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Overnight Briefing & General Reality Check - Jan 20, 2016
January 20, 2016
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Survey sez:
Some mouths were hanging open yesterday after results from a survey by the American Council of Trustees and Alumni revealed that 10-percent of American college grads think JUDITH SHEINDLIN --possibly better known as "Judge Judy"-- is a Supreme Court Justice.
In the same survey, nearly 30-percent of the one-thousand college graduates correctly thought JAMES MADISON was "the father of the Constitution," while another 60-percent thought it was THOMAS JEFFERSON. Jefferson actually was the principal author of the Declaration of Independence, not the Constitution.Sucking the life out of the wire services:
It probably shouldn't come as a total surprise that CAITLYN JENNER is doing a memoir --about her life from boyhood and as an Olympic hero to her transition from male to female.
Philadelphia talk-show host BUZZ BISSINGER, a Pulitzer-prize winner who wrote "Friday Night Lights," will be writing the story. A longtime contributing editor at Vanity Fair magazine, he also wrote the magazine's cover story about Jenner's transition as well. The book is due out next spring.London tabloids:
Is BEYONCE planning a big surprise for Super Bowl? Rumors are still swirling she's in a "delicate condition" and the UK's Daily Mail features video of the diva covering up her midsection with a huge, Army green jacket after leaving rehearsals for the halftime show. The super star has a history of unveiling her bump at big events; it was back in 2011 when BLUE IVY popped out of mom's red gown at the Video Music Awards. (Lee)
On, off and way-off-Broadway:
The Divine Miss M is heading back to Broadway. The New York Times says BETTE MIDLER will star in a new production of the musical, "Hello Dolly!" This will be the first brand new take on JERRY HERMAN's show in more than 50 years. JERRY ZAKS is set to direct. Bette has not been on Broadway since her 2013 one-woman show, "I'll Eat You Last: A Chat With Sue Mengers." She made her Broadway debut as Tzeitel in the original production of "Fiddler On The Roof" which is back in town, also in a brand new production. "Hello Dolly!" opens April 20th, 2017, and rehearsals begin a year from now. Bette joins a long list of great ladies who have played Dolly Levi on Broadway, including PEARL BAILEY, PHYLLIS DILLER, ETHEL MERMAN, GINGER ROGERS and the original Dolly, CAROL CHANNING who also did a few revivals of the show. BARBRA STREISAND had the lead in the 1969 movie musical, directed by GENE KELLY. (Marino)
Trolling for IQ points:
Some Minneapolis residents are making the best of frigid temperatures.
Twin Cities locals have started deliberately freezing their pants and turning them into icy sculptures. Pairs of frozen jeans standing upright in people's front yards have been popping up all over social media. TOM GROTTING thinks he may have been the first to do it. Grotting posted a photo of his frozen jeans on the "I Love Northeast Minneapolis" Facebook group Friday. But, he says he's actually been creating the frozen jean art for about three years now. Grotting describes the activity as "lowbrow entertainment." (Still) -
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