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• A rock and roll legend has passed. Robbie Robertson, founding member of The Band and a Rock And Roll Hall Of Famer, died yesterday at the age of 80
• Among the classics Robertson wrote: "The Weight," "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down," and "Up on Cripple Creek"
• Robertson was a legend's legend, considered an inspiration to artists like Bob Dylan, Elton John, Eric Clapton and U2 among many, many others
• Source: RollingStone

• WalletHub has just come out with their report on the Most Pet-Friendly Cities in the country.
• They compared the 100 biggest U.S. cities on 23 key metrics related to budget, health & wellness and outdoor pet friendliness.
• The most pet-friendly city in 2023 is Scottsdale, Arizona, which is number one for pet health & wellness.
• Honolulu comes in 85th place.
• Source: WalletHub

August 8^th is International Cat Day! This is the day we celebrate our feline friends! The International Fund Animal Welfare (IFAW) along with other animal rights groups founded the holiday in 2002 and we’ve had an official day to honor our cats ever since.

• Today is National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day and Yelp is helping us celebrate with a new ranking of the best chocolate chip cookies in the country.
• They analyzed all the reviews on their site and came up with the best spots in the U.S. for these sweet treats.
• The best chocolate chip cookie can be found at Zenaida’s Cafe in Las Vegas, where they serve “ooey-gooey, warm chocolate chip cookies topped with a white chocolate glaze” for free when you get your bill.
• Local spots that made the list: 
• Kalapawi Café & Deli, Kailua Hawaii, 
• Kona Coffee Purveyors, Honolulu, Hawaii, 
• Edible, Honolulu, Hawaii
• Source: Yelp

• Celine Dion’s sister, Claudette, has provided an update on the singer, saying their sister Linda has moved in to help, along with Celine's three sons René-Charles, Eddy, and Nelson 
• Claudette also says Celine is struggling to find medications that help her but that she's taking the advice of top researchers
• Claudette adds that Celine is working to hopefully get back to performing in the future
• As we previously reported, Celine, is battling Stiff Person Syndrome which affects muscles in the trunk and arms
• Source: Hello Mag

• In 2021, Sebastien Roure found a class ring at a World War II battlefield in France, and later discovered it belonged to U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Robert Kuroda, a Medal of Honor recipient who was killed in action in 1944.
• Roure reached out to Kuroda's family, who traveled to France to reclaim the ring and now proudly display it alongside Kuroda’s Medal of Honor at their family business in Hawaii.
• This week, the Roure family visited the Kurodas in Hawaii, getting to see the ring again, meeting the family and getting a tour of the island as thanks for returning an important part of their family’s history.
• Source: KITV

• WalletHub’s report on the States With the Most and Least Student Debt in 2023 has just come out.
• They compared the states and Washington, D.C. across 12 metrics in two main areas: Student-Loan Indebtedness and Grant & Student Work Opportunities.
• Pennsylvania tops the list as the state with the most student debt, while Utah has the least.
• Hawaii comes in 2nd with the least.
• Source: WalletHub

• A new study from Redfin finds that 25.5% of their users looked into moving to a different area.
• The real estate company’s research shows that the top metro areas people are interested in include Houston, Miami and Tampa, and five of the top 10 cities are in Florida.
• Las Vegas tops the list as the most popular destination for relocating homebuyers.
• Source: Business Insider

• WalletHub’s annual list of the best and worst states for health care in the U.S. has just come out.
• They compared all 50 states and Washington, D.C. on 44 factors related to health care cost, accessibility and outcome.
• Minnesota tops the list for best health care, while the worst is West Virginia.
• Hawaii comes in 8th place for best health care.
• Source: WalletHub

Which famous folks share YOUR birthday?

• The team at Upgraded Points just came out with research revealing the most and least affordable towns with an ocean view in the U.S.
• To come up with their list, they analyzed the average nightly and weekly cost of beachfront hotels and vacation homes in 75 popular beach towns.
• Montauk, New York, is the most expensive beach town, while the cheapest is Cedar Key, Florida.
• Lahaina, Hawaii comes in 7th place.
• Source: Upgraded Points

• Tom Jones Is Not Happy "Delilah" Has Been Banned From Rugby Games

• Cher is a talented singer and Oscar-winning actress, but she’s also got a new business
• The pop star announced “Cherlato,” her new gelato business in Los Angeles, on Instagram
• The product is a collab with New Zealand gelato makers Giapo and promises “the freshest & most delectable gelato”
• Source: HuffPost

• Two former musicians associated with Wham! have hinted there is a chance for another tour
• Backup singer Shirlie Kemp speculated that the popular 80s band could bring the late George Michael back
• Kemp’s idea revolved around a hologram, much like Abba, and has the support of another bandmate
• Source: Daily Star

• Today is National Junk Food Day and a new report reveals America’s favorites.
• Casinos.com analyzed Google Trends and search data for the last year to determine that Sour Patch Kids are the favorite junk food in the U.S., topping the list in seven states.
• Kit Kat is the top candy bar, and Skittles, Pringles and Starburst are also favorite junk foods in multiple states.
• Gummy Bears win in two states: Colorado and Hawaii.
• Source: Casinos.com

CNBC has released its annual list of the best states for business in the USA. 

• America's top state for business: North Carolina

• Hawaii comes in 47th.

• As Madonna recovers from a recent medical emergency, she’s shared an eyebrow-raising photo of herself
• The singer took a moment to hug some flowers and fans were quick to point out how filtered the image seemed to be
• Some fans were harsh, calling out Madonna’s fondness for plastic surgery, while others ran to her defense
• Source: Page Six

• Count Bryan Adams among the growing number of musicians who have to deal with crazy fans
• Adams was rushed by a fan during a recent performance of “Summer of ‘69” and played it off perfectly
• The singer let security do their thing with the man as the guy stepped to the mic to sing before stepping up and flawlessly finishing his verse
• Source: Fox News

• National Ice Cream Day is coming up this Sunday, July 16th and a new report reveals the Best Cities for Ice Cream Lovers.
• LawnStarter ranked the 200 biggest cities in four categories: access to ice cream, froyo and gelato, consumer ratings, popularity and contest awards rank.
• Based on all that, Miami, Florida has been named 2023’s Best City for Ice Cream Lovers.
• Honolulu came in 8th place
• Source: LawnStarter

• Australian sailor Tim Shaddock and his dog Bella survived two months adrift in the Pacific after their catamaran was damaged in a storm on their journey from Mexico to French Polynesia.
• They were rescued after a helicopter from a fishing vessel spotted them.
• The pair are reportedly in good shape despite surviving on rainwater and raw fish and living under a makeshift canopy.
• Source: SKY NEWS