9/26/2022: Rihanna Books Super Bowl Halftime Show
PLUS: Artemis Launch Scrapped Again; Another Baldwin Baby; and Meghan The Meanie
Today is Monday, September 26, 2022.
It is the 269th day of the year.
96 days remain.
PROGRAMMING NOTE
There will be no daily newsletter the week of October 10-14.
TRENDING
Saturday was National Ghost Hunting Day.
Tropical Storm Ian was trending Saturday after meteorologists said they expect it to hit Florida as a major hurricane.
Sunday was National Daughter Day.
Rihanna landed in Twitter’s Top 10 Trends on Sunday after multiple outlets confirmed she will headline the Super Bowl halftime show.
###
HIT LIST
Germany’s branch of the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals organization says that eating meat isn’t just mean to animals – it’s also an expression of toxic masculinity and is detrimental to the planet.
They’re calling on women to withhold sex with from meat-eating men until they change their ways, saying in a stunt news release that a 41% tax on meat purchases would also be appropriate – because one study shows that meat-eating men cause 41% more greenhouse gas emissions than women.
###
A majority of Americans have recently gone a week without paying for purchases with paper cash and coins, a new Rasmussen study shows.
The survey says 51% of respondents rely on plastic for all purchases – but that’s not necessarily an anomaly. Similar surveys showed 48% said as much in 2018.
WORTH NOTING: While in 2018 43% said they’ve never gone a week without spending cash, now only 38% say the same.
###
After encouraging fuel test results on the Artemis I rocket, NASA now has a potential natural disaster scrubbing its next launch window.
The tentative September 27 launch window has been closed, as Tropical Storm Ian threatens Florida and will likely soon become a powerful hurricane.
Rolling the rocket back from the launchpad essentially ensures missing the October 2 backup launch date. New launch windows have not yet been announced.
###
Finally, some common ground with North Korea’s KIM JONG JUNIOR: he’s made listening to K-Pop an offense worthy of up to 15 years of hard labor.
WORTH NOTING: K-Pop includes a variety of genres of popular music produced by South Korean artists. The edict from the North includes possession of just about any form of entertainment made in South Korea, but K-Pop especially draws Junior’s ire.
The New York Times reports that Junior has called the recent wave of feminine-looking dandy-boys frolicking on stage a “vicious cancer” and that their “attire, hairstyles, speeches, behaviors” are corrupting the attitudes of young North Koreans in particular toward the regime.
IT GETS WORSE: If you’re caught bringing in the material you could face the death penalty.
###
Rising inflation rates at the grocery store have been good for business at Costco – so good, in fact, that the bulk-sale retailer is holding off on increasing its annual membership fees.
Renewal rates hit a record in the fourth quarter of their fiscal year – at 92.6%.
The store’s CFO said on a Thursday earnings call, “Given the headline of inflation and concerns about recession, we feel quite comfortable driving sales and earnings the way we are right now, and we still have that arrow in our quiver as we go forward.”
###
BY THE NUMBERS
📈 The Dow lost 486 points (1.62%) Friday to close at 29,590. The S&P lost 64 points (1.72%) to close at 3,693 and the Nasdaq lost 198 points (1.80%) to close at 10,867.
🛢 West Texas Intermediate nosedived Friday, trading at $78 a barrel. Brent Crude closed at $85.54. The quick decrease in oil prices signal fears of a major global recession.
⛽ The national average price of a gallon of gas ticked back up again Sunday, to $3.71.
₿ Bitcoin was flat over the weekend, but was trading just under $19,000.
🛩 There were 2,713 flights delayed within, into, or out of the United States on Sunday and 202 such cancellations.
###
CHARTS
Weekend Box Office
10. Minions: The Rise of Gru: $1 million (down from 9)
9. Top Gun: Maverick: $1.5 million (down from 6)
8. DC League of Super-Pets: $1.7 million (down from 7)
7. Bullet Train: $1.8 million (down from 5)
6. See How They Run: $1.9 million (down from 4)
5. Pearl: $1.91 million (down from 3)
4. Barbarian: $4.8 million (down from 2)
3. Avatar: $10 million (re-release)
2. The Woman King: $11.1 million (down from 1)
1. Don’t Worry Darling: $19.2 million (new)
###
DEATHS
JOHN HARTMAN has died.
The musician, who co-founded and drummed for the Doobie Brothers, passed away Thursday. No cause of death was shared.
He was 72.
###
PHAROAH SANDERS has died.
The legendary jazz musician passed away Saturday in Los Angeles. No further details were shared.
He was 81.
###
LOUISE FLETCHER has died.
The actress, known best for her role as the iconic villain Nurse Ratched in “One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest,” passed away on Friday of natural causes.
She was 88.
###
GEORGE WARD has died.
The “RuPaul’s Drag Race” star, best known by his stage name Cherry Valentine, passed away September 18. No cause of death was revealed.
He was 28.
###
BABY NEWS
HILARIA BALDWIN, 38, gave birth to her and ALEC BALDWIN’s, 64, seventh child together, a little girl named Ilaria Catalina Irena Baldwin.
The newborn arrived on Thursday, September 22, according to Hilaria’s Instagram post.
Ilaria joins big siblings Carmen, 9, Rafael, 7, Leonardo, 5, Romeo, 4, Eduardo, 23 months and Lucia, 18 months, and also Alec’s 23-year-old daughter IRELAND BALDWIN, whom he shares with his ex-wife, KIM BASINGER.
###
BREAKUPS
Actress ROBIN WRIGHT (“Princess Bride” & “House of Cards”) has filed for divorce from her husband, Saint Laurent executive CLEMENT GIRAUDET.
According to court docs, Wright listed the date of separation as July 31, and cited “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for the split.
The pair tied the knot four years ago.
It will be Wright’s third divorce. She was married to actor DANE WITHERSPOON from 1986-1988 and actor SEAN PENN from 1996-2010.
###
SICK BAY
POST MALONE was hospitalized over the weekend with stabbing side pain, just a week after falling in a hole while on stage during his show in St. Louis.
Scheduled to perform in Boston on Saturday night, Post apologized to his fans on social media, explaining the extreme pain he was in, and promising to make it up to them.
###
WEDDINGS
Actor TODD BRIDGES, 57, (“Diff’rent Strokes”) married designer BETTIJO B. HIRSCHI last week at the Greystone Mansion & Gardens in Beverly Hills, California.
The pair met in March after being introduced by a mutual friend.
###
THE SWAMP
Former Biden White House Media Commissar JEN PSAKI is getting into the swing of things as a paid contributor at MSNBC – and she’s already bailing on her former colleagues.
On “Meet the Press” Sunday, Psaki said this about midterm elections: “If it is a referendum on the president, they will lose. And they know that. They also know that crime is a huge vulnerability for Democrats, I would say one of the biggest vulnerabilities.”
WORTH NOTING: Her words illustrate the extent to which she had to lie through her teeth every day behind the podium as Biden White House Press Secretary.
WORTH ASKING: If Psaki demonstrably made a sport out of lying, what’s to say her replacement has been any different?
###
While President JOE BIDEN was busy this summer calling Republicans fascists and labeling them enemies of the state, the Democrat Party was funneling money into big ad spends to bolster pro-Trump Republicans in down-ballot primaries. Their strategy was the belief that these Republicans would be easier to beat in the general election.
Now, they’re so worried about it backfiring that even NBC News has taken notice, with an article that notes, “Biden appears to have accepted the tradeoff involved: If boosting [Trump-aligned] candidates saves even a few Democratic congressional seats, it’s worth the risk.”
IN OTHER WORDS: Biden is so void of any principles, he’ll run the risk of putting people that he calls literal threats to American democracy just to desperately cling to power.
WORTH NOTING: If Republicans take control of Congress, the ensuing very public investigations of the Biden Family Crime Syndicate will be revealing.
ALSO WORTH NOTING: All the Democrats who don’t want Biden to run again may lean into the opposing party wielding this power if it gives a helpful excuse to boot him from office.
###
LOTTERY
No winner for Friday night’s Mega Millions drawing. Tuesday night’s drawing will be for a $325 million jackpot or a $172.4 million cash payout.
###
No winner for Saturday night’s Powerball drawing. Tonight’s drawing will be for a $285 million jackpot or a $151.2 million cash payout.
###
SHOWBIZ NEWS
After a weekend of rumors about this season’s Super Bowl halftime entertainment, the NFL confirmed Sunday that RIHANNA will be getting the job.
Earlier on Sunday RiRi posted a captionless photo of herself holding a football to Instagram. The NFL also tweeted the image.
WORTH NOTING: Multiple sources tell TMZ that TAYLOR SWIFT turned down an offer to do the show. She was reportedly approached months ago about headlining the event, to which she replied that she didn’t want to perform until she finished rerecording her first six albums. As many know, the songstress is rerecording her albums to regain ownership after her masters were sold off. She has so far completed rerecording and rereleasing two of the albums, “Red” and “Fearless.”
###
Forty people who worked on the set of “Don’t Worry Darling” have signed a letter stating that director OLIVIA WILDE and actress FLORENCE PUGH did not fight during filming, despite several reports to the contrary.
Not only does the letter refute the claim, but it also praises Wilde as a “director and leader.”
A producer doubled down the claim, saying any “reports/rumors of a feud or screaming match between Olivia and Florence are unfounded.”
WORTH ASKING: Now that the film is finally in theaters can this drama be done?
###
Divorce seems to be officially off the table for SYLVESTER STALLONE and his wife, JENNIFER FLAVIN.
A rep for the actor told Page Six that the pair have been “able to work out their differences” and are “both extremely happy” to reconcile.
The statement comes after multiple outlets reported last week that the two had filed papers with the court to put a hold on their divorce proceedings. Insiders stated the two were still going through with the divorce, but wanted it done out of the public eye. Turns out they were wrong.
###
BETHENNY FRANKEL shared her thoughts on the drama surrounding Maroon 5 frontman ADAM LEVINE.
Speaking on her “Just B” podcast last week, Frankel said she is “unamused” and “uninterested” in the story.
“I know it's shocking he's having an affair. It’s all anyone can talk about. It’s just an absolute stunner,” the former “Housewife” sarcastically stated.
As previously reported, at least five women have now come forward accusing Levine of sending them inappropriate messages over the years. Several of them came during his marriage to former Victoria Secret model BEHATI PRINSLOO. One of the women also claims she had a “physical” relationship with Levine in 2021.
MEANWHILE: Actor ADAM DEVINE (note the very slight spelling difference) wants fans to know that he is not cheating on his wife. "I am not Adam Levine. He's a different guy and a worse singer," Devine joked on Instagram.
###
JOHN CENA holds the record for the most wishes granted through the Make-A-Wish Foundation, according to Guinness World Records.
In total, the actor and wrestler has granted the wishes of over 650 kids.
According to the foundation, Cena is the most requested celebrity for wishes. Also, in the 42 years the foundation has been around, no other figure has granted more than 200 wishes.
###
TOM BRADY’s kids were on the field prior to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers first home game of the season, but his wife, GISELE BUNDCHEN was nowhere to be found.
An insider explained her absence, telling PEOPLE magazine, “Gisele continues to be dedicated to her kids and is working on personal projects.”
Of course the missing model was noted by many as the two continue their marital struggles.
###
Rapper A$AP ROCKY dropped $332,000 on a custom hand-crafted belt, complete with a blinged-out buckle that spells out “GRIM.”
The belt, which is made out of solid 18k white gold, features natural white diamonds, green diamonds, black diamonds and natural rubies. The buckle also features those same gems.
WORTH ASKING: CEOs and other bigwigs constantly get bashed for their wealth, why does no one question celebs over theirs’, especially when they drop extreme amounts on unnecessary accessories?
###
CASTING CALL
Season five of Netflix’s “The Crown” will launch on Wednesday, November 9.
In the upcoming season, IMELDA STAUNTON plays Queen Elizabeth, JONATHAN PRYCE stars as Prince Philip, DOMINIC WEST plays Prince Charles and ELIZABETH DEBICKI stars as Princess Diana.
West’s real-life son SEAMUS will appear as a young Prince William.
###
JAMES EARL JONES has signed over the rights to voice Darth Vader to filmmakers.
Speaking to Vanity Fair, Lucasfilms’ MATTHEW WOOD said that the actor “wished to keep Vader alive,” and this was the only way to make sure that happens.
Jones made his debut as the villain in 1977. He continued voicing the character throughout the franchise through now, most recently starring as the character for the new “Obi-Wan Kenobi” series on Disney+.
###
“Spirited,” a holiday film starring WILL FERRELL and RYAN REYNOLDS, will premiere in theaters on November 11 and on Apple TV+ on November 18.
The modern musical rendition of the classic holiday story “A Christmas Carol,” also stars OCTAVIA SPENCER, PATRICK PAGE, LOREN WOODS, JOE TIPPETT and JEN TULLOCK.
###
THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
KIM KARDASHIAN debuted her “Ciao, Kim” collection that she co-designed with Dolce & Gabbana at their show in Milan on Friday.
Taking the stage in a sleeveless black sparkly gown, with her blonde hair piled in an updo, she took a bow alongside designers STEFANO GABBANA and DOMENICO DOLCE.
Cheering her on were her mom, KRIS JENNER, sister KHLOE KARDASHIAN, and three oldest kids, NORTH, 8, CHICAGO, 3, and SAINT, 5.
###
WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS
Working for PRINCE HARRY and MEGHAN MARKLE was equivalent to “working for a couple of teenagers,” according to an excerpt from the new book, “Courtiers: The Hidden Power Behind the Crown.”
Author VALENTINE LOW writes that Meghan “screamed” at staffers, bullied them and complained that “she wasn’t getting paid” for having to shake hands with people on royal tours, including the couple’s private secretary SAMANTHA COHEN.
“Sam always made it clear it was like working for a couple of teenagers. They were impossible and pushed her to the limit. She was miserable,” Low wrote.
Another staffer was quoted in the book saying “[Meg] wanted to be rejected because she was obsessed with that narrative from day one.”
WORTH NOTING: Low also writes that Meg’s behavior was so outrageous that staff referred to her as a “narcissistic sociopath.”
###
Buckingham Palace revealed a new ledger stone placed at QUEEN ELIZABETH’s final resting place at King George VI Memorial Chapel over the weekend.
The new stone includes the dates of birth and death for KING GEORGE VI, QUEEN ELIZABETH, QE2 and her husband PRINCE PHILIP.
The memorial chapel was commissioned by Her Majesty in 1962 following the death of her father, King George. Construction was completed seven years later.
###
SPORTS
The NFL has handed down several fines for last week’s fight between New Orleans Saints player MARSHON LATTIMORE and Tampa Bay Buccaneers players LEONARD FOURNETTE and MIKE EVANS.
Lattimore and Fournette were both fined $13,367 for their roles in the chaos. Meanwhile, Evans, who threw a cheap shot during the squirmish, missed this past weekend’s game against the Green Bay Packers and had to forfeit his entire $62,222 weekly check.
The whole scuffle started with Buccaneers QB TOM BRADY chasing down Lattimore after some trash talk on the field. He received no formal punishment.
Also, Buccaneers former head coach-turned-team-exec BRUCE ARIANS was spotted pushing Evans to attack Lattimore prior to the fight. He received nothing more than a strongly-worded letter from the league.
The two teams face off again on December 5.
###
DAY OF THE YEAR
National Family Day
National Johnny Appleseed Day
Human Resource Professional Day
Shamu the Whale Day
National Chimichanga Day
National Dumpling Day
Lumberjack Day
###
ON THIS DATE
1580 – Sir Francis Drake arrives in England on board the Golden Hind and becomes the first Brit to sail around the world.
He set out to raid Spanish outposts on the West Coast of the New World and return with the riches to impress Queen Elizabeth.
In this he succeeded, pillaging and raiding villages in present-day California. On the way back, he tried to find a passage to the Atlantic that cut through North America -- but obviously came up short. He continued across the Pacific and around the southern tip of Africa, returning to England to much fanfare.
###
1789 – John Jay is confirmed by Congress as the country's first Supreme Court Chief Justice.
Jay was a leading Federalist voice, and co-authored the Federalist Papers.
Later, he served as Governor of New York. Through his efforts, all slaves were emancipated in the state in the early 1800s.
###
1820 – Colonel Robert Gibbon Johnson eats a bushel of tomatoes on the steps of the courthouse in Salem, New Jersey.
Many Americans feared the tomato to be poisonous, since they were not widely available. When Johnson took his first bites, the crowd thought he'd drop dead.
People quickly rallied around the Colonel, who showed no signs of even getting sick.
Since then, tomatoes have been a pretty common staple of the American diet.
###
1918 – Allied forces begin a large-scale assault on German troops, marking the beginning of the end of World War One.
More than 700 tanks and hundreds of thousands of soldiers march on the Argonne Forest in France, supported by 500 American planes.
During the day-long fight, Allies captured more than 30,000 Germans and pushed the fighting lines 6 miles into enemy territory.
The Armistice finally ended major combat on November 11th.
###
1960 – John Kennedy and Richard Nixon are the first presidential candidates to square off in a nationally televised debate.
JFK looked well-groomed and well…Nixon had spent a couple weeks in the hospital recovering from a knee injury and appeared tired and weak. He even sported a little bit of stubble.
Many of those who listened on the radio said Nixon won the debate. But JFK out-politicked Nixon in the modern age of television and won the support of many TV viewers.
###
1969 – Here's the story of a sitcom that would become ingrained as a part of American pop culture: “The Brady Bunch” debuts on TV.
Critics hated the show, which never did very well in ratings, failing to reach the top 10 of Nielsen ratings.
But the show did have commercial success in its marketing spinoffs, including lunch boxes and records.
ABC canceled “The Brady Bunch” after a 177-episode run in 1974.
###
1981 – Nolan Ryan throws his fifth no-hitter, marking a new National League record.
He finished his career with 7 and still holds the record in the MLB.
Ryan also finished his career with 5,714 strikeouts, another MLB record, and 800 ahead of Randy Johnson, who holds the #2 spot.
###
2017 - Saudi Arabia’s King Salman announces there will no longer be a ban on women driving.
It is the only country in the world where women were still not allowed behind the wheel.
It would not go into effect until the following year.
###
BIRTHDAYS
Walker Bryant - actor, “Link: Legend of Zelda” & “Innocence” - 16
Nate Parker - drummer, The Tide - 26
Lilly Singh - comedian - 34
Zoe Perry - actress, “The Big Bang Theory” & “The Family” - 38
Nev Schulman - TV show host, “Catfish” - 38
Manny Montana - actor, “Good Girls” - 39
Damian Priest - wrestler - 40
Serena Williams - tennis player - 41
Asuka - wrestler - 41
Christina Millian - R&B singer - 41
Uriel Saenz - fashion designer - 42
Beto O’Rourke - politician - 50
Linda Hamilton - actress, “Beauty and the Beast” & “Terminator” films - 66
Carlene Carter - country singer - 67
Born On This Date
Olivia Newton-John - actress & singer, “Grease” - 1948 (d. 2022)
T.S. Eliot - poet, “The Waste Land” - 1888 (d. 1965)
Johnny Appleseed - missionary & apple tree planter - 1774 (d. 1845)
###