6/15/2023: Take Your Blue Sky Thinking Offline!
PLUS: Bud Light Drops to #2; Pronouns Are Hard; and Harry Gets a Break (for now)
Today is Thursday, June 15, 2023.
It is the 166th day of the year.
199 days remain.
WHAT’S ON TAP
A Russian soldier surrenders to a Ukrainian military drone and an unappreciated family man teaches a lesson. More in HIT LIST.
KEVIN COSTNER wants the courts to remove his estranged wife from his home and JENNIFER ANISTON is still open to finding love. More in SHOWBIZ.
JAY LENO and ADAM CAROLLA are hosting a four-day event for aspiring comedians this fall. More in CASTING CALL.
CAITLYN JENNER and OJ SIMPSON share their thoughts on DONALD TRUMP’s legal woes. More in KARDASH.
PRINCE HARRY’s immigration file will stay out of public view – for now. More in ROYALS.
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HIT LIST
REMEMBER WHEN during the Gulf War, Iraqi soldiers surrendered to American news camera crews?
Call this the 21st version of surrender: The Wall Street Journal gives a detailed report of a shell-shocked Russian soldier getting the attention of a Ukrainian surveillance drone, trying to express his desire to surrender. His efforts were streamed back to a military base a few miles away. Eventually, the Ukrainians decided to take mercy: They filled a ration packet and attached a message: “Surrender follow the drone.”
And the soldier did. Now he’s shared his whole story with the Journal as Russian morale wanes. A hotline setup for Russians interested in defecting has gotten more than 17,000 calls. [via WSJ]
MEANWHILE: A Russian-language news site reports that officials in the Kremlin have taken to starting their vodka habit earlier in the day, with many putting away a whole glass of booze to start their day. One source says, “for some, the glass has turned into a bottle.”
IT GETS WORSE: Even at official government functions, it’s common for participants to have up to two bottles each – of vodka, or cognac, champagne, or wine. [via Verstka]
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A study by LinkedIn and Duolingo suggests that Millennials and GenZ employees don’t understand common office jargon – and true to form, it makes them feel less involved.
Some commonly misunderstood words and phrases include EOD (End of Day), move the needle (have an effect), and “wordsmith” (someone who writes well).
The most annoying jargony phrases according to the study are “blue sky thinking” (brainstorming, and yes… it’s annoying) and “low hanging fruit” (easiest opportunity).
Among young workers, 20% don’t know that “take it offline” means to have a separate discussion because the whole group doesn’t need to hear about it right now – got it, Kyder, or whatever your name is? [via The Register]
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YIKES: A former manager that oversaw the cadavers used by students at Harvard Medical School has been indicted on federal charges of selling human body parts over the last five years.
The charge accuses the 55-year-old manager and his wife of stealing heads, brains, skin, and bones and sending the remains to buyers by mail. Others allegedly stopped by the morgue for their order. Three of their buyers are included in the charges.
At least $100,000 changed hands over the years for the remains. [via Associated Press]
WORTH NOTING: This is connected to a previous story we reported on about a woman who worked at an Arkansas mortuary, where she was reportedly stealing body parts from cadavers that were supposed to be cremated. She listed the stolen body parts on Facebook Marketplace, where a Pennsylvania man by the name of Jeremy Pauly bought them. Pauly then sold many of the stolen remains to others including Matthew Lampi, who was indicted along with the former manager from Harvard.
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BUD LIGHT has been dethroned by MODELO ESPECIAL as the top-selling beer in the U.S.
Consulting firm Bump Williams reports that last month, Modelo represented more than 8% of retail store beer sales, while Bud Light was just above 7%.
The drop in sales coincides with the controversy of Bud Light teaming up with transgender influence DYLAN MULVANEY. [via MarketWatch]
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Ever feel so unappreciated by your family and friends that you contemplate faking your own death just to make them all realize how much you mean to them?
That is exactly what one man from Belgium did.
David Baerten, with the help of his wife and kids, faked his own death only to then show up at his funeral.
The fake funeral was attended by dozens of mourning friends and family members, who were shocked when prior to the service a helicopter landed nearby and out stepped Baerten and a camera crew.
“Cheers to you all, welcome to my funeral,” he told the crowd.
Reactions were a mix of relief, confusion and anger to Baerten’s return from the dead, which led him to explain why he orchestrated it all: “I wanted to give them a life lesson and show them you shouldn’t wait until someone is dead to meet up with them.” [via The Times]
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DEATHS
Top highschool football recruit DION STUTTS has died.
He passed away Tuesday in a UTV accident on his family farm in Batesville, Massachusetts, according to the Panola County Sheriff’s Office.
Stutts had committed to play for the University of Arkansas in March.
He was only 18.
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BABY NEWS
CONOR MCGREGOR and his fiancee DEE DEVLIN are expecting their fourth child.
The former champ made the announcement on “Live With Kelly and Mark.”
The couple are already parents to 6-year-old Conor Jr., 4-year-old Croia Mairead and 2-year-old Rian.
Conor and Dee have been together for 15 years. They got engaged in 2020.
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BY THE NUMBERS
📈 The DOW lost 232 points (0.68%) to close at 33,979 on Wednesday. The S&P added just 3 points (0.082%) to close at 4,372 while the NASDAQ added 53 points (0.39%) to close at 13,626.
🛢 WEST TEXAS INTERMEDIATE closed at $68; BRENT CRUDE at $73.
⛽ The national average price of a GALLON OF GAS was $3.59.
₿ BITCOIN fell further Wednesday, losing over 3% and trading around $25,100.
🛩 There were more than 5,200 FLIGHTS delayed within, into, or out of the United States on Wednesday and more than 320 such cancellations, as heavy storms pounded southern states.
💰Friday night’s MEGA MILLIONS drawing will be for a $281 million jackpot or a $145.2 million cash payout.
SHOWBIZ NEWS
ELTON JOHN’s “Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour” has grossed more than $817 million -- making it the highest-grossing tour ever, surpassing ED SHEERAN, U2 and the ROLLING STONES.
John has played 278 shows and sold 5.3 million tickets for the tour.
But wait! It isn’t over yet, so that number will continue to rise.
ALSO: John’s total tour gross -- dating back to 1986 -- is $1.863 BILLION, making him the highest-grossing solo artist. [via Forbes]
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TAYLOR SWIFT has allegedly canceled her membership to members-only club Casa Cipriani in NYC after other guests posted photos of her on a date with musician MATT HEALY last month.
The club, which has a no-picture policy, allegedly kicked out the offending party and said that the report of Swift pulling her membership “is absolutely not true.” [via Page Six]
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CONOR MCGREGOR says his hard hits on Miami Heat mascot, Burnie, was all “a skit.”
“I spent a lot of time with him afterward, we talked it out, everything is great. It was all part of the show!” McGregor told TMZ this week.
Remember, during Game 4 of the NBA finals, Burnie came out to meet McGregor on the court with boxing gloves on. After some fun back-and-forth, the former champ knocked the mascot down with two hard hits. It was later reported that the guy playing Burnie ended up in the emergency room, which was likely not part of the skit. [via TMZ]
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KEVIN COSTNER is asking the courts to remove his estranged wife CHRISTINE BAUMGARTNER from his home.
According to the filing, Baumgartner had 30 days to vacate the home she shared with the actor after filing for divorce on May 1, per their prenup.
Costner says he believes she is refusing to move out in hopes that he will give in to her “various financial demands,” of which he says he already gave her $1.45 million.
The pair have been together since 1998, and married since 2004. They share three teenagers. [via DailyMail]
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There is more he-said, she-said going on between KIM ZOLCIAK and her estranged husband KROY BIERMANN.
After she told the courts that she wants Kroy drug tested and he told the courts that she needs to be evaluated for a gambling addiction, Kim now claims that she suffered “years of emotional and mental abuse” from Kroy.
The accusations come amid claims that Kroy is trying to paint Kim as a bad mom. [via TMZ]
MEANWHILE: Kroy is being sued by BMW Financial Services for missed payments on a 2020 Rolls-Royce Cullinan. According to the court docs, obtained by TMZ, after several months of no payments the company demanded Kroy return the $400,000 luxury SUV, but he refused. [via TMZ]
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JENNIFER ANISTON is still open to finding love.
A source told Us Weekly that the actress “believes she’ll eventually meet the right person,” but is also “fine on her own.”
Aniston was married to actors BRAD PITT from 2000 to 2005 and JUSTIN THEROUX from 2015 to 2018. In between she dated musician JOHN MAYER and actor VINCE VAUGHN. [via Us Weekly]
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DEMI LOVATO no longer wants to be referred to with just “they/them” pronouns because it's too exhausting.
Speaking to GQ Hype Spain, the singer said that she “got tired” of “constantly [having] to educate people” about her preferred pronouns, so she has decided to also use “she/her.”
Lovato came out as non-binary in May 2021. [via Page Six]
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JOHN GOTTI III has been suspended from boxing in Florida for six months by the Florida State Athletic Commission for his role in a post-match fight with FLOYD MAYWEATHER last weekend.
After the fight was called off in the ring, Gotti threw some punches in Mayweather’s direction, which caused both men’s camps to enter the ring and start brawling.
After the fight, Gotti and his sister made threats toward Mayweather and his family.
Mayweather was not penalized for his role in the fight. [via USA Today]
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Just days after PAT SAJAK announced he will be leaving “Wheel of Fortune,” WHOOPI GOLDBERG is putting herself out there to replace him.
“I want the job,” she told her “View” co-hosts this week. “I think it would be lots of fun.” [via Page Six]
BUT WAIT: Insiders say discussions with RYAN SEACREST to take over the gig are underway. Remember, he did recently exit “Live with Kelly and Ryan,” so he does have some free time in his schedule. [via TMZ]
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CASTING CALL
ADAM CAROLLA and JAY LENO are teaming up for the first-ever Comedy Fantasy Camp.
The four-day event gives aspiring comedians an opportunity to work with some of the most successful people in the world of comedy, such as stand-up comics ALONZO BODDEN, BRAD WILLIAMS, writers JEFF ASTROFF, LIZ ASTROFF, STEVE BASILONE and showrunner KEVIN HENCH.
At the camp, attendees will take time to develop their own stand-up routines and perform them on stage. They will also take part in mentoring sessions, Q&A’s and masterclasses.
“It will be a gas!” Leno exclaimed. [via Deadline]
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THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
CAITLYN JENNER and OJ SIMPSON responded to former president DONALD TRUMP’s legal issues this week.
The former patriarch of the KARDASHIAN family called it “A very dark day in our country,” while Simpson -- who knows a thing or two about the judicial system -- offered some advice.
“I’m gonna share some advice from the greatest legal minds of our generation, of my lifetime…the one thing they all told me and stressed to me is do not talk about the case publicly. Do not do interviews about the case.”
Remember, Simpson was defended by the first patriarch of the Kardashian family, attorney ROBERT KARDASHIAN.
Others who shared their thoughts on the indictment were, actress ALYSSA MILANO who tweeted “#LockHimUp” and actor ROB REINER who commented that it “Couldn’t happen to a nicer Criminal.” [via Wonderwall]
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WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS
The Department of Homeland Security has denied a request to release PRINCE HARRY’s visa file.
The Heritage Foundation first filed a suit to get the details after Harry admitted to drug use in his memoir and the accompanying press tour for the book; typically, admitted drug use is disqualifying for visa applicants.
DHS says there’s no public interest in releasing the file, but Heritage says it will continue to fight for their publication. Ultimately it will be worked out in the courts. [via New York Post]
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DAY OF THE YEAR
Magna Carta Day
Nature Photography Day
National Smile Power Day
National Lobster Day
National Dump the Pump Day
Beer Day Britain
World Elder Abuse Awareness Day
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ON THIS DATE
1667 – A doctor performs the first blood transfusion on a human.
Jean-Baptiste Denis is commonly credited with the procedure. He was the personal physician to King Louis XIV.
The patient was a 15-year-old boy who had nearly been bled out with leeches 20 times. This was before the time of blood banks -- and it could be fatal to bleed out another human.
Jean-Baptiste transfused 12 ounces of sheep blood into the boy -- who survived.
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1775 – The Continental Congress meets in Philadelphia to appoint a leader for the newly-formed Continental Army. They pick George Washington.
Washington accepted the next day, but asked to not be paid. He only wanted reimbursement for any expenses. This is back when the job really meant serving one's country.
The next day, the Congress commissioned Washington as the Commander in Chief.
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1864 – Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton designates the 200 acres surrounding Arlington Mansion a military cemetery.
The estate had been the property of Confederate General Robert E. Lee.
After the Union won the war, the government snatched up the Arlington estate for $26,800 in a tax sale. Though Mrs. Lee tried to pay her tax bill, government agents turned her down.
Ten years later, the Supreme Court ruled that the federal government grabbed the land without due process, and turned it over to Lee's son Custis.
One year later, Custis sold the land back to the United States for $150,000.
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1877 – Henry Ossian Flipper graduates from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
He's the first black man to do so.
He was commissioned to lead one of the four all-black cavalry regiments -- the first non-white officer to lead such a regiment.
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1916 – Woodrow Wilson approves the Congressional Charter to incorporate the Boy Scouts of America.
The organization was founded six years earlier, however.
The largely ceremonial honorific granted the organization official status as a group sanctioned and condoned by the U.S. government.
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1969 – “Hee Haw” debuts on CBS.
It replaced “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.”
Though CBS would drop the show after three seasons, it was picked up in syndication and would run through 1992.
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1989 – Just months after leaving the White House, Ronald Reagan is knighted by Queen Elizabeth.
He doesn't get to use the honorary "sir," though. That's just for Britons.
He was able to append "GCB" after his name -- for "Knight of the Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath.”
Reagan was the 58th American to receive an honorary knighthood.
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2018 - Physicist Stephen Hawking’s ashes are interred in Westminster Abbey, London, between the remains of Issac Newton and Charles Darwin.
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2019 – A baseball jersey belonging to Babe Ruth sells for $5.64 million at an auction in New York.
It was the most expensive piece of sports memorabilia to ever be sold at the time.
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BIRTHDAYS
North West - daughter of Kim & Ye - 10
Madison Kocian - Olympic gymnast - 26
Bali Baby - rapper - 26
Cooper Krupp - football player - 30
Parker McCollum - country singer - 31
Bayley - wrestler - 34
Neil Patrick Harris - actor, “How I Met Your Mother” - 50
Leah Remini - actress, “King of Queens” - 53
Ice Cube - rapper - 54
Courteney Cox - actress, “Friends” & “Scream” - 59
Helen Hunt - actress, “Mad About You” & “Twister” - 60
Xi Jinping - China’s president - 70
Born On This Date
Waylon Jennings - country singer - 1937 (d. 2002)
Lisa del Giocondo - the subject of Leonardo da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa” - 1479 (d. 1542)
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