Today is Friday, May 9, 2025.
It is the 129th day of the year.
236 days remain.
WHAT’S ON TAP
NOTABLE & NOTEWORTHY: Police in Florida are on the lookout for a naked neighborhood prowler.
BRET KREISCHER proves he is still the ultimate partier and SIMON COWELL turns down an NSFW offer. More in SHOWBIZ.
Another “Yellowstone” spinoff is in the works. Details in CASTING CALL.
MEGHAN SUSSEX faces a lawsuit over an at-home wellness remedy. Details in ROYALS.
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HABEMUS PAPAM: Cardinal ROBERT PREVOST took the name LEO XIV after being selected to serve as the next Pope – and the first American to lead the Catholic Church.
Prevost, a relatively young and spry 69 years old, was born in Chicago, earned a mathematics degree from Villanova, before returning to the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago for his Master of Divinity. Later, he led ministries in Peru for decades.
In 2023, the late Pope Francis assigned Prevost to a leadership role in Rome, where he became an influential adviser at the Vatican. [via Morning Martini]
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TARIFF TALK
PRESIDENT TRUMP announced from the Oval Office on Thursday that the United Kingdom has agreed to a new trade deal framework. UK Prime Minister KEIR STARMER joined the announcement by speakerphone. The deal maintains the 10% tariff on British goods, which Trump signaled will be about as good a deal as any country can get to do business in the United States.
As part of the deal, the US will eliminate tariffs on British steel and aluminum; also, the first 100,000 vehicles imported from the UK every year are subject to a 10% tariff, before upping to 25% (down from 27.5%). The UK will relax regulations to help increase American agricultural exports, particularly beef and ethanol. British companies will also buy $10 BILLION worth of Boeing planes and equipment.
MEANWHILE: Trump said during a press conference following the announcement that the current 145% tariffs levied on China’s products will not go higher. [via Morning Martini]
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SHOCKING!: Half of people who use Buy Now, Pay Later services to finance purchases say doing so has caused them to overspend, regret their purchase, or miss payments.
Two-thirds of Gen Z respondents – those aged 18 to 28 – say they’ve experienced such problems.
Microfinance platforms grew in popularity in recent years, especially during the pandemic, as an alternative to credit cards. But one analyst for Bankrate has noticed a shift away from the interest-free offerings, saying, “This buy now, pay later industry that's really portrayed itself as the kinder, gentler credit card is now behaving more credit card-like, which I find very interesting.” [via KATU]
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Another chapter ends in the bizarre saga of FTX’s collapse.
After the cryptocurrency exchange went bust in November 2022, a lawsuit named celebrities who had been hired to promote FTX, including TOM BRADY, LARRY DAVID, SHOHEI OHTANI, and STEPH CURRY. The suit argued that they did not properly disclose their financial incentives for their endorsements, running afoul advertising laws.
BUT NOW: A judge tossed the suit, ruling that the plaintiffs have not established that the celebs knew anything about the corrupt mismanagement that led to FTX’s downfall.
Still, some of those celebs named continue to face charges that they did violate securities law in Florida and Oklahoma. [via CNBC]
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Neighbors in a suburb of Saint James City, Florida, near Fort Myers, say a naked man keeps popping up on their home security cameras overnight.
The creeper isn’t just letting it all hang out on the sidewalks in the wee hours of the day, either – he’s been spotted riding a bike, prowling through backyards, and trying to open doors.
One resident tells local media, “I believe there’s something mental going on.”
FLASHBACK: Last November, cops in nearby Iona, Florida, busted a man for walking around nude. Locals in Saint James City say they believe their neighborhood prowler is probably the same guy. [via Gulf Coast News Now]
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