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Overnight Briefing & General Reality Check - Feb 29, 2016
February 29, 2016
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Today:
It's Leap Year Day... just one shopping day until Super Tuesday... and three until WrestleMania 32...!
Fast Food:
Were you born on Leap Year Day? If you've got a February 29 birthday, first of all --Happy Birthday! Secondly, there are some great presents for you if you're up for a fast-food meal today!
--Pizza Hut will give you a free, one-topping Personal Pan Pizza to carryout customers with IDs showing they were born today.
--The Hard Rock Cafe is giving a free entree from a special menu for anyone celebrating their birthday
--Buca Di Peppo is offering free spaghetti and a meatball for birthday boys and girls today.
--Also, several retailers, including Foot Locker, Lids, Aeropostale, Lane Bryant, Land's End and Urban Outfitters will offer deals in celebration of the leap year.On, off and way-off-Broadway:
DEREK HOUGH is headed to Broadway. E! Online says the "Dancing With The Stars" pro landed the GENE KELLY role in a new stage version of the classic 1952 film, "Singing In The Rain." The show's producer, HARVEY WEINSTEIN made the announcement Saturday night at his annual pre-Oscars dinner. Derek did two numbers from the musical at the event. The show opens in January 2017. (Marino)
Fashion Emergency:
GIGI HADID had a major wardrobe malfunction on the runway in the Versace show at Milan, Italy's Fashion Week. People Stylewatch says Gigi walked the runway in a black evening gown with blue and coral pink detailing, a cutout at the ribcage --and one breast exposed for nearly the entire catwalking journey. This being Versace, it's possible the breast --er, we mean, the dress-- could have been designed that way, but Gigi later confirmed that "Wardrobe malfunctions happen on the runway every day of [fashion week] and are... unfortunate, lol."
Designer DONATELLA VERSACE didn't seem to mind. When As Gigi exited the stage at the end of her walk of (no) shame, Donatella gave Gigi a very "enthusiastic" high-five. (Bartha)Today's police blotter:
California Highway Patrol officers spent hours chasing after a unicorn.
It happened in Medera County, where police responded to reports of a white unicorn running loose through town. It turned out to be a pony named JULIET, who gets dressed up with a fake horn for children's birthday parties. Juliet broke free from her owner and led cops on a four-hour chase. Eventually, a friend of Juliet's owner showed up on horseback and was able to catch the pony. It's probably the only time in history police have jumped on their radio to say, "the unicorn is in custody." (Still)Tampering with Mother Nature:
Breaking news out of Oregon... a crew of 75 goats was fired by the city of Salem, Oregon following allegations the goats were demanding outrageously high salaries and then not doing the work. This is, arguably, a very good reason to fire almost anyone... or any species. But what were goats doing as city workers in the first place?
The city of Salem had rented the goat crew for six weeks to eat weeds and other invasive plants in a 9.1-acre area of the city. The final price tag was nearly $21,000. That included more than $25-hundred for "goat monitoring" and more than $2,000 for the crew of prison inmates that had to clear the blackberry bramble that the goats were supposed to eat, but didn't. Instead, the baaaaaadgoats ate the plants the city wanted to keep, or they ate tree bark. On top of that, Salem's public works operations manager told the city council that the goats also left behind an --ahem, "heavily fertilized area, if you know what I mean." (We know what you mean.)
The Washington Post says the goats' firing "may come as a blow to the goat lawn-mowing trade, which already is facing an insurgent challenge from competitors that use sheep. This is an odd but growing industry as homeowners and commercial interests are looking for more eco-friendly ways to mow the lawn. Google uses goats to maintain the grounds on its California corporate campus. The city of Boston also hires goats for public works. Chicago O'Hare International Airport employs goats, and sheep and llamas. If you're so inclined to try it, you could even hire goats of your own through Amazon.
Just be prepared for a "heavily fertilized" lawn when you're done. (Bartha) -
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