9/30/2024: Billionaire Boom
PLUS: Immigration Report; “The One With the Game Show”; and Harry’s Secret Stop
Today is Monday, September 30, 2024.
It is the 274th day of the year.
92 days remain.
WHAT’S ON TAP
The new space race heats up and airline employees get busted for drug smuggling. Details in HIT LIST.
JOSH DUGGAR gets some new prison digs and SHAQ likes to splurge on Amazon. More in SHOWBIZ.
“Chucky” gets canceled and THE ROCK doesn’t want to do “Hot Ones.” Details in CASTING CALL
YE’s gutted mansion will be returned to its original glory. More on that in KARDASH.
PRINCE HARRY makes a mysterious stop in the Big Apple. Details in ROYALS.
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HIT LIST
A shocking letter published by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Friday reveals the extent of crimes committed by non-citizens in the United States: as of mid-July, there were more than 662,000 people with criminal histories, in the country illegally, on ICE’s “national docket” – a registry of noncitizens who face deportation proceedings or who have been ordered removed who are not currently in ICE’s custody.
Here’s a breakdown of some of those crimes, either convicted or with pending criminal charges. Some are in ICE custody. Some could be roaming the streets while others could be in state or federal lockup:
– 104,000+ for assault
– 17,600+ for burglary
– 3,900+ for sex trafficking
– 70,000+ for dangerous drugs, namely fentanyl
– 14,900+ for murder
– 58,000+ for sexual assault
WORTH NOTING: This isn’t some think-tank study; the numbers came directly from the acting head of ICE.
ALSO WORTH NOTING: America must be a welcoming place for good people from around the world to pursue their dreams with their families, but it will no longer be that place at all if it’s torn apart from within. [via ICE, NBC News]
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Two airport workers at New York’s JFK International have been busted for their role in an apparent international drug smuggling scheme.
In September, feds caught the men, Leandro Alleyne and Fabian Innis, loading bags off a flight inbound from Copenhagen onto a vehicle and driving them to an empty area of the tarmac, where they were busted by agents monitoring the scheme. Neither Alleyne nor Innis were authorized to use the baggage transportation vehicle at that time.
Inside the bags were 134 pounds of ketamine, sorted into clear plastic bags in crystallized form, worth about $3 MILLION on the street.
After his arrest, Innis confessed having taken similar actions “at least five to 10 times in the past,” earning up to $5,000 per flight. His accomplice reportedly said he knew the bags had drugs, but didn’t know the type.
Both men were charged for drug importation and smuggling – and released on bond. [via New York Post]
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MARK ZUCKERBERG cracked the $200 BILLION net worth mark for the first time this week as shares for META PLATFORMS continued their steady climb, ranking him #4 on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
Zuck invested heavily on artificial intelligence and augmented reality technology – “the metaverse” – which has yielded significant stock growth for the tech company in the last two years. On Wednesday, the stock closed at an all-time high, and is up 60% year-to-date, thanks to new hardware offerings to deploy these new technologies. Zuck owns 13% of the company.
Heading into 2023, executives at Meta announced big layoffs to reorganize and restructure, ultimately letting go north of 20,000 employees, shepherding in what Zuck called at the time a “year of efficiency.” [via Bloomberg]
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SPACE RACE 2.0: The China Manned Space Agency on Saturday revealed the space suit design it intends its astronauts to wear when it puts human boots on the moon by 2030. The helmets will be equipped with video cameras to record point-of-view video footage and communication technology.
China’s government is asking the public to weigh in with potential names for the suit, especially submissions that bring together ancient Chinese culture with modern technology.
The reveal follows news announced last week that China intends to send two more probes to the Moon before the end of the decade as it prepares to build a permanent lunar base in the mid-2030s. [via South China Morning Post]
MEANWHILE: The SPACEX Crew Dragon capsule that will bring home two stranded BOEING Starliner astronauts arrived at the International Space Station over the weekend, with two empty seats. They’re expected to return home some time in February next year. [via USA Today]
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A New Jersey teenager rescued a downed jogger that was being attacked by a groundhog.
The 36-year-old runner said she stumbled across what appeared to be an injured groundhog, but after approaching it, it charged at her “screaming and lunging.”
“I ended up on my back kicking at it and screaming for about a minute,” she stated. In an effort to stop the attack, the woman said she threw her cellphone at it, but instead of fleeing, the groundhog started gnawing on it.
All the noise got the attention of ninth-grade track star Caleb Morris, who described the animal’s screams as “unsettling.”
Morris used his quick-thinking -- and the power of Siri -- to yell at the gnawed on phone to call 911. When officers arrived, the groundhog was still chomping away on the phone. No word on what happened from there. [via NY Post]
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DEATHS
DAME MAGGIE SMITH has died.
She passed away peacefully at a hospital early Friday morning, according to a statement from her children.
Smith is best known for her roles in “Downton Abbey” and the “Harry Potter” movie franchise.
She was 89.
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Actor JOHN DAVID ASHTON has died.
He passed away Thursday after a battle with cancer. No further details were shared.
Ashton is best known for his role in the “Beverly Hills Cop” franchise.
He was 76.
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Actor KRIS KRISTOFFERSON has died.
He passed away Saturday at his home in Maui, according to a family spokesperson. No further details were shared.
In addition to acting, Kristofferson was also a well-known singer-songwriter.
He was 88.
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Actress BARBARA LEIGH-HUNT has died.
She passed away on September 16 at her home in Warwickshire, England, according to a recent statement from her family. No cause of death was shared.
Leigh-Hunt starred in “Frenzy” and several Broadway shows.
She was 88.
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Actor DRAKE HOGESTYN has died.
He passed away Saturday, just one day shy of his birthday, after a battle with pancreatic cancer.
Hogestyn is best known for his role as John Black on “Days of Our Lives.”
He was 70.
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BABY NEWS
FRANCES BEAN COBAIN and RILEY HAWK are parents.
She’s 32 and he’s 31.
The daughter of the late KURT COBAIN and the son of legendary skater TONY HAWK welcomed a son on September 17, naming him RONIN WALKER COBAIN HAWK.
Cobain and Hawk tied the knot last October.
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BREAKUPS
Reality star KRISTIN CAVALLARI and TikToker MARK ESTES have called it quits after seven months of dating.
She’s 37 and he’s 24.
Cavallari confirmed the split during an appearance last week on the “Call Her Daddy” tour.
No word on what caused the breakup.
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WEDDINGS
LANA DEL REY wed alligator tour guide JEREMY DUFRENE last Thursday at a public bayou where he works.
She’s 39, no word on his age.
The two reportedly met in 2019 on one of his wildlife tours.
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Actress REBEL WILSON tied the knot with fashion designer RAMONA AGRUMA over the weekend.
The pair said “I do” in Sardinia, Italy.
Wilson is 44 and Agruma is 40.
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WEEKEND BOX OFFICE
10. The Substance: $1.8 million (down from 6)
9. Never Let Go: $2.2 million (down from 4)
8. My Old Ass: $2.22 million (up from 19)
7. Deadpool & Wolverine: $2.6 million (down from 5)
6. Megalopolis: $4 million (new)
5. Speak No Evil: $4.3 million (down from 3)
4. Devara Part 1: $5.6 million (new)
3. Transformers One: $9.3 million (down from 2)
2. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice: $16 million (down from 1)
1. The Wild Robot: $35 million (new)
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BY THE NUMBERS
📈 The DOW increased 137 points (0.33%) to close at 42,313 on Friday. The S&P lost 7 points (0.13%) to close at 5,738 and the NASDAQ lost 70 points (0.39%) to close at 18,119.
🛢 WEST TEXAS INTERMEDIATE closed at $68; BRENT CRUDE at $71.
⛽ The national average price of a GALLON OF GAS was $3.22 on Sunday.
₿ BITCOIN was down on the weekend, trading around $65,700 by Sunday.
🛩 There were more than 1,567 FLIGHTS delayed within, into, or out of the United States on Sunday and more than 150 such cancellations.
💰Tuesday night’s MEGA MILLIONS drawing will be for a $93 million jackpot or a $46 million cash payout. Tonight’s POWERBALL drawing will be for a $258 million jackpot or a $129.3 million cash payout.
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SHOWBIZ NEWS
More than 50 individuals have now come forward with sexual assault allegations against SEAN COMBS.
Texas-based Buzbee Law Firm is representing the victims, who include both men and women, and minors.
An attorney for the firm called the “debauchery and depravity, exacted by powerful people against minors and the weak,” “gut wrenching and heartbreaking.”
Combs, who remains behind bars at the Metropolitan Detention Center, has denied all allegations made against him. [via Page Six]
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CHAPPELL ROAN canceled her appearances at the All Things Go Festival over the weekend, telling fans that things have “gotten overwhelming over the past few weeks.”
Her exit comes after sharing her growing frustration with how fans reacted to a clip she posted, saying she will vote for “[effing] Kamala” but only because she is the lesser of the two evils.
Roan also made it clear that just because she was voting Democrat, she has no intentions to endorse either candidate, calling out the left’s “completely transphobic and completely genocidal views.” [via Variety]
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JOSH DUGGAR’s digs have been upgraded at the FCI Seagoville prison in Dallas, Texas, where he is serving his 151-month sentence. According to several sources, the reality star now resides in what is being called the “honors dorm,” a special dormitory for model inmates.
Those living in Dorm 6, with its freshly painted walls, floral arrangements, washers, dryers, microwaves, etc., are all required to hold down a job, have no disciplinary actions against them and abide by a code of conduct. Based on those stipulations, many are questioning why Duggar was allowed in, as he doesn’t have a job, though is reportedly working on a degree, and also spent some time in the SHU for sneaking in a cell phone.
Insiders told The Sun that Duggar has been getting “special treatment” his entire stay, and has been “signing autographs on newspaper articles about him for prisoners’ family members.”
ON THE OUTSIDE: Duggar’s wife, ANNA DUGGAR, regularly visits him, along with their seven children. [via The Sun]
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SHAQ says he spends about $1,000 on Amazon purchases EVERY DAY.
While that is chump change for the former NBA legend, who is worth approximately $500 million, what could one possibly need to buy daily?
“The last thing I bought on Amazon was green laser pointers,” he told Page Six when asked about his purchases at the launch of his Shaq-A-Licious XL Gummies event in Times Square last week.
WORTH NOTING: Shaq won’t run out of shopping funds anytime soon as he has dozens of endorsements, owns stakes in several franchises, is the president of Reebok Basketball, stars in commercials, has a podcast, and is a professional DJ. [via Page Six]
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GEORGE CLOONEY sold his 6-bedroom Studio City mansion for $14.5 million.
He bought the place from STEVIE NICKS for $2.2 million in 1995.
Clooney still has homes in Italy, France and New York. [via TMZ]
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CASTING CALL
Comedian WHITNEY CUMMINGS is set to host “Fast Friends,” a competition series at Max based on the NBC show, “Friends.”
Teams of fans will be tested on their “Friends” knowledge with a series of puzzles. The fastest team to complete the puzzles will be crowned the Ultimate Friends Fan.
Filming starts next month at “The Friends Experience: The One in New York,” making use of several iconic sets from the show, including Rachel and Monica’s apartment, Chandler and Joey’s bachelor pad, and Central Perk.
No word on a premiere date. [via Deadline]
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It turns out JEN and ZAC AFFLECK, stars of “Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,” are not actually related to the famous Affleck brothers, BEN and CASEY AFFLECK.
Jen previously stated that her father-in-law is first cousins with the brothers, and “has met them,” but an inside source claims “there’s no relationship.”
Also, Zac’s family comes from England, while Ben and Casey’s family can be traced back to Scotland.
Regardless, the alleged connection likely led to more viewers of the Hulu show. [via Just Jared]
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“Chucky” has been canceled.
The horror-comedy series based on the killer doll will not be returning for a fourth season, according to creator DON MANCINI.
Starring ZACKARY ARTHUR, DEVON SAWA and JENNIFER TILLY, the show followed the infamous doll whose horrifying murders started to expose the hypocrisies and secrets of an idyllic American town.
The show first premiered in October 2023, airing on SyFy and USA Network. Season three wrapped in May of this year. [via THR]
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Actress ELIZA DUSHKU is moving on from showbiz to focus on her “real calling” -- psychedelics.
The 43-year-old told Boston Magazine that she is now certified in psychedelic-assisted therapy and is working on completing her master’s degree in counseling and clinical mental health.
As for why she made the move, Dushku said it came about after feeling “so wholly unwell” from past traumas. [via Boston Magazine]
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“Hot Ones” host SEAN EVANS wants DWAYNE “The Rock” JOHNSON on his show, but says every time he has reached out the actor turns him down.
“We’ve been pitching [The Rock] obviously for years and one time I got a note back that was like, ‘Would you be willing to do, instead of wings, grilled salmon strips?’ And in my head I was like, that had come from his mouth,” he told Bloomberg.
The podcast, described as "the show with hot questions and even hotter wings," sees celebrities eat wings covered in increasingly hotter sauces while answering equally as spicy questions. [via Bloomberg]
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THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
The real estate developer who purchased YE’s gutted Malibu mansion says he plans to make it look as if the rapper “was never there,” restoring it back to the Tadao Ando-designed masterpiece it once was.
Remember, Ye bought the place in 2021 for $57.25 million, and completely gutted it, something the buyer called “a really dumb move.” [via L.A. Times]
FUN FACT: The developer is a guy by the name of Bo Belmont, CEO of California-based real estate crowdfunding firm Belwood Investments; but that’s not his only claim to fame. In 2013, he was sentenced to five years in prison on an attempted murder charge after slicing a man’s ear with a pitchfork following a dispute. Bo would be released after serving only three years. [via Napa Valley Register]
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WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS
PRINCE HARRY was spotted popping into a tattoo parlor in New York City for about an hour on Friday afternoon, flanked by security. After the imagined, low-speed car chase by paparazzi over a year ago, the NYPD now sends a designated security officer for Harry when he’s in town, in addition to his own bodyguards. Two NYPD police cruisers flanked Harry’s SUV for the trip.
While reps for Harry won’t confirm whether he got new ink, one source tells Page Six he visited the shop as part of some unspecified publicity stunt.
Harry did film a bit for “The Tonight Show” with JIMMY FALLON, where the pair visited a haunted house together while Harry was in the Big Apple – but no word yet what he was doing in the tattoo shop. [via Page Six]
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DAY OF THE YEAR
International Thunderbirds Day
National Hot Mulled Cider Day
International Podcast Day
National Love People Day
National Mud Pack Day
World Stroopwafel Day
National Puppy Mill Survivor Day
Orange Shirt Day
National Pet Tricks Day
National Chewing Gum Day
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ON THIS DATE
1659 - Peter Stuyvesant of New Netherlands forbids tennis playing during religious services.
This is the first known mention of tennis in what would become the U.S.
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1787 - The Columbia Rediviva becomes the first ship to carry the flag of the United States around the world.
The privately owned vessel left Boston on this date, under the command of John Kendrick.
After staging in Vancouver for the winter, the Columbia would begin its return home on February 12, 1790.
Two centuries later, the space shuttle Columbia was named after the ship.
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1882 - The world's first commercial hydroelectric dam begins operation in Appleton, Wisconsin. It provided 12.5 kilowatts of power -- that's enough to illuminate 180 small lights.
It supplied power directly to the Appleton Paper and Pulp Company, the Vulcan Paper Plant, and the home of the president of the paper company. All these buildings were directly connected to the hydroelectric dam -- years before the use of the modern power grid.
Today the site is a National Historic Engineering Landmark.
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1888 - British police discover Jack the Ripper's 3rd and 4th victims.
Elizabeth Stride and Catherine Eddowes were found separately, each gruesomely murdered.
Five deaths have been attributed to Jack -- whose real identity has never been discovered.
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1927 - Babe Ruth hits his 60th home run during his last at-bat of the season. He's the first Major Leaguer to knock more than 60 home runs in a season.
The crowd threw paper confetti and their hats into the air to celebrate Ruth's triumph.
The record lasted 34 years, until Roger Maris hit 61 in the 1961 season.
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1938 - The League of Nations outlaws intentional bombings of civilians -- unanimously!
It was the same day that French, Italian, German, and British leadership signed the Munich Pact. The agreement allowed Germany to annex Czechoslovakia in order to avert war. Neville Chamberlain, the British Prime Minister, declared that they had achieved "peace in our time."
Not so much -- surprisingly, the agreement would not deter Hitler from rolling into Poland the next year.
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1947 - The World Series between the Yankees and Brooklyn Dodgers marks a couple milestones.
It's the first Series with an African-American player in the lineup -- Jackie Robinson.
It was also the first Series broadcast on television, but only audiences in New York City, Philly, Schenectady, and Washington DC could see the game; 3.9 million tuned in.
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1954 - The Navy commissions its first nuclear submarine, the USS Nautilus. The new technology allowed subs to stay underwater longer without having to surface to recharge batteries.
In 1958, the Nautilus became the first vessel to sail — submerged — under the Arctic ice cap to the North Pole.
It would be decommissioned in 1980. Today it's a museum.
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1955 - James Dean dies in a head-on car collision in California.
The 24-year-old movie star was on his way to a car race with his mechanic. The mechanic was thrown from the car, but survived. The other driver, Donald Turnaspeed, only had minor injuries -- and never faced any charges.
At the time, Dean had only appeared in one film and had completed two more that were not yet released.
He was never fabulously rich or famous in his life. But his untimely death immortalized him as a young American acting icon.
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1997 - Australian Prime Minister John Howard’s gun buyback program ends with more than 640,000 firearms acquired, including many illegal semi-automatic rifles and shotguns.
The buy back program did not stop mass killings in Australia.
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2020 - California becomes the first state to pass a law allowing for reparations for Black residents and descendants of slaves.
A nine-member task force was created to come up with proposals for how to make amends for the oppression of Black people.
The law does not limit reparations to only those who are descendants of slaves, but Governor Gavin Newsom required the task force to give those individuals special consideration.
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BIRTHDAYS
Levi Miller - actor, “Pan” - 22
Bella Ramsey - actress, “Game of Thrones” & “The Last of Us” - 22
Landon Dickerson - football player - 26
Drew Dirksen - guitarist - 28
Olivier Giroud - soccer player - 38
T-Pain - R&B singer - 40
Lacey Chabert - actress, “Mean Girls” - 42
Kieran Culkin - actor, “Igby Goes Down” & “Infinity Baby” - 42
Marion Cotillard - actress, “Inception” - 49
Tony Hale - actor, “Arrested Development” & “Veep” - 54
Monica Bellucci - actress, “The Matrix Reloaded” - 60
Fran Drescher - actress, “The Nanny” - 67
Barry Williams - actor, “The Brady Bunch” - 70
Born On This Date
Virgil Abloh - fashion designer - 1980 (d. 2021)
Truman Capote - author, “Breakfast At Tiffany’s” - 1924 (d. 1984)
Buddy Rich - drummer, Buddy Rich Band - 1917 (d. 1987)
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