Today is Friday, May 17, 2024.
It is the 138th day of the year.
228 days remain.
WHAT’S ON TAP
An update on the head of state fighting for his life after an assassination attempt and a sportswear company’s sales nosedive. Details in HIT LIST.
Are BEN & JEN done? More in SHOWBIZ.
“The View” co-hosts discuss HARRISON BUTKER’s recent commencement address. Details in CASTING CALL.
KIM commends her fellow roaster. More in KARDASH.
A new photography exhibit opens at Buckingham Palace. Details in ROYALS.
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HIT LIST
UPDATE: An unnamed, 71-year-old Slovakian man has been charged with the attempted assassination of Prime Minister Robert Fico. Officials say the suspect has not previously engaged in protests against the government. No motive has been announced yet, other than that the attack was “political.”
Fico remains in serious but stable condition following surgery for the five gunshot wounds he survived earlier this week to his stomach and arms. [via BBC]
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ELON MUSK says that not only will humanity have reached Mars in the next three decades, but there will be an entire human city established in that time.
In a post on X, the social media platform he owns, Musk said that SPACEX, the space travel company he owns, will reach the red planet in five years with an uncrewed spaceship, land people within the next decade, and establish a city in the next twenty to thirty years. He concluded, “civilization secured.” [via @ElonMusk]
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A preliminary report published by the National Transportation Safety Bureau concludes that the Dali, the ship that crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in March, lost power before the crash and experienced similar blackouts the day before the incident.
Video of the crash has previously shown lights flickering multiple times before the impact.
Details of the incident suggest that two circuit breakers tripped, killing power to the ship’s propeller and rudder. To make matters worse, the emergency generator was not working, either, and an apprentice pilot was at the helm.
A full report that determines a definitive cause is expected to take up to two years. [via CNN]
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An astounding earnings report for sportswear brand UNDER ARMOUR shows a 96% drop in profits year over year in their fiscal fourth quarter, resulting in massive layoffs. The company also says its sales revenue was down 10% in North America for the year.
No word yet how many jobs they will cut, but CNBC reports they expect to spend up to $90 MILLION in severance and benefits costs.
YIKES: In the first quarter this year, the company reported $6.6 million in profits. The year before they brought in $170.6 MILLION. Analysts for the company predict another drop in sales in North America for the rest of the year, by up to 17%. [via CNBC]
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The Justice Department filed a motion Thursday to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug, marking a historic shift in generations of US drug policies.
The proposal recognizes the medical use of cannabis and acknowledges it has less potential for abuse than some of the nation’s most dangerous drugs.
If approved, marijuana would move from a Schedule I drug, alongside heroin and LSD, to a Schedule III, joining ketamine and some anabolic steroids. [via CBS]
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BY THE NUMBERS
📈 The DOW lost 38 points (0.097%) to close at 39,869 on Thursday. At one point during trading it exceeded 40,000 for the first time in history. The S&P lost 11 points (0.21%) to close at 5,297 and the NASDAQ lost 44 points (0.26%) to close at 16,698.
🛢 WEST TEXAS INTERMEDIATE closed at $79; BRENT CRUDE at $83.
⛽ The national average price of a GALLON OF GAS was $3.60 on Thursday.
₿ BITCOIN slid a bit on Thursday, down about 1.3% and trading around $65,400.
🛩 There were more than 5,485 FLIGHTS delayed within, into, or out of the United States on Thursday and more than 510 such cancellations.
💰Tonight’s MEGA MILLIONS drawing will be for a $393 million jackpot or a $181.5 million cash payout. Saturday night’s POWERBALL drawing will be for a $77 million jackpot or a $36 million cash payout.
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SHOWBIZ NEWS
New Music Friday
The Avett Brothers, “The Avett Brothers”
Billie Eilish, “Hit Me Hard and Soft”
Collective Soul, “Here to Eternity”
Don McLean, “American Boys”
John Oates, “Reunion”
Kate Hudson, “Glorious”
New Kids on the Block, “Still Kids”
Ruth Moody, “Wanderer”
Zayn, “Room Under the Stars”
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The 59th Academy of Country Music Awards aired last night live from the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. REBA MCENTIRE hosted for the 17th time.
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BEN AFFLECK and JENNIFER LOPEZ appear to be living separately.
The couple -- who have not been spotted publicly together in nearly two months -- have been seen coming and going from different properties.
Most recently, Affleck was spotted leaving a house in L.A.’s Brentwood neighborhood, which is a far cry from the couple’s mansion in Beverly Hills.
JLo, meanwhile, was recently spotted house-hunting, which at the time many assumed to be for the couple, but perhaps not. [via TMZ]
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SEAN COMBS’ assistant BRENDAN PAUL has taken a plea deal in his drug case.
According to his attorney, if Paul completes a six-month drug diversion program the case will be dismissed.
Remember, Paul was hit with felony drugs charges in April after being arrested at Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport in March. [via TMZ]
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Actor SETH GREEN and his wife CLARE GRANT are being sued by a woman who claims the latter’s negligent driving caused a crash.
Janice Pitler says Grant T-boned her at an intersection after attempting to turn right despite not having the right of way.
In addition to the damage to the vehicle, Pitler claims she suffered “injuries to her thoracic and lumbar spine,” which lead to “expensive medical treatments.” She is seeking over $330,000 in damages to cover medical expenses, both current and future. [via The Blast]
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NICKI MINAJ’s “Pink Friday 2 World Tour” is the highest-grossing and bestselling rap tour by a woman in Boxscore history.
The tour earned $67 million and sold more than 439,000 tickets.
Minaj kicked off the North American leg of her tour on March 1 and wrapped things up on May 13. [via Billboard]
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CASTING CALL
The ladies of “The View” discussed football player HARRISON BUTKER’s controversial commencement speech at Benedictine College.
To the surprise of many, WHOOPI GOLDBERG defended his “sexist” and “anti-LGBTQIA+ beliefs,” saying, “He’s at a Catholic college, he’s a staunch Catholic, these are his beliefs, and he’s welcome to them.”
She continued on explaining that everyone doesn’t “have to believe” or “accept” his beliefs, but they should “respect” them.
Goldberg’s co-hosts SUNNY HOSTIN, ALYSSA FARAH GRIFFIN and JOY BEHAR disagreed with her comments. [via Page Six]
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TAREK EL MOUSSA and ex-wife CHRISTINA HALL are teaming up for a new home makeover series, called “The Flip Off.”
The two -- along with their respective spouses -- will compete against each other to see who can “find, buy, renovate and flip a house for the biggest financial gain.”
El Moussa is married to “Selling Sunset” alum HEATHER EL MOUSSA and Hall is married to realtor JOSH HALL.
The show is set to air in 2025. [via People]
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STEPH CURRY is working on a basketball-focused comedy called “Trick Shot.”
According to the official description, the show follows a “middle school student who is dismal at basketball until a freak accident occurs, and he suddenly can’t miss a shot. His new found hoops talent leads him to become an unexpected NBA rookie, where he is soon an integral member of his favorite team.”
No word on where the project will land. [via THR]
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A new Netflix documentary takes a deep dive into the 2015 hack of infidelity website Ashley Madison, which leaked users’ names and wreaked havoc on countless relationships.
Some of the biggest names released included “17 Kids and Counting” star JOSH DUGGAR, former “Real Housewives of New York City” star JOSH TAEKMAN, “Jersey Shore” star NICOLE “Snooki” POLIZZI’s husband, JIONNI LAVALLE, Florida State Attorney JEFF ASHTON, and HUNTER BIDEN.
“Ashley Madison: Sex, Lies & Scandal” is streaming now. [via Radar Online]
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THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
KIM KARDASHIAN reached out to fellow TOM BRADY roaster NIKKI GLASER after the Netflix comedy special to commend her on her performance.
Glaser revealed the message exchange during a recent appearance on the “Here to Help” podcast, saying Kim slid into her DMs. “I wrote back, ‘Kim, OMG, I was trying to make eye contact with you every chance [so] I could mouth to you, ‘You [effing] killed it, girl”...Thank you so much for writing to me.’”
In response, Kim wrote back saying, “Aww thanks, and you killed it, I don’t know how you do this; it’s abuse, lol.” [via Us Weekly]
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WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS
A new gallery opens today at Buckingham Palace showing portraits of the Royal Family, many of which have never been displayed publicly before.
The works include a photo of a younger QUEEN ELIZABETH holding an infant PRINCE EDWARD and the earliest surviving color photo of a Royal Family member, depicting a sister-in-law of King George VI taken in 1935.
Other photos include works by ANTONY ARMSTRONG-JONES, the onetime husband of the late PRINCESS MARGARET who made a career as a photographer. Another display will include unpublished proofs of photos taken for Queen Elizabeth’s coronation portrait sitting. [via Express]
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DAY OF THE YEAR
National Endangered Species Day
World Telecommunications Day
National Mushroom Hunting Day
National Pack Rat Day
Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Day
National Work From Home Day
National Pinot Grigio Day
National Walnut Day
National Pizza Party Day
Shades Day
World Hypertension Day
International Virtual Assistants Day
National NASCAR Day
National Cherry Cobbler Day
National Bike to Work 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
Brandon Aiyuk - football player - 27
Katie Ledecky - Olympic swimmer - 28
John Boyega - actor, “Star Wars” - 33
Grimes - pop singer - 37
Rob Kardashian - reality star, “KUWTK” - 38
Edin Dzeko - soccer player - 39
Miles Kane - guitarist, The Last Shadow Puppets - 39
Samoa Joe - wrestler - 46
Tamar Braxton - R&B singer - 48
Mia Hamm - soccer player - 53
Billy Corgan - rock singer, Smashing Pumpkins - 58
Rob Lowe - actor, “Parks and Recreation” - 61
Gary Sinise - actor, “Forrest Gump” - 70
Kurt Russell - actor, “The Christmas Chronicles” - 74
Patrick Duffy - actor, “Dallas” - 76
Born On This Date
Andrew Martin - wrestler - 1975 (d. 2009)
Alexander McQueen - fashion designer - 1969 (d. 2010)
Nat King Cole - jazz singer - 1919 (d. 1965)
Harry Clarke - illustrator - 1889 (d. 1931)
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