Today is Monday, June 10, 2024.
It is the 162nd day of the year.
204 days remain.
WHAT’S ON TAP
Strange sights at the White House over the weekend and a stranger monthly jobs report. Details in HIT LIST.
MIKE TYSON and JAKE PAUL will face off this November and all things point to the end for BEN and JEN. More in SHOWBIZ.
“White Collar” gets a reboot and “Stranger Things” gets animated. Details in CASTING CALL.
RAY J ponders how different the world would be if his sex tape with KIM was never released. Find out more about that in KARDASH.
WILLIAM and EUGENIE represent the House of Windsor at a friend’s wedding. Details in ROYALS.
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HIT LIST
The topline report published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on Friday suggested 272,000 jobs were created nationwide in May. Headlines called the number “whopping,” “robust,” and “surging.”
But a closer look raises some questions and makes the number look a lot like some serious book-cooking.
TO WIT: Full-time unemployment decreased by 625,000 in May while part-time gigs ticked up 286,000. To help make ends meet, a record 8.4 MILLION Americans are working multiple jobs -- up 3 MILLION from pre-covid levels. And while native-born Americans reported 663,000 fewer jobs in May, foreign workers picked up 414,000 new jobs.
If you throw all those numbers in a pot and boil them long enough, somehow the BLS gets to 272,000 jobs created. Huh. [via Morning Martini]
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On the same day Israel announced the completion of a mission to rescue four hostages held by Hamas, thousands of demonstrators gathered in front of the White House to demand an end to American support for Israel.
Organizers connected thousands of feet of red fabric and encircled the White House, representing a “red line” that President JOE BIDEN should not cross in his support for Israel. In May, Biden publicly said that he would end military support if Israel rolled into Rafah, the last Hamas stronghold; Israel has since rolled into Rafah. Taking a page out of the pinko-activist’s playbook, organizer’s dubbed the symbolic encirclement “the people’s red line.”
Based on social media videos, protestors defaced statues and carried banners calling for “jihad” and “martyrdom,” but the highlight was certainly the duo holding “F*gs for Hamas” signs. Not even “Palestine” -- Hamas, the terrorist group that uses women and children as human shields and stores missiles and weapons in private homes; the group that built operational facilities and tunnels under hospitals; and the group that, of course, criminalizes homosexuality.
MORE SHOCKING: Not a mention of the raucous rally above the fold Saturday or Sunday on the homepages of CNN, MSNBC, ABC News, or CBS News.
Deep on CNN’s site, they posted a video explaining the reason for the symbols the protestors are using. And NBC News generously couched the riot with the headline, “Thousands gather outside White House to protest war in Gaza.”
WORTH ASKING: With “insurrection” having become a buzz word since January 2021, and a nerves across the country particularly sensitive of violence toward institutions, doesn’t such a tumultuous protest merit more top line coverage? But why hasn’t it? [via Morning Martini]
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FOLLOW-UP: Police in California have busted the robbers behind the theft of more than 2,800 LEGO kits from multiple stores over a series of weeks.
A tipster alerted authorities to the identity of one prime suspect back in December, 39-year-old Blanca Gudino. She’s since been watched closely by police, who reportedly followed her from yet another theft last Tuesday evening. She took them to the home of 71-year-old Richard Siegel. The next day, officers returned with a search warrant, and subsequently found their hundreds of stolen LEGO kits.
OOPS: While conducting a search of the property, multiple people arrived at the home, expecting to buy discount LEGO kits from ads Siegel had placed online.
Siegel and Gudino have been arrested and charged. [via NBC News]
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Officials in Wyoming are scrambling to figure out how to repair a section of road that collapsed on Saturday, cutting off a major thoroughfare between eastern Idaho and Jackson, Wyoming.
Trouble started on Thursday when a crack in the road triggered a motorcycle crash. Construction teams quickly patched the road, which reopened that night, only to close again Friday after a nearby mudslide.
When crews returned early Saturday morning, they found the section of road obliterated.
No word yet how long it will take to reopen the stretch. In the meantime, commuters and visitors headed to Grand Teton National Park and Jackson will have to find alternative, and much longer, routes. [via Associated Press]
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Animal rescue organizations and zoos are working hard to keep both wild and captive species cool amid Mexico’s ongoing heat wave.
With temperatures reaching over 110 degrees, lions have been given meat popsicles and air-conditioned rooms have been erected to house birds of prey, who are being fed frozen rats.
Missions to collect howler monkeys before they fall victim to heatstroke have not been as successful, however. According to one wildlife biologist, there have been over 250 howler monkey deaths across the nation.
MEANWHILE: Newly elected president CLAUDIA SHEINBAUM is using the issue to further her cause for protecting wildlife and the environment -- something she plans to hit hard when she takes office on October 1. [via AP]
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DEATHS
Astronaut BILL ANDERS has died.
He passed away Friday when a small plane he was flying crashed off the coast of Washington state.
Anders, who flew on Apollo 8, is known for taking one of the most iconic photos of Earth rising above the moon’s cratered horizon surrounded by the deep black of space.
He was 90.
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Actor ALAN SCARFE has died.
He passed away on April 28 at his home in Quebec after a battle with colon cancer.
Scarfe is best known for his roles in “Seven Days” and “Star Trek: The Next Generation.”
He was 77.
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BREAKUPS
CHARLES SPENCER, the younger brother of PRINCESS DIANA, and KAREN SPENCER are divorcing after 13 years of marriage.
Part of what led to the split is the “strain” that Charles felt while opening up about the physical and sexual abuse he experienced at boarding school, which he detailed in his memoir, “A Very Private School.”
They have one daughter, Charlotte Diana.
By the way -- he’s 60 and she’s 52.
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WEEKEND BOX OFFICE
10. In a Violent Nature: $640k (down from 8)
9. Haikyuu!! The Dumpster Battle: $820k (down from 7)
8. The Strangers: Chapter 1: $1.8 million (down from 6)
7. The Fall Guy: $2.7 million (down from 5)
6. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga: $4.2 million (down from 2)
5. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes: $5.4 million (down from 4)
4. The Watchers: $7 million (new)
3. IF: $8 million (stayed at 3)
2. The Garfield Movie: $10 million (down from 1)
1. Bad Boys: Ride or Die: $56 million (new)
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BY THE NUMBERS
📈 The DOW lost 87 points (0.22%) to close at 38,798 on Friday. The S&P lost 5 points (0.11%) to close at 5,346 and the NASDAQ lost 40 points (0.23%) to close at 17,133.
🛢 WEST TEXAS INTERMEDIATE closed at $75 on Friday; BRENT CRUDE at $77.
⛽ The national average price of a GALLON OF GAS was $3.44 on Sunday.
₿ BITCOIN ticked down over the weekend, trading around $69,600 on Sunday.
🛩 There were more than 3,460 FLIGHTS delayed within, into, or out of the United States on Sunday and more than 75 such cancellations.
💰Tuesday night’s MEGA MILLIONS drawing will be for a $30 million jackpot or a $13.9 million cash payout. Tonight’s POWERBALL drawing will be for a $221 million jackpot or a $104 million cash payout.
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SHOWBIZ NEWS
The bout between MIKE TYSON and JAKE PAUL will now take place on November 15.
The match was moved from its originally scheduled July date after Tyson suffered a medical emergency midair a couple of weeks ago.
Following the incident, both Paul and Tyson agreed to push back the fight so the latter would have enough time to keep up with his training. [via The Blast]
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The home BEN AFFLECK and JENNIFER LOPEZ purchased last year is back on the market.
Insiders say the couple are trying to quietly sell the Beverly Hills mansion amid rumors they are heading for splitsville.
Ben is already living somewhere else and Jen is reportedly looking for a new spot to call home. [via Cosmo]
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Howard University is taking back the honorary degree given to SEAN COMBS in response to the video showing him assaulting then-girlfriend CASSIE.
In a statement, the university said Combs’ behavior is “so fundamentally incompatible with Howard University’s core values and beliefs that he is deemed no longer worthy to hold the institution’s highest honor.” The school is also getting rid of a scholarship program in his name, and terminating a pledge agreement made with his foundation.
In addition to the assault from 2016, there have been claims that Combs assaulted a woman he was dating while attending Howard University. No word on whether or not the school is looking into those accusations. [via The Guardian]
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Dad-of-a-dozen NICK CANNON is so proud of his fatherly accomplishments that he is insuring his testicles for around $10 MILLION.
The insurance policy comes along with a new collaboration with men’s personal care brand Dr. Squatch, for their new “Ball Care Line.”
To calculate the valuation, Dr. Squatch used its Ball Valuation Tool, which pumped out the eight-figure-amount, and the honorary title of “Most Valuable Balls in the World.”
As for whether or not Cannon will add to his lineage, he told the Daily News that he plans to “keep this family tree rolling.” [via Daily News]
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The home from “Full House” is for sale.
The 3,700-square-foot pad includes four-bedrooms, three-full and one half-bath, a private English garden and two-car garage.
It all sits on a 3,123-square-foot lot in San Francisco.
The house last sold in 2020 for $5.3 million. Before that it was owned by “Full House” creator Jeff Franklin. The current asking price is $6.5 million. [via Fox Business]
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ED SHEERAN likes living off the grid -- sort of.
During a recent appearance on “Therapuss with Jake Shane,” the 33-year-old revealed that he “got rid” of his cell phone in 2015 because of the stress over keeping in contact with people he was friends with before becoming famous.
“I had 10,000 contacts in my phone that would just…people would just text the whole time,” he explained.
As for how he communicates now, Sheeran said he has an iPad that he checks emails on once a week. [via People]
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The FBI has released 475 pages from their investigation into OJ SIMPSON and his connection to the deaths of NICOLE BROWN SIMPSON and RON GOLDMAN.
The documents contain forensic evidence from the case, such as fiber samples and blood from the crime scene, as well as hair samples from Nicole and Ron. Elsewhere, investigators detail how they worked to tie OJ to the crimes, like by connecting him to a pair of size 12 Bruno Magli shoes left at the crime scene.
The release comes just days ahead of the anniversary of the murders, which took place on June 12, 1994.
WORTH NOTING: It is common for such files to be released after the passing of the subject in question. OJ died last April. [via NY Times]
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CASTING CALL
KRISTEN STEWART is set to play astronaut Sally Ride in a new TV-series.
Ride, of course, is the first American woman to fly in space. She took a ride on NASA’s shuttle in 1978 and later became part of the team created to investigate the Challenger explosion. Ride passed away in 2012.
The hope is for the series to be ready to premiere around the anniversary of the Challenger disaster, which took place on January 28, 1986.
No word yet on who will pick up the project. [via Deadline]
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A “White Collar” reboot is in the works.
Series creator JEFF EASTIN told Variety that a script has been written and original stars MATT BOMER, TIM DEKAY and TIFFANY THIESSEN are all on board.
The show also starred WILLIE GARSON, who passed away in 2021. Eastin said there will be a nod to his character, Mozzie, in the reboot.
The series originally aired on USA, though Disney now owns the rights, leading many to believe the reboot could land on Hulu. [via Variety]
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Production has begun on an animated-version of “Stranger Things” for Netflix.
The show will follow kids in the Upside Down who face some fearsome creatures. No word on whether characters from the live-action series will appear.
Also, no word on a premiere date yet. [via The Wrap]
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THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
RAY J often wonders how things could be different had his infamous sex tape with KIM KARDASHIAN never seen the light of day.
“How different would the industry be? Everything would be different. There might not be an OnlyFans and all the things like that. All the opportunities like that. Probably more people would be going to college,” he told SHANNON SHARPE on his “Club Shay Shay” podcast. [via THR]
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WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS
PRINCE WILLIAM and PRINCESS EUGENIE attended the wedding of Hugh Grosvenor on Friday, a close friend of the Windsors who’s also the seventh Duke of Westminster.
NOTABLY ABSENT: PRINCE HARRY, also a longtime friend of Hugh’s, and his wife MEGHAN MARKLE.
Insiders said that Harry had previously mutually agreed with his ol’ pal “Hughie” that his and his wife’s presence would make everything difficult for everyone involved.
Grosvenor is also the godfather to Harry and Meg’s oldest son, Archie.
BY THE WAY: Grosvenor was recently named the wealthiest Brit under 40 by the Sunday Times, with a net worth around $18 BILLION thanks to extensive real estate holdings. [via Express]
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DAY OF THE YEAR
National Ballpoint Pen Day
National Bed Bug Prevention Day
National Black Cow Day
National Egg Roll Day
National Herbs and Spices Day
National Iced Tea Day
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ON THIS DATE
1752 - Future revolutionary icon Ben Franklin performs his famous kite experiment, in which he collected a charge when the kite was struck by lightning.
Throughout his experiments Franklin laid the groundwork for many of the theories that govern the modern understanding of electricity.
He also coined the terms battery, conductor, and electrician, and was the first to use a lightning rod.
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1940 - The Norwegians buckle to Nazi invasion.
Two months earlier, the strategic attack began. From within, fascist resistance captured key points, quickly bringing the government down, along with its already limp military.
The takeover was planned in part with former Norwegian Minister of Defense Vidkun Quisling, who threw in with the Nazis in 1934. After the invasion, Quisling was made the leader of the only legal party in Norway.
After the fall of the Nazis, Quisling was arrested and shot for treason. His name is synonymous with "traitor" in Scandinavian and surrounding countries -- much like "Judas" in the Bible or "Benedict Arnold" in the US.
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1977 - The Apple II, Apple's first consumer-friendly PC, goes on sale.
On board: 4 kb or RAM, an audiocassette loader, and monitor that displayed 24 lines of text in 40 columns -- for nearly $1,300.
Today's mid-range Apple laptop is literally one million times more powerful for less than half the price.
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2003 - The Mars Spirit Rover launches.
It was primarily tasked with studying the geological makeup of the Red Planet.
Its mission duration was not expected to be very long, but by a stroke of luck, a small dust devil passed nearby, and blew the dust off of the rover's solar panels, drastically lengthening the duration of the mission.
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2007 - HBO series “The Sopranos” airs its finale.
More than 12 million viewers watched the end of the award-winning Mob drama; the first to graphically and explicitly show the inner workings of a fictitious mob family.
The show is credited in part with making HBO a serious player in producing great original programming.
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2020 - Statues of Confederate figures and explorers become the focal point of Black Lives Matter protests, with many being removed in solidarity with the movement.
Some of those canceled include Confederate President Jefferson Davis and Christopher Columbus.
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BIRTHDAYS
GAYLE - pop singer - 20
Elodie Grace Orkin - actress, “Stranger Things” - 20
Sasha Obama - daughter of Barack & Michelle - 23
Kate Upton - model - 32
Leelee Sobieski - actress, “Deep Impact” - 41
Adam Busby - reality star, “Outdaughtered” - 42
Jonathan Bennett - actor, “Mean Girls” - 43
Lee Brice - country singer - 45
DJ Qualls - actor, “Road Trip” - 46
Faith Evans - R&B singer - 51
Bill Burr - comedian - 56
Elizabeth Hurley - actress, “Bedazzled” - 59
Born On This Date
Judy Garland - actress, “The Wizard of Oz” - 1922 (d. 1969)
Prince Philip - Duke & husband of QE2 - 1921 (d. 2021)
Hattie McDaniel - actress, “Gone With The Wind” - 1895 (d. 1952)
Nicolaus Otto - invented the internal combustion engine - 1832 (d. 1891)
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