7/27/2022: Freya the Friendly Walrus
PLUS: Trump Returns To The Swamp, VMA Nominations, and Paris Jackson Wears SKIMS
Today is Wednesday, July 27, 2022.
It is the 208th day of the year.
157 days remain.
TRENDING
In honor of National Auntie Annie’s Day, the pretzel chain announced they would be giving away $30,000 to one lucky winner “looking for some serious dough.”
Tony Dow landed in Twitter’s Top 10 Trends after news of his death broke and then was later rescinded. More on the mixup in Deaths.
Twitterverse reacted to the devastating news that Klondike is discontinuing its Choco Taco ice cream treat after almost 40 years.
Aaron Rodgers was trending Tuesday after the Packers QB showed up to training camp looking like Nicolas Cage’s character from Con Air. Check out the side-by-side:
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HIT LIST
The head of Russia’s space agency says his country will pull out of cooperation with the International Space Station in 2024. They have plans for their own space station afterward.
The Russians have threatened to pull out of the project since getting slapped with sanctions over the invasion of Ukraine. Now it appears official; an official transcript of a meeting about the matter including the head of Roscosmos and Vladimir Putin posted to the Kremlin’s website shows Putin approving of the plan.
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Twitter shareholders will formally vote to approve ELON MUSK’s buyout of the social media platform on September 13. But the vote is just a formality, as Twitter and Musk remain locked in litigation after Twitter failed to provide accurate data about its monetizable user base and Musk backed out of the deal.
A five-day trial is scheduled on the matter in October.
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A study from the Kaiser Family Foundation shows 43% of parents will not get their children vaccinated against covid, and another 27% are unsure. Another 13% say they would only if required for their kid to attend school.
So far, less than 3% of young children have gotten the jab.
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A researcher from Oxford in England reports that just four standard alcoholic drinks a week impact the brain. The study reveals that four or more drinks a week resulted in ‘poorer scores on tests of executive function, fluid intelligence, and reaction speed.”
The study chalks up the minor mental decline to alcohol boosting levels of iron in specific regions of the brain.
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How’s this for stupid?
An employee at a McDonald’s in South Burlington, Vermont, caused a scare and triggered an evacuation after he threw three rounds of live ammunition onto a grill in the kitchen.
They of course exploded, and diners and staff thought someone was shooting up the place.
Fortunately, no injuries have been reported.
As everyone evacuated, the perpetrator stayed behind and cops discovered he had a handgun in his possession too. Eventually, they negotiated his exit, and he was detained. Charges are pending.
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Summer boaters in Europe are facing yet another unexpected burden this summer: a 1,300 pound walrus that tries to be friendly, but often ends up sinking little skiffs and sailboats.
She’s named Freya, and USA Today describes her behavior as “cute, clumsy chaos” across the Old Continent, including the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Sweden.
Most recently, she sank a boat in Oslofjord, Norway, after trying to hop aboard.
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BY THE NUMBERS
📈 The Dow lost 228 points (0.71%) on Tuesday, closing at 31,761. The S&P 500 lost 45 points (1.15%) to close at 3,921 while the Nasdaq lost 220 points (1.87%) to close at 11,562.
🛢 West Texas Intermediate slipped down to $95.54 a barrel, and Brent Crude dipped down to $99.75.
⛽ The national average price of a gallon of gas was $4.33 on Tuesday.
₿ Bitcoin lost $227 by Tuesday afternoon, trading around $21,080.
🛩 There were 4,461 flight delays into, within, or out of the United States on Tuesday, and 592 such cancellations.
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CHARTS
Top 5 Fiction & Nonfiction Books Currently on the New York Times Best Sellers List:
FICTION:
“Where The Crawdads Sing,” Delia Owens
“It Ends With Us,” Colleen Hoover
“Verity,” Colleen Hoover
“The 6:20 Man,” David Baldacci
“Ugly Love,” Colleen Hoover
“The Hotel Nantucket,” Elin Hilderbrand
NONFICTION:
“Tanqueray,” Stephanie Johnson and Brandon Stanton
“Thank You For Your Servitude,” Mark Leibovich
“The Body Keeps The Score,” Bessel van der Kolk
“Battle For The American Mind,” Pete Hegseth with David Goodwin
“Happy-Go-Lucky,” David Sedaris
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DEATHS
Early Tuesday multiple outlets reported that actor TONY DOW had died, but he actually didn’t.
TMZ corrected the error, saying the “Leave It To Beaver” star’s death was “prematurely announced” by his wife, who is “very distraught” over him being in hospice. In May it was revealed that he had been diagnosed with cancer.
Further clarification was not given on the mistake.
Dow is 77-years-old.
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YOKO SHIMADA has died.
The Japanese actress, known for her role in “Shogun,” passed away Monday from complications of colorectal cancer.
She was 69.
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BREAKUPS
Actress AMANDA BYNES, 36, and 20-something PAUL MICHAEL have broken up for good.
E! News reports that despite remaining together after calling off their engagement last year, the couple recently “hit a roadblock” and decided to “walk away from each other.”
They were together for two years.
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“Teen Mom OG” stars MACKENZIE MCKEE, 27, and her husband JOSH MCKEE, 29, have called it quits.
No details of the split were shared.
The couple were married for nine years and share three kids.
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THE SWAMP
On The View, WHOOPI GOLDBERG says she hopes First Lady JILL BIDEN becomes the Surgeon General because she’s an “amazing doctor.”
In the ensuing crosstalk, her confused co-hosts tried to clarify that Dr. Jill is a teacher, and has a doctorate in education.
WATCH:
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The Midterm elections will be a case study in confirmation bias, as voters largely look for only the good news that suggests their affiliated party’s agenda is what most Americans want.
A Rasmussen poll shows 87% of Republicans think their party will take control of Congress, while 66% of Democrats say the same about Team Ass.
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Former President DONALD TRUMP jetted back to the Swamp on Tuesday to deliver a speech at the America First Policy Institute’s America First Agenda Summit.
He didn’t hold back on his criticisms of the Democrat agenda since he left office more than a year ago. “Under the Democrat rule, in Democrat run cities, Democrat run states and a Democrat run federal government, the criminals have been given free rein more than ever before,” Trump said.
Trumpworld insiders have whispered for weeks that Trump is considering announcing his re-election bid before midterm elections. Some fear the early announcement would make the midterm elections another referendum on Trump, and motivate otherwise dejected Democrats to get out and vote.
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LOTTERY
No winner for Monday night’s Powerball drawing. Tonight’s drawing will be for a $145 million jackpot or a $85.7 million cash payout.
BY THE WAY: The CEO of Raising Cane’s fast food chicken joint purchased 50,000 Mega Millions tickets at $2 apiece ahead of last night’s $810 million drawing, with the intention of sharing any winnings with all employees. The $470.1 million cash payout would face about $112.8 million in taxes. No word on how many employees would have to share what’s left.
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SHOWBIZ NEWS
MTV announced this year’s Video Music Award nominations Tuesday.
Leading the pack are KENDRICK LAMAR, JACK HARLOW and LIL NAS X with seven nods each.
Not far behind are HARRY STYLES and DOJA CAT with six noms each and BILLIE EILISH, DRAKE, DUA LIPA, ED SHEERAN, TAYLOR SWIFT and THE WEEKND with five.
The show will take place on Sunday, August 28 at the Prudential Center in New Jersey.
Performers will be announced at a later date.
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STEVIE NICKS is hitting the road.
The 74-year-old announced she will be resuming her 2021 tour this fall, after canceling the latter half of last year’s dates due to covid concerns.
Her tour kicks off on September 13 in Clarkston, Michigan and will wrap on October 28 in West Palm Beach, Florida.
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KEN JENNINGS and MAYIM BIALIK will reportedly become the permanent hosts of “Jeopardy!”
Bialik will continue to host primetime episodes, while Jennings will be on hand to fill in as the actress continues to film her Fox show, “Call Me Kat,” Deadline reports.
An official announcement is expected to be made as early as today.
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JOHN MAYER announced this week that he is hosting three benefit concerts at the Pine Creek Lodge in Livingston, Montana to help support the area after historic flooding last month.
The Rise for the River benefit will take place in August, with the first show scheduled for August 8.
Each concert will benefit the SW MT Flood Relief Fund, a partnership between the Park County Community Foundation and Greater Gallatin United Way. The financial support will go toward clean up and rebuilding efforts.
WORTH NOTING: Mayer has lived part-time in Montana for years.
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“Minions: The Rise of Gru” is the first animated film to hit $300 million at the domestic box office since “Frozen 2” hit theaters in November 2019.
It is the third Universal flick to reach the milestone within four weeks, the previous two being “Despicable Me 2” and “The Secret Life of Pets.”
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CASTING CALL
ALYSSA FARAH GRIFFIN, former President DONALD TRUMP’s White House communications director, has been named as MEGHAN MCCAIN’s permanent replacement on “The View.”
The 33-year-old will start her new role when the new season begins this September, according to The Daily Mail.
McCain quit the show in July 2021 after four seasons.
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FOX has given the greenlight to “Animal Control,” a workplace comedy from co-creators BOB FISHER, ROB GREENBERG and DAN STERLING.
The series follows a group of Animal Control workers whose lives revolve around the fact that animals are simple, but people are not.
More details will be shared at a future date.
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Netflix announced Tuesday that recently released thriller, “The Gray Man,” is getting a sequel and a spinoff.
The film, which premiered on the streamer last week, follows CIA operative Court Gentry, played by RYAN GOSLING, who is being hunted by former CIA agent Lloyd Hansen, played by CHRIS EVANS. The flick also stars BILLY BOB THORNTON.
According to Deadline, Gosling has already signed on to star in the sequel. No word on the rest of the cast.
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ADELAIDE KANE has been cast as a new resident for Season 19 of “Grey’s Anatomy.”
She joins previously announced new cast members ALEXIS FLOYD, NIKO TERHO and MIDORI FRANCIS.
The four will play first-year surgical residents at Grey Sloan, according to Deadline.
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DAVID HARBOUR and PEDRO PASCAL are set to star in HBO limited series, “My Dentist’s Murder Trial.”
The true crime story focuses on Dr. Gilberto Nunez who in 2015 was charged with murdering his friend Thomas Kolman. He was also charged with two counts of forgery. During the trial in 2018, Nunez was found not guilty of murder but guilty of fraud.
Pascal will play Nunez. Harbour’s role is unknown.
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CRIB NOTES
MARK ZUCKERBERG sold his San Francisco home in an off-market deal worth $31 million -- a record sale in the city this year.
The 7,300 square-foot, 4-bedroom, 4-bathroom home was purchased by Zuckerberg in 2012 for $10 million, according to The Post.
He still owns a 4-bed, 4-bath estate in Palo Alto, 1,400 acres on the island of Kauai and two homes in Lake Tahoe.
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The luxury property where PRINCE HARRY has been known to play polo has hit the market with a $50 million price tag.
The 610-acre compound, known as “Cancha De Estrellas” (the field of stars), is conveniently located just 10 minutes from Harry’s Montecito mansion.
The property features two polo fields and multiple equestrian areas, which are surrounded by breathtaking views of the ocean and mountains.
The estate was purchased by current owners SARAH SIEGEL-MAGNESS and GARY MAGNESS in 2017 for $14.2 million.
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CELEBRITY CELLBLOCK
“Shahs of Sunset” alum MIKE SHOUHED has been hit with 14 charges stemming from a domestic violence incident that occurred earlier this year.
On Monday, the reality star entered a not guilty plea to two counts of domestic violence, four counts of domestic battery, and two counts of intimidating a witness. He also pleaded not guilty to one count of possession of an assault weapon, two counts of criminal storage of a firearm, two counts of unsafe storage of a firearm and one count of carrying a concealed weapon.
A pre-trial hearing is scheduled for August 29.
Details of the initial incident have been scarce, but this week Shouhed’s fiance, who is believed to have been the victim, told reporters that she is “focusing on keeping herself and her children safe” and “moving on with her life.”
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THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
PARIS JACKSON is the newest face of KIM KARDASHIAN’s SKIMS.
The actress was unveiled this week as a model for the shapewear line’s latest campaign, Swim.
In the ad, Jackson lays on a nude monogrammed SKIMS blanket while wearing a beige bikini with a matching coverup.
“I’ve known Kim for a while and have always admired her style, so to be in the latest swim campaign for SKIMS is a full circle moment,” Paris told PEOPLE magazine.
Singer BELLA POACH and actress MADISON BAILEY also appear in the campaign.
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WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS
PRINCE HARRY and MEGHAN MARKLE did not make QUEEN ELIZABETH’s Balmoral summer guest list, despite The Sun reporting they were to be expected.
This week several royal insiders told Page Six that Harry and Meg will remain in the US with their two young children for the summer.
WORTH ASKING: Are they avoiding his family ahead of the release of Harry’s book?
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SPORTS
SHAREEF O’NEAL, son of lendardy baller SHAQUILLE O’NEAL, signed a six-figure contract to play for the Nevada-based G League Ignite next season.
The 22-year-old revealed the deal on Twitter, writing “VEGAS LETS DO IT !! Thank you Ignite.”
The Vegas team is “dedicated to developing top young prospects in preparation for the NBA Draft,” according to ESPN.
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DAY OF THE YEAR
National Scotch Day
National Creme Brulee Day
Walk On Stilts Day
Take Your Houseplant For A Walk Day
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ON THIS DATE
1866 – The trans-Atlantic cable spanning from Ireland to Newfoundland connects North America with Europe by telegraph for the first time. The cable extends 1,686 miles.
22 years after the first message was sent between Washington, DC and Baltimore by Samuel Morse, American financier Cyrus Field was finally successful after 9 years of setting up the right infrastructure.
The first official communication happened in August. Queen Victoria expressed a telegram commending President James Buchanan for linking the two countries. The President responded in kind.
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1919 – Riots break out in Chicago after a white man instigates violence against blacks playing in the water at a South Side beach. When one of the victims was killed, police arrested not the attacker but one of his victims.
Racial attacks swiftly escalated into violence. It took 6,000 National Guard troops to quell the situation.
Reports indicate a majority of the violence came from whites setting fire and destroying property of blacks.
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1931 – A grasshopper swarm massacres crops across Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota.
Many of the crops were eaten down to the ground, without even the stalk left standing.
The outbreak likely came from recent droughts, since grasshopper eggs survive best in dry soil.
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1940 – Warner Brothers introduces a little bunny named Bugs in the animated short film “A Wild Hare.”
The Wascally Wabbit didn't have a name in his cartoon debut, but did in his second.
The film got an Academy Award nomination for best short subject cartoon.
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1960 – Richard Nixon is nominated to run for President at the Republican Convention in Chicago.
He'd lose to JFK.
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1974 – The House Judiciary Committee votes to impeach Richard Nixon.
By a vote of 27-11, the committee recommended the first article of impeachment -- that's Obstruction of Justice.
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1996 – At the Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta, a pipe bomb kills one and injures 111.
Richard Jewell, a security guard, alerted officials to the mysterious package enclosing the bomb. He was initially implicated in its planting and detonation, but later cleared.
The real culprit was Eric Robert Rudolph, who committed three other similar attacks before being caught.
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2017 – Jeff Bezos briefly becomes the world’s richest man at $91.4 billion, overtaking Bill Gates.
His time at the top only lasts half-a-day.
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2020 - John Lewis becomes the first black lawmaker to lie in state in the Rotunda in Washington DC.
The congressman passed away 10 days earlier from pancreatic cancer.
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BIRTHDAYS
Kali Rodriguez - actress, “General Hospital” - 22
Winnie Harlow - model - 28
Jordan Spieth - golfer - 29
Tory Lanez - rapper - 30
Indiana Evans - actress, “Home and Away” & “H2O: Just Add Water” - 32
Kellie Waymire - actress, “Six Feet Under” - 37
Taylor Schilling - actress, “Orange Is the New Black” & “Lucky One” - 38
Smiley - pop singer - 39
Dolph Ziggler - wrestler - 42
Alex Rodriguez - baseball player - 47
Maya Rudolph - actress, “SNL” & “Bridesmaids” - 50
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau - actor, “Black Hawk Down” & “Game of Thrones” - 52
Triple H - wrestler - 53
Julian McMahon - actor, “Nip/Tuck” & “Charmed” - 54
Donnie Yen - actor, “Rogue One” & “Mulan” - 59
Born On This Date
Young Dolph - rapper - 1985 (d. 2021)
Jessi Combs - TV personality & auto racer aka “fastest woman on four wheels” - 1980 (d. 2019)
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