Discover more from Morning Martini
6/20/2022: Amber Heard, Discount Shopper
PLUS: “Yellowstone” intrigue, Jamie wants Britney back in court, and Kim and Pete take it yeezy.
Today is Monday, June 20, 2022.
It is the 171st day of the year.
194 days remain.
TRENDING
Saturday was International Sushi Day.
Sunday was Garfield the Cat Day.
Juneteenth was trending in celebration of the newly-minted federal holiday celebrating the end of slavery in the United States.
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HIT LIST
Late last week, at least five SpaceX employees circulated a letter for their colleagues to sign on to, which called on ELON MUSK and other company executives to make the company more inclusive. In particular, the writers called Musk, who founded SpaceX, an embarrassment and distraction to the organization.
SpaceX’s president and chief operating officer, GWYNNE SHOTWELL, told the New York Times the employees who circulated the letter had been terminated. She added that their behavior made other staff "uncomfortable, intimidated and bullied, and/or angry because the letter pressured them to sign onto something that did not reflect their views.”
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JULIAN ASSANGE is another step closer to returning to the United States to face espionage charges connected to his leaking of a trove of classified government documents back in 2010.
Assange was holed up at Ecuador’s Embassy in London from 2012 to 2019, when he was arrested after his asylum was withdrawn. He’s since been in a London prison.
On Friday, the UK’s Home Secretary PRITI PATEL signed the order to extradite Assange back to the US. Assange’s lawyer says they will continue to appeal the decision.
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The Claudia Sanders Dinner House in Shelbyville, Kentucky is on the market for the first time ever.
KFC founder HARLAND SANDERS opened the spot in 1959 and was the launchpad for his fried chicken empire. It’s since stayed in the family and under the control of close family friends.
The listing sits on three acres of land and includes the 5,000 square foot home where Harland and Claudia Sanders lived for two decades, a 25,000 square foot restaurant, and banquet hall.
No price is available publicly, but potential buyers will have to sign a non-disclosure agreement and show proof of at least $5 million cash on hand before making an earnest offer, the AP reports.
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The San Diego Zoo has welcomed the first aardvark cub in nearly 40 years.
Zoo officials say the as-yet-unnamed baby aardvark is gaining healthy weight and will be ready to be seen by visitors in about two months, once they’ve allowed adequate time for it to bond with its mother.
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The Dow closed below 30,000 points again Friday, after losing 38.29 points (.13%) on the day. Both the S&P (+8.07 / .22%) and Nasdaq (+152.25 / 1.43%) showed modest gains.
Both West Texas Intermediate and Brent Crude are well under $120 a barrel.
The national average price of a gallon of gas is back under $5 a gallon.
Bitcoin rallied over the weekend, picking up $1,593.90 (8.41%) yesterday.
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CHARTS
Weekend Box Office
10. Brian and Charles $198K (new)
9. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 $228K (stayed at 9)
8. Downton Abbey: A New Era $830K (down from 6)
7. Everything Everywhere All at Once $959K (stayed at 7)
6. The Bad Guys $980K (down from 4)
5. The Bob’s Burgers Move $1.1 million (stayed at 5)
4. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness $4.2 million (down from 3)
3. Top Gun: Maverick $44 million (down from 2)
2. Lightyear $51 million (new)
1. Jurassic World: Dominion $58.6 million (stayed at 1)
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DEATHS
TYLER SANDERS has died.
The actor most recently appeared in “9-1-1: Lone Star.” Reps say an autopsy will determine the cause of death.
He was 18.
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MARK SHIELDS has died.
The political consultant and commentator was a staple of PBS and moderated CNN’s “Capital Gang” for 17 years.
He was 85.
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BREAKUPS
LAUREN GRAHAM and PETER KRAUSE have split, and have been apart for some time.
She’s 55, he’s 56.
Reps tell PEOPLE they “quietly ended their relationship last year.” The pair co-starred on “Parenthood” from 2010 to 2015.
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THE SWAMP
The Washington Examiner continues its deep-dive into its copy of HUNTER BIDEN’s laptop.
In a newly-released audio recording, Hunter tells a friend about how his father, the President of the United States, is his own patsy: “He'll talk about anything that I want him to,” Hunter said on December 3, 2018.
He continues, "If I say it's important to me, then he will work a way in which to make it a part of his platform. My dad respects me more than he respects anyone in the world, and I know that to be certain, so it’s not going to be about whether it affects his politics.”
WORTH ASKING: Has Hunter ever asked his father to get him out of trouble for using drugs? Or buying prostitutes? Or illegally owning a firearm?
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In a Wall Street Journal editorial last week, President JOE BIDEN wrote that his energy policies would decrease the annual cost of the average family’s utility bills by $500.
The Washington Post’s fact-checking team calls this a “fantastical claim” and an outright lie. They note that the report he cites wasn’t even about household utility bill savings and that the savings estimate is for 2030, when Biden stands no chance of holding the presidency (even if he’s reelected in 2024).
MEANWHILE: Amid crippling inflation, rising energy prices, and a losing war effort in Ukraine, here’s what CNN is covering: “As presidential cat, Willow Biden has privileges,” writes reporter Kate Bennett, who goes on to detail how Willow the Cat is transported between the White House and President JOE BIDEN’s beach house in Delaware.
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Florida Governor RON DESANTIS is raking in the cash – from some of former President DONALD TRUMP’s biggest donors.
Politico reports that a Desantis-aligned political committee has taken in $3.4 million from ten donors who previously spent millions on Trump’s 2020 re-election bid.
Neither Trump nor Desantis have formally indicated their intentions for 2024. Yet.
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Treasury Secretary JANET YELLEN told ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday that a recession isn’t inevitable, though she expects the economy to slow down.
WORTH REMEMBERING: This is the same woman who a year ago said that inflation is transitory, so take her comments with an entire salt lick.
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LOTTERY
No winner for Friday’s Mega Millions drawing. Tuesday night’s drawing will be for $290 million or a $162.3 million cash payout.
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No winner for Saturday night’s Powerball. Tonight’s jackpot is $296 million, or a $166.1 million cash payout.
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SHOWBIZ NEWS
JAMIE SPEARS has filed legal documents that call for daughter BRITNEY SPEARS to be deposed about statements she’s made about his handling of her estate.
In particular, Jamie’s attorneys want her to address “allegations that she was deprived of pain medication, was required to undergo therapy and was forced to give eight vials of blood for medical treatment,” the New York Post reports.
MEANWHILE: Britney’s new husband SAM ASGHARI is hungry for a big movie role, according to The Sun.
One insider says that he “wants to play a positive role model for young Persian men, rather than the villains they are usually portrayed as.” He’s also taken classes on how to fight on screen and has refined his mixed martial arts training.
Asghari is set to appear alongside MEL GIBSON in next month’s movie “Hot Seat.”
ALSO: On JIMMY KIMMEL last week, SELENA GOMEZ dished on some details about Brit’s wedding. Gomez said guests were served “finger foods” and joked that the Britney and Madonna kissed eachother, a nod to the salacious 2003 MTV VMA Awards kiss between the two.
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DENISE RICHARDS is defending her daughter SAMI SHEEN’s OnlyFans account, days after dad CHARLIE SHEEN said he didn’t condone it.
Richards noted that she appeared in movies like “Wild Things” and posed for Playboy, so she can’t be judgmental of her daughter’s adult choices. In a swipe at her ex, Richards said, “quite frankly her father shouldn’t be either.”
You’d have to pay to find out exactly what Sami’s putting on display on the adult site, but it may not be more bawdy than posting bikini pics that internet weirdos shell out extra money to see.
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Actress OLIVIA MUNN took to Instagram over the weekend to celebrate her post-baby body, seven months after son MALCOLM was born.
“My body hasn’t snapped back, but it made this little guy so I only have love for it,” Munn wrote.
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Singer and songwriter PAUL WILLIAMS says he missed most of the 1980s to addiction.
“I drank, I used, as most people do for about seven minutes, and then by the time I got sober I had misplaced a decade,” Williams told Page Six. “The ‘80s were gone for me.”
Williams won an Emmy and Grammy for co-writing “Evergreen” for “A Star is Born” with BARBARA STREISAND in 1991. He also famously wrote “Rainbow Connection,” made famous by Kermit the Frog. He also penned the lyrics to “The Love Boat” theme.
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MEL B was spotted arriving in Australia over the weekend, ahead of her stint as a judge on Masked Singer Australia.
She’s joining judges CHRISSIE SWAN, ABBIE CHATFIELD, and DAVE HUGHES.
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REBEL WILSON and new squeeze RAMONA AGRUMA were spotted smooching on a yacht off the coast of France over the weekend.
Wilson later watched on as Agruma went swimming in the Mediterranean.
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AMBER HEARD is shopping the discount racks, now that she’s on the hook for a multi-million-dollar payout to JOHNNY DEPP.
Heard was spotted with her sister at a T.J. Maxx in Bridgehampton, New York late last week. The pair seemed to be having a fun time, at least until Amber noticed onlookers were filming, when she split.
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CASTING CALL
HBO is looking into bringing back KIT HARRINGTON’s “Game of Thrones” character for a spinoff sequel.
A show is in early development, and is expected to bring back Harrington as Jon Snow (or, if you’re a real nerd, he’s also known as Aegon Targaryen).
The much-anticipated prequel “House of the Dragon” is scheduled to debut later this year.
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NEIL MCDONOUGH is playing coy about a return to the cast of “Yellowstone.”
SPOILER ALERT: He played Malcolm Beck in the hit show’s second season. Careful observers have noted that while it was implied the character died at the end of the season, that fate certainly wasn’t definite.
Here’s what McDonough recently told TVLine.com about the role: “Did I die? Did I? I’m not so sure about that. We have talked about the fact we didn’t actually see Malcolm Beck’s eyes close. There is always that possibility.”
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CELEBRITY CELLBLOCK
PAUL HAGGIS has been detained in Italy over accusations he sexually assaulted a woman there.
Local media reports that the accuser says he forced her to have “non-consensual” relations over the course of two days, before he left her at an airport.
Haggis is there for a film festival that opens tomorrow. He won a screenwriting Oscar for 2006’s “Crash.”
Local law enforcement are investigating the matter.
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THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
KIM KARDASHIAN and ex-husband KANYE WEST were spotted in attendance at daughter NORTH’s basketball game over the weekend. They sat a row apart on the bleachers, but were close by.
NOT TO BE SEEN: PETE DAVIDSON.
But all appears to be well on that front. On Friday, Kim posted a bunch of photos to Instagram showing her with Pete on vacation. In one post, Kim captioned a video of Davidson laughing at her, “I can’t tell if he’s making fun of me,” and later jokingly clarified, “Oh, he’s making fun of me.”
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WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS
Despite the family drama and public airing of grievances, the palace appears to be protecting MEGHAN MARKLE from herself.
The DailyMail reports that Buckingham Palace has shut down a report that claims the Duchess of Sussex was a bully to royal staff while she and PRINCE HARRY were still in the fold.
QUEEN ELIZABETH even paid for a private investigation about Meg’s behavior, but is making certain it never sees the light of day in public. The Firm won’t even acknowledge the report.
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DAY OF THE YEAR
American Eagle Day
International Tennis Day
World Productivity Day
National Kouign Amann Day
National Ice Cream Soda Day
National Vanilla Milkshake Day
World Refugee Day
Cherry Tart Day
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ON THIS DATE
1782 - Congress adopts the Great Seal of the United States of America.
The front of the seal depicts a bald eagle clutching an olive branch in its right talon and arrows in its left. On top of the eagle is a shield marked with 13 vertical red and white stripes underneath a bar of blue.
In the eagle’s beak is a banner inscribed with E pluribus unum, which is Latin for “Out of Many One.”
The back features the Masonic motif of a pyramid, which is used as a symbol of “Strength and Duration.” Beneath the pyramid is 1776 in Roman numerals — an ode to the year of independence.
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1837 - Queen Victoria ascends the British throne following the death of her uncle, King William IV.
She was only 18 at the time.
Her time on the throne would last 63 years.
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1863 - West Virginia becomes the 35th US State.
When it entered it was State Number 24, since 11 Southern states had seceded from the Union.
Arthur Boreman also became governor that same day.
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1893 - Lizzie Borden is acquitted for the 1892 murders of her father and step-mother in Fall River, Massachusetts.
Everyone knows the famous rhyme: Lizzie Borden took an ax….
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1941 - Henry Ford and his motor company agree to a sweeping contract with the United Automobile Workers of America and Congress of Industrial Organizations.
It followed the passage of the Wagner Act in Congress 6 years earlier, which permitted collective bargaining and regulation of working conditions by labor unions.
Ford had a reputation for physically beating up those who tried to organize into unions -- and the Wagner Act gave whistleblowers more power to enact change.
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1963 - The infamous "red phone" hotline is agreed to between the Soviets and Americans.
It was a move to calm escalating tensions in the Cold War, especially following the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962. It was a technological feat before the widespread use of satellites and even fax machines.
The 24/7 link between Moscow and Washington was intended to allow direct communication between top diplomats for each country in the hope of stalling war, should a situation like the Cuban Missile Crisis occur again.
It went live a few months later. By public record, it was never used.
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1975 - Steven Spielberg bursts onto the movie scene with the release of "Jaws."
The shark-centric horror story quickly became one of the highest-grossing films ever during it's tremendous run in theaters. The buzz and hype eventually led to it winning a smattering of Academy Awards that year.
Since then, Spielberg has of course become one of the most prolific directors in American history.
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1979 - Jimmy Carter has a short-lived solar energy panel system installed on the White House.
Carter was a hippie-dippie green and vocal advocate for alternative energy sources. He also had a wood burning stove installed in his White House residence.
President Reagan had the panels removed in 1986 -- the panels weren't delivering the energy efficiency that they promised.
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1994 - OJ Simpson is arraigned for the murder of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman.
The former NFL running back pleaded not guilty to both murders.
He would repeat the same plea at his second arraignment two days later.
The trial would begin in January of the following year.
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2017 - Mattel releases 15 new body types for their Ken doll.
One of them included a man bun.
The new designs were part of the toymaker’s new agenda of “diversifying” their toys.
Barbie underwent a similar makeover the previous year, with new body types, skin tones, eye colors, hairstyles and on-trend fashions.
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BIRTHDAYS
Serayah McNeill - actress, “Empire” - 27
Sage The Gemini - rapper - 30
Christopher Mintz-Plasse - actor, “Superbad” - 33
Tika Sumpter - actress, “One Life to Live” & “Ride Along” - 42
Frank Lampard - soccer player - 44
Tom Wlaschiha - actor, “Game of Thrones” - 49
Chino Moreno - metal singer, Deftones - 49
Nicole Kidman - actress, “Big Little Lies” & “The Hours” - 55
John Goodman - actor, “Roseanne” & “The Big Lebowski” - 70
Lionel Richie - R&B singer - 73
Anne Murray - pop singer - 77
Born On This Date
Donato “Danny” Cedrone - guitarist, The Esquires - 1920 (d. 1954)
Ash Brownridge - creator of Ranger Rick - 1917 (d. 2015)
Betty Washington - younger sister of George - 1733 (d. 1797)
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