Random News: June 29, 2022

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.

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Good morning. It’s June 29, 2022, and it’s a Wednesday. I think you know what’s coming…

• Tuesday’s special session of the January 6 Select Committee was, in a word, FUCKING NUTS.
• Sorry, I know that’s two words, but there’s no other way to describe it.
• Many of you met Cassidy Hutchinson for the first time. She’s a 26-year-old woman who was the top aide to Mark Meadows, the former chief of staff under former President Donald “I’m Going To Jail” Trump.
• Hutchinson testified live for two hours in regard to the actions taken during the January 6 coup attempt.
• She had previously spent 20 hours testifying to the Committee before the public hearings began.
• Hutchinson was physically present with Trump, Meadows, and other members of his cabinet and staff throughout the attempted insurrection on January 6, 2021.
• Trump wanted the “mags” (aka magnetometers, the metal detectors used to see if people are holding weapons) at his rally removed so that more armed people with handguns and rifles could take part in the coup. He was raving in anger that his staff refused this.
• TRUMP: “'I don't fucking care that they have weapons. They're not here to hurt me. Take the fucking mags away. Let my people in, they can march to the Capitol from here. Let the people in, take the fucking mags away."
• When the situation was growing more and more chaotic, Trump still wanted to go to the Capitol along with the other insurrectionists. When they started driving him back to the White House instead, he allegedly lunged through the partition at the Secret Service driver and attempted to choke him and grab the wheel.
• He allegedly had to be physically restrained. I’d have loved to see that.
• Hutchinson made it clear that the planning for what would happen on January 6 started far in advance of the date, listing people who were involved in the planning for the coup.
• This is a specific crime called seditious conspiracy. It carries a sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
• Evidence was also shown that Trump and his team may be guilty of witness tampering in regard to these very hearings.
• It’s my feeling that Trump now truly represents a flight risk. I think that if he gets word that indictments are coming down, he will not hesitate to hop on a private jet and go to whatever country he can pay off that doesn’t have extradition agreements with the USA.
• The other thing to be aware of, which is something that was taking shape before these hearings even started… the presumptive GOP nominee for President in 2024 isn’t Trump anymore. It’s Florida governor Ron DeSantis, an absolutely vile person who is like a smarter Trump without the baggage.
• The only positive thing about that is that we all know Trump will never step aside and allow DeSantis to get the support of the entire GOP base. Instead, he’d prefer to split the party votes between Republicans and MAGAs.
• Good times.
• Just a couple of thoughts on Cassidy Hutchinson herself. First, especially for being just 26, I found her to be very credible, presented her information in a very factual and even manner, and I appreciate the bravery she showed by coming forward and testifying publicly. 
• At the same time, like other members of Trump’s cabinet and his various enablers, she had a long time to see things and still chose to remain part of his team well before the coup. That red hat leaves a stain that doesn’t wash off immediately.
• Still, this was a very important session for the Jan 6 committee, and I think it will start some other actions yet to come.
• From the sports desk… Serena Williams lost to Harmony Tan 7-5, 1-6, 7-6 (7) in a hard-fought battle at Wimbledon. Harmony is 24; Serena is 40. I’m not saying that’s why she lost, but things do get a little more difficult when you’re competing athletically against people about half your age.
• QotD: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” - Margaret Mead
• Today in history… Sverre is crowned king of Norway, leading to civil war (1194). England bans tobacco growing, giving the Virginia Company a monopoly (1620). France annexes Tahiti (1880). Chicago annexes Hyde Park and several other cities to become the USA’s largest city by area and second largest by population at the time (1889). Armi Kuusela wins the first Miss Universe pageant (1952). Mikhail Baryshnikov defects from the Soviet Union (1974). Space Shuttle Atlantis does the first docking with Russian space station Mir (1995). Apple releases something called the iPhone (2007).
• June 29 is the birthday of king John II of Aragon and Navarre (1398), activist Julia Lathrop (1858), physician and clinic founder William James Mayo (1961), ‘The Little Prince’ writer and aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (1900), actor Slim Pickens (1919), actor Gary Busey (1944), drummer Ian Paice (1948), sportscaster Craig Sager (1951), singer Don Dokken (1953), singer Colin Hay (1953), baseball great Pedro Guerrero (1956), actress Maria Conchita Alonso (1957), actor/musician Bret McKenzie (1976), writer/comedian Colin Jost (1982), and NBA player Kawhi Leonard (1991).

No advice or inspirational words for you today, Just try and not be an asshole. Honestly, if we all just did that, the bare minimum of humanity, we’d be better off than we are now. Enjoy your day.