6/19/2023: Two Billionaires Walk Into a Bar
PLUS: “Swim Bladder” Black Market; Shaq Goes Shopping; and Duchess of Dior?
Today is Monday, June 19, 2023.
It is the 170th day of the year.
195 days remain.
WHAT’S ON TAP
A big infrastructure project is underway in the Arctic and Bud Light really wants to get back on message. More in HIT LIST.
A favorite ‘80s rom/com almost had a very different leading man and an outspoken actress has a suggestion for Oscars categories. More in SHOWBIZ.
Netflix is betting big on a major action movie franchise. More in CASTING CALL.
Family and friends react to KOURTNEY KARDASHIAN’s baby news. More in KARDASH.
A big deal is in the works for MEGHAN MARKLE. More in ROYALS.
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HIT LIST
The world’s two wealthiest men were spotted having lunch on Friday. ELON MUSK (of TESLA, SPACEX, and TWITTER money) met BERNARD ARNAULT (of luxury goods holding company LVMH) in Paris for a meal at the hotel Cheval Blanc, which Arnault owns.
Two of Arnault’s sons and Musk’s mothers were also along. No word what the power pair discussed. [via Bloomberg]
WORTH NOTING: The men have traded spots atop the Forbe’s billionaires index in recent months, as the valuations of their companies have fluctuated with the ebbs and flows of the markets and various stock sales.
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WHO KNEW that “swim bladders” could be so lucrative?
WORTH NOTING: A fish’s swim bladder controls its buoyancy underwater.
Customs officials say they confiscated 242 pounds of these swim bladders, harvested from Totoaba fish – an endangered species found in the Gulf of California off Mexico’s west coast. The organs were hidden among a commercial shipment of frozen fish fillets. Their black market value could be as much as $2.7 MILLION. [via CNN]
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Construction is about to begin on a more than $600 million deep sea port in Nome, Alaska, to create the first such Arctic port capable of facilitating large vessels.
The facility will be a boon for tourism to the town of just 3,500, and also help shore up Arctic military defenses as Russian and Chinese forces increase their presence near the North Pole.
The whole operation is expected to be up and running by 2030. [via AP]
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BUD LIGHT’s CEO really wants to move past the recent controversies that have tanked ANHEUSER-BUSCH’s stock price.
In a statement released Friday, he said the company will provide financial assistance to wholesalers who have lost out amid suddenly decreased demand for the swill. He also previewed a major pivot: “Our summer advertising launches next week, and you can look forward to Bud Light reinforcing what you’ve always loved about our brand – that it’s easy to drink and easy to enjoy.” [via Fox Business]
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An 11-year-old girl in Mississippi miraculously evaded tragedy when strong winds caused a large tree to crash through the roof of her house, right into her bedroom.
The girl’s father says the downed tree nearly snapped the house in half, taking rafters with it. “I don’t know how it didn’t hit her head,” he said.
Fortunately, the girl only suffered some minor scratches. [via WAPT]
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DEATHS
RAY LEWIS III has died.
The son of NFL legal Ray Lewis reportedly died from a drug overdose, according to the official police report.
He was 28.
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CARL EISWERTH has died.
The TikTok star and wrestling superfan’s car was hit in the middle of an intersection Friday afternoon.
He was 35.
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DANIEL ELLSBERG has died.
Ellsberg famously leaked the “Pentagon Papers” during the Vietnam War. In February this year, he announced he was battling pancreatic cancer. A statement issued by the family said Ellsberg was not in pain when he passed and was surrounded by family.
He was 92.
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BIG POKEY has died.
The Houston-based rapper collapsed on stage during a show Saturday night. A nurse in the crowd attempted CPR to no avail. No cause of death has been made public.
He was 45.
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BABY NEWS
KOURTNEY KARDASHIAN is expecting her fourth child, and her first with husband TRAVIS BARKER.
Kourtney publicly announced the news at Barker’s show with BLINK-182 Friday night, where she held up a sign reading, “Travis I’m Pregnant.” When the drummer spotted it, he got off stage to hug his wife.
GET THIS: The public announcement paid homage to a scene in the music video for the band’s 1999 hit “All the Small Things,” when a woman holds up a similar sign. Watch (around the 2:30 mark) > [via The Hollywood Reporter]
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BREAKUPS
Actor-couple DEAN MCDERMOTT and TORI SPELLING are (apparently) separating after 18 years of marriage.
In an Instagram post, McDermott said in part that they “decided to go our separate ways, and start a new journey on our own. We will continue to work together as loving parents and guide and love our children through this difficult time.”
BUT WAIT: McDermott deleted the post after 24 hours – though it sounds like the split is still happening.
The couple share five children. [via Us Weekly]
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RELATIONSHIPS
Composer HANS ZIMMER is engaged to girlfriend DINA DE LUCA.
Zimmer brought De Luca on stage during a live performance in London on Thursday night, just before the last song of the evening. After he popped the question, she nodded what appeared to be a “yes.”
She then sat next to him at the piano while he performed his last song of the evening, “Time” from the 2010 flick “Inception.” [via BANG Showbiz]
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BRODY JENNER and TIA BLANCO are engaged.
He’s 39, she’s 25.
Jenner posted a video of his proposal to Instagram on Sunday with the caption, “Can’t wait to love you forever.” He reportedly popped the question as friends and family gathered at his mother’s house for a baby shower. [via Page Six]
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WEEKEND BOX OFFICE
10. Asteroid City: $790k (new)
9. Fast X: $2.02 million (down from 6)
8. The Boogeyman: $3.8 million (down from 5)
7. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3: $5 million (down from 4)
6. The Blackening: $6 million (new)
5. The Little Mermaid: $11.6 million (down from 3)
4. Transformers: Rise of the Beasts: $20 million (down from 1)
3. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-verse: $27.8 million (down from 2)
2. Elemental: $29.5 million (new)
1. The Flash: $55.1 million (new)
WORTH NOTING: “Elemental”’s $29.5 million opening represented the worst opening ever for a Pixar film.
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BY THE NUMBERS
📈 The DOW lost 108 points (0.32%) to close at 34,299 on Friday. The S&P lost 16 points (0.37%) to close at 4,409 and the NASDAQ lost 93 points (0.68%) to close at 13,689.
🛢 WEST TEXAS INTERMEDIATE closed at $71; BRENT CRUDE at $76.
⛽ The national average price of a GALLON OF GAS was $3.57 on Sunday.
₿ BITCOIN climbed back over the weekend, trading around $26,500.
🛩 There were more than 4,792 FLIGHTS delayed within, into, or out of the United States on Sunday and more than 320 such cancellations.
💰Tuesday night’s MEGA MILLIONS drawing will be for a $300 million jackpot or $156 million cash payout. Tonight’s POWERBALL will be for a $380 million jackpot or $196.8 million cash payout.
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SHOWBIZ NEWS
MICHAEL CERA says he and AUBREY PLAZA almost got married in Vegas 15 years ago, just so they could get divorced and call eachother their exes.
Cera tells Rolling Stone, “We almost just spontaneously took a detour and got married. I think the idea was to then get a divorce right away, so we could call each other 'my ex-husband' and 'my ex-wife' at like 20."
WORTH REMEMBERING: The actors worked together on the 2010 flick “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” and did end up actually dating for about 18 months. [via People]
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Actress JAMEELA JAMIL says gender non-conformint actors should get their own category at the Academy Awards.
The Oscars have kicked around the idea of genderless acting categories in recent years, and the BRIT Awards across the pond did just that earlier this year – but then only men were nominated for the major acting category.
Jamil, a Brit herself, said on Instagram, “Would it not be better to give non binary people their own category rather than open the door for Hollywood to completely shut out women given the known disproportionate amount of men vs women winning at awards shows?” [via DailyMail]
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RITA WILSON dished on a recent episode of the “Table for Two with Bruce Bozzi” podcast that her husband TOM HANKS turned down the leading role in “When Harry Met Sally.”
She said that he was first offered the role before BILLY CRYSTAL – but at the time he was recently divorced and ready to be done with marriage for a bit. “...he could not understand that a person going through a divorce would have anything other than just like, ‘I’m so happy,’” she said.
WORTH NOTING: Hanks would eventually star alongside MEG RYAN in “Sleepless in Seattle” and “You’ve Got Mail.” [via Hollywood Reporter]
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Insiders tell Radar Online that REESE WITHERSPOON has been tight with former co-star NICOLE KIDMAN (“Big Little LIes”) to get through her divorce from JIM TOTH. Witherspoon and Kidman were also recently spotted out and about on a hike near Nashville.
Friends say Reese is “depending” on Kidman, who went through her own high-profile split with TOM CRUISE in 2001. [via Radar Online]
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SHAQUILLE O’NEAL was spotted at a Home Depot filming a music video for his DJ DIESEL act – when he bought some new appliances for fans who got a photo with the NBA legend.
The mother and daughter pair told Shaq they were in the store shopping for a washer/dryer pair. He then said, “Okay, well I’m paying for it.”
WORTH NOTING: Shaq has a reputation for outrageous generosity, and often pops up in the news for picking up the bills for other customers whenever he’s out shopping. [via People]
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CASTING CALL
Stars of “The Real Housewives of New York” are reportedly earning $250,000 each to film a week’s worth of manufactured drama in St. Barts.
The lineup includes RAMONA SINGER, LUANN DE LESSEPS, SONJA MORGAN, KELLY KILLOREN BENSIMON, DORINDA MEDLEY, and KRISTEN TAEKMAN.
WORTH REMEMBERING: The cast’s last trip to the Caribbean in 2012 produced droves of memorable moments. [via TMZ]
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NBC has axed “American Auto” from its lineup. The comedy will not return for a third season.
BUT WAIT: Show creator JUSTIN SPITZER did get a new comedy picked up called “St. Denis Medical.” Spitzer also created the six-season hit “Superstore,” so he has a knack for workplace comedies. [via Deadline]
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LINDA HAMILTON will join the fifth and final season of Netflix’s “Stranger Things.”
No word on the character she’ll play, but it’s been called a “major role.”
Filming has not yet begun on the final season, which likely won’t hit the ‘flix til 2025. [via Giant Freakin Robot]
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The CHRIS HEMSWORTH-led action franchise “Extraction” will get a third edition on Netflix.
The sequel premiered on the streamer on Saturday, the same day Hemsworth announced yet another follow-up at Netflix’s annual preview of upcoming content.
When the first movie premiered in April 2020 it was the most-watched original movie for Netflix ever, with 99 million households tuning in over the first four weeks. [via Variety]
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THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
While KOURTNEY KARDASHIAN’s public announcement that she’s pregnant made plenty of news over the weekend, it seems unlikely that TRAVIS BARKER found out for the first time when he saw her holding the sign.
Barker’s ex SHANNA MOAKLER said on Instagram that they’ve all known about the baby news for weeks.
AND THEN: Kourt posted a pic to Instagram on Sunday revealing a significant baby bump – so it’s next to impossible Travis found out for the first time Friday night.
MEANWHILE: Sister KIM KARDASHIAN celebrated on Instagram, declaring “Congrats!!! We’re having a Kravis baby!!!” and KHLOE KARDASHIAN chimed in with, “congratulations my cuties!!!” [via DailyMail]
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WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS
In the wake of SPOTIFY announcing the end of its deal with PRINCE HARRY and MEGHAN MARKLE, one of the company’s executives called the “[f]-ing grifters” on a podcast of his own.
BILL SIMMONS heads Spotify’s international sports content, after the streaming company bought his network “The Ringer” in 2020 for $200 MILLION. Simmons still hosts his own talk show. On Friday’s episode Simmons alluded to an awkward Zoom chat he had with Harry: “I gotta get drunk one night and tell the story of the Zoom I had with Harry to try and help him with a podcast idea. It’s one of my best stories.” [via Deadline]
MEANWHILE: The DailyMail reports that Meg’s power agent ARI EMANUEL is working on a deal for her with fashion brand DIOR. One insider says that if this deal happens, “no one will remember that her silly little podcast got cancelled afer one season.” [via DailyMail]
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DAY OF THE YEAR
Real Food Day
National Garfield the Cat Day
World Sickle Cell Day
National Take Your Cat to Work Day
International Box Day
World Martini Day
World Sauntering Day
Juneteenth
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ON THIS DATE
1846 – Alexander Cartwright umpires the first game of baseball played by organized teams under organized rules similar to modern regulations.
Cartwright is considered the first to formally establish the diamond-shaped field. He applied it to the common stick-and-ball game played by kids called the "town game."
In the first matchup, the New York Knickerbockers lost to the New York Nine, 23-1.
The Knickerbockers and Nine had been around for a while, but had each used their own unique rules.
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1862 – Congress bans slavery in territories of the United States. The maneuver overturned the Dredd Scott opinion from five years prior, which stipulated Congress was unable to regulate slavery in territories.
This came in the middle of the Civil War, and helped solidify emancipation of slaves as one of the fight's main causes.
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1867 – Maximilian "El Primero" of Mexico is shot dead by firing squad.
He had been installed as emperor of the country by Napoleon III of France. His installment was an attempt to restore the Mexican monarchy.
The United States and other world powers refused to acknowledge the new government.
Revolutionary Benito Juarez led the charge to remove Max from power, bolstered by support of the United States.
Soon rebel forces laid siege on a fortress that contained Maximilian. One of the emperor's leading lieutenants spilled the frijoles to rebels about a plan to smuggle him out through enemy lines. He was swiftly captured.
Though Juarez liked Maximilian personally, his greater love was freedom for his country. Maximilian was court-martialed and sentenced to death.
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1910 – Members of the Spokane YMCA in Washington celebrate the first Father's Day.
It was organized by Sonora Smart Dodd, who felt fathers should have a complement to Mother's Day. In particular, she wanted to honor her father, a Civil War vet.
On this date in 1910, young YMCA members went to church sporting roses: red to honor a living father; white for those deceased.
Sonora Dodd traveled by carriage to share gifts with fathers who could not leave their homes because of illness.
It was not until 1966 that President Johnson designated the third Sunday in June as Father's Day, recognized as a national holiday.
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1934 – The Federal Communications Commission is established.
It was one element of the Communications Act of 1934, passed by Congress.
The act consolidated the Federal Radio Commission and parts of the Interstate Commerce Commission under the FCC.
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1953 – Julius and Ethel Rosenberg get the chair at Sing Sing Correctional Facility in New York.
He went first, and was killed after the first round of electrocution. It took three rounds to put down Ethel.
The Rosenbergs were accused of squeezing intelligence information from Ethel's brother David Greenglass. Julius then allegedly passed the intel to the Soviets. Much of their espionage had allegedly helped Soviet efforts to develop an atomic bomb.
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1978 – The comic “Garfield” first appears.
The lasagna eating feline is named for illustrator Jim Davis' grandfather.
By 2007, it became the most widely syndicated comic strip, appearing in 2,580 newspapers and journals.
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1999 – Stephen King is hit by a car while walking near his home in Maine.
He suffered numerous injuries, including: a collapsed right lung, multiple fractures of his right leg, scalp lacerations and a broken hip.
The driver who hit King, Bryan Edwin Smith, claimed he was distracted by an unrestrained dog he had with him.
King would write about the accident at length in his book, “On Writing.”
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2019 - The United Nations reports that over 70 million people in the world are displaced, asylum seekers or refugees.
It is the highest reported number in over 70 years.
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BIRTHDAYS
Jordan Poole - basketball player - 24
Atticus Shaffer - actor, “The Middle” - 25
Arsema Thomas - actress, “Redeeming Love” - 29
Dylan Playfair - actor, “Descendants” films - 31
Katelyn Jae Brown - pop singer & wife of Kane Brown - 31
Giacomo Gianniotti - actor, “Grey’s Anatomy” - 34
Kaitlyn Bristowe - reality star, “Bachelorette” - 38
Paul Dano - actor, “Little Miss Sunshine” & “12 Years a Slave” - 39
Mackelmore - rapper - 40
Zoe Saldana - actress, “Avatar” films & “Guardians of the Galaxy” films - 45
Dirk Nowitzki - basketball player - 45
Hugh Dancy - actor, “Hannibal” & “Ella Enchanted” - 48
Boris Johnson - UK Prime Minister - 59
Paula Abdul - pop singer - 61
Ann Wilson - rock singer, Heart - 73
Gena Rowlands - actress, “The Notebook” - 93
Born On This Date
Lou Gehrig - baseball player - 1903 (d. 1941)
Moe Howard - actor, “The 3 Stooges” - 1897 (d. 1975)
Wallis Simpson - American divorcee who King Edward VII abdicated his throne to marry - 1896 (d.1986)
Blaise Pascal - mathematician & physicist, Pascal’s Law - 1623 (d. 1662)
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