1. Investigators are looking into whether Stephen Paddock scoped out bigger music festivals in Las Vegas and Chicago – and perhaps Boston’s Fenway Park – before setting up his perch in a casino hotel and raining deadly fire on country music fans. Paddock booked rooms overlooking the Lollapalooza festival in Chicago in August and the Life Is Beautiful show near the Vegas Strip in late September. Investigators looking into Paddock also came across mention of Fenway Park as well as the Boston Center for the Arts. The Red Sox said in a statement that they have been told there’s currently no credible threat to Fenway Park. But the team said it’s working with officials to beef up security for post season games. (PH)
2. At 10 a.m. Maine rapper Spose will put his musical talent and creativity on the clock. The Wells-based musician has challenged himself to make an entire eight- to 10-song album in just 24 hours, and plans to stream some of the process on Facebook and Instagram so fans can watch. Not only will he be drastically shrinking the time he usually spends on an album – eight months or so – but he says he wants this 24-hour job to be as good as any album he’s made in his 10-year career. He plans to release the one-day-wonder album a week later, Oct. 13, on the internet. (PH)
3. Holiday shopping’s official starting date seems to creep further and further back each year. However, not all stores are staying open on November 23. BestBlackFriday.com has just released its list of retailers that won’t be open on Thanksgiving Day. Here are 12… Costco, Crate and Barrel, H&M, Home Depot, IKEA, Lowe’s, Marshalls, Neiman Marcus, Petco, Petsmart, Staples, TJ Maxx. For the full list click HERE!
4. Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton has apologized for the sexist reaction he had to a female reporter’s question earlier this week. “After careful thought, I understand that my word choice was extremely degrading and disrespectful to women.” Newton, who has two daughters, adds, “I’m a man who tries to be a positive role model to my community and tries to use my platform to inspire others. I take ownership to everything that comes with that. What I did was extremely unacceptable.” On Wednesday, Charlotte Observer reporter Jourdan Rodrigue asked about routes being taken by Newton’s receivers during a press conference. The quarterback laughed and responded, “It’s funny to hear a female talk about routes.” (ESPN)
5. McDonald’s has started serving vegan burgers at a restaurant in Finland. The McVegan is made with a soy patty and can be ordered with a side of vegan fries that are baked in vegetable oil. If the trial goes well, McDonald’s restaurants all over the world could start selling McVegans. Vegetarianism and veganism are on the rise, with the U.S. going from one percent of people claiming to be vegan in 2014 to six percent this year. (People)
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