Born on this day!! TV producer Norman Lear is 98. Actor John Pleshette (“Knots Landing”) is 78. Actor-director Betty Thomas (“Hill Street Blues”) is 73. Singer Maureen McGovern is 71. Actor Roxanne Hart (“The Good Girl,” ″Chicago Hope”) is 66. Guitarist Duncan Cameron (Sawyer Brown) is 64. Comedian Carol Leifer is 64. Comedian Bill Engvall is 63. Jazz singer Karrin Allyson is 58. Country singer Stacy Dean Campbell is 53. Singer Juliana Hatfield is 53. Actor Julian McMahon (“Profiler”) is 52. Actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (“Game of Thrones”) is 50. Comedian Maya Rudolph is 48. Drummer Abe Cunningham of Deftones is 47. Singer Pete Yorn is 46. Actor Seamus Dever (“Castle”) is 44. Actor Jonathan Rhys Meyers (“The Tudors”) is 43. Comedian Heidi Gardner (“Saturday Night Live”) is 37. Actor Taylor Schilling (“Orange is the New Black”) is 36. Singer Cheyenne Kimball of Gloriana is 30. Actor Alyvia Alyn Lind (“Dolly Parton’s Coat of Many Colors”) is 13.
THIS DAY IN GENIUS HISTORY
1861 – Union general George B. McClellan was put in command of the Army of the Potomac during the Civil War.
1940 – Bugs Bunny made his debut in the cartoon A Wild Hare.
1953 – An armistice was signed ending the Korean War.
1974 – The House Judiciary Committee voted to impeach Richard Nixon for obstructing justice in the Watergate case.
1995 – The Korean War Veterans Memorial was dedicated in Washington, DC.
1996 – A pipe bomb exploded in an Atlanta park during the Olympic Games.
2003 – Lance Armstrong won his fifth straight Tour de France, tying Miguel Indurain’s record.
2012 – The 2012 Summer Olympics began in London.
Today Is: Barbie-in-a-blender Day, Love Is Kind Day, Paddle for Perthes Disease Awareness Day, Take Your Houseplant For A Walk Day, Walk on Stilts Day
TODAY ON TV!
Primetime TV (All Times Eastern)
CBS – 8:00 – The Neighborhood / 8:30 – Bob (Hearts) Abishola / 9:00 – All Rise / 10:00 – Bull
NBC – 8:00 – Titan Games / 9:00 – The Wall / 10:00 – Dateline NBC
ABC – 8:00 – The Bachelor: Greatest Seasons
FOX – 8:00 – 911 / 9:00 – 911 Lone Star
CW – 8:00 – Whose Line / 8:30 – Whose Line / 9:00 – Penn and Teller Fool Us
TV Talk Shows
Jimmy Fallon: Mike Tyson, Adam Devine, Chronixx
Stephen Colbert: John Bolton (R 6/23/20)
Seth Meyers: Sen. Kamala Harris, Pete Carroll
James Corden: Anna Kendrick, Alanis Morissette (R 6/4/20)
Lilly Singh: Katy Mixon, Titus Burgess (R 10/7/19)
Daily Show: The Daily Social Distancing Show
Conan: Jesse Eisenberg
The View: Rahm Emanuel
The Talk: Sebastian Maniscalco, Rita Wilson
Live with Kelly and Ryan: Kiefer Sutherland, Michael Symon
Ellen DeGeneres: Nicole Kidman, Charlize Theron, Margot Robbie, Midland (R 10/15/19)
Wendy Williams: Tiffany Haddish (R 1/9/20)
The Real: Ryan Guzman (R 3/16/20)
Kelly Clarkson: Demi Lovato, David Boreanaz (R 6/25/20)
Tamron Hall: Danny Seo, John Quiñones, David Bach
WHAT ARE YOU TALKIN’ ABOUT? Here are today’s PPM-Friendly Topics!
QUESTION: Do you feel comfortable SHARING YOUR POLITICS with others?? No?? Then you’re part of the 62% of Americans afraid to say what they think!!!
QUESTION: Ready for some GOOD NEWS?? A new study says you can EAT AS MUCH PIZZA AS YOU WANT without harming your health!! (Occasionally)
QUESTION: Does this mean their picnic was a GAS?? Woman accosts couple for not wearing masks at a dog park, then MACES the husband with no warning!!
QUESTION: Can they EVER go back?? Not after the bombshell new book that they cooperated with!!! Looks like Meghan and Harry are OUT FOR GOOD!!!!
QUESTION: Did she pick the right time to check out?? “Gone With the Wind” star OLIVIA DE HAVILLAND died this weekend at the age of 104!!!
Regis Philbin Passes
Regis Philbin died Friday of natural causes, family members said. He was 88. “We are deeply saddened to share that our beloved Regis Philbin passed away last night of natural causes, one month shy of his 89th birthday,” said a statement Philbin’s family shared with People magazine Saturday. “His family and friends are forever grateful for the time we got to spend with him – for his warmth, his legendary sense of humor, and his singular ability to make every day into something worth talking about. We thank his fans and admirers for their incredible support over his 60-year career and ask for privacy as we mourn his loss,” the Philbin family says. He hosted a series of local television shows, worked as a page for “Tonight Show” host Steve Allen and served as Joey Bishop’s sidekick on “The Joey Bishop Show” before catapulting to fame in 1985 with “Live! with Regis and Kathie Lee” alongside cohost Kathie Lee Gifford. The show distinguished itself with the often-friendly, sometimes-edgy on-air rapport between Gifford and Philbin — and for bucking daytime television trends when other talk shows trafficked in more sensational fare. “That was the year of discontent on television,” Philbin told Entertainment Weekly in 1992. Geraldo was breaking his nose, Phil was walking around in a dress, Sally was walking around with hookers, Oprah was losing 65 pounds. And here we were talking about what we did last night! Who cared? But I knew that if they could just watch us two, three times in a row that we could hook our share of the audience. And we did.” After Gifford left the show in 2000, Philbin hosted the show with a rotating series of co-hosts until Kelly Ripa joined Philbin in 2001. The franchise became “Live! With Regis and Kelly” until Philbin’s departure in 2011. Philbin was born Aug. 25, 1931, in New York City, and was raised in the Bronx. He studied sociology at Notre Dame, graduating in 1953, and did a stint in the Navy before starting his career in entertainment. He is survived by his wife, Joy; a daughter from his first marriage; and two daughters from his second marriage. His son Danny died in 2014.
*******We think Kelly Ripa had something to do with this!!! (too soon?)
******Did Ryan Seacrest just see his future??
*******At the reading of his will, his lawyer said, “Who wants to be a millionaire??”
Top Gun: Maverick Delayed Again
Paramount has delayed Top Gun: Maverick and A Quiet Place Part II to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Top Gun was set for Dec. 23rd and will now hit theaters on July 2, 2021. A Quiet Place Part II, originally scheduled for Sept. 6 and stars Emily Blunt and John Krasinski, will be released on April 23, 2021. Krasinski also serves as writer and director. The delays come as movie theaters nationwide are remaining closed due to the pandemic. Disney has also recently announced delays for a number of Star Wars and Avatar films. “We truly believe that there is no movie-viewing experience like the one enjoyed in theaters,” Paramount president of domestic distribution Chris Aronson said in a statement. “We are committed to the theatrical experience and our exhibition partners, and want to stress that we are confident that, when the time comes, audiences everywhere will once again enjoy the singular joy of seeing Paramount films on the big screen,” he continued.
*******When you start delaying “Top Gun,” you KNOW America’s in trouble!!
*****Now they just have to figure out how to blame it on Trump!!
******Wny won’t people go to theaters right now?? They “feel the need… the need to breathe!!”
Kanye West Apologizes Publicly To Kim Kardashian
Kanye West has apologized to wife Kim Kardashian for several public outburst against the reality star and her mother, Kris Jenner. “I would like to apologize to my wife Kim for going public with something that was a private matter,” the YZY founder, 43, tweeted Saturday afternoon. “I did not cover her like she has covered me. To Kim I want to say I know I hurt you. Please forgive me. Thank you for always being there for me.” Last Monday, West let off a firestorm of tweets against his spouse for attempting to “lock him up” after his bizarre presidential campaign rally in South Carolina. In a second rant, West claimed that he wanted to divorce Kardashian, while also accusing her mother, Jenner, of engaging in “white supremacy.” The rapper also revealed to the masses that he and Kardashian once considered aborting eldest daughter, North. Kardashian responded by asking the public to respect their family’s privacy as West deals with his bipolar diagnosis. Friends such as Dave Chappelle, Damon Dash and Justin Bieber have all been to Wyoming to check on the artist, who has reportedly been avoiding his wife all week.
*******Good move!!!
******In 2020, he’s a PERFECT presidential candidate!!
*****If he picks Cardi B as his running mate, we’re in!!
Ellen Was Home During Robbery
Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi, was burglarized earlier this month — and apparently, the couple was inside when the scary incident unfolded, according to a new report. Per TMZ, citing sources, they were at their Montecito, Calif. mansion on July 4 when the break-in occurred. They weren’t harmed, reports the outlet, adding that it is unclear if either of them had any contact with the suspect or suspects. Insiders also told the outlet that the couple has since made a number of security improvements, which allegedly include, “hiring a new security company, installing laser sensors and cameras around the entire property” as well as “hiring armed patrol guards.” On Thursday, the Santa Barbara County Sherriff’s Office confirmed the news in a press release. “The residence appears to have been targeted due to the victim’s celebrity status,” the release states. “The exact description of the items that were taken is not available for release, but they are described as high-value jewelry and watches.” An “extensive and ongoing” investigation is being conducted by “sheriff’s detectives and forensics technicians,” authorities said.
*******We think it was the staff of her TV show!! They’re that desperate!!
*******Ellen uses her personality for home security!!!
Elton John’s Ex Sue Over Biopic
Elton John’s ex-wife, Renate Blauel, is suing the singer over his recent memoir as well as the biopic “Rocketman.” John married the former sound engineer in 1984. However, they divorced just four years later. As part of that divorce, Blauel claims they agreed to keep certain personal details about the marriage private. She now claims that both his 2019 memoir “Me” and the Taron Egerton-led biopic contained portions that violated that agreement. According to the BBC, Blauel is suing John for an estimated $3.8 million, citing papers filed at the High Court in London. John allegedly agreed to remove passages from his autobiography before it was published last year. However, she says through her legal team that passages that remain “seriously misrepresented the nature of their relationship.” She also alleges that she was not consulted about being in “Rocketman,” in which Celinde Schoenmaker portrayed her. She notes that she suffered “great anxiety” after the movie came out when a journalist attempted to locate her at her local village. The $3.8 million figure is referred to in John’s defense, with a source close to the singer telling the outlet that he is “shocked and saddened” by the claim after 30 years of “mutually amicable and respectful divorce.”
*******Sometimes divorces just don’t work out!!!
******She knew something was wrong when he showed up for the wedding in a Cub Scout uniform!!
*****She didn’t mind being portrayed in the movie.. but not by a man!!!
Meghan Markle Begged Her Dad To Come To Wedding
Meghan Markle sent text after text to her father, begging him to come to her wedding, but they went unanswered, even on the night before she married Prince Harry, according to a new tell-all book about the couple. “The night before the wedding, she sent her father one last text,” says the new book — “Finding Freedom, Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family”. “He did not reply,” the book says. “Sitting in a bath later that night, FaceTiming with a friend, the bride-to-be said she had left her dad a final message, adding, ‘I can’t sit up all night just pressing send.’” Previous excerpts revealed that Markle was derided as “Harry’s showgirl” by royal staffers, and that she was openly snubbed by her sister-in-law, Kate Middleton. When “candid” photos appeared in tabloids showing Thomas at home in the resort town of Rosarito Beach, Mexico, reading a book on British history and scanning stories about his daughter at an Internet cafe, Markle had refused at first to believe that her father was cooperating with photographers, the latest excerpt said. “Dad, we need to know if this is true or not, because my team is going to try to stop this story running — if you are telling me it’s fake,” she told him, according to sources who spoke to the authors, longtime royals-watchers Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand. “If they do that, they’re going out of their way to protect you, Dad,” Meghan said over the phone, according to the excerpt. “You’re telling me you’re being victimized, right?” But “he lied to Meghan,” swearing to her he had not participated in staging the photos.
******Meghan’s attitude was, “If anyone’s getting paid, it’s ME!!!”
*****This story makes it sound as if he should have waited and gotten paid by Meghan and Harry!!
*******Come to think of it, he’s been pretty quiet lately!! Has someone finally paid him off??
*****He showed up at their house dressed as a cable guy!!!!
Ripping The Tabloids (Throughout the week, we’ll give you the stories from that weeks tabs!)
**Please Credit Publication!
Helen Mirren Acts Tough To Scare Off Bear!-(National Enquirer)
Dame Helen Mirren-who won an Oscar for portraying Elizabeth II-has such a commanding presence she even scared a bear into obeying her when she instructed it to leave her garden immediately! “Bad Bear! Bad, naughty bear! Very naughty bear!” chided the regal 75-year-old actress when the deadly carnivore had the nerve to lumber onto her Lake Tahoe property! “A great big black bear came by and stole all my bird food,” Helen harrumphed. After shaming it for its “naughty” behavior, “he sort of looked at me and lumbered off!”
“Thor” Turning Into Hulk!-(Globe)
Size matters for Chris Hemsworth, who’s out-growing his “Thor” bod to step into the ring as larger-than-life Hulk Hogan. The 220-pound, six-foot-three star’s beefing up for the part, playing the ‘80s pro-wrestler, now 66, in a Netflix biopic. “I’ll have to put on more size than I ever have before, even more than I put on for “Thor,” declares the Aussie actor, 36. “The preparation for the role will be insanely physical.”
Loose Talk-(Us Weekly)
“At a certain point, you just realize you’re happier being honest. You’re happier being faithful.”-Admitting he cheated in previous relationships before he met wife Chrissy Teigen, John Legend.
“We are not meant to be breaking each other down; we are meant to be building each other up.”-Her empowering message to young women, Meghan Markle.
“[That’s] something you don’t see every day-five Spice Girls in their wellies.”-Revealing she went on a socially distanced walk with her former bandmates, Emma Burton.
Hero of the Week-(Star)
It takes one to know one! Chris Evans surprised a boy named Bridger with a special message after the 6-year-old saved his sister from a dog attack. “Let me be the next one to tell you, pal, you’re a hero,” the Captain America star, 39, said in the clip, shared by the boy’s aunt on Instagram July 15. Earlier this month, Bridger wound up in the hospital with over 90 stitches after stepping between his sister and a charging dog. “What you did was so brave, so selfless,” said Chris, adding: “Keep being the man you are, we need people like you!”
Jeremy & Sonni: Still Warring-(Life & Style)
It’s been nearly five years since Jeremy Renner, 49, and Sonni Pacheco, 29, split after just 10 months of marriage-but the ugliness between them rages on. Shortly after the Hawkeye actor filed legal paperwork to have his child support payments reduced due to the coronavirus crisis and accused the Canadian artist of misappropriating their 7-year-old daughter Ava’s trust fund, who alleged in her own court docs that he owed more than $500,000 in back payments and fees. “They fight about everything,” a source notes of Jeremy and Sonni, who says she’s “sick of being continually bullied.” The tension is deep: they really don’t see eye to eye on one single thing. The two of them can’t even stand to be in the same room together.”
Happy Anniversary!-(People)
Nick & Vanessa Lachey
The singer, 46, and the actress, 39, celebrated nine years of marriage on July 15. “I feel incredibly lucky to have found my soulmate and ultimate partner in life and love,” wrote Nick, who has three kids with Vanessa.
Patient of the Week: Tom Hanks-(In Touch)
“It felt like your older brother had held you down and just kept [punching] you in the buttocks until you said something like, ‘I love Flipper!’ My butt was so sore.”
-describing his COVID-19 symptoms.
STUPID NEWS
Robot Delivers Lottery Check
The first in-person check presented to a lottery winner in Quebec since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic was presented by an official immune to the disease — a human-sized robot. Loto-Quebec said it employed the use of a robot designed by a student club at the Montreal-based Ecole de Technologie Superieure, in partnership with Centech, to present Guylaine Desjardins with her check for $4.47 million. Lottery officials said during the ceremony, which was broadcast on Facebook Live, that no human hands had touched the check for the 72 hours before the robot handed it over to Desjardins. Desjardins won her jackpot from the July 1 Lotto 6/49 drawing, but she said it took a while for her to discover her win because she only checks her tickets after every four drawings. She said her plans for her winnings include buying a three-wheeled motorcycle and celebrating with her two sons.
********Any money left over… you can send to us???
*****This is the future of the human race: everybody stays home, and robots bring us everything we want!!
****The robot has no personality… mostly because it’s Canadian!!
Game Used To Find Owner Of Nintendo Switch
Police in Taiwan said they identified the owner of a lost Nintendo Switch by using a function in the popular game Animal Crossing to send postcards to other players. The Taipei City Police Department said officers at a station in the Daan district recently received a lost Nintendo Switch and they were unable to find any information on the console that would identify its owner. The department said an officer who was familiar with the game Animal Crossing, which was loaded onto the console, had an idea to use the game to contact people who might know the Switch’s owner’s identity. The officer used the game’s postcard function, which allows players to send messages to other players who are on their in-game friends list, to contact the owner’s friends with a note explaining the situation and giving contact information for the police station. Police said the message proved successful and the owner was soon identified and reclaimed his Switch.
******Wow… if only we understood what just happened!!!
*****Amazingly, this hard-core video game player was at home!!
Million Dollar Home Raffled For $2.55
The owner of a house in England valued at more than $1.5 million is offering it as the prize of a raffle to benefit a pair of hospice charities — and tickets only cost $2.55 each. Peter Pearce said his “Dream Home Prize Draw” raffle is offering the West Sussex home, known as “Painter’s Keep,” with proceeds from the ticket sales being donated to St. Barnabas House, the hospice that cared for his late father, and Chestnut Tree House, a hospice charity that cares for children with life-shortening conditions. Pearce said the raffle was inspired by an emergency appeal for donations St. Barnabas House issued in the wake of COVID-19. Pearce said he has owned the house for about 20 years and major renovations were completed in 2018. Aspiring homeowners can enter the raffle at the contest’s website through Aug. 31.
*******You may get the house for $2.55… but then you have to pay taxes on it!! There’s always a catch!!
*******Oh, and owner gets to keep living in it!!!
Black Panther Turns Out To Be Stuffed
A British police department said officers responding to a report of a “large apex predator” — a black panther — in a public park arrived to find the supposed dangerous animal was only a stuffed toy. Horsham Police said officers were summoned to a park in the Steyning area of West Sussex, England, on a report of a big cat on the loose. The department said the officers who arrived at the scene didn’t immediately realize that what initially appeared to be a black panther was actually a stuffed toy. “Reports of a large apex predator in the Steyning area turned out to be true,” Horsham Police tweeted. “It may be a stuffed toy, but the attending officers didn’t necessarily know that at first.” See the photo HERE.
*******Maybe people are little panicky right now??
******The “cat” seemed “cat-a-tonic!!”
STUFF THAT’S COOL AND VIRAL
VIDEO: CUTOUT OF A DODGER FAN GETS HIT BY A HOMERUN!
VIDEO: CRAZY KAREN MACES FAMILY FOR NOT WEARING MASKS WHILE EATING.
A LIST FOR MONDAY
8 Contactless Payment Apps To Help You Avoid Touching Cash
Huffington Post
Google Pay
Google Pay, the mobile wallet app formerly known as Android Pay, allows Android users to pay for purchases using their phones anywhere that supports near field communication (NFC) payments. Users can also perform peer-to-peer transactions using Google Pay, as well as pay for in-app and online purchases.
Google Pay is accepted at almost all major retailers, and supports credit cards from most major issuers including American Express, Chase and Discover. If your card isn’t supported, you can link the app with your PayPal account instead, Barker said. “Just keep in mind that while debit card payments are free, credit payments incur a fee of 2.9%,” she added.
Apple Pay
Apple Pay, designed for Apple device users, is also one of the most popular mobile wallets used for contactless payment. You can use your phone or Apple watch to pay for purchases at NFC contactless payment terminals with Apple Pay, as well as use it for in-app and website purchases. “You also have the option of sending cash to other users using the app, which can be done by asking Siri or via an iMessage,” Barker said.
Apple Pay is relatively widely accepted, although not at as many retailers as Google Pay (you can search within Apple Maps for stores that accept it). While debit card payments are free, credit card transactions incur a 3% fee.
Samsung Pay
Samsung Pay is the third major player when it comes to mobile wallets. It works similarly to both Google and Apple Pay, but it’s meant to be used specifically by Samsung Galaxy owners (you have the option of using either Google Pay or Samsung Pay on your Galaxy, but must choose one as your default).
It can also be used at just about any payment location; in addition to NFC technology, Samsung employs magnetic secure transmission (MST) technology, allowing users to pay where traditional magnetic cards are swiped.
PayPal
In an effort to expand beyond its dominance of the online payment market, PayPal released its own contactless payment app. “However, while PayPal has always been strong on security, its app has been less widely embraced by retailers than the above-mentioned apps,” Barker said.
She added that the PayPal app is particularly useful for person-to-person transfers. These payments are free, as long as the money is coming from your PayPal account or a linked bank account. If you use a linked debit card, however, a fee is charged.
Venmo
The Venmo app allows you to send money to friends and family, as well as to make purchases at stores. “Much like PayPal, you can use funds you have stored in the app or use money from a card or account you have linked to the app,” said Freya Kuka, personal finance blogger and founder of Collecting Cents. There are no fees to send money unless you are using a credit card, in which case it costs 3% of the transaction amount.
Additionally, transfers from a user’s Venmo balance to their bank account usually takes about one to three days. If you want the money to hit the account instantly, you can pay $0.25.
Zelle
Zelle is a payment app that allows you to instantly transfer money to someone using their email or phone number. The person you send money to doesn’t have to have the Zelle app; all they need is a U.S. bank account to receive the money. However, if they don’t have the app, the transaction could take up to three business days to complete. It’s also possible to send money via your mobile banking app if Zelle is integrated. There are no fees to use the service.
“The only con with Zelle is that it cannot be used to make purchases at stores or online,” Kuka said. “It is strictly used to send money to people you already know or have some sort of relationship with since you will need their email address or phone number to make the transaction.”
Cash App (Square)
The Cash app, developed by mobile payments company Square, allows users to send peer-to-peer payments, make donations and even tip professionals. You need a phone number or email to create an account. You then link a debit or card and create a username (known as your “$Cashtag,” which allows you to send and request money with anonymity if that’s what you desire.
Debit transactions are free, while credit cards require a fee of 3%. The transaction limits are also lower than most other apps; you can send up to $250 within a 7-day period and receive up to $1,000 per 30-day period. You can increase those limits by adding more identity verification information, such as your Social Security number.
Facebook Messenger
Social media giant Facebook also got into the mobile payments game, allowing users to send and receive money through the Messenger app. To make a peer-to-peer payment, you need to start a message with the other person, select the option to send money, and choose your amount.
You need to have a debit card or PayPal account linked with Messenger to use this feature, and transfers can take up to three business days for banks to accept. For added security, you can also create a PIN.
The preceding material was compiled and edited by Brandon Castillo. The Editor-In-Chief is Gary Bryan. The Radio Genius Show Prep Service is licensed for use on-air only by subscribing radio stations. Other means of redistribution is forbidden.
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