Today is Friday, September 9, 2022.
It is the 252nd day of the year.
113 days remain.
TEN DAYS OF MOURNING
QUEEN ELIZABETH II died Thursday at Balmoral in Scotland.
Here’s the official statement from the Firm:
“The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon.
The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow.”
The Queen’s first-born son CHARLES is now King of the United Kingdom. A formal coronation is likely months away. The BBC reports that he has decided to use his given name as his regnal name, making him KING CHARLES III.
A miraculous double-rainbow appeared over Buckingham Palace in the minutes after news of her passing was announced.
The days following her death have been carefully choreographed, practiced, and scheduled, and include members of the clergy, the military, and various dignitaries, in a complex logistical program called “Operation London Bridge.”
A formal funeral is expected to be held on Saturday, September 17 at Westminster Abbey.
More details further down in a special section.
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Editors’ Note: On Her Majesty’s Passing
By objective measures, Queen Elizabeth II holds world records demonstrating her greatness: the longest-reigning queen; for a time, the longest-reigning living monarch; her image on the most number of currencies around the globe. She’s even the wealthiest queen in the world, with an estimated half a billion dollars net worth.
But during a life and reign that saw the dawn of a hyperconnected world, where speed, movement, progress, and innovation left tradition and convention in their accelerating dust, Her Majesty has been a steadfast symbol of duty and service – of an ideal. Over decades, her consistently measured public persona has inspired abiding calm amid various turmoil and upheaval, especially as modern society teeters toward a precarious future fueled by emotional outrage and noisy division.
From across the pond, we mourn her passing and celebrate her admirable legacy.
Nik & Nikki, Editors
P.S. With the history-altering news of the Queen’s death Thursday, so much in the cesspool of Washington politics and gossip of Hollywood feels trivial. Today we will fold in coverage and news of Her Majesty’s passing with our regular reporting and analysis, but not without the utmost respect and admiration for a remarkable world leader.
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HIT LIST
Average mortgage rates ticked up to 5.89% this week for 30-year loans, marking their highest levels since 2008.
The 15-year rate was also up over 5% for the first time since 2009.
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NASA is leaving the door open to try to launch the Artemis I rocket on September 23 or 27.
BUT WAIT: Launch teams want to be absolutely certain they’ve resolved the fuel leak problem that scrubbed the last launch windows – and may further postpone if they’re not confident the issue has been resolved.
MEANWHILE: NASA has selected a company called Axiom Space to produce the spacesuits to be used on the Artemis III mission, some time in 2025, which will return Americans to the Moon for the first time in decades.
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Jeep is getting serious about electric vehicles. The automaker has plans for four all-electric models by the end of 2025, and will ramp up production so that EVs compose half of all sales by the end of the decade.
The Jeep Recon model is expected to be available in 2024 in North America. Next year, a compact electric SUV model called the Avenger will go on sale in Europe.
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A Houston mother is taking helicopter parenting to new, insane heights.
She was on the sidelines for her son’s youth football game when a defender tackled her 12-year-old son – and by all accounts it was a fair, clean hit. Regardless, she ran onto the field and threatened to slap the defender. Fortunately she never made contact with the boy, but gameplay was canceled.
The mom has been banned from attending games and issued a fine. None of her immediate family can attend future games, either. Worst of all, her son has been expelled from the youth league, and her son’s team must also pay a $500 fine for not controlling the sideline.
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BY THE NUMBERS
📈 The Dow added 193 points (0.61%) to close at 31,774 on Thursday. The S&P added 26 points (0.66%) to close at 4,006 and the Nasdaq added 70 points (0.6%) to close at 11,862.
🛢 West Texas Intermediate ($82) and Brent Crude ($88) were both under $90 a barrel Thursday.
⛽ The national average price of a gallon of gas was $3.75 on Thursday.
₿ Bitcoin ticked up slightly Thursday, trading around $19,300.
🛩 There were 2,918 flights delayed within, into, or out of the United States on Thursday and 100 such cancellations.
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CHARTS
New to Amazon Prime:
Aline (Rotten Tomatoes Score: 58%)
Flight/Risk (No Score)
New to HBO Max:
Moonfall (Score: 36%)
New to Hulu:
Wild Horses (Score: 17%)
New to Netflix:
End of the Road (No Score)
No Limit (No Score)
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DEATHS
DAVID ARNOLD has died.
The comedian passed away at his home on Wednesday. Doctors ruled the cause of death as due to natural causes, per a statement from his family.
He was 54.
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BERNARD SHAW has died.
The former CNN anchor passed away Wednesday of non-covid-related pneumonia.
He was 82.
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BABY NEWS
JOEY LAWRENCE, 46, and his wife, SAMANTHA COPE, 35, both actors, are expecting their first child together.
Lawrence, who is already dad to daughters Liberty, 12, and Charleston, 16, with ex-wife CHANDIE YAWN-NELSON, revealed the news on Instagram Thursday. Cope also shared the news on her own social media accounts.
Lawrence and Cope recently tied the knot in an intimate ceremony in California.
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THE SWAMP
The Department of Justice is appealing a ruling that would have a “special master” review all the items seized from Mar-a-Lago last month, citing national security concerns.
The special master would be able to review all documents and items seized in the raid, much of which included private and personal correspondence that belongs to former President DONALD TRUMP.
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Late Wednesday night the Congressional Budget Office released its formal score of the incorrectly named Inflation Reduction Act.
Turns out the massive green-program spending bill will add $25 billion in annual deficits over the next five years after all.
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Washington D.C. Mayor MURIEL BOWSER has declared a state of emergency as a result of the illegal immigrants being bussed into the District.
She’s spending $10 million to open an Office of Migrant Services to facilitate their arrival. An estimated 10,000 illegal immigrants apprehended in Texas and Arizona have been bused to the nation’s capital in recent weeks.
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LOTTERY
No winner for Tuesday night’s Mega Millions drawing. Tonight’s drawing will be for a $210 million jackpot or a $114 million cash payout.
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No winner for Wednesday night’s Powerball drawing. Saturday night’s drawing will be for a $186 million jackpot or a $102.6 million cash payout.
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SHOWBIZ NEWS
These albums drop today:
Ari Lennox, “Age/Sex/Location”
Built to Spill, “When the Wind Forgets Your Name”
Charles Stepney, “Step on Step”
Holy Fawn, “Dimensional Bleed”
John Legend, “Legend”
Marlon Williams, “My Boy”
Oliver Slim, “Hideous Bastard”
Ozzy Osbourne, “Patient Number 9”
Sampa the Great, “As Above, So Below”
Sarah Davachi, “Two Sisters”
Yarn/Wire, “Andrew McIntosh: Little Jimmy”
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RICKY MARTIN is suing his 21-year-old nephew DENNIS YADIEL SANCHEZ, who accused him of sexual abuse last month.
In the suit, Martin claims that Sanchez threatened to “assassinate his reputation and integrity” unless he paid him off. He also claims that his nephew -- who he describes as a “maladjusted individual” -- bragged about being related to him to anyone who would listen.
Martin believes that the accusations, which have since been redacted, cost him to miss out on several lucrative opportunities. He is seeking $20 million in damages.
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OLIVIA WILDE is doubling down on her story that SHIA LEBEOUF was fired from her movie “Don’t Worry Darling.”
In a new interview with Vanity Fair, Wilde said that she did in fact fire LeBeouf after his co-star FLORENCE PUGH expressed feeling uncomfortable working with him.
LeBeouf disputed her story, arguing that he quit over lack of rehearsal time. He even shared messages and a video from Wilde begging him to return to the cast.
When pushed on the issue, Wilde told the outlet, “He was replaced, and there was no going forward with him. I wish him the best in his recovery.”
SPEAKING OF “DWD” DRAMA: HARRY STYLES, who replaced LeBeouf in the flick, addressed the viral video that appeared to show him spitting on his co-star CHRIS PINE as he returned to his Madison Square Garden residency on Wednesday night.
“I just popped very quickly to Venice to spit on Chris Pine. But fret not, we’re back!” he told the crowd.
As previously reported, a video clip appears to show Styles spit on Pine’s lap as he took his seat at the film festival on Monday night. The incident has since been disputed by reps for Pine.
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About a year ago fans noticed that ZAC EFRON’s face seemed to have changed, specifically his jawline, sparking speculation that he had undergone plastic surgery.
He did not address the rumors until now. Speaking to Men’s Health, Efron revealed that his new look was due to an injury he sustained in 2013. He said that he was running through his house and slipped and smacked his face on the corner of a granite fountain, shattering his jaw.
After surgery, Efron said began regularly going to physical therapy to rehabilitate his jaw. All was going well until he had to take time off to film his Netflix series “Down to Earth.” During filming, he stopped with the jaw exercises, which led to his masseter muscles -- the ones used for chewing -- to overcompensate and grow, causing the shape of his face to change.
Efron told the outlet that he had no idea how big of a reaction everyone would have to his new look until his mom called to ask if he had secretly gotten plastic surgery.
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MACKENZIE SCOTT has made another generous donation.
The former Mrs. Bezos gave $55 million to the nonprofit organization California Community Foundation.
CHUMP CHANGE: Scott has a current net worth of $38 billion, which she collected during her split from JEFF BEZOS in 2019.
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CASTING CALL
The cast of Season 31 of “Dancing With the Stars” was announced Thursday. And the celebrities are:
Teresa Giudice: “Real Housewives of New Jersey” star
Wayne Brady: actor & comedian
Selma Blair: actress
Joseph Bana: son of Arnold Schwarzenegger
Vinny Guadagnino: “Jersey Shore” star
Daniel Durant: actor
Jessie James Decker: country singer
Jordin Sparks: pop singer
Trevor Donovan: actor
Cheryl Ladd: actress
Jason Lewis: actor
Shangela: drag queen
Sam Champion: former “GMA” weather anchor
Charli D’Amelio: TikTok star
Heidi D’Amelio: Charli’s mom
Len Goodman, Bruno Toniloi, Derek Hough and Carrie Ann Inaba will return as judges. TYRA BANKS returns as host, and will be joined by new co-host ALFONSO RIBEIRO.
Season 31 premieres on Disney+ on September 19.
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Filming on Season 6 of “The Crown” is underway – but showrunner PETER MORGAN says the crew will take at least a few days off out of respect for the subject of their project.
In an email to Deadline, he added, “The Crown is a love letter to her and I’ve nothing to add for now, just silence and respect. I expect we will stop filming out of respect too.”
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Popular British children’s series, “Peppa Pig,” has written in its first lesbian couple, a pair of polar bears.
The couple are introduced to viewers as Penny the Polar Bear draws a picture of her two moms and tells Peppa Pig about her family, saying, “I’m Penny Polar Bear. I live with my mommy and my other mommy. One mommy is a doctor and one mommy cooks spaghetti. I love spaghetti.”
The new characters have been met with mixed reactions, with some applauding the representation and others questioning why the topic needs to be addressed in a children’s show.
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SHERRI SHEPHERD’s new talk show, “Sherri,” debuts next week.
She is taking over the timeslot previously held by “The Wendy Williams Show,” which she guest hosted last season while Williams took time off to focus on her health. (The show has since been scrapped).
Shepherd was also previously a co-host on “The View,” a gig she says prepared her for her own show.
“Sherri” premieres on September 12.
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LUKE HEMSWORTH and MILO VENTIMIGLIA have joined the cast of the action-thriller “Land of the Bad.”
Starring RUSSELL CROWE and LIAM HEMSWORTH (Luke’s brother), the movie follows Reaper, an Air Force drone pilot supporting a Delta Force special ops mission in the South Philippines. After the mission goes horribly wrong, he has 48 hours to correct the course.
Crowe will play Reaper. Other casting details have not yet been revealed.
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THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
KarJenner fans think KYLIE JENNER and TRAVIS SCOTT changed their son’s name to “Knight,” after deciding they no longer felt “Wolf” fit.
While many on social media agreed with the thought, some felt the “simplicity” of the spelling did not suit the makeup mogul; especially as her eldest child’s name is “Stormi” with an i.
Suggestions of alternative spellings included: “Night” or “Knite.”
WORTH REMEMBERING: The three names Kylie suggested when KIM KARDASHIAN was asking for help naming her fourth child were “Wolf,” “Knight” and “John.” While most people wouldn’t suggest names they want to use for their own children, the KarJenners are not like “most people.”
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OPERATION LONDON BRIDGE
Here’s an estimated outline of events leading up to Queen Elizabeth’s funeral later this month. While much of this plan has been speculated and reported over recent years, it has not been confirmed or made public.
September 8
Prime Minister LIZ TRUSS has reportedly held an audience with King Charles as the Ministry of Defense organizes gun salutes and a nationwide moment of silence
September 9
The Accession Council will formally meet at St. James’s Palace to formally name Charles King, though by law and tradition he inherits the throne immediately upon the Queen’s passing. Her body will be taken by train from Balmoral to London, where it will later arrive at Buckingham Palace.
September 10
King Charles will begin a four-day tour of the United Kingdom.
September 12
The Queen will lie in state for three days at Westminster Hall on the Parliament complex following a service.
September 13-16
Mourners pay respect and plans are finalized for the funeral.
September 17
The Queen’s funeral will be held at Westminster Abbey, and she will be laid to rest at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle, within the King George IV Memorial Chapel, alongside the remains of her late husband, Prince Philip, her parents, and the ashes of her sister, Princess Margaret.
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Here’s a wonderful story from a Royal Protection Officer that demonstrates the Queen’s sense of humor and humility.
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Given the timing of the Queen’s death and its proximity to the 9/11 anniversary, it’s worth remembering that on September 12, 2001, she ordered that British troops play “The Star Spangled Banner” as supporters gathered and waved small American flags.
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BY THE WAY: The Bank of England carefully reminded everyone that banknotes with the image of the Queen on them – which is all of them – are still legal tender.
In a statement, they added, “A further announcement regarding existing Bank of England banknotes will be made once the period of mourning has been observed.”
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SPORTS
TOM BRADY was allowed to select any narrator he wanted for his new Under Armour ad.
Naturally, the G.O.A.T, went with a fellow G.O.A.T, MORGAN FREEMAN.
The ad the two teamed up on is based on a letter that Brady wrote to any athlete who might be labeled as “the next Tom Brady.”
Here's what the letter said:
“This letter is for you. From what I hear, you're supposed to be the next Tom Brady. What I'm about to say is important: Never let them call you 'the next Tom Brady.'
When they compare you to the GOATs, tune it out.
When they say you're a sixth-round draft pick, store it away.
Compare yourself to nobody but the kid in the mirror -- the one who goes all in, all out, and has the crazy confidence to know that who you are today is just a piece of who you're going to become.
This letter's for that you, the one no one will see coming.
Sincerely,
Tom”
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LIST OF THE WEEK
The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression released its third annual College Free Speech Rankings for the 2022-23 school year.
More than 44,800 students enrolled in four-year degree programs across 208 colleges and universities answered a 31-question survey about their experience and attitude about free speech on their respective campuses. They also answered one open-ended question about experiences in which they felt unable to express their opinions. The data collected served as a basis for the ranking system.
Here are the Top 10 Universities that support free speech:
University of Chicago (private)
Kansas State University (public)
Purdue University-Main Campus (public)
Mississippi State University (public)
Oklahoma State University (public)
Claremont McKenna College (private)
University of North Carolina at Greensboro (public)
Northern Arizona University (public)
North Carolina State University at Raleigh (public)
Oregon State University (public)
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DAY OF THE YEAR
National Teddy Bear Day
Care Bears Share Your Care Day
National Wiener Schnitzel Day
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ON THIS DATE
1791 – The "federal city" on the banks of the Potomac River gets a new name, in honor of America's first president.
Calling it Washington is simply an honorific. The district is named Columbia, historically a poetic reference to the Western Hemisphere.
Since then "Washington" has become synonymous with any power or edicts that come from the nation's capital.
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1850 – California is admitted as the 31st state to the Union.
The republic became a part of America in the Compromise of 1850, a package of legislation designed to end border disputes and territory issues following the Mexican-American War.
With Cali's statehood, the territories of New Mexico and Utah were also organized.
Texas also ceded some land to the federal government, which in turn picked up Texas' whopping $10 million in debt.
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1926 – The Radio Corporation of America founds the National Broadcasting Company, the first major broadcast network in the U.S.
The radio network first consisted of WEAF out of New York and WJZ out of Newark, New Jersey. Half of the company was owned by RCA, 30% went to GE and the rest went to Westinghouse. The first broadcast would not go out until November 15th.
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1947 – A Harvard Mark II computer at Harvard University contract's the world's first recorded computer bug -- literally.
A moth got lodged in one of the computer's relays, frying itself and the computer.
The term inspired the modern use of the word “bugs” for problems with software and hardware.
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1971 – John Lennon releases the album “Imagine,” a collaboration with his wife Yoko Ono and other mega producers like Phil Spector.
Some of the material was meant to be a slap in the face of former Beatles band member Paul McCartney, like the song “How Do You Sleep.”
The cover featured Lennon holding a pig to mock McCartney's album “Ram,” in which he also held a sheep on the cover art – but took it a little too seriously.
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1971 – After the shooting of inmate George Jackson, prisoners at New York's Attica Prison revolt, demanding better living conditions and rights. Almost 1,000 prisoners took prison officials and guards hostage.
Though negotiations initially began, Governor Nelson Rockefeller eventually ordered state troopers to squash the uprising.
39 died, including 10 officers and civilian employees.
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1987 – Pitching for the Houston Astros, Nolan Ryan strikes out his 4,500th batter.
Mike Aldrete was the victim, batting for the San Francisco Giants.
Ryan would finish his career with 5,714 strikeouts in September 1993.
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2015 – Queen Elizabeth II becomes Great Britain’s longest-reigning monarch at 63 years and seven months.
She beat the record set by her great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria.
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2018 - The Green Bay Packers start their 100th season with a 24-23 comeback win over the Chicago Bears at Lambeau Field.
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2020 - Global death toll from COVID-19 passes 900,000.
Deaths in the US surpassed 190,000.
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BIRTHDAYS
Ronni Hawk - actress, “Stuck in the Middle” - 23
Leah Kate - pop singer - 27
Kelsey Chow - actress, “One Tree Hill” & “Yellowstone” - 31
Hunter Hayes - country singer - 31
Haley Reinhart - pop singer - 32
Yung Berg - rapper - 37
Luka Modric - soccer player - 37
JR Smith - basketball player - 37
Michelle Williams - actress, “Dawson’s Creek” & “Manchester by the Sea” - 42
Michael Buble - jazz singer - 47
Eric Stonestreet - actor, “Modern Family” - 51
Adam Sandler - actor, “Big Daddy” & “Grown-ups” - 56
Charles Esten - comedian & actor, “Outer Banks” - 57
Hugh Grant - actor, “Notting Hill” & “Bridget Jones’ Diary” - 62
Mario Batali - chef - 62
Born On This Date
Cliff Robertson - actor, “Charly” & “Spider-Man” - 1923 (d. 2011)
Colonel Sanders - entrepreneur, KFC - 1890 (d. 1980)
Leo Tolstoy - novelist, “Anna Karenina” & “War and Peace” - 1828 (d. 1910)
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