8/22/2023: How Much Are You Worth? 💰
PLUS: Spider Drumming; Courteney’s Messy Closet; and Is Harry Backpedaling?
Today is Tuesday, August 22, 2023.
It is the 234th day of the year.
131 days remain.
WHAT’S ON TAP
Another tech giant cracks down on its in-office attendance policy and a new generation is experimenting with marijuana. More in HIT LIST.
BRITNEY SPEARS isn’t letting the divorce get her down and MADONNA is serious about avoiding wrinkles. More in SHOWBIZ.
No, there is not a “Suits” reboot in the works. More in CASTING CALL.
KIM KARDASHIAN has a spooky new look in “American Horror Story.” Find out more in KARDASH.
Is PRINCE HARRY having second thoughts about, well, everything? More in ROYALS.
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HIT LIST
More than 800 people remain unaccounted for in Maui following the extensive wildfires earlier this month that killed at least 114 people so far.
The rising death toll makes the disaster the worst wildfire in terms of human casualties in over 100 years.
Fortunately, more than 1,200 displaced survivors have been registered as safe. No definitive cause has been determined, though Hawaiian Electric faces multiple lawsuits alleging one of their downed power lines sparked the fires. [via CNBC]
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LAST WEEK: News circulated that AMAZON was monitoring employee attendance at the office and cracking down on their in-person work policy.
NOW: META is following suit. An internal email sent last week said employees could face termination if they’re not coming to the office at least three days a week. Managers have been barred from hiring any full-time remote positions as well.
WORTH REMEMBERING: When everyone headed for the hills during the first lockdowns in 2020, MARK ZUCKERBERG touted his company as being “forward-looking” with a plan to have half of his payroll working remotely within a decade. [via SFGate]
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Here’s another explanation for this wonky job market: American workers expect a $79,000 salary to take a new position, according to research by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
That amount is up about $10,000 over the last two years.
There’s even a pay gap in the wages men and women attempt to pull down for themselves: On average, men expect $91,000 for a new gig, while women expect at least $66,000.
Another gap emerged between those with college degrees and those without: Graduates expect nearly $100,000 a year; those who don’t have one expect around $63,000. [via Bloomberg]
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New research from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health found that it’s no longer teenagers who are trying marijuana. Instead, those age 65 and older are the ones experimenting the most with Mary Jane -- significantly too.
Between 2009 and 2019, the number of people in that age group trying weed jumped from 11% to 32%. In 2021, that jumped to 35%.
Experts believe the factors behind the increased use include using it to ease physical ailments, an increased societal acceptance, and marketing it as a therapeutic agent. [via The Hill]
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Male tarantulas will soon embark their “mate-gration,” an annual crawl across southeast Colorado in search of a mate.
The spiders make the trek -- up to 20 miles in some cases -- when they reach the age of maturity anywhere from 8- to 10-years-old.
Once the males find a suitable female they initiate a courtship dance, which includes tapping his legs on the female’s web. If she is interested, she will drum back.
After the mating takes place, males typically die, often due to the female consuming them. Meanwhile, female tarantulas live closer to 20-25 years. [via KDVR]
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DEATHS
JON WARNOCK, co-founder of Adobe, has died.
He passed away over the weekend, according to a statement from the software company. No further details are known.
Warnock founded the company in 1982 alongside the late CHARLES GESCHKE.
He was 82.
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Italian entrepreneur ROBERTO COLANINNO has died.
He passed away August 18, according to his investment firm, Immsi S.p.A. No cause of death was shared.
Colaninno was the CEO and chairman of vehicle manufacturer Piaggio.
He was 80.
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BABY NEWS
RIHANNA and A$AP ROCKY have welcomed their second child.
The baby boy arrived on August 3, according to several sources. The newborn’s name has not been revealed, but insiders say it starts with an “R,” just like his big brother, 1-year-old RZA.
Remember, RiRi revealed her second pregnancy during the Super Bowl 2023 halftime show in February.
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SIENNA MILLER is expecting her second child.
The 41-year-old model showed off her baby bump while enjoying a beach day in Ibiza over the weekend.
While Miller has not confirmed the pregnancy, speculation is that the father is her 26-year-old boyfriend, actor OLI GREEN.
She is already mom to 11-year-old daughter Marlow, whom she shares with her ex-fiance, actor TOM STURRIDGE.
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SICK BAY
A bruised and pale looking TORI SPELLING was spotted leaving a hospital on Sunday, after being there for at least four days.
The actress shared a snapshot of her hand, which contained an IV, on Instagram, though didn’t disclose what was wrong with her.
She also posted about her four kids, who she said she missed dearly, while complimenting them on their “resilience” and “positive outlook.”
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WEDDINGS
“Bachelor” alum KRYSTAL NIELSON and businessman MILES BOWLES have tied the knot.
The two exchanged vows on Saturday in La Jolla, California, in front of close friends and family.
Nielsen first revealed her relationship with Bowles in September 2020, when they announced they were expecting their first child.
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BY THE NUMBERS
📈 The DOW lost 36 points (0.11%) to close at 34,463 on Monday. The S&P was up 30 points (0.69%) to close at 4,399 and the NASDAQ was up 206 points (1.56%) to close at 13,497.
🛢 WEST TEXAS INTERMEDIATE closed at $80; BRENT CRUDE at $84.
⛽ The national average price of a GALLON OF GAS was $3.86 on Monday.
₿ BITCOIN didn’t move much Monday, trading around $26,100.
🛩 There were more than 3,070 FLIGHTS delayed within, into, or out of the United States on Monday and more than 925 such cancellations.
💰Tuesday nights MEGA MILLIONS drawing will be for a $33 million jackpot or a $15.8 million cash payout.
SHOWBIZ NEWS
BRITNEY SPEARS isn’t letting the divorce get her down.
She posted several attention-grabbing posts on Instagram over the weekend, showing her hanging out with a gaggle of shirtless men. One of them even appeared to lick her leg as a cameraman shouted “start at the boot!”
Spears also shared a clip of her topless in bed. [via TMZ]
MEANWHILE: Her estranged husband SAM ASGHARI asked his Instagram followers to help him pick a disguise to wear in an effort to avoid all the paparazzi who have been stalking him since he filed for divorce last week. [via People]
ALSO: Brit’s book release will not be affected by the divorce, and is still set to hit shelves on October 24.
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OLIVER ANTHONY’s hit song “Rich Men North of Richmond” has debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart, making him the first artist to reach the top with no prior chart history.
The single is also No. 1 on the Digital Songs Sales chart and No. 4 on Streaming Songs. [via Billboard]
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WYNONNA JUDD is heading out on tour.
The tour will feature songs from her first two solo albums, “Wynonna” and “Tell Me Why.”
Her “Back to Wy” theater tour kicks off on October 26. [via People]
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Saints player JIMMY GRAHAM is a bit “shook up” after being arrested and hospitalized over the weekend.
Following his team’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers, head coach Dennis Allen told reporters that Graham didn’t suit up for the game as he is still recovering from the ordeal.
As previously reported, Graham was arrested after several reports of a man acting erratically near a resort. It was after the arrest that he was hospitalized, with one source saying he had maybe suffered a seizure. [via Saints Wire]
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MADONNA is fighting off age spots and wrinkles with an anti-aging chamber that applies a special rejuvenating serum to her skin.
Insiders told Radar Online that Madge has one of the machines, which cost about $14,000 a pop, in each of her homes. She also has one that she plans to take on the road with her for the upcoming “Celebration Tour.”
MICHAEL JACKSON had something similar, which he believed would help him live to be 150-years-old. [via Radar Online]
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TAYLOR SWIFT gave a 15-minute speech at singer JACK ANTONOFF and MARGARET QUALLEY’s recent nuptials.
In the speech Swift joked about how she always mentions Antonoff in her awards show acceptance speeches, while he never mentions her. The two have worked on several songs together, including Swift’s hit “Midnights.”
Later, LANA DEL REY serenaded the couple with her song, “Margaret,” which featured Antonoff’s band BLEACHERS. [via Page Six]
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DEMI LOVATO has ended her professional relationship with manager SCOOTER BRAUN, and his SB Projects, after four years.
Insiders said there is no bad blood, explaining “it was time for Lovato to go in a new direction.”
The news comes just days after JUSTIN BIEBER addressed rumors that he had split with Braun, calling them “false.” [via Billboard]
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At 57-years-old, NBA legend REGGIE MILLER conquered the 100-mile SBT GRVL blue course bike race.
The race features 6,000-feet of elevation and over 70 miles of gravel paths, which Miller biked in six hours and 55 minutes. He detailed his experience on social media, writing how at mile 55 he entered “survival mode,” and “at least 50 to 60 [other] riders” offered him help in the form of water or food.
Last year, Miller finished the race in five hours and 46 minutes. [via Bleacher Report]
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COURTENEY COX has a messy closet, just like her “Friends” character Monica Geller.
Cox showed off the disorganized storage area in a recent video on Instagram, in which she was trying to show off her new dining room.
The cameraman had other plans.
Fans of the TV show may remember the scene in Season 8, when Monica (Cox), a notorious clean freak, tried to hide her messy closet from Chandler, played by MATTHEW PERRY. [via People]
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CASTING CALL
Despite a renewed interest in “Suits,” creator AARON KUSH says there are no plans for a reboot or revival.
Speaking to Deadline about the current success of the old episodes, Kush said that too many things would have to take place for the show to come back, including the strike ending, and finding a network or streamer to air it.
After landing on Peacock and Netflix in June, “Suits” broke a Nielsen streaming record for acquired programming. [via Deadline]
WORTH ASKING: If there were a reboot or revival, would MEGHAN MARKLE return?
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THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
KIM KARDASHIAN looks spooky in the latest teaser for “American Horror Story: Delicate Part One.”
In the clip, a platinum blonde Kim emerges from the shadows with a baby bump that is actually a spider’s belly. At the end of the teaser, she is seen holding her baby while a spiderweb spreads around her.
The odd thing is Kim has a well-known fear of arachnids.
“American Horror Story: Delicate Part One” premieres on FX on September 20. [via Hollywood Life]
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WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS
A day after rumors circulated that KING CHARLES and PRINCE HARRY will meet next month to start mending their relationship, one royal expert says Harry has gotten a stark reality check after splitting from the family and wants back into the fold.
Tessa Dunlop says Harry “took for granted” his life as a royal and quickly found out the grass isn’t greener in Hollywood. Dunlop brutally said during a recent podcast interview, “I don’t think Harry has many assets, I don’t think he had the intellectual acumen and probably grounding in history, bizarrely, to understand just what he was trying to achieve." [via Express]
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DAY OF THE YEAR
National Eat A Peach Day
National Take Your Cat to the Vet Day
National Be An Angel Day
National Pecan Torte Day
World Plant Milk Day
National Bao 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 launched 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 would buy it in 1909.
Also that year…
Teddy Roosevelt became the first sitting president to ride in an automobile.
The short trip was made from 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 would die the following 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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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.
The US has the highest with 153,415 deaths and Brazil has recorded 92,475 deaths.
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BIRTHDAYS
LaMelo Ball - basketball player - 22
Dua Lipa - pop singer - 28
Dillon Danis - MMA Fighter - 30
Keith Powers - actor, “Faking It” - 31
Adam Thielen - football player - 33
Pac - wrestler - 37
Jey Uso - wrestler - 38
Jimmy Uso - wrestler - 38
James Corden - late night host & comedian - 45
Howie Dorough - pop singer, Backstreet Boys - 50
Kristen Wiig - actress, “SNL” & “Bridesmaids” - 50
Richard Armitage - actor, “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” - 52
Giada De Laurentiis - chef - 53
Ty Burrell - actor, “Modern Family” - 56
Born On This Date
Layne Staley - rock singer, Alice in Chains - 1967 (d. 2002)
Cindy Williams - actress, “American Graffiti” - 1947 (d. 2023)
William Richards - missionary - 1793 (d. 1843)
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