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Overnight Briefing & General Reality Check - Feb 16, 2015
February 16, 2015
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He's dead, Jim:
Sorry to say MICHELE FERRERO, the guy in charge of Ferrero chocolates and known as the "richest candyman on the planet," died Saturday at age 89.
Michele's dad started the whole chocolate thing when he invented Nutella, the world-famous chocolate-hazelnut spread during WWII when cocoa was scarce. But the company evolved and now makes a line of Ferrero Rocher chocolates, Kinder Surprise Eggs and Tic Tacs, leading to Michele's net worth of around $23 billion dollars, give or take a couple of hundred-million bucks. Michele himself retired back in 1997; his two sons now run the chocolate business.Anniversaries:
The burial chamber of KING TUT's tomb was unsealed, leading (of course) to the discovery of his sarcoghagus (1923). Archaeologist HOWARD CARTER had actually discovered the tomb a year earlier. King Tutankhamen is called "The Boy King," although it's now believed he was 19 years old when he died. You have my permission to play STEVE MARTIN's song, especially since they didn't do it last night on the "SNL" 40th special.
President's Day:
Welcome to President's Day 2015. What's open? Any place that can legitimately hold a President's Day sale.
Just an FYI: George Washington's salary as president was $25-thousand; these days PRESIDENT OBAMA pulls down a $400-thousand annual salary, along with a $50-thousand annual expense account, a $100-thousand nontaxable travel account and $19-grand for entertainment expenses.Idle gossip & unconfirmed rumors:
KRIS JENNER truly feels she's a star among stars. Sources tell RadarOnline.com the enterprising matriarch is planning to drop her last name and use the professional name "Kris." Apparently the sassy brunette feels she's famous enough to go by one name like MADONNA, CHER, STING or ROSEANNE and wants to be represented as a strong, independent single woman. (Lee)
Today's police blotter:
Warning: Note disturbing content!
Cops in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, say they intercepted a group of Walmart employees who planned to stage a Valentine's day massacre.
Law enforcement got a tip from a member of the public which led them to arrest 20-year-old RANDALL STEVEN SHEPHERD of Nova Scotia and 23-year-old LINDSAY KANTHA SOUVANNARATH from Geneva, Illinois. Another suspect, 19-year-old JAMES GAMBLE, killed himself before police could arrest him.
Investigators say the group planned to open fire inside a Halifax shopping center Saturday but cops foiled the plot at the last minute. Souvannarath and Shepherd have been charged with conspiracy to commit murder. It's unclear what the motive was, but officials say the group seemed obsessed with the Columbine killings. (Still)Another Chalk Outline:
New York City managed to make it to 12 consecutive days without a murder, but that all ended Friday morning when ERIC ROMAN was shot in the head and killed around noon on Friday morning.
Cops say he was arguing with the gunman on 89th Street, who also shot him in the hand and leg. There was no description of the shooter, either.
The 12-day streak in the Big Apple was the longest since 1994. -
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