Today is Tuesday, June 25, 2024.
It is the 177th day of the year.
189 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
Another American avoids years in prison in Turks and Caicos and the beleaguered Dali heads for a new port. Details in HIT LIST.
More details about what led up to JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE’s arrest and Sony shells out big bucks for QUEEN’s music. More in SHOWBIZ.
JUDY GARLAND’s hometown is trying to buy back her iconic ruby red slippers. Details in CASTING CALL.
YE spares no expense when it comes to dinner parties. More in KARDASH.
More rumors about MEGHAN MARKLE’s lifestyle brand in ROYALS.
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HIT LIST
The cargo ship that triggered the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in late March has finally left the Port of Baltimore.
It spent most of the time since still stuck on the column it impacted as investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board tried to get to the bottom of what happened.
Now, the Dali is headed to Virginia with a Coast Guard escort, where it will unload an estimated 1,500 cargo containers and undergo extensive repairs and maintenance.
While the NTSB has concluded that two successive power failures ruined the ship’s steering abilities leading up to the impact, they have not formally announced a reason for these failures. [via ABC News]
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HAITI UPDATE: Police officers from Kenya are expected to arrive in Haiti this week to assist in taking back control of Port-au-Prince from violent gangs.
About 400 officers will be part of the contingent deployed to support Haiti. Another 600 are expected soon.
In addition to the Kenyan officers, the U.S. State Department is funding police forces from Jamaica, the Bahamas, Barbados, Chad, and Bangladesh to support the security effort, Reuters reports. [via Reuters]
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FOLLOW-UP: Another American detained in Turks and Caicos for bringing ammunition into the country has received a suspended 33-week sentence.
Michael Lee Evans had already returned home to Texas, however, and attended the hearing by video conference. Evans, 72, paid $20,000 bail to be able to return home after he told the court he is suffering from terminal cancer.
Evans had faced up to 12 years in prison as a mandatory minimum.
Three other men facing similar charges have also since returned home.
Following pressure from American diplomats, the legislature for the island nation amended the mandatory minimum sentence, leaving the scope of punishment up to the judge overseeing the case. [via CBS News]
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A Chicago-area man successfully fended off a burglar last week with a frying pan, with some of the altercation captured by his doorbell camera.
The homeowner, Jason Williams, says he received a notification on his phone while driving home from work on Thursday that something triggered the alarm system. As soon as he got inside, he picked up a frying pan on the counter at the same time the intruder entered the kitchen.
Footage shows the burglar running out of the house with Williams behind, pan in hand, and took a swing at the crook, but missed.
Local media reports that police arrived just as the men exited the house -- but it’s unclear if Williams called them or the alarm system triggered an automatic police response. The burglar was swiftly arrested.
About his decision to fight back, Williams says, “My wife’s not happy about the decision I made… probably wouldn’t do it again, but it is what it is.” [via ABC 7]
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Some chargers sold at Costco are being recalled after 120 reports of the product overheating while plugged in, leading to two residential fires.
The recall is for the myCharge POWER HUB All-In-One 10,000mAh portable chargers that were sold exclusively at Costco stores from January 2022 through November 2023.
Consumers should stop using the chargers immediately and contact myCharge for a replacement.
For more information click here>
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DEATHS
Actor and pro surfer TAMAYO PERRY has died.
He was killed Sunday in a shark attack while surfing off the coast of Oahu.
In addition to riding the waves, Perry also starred in several small roles, including “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.”
He was only 49.
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BABY NEWS
MINDY KALING quietly welcomed baby #3 in February.
She announced the news on Instagram, with a photo of her 6-year-old daughter, Kit, and 3-year-old son, Spencer, kissing their baby sister, Anne.
Kaling has never revealed the identity of the father of her children.
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RELATIONSHIPS
Football player JORDAN LOVE is engaged!
The Green Bay Packers QB popped the question to his girlfriend, professional volleyball player RONIKA STONE, during a recent trip to Italy.
The couple have been together since September 2020.
By the way -- he’s 25 and she’s 26.
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SICK BAY
PRINCESS ANNE is in the hospital after suffering a concussion while walking the grounds of her estate.
So far no details on exactly what happened, but rumors are swirling she was pushed or kicked by a horse.
The 73-year-old “hardest-working royal” is reportedly recovering well and comfortable in the meantime.
Anne was scheduled to lead an official visit to Canada later this week, which has since been postponed.
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WEDDINGS
Football star JARED GOFF and model CHRISTEN HARPER are married.
He’s 29 and she’s 31.
The pair tied the knot Saturday at the Ojai Valley Inn in Ojai, California.
The couple started dating in 2019, and got engaged in 2022.
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BY THE NUMBERS
📈 The DOW increased 260 points (0.67%) to close at 39,411 on Monday. The S&P lost 16 points (0.31%0 to close at 5,447 and the NASDAQ lost 192 points (1.09%) to close at 17,496.
🛢 WEST TEXAS INTERMEDIATE closed at $81; BRENT CRUDE at $83.
⛽ The national average price of a GALLON OF GAS was $3.44 on Monday.
₿ BITCOIN tumbled nearly 6.5% to trade under $60,000 for the first time in weeks.
🛩 There were more than 4,740 FLIGHTS delayed within, into, or out of the United States on Monday and more than 160 such cancellations.
💰Tonight’s MEGA MILLIONS drawing will be for a $97 million jackpot or a $46.4 million cash payout.
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SHOWBIZ NEWS
JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE was allegedly told not to drive by the same police officer who would later arrest him for DWI.
One insider told The Post that a “well-connected Southampton restaurateur” contacted authorities after watching JT “having a lot of drinks” at the American Hotel.
That same source later told the outlet that JT was “treated unfairly,” saying, “Everyone drives through a stop sign when no one is there.” [via NY Post]
BUT WAIT: A bartender working the bar at the American Hotel confirms to People that JT only had “one drink,” which jives with what he told the arresting officer. [via People]
WORTH ASKING: If he did in fact only have “one martini” then why not take the breathalyzer and avoid this whole mess? Unless…he knows that he would have blown over the legal limit.
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Sony Music has acquired the rights to QUEEN’s musical catalog.
Winning the battle with other recording giants, Variety reports that Sony forked out over $1.2 BILLION for the catalog.
The only revenue that Sony will receive will be money generated from live performances. Founding members BRIAN MAY and ROGER TAYLOR continue to perform, along with ADAM LAMBERT in place of the band’s frontman, FREDDIE MERCURY.
FOR THE RECORD: The deal is the most expensive music catalog sale in history, surpassing the 2021 deal in which Sony purchased BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN’s tunes for $600 million. [via Variety]
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JULIE CHRISLEY’s seven-year sentence for bank fraud and tax evasion has been tossed due to a legal error in how the trial judge calculated her sentencing.
Her conviction was still upheld by the court, however, as was her husband, TODD CHRISLEY’s 12-year sentence.
A lower court will now redo her sentencing.
The reality star couple were indicted in 2019. [via ET]
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YOU’RE KILLIN’ ME, SMALLS: “Sandlot” star THOMAS GUIRY was arrested earlier this month after hurling a dumbbell through the windshield of his neighbor’s Jeep. He then allegedly went to the guy’s door with a knife in hand.
When officers arrived, Guiry admitted to causing the damage, and was booked on charges of third-degree assault and battery and malicious injury to personal property. He posted a $1,000 bond and was released the next day.
No word on what led to the outburst. [via TMZ]
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Is there Bad Blood brewing between TAYLOR SWIFT and FOO FIGHTERS frontman DAVID GROHL?
The latter recently implied that Swift doesn’t perform her shows live, telling a London crowd, “We’ve had more than a few eras, and more than a few [effing] errors as well.” Adding, “That’s because we actually play live.”
In what can only be considered a response to the dig, Swift told her own London-based crowd, that she and her band, “who’s gonna be playing live for you for three and a half hours tonight,” appreciate all of the love and support. [via NBC]
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BEN AFFLECK lost it on a slew of paparazzi parked outside his and JENNIFER LOPEZ’s marital home over the weekend.
“Listen, man, you’re going to get me in an accident,” he told one of the photogs, who were obnoxiously snapping their cameras as he was backing out of the driveway.
Lopez was not home at the time, as she is enjoying a solo trip to Europe, taking in the sights and Paris Fashion Week. [via Page Six]
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WILL SMITH will debut a new song at Sunday’s BET Awards.
No details about the track have been shared, though many are speculating that this could be his foray back into the music biz.
The BET Awards air live Sunday, with host TARAJI P. HENSON. [via Deadline]
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PRINCE, JANE FONDA, JESSICA CHASTAIN, and COLIN FARRELL are just a few of the names to be honored with their very own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
More than 30 new stars will be added to the Walk of Fame in the categories of motion pictures, television, live theatre/live performance, radio, recording and sports entertainment.
Each of the ceremonies will take place at set times over the next year. [via Variety]
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CASTING CALL
After its second weekend in theaters, “Inside Out 2” is now the year’s highest-grossing film with $724.4 million globally.
Another week and the animated Pixar film could likely hit the $1 BILLION mark, making it the first to do so since “Barbie.” [via NY Post]
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JUDY GARLAND’s hometown of Grand Rapids, Minnesota is raising funds to buy back the pair of ruby red slippers that were stolen from a local museum.
The slippers, worn by Garland in “The Wizard of Oz,” are currently in the hands of Heritage Auctions, which plans to take them on an international tour, seeking buyers.
Funds raised will supplement the $100,000 set aside by Minnesota lawmakers to purchase the slippers.
HISTORY LESSON: The slippers were owned by a man named Michael Shaw, who loaned them to the Judy Garland Museum in 2005. Shortly after they were put on display, someone broke in and swiped them. They were missing until the FBI recovered them in 2018, at which point they were returned to Shaw, who handed them over to Heritage Auctions.
FOR THE RECORD: Garland wore several pairs of ruby red slippers while filming; only four remain. [via Page Six]
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THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
YE spared no expense when it came to a recent dinner party he hosted following a show at Paris Fashion Week.
The 30 guests were treated to smoked salmon, steak, caviar, and wine, which the rapper shelled out nearly $60,000 for. Over $40,000 of that was just for the wine. [via The Sun]
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WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS
MEGHAN MARKLE has big plans for her American Riviera Orchard brand -- but the exclusive jars of jam that made the rounds on social media in recent weeks aren’t likely to be her first major offering.
One insider tells the DailyMail that Meg will position ARO as a “beacon of inspiration, aspiration and attainability,” the Mail reports, starting with a rosé wine at the center of the Orchard’s offerings. Meg and PRINCE HARRY have reportedly been longtime drinkers of rosé, dating back to their first dates in 2016.
No word yet on a launch date or details. [via DailyMail]
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DAY OF THE YEAR
National Catfish Day
Global Beatles Day
National Strawberry Parfait Day
Color TV Day
International Day of the Seafarer
National Leon Day
World Vitiligo Day
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ON THIS DATE
1678 - Venetian Elena Cornaro Piscopia is awarded a doctorate of philosophy from the University of Padua.
She is the first woman to receive a university doctoral degree.
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1788 - Virginia becomes the 10th state to ratify the US Constitution.
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1876 - Battle of Little Bighorn.
The US 7th Cavalry led by Brevet Major General George Armstrong Custor is wiped out by Sioux and Cheyenne warriors led by Chiefs Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull.
The event is famously known as “Custer’s Last Stand.”
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1950 - The Korean War begins in earnest, when the communist North rolls into the free South.
With the rise of communism after the end of World War II, the US was quick to defend the South.
But as the American military stormed the small Asian peninsula, the communist Chinese also supported the North.
After three years of fighting, the war would end in a stalemate, with both countries just as divided as ever.
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1956 - The last Packard car is completed, at its plant in Detroit.
The car company was founded by brothers James Ward Packard and William Dowd Packard just before the turn of the century. It was a successful automobile manufacturer in the early 1900s, then supported the Allied efforts in both World Wars, during which they built the Merlin engine that makes the P-51 fighter plane so formidable.
After the war it returned to domestic car manufacturing and merged with Studebaker in an attempt to streamline efficiencies. But it wasn't enough, and the joint effort would fold by 1958.
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1993 - “Late Night with David Letterman” airs for the last time on NBC.
The show ran for 11 seasons.
Later that year he would begin hosting the “Late Show with David Letterman” on CBS.
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1998 - The Supreme Court rules the line-item veto unconstitutional.
The unprecedented law gave the president the ability to drastically amend legislation by selectively removing parts of appropriation bills while keeping others.
It was intended to allow the president to strike down pork-barrel projects while keeping the meaningful elements of government spending projects.
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2009 - Michael Jackson dies of acute propofol and benzodiazepine intoxication at his home near Los Angeles.
The coroner would rule his death a homicide and Jackson’s doctor Conrad Murray would be convicted of involuntary manslaughter in 2011.
He was 50.
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2020 - The CDC estimates that 20 million people in America have been infected with COVID-19.
That is about 10 times higher than the recorded amount at the time.
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BIRTHDAYS
McKenna Grace - actress, “The Haunting of Hill House” & “Gifted” - 18
Benson Boone - pop singer - 22
Busy Philipps - actress, “Freaks and Geeks” - 45
Linda Cardellini - actress, “Freaks and Geeks” & “Dead To Me” - 49
Mike Kroger - bassist, Nickelback - 52
Angela Kinsey - actress, “The Office” - 53
Dell Curry - basketball player - 60
Ricky Gervais - comedian - 63
Michael Sabatino - actor, “Days of Our Lives” - 69
Kene Holliday - actor, “Matlock” - 75
Born On This Date
George Michael - pop singer - 1963 (d. 2016)
Anthony Bourdain - chef & reality star - 1956 (d. 2018)
Eric Carle - children’s author - 1929 (d. 2021)
George Owell - author, “1984” - 1903 (d. 1950)
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