4/11/2023: What’s Up, Doc?
PLUS: Biden’s (seriously, probably) Running; Kim Joins “AHS”; and Kate’s Shameful Choice
Today is Tuesday, April 11, 2023.
It is the 101st day of the year.
264 days remain.
WHAT’S ON TAP
A rare ruby is hitting the auction block and the DALAI LAMA is apologizing for an indecent interaction with a young boy. More in HIT LIST.
President JOE BIDEN says he’s running, but not officially, again, and independents are making up their minds on former President DONALD TRUMP now that the New York indictment is official. Details in THE SWAMP.
DOJA CAT is stepping up her rap game and EMINEM reveals his favorite song. More in SHOWBIZ.
“Super Mario Bros.” is a box office hit and “Stranger Things” is going animated. More in CASTING CALL.
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HIT LIST
An “exceedingly rare” 55.22-carat ruby is expected to fetch more than $30.3 million when it hits the auction block in June.
The stone, named Estrela de Fura (Star of Fura), was discovered by Fura Gems in one of their mines in Mozambique last year. Before being cut from a rough stone, it weighed 101 carats, making it the largest gem-quality ruby ever found. It was cut down and “polished in order to remove impurities and enhance its brilliance,” according to Sotheby’s Auction House.
Joining the Estrela de Fura in the auction is a 10.57-carat pink diamond, named The Eternal Pink, which is expected to fetch over $35 million. [via CNN]
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Did you know?
Two out of five people admitted they followed what they found online regarding their health over calling their physician in the last year. This was just one of the findings of a recent survey of 2,016 adults ages 40 or over, in the US, conducted by OnePoll for Bayer Aspirin.
BATTLE OF THE SEXES: The survey also found that women were more likely to trust their physician’s advice (66% to 54%), but men were more confident in their knowledge regarding their family’s health history (81% vs. 69%).
HEALTHY HEART: Respondents were also asked questions focusing on heart health. Findings showed that 41% did not know heart attack symptoms can differ for men and women, and less than half recognized nausea/vomiting or jaw pain as possible indicators of a heart attack.
For more findings click here>>>
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The DALAI LAMA is apologizing after asking a young boy to “suck his tongue” during an event in India earlier this year.
In a video that has gone viral, the young boy is seen approaching the spiritual leader and giving him a hug and kiss on the cheek. His Holiness then asked the boy to kiss him on the lips. After kissing him, the Dalai Lama reportedly told the boy “suck my tongue.”
In response to the criticism, the office of the Dalai Lama released a statement apologizing to the boy and his family for the incident.
MEANWHILE: A Delhi-based child rights group denounced the incident and “all forms of child abuse” in response to the video, while the BBC said that “sticking out one’s tongue can sometimes serve as a greeting in Tibet.” [via AP News]
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Serial bank robber Bonnie Gooch has been arrested following her latest heist.
According to The Kansas City Star, the 78-year-old entered the Goppert Financial Bank in Pleasant Hill, Missouri last week where she handed a teller a note demanding $13,000 in small bills. She signed the note with, “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
This was Gooch’s third bank robbery. In 1977 she robbed a California bank and in 2020 she held up a bank in the Kansas City suburb of Lee’s Summit. [via The Kansas City Star]
FOR THE RECORD: She does not have a Clyde.
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Geraldine Gimblet, who spent her life savings on her daughter’s cancer treatments, is now a millionaire after purchasing and winning on the last scratch-off ticket available at her local Florida gas station.
The $10 ticket, which Gimblet purchased one day after her daughter’s final cancer treatment, won her $2 million, according to the Florida Lottery.
Making the win even sweeter, Gimblet claimed her winnings with her daughter at her side. [via ABC News]
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CHARTS
Top 5 Songs on Apple Music:
Drake, “Search & Rescue”
Morgan Wallen, “Last Night”
Ella Baila Sola, “Eslabón Armado, Peso Pluma”
Toosii, “Favorite Song”
Rod Wave, “Fight The Feeling”
Top 5 Songs on Spotify:
SZA, “Kill Bill”
Miley Cyrus, “Flowers”
PinkPantheress & Ice Spice, “Boy’s a liar Pt. 2”
ROSALIA & Rauw Alejandro, “BESO”
Coi Leray, “Players”
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DEATHS
Actor MICHAEL LERNER has died.
He passed away Saturday, according to a social media post from his nephew, fellow actor SAM LERNER. No cause of death was shared.
Lerner starred in “Eight Men Out,” “Godzilla,” “X-Men: Days of Futures Past” and as Jack Lipnick in “Barton Fink.”
He was 81.
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Actress ELIZABETH HUBBARD has died.
She passed away Saturday from cancer at her home in Roxbury, Connecticut, according to a statement from her son.
Hubbard was a regular on Broadway and also played Dr. Althea Davis and Lucinda Walsh on “The Doctors” and “As the World Turns,” respectively.
She was 89.
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Race car driver JUSTIN OWEN has died.
He passed away from injuries he sustained in a crash while racing at the Lawrenceburg Speedway in southeastern Indiana on Saturday, according to the U.S. Auto Club.
Owen was only 26.
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Bassist JOHN REGAN has died.
He passed away Friday, according to a Facebook post. No cause of death was shared.
Regan played with BILLY IDOL, the ROLLING STONES, DAVID BOWIE and many others.
He was 71.
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BABY NEWS
Actress HILARY SWANK, 48, has given birth to her and husband, entrepreneur PHILIP SCHNEIDER’s twin babies.
She announced the news in an Instagram post, featuring a photo of her holding the two infants.
Swank did not reveal when the babies arrived or their names.
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THE SWAMP
President JOE BIDEN has confirmed he’s running in 2024 – but not “officially” yet. Biden told NBC News that he is “planning on running” but “we’re not prepared to announce it yet.”
WORTH NOTING: This isn’t really anything new, but Biden saying he’s just waiting to announce does make the plan sound more official.
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The indictment of former President DONALD TRUMP has swung independent voters aggressively against him. On April 1 – before the indictment was made official – 41% of independents surveyed said that Trump should suspend his campaign. After the news broke, that number increased to 52%, a firm majority. [via ABC News]
WORTH NOTING: The merits of the case aside, Trump would have to identify a new segment of voters to support and vote for him in 2024, much like he did to earn his shock victory in 2016, if independents continue to sour on him.
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BY THE NUMBERS
📈 The DOW added 101 points (0.30%) to close at 33,587 on Monday. The S&P added 4 points (0.100%) to close at 4,109 and the NASDAQ lost 3 points (0.030%) to close at 12,084.
🛢 WEST TEXAS INTERMEDIATE closed at $80; BRENT CRUDE at $84.
⛽ The national average price of a GALLON OF GAS was $3.60 on Monday.
₿ BITCOIN was up more than 0.49% on Monday, trading just over $29,804.
🛩 There were more than 4,144 FLIGHTS delayed within, into, or out of the United States on Monday and more than 107 such cancellations.
💰Tonight’s MEGA MILLIONS will be for a $441 million jackpot or a $238.8 million cash payout.
SHOWBIZ NEWS
Four handwritten letters from the members of KISS are hitting the auction block.
The letters, all written to fans, vary, with each one matching the author’s stage persona: GENE SIMMONS aka The Demon, PAUL STANLEY aka The Spaceman, ACE FREHLEY aka The Catman and PETER CRISS aka The Starchild.
The notes are listed on GottaHaveRockandRoll.com, which expects them to go for anywhere between $50,000 and $150,000. As of Monday afternoon, the current bid sits at $20,000. [via TMZ]
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DOJA CAT is ready to show off her rap skills.
The musician, whose work has a bit more of a pop feel to it, took to Twitter to tell fans that she is ditching pop music, in order to improve her rap game.
Doja said that her new album will show everyone that she can step it up. [via TMZ]
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EMINEM revealed some of his favorites during a recent Q&A at a Spotify party, including his all-time favorite song from his lengthy rap career.
Off all the songs across his 11 studio albums, Em shared that his favorite is the expletive-laced “FACK,” which went viral on TikTok in 2021. One fan at the event agreed with his selection, calling it a “lyrical masterpiece.”
As for some of his other favorite things, Em told the crowd that his favorite Avengers character is The Hulk and and his favorite cereal is Raisin Bran Crunch. [via Daily Mail]
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Actress LENA DUNHAM is celebrating five years of sobriety after dealing with a prescription pill addiction.
“5 years ago today, I set foot - trembling like a little kid - into treatment for substance abuse,” she wrote on Instagram Monday, along with a collage of photos.
The 36-year-old credits her sobriety to “medical” and “spiritual” support, as well as support from her family, friends, and husband, musician LUIS FELBER. [via Page Six]
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PETE DAVIDSON and his girlfriend, actress CHASE SUI WONDERS stopped by MARTHA STEWART’s abode over the weekend while touring homes in the area.
Stewart, being the gracious host that she is, showed them around her home and even took a minute to snap a photo with them on her front porch.
Stewart shared the snapshot on Instagram, calling Davidson and Wonders a “Very cute couple!” [via CNN]
WORTH NOTHING: Stewart and Davidson have known each other for years, after having both attended the “Comedy Central Roast of Justin Bieber” in 2015.
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CASTING CALL
ARIANA MADIX is joining “Dancing With the Stars.”
The “Vanderpump Rules” star, who was recently blindsided by her boyfriend TOM SANDOVAL’s months-long affair, is reportedly in talks to appear on the next season of the dance competition show.
As for the little issue of “Vanderpump Rules” airing on Bravo, which is owned by NBC and “DWTS” being on ABC, an insider told TMZ it shouldn’t be a problem. [via TMZ]
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“The Super Mario Bros. Movie” landed the biggest opening weekend of all time for an animated flick with over $377 million in global ticket sales.
The movie, starring CHRIS PRATT, ANYA TAYLOR-JOY and JACK BLACK, beat “Frozen II,” which grossed $358 million worldwide during its opening weekend.
Domestically, “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” brought in over $204 million in ticket sales. [via Business Insider]
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Netflix announced Monday that an animated version of “Stranger Things” is happening.
The yet-to-be-titled show will be “in the vein of Saturday morning cartoons,” according to “ST” creators MATT and ROSS DUFFER.
It is unknown if any members of the original cast will have voice roles in the new series. [via Hollywood Reporter]
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TIMOTHEE CHALAMET will do all of his own singing when he plays folk singer BOB DYLAN in an upcoming film.
Director JAMES MANGOLD told Collider that the actor “will not be lip-syncing” as he takes on the role of a young 19-year-old Bob Dylan, who comes to New York with a dream of making it big.
Filming on “A Complete Unknown” (working title) starts in August. [via Collider]
WORTH NOTING: Chalamet had to do a lot of his own singing when he played Willy Wonka in last year’s “Wonka.”
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Season 14 of VALERIE BERTINELLI’s Food Network show “Valerie’s Home Cooking” premiered on Sunday, along with an announcement from the celebrity chef that this will be the end of the series.
Bertinelli revealed that Food Network informed her that they had canceled her show after this current season, but never really gave her a reason why.
“Valerie’s Home Cooking” debuted in 2015. She has also appeared on several other Food Network shows, including “Kids Baking Championship,” which she has co-hosted for all 11 seasons. [via Hollywood Reporter]
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THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
KIM KARDASHIAN is joining the cast of Season 12 of “American Horror Story.”
The reality star and mom-of-four made the announcement on Instagram Monday, sharing a teaser featuring the words “AHS12. Emma Roberts and Kim Kardashian are delicate. This summer.”
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the show’s upcoming season will be called “Delicate,” and will be based on DANIELLE VALENTINE’s novel, “Delicate Condition.” [via Hollywood Reporter]
WORTH REMEMBERING: Roberts starred in “AHS” from 2013 through 2019.
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WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS
PRINCESS CATHERINE has allegedly “shamed” the Royal Family after sporting red nail polish during Easter Sunday mass.
The bold color choice left royal fans astounded as it is well-known that the late QUEEN ELIZABETH disapproved of bright nail polish. Her Majesty preferred to keep things neutral with a nice light pink color called “Ballet Slippers,” and it was understood that other royal women would follow her lead, royal insiders have previously stated.
Not all reactions were negative however, some praised Kate for “modernizing [...] the nobility.”
BUT WAIT: Royal historian Marlene Koenig previously told Town & Country that there are “no official rules” when it comes to nail polish colors. So maybe she didn’t break any rules after all? [via NY Post]
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DAY OF THE YEAR
National Submarine Day
National Pet Day
World Parkinson’s Day
National Barbershop Quartet Day
National Equal Pay Day
National Cheese Fondue Day
International Be Kind to Lawyers Day
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ON THIS DATE
1814 - Napoleon Bonaparte gives up his empire.
He leaves for exile on Elba, in the Mediterranean.
Napoleon managed to escape the following year and rallied enough supporters to take back his title. But the victory was short-lived, in a period called The Hundred Days.
He lost again at the Battle of Waterloo, after which he left for Saint Helena in the Atlantic, where he died.
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1898 - President William McKinley asks Congress for authorization to end the fighting in Cuba between the rebels and Spanish forces.
He also requested to establish a stable government that would maintain order and ensure peach and tranquility and the security of Cuban and US citizens on the island.
Days later, a resolution would be passed establishing Cuba’s independence.
All of this would culminate with the Spanish-American War.
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1912 - The RMS Titanic leaves Ireland for New York.
On board are an estimated 1,316 passengers.
It would sink four days later after hitting an iceberg.
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1951 - The conflict between General Douglas MacArthur and President Harry Truman peaks when the Commander in Chief dismisses the military leader of his duties in Korea.
MacArthur had been ardently encouraging an invasion of the North to completely eliminate the communists, but Truman feared military pushback from the Chinese.
General Matthew Ridgeway replaced MacArthur.
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1970 - Apollo 13 begins its ill-fated mission to the Moon.
Jim Loveel, John Swigert and Fred Haise piloted the ship. They were tasked with conducting geological experiments on the Moon and bringing back samples. It would have been the third manned exploration mission of the Moon.
The mission was aborted when an oxygen tank failed two days into the mission.
It would return back to Earth less than six days later.
1993 - 450 prisoners riot at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility.
The inmates were irate about prison conditions and the forced vaccination of Nation of Islam prisoners for tuberculosis.
Several inmates and one guard were killed. Rioters caused over $40 million in damages to the facility.
The chaos ended after 10 days, when rioters surrendered.
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2004 - Phil Mickelson wins his first Masters Golf Tournament.
The win at Augusta was his first major championship in nearly 12 years in the PGA.
He would go on to win the PGA championship in 2005 and the Masters again in 2006.
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2020 - Brazil is the first country in the southern hemisphere to report over 1,000 deaths from COVID-19.
There were more than 19,638 reported cases in the country at the time.
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BIRTHDAYS
Milly Alcock - actress, “House of the Dragon” - 23
Marcus Johns - actor, “Expelled” & “Cold” - 30
Joss Stone - soul singer - 36
Alessandra Ambrosio - model - 42
Matt Ryan - actor, “Constantine” & “The Tudors” - 42
Brett Claywell - actor, “One Tree Hill” - 45
Tricia Helfer - actress, “Battlestar Galactica” - 49
Jennifer Esposito - actress, “Don’t Say a Word” & “Crash” - 50
Goldust - wrestler - 54
Steve Azar - country singer - 59
Jeremy Clarkson - TV show host, “Top Gear” - 63
Ethel Kennedy - human-rights activist & wife of Senator Bobby Kennedy - 95
Born On This Date
Clara Ford - suffragette & wife of industrialist Henry Ford - 1866 (d. 1950)
Elmer E. Ellsworth - first Union officer killed in the Civil War - 1837 (d. 1861)
James Parkinson - physician & first to describe Parkinson’s Disease - 1755 (d. 1824)
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