Blogs Archives

Bill Gates might be the man who saves TikTok in the U.S. The company said Sunday that it’s continuing talks to buy the popular video app in the U.S. and has even had talks with the President, who has threatened to shut down TikTok.

Microsoft said in a statement, “Microsoft fully appreciates the importance of addressing the President’s concerns. It is committed to acquiring TikTok subject to a complete security review and providing proper economic benefits to the United States, including the United States Treasury.”

Trump and other administration officials have been threatening a U.S. ban of TikTok, which is owned by a Chinese company, due to concerns over security and possible data mining. (The Hill)

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It was a rough weekend for Major League Baseball as a bunch of games were postponed because players on different teams tested positive for COVID-19. But, Commissioner Rob Manfred vows that the league will keep playing this season — and hopes to make up the missed games with seven-inning double-headers.

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Workout alert: According to a new study, weightlifting helps keep you from getting sick. Researchers found that added muscle mass revs up the immune system, which helps the body do a better job of fighting infections. (Inverse)

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It can feel unnatural to quarantine. Keeping socially distant is difficult. The surge of new coronavirus cases is proof enough.

A study six years ago showed how much we are social creatures. Hundreds of test subjects were forced to sit alone with only their thoughts for 15 minutes. Most couldn’t tolerate the solitude.

When given the opportunity to end the experiment early, a quarter of the women and two-thirds of the men pulled the trigger and gave themselves an electric shock.

One of the researchers said, (quote) “When people spend time inside their heads, they’re markedly less happy. I think our mind is built to engage in the world. When we don’t give it anything to focus on, it’s kind of hard to know what to do.” (Science magazine)

My suggestion is to communicate often, digitally, with people you know and love.

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The father of Britney Spears defended the conservatorship, which has made every major decision for the singer since 2008.

Jamie Spears stepped aside as the conservator due to a health crisis. His colon ruptured two years ago. Britney has a temporary conservator through August 22nd, when the family meets with a Los Angeles judge to determine how much longer she will have a conservator.

Jamie Spears called the #FreeBritney movement “a joke.” He told the New York Post, (quote) “All these conspiracy theorists don’t know anything. The world don’t have a clue. It’s up to the court of California to decide what’s best for my daughter. It’s no one else’s business. It’s private.”

The #FreeBritney crowd is concerned for her well-being and believes she’s being held against her will. They say she is not allowed to vote, drive or spend her money without permission. All her communications are closely “monitored.”  (New York Post)

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Selena Gomez returned to Instagram on Thursday to apologize for ghosting her 180 million followers over the past few months.

She dropped a minute-long video in which she said that she’d been doing fine, but added, “I just think at the beginning of this year with everything going on, it felt a little insensitive to post things that may be joyful or celebratory. It was really hard for me.”But the time off has been productive. “I’ve taken the time to learn, truly learn about what’s going on, and I continue to make that my priority. I love you guys and I miss you, and there’s so many exciting things coming up that I can’t wait to share with all of you.”

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Today’s the day — Beyonce’s Black Is King is now streaming on Disney Plus.

A teaser for the new movie inspired by The Lion King features Beyonce’s daughter, eight-year-old Blue Ivy. The film is described as being a “celebration of Black excellence and culture.”

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Matthew McConaughey is about to make his debut as an author.

The Oscar-winner has announced his first book, a memoir called Greenlights.

McConaughey says it was inspired by his lifelong habit of writing in a journal. In a statement, he describes Greenlights as “an album, a record, a story of my life so far.” He adds, “This is 50 years of my sights and seens, felts and figured-outs, cools and shamefuls. Graces, truths, and beauties of brutality. Getting away withs, getting caughts, and getting wets while trying to dance between the raindrops.”

Greenlights, which the star says is his “love letter to life,” publishes on October 20th.

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We’ve been talking recently this week about Kim Kardashian visiting Kanye at their Wyoming ranch. But apparently, Kanye living in Wyoming without Kim isn’t anything new. Sources say the two have been living separate lives for some time.

An insider tells Us Weekly, “Kanye has been in Wyoming for the last year. Kim goes about once every five weeks and brings the kids. When together, things are fine between them but they haven’t been spending time together because he moved his life completely to Wyoming and that’s not where their life is, their family is, their kids are in school or the larger family is.”

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Bryan Cranston revealed in a two-minute Instagram video that he had contracted COVID-19 and has recovered. He said, “I wanted to announce that I had COVID-19 a little while ago. Very lucky, very mild symptoms. So I thought maybe there’s something I can do, so I started a program [at UCLA Blood and Platelet Center] so hopefully the plasma donation can help some other people.”

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Ellen DeGeneres has broken her silence on those allegations of a “toxic” workplace at her long-running talk show.

In a memo to staff, the host wrote that she will “correct” issues raised about behind-the-scenes goings-on of the show. She wrote, “As we’ve grown exponentially, I’ve not been able to stay on top of everything and relied on others to do their jobs as they knew I’d want them done. Clearly some didn’t. That will now change and I’m committed to ensuring this does not happen again.”

One of the changes includes firing the show’s executive producer, Ed Glavin.

The memo comes after staffers made allegations of both racism and intimidation. Earlier this week, it was reported that WarnerMedia hired a firm to investigate the show. (The Hollywood Reporter)

Lots of topics were trending last night including:

Herman Cain: The former GOP presidential candidate has died from the coronavirus at 74.

John Lewis: The Civil Rights icon was memorialized Thursday at an Atlanta funeral by three former US Presidents, and the New York Times published an opinion piece Lewis wrote recently to be released on the day of his funeral, offering lots of inspiration for continuing his legacy of protecting democracy.

Los Angeles: A magnitude 4.2 earthquake hit the city but did no damage.

NBA: After going on hiatus because of the pandemic, the 2020 season restarted on Thursday.

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This one hits close to home! Do you and your significant other argue about who will do the dishes? Apparently it’s a lot more common than you might think. A new survey has found that the average American household has 217 arguments a year – just over the dishes. That’s about 18 arguments a month about dishes and the dishwasher. And what are these arguments about?

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Brace yourself for a shortage of aluminum cans. It seems people are buying more canned beverages over the past several months and especially now — and the aluminum can industry is having trouble keeping up. No word yet on what exactly might happen to replace aluminum if it becomes very unavailable. (The Takeout) I’m guessing everything will likely be shipped in milk cartons.

Today’s the day Beyonce’s film Black Is King is now streaming on the Disney Plus service.

A teaser for the new movie inspired by The Lion King features Beyonce’s daughter, eight-year-old Blue Ivy. The film is described as being a “celebration of Black excellence and culture. This one is a must-see for Beyonce fans because she didn’t just make the music — Black Is King is written, directed and executive produced by the Queen Bey.

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Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande teamed up for the smash hit “Rain on Me,” and now they’ll compete at this year’s MTV Video Music Awards — where they’ve each notched nine nods.

The superstars are actually co-nominated in several categories for that duet, including Song of the Year, Video of the Year, Best Pop and Best Collaboration. Ari will compete with herself in that last category, since she’s also nominated for the Justin Bieber collaboration “Stuck With U.”

The Weeknd and Billie Eilish snagged six nominations each, followed by Taylor Swift with five. Producers thought on their feet and added two new categories this year — for Best Music Video From Home and Best Quarantine Performance, the latter honoring a live appearance.

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Shawn Mendes just got a girl’s name tattooed on his collarbone, but Camila Cabello didn’t mind too much — because the girl is Shawn’s little sister.

Tattoo artist Kane Navasard hit Instagram to show off the ink, which honors 16-year-old Aaliyah Maria, calling it “a sweet tribute.” Shawn is no stranger to capturing Aaliyah with body art, as he already has the letter ‘A’ behind his ear, as well as a tattoo of a sound wave of her and their parents saying “I love you”.

Actress Ashley Judd, daughter of Naomi Judd, can pursue a sexual harassment claim against Harvey Weinstein, an appeals court ruled on Wednesday.

A lower court had thrown out her claim because she wasn’t Weinstein’s employee at the time of their meeting.

In her decision, the judge said “their relationship consisted of an inherent power imbalance wherein Weinstein was uniquely situated to exercise coercion or leverage over Judd by virtue of his professional position and influence as a top producer in Hollywood.”

Judd claims that after she rebuffed his advances during a creepy encounter in a hotel room about 25 years ago, Weinstein blacklisted her in the film industry.

The case will now proceed on all claims.

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Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli have sold a big house before heading to the big house.

The power couple unloaded their Bel-Air estate at a pretty big loss. Tinder co-founder Justin Mateen grabbed the 12,000-square-foot home for a steal at $18.75 million — that’s almost $10 million less than the $28,650,000 asking price. What’s even worse, Lori and Mossimo listed the property in 2017 for a whopping $35 million.

This comes a month after the couple’s sentencing in that college admissions scandal. Loughlin has already agreed to serve two months in prison while Mossimo has agreed to serve five months.

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Ryan Reynolds has some good news about that missing teddy bear in Vancouver. The keepsake has been found!

The missing bear went viral on social media because of its sentimental value to a young woman named Mara, and Ryan used his platform to spread the word and offer a $5,000 reward.

Now, Mara has reunited with her pal, who went missing when her backpack was stolen. The stuffed animal has a special place in her heart because it contains a vocal recording from her late mother.

On Tuesday, Ryan tweeted, “In happier news… thank you everyone who searched high and low. To the person who took the bear, thanks for keeping it safe. Vancouver is awesome. #FoundMarasBear”

A good day to read a book, reach out to a friend, have a chili dog and then some cheesecake for dessert. Sounds like a pretty great day.

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And since we’re talking about food…an unsurprising new survey has found that we’re turning to comfort food to get though these tough times. A survey by One Poll, on behalf of toothpaste company Sensodyne, found that 75% of respondents said they are eating more comfort food than ever before. 37% said they are eating their favorite comfort foods every day.

Kelly Clarkson joined the ranks of single ladies earlier this year… And she’s having trouble getting used to living without estranged hubby Brandon Blackstock.

A friend of Kel’s tells Life and Style, “She’s lonely and sad. She’s finding her divorce more difficult to deal with than she anticipated. Kelly thought that moving forward with the divorce was the right thing to do at the time, but now that Brandon has filed documents responding to her petition, she’s having some regrets.”

While the star has been busy with her daily talk show, the insider adds, “It doesn’t help that the divorce is happening during a pandemic — it’s preventing her from seeing her friends in person and going out. She feels so alone and relies on social media comments from fans to cheer her up.”

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Taylor Swift has agreed to change up her merchandise line after accidentally “borrowing” the name of a fashion label, also called “The Folklore.”

Amira Rasool, CEO of fashion brand The Folklore, noticed that Taylor’s album shared the name — but didn’t get upset until she noticed the styling of Tay’s logo looked a little too familiar. Rasool tells InStyle, “I had people who asked me, ‘Oh, did you collaborate with Taylor on these?’ They just assumed that it was a collaboration because of how similar the logos are.”

The designer had her lawyers get in touch with Taylor’s team, and got the matter resolved within 24 hours, with Tay dropping the “the” from the name.

Leslie Jones, Laverne Cox, Josh Gad and Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black) announced the nominations for the 72nd annual Emmy Awards yesterday morning. Jimmy Kimmel will host the live show September 20th on ABC.

Netflix grabbed a record 160 nominations, including nods for shows like Ozark, The Crown, Unbelievable, The Kominsky Method and Dead to Me. HBO’s Watchmen received 26 nominations, and Amazon’s Marvelous Mrs. Maisel picked up 20 nominations. (Variety)

Check Emmys.com for a full list of nominations.

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Johnny Depp’s libel case in the U.K. came to a close on Tuesday after three weeks of dramatic testimony.

Depp sued over an article in the Sun that called him a “wife-beater” during his short-lived marriage to Amber Heard.

In her closing submission, the attorney for News Group Newspapers, owner of the Sun, said, “There is no doubt that Mr. Depp regularly and systematically abused his wife.”

In his closing submission, the actor’s lawyer called Heard a “compulsive liar” and said, “At its very core, we say it demonstrates that she is the abuser, not Mr. Depp. He is no wife-beater.”

Outside the court on Tuesday, Heard said that it was “incredibly painful to relive the break-up” of her relationship and the “most traumatic and intimate details” of her life with Johnny. She added, “I stand by my testimony and I now place my faith in British justice.”

A ruling isn’t expected for several weeks.

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Kim Kardashian lasted one day in Wyoming with Kanye West.

The mogul reunited with her hubby at their ranch on Monday, but by Tuesday morning she was back in Los Angeles. TMZ says Kim flew back “solo” following a “very difficult visit” that included her getting emotional and crying in a car with Kanye.

Kanye’s still at the ranch.

Kim and Kanye reunited Monday for the first time since his wild campaign rally in South Carolina last week and a few Twitter rants.

William Shakespeare wrote King Lear and two more dramatic plays during a London plague. Sir Isaac Newton developed his theory of gravity while forced to work from home. Taylor Swift wrote, recorded and released a 16-track album during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The rest of us mere mortals probably just procrastinated.

A productivity consultant says unrealistic expectations were crushed by reality and led some people to unnecessarily suffer. Marla Cummins added, (quote) “It’s really important to place boundaries and give yourself a deadline.”

She recommends journaling to help organize your goals. Put them down on paper so they’re not sitting around in your mind. Cummins says, (quote) “Write down your thoughts to get out of your own head. You don’t want to stay in your head, it’s a really busy place.” (The Washington Post)

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If you gained a few extra pounds during the pandemic, you’ve got company. The Quarantine 15 became a reality for many of us.

Starting two months ago, alterations picked up for clothing tailors. They say people arrived needing more room around the waistline. One New York City tailor, Porfirio Arias, declared with triggering words, (quote) “Everybody got fat! It’s not only in New York. It’s all over the world that people got fat.”

The shutdown created couch potatoes nationwide. Working from home meant the refrigerator was always within easy reach. Even if you wanted to attend an exercise class, the fitness centers were closed. (The New York Times) Our friends at South Shore Health & Racquet Club suggest getting out to go for a walk, a run, or take a socially-distanced outdoor class to help keep your body moving.

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Stop denying yourself … A new study from the University of Zurich and Radboud University in the Netherlands has found that allowing yourself small indulgences leads to a happier life overall. Researchers found that the long-held belief that self-control will lead to a happier, more successful life is not necessarily true – and that allowing yourself some short-term pleasurable activities can lead to increased happiness and well-being. “It’s time for a rethink,” said researcher Katharina Bernecker from the University of Zurich. “Of course self-control is important, but research on self-regulation should pay just as much attention to hedonism, or short-term pleasure.”  In other words, if you want the cookie, eat the cookie.

Lady Gaga tells Paper magazine that her new “Chromatica” album is about living in the moment. “I’ve been obsessed with the future for so long, going, ‘What’s next?’ And then I turned back and looked at my life. I unpacked all the things I’ve learned that have helped me and that have hurt me, and that taught me infinitely more. Now, the past informs my work. It’s like I was blocked because I was so obsessed with what was next, what was coming, what does it mean to go forward, that I didn’t realize I was already in the future. And where we are, where we stand in the present, is powerful.”

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Bugle 24 says Camila Cabello is covering Beyonce’s ”Single Ladies” for the new Cinderella movie.

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If you’ve ever wondered why artist The Weeknd is missing the E at the end of his name, he says the reason is because of copyright issues. “I hated my name at the start of my career, so I tried it as a stage name. It sounded cool. I took out the ‘e’ because there was already a Canadian band named The Weekend.”

Kim Kardashian jetted off to Wyoming on Monday to visit her husband Kanye West. This is the first time the two have been together since his wild campaign rally in South Carolina a week ago, and the first place they hit up was Wendy’s.

This comes a few days after Kanye publicly apologized to Kim for oversharing. Kanye had revealed that he initially wanted her to get an abortion when Kim was pregnant with their first child and he had said the two of them have been thinking about divorce.

TMZ says Kim and the family have been “desperately trying to get Kanye to get treatment for a serious, bipolar episode,” but he was “unwilling to listen to her…and the Kardashians were at a loss on how to help.”

Meanwhile, Kanye managed to submit signatures before the Monday deadline in Missouri to get on the presidential ballot. It’s still to be determined whether he made the cut.

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The Ellen DeGeneres Show is the subject of an internal investigation by WarnerMedia following numerous accusations of a toxic work environment, Variety reports.

According to sources, employees were notified last week that a third party firm will interview current and former staffers about their experiences on set.

This comes amid reports of racism and intimidation behind the scenes of the long-running talk show. In April, Variety reported that the production crew was outraged when they were told to expect reduced compensation in the beginning of the coronavirus lockdown.

These allegations came after Ellen herself came under fire for not being as kind behind the cameras as she is on the air.

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Johnny Depp is suing The Sun for calling him a “wife beater.” So the tabloid’s lawyer closed out their defense by calling the actor a woman hater.

On Monday, Sasha Wass said in her closing arguments that evidence brought forth in the case showed that a “deep misogyny … lay at the root of Mr. Depp’s anger, and the anger he felt against Miss Heard, which translated into violence when he felt threatened by her.”

Wass claimed that Depp manufactured a “misogynistic persona of [Heard] as the stereotype of a nagging woman” by accusing her of being an unfaithful gold-digger.

Heard claims that Depp had “threatened to kill” her and that she had felt like a hostage during their relationship. He denies being violent toward his ex.

In the wake of the era of COVID-19, you’ve probably blown out your last birthday candles.

Not a prediction of an imminent death, but rather, a prediction that unsanitary traditions will fall by the wayside.

Blowing out candles is equivalent to spitting all over cake. Birthday candles will likely be canceled. A medical study showed that “blowing out the candles over the icing surface resulted in 1400 percent more bacteria.”

A historian said that Americans have blown out birthday candles for a little more than 100 years. “Candles on cakes evolved from extravagance to a celebration for regular people. The original idea was that when you blew out the candle the smoke would carry your wish up to the gods.” (The Washington Post)

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More proof that we’re going to be working from home for a while … Google just announced that they are allowing their employees to work remotely till June of next year. (Business Insider)

Speaking of working from home … Seems people have really gotten used to the flexibility. A new survey of people who are employed or currently looking for work found that 78% of respondents said schedule flexibility in their job has become an “absolute necessity.”

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Did COVID kill Thanksgiving Day shopping? … Whether you were a fan of those pre-Black Friday sales or not, looks like people will be staying home on Thanksgiving this year. Walmart, Target and Dick’s Sporting Goods have all announced that, due to concerns over coronavirus, their stores will be closed on Thanksgiving Day this year. (24/7 Wall Street)

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And, Elon Musk is working on a chip that will let you stream music directly into your brain. One of his other companies, Neuralink, has been developing technology that repairs broken connections in the brain. And, this technology might just lead to the ability to beam music right in there. (Digital Trends)

Katy Perry tried to turn a negative into a positive for her fans Monday, — she softened the blow of her album delay by taking a pie in the face.

She has pushed back the release of Smile from August 14th to August 28th. She wrote on Instagram, “Welp. I hate to throw this bad news at you like a pie in the face… But if there’s anything 2020 taught me, it’s to not get too attached to plans and be malleable.”

To make up for it, Katy promised a series of #SmileSundays, where she’s going to go on Instagram Live to talk about all things relating to the album. She mentioned new merch, and said “I’ll play some snippets… Maybe we’ll go live together… We’ll def have a good chat!”

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Did concert-goers get “closer” than they should’ve at The Chainsmokers outdoor Safe and Sound benefit drive-in concert in Southampton, New York on Saturday? That’s what New York State officials are now asking.

The short video of the crowd retweeted by Governor Andrew Cuomo was initially posted by the CEO of The Chainsmokers’ record label. It certainly appears to show that what was touted as an ultra-safety-conscious, in-car-only event was anything but. It reveals mostly mask-less fans partying at close quarters in front of the stage with no concern for social distancing. According to the label boss, the concert drew 3,000 people in 600 cars.

The event, which included Southampton Town Supervisor Jay Schneiderman as one of the opening acts,  raised money for No Kid Hungry, Children’s Medical Fund of New York and Southampton Fresh Air Home. A Chainsmokers handout promoted similar shows coming up in other cities, including Miami, L.A., Nashville, Chicago and Atlanta.

The governor’s office says they are opening an investigation. In addition the state’s health commissioner sent a letter to Supervisor Schneiderman expressing his distress at what he has heard about the concert and asking how it had come to be. He wrote, “I am at a loss as to how the Town of Southampton could have issued a permit for such an event, how they believed it was legal and not an obvious public health threat.”

As you may have heard, beloved television host Regis Philbin passed away Saturday at the age of 88. His former morning show companion, Kathie Lee Gifford, had this to say about his passing: “There are no words to fully express the love I have for my precious friend, Regis. I simply adored him and every day with him was a gift. We spent 15 years together bantering and bickering and laughing ourselves silly—a tradition and a friendship we shared up to this very day. I smile knowing somewhere in Heaven, at this very moment, he’s making someone laugh. It brings me great comfort knowing that he had a personal relationship with his Lord that brought him great peace. I send all the love in my heart to Joy, to his children, to the rest of his family and to the innumerable people he touched over his legendary life. There has never been anyone like him. And there never will be.” Regis, a 1953 graduate of the University of Notre Dame, will be buried soon in South Bend at the cemetery on the campus.

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Kanye West has apologized to wife Kim Kardashian after claiming she tried to lock him up.

On Saturday, the rapper and presidential candidate wrote, “I would like to apologize to my wife Kim for going public with something that was a private matter. I did not cover her like she has covered me. To Kim I want to say I know I hurt you. Please forgive me. Thank you for always being there for me.”

After apologizing, Kanye went to the hospital for anxiety. A source tells TMZ that he got “uncomfortable” because “there were lots of people inside” his Wyoming ranch.

Kim responded to the claims by asking the public to respect their family’s privacy as Kanye deals with his bipolar diagnosis.

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By the way, TMZ says Kanye West is trying to keep his Presidential campaign alive by spending $30,000 to get on the ballot in Illinois. His campaign team is trying to collect 2,500 signatures. They are paying each potential voter $10 to $12 for signing the ballot, which I didn’t know was actually legal, but it is Illinois

Doctors in South America, South Africa and New Zealand claim the flu has disappeared. Right now, it’s winter in the Southern Hemisphere. The flu should to be raging through communities of people, but hospitals are saying otherwise. A doctor sounded amazed, (quote) “We keep checking for the other viruses, but all we’re seeing is COVID. We were surprised by the decline in the other viruses like influenza. We never dreamed it would practically disappear.” (The Wall Street Journal)

Doctors credit the dramatic drop and near lack of Flu cases to the immense precautionary measures people are taking to combat COVID, including copious amounts of handwashing, mask-wearing, and social distancing.

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Is there an amount of time it takes to get over someone? Seems according to science, there is. But it depends on your age. A study of undergraduate students who had gone through a breakup in the last 6 months found that it took 71% of participants 11 weeks to “get over it.” Another study of divorced adult over the age of 50 found that it took an average of 17 months and 26 days after the divorce was finalized to get over the split. (Your Tango)

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Over the weekend, you may have heard that Regis Philbin has died at the age of 88. He passed away from a heart attack at his home in New York on Saturday. Regis had triple bypass heart surgery in 2007. The popular television host was also a graduate of the University of Notre Dame back in 1953. University officials in South Bend yesterday confirmed that he will be buried in the cemetery on campus and a funeral will be held in the basilica on campus as well.

When Billboard releases next week’s album chart, Taylor Swift’s Folklore will easily be top-ranked.

Republic Records indicated that Swifties bought more than 1.3 million copies of Folklore on Friday. It streamed 35 million times at Apple Music. Spotify reported the album was streamed in the first 24 hours more than 80 million times.

That’s more than any other female artist. The previous record was held by Ariana Grande for thank u, next with 70 million streams in 24 hours. Ari surpassed Taylor’s record for Lover with 55 million first-day streams. (The Hollywood Reporter)

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Ed Sheeran tells the Irish Mirror that he did not know he was going to be a pop star until high school. “I wasn’t really that into music as a kid. I went to high school and picked up a guitar. And then suddenly I started making friends, getting girlfriends, playing in bands and having fun. It made me feel good and I decided I wanted to do it as a job. I did wedding bands for a while, and that paid the rent. I just wanted to play music as a job. It snowballed and I started aiming for things and working harder.”