3/24/2022: Miley’s Emergency Landing
Discover more from Morning Martini
3/24/2022: Miley’s Emergency Landing
PLUS: Tornado Truck, Baby Davidson, and More March Madness
Today is Thursday, March 24, 2022.
It is the 83rd day of the year.
282 days remain.
TRENDING
Twitter users reacted to devastating scenes from New Orleans after a tornado ravaged the area Tuesday night.
#NationalPuppyDay landed in Twitter’s Top 10 Trends on Wednesday. Twitter users shared photos of their dogs and puppies and encouraged others to “adopt, don’t shop” when looking for their own furry companion.
Home Depot was trending yesterday as social media users reacted to a training flier that was shared online. One of the sections causing uproar was titled “Leading Practices — Unpacking Privilege.”
Madeleine Albright was trending after news of her passing broke. More in Deaths.
###
CHARTS
A red pickup truck was tossed on its side as a tornado rushed past it in West Texas on Monday night.
The winds then righted the truck, which to the astonishment of onlookers, simply drove off.
Check out the incredible clip, which has been viewed more than 6.5 million times, here:
###
DEATHS
MADELEINE ALBRIGHT has died.
The former secretary of state passed away Wednesday after a battle with cancer, her family reported.
She was 84.
###
MARY JANE THOMAS has died.
The wife of country music icon HANK WILLIAMS JR passed away Tuesday in Florida. Early reports suggest she suffered a complication, possibly a blood clot, after undergoing a medical procedure.
She was 58.
###
BREAKUPS
“90 Day Fiance” stars MARK, 64, and NIKKI SHOEMAKER, 25, are calling it quits.
Mark reportedly filed divorce papers on March 2 after nearly seven years of marriage. He asked to have the case sealed, but a judge denied it.
The couple appeared on the TLC series in 2015, during its third season.
###
RELATIONSHIPS
PEYTON LIST, 23, and JACOB BERTRAND, 22, are dating.
The “Cobra Kai” stars confirmed their long-rumored relationship this week, telling TMZ photos they “caught them red-handed.”
No word on how long the two have officially been together.
###
SICK BAY
NICOLA COUGHLAN has covid.
The “Bridgerton” star tested positive for the virus ahead of the show’s Season 2 red carpet premiere.
Coughlan revealed her diagnosis on social media, telling fans that she is “heartbroken” over missing the premiere.
Season 2 of the series hits Netflix on Friday.
###
LOTTERY
No winner for Tuesday night’s Mega Millions drawing. Friday night’s drawing will be for a $50 million jackpot or a $31.7 million cash payout.
###
SHOWBIZ NEWS
The plane MILEY CYRUS was flying on Tuesday night was forced to make an emergency landing after being struck by lightning.
Miley was on her way to Asuncion, Paraguay to headline the 2022 Asuncionico music festival when the terrifying ordeal took place.
After safely touching down, Miley alerted her fans to what had happened, while apologizing for having to miss the event.
No one was injured in the turbulent landing.
###
JUSTIN BIEBER filed to dismiss the defamation lawsuit he filed against two women who accused him of sexual assault.
The 28-year-old asked a judge to drop the case last week after he felt he made his point, an insider told Rolling Stone.
As previously reported, Bieber sued two Jane Does for $20 million — $10 million each — in June 2020, shortly after they claimed on social media that he had sexually assaulted them in 2014 and 2015.
###
Every major news outlet wants to be the first to land a sit-down with AMANDA BYNES, but she says she “just isn’t ready yet.”
As previously reported, the actress was freed from her 9-year conservatorship this week.
In response to the ruling, Bynes’ attorney stated that she will “lay low for a while” and “continue to focus on her health.”
###
CASTING CALL
HARRY STYLES announced Wednesday that his third album, titled “Harry’s House,” will be released on May 20.
The record will contain 13 songs, according to a press release.
The new tunes are his first new music since his second album, “Fine Line,” was released in December 2019.
###
CIARA has joined the cast of the upcoming “The Color Purple” movie musical.
The 36-year-old will play Nette, the younger sister of Celie, played by FANTASIA BARRINO, according to Deadline.
###
ALEC BALDWIN is set to star alongside his brother DANIEL BALDWIN in the live-action, animated Christmas family comedies “Kid Santa” and “Billie’s Magic World.”
He had joined both projects prior to the tragic shooting of “Rust” cinematographer HALYNA HUTCHINS, according to Variety.
###
STEVEN WEBER will return to “Chicago Med” for the upcoming eighth season of the NBC medical drama.
He plays Dr. Dean Archer, head of the Emergency Department.
Weber joined the series as a recurring character in the sixth season and was upped to a series regular for Season 7 in a one-year deal.
###
MARGARET CHO has joined the cast of the Disney+ Original Movie “Prom Pact.”
In the teen rom-com, high school senior Mandy Yang and her best friend Ben are surrounded by over-the-top Promposals. Mandy’s only focus is getting into Harvard and couldn't care less about the upcoming prom. But, after getting waitlisted, she begins to realize there is more to life.
Cho will play Ms. Chen, a school counselor who helps Mandy attempt to get into Harvard.
###
MILES TELLER will star as producer Albert S. Ruddy in Paramount+’s original limited event series about the making of “The Godfather'' movie.
“The Offer” stars Teller, MATTHEW GOODE as Robert Evans, JUNO TEMPLE as Bettye McCarty, GIOVANNI RIBISI as Joe Colombo and COLIN HANKS as Barry Lapidus.
The series is based on Ruddy’s experience of making the iconic 1972 film.
###
“And Just Like That” has been renewed for a second season by HBO Max.
The show’s first season concluded on February 3. It ranked as one of the streamer’s most successful original series to date.
###
CHAZZ PALMINTERI has been cast in the upcoming second season of Amazon series “Gravesend.”
The actor’s daughter, GABRIELLA PALMINTERI, already stars in the mob drama.
She plays the daughter of Crazy Chris, played by JAMES RUSSO. Chazz will take on the role of family crime boss Cesar Tremaldo.
###
CELEBRITY CELLBLOCK
CONOR MCGREGOR was arrested in Ireland this week after allegedly committing multiple traffic offenses.
The Irish Independent reports that the UFC fighter was on his way to the gym when he was stopped. He was arrested, taken to the police station, given drug and alcohol tests — which he passed — and released.
The Bentley he was driving was seized at the time of his arrest, but has since been returned to him, according to his rep.
###
THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
AMY DAVIDSON wants her son, PETE DAVIDSON, to have a baby with KIM KARDASHIAN.
After a fan of the couple predicted on social media that Kim will be pregnant with Pete’s child “by the end of year,” Amy responded with an enthusiastic “yayyyy!”
WORTH REMEMBERING: Kim has four kids with her ex, KANYE WEST. The latter two were born via a surrogate after Kim experienced health complications during her first two pregnancies.
###
WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS
While meeting with Jamaica’s Prime Minister, ANDREW HOLNESS, on Wednesday, PRINCE WILLIAM and KATE MIDDLETON were forced to face the controversy that has followed their tour of the Caribbean.
Holness addressed the anti-colonial protests that took place as the royal couple arrived in Jamaica on Tuesday, as well as the call for the country wanting to drop QUEEN ELIZABETH as head of state.
He told Will and Kate that while the country is “happy” to have them, he has ambitions for Jamaica to “become an independent, developed and prosperous country.”
WORTH NOTING: Outside the UK, the Queen remains head of state in 14 nations — something many feel is outdated.
###
SPORTS
MIKE TIRICO will join CRIS COLLINSWORTH for “Sunday Night Football.”
The move comes after AL MICHAELS jumped ship to “Thursday Night Football” at Amazon.
Tirico called the move “a lifetime opportunity.”
###
March Madness continues tonight…
Gonzaga (1) takes on Arkansas (4) tonight before Texas Tech (3) plays Duke (2). Both games will be on CBS, starting at 6:09pm CT.
Arizona (1) takes on Houston (5) tonight on TBS after Michigan (11) plays Villanova (2). Games start at 6:29pm CT.
###
DAY OF THE YEAR
National Chocolate Covered Raisin Day
National Cheesesteak Day
National Cocktail Day
###
ON THIS DATE
1707 – The Acts of Union are approved by Parliament, formally joining Scotland and England as Great Britain.
Before that, they were identified as two different political states with distinct legislatures, though they shared a common monarch.
The Scottish and English monarchies were first united when Queen Elizabeth I died, passing the English throne to James VI of Scotland.
###
1829 – Parliament eases up on Catholics, allowing its observers to serve in government.
The government feared an uprising and possible revolution in Ireland if Catholics continued to face discrimination.
At the same time, an Irish lawyer in England named Daniel O’Connell made a public crusade for equality, eventually winning the support of the Prime Minister and the endorsements of the leaders of the Whigs and Tories.
###
1944 – A group of Allied soldiers imprisoned at Stalag Luft III begin their great escape.
More than 400 men participated in building the tunnels that ran from inside the camp to a nearby tree line. Only 76 men were able to make it out. The 77th man was seen and shot by a Nazi guard.
Following the breakout, the Nazis in control of the prison discovered that more than 90 double bunk beds, 635 mattresses, 52 tables and hundreds of other items from around the camp were missing, having been used to construct the tunnels.
Only three successfully escaped. The rest were recaptured.
###
1965 – The Ranger 9 successfully impacts the moon, after sending back some of the first televised up-close footage of the lunar surface.
The resolution was a third of a meter, but still better than anything seen before in homes.
That footage was broadcast in real time by network television.
###
1989 – The Exxon Valdeez tanker strikes a reef in Prince William Sound and begins oozing disastrous quantities of oil.
The accident caused one of the most impactful man-made environmental disasters ever. The crude oil eventually covered more than 10,000 square miles of ocean.
Exxon spent upwards of $3 billion to clean up the spill and settle civil disputes.
###
2019 – Rob Gronkowski announces his retirement.
The New England Patriots tight-end spent his entire career with the Pats and left as a three-time Super Bowl champion, a five-time Pro Bowler, four-time First Team All-Pro and was selected for NFL’s 100th Anniversary All-Time Team.
He would return to the NFL a yea4 later, joining Tom Brady on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
###
2020 - Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announces the postponement of Tokyo’s 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The games would be rescheduled for the summer of 2021.
###
BIRTHDAYS
Jack Johnson - pop singer - 26
Lacey Evans - wrestler - 32
Valentin Chmerkovskiy - dancer, “DWTS” - 36
Blanco Brown - rapper - 37
Chris Bosh - basketball player - 38
Jack Swagger - wrestler - 40
Jessica Chastain - “Zero Dark Thirty” & “The Help” - 45
Peyton Manning - football player - 46
Alyson Hannigan - actress, “How I Met Your Mother” - 48
Jim Parsons - actor, “The Big Bang Theory” - 49
The Undertaker - wrestler - 57
Jack Edwards - sportscaster - 65
Tommy Hilfiger - fashion designer - 71
Born On This Date
Louie Anderson - comedian - 1953 (d. 2022)
Steve McQueen - actor, “Bullitt” & “The Sand Pebbles” - 1930 (d. 1980)
Harry Houdini - magician - 1874 (d. 1926)
###