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Overnight Briefing & General Reality Check - Sep 26, 2014
September 26, 2014
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Halloween:
When Halloween falls close to the weekend, it's good for business, and this year it could be especially good as the night to howl is a Friday, resulting in a three-day Halloweekend.
Two different surveys are predicting a major bounce for retailers. The National Retail Federation forecasts spending this year will total $7.4-billion, with a record 67 percent of revelers planning to dress in costume. And a report from the International Council of Shopping Centers is even more upbeat, estimating that spending will come in at $11-billion.
The NRF survey of 63-hundred adults finds says the average celebrant will spend about $78 dollars this Halloween, up from $75 bucks last year.
Spending on costumes is expected to be close to $3-billion dollars, with kids accounting for $1-billion, and pets $350-million. (Kaye)The Internet:
Social media is one of the main sources of news for American adults, and Facebook is easily the most popular social media venue for getting news, according to Pew Research. But that's not at all why these folks are on Facebook: 78 percent say they generally see news when they are on Facebook for other reasons.
Overall, Pew finds 64 percent of U.S. adults currently use Facebook, and just under half of these (30 percent) say they get news on the site. By comparison 51 percent of adults use YouTube, and just 10 percent get news there. Twitter takes third place in terms of news, with 16 percent of adults using it and eight percent getting news there. Next is Google+ in fourth place, with 14 percent of adults using it and four percent getting news there. Finally, LinkedIn comes fifth in terms of news, with 19 percent of adults using it and three percent getting news there. (Kaye)Another @$#%* Press Release:
The diet destroyers over at Ben & Jerry's have struck again. The ice cream company has launched another new flavor based on a "Saturday Night Live" skit and this time it's called (wait for it...) Two Wild & Crazy Pies. The frozen confection is a mix of chocolate cream pie ice cream, coconut pie ice cream and a chocolate cookie swirl. Don't look for it in the aisles of your favorite grocery store --it's only available at Ben & Jerry's Scoop Shops. (Lee)
Sucking the life out of the wire services:
Lots of talk about this weekend's wedding between GEORGE CLOONEY and AMAL ALAMUDDIN.
The press was all over Amal's arrival in Milan yesterday, and the rumors are flowing:
--Venice authorities have ordered access to pedestrian walkways around the 16th-century Cavalli Palace to be shut down for at least two hours on Monday, citing "the George Clooney wedding."
--If there is to be a ceremony at the Palace --which is used for other civil ceremonies, the bride could arrive by gondola from the Grand Canal, offering some world-class wedding photos.
--There have been press reports that George and Amal will be having TWO weddings, a church wedding on Saturday and a civil ceremony on Monday.
--The guest list is reportedly less than 100 guests but BRAD PITT and ANGELINA JOLIE top the stars who are invited, along with MATT DAMON, CINDY CRAWFORD, BONO, ANDREA BOCELLI and LANA DEL REY.Fashion Emergency:
KIM KARDASHIAN was lunged at on the red carpet at Paris Fashion Week yesterday. E! News says Kim-K was accosted outside of the Balmain show by VITALII SEDIUK. He's the same guy who tried to climb under AMERICA FERRERA's skirt at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this summer. Video of the incident shows Sediuk diving for Kim's legs while mom KRIS JENNER yells "Stop it!" and Kim is calling "Babe!" to husband KANYE WEST. A security team grabbed him before he could go any further.
Vitalii later told British tabloid the Daily Mail, "I hope Kim is OK and won't be mad at me as I didn't mean any harm. Kanye is one lucky man as Kim is a goddess. The prank with Kim was my protest that [the] U-S banned me from entering the country."
What Vitalii was referring to was that when he was trying to board a Sep 12 flight from Istanbul to Los Angeles, the former Ukrainian TV reporter learned he had been placed on a no-fly list by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Therefore, he couldn't fly into Los Angeles to begin court-ordered counseling in connection with the incident on May 28 when he hit BRAD PITT in the face at the premiere of the movie, "Maleficient." He was fired by his television network, 1+1 TV, this past June after that incident and he claims he's now a Paris-based "aspiring model." (Bartha)Celebrities Sediuk has assaulted:
--Punched BRAD PITT in the face at the May 28th premiere of "Maleficient"
--Stuck his head under AMERICA FERRARA's gown at the premiere of "How to Train Your Dragon"
--Attempted to do a "crotch hug" on LEONARDO DiCAPRIO at the Santa Barbara Film Festival
--Got BRADLEY COOPER in a "crotch hug" at the Screen Actors Guild Awards
--Crashed the Oscars in 2013 wearing a feathered dress (inspired by BJORK) but didn't make it in.
--Accepted an award on behalf of ADELE during the 2013 Grammy Awards before turning it over to her
--Kissed WILL SMITH on the cheek during the Russian premiere of "Men in Black 3" -
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