4/10/2023: How to Catch a (Slippery, Naked) Thief
PLUS: 2024 Total Eclipse; More Biden Bank Records; and Donda Academy Lawsuit
Today is Monday, April 10, 2023.
It is the 100th day of the year.
265 days remain.
WHAT’S ON TAP
A Chinese man is sentenced to prison for killing some chickens and a moose walks into a hospital. More in HIT LIST.
More subpoenas are headed for information on bank accounts connected to members of President JOE BIDEN’s family. More in THE SWAMP.
HARVEY WEINSTEIN flies first class to New York and MADONNA is working on getting her “old” face back. More in SHOWBIZ.
DAISY RIDLEY is reprising her role as Rey in a new “Star Wars” film and JAMES CORDEN’s final “Late Late Show” guests have been announced. More in CASTING CALL.
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HIT LIST
A total solar eclipse will plunge millions of people into midday darkness on Monday, April 8, 2024.
The eclipse will travel in a diagonal line from the Pacific, passing over Mexico then Texas, parts of the Midwest and finally the Northeast and Canada.
The last total solar eclipse that traveled coast to coast in the US occurred on August 21, 2017. The next one to hit the US won’t happen until 2044, but according to NASA that one will only likely be visible in the Dakotas and Montana.
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A naked, slippery man was arrested in DeBary, Florida over the weekend after he was spotted jumping on a trampoline and swimming in someone’s backyard pool.
According to the Volusia County Sheriff's Department, 34-year-old Blake Tokman was covered in wheel-bearing grease, peppermint oil and his own blood when they responded to a burglary in progress call at 2 am on Friday.
The slippery substances made it difficult for officers to get a good hold on him, plus whatever substance he was on made him combative. It ultimately took four deputies to get Tokman in handcuffs and three medical professionals to get him secured on the stretcher.
He has been charged with occupied burglary, battery on a law enforcement officer, criminal mischief and resisting arrest with violence.
No word on why Tokman was covered in the slippery concoction. [via NY Post]
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A Chinese man named Gu has been sentenced to prison for scaring his neighbor’s chickens to death.
Here’s what happened: Gu reportedly used a flashlight to scare the birds, causing them to trample over each other in a desperate, panic-stricken attempt to flee the coop. Over 500 died.
When police caught up to him regarding the trespassing, he was ordered to pay his neighbor, Zhong, 3,000 yuan ($436). The fine caused Gu to become enraged, so he returned to the scene of the crime, where he once again scared the birds with his flashlight, killing even more.
In total, 1,100 chickens died.
Following the second indiscretion, Gu was sentenced to six months in prison, with one year of probation. He has also been ordered to pay Zhong 13,840 yuan ($2,015).
Sources told China Daily that the feud between the two men started last year over some trees that were chopped down. [via China Daily]
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Transit police officers in Boston were called to the Back Bay train station Friday evening after receiving calls that there was a man carrying a long rifle.
Turns out that man was just “Star Wars” character Boba Fett -- or at least a man dressed as the iconic character, who was in town to attend the 2023 Anime Boston convention. [via CNN]
FOR THOSE UNFAMILIAR: Boba Fett is an armed bounty hunter featured in the “Star Wars” franchise. He is almost always in full gear and carries a lengthy firearm.
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A young moose wandered into the Providence Alaska Health Park in Anchorage last week.
Randy Hughes, the hospital’s director of security, made an announcement about the unexpected trespasser in an attempt to keep people at bay, but all it seemed to do was draw a crowd. Meanwhile, the moose was too preoccupied eating some of the office greenery to be phased by the onlookers.
The animal was eventually led out of the building with one of the leaves.
According to Hughes, this isn’t the first time a moose has found its way into the clinic. He also said that bears have tried to get into the emergency room before too. [via AP News]
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CHARTS
Weekend Box Office
10. A Thousand and One: $600k (down from 7)
9. Paint: $750k (new)
8. Shazam! Fury of the Gods: $1.6 million (down from 6)
7. Creed III: $2.8 million (down from 5)
6. His Only Son: $3.2 million (down from 3)
5. Scream VI: $3.3 million (down 4)
4. Air: $14.4 million (new)
3. Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves: $14.5 million (down from 1)
2. John Wick: Chapter 4: $14.6 million (stayed at 2)
1. The Super Mario Bros. Movie: $146.3 million (new)
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DEATHS
Musician PAUL CATTERMOLE has died.
According to Dorset police, he was found dead at his home last Thursday. A cause of death is not yet known.
Cattermole was a member of the ‘90s British pop group S CLUB 7, who announced a reunion tour earlier this year.
He was 46.
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BEN FERENCZ, the last living prosecutor from the Nuremberg trials, has died.
He passed away Friday in Boynton Beach, Florida, according to a post from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington.
Ferencz, who tried Nazi’s for genocide and war crimes, was one of the first outside witnesses to document when occurred at Nazi labor and concentration camps.
He was 103.
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HOBIE LANDRITH, the first ever Mets player, has died.
He passed away last Thursday, according to the New York-based team. No cause of death was shared.
Landrith was the team’s first pick in the 1961 expansion draft. He played 772 MLB games across 14 seasons.
He was 93.
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BREAKUPS
TAYLOR SWIFT, 33, and actor JOE ALWYN, 32, have reportedly called it quits after six years of dating.
According to several outlets, the couple split a few weeks ago, with one source saying it was “amicable” and “not dramatic.” While there isn’t a clear reason as to what caused the breakup, another insider stated that “the relationship had simply run its course.”
Sounds like there may soon be a new hit breakup song for Swifties to enjoy!
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RELATIONSHIPS
NFL player CHRISTIAN MCCAFFREY, 26, and supermodel OLIVIA CULPO, 30, are engaged!
McCaffrey popped the question last weekend, according to an Instagram post featuring photos from the proposal shared by Culpo.
They have been dating since 2019.
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THE SWAMP
The House Oversight Committee has issued another round of subpoenas to major banks where members of the BIDEN FAMILY CRIME SYNDICATE keep their accounts.
In particular, the subpoenas are connected to the accounts of six people and ten business entities covering the last 14 years, some with connections to China.
Democrats on the committee have issued a memo to protect any findings that could implicate President JOE BIDEN: “Despite their vast efforts, Committee Republicans have failed to identify any evidence connecting President Biden to or implicating him in the foreign transactions under investigation,” they write. [via CNN]
WORTH ASKING: Isn’t the point of a subpoena to find exactly this kind of evidence – if there is any?
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BY THE NUMBERS
📈 The DOW added 3 points (0.0077%) to close at 33,485 on Friday. The S&P added 15 points (0.36%) to close at 4,105 and the NASDAQ added 91 points (0.76%) to close at 12,088.
🛢 WEST TEXAS INTERMEDIATE closed at $80 on Friday; BRENT CRUDE at $85.
⛽ The national average price of a GALLON OF GAS was $3.60 on Sunday.
₿ BITCOIN was up more nearly 2% over the weekend trading over $28,390.
🛩 There were more than 2,635 FLIGHTS delayed within, into, or out of the United States on Sunday and more than 134 such cancellations.
💰Tuesday night’s MEGA MILLIONS will be for a $441 million jackpot or a $238.8 million cash payout. Tonight’s POWERBALL drawing will be for a $192 million jackpot or a $104.9 million cash payout.
SHOWBIZ NEWS
JORGE MASVIDAL aka “The King of Miami” put on quite the show after losing his UFC match to GILBERT BURNS on Saturday night.
Joining commentator JOE ROGAN in the ring, Masvidal announced to the crowd that he will be retiring from the MMA at 20-years. Following the announcement he gave a shout out to former President DONALD TRUMP, who was sitting ringside next to UFC President DANA WHITE, MIKE TYSON and KID ROCK.
“I wanted to say, greatest president in the history of the world sitting right there. I love that guy,” he exclaimed before also giving a shoutout to Florida Governor RON DESANTIS, calling him “the greatest governor of all time.”
He didn’t end his political thoughts there…
After praising the two men, Masvidal asked the crowd to join him in chanting “Let’s Go Brandon,” which they happily obliged. [via NY Post]
FOR THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN LIVING UNDER A ROCK: “Let’s Go Brandon” was created as an anti-JOE BIDEN chant that started after an NBC reporter interviewing NASCAR driver BRANDON BROWN misheard the crowd, who was actually yelling “[F-word] Joe Biden.”
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MILEY CYRUS’ “Flowers” has been named the most streamed song of 2023, so far with 1.16 BILLION streams globally.
SZA’s hit “Kill Bill” (885 million) is the second-most streamed song globally, followed by THE WEEKND’s “Die For You” (629 million) Rounding out the top five are two collaborations, BIZZARAP and SHAKIRA’s “BZRP Music Sessions #53” (627 million) and REMA and SELENA GOMEZ’s “Calm Down” (601 million).
The top five tracks helped global music on-demand audio streams grow at a faster pace than ever -- hitting the one trillion mark on March 31 and setting a new record for the earliest that number has ever been reached in a single year. [via Variety]
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PRISCILLA PRESLEY says there is no feud between her and her granddaughter RILEY KEOUGH regarding LISA MARIE PRESLEY’s estate.
She made the statement during a recent Q&A session in the UK, where she spoke about her relationship with Keough. One attendee told ET that Priscilla got emotional when speaking about how “proud” she is of her granddaughter and her success on the Prime Video series, “Daisy Jones & The Six.”
As previously reported, there have been multiple reports stating that the two were feuding over the late Lisa Marie’s estate, with Priscilla challenging an amendment made to her daughter’s will removing her as co-trustee. [via ET]
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Disgraced movie mogul HARVEY WEINSTEIN flew first class from Los Angeles to New York following his latest conviction, and the L.A. County D.A. is paying for it.
Sources told TMZ, that Weinsten flew commercial with investigators and medical personnel in tow. According to the D.A. he was flown cross-country “via a method [they] typically use pursuant to [their] extradition agreement with New York.”
Weinstein will serve out his sentences at the Mohawk Correctional Facility, which according to sources “specializes in sex offender treatment.”
As previously reported, he was sentenced to 16 years in February in his Los Angeles sexual assault case, which was handed down after a 23-year sentence from his New York case. [via TMZ]
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MADONNA wants her “old” face back before heading out on her world tour.
An insider told the Daily Mail, the 64-year-old was “deeply affected” by the backlash she faced over her appearance at the Grammys in February.
“She sees and hears what people say about her and, for the tour, she wants to look more like herself again for her fans,” an insider added before sharing that Madge is currently undergoing procedures to restore her natural features.
Madonna is set to kick off her “Celebration Tour” on July 15 in Vancouver. [via Daily Mail]
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SEAN “Diddy” COMBS says he was just being “facetious” when he tweeted last week that he pays STING $5,000 a day to sample his song “Every Breath You Take.”
In response to fans’ shock over the post, Diddy tweeted, “I want y’all to understand I was joking! It’s called being Facetious! Me and @OfficialSting have been friends for a long time! He never charged me $3K or $5K a day for Missing You. He probably makes more than $5K a day from one of the biggest songs in history. LOVE.”
Diddy sampled the song in his 1997 hit, “I’ll Be Missing You,” which was a tribute to the late rapper THE NOTORIOUS B.I.G. [via ET]
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TIGER WOODS withdrew from the Masters on Sunday morning after making the cut for a record-tying 23rd consecutive time. The bad weather coupled with the injuries he suffered in a 2021 car crash made the golf legend feel like he could no longer compete.
Woods has never missed making it to the Masters in his professional golf career.
Golfers FRED COUPLES and GARY PLAYER have also made the tournament for 23 consecutive years. [via Deadline]
IN OTHER NEWS: Three massive trees fell near the spectator area at Augusta National Golf Club on Friday, causing the tournament to be suspended for the day. No injuries were reported.
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The WWE is apologizing after using an image from Auschwitz in a recent promo for WrestleMania.
In a statement, obtained by TMZ, the company said they “had no knowledge of what was depicted” and as soon as it came to their attention, they removed the image “immediately.”
Meanwhile, the Auschwitz Memorial hit back saying that “exploiting the site that became a symbol of enormous human tragedy is shameless and insults the memory of all victims of Auschwitz.”
The image was replaced with generic footage of barbed wire on later airings of the event. [via TMZ]
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CASTING CALL
The guests for JAMES CORDEN’s final 12 shows of the “Late Late Show” have been announced.
Before saying good-bye on April 26, Corden will sit down with BEN AFFLECK, BRYAN CRANSTON, JOSH GAD, JENNIFER GARNER, BRETT GOLDSTEIN, KATE HUDSON, MILA KUNIS, SETH MEYERS, BILLY PORTER, ALLISON JANNEY and SHARON STONE.
The KARDASHIANS will also join Corden for a “Take a Break” segment.
Prior to the final episode, there will be a one-hour special called, “The Last Last Late Show with James Corden Carpool Karaoke Special.” [via ET]
WORTH NOTING: Janney, who will make her 15th appearance, is the celebrity with the most guest appearances on the show.
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There are three new “Star Wars” films in the works at Disney.
The first will see the return of DAISY RIDLEY, who played Rey in Episodes VII through IX. The untitled film will follow Rey 15 years after “Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker” and “will tell the story of the rebuilding of a new Jedi order,” according to the announcement.
For the other two films, one will focus on the “earliest origins of the Force and the Jedi” and the other will “revolve around the New Republic.”
No word on release dates for any of the three. [via NY Post]
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THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
Two former teachers from YE’s Donda Academy are suing both the rapper and school, claiming they were fired for speaking out against working conditions and being Black.
According to the lawsuit, the two women claim that there were “numerous health and safety violations, unlawful education practices and extremely unusual rules” at the Academy. These include, sushi being the only lunch option day after day, crossword puzzles and coloring sheets not being allowed in the building, no classes held on the second floor because Ye is allegedly “afraid of stairs” and none of the students were allowed to use utensils while eating.
The suit continues on, claiming that artwork was not to be hung on the walls, no one was allowed to wear jewelry, chairs were forbidden for both students and teachers and everyone was to wear all back from head-to-toe, but no Nike or Adidas clothing was allowed.
Also, the women stated that the students were not allowed outside until after the school day was over, meaning they spent their recess indoors.
After sharing their concerns, the two women claim that they were fired for speaking out and because they were the only Black teachers employed at the Academy.
Ye has not addressed the claims. [via TMZ]
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WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS
BETTER MIDLER will perform at KING CHARLES’ Coronation next month.
According to The Sun, Midler will perform live on May 7 (the day after the official ceremony) alongside LIONEL RICHIE at a free concert at Windsor Castle.
Her booking comes after organizers for the event struggled to find musical talent. [via The Sun]
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DAY OF THE YEAR
National Hug Your Dog Day
International Safety Pin Day
Easter Monday
National Farm Animals Day
National Cinnamon Crescent Day
National Siblings Day
Golfer’s Day
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ON THIS DATE
1849 - Mechanic Walter Hunt patents the safety pin.
He would later sell the rights to it for $400, using some of the proceeds to pay off a $15 debt he owed a friend.
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1865 - A day after agreeing to surrender, General Robert E. Lee gives a final address to his surrendered army.
He commended their bravery and endurance. After four years of fighting, Lee retired to Lexington, Virginia, where he would die five years later.
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1933 – Public works projects continued full steam ahead under the watchful eye of the Roosevelt administration.
FDR established the Civilian Conservation Corps. The organization gave unemployed workers projects that benefited the environment.
It quickly became nicknamed "Roosevelt's Tree Army," enlisting unmarried men between the ages of 18 and 26. Three million people would go to work for the CCC between 1933 and 1942.
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1970 – Paul McCartney officially announces the end of the Beatles, though the individual members had been pursuing solo interests for years.
McCartney said the band suffered from personal, business, and musical differences. He also flat-out rejected the idea of working with John Lennon again.
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1971 – Amid tensions with the communist East, the American ping pong team visits China.
The Chinese were anxious to bridge the diplomatic gap between the two countries, especially in the context of the Cold War. The tactic was named "ping pong diplomacy."
Though the Soviets and Chi-coms both subscribed to Marxism, they remained in conflict that even resulted in occasionally bloody conflict across their borders.
The trip laid the foundation for Nixon's historic visit in 1972.
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2019 – The first ever photo of a black hole is revealed.
The photo, captured by The Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration, was taken in 2017.
It is 6.5 billion times the mass of Earth and 55 million light years away.
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BIRTHDAYS
Sofia Carson - actress, “Descendants” - 30
Daisy Ridley - actress, “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” - 31
Maren Morris - country singer - 33
Alex Pettyfer - actor, “Beastly” & “Magic Mike” - 33
Haley Joel Osment - actor, “The Sixth Sense” - 35
Shay Mitchell - actress, “Pretty Little Liars” - 36
Mandy Moore - singer & actress, “This Is Us” - 39
Chyler Leigh - actress, “Grey’s Anatomy” & “Supergirl” - 41
Charlie Hunnam - actor, “Sons of Anarchy” - 43
David Harbour - actor, “Stranger Things” - 48
Roberto Carlos - soccer player - 50
Babyface - music producer - 64
Steven Seagal - actor, “Hard to Kill” - 72
Born On This Date
John Madden - sportscaster - 1936 (d. 2021)
Max Von Sydow - actor, “Game of Thrones” - 1929 (d. 2020)
William Booth - founder of the Salvation Army - 1829 (d. 1912)
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