3/5/2024: Ancient Art Find
PLUS: Apple Fine; Kelce Retires; and Kate Lives!
Today is Tuesday, March 5, 2024.
It is the 65th day of the year.
301 days remain.
WHAT’S ON TAP
Haiti is in chaos and ELON MUSK manages another lawsuit. Details in HIT LIST.
TAYLOR SWIFT is related to this fellow wordsmith. Find out who in SHOWBIZ.
“Dune: Part Two” makes a big splash at the domestic box office and JAMIE FOXX returns to “Beat Shazam!”. Details in CASTING CALL.
No Kardashian-Jenner weddings in the near future. More in KARDASH.
Long live the future queen! Details in ROYALS.
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HIT LIST
The country of Haiti is in a state of civil war following the escape of an estimated 4,000 inmates from a prison facility over the weekend. Gangs under the command of ganglord Jimmy “Barbecue” Cherizier reportedly led the jailbreak – he earned the nickname for his affinity for burning his victims alive.
The Sun reports that squads from 200 violent gangs now control most of Port-au-Prince, the country’s capital. The surge in violent activity came as Haiti’s Prime Minister Ariel Henry is in Kenya to negotiate military assistance to stabilize the city, even before things got worse.
So far there are no realistic or formal demands from the gang factions – the chaos is the point, for now. [via The Sun, The Guardian]
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Another lawsuit for ELON MUSK: This time, four executives ousted when Musk bought Twitter in 2022 are suing for $128 MILLION in severance compensation they say they never received.
The plaintiffs include the company’s former CEO, CFO, Chief Legal Officer, and General Counsel.
At the time of their dismissal, termination paperwork cited gross negligence and willful misconduct as the reasons for their firing without specific examples.
Another suit filed last summer is seeking class action status for additional severance to be paid to the rank-and-file who were let go after Musk’s acquisition. Musk reportedly fired up to three-fourths of the company’s workforce. [via CNN]
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The European Union made official news that first leaked a few weeks ago, that APPLE would have to pay a fine of about $2 BILLION for its anti-competitive management of its App Store.
The complaint came from music streaming competitor SPOTIFY, which alleged in 2020 that Apple’s practices limited their ability to compete against its own Music app and library on price alone.
In a statement, Apple said it intends to appeal the decision and said the EU did not show any “credible evidence” to support the fine. [via The Verge]
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Archeologists studying the ruins of Pompeii announced the discovery of very well-preserved and colorful frescoes inside an ancient mansion called the House of Leda. One of the works depicts the ancient Greek myth of Phrixus and Helle.
Other discoveries include portraits of women and still-life images.
Work is underway to fully excavate and clean the House of Leda with plans to reconstruct what it would have looked like before Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD and buried the city in ash. [via CBS News]
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A 1945 report on the development of the atomic bomb has hit the auction block.
RR Auction is behind the sale of “Atomic Bombs: A General Account of the Development of Methods of Using Atomic Energy for Military Purposes Under the Auspices of the United States Government, 1940-1945,” written by Henry D. Smyth.
Making the document more valuable is that it was signed by 24 Manhattan Project contributors, including Robert J. Oppenheimer, Enrico Fermi, Ernest Lawrence, James Chadwick, Harold Urey, and Isidor I. Rabi.
The doc is expected to fetch at least $25,000. [via Bidsquare]
HISTORY LESSON: The creation of the nuclear bomb in the United States culminated in a successful test of the doomsday weapon in July 1945. Weeks later the bombs would be dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, putting an end to WWII.
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DEATHS
NFL reporter CHRIS MORTENSEN has died.
He passed away Sunday morning, according to ESPN. No other details were shared.
Mortensen covered football for decades for ESPN and was easily one of the most recognizable faces in the sports world.
He was 72.
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BABY NEWS
“Vanderpump Rules” star LALA KENT is expecting baby #2.
She announced the news with a photo showing off her growing bump, alongside 2-year-old daughter, Ocean.
Lala shares Ocean with her ex-fiance, movie producer RANDALL EMMETT.
This time around there isn’t a dad in the picture as Lala chose the route of intrauterine insemination.
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BY THE NUMBERS
📈 The DOW lost 97 points (0.25%) to close at 38,989 on Monday. The S&P lost 6 points (0.12%) to close at 5,130 and the NASDAQ lost 67 points (0.41%) to close at 16,207.
🛢 WEST TEXAS INTERMEDIATE closed at $78; BRENT CRUDE at $82.
⛽ The national average price of a GALLON OF GAS was $3.35 on Monday.
₿ BITCOIN has achieved an all-time high, surpassing its $64,000 peak in November 2021, and trading over $68,000 by Monday evening.
🛩 There were more than 2,670 FLIGHTS delayed within, into, or out of the United States on Monday and more than 75 such cancellations.
💰Tonight’s MEGA MILLIONS drawing will be for a $650 million jackpot or a $308.6 million cash payout.
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SHOWBIZ NEWS
JASON KELCE is officially retiring from the NFL.
The Philadelphia Eagles center made the tearful announcement Monday. His family -- including younger brother TRAVIS KELCE -- were in attendance for the big news.
Kelce was drafted by the Eagles in 2011. [via ESPN]
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Comedian NICK SWARDSON was removed from the stage at his own show over the weekend after getting into it with the crowd.
After shouting and arguing with some in the audience, the lights were dimmed and Swardson’s mic was turned off. He was then physically ushered from the stage.
Shortly after his exit, the director of operations at the venue came out to apologize to the crowd, and promised refunds would be issued.
Swardson has not addressed what exactly happened. [via TMZ]
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We may now know where TAYLOR SWIFT gets her way with words; from her distant relative, poet EMILY DICKINSON.
The “Today” show broke the news Monday, revealing that genealogy company Ancestry discovered that Swift and Dickinson are sixth cousins, three times removed. Both women are descendants of a 17th century English immigrant, who would have been Swift’s 9th great-grandfather and Dickinson’s 6th great-grandfather. [via Today]
COINCIDENCE?: Swift’s upcoming album is titled “The Tortured Poets Department.” It’s due out April 19.
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Now that some time has passed, SAM ASGHARI has changed his tune when it comes to his relationship and divorce from BRITNEY SPEARS.
“It was a blessing to be able to share life with someone for a long time,” he told People magazine over the weekend. That is a far different sentiment than just six months ago when he trashed Spears, calling her an “abusive cheater.”
Asghari and Spears were married for just over a year. He filed for divorce in August 2023. [via People]
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The guy who hit TERRELL OWENS with his car following a dispute on the basketball court last October, has been charged with two counts of felony assault with a deadly weapon.
Many may recall that Owens, and a man, now identified as Wonzur Ratcliff, got into it during a pickup basketball game in Calabasas. Afterward, Ratcliff allegedly drove his car into Owens’ knees.
Owens was not seriously injured in the incident.
No court date has been set. [via TMZ]
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“One Tree Hill” alum BETHANY JOY LENZ opens up about a cult she was a part of for 10 years in her new memoir, “Dinner for Vampires.”
While she has previously discussed her time in the cult, this is the first time she has named the group, which she identifies as The Big House Family.
In a synopsis, Lenz explains that what started out as a Bible study group, “soon morphed into something more sinister -- a slowly woven web of manipulation, abuse and fear…”
After speaking about the cult with her “One Tree Hill” co-stars and “Drama Queens” podcast co-hosts SOPHIA BUSH and HILARIE BURTON MORGAN, Lenz said she decided to share her experience in hopes of helping others.
“Dinner for Vampires” is due out October 22. [via Decider]
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CASTING CALL
JAMIE FOXX will return as host of “Beat Shazam!” alongside his daughter, CORINNE FOXX.
The actor’s return comes after a health scare that kept him hospitalized for part of last year. During that time, the show was co-hosted by NICK CANNON and KELLY OSBOURNE.
While no details of what happened were shared, Corinne did let fans know that her dad suffered a “medical complication” in April while filming the movie “Back in Action.”
To this day little is known about what exactly happened, though those close to Jamie said it was “serious.”
“Beat Shazam” returns on May 28. [via THR]
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“Dune: Part Two” had the biggest opening weekend of the year and the largest since TAYLOR SWIFT’s concert film, “The Eras Tour” ($93 million), last October.
Heading into the weekend, the sci-fi sequel was estimated to gross $65 million domestically. It instead brought in $81.5 million domestically.
Internationally, it grossed $97 million. [via Variety]
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“Mean Girls” the musical premieres on Paramount+ today!
The adaptation of the Broadway musical, which is based on TINA FEY’s 2004 film, spent three consecutive weeks at No. 1 at the domestic box office following its January 12 release. [via Collider]
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“Bob Marley: One Love” is in the top 10 highest-grossing biopics of a musician in domestic box office history -- just three weeks after hitting theaters.
Here is the full list, based on domestic box office earnings:
10. “La Bamba” (1987) $54.2 million
9. “Coal Miner’s Daughter” (1980) $67.2 million
8. “Ray” (2004) $75.3 million
7. “Bob Marley: One Love” (2024) $82.8 million
6. “I Can Only Imagine” (2018) $83.5 million
5. “Rocketman” (2019) $96.4 million
4. “Walk the Line” (2005) $119.5 million
3. “Elvis” (2022) $151 million
2. “Straight Outta Compton” (2015) $161.2 million
1. “Bohemian Rhapsody” (2018) $216.4 million
[via Billboard]
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THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
There are no wedding bells in the near future for KRIS JENNER or her youngest daughters KENDALL and KYLIE JENNER.
The momager told People magazine that there are “no marriage plans -- yet” for her and longtime boyfriend COREY GAMBLE, while adding they are just “having fun.”
As for Kendall and Kylie, the former is back together with basketball player DEVIN BOOKER and the latter is dating actor TIMOTHEE CHALAMET. [via People]
WORTH NOTING: Kris made no mention of KIM KARDASHIAN’s rumored relationship with football player ODELL BECKHAM JR. Though maybe that is because Kim has already had her fair share of marriages -- three to be exact.
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WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS
LONG LIVE THE (FUTURE) QUEEN: Following bizarre rumors to the contrary, PRINCESS KATE is alive, after all.
She was spotted in public for the first time in weeks following an unspecified abdominal surgery. A photo shows her in the passenger seat of an Audi driven by her mother, wearing big sunglasses. The pair were close to the Windsor estate, where she’s believed to be recovering.
Kate’s parents have reportedly been on hand to aid in her recovery and help out with the kids. [via People]
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DAY OF THE YEAR
National Absinthe Day
Unique Names Day
Dissociative Identity Disorder Awareness Day
National Cheese Doodle Day
National Sportsmanship Day
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ON THIS DATE
1766 - Spanish explorer Antonio de Ulloa begins his governorship of the Louisiana Territory. The land fell into Spanish hands after the Treaty of Paris, a reward from France for having been their allies in a war with England.
But the French colonists weren't so happy about it.
Ulloa was a capable explorer and scientist.
But he was a miserable leader.
He easily buckled to angry Frenchmen, and used the sitting French governor as a puppet to disseminate all of his decisions.
Just two years later, French political leaders would force Ulloa into exile in Havana, Cuba.
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1770 - The Boston Massacre occurs on King St.
Occupying British troops fire on a mob of angry colonists who had been heckling them.
The troops were in Boston to enforce new taxes levied by Parliament.
Future president John Adams successfully represented four of the six soldiers in court. The two found guilty were branded on their thumbs as punishment, and swiftly released.
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1836 - Samuel Colt manufactures the .34-caliber.
While he never claimed to have invented the revolver, he is credited with its popularity.
The Colt revolver has been a staple of Western culture — favored by John Dillinger to rob banks and wielded by Clint Eastwood on the big screen.
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1946 - British Prime Minister Winston Churchill coins the term "iron curtain" in a speech at Westminster College in Missouri.
The iron curtain described the communist regimes across Europe and Asia supported primarily by Moscow and the Soviet Union.
Churchill was a vocal antagonist of European communism. While his leadership helped defeat Hitler, he was concerned over the growth of leftist regimes across Europe following World War II.
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1953 - After nearly 30 years in power, Josef Stalin dies.
The Soviet dictator actually grew up in Georgia (the country) and spoke accented Russian his whole life. At a seminary, he studied Marx and communism.
As a crony of Lenin, Stalin served as the head of the Bolshevik party. When Lenin died, Stalin consolidated his power base and had his enemies murdered -- even Leon Trotsky, who was living in exile in Mexico.
Stalin's lasting legacy was the Gulag Archipelago, a series of labor camps he sent political dissidents to die.
Three days before his death, guards grew curious when he still had not left his room by 10 p.m. A deputy commandant entered the bedchamber and found Stalin on his back covered in his own dried pee, on the brink of consciousness.
The official cause of death was cerebral hemorrhage. Theories abound that a poison placed by an assassin triggered the hemorrhage.
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1963 - The Wham-O toy company patents the Hula-Hoop.
Arthur Melin's name is on the patent -- he's the company's co-founder.
In four months, more than 25 million hoops were sold.
Wham-O's first toy was the slingshot, and they also mass marketed the boomerang and Frisbee.
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2013 - President Obama hits a new low in approval ratings, losing seven points over the course of a week to 46 percent, just weeks after his second inauguration.
The dip followed the failure for Congress and the White House to broker a deal that would prevent “the sequester.”
Meanwhile, his disapproval rating also spiked UP 6 points, from 40 to 46 percent.
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BIRTHDAYS
Gabby Barrett - country singer - 24
Justin Fields - football player - 25
Madison Beer - pop singer - 25
Mario Bautista - pop singer - 28
Michael Evans Behling - actor, “All American” - 28
Sterling Knight - actor, “StarStruck” - 35
Papoose - rapper - 46
Matt Lucas - comedian - 50
Kevin Connolly - actor, “Entourage” - 50
Eva Mendes - actress, “Training Day” & “Girl in Progress” - 50
John Frusciante - guitarist, Red Hot Chili Peppers - 54
Michael Irvin - football player - 58
Joel Osteen - religious leader - 61
Penn Jillette - magician - 69
Scott Swift - Taylor’s dad - 72
Bernard Arnault - CEO of LVMH - 75
Born On This Date
Andy Gibb - pop singer - 1958 (d. 1988)
Teena Marie - soul singer - 1956 (d. 2010)
Rex Harrison - actor, “My Fair Lady” - 1908 (d. 1990)
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