SHOW SYNOPSES - week of 12/14/20

MONDAY 12/14:

Emotional Support Animals Grounded: THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION SAID IT WILL NO LONGER REQUIRE AIRLINES TO MAKE THE SAME ACCOMMODATIONS FOR EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMALS AS THEY DO FOR TRAINED SERVICE DOGS. A SERVICE DOG IS TRAINED TO DO WORK OR PERFORM A TASK TO BENEFIT AN INDIVIDUAL WITH A DISABILITY. EMOTIONAL SUPPORT AND PSYCHIATRIC SERVICE ANIMALS FUNCTION THERAPEUTICALLY. AND STARTING IN 2021, IT WILL BE UP TO INDIVIDUAL AIRLINES TO DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT TREAT THE TWO THE SAME.

High School Football Player Attacks Referee: A DISTURBING MOMENT WAS CAUGHT ON VIDEO AT A HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL GAME IN TEXAS -- WHERE A TOP PLAYER VIOLENTLY EXPLODED ON A REFEREE. EDINBURG HIGH SCHOOL DEFENSIVE END EMMANUEL DURON WAS EJECTED FROM THE GAME FOLLOWING A LATE HIT PENALTY AGAINST AN OPPOSING PLAYER IN THE 2ND QUARTER.

Man Beats Thieves With Antique Cane: AN 81-YEAR-OLD FORMER MARINE USED HIS GRANDFATHER'S ANTIQUE IRISH WALKING STICK TO CHASE OFF THREE BURGLARS. DAN AND BARBARA DONOVAN SAID THAT A MAN IN A REFLECTIVE VEST AND MASK KNOCKED ON THEIR DOOR AND SAID HE WAS A UTILITY WORKER WHO NEEDED TO CHECK THEIR FUSE BOX. WHILE THEY WERE IN THE BASEMENT WITH THE MAN, THEY HEARD SQUEAKING FLOORBOARDS UPSTAIRS REALIZED SOMETHING WASN'T RIGHT. WHEN THE COUPLE WENT UPSTAIRS, THEY FOUND TWO OTHER MEN INSIDE, ONE HOLDING A PILLOWCASE FROM THEIR BEDROOM. DAN DONOVAN BEGAN TRYING TO CHASE THE THREE MEN FROM THEIR HOUSE, AND THAT'S WHEN HE GRABBED HIS GRANDFATHER'S ANTIQUE IRISH WALKING STICK.

Youngest To Kayak Gran Canyon: THE PARENTS OF A 10 YEAR-OLD-BOY HAVE FILED PAPERWORK WITH GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS TO HAVE HIM CERTIFIED AS THE YOUNGEST KAYAKER TO NAVIGATE THE LENGTH OF THE COLORADO RIVER. BODIE HILLEKE AND HIS FAMILY TOOK THE 280-MILE TRIP THROUGH THE GRAND CANYON ON THE COLORADO RIVER AND HIS PARENTS BELIEVE THAT HE MIGHT BE THE YOUNGEST TO HAVE DONE SO. BODIE, WHO IS JUST 10-YEARS-OLD MANAGED TO NAVIGATE THE WATERS ON HIS OWN.

60-Foot Gundam Robot: IT STANDS 60-FEET-TALL AND WEIGHS 25 TONS. AND, AFTER YEARS OF PAINSTAKING WORK, A LIFE-SIZE JAPANESE GUNDAM ROBOT HAS JUST PROVED TO ITS LEGIONS OF FANS THAT IT REALLY CAN MOVE. MODELED ON ONE OF THE ROBOTS FROM THE HUGELY POPULAR 1970'S ANIME SERIES MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM, THE HUGE MACHINE WAS PUT THROUGH ITS PACES AT ITS NEW HOME IN THE THE PORT CITY OF YOKOHAMA.

NBC Issues Selena Gomez Apology: THE "SAVED BY THE BELL" REBOOT HAS REMOVED CONTROVERSIAL SCENES REFERENCING SELENA GOMEZ'S 2017 KIDNEY TRANSPLANT AMID MOUNTING BACKLASH. THE SERIES CAUGHT HEAT ON SOCIAL MEDIA AS TWO STUDENTS AT THE FICTIONAL BAYSIDE HIGH SCHOOL DEBATED THE IDENTITY OF GOMEZ'S KIDNEY DONOR IN AN EPISODE.

Felicity Huffman Lands TV Role: FELICITY HUFFMAN HAS BOOKED HER FIRST TV ROLE SINCE COMPLETING HER FEDERAL PRISON SENTENCE FOR HER ROLE IN THE NATIONWIDE COLLEGE ADMISSIONS SCANDAL. THE 57-YEAR-OLD ACTRESS IS SET TO STAR IN A HALF-HOUR ABC COMEDY ALONGSIDE THE PEANUT BUTTER FALCON'S ZACK GOTTSAGEN. SHE WILL PLAY THE OWNER OF A MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL TEAM.

TUESDAY 12/15:

NYC First Responders Fear COVID Vaccine: MORE THAN HALF OF NEW YORK CITY FIREFIGHTERS SAY THEY WON'T BE VACCINATED FOR COVID-19 WHEN THE POTENTIALLY LIFE-SAVING SHOT BECOMES AVAILABLE TO FIRST RESPONDERS. ABOUT 55 PERCENT OF POLLED FIREFIGHTERS ANSWERED "NO" WHEN ASKED, "WILL YOU GET THE COVID-19 VACCINE FROM PFIZER WHEN THE DEPARTMENT MAKES IT AVAILABLE?" THE STUNNING ANTI-VAX RESPONSE FOLLOWS AN AUGUST SURVEY OF MTA WORKERS THAT SHOWED ONLY 30 PERCENT OF 645 RESPONDENTS WERE DEFINITELY WILLING TO BE VACCINATED.

Queen ELizabeth To Get Vaccine: QUEEN ELIZABETH AND HER 99-YEAR-OLD HUSBAND, PRINCE PHILIP, MAY BE AMONG THE FIRST IN THE U.K. TO GET A CORONAVIRUS VACCINE TO HELP COUNTER ANTI-VAXXERS. AT 94, THE MONARCH JOINS HER HUSBAND AS PART OF THE MOST VULNERABLE GROUPS FIRST IN LINE FOR THE PFIZER/BIONTEC SHOT AS IT ROLLS OUT IN THE UK. IT WILL BE THE FIRST WESTERN NATION TO GIVE APPROVAL. THE QUEEN MAY ACTUALLY GO A BIT EARLIER TO HELP EASE THE NATION'S SAFETY FEARS AND COUNTER THE ANTI-VACCINATION MOVEMENT THERE.

Ballerina With Alzheimer's Remembers Dance: A MOVING VIDEO SHOWS THE MOMENT A FORMER PRIMA BALLERINA WITH ALZHEIMER'S REMEMBERED THE CHOREOGRAPHY TO SWAN LAKE ON LISTENING TO MUSIC. MARTA GONZALEZ WAS FILMED SITTING IN HER WHEELCHAIR AT A CARE HOME. SHE WAS A PRIMA BALLERINA WITH THE NEW YORK BALLET IN THE 1960'S. IN THE VIDEO, A CAREGIVER GAVE HER HEADPHONES AND PLAYED TSCHAIKOVSKY'S SWAN LAKE. SHE REACTED TO THE MUSIC INSTINCTIVELY, REMEMBERING THE CHOREOGRAPHY SHE PERFORMED AT THE HEIGHT OF HER PROFESSIONAL DANCING CAREER.

Dr. Dre's Estranged Eldest Daughter: MARITAL WOES AREN'T THE ONLY FAMILY DRAMA DR. DRE IS FACING. THE GRAMMY-WINNER'S ELDEST DAUGHTER, 37-YEAR-OLD LATANYA YOUNG, OPENED UP ABOUT THE ESTRANGED RELATIONSHIP SHE HAS WITH HER FATHER, SHARING THAT EVEN WHILE SHE STRUGGLES FINANCIALLY, SHE ULTIMATELY WANTS NOTHING MORE THAN A RELATIONSHIP WITH HER DAD.

Tristan Thompson Becomes U.S. Citizen: TRISTAN THOMPSON HAS A LOT TO CELEBRATE THIS MONTH. THE CANADIAN-BORN NBA STAR, WHO RECENTLY AGREED TO JOIN THE BOSTON CELTICS, BECAME AN AMERICAN CITIZEN. THE 29-YEAR-OLD THOMPSON, ATTENDED THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AND DECLARED FOR THE NBA DRAFT IN 2011. HE WAS SELECTED FOURTH OVERALL BY THE CLEVELAND CAVALIERS THAT YEAR.

Mom Recreates JLo X-Rated Pic: A MOM WHO RECREATED A SAUCY SNAP OF JENNIFER LOPEZ HAS PEOPLE IN STITCHES. CELESTE BARBER, AN AUSTRALIAN MOM AND COMEDIAN, IS KNOWN FOR MOCKING CELEBRITIES' POSES - AND HER LATEST FAMOUS VICTIM IS J-LO. IN THE PHOTO, JENNIFER DITCHED HER CLOTHES FOR THE OFFICIAL COVER OF HER LATEST SINGLE, 'IN THE MORNING'. CELESTE SHARED THE SNAP WITH HER 7-POINT-5 MILLION FOLLOWERS ON INSTAGRAM, WHERE SHE WROTE: "I'M ON THE RIGHT."

WEDNESDAY 12/16:

MLB Teams Sue Insurance Providers: MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL IS SUING ITS INSURANCE PROVIDERS, CLAIMING INSURERS ARE REFUSING TO COVER THE BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN LOSSES THE SPORT HAS SUFFERED DUE TO THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC. ALL 30 MLB TEAMS HAVE COLLECTIVELY SUED THEIR INSURANCE PROVIDERS WITH CLAIMS THAT MLB PURCHASED TOP-SHELF ALL RISKS POLICIES TO PROTECT BASEBALL AGAINST THE RISK OF CATASTROPHIC ECONOMIC LOSSES THAT IT NOW FACES DUE TO THE PANDEMIC.

Judge Reinstates DACA: A NEW YORK FEDERAL HAS REINSTATED THE DACA PROGRAM. THE U.S. DISTRICT JUDGE SAID THAT HE WAS FULLY REINSTATING THE DACA PROGRAM BASED ON THE TERMS ESTABLISHED UNDER FORMER PRESIDENT OBAMA'S ADMINISTRATION. PRESIDENT TRUMP TRIED TO END THE PROGRAM IN SEPTEMBER 2017, AND THIS PAST JULY CHAD WOLF, THE ACTING SECRETARY FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, SUSPENDED DACA PENDING A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW.

Python Round-Up In The Everglades: THERE'S AN INTERESTING SIDE HUSTLE OPEN TO FLORIDA RESIDENTS UP FOR THE CHALLENGE... PYTHON HUNTING. THE FLORIDA FISH AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION COMMISSION HAS INCREASED THEIR EFFORTS IN ROUNDING UP THE INVASIVE BURMESE PYTHONS BY ASKING LOCALS TO CONTRACT IN THESE EFFORTS. THE COMMISSION IS URGING FLORIDIAN PYTHON HUNTERS TO REMOVE AS MANY PYTHONS AS POSSIBLE AND MANY HAVE ACCEPTED THE CHALLENGE.

14-Hour Line For In & Out Burger: IF YOU'RE REALLY CRAVING A CERTAIN MEAL, THERE'S NO DOUBT THAT YOU'LL WAIT IN LINE FOR IT, BUT HOW LONG ARE YOU REALLY WILLING TO WAIT TO SATISFY THAT CRAVING...? CUSTOMERS IN COLORADO ARRIVED IN DROVES TO PURCHASE A MEAL FROM CALIFORNIA BASED IN- AND-OUT BURGER. THE RESTAURANT JUST RECENTLY OPENED TWO NEW LOCATIONS IN COLORADO-- ONE IN AURORA AND ONE IN COLORADO SPRINGS--AND ON OPENING DAY, BURGER FANS FROM ALL OVER THE STATE MADE THE TRIP TO CHOW DOWN ON THE FAMOUS CALIFORNIA BURGER.

Dionne Warwick Needs Answers: LEGENDARY SINGER DIONNE WARWICK HAD SOME DEEP THOUGHTS FOR A YOUNGER GENERATION OF ENTERTAINERS, MUCH TO THE DELIGHT OF HER FANS, WHO HAD HER TRENDING ON TWITTER. "HI, CHANCE-THE-RAPPER. IF YOU ARE VERY OBVIOUSLY A RAPPER WHY DID YOU PUT IT IN YOUR STAGE NAME? I CANNOT STOP THINKING ABOUT THIS," WARWICK TWEETED AT THE FAMOUS RAPPER. A STUNNED CHANCE QUICKLY REPLIED, "SORRY I'M STILL FREAKING OUT THAT YOU KNOW WHO I AM. THIS IS AMAZING!" THE "THAT'S WHAT FRIENDS ARE FOR" CROONER WASN'T READY TO STOP THERE. "I AM NOW DIONNE THE SINGER," SHE QUIPPED, BEFORE REPLYING TO CHANCE TO SAY, "OF COURSE I KNOW YOU. YOU'RE THE RAPPER. LET'S RAP TOGETHER. I'LL MESSAGE YOU."

Jeremih Released From Hospital: JEREMIH HAS LEFT THE HOSPITAL AFTER SUFFERING FROM COVID-19. THE R&B SINGER WILL CONTINUE TO RECUPERATE AT HOME. THE "DON'T TELL 'EM" ARTIST WAS IN THE CHICAGO HOSPITAL IN THE I-C-U AND ON A VENTILATOR WITH CORONAVIRUS. CELEBRITIES LIKE CHANCE THE RAPPER, DIDDY AND 50 CENT HAD TWEETED OUT PRAYERS FOR THEIR FRIEND. HE WAS REPORTEDLY IN A BLEAK CONDITION.

Vander-Dumped: JAX TAYLOR AND BRITTANY CARTWRIGHT ARE EXITING "VANDERPUMP RULES. JAX POSTED, "THE LAST 8 YEARS ON 'VANDERPUMP RULES' HAVE BEEN SOME OF THE MOST CHALLENGING, REWARDING AND FULFILLING YEARS OF MY LIFE. ALTHOUGH THIS IS DIFFICULT TO SHARE, BRITTANY AND I WILL NOT BE RETURNING FOR ANOTHER SEASON OF 'VANDERPUMP RULES.'

THURSDAY 12/17:

E-Cig Accused Of Targeting Under 21: A FAST-GROWING VAPING BRAND IS TAKING HEAT OVER A ROOFTOP CONCERT SERIES THAT CRITICS SAY IS MEANT TO MAKE E-CIGARETTES LOOK COOL TO KIDS. VUSE -- A VAPING COMPANY OWNED BY TOBACCO GIANT REYNOLDS AMERICAN -- JOINED FORCES WITH ROLLING STONE TO PROMOTE ROOFTOP SESSIONS, A RUN OF THREE VIRTUAL CONCERTS THAT WERE LIVESTREAMED FROM LOCATIONS AROUND NEW YORK CITY. CRITICS CONTEND THE SERIES IS GEARED TOWARD AN AUDIENCE THAT COULD EASILY INCLUDE PEOPLE UNDER THE LEGAL SMOKING AGE OF 21.

Facebook Updates Hate Speech Algorithm: FACEBOOK HAS UPDATED ITS HATE SPEECH ALGORITHM, REVERSING YEARS OF NEUTRALITY TO PRIORITIZE ANTI-BLACK COMMENTS WHILE MAKING ANTI-WHITE SLURS THE LOWEST PRIORITY. THE TECH GIANT'S NEW SYSTEM FOR DETECTING HATE SPEECH WILL AUTOMATICALLY DELETE HATEFUL LANGUAGE DIRECTED AT THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY, JEWS, MUSLIMS AND AFRICAN AMERICANS. THE COMPANY WILL NOW BEGIN SCORING HATE SPEECH AND OFFENSIVE POSTS, AND REMARKS ABOUT "MEN," "WHITES" AND "AMERICANS" WILL BE MARKED "LOW SENSITIVITY."

Man Fights Bear To Save Dog: A DOG OWNER IN CALIFORNIA SAYS HE RECENTLY FOUGHT OFF A MASSIVE BEAR, TACKLING IT TO THE GROUND AND PUNCHING IT IN THE FACE AFTER IT ATTACKED HIS PIT BULL, BUDDY. KALEB BENHAM SAYS HIS 90-POUND RESCUE DOG WAS PLAYING NEAR HIS HOME WHEN THE ATTACK OCCURRED. HE HEARD GROWLS OUTSIDE, AND WHEN HE WENT TO CHECK ON BUDDY, HE FOUND THE ROUGHLY 350-POUND BEAR DRAGGING HIM BY HIS HEAD. KALEB RAN OUTSIDE AND ATTACKED THE BEAR, PLOWED AND TACKLED IT AND GRABBED IT BY THE THROAT AND STARTED HITTING IT IN THE FACE AND THE EYE UNTIL IT LET GO.

Netflix Rejects Disclaimer: NETFLIX HAS NO PLANS TO ADD A DISCLAIMER TO "THE CROWN" STATING THAT ITS LAVISH DRAMA ABOUT BRITAIN'S ROYAL FAMILY IS A WORK OF FICTION. IN A STATEMENT, NETFLIX SAID IT HAS ALWAYS PRESENTED THE DRAMA, AS JUST THAT -- A DRAMA. NETFLIX WAS URGED BY THE BRITISH CULTURE SECRETARY TO ADD THE DISCLAIMER, IN THE WAKE OF THE BROADCAST OF THE DRAMA'S FOURTH SERIES. QUESTIONS OF HISTORICAL FIDELITY WEREN'T A MAJOR ISSUE DURING EARLIER SEASONS OF THE SHOW, WHICH DEBUTED IN 2016 AND TRACES THE LONG REIGN OF QUEEN ELIZABETH, WHICH BEGAN IN 1952. BUT THE CURRENT FOURTH SEASON IS SET IN THE 1980'S, A DIVISIVE DECADE IN BRITAIN. CHARACTERS INCLUDE CONSERVATIVE PRIME MINISTER MARGARET THATCHER AND THE LATE PRINCESS DIANA, WHOSE DEATH IN A CAR CRASH IN 1997 TRANSFIXED THE NATION AND THE WORLD.

Record Breaking Cheese Pizza: IF YOU'RE LACTOSE INTOLERANT, YOU'RE GONNA WANT TO STAY AWAY FROM THIS ONE, BECAUSE THIS CHEF HAS JUST BROKEN A RECORD FOR THE MOST VARIETIES OF CHEESE ON A SINGLE PIE. TWO-HUNDRED-AND-FIFTY-FOUR VARIETIES OF CHEESE WERE USED TO MAKE THE 12-INCH PIE THAT GUINNESS RECORDS HAS CONFIRMED TO BE "THE MOST VARIETIES OF CHEESE ON A SINGLE PIZZA." THE FRENCH CHEF WAS APPALLED TO FIND THE PREVIOUS RECORD TO BE HELD BY A CHEF IN AUSTRALIA, SO TO BRING HOME THE ACCOMPLISHMENT, BENOIT BRUEL DEMOLISHED THE ORIGINAL RECORD OF ONE- HUNDRED-AND-FIFTY-FOUR CHEESES BY ADDING AN ADDITIONAL HUNDRED CHEESES.

FRIDAY 12/18:

Man Fined For Breaking Quarantine: TAIWANESE AUTHORITIES HAVE SLAPPED A $35-HUNDRED-DOLLAR FINE ON A MAN WHO BROKE QUARANTINE REGULATIONS FOR JUST EIGHT SECONDS. THE MAN, A MIGRANT WORKER FROM THE PHILIPPINES, WAS QUARANTINING IN A HOTEL WHEN HE BRIEFLY STEPPED OUT OF HIS ROOM INTO THE HALLWAY. THE MAN WAS CAUGHT ON VIDEO BY HOTEL STAFF, WHO CONTACTED THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH. THE DEPARTMENT THEN FINED HIM. UNDER TAIWAN'S QUARANTINE RULES PEOPLE ARE NOT ALLOWED TO LEAVE THEIR ROOMS, NO MATTER FOR HOW LONG.

India Mystery Illness: AN UNIDENTIFIED ILLNESS HAS HOSPITALIZED MORE THAN 300 PEOPLE IN SOUTHEASTERN INDIA. PATIENTS IN THE CITY OF ELURU REPORTED A RANGE OF SYMPTOMS INCLUDING SEIZURES, LOSS OF CONSCIOUSNESS AND NAUSEA. THIS COMES AS INDIA CONTINUES TO BATTLE THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, WITH THE WORLD'S SECOND- HIGHEST NUMBER OF INFECTIONS. BUT COVID-19 WASN'T THE CAUSE OF THE MASS HOSPITALIZATIONS.

Adolf Hitler Wins Election: A MAN NAMED ADOLF HITLER HAS WON AN ELECTION IN THE SOUTHWEST AFRICAN COUNTRY NAMIBIA, AND HE'S BEEN KIND ENOUGH TO LET EVERYONE KNOW THAT HE HAS NO PLANS TO TAKE OVER THE WORLD. ADOLF HITLER OF NAMIBIA'S SOUTH WEST AFRICA PEOPLE'S ORGANIZATION PARTY WAS SWORN IN AS COUNCILOR AND THE 54-YEAR-OLD SAID THAT HIS FATHER HAD PICKED THE UNORTHODOX NAME FOR HIM AND WAS LIKELY UNAWARE OF ADOLF HITLER'S INFAMOUS ROLE IN HISTORY. NAMIBIA WAS ALSO A FORMER GERMAN COLONY FROM 1884 TO 1915, MEANING THAT A NAME LIKE "ADOLF" WOULD NOT BE UNCOMMON.

Olivia Culpo Shares Surgery Progress: OLIVIA CULPO IS UPDATING FANS ON HER PROGRESS SINCE UNDERGOING SURGERY FOR ENDOMETRIOSIS. THE 28-YEAR-OLD MODEL WANTED TO PROVIDE FANS WITH AN UPDATE ON HER HEALING PROGRESS SINCE HAVING THE SURGERY IN NOVEMBER, SO SHE SHARED A PHOTO OF HER BLOATED STOMACH TAKEN IMMEDIATELY AFTER HER SURGERY AND THEN FOLLOWED UP WITH A SNAP THAT WAS TAKEN TWO WEEKS LATER. SHE SEEMED TO BE SHOCKED BY THE DIFFERENCE, AS SHE CAPTIONED THE PHOTO WITH A MIND- BLOWN EMOJI.

Bob Dylan Sells Music Catalog: U.S. SINGER-SONGWRITER BOB DYLAN HAS SOLD THE RIGHTS TO HIS ENTIRE SONG CATALOGUE TO UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP. THE DEAL IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST ACQUISITIONS IN UNIVERSAL'S HISTORY AND MEANS THE COMPANY WILL COLLECT ALL FUTURE INCOME FROM THE SONGS. IT INCLUDES BOTH THE INCOME DYLAN CURRENTLY RECEIVES AS A SONGWRITER AND HIS CONTROL OF EACH SONG'S COPYRIGHT. THE 79-YEAR-OLD IS KNOWN ALL OVER THE WORLD FOR SONGS LIKE THE TIMES THEY ARE A-CHANGIN', AND LIKE A ROLLING STONE. UNIVERSAL WILL ACQUIRE AROUND 600 TRACKS, TAKEN FROM A CAREER SPANNING SIX DECADES.

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