4/1/2022: Biden Releases More Oil
4/1/2022: Biden Releases More Oil
PLUS: Far Star Spotted, Break-In at Beckham’s, and QE2’s New Ride
Today is Friday, April 1, 2022.
It is the 91st day of the year.
274 days remain.
TRENDING
Twitter users celebrated transpeople on Thursday by spreading awareness with tweets including #TransDayofVisibility.
Tom Hanks was trending in response to Twitter user @avaanderson87 tweeting, “Raise your hand if you agree that Tom Hanks is the best actor, especially morally.” Many hands were in the air in response.
Daniel Radcliffe landed in Twitter’s Top 10 Trends Thursday as fans discussed his response to being asked to weigh in on the Will Smith-Chris Rock drama. Head to Showbiz to see what he said.
#AsItWas was trending Thursday after Harry Styles released his new single, “As It Was.”
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HIT LIST
President of Russia Vladimir Putin has demanded that European nations buying his country’s natural gas pay in roubles, Russia’s currency.
It’s a move to keep his economy propped up, which he has largely succeeded in doing amid worldwide sanctions – the value of the rouble has essentially returned to pre-invasion levels.
Germany’s chancellor called Putin’s demand tantamount to blackmail – but really it’s just applying leverage. Germany systematically destroyed its nuclear energy infrastructure and capitulated to green energy wingnuts in recent years, forcing it to rely on Russia’s energy exports.
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While President Joe Biden exhausts America’s oil supply, Canada’s Supreme Court is aggressively protecting its own valuable natural resources: Maple Syrup.
The Court has upheld a ruling that requires a man who stole $10 million worth of syrup over a decade ago to pay $9 million in fines.
The syrup was stolen over the course of two years in 2011 and 2012 from the Quebec Maple Syrup Producers, a cartel that manages the production and supply of the sweet and sticky sauce. They hold on to reserves for years when harvests don’t meet demand.
The man responsible for the heist was sentenced to eight years in prison in 2016, where he remains.
SPEAKING OF SUPREME COURTS: A member of Sweden’s Supreme Court has resigned her post after more than two decades following charges that she stole food from a grocery store before Christmas last year.
Her haul included a ham, meatballs, and cheese, which she tried to hide with other legitimate purchases.
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The Hubble telescope has spotted the most distant star yet.
The light observed is 12.9 billion years old – that’s how long it’s taken to be observed by human telescopes. It was formed within the first billion years of the universe’s creation, researchers say. By contrast, the previous distance-record-holder was a star an adolescent 4 billion years old.
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Call it Sunshine Valley: Florida led the nation as the state with the most tech startups last year, besting even Texas and California.
Of the more than 2700 companies founded last year, more than 75% were in the Miami area.
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CHARTS
New to Amazon Prime:
Cast Away (Rotten Tomatoes Score: 89%)
Sweet Home Alabama (Rotten Tomatoes Score: 39%)
Con Air (Rotten Tomatoes Score: No Score)
Unbreakable (Rotten Tomatoes Score: No Score)
Date Night (Rotten Tomatoes Score: 66%)
Full List Here:
New to Disney+:
Herbie: Fully Loaded (Rotten Tomatoes Score: 41%)
Better Nate Than Ever (Rotten Tomatoes Score: 89%)
New to HBO Max:
Annabelle (Rotten Tomatoes Score: 29%)
Beetlejuice (Rotten Tomatoes Score: 85%)
Capote (Rotten Tomatoes Score: 89%)
Dances With Wolves (Rotten Tomatoes Score: 83%)
Hugo (Rotten Tomatoes Score: 93%)
Full List Here:
https://decider.com/2022/03/21/new-on-hbo-and-hbo-max-april-2022/
New to Hulu:
Night Raiders (Rotten Tomatoes Score: 83%)
Antz (Rotten Tomatoes Score: 92%)
Blind Date (Rotten Tomatoes Score: 33%)
Casper (Rotten Tomatoes Score: 51%)
Death At a Funeral (Rotten Tomatoes Score: 43%)
Full List Here:
https://decider.com/2022/03/17/new-on-hulu-april-2022/
New to Netflix:
The Bubble (Rotten Tomatoes Score: No Score)
Argo (Rotten Tomatoes Score: 96%)
Blow (Rotten Tomatoes Score: 55%)
Delta Farce (Rotten Tomatoes Score: 5%)
Inception (Rotten Tomatoes Score: 87%)
Full List Here:
https://decider.com/2022/03/23/new-on-netflix-april-2022/
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DEATHS
MARVIN J. CHOMSKY has died.
The director, known for projects like “Roots” and the original “Star Trek” series, passed away in his sleep on Monday, his son told Deadline. His death was the result of natural causes.
He was 92.
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PATRICK DEMARCHELIER has died.
The iconic fashion photographer passed away Thursday. His cause of death has not been revealed.
He was 78.
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BREAKUPS
JOE EXOTIC, 59, has filed for divorce from his husband DILLON PASSAGE, 26.
Last March, Passage called the “Tiger King” star — who is still in prison — and said he wanted out of the relationship, but never filed for divorce.
Exotic finally pulled the trigger, filing docs this week. He also tweeted at his estranged husband begging him to sign the papers and “go away.”
The pair tied the knot in 2017.
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WAKA FLOCKA FLAME, 35, and his wife TAMMY RIVERA, also 35, have split.
The rapper confirmed the news Thursday after months of speculation. He did not share specifics, but did mention that there is “no bad blood” between the two.
The couple married in 2014.
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RELATIONSHIPS
DEMI MOORE, 59, is dating Swiss chef DANIEL HUMM, 46.
A source told Page Six that the two have been dating for a few months and they are “really hot and heavy at the moment.”
Humm was previously linked to LAURENE POWELL JOBS, the widow of STEVE JOBS.
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THE SWAMP
During a press conference Thursday, House Speaker NANCY PELOSI said this about Black Supreme Court Justice CLARENCE THOMAS:
IN OTHER WORDS: "I don't think [a Black man] should have ever been appointed.”
WORTH NOTING: Let’s dispense with the delusion that equity is about anything other than a Trojan horse for propping up an insane leftist agenda.
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President JOE BIDEN announced Thursday he was authorizing the release of up to a million barrels of oil a day from the country’s strategic reserve over the next three months to help bring down gas prices.
Biden blamed the necessity of this drastic action squarely on VLADIMIR PUTIN.
The move comes just days after Biden’s budget proposal included 11 new taxes on oil companies – and he still has the naive audacity to accuse energy producers of hoarding profits.
WORTH NOTING: Vladimir Putin didn’t shut down the Keystone XL Pipeline, which would’ve brought nearly a million barrels of oil a day into the country. Had its construction been greenlighted, it would be done by now. While detractors say it would still be subject to years of regulatory review before going online, as the pandemic showed us, times of crisis can expedite those reviews — just like the government did to rush vaccines into millions of Americans without the typically burdensome review process. Surely they could have also swiftly gotten energy flowing into the country from our ally to the north.
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Here’s another doozy of a mindless word salad from the second most powerful person in the world:
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LOTTERY
No winner for Tuesday night’s Mega Millions drawing. Tonight’s drawing will be for a $70 million jackpot or a $44.7 million cash payout.
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No winner for Wednesday night’s Powerball drawing. Saturday night’s drawing will be for a $222 million jackpot or a $140.5 million cash payout.
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SHOWBIZ NEWS
These albums drop today:
Jack J, “Opening the Door”
Pillow Queens, “Leave the Light On”
Red Hot Chili Peppers, “Unlimited Love”
Thomas Rhett, “Where We Started”
Warmduscher, “At The Hot Spot”
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During his recent appearance on “Good Morning Britain,” actor DANIEL RADCLIFFE was asked to weigh in on the incident at the Oscars.
“I’m just so already dramatically bored of hearing people’s opinions about it that I just don’t want to be another opinion adding to it,” he replied.
Radcliffe stopped by the morning show to promote his new film “The Lost City.”
MEANWHILE: A video of JADA PINKETT SMITH laughing following her husband’s assault on Rock has surfaced.
WATCH: **LANGUAGE WARNING - DO NOT PLAY ON AIR**
https://www.tiktok.com/@justinunsworth1/video/7080163564564139307?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc
ALSO: In response to the slap, 66 viewers complained to the FCC. Most of them called for Smith to be fined and suspended over his actions.
IN OTHER NEWS: Sources present at the Oscars claim no one asked Smith to leave. In fact, the source told Page Six that a producer told Smith he could stay.
BUT WAIT: Producer WILL PACKER revealed in an interview for “GMA” that LAPD officers were on hand after the assault and ready to arrest Smith if Rock chose to press charges.
WORTH ASKING: So they were ready to arrest him, but not make him leave? What is the truth?!
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Director M. NIGHT SHYAMALAN sent love to BRUCE WILLIS in light of his aphasia diagnosis.
“All my love and respect to my big brother Bruce Willis. I know his wonderful family is surrounding him with support and strength. He will always be my hero on that poster on my wall as [a] kid,” the 51-year-old tweeted.
Shyamalan and Willis collaborated many times, including on “The Sixth Sense,” and “Unbreakable.”
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DAVID and VICTORIA BECKHAM’s home was burglarized last month while they were home with their 10-year-old daughter HARPER.
Authorities confirmed that on the evening of February 28, a burglary occurred at the couple’s London mansion. The break-in was discovered by CRUZ BECKHAM, 17, after he returned home from hanging out with friends.
Cruz reportedly saw broken glass and a ransacked room. He and David searched the home for the intruder, but no one was found.
The Sun reports that security video shows a suspect climbing over the gate and entering the home through a spare bedroom window. A number of items were reported as missing, including “designer and electric goods.”
While none of the Beckhams were harmed, they are a “bit shaken up,” an insider told the outlet.
No arrests have been made.
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In his new book, “Still Just a Geek: An Annotated Memoir,” actor WILL WHEATON writes about how rude fellow actor WILLIAM SHATNER was to him.
As a teen, Wheaton played Wesley Crusher on “Star Trek: Next Generation.” One day he found out the original “Star Trek” cast — including Shatner — was working next door. Building up the courage, Wheaton decided to go say hello.
Wheaton writes that Shatner seemed “annoyed” by him, ignored his offered hand shake and mocked his costume.
After word spread about the awkward interaction, others came to comfort Wheaton.
Per the book, actor BRENT SPINER told the teen that Shatner was “bald and wears a toupee,” while actor MICHALE DORN jokingly offered to “kick Shatner’s ass.”
WORTH NOTING: Shatner later sent Wheaton a note, calling him a “fine young actor.” No apology for the rude exchange, however.
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TAYLOR HAWKINS will be honored during the 2022 Grammy Awards this weekend.
The Foo Fighters were set to perform at the event, but in the wake of Hawkins passing they have decided to cancel all performances.
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CASTING CALL
SIMONE ASHLEY will return for Season 3 of “Bridgerton.”
The British actress joined the show’s second season as Kate Sharma, the love interest of JONATHAN BAILEY’s character, Anthony Bridgerton.
Ashley confirmed the news to Deadline, saying “Kate and Anthony are just getting started!”
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JUDGE JUDY SHEINDLIN will deliver the commencement address at New York Law School on May 26.
Three generations of Sheindlin’s will be on stage at the event — Judy, who graduated in 1965, her daughter Nicole who was part of the class of ’93 and her daughter new NYLS grad Sarah.
ALSO: The former “Judge Judy” host will receive her second honorary degree from the school.
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A KELSEY GRAMMER-narrated series is among the new projects on Fox Business Network’s primetime slate.
“Legends & Lies” features dramatizations of moments in American history, such as the founding of the United States, the Wild West and the Civil War.
The show’s second season will debut on April 25.
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ABC has canceled “The Ultimate Surfer.”
The water-based competition show premiered in August 2021 to abysmal viewership ratings.
MEANWHILE: The network renewed “The Rookie” for a fifth season and “The Good Doctor” for a sixth.
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THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
ROB KARDASHIAN and rapper TYGA are laughing off reports that the mother of their children, BLAC CHYNA, receives “no support” from them.
Tyga, who shares 9-year-old son King Cairo with Chyna, commented on an article from The Shade Room, writing “I pay 40k a year for my son's school & he lives [with] me mon-sat. Why would I pay child support lol.”
Rob, who shares 5-year-old daughter Dream with Chyna, also commented on the story. He wrote, “I pay 37k a year for my daughter’s school. Handle every single medical expense. I pay for all her extracurricular activities. I have my daughter from Tuesday-Saturday. Why would I pay child support lol.”
WORTH NOTING: In 2020, Chyna bragged about not receiving child support from either of her children’s fathers.
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MACHINE GUN KELLY will have his good friend PETE DAVIDSON standing next to him when he marries actress MEGAN FOX.
During an appearance on “The Howard Stern Show,” the 31-year-old musician discussed his plans for the nuptials, noting he will have “an army of friends” standing next to him, which includes Davidson.
Stern asked MGK for his thoughts on Davidson’s relationship with KIM KARDASHIAN, to which he said, “I’m so happy for him.”
WORTH NOTING: MGK is also friends with KOURTNEY KARDASHIAN’s fiancé TRAVIS BARKER, though it is unclear if Barker will also stand up at the wedding -- or vice versa.
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WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS
QUEEN ELIZABETH has a fancy new ride.
The 95-year-old received a top-of-the-line golf cart to help her get around, The Sun reports.
The luxury vehicle, designed by Mercedes-Benz, can travel up to 43 mph and can go 50 miles between charges. It features four brown-leather reclining seats, 14-inch alloy wheels, a heated windshield, cup holders, a mini-fridge, Bluetooth speakers and a 10.1-inch screen next to the steering wheel.
An insider told the outlet “the cart is perfect” for Her Majesty who has “battled stiffness in her legs recently.”
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SPORTS
TIGER WOODS is working hard toward his goal of competing at the Masters next week.
The golf legend was spotted playing a practice round at the Augusta National golf course this week — where the Masters Tournament will be held.
Woods has not played an official tournament since his car crash in February 2021.
WORTH NOTING: Woods was named among the 91 starters for the 2022 Masters which runs April 7-10.
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LIST OF THE WEEK
In honor of April Fool’s Day here are some of the most memorable pranks over the years. (Courtesy of LifestyleAsia)
Taco Bell Purchased the Liberty Bell: In 1996, outlets such as The New York Times and The Washington Post ran full-page stories announcing the fast-food chain bought the iconic bell and was planning to rename it “Taco Liberty Bell.”
It wasn’t until after two US senators contacted the company, that the whole thing was revealed as a prank.
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Changing the Value of Pi: In 1998, an issue of New Mexicans for Science and Reason claimed that the Alabama legislature narrowly passed a resolution for changing the value of Pi.
Per the report, 3.14159 was changed to 3.0 per the Biblical concept of the mathematical constant.
It wasn’t until after the Alabama legislature started receiving calls of protest that it was revealed as an April Fool’s joke.
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Turning Black-and-White TV to Color: In 1966, Sweden’s Sveriges Television aired a program on how to watch a black-and-white TV in color.
A “technical expert” told viewers all they had to do was place a thinly stretched nylon stocking in front of their television set. The “expert” explained that the nylon would bend the wavelengths of the TV and turn them into color.
Also, viewers were told to sway their heads to experience it better.
It didn’t take long for them to realize they had been fooled.
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Wisconsin State Capitol Collapse: In 1933, The Capital Times reported that the state Capitol dome collapsed from a “series of mighty blasts.” The story also featured a photo of the ruined dome.
The paper explained near the end of the article that it was all a hoax.
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The Mystical Pitcher: In 1985, Sports Illustrated ran a story about a rising baseball pitcher named Hayden (Sidd) Finch.
He was described as a fast pitcher, whose throws broke the world records at the time. There were even interviews from his “friends” featured in the piece, along with photos. Readers were tricked into believing Finch was a “Jedi of baseball.”
The story was so well written that it is still hailed by many as one of the best pranks ever.
It is unknown how/when readers discovered they had been duped.
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DAY OF THE YEAR
April Fool’s Day
National One Cent Day
National Sourdough Bread Day
Take Down Tobacco Day of Action
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ON THIS DATE
1789 – Augustus Conrad Muhlenberg is elected the first Speaker by the House of Representatives.
Muhlenberg represented Pennsylvania. He had previously been a minister, and was the president of the delegates from Pennsylvania who ratified the US Constitution.
He would serve in the House until 1797, serving as speaker again for the third Congress.
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1800 – Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr successfully defend Levi Weeks in New York City in a murder trial.
Weeks was accused of murdering his fiancé while living in a lower Manhattan boarding house. The crime sensationalized New York for weeks between the murder and the trial.
The trial lasted two days, with more than 75 witnesses providing testimony. Given procedures and laws at the time, testimonies were largely uninterrupted with questions by attorneys.
At 2 a.m. after the second day, the jury began deliberations, which only lasted 5 minutes. They acquitted Weeks of the crime.
Within five years, Burr would kill Hamilton in a duel over political differences.
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1945 - American troops land on Okinawa.
The assault began with disastrous losses. 116 planes were destroyed and damages were sustained to three aircraft carriers.
50,000 troops would ultimately storm the beach of the Japanese island.
American land forces were relatively outnumbered, up against 120,000 Japanese troops. They faced little opposition on the beaches, and quickly secured two airfields. But most of the fighting would take place on the mainland.
Fighting would last until mid-June.
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1984 – Marvin Gaye is killed by his own father -- with a gun given to him by Marvin.
The dad put three shots in Marvin's chest following an obviously heated argument over who lost some financial documents.
More than 10,000 would show up for the funeral, before Gaye's ashes were spread over the Pacific Ocean.
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1985 – Villanova beats Georgetown in the NCAA basketball championship in one of the greatest upsets in college hoops history.
On paper, Number 8 Villanova stood no chance at beating Top-ranked Georgetown. But the teams were evenly matched throughout the game, which culminated with a 66-64 score.
It was also one of the last games played without a shot clock.
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2007 – Michael Phelps smashes his own world record in the 400m individual medley, winning his record 7th gold medal at the World Championships in Melbourne, Australia.
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2017 – Bob Dylan receives a Nobel Prize for Literature at a private ceremony in Stockholm.
He is given the award for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition.
Dylan is the first songwriter to receive the award.
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2019 - Online sales in the US overtake retail sales for the first time.
According to the Commerce Department, non-store real sales accounted for 11.813% of the total, compared with 11.807% for general merchandise.
Brick-and-mortar sales are still higher when it comes to other categories, such as auto and restaurant sales.
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BIRTHDAYS
Asa Butterfield - actor, “Hugo” & “Time Freak” - 25
Ella Eyre - pop singer - 28
Mackenzie Davis - actress, “The F Word” - 35
Kid Ink - rapper - 36
Hillary Scott - country singer, Lady A - 36
Matt Lanter - actor, “90210” & “The Roommate” - 39
Bijou Phillips - actress, “Havoc” & “Raising Hope” - 42
Randy Orton - wrestler - 42
Rachel Maddow - journalist - 49
Phillip Schofield - TV show host, “Dancing On Ice” - 60
Susan Boyle - pop singer - 61
Paul Manfort - political consultant - 73
Born On This Date
Sean Taylor - football player - 1983 (d. 2007)
Debbie Reynolds - actress, “Singin’ in the Rain” & “Halloweentown” - 1932 (d. 2016)
Anne McCaffrey - author, “Dragonflight” - 1926 (d. 2011)
Wallace Beery - circus performer, Ringling Brother Circus - 1886 (d. 1949)
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