Today is Thursday, July 11, 2024.
It is the 193rd day of the year.
173 days remain.
WHAT’S ON TAP
An update on the tragedy-that-wasn’t at Yellowstone over the weekend and more bad news for higher ed. Details in HIT LIST.
Opening statements in ALEC BALDWIN’s manslaughter trial. More in SHOWBIZ.
“Shrek 5” is officially a go and part two of KEVIN COSTNER’s “Horizon” project is getting a new release date. Details in CASTING CALL.
KIM chats with GYPSY in KARDASH.
PRINCE HARRY’s next TV project in the works. Details in ROYALS.
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HIT LIST
SHMOLLEGE: A Gallup survey shows Americans continuing to sour on the value of a college degree, with just 36% of adults saying they have a “great deal” or “quite a lot” of confidence in higher education.
That number has nosedived from 57% sharing the sentiment in 2015.
Similarly, another 32% -- about a third -- of respondents said they have little or no confidence in higher education.
The same survey shows nearly one-third calling college too expensive and a quarter saying a degree doesn’t teach students skills and knowledge needed to succeed in the workforce.
IT GETS WORSE: Two thirds, at 67%, say college in general is headed in the “wrong direction.” [via CNN]
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More details on the would-be shooting at Yellowstone National Park over the weekend: The 28-year-old suspect, who threatened a mass shooting, was an employee of a private resort on the expansive property.
Police arrived after receiving a 911 call that the man was holding a woman at gunpoint and was threatening to kill others.
One ranger was shot in an unspecified “lower extremity” and the suspect died at the scene. The FBI is currently leading the investigation into the matter. [via NBC News]
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A few weeks ago, police busted a duo for stealing LEGO kits from California-area stores in a string of smash-and-grab jobs.
Now police in Oregon have upended another Black Market LEGO operation. This time, a small toy store owner allegedly knowingly purchased LEGO kits that had been stolen from nearby stores like Target and Walmart for cents on the dollar, then turned around and sold them himself at full markup.
IT GETS WORSE: Multiple employees at the small store admitted to knowing that the kits were stolen. The store’s owner and an accomplice have been arrested and charged with multiple counts. [via TMZ]
SPEAKING OF THEFTS: Police in Scottsdale, Arizona busted a would-be art thief on the roof of the very gallery he was trying to rob.
An alarm tripped early Sunday morning alerted a gallery employee, who arrived on scene and heard the burglar talking on the phone. The employee then called police, who spotted the thief’s car in a nearby alley. After surrounding the building, the thief tried to make a roof exit, but police were ready.
One nearby shop owner described the scene as “People running across roofs like it’s ’Mission Impossible’ -- it’s pretty unbelievable.”
If he hadn’t been caught, the would-be thief would’ve made off with $250,000 worth of art, including pieces by Picasso and Andy Warhol. The thief was previously convicted for possession of stolen property and burglary in California. [via CBS 5]
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Despite all the tourists descending on Paris for the Olympics, high-end hotels remain available for bookings, with some reporting even fewer bookings than the same time last year.
A French hotel management firm that specializes in hotels that charge more than 800 Euro a night says bookings are down 20 to 50% year over year. Some of these hotels report only 15% occupancy.
Analysts believe tightened driving restrictions in the area are driving away wealthy would-be customers who don’t want to walk among the peasants coming and going. [via BNN Bloomberg]
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A UK woman created quite the tangled web trying to get home from her Thailand vacation.
Heading to the Thai island of Koh Pha-ngan in April to obtain her yoga certification, Rosie Viscomi decided last week it was time to head back. But instead of flying directly to London, she wanted to hit up some other places along the way, including Bangkok, India and Turkey.
Upon arriving in Bangkok, Viscomi said she was denied entry because of a “1 centimeter” tear on the photo page of her passport. On top of that, authorities claimed her visa had expired and she was now in the country illegally. Fearing the consequences, Viscomi headed to the UK Embassy for help finding a safe passage home.
Viscomi did safely arrive home on Tuesday, but says she is now all out of money due to the initial missed flight and last minute plans to get home. Her sister started a GoFundMe to help cover travel costs. [via NY Post]
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DEATHS
JON BON JOVI’s mom CAROL A. BONGIOVI, has died.
She passed away on Tuesday -- just days shy of her 84th birthday -- at Monmouth Medical Center in New Jersey. No other details were shared.
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Actor BENJI GREGORY has died.
He was found deceased in his car in the parking lot of a Chase Bank in Peoria, Arizona on June 13, according to his sister. No further details regarding his passing were shared.
Gregory is best known for his role on “Alf.”
He was 46.
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Actress PAT COLBERT has died.
She passed away on June 23 at her home in Compton, according to her sister, who said the star had suffered numerous strokes over the past decade.
Colbert is best known for her role as Oil Baron Club host on “Dallas.”
She was 77.
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BREAKUPS
Comedian PETE DAVIDSON and actress MADELYN CLINE have split after a year of dating.
The couple, who kept their relationship fairly under the radar, ended things amicably, according to several sources.
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RELATIONSHIPS
HUMA ABEDIN and ALEX SOROS are engaged.
She’s 47 and he’s 38.
The Democratic political insider and the son of billionaire Democratic donor GEORGE SOROS were first linked as a couple in February.
Abedin was previously married to disgraced former Congressman ANTHONY WEINER. They share a son.
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Former reality star AUDRINA PATRIDGE is dating country singer MICHAEL RAY.
She’s 36 and he’s 39.
Ray was previously -- and very briefly -- married to fellow country singer CARLY PEARCE, while Patridge was married to fellow reality star COREY BOHAN. They share a daughter.
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WEDDINGS
OLIVIA MUNN and JOHN MULANEY are married!
The 44-year-old actress and 41-year-old comedian tied the knot last weekend at a friend’s home in New York, according to several sources.
They share 2-year-old son, Malcolm.
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BY THE NUMBERS
📈 The DOW gained 429 points (1.09%) to close at 39,721. The S&P increased 56 points (1.02%) to close at 5,633 while the NASDAQ increased 218 points (1.18%) to close at 18,647.
🛢 WEST TEXAS INTERMEDIATE closed at $82; BRENT CRUDE at $82.
⛽ The national average price of a GALLON OF GAS was $3.53 on Wednesday.
₿ BITCOIN tipped down 1.3% on Wednesday, trading around $57,200.
🛩 There were more than 4,130 FLIGHTS delayed within, into, or out of the United States on Wednesday and more than 140 such cancellations.
💰Friday night’s MEGA MILLIONS drawing will be for a $203 million jackpot or a $94.9 million cash payout.
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SHOWBIZ NEWS
Opening statements were made yesterday in ALEC BALDWIN’s manslaughter trial.
Prosecutors called the actor “reckless,” saying he “violated the cardinal rules of firearm safety,” to which Baldwin’s defense argued that “they’re not cardinal rules on a movie set.”
As for witnesses, Sante Fe deputy Nicholas LeFleur, who was first on the scene, and crime scene tech Mariss Poppell took the stand. “Rust” crew members and more forensic experts are expected to testify in the days to come. [via NBC]
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The years after suffering her stroke in 2001, SHARON STONE says those who were meant to be caring for her, instead took advantage of her vulnerability, stealing $18 million from her.
“I had [the money] saved because of all my success, but when I got back into my bank account it was all gone. My refrigerator, my phone -- everything was in other people’s names,” she told The Hollywood Reporter. “I had zero money.”
As for her recovery, Stone said the trauma she suffered “100 percent” changed the way her brain functions. “I had a death experience and then they brought me back. I bled into my brain for nine days,” she explained.
By the way -- it took her seven years to recover from the stroke, which doctors gave her just one in 100 odds of surviving.
In regards to the lost money, Stone is letting it go, saying, “I live for joy now. I live for purpose.” [via THR]
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There is “virtually no contact” between BRAD PITT and his eldest children, and very “limited” visits with the younger kids. While the latter is due to his busy filming schedule, the former is a choice that has been made by the kids.
Pitt shares six kids with his ex-wife, ANGELINA JOLIE: Maddox, 22; Pax, 20; Zahara, 19; Shiloh, 18, and twins Knox and Vivienne, 15. [via Page Six]
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WILL FERRELL was so “embarrassed” by his real name as a kid.
“My real name is John, John William Ferrell, so first day of school, I’d be John,” he explained on the “MeSsy” podcast. “The teacher would be like ‘John Ferrell?’ and it was so embarrassing to me to have to say ‘Here, but I go by Will, I don’t go by John.’”
After initial introductions, Ferrell said it was “excruciating” to have to wait until his teachers would remember to call him Will.
FOR THE RECORD: Ferrell said his parents -- who gave him the name -- called him Will as well. [via NY Post]
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JENNIFER GARNER and BEN AFFLECK’s eldest daughter, VIOLET AFFLECK, pleaded to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors this week to reinstate mask mandates in local hospitals.
The 18-year-old argued her stance with her own story of having long-COVID, noting the symptoms of fatigue, lethargy, and inability to focus. (Ironically those same symptoms have been linked to lengthy mask wearing.)
It was just this past February that health officials in L.A. lifted the mask mandate for visitors and employees of health care facilities. [via HuffPost]
WORTH ASKING: What’s the endgame for people arguing to keep mask mandates? Zero illnesses?
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The suite that TAYLOR SWIFT sat in as she watched boyfriend TRAVIS KELCE win the 2024 Super Bowl, cost around $3 million.
The astronomical amount was hinted at by Kelce, who discussed the pricing with fellow receiver GEORGE KITTLE during an episode of Netflix’s “Receiver.”
“They’re [effing] three million dollars,” Kelce exclaimed!
No word on whether Swift went halfsies with him on the bill, though Kelce’s entire family was also in the suite. [via Page Six]
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CASTING CALL
“Shrek 5” is officially happening!
Dreamworks Animation announced the news on X, telling fans that the movie will hit theaters on July 1, 2026.
The post also includes the long-awaited news that stars MIKE MYERS, CAMERON DIAZ and EDDIE MURPHY will reprise their roles as Shrek, Fiona and Donkey, respectively.
The news should come as no surprise, as Murphy basically said as much last month. Though at the time it was unclear if Myers and Diaz would be part of the cast. [via Deadline]
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EMILY HENRY’s New York Times bestseller “Funny Story,” is getting a film adaptation.
The novel follows children’s librarian Daphne as she plots to rekindle her love with ex-fiancee Peter, who left her for his childhood best friend Petra.
“Funny Story” has sold over 800,000 copies in North America. [via People]
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NICOLAS CAGE was recently asked which of his 120 films should someone watch if they have never seen him act before, and his answer might surprise you.
He didn’t choose “Leaving Las Vegas,” for which he took home an Oscar or any of the fan-favorites, such as “Moonstruck,” “Vampire’s Kiss,” “Face/Off” or “Adaptation.” Instead, Cage suggested “Pig,” in which he plays a despondent loner and former chef on the hunt for thieves who stole his beloved truffle pig.
DON’T KNOCK IT, TILL YOU TRY IT: The film has a 97% score on Rotten Tomatoes. [via New Yorker]
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The second installment of KEVIN COSTNER’s epic Western saga, “Horizon,” will not hit theaters in mid-August as originally planned.
A spokesperson for the studio explained away the postponement as giving fans a “opportunity to discover the first installment [...] over the coming weeks.” A new release date has not yet been announced.
WORTH NOTING: The decision may also have to do with the lack of interest in “Horizon: Chapter 1,” which has only made about $24.5 million since it hit theaters two weeks ago. [via LA Times]
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THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
KIM KARDASHIAN took her justice crusade to New Orleans for a sit down with GYPSY ROSE BLANCHARD.
After admitting to following her case, Kim tells Gypsy that she thinks the former inmate could “make a big difference “ when it comes to prison reform -- a passion of the reality star’s.
Their conversation will be part of tonight’s episode of “The Kardashians” on Hulu. [via People]
SPEAKING OF GYPSY: Rumor is Gypsy posted her baby registry on social media and every item was purchased for her, allegedly by her followers, within hours. No word on whether or not Kim chipped in.
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WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS
PRINCE HARRY’s next big media project won’t be for his own Archewell Productions company.
Instead, he’s sitting for an interview with British network ITV to address his ongoing legal battles with tabloid media over alleged phone hacking practices. Actor HUGH GRANT and two other high-profile Brits will also appear in the documentary, though Grant settled his own privacy violation lawsuit back in April.
The program will air in Britain on July 25. [via Hollywood Reporter]
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DAY OF THE YEAR
National Swimming Pool Day
National Blueberry Muffin Day
International Essential Oils Day
National Cheer Up the Lonely Day
National Free Slurpee Day
National Mojito Day
World Population Day
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ON THIS DATE
1798 - Congress re-establishes the US Marine Corps. It first consisted of:
1 major
4 captains
16 first lieutenants
12 second lieutenants
48 sergeants
48 corporals
32 drums and fifes
720 privates
The President was to direct its formation of companies and detachments, with officers and musicians appropriately allocated. The major was allotted four daily rations and $50 a month.
The Executive Branch would decide on compensation for the peons.
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1804 - Aaron Burr mortally wounds Alexander Hamilton in an arranged duel.
The bout culminated a longtime rivalry between the two. Political maneuvering by one constantly inhibited the other's political future. Burr had earlier beaten Hamilton's father-in-law for a Senate seat.
In the 1800 election, Hamilton intentionally influenced the vote to bump Burr off the president's slot. Hamilton actively campaigned against Burr's bid for the New York governorship in 1804. A final, public exchange of vitriolic letters impelled the death match Ultimately, Burr was indicted for murder but was acquitted.
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1864 - Union forces hold off a Confederate attempt to break through Fort Stevens.
Breaking the fort would be the confederacy's ticket to taking Washington, DC. Fighting was so close that Abraham Lincoln was able to survey the fighting with his wife.
In fact, they were so close that a bullet wounded a surgeon standing next to the president. Meanwhile, Confederate Major General John Breckinridge, who challenged Lincoln in the 1860 presidential election, was on the other side of the battle firing shots.
It is the only time presidential opponents also fought on opposing sides in battle.
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1897 - Salomon Andree and two others fire up their hot air balloon on the island of Danskon in the Svalbard Archipelago en route to the North Pole. (The islands are just inside the Arctic Circle.)
Without steering mechanisms, the crew depended on large ropes dangling from the gondola to act as rudders as they dragged across the ground.
But wind and ice quickly screwed up their course, and they lost two of these ropes. The men hit the ground in a controlled crash on the arctic pack ice. Their three months of rations were substantial, supplemented by the meat and hides of polar bears they murdered.
They made way for Kvitoya, a Russian island amidst the ice.
It is there they died: one man was buried, though without a marker; Adree and another died in their tent. Historians suggest they died not from the weather conditions, but rather from ingesting parasites found in polar bear meat.
Their camp would not be found until 1930.
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1914 - Babe Ruth makes his professional baseball debut for the Boston Red Sox at age 19.
He pitched against the Cleveland Naps and won the game.
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1960 - “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee is first published.
The following year Lee would be awarded a Pulitzer Prize for the novel.
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1972 - American Bobby Fischer plays his first chess match of the 1972 World Chess Championship against Soviet Boris Spassky, the reigning champ.
The tournament ended at the end of August, with Fischer victorious -- 12-and-a-half games to 8-and-a-half games.
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2013 - “Orange Is the New Black” debuts on Netflix.
It is the first series to be nominated for comedy and drama Emmy awards.
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2015 - Mexican drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman escapes prison again.
After stepping into the shower, he slipped into a tunnel where he was able to exit the maximum-security Altiplano Federal Prison, located near Mexico City.
Authorities discovered a lighted and ventilated tunnel that was nearly a mile long, stretching from the prison to a half-built home.
El Chapo previously escaped from a high-security prison in 2001 and was not recaptured until 2014.
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2021 - Richard Branson flies to the edge of space on his Virgin Galactic rocket.
Five others joined him on the flight, which was part of the company’s test of space tourism.
The spacecraft reached an altitude of 53.5 miles.
After the flight, Virgin Galactic reports they have 600 reservations for tickets on future flights. A seat costs between $200,000 and $250,000.
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BIRTHDAYS
Alessia Cara - pop singer - 28
Joey Bosa - football player - 29
Connor Paolo - actor, “Gossip Girl” & “Revenge” - 34
Caroline Wozniacki - tennis player - 34
David Henrie - actor, “Wizards of Waverly Place” - 35
Jax Taylor - reality star, “Vanderpump Rules” & “The Valley” - 45
Lil Kim - rapper - 50
Justin Chambers - actor, “Grey’s Anatomy” - 54
Cassi Davis - actress, “House of Payne” - 60
Lisa Rinna - actress, “Days of Our Lives” & “Melrose Place” - 61
Richie Sambora - guitarist, Bon Jovi - 65
Mindy Sterling - actress, “Austin Powers” films - 71
Giorgio Armani - fashion designer - 90
Born On This Date
Carl Judie - actor, “Dhar Mann” - 1958 (d. 2021)
John Quincy Adams - 6th POTUS - 1767 (d. 1848)
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