Hotness in the News by SociaLifeChicago is your daily intel for quick news stories to get your morning started and get you up to date on what’s going on in Chicago and the world. Make small talk, better.
“To be persuasive, We must be believable. To be believable, We must be credible. To be credible, We must be truthful.”
― Edward R. Murrow
CHICAGO NEWS
• Deerfield based Walgreens Boots Alliance announced it will close 200 U.S. stores as part of an expansion to the $1 billion cost-reduction plan it announced last August. The store closings amount to about 2 percent of the 8,232 drugstores it runs in the United States, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. [CHICAGO TRIBUNE]
NATIONAL NEWS
• Senior supervisor Xavier Morales at the Secret Service is on leave after a female employee accused him of assaulting her after-hours at agency headquarters last week. Washington Post reports “The woman told police and agency investigators that Morales, her boss, told her during the party at Capitol City Brewing Company that he was in love with her and would like to have sex with her, according to two people briefed on her statements.” The March 31 party was held to celebrate Morales’s new assignment as head of the Secret Service’s field office in Louisville — a post that is considered an agency steppingstone. [WASHINGTON POST]
• The Boston marathon bomber was found guilty yesterday of all 30 criminal counts he faced, following 11 hours of deliberations over two days, and could face the death penalty. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and his deceased brother planted the homemade pressure-cooker bombs that killed three people and injured 264 others. [REUTERS]
WORLD NEWS
• Three people are dead and the assailant identified as Claudio Giardiello, a defendant in a bankruptcy case, has been arrested following a shooting at the Palace of Justice in Milan, Italy. The judge presiding over the case, a lawyer and the shooter’s co-defendant were all killed. [CHRON]
SPORTS
• Golf legend and four-time Masters champion Arnold Palmer launched the ceremonial tee shot along with six-time winner Jack Nicklaus and three-time winner Gary Player Thursday morning to signal the beginning of the 79th Masters Tournament in Augusta. Some things to know: Bubba Watson last year’s champion will be back; Tiger Woods will be playing competitive golf for the first time since Feb. 5; Rory McIlroy, Phil Mickelson, Jordan Spieth will all be in the mix and live coverage on ESPN. [USA TODAY]
BUSINESS
• Zynga’s new CEO is their old CEO. The founder of Social games company Zynga-FarmVille and Words with Friends, Mark Pincus has stepped up after former Xbox executive Don Mattrick stepped down as Zynga’s CEO after only 2 years. Zynga reported revenues of $690.4m in 2014,some way behind compared to Candy Crush maker King’s $2.26bn and Clash of Clans publisher Supercell’s $1.67bn. [NY TIMES]
CELEBRITIES
• The Hollywood Reporter released their “35 Most Powerful People in New York Media 2015” which included Anna Wintour(Conde Nast), Roger Ailes(Fox News), Dean Baquet(New York Times), Arianna Huffington(Huffington Post), Lester Holt(NBC Nightly News), Jonah Peretti and Ben Smith(Buzzfeed), Shane Smith(Vice). In the same issue, legendary gossip columnist Liz Smith dishes on everything and everyone including an alleged gay Barry Diller(DVF’s partner and IAC Boss), being fired by Rupert Murdoch and her friendship with Elizabeth Taylor and the biggest disappointment about her career. [HOLLYWOOD REPORTER]
FASHION
• The RealReal, online luxury consignment store, has raised $40 million in its largest venture-funding round with the immediate objective to achieve profitability. Consignors receive about 60 percent to 70 percent of the sale price. [BLOOMBERG]
•The (British Fashion Council) BFC/GQ Designer Men’s Wear Fund 2015 shortlisted finalists are Astrid Andersen, Christopher Raeburn, E.Tautz, Matthew Miller and Sibling; They will be competing for $223,000, grant to provide necessary infrastructure to take them to the next stage in their business and $74,000 worth in-kind services, with the winner announced May 12. “The shortlisted designers will participate in a mentoring program developed by the BFC over the next month, where industry experts will provide guidance on topics including branding, leadership, retail, e-tail and wholesale and digital innovation.” [WWD]
LOOK OF THE DAY
• Hilary Swank
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