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Overnight Briefing & General Reality Check - Jul 17, 2014
July 17, 2014
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I'm a Poll Man:
A new Pew Research poll drives home a major perception that a lot of folks have about PRESIDENT OBAMA: He genuinely cares about a lot of big issues, but doesn't really lead on any of them.
Fifty-four-percent of those surveyed believe the president cares about people like them, compared with 42-percent who don't, while the president is also seen as trustworthy by a 51-to-47-percent margin. However, just 47-percent believe the president is a strong leader, as opposed to 50-percent who say he isn't.
And just 44-percent of Americans say the president is able to get things done, compared with 53-percent who say he isn't. (Pacelli)Fast food:
Fast food lovers will be interested in Yum Brands announcement yesterday --Pizza Hut sales were down in the second quarter of the year from tough competition. Taco Bell sales were up, probably because of its new breakfast lineup. And KFC in-store sales were up 21 percent for the quarter.
But shares of the fast-food giant were down nearly two-and-a-half percent.Like you really care:
SELENA GOMEZ may be suffering from a serious lack of self esteem. TooFab.com reports the Disney princess added onto her tattoo collection about a month ago with a new piece of body art that reads: "Love Yourself" in Arabic on her upper back. Word is she had wanted the piece for a while and it took about 30-45-minutes. (Lee)
Fashion Emergency:
G-E, yes, General Electric, that G-E-- is taking one small step into the footwear business. To celebrate the 45th anniversary of the moon landing, G-E is releasing a limited-edition pair of sneakers based on the design of the original G-E-made moon boot worn by BUZZ ALDRIN and NEIL ARMSTRONG back in the summer of '69 (45 years ago Sunday).
The moon-boot sneaks are part of a collaboration between G-E and sneaker brand Android Homme. The unisex shoes will be sold at Jack Threads for $196.90. But you're getting some big bang for those bucks.Fashionista.com says the sneakers are tricked out with a super-durable carbon fiber weave, hydrophobic materials that improve water resistance. And, thanks to Scotchlight reflective materials, they'll light up in a club just like they would in space. Outside of the materials, the shoes also pay homage to the original moon boots in their styling. It has a strap at the top as a nod to the boots' buckle. (Bartha)TV Briefs:
And, your daily reminder that there's now just 13 shopping days before "Sharknado 2: The Second One," premieres, Wed, Jul 30.
Grace notes:
DONNY OSMOND is about to release his 60th album. That's more than BOB DYLAN, but less than FRANK ZAPPA. And, a good portion of those albums were with his brothers. But hey, who's counting? Donny's latest is called "Soundtrack Of My Life" and it's his first for the Verve label. There are cover songs and a few new tunes, but all of them trace the high and lows of Donny's 50 years in showbiz.
Track One is STEVIE WONDER's "My Cherie Amour," which was the first single Donny ever bought, and Stevie himself plays harmonica. Next is "Ben," which was written for Donny in the early 1970's, but since he was on tour and couldn't record it, the song was given to Donny's pal MICHAEL JACKSON who scored a number one single.
Donny also covers PETER GABRIEL's "Don't Give Up." The connection there is that when Donny literally couldn't get arrested in the early 1980's, Peter told him to man up and be a bit more butch. That's how "Soldier of Love" came about which was Donny's big comeback single. The album will be out on January 13th, 2015, but if you get Donny's app at donny.com, you can hear some of the tracks, now. (Marino) -
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