| 1. MISS AMERICA MOVES FROM ATLANTIC CITY TO CONNECTICUT: This year’s Miss America pageant will take place at the Mohegan Sun Connecticut in Uncasville, leaving its usual home of Atlantic City for the second time. The pageant will air December 19 on NBC, moving from its previous broadcaster ABC. Associated Press: “‘The Miss America Organization is proud to partner with Mohegan Sun as we return to our longtime NBC home,' said Regina Hopper, president and C.E.O. of the Miss America Organization. ‘We are looking forward to a fresh take on this historic competition that will showcase the incredible women vying for the job of Miss America 2020.’ … The broadcast will be on a Thursday evening from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. Eastern time, a departure from its longstanding fixture as a Sunday night event.” 2. TOKYO 2020 REVEALS OLYMPIC MEDALS MADE FROM OLD ELECTRONICS: The Tokyo 2020 Olympics revealed the design of the winners’ medals on Wednesday, one year before the event's opening ceremony. The medals, created with old cell phones and other electronics, have a pebble-like appearance and measure 8.5 centimeters in diameter. The design was chosen from more than 400 entries in a competition for design students and professional designers. CNN: “Winner Junichi Kawanishi described the use of his proposal as a ‘great honor.’ … According to International Olympic Committee guidelines, silver medals must contain a minimum of 92.5 percent silver, although Tokyo 2020's will be made of pure silver. Gold medals are, in fact, also made largely from silver, though they must each be plated with at least 6 grams of pure gold. Approximately 5,000 of the medals will be produced for next summer's games, which mark the second time the Japanese capital has hosted the event.” 3. ARIANA GRANDE AND TAYLOR SWIFT LEAD V.M.A. NOMINATIONS: Ariana Grande and Taylor Swift scored the most nominations for the 2019 MTV Video Music Awards, with 10 noms each. The event also introduced two new categories—best K-pop and video for good. The ceremony takes place August 26 at the Prudential Center in New Jersey. Billboard: “Billie Eilish and Lil Nas X follow with nine and eight nominations, respectively. Both are up for best new artist, while the 17-year-old songstress is also entered for artist of the year, push artist of the year, and best pop, among other categories. … Twitter and Facebook Messenger users can also slide into V.M.A.s’ DMs to cast an additional vote, and Alexa owners can ask their device to ‘vote for the V.M.A.s’ for ‘artist of the year’ within the MTV skill. During VMA Power Hour, 1-2 p.m. ET daily, votes are doubled on the VMA website.” | 