3/6/2023: Spy Satellite Spy Satellite
3/6/2023: Spy Satellite Spy Satellite
PLUS: CPAC Roundup; Bravo Breakup; and Kim Does “Carpool Karaoke”
Today is Monday, March 6, 2023.
It is the 65th day of the year.
300 days remain.
WHAT’S ON TAP
Ford sees a dystopian future for self-driving cars and the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race kicks off. More in HIT LIST.
Former President DONALD TRUMP lays out a vision for winning in 2024 at CPAC over the weekend and a potential contender stops before he starts. More in THE SWAMP.
REBEL WILSON was banned from Disneyland and STEVEN SPIELBERG wants more info on UFOs. More in SHOWBIZ.
CHRIS ROCK slams WILL SMITH in his live Netflix special and Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show is making a comeback! More in CASTING CALL.
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HIT LIST
Ford has filed a patent for some spooky dystopian technology: a self-driving feature that engages when the buyer becomes delinquent on payments, so the car can lock the driver out and drive itself to the impound lot. [via The Drive]
WORTH NOTING: The patent has been filed but may not be approved, and the company might not actually ever deploy the feature.
ALSO WORTH NOTING: In the fourth quarter last year, 15% of auto finance deals included payments over $1,000 a month – the highest rate ever! [via Barron’s]
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China has a spy satellite that spies on spy satellites.
Analysis of the position of the Tongxin Jishu Shiyan Weixing-3 – or TJS-3 – satellite shows it routinely coming into contact with geostationary American satellites – the type of spacecraft that orbits the Earth over a fixed point.
No word on what kind of data TJS-3 has been collecting, but it has been flying within miles of satellites deployed by the US Space Force. [via Space.com]
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A former New York City firefighter on a flight from Dallas to Orlando put out a fire that started in the overhead compartment when one person’s vape charger overheated.
Rocco Chierichella says his wife woke him up when she saw the smoke, and his instinct immediately kicked in. Before the crew could intervene, Chierichella used his hands to put out the fire, suffering second degree burns in the process.
BY THE WAY: The hero’s flight was comped by the notoriously cheap Spirit Airlines – and goes to show just how bad a flight experience a flier has to have before they’ll make a minimal attempt to make you whole. [via ABC7]
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A lamb at a family farm in Iowa gave birth to quintuplets last weekend – a one-in-a-million occurrence made even more improbable since all the offspring arrived healthy.
Farmer Braxton Brand says the most he’s seen in the past has been triplets. [via KCCI]
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The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race kicked off yesterday in Alaska, just north of Anchorage.
The route to Nome, Alaska, typically takes about ten days for the winner. This year, 33 mushers are in the race – the smallest field of contenders ever; on average there are more than 60. Only two former winners are in the race this time. [via Associated Press]
BY THE WAY: The winner takes home about $50,000, one-tenth of the total, half-million-dollar prize package awarded to finalists. But training and prepping for the competition can cost up to $250,000. The organization continues to struggle financially after PETA pressured past sponsors to withdraw their investments from the race.
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CHARTS
Weekend Box Office
10. 80 for Brady: $845k (down from 7)
9. Magic Mike’s Last Dance: $1.1 million (down from 6)
8. Puss in Boots: The Last Wish: $2.7 million (down from 5)
7. Opération Fortune: Ruse de guerre: $3.1 million (new)
6. Avatar: The Way of Water: $3.5 million (down from 4)
5. Jesus Revolution: $8.6 million (down from 3)
4. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba - To the Swordsmith Village: $10.1 million (new)
3. Cocaine Bear: $11 million (down from 2)
2. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania: $12.4 million (down from 1)
1. Creed III: $58.6 million (new)
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DEATHS
Actor TOM SIZEMORE has died.
The “Saving Private Ryan” star passed away Friday when he was removed from life support after suffering a brain aneurysm.
He was 61.
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TED DONALDSON, who starred as Bud Anderson on the radio version of “Father Knows Best,” has died.
He passed away Wednesday of complications from a fall in his Echo Park apartment earlier this year, according to his friend Thomas Bruno.
Donaldson also starred in “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn” and “Yes Sir, That’s My Baby.”
He was 89.
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BREAKUPS
After nine years together, “Vanderpump Rules” stars TOM SANDOVAL and ARIANA MADIX have split. The news of their breakup shocked Bravo fans around the world as they learned that Sandoval had been having a months-long affair with co-star RAQUEL LEVISS.
Insiders took to social media to share what they knew about what went down, with many revealing that Madix found incriminating texts on Sandoval’s phone between him and Leviss.
The whole thing was caught by a film crew, and producers are hoping to piece it all together to get it in on the current season of the show, according to several outlets.
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KELLYANNE CONWAY and GEORGE CONWAY are divorcing after 22 years of marriage.
Insiders told Page Six that both have “lawyered up” and are currently hashing out the details of their split and what it means for their four children.
Their marriage has been referred to as “one of the greatest mysteries of the 21st century” as Kellyanne was a longtime advisor to former president DONALD TRUMP, while her husband reportedly despised the man.
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THE SWAMP
Former President DONALD TRUMP delivered a power speech at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington, DC on Saturday, making many of the same promises he did in 2016 and 2020.
WORTH NOTING: Most importantly for Trump, he said his campaign organization would master ballot harvesting techniques that propelled Democrats to unexpected wins during 2022 midterms – an encouraging sign for many of his supporters that he’s able to make some structural and stylistic changes in order to win.
BY THE WAY: The Trump-friendly CPAC crowd voted him their favorite 2024 candidate so far. America’s Governor RON DESANTIS – who has not announced a campaign – came in second.
MEANWHILE: You can cross Republican Governor of Maryland LARRY HOGAN off your 2024 presidential candidate scorecard. He announced over the weekend he will not seek the GOP nomination next year.
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In a Friday night news dump, the Biden White House announced that the President had a cancerous lesion removed during his routine physical last month.
A statement from JOE BIDEN’s physician says no further treatment is required after taking out the basal cell carcinoma, the most common type of skin cancer.
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BY THE NUMBERS
📈The DOW added 387 points (1.17%) to close at 33,390 on Friday. The S&P added 64 points (1.61%) to close at 4,045 while the NASDAQ added 226 points (1.97%) to close at 11,689.
🛢 WEST TEXAS INTERMEDIATE closed at $79; BRENT CRUDE at $86.
⛽ The national average price of a GALLON OF GAS was $3.40 on Sunday.
₿ BITCOIN ticked up nearly half-a-point over the weekend, trading just over $22,400.
🛩 There were more than 2,280 FLIGHTS delayed within, into, or out of the United States on Sunday and more than 120 such cancellations.
💰Tuesday night’s MEGA MILLIONS drawing will be for a $188 million jackpot or a $95.7 million cash payout. A winning ticket in Saturday night’s POWERBALL drawing was sold in Virginia. The winner has the option of the $161 million jackpot or the $82.2 million cash option. Tonight’s Powerball drawing will be for a $20 million jackpot or a $10.2 million cash payout.
SHOWBIZ NEWS
Actress REBEL WILSON was once banned from Disneyland for 30 days after taking a photo in a secret bathroom at the park.
But it wasn’t all bad as the park let her choose which days she wanted to be banned. “They called me up and said, ‘Rebel, what 30 days do you not want to come to Disneyland because you’re away filming a movie or something?’” she told HASAN MINHAJ on “The Daily Show.”
Wilson is a self-proclaimed “Disney Adult” who uses the park to celebrate all her major milestones, including her recent proposal to RAMONA AGRUMA. [via Page Six]
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“E.T.” director STEVEN SPIELBERG believes the government is hiding information about unidentified flying objects from the American people.
Talking to STEPHEN COLBERT on “The Late Show,” Spielberg said he believes there is “something going on that simply needs extraordinary due diligence” especially since the Pentagon admitted to not being able to explain more than 100 UFOs.
He joins a growing number of people who are convinced there is life out there. [via TMZ]
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JACKSON MAHOMES, obnoxious TikToker and the younger brother of QB PATRICK MAHOMES, has been accused of assault.
The 22-year-old allegedly forcibly kissed Aspen Vaughn, the owner of Aspens Restaurant and Lounge in Overland Park, Kansas last month. He also allegedly shoved a waiter multiple times.
The alleged assault was caught on surveillance footage from the bar, which Vaughn gave to investigators, telling them “he forcibly kissed me out of nowhere.”
According to Vaughn, Mahomes is friends with her stepdaughter. [via People]
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ADELE signed a woman’s wedding dress during one of her weekend concerts.
At the show, part of her Las Vegas residency, Adele spotted a couple in the crowd in wedding attire and asked if they had just gotten married. The couple responded that they had, as the groom handed Adele a permanent marker to sign his bride’s gown.
The bride shared a video of the experience on Instagram, captioning it “Weekends with Adele.” [via People]
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CHRIS BROWN was questioned by police officers in the UK over his alleged involvement in a bar fight that landed a man in the hospital.
According to RadarOnline.com, the altercation took place last month at Tape nightclub, where Brown went after performing at The O2 stadium. Per the police report, a man was hit in the head with a bottle and then beaten up by Brown’s entourage. The man was rushed to hospital, but later released with no serious injuries.
It is unknown if Brown was directly involved in the fight or not.
He is set to perform at The O2 later this month as part of his ongoing tour. [via RadarOnline]
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Indiana-native JOHN MELLENCAMP will donate his archives to Indiana University.
The news was announced Friday during a Mellencamp Symposium at the college, at which academic scholars and music industry leaders discussed the “social impact of [his] vast oeuvre,” according to the IU website.
Also, a sculpture is being commissioned to “symbolize the strong connection Mellencamp has to his southern Indiana roots,” the university told Variety. The statue will be placed in the campus’ Fine Arts Plaza. [via Variety]
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CASTING CALL
CHRIS ROCK didn’t hold back Saturday night during his live Netflix special, “Selective Outrage.”
Nearly a year after he was assaulted by WILL SMITH at the Oscars, Rock addressed the incident, calling him a “bitch.” Rock also went after Smith’s wife JADA PINKETT SMITH for having an affair and then interviewing Will about it.
“We’ve all been cheated on, everybody in here has been cheated on. None of us has ever been interviewed by the person who cheated on us on television [...] She hurt [Will] way more than he hurt me,” he told the audience.
Rock wrapped up the special saying, “Anybody who says ‘words hurt’ has never been punched in the face.” [via TMZ]
No word on if Will and Jada watched the special.
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RACHEL RAY’s self-titled daytime talk show will be ending after 17 seasons.
The celebrity chef confirmed the news to Deadline, saying it is time for her to move on “to the next exciting chapter” of her career, which includes focusing on her new production company, Free Food Studios.
Throughout her 20 years on TV, Ray has been nominated for 37 Daytime Emmys, winning for Outstanding Talk Show three times. [via Deadline]
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The “Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show” is coming back after a four-year hiatus.
A spokesperson for the company told People Magazine that VS is “always innovating and ideating in all spheres of the business” as they stay committed to championing women.
The revamped fashion show is expected later this year. [via People]
WORTH REMEMBERING: The “Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show” was canceled in November 2019, around the time that the Victoria’s Secret Angel title was dropped amid criticism the brand didn’t support women of all sizes and backgrounds.
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Actor ISAIAH WASHINGTON has announced his retirement from acting.
In a tweet, Washington said that while there were many factors influencing his decision, it was ultimately the ongoing criticism over his former “Grey’s Anatomy” character Dr. Preston Burke that was the final straw.
“...the haters, provocateurs and the Useful idiots have won,” he tweeted Friday before adding, “I’m no longer interested in the back and forth regarding a ‘color construct’ that keeps us human beings divided nor am I interested in politics or anything vitriolic.”
As for what he plans to do in his retirement, Washington told followers that he will be “traveling this great country before it falls into Socialism and then Communism.” [via Page Six]
WORTH REMEMBERING: Washington was fired from “Grey’s” following the show’s third season after using a homophobic slur against his co-star TR KNIGHT. He later returned to the show to make his final appearance in the 10th season.
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COURT CASES
Former Paralympic star OSCAR PISTORIUS may soon be released from prison after serving just half of his 13-year sentence.
Pistorius, who was convicted of killing his girlfriend REEVA STEENKAMP, will go before the parole board on March 31, according to his lawyer. [via People]
THE CASE: On February 14, 2013, Pistorius fatally shot Steenkamp through a closed bathroom door at their Pretoria, South Africa home. His defense was that he thought she was an intruder.
WORTH NOTING: In South Africa, prisoners are eligible for parole after serving a certain amount of their sentence. [via AFP]
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CRIB NOTES
The 5-bedroom, 7,240-square-foot Boulder, Colorado home where 6-year-old JONBENET RAMSEY’s body was found is for sale.
The house, which has been on and off the market a handful of times, was listed last week with a $7 million asking price.
None of what happened in the 1996 tragedy is included in the listing. [via People]
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THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
KIM KARDASHIAN was spotted filming alongside JAMES CORDEN for his “Carpool Karaoke.”
Page Six shared photos of the two laughing as they stopped at a local gas station to try on hats and sunglasses.
No word on when the episode will air. [via Page Six]
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WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS
PRINCE HARRY sat down for a live chat with Hungarian-Canadian physician, author and addiction expert Dr. GABOR MATE Saturday to discuss his public upbringing.
During the conversation, DGM diagnosed Harry with ADD, PTSD, anxiety and depression, which he says he deduced from their brief chat as well as reading “Spare.” He also noted that the loss of Harry’s mom was the driving factor.
When asked how Harry copes with all the stress, he revealed that marijuana and psychedelics help him clear his head.
As for his wife, MEGHAN MARKLE, Harry credits her with “saving [his] life” and helping him “break free” from the “shackles of the Royal institution.”
Toward the end of the conversation, Harry took questions from viewers, which were likely pre-screened as no one asked about their recent eviction from Frogmore or the “South Park” episode mocking them or even if he and Meg plan to attend KING CHARLES’ Coronation. [via TMZ]
SPEAKING OF THE CORONATION: Royal insiders confirmed that Harry and Meghan have been officially invited to the event. They have not yet RSVP’d.
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DAY OF THE YEAR
National Dress Day
National Oreo Cookie Day
National White Cheesecake Day
National Frozen Food Day
Hospitality Workers in HealthCare Day
National Dentist’s Day
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ON THIS DATE
1820 – President Monroe signs the Missouri Compromise into law.
The agreement balanced the number of slave states and free states. Missouri entered the Union as a slave state and Maine entered as a free state. Much of the territory included in the Louisiana Purchase also outlawed slavery.
While Monroe personally believed in States’ rights, he recognized that slavery conflicted with the universal freedoms promised in the Constitution and Declaration of Independence — and let Congress work on the details.
Monroe believed the issue of slavery would fracture the newly-developing nation, as it did in the ensuing decades.
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1857 – In the Dred Scott case, the Supreme Court deals a significant blow to the emancipation movement, declaring that slaves could never be considered citizens, that the ban on slavery in the Louisiana territory was unconstitutional, and that Congress didn’t have the authority to outlaw slavery, either.
Five of the nine justices came from southern slave states.
Within four years, the first states would secede from the Union to form the Confederacy, and war over the issues of slavery and states’ rights soon followed.
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1899 – Pharmaceutical company Friedrich Bayer & Co. receives a patent for acetylsalicylic acid in Berlin, Germany — better known as Aspirin.
It was originally distributed in powdered form as a pain reliever.
Within fifteen years it became available in tablet form. The Bayer company name and trademarks were sold at auction in the United States and Canada in 1917, following America's entry into the first World War.
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1951 – Julius and Ethel Rosenberg begin their trial in New York.
They were accused of spying for the Soviets and stealing American nuclear secrets.
According to the lawsuit, Julius Rosenberg solicited information from his brother-in-law, David Greenglass, who was a machinist working at Los Alamos, where the US was developing atomic weapons.
The trial lasted a month, and the Rosnenbergs were found guilty. They were sentenced to death two days later. David Greenglass only got 15 years after he confessed to his role in the spy plot
The couple was executed in 1953.
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2001 – Free music-sharing software Napster starts to lose its luster.
In an attempt to comply with new federal regulations protecting copyrighted music, free song sharing became impossible.
WORTH REMEMBERING: Well before the ubiquity of YouTube and Spotify, people had to buy CDs in stores, rip the tracks onto their computer, then upload them to share with other users on services like Napster and Limewire.
Napster’s rule changes came on the heels of a $20 billion lawsuit from the Recording Industry Association of America.
BUT WAIT: Not long after this change, Apple’s iTunes Store rose to prominence, where people could buy individual tracks for 99 cents and manually sync their libraries to iPods — because these quaint devices couldn’t even access the internet.
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BIRTHDAYS
Millicent Simmonds - actress, “A Quiet Place” - 20
Milo Manheim - actor, “Zombies” - 22
Marcus Smart - basketball player - 29
Sam Bankman-Fried - founder of FTX - 31
Tyler The Creator - rapper - 32
Shaquille O’Neal - basketball player - 51
Connie Briton - actress, “Nashville” & “Friday Night Lights” - 56
Alan Davies - actor, “Jonathan Creek” - 57
David Gilmour - guitarist, Pink Floyd - 77
Martin Kove - actor, “Rambo: First Blood Part II” - 77
Born On this Date
Lou Costello - comedian & actor, “The Abbott and Costello Show” - 1906 (d. 1959)
George Dayton - founder of Dayton’s Department store - 1857 (d. 1938)
Harriet Tubman - civil rights leader who rescued over 300 slaves - 1820 (d. 1913)
Michelangelo - painter - 1475 (d. 1564)
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