6/14/2023: Trump Pleads Not Guilty
PLUS: A New American Dialect; Toilet Drain Thief; and The King’s Art Collection
Today is Wednesday, June 14, 2023.
It is the 165th day of the year.
200 days remain.
WHAT’S ON TAP
A pizza delivery startup flounders and an Ecuadorian woman wakes up in her own coffin. More in HIT LIST.
SNOOP DOGG is deferring his induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame until next year and TAYLOR SWIFT’s “Eras Tour” is giving the economy a much needed boost. More in SHOWBIZ.
A live-action remake of “Bambi” is in the works at Disney and STEPHEN COLBERT extends his reign as King of Late Night. More in CASTING CALL.
YE is drawing the ire of fans after allowing his eldest daughter to attend his birthday party where sushi was being served on naked women. More in KARDASH.
Some of KING CHARLES’ childhood drawings are hitting the auction block. More in ROYALS.
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HIT LIST
Former President DONALD TRUMP pled not guilty to federal charges that he inappropriately handled classified information after leaving office.
There was no mugshot taken and Trump was reportedly not cuffed.
The former Commander in Chief appeared in a Miami courtroom, where his attorney TODD BLANCHE spoke to the judge. Cameras were not allowed into the courtroom, but insiders say that Trump sat with his arms folded and occasionally conversed with his lawyers.
The judge did not impose any travel restrictions or cash bond.
Trump’s legal team will reportedly challenge the use of the Espionage Act to indict him, but even eliminating those charges would leave six more.
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EIGHT YEARS AGO: A California startup called ZUME promised a new kind of pizza delivery: a totally automated robotic process that would make your pie before the raw dough and unmelted cheese was slid into an oven in a van, then was cooked en route to your house.
NOW: The company announced it’s shutting down – after burning through more than $400 MILLION in investment funds.
Apparently they couldn’t overcome one major hurdle: as they refined their technology and business model in San Francisco, they couldn’t find a way to stop the cheese from sliding off the pizza as the vehicles bobbed up and over the city’s notoriously steep streets.
In 2020 the company tried to pivot to develop sustainable food packaging. Years later, there’s nothing left.
GET THIS: Zume’s biggest investor was SOFTBANK – the fund that lost its ass investing in office coworking company WEWORK, which epically imploded just before the pandemic.
BUT WAIT: Gizmodo points out that a former SPACEX engineer has gotten more than $16 million from JAY-Z’s venture capital fund for a new company, Stellar Pizza Inc., which promises a similar, automated, on-demand pizza model – and it’s currently up and running in Los Angeles. [via Gizmodo]
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One linguist from Florida International University suggests that a new English dialect is emerging in South Florida as a result of the language colliding with so many Spanish speakers.
The language pattern results from translating Spanish phrases and idioms literally into English – for example, “get down from the car,” not “get out of the car,” a literal translation of “bajar del carro.”
Another common example is to “make the line,” not “stand in line,” translated from “hacer cola.” Similarly, South Floridians “make a party” (“hacer una fiesta”) instead of throwing one. [via The Conversation]
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Someone is stealing urinal drain gates from bathrooms in Sapporo, Japan.
According to authorities, over 38 drain grates were swiped from 16 public restrooms during a two-week span in May. The only pattern police have noted is that the bathrooms are all located near Sapporo’s Okadama Airport and the thefts all occurred on weekdays.
As for evidence, there is none. Due to the location of the thefts, there is no security camera footage. [via Insider]
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Bella Montoya, a 76-year-old woman from Ecuador, shocked mourners when she started banging on her coffin during her own wake.
After being declared dead at a hospital over the weekend, those closest to her gathered to say goodbye, but instead got the shock of a lifetime.
“I lifted up the coffin, and her heart was pounding, and her left hand was hitting the coffin…” her son stated in a video posted to social media.
Montoya was rushed back to the hospital (hopefully a different one), where her current condition is unknown. An investigation into the incident is now underway. [via CNN]
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DEATHS
Actor TREAT WILLIAMS has died.
He passed away Monday afternoon after he was hit by another vehicle while riding his motorcycle. The driver of the other car has not been charged, though the investigation is still in early stages.
Williams is best known for his roles in “Hair,” “Everwood” and “Blue Bloods.”
He was 71.
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NFL player JIM TURNER has died.
He passed away Saturday, according to a statement from his former team the Denver Broncos. No word on a cause of death.
Turner was a longtime place kicker in the NFL, playing for both the Broncos and the New York Jets.
He was 82.
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Novelist CORMAC MCCARTHY has died.
He passed away Tuesday in Santa Fe, New Mexico, according to a statement from his son, which also said his death was due to natural causes.
McCarthy is best known for his books “Blood Meridian or The Evening Redness in the West,” and “No Country For Old Men,” which was adapted into an Oscar-winning film.
He was 89.
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BY THE NUMBERS
📈 The DOW added 145 points (0.43%) to close at 34,212 on Tuesday. The S&P added 30 points (0.69%) to close at 4,369 and the NASDAQ added 111 points (0.83%) to close at 13,573.
WORTH NOTING: Tech company NVIDIA closed the day with a market cap over $1 TRILLION for the first time ever.
🛢 WEST TEXAS INTERMEDIATE closed at $69; BRENT CRUDE at
$74.
⛽ The national average price of a GALLON OF GAS was $3.59 on Tuesday.
₿ BITCOIN ticked down Tuesday, trading under $25,900.
🛩 There were more than 3,765 FLIGHTS delayed within, into, or out of the United States on Tuesday and more than 120 such cancellations.
💰Tonight’s POWERBALL drawing will be for a $340 million jackpot or a $175.5 million cash payout.
SHOWBIZ NEWS
The $1 million AMBER HEARD owed JOHNNY DEPP has been paid and will soon be sent to a handful of the actor’s favorite charities.
TMZ reports that five nonprofits will receive $200,000 each. These are: Make-A-Film Foundation, The Painted Turtle, Red Feather, Tetiaroa Society and Amazonia Fund Alliance. [via TMZ]
SPEAKING OF HEARD: After the highly-publicized trial with her ex, and subsequent move to Spain, the actress is ready to get back to work. She will appear at the 69th Taormina Film Festival in Sicily, Italy at the end of the month for the premiere of her new movie, “In The Fire.” [via Page Six]
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SNOOP DOGG has deferred his induction into the 2023 Songwriters Hall of Fame to next year.
According to the organization, Snoop cited “personal reasons” for his decision.
The 52nd annual Songwriters Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Dinner will take place on Thursday in NYC. Being inducted are: GLEN BALLARD, GLORIA ESTEFAN, JEFF LYNNE, TEDDY RILEY and LIZ ROSE.
WORTH NOTING: Songwriters with notable catalogs qualify for induction 20 years after the first commercial release of a song. There are around 400 inductees in the Hall of Fame. [via Billboard]
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CHRIS PRATT loves being a dad and thinks everyone should “rush” to have kids.
Speaking to Men’s Journal, Pratt said he was talking to ADAM SANDLER a while back who told him, “Every day you wait is a day they don’t get to have with you in their life,” which made him really double down on the “Rush. Have Them.” mindset.
Pratt has three kids, 10-year-old son Jack, with his ex-wife actress ANNA FARIS and daughters Lyla Maria and Eloise Christina, who are two-years-old and under, with wife KATHERINE SCHWARZENEGGER. [via Men’s Journal]
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Could TAYLOR SWIFT save the economy?
Research company QuestionPro found that fans have spent upwards of $1,300 on average for tickets, travel and outfits for Swift’s “Eras Tour” shows this year.
For example, Swift’s two concerts in Chicago resulted in an all-time-high average of 44,383 booked hotel rooms each night, according to marketing organization Choose Chicago.
Bloomberg also recently reported that Swift will earn more than $10 million each night in ticket sales. Minus the money she donates to food banks in the cities she performs in. [via People]
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SELENA GOMEZ is working on new music.
The 30-year-old posted a photo of herself in a recording studio, which she captioned “Don’t worry guys, it’s coming.”
Gomez’s last album, “Rare,” was released in 2020. [via ET]
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GARTH BROOKS responded to the backlash he has received over carrying controversial beer Bud Light at his new Nashville bar on his “Inside Studio G” livestream.
“Everybody’s got their opinions. But inclusiveness is always going to be me,” he said. “They have their opinions, they have their beliefs; I have mine.”
To those planning to visit his bar on Broadway, Brooks said, “Come in with love. Come in with tolerance, patience. Come in with an open mind, and it’s cool.”
Friends in Low Places Bar & Honky Tonk is slated to open later this summer. [via Billboard]
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THE 1975 are heading out on the road.
The band will kick off their “Still…At Their Very Best” tour this September in Sacramento.
The tour is the second time the group will perform songs from their fifth studio album “Being Funny in a Foreign Language,” since it was released last October.
Shows will wrap up in December. [via Variety]
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Ahead of the 66th Annual Grammy Awards, the Recording Academy has added three new categories: Best African Music Performance, Best Alternative Jazz Album and Best Pop Dance Recording.
Existing categories -- Producer of The Year, Non-Classical and Songwriter of The Year, Non-Classical -- will be moved to the general field.
Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr., says the changes “reflect” the “ever-evolving musical landscape.” [via Deadline]
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CASTING CALL
A live-action remake of “Bambi” is said to be in the works at Disney.
According to Deadline, “Women Talking” director SARAH POLLY is in talks to lead the project, which will be a musical.
No word on when the movie will be released -- especially with the ongoing writers’ strike. [via Deadline]
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STEPHEN COLBERT has extended his contract as host of “The Late Show” for another three years; his current contract was up this year.
Colbert has hosted the late-night show on CBS since September 2015. [via Hollywood Reporter]
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THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
YE celebrated his 46th birthday over the weekend with a party at which sushi was served on naked women.
In attendance were Ye’s wife BIANCA CENSORI and his daughter NORTH WEST, which caused some uproar on social media.
“So Kanye flipped when Kim let North do a dance on tiktok but he’s okay with having her come to his birthday where they’re serving sushi off a naked woman?” one fan commented. Others, meanwhile, complimented Ye on exposing his daughter “to other cultures.”
BY THE WAY: The Japanese practice of eating sushi off women’s bodies, known as Nyotaimori, dates back to the Edo period (1603-1867). The exotic attraction has been banned in many countries due to health and moral concerns. [via UPROXX]
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WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS
Two crayon drawings of QUEEN ELIZABETH and PRINCE PHILIP done by 5-year-old KING CHARLES will head to auction this week.
They were likely drawn around 1954, and depict Philip in a tuxedo and Elizabeth in a striped dress with a tiara, each labeled “Papa” and “Mummy,” respectively.
The auction house has included the drawings in a lot of royal family memorabilia. The two pictures are expected to fetch north of £5,000 each. [via Express]
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DAY OF THE YEAR
National Flag Day
Army Birthday
National Strawberry Shortcake Day
World Blood Donor Day
National Bourbon Day
National Cupcake Day
International Bath Day
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ON THIS DATE
1775 – The Continental Congress votes to establish the Continental Army.
The continental army was formed so the Thirteen Colonies could coordinate their efforts against the British forces. George Washington was named the commander of the continental army for the duration of the war.
After most of the Continental Army was disbanded in 1783 by the Treaty of Paris, the remaining militia groups gave birth to what is now the United States Army.
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1777 – The American flag is adopted by congress.
Of course this original symbol featured just 13 stars and 13 stripes representing the colonies.
The 50-star version would be made official on Independence Day in 1960.
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1789 - Survivors of the Bounty mutiny arrive on land for the first time in seven weeks.
Captain William Bligh had been mutinied by his first mate on April 28, left adrift with 18 of his crew and a small supply of rations. It was Bligh’s expertise as a captain that helped the crew survive and eventually find land.
From there, they would find passage back to England.
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1900 – Hawaii becomes a US territory.
Hawaii was annexed to the US by President William McKinley. The territory was granted self-governance and allowed to keep the Iolani Palace, the only royal palace in the United States, as its capitol building.
Despite many attempts to become a state, plantation owners found the territorial status was conducive to using cheap foreign labor and avoiding certain laws and taxes so these business owners fought against statehood.
In August of 1959, after almost 60 years, Hawaii would become the 50th state admitted to the union.
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1938 – Superman is introduced.
The character debuted in Action Comics issue number one. The initial print run put out 200,000 copies. The original authors were paid $10 per page, and refused royalties.
An original sold for $1 million in 2010.
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1967 – Mariner 5 is launched to Venus.
The probe carried experiments to test the atmosphere’s hydrogen spectrum and magnetic fields as well as collect a sample of solar particles.
As a result, previous temperature and pressure data became better understood and it was discovered that Venus has a much denser atmosphere than previously known.
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1994 – The 1994 Stanley Cup riots occur in downtown Vancouver.
The riot broke out after the Vancouver Canucks fell to the New York Rangers in game seven.
Approximately 60,000 fans poured into the streets and began fighting and looting stores. Police had to deploy tear gas to dissipate the crowd.
An estimated $1.1 million in property damage took place that night.
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2017 - A Bernie Sanders supporter opens fire at Republican politicians practicing baseball in Alexandria, Virginia.
James Hodgkinson shot US House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, US Capitol Police officer Crystal Griner, congressional aide Zack Barth and lobbyist Matt Mika.
Hodgkinson would later die during a 10-minute shootout with Capitol police officers.
All four victims would survive their injuries.
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BIRTHDAYS
RJ Barrett - basketball player - 23
Ryan McCartan - actor, “Liv and Maddie” - 30
Daryl Sabara - actor, “Spy Kids” films - 31
Lucy Hale - actress, “Pretty Little Liars” - 34
Kevin McHale - actor, “Glee” - 35
Chris Appleton - celebrity hairstylist - 40
Freddie Gibbs - rapper - 41
Alan Carr - comedian - 47
Sam Perkins - basketball player - 62
Boy George - pop singer, Culture Club - 62
Eric Heiden - Olympic speed skater - 65
Kim Lankford - actress, “Knots Landing” - 69
Donald Trump - 45th POTUS - 77
Born On This Date
Paul O’Grady - comedian - 1955 (d. 2023)
Alois Alzheimer - psychiatrist & neuropathologist, Alzheimer’s Disease - 1864 (d. 1915)
Harriet Beecher Stowe - author, “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” - 1811 (d. 1896)
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