4/22/2024: How to Win the Lottery
PLUS: Heist Update; Beckham vs Wahlberg; and Royal Real Estate
Today is Monday, April 22, 2024.
It is the 113th day of the year.
253 days remain.
WHAT’S ON TAP
Colombians take to the streets to protest their president and China skirts doping regulations heading into another Olympics season. Details in HIT LIST.
MORGAN WALLEN addresses his most recent arrest and EMINEM celebrates a major sobriety milestone. More in SHOWBIZ.
Could CHRIS CUOMO return to CNN? Details in CASTING CALL.
YE defends his wife by punching the wrong guy. More on this saga in KARDASH.
THE KING buys a house. Details in ROYALS.
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HIT LIST
UPDATE: A few weeks after a $30 MILLION heist from a cash storage facility in Los Angeles, a new report shows that multiple alarms did alert police to investigate the building during the robbery – but never found anyone inside.
Three insiders confirm to the LA Times that the security company was aware of alarms but did not register or respond to them. Between 11:30 pm the night before the heist and the afternoon after, alarms alerted police four different times, hours apart. Officers visited the scene in squad cars but ultimately deemed them false alarms.
In another interesting tidbit, a nearby convenience store owner says his Wi-Fi connection didn’t work the whole weekend of the robbery and he couldn’t get cell service, but so far there’s no proof that the heist crew was jamming signals nearby. [via LA Times]
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Tens of thousands of protestors flooded the streets of Bogota, Colombia, on Sunday to protest the socialist president’s plans to further nationalize the country’s health insurance industry.
President GUSTAVO PETRO took office in August 2022 after campaigning on a far-left agenda of healthcare reform. Since taking control of two health insurance companies, health care outcomes have only worsened.
One doctor tells Reuters, “The health system, despite its flaws, was working and now Petro is putting an end to it by plunging patients who have no healthcare or medicine into a crisis.”
Colombia’s Senate is expected to vote on a broader reform agenda later this summer. [via Reuters]
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A New York Times investigation accuses the Chinese government of covering up a report that nearly two dozen of its Olympic swimmers tested positive for performance-enhancing substances when they competed at the summer games in Tokyo in 2021. Some of them went on to win gold medals and establish new world records.
The tests were taken seven months before the games and the World Anti-Doping Agency – or WADA – chose not to punish the athletes or China’s Olympic body.
For its part, Chinese authorities say the athletes consumed the substance – a prescription drug that improves heart function – against their knowledge and in such small quantities to have any effect. Their story suggests the team was exposed to the chemical while staying at a hotel in late 2020. WADA says they don’t have evidence to suggest China is lying about this part.
BUT WAIT: The American anti-doping agency doesn’t buy it, saying in a statement, “This appears to be a devastating stab in the back of clean athletes and a deep betrayal of all the athletes who compete fairly and follow the rules.”
With the news just breaking over the weekend, expect the incident to face increased scrutiny ahead of this summer’s games. [via New York Times]
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A Florida couple face theft and fraud charges for trying to pass off a counterfeit lottery game as the winner of a $1 MILLION prize.
A police report accuses 36-year-old Kira Enders and 32-year-old Dakota Jones of submitting the fake scratch-off on March 1 to the Florida Lottery Office – but as the report indicates, “The ticket had obvious alterations and is crudely pieced together from two separate actual scratch-off tickets.” It was later haphazardly laminated to try to pass off as the real thing.
The case should be pretty open and shut – Enders signed her real name and address to the legal paperwork, and even endorsed a document that laid out the penalties for cheating. [via WEAR]
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UK sheep farmer Sam Bryce sprays two of the feistiest in her flock with some Axe body spray to get them to chill out.
“They puff themselves up and square up to each other and make grunting noises,” she told the WSJ, of her two males named Cash and Casper. A quick spritz of Lynx Africa (the UK-brand of Axe) and the hormones that induce said aggression are veiled, so “there’s no argy-bargy,” Bryce explained.
While stench-masking spray is a well-known trick, Bryce told the outlet that she learned about the unorthodox effects of Lynx from the Facebook group “Ladies Who Lamb.” [via WSJ]
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DEATHS
Christian singer MANDISA, full name Mandisa Lynn Hundley, has died.
She was found dead in her home in Nashville, Tennessee on Thursday. The cause of death is not yet known.
An investigation into her passing has been opened by Nashville police.
She was only 47.
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Baseball player DAVE MCCARTY has died.
He passed away Friday of a cardiac event in Oakland, California, according to a statement from his former team the Boston Red Sox.
McCarty played first base for the Sox, and was part of the 2004 World Series championship team.
He was only 54.
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Football player ROMAN GABRIEL has died.
He passed away on Saturday at his home of natural causes, according to a statement from his son.
Gabriel was drafted No. 2 overall by the Los Angeles Rams in 1962. He still holds the team record of 154 touchdown passes.
He was 83.
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WEDDINGS
Actors KIMBERLY J. BROWN and DANIEL KOUNTZ tied the knot on April 19 at the Spanish Hills Club in Camarillo, California.
She’s 39 and he’s 45.
The pair met while working on the Disney film “Halloweentown II” in 2001, but didn’t start dating until 2016. Kountz popped the question in 2022.
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WEEKEND BOX OFFICE
10. The First Omen: $1.7 million (down from 7)
9. Monkey Man: $2.2 million (down from 6)
8. Dune: Part Two: $2.9 million (down from 5)
7. Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire: $4.4 million (down from 3)
6. Kung Fu Panda 4: $4.6 million (down from 4)
5. Spy x Family Code: White: $4.8 million (new)
4. The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare: $9 million (new)
3. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire: $9.4 million (down from 2)
2. Abigail: $10.2 million (new)
1. Civil War: $11.1 million (stayed at 1)
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BY THE NUMBERS
📈 The DOW added 211 points (0.56%) to close at 37,986 on Friday. The S&P lost 43 points (0.88%) to close at 4,967 and the NASDAQ lost 319 points (2.05%) to close at 15,282.
🛢 WEST TEXAS INTERMEDIATE closed at $83 on Friday; BRENT CRUDE at $87.
⛽ The national average price of a GALLON OF GAS was $3.67 on Sunday.
₿ BITCOIN gained on the weekend, trading around $64,600.
🛩 There were more than 3,290 FLIGHTS delayed within, into, or out of the United States on Sunday and more than 180 such cancellations.
💰Tuesday night’s MEGA MILLIONS drawing will be for a $202 million jackpot or a $91.3 million cash payout. Tonight’s POWERBALL drawing will be for a $115 million jackpot or a $53.1 million cash payout.
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SHOWBIZ NEWS
MORGAN WALLEN has finally addressed his drunken chair-throwing incident.
Taking to X, the country singer writes that he delayed saying anything until he “made amends with some folks,” including Nashville law enforcement, his family and the employees of Chiefs bar.
“I’m not proud of my behavior, and I accept responsibility,” he continued.
Wallen was arrested on April 7 and booked on three felony counts of reckless endangerment and one misdemeanor count of disorderly conduct after throwing a chair from the roof of ERIC CHURCH’s newly-opened bar, Chiefs. He will return to Nashville for his court dates in early May.
Meanwhile, his “One Night at a Time” world tour continues on. [via GMA]
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TAYLOR SWIFT’s “The Tortured Poets Department” broke the record for Spotify’s most-streamed album in a single day, racking up more than 300 MILLION streams on Friday. She beat out the previous records that she set for the releases of “Midnights” and “1989 (Taylor’s Version).”
She also became the most-streamed artist in a single day in Spotify history. [via @Spotify]
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OJ SIMPSON’s Bank of America credit card is up for grabs.
Goldin Auctions is selling the card -- which expired in 2023 -- for a guy named Jonathan Lepore, who says he bought it on eBay last summer for around $70.
Ken Golding, CEO of Goldin Auctions, told TMZ that he predicts to see some “exciting numbers at auction” as Simpson is “responsible for some of the most memorable/horrific moments in our lifetime.”
As for Lepore, he just wants to make some cold hard cash, of which he plans to donate 10% to the National Network to End Domestic Violence. [via TMZ]
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Actor TOM SELLECK says he has never sent a text or written an email.
He shared the tidbit during a recent interview with People, while promoting his forthcoming memoir, “You Never Know.” Though he did say that his wife, Jillie, will send texts on his behalf.
As for the book, Selleck said it “reflects on his decades-long career -- from early days in small films and advertising projects to his breakout role in ‘Magnum P.I.’ and infamous supporting role on ‘Friends.’”
“You Never Know” hits shelves on May 7. [via ET]
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DAVID BECKHAM’s fitness company, DB Ventures Ltd., is suing MARK WAHLBERG’s fitness company, F45 Training, claiming he was “duped” into signing with them.
Wahlberg, who has a 36% stake in the company and serves as the chief brand officer, convinced Beckham to become the F45’s Global Ambassador last year.
In the suit, Beckham says he never got paid the $10 million he was promised. F45 has asked the judge to nix the lawsuit, calling it “fraudulent,” but things appear to be moving forward. [via The Standard]
BY THE WAY: Former football player TERRELL OWENS had the same issue with F45, filing a suit in 2017 claiming he was owed $700,000.
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EMINEM is celebrating 16 years of sobriety.
The 51-year-old rapper marked the milestone with an Instagram post on Saturday, showing off a new chip commemorating the achievement.
Many may recall that a near-fatal drug overdose in 2007 is what led Em to get sober. [via Instagram]
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There was a mini SPICE GIRLS reunion at VICTORIA BECKHAM’s 50th birthday bash over the weekend.
MEL C (Sporty Spice), EMMA BURTON (Baby Spice), GERI HALLIWELL (Ginger Spice) and MEL B (Scary Spice) joined the birthday girl for an impromptu performance of their 1997 single, “Stop.”
Clips of the video circulated on social media, prompting fans to beg the ladies for a reunion tour. [via Daily Mail]
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CASTING CALL
DICK VAN DYKE is the oldest person to earn a Daytime Emmy nomination.
The 98-year-old received a nod for guest performer in a daytime drama series for his role as Timothy Robicheaux in “Days of Our Lives.”
He has five primetime Emmy awards for “Van Dyke and Company” and “The Dick Van Dyke Show.” [via People]
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CHRIS CUOMO may be returning to CNN.
After being fired by then-CEO JEFF ZUCKER in 2021, Cuomo landed a gig at NewsNation.
Following Zucker’s ousting a year later there have been rumblings that CNN wants to bring Cuomo back, as he was the network’s highest-rated prime-time star.
As for where Cuomo stands on returning, insiders told Page Six that it’s an open secret that he “misses his old job.” [via Page Six]
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Netflix landed the rights to KIM KARDASHIAN’s TV series, “Calabasas.”
After a week of bidding wars, the streamer won out, and will now develop the show with Kardashian and her “American Horror Story” co-star EMMA ROBERTS serving as executive producers.
“Calabasas” is based on the book, “If You Lived Here You’d Be Famous By Now,” by Via Bleidner. It follows 16-year-old Via, who is forced to leave her Midwestern Catholic school for Calabasas High when her family moves across the country. [via Digital Spy]
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THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
It turns out the guy YE hit last week was actually the twin of the guy who allegedly assaulted his wife, BIANCA CENSORI. Not only that, but the story of what happened has changed slightly based on eye witnesses who saw it go down.
Initially it was reported by Ye’s team that Censori was grabbed inappropriately by either Mark or Jonnie Houston -- who are bigwig restauranteurs in L.A. Those at the scene, however, say one of the twins accidentally bumped into Censori in the lobby of the Chateau Marmont hotel -- because it was extremely busy at the time -- and then went on his way.
Following the interaction, sources say Ye spotted the guy sitting outside and confronted him, punching him in the face. But it turns out it was the wrong twin.
By the way -- the other twin was seated right next to his brother when Ye punched him.
Now, Ye is a suspect in a battery report, even though his team claims his action was justified -- except he hit the wrong guy. [via TMZ]
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WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS
When QUEEN ELIZABETH died, not all of her staff and attendants stayed on The Firm’s payroll – including 66-year-old Angela Kelly, who for years was one of the late monarch’s closest assistants and confidantes.
As part of her role, Kelly lived in a cottage on the Windsor estate provided by the Queen. While not proven, some insiders believe that lifelong accommodations were part of a deal between the Queen and her highest-level staff that kept them from ever sharing secrets from the job.
But when the Queen passed away, Kelly’s role was eliminated – and so was her access to her home, though with a few weeks' notice.
Now, the DailyMail reports that KING CHARLES personally paid for a new home for Kelly, delivering on a promise made by his mother to provide a home for her assistant for the rest of her life. The three-bedroom bungalow was paid directly by the King’s private bank account, equivalent to about $575,000 USD.
WORTH NOTING: It’s likely that the house will become a property of the Crown Estate upon Kelly’s death, so the property is not an outright gift. [via DailyMail]
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DAY OF THE YEAR
In God We Trust Day
National Baseball Day
National Girl Scout Leader’s Day
International Mother Earth Day
Earth Day
National Jelly Bean Day
Stephen Lawrence Day
National Pinup Day
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ON THIS DATE
1509 - Henry VIII ascends to the throne following the death of his father, Henry VII.
He was only 17 at the time.
During his 40-year reign he would lead a series of changes to the country, most notably the English Reformation and the separation from the Roman Catholic Church.
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1721 - The HMS Seahorse arrives in Boston harbor, carrying with it several cases of smallpox.
The outbreak becomes the first in over two decades, with over half of Boston’s population catching it, resulting in 850 deaths.
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1954 - The Army-McCarthy hearings begin.
The political sideshow followed years of McCarthy's persistent pursuit of communists in the State Department. After embarrassing the liberal political establishment and communist sympathizers in the Army, the Eisenhower Administration launched a counteroffensive, accusing McCarthy of ethical and personal failures.
But after 2 million words of testimony, McCarthy was exonerated.
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1970 - The first Earth Day is celebrated in America.
Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson fathered the idea. The progressive environmentalist sought a movement that would bring to light the need for ecological conservation.
His groveling at the knees of the Green Establishment worked, and by July that year the Environmental Protection Agency came into being.
Internationally, Earth Day is celebrated on April 22nd, as regulated by the United Nations.
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1978 - The Blues Brothers debut on “Saturday Night Live.”
It was the invention of “SNL” stars John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd. They had previously played blues songs in character on the show, but this performance included the signature dark suits, black ties, and Ray-Ban sunglasses. It was while filming “Animal House” that Belushi found a young blues musician, and modeled the Blues Brothers schtick after him.
They would earn three top-40 hits and a #1 pop album. Their success pinnacled with the release of their 1980 film.
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1994 - President Nixon dies.
He had suffered a stroke four days earlier.
His legacy is a grab-bag of good and bad, including his efforts to heal relations with China, the creation of the EPA, and of course the Watergate scandal.
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2000 - Cuban refugee Elian Gonzalez is forcefully taken from the home of his relatives in Miami.
Gonzalez was part of a crew that tried escaping Cuba five months earlier. Of the group of 14, only 3 survived, one of them being young Elian.
A fishing boat eventually recovered the survivors. INS placed Gonzalez with his great-uncle, living in Miami.
But Janet Reno would soon order that Elian be taken from his home in Miami. His relatives feared his return to Cuba.
After his forceful removal from Miami, Elian became a propaganda piece for Fidel Castro's communist regime.
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2016 - The Paris Agreement is signed in New York, binding 195 nations to an increase in the global average temperature to less than 2°C above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the increase to 1.5°C.
Under the agreement, each country must determine, plan and regularly report on the contribution that it undertakes to mitigate global warming.
The thought is that by doing so will greatly reduce the impacts of climate change.
The agreement would go into effect in October of that year.
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2021 - India sets a world record for daily cases of COVID-19, with 314,835.
There were also 2,104 deaths reported on this day.
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BIRTHDAYS
Rashee Rice - football player - 24
Machine Gun Kelly - rapper - 34
Marshawn Lynch - football player - 38
Amber Heard - actress, “Aquaman” - 38
Sam Altman - co-founder & CEO of OpenAI - 39
Daniel Johns - musician, Silverchair - 45
Willie Robertson - reality star, “Duck Dynasty” - 52
Roger Jones - football player - 55
Sherri Shepherd - actress, “30 Rock” & “Mr. Iglesias” - 57
Jeffrey Dean Morgan - actor, “Grey’s Anatomy” & “The Walking Dead” - 58
Jack Nicholson - actor, “The Shining” & “Terms of Endearment” - 87
Born On This Date
Glen Campbell - country singer - 1936 (d. 2017)
J. Robert Oppenheimer - physicist, Manhattan Project - 1904 (d. 1967)
Vladimir Lenin - Premier of the Soviet Union (1917-1924) - 1870 (d. 1924)
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