Today is Friday, March 28, 2025.
It is the 87th day of the year.
278 days remain.
WHAT’S ON TAP
NOTABLE & NOTEWORTHY: SAM BANKMAN-FRIED is on the move!
SNOOP DOGG and DR. DRE are heading to Nashville. More in SHOWBIZ.
More drama for the recently released “Snow White” film. Details in CASTING CALL.
MEGHAN SUSSEX is out with another round of jams. Sort of. Details in ROYALS.
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SAM BANKMAN-FRIED is no longer a resident of Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center, just a few weeks after giving an unsanctioned video interview to TUCKER CARLSON from behind bars.
After the video chat, SBF was reportedly put in solitary confinement. Now, he’s been moved to a transit facility in Oklahoma City, a common stopover for prisoners being transported between prisons.
SBF’s lawyers have previously petitioned courts to allow him to serve out his two-decade-plus sentence in California to be closer to his parents. This move could be related to that, or part of a punishment for the unauthorized video interview; the Bureau of Prisons doesn’t comment. One insider tells the Wall Street Journal that SBF was awoken at 3:00 am Wednesday morning but not told where he was going. [via WSJ]
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When a Michigan couple landed in Mexico on March 4, they expected to spend a few weeks on vacation at a timeshare property. When they landed, police were waiting to arrest them on warrants of accusing them of committing fraud against a hospitality company.
The lawsuit filed in Cancun’s courts say the couple cancelled 13 credit card payments worth more than $116,000 in total in 2022, which authorities say constitutes fraud.
The couple, 58-year old Paul and 60-year-old Christy Akeo, indeed canceled those charges two years ago, after they say the company managing their timeshare contract failed to deliver on its promises. Mexican authorities obviously see it differently. The Akeos remain detained pending court proceedings in what their lawyers call a “hell hole of a Mexican maximum-security prison.”
Attorneys are working with the US State Department to move the case forward. [via CNN]
MEANWHILE: If you’re still not deterred from traveling abroad for a vacation, a new study identifies some of the top reasons it might be time for a brief change of scenery.
The survey, conducted by travel company CheapCaribbean, says the most common sign you need a vacation is feeling burnout. Rounding out the top five are persistent daydreams about taking a trip, getting irritated by other people, constant fatigue, and low energy on the weekends.
IN OTHER WORDS: If you’re alive these days, you could probably use a beach break.
BY THE WAY: The same survey showed the five most commonly forgotten vacation items are a phone charger, toothbrush and toothpaste, earbuds, and sunglasses. [via New York Post]
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Inflation has driven expanded the upper limit of a middle-class income across the country. A new analysis of nationwide income data shows you can earn six figures in any US state and still be considered middle class.
For the purposes of the study, “middle class” means earning between two-thirds and up to double the median income in the state.
It’s no surprise that California and Hawaii are the least accessible for middle class earners; in each state, even a $190,000-a-year income qualifies the earner in the category. [via CNBC]
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Police in Las Vegas say they’ve apprehended a suspect connected to an attack at a TESLA dealership on March 18.
The alleged, not-particularly-bright vandal (domestic terrorist?), 36-year-old Paul Kim, drove his own car to commit the crime, which authorities were able to track down using drone surveillance and automated license plate readers.
Kim will face state and federal charges for using Molotov cocktails to torch multiple vehicles and shooting rounds into other cars. [via NBC News]
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DEATHS
CLIVE REVILL has died.
The stage and theater actor worked with greats like LAURENCE OLIVIER and WARREN BEATTY. In pop culture, he might be best remembered as the voice of Emperor Palpatine in “The Empire Strikes Back.”
He passed away March 11 while battling dementia. He was 94.
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MATT STEVENS has died.
The former NFL Safety was drafted by the Bills in 1996 and won a Super Bowl as a Patriot in 2001. Stevens suffered a motorcycle accident in 2007, paralyzing him from the waist down.
No cause of death was immediately shared. He was 51.
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BREAKUPS
Actress SYDNEY SWEENEY is no longer set to tie the knot with producer JONATHAN DAVINO.
An insider tells Us Weekly that the couple have called off their wedding over some “major issues, but are not fully split” up.
The pair were set to say “I do” this spring.
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THE SWAMP
PRESIDENT TRUMP has pulled the nomination of Rep. ELISE STEFANIK to serve as the Ambassador to the United Nations.
In a statement, Trump said that Republicans in Congress can’t risk losing Stefanik’s seat. The GOP currently has a slim, three vote margin over Democrats in the House.
MEANWHILE: The President appears to remain committed to acquiring Greeland as an American territory. While fielding questions from reporters in the Oval Office, Trump said, “We need Greenland for national security and international security,” adding he will go “as far as we have to go” to get control of the land.
Vice President JD VANCE and Second Lady USHA VANCE are expected to travel there today.
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BY THE NUMBERS
📈 The DOW lost 155 points (0.37%) to close at 42,299 on Thursday. The S&P lost 18 points (0.33%) to close at 5,693 and the NASDAQ lost 94 points (0.53%) to close at 17,804.
🛢 WEST TEXAS INTERMEDIATE closed at $69 on Thursday; BRENT CRUDE at $73.
⛽ The national average price of a GALLON OF GAS was $3.15 on Thursday.
₿ BITCOIN was mostly flat on the day, trading around $87k.
💰Tonight’s MEGA MILLIONS drawing will be for a $20 million jackpot or a $9.2 million cash payout. Saturday night’s POWERBALL drawing will be for a $515 million jackpot or a $242.7 million cash payout.
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SHOWBIZ NEWS
New Music Friday
Alison Krauss & Union Station, “Arcadia”
Carlos Santana, “Sentient”
Destroyer, “Dan’s Boogie”
Eiko Ishibashi, “Antigone”
Mumford and Sons, “Rushmere”
Wallows, “More”
The Walters, “Good Company”
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Nominations for the 60th Academy of Country Music Awards were announced Thursday.
ELLA LANGLEY leads the pack with eight nods, including “Female Artist of the Year” and “New Female Artist of the Year.”
CODY JOHNSON and MORGAN WALLEN follow with seven nominations each.
REBA MCENTIRE will host the event, set for May 8. [via Deadline]
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DR. DRE and SNOOP DOGG are opening up a new lounge in downtown Nashville.
“Still G.I.N. Lounge By Dre and Snoop” is an “elevated nightlife experience” where “West Coast swagger meets southern soul,” according to a press release.
It opens on April 4. [via The Tennessean]
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Former football player LESHON JOHNSON faces 21-counts for running a dog-fighting operation.
According to the DOJ, 190 “pit bull-type dogs” were rescued from the “animal fighting venture” the 54-year-old ran in two adjacent Oklahoma towns called “Mal Kant Kennels.”
Johnson faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine per count. [via NY Post]
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PARIS HILTON is launching a new skincare line, called Parivie.
“It’s about feeling confident, powerful and radiant at every age,” she says of the products, due out May 7.
The new line joins Hilton’s other ventures, including fragrances, cookware, fashion, and home goods. [via @parishilton]
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JORDYN BLUM is ready to move past her husband, rocker DAVE GROHL’s illicit affair.
Sources say Blum wants to give their 22-year marriage another shot, and keep their family together.
The couple share three daughters, while Grohl is now also dad to a baby girl he fathered with his mistress, 38-year-old Jennifer Young. [via Daily Mail]
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JEFF BEZOS is likely booking the elite, seven-star Aman Hotel in Venice for his wedding guests this summer. Rooms start north of $3,000 a night, with suites going for more than $30k.
Bezos is also expected to use his half-a-billion-dollars megayacht to transport guests from the hotel to a secret location for the actual ceremony and reception.
WORTH REMEMBERING: GEORGE CLOONEY tied the knot at Aman Hotel in 2014. [via The Sun]
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DR. PHIL thinks KIM KARDASHIAN needs to take a harder stance when it comes to protecting her four kids from their dad, or risk losing them.
“If you need an emergency intervention, then you get an emergency intervention. What we don’t want is for these children to wind up in foster care because that system is broken,” he said in a recent interview.
The concern comes amid recent outbursts and ranting from YE that seem to be escalating.
While Kim has stood her ground, it seems Dr. Phil wants her to take some legal action against her ex. [via Page Six]
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CASTING CALL
GO WOKE, GO BROKE: The son of “Snow White” producer Marc Platt thinks RACHEL ZEGLER is “narcissistic.”
“Tens of thousands of people worked on that film and she hijacked the conversation for her own immature desires,” Jonah Platt commented on X. “Narcissism is not something to be coddled or encouraged.”
His outrage stems from social media posts Zegler made promoting the film, while also sharing her thoughts on world events, such as the presidential election and the Israel-Hamas war.
Zegler also bashed the original 1937 animated version, calling Prince Charming a “stalker.”
The film has been blasted by critics as being “a woke mess.” [via The Sun]
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BEN AFFLECK has no interest in ever reprising his role as Batman -- or any other superhero for that matter.
Speaking to GQ, he reflected on his run as the caped crusader, calling the role “awful” and “the worst experience.”
As for what made it such a negative experience, Affleck says he struggled to keep a work-life balance and would often bring his frustrations home.
Also, he says his son “at the time was too scared to watch the movie,” which he felt was a problem. [via GQ]
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A two-part series about BILLY JOEL is heading to HBO.
“And So It Goes” gives an “expansive portrait of the life and music of Billy Joel,” while looking at all that has impacted his creative process, according to the logline.
News of the documentary comes just weeks after Joel postponed a number of tour dates to recover from an undisclosed medical condition. He is set to return to the stage on July 5 in Pittsburgh. [via Billboard]
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Another “Yellowstone” spinoff is in the works at CBS.
This one will be centered on LUKE GRIMES’ character, Kayce Dutton, son of patriarch John Dutton (KEVIN COSTER).
Plot details are not known. [via Variety]
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WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS
MEGHAN SUSSEX has dispatched another round of homemade jams that are expected to be part of her “As Ever” brand. She shared posts from three of her sorta-celebrity pals receiving the latest offering, this time in distinctive “As Ever” packaging. Hair stylist Ben Skervin (who appeared in the first episode of her latest Netflix show), former “Suits” costar ABIGAIL SPENCER, and fitness influencer friend Heather Dorak each posted about the gifts on their Instagram Stories this week.
IF THIS SOUNDS FAMILIAR: This is how Meg soft-rolled her last round of jams, then under the brand name “American Riviera Orchard,” which she scrapped after failing to secure the necessary trademarks. [via People]
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DAY OF THE YEAR
Respect Your Cat Day
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ON THIS DATE
1774 - British Parliament enacts the Coercive Acts against the Massachusetts colony.
The four acts were passed in response to the Boston Tea Party and other blatant acts of destruction of British property by American colonists.
The Coercive acts included:
The Boston Port Act, which closed the port of Boston until damages from the Boston Tea Party were paid.
The Massachusetts Government Act, which restricted democratic town meetings and turned the governor’s council into an appointed body.
The Administration of Justice Act, which made British officials immune to criminal prosecution in Massachusetts.
The Quartering Act, which required colonists to house and quarter British troops on demand.
The plan backfired, and instead of the other colonies cutting off Boston, they rushed to Boston’s defense. The Quartering Act in particular eventually led to specific Constitutional language barring such an action in the future.
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1797 - The first US patent — titled “Clothes Washing” — is granted to Nathaniel Briggs of New Hampshire.
The patent covered a device known as the Box Mangler. It consisted of a heavy frame containing a large box filled with rocks, resting on a series of long wooden rollers.
Dirty textiles were laid flat on a sheet and wound around one of the rollers. Two people then pulled on levers to move the heavy box back and forth over the rollers.
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1799 - New York State abolishes slavery.
As part of the new law, any child born to a slave after July 4, 1799 was legally free. Children born before July 4 were considered indentured servants.
Prior to this, 43% of all households in New York owned slaves.
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1881 - The “Greatest Show On Earth” is first formed by P. T. Barnum and James Anthony Bailey.
It was described by the men as “a show that was truly immense, and combined all the elements of museum, menagerie, variety performance, concert hall and circus.”
The program would eventually turn into Barnum and Bailey’s Circus.
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1885 - The US Salvation Army is formed.
It began in England by William Booth in 1865 and was originally named the Christian Mission. The goal was to help the poor, drunk, outcast, and wretched of London’s East End slums.
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1930 - Turkish cities Constantinople and Angora change their names to Istanbul and Ankara.
In the case of Istanbul, local Muslims had colloquially used that name for centuries for Constantinople. By some accounts, beginning in the 13th century, local residents heard Byzantine visitors and invaders use the phrase “eis ten polin” to describe the area — which is a rough Greek translation for “in the city.” That turned into the Arabic-sounding “Istinpolin,” Anglicized as “Istanbul.”
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1990 - President George H.W. Bush posthumously awards Olympic athlete Jesse Owens the Congressional Gold Medal.
Owens was a track and field athlete who won four gold medals at the 1936 Olympic Games.
Owens died at the age of 66 from lung cancer.
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2009 - The first cases of H1N1 swine flu are reported in the US.
The WHO would eventually classify the outbreak as a pandemic.
Over 284,000 people would die from the virus.
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2020 - President Trump makes a grim prediction that over 240,000 Americans could die from COVID-19, even with restrictions in place.
The first case of the virus in the US was documented two months prior.
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BIRTHDAYS
Derek Carr - football player - 34
Amy Bruckner - actress, “Phil of the Future” - 34
Laura Harrier - actress, “Spider-Man: Homecoming” - 35
Lacey Turner - actress, “EastEnders” - 37
Lady Gaga - pop singer - 39
Julia Stiles - actress, “Save the Last Dance” & “Hustlers” - 44
Shanna Moakler - model & Miss USA - 50
Kate Gosselin - reality star, “Jon & Kate Plus 8” - 50
Nick Frost - actor, “Shaun of the Dead” & “Spaced” - 53
Vince Vaughn - actor, “Wedding Crashers” - 55
Rodney Atkins - country singer - 56
Jason Garrett - football player & coach - 59
Salt - one-half of rap duo Salt-n-Pepa - 59
Byron Scott - basketball player - 64
Reba McEntire - country singer - 70
Dianne West - actress, “Bullets Over Broadway” - 77
Rick Barry - basketball player - 81
Born On This Date
Annie Wersching - actress, “General Hospital” & “24” - 1977 (d. 2023)
Umaga - wrestler - 1973 (d. 2009)
Frederick Pabst - brewer, Pabst Brewing Company - 1836 (d. 1904)
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