7/12/2022: Heinz Field Gets New Name
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7/12/2022: Heinz Field Gets New Name
PLUS: Elon Mocks Twitter, More Bizarre Hunter Biden Footage, and Mannerless Meghan
Today is Tuesday, July 12, 2022.
It is the 193rd day of the year.
172 days remain.
TRENDING
Heinz Field was trending Monday after the home of the Pittsburgh Steelers got a new name. More in Sports.
Lea Michele landed in Twitter’s Top 10 Trends after being named the new star of Broadway’s “Funny Girl.” More in Casting Call.
Hunter Biden was trending yesterday as Twitterverse reacted to newly released video evidence of President Joe Biden’s son in possession of crack cocaine. More in Swamp.
Slurpee was trending Monday -- 7/11 -- as people enjoyed their free slurpees from 7-Eleven.
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HIT LIST
Twitter stock was down more than 10% on Monday, as markets reacted to news that ELON MUSK was backing out from his buyout offer.
Musk himself doesn’t seem too broken up about it, posting memes and making jokey comments on Twitter about the news.
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Law enforcement in San Diego, California have announced a record-setting drug bust that amounts to 5,000 pounds of meth.
Officials reportedly flagged a box truck for surveillance as it crossed into the country at Otay Mesa, and shortly after busted the smugglers, four of whom were arrested.
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A wildfire at Yosemite National Park continues to expand as firefighters work to protect a grove of at least 500 giant sequoia trees. The fire has not yet directly impacted the centuries-old trees, but officials remain vigilant, setting up sprinkler systems to keep their trunks damp and less likely to catch fire.
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While farmers in Europe revolt against new nitrogen emissions standards that threaten to bankrupt entire agricultural industries, Canada’s Prime Minister JUSTIN TRUDEAU has plans for similar regulations in his own country.
In December 2020, his administration released plans to decrease nitrous oxide emissions from fertilizer by 30% over the next decade, essentially in parallel to what was ordered in Europe. But so far, there haven’t been formal regulations to enact the policies.
WORTH REMEMBERING: The last time he tried to strangle an entire industry, Canadian truckers clogged streets for weeks.
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A study published in science journal “Nature Astronomy” suggests there’s a 10% chance a human will be killed by falling space junk at least once over the next ten years.
One researcher on the study explains, “The risk at an individual level is really, really small [but] if you’re living in a densely populated city at 30 degrees north latitude, then it should be of more concern to you.”
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The company that took over McDonald’s operations in Russia has a new problem: They’re running out of French fries.
Russia reportedly had a bad potato harvest, and the restaurants are affected by global supply chain hiccups like anyone else. But company officials say they’re hoping to have fries back on the menu this fall.
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Prospective homeowners are canceling their offers to buy houses at a rate not seen since the start of the pandemic.
Online marketplace Redfin reports that nearly 15% of purchases that went under contract were eventually canceled in June.
Analysts blame general unease over the economy and rising mortgage rates for the sharp shift.
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BY THE NUMBERS
📈 Stocks were down on Monday. The Dow lost 164 points (0.52%) to close at 31,173; the S&P 500 lost 44.95 points (1.15%) to close at 3,854, and the Nasdaq lost 262.71 points (2.26%) to close at 11,372.
🛢 West Texas Intermediate was trading around $103 a barrel Monday while Brent Crude was around $106.
⛽ The national average price of a gallon of gas was $4.68 on Monday.
₿ Bitcoin got walloped Monday, losing $416 in value, and trading around $20,430.
🛩 There were 3,207 flight delays for routes within, into, or out of the United States, and 195 such cancellations on Monday.
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CHARTS
Top 5 Songs on iTunes:
Kate Bush, “Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)”
Metallica, “Master of Puppets”
Lizzo, “About Damn Time”
Luke Combs, “The Kind of Love We Make”
Harry Styles, “As It Was”
Top 5 Songs on Spotify:
Harry Styles, “As It Was”
Kate Bush, “Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)”
Charlie Puth & Jung Kook, “Left and Right”
Lizzo, “About Damn Time”
Post Malone & Doja Cat, “I Like You (A Happier Song)”
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DEATHS
MONTY NORMAN has died.
The composer of “James Bond Theme” passed away Monday after a short illness.
He was 94.
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BABY NEWS
PIPPA MIDDLETON, 38, and her husband JAMES MATTHEWS, 46, have welcomed baby #3, a little girl.
According to PEOPLE Magazine, the infant was born a few weeks ago. Her name and exact birth date are unknown.
The couple are already parents to son Arthur, 3, and daughter, Grace, 1.
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BREAKUPS
Soap actor STEVE BURTON has filed for divorce from his pregnant wife of 23 years SHEREE GUSTIN.
According to the docs, Steve listed March 1 as the date of separation, citing “irreconcilable differences” as the reason.
As previously reported, Sheree is reportedly pregnant with another man’s baby.
The couple have three kids together.
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RELATIONSHIPS
R. KELLY, 55, is reportedly engaged to 26-year-old JOYCELYN SAVAGE, who is one of his alleged victims.
“My name is Joycelyn Savage, and I’m Robert Kelly’s fiance,” she wrote in a letter to the singer’s trial judge last month.
Savage, who was one of Kelly’s two live-in girlfriends, wrote the letter seeking leniency in his sentencing, telling the judge that she is “not the victim the government has portrayed [her] to be.”
She also wrote about her “special connection” and “deep love” with Kelly.
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THE SWAMP
The Real Clear Politics average of approval polls puts President JOE BIDEN at an all-time low, with 37.4% approving of his job performance and 57.6% disapproving. It’s the first time he’s been at least 20 points net-negative in the RCP average.
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Some wild new photos and videos from HUNTER BIDEN’s various devices are making their way online, and in lieu of a denial from the First Son or the White House, they sure seem to be authentic.
In one, Hunter records himself weighing drugs on a scale.
One video shows Hunter filming himself while he spins in circles before walking outside and doing the same, staring at the camera but saying nothing.
WATCH:
WORTH NOTING: Plenty of liberals will argue that Hunter was never elected to anything and should be left alone. Even some principled right-wingers say there’s plenty that President JOE BIDEN is doing on his own to criticize. But Hunter’s drug use and human trafficking involvement alone make him a prime point of leverage for foreign actors to use against the Leader of the Free World.
LEVERAGE LIKE THIS: The Daily Wire reports that a Chinese energy company has paid at least $5 million to Hunter’s firm to secure preferential access to liquified natural gas collected off the coast of Louisiana.
The deal ultimately never went through – because one of Hunter’s Chinese business partners was arrested.
SOMEHOW, IT GETS WORSE: The DailyMail reports that a Senior Special Agent with the Department of Homeland Security was working with Delaware State Police to find a local point of contact to discuss Hunter Biden’s role – if any – in human sex trafficking and child exploitation.
The DailyMail also has an email record of Hunter purchasing an Amtrak ticket for three prostitutes to travel from Boston to New York City, where they would meet up with Hunter.
It is a federal crime (Title 18, Section 2421 of the US Code, also called the Mann Act) to transport prostitutes across state lines so they can conduct their business.
This is amid the mounting evidence that President JOE BIDEN routinely wired money to his son, often without question.
IN OTHER WORDS: Here we have proof that the President of the United States’ personal funds were used by his own son to engage in human trafficking in a way that clearly violates federal law.
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LOTTERY
No winner for Friday night’s Mega Millions drawing. Tonight’s drawing will be for a $440 million jackpot or a $247.8 million cash payout.
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SHOWBIZ NEWS
JOHNNY DEPP and his attorneys are rolling their eyes at his ex-wife’s attempt to get the $10 million judgment thrown out in their defamation case.
The actor’s lawyers say there is clear evidence that AMBER HEARD’s Washington Post Op-Ed affected their client’s ability to land and hold onto roles.
They argue that alone “supports the $10 million verdict.”
As previously reported, Heard’s team filed legal docs last week claiming one of the jurors fraudulently took a seat. Depp’s team argues that it was an issue that was known and therefore should have been brought up before trial.
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CAMERON DIAZ may have been a drug mule before catching her big break.
Speaking on the “Second Life” podcast, the actress detailed her pre-acting life in Paris, revealing what a struggle it was to book gigs.
“I was there a full year and didn’t work one day. Then I got one job but, really, I think I was a mule carrying drugs to Morocco -- I swear to God.”
Diaz explained that she was given a locked suitcase that was allegedly carrying her modeling costumes. Upon arriving at the airport, she says she panicked and left the luggage with airport security.
It was shortly after that incident that she was approached by a casting agent in Los Angeles who was looking for a “bombshell” to star opposite JIM CARREY in “The Mask.”
And so a star was born.
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HALSEY (who uses they/them pronouns) is auctioning off paintings created onstage during their recently wrapped Love and Power Tour.
All proceeds will be donated to the National Network of Abortions, which supports abortion funds across the US.
Halsey spoke out against the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade while touring.
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Danish singer-songwriter LUKAS GRAHAM is embarking on the first-ever green-battery-powered tour.
He has teamed up with renewable-technology company Vestas to replace all carbon-emitting diesel generators with transportable batteries containing green electricity to power six outdoor shows around Denmark, Variety reports.
According to the announcement, the process will “reduce carbon emissions generated during the show by up to 98.5%.”
Reducing the carbon footprint left by touring is a matter that has also been attempted by other performers, including DAVE MATTHEWS, BILLIE EILISH and JACK JOHNSON.
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CASTING CALL
DAVE CHAPPELLE’s new comedy for Netflix was quietly released on Friday.
The focus of the special, titled “What’s in a Name,” is a lecture he gave at his alma mater -- the Duke Ellington School of Arts -- last November.
During his speech, Chappelle was forced to defend himself against students who were unhappy about transphobic jokes he made in his previous special, “The Closer.”
WORTH NOTING: The latest special was not part of Chappelle’s four-project deal with the streamer.
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A biopic about AMY WINEHOUSE is in the works from director SAM TAYLOR-JOHNSON.
Variety reports that a script has been written and the project is currently in the casting stage.
An insider told the outlet that the project, titled “Back to Black,” is very special to Taylor-Johnson, who was a close friend of Winehouse’s.
WORTH REMEMBERING: Winehouse, known for her hits such as “Rehab” and “You Know I’m No Good,” passed away in 2011 of alcohol poisoning. She was 27.
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Actress LEA MICHELE is heading to Broadway.
She will take on the role of Fanny Brice in the revival of the beloved musical “Funny Girl,” starting in September.
Producers revealed the casting Monday following BEANIE FELDSTEIN’s abrupt departure announcement. Her last performance will be July 31.
Feldstein’s understudy JULIE BENKO will take on the role in the interim.
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BOBBY FLAY and his daughter SOPHIE are eating their way along the California coast in a new series for the Food Network, titled “Bobby and Sophie on the Coast.”
It is the chef’s first series for the network since signing a new three-year deal. He has been at Food Network for over 27 years.
The series launches on August 22.
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“Only Murders in the Building” has been renewed for a third season by Hulu.
The comedy stars STEVE MARTIN, MARTIN SHORT and SELENA GOMEZ. Season 2 is currently streaming.
WORTH NOTING: Season 1 was the most-watched comedy series in Hulu Originals’ history.
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JONATHAN BAILEY will star opposite MATT BOMER and ALLISON WILLIAMS in the Showtime Limited Series, “Fellow Travelers.”
Bailey will play Tim Laughlin, a Fordham University graduate who is optimistic about the post-WWII future.
The series has been described as a love story and political theater that chronicles the romance of two very different men, per Deadline.
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THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
Season 2 of “The Kardashians” will premiere on September 22 on Hulu.
A teaser for the upcoming season shows clips of KIM and boyfriend PETE DAVIDSON, leading fans to believe he will have more of a presence in the new season.
Other notables that will be covered include, KYLIE’s second pregnancy, and KOURTNEY’s wedding with TRAVIS BARKER.
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KIM and KANYE’s eldest child, NORTH WEST once staged a prank crime scene that was so realistic looking the housekeeper called the authorities.
Kim recently shared the whole ordeal in an interview with Allure.
“She’s actually so good that I rented a house this summer…and she decided not only to prank me and do [the makeup] on her and Chicago, but she made the whole room look like a murder scene.”
Kim continued on explaining how she was “too tired” to clean it all up before bed, so she left it a mess and then forgot about it the next morning when she took her kids to school. In the meantime, the housekeeper showed up and called the homeowner and the authorities “thinking it was a real murder scene.”
“I had to let them know it was completely just a prank and my kids were doing special effects makeup. It was bad,” she added.
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WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS
MEGHAN MARKLE just doesn’t give a you-know-what when it comes to tradition and rules.
A recent story from The News International revealed two major blunders the Duchess made at Wimbledon in 2019.
First, she wore jeans to the event, despite a formal attire rule for the day. Then she left after her friend, SERENA WILLIAMS’ match, not sticking around to watch British player ANDY MURRAY. A source referred to her early exit as a “massive faux pas.”
She also had her bodyguards stop all spectators from taking her photo, a veteran member reported.
An official from the All England Club summed it up well saying, “It was a nightmare, she was a nightmare.”
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SPORTS
Heinz Field is no more.
The home of the Pittsburgh Steelers, known as Heinz Field since 2001, will now be Acrisure Stadium starting with the 2022-23 season.
Terms of the new 15-year deal were not released.
Acrisure is a top-10 global insurance broker.
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Olympic volleyball star KIM GLASS, 37, was attacked by a homeless man in Los Angeles over the weekend, nearly losing her eye in the incident.
Detailing the attack on social media, Glass says she left a restaurant on Saturday when a man in the street whacked her with “a big metal bolt, like pipe.”
In a video shared yesterday, Glass showed her eye nearly swollen shut. She told followers that she suffered multiple facial fractures and needed stitches to close her wounds.
No word on if the attacker was arrested.
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DAY OF THE YEAR
Eat Your Jello Day
National Simplicity Day
National Different Colored Eyes Day
National Pecan Pie Day
Paper Bag Day
Etch A Sketch Day
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ON THIS DATE
1543 – Henry VIII marries his sixth and final wife Catherine Parr.
The King notably went through a number of wives, trying to find one who would bare him a male heir. After his second wife, Anne Boleyn, failed to produce a son and had a series of miscarriages she was erroneously executed for adultery.
His third wife, Jane Seymour, gave him a son, but died just two weeks later.
Catherine was widowed by Henry in 1547. He died from complications of severe obesity, a condition that began after a jousting accident in 1536, when he became unable to move without great assistance.
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1804 – Alexander Hamilton dies after being shot by Aaron Burr.
The previous day, Alexander Hamilton and sitting Vice President Aaron Burr shot it out. Hamilton was mortally wounded and carried to a friend’s home where he passed away.
Hamilton founded the US mint and was the first secretary of the US Treasury.
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1862 – US Congress authorizes the creation of the Medal of Honor.
The Medal of Honor is the highest military award and is given by the President in the name of Congress. It is awarded to those who risk their lives above and beyond the call of duty while engaged in an action against an enemy of the United States.
The first act for which the medal would be awarded occurred on February 13, 1861 when Army Assistant Surgeon Bernard Irwin rescued 60 soldiers during the Civil War. He would finally receive the Medal of Honor in 1894.
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1876 - Maria Spelterina walks across Niagara Falls on a tightrope with peach baskets on her feet.
The trip took 11 minutes to go out and 10 minutes to come back. One week later she did it blindfolded, and a week after that she did it with her hands and feet cuffed.
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1962 –The Rolling Stones perform their first concert.
The show took place at the Marquee Club in London. The band was billed as “The Rollin’ Stones” for their first gig.
Mick Jagger and Keith Richards were the only band members who were part of their inaugural performance.
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1979 – Disco Demolition Night commences at Comiskey Park in Chicago.
The promotion was one of the most memorable in baseball history second to “Ten Cent Beer Night” in Cleveland during the 1974 season.
The event included the destruction of a crate of records using explosives. The idea for the promotion occurred when a popular local DJ left his job after the station switched its programming from rock to disco music.
Fans were able to bring disco records and gain free admission to the game. After the game had concluded the DJ walked into center field dressed in military garb and destroyed the records while leading the crowd in a “disco sucks!” chant.
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1984 - Geraldine Ferraro is tapped to run with Walter Mondale on the Democratic presidential ticket.
Ferraro became the first woman to be nominated by either major party for a spot as vice president.
She and Mondale would lose by the biggest margin in national history -- winning only Minnesota.
Ferraro would run for Senate twice in 1992 and 1998 -- and lose both times.
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1996 - Michael Jordan signs a NBA contract with the Chicago Bulls.
The 1-year agreement earned the all-star $30.1 million.
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2018 - The world’s longest fingernails are cut.
Shridhar Chillal’s nails had a combined length of 358.1 inches — the longest individual nail measured 77.87 inches.
The nails were cut with power tools at the Ripley’s Believe It or Not! museum in New York City.
Although proud of his record, Chillal faced physical difficulties due to the weight of his fingernails, including disfigurement of his fingers and loss of function in his left hand. He also claims to have nerve damage to his left arm.
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BIRTHDAYS
Vivienne Jolie-Pitt - daughter of Angie & Brad - 14
Issac Ryan Brown - actor, “Raven’s Home” & “Black-ish” - 17
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander - basketball player - 24
Malala Yousafzai - civil rights leader - 25
Luke Shaw - soccer player - 27
Jordyn Wieber - Olympic gymnast - 27
Erik Per Sullivan - actor, “Malcolm In The Middle” - 31
James Rodriguez - soccer player - 31
Rachel Brosnahan - actress, “House of Cards” & “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” - 32
Phoebe Tonkin - actress, “The Vampire Diaries” - 33
Kimberly Perry - country singer, The Band Perry - 39
Michelle Rodriguez - actress, “Fast & Furious” films - 44
Topher Grace - actor, “That 70’s Show” & “Spider-Man 3” - 44
Steve Howey - actor, “Reba” & “Shameless” - 45
Brock Lesner - wrestler - 45
Cheyenne Jackson - actor, “Descendants 2” & “Call Me Kat” - 47
Richard Simmons - fitness guru - 74
Bill Cosby - actor & convicted predator, “The Cosby Show” - 85
Born On This Date
Charlie Murphy - comedian & older brother of Eddie - 1959 (d. 2017)
Donda West - Kanye’s Mom - 1949 (d. 2007)
Henry David Thoreau - naturalist & essayist, “Walden” - 1817 (d. 1862)
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