8/23/2023: Fyre Fraud 2.0? đ„
PLUS: Maui Death Toll; No More Fatbottomed Girls; and No Royal Reconciliation
Today is Wednesday, August 23, 2023.
It is the 235th day of the year.
130 days remain.
WHATâS ON TAP
A prolific fast food spot eyes new ownership and the Japanese dog-man is living his best life. More in HIT LIST.
DREW BARRYMORE gets some unwanted attention and another singer has dropped SCOOTER BRAUN. More in SHOWBIZ.
âSex and the Cityâ reboot gets renewed and Lionsgate is making their employees mask up. More in CASTING CALL.
KIM KARDASHIAN finds some humor in her failed bar exams. More in KARDASH.
A palace insider quashes reconciliation rumors. More in ROYALS.
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HIT LIST
The guy who produced the disastrous Fyre Festival-that-wasnât in the Caribbean in 2017 â and went to prison and faced solitary confinement for months as a result of the fraud â is officially back for round two. Sort of.
In a Youtube video, BILLY MCFARLAND says heâs identified a site for the next go-around. Itâll be in the Caribbean again toward the end of next year, but thatâs it for details.
EVEN SO: You, too, can get in on the action, with tickets going between $499 and $7,999.Â
FOR WHAT ITâS WORTH: McFarland has publicly said heâs committed to paying back the $26 million he cheated festival-goers and partners the first time around. [via New York Post]
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A local in Maui tells Daily Mail that there are at least 480 people confirmed dead from extensive wildfires earlier this month and that the morgue ran out of body bags that needed to be shipped in.
WORTH NOTING: For an as-yet-unexplained reason, local officials have not updated the body count since the weekend, when it stood around 115.Â
An estimated 800 people are still missing. [via DailyMail]
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Sandwich chain SUBWAY is eyeing a sale to the same group that owns significant stakes in ARBYâS and BUFFALO WILD WINGS.
The Wall Street Journal reports that Roark Capital is close to finalizing the purchase of Subway for $9.6 BILLION.Â
GO FIGURE: Subway actually has the most locations of any fast food joint in the United States, beating McDonaldâs â although the Arches has the most global locations. [via WSJ]
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An 84-year-old Colorado woman is just over halfway to her goal of 1,000 skydives. After taking her first jump at 20-years-old in 1959, Kim Knor knew she had found her calling.Â
She loved the rush so much that she joined the first U.S. Womenâs Parachute Team in 1962. Then, life, kids and an accident involving her husband forced her to hang up her parachute for about 37 years.Â
Now, she is taking to the sky once again with the hefty goal in mind. Should she accomplish the feat, Knor will be awarded a pair of Gold Wings from the U.S. Parachute Association. [via CBS News]
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FOLLOW UP: Remember the guy from Japan who spent over $14,000 to turn himself into a collie named Toco? He was recently spotted being carted around Tokyo in a canine-approved wagon.Â
During his outing, Toco stopped for belly rubs, head scratches and selfies with passersby.
On a normal day, Toco says he enjoys playing fetch, napping in his kennel, and pretending to eat dog food, all of which he films for his 50,000 subscribers on YouTube.
WORTH NOTING: Psychologists believe Toco is part of a group called therians or people who identify with a nonhuman animal species. This is different from a furry, who enjoys occasional dressing in an animal-like costume. [via NY Post]
WORTH ASKING: How are there multiple groups and names for people who like to parade around in animal getups?Â
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DEATHS
Basketball player REGGIE CHANEY has died.Â
He passed away on Monday night, according to several sources, though a cause of death is not known.Â
Chaney played two seasons for the Arkansas Razorbacks and three with the Houston Cougars, where he was part of the 2021 team that advanced to the NCAA Final Four.Â
He was only 23.Â
WORTH ASKING: When in history have there been so many young athletes randomly collapsing and/or dying?!
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Racecar driver ASHLEA ALBERTSON has died.Â
She passed away early Friday morning in Indiana in an apparent road rage incident.Â
Albertson drove for Tony Stewart Racing.Â
She was only 24.Â
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BABY NEWS
SERENA WILLIAMS and ALEXIS OHANIAN have welcomed their second child, a baby girl.Â
The couple revealed the arrival on TikTok on Tuesday.Â
The newborn joins big sister, five-year-old Olympia.Â
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BY THE NUMBERS
đ The DOW lost 174 points (0.51%) to close at 34,288 on Tuesday. The S&P lost 12 points (0.28%) to close at 4,387 and the NASDAQ added 8 points (0.06%) to close at 13,505.
đą WEST TEXAS INTERMEDIATE closed at $80; BRENT CRUDE at $83.
✠The national average price of a GALLON OF GAS was $3.85 on Tuesday.
âż BITCOIN slid again Tuesday, down more than 1.1% and trading around $25,800.
đ© There were more than 2,365 FLIGHTS delayed within, into, or out of the United States on Tuesday and more than 80 such cancellations.
đ°Tonightâs POWERBALL drawing will be for a $313 million jackpot or a $150.2 million cash payout.Â
SHOWBIZ NEWS
As for who is checking in on BRITNEY SPEARS on the day-to-day, now that SAM ASGHARI has moved out, insiders say itâs her lawyer Mathew Rosengart and manager Cade Hudson taking the reins.Â
As the âlast ones standing,â they are in charge of making appointments, managing professional opportunities and making sure she takes care of herself, a source told TMZ.Â
The insider also added that neither of the two believe Britneyâs mental state is a cause for concern, and there is no immediate plan to increase mental health checks. [via TMZ]
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In response to OLIVER ANTHONYâs chart-topping hit âRich Men North of Richmond,â English singer BILLY BRAGG has released his own pro-union single called âRich Men Earning North of a Million.â
In the clapback track, Bragg sings about the struggles of the working class while pushing for free healthcare.Â
âJoin a union. Fight for better pay. You better join a union, brother. Organize today,â he sings.âÂ
MEANWHILE: Anthonyâs hit has amassed over 30 million views since it debuted earlier this month and is at No. 1 on iTunes and the top of the Billboard 100. [via Fox News]
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DREW BARRYMORE was rushed off the stage at the 92NY panel in NYC as an alleged stalker made his presence known.Â
The actress was interviewing singer RENEE RAPP, when a man walked up to the stage yelling Drewâs name. He continued on saying, âYou know who I am, I need to see you at some point.âÂ
As security intercepted the guy, Rapp grabbed Drew and walked her off stage.
Insiders say the incident was not reported to police, meaning the guy was not arrested. [via Variety]
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Page Six reported yesterday that ARIANA GRANDE is following in DEMI LOVATOâs footsteps and has dropped SCOOTER BRAUN as her manager.Â
After 10 years of working together, a source told the outlet that the two have parted ways.Â
But just hours after that report broke another insider told Page Six that the two are still working together. Remember, Grande is releasing a deluxe 10th-anniversary edition of her album, âYours Truly,â on Friday. [via Page Six]
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QUEENâs 1978 hit âFat Bottomed Girlsâ has been dropped from the bandâs greatest hits collection that recently debuted on the audio platform Yoto.Â
While some are saying the move is courtesy of cancel culture, Yoto explained that the average age of their listeners is about five-years-old, so they felt the song -- which includes lyrics such as, âLeft alone with big fat Fanny / She was such a naughty nanny / Hey, big woman, you made a bad boy of of meâ -- is not appropriate.
According to Entertainment Weekly, the band was in agreement about leaving out their racier track. [via Entertainment Weekly]
FOR THE RECORD: Sometimes when things are âcanceled,â a boomerang effect happens and that thing becomes even more popular.
ALTERNATIVE IDEA: Maybe Yoto could have altered the lyrics a bit to make it more kid-friendly, just like Kidz Bop did with songs like CARDI B and MEGAN THEE STALLIONâs âWAP,â turning it into âWings and Pizza.â
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The cover of DRAKEâs forthcoming album, âFor All the Dogs,â was designed by his five-year-old son, Adonis.Â
The drawing features a white dog with pointy ears and ruby-red eyes. Drake showed off the image on Instagram, captioning it, âFOR ALL THE DOGS. Cover by Adonis.âÂ
Still no word on when he will drop the album. [via ET]
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CASTING CALL
CHARLES MARTINET, who has voiced Mario in Nintendo games since the â90s, is stepping down.Â
He will now serve in the role of âMario Ambassador,â meaning he will travel around the world to promote the character.Â
In addition to Mario, Martinet also voiced Luigi, Wario and Waluigi in the video games.Â
No word on who will replace him. [via Variety]
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Max (formerly HBO Max) has renewed âSex and the Cityâ reboot âAnd Just Like ThatâŠâ for a third season.
In a statement, executive producer Michael Patrick King said they are âthrilledâ to continue telling the story of best friends Carrie (SARAH JESSICA PARKER), Charlotte (KRISTIN DAVIS) and Miranda (CYNTHIA NIXON).Â
The news broke ahead of Thursdayâs Season 2 finale, which some previously speculated could be the series finale. [via People]
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âGreyâs Anatomyâ alum JESSE WILLIAMS is the latest actor to join striking actors and writers.
He was spotted picketing in Manhattan on Monday.Â
Remember, writers have been on strike since May 2, while actors began their strike on July 13. [via ET]
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Lionsgate is requiring their employees to once again wear âmedical grade face covering[s]â amid what studio execs say is a spike in COVID-19 cases among their employees.Â
In addition to masking up, every employee is also required to do a daily self-screen before showing up at work and should they exhibit any covid-like symptoms (which also mimic almost every other respiratory virus) they must stay home.Â
The studio will also provide at-home tests and contract tracing for those who test positive.Â
In response to the news, Dr. Nicole Saphier told Deadline that the increased cases is âjust a normal cycle of this respiratory virus that should not need a return to widespread mask mandates.â [via Deadline]
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THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
KIM KARDASHIAN still isnât a lawyer.Â
Six years since registering with the California State Bar to become a lawyer, Kim revealed that she still has not yet passed the bar exam.Â
She made fun of that fact in a recent Instagram featuring a Snoopy poster that reads, âI ainât passed the bar but I know a lilâ bit.â The quote is from JAY-Zâs song â99 Problems.âÂ
For what itâs worth, Kim did pass the baby bar in December 2021. [via Metro]
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WEâLL NEVER BE ROYALS
Following hope for a planned meeting between KING CHARLES and PRINCE HARRY to begin mending fences, an insider tells The Daily Beast thatâs simply not happening.Â
Harry dished about the behind-the-scenes happenings of his visit home for the funeral of PRINCE PHILIP in his memoir âSpare,â and neither the king nor PRINCE WILLIAM are keen to have their familyâs private drama aired in public again. â
The insider says Harryâs indiscretion is Williamâs âworst nightmareâ and âa total violation of his privacy.â [via Daily Beast]
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DAY OF THE YEAR
National Cuban Sandwich Day
Cheap Flight Day
Valentino Day
National Ride the Wind Day
National Sponge Cake Day
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ON THIS DATE
1305 - William Wallace meets his unfortunate demise. The leader for Scottish Independence and his army had fallen at the Battle of Falkirk.Â
When he was captured, King Edward I of England ordered him hanged, drawn, and quartered.Â
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1775 - British Monarch King George III declares the American colonies in open and direct rebellion against the crown. This was in response to the Olive Branch Petition, which sought a civil and reasoned negotiation for colonial liberty.Â
The King's reaction was a prime motivator for the signing of the Declaration of Independence the following year.Â
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1833 - Great Britain abolishes slavery in all of its colonies worldwide. It was the first empire of such size to do so.Â
Over 700,000 were freed.Â
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1904 - Harold D. Weed receives a patent for the Grip-Tread for Pneumatic Tires.Â
In short, he invents the idea of putting chains on your tires for better traction on snow or ice. Weed sold the patent to the American Chain and Cable company.Â
He later served as a lieutenant colonel in World War I, where he helped design bomb-release mechanisms and machine guns for aircraft.Â
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1966 - The Lunar Orbiter 1 spacecraft snaps the first photos of Earth from the moon.Â
During the mission, the orbiter also took pictures of the moon to help NASA scientists select landing spots for the Apollo missions.Â
The mission ended with a controlled crash into the moon on October 29.Â
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1989 - The Dodgers beat the Expos 1-0 -- after 22 innings.Â
The game took 5 hours, 14 minutes. Over 21,000 were in attendance for the game, but there's no intel on how many were around by the end.Â
In total 352 pitches were thrown.
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1990 - Estranged countries East and West Germany announce their pending reunion.Â
The countries, divided after World War II, had little to squabble over following the fall of communism. The reunion was slated for October 3.Â
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2007 - The hashtag is created.Â
The new trend was first used in a tweet by US product designer Chris Messina.Â
He tweeted: âhow do you feel about using # (pound) for groups. As in #barcamp [msg]?â
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2020 - Jacob Blake is shot and injured by police officers in Kenosha, Wisconsin.Â
Blake was walking away from officers, ignoring their orders to stop, when he was shot. He would later admit to also being armed with a knife.
The incident sparked violent protests across the country.
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BIRTHDAYS
Lil Yachty - rapper - 26
Trace McSorley - football player - 28
Francesca Reale - actress, âStranger Thingsâ - 29
Seth Curry - basketball player - 33
Jeremy Lin - basketball player - 35
Julian Casablancas - rock singer, The Strokes - 45
Scott Caan - actor, âHawaii Five-Oâ & âEntourageâ - 47
Tana Ramsay - cookbook author & wife of Gordon Ramsay - 49
Rick Springfield - rock singer - 74
Barbara Eden - actress, âI Dream of Jeannieâ - 92
Born On This Date
Kobe Bryant - basketball player - 1978 (d. 2020)
River Phoenix - actor, âStand be Meâ - 1970 (d. 1993)
Gene Kelly - actor, âSinginâ in the Rainâ - 1912 (d. 1996)
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