5/23/2022: Kourtney & Travis’ Italian Wedding

PLUS: Monkeypox Transmission, “SNL” Departures, and Preakness Stakes & PGA Winner

May 23, 2022

Today is Monday, May 23, 2022.

It is the 143rd day of the year.

222 days remain.

HIT LIST

The World Health Organization believes the ongoing monkeypox outbreak can be attributed to sexual transmission.

"What seems to be happening now is that it has got into the population as a sexual form, as a genital form, and is being spread as are sexually transmitted infections, which has amplified its transmission around the world," one WHO official told Reuters.

WORTH NOTING: Even if 2022 turns into a real Summer of Love, the U.S. government says it has enough doses of vaccines already in the national stockpile.

WORTH ASKING: Will they require people to take it or risk losing their jobs and participating in society?

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A couple in central Wisconsin say they killed a bear that entered their home after it climbed through a window Friday evening.

The bear had been eating from a bird feeder when the couple tried to scare it away by shouting at it. Instead, it charged at them, and climbed through the window. Inside, the couple say they first stabbed it with a kitchen knife, buying time for the man to get his gun and shoot it.

They’re recovering from minor bites and injuries.

No official word yet on what kind of bear it was.

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Check your jar of Jif peanut butter – it might be contaminated with Salmonella.

The J. M. Smucker Company has issued a voluntary recall after 14 cases of illnesses nationwide could be tied to its product. No one particular kind is subject to the recall, either; the official recall from the FDA lists dozens of size and flavor variations.

Details here >

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A recent road rage incident in Atlanta turned into a gun assault Friday afternoon.

The unnamed victim told Atlanta’s ABC affiliate WSB-TV that the shooter first fired in response to the victim’s abrupt lane merge, hitting the car just above a rear tire.

The driver got on the phone with 911, and continued to follow the shooter, who led him to his house. Inside, the shooter returned with what was described as an assault rifle and fired four more shots.

The shooter’s been arrested and charged with aggravated assault and damage to property.

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The Dow rallied Friday after an afternoon of losses to finish just 8 points up on the day. Same story at the S&P. The Nasdaq had a similar rally but still finished in the red.

As of last week, the most expensive gas in the country was in San Francisco, at $6.20 a gallon. Tulsa has the cheapest, at $3.92.

The national average for diesel is $5.66.

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CHARTS

Weekend Box Office

10. The Northman: $1 million (down from 7)

9. The Lost City: $1.5 million (down from 8)

8. Firestarter: $1.9 million (down from 4)

7. Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore: $1.91 million (down from 6)

6. Everything Everywhere All at Once: $3.1 million (down from 5)

5. Men: $3.2 million (new)

4. Sonic the Hedgehog 2: $3.9 million (down from 3)

3. The Bad Guys: $6 million (down from 2)

2. Downton Abbey: A New Era: $16 million (new)

1. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness: $31.6 million (stayed at 1)

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DEATHS

CALVIN MAGEE has died.

The former NFL tight end and coach at Jacksonville State passed away after suffering a heart attack last weekend. His death was announced Friday by Jacksonville State.

He was 59.

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CLAY JORDAN has died.

The runner-up on Season 5 of “Survivor” passed away Thursday after a short illness.

He was 66.

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ROGER ANGELL has died.

The longtime writer for The New Yorker passed away Friday of heart failure.

He was 101.

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THE SWAMP

New York Times columnist THOMAS FRIEDMAN published a piece yesterday about an off-the-record lunch he had with President JOE BIDEN last week. Without much detail, Friedman did say that Biden is frustrated that he hasn’t been able to make good on his campaign platform of unifying the country.

Here’s the problem, as Friedman sees it:

“[w]e need only, say, 10 percent of Republicans to abandon their party and join with a center-left Biden, which is what he was elected to be and still is at heart. But we may not be able to get even 1 percent of Republicans to shift if far-left Democrats are seen as defining the party’s future.”

IN OTHER WORDS: In order to unify the country, Biden doesn’t need to compromise or reject the radicalism of the left. Republicans just need to stop standing for their values and get in line already.

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In a moment of breathtaking lack of self-awareness, White House Chief of Staff RON KLAIN took to Twitter on Sunday to declare that polls show the administration is turning things around.

Klain retweeted a poll by CBS News, showing that 69% say the economy is bad, 65% say Biden is slow to react to issues, and 63% say the state of the country is uneasy and worrying.

Klain comments, “this poll shows @potus approval rating moving up”

WORTH NOTING: Apparently he’s a glass-half-full type.

Klain also noted that there is “solid public confidence” when it comes to Biden’s handling of “COVID and jobs.”

But that’s not really true.

The same poll asked if Americans were optimistic about COVID and jobs in the community, and though a majority were, the responses weren’t tied to Biden.

WORTH NOTING: There are millions of Americans optimistic about moving on from the pandemic in spite of Biden’s ham-handed and illegal vaccine mandates, among other botched approaches.

IT GETS WORSE: Klain conveniently left out that 57% of Americans are pessimistic about their plans for retirement.

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LOTTERY

No winner for Friday night Mega Millions drawing. Tuesday night’s drawing will be for a $143 million jackpot or a $83.6 million cash payout.

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No winner for Saturday night’s Powerball drawing. Tonight’s drawing will be for a $125 million jackpot or a $73.4 million cash payout.

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SHOWBIZ NEWS

MIKE TYSON finally addressed the incident in which he punched a fellow flier on a recent episode of his “Hotboxin’” podcast.

“He was [effing] with me, man,” Tyson said, before adding, “This is why my wife doesn’t want me to fly commercial.”

WORTH NOTING: While no charges have been filed, the passenger who Tyson punched has reportedly lawyered up.

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The cast of “Jersey Shore” is not happy with MTV creating a new version of their hit reality show.

The OG cast members all slammed the new show, issuing the same statement on social media, basically saying how a “2.0 version” of the show will “exploit the original show, [their] hardwork and authenticity.”

IN RESPONSE: Sources at MTV told TMZ that bigwigs at the network are not pleased with the group of guidos, calling them “ungrateful.”

WORTH NOTING: The original cast are not going anywhere, they still have their “Jersey Shore Family Vacation” show at MTV.

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JOHNNY DEPP has the support of Mission NGO, an Italian-based organization that protects abused women and children.

The support may seem odd as Depp has been labeled a “wife beater” by his ex-wife AMBER HEARD, but founder of the org Miss Italy VALERIA ALTOBELLI has expressed her “compassion” for the actor.

The organization joins a long list of celebs and fans who are all Team Depp.

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RIC FLAIR is returning to the wrestling ring after being cleared by his doctors to do so.

The 73-year-old, who essentially cheated death in 2019 after suffering a medical emergency, will be in the ring on July 31 in Nashville, Tennessee. He will be wrestling for Jim Crockett Promotions.

No word on who his opponent will be.

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JAMES CORDEN is doing his part to preserve the local water supply in his Los Angeles neighborhood.

On a recent episode of “The Late Late Show,” Corden told viewers that he was shocked to learn that the “average shower lasts close to 10 minutes.”

“I’m in and out in a solid three or four,” he said.

When questioned over how he can get clean in such a short amount of time, Corden shared that he only washes his hair “every two months.”

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DAVE CHAPPELLE attacker ISAIAH LEE told the New York Post that he attacked the comedian because he was “triggered” by his LGBT jokes.

“I identify as bisexual…and I wanted [Chappelle] to know what he said was triggering,” Lee explained.

Lee shared that he was also “triggered” by Chappelle’s homeless and pedophilia jokes as he is a victim of both.

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CASTING CALL

PETE DAVIDSON is leaving “SNL.”

The comedian ended his eight year stint on the sketch comedy show on Saturday night with the show’s season 47 finale.

Now the question is…Does his exit have anything to do with KIM KARDASHIAN?

ADDITIONAL CAST SHAKEUPS: Also exiting the show are KATE MCKINNON, AIDY BRYANT and KYLE MOONEY. The former two joined “SNL” in 2012, and the latter joined in 2013.

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JON GOSSELIN just dropped some new music.

The “Jon & Kate Plus 8” alum released his new single “Voicemail,” with the help of DJ CASPER, on Friday.

The reality star also teased additional songs to come. To that, Casper responded, “Let’s get it bro! It’s go time!”

WORTH REMEMBERING: Last November, Gosselin revealed that he was working on a full hip-hop album as a “way to tell [his] story.”

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A “Law Abiding Citizen” sequel is in the works with screenwriter KURT WIMMER and star GERARD BUTLER returning.

The storyline for the second installment is being kept under wraps.

The first movie followed assistant district attorney Nick Rice, played by JAMIE FOXX, who was in pursuit of Clyde Shelton (Butler), a frustrated father who creates an elaborate plan to bring down the entire judicial system in Philadelphia following the release of the man who killed his wife and daughter.

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“Glee” is heading back to streaming.

Just six months after leaving Netflix, the series will be available on Disney+ and Hulu starting June 1.

“Glee,” which ran from 2009 to 2015, follows the choir members of the fictional William McKinley High School.

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LUPITA NYONG’O has exited Apple’s limited series “Lady In The Lake.”

She was to star alongside NATALIE PORTMAN, who is sticking with the series.

According to Deadline, production will continue as they search for Nyong’o’s replacement.

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DOJA CAT has been forced to cancel her upcoming summer festival run and tour with THE WEEKND as she undergoes “routine” surgery.

In a statement posted to social media, the singer told fans that she will be “going under the knife for a routine tonsil surgery.”

“The surgery is routine but the recovery is going to take a while due to swelling,” she added.

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CELEBRITY CELLBLOCK

Actor AUSTIN ST. JOHN was arrested last week following an FBI raid on his Texas home for alleged COVID-related wire fraud.

The ‘90s TV star -- known for his role as the Red Power Ranger -- has been accused of “attempting to defraud the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program,” which provided relief to small businesses during the pandemic.

According to a federal indictment, St. John is one of 18 who received more than $3.5 million across 16 small business loans.

He faces up to 20 years in prison.

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THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS

KOURTNEY and TRAVIS tied the knot for the third time in Italy over the weekend.

The couple exchanged vows -- this time with friends and family present -- at L’Olivetta, a villa in Portofino, before heading to Castello Brown for their reception.

She wore a cathedral-length veil and sheer white elbow gloves that accentuated her white mini dress. He looked dapper in a black suit and white bowtie.

In attendance were most of Kourt’s famous family members, and the Blink-182 drummer’s bandmates and children. MACHINE GUN KELLY and his fiance MEGAN FOX were also on hand to observe the nuptials.

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WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS

PRINCE ANDREW will join QUEEN ELIZABETH for the Garter Day ceremony on June 13 at Windsor Castle.

While many fear his presence will “overshadow” Her Majesty, a source told The Telegraph “Andrew’s attendance is standard practice.”

WORTH NOTING: The ceremony is just days before the disgraced prince will officially be stripped of his HRH title.

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PRINCE CHARLES and CAMILLA will appear in a special episode of British soap, “EastEnders.”

The episode will air on June 2 -- at the start of Her Majesty’s Jubilee weekend.

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DID YOU KNOW?

Members of the Royal Family are not allowed to play Monopoly.

PRINCE ANDREW revealed the tidbit during a past visit to Leeds Building Society’s newly-refurbished Albion Street headquarters.

He told The Sun that QUEEN ELIZABETH has banned the game because it “causes too many arguments.

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SPORTS

Early Voting won the 2022 Preakness Stakes.

The win was jockey JOSE ORTIZ’s first.

WORTH NOTING: Derby winner Rich Strike sat out the Preakness as he preps for the 1.5 mile Belmont , which is set for June 11.

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JUSTIN THOMAS won the 104th PGA Championship on Sunday at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

This is Thomas’ second PGA win, having also topped his fellow golfers at Kiawah Island in 2017.

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DAY OF THE YEAR

National Lucky Penny Day

National Taffy Day

Title Track Day

World Turtle Day

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ON THIS DATE

1618 - Two Catholic Lords Regent and their secretary are thrown out of a window following an assembly in Prague to protect Protestant rights.

Shockingly, all three survive the 70 foot fall. Supporters claim they were caught and protected from injury by holy angels.

This event, known as the Defenestration of Prague, signaled the beginning of the Thirty Years’ War.

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1701 - Captain William Kidd is hanged in London after being convicted of piracy and the murder of William Moore.

Two years prior, Kidd and his crew attacked a massive American ship named the Quedagh Merchant, which was full of gold, silk and spice. He was swiftly marked as a wanted criminal by the British East India Company.

He would eventually return to Boston, were he was arrested and shipped back to London.

On May 8 he was tried and found guilty. On this date he was hanged, and his body was suspended in a cage over the River Thames as a warning for others.

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1785 - Ben Franklin debuts the bifocal. He may not have been the first to invent them, but evidence suggests his invention was found independently. He was also one of the first to wear them publicly.

The convex lenses allow the visually-impaired to see objects both near and far.

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1788 - South Carolina becomes the 8th state to ratify the US Constitution.

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1867 - The Jesse James gang robs the Daviess County Savings Association in Richmond, Missouri. 2 die and $4,000 is taken.

Jesse shot and killed the cashier, the mayor, and the deputy sheriff.

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1903 - The first automobile to drive across the US sets out.

While on vacation in San Francisco, Vermont doctor Horatio Nelson Jackson accepted a $50 bet (approximately $2,000 in today’s money) that he could drive across the country in less than 90 days.

He bought a Winton 1903 Touring Car, which he named Vermont, and along with mechanic Sewall Crocker, set off for the East Coast.

After several technical difficulties, and the pickup of another traveling companion — a pit bull named Bud -- Jackson and Crocker would arrive in New York in the early morning hours of July 26; crossing the country in 63 days, 12 hours and 30 minutes.

The “Vermont” motor car is now on display at the Smithsonian.

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1934 - Outlaws Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow are killed by police in an ambush near Sailes, Louisiana.

As the wanted fugitives pulled over to ask for help, police officers lying in wait opened fire.

Clyde was killed instantly by a shot to the head.

When all was said and done, officers emptied their entire support of ammunition on the pair — about 130 rounds in all.

Bonnie was 23 and Clyde was 24.

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1980 - “The Shining” is released.

Based on Stephen King’s book of the same name, the horror flick follows a family who heads to an isolated hotel for the winter. A sinister presence influences the father, played by Jack Nicholson, pressuring him into violence. Meanwhile his psychic son sees glimpses of the past and future.

It grossed $622,337 on its opening weekend.

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2018 - NFL owners approve a new policy requiring players to stand for the national anthem if they are on the field for pre-game presentations.

Per the new rule, teams will be fined for any personnel that “do not show proper respect for the flag and Anthem” on the sidelines.

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BIRTHDAYS

James Charles - model & internet personality - 22

Lena Meyer-Landrut - pop singer - 31

Aaron Donald - football player - 31

Bray Wyatt - wrestler - 35

Ryan Coogler - filmmaker, “Black Panther” - 36

Scott Raynor - drummer, Blink-182 - 44

Kelly Marie Monaco - actress, “General Hospital” - 46

Jewel - pop singer - 48

Ken Jennings - “Jeopardy!” champion - 48

Jason Nash - comedian - 49

Bryan Herta - race car driver - 52

Matt Flynn - drummer, Maroon 5 - 52

Melissa McBride - actress, “The Walking Dead” - 57

Linden Ashby - actor, “The Young and the Restless” - 62

Drew Carey - game show host, “The Price Is Right” - 64

Joan Collins - actress, “Dynasty” - 89

Born On This Date

Sid Melton - actor, “Green Acres” - 1920 (d. 2011)

Douglas Fairbanks - actor, “Robin Hood” & “3 Musketeers” - 1883 (d. 1939)

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