Today is Tuesday, September 26, 2023.
It is the 269th day of the year.
96 days remain.
WHAT’S ON TAP
LEGO is pivoting on its latest green initiative and a haunted house company in Michigan gets creative. More in HIT LIST.
Swifties are ready to cheer for TRAVIS KELCE and a couple of celebrity exes come to terms on child custody issues. More in SHOWBIZ.
The writers’ strike may soon officially be over as a tentative agreement has been made with studios and streamers. More in CASTING CALL.
KOURTNEY KARDASHIAN’s latest Poosh event is under investigation by Malibu’s mayor. More in KARDASH.
PRINCESS KATE has a plan in action to keep PRINCE GEORGE mentally prepared for the duties of a King. More in ROYALS.
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HIT LIST
Have you tried the “Scandinavian sleep method”?
It's a simple solution for a blanket-hogging spouse that is better than kicking them to the couch.
Here’s how it works: instead of going to bed with one comforter or one blanket, each sleeper gets their own. That’s it!
Influencer Erica Stolman Dowdy tried the sleep method, after hearing about it on a recent trip to Europe, and said the results were “an absolute game changer. 10/10 recommend.” [via The Sun]
THE EXPERTS AGREE: The Sleep Foundation said that sharing a blanket could lead to more wake-ups during the night if one sleeper is stealing all the covers, so two blankets would be an easy solution. [via Sleep Foundation]
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About two years ago, toy company LEGO announced they were testing a new formula to make their iconic bricks that used recycled plastic bottles instead of new, oil-based plastics, in order to make their building sets more eco-friendly.
TURNS OUT: In order to upgrade factories with new equipment to handle the new brickmaking formula, the company would have burned more carbon emissions over time.
IN OTHER WORDS: The reformulated bricks weren’t going to have much aggregate impact on carbon emissions, anyway.
MEANWHILE: Lego says it expects to ditch the plastic bags that contain bricks within each package by 2025 and exclusively use recyclable paper. [via FT]
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A couple has been compensated by Singapore Airlines for the hours of flatulence they endured during their flight from Paris to Singapore in June.
Gill and Warren Press ended up sitting next to a passenger and his pup, who reportedly had them reaching for their oxygen masks shortly after take off. Things got so bad with the dog’s constant farting and snorting, that they opted to give up their premium seats to sit in economy.
After months of back and forth with the airlines, the Presses were given a refund of $1,410, which they plan to donate to a guide dog organization. [via Insider]
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A haunted house operator in Michigan is turning to a fresh supply of short-term labor: striking auto workers.
Amanda Bielski works for a nearby Ford plant that isn’t currently picketing or striking and operates a pumpkin patch and haunted house with her family as a side hustle. To show support, she’s hiring her colleagues currently out of work.
So far there’s 20-some UAW workers who have expressed interest in her offer – where they’ll pocket $10 an hour for dressing up like monsters. [via WXYZ]
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A pair of tickets to the very play at which ABRAHAM LINCOLN was assassinated have sold at auction for more than $262,000.
Seats 41 and 42 in Section D would have put the ticket holders in the front row of the balcony. Only one other authentic, used ticket from the play that night is known to exist and is held at one of Harvard’s libraries – but even that artifact is torn. [via AP]
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DEATHS
Actor DAVID MCCALLUM has died.
He passed away Monday of natural causes at New York Presbyterian Hospital.
McCallum is best known for his roles in “The Man From U.N.C.L.E” and “NCIS.”
He was 90.
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SICK BAY
SOPHIA LOREN is recovering from emergency surgery for a fractured hip.
The 89-year-old Italian movie star injured her hip in a fall on Sunday at her home in Geneva, Switzerland.
The surgery was a success and she will now undergo some rest and rehabilitation.
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WEDDINGS
Comedian DANE COOK tied the knot with longtime girlfriend, fitness instructor KELSI TAYLOR in Oahu on Saturday.
The couple dated for five months before getting engaged in July.
Oh -- and he is 51 and she is 24.
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BY THE NUMBERS
📈 The DOW added 43 points (0.13%) to close at 34,006 on Monday. The S&P was up 17 points (0.4%) to close at 4,337 and the NASDAQ increased 59 points (0.45%) to close at 13,271.
🛢 WEST TEXAS INTERMEDIATE closed at $89; BRENT CRUDE at $92.
⛽ The national average price of a GALLON OF GAS was $3.84 on Monday.
₿ BITCOIN was up a bit Monday, trading around $26,350.
🛩 There were more than 3,795 FLIGHTS delayed within, into, or out of the United States on Monday and more than 143 such cancellations.
💰Tonight’s MEGA MILLIONS drawing will be for a $230 million jackpot or a $107.8 million cash payout.
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SHOWBIZ NEWS
Not only will USHER headline the Super Bowl Halftime Show, he will do so with new music.
After news broke announcing him as the headliner, Usher revealed that he will be releasing his new album “Coming Home '' on February 11, 2024 -- the same day as the big game.
It will be Usher's first new album since 2016’s “Hard II Love.” [via People]
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ALICIA KEYS is looking to join the tea business.
Her company, AK Worldwide, has filed to trademark “Alicia Teas” -- an obvious pun on her own name -- for a new line of teas.
Insiders say the idea came from a birthday gift Keys’ boyfriend SWIZZ BEATZ gave her in 2020 -- her own personal line of teas. [via The Blast]
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After cheering him on at Arrowhead Stadium, TAYLOR SWIFT paid to clear out a restaurant for a date with tight end TRAVIS KELCE.
According to Radar Online the pair walked into a Kansas City restaurant that was full of people. Not wanting to share the space, Swift reportedly told a manager that she would cover everyone’s food bills if they left right then and there.
Swift is currently on a break from her “Eras Tour,” and was first linked to Kelce earlier this month. [via Radar Online]
ALSO: The relationship is giving Kelce a huge boost in fans. According to Fanatics, his #87 jersey saw a nearly 400% spike in sales across their sites -- including NFLShop.com.
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SOPHIE TURNER and JOE JONAS have agreed to keep their two daughters in the US as they work out details of their divorce.
Insiders told The Daily Mail that the two signed an interim consent order that prohibits either of them from taking the kids out of New York City.
The truce comes just days after Turner accused Jonas of “abducting” the kids and refusing to let her take them to England. [via Daily Mail]
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Actors OLIVIA WILDE and JASON SUDEIKIS have finally settled the custody battle over their two children, nine-year-old Otis and six-year-old Daisy.
Sudeikis will pay Wilde over $27,000 per month in child support, according to court documents.
WORTH REMEMBERING: The pair split in 2020 after nine years together. [via HollywoodLife]
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BARRY MANILOW has set a new record for most performances at Las Vegas’ Westgate Resort & Casino with his 637th show.
The record was held by ELIVS PRESLSEY, though it was called the International Hotel then.
Manilow also announced another run of shows at Westgate, set to kick off in February 2024. [via Daily Mail]
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An investigation in the UK has been opened into claims of sexual abuse agasint RUSSELL BRAND from a handful of women.
The comedian was not specifically identified by the Met in their statement, but it was clear that he was who they were speaking about.
For his part, Brand has denied the allegations. [via TMZ]
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JESSE JAMES is being sued by businessman Cameron Prachel, who claims he was ripped off by the reality star and his companies, West Coast Choppers and Texas Hot Rods.
Prachel states that he paid James thousands for a 1952 Chevy Coupe and 1950s Chevy Truck, but was never given titles for the vehicles.
After demanding the titles -- or a refund -- and getting neither, Pachel decided to sue James and his companies for violating the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Act. [via Radar Online]
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CASTING CALL
The WGA has reached a tentative agreement with studios and streamers on a new three-year contract, bringing an end to the 146-day strike...sort of.
With the agreement, picketing will cease, but the strike itself is still technically ongoing until guild leaders vote on whether or not to formally end it. This is expected to happen today.
No details of the agreement have been shared, but a statement from WGA’s negotiating committee called it “exceptional.”
So what does this mean?
Late night shows could return to air within the next two to three weeks and daytime talk shows could come sooner as many were planning to kick things off last week, but postponed amid backlash with the ongoing strike.
As for other TV shows, this agreement has nothing to do with SAG-AFTRA, so actors are still a no-go.
BUT WAIT: This could potentially lead to an agreement for actors IF they like what they see in this deal. [via Variety]
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Now that the writers’ strike appears to be almost over, reports have surfaced that a reboot of “The Office” is in the works.
Writers Matthew Belloni and Johnathan Handel are reportedly working with creator Greg Daniels to bring back the STEVE CARELL-fronted show – though it’s doubtful he’d be involved.
“The Office” ran for nine seasons from 2005 to 2013. [via Daily Mail]
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THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
The mayor of Malibu has accused KOURTNEY KARDASHIAN of lying on a permit application for her recent event, Poolside with Poosh.
Mayor Bruce Silverstein claims he was Initially told the application was for a “baby shower” hosted by the owner of the property, but was later informed the home was being “rented” for an “influencer event.”
Silverstein has opened up an investigation into the incident, explaining that he is done with the “non-residents who want to come here and destroy the residents’ peaceful enjoyment of their homes.” [via Daily Caller]
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WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS
PRINCESS KATE has employed a specific strategy to help her son and future king PRINCE GEORGE understand his inevitable role as a public figure: insisting he wear a suit and tie at official events.
Royal biographer Duncan Larcombe calls the formal wear “royal armour” that is part of getting prepared for official service and duties on behalf of The Crown. [via Express]
TRUE TO FORM: Kate and PRINCE WILLIAM were spotted last week enjoying George’s soccer match. Both of the Waleses were in jackets and jeans, with William even wearing a baseball cap – but it wasn’t any kind of official event or appearance. [via X]
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DAY OF THE YEAR
Lumberjack Day
National Johnny Appleseed Day
Human Resource Professional Day
Shamu the Whale Day
National Chimichanga Day
National Dumpling Day
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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.
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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 would be emancipated in the state in the early 1800s.
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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.
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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 six miles into enemy territory.
The Armistice would finally end major combat on November 11th.
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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.
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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 would cancel “The Brady Bunch” after a 177-episode run in 1974.
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1981 – Nolan Ryan throws his fifth no-hitter, marking a new National League record.
He finished his career with seven 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.
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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.
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BIRTHDAYS
Buddy Matthews - wrestler - 35
Nev Schulman - TV producer & host, “Catfish” - 39
Manny Montana - actor, “Good Girls” - 40
Damian Priest - wrestler - 41
Asuka - wrestler - 42
Christina Milian - R&B singer - 42
Serena Williams - tennis player - 42
Beto O’Rourke - politician - 51
Jim Caviezel - actor, “The Passion of the Christ” & “Person of Interest” - 55
Linda Hamilton - actress, “Beauty & the Beast” - 67
Carlene Carter - country singer - 68
Kent McCord - actor, “Adam 12” - 81
Born On This Date
Olivia Newton-John - pop singer & actress, “Grease” - 1948 (d. 2022)
Albert Anastasia - mobster & crime boss, Murder Inc. - 1902 (d. 1957)
T.S. Eliot - poet, “The Waste Land” - 1888 (d. 1965)
Johnny Appleseed - missionary, planted apple trees - 1774 (d. 1845)
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