9/23/2022: That’s A Lot of Ants!

PLUS: Coors Collision; Beyonce’s New Tour; and Prince Harry Left Out

Sep 23, 2022

Today is Friday, September 23, 2022.

It is the 266th day of the year.

99 days remain.

HIT LIST

Hertz says it’ll buy 175,000 EVs from General Motors between now and 2027 that include Chevy, Buick, GMC, and Cadillac models. The first round will include Chevy Bolts.

The rental car company already has purchase agreements in place with Tesla for 100,000 vehicles and lesser-known Polestar for 65,000.

The ultimate goal is for one-in-four rentals to be electric by the end of 2024.

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How many ants are running around Earth at any given moment?

A study from the Insect Biodiversity and Biogeography Laboratory of the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Hong Kong (whew) suggests a conservative estimate is 20 quadrillion ants. That’s 20 followed by 15 zeros: 20,000,000,000,000,000.

GET A LOAD OF THIS: If you put all these ants on a scale, they’d weigh 12 megatons – which is more than the biomass of wild birds and mammals, and one-fifth of total human biomass.

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NASA’s test of the Artemis rocket fueling system didn’t go perfectly on Wednesday, but it did go well enough to move forward with the next scheduled launch window.

While testing the flow of liquid hydrogen into the tank, a small leak was again detected – but this time crews were able to solve the problem. Failure to complete the fueling process previously scrubbed the other launches.

The next possible launch date is September 27.

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A semi-truck carrying cases of Coors Light crashed just outside of Tampa on Wednesday, spilling cans of beer all over Interstate 75.

The Florida Highway Patrol told NBC News that the accident occured when one semi clipped another while changing lanes. While other vehicles were able to stop, the beer-carrying semi collided with a pickup truck, spillin its load.

The mess took over six hours to clean up. No major injuries were reported.

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Parents wanting to take their kids to the Happiest Place on Earth are getting creative in an effort to cut costs.

A recent TikTok of a woman disguising her elementary school-age child as a baby to avoid paying the admission fee at Disney World has gone viral, sparking a debate as to whether the move is genius or criminal.

Several former Disney employees commented on the video. One wrote, “trust me we know,” while another added “they didn’t pay [me] enough to care THAT much.”

Entry for one to the park ranges from $109 to $159 per day. Everyone aged three and up is required to have a ticket.

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BY THE NUMBERS

📈 The Dow lost 107 points (0.35%) on Thursday to close at 30,076. The S&P lost 32 points (0.84%) to close at 3,758, and the Nasdaq lost 153 points (1.37%) to close at 11,067.

🛢 West Texas Intermediate was trading at $83 on Thursday. Brent Crude closed at $90.38.

⛽ The national average price of a gallon of gas was $3.68 on Thursday.

₿ Bitcoin rose more than 819 points (4.44%) on Thursday, trading just over $19,284.

🛩 There were 4,385 flights delayed within, into, or out of the United States on Thursday and 266 such cancellations.

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CHARTS

New to Amazon Prime:

Firestarter (Rotten Tomatoes Score: 10%)
Memory (Score: 28%)

New to Disney+:

Spies in Disguise (Score: 77%)

New to Netflix:

A Jazzman’s Blues (Score: 63%)
Athena (Score: 75%)
Lou (No Score)

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BABY NEWS

Country singer JON PARDI and his wife, SUMMER PARDI, are expecting their first child together.

The couple confirmed the news to PEOPLE magazine, saying the baby is due early next year.

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RELATIONSHIPS

JOHNNY DEPP is dating one of his lawyers -- but it's not CAMILLE VASQUEZ.

The actor has been romantically linked to JOELLE RICH, who repped him in the UK libel trial he lost.

Rich is in the process of getting divorced. She and her estranged husband share two kids.

WORTH REMEMBERING: Many who tuned in to Depp’s Virginia trial were convinced he was dating Vasquez. Turns out they weren’t far off.

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THE SWAMP

California Governor GAVIN NEWSOM has his eye on the White House in 2024 – but only if President JOE BIDEN doesn’t run again. While Biden and V.P. KAMALA HARRIS have publicly insisted they’ll be in the same spots on the ticket next time, Biden left the door open to not running during Sunday night’s “60 Minutes” interview.

BUT WAIT: Newsom will have to explain to the country why people have been fleeing the state he governs in droves – and at least he’s getting creative with his answers.

When pressed on the matter at the Code 2022 conference earlier in September, Newsom blamed – who else? – former President DONALD TRUMP for the population shift.

“We lost about 182,000 folks in the last census,” he acknowledged, adding, “the vast majority, almost the entire amount impacted, because of visa policies under the Trump administration.”

There was no follow-up from the hosts of this about this non-sequitur.

WORTH ASKING: What is he suggesting? The only addition to his state is from abroad?

WORTH NOTING: The Trump administration restricted some H1-B visas in 2020 amid the pandemic. But even the New York Times notes, the order “would not affect people outside the United States who already have valid visas or seasonal farm workers.”

ALSO WORTH NOTING: Trump hasn’t been president for a while now and the Biden administration has fostered the most unwatched and unregulated administration policy in history.

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LOTTERY

No winner for Tuesday night’s Mega Millions drawing. Tonight’s drawing will be for a $301 million jackpot or a $160.3 million cash payout.

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No winner for Wednesday night’s Powerball drawing. Saturday night’s drawing will be for a $270 million jackpot or a $145.5 million cash payout.

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SHOWBIZ NEWS

These albums drop today:

Alex G, “God Save The Animals”
Beth Orton, “Weather Alive”
Billy Idol, “The Cage” EP
David Poe, “Everyone’s Got a Camera”
Editors, “EBM”
Future Teens, “Self Help”
Jessie Baylin, “Jersey Girl”
Kelsea Ballerini, “Subject To Change”
Maddie & Tae, “Through The Madness Vol. 2”
Mark Owen, “Land Of Dreams”
Nils Frahm, “Music For Animals”
Sofie Royer, “Harlequin”
The Soft Moon, “Exister”
Tim Burgess, “Typical Music”
Toledo, “How It Ends”
Willow, “Copingmechanism”

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A fifth woman has come forward with evidence of conversations with ADAM LEVINE.

ASHLEY RUSSELL, a 21-year-old fitness instructor, said that earlier this year the Maroon 5 frontman would watch her Stories, like her posts, and message her directly on Instagram, according to the DailyMail.

“When I told him he was going to get caught DMing girls like me he stopped texting me,” she told the outlet.

Levine and his pregnant, former Victoria Secret model wife, BEHATI PRINSLOO were spotted hand-in-hand this week, clearly trying to show a united front.

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ELLEN DEGENERES’ former protegee GREYSON CHANCE says she is “manipulative,” “self-centered” and “blatantly opportunistic.”

In a bombshell Rolling Stone interview, Chance talked about how he appeared on DeGeneres’ talk show at 12-years-old to show off his musical talents. Upon meeting her, he says DeGeneres told him “I’m going to protect you. I’m going to be here for you. We’re going to do this together.”

He was later signed to her record label eleveneleven and subsequently hooked up with a high-profile manager, booking agent, publicist and brand agent. From there things took a turn.

Following the release of his mini EP, Chance said DeGeneres “became domineering and way too controlling,” saying she once yelled at his mom, and would often berate him over clothing choices for appearances.

Two years later, when his album and ticket sales dwindled, Chance says DeGeneres was nowhere to be found. “[She] completely removed” herself and “completely abandoned me,” he told the publication.

Despite a handful of invitations to return to her show, especially during the final two weeks when viewership was at a record high, Chance said he “politely declined.”

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Actor JEFF GARLIN revealed this week that he has bipolar disorder.

The 61-year-old shared his diagnosis for the first time publicly on Instagram.

The post came just a day before the Season 10 premiere of “The Goldbergs,” in which his character Murray Goldberg had been killed off.

Many may remember that Garlin was the focus of several human resources investigations over three years for his on-set behavior. He left the show last December over the allegations.

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BEYONCE is heading on tour.

Sources told Page Six that the 41-year-old is booking stadiums around the world for next summer.

A second source teased that an official announcement will likely be made in the coming weeks.

The tour news comes on the heels of her new album, “Renaissance,” which has been dominating the charts.

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SYLVESTER STALLONE and his estranged wife JENNIFER FLAVIN are trying to settle their divorce in private.

Sources told TMZ that the exes both requested an order of abandonment in their court proceedings, meaning the filings have been put on hold.

While some outlets speculated this could mean they want to reconcile, insiders confirmed the divorce is still happening and the two just don’t want the negotiations made public.

WHAT’S MORE: There is no prenup in place.

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SHAKIRA is maintaining her innocence against the mounting tax evasion claims levied against her.

“I have paid everything they claimed I owed, even before they filed a lawsuit,” she recently told Elle magazine.

As previously reported, she has been accused of failing to pay $14.7 million in taxes by the Spanish government. She plans to fight the charges in court.

If found guilty, she may be fined $23.5 million in addition to jail time.

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CASTING CALL

KATIE COURIC has teamed up with Mars Incorporated on a new digital series, called “Unleashed”

The show features Couric as she chats with her pet parent celebrity friends about their adopted cuddly companions.

The first episode features actor JASON BIGGS and his wife JENNY MOLLEN and their 15-year-old rescue dog Gina Marie.

The series can be watched on Katie Couric’s Media website or YouTube page.

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HBO is working on a follow-up episode to the four-part docuseries “The Case Against Adnan Syed.”

The episode will feature exclusive access to Syed leading up to and following his release from prison earlier the week, according to Deadline.

As previously reported, Syed served nearly 23 years of a life sentence for the murder of his former high school girlfriend. His case gained national attention after being featured on the “Serial” podcast. New evidence led to his release this week.

The episode will debut in 2023.

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LORI LOUGHLIN will star in “Fall Into Winter” for the Great American Family network.

She will play Keely who is upset that her brother sells his half of their family-owned candy shop to his best friend -- and her nemesis -- Brooks. The two must quickly find common ground in order to keep things sweet in the shop.

Production is set to begin next month. No other casting details have been shared.

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CELEBRITY CELLBLOCK

Actor RYAN GRANTHAM has been sentenced to life in prison for killing his mom.

The 24-year-old “Riverdale” star was sentenced this week, just six months after pleading guilty to a second-degree murder charge for the death of his mom, BARBARA WAITE, in 2020.

Prosecutors said Grantham recorded his confession with his own camera after committing the heinous act. In the clip he said, “I shot her in the back of the head. In the moments after, she would have known it was me.”

After killing his mom he reportedly loaded his car with guns, ammo, Molotov cocktails and directions to the home of Canadian PM JUSTIN TRUDEAU. He had written in a journal, which was found during the investigation, that stated his goal was to “kill Trudeau.”

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THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS

KIM KARDASHIAN is set to receive a Giving Tree Award at Baby2Baby’s upcoming gala presented by Paul Mitchell.

The annual honor is given to “a woman in the public eye who has shown a commitment to giving back to children in need around the world.”

The reality star will be getting the award for her generous donations over the years to their organization, and also using her platform to help raise awareness and funds for Baby2Baby’s emergency response and disaster relief programs.

Past honorees include Amy Adams, Jessica Alba, Drew Barrymore, Vanessa Bryant, Jennifer Garner and more.

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WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS

PRINCE HARRY reportedly learned of QUEEN ELIZABETH’s passing online.

A palace source told Page Six that while his father, KING CHARLES, called Harry to let him know of his grandmother’s failing health, no one called to let him know when she died.

Her Majesty’s death was announced just minutes before Harry landed at Aberdeen airport, where he arrived solo after being excluded from traveling with other members of the Royal Family.

In the end, only Charles and PRINCESS ANNE were there when the Queen died.

WORTH ASKING: What did Harry think would happen in this situation? He did choose to leave this life behind.

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SPORTS

Celtics coach IME UDOKA could be suspended for the entire 2022-23 season for having a consensual relationship with a woman on the staff.

According to ESPN, their relationship violates “organizational guidelines.”

Assistant coach JOE MAZZULLA would likely serve as interim coach.

WORTH NOTING: He is engaged to actress NIA LONG.

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LIST OF THE WEEK

In honor of the first day of Fall, here are some fun (and not at all basic) things to do!

Bake an apple pie.
Read a book with fall vibes.
Make your own fall drink.
Decorate your home in fall colors.
Have a fall picnic.
Burn cozy smelling candles.
Buy a cozy sweater & stockings.
Carve a pumpkin.
Watch a spooky movie.
Go on a fall hike.

*list courtesy of Utterly Positive

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DAY OF THE YEAR

National Great American Pot Pie Day

National Snack Stick Day

Dogs In Politics Day

Celebrate Bisexuality Day

Restless Legs Awareness Day

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ON THIS DATE

1642 – An audience in Massachusetts enjoys Harvard College's first commencement ceremonies, six years after the institution opened its doors for the first time.

Nine men were recognized for graduating -- though "commencer" was more likely the term used at the time. They read orations in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin, and later debated philosophy and religion as a spectacle for the audience.

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1779 – American naval hero John Paul Jones defeats British ships Serapis and Countess of Scarborough near the English coast.

On board the Bonhomme Richard, Jones began an attack on the British warships, which were escorting merchant ships.

At first, the American ship suffered severe damage. The British commander implored Jones' surrender, but the American did not quit.

Fighting lasted three more hours, until the Brits raised their colors of surrender.

Jones and his crew boarded the Serapis, and the Bonhomme Richard sank the next day.

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1806 – Lewis and Clark arrive in St. Louis after resting near La Charette on the Missouri River.

It marked the completion of their journey from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Coast. They're the first explorers on record to do so.

Their journey also amassed a great deal of information about the newly-acquired Louisiana Purchase.

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1846 – Johann Gottfried Galle discovers Neptune.

The German astronomer was aided by French astronomer Le Verrier, who used complex math equations and astrophysics to estimate the planet's location.

Neptune orbits the sun once every 165 years.

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1949 – President Truman issues a statement saying that the Soviets have detonated a nuclear weapon.

It came as a surprise to the administration and the country, which thought the Soviets to be years behind technologically.

The news quickened American research into developing an even more powerful hydrogen bomb.

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1994 – “The Shawshank Redemption” hits the big screen for the first time.

It's based on a short story by Stephen King called "Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption."

The flick earned 7 Oscar nominations, but lost Best Picture to “Forrest Gump.”

The movie was also Tim Robbins' breakout role.

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2002 – Mozilla releases its first browser, called Phoenix.

Its customizable toolbar and quick search feature would become staples of any mainstream browser.

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2009 – “Modern Family” premieres on ABC starring Ed O’Neill and Sofia Vergara.

In its 11 seasons, the mockumentary would win 22 Emmy awards and receive 75 nominations.

It holds the record for ABC’s longest-running comedy series.

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2018 - New Orleans Saints QB Drew Brees throws a 17-yard pass to Michael Thomas, making him the NFL career pass leader.

Brees stole the crown from Brett Favre, who had 6,300 completions.

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BIRTHDAYS

Jordyn Woods - former KarJenner friend - 25

Willie Jones - country singer - 28

Kairi Sane - wrestler - 34

Skylar Astin - actor, “Pitch Perfect” - 35

Anneliese Van der Pol - actress, “That’s So Raven” - 38

Ryan Seaman - drummer, Falling in Reverse - 39

Anthony Mackie - actor, “Million Dollar Baby” & “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” - 44

Matt Hardy - wrestler - 48

Jermaine Dupri - rapper - 50

LisaRaye McCoy - actress, “The Players Club” & “The Proud Family” - 55

Jason Alexander - actor, “Seinfeld” & “Shallow Hal” - 63

Bruce Springsteen - rock singer - 73

Born On This Date

Ray Charles - soul singer - 1930 (d. 2004)

Henry Silva - actor, “The Manchurian Candidate” - 1926 (d. 2022)

Mickey Rooney - actor, “A Family Affair” & “Bill” - 1920 (d. 2014)

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