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3/31/2022: Bruce Willis’ Failing Health

PLUS: More Covid Boosters, Meta Takes on TikTok, and Pete Davidson’s Demand

Mar 31, 2022

Today is Thursday, March 31, 2022

It is the 90th day of the year.

275 days remain.

HIT LIST

Mark Zuckerberg really doesn’t like TikTok.

A Washington Post report says that Meta – the company formerly known as Facebook, which confusingly remains the parent of social media platform Facebook – has retained a high-powered Republican strategy firm to turn public opinion against TikTok. In a particularly petty move, the strategy includes “promoting dubious stories about alleged TikTok trends that actually originated on Facebook, in addition to some traditional PR moves like placing op/eds and letters to the editor across the country vilifying TikTok.

WORTH NOTING: Beyond the brain-numbing effects of TikTok, there’s some legitimate political reason to diminish its influence: It’s owned by a Chinese firm, and collects all kinds of data on millions of Americans every day, which undoubtedly flow directly into the Chinese Communist Party apparatus.

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FDA Head Peter Marks told reporters this week it’s likely Americans will need yet another shot to be considered “fully boosted.”

“It would not be surprising if there is a potential need for people to get an additional booster in the fall along with a more general booster campaign if that takes place,” he said.

A fourth shot was authorized earlier this week for people over 50.

MEANWHILE: A Wake Forest medical student is in some hot water after proudly posting on Twitter that she needlessly jabbed a patient more than once during a blood draw, because the patient mocked the pin she wore with her pronouns.

When the tweet was brought to light in the mainstream Twitter blabbosphere, Wake Forest’s account responded that they’d be addressing the issue. “We are taking measures to address this with the student,” they wrote.

WORTH ASKING: Shouldn’t “Do No Harm” be absolute?

BY THE WAY: The student has since deleted her account.

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TWO RUSSIANS AND AN AMERICAN WALK INTO A BAR: American astronaut Mark Vande Hei is back on earth after spending a record-breaking 355 consecutive days in space – the most for an American. (A Russian holds the overall record at 437 days, which he spent aboard the Mir space station in the mid-90s.)

Despite the ongoing international tensions, Vande Hei returned to Earth aboard a Soyuz ship with two cosmonauts.

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If you wanted to be a sci-fi version of Bane for Halloween, look no further than this weird new product from Dyson – the vacuum people.

New York Post @nypost

Dyson debuts 'Zone' headphones with odd air-purifying visor trib.al/cg1p64j

The Dyson Zone includes a set of headphones that connect to a wearable air purifier. They’re marketing it as a device to tune out both the sounds and smells of living in the city.

It’s expected to hit shelves later this year. A price has not yet been released.

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The Wall Street Journal reports that positive drug tests for employment have hit a two-decade high. Quest Diagnostics says nearly 4% of their test came back positive for marijuana in 2021 – a figure that doubled since 2017. The increase comes even as fewer companies are issuing drug tests as dope becomes more legally available across the country.

Overall, 4.6% of tests came back positive for some kind of drug.

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CHARTS

Annie Rose, an English doodle from Ohio, is the winner of the fourth annual Cadbury Bunny Tryouts.

The pup is a therapy dog who frequents nursing homes to bring joy to residents.

As the winner, Annie one received a starring role in the 2022 Cadbury Clucking Bunny commercial and took home a $5,000 prize.

Her role in the commercial also helped to raise money for The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Watch:

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DEATHS

TOM PARKER has died.

The Wanted frontman passed away Wednesday after a battle with brain cancer. He was diagnosed with stage 4 glioblastoma in October 2020.

He was 33.

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PAUL HERMAN has died.

“The Sopranos” actor passed away Tuesday, which was also his 76th birthday. No cause of death has been revealed.

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HELMUT HUBER has died – he was married to soap actress SUSAN LUCCI.

The TV producer passed away on Monday in Long Island, New York, PEOPLE reports. No cause of death was officially shared, but some sources reported he had recently suffered a stroke.

He was 84.

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RELATIONSHIPS

ANDI DORFMAN, 34, is engaged to her boyfriend, real estate VP BLAINE HART, 35.

The former Bachelorette shared the proposal details with PEOPLE, saying Hart popped the question on the beach at sunset.

It is unknown exactly when the couple started dating, but they became more public with their relationship last year.

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THE SWAMP

LOCK HER UP: The Federal Elections Commission has slapped Hillary Clinton’s campaign and the DNC with a fine for improperly disclosing its payments for opposition research to the firm that generated the Steele Dossier.

WORTH NOTING: This goes beyond a simple clerical error. The official fine says the payment was classified as legal services when it should have been listed as opposition research. But the Steele Dossier was heralded for years as an independent document purported to have evidence of former President Trump working with the Russian government to bolster his campaign efforts. During that time, Clinton and her pals were content with letting the legitimate winner of the election get skewered for alleged treason while knowing the entire premise was politically motivated.

FOR THE RECORD: The fines are $8,000 for Clinton’s treasurer and $105,000 for the DNC’s treasurer. The full decision will be made public later this month. Details of the fine were first reported by the Washington Examiner.

MEANWHILE: In a statement about the fines, former PRESIDENT TRUMP said in part, “This corruption is only beginning to be revealed, is un-American, and must never be allowed to happen again. Where do I go to get my reputation back?”

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WELL, WELL, WELL: The Washington Post says two security experts have confirmed the authenticity of some emails that were on HUNTER BIDEN’s laptop.

Lest they upset their overlords in the White House, a carefully-worded report by the Post makes clear it’s Hunter’s “purported” laptop that he “reportedly” dropped off and never recovered in 2019 and that the vast majority of the data “could not be verified” by their experts.

Here’s a gem of a sentence: “Many Republicans have portrayed this data as offering evidence of misbehavior by Hunter Biden that implicated his father in scandal, while Democrats have dismissed it as probable disinformation, perhaps pushed by Russian operatives acting in a well-documented effort to undermine Biden” [emphasis annoyingly added].

Why could this information not be verified? “The experts found the data had been repeatedly accessed and copied by people other than Biden over nearly three years” by the time the Post got its mitts on the data.

WORTH NOTING: If you had DONE YOUR F@&$NG JOBS three years ago maybe this wouldn’t be a problem, would it, you corrupt, biased, bootlicking, propagandist, midwit dorks.

IT GETS WORSE (FOR BIDEN): Even among the teeeeeeeeeeny-tiny sliver of evidence that’s confirmed to be legitimate – if it even is Hunter’s laptop – the Post has proof of nearly $5 million in bank transfers between Chinese banks and Hunter’s various businesses that “illustrate the ways in which his family profited from relationships built over Joe Biden’s decades in public service.”

This $5 million deal in particular was to help broker business arrangements that would benefit a Chinese energy company. The Post notes that no deals for the energy company came to fruition.

WORTH NOTING: On the surface, that nothing came to fruition could be used as evidence that there was nothing corrupt going on. After all, if Hunter were trafficking on the family name, some results should be expected. But that’s what makes this so nefarious: That nothing came from millions of dollars in fees, paid to a guy who has admitted he has no real experience in the energy sector, strengthens the thesis that the entire deal was a front for enriching the Biden Family Crime Syndicate. There are plenty of lobbyists with comparable fees who would’ve been able to deliver actual results.

NEVER FORGET: Asking any of these questions was grounds to be exiled from social media in the days before the 2020 election.

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LOTTERY

No winner for Tuesday night’s Mega Millions drawing. Friday night’s drawing will be for a $70 million jackpot or a $44.7 million cash payout.

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SHOWBIZ NEWS

BRUCE WILLIS is stepping back from acting after being diagnosed with aphasia.

His daughter, RUMER WILLIS, posted about the actor’s health struggles, saying it is a “really challenging time” for their whole family.

Aphasia impacts the ability to comprehend words and/or speak. It can be caused by strokes, tumors or other brain damage. It is unclear what led to Bruce’s diagnosis.

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The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences – the group behind the Oscars – will formally convene on April 18 to vote on how to handle WILL SMITH’s assault on CHRIS ROCK.

In a formal statement, they said that Smith has the opportunity to be heard beforehand through a written response.

Disciplinary action could include suspension, expulsion, or “other sanctions” – if any.

The statement also noted that “Mr. Smith was asked to leave the ceremony and refused” but “we could have handled the situation differently.”

WORTH NOTING: Several outlets reported that Sheriff’s vehicles were seen parked at Smith’s home on Tuesday. While it’s unclear if the visit is related to the assault, chances are likely it was.

MEANWHILE: CHRIS ROCK was spotted in Boston on Wednesday where he kicked off his “Ego Death Tour.”

He remained mum when bombarded with photog’s questions, but did address the incident briefly before beginning his set.

“I don’t have a bunch of [s—] about what happened, so if you came to hear that, I have a whole show I wrote before this weekend. I’m still kind of processing what happened. So, at some point I’ll talk about that [s—]. And it will be serious and funny.”

ON THAT NOTE: Rock’s brother TONY ROCK tweeted this week that he thinks WILL SMITH’s apology was not sincere.

ALSO: Insiders say that Smith has not reached out to personally apologize to Rock.

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JOE ROGAN is threatening to leave Spotify.

During a recent episode of his hugely popular podcast, Rogan said that he will quit if he has to start “walking on eggshells” and minding his “p’s and q’s,” likely referring to the recent controversy over his spending of alleged covid misinformation.

The former MMA fighter first signed with the platform in 2020 for $100 — with a year left on his contract, the deal has since doubled in valuation.

WORTH ASKING: When did it become taboo to avoid listening to others’ opinions? Is having an open-mind too controversial these days?

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JUSTIN BIEBER was booed during a recent tour stop in Montreal.

Bieber — a huge hockey fan — sarcastically asked the crowd how their team’s playoff spot was looking this year, knowing they are sitting low on the standings.

In response, fans booed Bieber, with some shouting expletives at him.

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Fans are not happy that ERIC CHURCH canceled an upcoming concert so he can watch his beloved UNC basketball team play Duke in the Final Four.

Church announced the cancellation Tuesday, explaining that he so badly wants to watch the game that he is “unable to perform” at the AT&T Center in San Antonio on Saturday night.

While some fans were understanding, most took to social media to air their frustrations.

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The body of Foo Fighters drummer TAYLOR HAWKINS has arrived in Los Angeles.

His plain-black casket was loaded onto the band’s private plane Tuesday at the El Dorado Airport in Bogota, Colombia — arriving at LAX later the same day.

Hawkins’ body was released following an autopsy — the official results of which have not been revealed.

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CASTING CALL

HBO announced Wednesday that its “Game of Thrones” spinoff show “House of the Dragon” will premiere on August 21.

The 10-episode series is set 200 years before the events of “GoT” and tells the story of House Targaryen.

It is based on GEORGE R.R. MARTIN’s book, “Fire & Blood.”

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ELLIOT PAGE’s “Umbrella Academy” character Vanya Hargreaves will come out as transgender in Season 3 of the Netflix series.

Page revealed the news on Twitter, sharing a snapshot of himself in costume.

Netflix retweeted the post, writing “Welcome to the family, Viktor — we’re so happy you’re here!”

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Silk Sonic — the super-duo composed of BRUNO MARS and ANDERSON .PAAK — will open the 64th annual Grammy Awards.

The duo is up for four awards, including Record of The Year, Song of The Year, Best R&B Performance and Best R&B Song.

The Grammys will air live from MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, April 3.

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MIRANDA LAMBERT is heading to Vegas.

The country singer will launch her 23-day residency at Zappos Theater at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino this September.

Lambert’s new album “Palomino” hits shelves April 29.

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CRIB NOTES

REBEL WILSON has listed her Sydney, Australia home for $6.7 million.

The house, located on the Sydney Harbour, features 3-bedrooms and 3-baths. It spans over 2,100 square-feet.

The pad has an elevator and 180-degree harbor views from every level. There is also an infinity ozone pool, waterfront entertainment area, pontoon and mooring.

Wilson owns a 5-bedroom, 5-bath home in Los Angeles.

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BETTY WHITE’s home in Carmel, California has hit the market for just under $8 million.

The 3,621 square-foot home has 4-bedrooms, 4.5-baths and sits on .28 acres.

White bought the land for $170,000 and completed the home build in 1981.

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THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS

PETE DAVIDSON and KIM KARDASHIAN have quite the connection…in the bedroom.

The Toronto Sun reports that the comedian “demands sex non-stop” from the reality star, and that they do not have as intense of a connection when they’re “outside the bedroom.”

Kim-sources told the outlet that they believe she is “in love” with Pete because of how “out of sync” she and KANYE WEST were before calling it quits.

BUT: The insider added that Pete has been “bragging a lot” about all the exposure he is getting, as well as the “perks” of being part of the Kardashian clan.

WORTH ASKING: Does this relationship last? Or will Pete become one of the many names in the Kardashian’s not-so-little black book?

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WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS

QUEEN ELIZABETH marked the 20th anniversary of her mother’s death with a special tribute shared to her official Royal Family Twitter account Wednesday.

The post detailed the remarkable life of the QUEEN MOTHER, and how she was a “pillar of strength, not only for her family, but for her nation.”

Her Majesty’s mom passed away peacefully in her sleep on March 30, 2002, at the age of 101.

At her funeral on April 9, 2002, over a million people stood for hours in the freezing cold to pay their respects.

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SPORTS

MALCOLM JENKINS is leaving the NFL.

The former safety for the New Orleans Saints and Philadelphia Eagles announced Wednesday that he has “accomplished everything” he set out to accomplish in the NFL and is ready to call it a career.

Jenkins was drafted by the Saints with the No. 14 overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft.

WORTH NOTING: He is the only player in the NFL to defeat both TOM BRADY and PEYTON MANNING in a Super Bowl.

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DAY OF THE YEAR

National Bunsen Burner Day

National Clams on the Half Shell Day

National Crayon Day

National Prom Day

National Tater Day

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ON THIS DATE

1776 – Abigail Adams begs her husband John Adams to “remember the ladies.”

In a letter from this date, Abigail implored her husband, who was part of the Continental Congress forming the new American government, to “remember the ladies and be more generous and favorable to them than your ancestors…. All men would be tyrants if they could.”

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1854 – The United States and Japan open up commerce between their countries.

The Treaty of Kanagawa opened ports in Shimoda and Hakodate to American trade. It also called for the creation of an American consulate in Japan.

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1889 – The Eiffel Tower opens to the public.

In a dedication ceremony featuring the tower’s designer, Gustave Eiffel, the monument honored the hundredth anniversary of the French Revolution.

At the time it was the tallest structure in the world.

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1959 – The Dalai Lama goes into exile in India.

As the 14th Lama, he was the political and spiritual head of Tibet, which China invaded in 1950.

For most of the decade, Tibet functioned as a national autonomous region but were subject to religious bans from the Communist Party.

After violent protests broke out nearly ten years later, The Lama fled the country.

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1995 – Selena Quintanilla-Pérez is killed by Yolanda Saldívar.

Saldívar had been managing the finances for Selena’s fan club, but was embezzling the funds, leading to growing suspicions from Selena and her managers.

It culminated with a confrontation in a Corpus Christi hotel: After Selena demanded to see financial documents, Saldívar pulled a gun from her purse and shot the singer in the shoulder, hitting an artery that caused tremendous blood loss.

Selena fled to the lobby, but collapsed, and was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital.

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2003 - The Cincinnati Reds open their new home, The Great American Ball Park, with a 10-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates.

President George H. W. Bush was on hand to throw out the first ceremonial pitch.

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2021 - Paul Simon sells his entire catalog of over 400 songs to Sony Music Publishing.

The acquisition includes six decades of music from his time in Simon & Garfunkel to his solo career.

Financial details were not shared.

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BIRTHDAYS

Jay Rock - rapper - 37

Jessica Szohr - actress, “Gossip Girl” - 37

Jack Antonoff - guitarist, Fun - 38

Vice Ganda - comedian - 46

Ewan McGregor - actor, “Star Wars” & “Moulin Rouge” - 51

Angus Young - guitarist, AC/DC - 67

Al Gore - VP - 74

Rhea Perlman - actress, “Matilda” & “Cheers” - 74

Christopher Walken - actor, “Pulp Fiction” & “Eddie the Eagle” - 79

Shirley Jones - actress, “The Partridge Family” - 88

William Daniels - actor, “Boy Meets World” - 95

Born On This Date

Gordie Howe - hockey player - 1928 (d. 2016)

Ceasar Chávez - civil rights leader - 1927 (d. 1993)

Johann Sebastian Bach - composer - 1685 (d. 1750)

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