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8/29/2022: Moderna vs. Pfizer

PLUS: To The Moon & Back; MTV VMA Winners; and The Shia Saga

Aug 29, 2022

Today is Monday, August 29, 2022

It is the 241st day of the year.

124 days remain.

HIT LIST

TODAY: NASA’s Artemis I mission is scheduled to blast off at 7:33 am Central, with a 9:33 am reschedule time if needed due to weather, but clear skies are expected over Florida.

It weighs 5.5 million pounds full of fuel and towers 322 feet high. This time it will be uncrewed, but the Orion capsule can carry four astronauts. If all goes well, the next mission will have all four seats filled with actual humans.

Watch it here >

If it needs to get pushed, launch windows are set aside for September 2 or 5.

WORTH ASKING: Shouldn’t we as a country be more excited about this, the space missions that will return mankind to the Moon?

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Moderna is suing Pfizer.

The lawsuit alleges that Pfizer infringed on Moderna’s mRNA technology patents in the development of its own covid vaccine.

WORTH REMEMBERING: Before the pandemic, Moderna was essentially a pharmaceutical startup pioneering mRNA technology, which it alleges Pfizer cribbed from its patents filed between 2010 and 2016.

WORTH NOTING: Pfizer said in a statement its covid vaccine was based on its own proprietary research and intellectual property.

ALSO WORTH NOTING: Moderna is not seeking damages or to remove Pfizer’s vaccine from the market. Instead, they’ll pursue a future cut of Pfizer’s profits. The lawsuit also establishes that March 8, 2022 marked the end of the pandemic, and will only seek compensation for sales since then.

MEANWHILE: On JOE ROGAN’s podcast, Packers QB AARON RODGERS said the CDC sent a goon squad to each NFL team with demands to get everyone vaccinated before last season. Rodgers said the bureaucrats presented graphs showing what percentage of players were vaccinated, and pressured those who didn’t comply.

WATCH (CAREFUL – F-Bombs Abound!):

Bobby Burack @burackbobby_

Here’s Aaron Rodgers telling Joe Rogan that the NFL sent some Fauci stooge to each team to threaten and pressure players into getting the Covid-19 vaccine as if it prevented the virus.

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A mint condition Mickey Mantle baseball card from a 1952 Topps collection sold for $12.6 million yesterday – setting a new record for sports memorabilia.

That’s a pretty good return for the seller, who bought it for $50,000 in 1991. It’s now headed to an anonymous buyer.

The previous record for sports memorabilia was for a jersey worn by soccer pro Diego Maradona in the 1986 World Cup; it sold for $9.3 million.

The previous record for a baseball card was $7.25 million for a rare card featuring Honus Wagner.

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Next year’s Ford Mustang Mach E models are getting a price increase – by a little over $8,000. Reps for Ford say the price increase is due to inflation and supply chain snarls and blah blah blah.

WORTH NOTING: The price increase is almost the same amount as the electric vehicle tax credit passed as part of the incorrectly-named Inflation Reduction Act a few weeks ago.

Huh.

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A clay jar from ancient Egypt believed to be around 3,000 years old was seized by customs officials in Memphis, Tennessee last week.

It was reportedly sent from Europe to an American buyer. Such jars are believed to have been used to store the organs of the dead before they were mummified.

Authorities looked into the matter when the person who shipped it made contradicting statements about the contents’ value, the Associated Press reports.

The Convention on Cultural Property Implementation Act of 1983 governs a treaty that protects items of historical and archeological importance. The artifact will be further investigated by the Department of Homeland Security.

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BY THE NUMBERS

📈 The Dow tanked Friday, losing 1,008 points (3.03%) to close at 32,383. The S&P lost 141 points (3.37%) to close at 4,057 and the Nasdaq lost 497 points (3.94%) to close at 12,141.

🛢 West Texas Intermediate was down to $92 a barrel Friday; Brent Crude is back below $100 at $98.

⛽ The national average price of a gallon of gas was $3.85 on Sunday.

₿ Bitcoin got pummeled over the weekend, dipping $1600 in the last five days and trading back below $20,000 at $19,915.

🛩 There were 3,122 flights delayed within, into, or out of the United States on Sunday and 136 such cancellations.

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CHARTS

Weekend Box Office

10. Where the Crawdads Sing: $2.3 million (down from 9)

9. Thor: Love and Thunder: $2.7 million (down from 6)

8. Minions: The Rise of Gru: $2.74 million (down from 7)

7. Three Thousand Years of Longing: $2.8 million (new)

6. DC League of Super-Pets: $4.2 million (down from 5)

5. Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero: $4.5 million (down from 1)

4. Top Gun: Maverick: $4.7 million (stayed at 4)

3. Beast: $4.9 million (down from 2)

2. Bullet Train: $5.6 million (up from 3)

1. The Invitation: $7 million (new)

BY THE WAY: Variety reports this was the weakest first-place box office finish since May 2021. That’s when “Saw” sequel “Spiral” made a paltry $4.5 million but was still the top flick. Variety blames “the lack of appealing options” for the low revenues.

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DEATHS

MABLE JOHN has died.

The singer -- Motown’s first female solo artist -- passed away at her Los Angeles home on Thursday. No cause of death was shared.

She was 91.

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ROLAND MESNIER has died.

The beloved White House pastry chef, who served under five presidents, passed away Friday at an assisted living facility in Burke, Virginia. According to his son, he succumbed to complications from cancer.

He was 78.

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BREAKUPS

Actor JIM BEAVER (he played Whitney Ellsworth in “Deadwood”), 72, has filed for divorce from his actress-singer wife, SARAH SPIEGEL, 36.

According to court documents obtained by TMZ, Beaver listed the date of separation as August 14 and cited “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for the split.

The couple tied the knot in June 2019.

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RELATIONSHIPS

“Summer House” stars LINDSAY HUBBARD, 36, and CARL RADKE, 37 are engaged.

Radke popped the question while filming the Bravo show at Southampton's Dune Beach on Saturday.

The couple, who have been friends for years, started dating in January.

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THE SWAMP

While the heavily-redacted affidavit that justified the FBI’s search of Mar-a-Lago a few weeks ago leaves a lot to the imagination, it makes clear the Department of Justice’s motivation for the raid in the first place.

The affidavit cites language in the United States Code which specifies that anyone who improperly handles confidential information will be fined and/or imprisoned AND – here’s the ballgame – “be disqualified from holding any office under the United States.”

IN OTHER WORDS: They remain in desperate search of a process crime that will bar former President DONALD TRUMP from leading the country once again.

It’s the same reason they so breathlessly call the January 6 election integrity demonstrations an “insurrection” and Trump its mastermind – because Section 3 of the 14th Amendment specifically denies the right of holding executive office to anyone who “shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the [United States], or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof.”

ALSO WORTH NOTING: The DOJ and FBI had been working with Trump’s team about these concerns for months – but didn’t take action until after the January 6 hearings fell flat on their face and Rep. LIZ CHENEY lost her primary.

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The New Yorker reports that the Department of Education has essentially no infrastructure for bookkeeping and accounting when it comes to the $1.6 trillion (TRILLION!!) worth of student loans it holds:

“[w]ith a mortgage one can walk into a bank and request records of the initial amount borrowed, number of payments made thus far, the remaining balance, the interest rate. The Department of Education—effectively one of the country’s largest banks, thanks to its 1.6-trillion-dollar student-loan portfolio—is unable to provide such accounting for its forty-five million clients. Just this spring, the Government Accountability Office released a bombshell report revealing the vast disarray of student-loan bookkeeping. Five years ago, the Department of Education drafted bookkeeping requirements for loan-servicing companies, out of long-standing concerns about accuracy, but ultimately abandoned such regulations ‘due to cost and complexity.’ As loan-servicing companies open and close, and interest rates skyrocket, student debtors are left to navigate the system mostly on their own.”

WORTH ASKING: How about a compromise – cancel all student loans if we cancel the Department of Education, too?

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A poll published by the New York Post reveals that 79% of Americans believe the 2020 election outcome would’ve been different if the media had given “a truthful representation of the laptop” belonging to HUNTER BIDEN. Instead the government and social media platforms actively colluded to suppress what has since proven to be true.

MEANWHILE: Even BILL MAHER acknowledges how grossly partisan and political suppression of the laptop news was. On his weekly show, he said, “They buried the Hunter Biden story before the election because they were like, we can’t risk having the election thrown to Trump, we’ll tell them after the election.”

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LOTTERY

No winner for Friday night’s Mega Millions drawing. Tuesday night’s drawing will be for a $153 million jackpot or a $85.9 million cash payout.

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No winner for Saturday night’s Powerball drawing. Tonight’s drawing will be for a $124 million jackpot or a $69.7 million cash payout.

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SHOWBIZ NEWS

The MTV Video Music Awards were last night. The awards ceremony was hosted by NICKI MINAJ, LL COOL J and JACK HARLOW.

And the winners are…

Video - Taylor Swift, “All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version)”
Artist - Bad Bunny
Song - Billie Eilish, “Happier Than Ever”
New Artist - Dove Cameron
Album - Harry Styles, “Harry’s House”
Group - BTS
Collaboration - Lil Nas X & Jack Harlow, “INDUSTRY BABY”
Push Performance - SEVENTEEN, “Rock With You” (December 2021)
Song of the Summer - Jack Harlow, “First Class”
Pop Song - Harry Styles, “As It Was”
Hip-Hop Song - Nicki Minaj ft. Lil Baby, “Do We Have A Problem?”
Rock Song - Red Hot Chili Peppers, “Black Summer”
Alternative Song - Maneskin, “I WANNA BE YOUR SLAVE”
Latin Song - Anitta, “Envolver”
R&B Song - The Weeknd, “Out Of Time”
K-Pop Song - Lisa, “LALISA”
Video for Good - Lizzo, “About Damn Time”
Metaverse Performance - BLACKPINK The Virtual - PUBG
Longform Video - Taylor Swift, “All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version)”
Cinematography - Harry Styles, “As It Was”
Direction - Taylor Swift, “All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version)”
Art Direction - Lil Nas X & Jack Harlow, “INDUSTRY BABY”
Visual Effects - Lil Nas X & Jack Harlow, “INDUSTRY BABY”
Choreography - Doja Cat, “Woman”
Editing - Rosalia, “SAOKO”

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SHIA LABEOUF is 657 days sober and a Catholic.

The actor discussed his sobriety in an open letter to his former “Don’t Worry Darling” director OLIVIA WILDE, which was published by Variety on Friday.

The letter also addressed claims that Wilde had fired him from the film, which he says are not true -- and has the receipts to back it up. In 2020, Wilde claimed that she fired LaBeouf due to his “poor behavior” and “clashes with the cast and crew,” specifically actress FLORENCE PUGH, who starred opposite him.

Flash forward to August 2022 and LaBeouf is ready to clear up what actually happened. He emailed his side of the story to Variety, explaining that he chose to leave the project because he didn’t feel actors were given adequate rehearsal time.

He also included the receipts, one of which being a video Wilde sent him two days after his exit saying she is “not ready to give up on this yet.” She also alluded to the tension between LaBeouf and Pugh

“I think this might be a bit of a wake-up call for Miss Flo, and I want to know if you’re open to giving this a shot with me, with us. Is there hope? Will you let me know?” Wilde says in the video.

LaBeouf did not go crawling back and his role was recast with HARRY STYLES, who is also currently dating Wilde.

NEW FOUND FAITH: LaBeouf says he converted to Christianity while shooting his upcoming film “Padre Pio.” In an interview with Bishop ROBERT BROWN, LaBeouf reveals how prior to the project, he was at his “darkest point in life” and fighting thoughts of “hopelessness and suicide.” After joining a variety of faith groups -- purely for his career and not himself -- he says he found himself drawn to “spirituality” and “found [his] meaning.”

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Country stars MAREN MORRIS and CASSADEE POPE think BRITTANY ALDEAN, wife of country singer JASON ALDEAN, is transphobic.

The drama went down on social media Saturday after Brittany wrote a post thanking her parents for not changing her gender when she went through her tomboy phase. Jason commented on the post that he was thankful too because otherwise he wouldn’t have married her.

Pope took to Twitter, bashing her for comparing her “tomboy phase” to “someone wanting to transition.” Morris agreed, commenting, “It’s so easy to, like, not be a scumbag human? Sell your clip-ins and zip it, Insurrection Barbie.”

Brittany responded to the criticism, accusing Pope of “advocating for the genital mutilation of children,” and to Morris she wrote, “Karen Morris. Thanks for calling me Barbie.”

MEANWHILE: DREW BARRYMORE recently posted a video of herself walking outside and laughing in the rain. “Whenever you can, go out into the rain,” she said in the clip. “Do not miss the opportunity.”

This, apparently, was racist. One TikToker said Barrymore’s video was to “dismiss and disrespect the boundaries that Black creators have set.”

WORTH ASKING: Does posting a video of yourself enjoying nature belong to one group now? Is there a 1-800 number to call to order a manual of these rules?

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BRITNEY SPEARS and ELTON JOHN are reportedly working on a music video for their newly released #1 hit song “Hold Me Closer.”

Insiders shared the news with TMZ, while noting that there are no known details about the video, including whether or not the two superstars will even appear in it.

CHART TOPPER: The duet quickly rose to #1 on iTunes. It also hit #1 in 35 countries (other than the US), including England.

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OZZY OSBOURNE says he is “fed up” with the violence in America and is moving back to his native Britain.

“I’m fed up with people getting killed every day,” he told The Observer.

Bloomberg reports that Ozzy and his wife SHARON OSBOURNE are planning to move into their 120-year-old property, Welders House, in Buckinghamshire next February. The property is currently undergoing several renovations, which is why they are waiting to jump the pond.

Their current home is on the market for $18 million.

WORTH NOTING: In the interview, Sharon was quick to note that they were not fleeing the US because of Ozzy’s ailments.

ALSO: They will likely return to the States fairly often as their kids and grandkids still live here.

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ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER’s son JOSEPH BANA has joined the latest season of “Dancing With The Stars.”

While the full list has not yet been released, TMZ broke the news that TikToker CHARLI D’AMELIO and her mom will also be strutting their stuff on the dance floor.

REMEMBER: The dance competition show is no longer on ABC. Season 31 will premiere on Disney+ on September 19.

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EZRA MILLER is apologizing to Warner Bros. for bringing negative attention to their upcoming film “The Flash.”

Miller has made some poor choices lately, including many illegal activities, all of which reflect poorly on the studio.

A spokesperson for WB told PEOPLE magazine that the studio is taking a “wait-and-see” approach to the movie’s premiere when it comes to whether Miller will be in attendance.

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CASTING CALL

OCTAVIA SPENCER is set to executive produce “Feds,” a six-part docuseries about the FBI for ID and Discovery+.

Per Deadline, the series will give viewers an inside look at the crime-fighting agency.

“Feds” is the second project to be announced as part of Spencer’s multi-part deal with ID and Discovery+. The first project is “Highway 20,” which focuses on the case of a missing 13-year-old girl that spirals into a decades long true crime story.

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MTV has canceled its reality show “Floribama Shore” after four seasons.

Per TMZ, the cast and crew were informed Friday night, right before several outlets reported on the cancellation. No word as to why the network pulled the plug.

The show followed a group of young adults as they cohabitated and partied along the Florida Panhandle.

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Netflix has canceled its action-horror series “Resident Evil” after only one season.

The show, loosely based on the popular video game franchise, delivered less than stellar ratings for the streamer.

It also logged an underwhelming 55% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

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COURT CASES

CHARLIE SHEEN has settled his lawsuit with an ex-girlfriend who claimed he exposed her to HIV.

Court documents obtained by TMZ reveal that the actor agreed to a settlement of $120,000 -- to be paid in $10,000 monthly installments over the next year.

Back in 2017, the woman, only identified as Jane Doe, claims she met Sheen and they had unprotected sex. She stated that he told her “just to take some pills” to prevent transmission, and later on told her not to believe the “convenient rumors of the medical community.”

As many know, Sheen appeared on the “Today” show in 2015, where he shared his HIV story.

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THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS

CHELSEA CLINTON is team KIM KARDASHIAN in the ongoing divorce drama with KANYE WEST.

Speaking to “Entertainment Tonight,” the former first daughter said that she has had to “let go of Kanye” because of the way that he “has treated Kim” and the “way he has talked about women.”

Clinton said that decision was a tough one as she is a “huge fan” of his music.

SPEAKING OF THE DIVORCE: Ye has yet to find another lawyer to represent him in the ongoing divorce, following his fifth attorney asking a judge to remove her from the case earlier this month. Perhaps HILLARY CLINTON wants the job – between Vince Foster and thousands of emails, she really knows how to make problems go away.

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WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS

SAMANTHA MARKLE is not a fan of half-sister MEGHAN MARKLE’s new podcast.

Speaking with DAN WOOTEN on GB News, Sam said that she felt Meg sounded “odd and breathy” on the debut episode.

The two have had a rocky relationship over the years, to say the least.

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Royal author INGRID SEWARD told The Sun that PRINCE CHARLES’ visits to Balmoral to see QUEEN ELIZABETH are becoming “more frequent.”

“It’s highly unusual for Charles to make these kinds of impromptu visits to see his mother,” she explained.

WORTH NOTING: Perhaps his visits have increased due to the death of PRINCE PHILIP.

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PRINCESS DIANA’s Escort RS Turbo recently sold at auction.

The sleek black Ford was sold at Silverstone Auctions for just over $647,000.

Lady Di used the vehicle for casual outings between 1985 and 1988.

SPEAKING OF DIANA: The Express Online reports that FREDDIE MERCURY once snuck her into a gay bar. Actress CLEO ROGERS told the outlet that the “pair were caught giggling and nudging each other like naughty school children.”

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SPORTS

The Baltimore Ravens mascot was carted off the field after being injured during a mascot vs. youth football team game on Saturday night.

Fans weren’t sure at first whether the bird, known as Poe, was actually hurt, but when Ravens head coach JOHN HARBAUGH ran onto the field to check, people realized it was serious.

In the post game press conference, Harbaugh told reporters that Poe will be okay.

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Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DEVONTA SMITH blames his recent weight gain on his Wawa addiction, specifically their honey turkey hoagie.

Speaking to NBC reporter JOHN CLARK, Smith said “I literally eat one every day, for some reason,”

FOR THOSE WHO DON’T KNOW: Wawa is an East Coast convenience store and gas station.

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DAY OF THE YEAR

National Chop Suey Day

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ON THIS DATE

1786 - The first organized uprising of the Shays' Rebellion begins.

Burdened with debt after the Revolutionary War, many veterans were unable to pay money owed without an established American currency or banking system.

As families were ruined in debtors' courts, Daniel Shay rallied like-minded farmers to violently shut down courts that issued verdicts forcing people to sell off their land and possessions to pay owed debts. The impromptu militia wore their revolutionary uniforms, distinguishing themselves with a sprig of hemlock in their hats.

Five of the fighters were eventually found guilty of treason in Massachusetts. But when John Hancock became the new governor, he pardoned the men.

The entire uprising encouraged the Founding Fathers to design a strengthened national government.

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1831 - Michael Faraday performs a groundbreaking experiment studying electromagnetism.

In short, his study found that electricity produces a magnetic field, and discovers electromagnetic induction.

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1842 - The first American design patent is issued, and goes to George Bruce for a new typeface.

The patent is designed to protect objects with "practical utility." The Coke bottle shape, for example, is covered under design patent 48-160.

Similarly, typefaces and computer icons can be covered under this type patent.

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1949 - Soviet scientists detonate the country's first atomic weapon in Kazakh.

Named Joe-1 after their Fearless Leader Josef Stalin, the 22 kiloton bomb closely resembled the Fat Man explosion over Nagasaki thanks to successful espionage during World War II.

The Soviets built dummy houses and a train system and brought in 1500 animals and old aircraft to see the bomb's effects first-hand. Its explosion was more destructive than originally predicted.

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1982 - Two explorers complete their Transglobe expedition.

Ran Fiennes and Charles Burton circumnavigated the Earth along the 0-degree-longitude line, beginning in Greenwich, England.

Heading south, they braved the Sahara, jungles in Mali, the cold Antarctic, the Northwest Passage and ultimately the Arctic Ocean.

The 100,000 mile trek took almost three years. That's about 4-times the circumference of the Earth. Since the adventurers didn't follow a straight line around the globe, the total mileage added up quickly.

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2005 - Hurricane Katrina makes landfall in the Gulf Coast.

The category 3 hurricane was the most destructive natural disaster in America's history, damaging the coasts of Mississippi and Alabama. New Orleans famously bore the brunt of the destruction.

At least 1,800 died and up to $115 billion in damage was incurred.

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2018 - Senator John McCain is the third person ever to lie in state at the Arizona State Capitol Rotunda in Phoenix.

He had passed away days earlier after losing his battle with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer. Today would have been his 82nd birthday.

The two others to have lied in state include Arizona State Senator Marilyn Jarrett in 2006 and Olympic gold medalist Jesse Owens in 1980.

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BIRTHDAYS

Courtney Stodden - reality star, married actor Doug Hutchison at 16 - 28

Liam Payne - pop singer - 29

Chelsea DeBoer - reality star, “Teen Mom” - 31

Nicole Anderson - actress, “Ravenswood” - 32

Lea Michele - actress, “Glee” - 36

Nicole Byer - comedian - 36

Jay Ryan - actor, “Neighbors” - 41

Brian Cheskey - CEO of AirBnB - 41

Kyle Cook - guitarist, Matchbox Twenty - 47

Carla Gugino - actress, “Spin City” & “The Haunting of Hill House” - 51

Chris Hadfield - astronaut, first Canadian to walk in space - 63

Temple Grandin - biologist & entrepreneur, “Hug Box” - 75

Born On This Date

Michael Jackson - pop singer - 1958 (d. 2009)

John McCain - politician - 1936 (d. 2018)

Richard Attenborough - actor, “Jurassic Park” - 1923 (d. 2014)

Ingrid Bergman - actress, “Casablanca” - 1915 (d. 1982)

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