Monday, August 11, 2025

Random News: August 11, 2025



DISCLAIMER: Zak's Random News is very random and doesn't cover many things, and not everything may be accurate, because I'm just some guy. Go find a real news source.



Good morning. It’s August 11, 2025, and it’s a Monday. Yesterday ended up being a busy day of getting my home back in reasonably livable condition, and I slept like the proverbial log as a result.


  • Of the many things Donnie Dump has been doing in recent weeks to distract from his role in the Epstein pedophile ring, I was not expecting a fascist takeover of our nation’s capital to be one of them.
  • And yet, here we are.
  • About 500 federal law enforcement officers are being tasked with deploying throughout the nation’s capital. The tally includes more than 100 FBI agents and about 40 agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives DEA, ICE, and Marshals Service are also involved.
  • Dumpy is actually holding a press conference right now on the topic, so I suppose we’ll get more details soon. It was also suggested that the National Guard would be deployed in D.C..
  • In perhaps the most insensitive statement ever made us a U.S. president, Dump screamed over the weekend that, "The Homeless have to move out, IMMEDIATELY.” 
  • As you’re aware, Dump’s sudden interest in Washington D.C. rose after his 19-year-old buddy named Big Balls got his ass kicked by some teenage girls.
  • Just to put this plan into context, FBI agents with expertise in counterintelligence, public corruption, and other divisions have minimal training in public police work like traffic stops.
  • Also, like most cities, Washington has its own very capable police force. Meanwhile, the federal officers are being diverted via this needless performative action from their typical jobs at the bureau.
  • I’ll pause this story for the time being. I’m sure there will be much more to report.
  • But in related news, Judge Charles Breyer will consider evidence and hear arguments on whether the Dump administration violated federal law when it deployed National Guard soldiers and U.S. Marines to Los Angeles following protests over immigration raids this summer.
  • As you’re aware, Dump federalized California National Guard members and sent them here to the second largest U.S. city over the objections of Gov. Gavin Newsom and city leaders, after protests erupted June 7 when Dump’s ICE gestapo arrested people at multiple locations.
  • The 1878 Posse Comitatus Act prevents the president from using the military as a domestic police force. The case could set precedent for how Dump can deploy the guard in the future in California or other states.
  • California is asking the judge to order Dumpy to return control of the remaining troops to the state and to stop the federal government from using military troops in California “to execute or assist in the execution of federal law or any civilian law enforcement functions by any federal agent or officer.”
  • Moving over to the International Desk…
  • Yesterday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended a new military offensive in Gaza that’s more sweeping than previously announced.
  • Now Gaza City is not enough. Israel will now be attacking central camps that now shelter well over a half-million displaced people, according to the U.N.
  • It’s becoming more and more undeniable that a compete genocide of the Palestinian people is Netanyahu’s goal.
  • And Netanyahu continues to deny the evidence we — and the entire international community — have seen with our own eyes. He said yesterday, “There is no hunger. There was no hunger. There was a shortage, and there was certainly no policy of starvation.”
  • At least 31 Palestinians were killed while seeking aid in Gaza yesterday alone. Israeli forces had fired at crowds trying to reach food distributions or waiting for convoys.
  • And there are reports that Israel is targeting and killing journalists, claiming that they are secretly Hamas cell leaders.
  • Anas Al Sharif was among a group of four Al Jazeera journalists and an assistant who died in a strike on a tent near Shifa Hospital in eastern Gaza City.
  • ”Anas Al Sharif and his colleagues were among the last remaining voices in Gaza conveying the tragic reality to the world," Al Jazeera said.
  • Let’s move on.
  • This morning, Judge Paul A. Engelmayer said in a written ruling that transcripts of the secret grand jury testimony that led to the sex trafficking indictment of Jeffrey Epstein’s former girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell won’t be released.
  • He said that Dump’s government had suggested the materials could be released publicly “casually or promiscuously,” which would risk “unraveling the foundations of secrecy upon which the grand jury is premised” and eroding confidence by persons called to testify before future grand juries.
  • “And it is no answer to argue that releasing the grand jury materials, because they are redundant of the evidence at Maxwell’s trial, would be innocuous. The same could be said for almost any grand jury testimony, by summary witnesses or others, given in support of charges that later proceeded to trial,” he added.
  • Sigh.
  • Before you get annoyed at this, be aware that Brad Edwards, a lawyer who has represented nearly two dozen Epstein accusers, said: “We do not disagree with the Court’s ruling. Our only concern was that if materials were released, then maximum protection for the victims was essential. The grand jury materials contain very little in the way of evidentiary value anyway.”
  • Agreed.
  • And now, The Weather: “How to Dress” by Alicia Clara
  • RIP to pianist/keyboardist Bobby Whitlock. He died yesterday at 77.
  • Bobby was an integral part of the circle of musicians who worked with Delaney & Bonnie, Joe Cocker, George Harrison, and perhaps most famously as the co-founder of Eric Clapton’s short-lived project Derek & The Dominoes, with whom he recorded the classic “Layla.”
  • That’s Bobby on backing vocals, among other instruments.
  • Let’s do a chart.
  • It’s August 1994, and I’m 25 and married and working in the industry that still supports me today. I have a similar job as I have now — but in the pre-widespread Internet era, that job was incredibly different in terms of its strategy and execution.
  • Few web sites, no social media. Email is barely a thing. Trust me, while its goals remain the same — to get you to buy shit — marketing has come a long way in the subsequent 30+ years.
  • 1. The Lion King (Soundtrack). 2. Forrest Gump (Soundtrack). 3. The Sign (Ace Of Base). 4. Regulate… G Funk Era (Warren G). 5. Purple (Stone Temple Pilots). 6. August And Everything After (Counting Crows). 7. Voodoo Lounge (The Rolling Stones). 8. Superunknown (Soundgarden). 9. Candlebox (Candlebox). 10. Not A Moment Too Soon (Tim McGraw). 11. Smash (The Offspring). 12. All-4-One (All-4-One). 13. Dookie (Green Day). 14. It Takes A Thief (Coolio). 15. We Come Strapped (MC Eiht Featuring CMW). 16. Reality Bites (Soundtrack). 17. Who I Am (Alan Jackson). 18. Chant (The Benedictine Monks Of Santo Domingo De Silos). 19. She (Harry Connick, Jr.). 20. Funkdafied (Da Brat).
  • From the Sports Desk… why I detest NFL preseason reason #732.
  • On Saturday, Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Rondale Moore was in his first game back after returning from a major injury last season to his right knee. He’d been out all last year.
  • And on the first play of the game, Moore significantly injured his other knee. No specific diagnosis yet — they doing an MRI today — but it’s likely that Moore is back on the injured reserve list.
  • Moving over to SoFi Stadium where, during Saturday’s preseason game between the Cowboys and Rams, star Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb wasn’t playing the game but still took one of the bigger hits.
  • Lamb was celebrating a play in the white paint of the sideline reserved for the officials during the action, and he got fucking trucked by side judge Anthony Jeffries, who was running at full speed down the sideline while chasing the play.
  • The Cowboys were flagged 15 yards for unsportsmanlike conduct. Both Lamb and the ref — neither in pads, obviously — were okay.
  • Today in history… The Mesoamerican Long Count calendar begins (3114 BC). Claudius Silvaneous proclaims himself Roman Emperor despite being accused of treason (355). The Great Famine of Europe becomes so dire that even the king of England has difficulties buying bread for himself and his entourage (1315). Babe Ruth hits his 500th home run (1929). Actress Hedy Lamarr gets a patent for a frequency-hopping communication system that’s the basis for all wireless phones and Wi-Fi (1942). Chad declares independence from France (1960). Cosmonaut Andrian Nikolayev becomes the first person to float in microgravity (1962). The Watts Riots begin in Los Angeles (1965). The last US ground combat troops leave Vietnam (1972). The Mall of America opens in Minnesota (1992). 
  • August 11 is the birthday of physician and contagious disease scholar Richard Mead (1673), sprinter Charley Paddock (1900), talk show host Mike Douglas (1920), historian and author Alex Haley (1921), televangelist Jerry Falwell (1933), journalist Marilyn vos Savant (1946), singer-songwriter Eric Carmen (1949), computer scientist Steve Wozniak (1950), musician/composer Bob Mothersbaugh (1952), wrestler/actor Hulk Hogan (1953), singer-songwriter/pianist Joe Jackson (1954), podcasterJoe Rogan (1967), actress Anna Gunn (1968), singer-songwriter/guitarist Ben Gibbard (1976), actor Chris Hemsworth (1983), political commentator Tomi Lahren (1992), and NFL player Marvin Harrison Jr. (2002).


That’s enough for now, and I have to jump into my Monday routine anyway. Enjoy your day.

Sunday, August 10, 2025

Random News: August 10, 2025



DISCLAIMER: Zak's Random News is very random and doesn't cover many things, and not everything may be accurate, because I'm just some guy. Go find a real news source.



Good morning. It’s August 10, 2025, and it’s a Sunday. It’s cool this morning here at the beach, about 64º F, but the humidity is over 90%. Basically I’m living in a cloud. But I have my cup of Peet’s Major Dickason’s Blend, and I’m happy.


  • As we’ve often said before: when they tell you what they’re going to do… believe them.
  • Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reposted and praised a video interview of a self-described Christian nationalist pastor whose church doesn't believe women shouldn't be allowed to vote.
  • Doug Wilson — whom Hegseth openly admired greatly — said in the video that, "Women are the kind of people that people come out of."
  • In the same video, Wilson also defended previous comments where he had said there was mutual affection between slaves and their masters. He also said that sodomy — aka homosexuality — should be recriminalized.
  • It should be no surprise to anyone that what the entire Dump administration wants is for rights in the USA to be made available only to white, straight, Christian men. No one else.
  • A huge majority of people said that we were being alarmist when we said that the far right would remove the rights of women to choose their own reproductive health care, and then you acted shocked when it happened.
  • In the next few years, you could see women’s rights to vote being removed — or women being forced to vote the same way as their husbands or fathers.
  • You might see women not being allowed to have their own bank accounts or hold their own lines of credit or own property without a man co-signing for them.
  • If you choose not to believe me, it’s at your own risk, and I’ll take no pleasure saying that “I told you so” after the fact.
  • And if you’re a guy reading this who doesn’t give a shit, maybe you do care in some small way about your wives, daughters, girlfriends, mothers, sisters, coworkers, and female friends (assuming you’ve ever had one).
  • Let’s do some news.
  • Tome for a deeper dive into the congressional redistricting arms race that’s been heating up around the country as other states look to follow Texas’s lead in redrawing their congressional lines ahead of the 2026 midterms.
  • I can promise you that Texas’s choice to do this is only the tipping point of a much larger situation that will affect every state in the USA. Multiple Democratic and Republican governors have expressed interest in their states conducting their own redistricting process to add as many seats as they can for their parties and increase the chances that their party can win control of the House next year.
  • But whether they will be able to depends on the state and its own unique rules. Let’s look at some likely candidates…
  • Ohio is already guaranteed to redraw its district lines, but is in a different situation than the others. They’re required to approve a new map ahead of the midterms because the current map was only approved by a simple majority along party lines rather than a bipartisan supermajority.
  • It would seem likely under normal circumstances that Ohio would be likely to pick up a few GOP seats with the next map. But something tells me that voters might not be sticking to predictable patters in 2026.
  • California is the most visible state that’s threatened to respond to Republicans’ efforts to use redistricting, and my state also has the most seats (because we have the largest population, which is how this shit all works).
  • The process for California to redraw its lines in time for the 2026 midterms is a bit complicated — but possible. We have an independent redistricting commission that determines its district lines.
  • Governor Gavin Newsom confirmed on Friday that we’d move forward with a special election in November that would allow the commission to create a new map in place for the rest of the decade.
  • Back on the GOP side, Florida is the other significant source of possible gains through redistricting. DeSantis has been hinting at the state following Texas’s footsteps to add more Republican seats.
  • Other states that have some possibility of purposefully gerrymandering their election maps in this political war — in both red and blue tilts — include Indiana, Missouri, New York, New Jersey, and others.
  • Is this the right thing to do? Do two (or ten) wrongs make a right? Weren’t we striving toward a path of more representational (rather than less) congressional districts? I’ll just say that if Texas hadn’t started this, we wouldn’t be in the position now to have to fight back.
  • But fight back we will. Everyone’s gloves are off at this point. It’s no longer a normal time, and normal rules don’t apply (or even function) anymore.
  • “Inter arma enim silent leges.” - Cicero. Look it up. It’s getting more and more applicable.
  • Moving on.
  • Russians could not be happier about this week’s coming summit between Dumples the Feckless Clown and President Vladimir Putin.
  • That meeting is set for Friday in Alaska, and it’s the first time the Russian leader has been invited to the United States since 2007.
  • Normally — under strong U.S. leadership — this summit never would have been scheduled unless Putin and Russia had already agreed to make clear concessions over its war in Ukraine.
  • It’s obvious that Russia knows Dump is on their side, and that he’s going to try and unilaterally give permission for Russia to take large parts of Eastern Ukraine permanently. Dump will do this with no agreement from Ukraine’s people or leadership.
  • And Russia will just continue destroying Ukraine even after any deal that Dump will pretend to have brokered. He’s the weakest president this country has had. It’s not even close.
  • Michael McFaul, the former U.S. ambassador to Russia, made an interesting point. “Trump has chosen to host Putin in a part of the former Russian Empire. Wonder if he knows that Russian nationalists claim that losing Alaska, like Ukraine, was a raw deal for Moscow that needs to be corrected.”
  • Dump has no clue about history, so the answer to that question is an obvious “no.”
  • The Kremlin has long sought to dominate Ukraine through the “election” of a Russia-friendly president and parliament in Kyiv. Ukrainians have repeatedly taken to the streets to demand a free and democratic future in the European Union.
  • At least some of the world’s people and their leaders still have balls. Europe’s major NATO powers — Britain, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, and Poland — threw their backing behind Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky.
  • They all declared that Ukraine’s demand for a ceasefire — or at least a reduction in hostilities — should in place before any negotiations could start.
  • We’ll see how Dump fucks this up next Friday.
  • But before we even get there, we have some things at home to be focused on.
  • Yesterday, Dumpy did a social post where he said that he is taking over our nation’s capital. Whether it’s via a military mission in our own country, or the declaration of martial law, we get to find out soon enough.
  • Dumpy wrote, “We're having a News Conference tomorrow in the White House. I'm going to make our Capital safer and more beautiful than it ever was before. The Homeless have to move out, IMMEDIATELY. We will give you places to stay, but FAR from the Capital. The Criminals, you don't have to move out. We're going to put you in jail where you belong. It's all going to happen very fast, just like the Border. We went from millions pouring in, to ZERO in the last few months. This will be easier — Be prepared! There will be no "MR. NICE GUY." We want our Capital BACK. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
  • So yeah. This is the America where Donnie Dump wants you to live. Where federal forces come into your city and control the people with an iron fist.
  • I mean, what happened to you people who loved “FREEDOM” and “LIMITED GOVERNMENT” and would use your Second Amendment rights to prevent “TYRANNY”? Serious, what the fuck happened to you Republican pussy-ass bitches?
  • Anyway, per his declaration on Thursday, the security lockdown will run for seven days, “with the option to extend as needed.” I suppose we’ll hear more about this shit tomorrow. Lucky us.
  • By the way, all this is because Dump’s 19-year-old buddy Big Balls got his ass handed to him by a teenage girl.
  • D.C. can legitimately claim to have reduced the number of homicides and carjackings, which dropped significantly in the past couple of years.
  • Oh, and while Dump’s gestapo is taking over D.C., they’re also restoring and replacing a statue of a Confederate military leader that was toppled by protesters in 2020, per Dump’s executive order as such.
  • Let’s move on.
  • On June 26, a meteorite the size of a cherry tomato ripped like a bullet through the roof of a home outside of Atlanta, GA, and left a dent in the floor.
  • But after some analysis, it turns out this little space rock is pretty old. As in, older than the Earth.
  • University of Georgia planetary geologist Scott Harris concluded the meteorite formed 4.56 billion years ago. That’s some 20 million years older than our planet.
  • He said, "It belongs to a group of asteroids in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter that we now think we can tie to a breakup of a much larger asteroid about 470 million years ago.”
  • Something I consider every so often. Our whole solar system — the sun and all of the planets and stuff that orbit it — formed about 4.6 billion years ago.
  • But the universe — if not infinite with no beginning or end — came into existence at least 13.8 billion years ago. Even if you cut out the beginning era, when it was too crazy for matter or energy to exist as we know it, there’s still some eight billion fucking years of universe before our star ignited.
  • Lots of things could have happened before we (and our planet) were around.
  • And now, The Weather: “Bird Parts (feat. Harmony)” by Grumpy
  • From the Sports Desk… the list of MLB players batting over .300 is a short one right now.
  • 1. Aaron Judge (NYY) - .339. 2. Jeremy Pena (HOU) - .320. 3. Jonathan Aranda (TB) - .316. 4. Jacob Wilson (ATH) - .312. 5. Freddie Freeman (LAD) - .305. 6. Xavier Edwards (MIA) - .303.
  • Today in history… Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor, defeats the Magyars (955). Ferdinand Magellan’s five ships set sail to circumnavigate the globe (1519). Elizabeth I signs the Treaty of Nonsuch (1585). King Marthanda Varma of Travancore defeats the Dutch East India Company at the Battle of Colachel, effectively bringing about the end of the Dutch colonial rule in India. (1741). Word reaches London of the US Declaration of Independence (1776). Louis XVI is taken into custody and his guards are murdered by the Parisian mob (1792). The Louvre opens (1793). Missouri is admitted as the 24th state (1821). The Smithsonian Institution is chartered after Jane Smithson kicks down $500,000 (1846). Felix Hoffman — who also created heroin — synthesizes acetylsalicylic acid, aka aspirin (1897). The U.S. Steel strike begins (1901). ’Candid Camera’ debuts on television (1948). The Secretary of Defense is placed in charge of the Army, navy, and Air Force, and establishes the Department of Defense (1949). The US Army sprays 20 million gallons of defoliants and herbicides over South Vietnam to deprive the Viet Cong of food and cover (1961). Postal employee David Berkowitz is arrested as the serial killer Son of Sam (1977). Three members of a family are killed in a car accident, leading to the Ford Pinto litigation (1978). The US pays $20,000 to each of the Japanese-Americans who were relocated and interned in WWII (1988). Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols are indicted for the Oklahoma City bombing (1995). 
  • August 10 is the birthday of Aragon king James II (1267), organist/composer Hieronymus Praetorius (1560), businessman Henri Nestlé (1814), bass player William Manuel Johnson (1872), US president Herbert Hoover (1874), game designer Charles Darrow (1889), actor Jack Haley (1897), businessman Leo Fender (1909), actor Noah Beery Jr. (1913), singer/businessman Jimmy Dean (1928), singer-songwriter Bobby Hatfield (1940), singer-songwriter Ronnie Spector (1943), singer-songwriter/flautist Ian Anderson (1947), singer Patti Austin (1950), actress Rosanna Arquette (1959), NBA player John Starks (1965), actor Justin Theroux (1971), model/actress Angie Harmon (1972), NFL player Dalvin Cook (1995), personality/businesswomen Kylie Jenner (1997), and NBA player Ja Morant (1999).


It’s that day where — due to the fact that I was gone last weekend and then had to focus on work all week — my household needs some serious care involving vacuums and mops and scrub brushes and washers and dryers and all that fun stuff we do on our “days off.” But that’s okay. I’ll do it as a favor to my future self. Enjoy your day.

Saturday, August 9, 2025

Random News: August 9, 2025



DISCLAIMER: Zak's Random News is very random and doesn't cover many things, and not everything may be accurate, because I'm just some guy. Go find a real news source.



Good morning. It’s August 9, 2025, and it’s a Saturday. It’s nice to wake up on a relaxing Saturday in my own home with nothing pressing to do. I’m in my bathrobe and have a full cup of Peet’s Brazil (holy fuck, coffee is expensive due to that idiot’s tariffs), and I can take my time in checking today’s news.


  • I don’t know about you, but I am sick to fucking death of having that Old Orange Blob be the topic of more than half of my news stories every fucking day.
  • On one hand, I feel a responsibility to make sure you’re aware of how that shithead is destroying our way of life in the USA.
  • On the other, I know he thrives on getting attention, and not giving Dumpy what he wants is kind of my favorite hobby.
  • Anyway, it’s a conundrum, but I will always err on the side of giving you the info you need to resist his bullshit any way you can.
  • Okay, let’s do this.
  • You might not have noticed on Thursday night that Dumples the Fascist Clown signed an executive order to give political appointees power over the billions of dollars in grants awarded by federal agencies.
  • Scientists say it threatens to undermine the process that has helped make the U.S. the world leader in research and development.
  • The order — which reeks of far-right Project 2025 involvement — requires all federal agencies, including FEMA, the National Science Foundation, and the National Institutes of Health, to appoint officials responsible for reviewing federal funding opportunities and grants, so that they “are consistent with agency priorities and the national interest.”
  • It also requires agencies to make it so that current and future federal grants can be terminated at any time — including during the grant period itself.
  • This mechanism has always been politically neutral. It’s one of the main reasons that the USA has been a world leader in science for the past 100 years. And that leads to us being a leader in technology and gives massive advantages in business, medical treatment, and much more.
  • Now? Not.
  • The changes will delay grant review and approval, slowing progress for cures and treatments that patients and families across the country urgently need.
  • Dump has already terminated thousands of research grants at agencies like the NSF and NIH, including on topics like transgender health, vaccine hesitancy, misinformation, and diversity, equity and inclusion.
  • Vladimir Putin couldn’t have hoped for a better person to destroy the USA form the inside out than Donnie Dump.
  • Speaking of whom…
  • Dump is meeting with Putin next week, on August 15 in Alaska.
  • Putin has allegedly proposed a ceasefire deal between Russia and Ukraine. All Ukraine has to do is give up a huge portion of its own country.
  • Let me ask you a question. If the USA was under attack and some other country said that we could end the war, but that Texas would no longer be part of the U.S. and instead would be owned by Saudi Arabia, do you think Americans would be cool with that?
  • Anyway, the Kremlin has confirmed the Putin-Trump summit in Alaska, adding that Dumpy had been invited to visit Russia after the meeting.
  • All three previous sets of talks between Russia and Ukraine failed to bring visible progress, and it's unclear whether a Dump-Putin meeting can bring about a ceasefire.
  • Political experts are already calling the Alaska summit a big win for Russia. There’s no way a strong U.S. president — like Obama or even Bush/Cheney — would have bowed to Putin in this manner.
  • Let’s move on.
  • Hey, here’s some more fuckery.
  • Yesterday, Dump’s administration told Harvard University it could take control of the school's patents stemming from federally funded research.
  • At this point, we all just live in a mafia-run ghetto.
  • Dump’s Commerce Secretary, Howard Lutnick, is launching an "immediate comprehensive review" of whether Harvard has complied with federal laws around patents.
  • And yes, the patents in question could be worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Lutnick threatened to grant third-party licenses to Harvard's patents or take the titles to any patents where Dumpy claims that Harvard has failed to comply with government title and disclosure requirements.
  • He gave Harvard until September 5 to respond and prove it's complying with the Bayh-Dole Act, which says universities receiving federal research grants have to show that inventions issuing from that funding are being used to benefit Americans. 
  • Fucking fascist assholes. All this because Barron Dump didn’t get accepted there.
  • Moving on.
  • Quiz time. How many people have run the IRS since Dumpy took office and 6-1/2 months ago?
  • The answer… is seven. SEVEN. 
  • Danny Werfel resigned just as Dump took office, though his term lasted until 2027. Then Douglas O’Donnell. Melanie Krause. Gary Shapley. Michael Faulkender. And then Billy Long, who was removed by Dump yesterday.
  • Long lasted just two months one the job, and now Dump is nominating him for an ambassadorship. Sounds like Long learned some interesting stuff while running the IRS.
  • As of May, some 25,000 staffers had left the IRS, a 25% decrease from February levels. Meanwhile, staff from DOGE tried to get complete access to the IRS's tax data system, sparking a lawsuit.
  • The reverberations from the criminal takeover of the USA will last a very, very long time.
  • A note from the Health Desk…
  • The summer surge of COVID-19 doesn't appear to be slowing down — instead, a key indicator for tracking the spread of the virus has increased, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
  • Yesterday, they shared an update, with wastewater activity for COVID-19 being at a "moderate" level nationwide, up from "low" the previous week. 
  • Where is it bad? It’s currently the highest in the Western U.S., with high levels in Alaska, California, Colorado, Nevada, and Utah.
  • But it’s not limited to us folks in the West. Other metrics are also showing increases in the illness, growing or likely growing in 45 states, which is up from 40 states last week.
  • Kat and I were just talking about how it’s a fucking miracle that after two plane flights and four days around lots of people in casinos during our Vegas trip last weekend, neither of us got sick at all.
  • Pure luck. I have multiple friends who either have COVID now or just got over it.
  • And from the Environment Desk…
  • The Dump Administration is ending a program to help low-income households and communities get access to affordable solar energy.
  • Why? Dump is doing anything to try and reverse former President Biden's climate agenda and boost fossil fuels instead.
  • The "Solar for All" program had aimed to help more than 900,000 low-income households reduce pollution, and utility bills. Solar for All funded efforts around the country to provide rooftop solar panels, community solar farms, and battery storage.
  • But Dump’s Big Bullshit Bill eliminated the funding for the program, despite it being obligated by law and many solar projects already underway that would have represented over $350 million in annual savings on electric bills for low-income households across the country.
  • Oh well. Dump ruins everything, as usual.
  • A brief side note…
  • There have been many occasions where people read this daily Random News report of mine, and ask why I do it.
  • They point out that it’s unlikely that many (if any) MAGA-type people read it at all, and even if they did, I am unlikely to ever change even one of their minds.
  • And I have to explain that I don’t write this for them.
  • A great example of this worldview is when a reporter asked A.J. Muste — a clergyman and pacifist who protested against the Vietnam War — “Do you really think you are going to change the policies of this country by standing out here alone at night in front of the White House with a candle?"
  • Muste replied, “Oh, I don't do this to change the country. I do this so the country won't change me."
  • Hopefully that explains why I bother with this.
  • And now, The Weather: “Common Things” by Wombo
  • RIP going out to Jim Lovell, the astronaut who commanded the famous Apollo 13 mission in 1970. He died yesterday at 97.
  • As you likely recall, Tom Hanks played Lovell in the ‘Apollo 13’ film, with the famous tagline said by Lovell, "Houston, we have a problem."
  • That problem was an oxygen tank explosion that happened thousands of miles from Earth, but Lovell and the crew managed to safely return home.
  • Lovell was also the command module pilot for 1968's Apollo 8 mission, the first to carry humans to the moon and back, though it did not land on the lunar surface.
  • Let’s do a chart.
  • It’s August 1982, and I am getting ready to start my freshman year of high school. I’ve been playing in summer league basketball — in addition to being a in bowling league and going to the beach most days — and I’ve grown four inches over the summer.
  • Here was the top of the Billboard 200 albums chart at the time.
  • 1. Mirage (Fleetwood Mac). 2. Eye Of The Tiger (Survivor). 3. Asia (Asia). 4. American Fool (John Cougar). 5. Pictures At Eleven (Robert Plant). 6. Abracadabra (The Steve Miller Band). 7. Good Trouble (REO Speedwagon). 8. Daylight Again (Crosby, Stills & Nash). 9. Toto IV (Toto). 10. Always On My Mind (Willie Nelson). 11. Three Sides Live (Genesis). 12. Get Lucky (Loverboy). 13. Dreamgirls (Original Cast). 14. Chicago 16 (Chicago). 15. Dare (The Human League). 16. All Four One (The Motels). 17. Escape (Journey). 18. Gap Band IV (The Gap Band). 19. Rocky III (Soundtrack). 20. Combat Rock (The Clash).
  • From the Sports Desk… last night had what might be the greatest head-to-head pitcher matchup in the history of Major League Baseball.
  • Max Scherzer and Clayton Kershaw went toe-to-toe for six innings in front of a sellout crowd. They are the first duo in MLB history to start against each other as rookies and each accumulate 3,000 career strikeouts.
  • Scherzer is 41, and currently pitching for the Toronto Blue Jays, where made his 465th career start. Kershaw, 37, started his 443rd game -- all for the Los Angeles Dodgers over 18 seasons.
  • Kershaw got the win, allowing one run and seven hits as Los Angeles earned a 5-1 victory. The dude is still kicking ass… he’s 6-2 this season.
  • Today in history… Julius Caesar defeats Pompey, who flees to Egypt (48 BC). The Creek native Americans sign a treaty and give up huge sections of Alabama and Georgia (1814). Philosopher Henry David Thoreau publishes his memoir ‘Walden’ (1854). Thomas Edison receives a patent on a two-way telegraph (1892). Edward VII and Alexandra of Denmark are crowned King and Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (1902). Jesse Owens wins his fourth medal at the Berlin Olympics (1936). The US Forestry Service releases posters featuring Smokey the Bear for the first time (1944). Nagasaki is devastated by the atomic bomb Fat Man, killing tens of thousands of people instantly and many more later (1945). Singapore becomes the only country ever to gain independence unwillingly, being expelled from Malaysia (1965). Followers of Charles Manson kill Sharon Tate and four others (1969). As a direct result of the Watergate scandal, Richard Nixon becomes the first President of the United States to resign from office, and Vice President Gerald Ford becomes president (1974). Shannon Eastin becomes the first woman to officiate an NFL game (2012). Michael Brown, an 18-year-old African American male in Ferguson, MO, is shot and killed by a Ferguson police officer, sparking protests and unrest in the city (2014).
  • August 9 is the birthday of colonial settler John Webster (1590), psychologist Jean Piaget (1896), educator Willa Beatrice Player (1909), astrophysicist William Alfred Fowler (1911), actor Robert Shaw (1927), NBA player Bob Cousy (1928), tennis player Rod Laver (1938), boxer Ken Norton (1943), actor Sam Elliott (1944), drummer Pete Thomas (1954), actress Melanie Griffith (1957), actress Amanda Bearse (1958), rapper Kurtis Blow (1959), fashion designer Michael Kors (1959), singer-songwriter Whitney Houston (1963), NHL player Brett Hull (1964), journalist Hoda Kotb (1964), NFL/MLB player Deion Sanders (1967), actress Gillian Anderson (1968), NBA player Derek Fisher (1974), sprinter Tyson Gay (1982), actor Dan Levy (1983), actress Anna Kendrick (1985), activist/politician Sarah McBride (1990), and singer-songwriter Arlo Parks (2000).


Off to do more Saturday things, m whatever they may be. Enjoy your day.

Friday, August 8, 2025

Random News: August 8, 2025



DISCLAIMER: Zak's Random News is very random and doesn't cover many things, and not everything may be accurate, because I'm just some guy. Go find a real news source.



Good morning. It’s August 8, 2025, and if you can believe it, it’s a Friday once again! Another busy day ahead, but I’m really looking forward to this coming weekend. Most of us know the sensation of needing a vacation after a vacation, so while I have various things to accomplish this weekend, it will also be appreciated to be relaxing at home.


  • Let’s jump right in.
  • Israel intends to take full control of the Gaza Strip, per Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a statement yesterday.
  • A takeover of Gaza is going to put the lives of countless Palestinians (along with the 20 or so remaining Israeli hostages) at risk while further isolating Israel internationally. Israel already controls around three quarters of the devastated territory.
  • Israel’s air and ground war has killed tens of thousands of people in Gaza, displaced most of the population, destroyed vast areas and caused severe and widespread hunger. Palestinians are braced for further misery.
  • As Maysaa al-Heila, a Palestinian who is living in a displacement camp sadly said, “There is nothing left to occupy. There is no Gaza left.”
  • The world can be a horrible place when horrible humans are put in charge… or allowed to remain in charge despite their actions.
  • After Israel’s announcement, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, said this morning that “this further escalation will result in more killing, more unbearable suffering, senseless destruction.” He called for the offensive to be immediately halted.
  • Yesterday alone, another 42 Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes and shootings across southern Gaza. Israel’s military offensive has killed over 61,000 Palestinians.
  • You would think that a country like Israel would be sensitive to genocide. It’s a depressing situation.
  • What happened to all those protest voters from the 2024 election with their passion to “free Palestine?” Where did they go after not lending support to Kamala Harris?
  • Hmm.
  • Let’s move on with some news from the Immigration Desk.
  • U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams has issued an order temporarily halting construction at the “Alligator Alcatraz” concentration camp in Florida's Everglades.
  • The judge said the addition of lighting, paving, fencing, fill, and other building on the site must stop while she hears a challenge to the facility brought by environmental groups. However, immigration detentions and other operations at the facility will continue as the legal process moves ahead.
  • She made the ruling following two days of testimony in the suit brought by the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians and Friends of the Everglades and the Center for Biological Diversity.
  • This is only a 14-day restraining order, but any delay against the fascist takeover of the USA is helpful. Friends of the Everglades said the plaintiffs will be back in court for a hearing on Tuesday, arguing for a preliminary injunction to halt operations at the site.
  • In more immigration news…
  • Late yesterday, U.S. District Judge Deborah Boardman ruled that Dumpy’s administration cannot withhold citizenship from children born to people in the country illegally or temporarily, issuing the fourth court decision blocking Dump’s birthright citizenship order nationwide since a key U.S. Supreme Court ruling in June.
  • Her preliminary injunction was expected after she said last month she would issue such an order if the case were returned to her by an appeals court. The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sent the case back to her later in July.
  • Since June, two other district courts, as well as an appellate panel of judges, have also blocked the birthright order nationwide.
  • Because fuck Dump and his propensity to shit on our Constitution.
  • Moving on.
  • As we mentioned yesterday, Dump’s tariff taxes on the American people really kicked in yesterday. If affects goods we purchase from dozens of countries.
  • If you think this is normal, you’re wrong. Dump’s tariffs are at a level not seen in the U.S. in almost 100 years, with Americans expected to pay an average of 18.3% more for imported products.
  • That’s the highest rate since 1934. No matter who you are or where you live or what your political outlook is, if you think this won’t affect you, you’re very wrong… and you will find out the hard way.
  • Let’s move on.
  • Listen to this shit: it was the 41st birthday of Vice President Jeremiah Douchebag Vance last weekend, and we wanted to paddle a canoe down a rover.
  • So the Secret Service had them raise the fucking water level in a goddamn river to protect little JD from getting a booboo.
  • I’m serious. They increased waterflow for the Little Miami River to ensure motorized watercraft and emergency personnel “could operate safely” while protecting the Republican vice president, whose home is in Cincinnati.
  • So while Dump’s government is slashing government spending, they spent millions of taxpayer dollars and enlisted the Army corps of engineers. While the rest of us can’t even enjoy a national park due to budget cuts, this fucking asshole has a whole river modified for himself.
  • Pricks.
  • In other news…
  • There’s another massive wildfire going here in Southern California. It’s tearing through thousands of acres and forcing evacuations after igniting yesterday afternoon.
  • The Canyon Fire started around 1:30pm and quickly burned through more than 4,800 acres of land by last night. It’s spreading east with 0% containment.
  • Around 2,700 residents evacuated in Los Angeles County with 700 structures under an evacuation order. Another 14,000 residents and 5,000 structures were under an evacuation warning.
  • This gives us a moment to look at the actual damage of fires beyond the immediate aspect of death and destruction. New research estimates there were hundreds more deaths that are attributable to the fires that ravaged Los Angeles at the beginning of this year. 
  • Researchers analyzed data on the number of deaths in Los Angeles County from January 5 to February 1, 2025 — the period when the Palisades and Eaton fires tore though the city — and estimated that 440 more deaths could be attributed to the fires.
  • These additional deaths likely reflect a combination of factors, including increased exposure to poor air quality, which may exacerbate heart or lung conditions. Wildfire smoke contains many toxic substances and particles.
  • And it’s probably worse. The study did not account for deaths that may have occurred after February 1. 
  • And now, The Weather: “Moneyman” by Sex Week
  • From the Sports Desk… it's week 19 of the 2024 MLB season. How do the power rankings look?
  • According to ESPN…
  • 1. Brewers. 2. Phillies. 3. Cubs. 4. Dodgers. 5. Tigers. 6. Blue Jays. 7. Mets. 8. Padres. 9. Red Sox. 10. Astros. 11. Mariners. 12. Yankees. 13. Rangers. 14. Reds. 15. Guardians. 16. Giants. 17. Rays. 18. Royals. 19. Cardinals. 20. Marlins. 21. Diamondbacks. 22. Angels. 23. Twins. 24. Orioles. 25. Braves. 26. Athletics. 27. Pirates. 28. White Sox. 29. Nationals. 30. Rockies.
  • In other Sports Desk news, the NFL preseason is now in full swing. Note: preseason games are meaningless and often are misleading toward the actual quality of a team and its players.
  • Yesterday’s preseason week 1 games had the Ravens beat the Colts 24-16. The Eagles beat the Bengals 34-27, And the game between the Raiders and Seahawks somehow ended in a 23-23 tie.
  • Today the Lions face the Falcons, the Browns are at the Panthers, and the Commanders take on the Patriots. None of this matters.
  • Today in history… King James IV of Scotland marries Margaret Tudor, daughter of King Henry VII of England (1503). Bartolomeu de Gusmão demonstrates the lifting power of hot air in an audience before the king of Portugal (1709). Mont Blanc is climbed for the first time (1786). Following his defeat in the Battle of Gettysburg, Robert E. Lee sends a resignation letter which is turned down by Jefferson Davis (1863). Thomas Edison receives a patent for his mimeograph (1876). Wilbur Wright does the first public flight at Le Mans, France (1908). The German airship Graf Zeppelin begins an around-the-world flight (1929). First flight of the Convair B-36, the first intercontinental bomber and the first designed to deliver nuclear weapons (1946). The Beatles take the street-crossing cover pic for the album ‘Abbey Road’ (1969). President Richard Nixon, in a nationwide television address, announces his resignation from the office of the President of the United States effective noon the next day (1974). The first night baseball game in the history of Chicago's Wrigley Field was rained out in the fourth inning (1988). Space Shuttle Columbia STS-28 takes off on a 5-day secret mission (1989). Dave Matthews’ tour bus dumps 800 pounds of poop onto a boat full of passengers (2004). Opening of the 2008 summer Olympic Games in Beijing, China (2008). The Federal Bureau of Investigation executes a search warrant at former president Donald Trump's residence in Mar-a-Lago, Palm Beach, FL (2022).
  • August 8 is the birthday of painter Godfrey Kneller (1646), cavalry officer/politician George Stoneman, Jr. (1822), physician/AA co-founder Bob Smith (1879), physicist Paul Dirac (1902), composer/musician Benny Carter (1907), producer Dino De Laurentiis (1919), producer/director William Asher (1921), swimmer/actress Esther Williams (1921), basketball coach Jerry Tarkanian (1930), actor Dustin Hoffman (1937), drummer Anton Fig (1952), radio host Robin Quivers (1952), actor Don Most (1953), musician The Edge (1961), politician Ron Klain (1961), rapper Kool Moe Dee (1962), singer-songwriter Scott Stapp (1973), tennis player Roger Federer (1981), and MLB player Anthony Rizzo (1989).


Well, there you have it. Some things to consider. I’m just going to remind you: things are going to continue getting worse in the USA and the world as these fascists become more emboldened. Don’t sleep on any of it. The time to cut off their power is at every single opportunity that comes up to do so. Don’t miss any of them. Enjoy your day.

Thursday, August 7, 2025

Hotel Chelsea (08.05.25)

How I spend the first Tuesday night of every month. Photo by Kat.


Hello, person reading this. Zak Claxton here... musician, singer-songwriter, virtual rock star, shining golden god, here to describe my greatness at my most recent live music performance at Hotel Chelsea in Second Life.

Bye
No wait, come back. I was just kidding around. Just joshing. Pulling your leg. Making a jest. Having a laugh.

BYE!
Okay, seriously, I'll stop that. But here's the deal: I just told you all about my trip to Las Vegas last weekend. I tell you what's going on in the world in my daily Random News bullets. So I don't have much to discuss apart from the show itself, which went great.

So... That's All, Then?
No, I'm sure we always have things to talk about here in Mr. Claxton's neighborhood. In regard to Tuesday's show at Hotel Chelsea, I want to relate a little anecdote that made preparing for the show a little bit more challenging.

That morning, my phone rang and it was my landlord. which is never a good sign. But he was calling with some good news, at least on the surface (more on that later). He said that he wanted to send over a maintenance guy to replace the broken blinds that have been fucked up for the entire nine years I've lived in this residence.

Why now? That's a good question. A realty corporation has been buying up all the multi-family dwellings in my neighborhood over the past year or so, and we've figured it was only a matter of time before ours was scooped up as well. So my landlord's sudden burst of generosity may very well be the first step he's taking toward selling the building... and that would likely be really bad news for us.

But it's a bridge we'll cross when we come to it. Meanwhile, there was the matter of those blinds. See, he was referring to the ones in my upstairs office, where I not only work all day, but where I do my shows. And directly below those very blinds are parts of my audio and computer system that are essential for — you guessed it — me to do my live music shows in Second Life.

Tear It Down
He only notified me with a few minutes to spare — because landlords are like that. So while in the midst of a super busy work day, I also had to tear down all my carefully-planned cabling and physically remove a speaker and a mixer and some other accoutrements to give the maintenance guy room to install the new blinds (which, I should add, look nice and function well).

So that was an unexpected obstacle to my day, as well as my preparedness to do a livestream audio show. I will say, it was much to my surprise (and a reasonable amount of random good luck) that when I threw everything back in place and re-did my cables, everything worked on both the input and output sides of things. The show went fine, and seemed to sound good, at least in my headphones.

I will say that today, I'm noticing a slight buzz in the left channel of my audio system, which is super bizarre considering that it was the right wide of my audio system that needed to be hastily disconnected and removed. But that could be from any number of things, so now I'm inspired to do a more calm maintenance session on my audio setup this coming weekend.

And the Show?
Yes, the show. It went great. This time, I had my friend Max Kleene in the spot before me, at 4pm, and there is a nice aspect of arriving to a show when there's already a big crowd in place. It's less nice when most of those people were there to see the artist preceding you, and a good chunk of them leave pretty quickly.

Me onstage, being me. Photo by Kat.

Doing my show and having a good-ass time. Photo by Kat.

I don't need a ton of adulation from millions of screaming fans. My ego is big enough as it is. Photo by Kat.


But I stopped being annoyed by that fact many years ago. My own crowds tend to bail as soon as my show is over. It's a normal thing to do. And I'd add that the quality of my shows in Second Life is not predicted on crowd size. I've had shitty shows in front of huge crowds, and outstanding ones in front of tiny crowds, and vice-versa. We ended up with a nice mid-sized audience, and despite not having touched a guitar for a little while (having been on vacation), I felt good while warming up and getting ready.

As I mentioned to the folks who were there, Hotel Chelsea is great in many ways. The casual vibe, the lack of a dress code, the welcoming of all different styles of performance and genres of music... it all adds up to make it a terrific place where a musician really feels at home.

Oh, and one more note. It's getting to be warm enough that, combined with the energy I put into my performances, leaves me a very sweaty man by the time I wrap up. I also make sure to hydrate well before, during, and after my shows... because I'm perspiring roughly a gallon per hour while doing it.

Coated in sweat after my gig.


Hotel Chelsea set list...
Airport Bar (Martin Courtney)
Save It For Later (English Beat) 
Pink Moon (Nick Drake)
This Afternoon (Zak Claxton)
The Man Who Sold The World (David Bowie)
Ironic (Alanis Morissette)
Alison (Elvis Costello)
Carey (Joni Mitchell) 
Ziggy Stardust (David Bowie)

Wish You Were Here (Pink Floyd)
Summer Breeze (Seals & Crofts)
Perfectly Calm (They Stole My Crayon)
Radio Free Europe (R.E.M.)

Big thanks to everyone who hung out and had fun at the show, with extra special thanks to the following who helped support it!
Maximillion Kleene, lexi Beery, Gina Stella, Harpermonday Resident, Richy Nervous, Pansy Snoring, Kat Claxton, Harley Wytchwood, bundy Xue, Kat Chauveau, my terrific manager Maali Beck, Hotel Chelsea manager Shyla the Super Gecko, and Chelsea's great staff!

Random News: August 7, 2025



DISCLAIMER: Zak's Random News is very random and doesn't cover many things, and not everything may be accurate, because I'm just some guy. Go find a real news source.



Good morning. It’s August 7, 2025, and it’s a Thursday for some reason. But why is it called Thursday? The day is named after the Old English god Thunor — also known as Thor, the Germanic god of thunder. He’s the equivalent of the Roman god Jupiter, which is why in Romance languages, today is called Jueves (Spanish) or Jeudi (French) or Giovedì (Italian). Now you know this.


  • Let’s do some news.
  • Get ready to pay a lot more money for a lot more things. Dump’s horrible tariff tax plan kicked in at the stroke of midnight.
  • I shouldn’t have to remind you that other countries don’t pay tariffs. You do. Every time a tariff is added, it’s another tax on you, paid via higher retail prices.
  • Goods from nations with which the U.S. does hundreds of billions of dollars of trade, such as India, Switzerland, and South Africa, will see new taxes of up to 39 percent, with India’s rate set to jump to 50 percent in three weeks.
  • And Dump isn’t done making it harder and harder for you to afford to live in the USA.
  • Yesterday, he announced that he will impose a 100% tariff on computer chips, raising the specter of higher prices for electronics, autos, household appliances, and other essential products dependent on the processors powering the digital age.
  • “We’ll be putting a tariff of approximately 100% on chips and semiconductors,” said Dump, not knowing what the words “chips” or “semiconductors” mean.
  • Obviously, companies who manufacture computer chips in the U.S. would be spared the import tax. But I think we all understand that those chips are inherently far more expensive than imported versions, so prices go up, up, up regardless.
  • There are reasons, for example, why the Apple Mac computers I rely on for the business and creative work I do are more expensive than your Windows-based PCs. Apple has made huge financial commitments to manufacture more chips and other components in the U.S..
  • But, of course, their iPhones and iPads are made in China and India. But it seems like Apple already did some backroom deal with Dump in that regard. Tim Cook was literally standing alongside Dump while the announcement was made.
  • Business leaders have the guy figured out. Just pay him his bribe and he’ll put whatever laws in place that bets benefit his own wealth.
  • Let’s move on to some important news from the Fascism Desk…
  • With preparations for the 2030 census already underway, Dumpy said yesterday he has instructed his administration to start work on a "new" census.
  • In this “new” census, Dump also called for an unprecedented exclusion of millions of people living in the U.S. without legal status.
  • Our own Constitution forbids this. The 14th Amendment requires the "whole number of persons in each state" to be included in a key set of census numbers used to determine how presidents and members of Congress are elected.
  • Dumples the Giant Orange Asshole Clown said he's instructed the Commerce Department, which oversees the Census Bureau, to "immediately begin work" on a census using "the results and information gained from the Presidential Election of 2024." It's unclear why the election results would matter to the census.
  • While Article I of the Constitution has required a census every 10 years since 1790 for the once-a-decade redistribution of congressional seats, it's not clear whether the results of a census taken years before 2030 can be used for reapportioning each state's share of seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and votes in the Electoral College. 
  • If you’re smart, you can see where this is going: Dump intends to manipulate the census numbers to work in his favor.
  • He actually tried this before (and failed).
  • During his first administration, the Supreme Court ultimately stopped a question about a person's U.S. citizenship status from being added to 2020 census forms.
  • However, it declined to rule on whether people without legal status can be, for the first time in U.S. history, excluded by the president from apportionment counts.
  • I wouldn’t be shocked if Dump tries to ram through some bullshit illegal pseudo-census to change things for next year’s midterm elections.
  • Let’s move on with some related fascist shit.
  • A leaked draft is showing that the Dump administration is planning to eliminate or downplay accounts of prisoner abuse, corruption, LGBTQ+ discrimination, and other alleged abuses in countries including El Salvador, Israel, and Russia.
  • Fucking pricks. 
  • U.S. diplomats have compiled the State Department’s annual human rights reports for almost 50 years. Their findings are considered the most thorough and wide-ranging of their kind and are routinely relied upon by courts inside and outside the United States.
  • Under competent and just administrations, the human rights reports are congressionally mandated to be sent to lawmakers by the end of February, with a public release in March or April.
  • But the State Department is yet to officially release this year’s reports, which cover activities and observations made in 2024.
  • Most of this year’s reports were nearly completed when the Biden administration transitioned out in January. Why the delay?
  • The drafts for El Salvador and Russia are marked “finalized,” while the draft for Israel is marked “quality check.” Metadata in the documents show they were all edited in the past few days.
  • More alarming, the updated drafts strike all references to LGBTQ+ individuals or crimes against them, and the descriptions of government abuses that do remain have been softened.
  • They changed El Salvador from having “significant human rights issues” there — including government-sanctioned killings, instances of torture, and “harsh and life-threatening prison conditions” — to saying the country has “no credible reports of significant human rights abuses.”
  • Long story short: what’s obvious is that the U.S. can’t formally criticize other countries for things that we ourselves are doing here, or that Dump plans to do here in the near future.
  • Moving on still but in the same file of fascism…
  • The official U.S. government website posted a revised version of the U.S. Constitution, with several sections of Article 1 removed entirely.
  • Large parts of Section 8 have been removed, and Sections 9 and 10 have been deleted altogether. These sections largely relate to the powers that Congress has and does not have, as well as limitations on the powers of individual states.
  • The last two parts of Article I relates to prohibiting the name of nobility titles, and prohibiting foreign emoluments for US officials. Those were removed entirely. Maybe Dumpy is getting a bit paranoid about the money and gifts he illegally extorts from other countries.
  • And perhaps worst of all, the missing sections include information relating to habeas corpus, the powers that protect citizens from unlawful detention. 
  • What’s the excuse? The Library of Congress said the sections were missing “due to a coding error” and expect it to be “resolved soon.”
  • They would not comment on what caused the coding error, or how it was introduced.
  • As you should all be fully aware, changing the U.S. Constitution’s text on the website does not change or have any effect on U.S. law, but many of the things lost in the “glitch” follow Dump admin fascist plans, including senior official Stephen Miller’s threats earlier this year to suspend habeas corpus.
  • Keep your eyes on everything these assholes do. Intentionally or otherwise, they’ll tip their hand nearly every time. And as I’ve said before, when they say they’re going to do some shit, believe them.
  • Moving on.
  • Let’s lighten the mood, sort of, by unveiling our Asshole of the Day. It’s U.S. Rep. Cory Mills (R-FL), who represents central Florida.
  • Mills is accused by a beauty pageant titleholder of threatening to release sex vids and pics of her after she ended their romantic relationship.
  • What an asshole. No charges have been filed yet. Mills was married when he met the woman, who was 21 at the time. Mills is 20 years older than her.
  • She broke up with him after finding out about yet another girlfriend. Afterwards, the congressman contacted her numerous times, threatening to release nude images of her, and videos of her and Mills engaging in sex acts.
  • And then he threatened to harm any men that the woman planned to date in the future.
  • Nice guy, huh? Mills was first elected to Congress in 2022, and his district stretches from the Orlando area to the Daytona Beach area.
  • Let’s move on.
  • Big Balls was badly beaten. Now Dump wants to take over D.C. Perhaps I should clarify.
  • If you’re not familiar, “Big Balls” is the sobriquet of one Edward Coristine, one of the most prominent members of Elon Musk’s DOGE team. The 19-year-old had been in charge of slashing benefits that help millions of Americans.
  • I’m not kidding. This is all true.
  • Anyway, at about 3am, Big Balls got jumped by a bunch of 15-year-olds in D.C.’s Logan Circle neighborhood. They tried to carjack him. Apparently at least one of them was a girl. They were not armed; Big Balls just got his ass beaten.
  • So because of his precious little Big Balls being beaten, Dump stated, “If D.C. doesn’t get its act together, and quickly, we will have no choice but to take Federal control of the City.”
  • Dump said he was considering federalizing the D.C. police department and bringing in the National Guard “maybe very quickly.”
  • D.C.’s lack of statehood has made it uniquely vulnerable to federal intervention. The Metropolitan Police Department said its investigation into the attack on Big Balls remains active and additional suspects are still being sought in addition to the two 15-year-olds who were caught.
  • And now, The Weather: “little dog” by Retail Drugs
  • From the Sports Desk… this weekend will mark a historic event in Major League Baseball, when the first woman to umpire in MLB will work games between the Miami Marlins and Atlanta Braves.
  • Jen Pawol will work the bases in Saturday's doubleheader at Truist Park and the plate on Sunday. A 48-year-old from New Jersey. Pawol attended Hofstra University, where she played softball. She worked spring training games in 2024 and this year.
  • That’s cool, and long overdue. It’s good to see.
  • Still, the amount of fucking vile sexist comments that came along with the announcement made me lose a little faith in humanity. So many men are pieces of fucking shit. “Will she make me a sandwich between innings?”
  • I have to assume most of those guys had terrible (or absent) fathers.
  • Today in history… coronation of King Otto I of Germany (936). George Washington orders the creation of the Badge of Military Merit, later renamed the Purple Heart (1782). The US Department of War is created (1789). The first women do a road trip from New York to San Francisco (1909). The WWII Battle of Guadalcanal begins (1942). Jimmy Carter declares a federal emergency over toxic waste at Love Canal (1978). The first American soldiers arrive in Saudi Arabia in the Gulf War (1990). Space Shuttle Discovery STS-85 launches (1997). Barry Bonds breaks the all-time home run record (2007). 
  • August 7 is the birthday of Hungarian aristocrat/serial killer Elizabeth Báthory (1560), activist/labor leader Elizabeth Gurley Flynn (1890), paleontologist Louis Leakey (1903), MLB player Don Larsen (1929), saxophonist/composer Rahsaan Roland Kirk (1935), humorist Garrison Keillor (1942), singer-songwriter B. J. Thomas (1942), singer-songwriter Bruce Dickinson (1958), actor David Duchovny (1960), entrepreneur Jimmy Wales (1966), MLB player Édgar Rentería (1975), actress Charlize Theron (1975), NFL player Shane Lechler (1976), actor Cirroc Lofton (1978), actress Abbie Cornish, (1982), NHL player Sidney Crosby (1987), NBA player DeMar DeRozan (1989), MLB player Mike Trout (1991), NFL player Kyler Murray (1997), and NFL player Jalen Hurts (1998).


There we go. A bunch of news. This post-vacation week for me has been 100% insane thus far in terms of catching up with work, but today’s the first day I feel like I’m somewhat ahead of the race instead of chasing from behind, so that’s a preferable situation. Enjoy your day.

Wednesday, August 6, 2025

Random News: August 6, 2025


DISCLAIMER: Zak's Random News is very random and doesn't cover many things, and not everything may be accurate, because I'm just some guy. Go find a real news source.



Good morning. It’s August 6, 2025, and it’s a Wednesday. I will now proceed to put things in your brain remotely. Kinda weird, but true.


  • We recently mentioned that Dump — who gets angry when he’s told truthful information — fired the commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics when she provided the real numbers in the jobs report.
  • But that kind of overshadowed the actual information imparted. And economists are now growing more concerned about America’s job market.
  • Hiring over the past three months slowed dramatically. As new data came in about May and June’s employment, the BLS was forced to sharply lower those months’ job totals from their preliminary estimates.
  • The BLS revised May and June’s jobs totals lower by a combined 258,000 jobs. Every time changes that large have taken place over the course of at least two months, the US economy has been in a recession — at least since records began in 1968.
  • Donnie Dump’s economy has added just 85,000 jobs per month this year, which is well below the 177,000 jobs that the economy added on average each month before the pandemic.
  • Ironically, the leading culprit for slowing jobs growth may be Dump’s tariffs. Huh. Imagine that.
  • Let’s move on with a couple of stories form the Health Desk…
  • Yesterday, RFK Jr. announced that the Department of Health and Human Services will cancel contracts and pull funding for vaccines that are being developed to fight respiratory viruses like COVID-19 and the flu.
  • He says that 22 projects, totaling $500 million, to develop vaccines using mRNA technology will be halted.
  • The health secretary — a man with a former heroin addiction and a brain parasite — criticized mRNA vaccines, which are the ones from the nation’s leading pharmaceutical companies, including Pfizer and Moderna, that saved us from COVID-19 and protects against H5N1 and other flu viruses.
  • Infectious disease experts say the mRNA technology used in vaccines is safe. They warn that future pandemics will be harder to stop without the help of mRNA.
  • Mike Osterholm, a University of Minnesota expert on infectious diseases and pandemic preparations, stated, “I don’t think I’ve seen a more dangerous decision in public health in my 50 years in the business.”
  • In more health news…
  • The Florida Department of Health is warning about the risks of drinking raw, unpasteurized milk after 21 people, including six children under the age of 10, were sickened by E. coli and campylobacter bacteria linked to raw milk from the same farm.
  • Officials did not identify the farm, but indicated its products were available in Northeast and Central Florida. Seven people have been hospitalized, and two have developed severe complications.
  • RFK Jr. has been a vocal supporter and consumer of raw milk. Even so, it is illegal to sell raw milk for human consumption in Florida… but it can be sold in the state if it's labeled as a pet food. 
  • Gross.
  • And RFK Jr.’s own Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conform that raw milk can carry life-threatening bacteria, such as E. coli, campylobacter, listeria, or salmonella. 
  • If you value your life and that of your family and other loved ones, never take any kind of health care advice from that man.
  • Let’s move on.
  • It’s looking like Republican legislators are feeling some actual accountability for their actions in licking the boots of Donnie Dump.
  • Monday night in Nebraska, Rep. Mike Flood (R-NE) faced about 750 voters during a contentious town hall. He was there to explain his vote for Dump’s signature achievement… his Big Bullshit Bill that gave huge tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans while slashing health care and food programs for the poor.
  • And Nebraskans weren’t having any of it. From the very start, Flood was met with an angry crowd that asked substantive questions but rarely seemed satisfied with his answers. he was jeered and booed for 90 straight minutes.
  • You’ll note that almost no Republican lawmakers are facing their constituents these days for this exact reason. People across the nation are fucking pissed off.
  • Not just liberals or conservatives. American citizens across many political ideologies are incensed at the actions of Dump and his GOP government.
  • Let’s do a note from the Immigration Desk…
  • Today, a federal judge is set to hold an evidentiary hearing over whether to block operations at Florida’s infamous “Alligator Alcatraz” because construction of the site bypassed federally required environmental impact studies.
  • And look… if this shithole of a concentration camp is able to be shut down over concerns about the Everglades' bats, panthers, and storks — as opposed to the cruel treatment of humans — then so be it.
  • Detainees there have endured inhumane conditions, including flooded facilities, spoiled food, and sweltering heat — and they have limited access to their attorneys and are effectively housed in a jurisdictional black hole.
  • So while today’s hearing is limited to environmental issues, the testimony is also expected to shine a light on the operations of the facility, and could result in a federal judge ordering it to be shut down until the required environmental impact studies are conducted.
  • I’d gladly accept that.
  • In more immigration news…
  • Yesterday, Dump’s Justice Department identified some three dozen states, cities, and counties as so-called sanctuary jurisdictions, two months after they quietly removed a much longer list that included many localities that support the Dump administration’s hard-line immigration policies.
  • The earlier, typo-riddled list was met with pushback from across the political spectrum, with officials often saying it wasn’t clear why their jurisdictions were included.
  • Shocking no one, the new list is composed completely of Democratic jurisdictions, including states like New York, California, and Connecticut, cities like Boston and New York City, and a handful of counties, including Baltimore County, MD, and Cook County, IL.
  • Anyone with half a brain can see that this is just a political ploy to persecute people in places that support and vote for liberal candidates and causes.
  • Let’s move on.
  • Something fascinating is starting to happen in states that are holding primaries and special elections: not only are voters moving away from right-wing candidates, but in many places, progressive politicians are crushing their moderate liberal opponents.
  • In Rhode Island’s SD-4 district, the special election results are amazing. Democrat Stefano Famiglietti won with 83.6% of the vote, compared to his Republican opponent Alexander Asermely’s 16.4%.
  • What’s the big deal? Well. this is a 56-point over-performance compared to the 2024 elections, when Kamala Harris won the district by just 11 points.
  • And last night in Washington State, early results indicate that a slate of progressive newcomers will face off against moderate incumbents in several key Seattle races this November.
  • Progressives were hoping that Dump’s federal moves would swing local voters in the opposite direction — and so far that appears to be happening.
  • And I probably don’t have to mention that the next mayor of New York City — the country’s largest metropolitan area — will almost certainly have a Democratic Socialist as their next mayor.
  • The times, they are a-changin’.
  • And now, The Weather: “End Credits” by Pearly Drops
  • An RIP going out to Terry Reid, the English rock vocalist with the nickname “Superlungs" who passed away this week at 75.
  • Most of you don’t know him, but the dude was highly respected as both a singer and songwriter. His tunes have been covered by a diverse group of brands and artists including Crosby, Stills & Nash; Jackson Browne; Cheap Trick; Jack White; Chris Cornell and many others.
  • But perhaps his biggest claim to fame were the gigs he didn’t take. He turned down offers by Jimmy Page to be the lead vocalist of Led Zeppelin, and Ritchie Blackmore to be the singer of Deep Purple.
  • Let’s do a chart.
  • We’re heading back to August 1989. I’m going to college and working at a Sunglass Hut in a mall. At that Sunglasses Hut, I meet a fellow employee who I date, move in with, marry, have a child with, and divorce between then and 2003.
  • I mean, I’m glad to have the child, who is now a 26-year-old man.
  • Pop music at this time was pretty shitty, but I think it’s extremely rare that pop music isn’t shitty. Here’s the top of the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart at the time.
  • 1. Right Here Waiting (Richard Marx). 2. On Our Own (From "Ghostbusters II") (Bobby Brown). 3. Batdance (From "Batman") (Prince). 4. So Alive (Love And Rockets). 5. Once Bitten Twice Shy (Great White). 6. Cold Hearted (Paula Abdul). 7. I Like It (Dino). 8. Lay Your Hands On Me (Bon Jovi). 9. Don't Wanna Lose You (Gloria Estefan). 10. Toy Soldiers (Martika). 11. Hangin' Tough (New Kids on the Block). 12. Secret Rendezvous (Karyn White). 13. Friends (Jody Watley With Eric B. & Rakim). 14. The End Of The Innocence (Don Henley). 15. I'm That Type Of Guy (LL Cool J). 16. If You Don't Know Me By Now (Simply Red). 17. No More Rhyme (Debbie Gibson). 18. Angel Eyes (The Jeff Healey Band). 19. Hey Baby (Henry Lee Summer). 20. Sacred Emotion (Donny Osmond).
  • From the Sports Desk… here’s a problem I never even knew was a thing.
  • The NFL informed teams yesterday morning via a memo that it has prohibited the use of ammonia and smelling salts before and during all NFL games. The ban applies to the entirety of a game, including pregame activities and halftime, and applies in the locker room and on the sideline.
  • The league’s reasoning seems good. They stated, "The FDA noted potential negative effects from ammonia inhalants (AI) use. AIs also have the potential to mask certain neurological signs and symptoms, including some potential signs of concussion.”
  • I had no idea that NFL players used these. Star 49ers tight end and nine-year veteran George Kittle was upset.
  • “Our team got a memo today that smelling salts and ammonia packets were made illegal in the NFL, and I've been distraught all day,” he told NFL Network, then went on to say that he is a regular user of smelling salts, taking them for a boost of energy before every offensive drive, noting, "I miss those already."
  • I mean… that can’t be healthy.
  • Today in history… Bogotá, Colombia is founded (1538). 60 proof sheets of the US Constitution are delivered to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia (1787). William Kemmler is the first person executed by electric chair (1890). Gertrude Ederle swims the English Channel (1926). The Soviet Union absorbs Estonia (1940). The USA drops the atomic bomb “Little Boy” on Hiroshima, Japan (1945). Jamaica gains independence from the UK (1962). Tim Berners-Lee releases his idea for the World Wide Web (1991). The Ramones play their final concert (1996). NASA’s Curiosity rover lands on Mars (2012). 
  • August 6 is the birthday of poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809), biologist Alexander Fleming (1881), journalist Louella Parsons (1881), gangster Dutch Schultz (1901), actress/producer Lucille Ball (1911), actor Robert Mitchum (1917), painter/photographer Andy Warhol (1928), actor/director Peter Bonerz (1938), guitarist/composer Allen Holdsworth (1946), actress Michelle Yeoh (1962), NBA player David Robinson (1965), singer-songwriter Elliott Smith (1969), director M. Night Shyamalan (1970), singer-songwriter Geri Halliwell (1972), actress Soleil Moon Frye (1976), and actor Leslie Odom Jr. (1981).


That’s not all the news, but it’s all I have time for now. Enjoy your day.