9/18/2024: Naked Bike Trip
PLUS: Second Attempted Assassination Update; Miley Gets Sued; and In-Harry-tance
Today is Wednesday, September 18, 2024.
It is the 262nd day of the year.
104 days remain.
WHAT’S ON TAP
New details about the Titan submersible disaster and a new study on coffee habits. Details in HIT LIST.
All about DIDDY’s indictment in SHOWBIZ.
Netflix’s “Monster” series will focus on Ed Gein for Season 3 and NIKKI HALEY gets her own podcast. Details in CASTING CALL.
KIM promotes a friend’s new book with an uplifting message in KARDASH.
PRINCE HARRY gets a financial boost in ROYALS.
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HIT LIST
The state of Florida is conducting its own independent investigation of Sunday’s attempted assassination of DONALD TRUMP.
The suspect has been charged on two weapons violations, but Florida Governor RON DESANTIS announced he does not trust the federal Department of Justice to handle Routh’s prosecution fairly and transparently, given the ongoing cases against the former president.
In particular, DeSantis says there is no federal statute to charge the suspect with attempted murder, but such statutes do exist under Florida state law. The feds could charge the suspect with threatening a former President, but that crime only has a maximum five-year sentence.
Any state charges and trial wouldn’t be seen through until proceedings against Routh have been fully concluded at the federal level. [via NPR]
BY THE WAY: It needs to be repeated that even though Trump survived the first assassination attempt by some divine miracle, COREY COMPERATORE was murdered for no other reason than he supported Trump. It was a hate crime of one of the worst kinds.
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The US Coast Guard Marine Board of Investigation heard testimony this week about the implosion of the Titan submersible last year, revealing some new details about the disaster.
The Titan sent its last message just six seconds before its destruction, sending a message by text to its mother ship that it had just dropped two weights to help it return to the surface. The timing of the message just 90 minutes into the dive suggests the pilot might have known something was wrong on board.
As part of the first day of hearings Monday, the investigators revealed video of the Titan’s wreckage for the first time, including a section of the submersible’s tail cone sitting upright on the ocean floor. In a not particularly surprising development, the Board also noted that it used DNA testing to confirm remains found at the implosion site matching the five men on board. [via CNN]
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Your daily coffee fix does more than give you that boost of energy in the morning – the right amount shows signs of protecting against Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.
The findings published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism shows that coffee drinkers have stronger heart health than those who don’t drink it, but only if they’re not overdoing it on caffeine.
The study followed participants aged 37 to 73 over 12 years and found people who consumed 200-300 milligrams of caffeine a day had a lower risk of such heart ailments compared to those who drank less than 100 milligrams. That sweet spot amounts to two or three 8 ounce cups of coffee.
Coffee drinkers specifically had a 50% lower risk than the non-caffeinated consumers, while those who got their caffeine fix from tea saw a 40% decrease in developing metabolic disease. [via NBC News]
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Some noxious cocktail of unknown gasses got so bad on a recent Alaska Airlines flight between Kauai and Seattle that the flight not only diverted but four flight attendants were hospitalized.
Shortly after takeoff last week, all four attendants, ranging in ages from 28 to 59, reported feeling ill, triggered by an unidentified smell on board. Taking no chances, the pilot diverted to Honolulu.
In an odd twist, no passengers or pilots reported similar queasiness. The plane ended up making it to Seattle for inspection – with no passengers on board. [via KITV]
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Two nude tandem bikers walk into a bar…no, this isn’t a joke!
Thirty-six-year-old Neil Cox and 25-year-old J Antic are nearing the end of their six-day, 260-mile nude journey from Gloucester to Land’s End, Cornwall.
The naturists decided to embark on the trek to take in some of the natural beauty of southwest England, while hitting up some shops, bars and B&Bs along the way.
As for how their naked trip has been received, Cox says people have been “overwhelmingly positive.” [via NY Post]
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BY THE NUMBERS
📈 The DOW lost 19 points (0.03%) to close at 41,606 on Tuesday. The S&P gained 1.5 points (0.026%) to close at 5,634 and the NASDAQ increased 35 points (0.2%) to close at 17,628.
🛢 WEST TEXAS INTERMEDIATE closed at $71; BRENT CRUDE at $73.
⛽ The national average price of a GALLON OF GAS was $3.20 on Tuesday.
₿ BITCOIN rebounded Tuesday, trading just shy of $60,000.
🛩 There were more than 1,620 FLIGHTS delayed within, into, or out of the United States on Tuesday and more than 35 such cancellations.
💰Tonight’s POWERBALL drawing will be for a $176 million jackpot or a $89.4 million cash payout.
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SHOWBIZ NEWS
SEAN COMBS was arrested in Manhattan on Monday evening and charged with racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, and transportation to engage in prostitution.
According to the indictment, Combs allegedly lured women with promises of a romantic relationship and then used force, threats of force and coercion to cause victims to engage in extended sex acts with male prostitutes.
The doc also details the items seized during the raids at Combs’ two homes; these include narcotics and more than 1,000 bottles of baby oil and lubricant, which were all allegedly used during Combs’ “freak off” parties. Three AR-15’s with scratched off serial numbers and a drum magazine were also found.
In a statement after the arrest, Combs’ attorney asked that individuals “please reserve judgment” until all the details are released. [via TMZ]
During the court hearing on Tuesday afternoon, Combs spoke for himself when asked how he pleaded to the three-count indictment, saying, “Not guilty.”
It also came out during the hearing that little bags of pink powder, believed to be ecstasy, were found in Combs’ hotel room when he was arrested last night. They are currently being tested.
When it came to bail, the judge sided with prosecutors, who argued that Combs is a “flight risk” and “danger to society.” Prosecutors also stated that the music mogul previously reached out to witnesses and victims.
He will be housed at the Special Housing Unit in the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn until his next court appearance set for this afternoon, at which time he will appeal the judge’s decision to hold him without bail. The unit is separate from the general prison population. [via CNN]
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MORGAN WALLEN is likely going to spend some time behind bars for his chair-throwing antics earlier this year.
While his lawyers have been doing their damndest to land a deal for the country singer, insiders tell Life & Style that things are “looking bleak at this point.”
As for how long Wallen could be in the slammer, sources say anywhere from 30 to 60 days. [via Life & Style]
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MILEY CYRUS is being sued for copyright infringement over her song “Flowers.”
Tempo Music Investments claims it owns a share of the copyright of BRUNO MARS’ song “When I Was Your Man,” which they say was “intentionally” copied by Cyrus for her hit song.
The the filing, Tempo says “the combination and number of similarities between the two recordings [show] that ‘Flowers’ would not exist without ‘When I Was Your Man.’”
The company is seeking monetary compensation and for Cyrus to be barred from distributing or performing “Flowers.”
WORTH NOTING: Mars is not listed as a plaintiff. [via Rolling Stone]
LISTEN FOR YOURSELF: “When I Was Your Man” vs “Flowers”
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Attorneys for Olympic gymnast JORDAN CHILES have filed an appeal with the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland to overturn a decision that stripped her of the bronze medal.
The filing states that Chiles’ “fundamental right to be heard” was “violated” by the Court of Arbitration for Sport when they refused to consider the video evidence in contradiction to their ruling.
It is also noted that CAS president Hamid G. Gharavi had a “serious conflict of interest” as he acted for counsel for Romania for almost a decade and was actively representing the country at the time of the incident. The issue here is that the medal taken from Chiles went to Romanian gymnast ANA BARBOSU.
USA Gymnastics is supporting the appeal.
WHAT HAPPENED?: This is all over a scoring error, which would have given Chiles third place instead of fourth, but the CAS ruled her coach was four seconds late when questioning the score, though there is reportedly video evidence to the contrary. [via The Cut]
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JENNIFER LOPEZ is ready to use her recent heartbreak for some new tunes.
The Sun reports that JLo is already working on an album that will be her “most emotional yet.”
“Fans are going to get the real story through her music,” a source shared. [via The Sun]
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Someone may actually be buying MICHAEL JORDAN’s Chicago mansion.
The listing, which has been active for more than a decade, is now considered “contingent.” No word on what the buyer is requesting, though.
The 56,000-square-foot home features 19 bathrooms, an indoor basketball court, gym, library and cigar room. Jordan initially listed it for $29 million in 2012, but soon cut that down to the current asking price of $14.855 million. [via TMZ]
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DOLLY PARTON’s cookbook is Amazon’s No. 1 bestseller for comfort food cooking less than a day after hitting shelves.
“Good Lookin’ Cookin’” shares Dolly and her sister, Rachel Parton George’s favorite “crowd-pleasing” recipes, including Thanksgiving dishes, appetizers and the “special dish” Dolly asks her sister to make each year for her birthday.
The cookbook is available now. [via Billboard]
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CASTING CALL
“Sons of Anarchy” star CHARLIE HUNNAM will star in Season 3 of Netflix’s “Monster” series.
He will play Wisconsin-based serial killer Ed Gein.
The first season focused on serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer, also from Wisconsin.
Season 2 focuses on the Menedez brothers and the murder of their parents. It debuts tomorrow. [via Variety]
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NIKKI HALEY’s new podcast launches next week.
“Nikki Haley Live” will feature her analysis and guest interviews, as well as music and entertainment. It will run through the presidential inauguration next year on SiriusXM. [via Deadline]
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Sunday’s Emmys averaged 6.87 million viewers, a 54% increase over the delayed 2023 awards, which saw 4.46 million viewers -- an all-time low.
Perhaps the low numbers had to do with the fact that the 2023 Emmys aired in January of this year -- four months later than normal -- due to last summer’s writers and actors strikes. [via THR]
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THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
CELEBS, THEY’RE JUST LIKE US: Mom-of-four KIM KARDASHIAN recently shared an uplifting message to other parents of children with “learning differences” on social media, months after her 11-year-old daughter NORTH revealed she has dyslexia.
In the post, Kim attached a clip of friend LAUREN SANCHEZ promoting her new children’s book, “The Fly Who Flew to Space.” Speaking about the book, Sanchez detailed her own struggles with dyslexia and how support from one of her professors led her to becoming an award-winning journalist.
Sanchez shared Kim’s post on her own social media, thanking the reality star for speaking out on the topic. [via People]
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WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS
PRINCE HARRY got a welcome financial boost for this 40th birthday.
The trust setup by his great grandmother, ELIZABETH, THE QUEEN MOTHER, doled out money in two chunks: the first for his 21st birthday, and the second on his 40th.
It’s rumored that Harry got a bigger cut of her estate than PRINCE WILLIAM, since he’s heir to the whole enchilada.
When The Queen Mother put about 19 MILLION Pounds in the trust in 1994, it was set up to go to all of her great-grandchildren. With interest, it’s believed Harry will ultimately take home between 7-8 MILLION Pounds. [via Express]
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DAY OF THE YEAR
US Air Force Day
National Cheeseburger
Read an Ebook Day
National First Love Day
World Water Monitoring Day
National Respect Day
National Uniform Day
Rice Krispies Treats Day
National Day of Civic Hacking
World Bamboo Day
National Ceiling Fan Day
Hug a Greeting Card Writer Day
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ON THIS DATE
1793 - President George Washington lays the cornerstone of the recently-approved Capitol building.
A parade preceded the ceremony, and a large feast followed.
It took almost a hundred years to finish the construction. The British practically burned it down in the War of 1812, the Civil War halted construction, and head architects came in and out.
Congress moved into the north wing in 1800. In 1807, the House of Representatives moved into the south wing.
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1851 - The first issue of the New-York Daily Times hits newsstands for one cent a copy. It's the predecessor to the New York Times.
Its founder was Henry Jarvis Raymond, who would become the second chair of the Republican National Committee.
Its original mission statement declared, "We shall be Conservative, in all cases where we think Conservatism essential to the public good."
Ironically, today the publication sometimes receives criticism for apparent liberal political biases.
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1862 - One day after the bloodiest battle of the Civil War, Union General, General McClellan allows confederate forces to retreat. It's one confusing blunder of the Civil War.
McClellan's troops severely outnumbered Confederate General Robert E. Lee's by almost three times.
McClellan feared Lee was rallying with a force of more than 100,000. President Lincoln urged McClellan to move forward, but he did not budge for another month.
Waiting in Maryland, however, did give McClellan's troops a much-needed rest.
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1947 - The United States Air Force becomes its own branch of the military.
It had been a department of the Army.
Around the same time, the Department of War merged with the Department of the Navy. Two years later, all branches of the armed services were united under the Department of Defense.
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1973 - Jimmy Carter tells the National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena that he saw a UFO a couple years before.
Carter called it "the darndest thing I've ever seen."
Others corroborated the report, and said the object in the sky was bright, with changing colors, about the size of the moon. After that, Carter said he'd never laugh at the goons who say they've had similar experiences.
During the 1976 campaign, Carter said he would demand release of information about UFOs to the public.
Once he got into office, his tune changed, saying releasing the information could threaten national security.
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1975 - Federal forces capture Patty Hearst, after she spent a year on the FBI's Most Wanted List.
Hearst is the granddaughter of media mogul Randolph Hearst. She had been kidnapped a year earlier by a small extremist left-wing group called the Symbionese Liberation Army. As ransom, they demanded $70 in food to go to every poor person in southern California. Upon completion, they would negotiate Patty's release.
When Randolph Hearst donated $2 million worth of food, the group demanded $4 million more. Hearst Corporation said it would pay upon Patty's release.
Two months later, Patty said she was joining the group by her own will. Afterward, she participated in an armed robbery with the group, which was caught on tape.
On this date in 1975 she was captured during a raid on her apartment. She would be sentenced to seven years in prison in 1976, but Jimmy Carter would commute her sentence in 1979, and Bill Clinton would pardon her in 2001.
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1996 - Red Sox pitcher Roger Clemens pitches 20 strikeouts in one game, tying his own Major League single-season record set 10 years earlier.
The 4-0 win also tied the Sox's record for most shutouts by one pitcher and most wins -- both set by Cy Young in 1911.
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2017 – Hurricane Maria passes over the Caribbean Island as a Category 5 hurricane.
It would destroy 90% of structures and kill 27 people.
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2022 - In a CBS interview, President Joe Biden says “We still have a problem with covid [...] But the pandemic is over.”
Biden’s statement comes a week after the WHO reported that deaths from the virus were at the lowest since March 2020; when the pandemic started.
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BIRTHDAYS
Aidan Gallagher - actor, “The Umbrella Academy - 21
Luke Mullen - actor, “Andi Mack” - 23
Patrick Schwarzenegger - model & son of Arnold - 31
Ronaldo - soccer player - 48
Jason Sudeikis - actor, “Ted Lasso” - 49
James Marsden - actor, “Superman Returns” & “Westworld” - 51
Towanda Braxton - R&B singer - 51
Lance Armstrong - cyclist - 53
Jada Pinkett Smith - actress, “A Different World” & “Gotham” - 53
Holly Robinson - actress, “21 Jump Street” - 60
Ryne Sandberg - HOF baseball player - 65
Ben Carson - neurosurgeon & 2016 presidential candidate - 73
Scotty Bowman - hockey player & coach - 91
Born On This Date
James Gandolfini - actor, “The Sopranos” - 1961 (d. 2013)
Dee Dee Ramone - bassist, Ramones - 1951 (d. 2002)
Trajan - XII Roman Emperor who rebuilt Rome - 53 (d. 117 AD)
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