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CONNECT SELECT
      A wide selection of interesting and trending stories – rip ‘em, read ‘em
                                    & post ‘em!
                      FOR THURSDAY, July 30th, 2020
TODAY IS…
     NATIONAL FATHER-IN-LAW DAY – Sure, he may be terrifying, but fathers-in-law are
      people too.
     NATIONAL CHEESECAKE DAY – Break out your expandable waistband pants and
      grab a spoon! Cheesecake dates back to Ancient Greece, when it was served to athletes.
      (Not sure if it was a reward, or to sabotage their training)
     NATIONAL INTERN DAY (Celebrated on the last Thursday of July) – It’s fun to
      boss someone around, but remember: interns are people too (usually).
     NATIONAL CHILI DOG DAY (Last Thursday of July) – Chili…CHECK!
      Hotdog…CHECK! Terrible gas….THAT TOO! They’re not quite sure exactly where and
      when the chili dog was invented - most likely around the late 1800s - but it’s since become a
      summertime favorite and a sure-fire way to ruin a first date!

BIRTHDAYS:
     HILLARY SWANK, 47 – Actress. She’s starred in ‘Million Dollar Baby,’ ‘Boys Don’t Cry.’
      And ‘P.S. I Love You.’
     LISA KUDROW, 58 – Actress. She’s best known as Phoebe from ‘Friends.’ Swap ‘Smelly
      Cat’ for today’s birthday tune.
     ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER, 74 – Actor. He'll be back…for another slice of
      birthday cake
     PAUL ANKA, 79 – Singer. He’s the Canadian crooner responsible for songs like ‘Diana,’
      ‘Lonely Boy,’ and ‘Put Your Head on My Shoulder.’
     JOEY KING, 21 – Actress. She’s starred on ‘The Act’ and ‘The Kissing Booth.’
     TERRY CREWS, 52 – Actor. He went from football player to actor, comedian and TV
      host.
     GINA RODRIGUEZ, 37 – Actress. The star of TV's 'Jane the Virgin.’

TRENDING/ODD:
FIRST DOG TO TEST POSITIVE FOR COVID IN U.S. DIES (00:24)

The first dog to test positive for COVID in the U.S. has died. Buddy was a 7-year-old German
shepherd. National Geographic says the dog died earlier this month in New York City. Vets say he
had cancer - they're not exactly sure if that made him more susceptible to the virus, or even if it was
the coronavirus that killed him. While more than 4 million people in the US have been diagnosed
with COVID, it's been detected in just a couple dozen pets.

BUFFALO WOMAN’S OBIT ‘KILLS’ (00:25)
A woman from Buffalo died last week but it's her obituary that's 'killing' on the internet. The hilarious
send-off highlights 5 main things about Carole Scarsella: she was a devoted mom and grandma, and
she loved to read. It also said she smoked "millions of cigarettes", loved playing the slots; she was a
huge Yankee fan; she loved LeBron James but "HATED Tom Brady" ('hated' was in all-caps). The
tribute was written by her daughter and has been shared thousands of times.

RODNEY KING CAMERA FOR SALE (00:19)
It's the most famous video camera since the one used to record Kim Kardashian's sex tape: the
Sony 'Hi-8' camera that captured LA cops beating on Rodney King is now up for auction. Starting
big: 225-grand! (But it comes with a power adapter and battery case) King was pulled over and
beaten during a traffic stop. The video ultimately led to charges, but when the cops got off, LA
burned for days.

RED LOBSTER EMPLOYEE FINDS RARE BLUE LOBSTER (00:15)
The lobster at Red Lobster isn't always 'red'. A Red Lobster in Ohio was shipped a rare, blue lobster.
Instead of making him someone’s dinner, a staffer reached out to the Akron Zoo - who took him. And
what do you name a rare lobster? Why, 'Clawde', of course.

US REACHES GRIM COVID MILESTONE (00:18)
Remember when the government warned that coronavirus deaths could reach 100-thousand by the
end of the year?...Well, it's still July and America just hit 150-thousand COVID deaths. And now,
they're predicting we could reach 200-thousand before October. About a quarter of all world's
COVID deaths happened in the US.

INMATES SAVE DEPUTY'S LIFE (00:28)
It's almost too good to be true; jail inmates save the life of a deputy on duty in Georgia. As the
Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office tells it, the deputy passed out and crashed hard onto the concrete
floor. The inmates started banging on their doors. It was a thunderous sound. Shocked, the deputy
woke thinking someone needed help. He opened the cell doors but lost consciousness again. Three
inmates rushed out and used his radio to call for help. The sheriff's office says they're proud of the
inmates. (Because you know that could have gone really, really wrong.)

CRIME

DEA SCAM (00:18)
Some scammers are pretending to be DEA agents and ripping people off. They're spoofing DEA
phone numbers so they look legit on your caller ID and demanding money, or you'll go to jail. Two
big tip-offs, here: 1, the real DEA doesn't ask for payment on gift cards or wire transfers. And 2, the
real DEA never calls you asking for money anyway.

COPS BREAK UP SUSPECTED COVID ‘CURE’ SCAM (00:18)

A guy in Utah is in trouble for selling silver as some magic coronavirus cure. He wore a lab coat and
stethoscope in online videos, making him look legit. His former company was called "My Doctor
Suggests," and what he was "suggesting" was swallowing something that had no medical evidence
behind it. He now faces federal charges.

BIG EXEC WHO MOONLIGHTS AS A DJ NOW IN TROUBLE (00:26)
Goldman Sachs' CEO moonlights as a DJ, and it's that gig that's got him in trouble! He was the
opening act at an electronic dance party in the Hamptons that is under investigation. The thousands
who partied may have violated New York's social distancing rules. The event was for charity. The
Chainsmokers performed. The CEO's spokesperson insists he left before it got crowded. The health
department is investigating how the town and venue signed off on such a big event.

HEALTH/SCIENCE/TECHNOLOGY

MASKS MESSING WITH FACIAL RECOGNITION SOFTWARE (00:25)
You're not the only one having trouble recognizing your friends and neighbors. A new study finds
even the best facial recognition software can't identify people when they're wearing a mask. Some of
the programs have a 50-percent error rate. Now a US government agency is looking into fixing that.
It's not just cops that are having a hard time…Apple had to alter its operating system because
people couldn't unlock their phones with their faces.

NASA WILL LAUNCH GIANT BALLOON (00:19)
NASA's building a giant balloon it plans to send (almost) into outer space. The thing will be 400-feet
wide, or about the size of a football field. It'll carry a bunch of infrared equipment that will look past
the Earth's atmosphere and out into deep space. Bummer that they're gonna launch it at the South
Pole, where we won't be able to see it.

SURVEY SAYS: CLEANING PRODUCTS OVERKILL? (00:27)
Funny, not funny. The way Americans are using disinfectants. Clorox Wipes are not meant for the
body or to wash food. A new survey finds 60-percent of us are cleaning our home more than ever.
But also going to the extreme. Nearly 20 percent admit to using bleach on their fruits and veggies.
Ten percent say they've "misted" their body with a cleaning product. And 6 percent say they've
inhaled the vapors. Less than five percent say they've gargled or drank some sort of cleaning
solution.

YOUR MONEY/SHOPPING
SLIP ’N SLIDE MORE POPULAR THAN EVER (00:20)
Thanks to COVID, Slip 'n Slide sales are making a huge splash! The company that makes them says
demand has tripled this year, and they've sold out! It doesn't hurt that just about every waterpark in
America is closed, and parents are looking for fun stuff to do in their own backyards. The same
company also makes Frisbee's - and sales of those jumped 500 percent!

LUXURY PURSE GETS BLASTED FOR LOOKING LIKE DOGGY BAG (00:21)
There’s a Bottega handbag that costs 22-hundred bucks! And that’s not the worst part. It looks like
something you’d carry your laundry in. And now the internet is taking turns crapping all over it.
Some are tweeting memes about it looking like something you’d carry out of the dog park. The

luxury brand says they come in a few colors, including black and ‘zabaione’ (which is just a fancy
way to say baby poop-brown).

KFC CROCS SELL OUT (00:20)
After much hype the KFC crocs went on sale and sold out within minutes. The crocs that look and
smell like fried chicken were priced at 60-bucks. Now they're being re-sold for as much as much as
250 a pair. All to wear a bucket of chicken! Fans who waited for them say it was all bots and
scalpers who bought them up, leaving loyal KFC lovers feeling jilted.

NEW LAMBO - ONLY 40 MANUFACTURED (00:26)
It's the newest super car just released by Lamborghini. It's known as the Essenza SCV12. Only 40 of
them will be produced, but there's a catch. They're not legally allowed to be driven on public roads.
In fact - the company asks that if you do buy one for about 2 million bucks, that you let them keep it
for you in a special garage at Lamborghini headquarters in Italy. But - you WOULD have access to a
live webcam feed to - LOOK at the car, when you can't drive it.

BLM AND YOUR PURCHASING POWER (00:17)
Advertisers are looking at how women associate the Black Lives Matter movement with their
shopping experience. A new survey finds more than 40 percent say how a brand responds would
impact future purchasing decisions. Fifty percent say a brand's diverse hiring practices would also
bring loyalty.

LIFE/FAMILY
POLL: AMERICANS EATING MORE COMFORT FOOD THAN EVER (00:18)
It's not just you; most Americans say they're also eating more 'comfort food' than ever before. Three-
quarters of us are pounding back junk to help cope with the pandemic, and nearly 4-in-10 Americans
say they're eating it daily. Most of us (6-in-10) say our 'go-to' pandemic comfort food was ice cream,
followed by chocolate and candies.

WORRY OVER KIDS GOING HUNGRY NOT BEING IN SCHOOL (00:22)
If students don't go back to school or do just part-time in class, a real issue for moms and dads is
feeding the kids. Three meals a day at home? That adds up! A new poll finds children of color will
suffer the most if classes are held online. More than 40 percent of parents saying they're worried
their kids won't get enough to eat. Just under 10 percent of white parents have the same concern.

TEACHERS TOLD TO STRIKE IF SCHOOLS DON'T FEEL SAFE (00:19)
After a summer heavy in protests, are you ready to see teachers strike? The country's big teachers
union gave educators the green light if their school district reopens without proper safety
precautions. There's more than a million and a half members in the American Federation of
Teachers. Their leader says they've been left feeling afraid with the pandemic.

ENTERTAINMENT
EMMYS GOING VIRTUAL (00:28)
If you didn't care for the Emmys before, you'll really not give a crap now that the awards show is
going 'virtual'. Producers say the annual extravaganza will be held without a live audience - which
will also mean no 'Red Carpet'. Producers and Emmy host Jimmy Kimmel say they're working on

making the show as entertaining and celebrity-packed as possible. That includes setting up live
cameras at the homes of nominees. On the plus side: now when a speech goes long, they can just
end the call.

MEMBER OF ‘THE ROOTS’ DIES (00:21)
One of the founding members of The Roots has died. Malik B started the band, along with
'Questlove' and 'Black Thought' back in the late 80s. He was instrumental in 4 of the group's early
albums, but left the iconic crew in the early 2000s, only returning to record a few tracks. Malik B was
47 - his former bandmates call him 'one of the most gifted MCs of all time'.

‘JEOPARDY!’, ‘WHEEL OF FORTUNE’ GET NEW SOCIALLY-DISTANCED SETS
(00:16)
Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune are finally producing new shows and they'll be shooting them in
new, socially-distanced studios. Contestants will have a bit more space between them, and the host
won't get as close as they used to. And the entire production crew will be masked-up.

NY'S GOVERNOR SAYS BRING BASEBALL HERE (00:22)
New York's governor says he'd be happy to host Major League Baseball in his state. With the
coronavirus spiking in places like Florida and Arizona, Governor Cuomo says New York is safe with
one of the lowest infection rates. Plus the state has a full health department protocol and testing
system in place. Already, the Toronto Blue Jays will be playing their regular season in Buffalo.

UNIVERSAL PICTURES PUSH FOR NEW RELEASES AT HOME (00:26)
Expect certain movies to not sit long in the theaters once they reopen. Universal Pictures has made
a deal with AMC where movies can be available on-demand at home, three weeks after their run in
the theaters. They'll still cost a premium to watch at home, but could go down in price three months
after release. Time to invest in a recliner and popcorn maker. Other theaters like Cineworld say AMC
made the wrong move, and that there's no business sense in the deal.

WEEKEND / "ICYMI"
BARBIE RUNS FOR PRESIDENT (00:19)
We're 96 days out until the presidential election. Barbie is ready to go! Mattel has released a set of
"2020" campaign team Barbie dolls. There is a campaign manager with glasses looking smart, a
fundraiser in her sensible sneakers, a young Hispanic voter, and the candidate who is African
American. The campaign's hashtag? You Can Be Anything!

BACK TO SCHOOL SPENDING WILL BE HIGHER THAN EVER (00:25)
School's may or may not be back in session, but that isn't stopping back-to-school shopping. Two
reports claim that parents will be spending more than ever this year. From kindergarten to college,
most of the spending will be on electronics, laptops, and computer accessories as students prepare
for remote learning and online courses. Forty-seven percent of parents say they'll do more online
shopping than in-store shopping and they'll do less comparison-shopping.

LINES OF CREDIT DIMINISHING (00:26)
So money's tight and you figure you can pay some bills with a credit card. Not so fast. Those lines of
credit you thought you had are shrinking, thanks to the pandemic. A new LendingTree study shows
that banks are lowering credit card limits and cancelling cards altogether for millions of consumers.
Less available credit also means your credit score could drop. Check your credit lines before using
any card. In the last 60 days, one in three people say their credit limits have been reduced.

FAUCI BASEBALL CARD SETS ALL-TIME RECORD (00:24)
Dr. Anthony Fauci may not have much of an arm, but his baseball card sure has legs. It's just set an
all-time record! Topps says it's printing 51-thousand, 512 copies of it, the most of any single card
they've ever issued. It commemorates the opening pitch of the 'historic 2020' baseball season
(messed up as it is). Dr. Fauci is pictured wearing a Washington Nationals mask. The pitch, by the
way, wasn't as memorable; it was wide and into the grass.

DISNEY BANS THESE KINDS OF FACE MASKS (00:24)
If you're planning a trip to Disney this summer, you'll need to bring a face-covering…and not just
anyone will do. Disney has just banned masks that have valves or holes in them. They've also
outlawed those open-chin triangle bandanas (that make you look like a wild-west bandit) and any
face covering that's made of mesh (DUH!). Disney says masks have to be at least two-ply,
something that completely covers your nose and mouth, and can stay on your face 'hands-free’.

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