7/21/2023: On the Prowl in Berlin
PLUS: AMC Backtracks; Beyonce’s New Scent; and The Anti-Beach Read
Today is Friday, July 21, 2023.
It is the 202nd day of the year.
163 days remain.
WHAT’S ON TAP
Oregon’s drug legalization program has made things worse and the heart of flyover land gets a massive theme park. More in HIT LIST.
As the calls to cancel JASON ALDEAN increase, so does the interest in his music. More in SHOWBIZ.
Box office hit “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” is heading to Disney+. More in CASTING CALL.
KIM KARDASHIAN says she regrets how she handled a past relationship, and it’s not the one she had with YE. More in KARDASH.
The summer beach read you won’t bring back home. More in ROYALS.
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HIT LIST
The winner of Wednesday night’s $1.08 BILLION POWERBALL drawing is believed to be an elderly Hispanic woman from a local Latin community within Los Angeles.
Nabor Herrera, who owns Las Palmitas Mini Market, where the ticket was purchased, says he and his family have a guess of who the winner is, describing her as “Hispanic lady, an old lady, 100% a Latina.” They plan to review security footage to see if their suspicions are correct.
The winner has up to a year to claim the jackpot -- or the $558.1 million cash prize.
Herrera and family are also walking away with a chunk of change as California law states that the sellers of a winning Powerball ticket get 0.5% of the jackpot. They plan to set the money aside for their kids’ education. [via NY Post]
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Movie theater chain AMC is ditching its rollout of a tiered-pricing plan, where better seats would cost more. Middle, center seats would be more expensive. The seats nearest the front, which is often uncomfortable and makes it difficult to see the whole screen, would be slightly less than a regular ticket.
In February, the company announced it would introduce these three levels of pricing throughout its more than one thousand locations by the end of 2023.
TURNS OUT: No one was biting at the discounted option.
INSTEAD: AMC is going to test more spacious seating near the front with reclining seats beginning next year. [via CNN]
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Three years after voters in Oregon authorized a ballot measure decriminalizing possession of drugs, the state isn’t faring too well.
WORTH NOTING: They didn’t just decriminalize weed; they made everything legal.
In that time, Oregon has seen one of the sharpest rises in overdoses and adults with addiction in the country.
In recent polling, a majority of Oregonians now support bringing back criminal charges for getting busted with drugs. [via The Atlantic]
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A $2 billion Americana-themed park is opening up in 2026, but not where one would expect!
The American Heartland Theme Park and Resort will be built on a 1,000-acre plot in northeast Oklahoma, just off Route 66. Despite the rural location, developers expect north of five million visitors a year.
The park will be home to classic amusement park rides, live shows, family attractions, waterways and restaurants all centered in a “Americana-themed environment,” according to a press release. There will also be a 300-room hotel, cabins and spot to park over 700 RVs on the site.
WHAT’S MORE: The park will create about 4,000 jobs and a significant boost in tourism for the state. [via Travel+Leisure]
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Those living in Berlin, Germany were told to be vigilant this week after a lioness was spotted prowling in the area.
According to local authorities, a call came in on Wednesday of a “wild cat” sighting. A subsequent sighting, and camera footage, later confirmed to police what the animal was.
Now, residents are being told to stay indoors and not let their pets outside to play. Local farmer markets have also been postponed to avoid any unfortunate interaction with the wild animal.
No word on where the animal came from as no nearby animal attractions have reported a missing animal. There have also been no reports of homeowners who are missing a pet lion -- which is TOTALLY legal in Germany, by the way. [via CBS]
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DEATHS
Actor NICK BENEDICT has died.
He passed away on July 14 after suffering complications from an emergency spine surgery.
Benedict is best known for his roles on soaps “All My Children,” “The Young and the Restless” and “Days of Our Lives.”
He was 77.
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BABY NEWS
Actress CONSTANCE WU and her husband, musician RYAN KATTNER have welcomed baby #2.
No word on when the little boy arrived or what his name is. He joins 2-year-old big sister, name also unknown.
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RELATIONSHIPS
ARIANA GRANDE is reportedly dating one of her “Wicked” co-stars.
Just days after news of her impending divorce from DALTON GOMEZ, sources say she has moved on with actor ETHAN SLATER, who plays Boq in the film adaptation of the Broadway musical.
The insider says things turned romantic months ago.
As for Ethan, he has been married to singer LILLY JAY since 2018. They welcomed a son last year. No word on whether or not they are divorced or just separated.
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WEDDINGS
Actor DOLPH LUNDGREN has tied the knot with personal trainer EMMA KROKDAL.
The couple said “I Do” at their villa in Mykonos, Greece on July 13. The ceremony was small with only family and close friends in attendance.
By the way -- he is 65 and she is 27.
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BY THE NUMBERS
📈 The DOW added 163 points (0.47%) to close at 35,225 on Thursday. The S&P lost 30 points (0.68%) to close at 4,534 and the NASDAQ lost 294 points (2.05%) to close at 14,063.
🛢 WEST TEXAS INTERMEDIATE closed at $75; BRENT CRUDE at $79.
⛽ The national average price of a GALLON OF GAS was $3.58 on Thursday.
₿ BITCOIN slid on Thursday two-thirds of a point, trading around $29,700.
🛩 There were more than 3,440 FLIGHTS delayed within, into, or out of the United States on Thursday and more than 250 such cancellations.
💰Tonight’s MEGA MILLIONS drawing will be for a $720 million jackpot or a $369.6 million cash payout. Saturday night’s POWERBALL drawing will be for a $20 million jackpot or a $10.3 million cash payout.
SHOWBIZ NEWS
These albums drop today:
Bruno Major, “Columbo”
The Cucumbers, “Old Shoes”
Greta Van Fleet, “Starcatcher”
London Grammar, “The Remixes”
Lori McKenna, “1988”
Nils Lofgren, “Mountains”
Oscar Lang, “Look Now”
Raquel Bitton, “C’est Magnifique”
Various Artists, “Barbie: The Album”
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The Tennessee chapter of the NAACP is condemning JASON ALDEAN over his new song “Try That In A Small Town.”
President Gloria Sweet-Love said the “tone,” “message” and “imagery” used are “offensive to people of color, especially Black people.”
Sweet-Love also said the song is “clearly promoting racism and violence” and “Tennessee doesn’t need that.” She suggests that instead of this sort of music -- one about protecting one’s neighbor -- Aldean should instead focus on “uniting people, and protecting children and communities.” [via TMZ]
WORTH NOTING: The clips used in the music video are all from actual news footage. Nothing he did was staged to make anyone look bad.
ALSO: Remember when people tried to cancel fellow country singer MORGAN WALLEN, but instead his songs became more popular than ever? It seems history is repeating itself.
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SAMUEL L. JACKSON gave now-exes SCARLETT JOHANSSON and RYAN REYNOLDS a sweet gift at their 2008 nuptials.
Speaking to Vulture, the actor revealed that he gifted the newlyweds a beehive, because Johansson, who was his co-star at the time, “was always talking about nature.”
“They kept the bees for a while. They got honey for a couple of years while they were married. And then one day the bees abandoned the hive,” he said, referring to their 2011 divorce. [via Vulture]
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SHAKIRA is potentially facing another tax fraud lawsuit, though her lawyer says that she has not been formally served and only found out about the suit “through the media.”
Spanish prosecutors stated this week that the musician is facing a tax fraud probe in Spain over her 2018 taxes. That is separate from the case regarding back taxes she allegedly owes between 2012 and 2014.
For the initial case, Shakira faces up to eight years in prison. She has denied any wrongdoing. [via DailyMail]
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BEYONCE is releasing a new fragrance.
While details of the new product are scarce, her website lists a yet-to-be-named “eau de parfum” with a $160 price tag. The site also says bottles will begin shipping in November and every purchase will come with a “special gift.”
As for the scent, it will have hints of clementine and golden honey, Namibian myrrh and golden amber.
This is Bey's fourth fragrance. She released Heat in 2010, Pulse in 2011 and Rise in 2014. [via Billboard]
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Weatherman AL ROKER disagrees with a dermatologist-recommended shower schedule that was shared on “Today” this week.
Serial showerer Roker says the recommended two-to-three showers a week rule is not something he plans to follow as he prefers to shower “twice a day.”
When Roker was told that it all depends on one’s lifestyle he replied, “Not if you come in contact with other people!” [via ET]
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TAYLOR SWIFT’s concerts can be seen from space!
During her concert at Denver’s Empower Field, Virginia-based company BlackSky used a satellite to snap photos of the venue.
Images from Earth-observation satellites orbiting at an altitude around 280 miles showed an empty stadium prior to the show. Three hours before showtime images showed the parking lot starting to fill up with cars and just three-minutes to showtime, the stadium was full of Swiftes. [via DailyMail]
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JENNIFER LOPEZ’s Wednesday workout must not have been enough of an endorphin rush as she scolded paparazzi who were waiting outside for her.
As she exited the studio -- fresh from her sweat session -- paparazzi told her to have a good day, to which she replied, “[F-word] you, bye.”
It is unclear why she was so abrasive, though insiders say when JLo showed up at the studio the door was locked and she appeared frustrated that someone had to let her in. [via Page Six]
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CARDI B likes to spoil her kids.
In a recent interview, the Grammy-winning rapper revealed that she bought five-year-old daughter Kulture and almost two-year-old son Wave a $20,000 playset.
“Overly spending on your kids doesn’t mean that you’re a great parent, but it makes you feel good. It makes you feel like you’re living your childhood dream.
That tracks with what her husband OFFSET previously told JIMMY FALLON, “We do it big for our kids. We love our kids.” [via Billboard]
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CASTING CALL
“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” will hit Disney+ on August 2, joining the first two films in the Marvel trilogy.
Theatrically the movie grossed over $843 million worldwide, making it the second-highest-grossing film of 2023.
It follows the adventures of Peter Quill (CHRIS PRATT) as he mourns the death of Gamora, played by ZOE SALDANA; BRADLEY COOPER also stars as Rocket. [via Variety]
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THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
If KIM KARDASHIAN had a time machine she probably wouldn’t have jumped into a relationship with comedian PETE DAVIDSON so soon after filing divorce from YE.
Speaking to her sisters on a recent episode of their Hulu show, “The Kardashians,” Kim said that she “jumped into [the] relationship so fast” as a way to get her “mind away from stuff.”
In hindsight, Kim says it would have been better to “deal, heal and then feel.”
Remember, Kim and Pete dated for about nine months. During that time there was lots of drama and attacks from Ye over their relationship. They ultimately split due to their busy schedules. [via TMZ]
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The first images of KIM KARDASHIAN in her “American Horror Story” role have emerged.
In a teaser video for the upcoming season, Kim is sporting long eerily white hair, unique glasses and black latex gloves. Her lips are painted a deep red color, marking a stark contrast to her pale skin.
While details of her character are still unknown, she is seen holding what appears to be a swaddled baby in the clip. [via TMZ]
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WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS
PRINCE HARRY’s memoir became an instant hit earlier this year, but not something readers are keen to keep on their bookshelves, apparently.
A travel agency called On The Beach tells The Sun that hotel staff have handed over dozens copies of “Spare” in recent weeks, as readers leave the book behind amid their summer travels. “We’ve never witnessed anything quite like it,” says the agency’s chief customer officer. She added that the lost-and-founds at resorts across Europe are “brimming” with ditched copies of the book.
On The Beach says it’s going to start donating the hundreds of copies that it has received. [via The Sun]
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DAY OF THE YEAR
National Junk Food Day
National Lamington Day
National Be Someone Day
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ON THIS DATE
356 BC – Fame-seeker Herostratus burns down the Temple of Artemis. The shrine to the Ancient Greek goddess of the Hunt and the Moon was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
Arson Herostratus just wanted his name to spread - well, like fire - and thought such a crime would do the job. The plan sort of backfired.
Herostratus was executed, and the mere uttering of his name became a crime punishable by death.
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1861 – Confederates take home the first major battle victory at the First Battle of Bull Run. The South called it the First Battle of Manassas.
This is the fight where Virginia colonel Thomas Jackson earned the nickname “Stonewall Jackson,” as he stood resolute and disciplined on the field of battle — an example to his men.
The Confederate forces rallied behind Jackson and won the day.
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1873 – Jesse James assists with the first recorded train robbery by a gang in the Wild West.
James and the James-Younger Gang derailed the Rock Island train as it chugged toward Adair, Iowa.
The robbers made off with $3,000.
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1877 – After Maryland's state militia refuses to use force to return striking railway workers to the job, President Hayes sends in the Marines.
On the same day, in Pittsburgh, militiamen skewered rioting strikers with bayonets and did not hesitate to shoot into the crowd that was throwing rocks; 20 died and 29 were wounded.
Rather than subdue the throng, it was inflamed. They started fires that burned down 39 buildings and destroyed hundreds of freight cars.
The chaos continued intermittently for a month, until the president ordered federal troops to squash the uprising -- and end the strikes.
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1944 – Americans retake control of Guam from Japanese forces.
During World War II, the small Pacific island was the only American territory with a notable population to be occupied. Thousands died defending the island; 485 surrendered.
One Japanese soldier hid on the island for 27 years rather than risk capture or surrender to the Americans. He would return to Japan in 1971, and later die of a heart attack in 1997.
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1983 – Temperatures at Vostok Station, Antarctica dip to -128.6 degrees Fahrenheit.
It's the lowest recorded temperature on Earth ever, anywhere.
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2007 – “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” the final book in the series by J.K. Rowling is published worldwide.
11 million copies were purchased in 24 hours.
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2021 - Life expectancy in the US falls by 1.5 years.
It is the largest decline since WWII.
The COVID-19 pandemic was partly to blame.
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BIRTHDAYS
Erling Haaland - soccer player - 23
Jessica Barden - actress, “Coronation Street” - 31
Sara Sampaio - model - 32
Diane Guerrero - actress, “Orange Is the New Black” - 37
Rory Culkin - actor, “Signs” & “Scream 4” - 34
DeAndre Jordan - basketball player - 35
Chrishell Stause - actress & reality star, “All My Children” & “Selling Sunset” - 42
CC Sabathia - baseball player - 43
Josh Hartnett - actor, “Pearl Harbor” & “Black Hawk Down” - 45
Ali Landry - actress & Miss USA 1996 - 50
Jon Lovitz - actor, “SNL” & “The Critic” - 66
Cat Stevens - folk singer - 75
Born On This Date
Robin Williams - actor, “Mrs. Doubtfire” & “Good Morning, Vietnam” - 1951 (d. 2014)
Edward Herrmann - actor, “Gilmore Girls” & “NOVA” - 1943 (d. 2014)
Don Knotts - actor, “The Andy Griffith Show” - 1924 (d. 2006)
Ernest Hemingway - author, “The Old Man and the Sea” - 1899 (d. 1961)
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