Ransom News: July 27, 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 July 27, 2022, and it’s a Wednesday. Let’s see here…

• Meet Olivia Julianna. She’s a 19-year-old activist focused on abortion rights.
• Over the weekend, congressman and alleged child sex trafficker Matt Gaetz (R-FL) wrote about how women against abortion didn’t have to be worried because no one would impregnate them since they were all “like 5’2”, 350 pounds”. When Olivia protested this, Gaetz shared her photo and publicly body-shamed her and encouraged his followers to harass her.
• So instead of getting mad, she got even. In 24 hours, she’s raised $168,000 as of this morning and counting. The money is going to several abortion funds, collected under an Act Blue fund called Gen-Z for Change.
• Asked this morning in an interview about Gaetz’ sudden silence after having previously posted her picture for ridicule, she said, “I think he’s scared. I honestly think he’s terrified. I would be if I tried to go after someone and their response was to raise $168,000 in less than 48 hours.”
• Gaetz has real problems with teenagers, on a number of fronts. Hats off to Olivia! Go find her and follow her on Twitter if you do the Twitter.
• Attorney General Merrick Garland and his Department of Justice made it clear that the investigation regarding January 6 and the 2020 election is aimed directly at Trump and his circle. He clearly stated that it has no bearing whether or not Trump is running for office in 2024; they will take whatever steps are needed to bring those guilty to justice.
• If you’re pro-police, you have to be anti-Trump. You don’t get to be both.
• “Brave women and men in uniform across America should never forget that the defeated former president of the United States watched January 6 happen and didn’t have the spine to act.” - President Joe Biden, yesterday.
• Fun Fact: Sharks were around 190 million years before dinosaurs… and 90 million years before trees. Respect the sharks.
• Meet Rose Valentino. She’s been an officer with the Cincinnati Police Department for 14 years. She was recently caught on recording while on duty screaming “Fucking n*ggers. I fucking hate them,” and yet still has a job in law enforcement.
• In the “digging a deeper ditch” part of this story, Officer Valentino later clarified that the term was “not intended to refer to all African-Americans”, and that she’d been "desensitized to racially offensive language by music and hearing people talk on the street."
• It’s okay, though, because she also said she was having a bad day. I’m sure everyone turns into a disgusting racist when they have bad days, right? No? Oh.
• They did assign her to desk duty, where presumably she’ll only be able to be racist to people visiting the department and not the public who she swore to serve and protect.
• QotD: “I would remind you that extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice. And let me remind you also that moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue.” - Barry Goldwater
• From the Sports Desk… WR Julio Jones has signed a 1-year deal with the Bucs. If 45-year-old Tom Brady hits 33-year-old Jones for a TD, that will be 78 years of… I don’t know how to finish this sentence.
• Today in history… Siward invades Scotland and defeats Macbeth near the Firth of Forth (1054). England requires all goods bound for American colonies must be sent on English ships from English ports (1663). The USA establishes its first federal government agency, the Department of Foreign Affairs, later renamed the Department of State (1789). The first transatlantic telegraph cable is completed, running from Ireland to Newfoundland (1866). Vincent van Gogh shoots himself (1890). Chicago race riots erupt (1919). A cartoon called ‘A Wild Hare’ is released starring a new character named Bugs Bunny (1940). The US, China, and North Korea sign an armistice agreement ending the Korean War (1953). 5,000 more US military advisors are sent to Vietnam (1964). The House Judiciary Committee votes 27-11 to impeach Richard Nixon for obstruction of justice (1974). Belarus declares independence from the Soviet Union (1990). A pipe bomb explodes at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta (1996).
• July 27 is the birthday of Shingon Buddhism founder Kūkai (774), Earl of Sandwich Edward Montagu (1625), pilot and engineer Geoffrey de Havilland (1882), actor Keenan Wynn (1916), writer/producer Norman Lear (1922), game designer Gary Gygax (1938), singer-songwriter Bobbie Gentry (1944), skater Peggy Fleming (1948), singer Maureen McGovern (1949), singer Julianna Hatfield (1967), wrestler Triple H (1969), actress Maya Rudolph (1972), singer-songwriter Pete Yorn (1974), baseball player Alex Rodriguez (1975), pitcher Max Scherzer (1984), quarterback Ryan Tannehill (1988), and golfer Jordan Spieth (1993).

Anyway, let’s go do things on this Wednesday. I remember hearing the reference “humpday” going back to when I was a kid. I think my dad used the term. You know, every day is just a day. Sun goes up, sun goes down. Everything else is a human invention. It’s no more a Wednesday than it is a Blispipheroucio Day. You say I just made that up? Someone made up Wednesday and you had no problem accepting that. Enjoy your humping.