Today is Tuesday, April 15, 2025.
It is the 105th day of the year.
260 days remain.
WHAT’S ON TAP
NOTABLE & NOTEWORTHY: Toco the human collie returns!
Female-flight crew takes off and a new health report from the HACKMAN-ARAKAWA property. More in SHOWBIZ.
MICKEY ROURKE addresses his “Big Brother” exit and “A Minecraft Movie” sets a new record. Details in CASTING CALL.
Gifts exchange hands among the Royal Fold. Details in ROYALS.
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TARIFF TALK
– Tech hardware manufacturer NVIDIA announced plans to invest $500 BILLION in the United States over the next four years to produce A.I. supercomputers in Arizona and Texas. Nvidia currently primarily manufactures in Taiwan, which was temporarily subject to a 32% tariff before Trump paused the new tariff scheme last week.
– A conservative legal non-profit is representing five small businesses in a lawsuit against the Trump Administration, claiming its use of emergency powers to levy tariffs have exceeded their authority. The suit, filed in the US Court of International Trade, alleges that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act authority that Trump has cited does not apply to the present situation.
– On the other end of the law, the Trump administration signaled on Monday it would use the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 to impose tariffs on semiconductors and pharmaceutical products. That law gives the President powers to slap tariffs on products in the interests of national security; surely, buying technology components from America’s principal adversary, China, is a bad idea, and these components should be made domestically as much as possible.
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The real estate market for the super-rich is hitting the high seas: a luxury mega-yacht called the Ulyssia will offer condos for about $10 MILLION, which buys a 1,184 square foot suite. On the higher end, $90 MILLION will get you a 10,258 square foot penthouse with six bedrooms.
In all, there are 133 suites across 15 decks, each with a terrace that overlooks the water. Personal butler service is also included. The ship will also be able to accommodate two helicopters and two submersibles and indoor and outdoor pools.
But just like owning a home comes with property taxes and utilities, so, too, does living on the Ulyssia. Residents will shell out a minimum $300,000 a year for fuel and food costs. [via Telegraph]
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DEBT DIVE: Attendees of this weekend’s Coachella festival have complained about the high cost of food and drink at the event, not to mention the cost of entry in the first place. Billboard reports that more than 60% of attendees used Buy Now, Pay Later financing for their admission.
Financing the concert experience, which starts at $600, comes with a $41 fee.
Payment plans for the pricey experience aren’t anything new. Installment options rolled out in 2009, but fewer than 20% of attendees used the option. [via DailyMail]
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PFIZER’s hopes of bringing a weight loss drug in pill form to market will have to wait.
The company announced it is ending trials of a daily GLP-1 pill with similar effects as Ozempic after one participant experienced damage to their liver enzymes. Fortunately, those enzymes recovered quickly and the participant did not experience any symptoms or side effects.
The setback follows a similar pause in December 2023, when a twice-a-day pill regimen also failed trials. For now, it sounds Pfizer is abandoning its foray into the weight loss drug world. In a statement, Pfizer’s chief scientific officer said in part, “While we are disappointed to discontinue the development of danuglipron, we remain committed to evaluating and advancing promising programs in an effort to bring innovative new medicines to patients.” [via CNBC]
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Life update on Toco the “human collie.”
Just months after opening his “people zoo,” the doggy masquerader says he may soon be forced to shut down due to “no bookings.”
The Tokotoko Zoo offers visitors a chance to experience life as a canine. Eighty minutes of doggy playtime costs about $300.
The Japanese man, known only as Toco, went viral in 2023 after spending more than $16,000 on a hyper-realistic custom collie suit in an effort to live out his dream as man’s best friend. [via NY Post]
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