Random News: August 17, 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 August 17, 2022, and it’s a Wednesday. Let’s see what’s cooking…

• President Biden signed the landmark climate change and health bill into law yesterday. There are things in it that directly benefit you. Yes, literally you. 
• If you or your parents are seniors on Medicare, starting in 2025, your out-of-pocket prescription costs will be limited to $2,000/year. That’s a huge thing if you know how much money older people pay for medicine that keeps them alive and well.
• The new law also gives tax credits and loans to bolster technology like solar panels and other consumer efforts to improve home energy efficiency.
• Saw a Tweet just now from a very excited person who wrote, “Holy shit. My ITT Tech loans are gone!!!” That’s right. The Biden admin negated $3.9 billion in student debt for 208,000 borrowers defrauded by the now-closed bullshit college.
• It’s all good shit. There’s been a lot of good shit lately. My apologies to anyone who thrives on constant outrage, but try and appreciate the good shit.
• There’s a lot more to the new law, but this was a huge achievement in an era where the government is basically deadlocked. 
• We all knew that Liz Cheney would never survive a Republican primary after her valiant efforts to bring Trump to justice via her role on the January 6 Select Committee. She deserves everyone’s gratitude.
• I want to point out that Cheney may well throw her hat in the ring as a GOP nominee for President, in 2024 or otherwise. I think you’re going to be seeing more of Liz Cheney, not less.
• That loss indicates something all of us already know: what was formerly known as the Republican party has turned into an authoritarian nationalist cult that stole their name and branding but has little to do with the former version of the party. It’s a shame.
• I also want to point out that Cheney voted in the same direction as Trump and the rest of the GOP 93% of the time. Having a different Republican representing Wyoming doesn’t make a big change in nearly anyone’s lives.
• Your focus should be on states that have a reasonable chance of change in either direction, impacting the overall makeup of the House and Senate (aka swing states). I’ll be talking about those and who the players are in upcoming lists.
• The world has a major water problem. Beyond the issues being faced by western US states like Arizona and California, China is seeding clouds to try and replenish the Yangtze River. I don’t think most of you understand what a big deal this is, but you likely will eventually.
• Arizona will have 21% of its annual allotment of water from the Colorado River cut in 2023. California will be having our own restrictions (which we’re used to and have been through before in periods of drought).
• And yet, people will still expect their country clubs and golf courses to remain green and lush. It may not work out that way. Suck it up, buttercup. Tough times call for tough measures.
• Moving on…
• You’ve probably noticed that in recent times, each of these bullet lists have a section called “The Weather” that I 100% unabashedly stole from a great long running podcast called ‘Welcome to Night Vale’. It’s just a song that you might want to look up on Spotify or YouTube or wherever. It’s usually some kind of new-ish indie rock or indie pop or other music that you may not know you like. So that’s what that is.
• Rudy Giuliani is scheduled to appear before a grand jury in Georgia today in regard to his role in illegally attempting to overturn the 2020 election. Senator Lindsay Graham tried to quash the subpoena for himself in the same case, which was denied. He will continue to appeal, but assuming it doesn’t work, he is scheduled to appear Tuesday of next week. Also appearing next week: disgraced attorney Jenna Ellis, part of Trump’s “Kraken” team of crazies.
• All of them will likely be pleading their 5th Amendment rights quite a lot, I think… unless they go all wacky and sacrifice themselves for Trump, which has also been known to happen.
• One more note on that topic: the FPOTUS is having trouble hiring lawyers for his criminal defense. It’s not that there aren’t many lawyers capable and willing to defend him; it’s that he has a track record of not paying people for services for which he hired them. Lawyers, especially top-notch ones for this level of case, like to be paid.
• Scotland has become the first country in the world to offer its citizens “feminine hygiene products” (I hate that silly term), aka tampons and pads, for free. The idea that poor people in other countries, like the USA, can’t access these necessities is appalling.
• From the Sports Desk… this is cool. The NBA announced that they won’t schedule any games on Tuesday, November 8, to better encourage fans to use the time to go out and vote. The Sports Desk highly approves of this.
• And now, The Weather: “Whatever You Want” by Snowy.
• Today in history… Cesare Borgia, the son of a pope, becomes the first person in history to resign the cardinalate (1498). The first group of colonists lands in the New World to create Roanoke Colony in modern-day North Carolina (1585). The British parliament accepts registration of births, marriages, and deaths (1836). The Union beats the fuck out of Confederate-held Fort Sumter in Charleston (1863). Bridget Driscoll becomes the first person killed by being run over by a car (1896). US Marines raid the Japanese-held island of Makin (1942). ‘Animal Farm’ is published by George Orwell (1945). The first meeting of Narcotics Anonymous is held, appropriately, in Southern California (1953). Pioneer 0, the attempted first launch beyond Earth’s orbit, fails on launch (1958). Cat 5 Hurricane Camille smashes the Gulf Coast, killing 256 people (1969). The Soviets launch Venera 7, the first spacecraft to soft-land on another planet (1970). Michael Phelps wins a record eight gold medals at one Olympic Games (2008).
• August 17 is the birthday of frontiersman Davy Crockett (1786), activist/journalist Marcus Garvey (1887), actress Mae West (1893), actress Maureen O’Hara (1920), military pilot Francis Gary Powers (1929), poet/writer Ted Hughes (1930), computer scientist who invented software engineering and allowed the Apple mission to get to the moon Margaret Hamilton (1936), actor Robert De Niro (1943), businessman Larry Ellison (1944), guitarist Eric Johnson (1954), singer Belinda Carlisle (1958), actor Sean Penn (1960), disgraced former NFL coach Jon Gruden (1963), singer/actor Donnie Wahlberg (1969), NFL player Antwaan Randle El (1979), NBA player Rudy Gay (1986), and singer-songwriter Phoebe Bridgers (1994).

Well, my day is currently pretty typical. Got some things to research, things to write, things to draw, things to code. People to meet. Stuff to do. I don’t know what it’s like to wake up with nothing to do, and it’s very likely I never will. Maybe it’s good, maybe it’s bad. I’ll never know. Enjoy your day.