RYAN GOSLING and Margo Robbie star in “Barbie” (Warner Bros.)

“Barbie” continued to make the box office count her personal beauty contest, pushing the earnings of the Margot Robbie comedy past $1 billion worldwide.

According to United Press International, the film grossed $53 million over the past week and is the number one film in North America for the third consecutive week.

In second place is “Meg 2: The Trench” (about a really big shark) with $30 million, followed by “Oppenheimer” with $28.7 million, “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” with $28 million and Disney’s “Haunted Mansion” ($9 million).

Russians, Chinese off Alaska coast

THE USS Gridley destroyer (US Navy).

China and Russia have sent a total of 11 naval ships to waters near the Aleutian Islands at the western tip of Alaska.

USA Today reports that the ships were met by U.S. destroyers. Despite their proximity, the U.S. Northern Command said that the combined force “did not appear” to enter American territory and instead remained in international waters.

This isn’t the first time that Chinese and Russian ships have been spotted close to Alaska. In September 2022, the Wall Street Journal reported that the U.S. Coast Guard encountered three Chinese ships and four from Russia near the island of Kiska.

What did Trump say to Pence?

The defense attorney for former president Donald Tump said Sunday that his client never asked former vice president Mike Pence to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, but instead merely wanted to “pause” the process of Electoral College certification to allow time to investigate election fraud claims.

According to the Associated Press, Pence said that Trump’s attorney asked him to “reject votes outright.”

Weather: Seventies are in sight

Goodbye to the Eighties, at least for a while. The forecast for our West Orange County area calls for two more days with daytime highs in the 80s, followed by three days in the 70s. Monday is expected to be partly cloudy with a high of 82 and an overnight low of 65. Tuesday will be mostly sunny with a high of 82 (68).  But on Wednesday, the thermometer chills to 78 (67) and begins a return to partly cloudy conditions. Thursday and Friday are expected to be 78 (66) and 79 (66).