7/18/2023: How Safe Are Your Roads?
PLUS: Real-life Castaway; Defending Spacey; and Has the Healing Begun?
Today is Tuesday, July 18, 2023.
It is the 199th day of the year.
166 days remain.
WHAT’S ON TAP
TESLA reaches a milestone and a Florida community battles a furry infestation. More in HIT LIST.
MIRANDA LAMBERT scolded some selfie-taking fans and LIONEL MESSI is welcomed to Miami with open arms. More in SHOWBIZ.
ABC’s first “Golden Bachelor” has been revealed and the first actor-less premiere went down over the weekend. More in CASTING CALL.
KIM KARDASHIAN’s SKIMS may have saved a woman’s life and KYLIE JENNER appears to have rekindled her friendship with former bestie JORDYN WOODS. More in KARDASH.
PRINCE HARRY is having royal regret and MEGHAN is not here for it. More in ROYALS.
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HIT LIST
TESLA on Monday announced the completion of its first production-run of the Cybertruck, the all-electric utility vehicle ELON MUSK has been touting for four years. The company announced the milestone in a tweet showing workers at the factory in Texas surrounding the vehicle.
No word yet on when they’ll start hitting the streets. Tesla’s website is slim on details now, though it previously suggested the Cybertruck would retail between $40,000 and $70,000 depending on upgrades and features.
Musk originally said the Cybertruck would start sales in 2021 – but that was in 2019, before all the pandemic disruptions. [via CBS News]
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Memphis, Tennessee has the worst drivers in the country, according to a Consumer Affairs study.
The analysis looked at crash fatality rates as a result of driver error – so it excluded data from freak accidents, or other factors like storms. The review also studied crashes as a result of drunk driving and speeding.
Rounding out the top five were Baton Rouge; Albuquerque; Macon, Georgia; and St. Louis.
On the other end of the spectrum, Green Bay, Wisconsin was ranked the safest city in the country to drive in. [via Consumer Affairs]
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Pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly announced Monday it has submitted a drug that slows the effects of Alzheimer’s disease for approval from American regulators.
In an 18-month trial, patients who received the drug saw a 35% slower onset of symptoms compared to those who took a placebo.
The announcement comes on the heels of the drug Leqembi’s authorization for use in the United States, which offers similar results. [via CNN]
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A man and his dog were rescued last week after two months adrift in the Pacific.
Tim Shaddock, a 51-year-old from Sydney and his four-legged companion Bella set off on a catamaran journey from Laz Paz, Mexico to French Polynesia in April. Just weeks into their journey, their vessel was damaged in a storm.
No longer able to travel, the pair were forced to float and wait for a miracle, which came last Wednesday in the form of a helicopter doing surveillance for a tuna trawler.
As for how the pair survived two months adrift, Shaddock told Australia’s 9 News that they drank rainwater and ate raw fish. [via 9 News]
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Lion head rabbits are taking over one Fort Lauderdale neighborhood.
Wilton Manors resident Alicia Griggs told the Associated Press that it all started when a neighbor moved out of the area and left behind some pet rabbits; not being neutered or spayed, they started to multiply.
While Griggs says she doesn’t mind the furry creatures, others are annoyed with all of the poop, holes being dug and wires being chewed.
Efforts are now underway to raise money to capture, neuter, vaccinate and rehome the bunnies, according to East Coast Rabbit Rescue, who are putting their resources behind the cause. The funds need to be raised fast, however, as female rabbits can birth between two-and-six babies a month. [via AP News]
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BABY NEWS
LINDSAY LOHAN is a mom!
The actress welcomed her first child with husband BADER SHAMMAS on Monday. The couple named their baby boy LUAI SHAMMAS, which means “shield or protector” in Arabic.
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BREAKUPS
SOFIA VERGARA and JOE MANGANIELLO are calling it quits after seven years of marriage.
The couple issued a joint statement on Monday, saying that they still “love and care for one another very much,” and asked for privacy as they navigate the new phase of their lives.
The two actors started dating and got engaged in 2014. They tied the knot in 2015.
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Musician ARIANA GRANDE and real estate agent DALTON GOMEZ are heading toward divorce.
The pair have been separated since at least January of this year and are reportedly working toward making their split official.
No word on what led to the breakup, though some speculate that post-covid life hasn’t been easy for them.
Grande and Gomez tied the knot in May 2021.
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BY THE NUMBERS
📈 The DOW added 76 points (0.22%) to close at 34,585. The S&P added 17 points (0.39%) to close at 4,522 and the NASDAQ added 131 points (0.93%) to close at 14,244.
🛢 WEST TEXAS INTERMEDIATE closed at $74; BRENT CRUDE at $78.
⛽ The national average price of a GALLON OF GAS was $3.56 on Monday.
₿ BITCOIN slid on Monday, down about 0.4%, and trading around $30,100.
🛩 There were more than 6,060 FLIGHTS delayed within, into, or out of the United States on Monday and more than 380 such cancellations.
💰Tonight’s MEGA MILLIONS drawing will be for a $640 million jackpot or a $328 million cash payout.
SHOWBIZ NEWS
MIRANDA LAMBERT abruptly stopped her Vegas show over the weekend to call out some fans who were taking selfies instead of enjoying her music.
“I’m gonna stop right here for a second, I’m sorry,” she said to her band just a few notes into her song “Tin Man.” “These girls are more worried about their selfie and not listening to the song.”
“It’s pissing me off a little bit,” she continued. “Sorry, I don’t like it. At all. We’re here to hear some country music tonight. I’m singing some country damn music.”
Reactions to Lambert’s rant were mixed.
“Man no wonder Blake left her,” a social media user commented on a video of the incident, referring to her ex, BLAKE SHELTON, while another asked, “How can you even disrespect ‘Tin Man’ like this?” [via NY Post]
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Soccer star LIONEL MESSI will receive the key to Fort Lauderdale after making the move and joining Major League Soccer team Inter Miami.
He signed a deal for two-and-a-half seasons worth between $125 million and $150 million.
Messi most recently played for French club Paris Saint-Germain.
BY THE WAY: DAVID BECKHAM is co-owner of Inter Miami. [via NPR]
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“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” host TY PENNINGTON was hospitalized last week after an abscess in his throat closed off his airway.
Just days after attending the “Barbie” premiere in Los Angeles, Pennington said he landed in the ICU after struggling to breathe.
“Turns out, that sore throat I’ve had for the last month was actually an abscess which had grown so large it was closing off my airway,” he wrote on Instagram alongside some photos of him at the premiere and lying in a hospital bed.
After undergoing surgery on Wednesday, Pennington was discharged on Thursday, with the expectation of making a full recovery. [via Hollywood Reporter]
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Country singer CARLY PEARCE is laughing off her onstage tumble while performing in Iowa last week.
While walking toward the front of the stage, Pearce slipped and landed right on her butt. Uninjured, she jumped back up and continued on with the show.
Pearce shared a video of the incident, with the caption, “First fall on stage, better make it count.” The video has nearly 2 million views. [via People]
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BRITNEY SPEARS is undecided about being the one to read the audio version of her upcoming memoir “The Woman In Me.”
To help her with the decision, she has taken some time to rest and recoup in Mexico with her husband SAM ASGHARI, insiders told TMZ.
She better make up her mind soon though. Her book is due out in October and is already a hit in presales. [via TMZ]
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KEVIN COSTNER’s estranged wife CHRISTINE BAUMGARTNER needs his permission before removing any items from the Santa Barbara estate they once shared.
A judge ruled that the only items she doesn’t need permission to take include her clothing, toiletries, handbags and jewelry.
The ruling comes a week after Baumgartner was ordered to vacate the marital home by the end of the month. [via Unilad]
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Five years since her drug overdose, DEMI LOVATO says she still suffers from hearing and vision loss.
Opening up about the incident on ANDY COHEN’s SiriusXM show, Lovato said the impairments serve as a “daily constant reminder” of what she went through and a “reminder to stay on the right path.”
In 2018, Lovato was rushed to the hospital after overdosing on heroin. It was there that she suffered three strokes and a heart attack. Now sober, Lovato says she has a “more positive mind space” and is focusing on the future. [via Billboard]
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CASTING CALL
The star of ABC’s "The Golden Bachelor” has been revealed.
Seventy-one-year-old GERRY TURNER will take his shot at dating a group of women all looking for love.
JESSE PALMER will host the newest “Bachelor” spinoff, which premieres this fall. [via Deadline]
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LINDSIE CHRISLEY says she will not appear in a documentary about her famous family.
While some members of the family are considering participating, Lindsie said on Instagram that she will not be part of “any project that doesn’t allow for everyone’s voice to be heard.” No word on who she was referring to with that statement. Perhaps her dad and step-mom, TODD and JULIE CHRISLEY, who are currently incarcerated?
ON THAT NOTE: Earlier this year, Lindsie’s sister SAVANNAH CHRISLEY said that her family is filming some stuff for a new show. No word on if that is the same project Lindsie has opted out of.
Stay tuned. [via People]
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Despite the ongoing strikes, Disney decided to hold its “Haunted Mansion” premiere; the first major event since the actors’ strike kicked off.
Instead of stars of the film, like DANNY DEVITO, TIFFANY HADDISH, OWEN WILSON and JAMIE LEE CURTIS walking the red carpet, there were instead a group of random people dressed up as ghosts from the movie.
Director JUSTIN SIMIEN was on hand at the event, however, telling reporters that he felt “ambivalent” over the fact that the cast wasn’t there to speak for themselves, while also noting that he supports them.
No word on whether or not other studios are taking note about how awkward the premiere was and considering scrapping any they have on the agenda. [via Hollywood Reporter]
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COURT CASES
ELTON JOHN and his husband DAVID FURNISH testified on KEVIN SPACEY’s behalf on Monday.
The two appeared in a London court via video, where they both stated that the actor, who has been accused of sexual assault, was not at the party where the victim claims to have allegedly been assaulted.
The victim in the case claims Spacey “aggressively grabbed” his crotch while he drove the actor to John and Furnish’s home for their annual Summer ball. The men say that it couldn’t have happened because Spacey did not attend the year-- or years -- in question.
Spacey has been hit with a dozen charges, which include sexual and indecent assault and one count of causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges. [via Variety]
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THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
Not only does KIM KARDASHIAN’s SKIMS line keep everything taut, the shapewear also apparently saves lives. Just ask Angelina Wiley who revealed how the SKIMS shapewear she was wearing protected her when she was shot four times.
“Kim Kardashian saved my life,” Angelina said in a TikTok video, in which she explained how she was shot while waiting for a Lyft earlier this year. “[The shapewear] was so tight on me that it literally kept me from bleeding out,” she continued.
Kim saw the video and shared it on her own Instagram, with the comment “wowww 🙏”.
Talk about good marketing. [via Page Six]
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KYLIE JENNER was spotted dining with her former best friend JORDYN WOODS in Los Angeles over the weekend.
While many assumed the sit down was their first since their very public falling out in 2019, insiders say that two have actually been spending time together for over a year.
Remember, Jordyn was accused of hooking up with KHLOE KARDASHIAN’s ex, TRISTAN THOMPSON.
Sources also stated that despite the hurt and anger, Khloe never put a wedge between Kylie and Jordyn and is most likely supportive of them rekindling their friendship. [via TMZ]
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WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS
An insider close to PRINCE HARRY and MEGHAN MARKLE says Harry has reached out to estranged brother PRINCE WILLIAM about finding a way to get back into the fold, leaving William “stunned.”
In Touch reports that the Sussexes are panicked about their financial situation and Harry is second-guessing, well, everything.
When he told Meg about the call to William, she was apparently furious.
WORTH NOTING: Even if Harry and Meg keep making millions to sustain their lifestyle, they’re not the in-demand socialites they anticipated they might be, either. [via InTouch]
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DAY OF THE YEAR
Insurance Nerd Day
Nelson Mandela International Day
National Caviar Day
National Sour Candy Day
World Listening Day
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ON THIS DATE
64 A.D. - The Great Fire of Rome begins.
The fire would burn for over five and a half days. Of the fourteen districts in the city, seven suffered serious damage and three were completely destroyed.
Nero, the emperor at the time, paid for the relief efforts from his own funds and even allowed his palaces to be opened as temporary homes for the displaced citizens.
To prevent a similar disaster, the city was rebuilt with greater spacing between the houses and brick was used in their construction.
The cause of the blaze remains unknown.
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1389 - France and England agree to the Truce of Leulinghem.
The treaty ended the third phase of the Hundred Year's War.
This began a 13-year period of peace and was the longest during the entire conflict. The truce was supposed to last twenty-seven years, but Scotland decided to invade England in 1402 ending the peace prematurely.
France would re-enter the conflict in 1403.
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1870 - The First Vatican Council decrees the Pope's infallibility.
This dogma stated that the Pope does not have a possibility of error when he declares a teaching on faith based on his own divine revelation to the Catholic Church.
A common misconception is that Papal infallibility implies the Pope is free from sin in his personal life, which is inaccurate.
This declaration only applies when the Pope is working in his official capacity.
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1925 - Adolf Hitler publishes “Mein Kampf."
The thesis described an alleged Jewish conspiracy to gain world leadership. It also attempted to tell the story of how Hitler became increasingly anti-Semitic and militaristic.
Hitler dictated this first volume of the work while in prison for political crimes. The second volume would be published in 1926.
The title translated into English means "My Struggle" or "My Battle."
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1969 - Senator Ted Kennedy kills Mary Jo Kopechne after a party on Chappaquiddick Island when he drunkenly drives his car off a bridge.
At approximately 11:15 p.m. Kennedy left a thank you party, held for some of Robert Kennedy's campaign staff, with Mary Jo. He planned to get her onto the last ferry to Edgartown, where she was staying that night.
The Oldsmobile Delmont 88 was driven off a narrow, unlit bridge that was not on the route to Edgartown. Kennedy pulled himself to safety, but Kopechne was not so lucky.
The Senator reported the incident only after the car and body were discovered by police the next morning.
One week later, Kennedy pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of an accident and received a 2-month suspended sentence as punishment.
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2013 - Detroit, Michigan files for Chapter 9 bankruptcy.
The debt owed is:
$2.9 billion in government bond debt
$5.9 billion in Detroit Water and Sewerage Department debt
$3.5 billion in unfunded pension liability
$5.7 billion unfunded retiree health care liability
It is the largest municipal bankruptcy filing in US history, with over $18 billion owed.
Detroit is also the largest city by population to file for bankruptcy in the US.
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2019 - The City of West Palm Beach, Florida uses the songs “Baby Shark” and “Raining Tacos” to prevent homeless people from sleeping on the patio of a city-owned rental banquet facility near the beach.
A West Palm Beach Parks and Recreation spokesperson explained the decision to use the music, saying “people shouldn’t be tripping over bodies” when setting up for events, or when guests are leaving the venue.
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BIRTHDAYS
JD McCrary - actor, “K.C. Undercover” - 16
Canelo Alvarez - boxer - 33
Mandy Rose - wrestler - 33
Chace Crawford - actor, “Gossip Girl” - 38
Priyanka Chopra - actress, “Quantico” - 41
Kristen Bell - actress, “Veronica Mars” & “The Good Place” - 43
Elsa Pataky - model & wife of Chris Hemsworth - 47
Vin Diesel - actor, “Fast & Furious” films - 56
Jim Bob Duggar - reality star & dad of 19 - 58
Wendy Williams - TV show host, “The Wendy Williams Show” - 59
Richard Branson - entrepreneur, Virgin Group - 73
Born On This Date
Nelson Mandela - South African politician - 1918 (d. 2013)
Molly Brown - Titanic Survivor - 1867 (d. 1932)