Today is Monday, August 14, 2023.
It is the 226th day of the year.
139 days remain.
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WHAT’S ON TAP
SAM BANKMAN-FRIED is in jail before his October trial and an unwanted delicacy is hidden inside a bag of leafy greens. More in HIT LIST.
MORGAN WALLEN has a new ‘do and KEVIN COSTNER says he is officially a Swiftie. More in SHOWBIZ.
There is more drama surrounding “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” and it turns out another “Wonder Woman” film is not in the works. More in CASTING CALL.
BRODY JENNER has some daddy issues. More in KARDASH.
KING CHARLES shuffles some major military titles. More in ROYALS
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HIT LIST
SAM BANKMAN-FRIED is headed to jail as he awaits trial. The judge overseeing the case agreed with prosecutors who argued that the disgraced FTX founder was using his limited freedom under house arrest to intimidate potential witnesses and leak information to the media. SBF’s reps say he has the right to defend his reputation in public.
SBF will spend some time at a nearby detention facility while attorneys on both sides figure out how to keep him in custody while also allowing him to review evidence before the October trial. His lawyers also filed an immediate appeal of the decision. [via CNBC]
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Here’s the frightening power of compound inflation: CNN reports that the average American family is spending $709 more per month than they were two years ago on the same goods and services. That’s more than $8,500 a year.
Most of that price surge was driven by the summer 2021 spike in gas costs that pushed the national average well over $5 a gallon. Still, year over year, that basket of goods and services was up more than $200 in the month of July. [via CNN]
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An ancient community buried under Lake Ohrid in Albania is the oldest such site ever discovered in Europe.
Roughly 8,000 years ago, people built houses on stilts and surrounded their territory with a massive perimeter of defensive spikes driven into the lakebed, and archeologists aren’t quite sure what they were protecting themselves from.
Since the ruins are underwater, the team expects nearly two decades of research and investigation to safely collect all the evidence and find more answers to these mysteries. [via CBS News]
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A new survey by InsiderMonkey has ranked the drunkest cities in the United States.
Topping the list for the third year in a row is Milwaukee, Wisconsin with an “excessive drinking rate” of 24.6%. Rounding out the top five drunkest cities are: Minneapolis (23.5%), Boston (23.1%), Buffalo (22.8%) and Chicago (22.7%).
RANKING: The excessive drinking rate measures the percentage of a city’s adult population that reports binge or heavy drinking. [via InsiderMonkey]
DRINKING DEFINED: The CDC describes excessive alcohol use as: “binge drinking” (consuming four or more drinks on an occasion for women or five or more drinks on an occasion for men) and “heavy drinking” (eight or more drinks per week for women or 15 or more drinks per week for men). [via CDC]
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Frog legs anyone?
A family in Michigan was shocked to find a live frog in an unopened package of organic spinach.
The Pacific tree frog, which is native to California, had camouflaged itself inside the leafy green vegetable, which is -- according to the packaging -- washed three times prior to being sealed.
The bag of spinach -- and the stowaway frog -- were returned to the store, where the amphibian was relocated by employees. [via Fox2]
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DEATHS
Football player SEAN DAWKINS has died.
He passed away last Tuesday after suffering cardiac arrest.
Drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the first round of the 1993 NFL Draft, Dawkins spent nine years in the league.
He was 52.
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Actress LINDA HAYNES has died.
She passed away at her home in South Carolina on July 17, according to a recent Facebook post from her son. No word on a cause of death.
Haynes appeared in several films, including “Rolling Thunder,” “Human Experiments” and “Brubaker.”
She was 75.
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BABY NEWS
Reality star BRODY JENNER has welcomed his first child with fiance, professional surfer, TIA BLANCO.
Their daughter, Honey Rae Jenner, arrived on July 29, according to Instagram posts on both of their accounts.
By the way -- he is 39 and she is 26,
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RELATIONSHIPS
Actors RAMI MALEK and EMMA CORRIN are dating.
Neither has officially confirmed the news, but they were spotted snuggling and smooching at a restaurant in Kent, England last week, according to several outlets.
Before this, Malek dated 29-year-old actress LUCY BOYNTON for five years.
By the way -- Malek is 42 and Corrin is 27.
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WEEKEND BOX OFFICE
10. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny: $899k (down from 9)
9. Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One: $4.6 million (down from 7)
8. Sound of Freedom: $4.8 million (down from 6)
7. Talk to Me: $5.1 million (up from 8)
6. Haunted Mansion: $5.6 million (down from 5)
5. The Last Voyage of the Demeter: $6.5 million (new)
4. Meg 2: The Trench: $12.7 million (down from 2)
3. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem: $15.7 million (up from 4)
2. Oppenheimer: $18.8 million (up from 3)
1. Barbie: $33.7 million (stayed at 1)
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BY THE NUMBERS
📈 The DOW added 105 points (0.3%) to close at 35,281 on Friday. The S&P lost 4 points (0.11%) to close at 4,464 and the NASDAQ lost 93 points (0.68%) to close at 13,644.
🛢 WEST TEXAS INTERMEDIATE closed at $83; BRENT CRUDE at $86.
⛽ The national average price of a GALLON OF GAS increased to $3.84 on Sunday. That’s up about 8% week over week.
₿ BITCOIN was mostly flat over the weekend, trading around $29,350.
🛩There were more than 4,136 FLIGHTS delayed within, into, or out of the United States on Sunday and more than 169 such cancellations.
💰Tuesday night’s MEGA MILLIONS drawing will be for a $36 million jackpot or a $17.5 million cash payout. Tonight’s POWERBALL drawing will be for a $215 million jackpot or a $105.7 million cash payout.
SHOWBIZ NEWS
BRITNEY SPEARS’ ex-husband KEVIN FEDERLINE and their two sons are safe amid the fires in Maui.
Insiders told TMZ that while the family is not directly impacted by the fires though they have been affected by the death and devastation as they only recently moved to a neighboring island. [via TMZ]
HELPING HAND: Boxing legend FLOYD MAYWEATHER paid for over 70 families to get flights out of Maui to Honolulu, where he also covered their hotel stay, food and clothing. [via TMZ]
MAUI FUND: Power couple, and part-time Maui residents, JEFF BEZOS and LAUREN SANCHEZ have created a Maui Fund, in which they pledged $100 million to relief efforts. [via People]
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MORGAN WALLEN debuted a new look on Friday and fans are not sure what to think.
The 30-year-old shocked the crowd at Ohio Stadium when he took the stage without his signature mullet. Instead, he had a red baseball cap over a completely bald head and a freshly shaven face.
“Before we get any further, I didn’t like my long hair anymore, so I shaved it off,” he told fans in a video that was shared on TikTok.
Reactions were pretty mixed with the majority of female fans saying it will take them a while to get used to his new look. [via Today]
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Thousands of fans were left disappointed after LIONEL RICHIE canceled his sold-out show at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night after it was supposed to begin.
The 74-year-old, who was set to appear alongside EARTH, WIND & FIRE, blamed the decision on “severe weather,” claiming his plane couldn’t land in New York.
The show has been rescheduled for tonight.
WORTH NOTING: Richie had performed in Boston the night prior -- which is about a four hour drive to New York City. [via Daily Mail]
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Actor TYRESE GIBSON is suing a California-based Home Depot for $1 million after he says he was a victim of racial discrimination and profiling.
According to the suit, Gibson claims he and two of his employees had their civil rights violated during an incident at the store when they tried to purchase some construction-related supplies.
Gibson says that after picking out the items he went to his vehicle to avoid attracting attention, leaving his credit card with his two employees. The cashier allegedly refused to swipe the card without proper identification, which she stated was “store policy.” The transaction was eventually completed after an argument with the cashier, who had called in a manager.
Gibson says there is no excuse for what happened other than “racial discrimination.”
A rep from Home Depot addressed the incident, saying, “Diversity and respect for all people are core to who we are, and we do not tolerate discrimination in any form.” [via Daily Mail]
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After attending TAYLOR SWIFT’s “Eras Tour” last week with his daughter, actor KEVIN COSTNER says he is now “officially a Swiftie.”
“I was absolutely blown away watching her art bring so many people together. An inspiring night. I’m officially a Swiftie!” he captioned an Instagram post. [via Instagram]
While Costner did not share what his favorite song is, some think it could be Swift’s breakup anthem, “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together.”
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Virginia factory worker OLIVER ANTHONY surged to the top of music charts over the weekend after an acoustic performance of his song “Rich Men North of Richmond” exploded on social media.
The song has racked up more than six million views on Youtube in a matter of days. The lyrics touch on political themes – those rich men from the title almost certainly refer to the DC-dork-class, and the lyrics touch on government control and its corrupted priorities – but Anthony says he’s a middle-of-the-road guy.
Country superstar JOHN RICH said on X (formerly Twitter) that he has spoken to Anthony a few times and rumors are swirling he’ll produce Anthony’s first commercial album.
WATCH “Rich Men North of Richmond” [explicit lyrics] > [via Original Reporting]
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DAMAR HAMLIN returned to the field on Saturday alongside his Buffalo Bills teammates. The game was his first since suffering cardiac arrest during a game in January.
The 25-year-old recorded three tackles in the preseason game, calling it “super fun” and a “great experience.”
After the game, head coach SEAN MCDERMOTT commended Hamlin on his “bravery” and “dedication” to the team. [via Sports Illustrated]
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CASTING CALL
More drama is brewing around the upcoming live-action version of “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.”
In a recent interview with Variety, actress RACHEL ZEGLER, who plays Snow White, said, “It’s no longer 1937. She’s not going to be saved by the prince and she’s not going to be dreaming about true love.”
Disney fans were quick to call her out, questioning why the live-action version would have a seemingly different storyline from the original.
“It shouldn’t be called live action at all. They should just create a different story with original characters, that shouldn’t be so hard,” one person wrote on X (formerly Twitter). [via Variety]
WORTH NOTING: Similar comments were made about the recent “Little Mermaid” live-action film, but in that case actress HALLE BAILEY was at least honored and excited to play the iconic princess, the same cannot be said for Zegler, who has previously bashed the naive princess and her prince charming.
“Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” is due out March 2024.
BY THE WAY: The 1937 animated version of “Snow White” is the first full-length traditionally animated feature film and the first Disney animated feature film. In 1989, the United States Library of Congress considered the film "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" and selected it as one of the first 25 films for preservation in the National Film Registry. The American Film Institute ranked it among the 100 greatest American films, and also named the film as the greatest American animated film of all time in 2008. [via Disney Classics]
WORTH ASKING: Why change such a time-honored classic?
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VANNA WHITE will be missing from a handful of upcoming episodes of “Wheel of Fortune.”
The episodes were reportedly filmed in late July when White caught covid and was laid up for a bit. The absence will be her first in nearly 30 years.
MEANWHILE: Contract negotiations for her continue. [via NY Post]
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It turns out that a third “Wonder Woman” movie may not actually be in the works.
In response to an interview actress GAL GADOT gave, in which she stated there are discussions about a forthcoming film in place, the new heads of DC Studios, JAMES GUNN and PETER SAFRAN, told ET there are no such plans.
WORTH REMEMBERING: Gadot and director PATTY JENKINS were reportedly working on another “Wonder Woman” project before Gunn and Safran took over at DC. [via ET]
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THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
With the birth of his first child, BRODY JENNER says he won’t be asking his dad, CAITLYN JENNER (formerly Bruce Jenner), for any parenting advice.
In a new YouTube video, Brody spoke about the birth of his daughter Honey, while explaining that his own dad “wasn’t really around” while he was growing up, so his plan is to do “the exact opposite” and be the best father he can be. [via Page Six]
WORTH NOTING: As for Cait’s absence, Brody has previously said that he felt abandoned by his dad who started a new life with KRIS JENNER and her four kids, KOURTNEY, KIM, KHLOE and ROB KARDASHIAN. The pair would go on to have Brody’s half-sisters KENDALL and KYLIE JENNER.
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WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS
PRINCE WILLIAM is now the official Colonel-in-Chief of Britain’s Army Air Corps, a post previously held by PRINCE HARRY, who piloted helicopters in Afghanistan during his military stint.
KING CHARLES also made PRINCESS KATE the Commodore-in-Chief of the Fleet Air Arm. Her grandfather served as a Captain in the Royal Air Force. PRINCE ANDREW held the Commodore role until QUEEN ELIZABETH formally stripped him of all military titles after his connections to JEFFREY EPSTEIN came to light. [via NY Post]
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DAY OF THE YEAR
National Creamsicle Day
National Social Security Day
Pakistan Independence Day
National Tattoo Removal Day
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ON THIS DATE
1784 - Russians establish their first permanent settlement in North America.
Three Saints Bay was founded in present-day Alaska by Grigory Shelkhov, who was a fur trader.
Russian explorer Vitus Bering laid claim to Alaska more than 40 years earlier and soon after hunters and traders made their way onto the mainland.
Three Saints Bay was set up as an outpost to process trades and other commerce.
Alaska was purchased by the U.S. for $7.2 million in 1867 in a deal brokered by Secretary of State William H. Seward. That works out to about 2 cents an acre.
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1846 - Henry David Thoreau leaves his home for a brief walk into town where he ends up in the Concord jail for refusing to pay his poll tax.
The next morning he was released after someone paid the tax for him, though Thoreau objected based on his refusal to recognize his government as “the slave’s government also.”
The experience led him to write a powerful lecture on the “relation of the individual to the State, which would be published in 1849 as “Resistance to Civil Government,” and is now known as “Civil Disobedience.”
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1935 - FDR makes Social Security law.
The law guaranteed income for unemployed workers, retirees, and widows who were unable to work.
The crisis of the Great Depression brought the law to life. It was the first federal law that offered nationalized fiscal security for the elderly.
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1945 - The surrender of Japan from fighting in World War II is made public to the Japanese.
The instrument of surrender had been made on August 10, though the Soviets were still engaging the Japanese in Manchuria. One Allied casualty was incurred in that time in the South Pacific: A Japanese submarine sank an American landing ship and destroyer.
The official announcement came over Japanese radio after being recorded earlier. A contingent of Japanese soldiers caught wind of the news of the surrender message, and before it could be broadcast attacked the palace of emperor Hirohito.
Palace soldiers were able to fend off the attack.
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1985 - Michael Jackson buys the rights to The Beatles catalog for $47 million -- outbidding Sir Paul McCartney.
It was that catalog that Jackson leveraged to build his ostentatious and lavish estate and lifestyle, even when he was not financially sound.
The King of Pop would surrender the rights to Sony in 2008.
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2003 - An electrical blackout strikes the Northeast, upper Midwest and also a large part of Western Ontario, Canada. An estimated 55 million people were without electricity between seven hours and two days.
On the heels of the 9/11 terrorist attacks many were concerned about what caused the power outage, but the government assured everyone it was not an attack.
The blackout, the second largest in history, was caused by some power lines that had fallen into the branches of trees and compounded by a “software glitch” in a program that controlled the alarm system at an Ohio based power company.
About 100 people died during the blackout, mostly due to improper use of generators resulting in carbon monoxide poisonings.
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2021 - It rains for the first time at Greenland ice sheets’ highest point since scientists have been making observations there.
According to the US National Snow & Ice Data Center, rain fell for several hours over an area 10,551 feet up -- an unprecedented occurrence for a location that rarely sees temperatures above freezing.
The rainfall coincided with the ice sheet’s most recent “melt event,” in which temperatures got high enough that the thick ice began to melt.
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BIRTHDAYS
Marsai Martin - actress, “Black-ish” - 19
Miranda Rae Mayo - actress, “Chicago Fire” - 33
Tim Tebow - football player - 36
Mila Kunis - actress, “That ‘70s Show” & “Bad Moms” - 40
Kofi Kingston - wrestler - 42
Chris Perez - guitarist & Selena’s widow - 54
Halle Berry - actress, “Monster’s Ball” & “Swordfish” - 57
Susan Olsen - actress, “The Brady Bunch” - 62
Magic Johnson - basketball player - 64
Jackee Harry - actress, “Sister Sister” - 67
Mark C. Lee - astronaut - 71
Danielle Steel - author, “Remembrance” & “Star” - 76
Steve Martin - actor, “Pink Panther” films & “Father of the Bride” - 78
Born On This Date
Doc Holliday - gunslinger - 1851 (d. 1887)
Pius VII - Pope (1800-1823) - 1742 (d. 1823)
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