Today is Monday, June 24, 2024.
It is the 176th day of the year.
190 days remain.
PROGRAMMING NOTE
NEXT WEEK: There will be a scaled-back and condensed newsletter Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday for the Independence Day holiday.
On Thursday we will send a special Independence Day edition with premium subscriber bonus content.
There will be no newsletter Friday, July 5.
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WHAT’S ON TAP
BOEING’s space program gets bad news and conservationists score a win in Europe. Details in HIT LIST.
JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE addresses his “tough week” and SEAN COMBS scrubs his Insta. More in SHOWBIZ.
JENNIFER LAWRENCE becomes a housewife and a fourth “Friday” film is in the works. Details in CASTING CALL.
KIM KARDASHIAN does Summerfest. More in KARDASH.
American royalty collides with the real deal in ROYALS.
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HIT LIST
BOEING’s foray into space travel has yielded more disappointment after its Starliner capsule successfully docked at the International Space Station. The original flight plan called for a mission just over a week long, before extending a few days while engineers addressed some issues with helium leaks on the capsule.
NOW: Neither NASA or Boeing will commit to a return date and the mission will extend into July. On the bright side, the schedule gives the crew an opportunity to participate in spacewalks.
WORTH NOTING: Reps for Mission Control underscore that the crew are authorized to use the capsule to return to Earth in the event of an emergency onboard the I.S.S., so they’re careful not to call them “stranded.” [via CBS News]
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Diabetes drugs repurposed as weight loss treatments might get approval to treat yet another condition: sleep apnea.
Eli Lilly and Co. has filed for approval with the FDA to approve its Tirzepatide drug to treat sleep apnea.
So far research has been limited, but one study showed promising results in a group of 500 people diagnosed with both obesity and sleep apnea, reducing incidents of sleep interruptions from slowed or stopped breathing by up to 60%.
The FDA could make a decision by the end of the year. [via NBC News]
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Virginia “Ginnie” Hislop, a 105-year-old grandmother of 13, recently received her master’s degree from Stanford Graduate School of Education.
The honor comes 83 years after she abruptly left the school in the midst of WWII. At that time, she had completed all of her coursework, but chose to leave before turning in her final thesis in order to marry her then-boyfriend who had been called to serve.
In the years between, Stanford dropped its thesis requirement, meaning Ginnie had completed all that she needed for the degree.
As for her thoughts on the whole thing, she told “Good Morning America” hosts, “I’ve waited a long time for this.” [via GMA]
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Olympians competing in Paris will not have air conditioning provided to them as part of committee planners reducing energy consumption in what they say is a step to fight climate change. Instead, organizers are using a system that pumps icy-cold water through pipes under the floor to cool the surrounding air.
BUT WAIT: Team USA says it is bringing portable units to keep athletes cool and comfortable. U.S. Olympic and Paralympic CEO Sarah Hirshland tells Associated Press, “In our conversations with athletes, this was a very high priority and something that athletes felt was a critical component in their performance capability.”
The average high temperature during the games will be in the upper-70s.
Olympians from Germany, Australia, Italy, Canada, and Britain have also said they plan to bring their own A/C. [via AP]
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A rescue team found a hiker missing for ten days in the Santa Cruz mountains in California late last week with the help of a surveillance drone.
Visitors in the area reported hearing calls for help from the surrounding wilderness but were not able to pinpoint a location.
Once he was found, 34-year-old Lukas McClish said he managed to survive by drinking water from creeks and streams he found. “I just made sure I drank a gallon of water every day, but then after, getting close to the end of it, my body needed food and some kind of sustenance,” he said. Otherwise, other than his clothes and hat, McClish only had a flashlight and a Leatherman tool. [via CNN]
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DEATHS
Actor TAYLOR WILY has died.
He passed away last Thursday of natural causes, according to a statement from his manager. No further details were shared.
Wily is best known for his role in “Hawaii Five-O.”
He was only 56.
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BABY NEWS
ELON MUSK has had yet another child.
Bloomberg broke the news over the weekend that Musk fathered his third child with NEURALINK executive SHIVON ZILIS. The pair welcomed twins in 2021 and do not have a romantic relationship.
Musk did not say when the baby arrived and tells Page Six all their friends and family know. This child is Musk’s 12th.
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WEEKEND BOX OFFICE
10. GHOST: Rite Here Rite Now: $1.5 million (new)
9. The Watchers: $1.9 million (down from 6)
8. Thelma: $2.2 million (new)
7. The Exorcism: $2.4 million (new)
6. IF: $2.7 million (down from 5)
5. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes: $3.6 million (down from 3)
4. The Garfield Movie: $3.61 million (stayed at 4)
3. The Bikeriders: $10 million (new)
2. Bad Boys: Ride or Die: $18.7 million (stayed at 2)
1. Inside Out 2: $100 million (stayed at 1)
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BY THE NUMBERS
📈 The DOW ticked up 15 points (0.04%) on Friday to close at 39,150. The S&P lost 8 points (0.16%) to close at 5,464 and the NASDAQ lost 32 points (0.18%) to close at 17,689.
🛢 WEST TEXAS INTERMEDIATE closed at $80 on Friday; BRENT CRUDE at $82.
⛽ The national average price of a GALLON OF GAS was $3.44 on Sunday.
₿ BITCOIN slid slightly over the weekend, trading around $63,700 Sunday evening.
🛩 There were more than 5,030 FLIGHTS delayed within, into, or out of the United States on Sunday and more than 485 such cancellations.
💰Tuesday night’s MEGA MILLIONS drawing will be for a $97 million jackpot or a $46.4 million cash payout. Tonight’s POWERBALL drawing will be for a $84 million jackpot or a $40.4 million cash payout.
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SHOWBIZ NEWS
JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE vaguely alluded to last week’s DUI at his first show following the incident on Friday in Chicago, telling fans near the end of his set, “it’s been a tough week.”
“I know sometimes I’m hard to love but you keep on loving me and I love you right back,” he added, earning thunderous applause and cheers from the crowd.
Despite reports of fledgling ticket sales, Timberlake noted during the performance that both Chicago shows were sold out. [via Morning Martini]
DUI UPDATE: The New York Post reports that the rookie cop who busted Timberlake last week has earned a reputation among locals in Sag Harbor for aggressively ticketing violations of traffic laws. Locals have named him “the Sag Harbor Nazi” and “little red-headed dip[s—-].” [via NY Post]
MEANWHILE: BRITNEY SPEARS fans -- who have soured on Timberlake since she revealed he fathered her child who she later aborted -- rallied to boost her 2011 hit “Criminal” up the streaming charts. Over the weekend it rose to #68 despite being over a decade old. [via People]
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SEAN COMBS scrubbed his Instagram account over the weekend, removing every post, including his apology video to his ex, CASSIE VENTURA.
He left his bio, however, which reads, “Listen to The Love Album: Off the Grid.” [via Instagram]
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“Rust” armorer HANNAH GUTIERREZ-REED will not be forced to testify at ALEC BALDWIN’s forthcoming manslaughter trial.
A judge made the ruling Friday, denying the prosecution’s request that she testify against Baldwin, and agreeing with the defense who argued she had nothing to add to the case.
The judge also denied Baldwin’s request to have the case tossed.
His trial begins next month. [via ET]
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WOODY HARRELSON makes other people do his dirty work.
On a recent episode of the “Where Everybody Knows Your Name” podcast, he revealed that he hasn’t carried a cell phone on his person in over three years.
“He’s one of those bullies in life that make other people carry his phone for him,” his co-host and “Cheers” co-star TED DANSON added, as Harrelson explained that he became too “addicted” to the device. [via THR]
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SURI CRUISE graduated high school over the weekend with her proud mom, KATIE HOLMES, cheering her on. Her dad, TOM CRUISE, was across the pond attending TAYLOR SWIFT’s London concert.
NO LOVE LOST: The actor was not missed at the special event, as he and Suri have been estranged for most of her life. In fact, she is so far separated from dear old dad that she opted for her name to simply read “Suri Noelle” in the graduation ceremony program.
Suri is headed to Carnegie Mellon University in the fall. [via Page Six]
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SEAN PENN says there is no truth to the rumor that he once hit his ex-wife, MADONNA, with a baseball bat.
The story, which came about in 1987 -- in the midst of the couple’s four-year marriage -- was that S.W.A.T broke into their home, looking for Penn, who they believed had “trussed [Madonna] up like a turkey.”
The rumor is something Madonna herself addressed in 2015, calling it “completely outrageous, malicious, reckless and false.”
It is still unclear where the rumor came from, especially the use of the descriptive phase “trussed her up like a turkey.” [via NYT]
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PARIS HILTON released the first single off her forthcoming album, titled “I’m Free.”
The track “represents the journey of healing and finding your voice,” she said in Friday’s press release.
Hilton’s sophomore album, “Infinite Icon,” is due out September 6. [via People]
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CASTING CALL
JENNIFER LAWRENCE is joining the world of housewives…sort of.
She is actually set to play a housewife in Apple’s forthcoming drama, “The Wives,” which has been described as “a murder mystery in the vein of ‘The Real Housewives’” franchise.
The movie is currently in development, so no word on an exact plot or when filming will begin. [via Variety]
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A fourth “Friday” film is in the works.
ICE CUBE, who stars in the franchise, broke the news on LL COOL J’s “Rock the Bells” SiriusXM channel over the weekend, saying, “We’re working on it, we’re working on it.”
While looking forward to the next installment, Ice Cube did share that it will only happen if it's “done right,” especially after the deaths of his co-stars JOHN WITHERSPOON, TOMMY LISTER and ANTHONY “AJ” JOHNSON.
No word on when the movie is expected to premiere. [via The Wrap]
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RUMOR IS: An insider claims VANNA WHITE might step away from her letterboard because she isn’t seeing eye-to-eye with new “Wheel of Fortune” host RYAN SEACREST.
“She just doesn’t jibe with Ryan like she did Pat, and no one really ever expected her to,” the source told The Post.
Meanwhile, a Seacrest-source told the outlet that “there is absolutely no truth to this story,” adding that the pair “have been having a lovely time on set.”
Fans will get their chance to see the two working together (or not) this fall with Season 42 of the game show. [via NY Post]
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THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
KIM KARDASHIAN took in SZA’s show at Summerfest in Milwaukee, WI over the weekend.
Fans were flabbergasted to see the reality star in -- what some refer to as -- a “horrible city,” with her eldest daughter NORTH WEST, and some friends.
It is not exactly clear why she chose to attend this specific show, but SZA is one of the many celebs who has posed for Kim’s SKIMS line. Perhaps it's as simple as one friend supporting another. [via WISN]
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WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS
With TAYLOR SWIFT’s global tour stopping in London, PRINCE WILLIAM brought his elder two kids to the show, where he was spotted dancing in a luxury box.
The popstar queen later shared a photo with Wills, PRINCE GEORGE, PRINCESS CHARLOTTE -- and boyfriend TRAVIS KELCE -- to Instagram, marking the first time she has posted a photo with her fella on the platform. In a year’s time, the football pro went from making a friendship bracelet trying to get Swift’s attention to hanging out with actual royalty.
The official account for the Waleses shared that post with a caption thanking the songstress for a great night out, which coincided with Williams’ 42nd birthday.
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DAY OF THE YEAR
St. John’s Day
International Fairy Day
Swim a Lap Day
National Upcycling Day
National Pralines Day
Please Take My Children to Work Day
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ON THIS DATE
1509 - Henry VIII is crowned King of England in Westminster Abbey, London.
He is remembered for beheading multiple wives.
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1853 - President Pierce signs the Gadsden Purchase, buying 29,670 square-miles from Mexico for $10 million.
Today that area is southern Arizona and New Mexico.
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1901 - Pablo Picasso shares his first exhibit in Paris at only 19-years-old.
He had 75 works on display.
By the time of his death, he would accumulate over 50,000 paintings, drawings and sculptures.
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1966 - The US Senate unanimously approves a bill that standardizes federal highway regulations.
The chief lobbyist who created momentum for the bill was Ralph Nader. Alongside the regulations was of course spending, to the tune of a paltry $465 million.
Standards that went into place following the bill included uniform bumper heights, rearview mirrors, seat belts, windshield wipers and more.
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1975 - Wind gusts bring down Eastern Airlines Flight 66 while en route to John F. Kennedy Airport in New York City.
A wind shear lifted the plane, then violently pushed it toward the ground. On its collision course, it took down several rows of runway lights and shattered the left wing.
Only nine on board survived -- seven passengers and two flight attendants.
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2005 - Actor Tom Cruise is interrogated by Matt Lauer on the “Today” show, following his negative comments about actress Brooke Shields using antidepressants to combat postpartum depression.
They pair grew increasingly testy with each other throughout the interview.
This came just weeks after his couch-jumping incident on Oprah, marking a severe downward spiral during which he fell out of grace with America.
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2010 - The longest professional tennis match in history concludes, clocking in at 11 hours, 5 minutes.
The match paired John Isner against Nicolas Mahut at Wimbledon.
After playing nearly three hours the first night, the match was suspended for insufficient sunlight. The following day, play was suspended again after nearly seven hours.
On the third day, Isner would win after just over an hour of play.
The match set several pro tennis records, with each player serving over 100 aces.
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2020 - Johns Hopkins reports that more than 9.2 million cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed worldwide.
The WHO predicts the world will reach 10 million cases within the next week.
2022 - The US Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade in a 6-3 vote.
The decision eliminates the constitutional right to choose abortion, giving the choice back to the States.
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BIRTHDAYS
Erin Moriarity - actress, “The Boys” - 30
Raven Goodwin - actress, “Just Jordan” & “Good Luck Charlie” - 32
Stassi Schroeder - reality star, “Vanderpump Rules” - 36
Candice Patton - actress, “The Game” & “The Flash” - 36
Lionel Messi - soccer player - 37
Solange Knowles - R&B singer - 38
Ariana Madix - reality star, “Vanderpump Rules” - 39
JJ Redick - basketball player - 40
Minka Kelly - actress, “Friday Night Lights” - 44
Mindy Kaling - actress, “The Office” & “The Mindy Project” - 45
Sherry Stringfield - actress, “ER” & “NYPD Blue” - 57
Mick Fleetwood - drummer, Fleetwood Mac - 77
Born On This Date
Tommy Lister - actor, “Friday” films - 1958 (d. 2020)
Jeff Beck - guitarist, Yardbirds & Jeff Beck Group - 1944 (d. 2023)
Ambrose Bierce - writer & satirist, “Devil’s Dictionary” - 1842 (d. 1914)
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