

Discover more from Morning Martini
8/22/2022: Drink More Guinness (and raw eggs!)
PLUS: Trump’s Announcement Plans, Poor Alec Baldwin, and Betting on Kim
Today is Monday, August 22, 2022.
It is the 234th day of the year.
131 days remain.
TRENDING
Saturday was National Radio Day.
#MyEmergencyReadingMaterial was trending on Saturday. Tweets included, “The map, 2 or 3 hours after getting completely lost,” “First aid for dummies,” “The back of a shampoo bottle when I forget my phone,” and “my phone.”
Sunday was National Senior Citizens Day.
#HouseoftheDragon landed in Twitter’s Top 10 Trends yesterday ahead of the “Game of Thrones” prequel series premiering on HBO.
Silly Putty was trending Sunday after Twitter user @RossKneeDeep asked if anyone remembered using the putty to copy pictures from comic strips.
#FailedMiserablyWhen was trending yesterday. Tweets included, “trying to be nice…,” “coming up with a way to remember The Great Lakes,” “I tried to get one second of alone time,” “I try to take care of plants” and “I was too friendly.”
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HIT LIST
78-year-old Maggie Ives from Worcester, England, is a tough old broad. When she suffered a fall back in February and broke her pelvis, she spent 22 weeks in a hospital, where she tells the New York Post she was in and out of consciousness almost the whole time. Eventually she was moved to an assisted living center, where she finally got her wits back about her.
That’s when she asked care staff if she could try an old time remedy to help her recover: by washing down a raw egg with a pint of Guinness beer.
Ives says since then she’s turned a miraculous corner and feels good as ever, and credits the recovery from her daily egg-and-beer snack at the same senior care facility.
She tells the Post, ‘“I’m staying here until they kick me out. This is my home.”
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As NASA keeps its eyes on sending humans back to the Moon, they’re working on deciding where to land on the lunar surface.
The next crewed mission will target the south pole, and 13 potential landing sites in the region have so far been identified. Among other things, the position will allow astronauts to study ice that remains frozen in permanent shadows.
NASA is in a new space race with China, which has similar plans to put a Commu-naut on the Moon in the next few years. The American Artemis program would not only return humans to the Moon, but also set up a permanent presence on the surface there and in an orbiting space station.
The next Moon landing could come as early as 2025.
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Scientists and archeologists are pretty certain the enormous Chicxulub crater in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula is a remnant of the enormous, 6-mile-wide asteroid that hit Earth 66 million years ago and killed off all the non-avian dinosaurs.
Now, an unrelated study of the ocean floor off the coast of west Africa reveals another huge crater buried under a few hundred feet of sediment that appears to be the same age as the Chicxulub crater. It’s much smaller though – only about 10 kilometers wide; the Chixculub is about 18 times as wide.
Initial analysis suggests it’s 66 million years old – give or take a million years. While that’s a long time from our perspective, on a cosmic scale it’s pretty close. Researchers have three working theories: 1) that a huge chunk of the large asteroid broke off and impacted across the ocean (but keep in mind the continents weren’t lined up then like they are today); 2) that the asteroid was pulled apart while in orbit around the Earth, and the two pieces fell separately years and years apart; or 3) that a bunch of asteroids hit Earth as part of an impact cluster over the course of a couple million years.
The researchers are now looking to get funding to drill into the crater and get rock samples to give a clearer understanding of what may have happened.
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Officials in California say the McKinney wildfire is 95% contained after burning more than 60,000 acres and killing four people since it first broke out in late July. At least 100 homes have been damaged or destroyed.
The cause of the fire has not yet been determined.
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What do you do if pedestrians run through traffic but you have the right-of-way in your car?
If you’re 41-year-old John Cahill from New Hampshire, you follow them to their destination and soak them in bear spray.
Police say after the group on foot got in his way, Cahill followed them to their destination, a nearby restaurant. That’s when he got out of his car, confronted them, and hit them with the spray, which also made its way onto even more innocent bystanders.
The local ABC affiliate reports Cahill is facing assault, disorderly conduct, and criminal threatening charges – as well as (shocker!) a charge for driving under the influence.
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BY THE NUMBERS
📈 The Dow lost 292 points (0.86%) to close at 33,706 on Friday. The S&P lost 55 points (1.29%) to close at 4,228 while the Nasdaq lost 260 points (2.01%) to close at 12,705.
🛢 West Texas Intermediate was trading just above $90 a barrel on Friday. Brent Crude was just over $96.
⛽ The national average price of a gallon of gas was $3.90 on Sunday.
₿ Bitcoin surged over the weekend, picking up $500 and trading around $21,600.
🛩 There were 4,540 flights delayed within, into, or out of the United States on Sunday and 604 such cancellations.
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CHARTS
Weekend Box Office
10. Bodies Bodies Bodies: $2.4 million (down from 8)
9. Where the Crawdads Sing: $3.1 million (down from 7)
8. Minions: The Rise of Gru: $3.5 million (down from 6)
7. Nope: $3.56 million (down from 5)
6. Thor: Love and Thunder: $4 million (down from 4)
5. DC League of Super-Pets: $5.7 million (down from 3)
4. Top Gun: Maverick: $5.8 million (down from 2)
3. Bullet Train: $8 million (down from 1)
2. Beast: $11.5 million (new)
1. Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero: $20.1 million (new)
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DEATHS
VIRGINIA PATTON has died.
The actress, known for her role as George Bailey’s sister-in-law in “It’s A Wonderful Life,” passed away on August 18 at an assisted living facility. A cause of death was not shared.
She was 97.
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TOM WEISKOPF has died.
The 16-time PGA Tour Champion and golf broadcaster passed away at his home in Montana Saturday after a battle with pancreatic cancer.
He was 79.
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LEON VITALI has died.
The English actor passed away on Saturday. No further details were shared.
He was 74.
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IOANE “John” KING has died.
The actor, known for his role on the Starz drama “Spartacus,” passed away after a battle with adenocarcinoma cancer. No other details of his passing were shared.
He was 49.
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SICK BAY
TRAVIS BARKER has covid.
The Blink-182 drummer announced his diagnosis on Instagram, writing “Covid sucks I’d rather be playing drums.” His illness comes two months after he was hospitalized for pancreatitis and just weeks after he broke his thumb.
SUPER SPREADER: It is unknown if his wife, KOURTNEY KARDASHIAN, who has been touring with him, has also tested positive for the virus – but seems inevitable given the amount of time they seem to spend with their mouths on each other in social media posts and on Kourtney’s show.
Barker’s symptoms are also unknown.
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WEDDINGS
BEN AFFLECK and JENNIFER LOPEZ tied the knot (again) at Ben’s 87-acre estate in Georgia over the weekend.
The multi-day celebration was filled with all of the newlyweds’ friends and family members, including their respective children. MATT DAMON, KEVIN SMITH, JASON MEWES and their respective wives were spotted at the ceremony. The Happy Couple and guests were decked out in all white to match the decor for the day.
The second round of nuptials comes after the pair eloped in July.
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Actress SARAH HYLAND, 31, and “Bachelor” star WELLS ADAMS, 38, finally tied the knot.
After having to postpone the nuptials twice due to covid, the pair were finally able to say “I do” in front of their family and friends on Saturday.
Several of Hyland’s “Modern Family” co-stars were in attendance, including SOFIA VERGARA, JESSE TYLER FERGUSON, JULIE BOWEN and NOLAN GOULD.
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THE SWAMP
Republican Rep. THOMAS MASSIE shared an interesting video on Twitter, showing a local news report on an IRS recruiting seminar with high school students.

(Jump to 0:46 for the relevant portion)
The report explains that in the training scenario presented as part of the scenario, IRS agents are going after the owner of a landscaping company who incorrectly categorized recent truck purchases on his taxes.
IN OTHER WORDS: The IRS is actively training armed officers to come after hard-working middle-class business owners and NOT billionaires who fraudulently write off use of their private jets.
BY THE WAY: An NBCNews poll shows that 71% of Americans think the incorrectly-named “Inflation Reduction Act” will either make no difference or make things worse for them.
MEANWHILE: Democrats are using very careful language to hide their intentions behind doubling the size of the IRS. From Treasury Secretary JANET YELLEN down to rank-and-file legislators, they’re saying that expanding the IRS will not increase the rate of audits for lower income Americans.
But since the number of audits is expected to climb significantly, simple math demands that more Americans will be audited, too. If you’re doing more audits, more people get audited, even if the percentage of audits for lower-income Americans stays the same.
IT’S ALL PLAY MONEY ANYWAY: The Department of Defense has just authorized $775 million in additional funding for Ukraine’s military.
IT GETS WORSE: Education Secretary MIGUEL CARDONA said on “Meet the Press” yesterday that the White House will make an announcement on its plans for student debt cancellation - if any - some time this week.
The pause on federal student loan payments that began at the start of the pandemic remains in effect but is slated to expire on August 31.
WORTH NOTING: Only about 15% of Americans carry student loan debt. The rest didn’t incur it or paid off their balances. But it’s such a prevalent news story because journalists are a bunch of dorks who racked up huge bills to go to college to learn how to write good.
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Former President DONALD TRUMP will likely announce his candidacy for president after midterms, in light of the Jackboot Raid on Mar-A-Lago earlier this month.
Insiders tell NBC News that Trump doesn’t want to get blamed for any Republican midterm losses if he announces too early. Trump also reportedly feels less threatened by primary challengers after the raid, which he sees as shoring up support among his base.
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LOTTERY
No winner for Friday night’s Mega Millions drawing. Tuesday night’s drawing will be for a $116 million jackpot or a $65.6 million cash payout.
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No winner for Saturday night’s Powerball drawing. Tonight’s drawing will be for a $90 million jackpot or a $51 million cash payout.
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SHOWBIZ NEWS
ANNE HECHE warned PORTIA DE ROSSI about dating ELLEN DEGENERES, according to a recently resurfaced clip from her podcast.
The late actress told her co-host, HEATHER DUFFY, that de Rossi thought dating DeGeneres would “make her the poster child for a gay relationship.”
“I warned [Portia] that it would not help her gain fame,” Heche said.
Heche and DeGeneres dated from 1997 to 2000, meanwhile de Rossi and DeGeneres just celebrated their 14th wedding anniversary.
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DWAYNE WADE has petitioned the Los Angeles Superior Court for a name change for his 15-year-old transgender child.
Wade has requested to have the teen’s name changed from ZION to ZAYA, according to court documents obtained by The Blast.
He has also requested to have his child’s gender listed as female in all legal documents going forward.
Wade, and his wife, actress GABRIELLE UNION, have been very open and supportive of Zaya’s gender identity.
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ALEC BALDWIN says the death of cinematographer HALYNA HUTCHINS on the set of “Rust” has “taken years” off his life and also cost him several acting jobs.
Talking to CNN, Baldwin said he got fired from another job recently because producers said they didn’t want to be associated with him because of the ongoing investigation.
Baldwin credited his family for helping him push through the tragedy, especially his wife HILARIA BALDWIN, who is pregnant with their seventh child.
DENY DENY DENY: He still claims no responsibility for what happened and fully blames armorer HANNAH GUTIERREZ-REED and assistant director DAVE HALLS.
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BROOKLYN BECKHAM is covered in tattoos dedicated to his wife NICOLA PELTZ.
The newly married son of DAVID and VICTORIA BECKHAM admitted to USA Today that 70 of his 100 tattoos are in honor of Peltz.
She, meanwhile, has Brooklyn’s name tatted on her back.
SPEAKING OF THE CHILDREN OF THE RICH AND FAMOUS: Cops were called to a recent rager thrown by APPLE MARTIN at her mom, GWYNETH PALTROW’s estate. Sources told Page Six that around 50 or so friends were at the home when officers arrived. They quickly put an end to the party and allegedly fined Martin. Paltrow, who shares Apple with her ex CHRIS MARTIN, has not commented on the incident.
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JOHNNY DEPP may make an appearance at the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards next weekend.
TMZ reports that the actor has been in talks with the show’s production team to dress up as the network’s Moonman mascot.
The 2022 MTV VMA’s kick off next Sunday.
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HBO Max pulled 20 original titles and 36 titles overall last week as the streamer continues to scale back its catalog.
According to The Wrap, the shows and movies were eliminated ahead of the upcoming merger of HBO Max and Discovery+.
The move comes as Warner Bros. Discovery aims to reduce costs and lesson licensing payments for streaming content,” according to Variety”
MEANWHILE: Discovery+ has already repackaged over 800 episodes from doomed CNN+ projects into its streaming platform.
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CASTING CALL
ELIJAH WOOD is joining Season 2 of Showtime’s “Yellowjackets.”
The 41-year-old will play Walter, a citizen detective, according to the network.
The show follows a group of four adult women, who are extremely bonded years after a 1996 plane crash that stranded their high school soccer team in the Canadian wilderness for 19 months.
The show flashes back and forth between the two timelines.
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RYAN GOSLING may star alongside his “Barbie” costar MARGOT ROBBIE in a new period heist film for the “Ocean’s Eleven” franchise.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, script details are unknown.
Robbie will star in and produce the film, alongside director JAY ROACH.
Meanwhile, Gosling and Robbie’s “Barbie” movie is set to debut in July 2023.
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STAR JONES is the new host of “Divorce Court.”
The 60-year-old former NYC homicide prosecutor, author and original co-host of “The View,” is the fourth judge of the 65-year-old syndicated show, following in the footsteps of Judge MABLEAN EPHRAIM, Judge LYNN TOLER and Judge FAITH JENKINS.
Jones also was the first black person to have her own court show, “Jones & Jury,” which aired on CNN from 1994-95.
The new season of “Divorce Court” kicks off today.
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An “Ally McBeal” revival is heading to ABC.
Nearly 20 years after the end of the legal dramedy, starring CALISTA FLOCKHART, a sequel series is reportedly in the works, according to Deadline.
The new show will follow a young Black woman who joins the law firm from the original series straight out of law school. It is believed that the woman will be the daughter of McBeal’s D.A. roommate Renee Raddick, who was played by LISA NICOLE CARSON in the original show.
Insiders told Deadline that Flockhart has been approached about reprising her role in some capacity. No word on whether she will return or not.
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CELEBRITY CELLBLOCK
GARY BUSEY has been charged with two counts of fourth-degree criminal sexual contact, one count of attempted criminal sexual contact and harassment after allegedly groping at least two people earlier this month at the Monster-Mania convention in Cherry Hill, New Jersey.
According to Cherry Hill police officers, the incidents occurred at the DoubleTree Hotel, where Busey was staying while in town for the semi-annual horror film-themed event.
The 78-year-old actor has not commented on the allegations or subsequent charges.
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THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
People are placing bets on who will be KIM KARDASHIAN’s next boyfriend.
In the top spot is CNN journalist VAN JONES, with +800 odds, according to OddsChecker. Kim’s former flames RAY J and NICK CANNON are tied with +1000.
Other contenders include actor JAMIE FOXX (+1,200), NFL star CHRIS EVANS (+1,400) and even singer HARRY STYLES (+2,000).
Wildcards included in the odds are EMINEM, ELLIOT PAGE, JEFF BEZOS and ELON MUSK.
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WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS
Want to smell like a royal?
PRINCE CHARLES has launched a new perfume inspired by his gardens at Highgrove, his private residence in Gloucestershire, England.
The scent has “top notes of geranium, lavender and hyacinth, rounded out by weeping lime, tuberose, cedar wood, orris fusion and musks,” according to the gardens’ website.
A bottle of the perfume costs $180, with 10% of proceeds going to Charles’ charity, the unimaginatively-named The Prince’s Foundation.
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SPORTS
An iconic feature of the Milwaukee Brewers’ American Family Field is the big slide that mascot Bernie Brewer rides when the Crew scores a homerun.
Last week, while the LA Dodgers were in town, one of their tv and radio broadcasters took his own trip down the slide – and managed to injure his arm bad enough to get put in a cast.
The Washington Post says he’ll likely need surgery back home.
WATCH:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/ChaWqtRjxtH/?igshid=Y2ZmNzg0YzQ=
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DAY OF THE YEAR
National Tooth Fairy Day
National Bao Day
International Slappy Day
National Pecan Torte Day
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ON THIS DATE
1787 - An early steamboat is demonstrated to delegates at the Continental Congress, along the Delaware River. It was the invention of John Fitch.
A steam-powered engine powered oars that swept through the water, propelling the boat 11 feet with each stroke. It topped out at 3 mph.
Fitch would translate the technology to a successful passenger ferry between Philadelphia and Trenton in 1790. He would receive a patent for the steamboat the following year.
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1849 - The Austrian Army conducts the world's first air raid.
It launches 200 balloons toward Venice, each attached with time-fused bombs. While some of the targets were actually struck, wind patterns caused many of the balloons to move erratically.
Each balloon was 23 feet in diameter -- so pretty big.
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1902 - Henry Leland founds the Cadillac Automobile Company. Leland was an engineer who was appraising the Henry Ford Company's assets before it was to be dissolved.
Once Henry Ford left his own company, the name was changed to Cadillac. Its name came from Antoine Laumet de la Mothe, Sieur de Cadillac, the founder of the city of Detroit.
Cadillac was an early leader in automobile manufacturing. General Motors bought it in 1909.
Also that year…
Teddy Roosevelt also became the first sitting president to ride in an automobile.
The short trip was made in Hartford, Connecticut in a Columbia Electric Victoria. TR would also be the first president to take an airplane ride, but that wasn't until he was out of office.
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1963 - Captain Joe Walker pilots his X-15 jet more than 60 miles into the sky, reaching the edges of space.
It's a new altitude record for America, though the Soviets had put Valentina Tereshkova into the upper reaches of the earth's atmosphere the month before.
Walker died the next year in an aerial collision while flying in tight formation for a publicity photo.
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1989 - Nolan Ryan strikes out his 5,000th batter. His victim is Oakland's Rickey Henderson, who whiffed on a 96-mile-per-hour fastball with a full count.
George W. Bush was owner of the team at the time.
A videotaped message by George H-W Bush congratulated Ryan's milestone achievement.
Ironically, the Rangers still lost the game 2-0. Ryan still holds the record, with 5,714 career strikeouts.
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2004 - Sprinter Justin Gatlin wins gold in the 100m at the Olympic Games in Athens.
He beat Francis Obikwelu of Portugal and fellow American Maurice Green.
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2018 - Forbes says actor George Clooney made more money in a single year ($239 million) than any other actor ever.
Behind him is actor and professional wrestler Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson at $124 million.
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2020 - Mexico’s COVID-19 death toll passes 60,000, making it the world’s third highest.
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BIRTHDAYS
LaMelo Ball - basketball player - 21
Dua Lipa - pop singer - 27
Keith Powers - actor, “Faking It” & “The New Edition Story” - 30
Adam Thielen - football player - 32
Pac - wrestler - 36
Jimmy Uso - wrestler - 37
Jey Uso - wrestler - 37
James Corden - comedian - 44
Beenie Man - rapper - 49
Howie Dorough - pop singer, Backstreet Boys - 49
Kristen Wiig - actress, “SNL” & “Bridesmaids” - 49
Giada De Laurentiis - chef - 52
Ty Burrell - actor, “Modern Family” - 55
Tori Amos - rock singer - 59
Paul Molitor - baseball player - 66
Born On This Date
Jon Hill - drummer - 1988 (d. 2022)
Layne Staley - rock singer, Alice in Chains - 1967 (d. 2002)
Valerie Harper - actress, “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” - 1939 (d. 2019)
Dorothy Parker - short story author - 1893 (d. 1967)
William Richards - missionary & Hawaiian politician - 1793 (d. 1843)
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