER was rushed to the hospital Monday after suffering a stroke.
According to TMZ, the 73-year-old underwent surgery at a Florida hospital following the episode.
Several of his former pro-wrestling friends asked for well-wishes and prayers on social media.
No update on his condition has been given.
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THE SWAMP
President JOE BIDEN delivered his second State of the Union address last night. He celebrated record jobs growth (not acknowledging these jobs were reinstated after pandemic lockdowns eliminated them), a decrease in inflation (not acknowledging he signed multi-trillion dollar spending bills that inflated the money supply), a decrease in gas prices (not acknowledging his war on energy companies were responsible for the drastic increase).
The rest included aspirational talk that sounded like a preview of his 2024 re-election campaign setup, including deep price control regulations and expanded single payer healthcare initiatives.
He dragged out the tired old canard about America’s unfair tax code, in which about 40% of citizens pay no taxes at all, and in which the country has seen record tax revenue as a result of the Trump tax cuts.
In a bizarre moment of self-awareness, Biden noted that energy companies pushed back against his calls to build more refining capacity, because his stated campaign goal was to totally phase out fossil fuels. Biden said he told these energy executives, “We’re gonna need oil for at least another decade.”
WORTH NOTING: Flippant statements like this betray his total ignorance of corporate capital expenditures and investments. His line drew an outburst of laughter and visible amusement from Speaker KEVIN MCCARTHY.
The whole charade turned into an American version of Prime Minister’s Questions when Biden said Republicans again were threatening to eliminate Social Security and Medicare, which McCarthy has frequently said are not options when it comes to finding cuts to offset an increase to the debt ceiling. Many Republicans roared in disagreement, and Rep. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE loudly called him a liar.
BY THE WAY: Labor Secretary MARTY WALSH was the designated survivor who sat it out in case of dire emergency.
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BY THE NUMBERS
📈 The DOW added 265 points (0.78%) to close at 34,156 on Tuesday. The S&P added 52 points (1.29%) to close at 4,164 while the NASDAQ added 226 points (1.9%) to close at 12,113.
🛢 WEST TEXAS INTERMEDIATE closed at $77; BRENT CRUDE at $83.
⛽ The national average price of a GALLON OF GAS was $3.45 on Tuesday.
₿ BITCOIN was up more than 2% on Tuesday, trading north of $23,200.
🛩 There were more than 1,080 FLIGHTS delayed within, into, or out of the United States on Tuesday and more than 50 such cancellations.
💰A winning ticket for Monday night’s $754.6 million POWERBALL drawing was pulled in Washington state. The winner has the option of the jackpot -- the game’s fifth-largest in history -- or the $407.2 million cash option. Tonight’s drawing will be for a $20 million jackpot or a $10.8 million cash payout.
SHOWBIZ NEWS
Sony and one possible financial partner are said to be negotiating to take on 50% of MICHAEL JACKSON’s estate.
Included in the deal are Jackson’s publishing, recorded-music revenues, the “MJ: The Musical” Broadway show, the upcoming biopic “Michael,” and more. It is estimated to be worth somewhere between $800 million and $900 million -- making it the largest deal to date in the music catalog market, according to Variety. [via Variety]
WORTH NOTING: Jackson’s musical catalog is one of the most lucrative in music history. His 1982 album, “Thriller,” was the first ever to be certified 30-times platinum.
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LINKIN PARK will release a never-heard-before single from their archives that includes vocals from the late CHESTER BENNINGTON.
An 18 second clip of the track, titled “Lost,” was featured in a series of messages posted to the band’s social media accounts in honor of the 20th anniversary of their 2003 album “Meteora.”
“Lost” will be available on Friday. [via People]
WORTH REMEMBERING: Bennington died by suicide in July 2017. He was only 41.
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It turns out that MAROON 5 frontman ADAM LEVINE is not sitting down to spill all the dirty details on today’s episode of “Call Her Daddy” podcast.
Host ALEX COOPER teased the new episode with a clip that made it seem she was talking to Levine, but in reality, she was actually speaking to actor ADAM DEVINE, who is often mistaken for the singer.
The backstory here is that after Levine was accused of cheating on his then-pregnant wife, model BEHATI PRINSLOO, Devine clarified that despite having very similar sounding names, he did not cheat on his wife.
“I am not Adam Levine, He’s a different guy and a worse singer,” Devine joked at the time.
As far as the cheating allegations go, Levine and Prinsloo haven't really spoken publicly on the issue. Though Levine did sort of address the issue by saying he “made some mistakes.” [via Page Six]
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The daughter of GEORG SOLTI, the Hungarian-British conductor who had the most Grammy wins ever before BEYONCE stole the crown, says her dad would have been “very happy” about it.
CLAUDIA SOLTI told TMZ that her dad “would absolutely celebrate [Bey’s] achievement.”
WHAT’S MORE: The Georg Solti Accademia, a music school in Italy named in his honor, agreed with the sentiment, sending their “wholehearted congratulations to Beyonce!”
Solti died in 1997, one year before he won his posthumous, record-setting 31st Grammy. [via TMZ]
SPEAKING OF THE GRAMMYS: JENNIFER LOPEZ says she had a wonderful time with her hubby BEN AFFLECK on Sunday night. Sharing a montage of clips of the two from the event on Instagram, JLo captioned it “Always the best time with my love, my husband.” [via Page Six]
TROUBLE IN PARADISE?: Even with the sweet social media post, fans are not convinced all is well with Bennifer. Aside from Affleck's sour-looking face at the Grammys, other photos and clips of the two looking annoyed with each other have surfaced over the past couple of weeks. Neither have addressed fans’ concerns.
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Everytime LEONARDO DICAPRIO is seen with a younger woman, especially one who is a model, fans jump to the conclusion that the two are dating.
This happened over the weekend after the actor was spotted sitting next to 19-year-old model EDEN POLANI at a party.
A source told TMZ that the two are not dating, while adding that just because he is spotted with someone doesn’t mean he is in a relationship with them. [via TMZ]
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Fans are questioning POST MALONE’s slimmed down figure.
The singer sparked concern from fans after appearing to have lost a significant amount of weight in a short amount of time, with many wondering if he is sick or on drugs.
Insiders told TMZ that Post previously gained weight for a movie role and has since been working hard to shed the extra pounds. He is on a strict diet and has been religiously working out, the source explained.
His dad even chimed in on the concern, telling fans that his son is the “Healthiest he has been in years! Mentally and physically.” [via TMZ]
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Green Bay Packers QB AARON RODGERS will take a four-day period of “isolation” as he ponders his future with the NFL.
Speaking on this week’s episode of “The Pat McAfee Show,” Rodgers, 39, said that he needs to do some “self-reflection” before making that “final, final decision.” [via People]
WORTH NOTING: If Rodgers decides to retire, he and recent-retiree TOM BRADY would be eligible for the Hall of Fame at the same time.
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CASTING CALL
GILLIAN ANDERSON will play former BBC News anchor Emily Maitlis in “Scoop,” a Netflix film based on PRINCE ANDREW’s disastrous 2019 “Newsnight” interview.
The interview, which has been referred to as “the final nail in the coffin” for Andrew’s royal life, centered on the allegations of sexual assault from accuser VIRGINIA GIUFFRE, and his connection to pedophile JEFFERY EPSTEIN. While Andrew believed the sitdown would help clear his name, viewers were disgusted by his lack of remorse and sensitivity.
Following the interview, Andrew was pushed into the background by his family and stripped of several roles, patronages, military honors and forbidden from using the “His Royal Highness” title.
RUFUS SEWELL will play the disgraced royal in the film. [via Variety]
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The new head of cable network Showtime wants to spin-off its tentpole shows in the same way Paramount has done with “Yellowstone” – and they sound like the kinds of shows network executives would pitch in an “SNL” bit about a Showtime executive wanting to spin-off its tentpole show.
In particular, “Billions” has four spinoff shows in development. “Billions: Miami” would focus on people who got rich on crypto; “Billions: London” would set similar scandal, hijinks, and characters from the flagship show in the United Kingdom; “Millions” would take on up-and-coming entrepreneurs trying to make it big in Manhattan; and “Trillions” would follow the a handful of the world’s ultra-wealthiest.
Nothing has been filmed yet, but “Billions” showrunners are already working on scripts for “Billions: Miami.” [via Deadline]
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Sunday’s episode of “The Last of Us” was another ratings hit for HBO.
More than 7.5 million viewers tuned in -- a 17% increase from the prior week’s episode.
The series has grown in viewership week-over-week, with the most recent episode up 60% from the premiere. [via Deadline]
Starring PEDRO PASCAL, “The Last of Us” takes place 20 years after modern civilization has been destroyed. Joel, a survivor, has been tasked with smuggling 14-year-old Ellie out of a quarantine zone and across the US.
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THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
After months of tracking YE, his former lawyers have finally been able to serve him.
The rapper has led the attorneys from Greenberg Traurig LLP on a wild goose chase the past few months as they attempted to sever ties with him over his racist and antisemitic behavior.
After Ye changed his phone number in an effort to avoid them, the firm took out ads in local L.A. newspapers to try to get his attention to no avail. But on January 27, the lawyers were finally able to locate and serve him. The unidentified location they found him at is not one owned by Ye, though he has been known to frequent the place, according to a statement to the Los Angeles Times.
No word on whether Ye has retained new representation, which he needs as he faces several lawsuits, including one from his former business manager who is suing him for $4.5 million. [via Los Angeles Times]
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WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS
SASHA WARPOLE, the woman who claims to have been PRINCE HARRY’s first intimate partner, says she feels “relieved” that the truth is finally out there.
Speaking to The Sun, Walpole, 40, said she has received hundreds of supportive messages from people, with many calling her “authentic,” while others praised her for telling her side of the story.
Walpole said her family shared their support, telling the outlet, “Even my dad loved it -- he wasn’t surprised by my antics at all as I was a teenager. He knew what I was doing.”
MEANWHILE: Media outlets took a slightly different spin on the story, with Germany’s Bild writing, “Now the riddle seems solved. An excavator driver has deflowered Harry,” while TMZ called Warpole the Prince’s “alleged V-card taker.” [via The Sun]
Harry has not addressed Warpole’s story.
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PRINCE HARRY was in talks to host “SNL” last year, but things stalled at the last minute.
Insiders told Page Six that producers were in discussions with Harry prior to the release of his memoir “Spare,” thinking the gig would be a good promo. The source added that Harry seemed to be on board, so it is unknown why it didn’t happen.
Executive producer LORNE MICHAELS still loves the idea of having Harry host the show at some point or maybe have him come in as “a surprise sketch,” another insider said. [via Page Six]
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DAY OF THE YEAR
Opera Day
National Molasses Bar Day
Laugh And Get Rich Day
National Kite Flying Day
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ON THIS DATE
1587 - Mary, Queen of Scots is beheaded at Fotheringhay Castle after being convicted of plotting to assassinate Queen Elizabeth I.
Mary had fled to England 19 years earlier — with Elizabeth’s permission — after her nobles turned against her. Her only son, James, took over the throne.
After his mother’s death and Elizabeth’s in 1603, James would become king of England, Scotland and Ireland.
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1887 - President Cleveland signs the Severalty Act.
The legislation was an attempt to assimilate Native Americans with western culture.
The law ended tribal control of reservations and divided their land into individual holdings.
In 1934, the Wheeler-Howard act overturned the law, trying to give central control back to tribal governments.
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1904 - The Russo-Japanese war begins.
Russia rejected a Japanese plan to split Manchuria and Korea. The Japanese then attacked a Russian naval base in China, where it decimated the Reds' fleet.
Much of Japan's success in the fighting was attributed to Russia's underestimation of their fighting capabilities.
In August 1905, President Teddy Roosevelt would broker a peace treaty between the two nations.
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1910 - The Boy Scouts of America is incorporated.
In its earliest days, the YMCA managed and grew the program, then had it turned over to James E. West, who acted as the first Chief Scout Executive and worked to expand the program across the country.
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1915 - The silent film "Birth of a Nation" opens in Los Angeles.
It was the first feature-length film shown in America and was an immediate hit.
The movie was actually called "The Clansmen" during its first month of release. The story follows the history of the Civil War and Reconstruction.
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1943 - Japanese troops retreat from Guadalcanal.
After weeks of fighting on the small Pacific island, the U.S. lost more than 1,600 men in combat and suffered 4,000 additional casualties from wounds or disease.
Meanwhile, the Japanese lost 24,000.
Capturing Guadalcanal was the last necessary step in securing the Solomon islands.
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1993 - General Motors sues NBC.
The carmaker alleges that “Dateline NBC” rigged two car-truck crashes to show that the 1973-87 GM pickups were prone to fires in side impact crashes.
The network settled the lawsuit and quickly issued an apology.
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2007 - Anna Nicole Smith dies.
The model, actress and tabloid sensation passed away in Florida of an accidental drug overdose.
She was 39.
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BIRTHDAYS
Jaden Hossler - rock singer - 22
Kathryn Newton - actress, “Paranormal Activity 4” & “The Society” - 26
Klay Thompson - basketball player - 33
Bethanny Hamilton - surfer - 33
Julio Jones - football player - 34
Dani Harmer - actress, “Dani’s House” & “Dani’s Castle” - 34
Anderson Paak. - R&B singer - 37
Cecily Strong - actress, “SNL” & “Ghostbusters” - 39
Seth Green - actor, “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” & “Rat Race” - 49
Big Show - wrestler - 51
Vince Neil - metal singer, Motley Crue - 62
Creed Bratton - actor, “The Office” - 80
John Williams - composer, theme music for “Star Wars,” “Superman” & “Indiana Jones - 91
Born On This Date
Kimbo Slice - MMA fighter - 1974 (d. 2016)
Gary Coleman - actor, “Diff’rent Strokes” - 1968 (d. 2010)
James Dean - actor, “Rebel Without a Cause” & “East of Eden” - 1931 (d. 1955)
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