Today is Wednesday, May 22, 2024.
It is the 143rd day of the year.
223 days remain.
WHAT’S ON TAP
ELON MUSK braces for a shareholder battle and legislators fail to secure the release of Americans locked up abroad. Details in HIT LIST.
Pelton drops DIDDY and PAUL MCCARTNEY is really rich. More in SHOWBIZ.
The Grammys get an air date. Details in CASTING CALL.
Fans won’t be lining up to buy the new Yeezy Cybertruck. More in KARDASH.
KING CHARLES has ended a popular perk. Details in ROYALS.
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HIT LIST
A group of TESLA shareholders are making a play to stop approval of ELON MUSK’s compensation package when it goes to a vote in June.
WORTH REMEMBERING: The Board of Directors approved the pay package in 2018 based that would award Musk shares worth billions if he met key milestones. At the time, the deal was lauded as astronomically improbable -- but the company hit those targets anyway. Then, an activist shareholder, who bought stock after the compensation package was approved, successfully sued to stop it.
NOW: Tesla is taking approval of the package to all shareholders, with a deadline to vote before the company’s annual meeting on June 13.
But a letter from a group of shareholders argues, “Tesla has clearly lagged behind its competitors and the broader market” over the past year, “adding, “We believe that the distractions caused by Musk’s many projects, particularly his decision to buy Twitter, have played a material role in Tesla’s underperformance.” [via ArsTechnica]
ALSO WORTH NOTING: Tesla is the 10th most valuable American company by market cap. That isn’t too bad.
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The saga of RED LOBSTER’s failure gets weirder.
A company called Thai Union typically supplies restaurants around the world with seafood products. In 2016, it bought a $575 MILLION stake in Red Lobster, which at the time was a major customer. Four years later, it expanded its interest to become its largest investor.
With that power, the company installed a CEO answerable to Thai Union. That CEO made Thai Union the sole supplier of shrimp -- not because it had the best price or product, but because it was a money grab.
Red Lobster’s management says it is investigating this arrangement, which could impact the bankruptcy case it filed on Sunday. [via CNN]
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UPDATE: A group of Congressmen say they failed to secure the release of multiple Americans who have been detained in Turks and Caicos for illegally bringing ammunition into the country.
Oklahoma Rep. MARKYWAYNE MULLIN said he traveled to the Caribbean nation on Monday to negotiate but came back empty. “Unfortunately, despite our willingness to work with Turks and Caicos officials to get our constituents home, we were not able to find a path forward today.”
Pennsylvania Senator JOHN FETTERMAN also joined the group; he released a more optimistic statement that suggested the matter could be “resolved.”
The first sentencing date is June 18, for 72-year-old Michael Lee Evans from Texas, with more hearings for the other Americans scheduled in June and July. The penalty carries a maximum sentence of 12 years in prison. [via NBC News]
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DISNEY-owned animation studio PIXAR will lay off about 175 employees, marking another blow in an ever-tightening economy.
The headcount reduction represents about 14% of its workforce.
Company leadership is tightening its belt as it continues its quest for a major box office hit after the stratospheric success of the Marvel franchise. Post-pandemic behaviors have also shifted away from movie theater releases in anticipation of watching titles on streaming platforms. [via CNBC]
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Adults seeking to enjoy a childhood staple can now do so, thanks to the newly-released Capri Sun Multi-Serve.
The brand’s iconic Fruit Punch flavored-juice now comes in a 96-ounce jug, giving grownups the option of enjoying the juice drink without looking like a toddler sucking from a pouch.
According to Kraft Heinz, the parent company of Capri Sun, 76% of suggestions to their call center between 2020 and 2023 were customers wanting a bigger product size. The Big Jug is the brand’s “first innovation in nearly a decade,” Kraft said in a news release.
While thrilled with the bigger option, fans are now wondering if another popular flavor -- Pacific Cooler -- might become available. [via Business Insider]
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WEDDINGS
Football player TUCKER KRAFT is married.
The Green Bay Packers rookie tied the knot with BAYLEE JANDAHL on Saturday in an outdoor ceremony in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
The couple -- both 23 -- got engaged in March 2023.
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BY THE NUMBERS
📈 The DOW increased 66 points (0.17%) to close at 39,872 on Tuesday. The S&P increased 13 points (0.25%) to close at 5,321 and the NASDAQ ticked up 37 points (0.22%) to close at 16,832.
🛢 WEST TEXAS INTERMEDIATE closed at $79; BRENT CRUDE at $81.
⛽ The national average price of a GALLON OF GAS was $3.59 on Tuesday.
₿ BITCOIN was mostly flat over the last day, trading around $69,740.
🛩 There were more than 3,390 FLIGHTS delayed within, into, or out of the United States on Tuesday and more than 70 such cancellations.
💰Tonight’s POWERBALL drawing will be for a $100 million jackpot or a $47 million cash payout.
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SHOWBIZ NEWS
CHRIS KIRKPATRICK is stirring up NSYNC reunion rumors again, telling TMZ that he has been in “lengthy discussions” with JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE, JC CHASEZ, LANCE BASS and JOEY FATONE.
As for what they have been discussing, Kirkpatrick said they are all just trying to get on the same page about how and what to do next, adding that it’s not a “categorical no to a stage comeback.” [via TMZ]
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ELVIS’ granddaughter RILEY KEOUGH is in a legal war with a private investment firm that claims Graceland is up for foreclosure and will be up for sale at the end of the week.
The issue is over a loan Keough’s mother, LISA MARIE PRESLEY, allegedly took out in 2018, offering the deed to Graceland as collateral.
Keogh’s attorneys filed for a temporary restraining order against Naussany Investments & Private Lending LLC, stating her mom never took out such a loan and the documents presented are fraudulent.
Elsewhere, PRISCILLA PRESLEY posted a photo of Graceland on social media, writing, “it’s a scam” in bold red letters.
Remember, the home is not just a tourist attraction, it is also the final resting place for Lisa and her son Benjamin, Elvis, his parents and grandmother. [via NY Daily News]
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An investigation into who provided MATTHEW PERRY with the ketamine found in his system at the time of his death remains ongoing.
The 54-year-old passed away in October. A toxicology report later found that he died with the equivalent amount of the general anesthesia given to surgical patients in his system.
Both the LAPD and DEA are involved in the investigation. [via NY Post]
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Peloton has cut ties with SEAN COMBS following the release of a video showing him physically assaulting then-girlfriend CASSIE VENTURA.
The fitness company released a statement saying they have “paused the use of Sean Combs’ music, as well as removed the Bad Boy Entertainment Artist Series” from their platform. [via The Blast]
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PAUL MCCARTNEY is the UK’s first BILLIONAIRE musician on The Sunday Time’s annual Rich List.
Coming in at No. 165, THE BEATLES legend jumped 10 spots from last year after increasing his wealth by 50 million pounds ($63,535,000).
Other’s on the list include KING CHARLES, SALMA HAYEK, DAVID and VICTORIA BECKHAM, J.K. ROWLING and SIMON COWELL. [via The Sunday Times]
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Celebs…they’re just like us!
JENNIFER GARNER wept proud mama tears during daughter VIOLET AFFLECK’s graduation ceremony.
“Tell me you have a graduate without telling me you have a graduate,” she captioned a series of snaps of her wiping away tears.
Several of her fellow famous moms commented words of encouragement on the post.
Violet is Garner’s eldest child with ex-husband BEN AFFLECK. [via Page Six]
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KIM ZOLCIAK and KROY BIERMANN’s divorce has gotten so messy that the two now have a set closet schedule -- meaning a set time each is allowed to access the shared closet in the master bedroom.
The order is in place because the two are still living together in their Georgia mansion -- which they are still trying to sell to pay off some serious debts. [via RadarOnline]
WORTH ASKING: The mansion has to have other closet space, right?!
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“Southern Charm” alum KATHRYN DENNIS was busted late Monday for DUI after being involved in a three-car collision.
A responding officer noted Dennis’ glossy eyes and the smell of alcohol, but it was the open intoxicant he spotted in her car that sealed the deal.
Fans of the show may recall that Dennis’ substance abuse struggles caused her to lose custody of her two kids, whom she shares with former “Southern Charm” star THOMAS RAVENEL.
No word on if she has been released. [via TMZ]
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CASTING CALL
Viewers of Netflix’s “The 8 Show” say they are “traumatized” after watching.
The series follows eight individuals in need of cash who take part in a suspicious reality TV show -- cue “Squid Game” references. While viewers say they enjoyed the show, some claim it had them “screaming” at their TV.
Meanwhile, the second season of “Squid Game” will finally be released later this year -- three years after the first season broke global viewing records. [via Daily Mail]
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The 67th annual Grammy Awards will air live on Sunday, February 2 from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
The event will be broadcast on CBS and Paramount+.
Nominations will be announced on November 8. [via Deadline]
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THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
The design of the very-limited-edition Yeezy Cybertruck was released this week.
YE took the already oddly-shaped Tesla Cybertruck and put his own futuristic spin on it, with straight lines that come together in a pyramid-esque point at the top. There are no visible exterior features, except a sleek brake light on the back.
“Pull up in that computer mouse,” one follower commented, while another added, “I got that router in 2007.”
There are only three in existence, with one in Ye’s possession. The whip retails for $1.2 million -- a far cry from the $60,000-$100,000 Tesla’s version costs. [via DMARGE]
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WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS
KING CHARLES has ended a policy that allows locals close to Windsor Castle to visit the grounds free of charge.
The Windsor estate is billed as the world’s oldest and largest inhabited castle, making it a draw for tourists and locals alike. Those residents will now have to pay 15 Pounds to get inside.
Public access was first opened by QUEEN VICTORIA in the 1830s.
Locals say free access to the facility is a simple perk for maintaining the community that hosts so many tourists every year. [via Hello]
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DAY OF THE YEAR
National Numeracy Day
Harvey Milk Day
National Boss Babe Day
Buy a Musical Instrument Day
Bitcoin Pizza Day
National Solitaire Day
Sherlock Holmes Day
National Maritime Day
World Goth Day
International Day for Biological Diversity
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ON THIS DATE
1807 - A grand jury indicts former Vice President Aaron Burr on charges of Treason, at the direction of the Jefferson Administration in his second term.
Burr had been elected Jefferson’s Vice President in 1800. He infamously murdered Alexander Hamilton in a duel three years earlier.
These charges had to do with accusations Burr and co-conspirators were trying to form a separate nation in the region that is now Texas.
Burr was acquitted, but he had no future in politics from there.
This would be like if Barack Obama had replaced Joe Biden in 2012, because during their first term Joe killed former Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson, everyone knew about it, but no charges were brought. Then Joe is dragged before a grand jury because he’s accused of leading a rebellion to create a country separate from the United States.
Politics have never been civilized.
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1856 - Two Congressmen physically assault each other after a heated debate over slavery.
Preston Brooks from South Carolina attacked Charles Sumner from Massachusetts.
Sumner had recently given a speech decrying the outbreak of slavery in the Kansas Territory. In particular, he called out three men in a haranguing speech given over three days. One of those men was Preston Brooks' cousin, who was too old and sick to be present at the speech.
To defend the honor of his family, Brooks attacked Sumner at his desk in the Senate chamber using a walking cane.
Brooks became a hero of anti-abolitionists. His supporters sent him canes as a tribute. He was never arrested or charged.
Sumner recovered over the course of three years before returning to Congress.
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1972 - President Nixon lands in Moscow to meet with Soviet leaders.
It was Nixon's first trip to the country as president. During the talks, Nixon and Leonid Brezhnev outlined a series of agreeable initiatives between the superpowers. One included plans for a joint space flight in 1975 and arms reduction treaties.
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2002 - The remains of Congressional aide Chandra Levy are discovered, a year after her disappearance.
She worked in the office of Gary Condit, who it was later discovered was having an affair with Levy. National media scrutinized Condit. He was never formally charged in the murder, but many suspected his guilt.
The story was a national frenzy, one of the stories largely forgotten after the terrorist attacks on September 11th.
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2004 - Speaking of which: “Fahrenheit 9/11” wins the Palme d'Or award at the Cannes Film Festival.
The 9/11-conspiracy-theory film by Michael Moore was released as overwhelming support for President Bush and his efforts to eliminate worldwide terror was ebbing.
The Weinstein brothers wanted to distribute the film in the United States, but their bosses at Disney refused. The rift eventually caused the brothers' company Miramax to part ways with Disney.
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2019 - Washington State becomes the first US state to legalize composting human bodies.
The bill, signed by Governor Jay Inslee, would go into effect in May the following year, giving residents another option besides burying or cremating bodies.
As for the process, human composting company Recompose explained that the body would be covered in natural materials, like straw or wood chips, and over the course of three to seven weeks it would break down into soil.
Loved ones would be able to visit the facility during the process and receive some of the soil if they choose to.
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BIRTHDAYS
Peyton Elizabeth Lee - actress, “Andi Mack” - 20
Novak Djokovic - tennis player - 37
Julian Edelman - football player - 38
Bryan Danielson - wrestler - 43
Margaret Quigley - actress, “Nikita” - 45
Ginnifer Goodwin - actress, “Once Upon A Time” - 46
A. J. Langer - actress, “Baywatch” - 50
Sean Gunn - actor, “Gilmore Girls” - 50
Naomi Campbell - model - 54
John Fury - boxer - 60
Morrissey - rock singer, The Smiths - 65
Tommy John - baseball player - 81
Born On This Date
Ted Kaczynski - serial killer, Unabomber - 1942 (d. 2023)
Harvey Milk - politician & gay activist - 1930 (d. 1978)
T. Boone Pickens - oil tycoon - 1928 (d. 2019)
Arthur Conan Doyle - Sherlock Holmes author - 1859 (d. 1930)
Richard Wagner - composer, “The Flying Dutchman” - 1813 (d. 1883)
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