5/17/2023: Midwest is Best!
PLUS: The Real Cost of Coffee; Skinny Dipping With MJ; and Evicting Andrew
Today is Wednesday, May 17, 2023.
It is the 137th day of the year.
228 days remain.
WHAT’S ON TAP
A Nigerian chef has set a new world record for hours of nonstop cooking and LEGO is releasing a new “Batman”-themed set. More in HIT LIST.
NICK CANNON gets an A for effort when it comes to Mother’s Day but an F for follow through and CANDACE CAMERON BURE claims she has never eaten Taco Bell. More in SHOWBIZ.
Sports analyst PAT MCAFFEE is taking his talk show to ESPN and another “Bachelor” spinoff is in the works. More in CASTING CALL.
Are TOM BRADY and KIM KARDASHIAN dating? More in KARDASH.
PRINCE ANDREW is refusing to leave the Royal Lodge estate despite KING CHARLES wanting to give it to PRINCE WILLIAM’s family. More in Royals.
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HIT LIST
GREEN BAY, Wisconsin has been given the top spot for Best Places to Live in the United States, according to US News & World Report.
The Best Places to Live were ranked on several factors, including crime rate, affordability of housing and goods, air quality and resilience to climate change. US News & World Report gave the city a 6.9 out of 10, which earned it the No. 1 spot out of 150 metro areas.
Green Bay was also #7 on the list for Best Places to Live for Quality of Life, #8 in Cheapest Places to Live for Quality of Life, #18 for Safest Places to Live and #27 for Best Place to Retire. [via US News]
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A new study suggests the average office employee who takes breaks for coffee ultimately loses a week of productivity a year by leaving their desk, buying the drink, and returning. The average coffee run takes 16 minutes and happens three times a week.
IT GETS WORSE: For each coffee run, the employee buys 2.5 drinks on average, spending nearly $2,800 a year. [via New York Post]
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A group of 20-something criminals who made off with over $129 MILLION worth of jewelry during a 2019 heist in Germany were convicted on Tuesday.
At the time of the theft the men were aged 20-to-25 years old. They face sentences up to six years and three months in prison – which feels kind of low.
The most significant charge was for arson – they set a fire in a nearby parking garage, likely as a distraction. [via NBC News]
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Nigerian chef Hilda Baci set a new global record for longest hours of nonstop cooking.
Starting last Thursday, Baci cooked for 100 hours, beating the Guinness World Record of 87 hours and 45 minutes set in 2019 by Indian chef Lata Tondon. She had one five-minute break every hour or an accumulated one hour after a 12-hour stretch for bathing and resting.
After hitting her 100th hour on Monday, Guinness tweeted that it was aware of the record-breaking attempt and will now review “all the evidence before officially confirming a record.” [via AP News]
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LEGO is releasing a new “Batman” set, based on “Batman Returns,” containing over 3,900 pieces. The set comes with a miniature version of the Batcave, complete with a Batmobile and other gadgets. It will hit shelves on July 8 for $399.99.
While you wait to get your hands on the “Batman” set, here are some other pop culture sets to create. The set of K-Pop group BTS’ hit song “Dynamite” ($99.99), Metkayina Reef Home from “Avatar” ($79.99), The Razor Crest from “The Mandalorian” ($599.99), a miniature version of the set of “The Office” ($120), and a 9,000-piece Titanic set ($629). [via Variety]
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BREAKUPS
Former NBA player KENT BAZEMORE’s wife has filed for divorce.
In court documents, SAMANTHA SERPE stated that the marriage is “irretrievably broken” and there is “no chance of reconciliation.”
The estranged couple, who are both 33-years-old, share two kids, 4-year-old son Jett and 2-year-old daughter Nixon.
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RELATIONSHIPS
Actress CHARLIZE THERON is dating model ALEX DIMITRIJEVIC.
She’s 47, he’s 46.
Several outlets confirmed the pair have been together for a few months but that it’s all “still in the early stages.”
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WEDDINGS
All things point toward actors JUSTIN LONG and KATE BOSWORTH being secretly married.
Just one month after confirming their engagement, 44-year-old Long called Bosworth his “wife” in a recent interview.
Then over the weekend, 40-year-old Bosworth seemed to confirm everyone’s suspicion with a photo posted on Instagram showing off her wedding band. There was another photo in which Long had a wedding band on too.
The pair have not officially commented on the news.
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BY THE NUMBERS
📈 The DOW lost 336 points (1.01%) to close at 33,012. The S&P lost 26 points (0.64%) to close at 4,109 and the NASDAQ lost 22 points (0.18%) to close at 12,343.
🛢 WEST TEXAS INTERMEDIATE closed at $70; BRENT CRUDE at $74.
⛽ The national average price of a GALLON OF GAS was $3.53 on Tuesday.
₿ BITCOIN was down 0.7% on Tuesday, trading under $27,000.
🛩 There were more than 2,160 FLIGHTS delayed within, into or out of the United States on Tuesday and more than 65 such cancellations.
💰Tonight’s POWERBALL drawing will be for a $146 million jackpot or a $78.2 million cash payout.
SHOWBIZ NEWS
BRITNEY SPEARS’ teenage sons JAYDEN and SEAN want to leave California with their dad KEVIN FEDERLINE.
Sources say Federline’s lawyer sent a letter to Spears’ lawyer asking if she would allow him to relocate to Hawaii with the boys. Should Spears say no, the issue would go to court, but seeing as she hasn’t seen the boys in over a year, it is unlikely that a judge would deny Federline’s request.
As for why Hawaii, insiders told TMZ that the boys’ stepmom has been offered a job there and they would like to get out of the spotlight in Los Angeles. [via TMZ]
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Actress CANDACE CAMERON BURE says she has “never” eaten Taco Bell. She also claims not to have eaten fast food for two decades, except for at one place.
“I haven’t eaten fast food except for In-N-Out in 20 years,” she told her Instagram followers this week.
But wait, one social media sleuth found a photo of Bure with food from Chick-Fil-A in her car with her kids in 2012. “We love chikin!” she captioned the now-deleted post. [via Page Six]
WORTH NOTING: In the photo Bure wasn’t actually eating the food, so perhaps it was an ad?
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Country singer JIMMIE ALLEN’s deal with ice cream company The Frozen Farmer has been dissolved amid rape allegations made against him.
Earlier this year it was announced that Allen was partnering with “Shark Tank” star LORI GREINER and the company. During the collaboration, he created Miss Angie’s Peach Cobbler Frobert, a nod to one of his mom’s recipes. That flavor has now been removed from The Frozen Farmer’s website, and it’s safe to assume it's because of the allegations.
As previously reported, Allen is being sued by a former manager, who claims he raped her. She also alleges that he continued to sexually harass her for 18 months after the incident.
He has denied her claims. [via TMZ]
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During a round of “Plead the Fifth” on ANDY COHEN’s podcast, actress JANE FONDA revealed she once went skinny dipping with MICHAEL JACKSON.
“I saw Michael Jackson naked,” Fonda stated, to which Cohen’s jaw hit the table. “He was skinny,” she added.
After sharing the sordid story, Cohen said he was done asking questions “to be respectful of Michael.” [via People]
BY THE WAY: In Cohen’s game of “Plead the Fifth” he asks guests three questions and they can only plead the fifth for one of them.
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POST MALONE will release his fifth album, titled “Austin,” on July 28. The first single from the album, “Mourning,” will be released this Friday.
He also announced the dates for his upcoming “If Y’all Weren’t Here, I’d Be Crying Tour.” Post will kick things off on July 8 in Noblesville, Indiana and end things on August 19 in San Bernardino, California. [via Billboard]
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NICK CANNON admitted on his podcast this week that he mixed up mother’s day cards for the mothers of his kids.
“As I’m writing a handwritten message, I get the cards mixed up. And then so when one baby mama reads the card about how I feel about the other baby mama…” he said.
As for how he got them mixed up, Cannon has 12 kids with six women.
WORTH NOTING: One of the moms, ABBY DE LA ROSA, with whom Cannon has three children with, is a co-host on his podcast. No word on whether or not she got a card meant for one of the others. [via ET]
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PRISCILLA PRESLEY and RILEY KEOUGH have reached a settlement in the battle over LISA MARIE PRESLEY’s trust.
People Magazine reports that attorneys for the women settled things in court on Tuesday, with both saying their respective clients “are happy” with the outcome. Priscilla is rumored to have been awarded millions of dollars in the settlement, though this has not been confirmed.
As previously reported, a battle over Lisa Marie’s trust has been ongoing since her untimely passing in January, with Priscilla arguing against Keough being the beneficiary. [via People]
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An exclusive report in Variety says that TUCKER CARLSON’s ouster from Fox News was part of the agreement to settle the $787.5 MILLION defamation suit filed by Dominion Voting Systems against the network – but the stipulation was a verbal, handshake agreement that didn’t appear in writing.
GET THIS: “Dominion was looking for the best way to maim the conservative news network, and forcing Fox News to cut ties with the most-watched personality in cable news would deal a potentially insurmountable blow and lead to a viewer exodus,” Variety reports, adding that Carlson was just “collateral damage” in the effort to bludgeon Fox News.
BUT WAIT: Variety also adds that both Dominion and Fox have aggressively denied the assertion.
MEANWHILE: Carlson is still getting paid his $20 million annual salary.
WEIRDER YET: Not only is Carlson’s attorney the same guy representing ousted CNN anchor DON LEMON, Carlson and Lemon are reportedly in regular communication by text message – a shocking report given how often Carlson disparaged Lemon on his old show. [via Variety]
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CASTING CALL
“The Pat McAfee Show” is moving to ESPN.
According to the New York Post, McAfee will walk away from his $120 million contract with FanDuel for an unconfirmed eight-figures per year deal at ESPN.
As part of the deal, McAfee will bring along co-host former football player A.J. HAWK. [via NY Post]
WORTH NOTING: The move comes amid thousands of layoffs at Disney, ESPN’s parent company.
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A new “Bachelor” spinoff is in the works at ABC.
The network announced Tuesday that “The Golden Bachelor” will center on an older gentleman looking to find love among a number of age-appropriate suitors.
The show, set to premiere this fall, has been described as “a whole new kind of love story -- one for the golden years.”
Neither the leading man nor the females fighting for his love have been cast yet. [via Page Six]
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COURT CASES
JACKSON MAHOMES, the brother of NFL star PATRICK MAHOMES, appeared in a Kansas court on Tuesday over charges of aggravated sexual battery.
During the proceedings, Jackson asked to be able to contact four people that he had been banned from following his arrest and subsequent release from jail on bond. The judge ruled that he could have contact with three of the four individuals. It is unknown who the individuals are.
Jackson is due back in court on the matter in August.
As previously reported, Jackson was arrested earlier this month after allegedly trying to forcibly kiss a restaurant owner several times in February. The owner also claims that Jackson shoved one of her staff.
Through his attorney, Jackson says he did nothing wrong. [via TMZ]
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THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
TOM BRADY is not dating KIM KARDASHIAN.
Rumors of the two being romantically linked started after sources revealed Kim had asked Tom for advice about buying a property in the Bahamas. They are “friendly” the source told Us Weekly.
But on Tuesday, several insiders told StyleCaster that the two have lots of “friends and business partners in common” and that is it. They are “not dating.”
Other celebs with homes on the island include JENNIFER LOPEZ, ALEX RODRIGUEZ, MICHAEL JORDAN, JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE and REESE WITHERSPOON. [via Stylecaster]
WORTH REMEMBERING: Last month Tom was romantically linked to Witherspoon. Again, untrue.
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WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS
For nearly 20 years, PRINCE ANDREW has lived on the 98-acre Royal Lodge estate near Windsor Castle, as part of a 75-year lease signed in 2003.
After the human trafficking allegations and out-of-court settlements, and the death of QUEEN ELIZABETH, KING CHARLES reportedly wants his brother out of the property so that PRINCE WILLIAM and PRINCESS KATE can move in with their family.
BUT WAIT: Insiders say Andrew isn’t going anywhere. Apparently, his ex-wife SARAH FERGUSON also has some space in the mansion, though she doesn’t formally classify it as her full-time residence.
While Andrew was supposed to be moved out by September, Daily Mail now reports that he wants a sit-down with the King to negotiate new terms that would allow him to stay, instead of vacating to Frogmore Cottage, which PRINCE HARRY and MEGHAN MARKLE have now left behind. [via DailyMail]
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DAY OF THE YEAR
World Stationery Day
National Work From Home Day
National Pinot Grigio Day
National Walnut Day
National Numeracy Day
World Hypertension Day
National Cherry Cobbler Day
World Baking Day
World Telecommunications Day
National Pack Rat Day
International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia
World Neurofibromatosis Awareness Day
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ON THIS DATE
1673 - French explorers Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliette set out to explore the Mississippi River. They departed from what is present-day Ashland, WI.
Marquette learned about the route from Illinois Indians who had ventured north. In the Huron language, Mississippi means "big river."
The expedition crossed from Lake Michigan through the Fox River. Five were along for the adventure in two canoes.
After reaching the Mississippi they headed south. Their expedition ended 435 miles short of the Gulf of Mexico. Marquette feared an encounter with Spanish settlers after seeing natives with European goods. After heading south for mile after mile, Marquette also figured the route wouldn't take him to the Pacific Ocean.
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1792 - Twenty-four stock brokers gathered under a buttonwood tree at 68 Wall Street in New York City to sign the Buttonwood Agreement. This document forced the men to only trade with each other and pay a point-two-five percent (.25%) commission on the sales.
This was the first meeting of the New York Stock & Exchange Board, which would later become, simply, the New York Stock Exchange.
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1849 - The paddlewheel steamboat The White Cloud starts on fire. Before the fire department could put it out, The White Cloud's moorings burned through, and the boat was set adrift down the river.
On its way, the vessel started another 23 boats and barges on fire.
The fire on the boats jumped to buildings on shore. In an attempt to impede the blaze, firefighters tried blowing up six businesses with black powder, hoping to create a firebreaker, which eventually did work.
In all, the fire consumed 418 buildings, 23 boats, and 15 city blocks. Three died.
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1939 - The Columbia Lions and Princeton Tigers baseball teams square off at Columbia's Baker Field in the first televised sporting event broadcast in America.
Experimental station W2XBS aired the game in New York City. That station would become WNBC-TV.
Princeton won 2-to-1.
It wouldn't be until August of the same year that the first MLB game was broadcast, a matchup between the Brooklyn Dodgers and Cincinnati Reds.
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1954 - The U.S. Supreme Court rules that racially segregated schools are unconstitutional. The unanimous nine-to-zero decision overturned the separate-but-equal doctrine, noting that separate educational facilities would inherently be unequal, and violate the equal protection clause.
This landmark decision was one of the first major steps in the civil rights movement's victory.
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1973 - The U.S. Senate begins its televised hearings of the Watergate investigation. These of course impelled President Richard Nixon's resignation from office.
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1990 - Kelsey Grammer is sentenced to 30 days in jail and 10 days of collecting highway trash after being charged with a DWI.
His “Cheers” co-star Kristie Alley made a plea on Grammer’s behalf, but the judge wouldn’t have it.
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2020 - Michael Jordan’s autographed Air Nike 1s trainers from 1985 sell for $560,000 in an online auction.
The sale broke the world auction record for a pair of sneakers, which was set the year prior by Sotheby’s auction of Nike “Moon Shoe” for $437,500.
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BIRTHDAYS
Ryan Ochoa - actor, “iCarly” - 27
Jill Duggar - one of the 19 Duggars - 32
Ross Butler - actor, “K.C. Undercover” & “Riverdale” - 33
Nikki Reed - actress, “Twilight” films - 35
Karrueche Tran - model - 35
Tahj Mowry - actor, “Smart Guy” - 37
Jaime Preciado - bassist, Pierce The Veil - 37
Matt Ryan - football player - 38
Derek Hough - dancer, “DWTS” - 38
Passenger - rock singer - 39
Tony Parker - basketball player - 41
Kandi Buress - R&B singer & reality star - 47
Jordan Knight - pop singer, New Kids On The Block - 53
Enya - world music singer - 62
Sugar Ray Leonard - boxer - 67
Born On This Date
Bob Saget - comedian & actor, “Full House” - 1956 (d. 2022)
Bill Paxton - actor, “Twister” & “Titanic” - 1955 (d. 2017)
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