6/6/2023: This Bites!
PLUS: Air Travel Revival; Ed Sheeran Serves Up Some Cheesesteaks; and “Hocus Pocus 3” In the Works
Today is Tuesday, June 6, 2023.
It is the 157th day of the year.
208 days remain.
WHAT’S ON TAP
APPLE’s new Vision Pro headset debuts and a green energy company warns about the danger of solar panel scraps. More in HIT LIST.
PETA is not happy that PETE DAVIDSON decided to shop, not adopt a new puppy and BRITNEY SPEARS makes an unusual clothing choice for her recent workout. More in SHOWBIZ.
Hollywood producers have struck a tentative deal with the Directors Guild of America and DREW BARRYMORE shares her close bond with director STEVEN SPIELBERG. More in CASTING CALL.
After YE and BIANCA CENSORI’s latest outrageous outfits, social media users want to know when the world will stop considering him a creative genius and start calling him crazy. More in KARDASH.
PRINCE HARRY was MIA for the first day of his phone hacking trial. More in ROYALS.
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HIT LIST
As air travel rebounds for vacationers, the high-end business travel that used to drive so much revenue for airlines has not, the Wall Street Journal reports.
AMERICAN AIRLINES says it’s totally revamping its business traveler program. Pre-covid, the airline negotiated special rates with booking agencies and even large companies that frequently sent employees afar. But now, over 60% of those special rates aren’t hitting the booking targets expected – leaving American in the hole financially. The 350-person corporate sales team has been gutted to just over 200.
NOW: It’s focusing efforts on its loyalty program to find ways to be profitable with regular travelers. [via WSJ]
MEANWHILE: The International Air Transport Association – the trade group for the airline industry – projects a profit boom this year for airline companies, which are expected to rake in nearly $10 BILLION in profits this year. [via CNN]
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A spokesman for the International Renewable Energy Agency tells the BBC that there is no infrastructure to recycle and repurpose the flood of solar panels expected to go out of commission in the coming years.
“It’s going to be a waste mountain by 2050,” says Ute Collier – but says there’s hope to avoid such a fate if efforts begin now to develop recycling chains. By then, there could be more than 200 million tons of scrapped solar panel materials with nowhere to go.
Solar panels typically have a lifespan of about 25 years. [via BBC]
SPEAKING OF RENEWABLE ENERGY: TESLA’s stock is up over 100% year to date, after it cratered amid ELON MUSK’s Twitter escapades and missed sales targets in January.
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APPLE on Monday debuted its “Vision” virtual reality headset.
The technology promises an incredible advancement in virtual and augmented reality, allowing users to manipulate their screen using their voice, hands, and eye movements – a significant upgrade from the hand controls that Facebook’s Oculus requires.
No word yet for when the device goes on sale, but it’s expected early next year – for about $3500.
In anticipation of the announcement, Apple stock reached an all-time high Monday, but ultimately slid on the day. [via TechCrunch]
WORTH SPECULATING: The announcement has to chap MARK ZUCKERBERG’s ass, who bet big on VR for Facebook, tanked the stock price in the process, and has since laid off thousand of employees to pay for his overinvestment on virtual reality and the “metaverse.”
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A nature lover in Canada put up a trail cam in hopes of catching some wildlife, but what she actually caught was much more sinister.
Corinea Stanhope told Kennedy News that, along with her grandfather, she set up a trail cam after finding a deer carcass on her land, with hopes of seeing some creatures of the night. The following day Stanhope says her grandpa told her that there was footage of two “disheveled”-looking, naked women who appeared to be eating the carcass.
The footage, which has gone viral, has social media convinced the women are witches or part of some local cult, while others suggested maybe they were high on something. [via NY Post]
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The United States Postal Service has released their annual list of states with the most dog bites to its employees.
The report, released in honor of National Dog Bite Awareness Week, showed that California had the highest number of dog bites with 675. Texas and New York took the second and third spot on the list with 404 and 321 bites, respectively.
For cities, the USPS said Houston, Los Angeles and Dallas ranked among the highest.
In total, more than 5,300 postal employees were attacked by dogs last year. [via CNN]
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DEATHS
NORMA HUNT, the longtime matriarch of the Kansas City Chiefs, has died.
She passed away Sunday. No cause of death was provided.
Norma, wife of the late Chiefs founder LAMAR HUNT, was the only woman to attend every Super Bowl since its inception in 1967.
She was 85.
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Reality star ANNA SHAY has died.
She passed away Monday after suffering a stroke, according to a statement from her family.
Shay starred on Netflix’s “Bling Empire.”
She was 62.
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Actor BARRY NEWMAN has died. He passed away of natural causes on May 11 at a medical center in New York, according to a statement from his wife.
Newman is best known for his role in the action-thriller “Vanishing Point.”
He was 92.
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FBI agent-turned-spy ROBERT HANSSEN has died.
He was found dead in his jail cell on Monday, where he was serving 15 consecutive life sentences for betraying his country.
Hanssen started spying for the Soviets in 1979, just three years after joining the FBI. Under the alias “Ramon Garcia,” he sold highly-classified national security information to Moscow for $1.4 million in cash, bank funds and diamonds, according to the FBI.
He was 79.
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BABY NEWS
PRINCESS EUGENIE and JACK BROOKSBANK have welcomed their second child.
The little boy, named Ernest George Ronnie Brooksbank, arrived on May 30.
The couple are already parents to 2-year-old son August.
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BREAKUPS
TAYLOR SWIFT’s rumored romance with fellow musician MATT HEALY is over.
While never technically confirmed, the two were spotted out and about a handful of times over the past month.
Now, a source says that whatever they were, they no longer are.
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BY THE NUMBERS
📈 The DOW lost 199 points (0.59%) to close at 33,562 on Monday. The S&P lost 8 points (0.2%) to close at 4,279 and the NASDAQ lost 11 points (0.08%) to close at 13,229.
🛢 WEST TEXAS INTERMEDIATE closed at $71; BRENT CRUDE at $76.
⛽ The national average price of a GALLON OF GAS was $3.55 on Monday.
₿ BITCOIN tumbled hard Monday, losing more than 5% and trading around $25,500 on news that the US Securities & Exchange Commission is suing crypto exchange Binance for violating securities laws.
🛩 There were more than 3,445 FLIGHTS delayed within, into, or out of the United States on Monday and more than 86 such cancellations.
💰Tonight’s MEGA MILLIONS drawing will be for a $218 million jackpot or a $113.8 million cash payout.
SHOWBIZ NEWS
PETA is not happy with PETE DAVIDSON.
Many may recall that Davidson was spotted buying a cavapoo puppy from a Manhattan pet store last week. In response, the Senior VP of Cruelty Investigations at the animal rights organization told TMZ it is “tragic” that Davidson decided to purchase a designer pooch instead of adopting a “borough-born mutt.”
A source close to Davidson responded to the negative comment explaining that he bought the pup for his mom, whose dog recently died.
WORTH NOTING: Davidson is allergic to dogs. [via TMZ]
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BRITNEY SPEARS documented a workout with husband SAM ASGHARI in their home gym on Instagram – drawing feedback from her followers.
After posting the workout, the comment section quickly filled up with notes about how Spears was not properly dressed for a good sweat session. Instead of athletic clothes and shoes, she wore a lacy dress and high heels.
According to the singer, her choice of clothing was all about “control,” explaining that she has always been told what to wear and do in the gym, so she wanted to change it up.
For the record, Asghari was appropriately dressed. [via Page Six]
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Cops were called to CHRIS ROCK’s apartment over the weekend after reports of a man on his fire escape peering into windows.
When NYPD officers arrived the guy was nowhere to be found, though eyewitnesses said they spotted him hopping into a white Mercedes and speeding away.
According to the actor, the peeping Tom had a camera and was either recording or taking pictures directly into the apartment.
The incident is now under investigation. [via TMZ]
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Test results from ancestry program “23 and Me” had CHRISSY TEIGEN thinking she had an identical twin.
Sharing the ordeal on Instagram, Teigen said she called her dad to ask about her birth. “He starts laughing and saying, ‘No, I was there. There were not two of you,’” she told followers.
Next Teigen called her sister, who reminded her that she did the celebrity ancestry show “Finding Your Roots,” which took a sample of her DNA, but filed it under a fake name.
“My identical twin was myself. I was matching myself,” Teigen said in the clip. [via ET]
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ED SHEERAN is once again showing off his food service skills.
While in Pennsylvania, the singer served up some Philly cheesesteaks.
“It’s cheesesteak time,” Sheeran told fans, who were lined up on the street outside of Philip’s Steaks in South Philadelphia.
Remember, last month, Sheeran served up pints and serenaded a crowd at SweetWater Brewing Company in Atlanta. [via People]
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TAYLOR SWIFT swallowed a bug while performing at Soldier Field in Chicago on Sunday night.
After pausing the show for a coughing fit, Swift quickly regained her composure and explained to fans that a bug flew into her mouth, jokingly adding, “Oh, delicious!”
The concert wrapped up her three-day stay in Chicago. [via TMZ]
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Comedian MATT RIFE is heading out on his first world tour.
The TikTok sensation will kick off his “ProbleMATTic World Tour” on July 20 in Bend, Oregon. In 2024 he will head to Australia and Europe.
Actors ASHTON KUTCHER and MILA KUNIS, who are huge fans of Rife, are helping get the word out about his upcoming world tour. [via Deadline]
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CASTING CALL
Hollywood producers have struck a tentative deal with the Directors Guild of America.
The three-year contract would provide the 19,000-member union with pay and benefit gains, increases in global streaming residuals and protections against the use of artificial intelligence.
The tentative agreement will be submitted to the Guild’s National Board today.
Meanwhile, the writers’ strike is entering its second month and the Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists are on the verge of striking should their negotiations fail. Those talks begin tomorrow. [via CBS]
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“Hocus Pocus 3” is in the works.
Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Production shared the news with several media outlets, while also confirming that live-action versions of “Moana,” “Lilo & Stitch” and “Hercules” are happening.
No further details were shared.
“Hocus Pocus 2,” which was released last year on Disney+, was a major success for the studio. In the film, BETTER MIDLER, KATHY NAJIMY and SARAH JESSICA PARKER reprised their roles as Winifred, Mary and Sarah Sanderson, respectively. No word on if they will return for the third movie. [via ET]
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In a recent interview with New York Magazine, DREW BARRYMORE called director STEVEN SPIELBERG a “beacon of normalcy” in her “very tumultuous childhood.”
Their close bond was formed while filming “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.” Only 7-years-old at the time, Barrymore said that one day on set she asked Spielberg if he would be her dad. He said no, but did agree to be her godfather.
To this day, Barrymore says Spielberg is the only person who ever was “a parental figure to her.” [via Vulture]
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THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
YE and BIANCA CENSORI’s church attire is being ruthlessly mocked on social media…and rightfully so.
He was spotted leaving a Los Angeles church on Sunday wearing a shirt that read “Polizei,” which is German for police. The top also appeared to have shoulder pads, which Ye paired with leggings and socks. Censori was seen wearing a black gauze-like dress that featured a large foam-like piece that circled her shoulders and covered the lower half of her face.
“Come as you are…even if it means showing up looking like a quarterback in a wetsuit and a walking condom,” one Twitter user wrote. [via Page Six]
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WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS
PRINCE HARRY missed the first day of the trial over whether a media company spied on his phone.
His lawyer says he hopped a flight out of California late Sunday night and didn’t arrive in England in time – because he wanted to stick around for his daughter’s birthday festivities.
The judge overseeing the case said he was “surprised” over the prince’s absence, especially after a formal order for him to be prepared to testify. Defense attorneys for Mirror Group – the media company that owns the Daily Mirror newspaper at the center of the controversy – say they’ll question Harry for a day and a half.
No word yet on where Harry is staying while in England. [via Associated Press, NBC News]
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DAY OF THE YEAR
D-Day Anniversary
National Yo-Yo Day
Russian Language Day
National Gardening Exercise Day
World Green Roof Day
National Drive-In Movie Day
National Caves and Karst Day
National Applesauce Cake Day
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ON THIS DATE
1644 – The Manchu forces of the Qing dynasty capture Beijing, edging the Ming Dynasty out of power. Shunzhi, the emperor and leader of the Manchu, takes control.
The Manchus would rule China until 1912 when the Republic of China is established.
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1813 – American and British forces clash at the Battle of Stoney Creek in Ontario.
The invaders were outnumbered by Patriot forces 3-to-1, but their years of training and discipline allowed them to win the fight. They even captured both of the American leaders at the battle, John Chandler and William Winder.
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1833 - Andrew Jackson becomes the first sitting president to ride on a train.
The trip went from Ellicott's Mill to Baltimore, a journey of about 15 miles.
John Quincy Adams had also ridden on a train, but he was not president when he did.
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1844 – The Young Men’s Christian Association – the YMCA – is founded in London.
As young men moved to cities for work on the heels of the Industrial Revolution, founder George Williams and his colleagues had concerns about young people finding beneficial and worthwhile activities, on account of the only choices were bars and whorehouses.
The organization's initial mission was to offer activities that improve "the spiritual condition of young men engaged in the drapery, embroidery, and other trades."
So, it was for a bunch of dandies, apparently, with hopeful futures in textiles.
Similar organizations continued to sprout up around Europe, and eventually moved to the United States.
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1925 –The Chrysler Corporation is founded by Walter Percy Chrysler, who began his automotive career as a works manager at Buick in 1911.
A shake-up in the executive board in 1916 made Chrysler resign as some of his close friends lost their stake in the company. Thanks to an extremely-high salary offer, Chrysler rescinded his resignation and remained with Buick.
After three years, when his time at Buick was up, Chrysler worked for Willys-Overland Motor Company for two-years, and during this time he acquired control of Maxwell Motor Company which became the Chrysler Corporation.
Chrysler Motor Company would go on to acquire Dodge in 1928.
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1944 – The Battle of Normandy begins. D-DAY commenced when 155,000 Allied troops landed on the beaches of Normandy, France against a force of approximately 10,000.
The soldiers quickly broke through the Axis forces and continued inland. Nazi casualties have been estimated as much as 9,000. This was the largest amphibious military operation in all of history.
It would mark the beginning of the end for Hitler's European takeover.
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1968 - Senator Robert F. Kennedy dies at 42-years-old.
He succumbed to the gunshot wounds he received the previous night.
The shooter was Palestinian native Sirhan Sirhan.
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1984 - Popular video game Tetris is released.
It was designed by Soviet game designer Alexey Pajitnov.
The game spread like wildfire when programmed for Gameboy and Gameboy Color -- a platform on which it sold 35 million copies.
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2012 - The Solar Impulse completes the world’s first intercontinental flight.
The solar-powered plane landed in Morocco’s capital after a 20-hour trip from Madrid.
The single-seat aircraft contains 12,000 solar cells along its immense wings, yet only weighs as much as your average sedan.
Construction on the plane took 10 years and cost nearly $100 million.
The one drawback to the aircraft is that it can only fly in perfect weather conditions.
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2018 - A special pedestrian lane for those who like to walk and talk on their phones opened in Xi’an, China.
The slow-walking smartphone users are referred to as “phubbers.”
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BIRTHDAYS
Alexander & Ella Clooney - George Clooney & Amal’s twins - 6
Aubrey Anderson-Emmons - actress, “Modern Family” - 16
Ethan Edwards - hockey player - 21
Kenny Pickett - football player - 25
Niko Valdes - boxer - 30
DeAndre Hopkins - football player - 31
Hyuna - pop singer - 31
Ross MacDonald - bassist, The 1975 - 34
Daniel Logan - actor, “Star Wars: Attack of the Clones” - 36
Drew McIntryre - wrestler - 38
Jason Issacs - actor, “Harry Potter” films & “The OA” - 60
Carole Baskin - activist, “Tiger King” - 62
Robert Englund - actor, “A Nightmare on Elm Street” - 76
Tommie Smith - Olympic sprinter - 79
Born On This Date
Robert Falcon Scott - explorer & leader of ill-fated South Pole expedition - 1868 (d. 1912)
David Abercombie - founder of Abercrombie & Fitch - 1867 (d. 1931)
Angelo Moriondo - inventor, patented earliest known espresso machine - 1851 (d. 1914)
Nathan Hale - Revolutionary War Hero - 1755 (d. 1776)
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