9/20/2022: Her Majesty’s Final Resting Place
PLUS: Biden Is “old as I am than fly;” Tim McGraw Takes a Tumble; and Kim Buys Malibu Mansion
Today is Tuesday, September 20, 2022.
It is the 263rd day of the year.
102 days remain.
PROGRAMMING NOTE
There will be no daily newsletter the week of October 10-14.
TRENDING
#queenfuneral landed in Twitter’s Top 10 Trends on Monday as Queen Elizabeth was laid to rest.
Hurricane Fiona was trending yesterday after the storm wiped out power to most of Puerto Rico before crashing into the Dominican Republic.
#HouseOfTheDragon was trending once again following the release of the latest episode in the prequel series to “Game of Thrones.”
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LONDON BRIDGE IS DOWN
QUEEN ELIZABETH II was laid to rest Monday at Windsor Castle, following a massive state funeral at Westminster Abbey attended by dignitaries from around the world.
Only senior members of the Royal Family gathered for the interment ceremony at St. George’s Chapel. Her final resting place is alongside the remains of her mother and father, KING GEORGE VI and QUEEN ELIZABETH, the Queen Mother, at the King George VI Memorial Chapel. Nearby are also the remains of generations of monarchs, including KING GEORGE III, KING GEORGE IV, and KING GEORGE V.
The chapel is expected to reopen to the public, allowing visitors in the future to pay respects.
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HIT LIST
TOMORROW: NASA will again test the fuel system on the Artemis I rocket, hoping to have solved problems that scrubbed two launch windows in recent weeks.
Teams have changed out seal systems related to liquid hydrogen fuel pumps in an effort to avoid another failed countdown to launch. Results of the test will be announced later Wednesday morning.
If all goes well, NASA has its eye on two launch windows: September 27 and October 2.
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A Wall Street Journal report reveals the ridiculous tasks AirBNB customers are now being required to complete as part of their stay.
FOR THOSE NEW TO IT: AirBNB allows homeowners to rent out their private residence, or even just a room within it, to internet strangers. It has been a popular, more affordable option than hotels for years. The homeowner keeps the fee, and AirBNB gets a cut.
But now, customers must do more and more and pay increasingly ridiculous fees on top of their rental fee.
Common tasks include doing dishes and stripping bed linens – and sometimes even putting those sheets and pillowcases through the washer and dryer. One guest says they’d receive a penalty if they didn’t mow the grass during the stay.
ALL TOLD: A couple hundred a night at a hotel where staff will change the sheets and towels doesn’t sound so difficult.
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The Executive Director of the National Coalition of STD Directors says America’s sexually transmitted disease situation is “out of control.”
Cases of syphilis are up 26% year over year, and HIV cases are up 16%.
As one expert tells the Associated Press, “More sexually transmitted infections occur when people are having more unprotected sex.”
WORTH ASKING: HOW could THIS have HAPPENED?!
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The next supply chain crisis could hit brewery production, thanks to a shortage in carbon dioxide production.
As Axios reports, the Jackson Dome in Mississippi is a reservoir with concentrated carbon dioxide leftover from an extinct volcano. It was recently naturally contaminated, and can’t be used to bottle and commodify CO2.
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BY THE NUMBERS
📈 The Dow recovered after a volatile afternoon, ultimately picking up 197 points (0.64%) to close at 31,019. The S&P added 26 points (.069%) to close at 3,899 and the Nasdaq added 86 points (0.76%) to close at 11,535.
🛢West Texas Intermediate fell to $85 a barrel and Brent Crude closed at $92.
⛽ The national average price of a gallon of gas was $3.67 on Monday.
₿ Bitcoin added $178 in value, trading around $19,600.
🛩 There were 3,976 flights canceled within, into, or out of the United States Monday and 195 such cancellations.
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CHARTS
Top 5 Songs on iTunes:
Kane Brown & Katelyn Brown, “Thank God”
David Guetta & Bebe Rexha, “I’m Good (Blue)”
OneRepublic, “I Ain’t Worried”
Elton John & Britney Spears, “Hold Me Closer”
Morgan Wallen, “You Proof”
Top 5 Songs on Spotify:
David Guetta & Bebe Rexha, “I’m Good (Blue)”
BLACKPINK, “Shut Down”
Post Malone & Doja Cat, “I Like You (A Happier Song)”
Harry Styles, “As It Was”
OneRepublic, “I Ain’t Worried”
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DEATHS
KALANI DAVID has died.
The professional surfer passed away Saturday after suffering a seizure while in the water off the coast of Costa Rica. David suffered from a congenital heart disease called Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, which can cause paralysis and seizures.
Costa Rican officials told the Associated Press that his death is still under investigation.
He was 24.
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MARVA HICKS has died.
The singer-actor, who performed in Broadway’s “Motown The Musical,” passed away September 16 in New York City. No cause of death was shared.
She was 47.
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BABY NEWS
“Twilight” star ASHLEY GREENE, 35, gave birth to her first child with husband, Australian TV personality PAUL KHOURY, 33.
The baby girl, named Kingsley Rainn Khoury, arrived on Friday.
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THE SWAMP
There were lots of doozies in President JOE BIDEN’s interview on “60 Minutes” the other night, but one of the most incongruous was his declaration that the pandemic is over.
Of course, by every sane measure it is, and has been for months.
BUT WAIT: The Department of Health and Human Services is expected to renew the public health emergency status when it’s set to expire on October 13, and extend it until at least January 11 next year, marking the eleventh renewal.
WHY? The “public health emergency” have been shields for almost all of the Biden White House’s wildly unpopular policies, including student loan debt forgiveness and refunds and imigration policy.
DID YOU KNOW? Young children in the federally-funded Head Start program are still required to wear masks all day.
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Another issue tackled in the “60 Minutes” interview was Biden’s mental acuity.
WATCH (jump to 1:08):
HERE’S WHAT HE SAID: “I have trouble even mentioning, even saying to myself, in my head, the number of years. I no more think of myself being old as I am than fly.”
WORTH REPEATING: “I no more think of myself being old as I am than fly.”
WORTH ASKING: What? Are these the words of a sharp man? Biden needed to copy words of condolences off a note card when signing the guest book at the Queen’s funeral, and we’re expected to believe he can lead this nation?
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LOTTERY
No winner for Friday night’s Mega Millions drawing. Tonight’s drawing will be for a $277 million jackpot or a $149 million cash payout.
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SHOWBIZ NEWS
WOODY ALLEN says he is not retiring after all, despite Spanish magazine La Vanguardia reporting otherwise.
In a statement released Monday, the 86-year-old said that not only is he not retiring, but he is also not writing another novel, again denying what was stated by the magazine.
Clearing up the matter, Allen said that he was only “thinking” about not making films anymore because movies going straight to streaming platforms is “not so enjoyable for him, as he is a great lover of the cinema experience.”
He wrapped up his thoughts sharing how excited he is to be working in Paris on his new movie -- his 50th.
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KATE WINSLET (“Titanic” & “Mare of Easttown”) was taken to the hospital after falling while filming her movie “Lee” in Croatia.
Her rep updated fans on the incident, saying the actress was checked out as a “precautionary measure required by production,” but she is fine and “will be filming as planned.”
In the movie, Winslet plays World War II correspondent Lee Miller, a Vogue cover model-turned-photographer. She chronicled the war from the front lines, exposing the truth about Hitler’s Nazi Germany.
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MARIAH CAREY says she has plans to release the lost alt-rock album she secretly recorded in 1995.
She first revealed the album in her 2020 memoir “The Meaning of Mariah Carey,” sharing that the music was released under the band name Chick and featured live vocals from her friend Clarissa.
During her appearance on this past weekend’s episode of the “Rolling Stone Music Now” podcast, Carey said she recently found the version of the album, titled “Someone’s Ugly Daughter,” that features her own vocals. She also announced plans to release it.
Two songs from the album -- “Demented” and “Malibu” -- were uploaded to YouTube in 2009.
No word on when she plans to drop the lost album.
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A man broke into JUSTIN and HAILEY BIEBER’s backyard last weekend.
After being spotted by the couple’s security team, the man took off, leading to a foot chase.
LAPD was called to search the area, but came up empty handed.
It is unknown how the intruder made his way into the gated community. The Biebers were not home at the time.
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ENRIQUE IGLESIAS shocked fans when he posted a video of himself smooching a fan during a meet and greet in Las Vegas.
In the clip, Iglesias gave the fan a kiss on the cheek. Things turned steamy when the fan turned her head and kissed the singer on the lips. Instead of pulling away, Iglesias appeared to continue the kiss.
It finally ended when he let go and ran off with a giant smile on his face.
WORTH NOTING: Iglesias has been dating ANNA KOURNIKOVA for 20 years. They share three kids, twins Nicholas and Lucy, 4, and Mary, 2.
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TIM MCGRAW tumbled off the stage during his show in Tempe, Arizona over the weekend.
The country singer was kneeling at the edge of the stage when he appeared to lose his balance and fell about six feet. He was able to walk away unscathed thanks to his security and some quick reacting fans who caught him.
Before jumping back up on stage Tim took the opportunity to meet some of the fans in the audience.
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Critics are calling out VIOLA DAVIS’ new flick “The Woman King,” over what is perceived to be the whitewashing of the history of the Atlantic slave trade.
The film tells the story of the Agojie, the all-female military regiment that protected the West African kingdom of Dahomey in the 17th to 19th centuries. The movie’s celebratory image of the fierce warriors, is what some have found issue with, as those same women became notorious for capturing and selling African slaves to Europeans.
A debate raged on Twitter, with some calling out the film’s lack of accuracy and others -- who actually saw it -- saying the slave trade is in fact addressed.
Davis has not addressed the criticism.
WORTH NOTING: The movie made more than $19 million over its debut weekend.
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Cinematographer MATTHEW LIBATIQUE is trying to set the record straight about the alleged drama on the set of “Don’t Worry Darling.”
Speaking to the Hollywood Reporter’s “Behind the Screen” podcast, Libatique claimed that it was the “most harmonious set” he has “ever been on.” Though he did note that perhaps the drama happened after he left.
As previously reported, tabloids have been reporting on an alleged rift between director OLIVIA WILDE and the film’s star FLORENCE PUGH. There is also the reported firing/not-firing of actor SHIA LABEOUF, who was initially set to star opposite Pugh; that role later went to Wilde’s boyfriend HARRY STYLES.
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CASTING CALL
SARAH PAULSON will star in and executive produce “The Way Down: God, Greed, and the Cult of Gwen Shamblin” for HBO Max.
The scripted adaptation of the streamer’s docuseries follows Shamblin (Paulson), who rose to fame with her Weigh Down Workshop, a Christian-based diet program. She was eventually accused of emotional, psychological and physical abuse all in the name of the Remnant Fellowship Church’s cult-like practices.
The docuseries aired in September, becoming the streamer’s most-watched docuseries at the time.
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“Sunday Night Football” viewership slipped this week, with just over 20 million tuning in to watch the Green Bay Packers take on the Chicago Bears at Lambeau Field.
That’s about a 20% drop in viewers from the week before when TOM BRADY’s Buccaneers took on the Dallas Cowboy.
The data is on par with last year’s Week 2 “SNF” game, which saw the Ravens take on the Chiefs, however.
WORTH NOTING: Sunday’s game was the 205th matchup between the Packers and the Bears.
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COURT CASES
ADNAN SYED was released from prison yesterday after serving 22 years of a life sentence for the 1999 murder of his ex-girlfriend 18-year-old HAE MIN LEE.
On Monday, a Baltimore Circuit Court judge overturned the conviction after prosecutors presented new information showing that there may have been two other suspects. Prosecutors now have 30 days to decide whether to file new charges against him.
Syed’s case gained national attention after being the focus of Season 1 of the “Serial” podcast.
Former Baltimore Sun reporter SARAH KOENIG, the brains behind the podcast, first discussed the case in 2014, raising a lot of questions about the investigation and Syed’s guilt. The story captivated fans, while also opening up the world of podcasting to a broader audience.
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THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
KOURTNEY KARDASHIAN is once again squashing speculation that she is pregnant.
Several of her Instagram followers assumed the 43-year-old was sharing pregnancy news after posting a photo of her wearing only undergarments and holding her belly.
In response to one comment that read, “Wait a minute did I miss that she’s pregnant?,” Kourt replied, “Nope, but you’re missing a woman’s body.
The mom-of-three has previously called out followers for commenting on her body.
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KIM KARDASHIAN dropped $70 million on an oceanfront home in Malibu.
The home has four bedrooms and 5.5 baths, and includes incredible views from its clifftop vantage point. There is also a pool and scenic backyard.
ALSO: It is only 14 miles away from KANYE WEST’s beach house.
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WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS
PRINCESS CHARLOTTE, 7, broke down in tears at her great-grandmother aka “Gan Gan” aka QUEEN ELIZABETH’s funeral on Monday.
She became emotional as the Queen’s coffin was moved from the gun carriage to a hearse. Her mom KATE MIDDLETON was on hand to comfort her.
PRINCE GEORGE, 9, also attended the funeral service on Monday, but PRINCE LOUIS, 4, was not in attendance.
MEGHAN MARKLE was also seen wiping away tears as Her Majesty’s coffin was carried out of Westminster Abbey.
WORTH REMEMBERING: Prior to becoming a Duchess and then deciding life as a royal wasn't for her, Meg was an actress. One who was taught to cry on cue.
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A police officer collapsed during QUEEN ELIZABETH’s funeral procession on Monday.
Eyewitnesses told The Sun that the officer appeared to sway a bit before passing out. Two other officers rushed to his aid, along with some medical personnel, and he was carried away on a stretcher.
His condition is unknown.
This falls comes after one of the Royal guards fell face-first at Westminster Hall last week.
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SPORTS
Empower Field at Mile High Stadium, home to the Denver Broncos, will host the Air Force-Navy game on November 4, 2023.
This year’s game between the Falcons and the Black Knights will be played at Globe Life Field, home of MLB’s Texas Rangers on November 5.
The Air Force leads the all-time series against the Army 33-16-1. Their first meeting was in New York in 1959.
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DAY OF THE YEAR
National Punch Day
National String Cheese Day
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ON THIS DATE
1519 – Ferdinand Magellan leaves Spain on a journey that would take his crew around the world.
It would be the first expedition on record to circumnavigate the earth.
Magellan didn't survive the nearly three-year expedition. In fact, he hadn't even set out to sail around the world. Instead, he was looking for a quick route to the Spice Islands in the Far East.
Magellan died during a tussle with Philippine natives two years later.
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1806 – The Lewis and Clark expedition arrives at La Charette, a frontier village along the Missouri River.
It was the first white settlement they encountered since departing westward 2 years earlier.
The people at La Charette told the explorers they were assumed dead.
Lewis and Clark were the first American explorers to lay eyes on the Pacific Ocean from the west coast. They also confirmed there was no easy water route that would empty into the Pacific.
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1881 – Chester Arthur is inaugurated as President.
He succeeded James Garfield, who died hours before after suffering from wounds inflicted during an assassination attempt more than two months prior.
Garfield received the Oath of Office again from the Supreme Court Chief Justice when he returned to Washington two days later.
This was the second time that three men held the nation's high office in one year -- in 1841, Martin Van Buren, William Henry Harrison, and John Tyler sat as president. Tyler succeeded William Henry Harrison, who died from pneumonia only 32 days after his inauguration.
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1946 – The first Cannes Film Festival commences in France.
It was slated to begin September 1st, 1939. The Nazi invasion of Poland derailed that idea.
It was restarted in part to encourage tourism to war-torn France.
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1973 – Billie Jean King beats Bobby Riggs in a historic tennis match dubbed The Battle of the Sexes.
Billie took on Bobby Riggs, a self-proclaimed chauvinist who said women were inherently inferior athletically.
The match was a perfect grist for the media mill: Riggs rode in on a platform lifted by men dressed as ancient Egyptians. King was carried in on a rickshaw helmed by supermodels.
50 million tuned in from around the world to watch King's victory.
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2001 – President George W. Bush addresses Congress and the Nation in his first major address since the 9/11 attacks.
The president declares war on terrorism around the world in all its forms, and against all its allies.
He promised the fight would be long and costly. At the time, his approval ratings hit record highs.
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2006 – Venezuelan Dictator Hugo Chavez gives a rambling speech at the United Nations in New York.
He compares President Bush to the devil, and calls for peace and cooperation among the world’s socialist nations.
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2011 - The US ends its “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy.
The move allows gay men and women to serve openly in the military for the first time.
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2021 - A first edition of Mary Shelley’s 1818 gothic novel “Frankenstein” sells for $1.17 million.
The first edition was one of 500 copies of the novel printed in 1818 and the first to be auctioned since 1985.
The sale set a new record for a printed work by a woman.
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BIRTHDAYS
Trevon Diggs - football player - 24
Spencer Locke - actress, “The Bling Ring” & “Babysitter’s Black Book” - 31
Phillip Phillips - pop singer - 32
John Tavares - hockey player - 32
Mallory Everton - comedian - 33
Khabib Nurmagomedov - MMA fighter - 34
Yung Joc - rapper - 45
Jon Bernthal - actor, “The Walking Dead” & “The Punisher” - 46
Michelle Visage - TV show host, “The RuPaul Show” - 54
George R.R. Martin - novelist, “A Song of Ice and Fire” series, basis for “GoT” - 74
Sophia Loren - actress, “Two Women” - 88
Born On This Date
John Panozzo - drummer, Styx - 1948 (d. 1996)
Dorothy Vaughan - mathematician, NASA - 1910 (d. 2008)
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