Today is Thursday, July 25, 2024.
It is the 207th day of the year.
159 days remain.
WHAT’S ON TAP
A lottery ticket returns to a rightful winner and at least one parks staffer is looking for a new job. Details in HIT LIST.
AARON RODGERS gets a fine and BENNIFER might not be over…yet. More in SHOWBIZ.
“Veep” sees an increase in viewers and a comic book gets picked up by Netflix. Details in CASTING CALL.
Find out who thought YE could be a unifier in KARDASH.
THE KING had a profitable year. Details in ROYALS.
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HIT LIST
FBI Director CHRISTOPHER WRAY confirmed new details to Congress during a hearing on Wednesday about the attempted assassination of DONALD TRUMP and murder of COREY COMPERATORE:
– The shooter flew a video surveillance drone over the site about two hours before Trump took the stage.
– Investigators discovered three explosive devices but have not confirmed where. The remote detonator on the shooter’s body was not turned on.
– The shooter visited a gun range the day before the rally and practiced with an AR-style weapon, but there’s no confirmation that it was the actual gun used on July 13.
– Investigators believe the shooter used mechanical equipment on the ground to hoist himself into the shooting position. They do not currently believe he used a ladder, calling into question whether the shooter was actually spotted carrying a ladder to the site as had been previously reported, even though investigators have confirmed the shooter did indeed buy a ladder that day.
– A week before the attempted assassination, the shooter searched, “How far away was Oswald from Kennedy.” That same day the shooter registered for the rally.
– So far the FBI has conducted 400 interviews, and plans to conduct more.
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What could make sharks even more terrifying? Cocaine.
Marine biologists tested 13 sharpnose sharks caught by local fishermen off the coast of Rio de Janeiro, and found that their livers and muscle tissue were laced with coke. It wasn’t a small amount either -- according to the research, the concentration in their system was 100 times higher than previously recorded data in other marine life.
As for how the cocaine affected the sharks, scientists say it likely made them extra aggressive, though more research is being conducted. [via BBC]
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What do you do when one of your multi-billion-dollar companies needs an investment? You turn to your other, multibillion dollar company.
ELON MUSK has hinted that TESLA will invest $5 BILLION in his artificial intelligence company xAI, with a poll asking how his followers on X felt about it. (That’s his other multi-billion-dollar company).
Of course, Musk said any such investment would only be made with shareholder and board approval. Tesla’s valuation got clobbered on Wednesday following an earnings report released this week showing profits missing aggressive targets. [via CNBC]
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A Tennessee man is set to take home a million dollar scratch off lottery prize after the clerk tried to steal it from him.
For gamblers not keen on scratching off each prize, they can opt to have the clerk scan a barcode instead, which will instantly reveal the ticket’s status as a winner.
In this case, the winner went the barcode route for the two tickets he purchased. One won him $40 and the other earned him a million, but the clerk tossed the ticket in the garbage and told the customer it was worthless.
But when the clerk went to the Tennessee lottery office to claim his prize, he didn’t realize the office does extensive due diligence to confirm the ticket belongs to the rightful winner. In this case, that meant reviewing security camera footage, which obviously showed the clerk tossing, and later pocketing, the winning ticket.
One police officer tells local media, “It’s pretty obvious. Good enough to put in front of 12 jurors and they’ll reach the same conclusion.
The clerk has been booked into jail and faces a Class A felony. The rightful winner’s identity remains anonymous. [via News Channel 5]
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TELL ME THIS ISN’T A GOVERNMENT OPERATION: A parks department employee in Salt Lake City has been blamed for killing hundreds of trees near the Utah State Fairpark after spraying them with weed killer.
The witless staffer reportedly used the wrong herbicide to treat weeds late last year, but it’s taken until now to realize something went very, very wrong, as trees in the area continued to die out. Typically in these scenarios, weed killers aren’t so harmful to decorative trees.
For now, the city plans to remove the dead trees, but the tainted soil makes replanting them more complicated. In the meantime, they’re considering rolling out bigger trees in giant planters. [via KSL]
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BY THE NUMBERS
📈 The DOW lost 504 points (1.25%) to close at 39,853 on Wednesday. The S&P lost 128 points (2.31%) to close at 5,427 and the NASDAQ lost 654 points (3.64%) to close at 17,342.
🛢 WEST TEXAS INTERMEDIATE closed at $77; BRENT CRUDE at $80.
⛽ The national average price of a GALLON OF GAS was $3.51 on Wednesday.
₿ BITCOIN fell 0.9%, trading around $65,300.
🛩 There were more than 7,100 FLIGHTS delayed within, into, or out of the United States on Wednesday and more than 420 such cancellations.
💰Friday night’s MEGA MILLIONS drawing will be for a $306 million jackpot or a $143.8 million cash payout.
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SHOWBIZ NEWS
After skipping mandatory practices with his Jets teammates last month, AARON RODGERS was fined over $50,000.
Instead of attending the workouts, Rodgers took some time to travel around Egypt, which he said was done so with the blessings of his teammates and head coach.
To show how unbothered he is by the whole thing, Rodgers showed up to camp this week in an Egyptian cat shirt. [via TMZ]
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STEPHEN BALDWIN appeared to respond to daughter HAILEY BIEBER’s comments about not being close to her family anymore.
Yesterday, the actor posted a video of himself smirking at the camera and saying “I love you.” He captioned it, “Today, staying positive is a choice!! so I’m trusting in the power of joy, peace, and happiness. Finally if anyone hasn’t told you today, I LOVE YOU.”
Comments were a mix of some reciprocating the love and others referencing Hailey’s comments.
BALDWIN BLUNDERS: Earlier this year Hailey was allegedly upset with her dad after he posted about a private matter on social media. Just days later Hailey’s sister Alaia was arrested for allegedly throwing a tampon at a bartender. Can you blame her for wanting some space? [via Page Six]
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“The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grace)” is EMINEM’s 11th career No. 1 album to land on the Billboard 200 chart.
The milestone puts him among the likes of Bruce Springstren, Barbra Steisand and Ye, for the fifth most, after The Beatles (19), Jay-Z (14), Taylor Swift (14) and Drake (13).
All 16 songs from the album also landed on the Billboard Hot 100, concurrently, with lead single “Houdini” at No. 10. [via Billboard]
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A new report from The Daily Mail says that JENNIFER LOPEZ and BEN AFFLECK are working to save their marriage amidst rumors of an impending divorce.
“Jen and Ben agreed it is best to take some time apart so they can really figure out what it is that they want,” an insider told the outlet.
“Time apart” would explain why they were not together to celebrate their second wedding anniversary and why Ben wasn’t at JLo’s party last weekend.
Stay tuned. [via Daily Mail]
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CHER has a memoir in the works.
The 78-year-old announced Wednesday that she will release her “true story” in two parts, with “Cher: The Memoir, Part One” hitting shelves in November.
The book will focus on her childhood, music career and marriage to Sonny Bono.
Part Two is due out next year. [via Rolling Stone]
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CELINE DION is heading to Vegas.
Insiders tell TMZ that her team is in the “final stages” of negotiating a residency deal with Resorts World for later this year or earlier 2025.
As for how Dion will perform while also dealing with her Stiff Person Syndrome, the source says she is ready to “power through.”
The forthcoming residency will be her third in Vegas, following her two successful runs at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace.
ALSO: It is now confirmed that Dion will perform Friday at the Olympics’ opening ceremony. She will sing alongside LADY GAGA. [via TMZ]
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CASTING CALL
“Veep” saw a 353% increase in viewership the day after KAMALA HARRIS became the assumed shoe-in for the Democratic nominee.
The first season logged 2.2 million minutes viewed on Monday -- a jump from the 486,000 minutes viewed on Sunday.
In addition to the increased viewership, there were also comparisons made between star JULA LOUIS-DREYFUS’ character and Harris, though showrunner Armando Iannucci pointed out on X that they “made all that up.”
“Veep” is currently streaming on HBO. [via EW]
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Actor PATTON OSWALT’s comic book “Minor Threats” is heading to Netflix.
A live-action adaptation is in the works, with Oswalt and co-creator JORDAN BLUM serving as writers, showrunners and executive producers.
“Minor Threats” centers on low-level supervillains who usually find themselves bound in front of a police station with a note saying, “Courtesy of your friendly neighborhood Batman,” per the synopsis. [via THR]
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JOSH CHARLES is joining the cast of the upcoming sixth and final season of Hulu’s “The Handmaid’s Tale.” It is unclear what his role will be, but People reports that he will be a series regular.
The show stars ELISABETH MOSS, who plays a handmaid, a woman the government gives to an infertile couple to carry and give birth to their children.
Season 6 is expected to premiere next year. [via People]
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Any hope of a “Facts of Life” reboot are now off the table, thanks to “a greedy b--ch.”
Star MINDY COHN opened up about the drama on SiriusXM’s “Jeff Lewis Live,” saying creator NORMAN LEAR spoke to Cohn and her former co stars LISA WHELCHEL, KIM FIELDS and NANCY MCKEON about a full spinoff series.
“We started to consider it a little bit. We got into talks and we hired a writer … and we had meetings with Norman about it,” Cohn explained. “One of the girls went behind our backs to try to make a separate deal for a spinoff deal just for herself.”
While Cohn didn’t divulge who it was, she did call her a “greedy b--ch.”
Sadly, Lear has since passed away. [via Us Weekly]
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THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
DONALD TRUMP once thought YE performing a church service on the White House lawn could “unify the country.”
Former White House associate, and current co-host on “The View,” ALYSSA FARAH GRIFFIN spoke about the idea with ANDY COHEN on “Watch What Happens Live,” after a fan asked what the “wildest thing” she was asked to do while working for Trump.
The service never actually happened, however, as Griffin said she and others on Trump’s team explained that it was “not the time or place.” [via EW]
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WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS
The Crown Estate had a gangbusters year, earning 1.1 BILLION Pounds in profits in the last year. That’s a staggering 148% increase year-over-year.
The money comes from various uses of land and properties owned by the King and his family. In this case, the Crown Estate made bank by selling leases for offshore wind projects around the British Isles.
These funds pay for the operations of the monarchy and a chunk goes directly to the sovereign. Of the more than ONE BILLION POUNDS in earnings, the King will have about $171 MILLION to spend this year on himself and working royals. [via CNBC]
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DAY OF THE YEAR
National Intern Day
International Red Shoe Day
National Chili Dog Day
National Refreshment Day
National Wine and Cheese Day
Carousel Day
National Hot Fudge Sundae Day
National Thread the Needle Day
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ON THIS DATE
1593 - King Henry IV of France renounces Protestantism and embraces Roman Catholicism.
The conversion distanced the monarch from Queen Elizabeth I of England, but did realign him with the hundreds of thousands of Catholics in Paris and around France.
Though himself a Catholic, Henry was responsible for the Edict of Nantes, which provided for toleration of some French protestants.
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1788 - Mozart completes Symphony No. 40 in G minor.
This was his second of three symphonies to be completed over the course of just seven weeks.
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1797 - Fighting for Britain against Spain in the French Revolutionary Wars, Admiral Horatio Nelson loses his right arm and 300 soldiers during the botched takeover of Tenerife.
A bullet dashed Nelson as he landed on shore. The crew of his small transport boat turned back for the flagship Theseus. Once on board, Nelson quipped to the awaiting surgeon: "Doctor, I want to get rid of this useless piece of flesh here."
After the limb was amputated, it was thrown overboard, to Nelson's chagrin. He wanted to keep it.
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1861 - Congress passes the Crittenden-Johnson Resolution. The document cements the Union's purpose in waging war to preserve the union, and not to end slavery.
The "Johnson" in the amendment was Andrew Johnson of Tennessee, the successor to Abraham Lincoln.
The resolution also clarified that fighting would end when slave states returned to the Union, irrelevant of whether they allowed slavery.
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1909 - Louis Bleriot soars across the English channel in his home-built Anzani 3-cylinder powered monoplane.
The aircraft, made of oak and poplar, made the trip from Callais to Dover in a little more than a half hour.
Without a compass and his engine almost overheating, Bleriot smashed down belly-first and the landing gear broke off. The rain was the only element to cool the engine.
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1946 - At a public detonation of a nuclear bomb underwater near Bikini Atoll, government officials and press watch the explosive nicknamed Baker sink nine decommissioned warships.
The controlled explosion was one of two such tests that year to study the effects of naval nuclear warfare.
In as few as four milliseconds, the blast dug a 30 foot crater into the ocean floor. The exploding bubble hit the surface at 2,500 feet per second and blew a 6,000 foot column of water into the air.
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1978 - Louise Joy Brown, the world’s first test tube baby, is born via Cesarean section.
Her mother had blocked Fallopian tubes, so in November of 1977, she underwent a procedure to have a mature egg harvested from her ovaries, fertilized and implanted in her uterus, and so, in vitro fertilization was born, nine months before Louise.
Louise weighed 5 pounds 12 ounces at her first weigh-in.
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1997 - Researchers announce that human stem cells have been cultured in a laboratory setting. These are the basic building blocks for a baby developing inside the womb.
It would be some time before the findings were published, however.
Knowing what he was getting himself into, lead researcher Dr. John Gearhart wanted to spark the public discussion regarding the ethics of such procedures.
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2019 - The “City Killer” asteroid shocks astronomers who didn’t pick up on the rock’s trajectory until days before it passed by Earth.
Measuring 187 to 427 feet in diameter, the asteroid passed within 43,500 miles of Earth at a speed of 15 miles a second.
It is believed to be the largest rock to pass by Earth in a decade.
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BIRTHDAYS
Bryce Young - football player - 23
Meg Donnelly - actress, “Zombies” & “American Housewife” - 24
Jaafar Jackson - MJ’s nephew - 28
Alvin Kamara - football player - 29
James Lafferty - actor, “One Tree Hill” - 39
Shantel VanSanten - actress, “One Tree Hill” & “The Flash” - 39
Finn Balor - wrestler - 43
Jay R. Ferguson - actor, “Mad Men” - 50
David Denman - actor, “The Office” - 51
Jon Barry - basketball player - 55
Matt LeBlanc - actor, “Friends” - 57
Verdine White - bassist, Earth, Wind & Fire - 73
Born On This Date
Walter Payton - HOF football player - 1954 (d. 1999)
Estelle Getty - actress, “The Golden Girls” - 1923 (d. 2008)
Rosalind Franklin - chemist & helped discover the structure of DNA - 1920 (d. 1958)
Henry Knox - first US Secretary of War (1785-1794) - 1750 (d. 1806)
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