5/6/2024: Double, Double Mortgage Trouble
PLUS: Favorite Cocktails; #FreeBritney Failure; and “Bloody Caged Lion”
Today is Monday, May 6, 2024.
It is the 127th day of the year.
239 days remain.
WHAT’S ON TAP
New details about the people behind the curtain of recent campus chaos and a “photo finish” at Churchill Downs. Details in HIT LIST.
MADONNA performs in front of a record-breaking crowd and WHOOPI GOLDBERG details her past drug use. More in SHOWBIZ.
KEVIN COSTNER’s time with “Yellowstone” may not be over and “Millionaire” returns to ABC. Details in CASTING CALL.
Kardashian fans have some dating advice for KHLOE. More in KARDASH.
THE KING’s family worries he’s getting back to work too soon. Details in ROYALS.
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HIT LIST
In an explosive weekend report, the Wall Street Journal outlines the coordinated effort to bring chaos to college campuses across the country in recent weeks, organized and funded by groups like National Students for Justice in Palestine and even former Black Panther activists.
While there is no “centralized command,” as the Journal describes it, “there are connections between long standing far-left groups and protestors.” Most importantly, the encampment “demands” universally include that universities pull out investments that in any way benefit Israel.
MEANWHILE, AT UVA: Riot cops armed with shields deployed tear gas to disperse protestors over the weekend. WATCH >
MEANWHILE, AT GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY: After encampment dorks took down the American flag, students unfurled a massive Star Spangled Banner from the roof of a nearby building overlooking the space. Later in the evening, an image of President JOE BIDEN’s face was projected onto the flag with the caption “Genocide Joe.” No word if the image was courtesy of the protestors or a different group. LOOK >
MEANWHILE, AT USC: Early Sunday morning police swept and cleared out the encampment, including the media. WATCH >
MEANWHILE, AT A GRADUATION LUNCH FOR DEMOCRAT GOVERNOR GRETCHEN WHITMER’S DAUGHTER: Protestors shout at the Michigan governor for a statement about what they call genocide in Gaza. WATCH >
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Three horses finished neck-and-neck at Saturday’s Kentucky Derby, with the prize ultimately going to Mystik Dan.
Sierra Leone and Forever Young finished within a nose and a head of the winner — which are actually technical terms in horse racing to describe the finishing distance margin.
MEANWHILE: Gamblers bet $320.5 MILLION in total, shattering last year’s record of $288.7 MILLION. [via ESPN]
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GET A LOAD OF THIS: The average cost of home ownership has virtually doubled in the last two years, based on public data from Zillow and the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
Before the pandemic, the average monthly cost of home ownership — including mortgage, taxes, and insurance, sat around $1400 a month. (This number decreased by about $1000 during the first three years of former President DONALD TRUMP’s administration).
TODAY: Those same average home ownership costs are $2,750 a month — representing 44% of the average American family’s pre-tax income. [via Kobeissi Letter]
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CLOSURE: After a chaotic week of searching and near-misses, authorities in Washington state finally recovered the fourth zebra that escaped from a transport trailer.
One local says he set out white bread and oats to get the zebra’s attention within a fenced-in area. Once inside, they secured the enclosure, allowing animal control officials to close in.
The zebra, named Shug, is on its way to join the rest of its domesticated herd at a petting zoo in Montana. [via KIRO]
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In honor of National Beverage Day (today) and World Cocktail Day (May 13), Casino.ca did a deep dive into Google trends to find America’s favorite cocktail.
Margaritas took the top spot with a 31 state majority, followed by Martinis, which were named the boozy beverage of choice in 9 states. Constantines (a gin-infused cocktail) came in third, being selected by five states.
Click here to see favorite drinks by state>
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DEATHS
Basketball player DARIUS MORRIS has died.
He passed away Saturday in Los Angeles, according to a statement from his family. A cause of death was not shared.
Morris was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers in 2011.
He was only 33.
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Actor BERNARD HILL has died.
He passed away Sunday, according to a statement from his agent. No further details were shared.
Hill is best known for his portrayal of Theoden, King of Rohan in “The Lord of the Rings” and “Capt. Edward Smith in “Titanic.”
He was 79.
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WEEKEND BOX OFFICE
10. Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire: $1.8 million (down from 8)
9. Abigail: $2.3 million (down from 5)
8. Kung Fu Panda 4: $2.4 million (down from 7)
7. Unsung Hero: $3 million (down from 2)
6. Civil War: $3.5 million (down from 4)
5. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire: $4.5 million (down from 3)
4. Tarot: $6.5 million (new)
3. Challengers: $7.6 million (down from 1)
2. Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace: $8 million (new)
1. The Fall Guy: $28.5 million (new)
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BY THE NUMBERS
📈 The DOW gained 450 points (1.18%) to close at 38,675 on Friday. The S&P gained 63 points (1.26%) to close at 5,127 and the NASDAQ increased 315 points (1.99%) to close at 16,156.
🛢 WEST TEXAS INTERMEDIATE closed at $78 on Friday; BRENT CRUDE at $80.
⛽ The national average price of a GALLON OF GAS was $3.65 on Sunday.
₿ BITCOIN was mostly flat on the weekend, trading around $63,700 on Sunday evening.
🛩 There were more than 4,300 FLIGHTS delayed within, into, or out of the United States on Sunday and more than 290 such cancellations.
💰Tuesday night’s MEGA MILLIONS drawing will be for a $306 million jackpot or a $140.1 million cash payout. Tonight’s POWERBALL drawing will be for a $214 million jackpot or a $99.7 million cash payout.
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SHOWBIZ NEWS
Those close to BRITNEY SPEARS think removing her conservatorship may have been a big mistake.
While the narrative behind the #FreeBritney movement was that Brit’s dad JAMIE SPEARS “locked [her] away for no good reason,” insiders are now saying that she suffers from “very real mental health issues.”
Things have gotten so out of control as of late that several sources fear Spears has possibly turned to some kind of substance abuse, calling it an “absolute tragedy” that will not “end well.” [via Page Six]
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MADONNA performed in front of a record-breaking 1.6 million fans at her final “Celebration Tour” concert.
The free concert was held at Rio de Janeiro’s Copacabana Beach on May 4, drawing in her biggest ever audience. The number also set a new record for the largest ever attendance for a stand-alone concert at the iconic beach by any artist; the record was previously held by THE ROLLING STONES.
Madge’s “Celebration Tour” kicked off last October at London’s O2 Arena. [via People]
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USHER’s Lovers & Friends Festival that was scheduled to take place in Las Vegas over the weekend was canceled due to dangerous weather conditions.
The event was meant to celebrate the 20th anniversary of his classic album, “Confessions.”
JANET JACKSON, BACKSTREET BOYS, LIL WAYNE, SNOOP DOGG, GWEN STEFANI, NAS, ALICIA KEYS and more were also set to perform at the festival. [via Billboard]
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WHOOPI GOLDBERG details her “serious addiction to cocaine” in her forthcoming memoir, “Bits and Pieces: My Mother, My Brother and Me.”
She writes that her drug use began in the ‘80s, when she would show up at parties and be “greeted at the door with a bowl of Quaaludes” and “lines of cocaine were laid across tables and bathroom counters for the taking.”
Initially thinking she could “handle” cocaine, Goldberg says after a year she felt the drug starting to kick [her] ass.”
Her self-proclaimed “slap in the face moment” came when housekeeping caught her snorting the drug in a closet and screamed. Looking back, Goldberg says she is “lucky” she was able to “stop using drugs quickly,” even though going cold turkey wasn’t easy.
“Bits and Pieces: My Mother, My Brother, and Me” hits bookshelves tomorrow. [via Page Six]
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TRAVIS KELCE showed up at the Kentucky Derby over the weekend, sporting a tan suit, blue dress shirt, navy fedora and matching tie.
He was spotted hanging out with ALEX PALL of the CHAINSMOKERS and basketball player CHANDLER PARSONS. While fans hoped he would attend the event with TAYLOR SWIFT, she reportedly jetted to Paris to continue her “Eras Tour.”
No word on if Kelce placed any bets on the horse race. [via Page Six]
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The LAPD is investigating allegations that NICOLAS CAGE’s son WESTON CAGE beat his mother, CHRISTINA FULTON, last weekend at her Los Angeles-are home.
Sources told TMZ that the two got into a verbal argument which then escalated and the cops were called. No one was arrested or taken to the hospital, though Fulton was spotted out this past week with a bruised face.
Weston faces potential felony battery charges. [via TMZ]
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CASTING CALL
When child star LISA JAKUB was kicked out of school for taking time off to film “Mrs. Doubtfire,” her co-star, ROBIN WILLIAMS took it upon himself to try and remedy the situation.
“I was attending high school in Canada, then I left for four months to film the movie” Jakub, who played the eldest daughter of Williams and SALLY FIELD’s characters, told her costars MATTHEW LAWRENCE and MARA WILSON on the “Brotherly Love” podcast.
A couple months into filming Jakub says her school sent a note saying, “don’t come back.” Seeing her devastation, Williams wrote a letter to her principal asking them to rethink the decision. “The principal got the letter, framed the letter, put it up in the office, and didn’t ask me back,” she revealed.
FOR THE RECORD: “Mrs. Doubtfire” was the second-highest grossing movie in 1993, earning $441 million worldwide. There was talk of a sequel, though that ended with Williams' untimely death in 2014. [via Variety]
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Republican Rep. Mike Lawler introduced a bill Saturday to award JAMES EARL JONES the Congressional Gold Medal -- the nation’s highest civilian distinction.
Saturday was quite fitting as it was also “May the 4th” aka “Star Wars Day,” and Jones is probably best known for voicing “Star Wars” villian, Darth Vader.
“Who says Darth Vader can’t be the good guy for once?” Lawler quipped in his announcement.
Some of Jones’ other famous films include “Field of Dreams,” “The Hunt for Red October,” and voicing Mufasa in “The Lion King.” [via NY Post]
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KEVIN COSTNER’s time on “Yellowstone” might not be over.
While speaking about his latest film, “Horizon: An American Saga,” Costner implied that he is open to working with “Yellowstone” creator TAYLOR SHERIDAN, contradicting reports that the two had a falling out.
The fifth season of “Yellowstone” has long been plugged as being the last, because of the rumored feud between Costner and Sheridan over scheduling conflicts. [via Deadline]
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A new season of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” kicks off this July on ABC.
JIMMY KIMMEL will host a slew of celebrities who are playing to win up to $1 million for charities of their choosing.
This summer marks the game show’s 25th anniversary on the network; it premiered in August 1999. [via THR]
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THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
With KHLOE KARDASHIAN’s history of turbulent relationships with men, fans have a suggestion for her going forward: be a lesbian.
“I still think Khloe should be a lesbian,” one fan wrote on X, to which the mom-of-two said, “Well you never know what my future holds 🤸🏼♀️.”
She also hinted at maybe signing up for the reality dating show, “Love is Blind,” and dragging along a few of her single sisters. [via E!]
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WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS
Palace insiders tell the Sunday Times that KING CHARLES feels he’s letting people down by quietly receiving cancer treatment: “[The King] genuinely feels he’s letting people and organizations down if he’s not out there doing all those public bits of his formal role,” one source says.
Just last week, QUEEN CAMILLA told a guest at a palace event that she was trying to “hold him back” as Charles slowly resumes public duties.
Another friend of the monarchs says of Charles, “He’s a bloody caged lion, driving everyone round the twist if he’s stuck at home.”
But just like Camilla, PRINCE WILLIAM is weary about the King taking on too much. A source says that William wants to be sure Charles is “balancing his recovery.” [via Daily Beast]
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DAY OF THE YEAR
National Beverage Day
National Nurses Day
International No Diet Day
National Tourist Appreciation Day
No Homework Day
Early May Bank Holiday
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ON THIS DATE
1536 - Henry VIII of England orders Bibles be placed in every Church in England.
The order helped establish the British monarch as the head of the church, not the Pope. It also made the Bible accessible to those who didn’t know Latin.
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1835 - The New York Herald is first published.
Within 10 years, it would become the most successful and profitable paper in the nation, and brand itself as the most-circulated in the world, reaching 84,000 people a day.
For its time, it emphasized tabloid-style news, sensationalizing headlines whenever possible.
It would continue production until 1924, when it was merged with the New York Tribune.
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1840 - The Penny Black stamp is first accepted as currency — it’s the first adhesive postage stamp.
Previously, recipients paid for mail on delivery. This invention was an indication of pre-payment for all correspondence. It featured an image of Queen Victoria, and sold for a penny.
Eventually, more than 68 million stamps were put into circulation.
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1882 - The Chinese Exclusion Act is signed into law by President Chester Arthur.
The law banned immigration of all Chinese workers. Initially it was a temporary law, but would endure until 1943.
An influx of immigrants from China began with the California Gold Rush in the mid-1840s, but as the abundant supply of gold disappeared, American prospectors didn’t like the extra competition, both for gold and for work.
It was organized labor leaders who pushed for the exclusionary law.
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1889 - The Eiffel Tower opens to the public for the Exposition Universelle in Paris.
It was structurally completed at the end of March, but had to be fitted to be accessed by visitors.
Throughout the exhibition, nearly 2 million people climbed the tower’s stairs.
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1994 - Arkansas state employee Paula Jones files a lawsuit against President Bill Clinton for sexual harassment while he was governor — just two days before the 3-year statute of limitations would have prevented her from taking action.
According to the lawsuit, Clinton propositioned and exposed himself to her after an event in Little Rock.
Jones would ultimately win an $850,000 settlement, but got no formal apology. Most of it went to attorney fees. She took home $200,000, and would later pose in Penthouse to raise money.
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2013 - Three women escape a house in Ohio after more than 10 years in captivity under horrific conditions. They had been individually kidnapped a year apart, beginning in 2002.
Their captor, Ariel Castro, was arrested, convicted, and the house was eventually demolished. Castro later hanged himself in prison.
A community fund awarded more than a million dollars to the victims.
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2020 - At least 90,000 healthcare workers worldwide have been infected by COVID-19.
According to the International Council of Workers, more than 260 nurses have died due to the virus.
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BIRTHDAYS
Prince Archie of Sussex - son of Harry & Meg - 5
Sadie Sandler - daughter of Adam Sandler & actress, “That’s My Boy” - 18
Angel Reese - basketball player - 22
Tiera Skovbye - actress, “Riverdale” & “Forever 16” - 29
Noah Galvin - actor, “The Real O’Neals” - 30
Naomi Scott - actress, “Terra Nova” & “Aladdin” - 31
Jose Altuve - baseball player - 34
Cheree Crowley - wrestler - 36
Ryan Anderson - basketball player - 36
Meek Mill - rapper - 37
Chris Paul - basketball player - 39
Adrianne Palicki - actress, “Friday Night Lights” - 41
George Clooney - actor, “ER” & “Ocean’s Eleven” trilogy - 63
Bob Seger - rock singer - 79
Willie Mays - baseball player - 93
Born On This Date
Orson Welles - actor, “Citizen Kane” - 1915 (d. 1985)
Amadeo Giannini - founded Bank of America - 1870 (d. 1949)
Sigmund Freud - Father of Psychology - 1856 (d. 1939)
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