Today is Monday, June 26, 2023.
It is the 177th day of the year.
188 days remain.
WHAT’S ON TAP
A potential rebellion in Russia fizzled spectacularly over the weekend and a new discovery in the FTX investigation could claw back hundreds of millions of dollars. More in HIT LIST.
There has been renewed interest in the Titanic in light of the tragic OceanGate mission and still no real update on actor JAMIE FOXX’s medical emergency. More in SHOWBIZ.
Season 25 of “The Voice” will feature its first ever double red swivel chair and a “Malcolm in the Middle” reboot may actually happen. More in CASTING CALL.
KENDALL JENNER is thinking about how and where she plans to raise her future children. More in KARDASH.
There may be some Bad Blood between TAYLOR SWIFT and MEGHAN MARKLE. Swift reportedly turned down a hand-written request by Meg to appear on her podcast. While she didn’t explain her refusal, perhaps Swift felt Meg is an Anti-Hero who will Never Grow Up or Change. Maybe Swift could have taken one for the team and told Meg to Breathe and Shake It Off because everyone is over her royal Love Story.
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HIT LIST
The leader of Russia’s most prominent mercenary force – the Wagner Group – led a convoy of tanks and soldiers to the outskirts of Moscow over the weekend before halting at the eleventh hour in a deal reportedly brokered by the leader of Belarus to stop any further advancement.
The bizarre ordeal set the internet on fire Saturday as Western observers anticipated a bloody civil war in Russia over who would lead the country, with fighting beginning in Moscow and further hampering Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Ultimately, none of that came to pass.
IN FACT: YEVGENY PRIGOZHIN, the head of the would-be rebellion, will not even face charges and all troops loyal to him will not be prosecuted. Prigozhin instead headed to Belarus, while his troops returned to their posts.
IT GETS STRANGER: During the advance on Moscow, Wagner Group forces shot down multiple Russian military aircraft, killing at least a dozen official military troops — and still there will be no legal pursuit for Prigozhin’s actions.
OF COURSE: Prigozhin could wake up with a pickaxe in his skull one morning or trip over a 30th-story balcony some day. But so far the Kremlin’s disinterest in pursuing this further raises many unanswerable questions for the time being.
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SAM BANKMAN-FRIED recorded videos last year to be included as part of a “Masterclass” series, just a few months before his FTX crypto exchange imploded.
“Masterclass” videos include well-known artists and experts teaching tools and techniques to excel in their given fields. In this case, SBF wasn’t the only crypto guru to be included as part of the video, and his segments were ultimately cut.
The revelation comes amid a recent court filing in which FTX’s new management is trying to claw back $700 MILLION paid to a venture capital firm headed by a man named Michael Kives, who introduced SBF to other celebrities and power players in entertainment and media, including the “Masterclass” opportunity. [via NYT]
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FEDEX faces a massive consumer lawsuit that alleges the delivery service has committed a massive odometer fraud over the last 12 years.
Beginning in the early 2010s, FedEx began selling well-traveled delivery vehicles at auction instead of having them scrapped, usually around the 350,000-mile mark. A new lawsuit alleges that the company conspired with a large vehicle broker called Holman Automotive Group to roll back the visible mileage counts before sending the trucks to the auction block.
In 2017, a commercial truck broker says he bought a vehicle from Holman and then resold it with the odometer showing 180,000 miles. The buyer had the vehicle’s computer analyzed to show it had put on more than 400,000 miles. That buyer accused the broker of fraud. That’s when the broker started digging — now he’s one of the plaintiffs in the suit.
A FedEx rep says they’ll vigorously defend themselves. [via Jalopnik]
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TRUST THE EXPERTS: A Harvard professor who studies behavior psychology, and recently wrote a paper on how to get people to act honestly, is accused of fabricating her own research.
Here’s where things get really nerdy. Earlier this month, three other behavioral scientists who run a blog focused on reviewing the integrity of social science research wrote a lengthy post questioning the methods and results of a 2012 study written by the accused professor, a woman named Francesca Gino. They allege she cooked the underlying data to get the results to fit a narrative she wanted.
The bloggers say they have evidence of similar tampering in at least three other studies conducted by Gino.
GO FIGURE: As the New York Times points out in its reporting on this story, “In 2015, a team of scholars reported that they had tried to replicate the results of 100 studies published in prominent psychology journals and succeeded in fewer than half the cases. The behavioral studies proved especially hard to replicate.” [via NYT]
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Button, a mutt from the UK, miraculously walked away with only minor injuries after falling nearly 150 feet down a cliff.
While taking a stroll with her owner in Bridlington, England, the pup, who was not on a leash, reportedly fell down the cliff. Members of the local coast guard rappelled down to get Button, who they described as “very friendly.”
This isn’t the first story about a pooch surviving such a steep tumble. In 2021, a dog fell 170 feet into a gorge while walking with its owner in the Daniel Boone National Forest. He too emerged without serious injury. [via NY Post]
WORTH ASKING: Are cats the only animals with nine lives?
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DEATHS
Actor FREDERIC FORREST has died.
He passed away Friday night, according to a tweet from former co-star BETTE MIDLER. No further details were shared.
Forrest starred alongside Midler in “The Rose.” He also appeared in “Apocalypse Now,” playing the role of Jay “Chef” Hicks.
He was 86.
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Daytona State College alum and current Dominican basketball player OSCAR CABRERA ADAMES has died.
He passed away last week after suffering a heart attack during a stress test. According to one Dominican sports commentator, Adames was undergoing the test because he suffered from myocarditis, which he believes he developed after being required to get Pfizer’s COVID vaccine.
He was only 28.
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BABY NEWS
TRAVIS BARKER and KOURTNEY KARDASHIAN announced they are having a baby boy in a video of the gender reveal posted to Instagram over the weekend.
The baby, which will be a first for the couple, joins Barker’s two kids with ex-wife SHANNA MOAKLER and Kardashian’s three kids with ex-boyfriend SCOTT DISICK. Barker also considers Moakler’s daughter with OSCAR DE LA HOYA his child, making a total of soon-to-be seven Kravis Kids.
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SICK BAY
Duchess of York SARAH FERGUSON is recovering after undergoing a procedure following a recent breast cancer diagnosis.
The 63-year-old was told she had an early form of the disease after a routine mammogram and was promptly treated and then released over the weekend.
A spokesperson for the family said that Fergie is “now recuperating with her family,” while calling the procedure “successful.”
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WEDDINGS
Steelers QB KENNY PICKETT tied the knot with former soccer player AMY PATERNOSTER on Saturday.
The nuptials come a year-and-a-half after the pair got engaged.
He’s 25 and she’s 23.
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JON HAMM is a married man!
The actor said “I do” to his former “Mad Men” co-star ANNA OSCEOLA in a seaside ceremony in Big Sur, California on Saturday.
The nuptials served as a mini “Mad Men” reunion, with several of the couple’s co-stars in attendance. There were also “Mad Men”-themed drinks at the reception.
He’s 52 and she’s 35.
BY THE WAY: Big Sur is where the 2015 series finale of “Mad Men” was filmed.
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WEEKEND BOX OFFICE
10. The Boogeyman: $2.5 million (down from 8)
9. The Blackening: $3 million (down from 6)
8. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3: $3.5 million (down from 7)
7. The Little Mermaid: $8.6 million (down from 5)
6. Asteroid City: $9 million (up from 10)
5. Transformers: Rise of the Beasts: $11.6 million (down from 4)
4. No Hard Feelings: $15.1 million (new)
3. The Flash: $15.2 million (down from 1)
2. Elemental: $18.4 million (stayed at 2)
1. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse: $19.3 million (up from 3)
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BY THE NUMBERS
📈 The DOW lost 219 points (0.65%) to close at 33,727 on Friday. The S&P lost 33 points (0.77%) to close at 4,348 and the NASDAQ lost 138 points (1.01%) to close at 13,492.
🛢 WEST TEXAS INTERMEDIATE closed at $69; BRENT CRUDE at $74.
⛽ The national average price of a GALLON OF GAS was $3.57 on Sunday.
₿ BITCOIN kept above $30,000 over the weekend, trading around $30,500.
🛩 There were more than 5,270 FLIGHTS delayed within, into, or out of the United States on Sunday and more than 655 such cancellations.
💰Tuesday night’s MEGA MILLIONS drawing will be for a $343 million jackpot or a $180.1 million cash payout. Tonight’s POWERBALL drawing will be for a $440 million jackpot or a $230.5 million cash payout.
SHOWBIZ NEWS
The non-stop coverage of the OceanGate submersible has led to a surge in streams of CELINE DION’s “Titanic” theme-song, “My Heart Will Go On.”
According to TMZ, streaming platforms reported a bump of more than 500,000 streams since the rescue of the mission of the missing sub ended last Thursday. [via TMZ]
SPEAKING OF THE TITAN TRAGEDY: Ceremonies were held at two Titanic Museum Attractions over the weekend -- one in Branson, Missouri and the other in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee -- honoring the five men lost on the submersible. Owner of the exhibits, John Kellog-Joslyn, was friends with one of the victims, Paul-Henri Nargeolet. According to TMZ they were both part of the second team to explore the Titanic wreckage in 1987. The five men’s names will be added to a list of Titanic victims that are already on display at the museums. [via TMZ]
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A family friend of JAMIE FOXX told Page Six that the actor is “recovering pretty good,” though says he has not seen the 55-year-old himself.
Those close to Foxx have remained tight-lipped since his daughter, CORINNE FOXX, revealed in April that her dad “suffered a medical complication.” Since then, all fans have been told is that Foxx is recovering at a clinic in Chicago that specializes in stroke recovery, traumatic brain injury rehab, spinal cord injury rehab and cancer rehabilitation. [via Page Six]
SPECULATION: A month after the emergency situation, MIKE TYSON stated that he was told Foxx had suffered a stroke. He later called the comment “hearsay.”
REMEMBER: Foxx was set to play Tyson in an upcoming biopic series. No word on whether or not that role has been recast.
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A Bible once owned by ELVIS PRESLEY is for sale through memorabilia company Moments in Time.
The Bible, given to Presley by a fan, has the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll’s signature in it and also features a photo of him and his mom, Gladys. After his death, Presley’s aunt Delta took possession of the Bible, and at some point passed it along to MiT.
Moments in Time has listed the piece at $95,000. [via TMZ]
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LIZZO is giving back to Black students interested in music.
In honor of last week’s Juneteenth holiday, the musician announced a $50,000 scholarship -- the “Sasha Be Flooting Scholarship” -- at her alma mater, the University of Houston.
In addition to the scholarship, Lizzo also donated $50,000 to the Marsha P. Johnson Institute, which supports the Black transgender community, Black Girls Smile, which offers mental health services to young Black women and the Sphinx Organization, a program that offers musical opportunities to Black and LatinX people. [via Billboard]
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KATY PERRY has updated fans on the three-month sobriety pact she made with fiance, actor ORLANDO BLOOM.
Last March, the “American Idol” judge revealed that she and Bloom made a sober pact. She explained that the idea came about as the actor was set to film a movie in London and she wanted to support him.
“It’s really hard to do anything, whether that’s doing a cleanse or a reset, unless your partner is doing it,” Perry stated at the time.
Now, three-months in, Perry told Hollywood Life that she has found a “reset” and “balance” through the pact. [via Hollywood Life]
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NICKI MINAJ’s neighbors want her and her felon husband kicked out of their Hidden Hills neighborhood.
According to Page Six, hundreds of residents have signed a Change.org petition stating their concerns over KENNETH PETTY, a registered sex offender, living nearby.
The petition was reportedly started by a woman named Beverly Bardan, who claimed the couple’s presence in the neighborhood would raise “safety concerns and lower the value of the area.”
BUT WAIT!
The Hidden Hills Community Association has no knowledge of any such complaint or an individual by the name of Beverly Bardan residing in the neighborhood. [via Page Six]
WHAT’S MORE: TMZ reported that the petition is believed to be an elaborate troll by a CARDI B superfan. [via TMZ]
LENGTHY FEUD: The two female rappers have a feud that dates back years, with both women repeatedly asserting their supremacy over the other in the genre.
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NFL free agent CARSON WENTZ showed off his latest kill -- an Alaskan black bear -- on Instagram over the weekend. He captioned the post,, “Got the opportunity to spot and stalk black bear in one of our new favorite places on earth -- Alaska!”
Reactions to the shot were mixed, with several followers threatening to “unfollow” the former Commanders QB over his love of hunting.
No word on whether or not Wentz cares about the unfollows, though chances are he doesn’t.
WORTH NOTING: Wentz grew up hunting in North Dakota. He recently shared some footage of a deer hunt he participated in in Indiana a few months ago. [via TMZ]
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Shooter McGavin better watch his back!
A golfer from Indiana made headlines this week, not for his skills on the green, but for his unique name -- Happy Gilmore.
Gilmore’s tweet announcing his commitment to play golf at Ball State went viral, with fans posting iconic quotes from the 1996 film, “Happy Gilmore.”
ADAM SANDLER, who played the hockey-player-turned-golfer, also joined in the conversation, writing, “Go get em Happy. Pulling for you.”
BY THE WAY: Gilmore’s real name is Landon, but he has been going by the nickname “Happy” since he was six. [via Golf Week]
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CASTING CALL
For the first time ever, “The Voice” will feature a double red swivel chair.
Deadline reported Friday that country duo DAN + SHAY will be the show’s first-coaching duo for Season 25. They will sit among fellow coaches REBA MCENTIRE, JOHN LEGEND and CHANCE THE RAPPER.
Season 25 will air in Spring 2024.
MEANWHILE: The upcoming Season 24 will feature NIALL HORAN, JOHN LEGEND, REBA MCENTIRE and GWEN STEFANI as judges. Season 24 will debut this fall. [via Deadline]
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BRYAN CRANSTON is working on a script for a “Malcolm in the Middle” reboot.
The actor, who played patriarch Hal, revealed on “Watch What Happens Live” that he believes there will be a “reunion, movie or show or something,” and a script is in the works.
Along with Cranston, “Malcolm in the Middle” starred FRANKIE MUNIZ as Malcolm, and JANE KACZMARERK, CHRISTOPHER KENNEDY MASTERSON, JUSTIN BERFIELD and ERIK PER SULLIVAN as Malcolm’s mom and brothers, respectively.
The show ran from 2000 to 2006.
As for whether or not the other stars would be on board for a reboot, Muniz has previously stated that he “would be down 100 percent.” [via ET]
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THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
KENDALL JENNER -- the only KarJenner sibling that is not a parent -- says when she does have kids they will not be raised in Los Angeles.
In a cover story for the Wall Street Journal’s digital issue, the 27-year-old model opened up about creating her own family, explaining that when the time comes she will leave the city.
“Oh yeah. You heard it here first,” Jenner told the publication.
As for when she wants to have children, Jenner said that the time is “not right now,” though her mom, KRIS JENNER, has been doing her best to push for more grandchildren from her childless offspring. [via WSJ]
No word on what Jenner has against the city, though her dad, CAITLYN JENNER, is a very outspoken Republican, and maybe Kendall shares the same thoughts about the liberal city. But Cait does live in nearby Malibu, so who knows.
KARDASHIAN KID COUNT: Eldest sibling KOURTNEY has four kids and one on the way, KIM has four kids, KHLOE has two, ROBERT has one, and KYLIE has two.
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WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS
On the heels of losing their deal with Spotify, NETFLIX has reportedly told PRINCE HARRY and MEGHAN MARKLE they need to create valuable, marketable content to receive the second half of their $100 MILLION contract.
The Sun reports that an insider says Netflix is happy with the results of their self-titled and self-indulgent documentary, “Harry & Meghan” – but that the next big project needs to also have the firepower to bring in a boatload of viewers. [via The Sun]
MEANWHILE: Last week, a podcast industry news site reported that Meg used producers to interview some guests for her “Archetypes” podcast and dubbed her questions in later.
At least one big name wasn’t buying Meg’s grift from the outset: TAYLOR SWIFT turned down Meg’s invitation to appear on the show. Meghan reportedly wrote Swift a hand-written invitation to be interviewed, which Swift turned down through her reps. [via Wall Street Journal]
WORTH NOTING: This is the second report of Swift avoiding embarrassment in recent months, after news broke that she turned down an endorsement deal offer from FTX before it went south.
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DAY OF THE YEAR
World Refrigeration Day
National Beautician's Day
National Chocolate Pudding Day
National Canoe Day
Please Take My Children to Work Day
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ON THIS DATE
1844 – President John Tyler marries Julia Gardiner while in office.
Gardiner was only 21 years old at the time -- 33 years younger than Tyler.
The marriage made her at the time the youngest first lady in history. Grover Cleveland's wife would later become the youngest, but only by a few months.
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1945 – The United Nations is formed.
Fifty founding countries gathered in San Francisco to finalize the charter. The thought was to prevent unnecessary wars between countries, provided everyone could sit and discuss their issues at the same table.
But the Cold War and Korean conflict would quickly overshadow the organization.
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1948 – American military planes begin dropping resources into West Berlin, blockaded by the Soviets.
More than two million citizens would be supported for more than a year by around-the-clock supply drops.
The Soviets were eventually embarrassed by the superior American military and faced international criticism for blockading the country. By the time they ended the blockade, West Germany formally became its own sovereign nation.
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1963 – President John F. Kennedy famously declares "Ich bin ein Berliner" while traveling to Germany.
His trip was meant to bolster support for West Germany and clearly defined which side the US was on.
More than 450,000 were on hand for the speech.
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1997 – The first effort to regulate obscenities on the internet is struck down by the US Supreme Court.
The Communications Decency Act of 1996 was mainly designed to protect children from exposure to pornography. But in a lawsuit taken to the Supreme Court, it was eventually ruled that internet service providers were not responsible for what website owners did with the networks.
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2018 – WHO confirms a polio outbreak in New Guinea—18 years after it was declared free of the disease.
A total of three cases prompted the declaration of an outbreak.
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BIRTHDAYS
Mikey Williams - basketball player - 19
Harley Quinn Smith - actress, “Clerks II” & “Yoga Hosers” - 24
Jacob Elordi - actor, “The Kissing Booth” & “Euphoria” - 26
Ariana Grande - pop singer - 30
Jennette McCurdy - actress, “iCarly” & “Swindle” - 31
Iman Shumpert - basketball player - 33
King Bach - actor, “House of Lies” & “The Mindy Project” - 35
Aubrey Plaza - actress, “Parks and Recreation” & “Legion” - 39
Derek Jeter - baseball player - 49
Born On This Date
John Beasley - actor, “Everwood” & “Rudy” - 1943 (d. 2023)
Bill Lear - engineer & CEO of Lear Jet Corp - 1902 (d. 1978)
William Thomson - mathematician & 1st Baron Kelvin, Kelvin Scale - 1824 (d. 1907)
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