Notre Dame Cathedral fire… HBO records… Khloe Kardashian went private… Kim Kardashian’s study partners… and Lori Loughlin is pleading not guilty

The Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris is 850 years old. It’s been undergoing a $6.8 million restoration project, but last night, a fire broke out and for a while, it looked like the building and all the sacred artwork and religious relics were going to be lost. After about 8 hours, the fire was brought under control and this morning, we’re seeing the first pictures from inside Notre Dame. Three medieval stained-glass windows were feared to have been destroyed, but they are all still intact. A chaplain with the Paris Fire Brigade is being praised for rushing into the burning church to save the Blessed Sacrament and the Crown of Thorns. Detectives will interview the specialist restorers who were working on the cathedral spire when the fire broke out. Meantime, Salma Hayek’s billionaire husband Francois-Henri Pinault says he and his father are donating over $113 million US dollars to help rebuild Notre Dame Cathedral. Another billionaire, Bernard Jean Étienne Arnault, announced that his family will donate over $226 million US dollars to the cause.

This is the first look inside Notre-Dame cathedral after a fire destroyed much of its iconic exterior
[Tap to expand] https://t.co/xtuUtj7vdX pic.twitter.com/HtCbxNdhnz
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) April 16, 2019

The ratings are in for the “Game of Thrones” season opener. Over 17.4 million people watched the first episode of the final season Sunday night. Business Insider says it was the biggest viewership for GOT ever and also the biggest night ever for HBO. On top of that, HBO Now users grew by 50% from the season seven finale.

According to @HBO, the #GameofThrones Season 8 premiere was watched by a record 17.4 million viewers.

That’s a lot people watching Jon Snow finally find out that he’s been sleeping with his aunt. https://t.co/e2WyVmhewe
— WIRED (@WIRED) April 16, 2019

Khloe Kardashian wants to make it a little harder for us to know all her business. She’s made her Instagram private. If you’re already among the 91 million following her, it’s all good. But anyone else who wants to see what she’s posting will have to request her and I guess Khloe will accept you if she feels like it.

After reuniting with her ex, Tristan Thompson, this weekend, Khloe Kardashian has made her Instagram private. https://t.co/kp04u9kIyX
— Entertainment Tonight (@etnow) April 16, 2019

Kim Kardashian has been getting a lot of hate since she announced she wants to take the Bar in California so she can become a lawyer, which will help her tremendously in her mission to get people out of prison. Yesterday, Kim posted a picture of her studying with two other women and captioned it, “… I’ve seen some comments from people who are saying it’s my privilege or my money that got me here, but that’s not the case. One person actually said I should ‘stay in my lane.’ I want people to understand that there is nothing that should limit your pursuit of your dreams, and the accomplishment of new goals. You can create your own lanes, just as I am.” She also added that while it’s true she didn’t finish college, she did complete enough hours to earn 75 credits. She said you only need 60 college credits to take part in “reading the law,” which is an in-office law school being apprenticed by lawyers. She also said she’d like us to wish her luck because she has a big torts essay on negligence due this week.

Last year I registered with the California State Bar to study law. For the next 4 years, a minimum of 18 hours a week is required, I will take written and multiple choice tests monthly. As my first year is almost coming to an end I am preparing for the baby bar, a mini version of the bar, which is required when studying law this way. I’ve seen some comments from people who are saying it’s my privilege or my money that got me here, but that’s not the case. One person actually said I should “stay in my lane.” I want people to understand that there is nothing that should limit your pursuit of your dreams, and the accomplishment of new goals. You can create your own lanes, just as I am. The state bar doesn’t care who you are. This option is available to anyone who’s state allows it. It’s true I did not finish college. You need 60 college credits (I had 75) to take part in “reading the law”, which is an in office law school being apprenticed by lawyers. For anyone assuming this is the easy way out, it’s not. My weekends are spent away from my kids while I read and study. I work all day, put my kids to bed and spend my nights studying. There are times I feel overwhelmed and when I feel like I can’t do it but I get the pep talks I need from the people around me supporting me. I changed my number last year and disconnected from everyone because I have made this strict commitment to follow a dream of mine – It’s never too late to follow your dreams. I want to thank Van Jones for believing in me and introducing me to Jessica Jackson. Jessica along with Erin Haney have taken on the role of my mentors and I am forever grateful to them both putting in so much time with me, believing in me and supporting me through this journey. This week I have a big torts essay due on negligence. Wish me luck ✨⚖️

A post shared by Kim Kardashian West (@kimkardashian) on Apr 15, 2019 at 8:40am PDT

It was pretty shocking to hear that Lori Laughlin and her husband Mossimo pleaded not guilty to mail fraud and money laundering conspiracy. But a legal source close to the couple told People magazine that pleading not guilty was the only choice they had. The source said Lori should’ve taken the original deal that was offered to her — the same one Felicity Huffman took. The source said, “I think she and her lawyers underestimated how motivated the prosecution was. So she didn’t plead, and then they hit her with another charge. Now she’s willing to negotiate, but the prosecution says that the deal is off the table. So the only choice they’ve got is to plead not guilty. That’s all they can do.” If convicted, they face up to 20 years in prison for each charge.

Breaking News: The actress Lori Loughlin, one of the most high profile defendants in the college admissions bribery case, is pleading not guilty https://t.co/vIQTH6jU9G
— The New York Times (@nytimes) April 15, 2019