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Overnight Briefing & General Reality Check - May 29, 2015
May 29, 2015
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Posturing, Posing and Press Releases:
And then there were eight!
Former NY Gov. GEORGE PATAKI became the eighth declared Republican candidate for president yesterday, using an online video, and the following that up with an announcement in Exeter, NH. Pataki --who served three terms-- has not held office since 2006 and barely registers in opinion polls.
He wasted little time in attacking HILLARY CLINTON, saying, "She speaks for the middle class? They are the party of privilege; we are the party of the middle class." (Pacelli)Culture Shock:
Warning --note content:
With the unfortunate demise of a woman who jumped from the span a week ago, the George Washington Bridge connecting Fort Lee, New Jersey to New York City has tallied 10 suicides so far this year, with Port Authority Police stopping another 26 jumpers.
The Port Authority only started keeping track of suicides from the GWB in 2013, with 16 recorded that year and 18 in 2014. NJ.com reports the agency is finally at work on a $35 million to $50 million-dollar anti-suicide fence that should be completed by 2024. The time and expense are due to the fact that any old chain link fence won't do: it has to be engineered to be strong enough to stop people determined to end their lives, with a grid that won't allow them to get a toe-hold; but it has to be porous enough not to catch too much wind for the structural health of the bridge.
Among the sad roster: a 22-year-old Minnesota woman with terminal cancer threw herself off the bridge early this month, followed the next morning by the death of another woman not yet identified. In March, two people threw themselves to their deaths only minutes apart in what appeared to be unrelated suicides. In April 2014, a man and a woman seen holding hands jumped to their deaths in an apparent suicide pact. (Kaye)Today's police blotter:
A Georgia sixth-grader learned his lesson after prank calling 9-1-1.
The Savannah boy's parents weren't impressed when they found out the kid dialed the emergency number just to say a vulgar phrase and hang up. So, they made him pen a handwritten letter of apology, then drove him to the police station to hand deliver it. The letter read, in part: "I know this was stupid but I was not listening to myself but I knew it was wrong... I know there will be consequences for my actions and I will not (complain) about them."
Officials turned the incident into a learning experience and gave the family a tour of the 911 dispatch center. (Still)Broadcast, cable and video news:
That Lifetime series, "The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe," is on this weekend, with part one Saturday night and the second on Sunday. It's only appropriate, since Marilyn would be 89 years old this Monday (Jun 01).
KELLI GARNER stars as the legend with SUSAN SARANDON as her mentally disturbed mother. Interestingly, EVA AMURRI MARTINO, Sarandon's daughter, plays a young Marilyn who gets taken away from her mom, and then in rapid succession, getting raised by a guardian, spending time in an orphanage, and then getting married at 16 just because she needed a place to stay.
There's also scenes of her romance with JOE DIMAGGIO and JOHN F KENNEDY as well.Grace notes from Vinny Marino:
Don't expect MARIAH CAREY to be back for the final season of "American Idol." She told an Australian radio station's morning show (quote), "Hell no! Absolutely not! That was the worst experience of my life. It's so boring and so fake. You have to make up things to say about people. Half the time the performances are good. You'd just be like, 'It was good!'" Mariah also said she really hated all the nonsense with NICKI MINAJ at the judge's table. Mariah said (quote), "I don't think they had any intentions for us to have a good experience doing that show. Pitting two females against each other wasn't cool. It should've been about the contestants instead of about some nonexistent feud that turned into even more ridiculousness." (Marino)
Top-10 Sports salaries:
Salaries are up five percent in just the last year in sports, and Forbes magazine has ranked the top-100 highest-paid athletes in the world (including salary and endorsements). The top 10:
10. Matt Ryan (football), $43.8 million
9. Rafael Nadal (tennis), $44.5 million
8. Phil Mickelson (golf), $53.2 million
7. Roger Federer (tennis), $56.2 million
6. Tiger Woods (golf), $61.2 million ($55 million in endorsements)
5. Kobe Bryant (basketball), $61.5 million
4. Lionel Messi (soccer), $64.7 million
3. LeBron James (basketball), $72.3 million ($53 million in endorsements)
2. Cristiano Ronaldo (soccer), $80 million
1. Floyd Mayweather (boxing), $105 million ($0 in endorsements) -
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