3/24/2023: Stoner Economics
PLUS: Pilot Swap; Kim Lands a Met Gala Invite; and Will Dines in Warsaw
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 Friday, March 24, 2023.
It is the 83rd day of the year.
282 days remain.
WHAT’S ON TAP
Locals in Texas are voicing their concerns about ELON MUSK’s rural takeover and parents in Florida lose their minds over nudity in the classroom – but not the kind making headlines. More in HIT LIST.
Any decision to indict TRUMP will wait til at least next week. More in THE SWAMP.
TOM BRADY posts a poem about success one day after ex-wife GISELE BUNDCHEN opens up about their marriage and divorce and JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE is aging like a fine wine. More in SHOWBIZ.
ARIANA MADIX lands a movie role and ANDERSON COOPER gets another primetime spot on CNN. More in CASTING CALL.
###
HIT LIST
Rural Texans are expressing their concerns over ELON MUSK’s expansive development plans for his companies – and even, eventually, his own city.
Local farmers in Bastrop County say Musk’s plan to build a wastewater plant for his Boring Company and SpaceX that would turn waste product into water for fields, or get discharged into the nearby Colorado River, could run afoul of environmental regulations.
There’s also the general concern that the locals just want the area to remain undeveloped, too.
FOR WHAT IT’S WORTH: The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality says their analysis of plans for Musk’s wastewater project show minimal impact on the local environment. [via WSJ]
###
On one side of the gender-identity-taught-in-schools argument, parents sensibly say that kids shouldn’t be exposed to books about self-pleasure and cross-dressing.
On another side, parents of 11-and-12-year-olds at a Tallahassee high school got the principal fired because students saw a picture of Michaelangelo’s “David” statue – in which he’s famously nude – and called the image “pornographic.” They say their children were “upset” by the image.
Principal Hope Carrasquilla of the Tallahassee Classical School declined to resign and was instead fired over the issue. [via DailyMail]
WORTH NOTING: The image appeared in a course specifically about Renaissance art.
ALSO WORTH NOTING: The Tallahassee Classical School’s website says the institution offers “a content-rich classical education in the liberal arts and sciences, with instruction in the principles of moral character and virtue.”
WORTH ASKING: Is there really no more middle ground on a topic like this?
###
NOPE: Police responding to a call about an unresponsive roommate in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, found not only the man’s body, but nearly 200 snakes, a lizard – and even a crocodile.
About half the snakes were venomous, which authorities seized, along with the lizard and croc who were taken to a nearby exotic pet storage facility.
IT GETS WEIRDER: This creepy-crawly house of horrors is occupied by four adults and a 3-year-old, all of whom recently moved to the area from out of state; two of them ran a business selling the reptiles from their home. [via WTAE]
###
Stoners in Missouri are getting a tough lesson in supply and demand: the state legalized recreational pot just a few weeks ago, but a shortage of ganja has sent legal dispensary prices soaring.
As local TV station KCTV points out, “a bluntpack that used to cost you $35 coil cost you closer to $50 or $60.” Overall, prices have increased up to 60%.
Officials say when they anticipated demand, they didn’t factor residents in bordering states, where use remains illegal, to flood into Missouri to buy the dope. [via KCTV]
###
The pilot of a Southwest flight from Las Vegas to Columbus, Ohio required some unspecified medical attention during the route on Wednesday – and by some miracle, an off-duty pilot happened to be on board.
People on the flight say the whole ordeal was calm, and that the flight staff did a good job of minimizing concerns that the pilot was incapacitated. He supported the co-pilot with radio communications.
No word yet on how the original pilot is faring, or what happened. [via NBC News]
###
CHARTS
What’s Streaming?
New to Amazon Prime:
Top Gun: Maverick (Rotten Tomatoes Score: 96%)
New to Hulu:
Philomena (Score: 91%)
The Estate (Score: 30%)
###
THE SWAMP
The grand jury hearing the case to indict former President DONALD TRUMP won’t make any final decision until next week.
The group convened on Thursday – but apparently for some other case entirely, and they’re not expected to meet at all on Friday.
WORTH NOTING: Even if the grand jury moves forward with an indictment, it must first be unsealed by a judge. [via WSJ]
###
An unidentified White House official has blabbed to Reuters that President JOE BIDEN isn’t thrilled with Vice President KAMALA HARRIS’ ability to pick up any slack.
"A point of tension in their relationship is that I don't think that the president sees her as somebody who takes anything off of his plate," one insider says, adding that she’s paralyzed by a fear of “messing up.”
Another insider says that Biden remains convinced he must run for a second term because he’s the only Democrat who can beat former President DONALD TRUMP. [via Reuters]
###
BY THE NUMBERS
📈 The DOW added 75 points (0.23%) to close at 32,105 on Thursday. The S&P added 11 points (0.3%) to close at 3,948 and the NASDAQ added 117 points (1.01%) to close at 11,787.
🛢 WEST TEXAS INTERMEDIATE closed at $69; BRENT CRUDE at $75.
⛽ The national average price of a GALLON OF GAS was $3.43 on Thursday.
₿ BITCOIN’s volatility continued Thursday, increasing 3.75% and trading over $28,300.
🛩 There were more than 4,260 FLIGHTS delayed within, into, or out of the United States on Thursday and more than 68 such cancellations.
💰Tonight’s MEGA MILLIONS drawing will be for a $302 million jackpot or a $159.8 million cash payout. Saturday night’s POWERBALL drawing will be for a $112 million jackpot or a $60.3 million cash payout.
SHOWBIZ NEWS
These albums drop today:
August Burns Red, “Death Below”
Ben Sloan, “muted colors”
Benny Sings, “Young Hearts”
Bouncing Souls, “Ten Stories High”
Caroline Rose, “The Art of Forgetting”
Darren Jessee, “Central Bridge”
Debby Friday, “Good Luck”
Depeche Mode, “Memento Mori”
Fall Out Boy, “So Much (For) Stardust”
Grand Royale, “Welcome to Grime Town”
Jeff Goldblum and The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra, “Plays Well With Others” EP
Jimin, “FACE”
Lana Del Rey, “Did You Know That There’s A Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd”
Luke Combs, “Gettin’ Old”
Meg Myers, “TZIA”
Nickel Creek, “Celebrants”
Wilder Woods, “FEVER / SKY”
Zack Rosen, “SYZYGY”
###
A day after his ex-wife GISELE BUNDCHEN’s interview with Vanity Fair dropped, TOM BRADY posted a cryptic quote from poet RALPH WALDO EMERSON on Instagram.
While not a direct response to Bundchen’s wide-ranging interview about what led to the end of their marriage, fans seemed to think it sent a clear message about where Brady’s head is currently at. [via TMZ]
Here’s the quote: “What is success? To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate the beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded!”
##
When THE BEATLES broke up in 1970, PAUL MCCARTNEY considered leaving music behind.
“There’s a couple of times in life when you are forced into taking a risk. After The Beatles, this was my situation: ‘Do I keep going with music, or not?’” he wrote in his self-titled newsletter. He then questioned what his future would be as an artist, “How am I going to do it? Am I going to have a band, or am I just going to busk outside of train stations?”
Deciding on a solo career, he went on to create the chart-topping album “McCartney,” formed the band the WINGS, and has had several other hits and duets.
Read his full newsletter here>>>
###
As TAYLOR SWIFT rocks stadiums around the country for her “Eras Tour,” she is also giving back.
Prior to her show in Glendale, Arizona last weekend, she made a surprise donation to the Arizona Food Bank Network. Ahead of this weekend’s shows in Nevada, Swift made a donation to a local food bank called Three Square.
Making donations in cities she is set to perform is something she plans to do throughout her tour, an insider told People. [via People]
###
As young actors, BEN AFFLECK and MATT DAMON shared a bank account.
Speaking on “The Bill Simmons Podcast,” the pair said that they had one bank account between them starting in the late 1980s to fund auditions. Anytime one of them booked a gig the money would get deposited into the account.
As for rules regarding the funds, Damon said there were a few: “You were allowed to go to [auditions in] New York with the money. You were allowed to take out $10 and get quarters and go to [the arcade] and play video games. Eventually we were allowed to try to buy beer, which never [effing] worked.”
Affleck and Damon are currently making the rounds promoting their new drama, “Air.” [via Variety]
###
JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE made his debut as the face of Louis Vuitton’s new ad and fans cannot believe how well he is aging.
One Twitter account dedicated to the singer commented on the ad, writing, “justin timberlake really looks like this in 2023!? he is aging like the finest wine imaginable.”
The 42-year-old has long been a fan of Louis Vuitton, having attended several of the designer's fashion shows along with his wife, actress JESSICA BIEL. [via Page Six]
###
BEYONCE and Adidas have agreed to part ways after her custom clothing line Ivy Park only brought in $40 million last year -- a far cry from the $250 million projected.
It was also considerably lower than 2021’s earnings which hit just over $90 million. For this year, sales projections were shifted from $335 million to just $65 million.
Bey will still get her $20 million annual salary as her contract runs through the end of the year. [via TMZ]
###
CASTING CALL
“Vanderpump Rules” star ARIANA MADIX is getting her groove back after finding out her boyfriend of nearly a decade, TOM SANDOVAL, was cheating on her with her co-star and friend RAQUEL LEVISS.
People reports that Madix will star in Lifetime’s upcoming made-for-TV movie “Buying Back My Daughter.” According to the network, the film is “inspired by actual events of mothers who fight back when their teenage daughters go missing and are sex trafficked online.”
She will star opposite MEAGAN GOOD, who has appeared in several other Lifetime movies. Details of Madix’s role are not yet known. [via People]
MEANWHILE: The highly-anticipated “Vanderpump Rules” reunion was filmed yesterday. No word on an air date for that.
###
ANDERSON COOPER will host a new primetime show on Sunday for CNN.
According to network boss CHRIS LICHT, “The Whole Story” will take a “deep dive into stories of the day as well as interviews, profiles, and investigations.”
Anderson currently anchors “AC360” on weeknights. [via NY Post]
###
AHMED BEST is returning to the “Star Wars” franchise nearly two decades after he played Jar Jar Binks in three of the films.
He made a cameo in the latest episode of “The Mandalorian” as a Jedi named Kelleran Beq, during a flashback scene of events that took place in “Revenge of the Sith” (2005). According to People, he will appear in future episodes of the Disney+ show.
As for why it took so long for Best to return to the franchise, he says the backlash he received from fans over playing Jar Jar Binks was “painful” and caused him to contemplate suicide. [via People]
###
THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
After reporting that KIM KARDASHIAN was embarrassed that her famous family failed to land an invite to this year’s Met Gala, it turns out she has been invited.
Initial reports suggested that no one from the KarJenner family would be invited by request of Vogue editor ANNA WINTOUR, who wanted to “crack down” on this year’s attendees, but now an insider has confirmed to Page Six that Kim did get an invite to the annual event.
WORTH REMEMBERING: Last year was the first time Kim, KHLOE, KOURTNEY, KYLIE, KENDALL and their mom KRIS JENNER all attended the event.
The Met Gala is set for May 1. [via Yahoo News]
###
WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS
PRINCE WILLIAM dined at Buetero Bistro in Warsaw, Poland this week, much to the shock of fellow diners as the establishment is described as a “queer space.”
According to the Daily Mail, Will asked his team from Kensington Palace what they were doing for the evening, and asked to tag along. An insider told the outlet that “the team really appreciated him asking to join them.” [via Daily Mail]
BY THE WAY: Will’s dinner -- a sandwich in a braided roll with pulled pork -- reportedly cost less than $10.
FOR THE RECORD: Will was in Poland to emphasize Britain’s support for the country amid the battle with Russia.
###
LIST OF THE WEEK
It’s Sweet Sixteen weekend! Here’s the five biggest blowouts in tourney history:
5. Connecticut 103, Chattanooga 56 (2009)
4. Kansas 110, Prairie View A&M 52 (1998)
3. UNLV 103, Duke 73 (1990)
2. Villanova 95, Oklahoma 51 (2016)
1. Loyola-Chicago 111, Tennessee Tech 42 (1963)
[h/t The Twinspires Edge]
###
DAY OF THE YEAR
National Cheesesteak Day
National Cocktail Day
National Chocolate Covered Raisin Day
World Tuberculosis Day
Flatmate’s 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 – British Parliament eases up restrictions 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 eventually recaptured.
###
1965 – The Ranger 9 successfully impacts the moon, after sending back some of the first televised footage up-close 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 Valdez 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.
###
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
Damar Hamlin - football player - 25
Christopher Briney - actor, “The Summer I Turned Pretty” - 25
Lacey Evans - wrestler - 33
Tyler Lepley - actor, “The Haves and the Have Nots” - 36
Valentin Chmerkovskiy - dancer, “Dancing With the Stars” - 37
Chris Bosh - basketball player - 39
Jessica Chastain - actress, “Zero Dark Thirty” & “The Help” - 46
Peyton Manning - football player - 47
Alyson Hannigan - actress, “American Pie” films & “How I Met Your Mother” - 49
Jim Parsons - actor, “The Big Bang Theory” - 50
The Undertaker - wrestler - 58
Jack Edwards - sportscaster - 66
Tommy Hilfiger - fashion designer - 72
Born On This Date
Steve McQueen - actor, “Bullitt” & “The Sand Pebbles” - 1930 (d. 1980)
Clyde Barrow - bank robber & outlaw, Bonnie & Clyde - 1909 (d. 1934)
Harry Houdini - magician - 1874 (d. 1926)
###