3/19/2024: Banksy Strikes Again
PLUS: United Statement; SwiftQuakes; and Long Live the King
Today is Tuesday, March 19, 2024.
It is the 79th day of the year.
287 days remain.
WHAT’S ON TAP
ELON MUSK promises some major new design features in the next generation of TESLA cars and Americans grapple with the realities of pandemic-era learning losses. Details in HIT LIST.
RICHARD SIMMONS isn’t dying and BRUNO MARS does not owe the MGM millions of dollars. More in SHOWBIZ.
YouTube’s MRBEAST inks a deal with Amazon and EUGENE LEVY talks retirement. Details in CASTING CALL.
CAITLYN JENNER and LAMAR ODOM are “Keeping Up.” Find out more in KARDASH.
The Russian media makes a bizarre claim about THE KING. Details in ROYALS.
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HIT LIST
In ELON MUSK’s controversial interview with DON LEMON, the eccentric billionaire hinted at some exciting new features of TESLA’s next generation of vehicles.
In particular, Musk said that Tesla is collaborating with one of his other companies, SPACEX, to incorporate rocket technology into the vehicles. While he stopped short of promising flying cars, Musk did anticipate a Roadster model that can hit sixty miles an hour – in under a second.
WORTH NOTING: The 2023 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170 has clocked a 1.66-second 0-to-60 record.
Musk also mused that the speed record is “not even the most exciting thing about it” – but said he’s going to wait on revealing more details until a full announcement is ready. [via Morning Martini]
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Four years since the first days of lockdowns and social isolation blanketed the country, the New York Times has published some shocking findings about the effects on children of school closures. Among the findings:
Remote learning drove academic declines: the more a student spent time out of the classroom, the farther behind he or she is today.
There is a direct correlation between the time schools were closed and the extent to which those students fell behind those who spent more time in the classroom.
A fascinating catch-22: the biggest learning losses were found in Democrat-leaning cities with high Black and Hispanic populations.
AND THEN THERE’S THIS: The head of the covid response at the University of California, San Francisco, says this: “Infectious disease leaders have generally agreed that school closures were not an important strategy in stemming the spread of covid.” [via New York Times]
So there’s that.
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Mystery street artist BANKSY has struck again – this time in North London, where he painted a silhouette of a woman holding a pressure washer on the side of a building next to a tree stripped bare of its foliage, and green paint to represent the leaves.
Banksy uploaded a photo of the project to his own Instagram account. The building owner – who’s apparently currently looking for a tenant for the building – was surprised as anyone else that the graffiti popped up on one of his properties. He says he has no plans to paint over the work.
“It’s quite mad to be honest, to come down here and just to see all the crowds of people looking at the building,” he tells the Guardian. [via The Guardian]
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United Airlines wants to get ahead of recent problems with its airplanes, announcing plans to add a day of training for pilots and expand the training curriculum for new maintenance workers.
CEO Scott Kirby called the recent safety incidents “unrelated” in a statement, but added that they “have our attention and have sharpened our focus.”
WORTH NOTING: One former pilot and airline safety consultant tells the Associated Press that the recent headlines are mostly sensational, calling the incidents “ unfortunate, and they are getting a lot of attention, but I don’t see that they are showing an erosion in the safety of the commercial aviation system.” [via Associated Press]
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Welp…that didn’t take long.
Despite massive restrictions and increased police presence, Miami Beach is getting rowdy with spring breakers.
Over 270 arrests have been made since the beginning of the month with a majority of them taking place this past weekend. Reasons for the arrests include disorderly conduct, drugs, thefts and battery of law enforcement.
Last year by this point there were nearly 300 arrests. [via WPDE]
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BY THE NUMBERS
📈 The DOW gained 75 points (0.2%) to close at 38,790 on Monday. The S&P added 32 points (0.63%) to close at 5,149 and the NASDAQ increased 130 points (0.82%) to close at 16,103.
🛢 WEST TEXAS INTERMEDIATE closed at $82; BRENT CRUDE at $86.
⛽ The national average price of a GALLON OF GAS was $3.46 on Monday.
₿ BITCOIN’s climb stalled again on Monday, down over 1% and trading around $67,500.
🛩 There were more than 4,020 FLIGHTS delayed within, into, or out of the United States on Monday and more than 60 such cancellations.
💰Tonight’s MEGA MILLIONS drawing will be for a $875 million jackpot or a $413.5 million cash payout.
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SHOWBIZ NEWS
Swifties are causing “SwiftQuakes.”
The California Institute of Technology set up seismic sensors around SoFi Stadium ahead of a series of Swift’s concerts last August to measure just how much ruckus was being caused.
What they found was that the singing and dancing created a tremor equivalent to a magnitude 2 earthquake.
As for which hits cause the most tremors, a study from the American Geophysical Union found the following:
Shake It Off - 1.798 magnitude
You Belong With Me - 1.796 magnitude
Love Story - 1.76 magnitude
Cruel Summer - 1.71 magnitude
22 - 1.64 magnitude
[via NY Post]
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RICHARD SIMMONS is apologizing for convincing the world he is “dying.”
Early Monday the former fitness guru-turned-recluse posted, “I am…dying. Oh I can see your faces now. The truth is we are all dying.”
Later in the day Simmons clarified that what he meant was that “we should embrace every day that we have” and he is not in fact “dying.” [via X]
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JON BON JOVI was hoping to hit the road following the release of his album “Forever” later this year, but after undergoing vocal cord surgery, he isn't sure if that will happen.
The 62-year-old went under the knife in 2022 because one of his vocal cords was atrophied, and the recovery process has been brutal on his singing voice.
No word on whether or not it will affect his ability to sing at the upcoming JIMMY BUFFET tribute on April 11. [via Deadline]
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ARIANA GRANDE’s newly released album “Eternal Sunshine” topped the Billboard 200 albums chart, marking her sixth No. 1 album.
The album’s first week sales (227,000 units) are the largest of 2024 so far, surpassing the debut of YE and TY DOLLA $IGN’s “Vultures 1” (148,000 units).
Her other No. 1’s include, “Positions” (2020), “Thank U, Next” (2019), “Sweetener” (2018), “My Everything” (2014) and “Yours Truly” (2013). [via Billboard]
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REBA MCENTIRE is shutting down rumors that she called TAYLOR SWIFT an “entitled little brat” at the Super Bowl.
“Please don’t believe everything you see on the Internet [...] Taylor is a wonderful artist, strong role model and has done so much good for so many people and the music industry,” she wrote alongside a post that claims she was upset that Swift was mocking her performance of the national anthem.
FOR THE RECORD: Swift never actually appeared on the screen while McEntire was singing, though her boyfriend TRAVIS KELCE was shown on sidelines, with his hand over his heart. [via ET]
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Celebs…they’re just like us!
BEN AFFLECK and JENNIFER LOPEZ’s date night was halted over the weekend after getting a flat tire.
Paps caught the two checking out the damage and what appeared to be them searching for a spare. After not finding what they needed, the pair called for a ride, leaving the BMW behind. [via TMZ]
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No, BRUNO MARS does not have millions of dollars in gambling debt.
Contrary to recent reports, the MGM Resorts International says the singer isn’t $50 million in the hole.
The Las Vegas hot spot took it a step further saying it is “proud” of the relationship they have with Mars, who has an upcoming residency there. [via LV Review-Journal]
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CASTING CALL
MRBEAST, arguably one of the most popular content creators on YouTube, is heading to Amazon.
He signed a deal with Amazon MGM Studios for a competition series based on his YouTube show “Beast Games.” It is being called “the biggest reality competition series in television history,” with a grand prize that is being hailed as the “biggest single prize in the history of television and streaming.”
MrBeast will serve as the show’s host and executive producer.
WORTH NOTING: Netflix’s “Squid Games: The Challenge” set the record for the biggest reality TV payout with a $4.56 million prize. [via THR]
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JIMMY KIMMEL is working on a cannabis series for Hulu.
“High Hopes” is a six-episode “workplace reality series following Belarus-born brothers Slava and Mishka and their stoned crew through the trials and tribulations of taking their cannabis business to new heights,” according to the streamer.
The order for “High Hopes” comes after California became the first state to allow the medical use of marijuana.
Oh -- and it premieres on 4/20. [via Variety]
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Retirement might not be too far away for actor EUGENE LEVY.
The 77-year-old told The Independent that his time to walk away will come “sooner rather than later” and he is currently not taking on any long-term projects.
He concluded the interview speaking about his upcoming appearance on the fourth season of “Only Murders in the Building,” saying “I think there’s still a few jobs in me left.” [via Independent]
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THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
CAITLYN JENNER and LAMAR ODOM have joined forces for a new sports podcast that pays homage to their time on “Keeping Up With the Kardashians.”
“Keeping Up with Sports” will give a fresh take on what it means to truly be the best, according to TMZ.
The first episode will premiere soon, and will feature boxing legend SUGAR RAY LEONARD.
No word on how Jenner and Odom’s former family feels about the podcast. [via TMZ]
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WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS
Multiple Russian media outlets on Monday erroneously reported that KING CHARLES had died. The news organizations posted doctored statements from Buckingham Palace announcing the bogus news that the monarch had passed away unexpectedly.
In response, two British embassies formally contradicted the news, in Ukraine and Azerbaijan, though The Firm did not issue any formal statement. [via Daily Star]
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DAY OF THE YEAR
International Read To Me Day
World Social Work Day
National Chocolate Caramel Day
International Client’s Day
National Poultry Day
National Let’s Laugh Day
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ON THIS DATE
1916 - American fighter planes take off in the first coordinated combat air mission in US history.
Eight Curtiss "Jenny" planes took off from Columbus, New Mexico to support the 7,000 American troops who were invading Mexico in pursuit of Pancho Villa.
The planes were primarily responsible for scouting and relaying messages back to American generals.
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1931 - The Nevada state legislature legalizes gambling as an economic tool to help the state out of the Great Depression.
Nevada had been the site of many gold and silver mines after the Mexican War in the 1860s. As its mines declined, so did its economy.
State gambling taxes did help revive the economy, but casinos also brought in organized crime.
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1945 - Adolf Hitler issues what has become known as the Nero Decree. He ordered that all infrastructure and resources be destroyed, so that Allied forces would not be able to use any of it.
Albert Speer was in charge of the executive order, but he thought it was madness. Speer was able to persuade other advisers and generals to disobey the directive.
Hitler could do nothing -- he was already confined to his bunker.
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1966 - Texas Western wins the NCAA men's college basketball championship -- and is the first team with an all-black starting five to do so.
Texas Western was led by coach Don Haskins, who encouraged racial integration on his team.
The game did not come down to a final buzzer shot or climactic ending. Texas Western took the lead early in the game and never looked back.
The victory would later be depicted in the 2006 film, "Glory Road."
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2003 - President George W. Bush announces that American and coalition forces were beginning a strike on Iraq.
Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein went into hiding, and would remain on the run until October 2005.
In the meantime, no nuclear weapons were discovered, though the invasion was largely predicated on their supposed existence.
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2020 - The state of California reports 910 cases of COVID, prompting Gov. Gavin Newsom to issue “stay at home” orders for all 40 million Californians.
He also wrote a letter to President Donald Trump, asking him to deploy a hospital ship to the Port of Los Angeles to be on standby for an expected surge in hospitalizations due to the virus. It would stay docked for only seven weeks.
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BIRTHDAYS
Gus Caleb Smyrnios - reality star, “Floribama Shore” - 29
Garrett Clayton - actor, “The Fosters” - 33
Clayton Kershaw - baseball player - 36
AJ Lee - wrestler - 37
Casey Anthony - accused of murdering her daughter Caylee - 38
Theo Von - comedian - 44
Bun B - rapper - 51
Jake Weber - actor, “Dawn of the Dead” - 60
Mary Sheer - actress, “Mad TV” - 61
Andy Reid - football coach - 66
Bruce Willis - actor, “Die Hard” films - 69
Harvey Weinstein - producer & convicted sex offender - 72
Glenn Close - actress, “Fatal Attraction” & “The Wife” - 77
Sirhan Sirhan - RFK assassin - 80
Born On This Date
John Sirica - federal judge, Watergate hearings - 1904 (d. 1992)
Earl Warren - 14th Supreme Court Chief Justice - 1891 (d. 1974)
Wyatt Earp - gunslinger at the O.K. Corral - 1848 (d. 1929)
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