Today is Friday, May 26, 2023.
It is the 146th day of the year.
219 days remain.
PROGRAMMING NOTE
There will be no newsletter on Monday, May 29, in observance of Memorial Day.
WHAT’S ON TAP
New Yorkers better learn to swim and Zimbabwe is a miserable place to live. More in HIT LIST.
A reconciliation may be in the works between BRITNEY SPEARS and her mom, LYNNE SPEARS, and there is some jealousy among the JONAS BROTHERS. More in SHOWBIZ.
A horror-remake of the iconic story of Cinderella is in the works and ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER said he would consider joining the Marvel Universe. More in CASTING CALL.
KIM KARDASHIAN knows exactly what she wants in a man. More in KARDASH.
The FBI released files on protecting QUEEN ELIZABETH II during visits to the US. More in ROYALS.
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HIT LIST
A 37-year-old man named Travis Carlson owns a duplex in Duluth, Minnesota. He lives on the top floor and rents out the first floor.
On Thursday, Carlson was arrested after police were called to investigate a fire at the property while Billy Joel’s “We Didn’t Start the Fire” blared from speakers inside the house.
TURNS OUT: Carlson got some gas from his car’s tank and set his apartment on fire. The neighbors below heard him smashing and breaking things in the early hours of the day. One onlooker said Carlson was visible through the windows wearing a helmet and smashing the glass – before knocking on his renters’ door and informing them, “the house is on fire.”
He’s been arrested and charged with arson; he could face 20 years in prison. Fortunately, no one else was harmed. [via TSG]
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ELON MUSK says his companies’ succession plans don’t include automatically giving the same control he has to any of his children.
He said such nepotism is a “mistake” and that particular people have been identified to succeed him if anything should happen to him.
Musk is the father to ten children. His oldest died at only ten weeks old in 2002. Twins Vivian and Griffin turned 19 last month; his youngest are another set of twins born in November 2021.
SPEAKING OF YOUTHS: A Pew Research analysis shows that young Americans are taking longer to reach key life milestones than the same cohort did 40 years ago.
In 2021, just 39% of 21-year-olds had full-time jobs, compared to about 66% in 1980. One-in-four modern 21-year-olds were financially independent from their parents in 2021 while about 40% were in 1980. [via CNBC]
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Computer chip manufacturer NVIDIA is approaching a $1 TRILLION market value.
The company’s stock spiked more than 24% on Thursday, valuing the company at $944 billion.
Analysts say the increasing demand for A.I. technology – which relies on supercharged computing power – is behind the growth in value. [via WSJ]
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New York City is sinking.
According to a new study published in the journal Earth’s Future, the iconic city is succumbing to the surrounding waters due to the weight of all of its buildings.
Researchers’ calculations show that the nearly 1.1 million buildings situated across five boroughs of NYC weigh about 1.68 trillion pounds. That is equivalent to 1.9 million fully loaded Boeing 747-400s.
Taking that weight, researchers calculated the rate at which the city is sinking and found that “the average is about 1 to 2 millimeters a year, with some areas [...] up to about 4½ millimeters a year.” [via CNN]
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These are the most miserable countries in the world according to Steve Hanke’s Annual Misery Index (HAMI).
Of the 157 countries analyzed, Zimbabwe was crowned the most miserable place. Next on the list was Venezuela, Syria, Lebanon, Sudan, Argentina, Yemen, Ukraine, Cuba and Turkey.
The United States was 134th on the list.
Ranking was based on unemployment, inflation, bank-lending rates and the percentage change in GDP data. [via NY Post]
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BABY NEWS
SADIE ROBERTSON and her husband CHRISTIAN HUFF have welcomed their second child.
The “Duck Dynasty” alum gave birth to daughter Haven on May 22.
The newborn joins big sister, Honey, who was born in 2021.
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RELATIONSHIPS
Actress and country singer JANA KRAMER is engaged to former soccer player ALLAN RUSSELL.
The 39-year-old announced the news on her “Whine Down” podcast yesterday.
“Allan and I have been dating for…six and a half months. And he asked me to marry him!” she excitedly shared, while also telling followers that the 42-year-old included her 7-year-old daughter Jolie and 4-year-old son Jace in the proposal.
Kramer shares the two with her ex-husband, former NFL star MIKE CAUSSIN.
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BY THE NUMBERS
📈 The DOW lost 35 points (0.11%) to close at 32,764 on Thursday. The S&P added 36 points (0.88%) to close at 4,151 and the NASDAQ added 213 points (1.71%) to close at 12,698.
🛢 WEST TEXAS INTERMEDIATE closed at $71; BRENT CRUDE at $76.
⛽ The national average price of a GALLON OF GAS was $3.57 on Thursday.
₿ BITCOIN ticked up 0.4% to trade around $26,500.
🛩 There were more than 3,760 FLIGHTS delayed within, into, or out of the United States on Thursday and more than 95 such cancellations.
💰Tonight’s MEGA MILLIONS drawing will be for a $169 million jackpot or a $86.4 million cash payout. Saturday night’s POWERBALL drawing will be for a $211 million jackpot or a $108.4 million cash payout.
SHOWBIZ NEWS
These albums drop today:
Arlo Parks, “My Soft Machine”
Bayonne, “Temporary Time”
Clark, “Sus Dog”
Drew McDowall, “Lamina”
Gia Margaret, “Romantic Piano”
Joni Void, “Parallax Error”
Kassa Overall, “Animals”
Khamari, “A Brief Nirvana”
Matchbox Twenty, “Where the Light Goes”
Shirley Collins, “Archangel”
Simply Red, “Time”
Sparks, “The Girl Is Crying in Her Latte”
Struck, “Freak Frequency”
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One day after her passing, TINA TURNER’s cause of death was revealed.
Her rep said Thursday that Turner passed away of “natural causes” at her mansion in Kusnacht, Switzerland. She did have several health issues over the years, including intestinal cancer, high blood pressure and a kidney transplant.
As previously reported, Turner was 83-years-old. [via Daily Mail]
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BRITNEY SPEARS reunited with her mom LYNNE SPEARS this week.
Lynne was spotted at LAX by TMZ photogs who later spotted her arriving at Brit’s home. Once inside, she stayed for about half an hour before hailing an Uber. Britney’s husband SAM ASGHARI was reportedly home for the visit too.
Insiders told TMZ that Lynne is “committed to making it right with her daughter.” [via TMZ]
For those unfamiliar, the two have been estranged for years, with Britney blaming Lynne for her part in the 13-year conservatorship put in place by her dad JAMIE SPEARS.
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TOM HANKS received an honorary doctorate of arts degree from Harvard University on Thursday while delivering a commencement address at Harvard Yard’s Tercentenary Theatre.
Hanks joked with the graduates, saying he got the degree “without having done a lick of work, without having spent any time in class, without once walking into that library.”
“I don’t know much about Latin, I have no real passion for enzymes, and public global policy is something I scan in the newspaper just before I do Wordle,” he continued.
Hanks was also gifted a Harvard-branded volleyball by students; an obvious reference to his movie “Cast Away.” [via People]
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In honor of the nine eras featured in TAYLOR SWIFT’s “Eras Tour,” one devoted fan consumed nine hotdogs.
“The first few hot dogs definitely made [the show] better. Around the ‘Folklore’ era I’d say my experience was declining,” Patrick Mordan said in a recorded post.
By the ninth and final era, Moran said he was “excited to eat the last dog.”
BY THE WAY: Moran said he purchased all nine hotdogs before Swift took the stage so he didn’t miss anything. It cost him $52. [via Insider]
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After his divorce from MACKENZIE SCOTT cost him $38 billion due to no prenuptial agreement, JEFF BEZOS probably already has his lawyers working on a prenup in anticipation of his marriage to LAUREN SANCHEZ.
Here is what’s at stake:
Bezos’ net worth of about $138.9 BILLION
All things Amazon-related, including Amazon Web Services, Amazon Air, Whole Foods, MGM’s full entertainment catalog, Thursday Night Football, and 1.5 million employees, just to name a few.
The Washington Post
Bezos’ $500 million property portfolio
Sanchez, meanwhile, has her own company -- Black Ops Aviation -- which makes aerial videos. [via Page Six]
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JOE JONAS says he “cried [his] eyes out” after his brother NICK JONAS got to be a judge on “The Voice” over him.
Sharing the story while chatting with DAX SHEPARD on his “Armchair Expert Podcast,” Joe said he was at a Fleetwood Mac concert when he heard the news and “was so jealous” that he “cried” along to the band’s hit, “Landslide.”
Later on Joe explained how bittersweet the moment was because of course he was excited for Nick, while also bummed for himself.
Joe was a judge on the Australian version of the show, which is why he was looking forward to being on the American version. [via Insider]
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“Elvis” star AUSTIN BUTLER and model KAIA GERBER are NOT engaged.
Rumors started spreading on social media Thursday that the pair were getting hitched, but a source close to the couple quickly shut things down.
The pair have been dating since December 2021, so an engagement wouldn’t be totally unreasonable. [via TMZ]
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CASTING CALL
A scary version of Cinderella in the works.
ChampDog Films, the same company behind the Winnie the Pooh horror flick, is working on a “grisly” and “horrific” version of the beloved fairytale, called “Cinderella’s Curse.”
According to the Daily Mail, some plot lines from the original story of Cinderella will be in the film, but a majority of the story will come from the 1812 Brothers Grimm retelling.
Fans’ reactions to the news was mixed. [via Daily Mail]
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ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER may appear alongside his son-in-law CHRIS PRATT in a future Marvel flick.
In an interview with Men’s Health, the actor said that he would consider joining the DC Marvel Universe “if the role is right.”
Schwarzenegger is a fan of Pratt’s work, recently praising his performance in “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.” [via Men’s Health]
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THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
KIM KARDASHIAN knows exactly what she wants in a man and she has the qualities saved in the Notes app on her phone.
“Number one, protect me,” she told her friends. “Number two, fight for me. Number three, good hygiene.”
Other qualities she listed off include, “calm, no mom or dad issues, patient, supportive, genuinely happy for me, successful and good teeth.”
On a final note, Kim told her friends that she needs someone with “no heavy baggage,” adding, “I have enough.” [via People]
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WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS
The FBI has released its intelligence files on QUEEN ELIZABETH II, following a Freedom of Information Act request from NBC News. The dossier doesn’t have dirt on the former monarch so much as information about the security precautions taken when she visited the United States.
While the 102-page document trove was still redacted, one common theme emerged: American intelligence was concerned that Irish Republican Army operatives could pose a threat to the Queen’s safety.
From what was unredacted, no tangible threat ever emerged, though there was some nervousness that protests could be embarrassing to both the Queen and the American government. [via NBC News]
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DAY OF THE YEAR
National Blueberry Cheesecake Day
World Lindy Hop Day
Don’t Fry Day
National Road Trip Day
World Dracula Day
National Paper Airplane Day
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ON THIS DATE
1868 – The Senate fails to convict President Andrew Johnson on charges that he violated the Tenure of Office Act by a one-vote margin.
Senators passed the act the year prior to keep intact the cabinet implemented by President Abraham Lincoln, who were less sympathetic than Johnson to southern countries as reconstruction efforts were underway post-Civil War.
Johnson first replaced Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton with Ulysses S. Grant, but after the Senate expressed its disapproval and the Supreme Court failed to rule on the constitutionality of the move, Johnson appointed General Lorenzo Thomas. That’s when the House of Representatives initiated formal impeachment hearings.
But two votes on the charges failed, first on May 16 and again on this date.
Johnson served the remainder of his term but did not seek re-election; instead, Ulysses S. Grant won.
The Supreme Court ruled the Tenure of Office Act unconstitutional in 1926.
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1896 – Czar Nicholas II takes power in Russia.
He oversaw the collapse of the Russian Royal Family as communist radicals exploited post-World War I turmoil and pushed the country into a civil war.
Nicholas and his family were ultimately executed in the summer of 1918.
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1897 – “Dracula” hits bookshelves for the first time.
The legendary Vampire story was one of 17 novels published by Bram Stoker, but this title was the first that gave him a bit of notoriety.
Though Stoker died in 1912, the story’s popularity exploded in the 1920s, when a dramatic version hit Broadway, followed by the 1931 film starring Bela Lugosi.
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1927 – The last Model T drives off the assembly line.
Henry Ford and his son drove the car out of the factory; its 15-millionth car.
The mass-produced consumer car retailed as low as $260.
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1998 – The Supreme Court rules that 83% of Ellis Island — the island that was once the principal immigration gateway to the United States — lies in New Jersey, not New York.
The dispute arose as the island was artificially expanded, growing well beyond New York’s original maritime border.
The resolution of the issue was not a simple matter of drawing a line at a certain spot; instead, a small mass technically belongs to New York, and is surrounded on all sides by New Jersey’s jurisdiction.
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2004 - Terry Nichols is found guilty of 161 state murder charges for helping carry out the Oklahoma City bombing.
The verdict came only five hours after the jury started deliberating.
The April 19, 1995 blast at the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building killed 168 people.
Nichols’ accomplice, Timothy McVeigh was executed three years prior.
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2020 - Twitter adds labels to warn about inaccuracies in President Donald Trump’s tweets for the first time.
The labels contain links to CNN, the Washington Post and the Hill to explain Trump’s alleged lies.
Trump fired back claiming Twitter was “stifling FREE SPEECH.”
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BIRTHDAYS
Mathew Barzal - hockey player - 26
Alan Bersten - dancer, “DWTS” - 29
Brandi Cyrus - actress, “Hannah Montana” - 36
Sheldon Bailey - actor, “Shameless” & “Game Shakers” - 40
Scott Disick - reality star, ex of Kourtney Kardashian - 40
Lauryn Hill - R&B singer - 48
Matt Stone - co-creator of “South Park” - 52
Helena Bonham Carter - actress, “Fight Club” & “Sweeney Todd” - 57
Lenny Kravitz - funk singer - 59
Hank Williams Jr. - country singer - 74
Stevie Nicks - rock singer - 75
Born On This Date
Sally Ride - astronaut - 1951 (d. 2012)
Miles Davis - trumpet player - 1926 (d. 1991)
John Wayne - actor, “True Grit” - 1907 (d. 1979)
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