12/15/2025: Rescued Dog

Today is Monday, December 15, 2025.

It is the 349th day of the year.

16 days remain.

REMINDER: We are permanently shutting down this newsletter later this month.

Tuesday, December 23, will be the last-ever edition of Morning Martini. Paid subscribers should not have to manually cancel their plan, but if you are billed in the next few weeks, get in touch and we’ll get it sorted. In the meantime, we’re disabling the paywall today through the last edition.

Thank you for reading and subscribing and we wish you a happy and healthy 2026.

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FOLLOW UP: The DoorDash driver in Indiana suspected of poisoning an order with pepper spray has been arrested.

The suspect, 29-year-old Kourtney Stevenson, told police she saw a spider on the bag and used pepper spray to kill it – so she’s not denying that it’s her on the video or that she did in fact blast the order with the poison. But police say it was too cold at the time for a spider to be scurrying around outside and don’t believe her.

Stevenson agreed to come in for an interview with authorities, then backed out, so police got an arrest warrant. She faces felony battery and consumer product tampering charges.

A DoorDash spokesperson said over the weekend, “We have absolutely zero tolerance for this type of appalling behavior … and our team is supporting law enforcement with the investigation.”

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Britain has fallen.

An 86-year-old man, named Roy Marsh, was issued a 250 Pound fine after spitting out a leaf that had blown into his mouth while he was sitting on a bench in a public park. Marsh says, “As I was sitting there, a gale blew a big reed into my mouth. I spat it out and just as I got up to walk away two [enforcement officers] came up to me.”

When one of the officers reprimanded Marsh and accused him of spitting on the ground, Marsh called him a “silly boy.” That was enough to earn the fine, which Marsh calls “unnecessary and all out of proportion.” Marsh appealed the initial fine, which was merely reduced to 150 Pounds, which he paid to be done with the situation.

WORTH NOTING: A municipal councilor for the area says he’s received numerous complaints about such onerous regulation in recent months and that the litter patrol is “taking it too far.” He says, “We can’t expect elderly people to chase crisp packets” – meaning empty chip bags – “down the road if it’s windy.” He adds, “If it looks like a genuine accident then give people opportunity to apologise and pick it up.” [via BBC]

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A rescue dog has been reunited with its owner, five years after disappearing, thanks to its microchip implant.

The dog, Choco, ran off from from its home in Sacramento in May 2021, leaving owner Patricia Orozco dejected. But just last month, the Lincoln Park Animal Shelter in Michigan found the small wirehaired Dachsund mix tied to its fence one morning.

They scanned the chip data, discovered Orozco as the owner, and got in contact with her.

Orozco says at first she thought Choco was just up the road in Lincoln, California, about 30 miles from Sacramento. Fortunately, a charity called Helping Paws and Claws helped Orozco bring Choco home; one donor chipped in airline miles to buy the dog and a chaperone airplane tickets from Michigan to California.

The escort, Penny Scott, said she and Choco spent 14 hours in Chicago’s O’Hare airport during a long layover delay on the way home. Scott says, “The dog was amazing; never whimpered, never growled at anybody. I walked him through the airport on a leash the whole time.”

The owner, Patricia Orozco, says, “This is seriously a Christmas miracle.” [via Washington Post]

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The last three pennies ever minted by the United States government sold as a set at auction for $800,000 last week.

As CBS News reports, “The auction included sets of three one-cent coins, numbered 1 through 232: one for each year the U.S. has been pressing pennies since 1793.”

But set 232 of 232 was described as “the VERY LAST STRUCK circulating cents” and also included the stamps used to strike them.

The final coins include an Omega symbol to the left of Abe Lincoln’s profile, symbolizing the end of the run. [via CBS Philly]

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ROB REINER and his wife MICHELE SINGER REINER have died.

Initial reports suggest there is an open homicide investigation and that their bodies have wounds consistent with stabbings.

Rob was 78. Michele was 68.

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ABRAHAM QUINTANILLA has died.

He’s the father of late music star SELENA QUINTANILLA.

Abraham’s son shared the news on Instagram but not a cause of death. Abraham was 86.

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Actor PETER GREENE has died.

He’s best known for his villainous roles in “Pulp Fiction” and “The Mask.” No cause of death has been shared.

He was 60.

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HAILEE STEINFELD and JOSH ALLEN are expecting their first child.

AMY SCHUMER and CHRIS FISCHER are divorcing after seven years of marriage.

In a bizarre Instagram post, Schumer writes, “Blah blah blah Chris and I have made the difficult decision to end our marriage after seven years.” She said the split is amicable and they’ll work together to raise their son.

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JOE BIDEN raised $0 for his presidential library in 2024 according to IRS filings.

In other disclosures, Biden’s library foundation expects to raise about $11 million by the end of 2027. By comparison, insiders say he’ll need $200 MILLION to do the project properly – which would still be well shy of the $850 MILLION Obama raised for his concrete monstrosity that looks like a Sith Lord’s evil lair in Chicago.

Insiders close to Biden tell the New York Times he’s considering folding his library plans into existing institutions, like the Biden Institute at the University of Delaware.

One once-prominent Biden bundler, John Morgan, says he’s tapped out. “The Biden staff, they ruined any type of good library for him,” Morgan says, adding, “He’ll be lucky to have a bookmobile.”

And to twist the knife, Morgan says just last week he had dinner with BILL CLINTON to discuss a donation that would expand Clinton’s existing library.

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House Oversight Democrats released thousands of images from the Epstein files on Friday.

In one photo making the rounds, Trump is seen surrounded by six adult women. The version the House released censored each woman’s face to imply they’re victims or accusers

But none of them have made any such accusation. In fact, the women were spokesmodels for suntan lotion brand Hawaiian Tropic.

WORTH NOTING: It is a model’s literal job to take pictures.

One of the models in the picture says, “I was 22 years old and remember him being very nice. He was very gentlemanly, that’s the word to describe him.”

ALSO WORTH NOTING: The full Epstein file release deadline mandated by Congress is this Friday.

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📈 The DOW ⬇️ fell 245 points (0.51%) to close at 48,458 on Friday. The S&P ⬇️ fell 73 points (1.07%) to close at 6,827 and the NASDAQ ⬇️ fell 398 points (1.69%) to close at 23,195.

🛢 WEST TEXAS INTERMEDIATE closed at $57 on Friday; BRENT CRUDE at $61.

⛽ The national average price of a GALLON OF GAS was $2.91 on Sunday.

₿ BITCOIN fell over the weekend, back under $90k.

💰Tuesday night’s MEGA MILLIONS jackpot is $80 million, or a $36.2 million cash payout. Tonight’s POWERBALL jackpot is $1.1 BILLION or a $503.4 million cash payout.

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10. The Shining (theatrical re-release): $1.5 million (new)

9. Eternity: $1.7 million (down from 7)

8. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (theatrical re-release): $1.8 million (new)

7. Ella McCay: $2.1 million (new)

6. Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution: $2.1 million (down from 4)

5. Now You See Me: Now You Don’t: $2.3 million (flat)

4. Dhurandhar: $3.5 million (up from 9)

3. Wicked: For Good: $8.5 million (flat)

2. Five Nights at Freddy’s 2: $19.5 million (down from 1)

1. Zootopia 2: $26.3 million (up from 2)

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The documentary series about TAYLOR SWIFT’s “The Eras Tour” shows the singer handing out significant cash bonuses to her crew for their work on the record-breaking tour.

While the footage censored the actual dollar amounts of the bonus checks, it was enough to leave her dancers speechless.

Superfans have done their own lipreading of the moment to suggest the censored amount is $750,000.

Swift reportedly gave out nearly $200 MILLION in bonuses to support crew over the two-year tour. The owner of one of the trucking companies used on the tour says each of the approximately 50 drivers was given a $100,000 check. [via Today]

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JACOB ELORDI confronted a paparazzo in Paris for taking his picture without permission.

While waiting for an elevator at the Gare du Nord train station, the camera man got a little too close for Elordi’s comfort, even though he had a security escort.

The actor told the man, “You make it really hard for me to live when you do this. I don’t love you.” [via Taoualit Amar]

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You may recognize MILANA VAYNTRUB as Lily Adams from recent AT&T commercials.

The working actress says she’s been selling sexy photos and videos, but not for her OnlyFans; instead, she’s donating the proceeds.

Most recently, she raised $170,000 in just four days for a single mother struggling with medical bills. On Instagram, Vayntrub says the beneficiary was able to replace medical equipment, her car, and secure in-home care for her disabled son.

Now, she’s keeping the work up, selling photos to benefit a charity working with elderly, disabled, and under-insured victims of the Palisade fires earlier this year. In just one week she raised $350,000. [via BroBible]

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LADY GAGA paused her concert in Australia over the weekend after one of her dancers slipped on the wet stage and fell to the ground. It all happened amid heavy rainfall at the outdoor stadium.

Video shows Gaga waving her arms and telling her crew to “Stop” after the incident, then asking the dancer if he’s okay. She paused the entire concert to give her dancers the chance to find better shoes for the slippery surface.

Afterward, the dancer, Michael Dameski, posted online, “I’m ok. Thank you for checking. Happy I was able to finish the last show of the year!” [via Page Six]

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BRITNEY SPEARS reunited with pal PARIS HILTON last week.

Brit shared in an Instagram post that Paris, the Hotel Heiress, and her two kids, visited Britney for her birthday earlier this month. In a long and winding caption, the singer called Paris a “stunning mom” and thanked her for the opportunity to hang out with her son and daughter.

Paris has previously said that Britney is great with babies. “She just loves kids so much,” Paris has said. [via Page Six]

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Actor JOSH O’CONNOR says he felt “punked” while filming the latest “Knives Out” movie.

In the movie, his character spends a lot of time in the rain and mud – a note he says didn’t show up in the script. “It always seemed to be raining on me and never on Daniel Craig, which really wound me up,” he say, adding, “I felt like I was being punked every day.”

BUT: O’Connor says the discomfort was worth the opportunity to work with director RIAN JOHNSON. “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery” is now streaming on Netflix. [via EW]

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TYRA BANKS has been served a lawsuit for failing to make good on a 10-year lease.

The model signed papers to open an ice cream business in April 2024 in Washington DC.

But just a few months in she terminated the lease and refused to pay rent.

The landlord says the lease is ironclad. He’s suing for $2.8 MILLION. [via EW]

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DAKOTA JOHNSON made a cameo appearance on SNL over the weekend – but not for a sketch.

Instead, she helped out musical guest LILY ALLEN for her rendition of “Madeline,” a song about a mistress. During the set, Johnson was hidden behind a veiled screen, and performed the spoken-word sections of the song.

At the end, Johnson revealed her identity and joined Allen on stage. [via SNL]

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JOHN CENA has retired from WWE.

The wrestler and actor performed his final match at the Capital One Arena in Washington DC on Saturday.

Video tributes from PEYTON MANNING, TOM BRADY, JIMMY FALLON, SNOOP DOGG, and JELLY ROLL played on the big screens before the match.

Cena ended up losing – he tapped out from GUNTHER’s chokehold. [via US Weekly]

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NOT HAPPENING: A “Holes” reboot for Disney+ as a TV series.

The reinvention of the 2003 movie, based on the 1998 Young Adult novel, was set to recast a girl in the lead role, and also star GREG KINNEAR and AIDY BRYANT.

They filmed a pilot but it ended up not getting the job done. [via Deadline]

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KENDALL JENNER says this year’s annual Kardashi-Jenner Christmas Eve party will be a little more toned down than in year’s past.

She says, “Last year, we did a smaller Christmas Eve party, and it was super lovely. Usually, they’re kind of these blowouts... But we’re doing a smaller one again this year, and I’m really happy about it.”

She adds, “it’ll be cozy vibes” – and that her dish to pass will be yams. [via People]

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ANDREW MOUNTBATTEN-WINDSOR will leave Windsor for Sandringham in the next few weeks, but insiders say his long-term plan is to leave Britain – for Bahrain!

The ex-Prince has various and sordid business associates across the Middle East.

But first, Andy is decluttering and preparing for a smaller temporary home, described by some as a “shoebox” compared to the grand, 30-room Royal Lodge. Moving vans have been spotted taking items from the home to a storage facility managed by the Crown Estate.

WORTH NOTING, HOWEVER, that in Royal circles a six-bedroom can be disdainfully called a “cottage,” so a shoebox might not be particularly quaint. [via DailyMail]

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National Cupcake Day

National Wear Your Pearls Day

Bill of Rights Day

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1791 - The first 10 amendments to the Constitution are ratified by Virginia, making them the law of the land.

They’re also known as the Bill of Rights. They serve as a complement to the Constitution, ironing out some leftover wrinkles that the Founders did not initially consider.

Their creation was also a bargaining chip so that Massachusetts would approve the Constitution -- the small state only agreed to the Constitution provided that Congress immediately ratify a Bill of Rights.

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1890 - Sioux chief Sitting Bull finally meets his maker.

He had been on the run from American soldiers and police for years. After fighting the Americans on-and-off, Mr. Bull made it to Canada. Following his years in exile, Sitting Bull surrendered to US troops, and was placed in a reservation in present-day South Dakota.

Seven years later, Indian police tried kidnapping Sitting Bull, fearing he was trying to lead an uprising against the Americans. Mr. Bull did not go quietly, and his cronies intervened. They tried shooting his captors, but instead killed the old chief with shots to his head and chest.

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1896 - Stephen M. Balzer is awarded a patent for a gas-powered car.

None of Balzer’s inventions were ever mass-produced. He started Balzer Motor Company in 1900, but was more interested in engineering than sales. Still, his experimental buggy is considered one of the first American automobiles.

The car submitted to win the patent is now on display at the Smithsonian.

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1973 - Sandy Hawley wins his 500th horse race of the year at Maryland’s Laurel Park race track. He was the first jockey to achieve the feat.

The winning horse was named Charlie Jr.

Hawley’s career continued into the 1990s. He’d win his 5,000th career race in 1986.

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1993 – “Schindler’s List” premieres.

It would be the first film for which Stephen Spielberg would win Academy Awards -- which included Best Picture and Best Director.

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2001 - After being closed for 11 years, the Leaning Tower of Pisa reopens.

The Italian government spent $27 million to keep the tower in its somewhat-upright position without it falling over.

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2016 – Dylann Roof is found guilty of killing nine people at a Bible study class in a South Carolina church.

The self-declared white supremacist stormed the church in 2015 with the hopes of starting a race war.

It took a 12-person jury a little over two hours to convict Roof on all 33 counts.

He would be sentenced to death the following month.

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2020 - MacKenzie Scott — the former Mrs. Jeff Bezos — announces that she has donated more than $4 billion to 384 non-profit organizations across the US.

The news comes just four months after she donated $1.7 billion to 116 organizations.

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Christian Isaiah - actor, “Shameless” - 18

Chandler Canterbury - actor, “A Bag of Hammers” - 27

Maude Apatow - actress, “Euphoria” - 28

Song Ji-Woo - actress, “Squid Game” - 28

Joey Bart - baseball player - 29

Daniel Ezra - actor, “All American” - 34

Camilla Luddington - actress, “Grey’s Anatomy” - 42

Charlie Cox - actor, “Daredevil” & “Boardwalk Empire” - 43

Michelle Dockery - actress, “Downton Abbey” - 44

Adam Brody - actor, “The O.C.” - 46

Coffey Anderson - singer - 47

Geoff Stults - actor, “7th Heaven” - 48

PJ Byrne - actor, “The Wolf of Wall Street” - 51

Lee Jung-jae - actor, “Squid Game” - 53

Michael Shanks - actor, “Burn Notice” - 55

Paul Kaye - comedian - 61

Carmel Johnson - actress, “The Babadook” - 68

Don Johnson - actor, “Miami Vice” - 76

Born On This Date

Kim Porter - model - 1970 (d. 2018)

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