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3/11/2022: Baseball is Back!

PLUS: Pence 2024?, Jerry Jones’ Love Child, and Kanye Attacks Pete Again

Mar 11, 2022

Today is Friday, March 11, 2022

It is the 70th day of the year.

295 days remain.

#TrumpWasRightAboutEverything was trending Thursday. Some Twitter users attached the hashtag to tweets pointing fingers at Trump supporters, calling them “delusional” and “deranged,” while others used the hashtag to prove how time and time and time and time again Trump was in fact right about what would happen during a Biden presidency.

BASEBALL IS BACK was trending Thursday afternoon. Head to Sports to see why.

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HIT LIST

Meta – formerly known as Facebook – is selectively easing its policy on calls to violence on its platforms. Reuters reports that in certain regions, users will be allowed to call for the death of Russian invaders, as well as Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko, the President of Belarus.

The policy would allow the language only in the context of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and would not apply to prisoners of war.

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WHOOPS: Massachusetts is changing its covid death toll. Retroactively. Again.

The state’s policy had been to count anyone who died within 60 days of a positive test as a covid death.

Now, any death after 30 days of a positive test will not automatically be counted in the total.

The change will take 3,700 “covid deaths” from the state’s total – about 15%

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Pilots for Delta walked off the job Thursday to protest grueling workloads that they say cause too much unsafe fatigue. The demonstration falls well short of an all-out strike. Instead, the pilots gathered outside select terminals at major Delta hub Atlanta.

Delta reps called the protest an “informational exercise” that would “not disrupt our operation for our customers.”

MEANWHILE: The federal government announced Thursday the blanket mask mandate for air travel will extend until at least April 18.

ALSO MEANWHILE: United Airlines says unvaccinated employees can return to work on March 28.

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Construction crews overhauling an Oakland-area convention center found a mummified body in the walls as they did demolition.

The Kaiser Convention Center is more than 100 years old to begin with, and has been empty since 2005 – so it’s anyone’s guess where the corpse came from. Investigators say they’ll use dental records, DNA analysis, and potentially fingerprints to figure out who it is.

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Stocks were relatively flat on Thursday, with the Dow losing 112 points and the S&P down 18.

Oil prices continued to stabilize. Brent Crude was below $110 a barrel after trading in the $120s earlier in the week. West Texas Intermediate fell to $105.

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CHARTS

New to Amazon Prime:

If Beale Street Could Talk (Rotten Tomatoes Score: 95%)

New to Disney+:

Turning Red (Rotten Tomatoes Score: 93%)

New to Hulu:

Multiverse (Rotten Tomatoes Score: Not Rated)

New to Netflix:

The Adam Project (Rotten Tomatoes Score: Not Rated)

Dunkirk (Rotten Tomatoes Score: 92%)

London Has Fallen (Rotten Tomatoes Score: 28%)

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DEATHS

EMILIO DELGADO has died.

The actor, best known for his role as Luis on “Sesame Street,” passed away Thursday at his home in NYC.

According to his wife, Emilio had recently been in hospice care after being diagnosed with blood cancer Multiple myeloma in 2020.

He was 81.

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BABY NEWS

ELON MUSK and GRIMES are now parents of two kids under the age of two.

The couple welcomed a little girl in December, born via a surrogate. Her name, just like her brother’s, is unique — Exa Dark Siderael — or Y, for short. (The brother goes by X).

Grimes revealed the birth to Vanity Fair, while also sharing that she and Musk had reconciled.

BUT WAIT: In response to the story being published, Grimes tweeted Thursday that she and Musk had once again called it quits. She did refer to him as her “best friend” and “love of [her] life” in the tweet.

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THE SWAMP

Last June, President JOE BIDEN addressed inflation concerns, promising the uptick would be fleeting. He doubled down on his strategy: “If it turns out that what I’ve done so far is a mistake, it’s going to show.”

In February, inflation surged nearly 8%. Biden’s policies were mistakes, per his own words.

MEANWHILE: The New York Post reports that inflation is already costing American households nearly $300 a month. At this rate, that’s $3,600 a year – but inflation isn’t likely to improve any time soon.

FLASHBACK: When companies handed out $2,000 bonuses as a result of Republican tax cuts in 2018, Speaker NANCY PELOSI called the extra income “crumbs.” Now crumbs might be the best families have for a while.

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HE’S (PROBABLY) RUNNING: Former Vice President MIKE PENCE headed to Europe this week to meet with refugees fleeing Ukraine into Poland. He posted some pictures to his social media accounts Thursday.

The photo op comes amid a flurry of speeches and fundraisers he’s been giving in recent weeks, suggesting he’ll make a run at the GOP presidential primary for 2024.

BY THE WAY: White House reporter Philip Wegmann says Pence traveled overseas without letting the State Department know, and even crossed into Ukraine during his visit.

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LOTTERY

A winning Mega Millions ticket was sold in New York. The winner has the option of the $126 million jackpot or the $85.8 million cash payout.

Tonight’s drawing will be for a $20 million jackpot or a $13.4 million cash payout.

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No winner for Wednesday night’s Powerball drawing. Saturday night’s drawing will be for a $112 million jackpot or a $76.8 million cash payout.

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SHOWBIZ NEWS

These albums drop today:

Bryan Adams, “So Happy It Hurts”
Ella Henderson, “Everything I Didn’t Say
For King and Country, “What Are We Waiting For”
Goose (Be), “Endless”
Jackson Dean, “Greenbroke”
Lil Durk, “7220”
Messa, “Close”
Paul Cherry, “Back On The Music”
Rex Orange County, “Who Cares?”
Summer Salt, “The Juniper Songbook”
The Wiggles, “ReWiggled”
Young Guv, “Guv III"

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BTS fans who recently attended a show in South Korea, were made to follow strict COVID-19 protocols, including no standing, singing or shouting.

Attendees were provided with “clappers” to celebrate the band instead.

Thursday night’s show was the first of three the group will play in their native country. It is the first they have performed since the pandemic.

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The oil can used by the Tin Man in “The Wizard of Oz” has hit the auction block.

The rare piece of memorabilia is expected to fetch at least $200,000, according to Kruse GWS Auctions.

Bidding begins on March 26.

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A woman claiming to be the biological daughter of Dallas Cowboys owner JERRY JONES wants to be acknowledged as such.

ALEXANDRA DAVIS, 25, filed a lawsuit that claims her mother had a relationship with Jones in the mid-1990s, when she was working for American Airlines in Little Rock, Arkansas, and was estranged from her husband.

After learning she was pregnant, Jones allegedly paid her over a quarter of a million dollars to keep his identity a secret.

Davis is asking the court to legally recognize her as Jones’ daughter and to be released from the confidentiality agreement her mother signed.

WORTH NOTING: Jones has been married to his wife, Gene, since 1963. They have three children.

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CASTING CALL

MEGAN THEE STALLION, JASON ALDEAN, JOHN LEGEND, CHARLIE PUTH, JENNIFER LOPEZ, MANESKIN and host LL COOL J will perform at this year’s iHeartRadio Music Awards.

The ceremony will air live from The Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on March 22.

WORTH NOTING: JLo will receive the Icon Award at the show.

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PETE DAVIDSON is teaming up with his “SNL” boss, LORNE MICHAELS, for a new comedy series, titled “Bupkis.”

The comedian will star as a fictionalized version of himself in the series that is based on his life, according to Deadline.

No word on whether all the famous females he has dated will appear in the series.

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NICK CANNON’s talk show is being canceled after just six months on air.

Celebrity 411 reports the Cannon’s show tanked when it came to viewership, making it the lowest-rated talk show.

Cannon will continue to host “The Masked Singer” on Fox, which is a ratings hit for the network.

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HARRY HAMLIN is starring in his first major motion picture in 40 years.

His reality star wife, LISA RINNA, bragged about her hubby on Instagram, writing how “blessed” and “honored” she is to be his wife.

Details about the film will be shared at a later date.

Hamlin’s last studio film, “Making Love,” premiered in 1982.

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MICHELLE DOCKERY is set to join the cast of action thriller “Boy Kills World.”

She will play Melanie, a sociopath who tries to project a powerful family image to hide the desperation of the dying dynasty.

The film also stars BILL SKARSGARD, JESSICA ROTHE, ANDREW KOJI and ISAIAH MUSTAFA.

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The sixth and final season of “Peaky Blinders” will launch on Netflix on June 10.

The CILLIAN MURPHY-led series debuted the final season in late February on BBC One in the UK, where it set a new record for a season launch with over 3.8 million viewers.

“Peaky Blinders” follows the Shelby family, led by Tommy Shelby (Murphy).

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Home renovation series “Flip or Flop” is coming to an end on HGTV.

House flippers, and formerly married couple, TAREK EL MOUSSA and CHRISTINA HAACK headlined the show for ten seasons.

Speaking about the end of the series, both said they are “looking forward to the future” which includes focusing more on their solo shows, “Flipping 101 with Tarek El Moussa” and “Christina on the Coast.”

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COURT CASES

JUSSIE SMOLLETT returned to Chicago Thursday to learn his fate for orchestrating a fake hate-crime in 2019.

The former “Empire” star was found guilty in December on five of six counts of disorderly conduct for falsifying a police report.

Judge Linn handed down a sentence of 150 days in jail and 30 days probation -- to begin immediately. Smollett also must pay $120,106 in restitution to the city of Chicago and a $25,000 fine.

Following his sentencing, Smollett screamed to the court “I am not suicidal” a handful of times, seeming to allege that should something happen to him while behind bars it was not self-inflicted.

He also once again denied he staged the hate crime.

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CRIB NOTES

DRAKE’s $22 million YOLO Estate is getting a lot of interest from big name buyers. TMZ says realtors have been bringing interested buyers in groups of 20-30 at a time.

Private showings have also been set up for CAITLYN JENNER and BRITNEY SPEARS.

WORTH NOTING: Drake’s pad does have a recording studio, which could be a draw for Brit.

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THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS

PETE DAVIDSON is under attack in another music video for KANYE WEST’s song, “Eazy.”

As Ye raps, “God save me from that crash / Just so I can beat Pete Davidson’s ass,” a skinned monkey beats a blurred-out Davidson to the ground.

As many will remember, the video he released earlier this month featured Ye burying Davidson.

Neither Davidson, nor KIM KARDASHIAN have responded to — what can most certainly be called — visual threats.

West meanwhile, defends his actions, saying he is protected by the First Amendment.

WORTH ASKING: If this was anyone else, would there be some sort of help being sought? Perhaps someone looking into a conservatorship?

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WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS

KATE MIDDLETON and PRINCE WILLIAM will not attend Sunday’s British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) awards show.

A royal insider told PEOPLE that the couple will be unable to attend the ceremony due to “diary constraints.”

William is the president of the organization, a gig he has held since 2010, and is a regular at the annual event.

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SPORTS

The MLB lockout is over!

The MLB Players Association agreed to the owners' proposal on Thursday for a new collective bargaining agreement.

In response, players and fans made “BASEBALL IS BACK” trend on Twitter.

Opening Day is set for Thursday, April 7.

WORTH NOTING: After 99 days, the lockout is the second longest in baseball history, behind only the 1994-95 player’s strike which lasted 232 days.

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LIST OF THE WEEK

Here are the 10 largest companies to leave or suspend all business with Russia.

(Courtesy of Markets Insider)

Apple — stopped selling product in Russia
BP — first major energy company to cut ties
Shell — ended joint ventures with Russia, one day after BP
ExxonMobil — followed BP & Shell
HSBC — announced it would “wind down” relations with Russian banks
Volkswagen — suspended deliveries of cars
Netflix — halted projects in Russia
Mastercard — blocked several Russian financial institutions
Visa — also blocked financial institutions
Disney — the first major entertainment company to halt releases in Russia

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DAY OF THE YEAR

National 311 Day

National Funeral Director and Mortician Recognition Day

National Johnny Appleseed Day

National Oatmeal Nut Waffles Day

National Promposal Day

National Worship of Tools Day

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ON THIS DATE

1779 – The Army Corps of Engineers is established.

The special military group would design and build infrastructure to help the Army travel across the country. Many of the workers were civilians and were managed by Continental officers and even French officers held over from the Revolution.

Today there are more than 35,000 employees in the Army Corps, both civilian and enlisted.

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1861 – The Confederate States of America ratifies its Constitution.

Delegates from South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and Texas gathered to agree upon the document.

Though the principles were similar to the US Constitution, it more closely resembled the Articles of Confederation, which governed the US immediately following the Revolutionary War.

The President would serve for 6 years and be ineligible for re-election.

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1985 – Mikhail Gorbachev succeeds Konstantin Chernenko as Soviet premier.

Gorbachev would oversee the systematic dismantling and opening of the Soviet Union, following increased pressure and negotiations from the Reagan administration.

He had been a young rising star in the Communist Party, having earned a law degree and entering politics. He was close with Yuri Andropov, who ran the KGB.

Andropov served as Chairman of the party briefly before dying in the early '80s, and was then succeeded by Konstantin Chernenko.

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1989 – TV documentary “COPS” premieres.

It was one of the first reality TV shows, having camera crews follow around police officers as they investigated real crime. It was particularly beneficial, as it didn't require writers to produce.

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2004 – Terrorists bomb four trains in Madrid.

More than 2,000 were injured and 191 died when 10 bombs were detonated across the rail system. An investigation deemed they were triggered by cell phones.

The attacks had immediate political ramifications, happening just three days before Spain's presidential elections. With controversy brewing over Spanish involvement with the war efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan, the attacks led to the election of socialist Prime Minister Jose Zapatero.

It is still unclear who was responsible for the attacks. Evidence points to either al-Qaeda or ETA, which is a separatist movement representing the Basque region in the north.

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2018 - “Black Panther” becomes the fifth Marvel movie to earn $1 billion worldwide.

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2020 - COVID-19 is declared a pandemic by the head of the World Health Organization.

At the time there were 121,564 cases reported worldwide and over 4,000 deaths.

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2020 - Harvey Weinstein is sentenced to 23 years in prison for a criminal sex act and rape in New York.

Hours later he is rushed to a hospital for ongoing heart issues and a complication related to his back surgery.

The accusations against the disgraced movie producer are credited with giving life to the MeToo movement.

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BIRTHDAYS

Madison Brydges - actress, “Big Top Academy” - 18

Jodie Comer - actress, “Killing Eve” - 29

Anthony Davis - basketball player - 29

Jude Demorest - actress, “Dallas” - 30

Thora Birch - actress, “Hocus Pocus” - 40

Paul Wall - rapper - 41

LeToya Luckett - pop singer - 41

Joel Madden - rock singer, Good Charlotte - 43

Johnny Knoxville - reality star, “Jackass” - 51

Terrence Howard - actor, “The Brave One” & “Iron Man” - 53

Lisa Loeb - pop singer - 54

John Barrowman - actor, “Doctor Who” - 55

Rupert Murdoch - media mogul - 91

Born On This Date

Anton Yelchin - actor, “Fright Night” & “Star Trek” - 1989 (d. 2016)

Douglas Adams - author, “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” - 1952 (d. 2001)

Antonin Scalia - Supreme Court Justice - 1936 (d. 2021)

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