Discover more from Morning Martini
8/3/2022: Americans’ Debt On The Rise
PLUS: Arachnophobia Pyrotechnics; “Roadhouse” Reboot; and Demi Lovato Returns to Her Feminine Roots
Today is Wednesday, August 3, 2022.
It is the 215th day of the year.
150 days remain.
TRENDING
Tiger Woods was trending Tuesday after reports that he turned down millions to join the LIV golf league. More in Sports.
Road House was trending yesterday. Head to Casting Call to see why.
#MLBTradeDeadline landed in Twitter’s Top 10 Trends Tuesday as baseball fans kept up with which players ended up where.
Twitter user @taylornation13 asked followers to make a list of what #feelslikeaugust to them. Examples included, pink skies, going to the beach, cardigans, wine, reading a good book by the lake and movies at the drive in.
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HIT LIST
A Mississippi AirBNB listing has been yanked from the platform – because it was marketed as a cabin where slaves once slept.
BUT WAIT: The current owner took control of the property just a month ago, and says the building in question was never used in that manner, despite the listing saying otherwise; he says instead it was a doctor’s office.
Regardless, AirBNB is instituting a policy to shut down any other similar listings and decries profiting off of slavery in any way.
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The airline staffing crunch is hitting particularly hard across the pond, where British Airways has shut down all new reservations next week.
Spur-of-the-moment bookings are more common in Europe, where travel within the continent is much less than in the United States, and is common for summer vacations.
British Airways stopped the new reservations to accommodate re-bookings for the thousands of travelers who had their flights canceled this week.
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Taco Bell is permanently bringing back its Mexican Pizza offering.
It left menus among supply chain snafus, but popped up sporadically in recent weeks.
Now, the ‘Bell says it’ll be back full-time next month, on September 15.
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Authorities say a wildfire in Utah broke out after a man tried to kill a spider with a lighter, sparking a 60-acre blaze. The suspect was busted with marijuana in his backpack. Fortunately, the fire didn’t destroy any buildings or cause any human harm – so really, who can blame a guy for trying to kill a spider with fire?
MEANWHILE: Video of a Florida alligator is making the rounds, in which the spooky animal appears to have a knife driven into its head.
Florida’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission sent officials to investigate – which reportedly captured and euthanized the gator.
Who stabbed it – and why – remains a mystery.
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Video of a botched convenience store robbery shows the owner swiftly pulling out a shotgun and firing at the perpetrator, who himself was carrying an AR-15.
The suspect yells that the owner shot his arm off before escaping to his getaway car.
The owner then reportedly had a heart attack, from which he’s recovering.
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Americans are holding more household debt than ever.
Increased mortgage rates and home prices are to blame, which accounted for two-thirds of the rise in debt over the last three months.
Credit card debt is also up 13% year over year, marking the steepest bump in two decades.
All told, Americans hold $16.2 trillion in debt. That’s nearly $50,000 per person.
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BY THE NUMBERS
📈 The Dow lost 402 points (1.23%) on Tuesday to close at 32,396. The S&P 500 added 27 points (0.67%) to close at 4,091 while the Nasdaq added 20 points (0.16%) to close at 12,348.
🛢 West Texas Intermediate remains well under $100 a barrel, at $94.19. Brent Crude remains hovering around the $100 mark.
⛽ The national average price of a gallon of gas was $4.18 on Tuesday.
₿ Bitcoin tumbled Tuesday, losing $230 and trading around $23,000.
🛩 There were 2,127 flights within, into, or out of the United States on Tuesday and 109 such cancellations.
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CHARTS
Top 5 Fiction & Nonfiction Books Currently on the New York Times Best Sellers List:
FICTION:
“Where The Crawdads Sing,” Delia Owens
“It Ends With Us,” Colleen Hoover
“Portrait Of An Unknown Woman,” Daniel Silva
“Verity,” Colleen Hoover
“Ugly Love,” Colleen Hoover
NONFICTION:
“The Body Keeps The Score,” Bessel van der Kolk
“Dirtbag, Massachusetts,” Issac Fitzgerald
“Thank You For Your Servitude,” Mark Leibovich
“Happy-Go-Lucky,” David Sedaris
“Finding Me,” Viola Davis
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BABY NEWS
“Jersey Shore’s” MIKE “The Situation” SORRENTINO and his wife LAUREN SORRENTINO are expecting baby #2.
The couple are already parents to son Romeo, 1.
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RELATIONSHIPS
DANE COOK, 50, and his longtime girlfriend, fitness instructor KELSI TAYLOR, 23, are engaged.
The comedian popped the question last month, Page Six reports.
WORTH NOTING: Hopefully “longtime” only means five years.
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“Bachelor” alum MADISON PREWETT, 26, is engaged to boyfriend GRANT TROUTT, also 26.
The pair dated for eight months before deciding to take the next step.
Prewett appeared on PETER WEBER’s season of the “Bachelor” in 2020.
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THE SWAMP
President JOE BIDEN and his lieutenants would like you to be very grateful for how much you’re paying for gas these days, peasants.
Here’s a tweet from economic adviser BRIAN DEESE: “Gas prices have fallen for 49 days – seven straight weeks of decline. Down 83 cents, or 17%. About $100/month in savings for the typical two-car family. AND There are now 80,000 gas stations across the country where gas is $3.99 a gallon or less.”
And here’s a tweet from White House Media Commissar KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: “Gas prices have dropped for seven weeks and are now on average 83 cents lower than their June peak – the fastest decline in over a decade. And, according to industry analysts, around half of all gas stations across the country are now offering gas at $3.99 per gallon or less.”
WORTH NOTING: Between January 2021 and this summer, gas prices also increased at one of the fastest rates in history. Gas is still 50% more than it was four years ago, and increased steadily since Biden took office.
Patting themselves on the back for a 17% decrease in prices is textbook gaslighting.
Either they’re stupid, or they think you are.
WORTH ASKING: If the President had real victories, shouldn’t they be touting those, instead of cooking the math?
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Speaker NANCY PELOSI visited Taiwan Tuesday.
The Associated Press calls her the highest-ranking American official to visit the country in 25 years.
“We must stand by Taiwan,” she said – but it’s difficult to understand what that means, because her official position and the State Department’s is the “one-China” policy, which acknowledges that Taiwan is a part of China, not its own country.
Multiple reports of cyberattacks in Taiwan surfaced just minutes after Pelosi’s arrival. The Chinese government threatened military retaliation for Pelosi’s trip.
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LOTTERY
No winner for Monday night’s Powerball drawing. Tonight’s drawing will be for a $202 million jackpot or a $119.5 million cash payout.
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SHOWBIZ NEWS
Nearly a year after the Astroworld Festival tragedy, TRAVIS SCOTT has landed a Vegas residency at Zouk Nightclub.
He will play a total of seven shows, starting next month.
MEANWHILE: Nearly 400 lawsuits have been filed against Scott, Live Nation and others involved in the festival. Both Scott and Live Nation have publicly denied all allegations of negligence.
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A day after BEYONCE said she’d eliminate the word “spazz” from her song, MONICA LEWINSKY says she’s due a revision of her own.
Beyonce’s 2013 song “Partition” alludes to Lewinsky’s affair with former President BILL CLINTON with the lyric, “He popped all my buttons, and he ripped my blouse/He Monica Lewinsky-ed all on my gown.”
Taking to Twitter, Lewinsky wrote about the spazz-lyric change, “uhmm, while we’re at it…. #Partition” and added a link to a Variety story about the recent lyrics-change.
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DEMI LOVATO said a few months ago she’s non-binary and uses they/them pronouns.
Now she says she’s back to using she-and-her pronouns because she’s “feeling more feminine,” telling The Spout Podcast, “Everyone messes up pronouns at some point.”
WORTH NOTING: No, not everyone.
ALSO WORTH NOTING: Lovato says she’s keeping the they-and-them pronouns in her back pocket and might bust them out again, or concurrently.
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MARILYN MONROE’s estate is defending actress ANA DE ARMAS’ portrayal of the blonde bombshell in Netflix’s upcoming film “Blonde.”
Critics came for de Armas after the trailer for the flick was released last week, with many complaining that her Spanish accent is “too heavy,” so she sounds nothing like Monroe.
Marc Rosen, owner of Marilyn Monroe’s Estate, defended de Armas calling her a “great casting choice as she captures Marilyn’s glamor, humanity and vulnerability.”
“Blonde” hits the streamer on September 28.
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“Purple Hearts” is currently the most-watched film on Netflix, knocking “The Gray Man” from the top spot.
The romantic drama follows Cassie, played by SOFIA CARSON and Marine Luke, played by NICHOLAS GALITZINE, who get married out of convenience.
MEANWHILE: “The Gray Man,” starring RYAN GOSLING, CHRIS EVANS and ANA DE ARMAS, held strong at the top for eight days.
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MICHAEL KEATON, who is set to reprise the role of Bruce Wayne in the upcoming film “The Flash,” says he has never watched a whole Marvel or DC movie.
“I know people don’t believe this, that I’ve never seen an entire version of any of those movies -- any Marvel movie, any other,” Keaton told The Hollywood Reporter.
As for why he hasn’t finished a film, he told the outlet, “I have other [s—] to do.”
BY THE WAY: Keaton first played the caped crusader in 1989’s “Batman” and 1992’s “Batman Returns.”
WORTH NOTING: Batman is a DC property, not a Marvel one.
MEANWHILE: Star Wars star JOHN BOYEGA also says he’s not destined for a superhero role.
He tells Men’s Health, “That’s not in the vision for me now,” and he wants to “donate” his acting chops to original indie films.
SPEAKING OF SUPERHERO MOVIES: The $70 million “Batgirl” movie might never get a release.
The New York post reports the project has been shelved by Warner Bros. despite the hefty price tag, after audience screenings were so bad, the studio gave up entirely in order to protect the brand.
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CASTING CALL
SCARLETT JOHANSSON and SIENNA MILLER play sisters in the upcoming movie “My Mother’s Wedding.”
The film follows three sisters who return to their childhood home for the third wedding of their twice-widowed mother, Diana, played by KRISTIN SCOTT THOMAS. The third sister is played by EMILY BEECHAM.
Thomas is also making her directorial debut with the flick.
There is currently no release date for the movie.
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MTV has given a straight-to-series order to “Everybody Still Hates Chris,” a reimagined animated version of CHRIS ROCK’s autobiographical family comedy “Everybody Hates Chris.”
Rock will act as narrator and executive producer of the new series.
“Everybody Still Hates Chris” will air on Paramount+ and Comedy Central.
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ELISABETH MOSS will star in “The Veil,” a new limited series thriller for Hulu.
The series exposes the relationship between two women who play a deadly game of truth and lies while traveling from Istanbul to Paris. One of the women has a secret, and the other is on a mission to reveal it before more lives are lost, according to the official description.
No premiere date has been announced.
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JAKE GYLLENHAAL is set to star in a “Road House” reboot for Amazon Prime Video.
In the 1989 cult classic, PATRICK SWAYZE plays James Dalton, a bouncer hired to clean up a rowdy bar in Missouri.
In the reboot, Gyllenhaal will play a former UFC fighter who takes a job as a bouncer at a chaotic roadhouse in the Florida Keys, according to Amazon Studios.
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At the end of the month, all eight “Harry Potter” films will be removed from HBO Max.
Fans of the Wizarding World can still watch the movies on NBC’s streaming service, Peacock.
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THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
BLAC CHYNA has requested to dismiss her revenge porn claim against her ex-fiance ROB KARDASHIAN after the pair reached a settlement just before their scheduled court date.
The motion was filed last week, ending her claim and blocking her from filing any future claims on the matter, an insider told Page Six.
Chyna has been in a legal battle with the KarJenner family since 2017, when she sued Rob and his famous family, accusing them of “damaging” her brand and “verbally and physically abusing” her.
WORTH REMEMBERING: The KarJenners won the defamation trial in May, though Chyna’s attorney has since stated their intention to appeal the verdict.
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WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS
PRINCE ANDREW was photographed “laughing his head off” while denying allegations of sexual assault during the infamous 2019 interview about his connection to pedophile JEFFERY EPSTEIN.
“He thought [the interview] had gone well,” a source told The Sun. “He probably didn’t realize the seriousness or consequences of laughing or how it would look on camera.”
The photo, taken by a BBC photographer, has not been made public as it would “further embarrass” the Royal Family, the insider added.
WORTH NOTING: A second source told The Post that the photo may be released in conjunction with an upcoming film about the interview, despite previous reports stating “no actual footage would be used.”
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SPORTS
TIGER WOODS turned down a large sum of money to join LIV Golf.
In an interview with Fox News this week, CEO of the upstart league GREG NORMAN, confirmed that Woods turned down an offer worth “somewhere in the $700 million to $800 million range.”
Norman said the offer was sent to Woods’ team before he joined the league as CEO in late-2021.
FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH: Forbes estimates that Woods is worth an estimated $1 billion.
WORTH NOTING: LIV Golf has spent about $1 billion to bring in some of the most high-profile players away from the PGA Tour including, Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson and Bryan DeChambeau.
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DAY OF THE YEAR
National Watermelon Day
National Grab Some Nuts Day
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ON THIS DATE
1492 – Explorer Christopher Columbus departs Palos, Spain, en route to Eastern Asia.
On board the Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria, he and his crew were on a quest to find a water route that would connect Europe with the natural resources of the Far East.
Of course, he instead discovered the Caribbean -- and never stepped foot on present-day America.
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1846 – The Donner party encounter a note on a forked stick along a path, warning that the path ahead would be tremendously difficult.
It was signed by Lansford Hastings, a pioneer a few days ahead of them, who in the note promised to return shortly to aid them.
The Donner expedition was ultimately waylaid across a treacherous mountain route to California.
Only 45 of the 89 survived -- cannibalizing those who died.
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1922 – Calvin Coolidge is sworn in as President, two days after Warren Harding dies of what could have been pneumonia, heart failure, or apoplexy. Mrs. Harding never allowed an autopsy.
Harding had been on the West Coast inspecting the West Coast naval fleet when he fell ill. He was administered caffeine and digitalis, an herbal remedy, which helped, but not much.
He seemed to be recovering, then died suddenly mid-conversation with his wife.
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1948 – Reformed Communist Whittaker Chambers declares that Alger Hiss is a communist and a spy for the Soviet Union.
Hiss was a State Department bureaucrat.
While Hiss denied the accusations, he eventually was convicted of perjury during the investigation and served 44 months.
Chambers would go on to write eloquently on freedom and capitalism, most notably in the pages of William F. Buckley's National Review.
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1958 – The first submersible passes underneath the North Pole.
The Nautilus traveled under 1,000 miles of Arctic ice before reaching the proverbial top of the world. When it passed over the North Pole, it was 500 feet underwater, and the ice ranged from 10 to 50 feet thick.
The voyage helped clear the way for shorter routes from the Pacific to the Atlantic for European nations as well as the United States.
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2008 – People magazine publishes pictures of Pitt-Jolie spawns Vivienne and Knox, the twins, which were bought for an unprecedented $14 million.
Brad and Ange gave the money to charity.
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2019 - Suspected domestic terrorist shoots and kills 22 and injures another 24 at a Walmart store in El Paso, Texas.
Patrick Wood Crusius, 21, is arrested for the massacre and charged with capital murder.
The attack is described as the deadliest attack on Latinos in modern American history.
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BIRTHDAYS
Ramon Reed - actor, “The Lion King” & “Just Roll With It” - 17
Chandler Kinney - actress, “Haunted Hathaways” - 22
Landry Bender - actress, “Fuller House” - 22
Cozi Zuehlsdorff - actress, “Dolphin Tale” & “Mighty Med” - 24
Todd Gurley - football player - 28
Victor Pope Jr. - comedian - 29
Karlie Kloss - model - 30
Ryan Lochte - Olympic swimmer - 38
Evangeline Lilly - actress, “Lost” & “Ant-Man” - 43
Tom Brady - football player - 45
Michael Ealy - actor, “Seven Pounds” & “Barbershop” - 49
Isaiah Washington - actor, “Grey’s Anatomy” & “The 100” - 59
Lisa Ann Walter - comedian - 59
James Hetfield - metal singer, Metallica - 59
Martha Stewart - domestic diva & TV personality - 81
Martin Sheen - actor, “The West Wing” - 82
Tony Bennett - pop singer - 96
Born On This Date
Jules Bianchi - race car driver - 1989 (d. 2015)
Alex McCrindle - actor, “Star Wars” - 1911 (d. 1990)
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