3/23/2023: Jailbreak Ends at IHOP
3/23/2023: Jailbreak Ends at IHOP
PLUS: ArrestWatch Continues; Dick Van Dyke’s Collision; and Harry’s Visa Status
PROGRAMMING NOTE
Would you help us out and take a one question survey about your experience with Morning Martini? Your response will help us focus our writing and reporting.
Today is Thursday, March 23, 2023.
It is the 82nd day of the year.
283 days remain.
WHAT’S ON TAP
River rafters fend off a mountain lion with their paddles and MIT scientists tackle the Oreo problem. More in HIT LIST.
Treasury Secretary JANET YELLEN tells the Senate the FDIC won’t backstop all bank deposits. More in THE SWAMP.
GISELE BUNDCHEN opens up about her divorce from TOM BRADY and screenwriter AARON SORKIN reveals a health scare. More in SHOWBIZ.
SEAN “Diddy” COMBS is getting a reality show and Netflix gets sued over “Outer Banks” storyline. More in CASTING CALL.
###
HIT LIST
A rafting group in Arizona survived a mountain lion attack last week, after fighting the big cat off with their paddles.
The group had been making camp when the mountain lion first approached and injured a 64-year-old participant. The rest of the group then kept the mountain lion at bay with their paddles while they tried to launch their rafts into the water to get some distance.
Fortunately, the victim survived and is expected to recover fully. [via Fox Weather]
###
A group of MIT scientists who specialize in 3D printing technology have tackled one of society’s enduring questions: How to best twist an Oreo cookie to get an even distribution of cream filling on both wafers?
When developing materials to be used in 3D printing, the lab uses a device called a rheometer to analyze the response of various chemicals to different types of force. They used the same technique to twist Oreos at different speeds and with different force.
Turns out the speed of the twist doesn’t matter, and despite their best efforts, the filling stuck to one side 80% of the time. Instead, they wrote a paper that suggests techniques for the food manufacturer to make the creme more likely to stick to each cookie, instead of glopping together. [via WSJ]
###
An auction house in Georgia will commence the estate sale for ALEX MURDAUGH’s property in South Carolina today, selling all the contents of the home at the site where he was convicted of killing his wife and son.
The lot includes all kinds of furniture and personal items, which have been moved to a holding warehouse, so buyers won’t have to set foot on the property itself. The auction begins this afternoon at 3:00 pm Central. [via CNN]
###
A week after furloughing staff and beginning a restructuring process, Virgin Orbit is restarting operations today.
Reuters reported that the company announced a $200 million investment from a VC investor on Wednesday, but Virgin Orbit has not yet announced the deal. It’s expected to formally close on Friday.
The company launched with a $3 BILLION valuation just two years ago, and recently cratered to $150 million. [via Reuters]
###
If you escape from your jail cell, chances are you’re hungry for a good meal – but don’t head to IHOP ten miles away to satisfy your cravings.
That’s what two escaped inmates from the Newport News jail did after busting out on Monday. They used a toothbrush and metal scraps to chip away at bricks to make a hole just big enough to wiggle through. Then they scaled a security fence and went on the lam.
Tuesday morning, they were picked up just miles away, when patrons at an IHOP restaurant contacted authorities.
WORTH NOTING: While the criminals aren’t particularly bright, they weren’t in the clink for particularly serious or dangerous offenses: one was being held on contempt of court and probation violations, and the second was detained on fraud and theft charges. [via Associated Press]
###
CHARTS
Recommended Reading
Have you heard about the massive belt of seaweed headed for the Florida coast? It spans 5,000 miles and is expected to wash ashore on Caribbean islands and parts of Florida and Mexico. An Associated Press report gets into the details of how it formed and what to expect once it hits landfall. Read it here >
###
BREAKUPS
MARVIN GAYE III, 57, has filed for divorce from his 50-something-year-old wife, WENDY GAYE.
The filing comes two months after Wendy filed a restraining order against him after he allegedly pointed a gun at her.
Marvin listed their date of separation as January 12 and cited irreconcilable differences as the reason.
The couple have no children together. It is unclear how long they have been married.
###
RELATIONSHIPS
Actor DYLAN SPROUSE, 30, is engaged to his longtime girlfriend, model BARBARA PALVIN, 29.
An insider confirmed the news, telling “Entertainment Tonight” that “They have been showing off her ring to people and are so happy.”
The pair started dating in 2018.
###
THE SWAMP
The grand jury hearing arguments related to former President DONALD TRUMP’s payments to STORMY DANIELS stayed home Wednesday at the direction of Manhattan DA ALVIN BRAGG.
No word yet on what caused the delay; they were expected to hear from yet another witness Wednesday, with some kind of announcement to follow in the evening.
MEANWHILE: Maintenance workers were spotted tuning up Trump’s personal private jet, nicknamed “Trump Force One,” on Wednesday. While they could be anticipating a trip to New York from Palm Beach International Airport for an arraignment, the former Commander-in-Chief is also scheduled to host his first 2024 election rally in Texas on Saturday.
###
Treasury Secretary JANET YELLEN testified before a Senate committee on Wednesday that the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation would not provide blanket insurance for all deposits amid uncertainty in the banking system.
She said that she’s remaining open to backstopping deposits on a case by case basis. [via NBC News]
SURE, JAN: This is the same person who said inflation would be transitory two years ago – so there’s that.
###
BY THE NUMBERS
📈 The DOW fell 530 points (1.63%) on Wednesday to close at 32,030. The S&P lost 65 points (1.65%) to close at 3,936 and the NASDAQ lost 190 points (1.6%) to close at 11,669.
🛢 WEST TEXAS INTERMEDIATE closed at $70; BRENT CRUDE at $75.
⛽ The national average price of a GALLON OF GAS was $3.43 on Wednesday.
₿ BITCOIN slid dramatically, losing 3.6% and trading near $27,200.
🛩 There were more than 2,950 FLIGHTS delayed within, into, or out of the United States on Wednesday and more than 175 such cancellations.
💰Friday night’s MEGA MILLIONS drawing will be for a $302 million jackpot or a $159.8 million cash payout.
###
SHOWBIZ NEWS
GISELE BUNDCHEN says her marriage to TOM BRADY was on the rocks long before he un-retired from football.
Speaking to Vanity Fair, the 42-year-old said that Brady’s return to the NFL “is one piece of a much bigger puzzle. It’s not so black and white.” Also, in response to those who claim she made him choose between her and the game, she says “that’s the craziest thing I’ve heard.”
Gisele shared that the two started to grow apart when they met in their late 20s and had different plans for their future.
“When you love someone, you don’t put them in jail and say, ‘You have to live this life,’” she explained. “You set them free to be who they are, and if you want to fly the same direction, then that’s amazing.”
As for all of those dating rumors, Gisele says she is not seeing Tom’s friend, billionaire JEFFREY SOFFER. As for her relationship with JOAQUIM VALENTE, the jiu-jitsu instructor who has been photographed out and about with her, she did not specify if they were romantic or not. [via Vanity Fair]
###
DICK VAN DYKE crashed his Lexus LS 500 into a gate in Malibu last week.
According to responding officers, the vehicle slid into the gates due to heavy rainfall in the area making things slick.
The 97-year-old was treated by paramedics at the scene for some facial bleeding. [via Deadline]
###
TOM CRUISE still has no relationship with his 16-year-old daughter SURI CRUISE.
An insider told Page Six, that the actor has not seen his daughter, who he shares with ex, actress KATIE HOLMES, in a “very long time and is not part of her life.”
At the center of their disconnect is Cruise’s devotion to Scientology, which forbids members from associating with nonbelievers. The church was one of the many reasons Holmes divorced the actor in 2011, in an effort to protect Suri. [via Page Six]
###
AMANDA BYNES’ psychiatric hold has been extended after it was revealed that she had been living on the streets of Los Angeles for days.
Sources close to the actress told TMZ that she “hitchhiked or took public transportation to get around town” in the days leading up to her being found walking around with no clothes on.
Typically the type of hold Bynes has been placed under is only 72 hours, but after several examinations, her physicians feel that she needs a few more days to recoup. [via TMZ]
WORTH NOTING: Yesterday marked one year since Bynes’ 9-year conservatorship had been removed. There has not yet been talks of it being reinstated.
###
TEKASHI 6IX9INE was beaten up by some men inside the sauna at an LA Fitness on Tuesday.
The rapper, who did not have security with him at the time, was attacked without warning and suffered injuries to his face, back and ribs. He was taken to a nearby hospital to be treated.
As for the men, they split when gym staff came to investigate the commotion. [via TMZ]
WORTH REMEMBERING: Tekashi was released early from prison in exchange for testifying against several of his fellow gang members. It is unknown if the attack is connected to that.
###
AARON SORKIN says he should be dead after suffering a stroke last November.
The Oscar and Emmy-winning writer discussed his health event in an interview with The New York Times, explaining that he suffered the stroke while writing his new Broadway musical “Camelot.” He says it was a result of high blood pressure, likely caused by a poor appetite and smoking.
“It was a loud wake-up call. I thought I was one of those people who could eat whatever he wanted, smoke as much as he wanted, and it’s not going to affect me. Boy, was I wrong,” he stated.
Sorkin said he has since quit smoking “cold turkey,” which was hard as he has been a heavy smoker since high school. He has also adjusted his diet and now works out daily. [via NY Times]
###
DIPLO ran the Los Angeles Marathon last weekend with one goal in mind: beat OPRAH WINFREY.
According to the singer, his motivation to reach the finish line came from a want to beat Oprah’s time of four-hours and 29-minutes, which was her time from the 1994 Marine Corps Marathon.
Diplo finished the 26.2 mile race with a time of three hours and 55 minutes. [via People]
###
CASTING CALL
SEAN “Diddy” COMBS and his seven children are in talks to star in a reality series for Hulu.
“It’s going to profile the entire family. They all have businesses -- even the kids -- and it will feature everyone,” an insider told Page Six.
The show is tentatively titled “Diddy + 7,” which the music mogul recently trademarked. [via Page Six]
###
“Vanderpump Rules” star RAQUEL LEVISS will be in person at the show’s Season 10 reunion where she will face fellow castmates’ anger over her months-long affair with TOM SANDOVAL.
SCHEANA SHAY will also be at the reunion, despite Leviss having a restraining order out against her over an alleged altercation that took place after news of the affair broke. [via People]
RECAP: Sandoval was in a 9-year, home-owning relationship with “VR” star ARIANA MADIX. It was recently revealed that he and Leviss have been hooking up since last summer. It is all set to come to a head at the reunion, which is being filmed today.
###
Netflix is being sued by author JEFF WILSON, who claims the streaming giant ripped off characters from his book “Queen Anne’s Revenge” for the hit show “Outer Banks.”
According to the suit, obtained by TMZ, Wilson’s book, which was published in 2013, follows four friends who embark on a treasure hunt from a famous shipwreck near the outerbanks of North Carolina. He says the plot, characters, and settings are too similar to have been a coincidence.
Wilson is suing for copyright infringement and is asking Netflix to hand over profits from infringing on his novel and an injunction stopping them from distributing or advertising “Outer Banks.” [via TMZ]
WORTH NOTING: In 2016, author KEVIN WOOTEN sued Netflix and the creators of “Outer Banks,” claiming they ripped off his book, but a judge dismissed the suit after finding a lack of sufficient similarities.
###
COURT CASES
Yesterday -- on Day 2 of GWYNETH PALTROW’s ski collision trial -- her attorney complained about an Associated Press photographer angling his camera at the actress.
Attorney Steven Owens called attention to the photog -- the only one allowed inside the courtroom -- saying that the camera being pointed at his client is “a violation of the decorum order.”
As previously reported, Paltrow is being sued by a man who claims she collided with him on a ski hill. [via Independent]
###
THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
Reports stating KRIS JENNER is trying to get TRISTAN THOMPSON on the family’s Hulu show to help boost ratings are false.
Insiders told RadarOnline.com that, “She’s sugarcoating the deal with promises of money and perks. It’s the same tactic she took with Scott Disick [KOURTNEY KARDASHIAN’s ex] and KANYE WEST even after they betrayed her daughters over and over.”
Meanwhile, those close to the momager said there is no attempt to get him a spot on the show.
Thompson, who has cheated on Kris’ daughter KHLOE KARDASHIAN several times, does appear in the show, but is not a regular. [via RadarOnline]
###
WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS
PRINCE HARRY’s US visa could potentially be denied or revoked due to his past drug use.
According to the royal, he has smoked marijuana, misused alcohol, used ayahuasca, which is a Class A drug, and has done cocaine. Now, former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani says, the admission could be “grounds of inadmissibility,” adding that there is “no exception for royalty or recreational use.”
But, Immigration expert Attorney James Leonard, says Harry is “clearly not a habitual drug user” so it's a nonissue. [via The Sun]
WORTH REMEMBERING: After moving to the US several insiders reported that Harry had no plans to apply for US citizenship. It is unknown which sort of visa he currently has. Different visas have different requirements.
FUN FACT: James Leonard is the attorney used by “Real Housewives of New Jersey” stars JOE GIUDICE and TERESA GIUDICE during their fraud convictions and Joe’s subsequent deportation.
###
DAY OF THE YEAR
National Puppy Day
World Meteorological Day
National Near Miss Day
National Chia Day
National Chip and Dip Day
Ravenclaw Pride Day
Atheist Day
National Melba Toast Day
###
ON THIS DATE
1775 – American Revolutionary Patrick Henry declares his famous phrase, “Give me liberty or give me death!”
Henry spoke at the second Virginia Convention, where delegates debated over declaring independence from British colonial rule.
After the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Henry served as governor of Virginia.
###
1806 – Explorers Lewis and Clark begin their return trip from the American West Coast.
They had settled at Fort Clatsop in modern-day Oregon for the winter, when they arrived the previous November.
Meriwether Lewis understood that the group may not survive the return trip. He left a list of names of those on the expedition with a local Native American chief, who he asked to any trading group he encountered, so the world would know he and his crew made it all the way West.
Exactly seven months later, on September 23, 1806, the crew returned to St. Louis, where their expedition into the wild began.
###
1919 – Italian socialist publisher Benito Mussolini establishes the Italian fascist party.
The party called for a strong centralized government, national unity, and squashing dissident voices.
Three years later, Mussolini was tasked with forming a new government by the ceremonial monarch of Italy. Mussolini became prime minister.
With the backing of the national police, Mussolini quickly rose to prominence as a dictator. In the ramp-up to the second world war, he became a powerful ally to the Axis powers.
###
1983 – President Ronald Reagan first proposes the missile defense system later known as the Strategic Defense Initiative.
By critics, it was mockingly called "Star Wars."
The defense program called for developing anti-missile technology and sharing it with the Soviets in order to deter intercontinental missile launches.
###
1994 – Wayne Gretzky scores the 802nd goal of his NHL career, setting a new record. He finished his career with 894 goals.
The previous record holder was Gordie Howe, who was Gretzky's childhood idol.
Throughout his career, Gretzky broke 61 offensive scoring records.
###
2005 – A major explosion at BP’s Texas City Refinery kills 15 workers and injures 180.
The explosion occurred when the ISOM isomerization process unit ignited a hydrocarbon vapor cloud.
The refinery was the second-largest in the state and third-largest in the United States.
BP sold the refinery in 2013 to Marathon Petroleum Corporation for $2.5 billion.
###
2020 - New York becomes the new center of the COVID-19 pandemic in the US with another 20,000 cases and 157 deaths.
Globally, the WHO says the COVID-19 pandemic is accelerating.
The first 100,000 cases took 67 days, the second 100,000 cases took 11 days and the third set of 100,000 cases took 4 days.
###
BIRTHDAYS
Alexander Albon - race car driver - 27
Victoria Pedretti - actress, “You” & “The Haunting of Hill House” - 28
JP Saxe - pop singer - 30
Vanessa Morgan - actress, “Riverdale” - 31
Kyrie Irving - basketball player - 31
Gordon Hayward - basketball player - 33
George Daniel - drummer, The 1975 - 33
Ayesha Curry - actress, model, TV show host & wife of Stephen Curry - 34
Brett Eldredge - country singer - 37
CJ Perry - wrestler - 38
Mo Farah - Olympic runner - 40
Brett Young - country singer - 42
Russell Howard - comedian - 43
Perez Hilton - celebrity blogger - 45
Keri Russell - actress, “Felicity” & “The Americans” - 47
Randall Park - actor, “Fresh Off the Boat” & “Veep” - 49
Jason Kidd - basketball player & head coach - 50
Damon Albarn - rock singer, Blur - 55
Chaka Khan - R&B singer - 70
Rex Tillerson - US Secretary of State - 71
Born On This Date
Moses Malone - basketball player - 1955 (d. 2015)
Jimmy Miller - record producer for The Rolling Stones - 1942 (d. 1994)
Joan Crawford - actress, “Mommie Dearest” - 1904 (d. 1977)
###