Random News: August 3, 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.

---

Good morning. It’s August 3, 2022, and it’s a Wednesday. Here’s, just, a lot…

• Much to talk about! Where to start… um… ok.
• Kansas voters turned up in a big way to make it clear that they would NOT accept an amendment to the state’s constitution that said there was no right to abortion. It was voted down by a huge margin. 
• You have to understand, this is a portent to how actively people will be voting in the general election, because the right to safe and legal abortion is at or near the top of everyone’s concerns.
• More people turned out to vote down this repeal of women’s rights than any other Midterm election in Kansas history.
• If Kansas is any indication, we’re going to see a massive voter turnout on November 8 with issues like abortion and the continuing consequences from the failed January 6 coup attempt being a driving force. Let’s hope so.
• In Missouri, the Trump-endorsed pick for Senator, Eric Greitens, ended up in distant third place. Trump’s endorsement is becoming a political kiss of death, understandably.
• Greitens, the former Governor who been charged with multiple felonies, had his campaign co-chaired by Kimberly Guilfoyle, the girlfriend of human cocaine spoon Donald Trump Jr.
• In the Arizona governor’s race, and perhaps the most damning of Trump connections, the “female Trump” Keri Lake, a former Fox affiliate TV anchor, serious MAGA-world conspiracist and 2020 election diner, was expected to win her primary by a landslide. Instead, the race between her and her Republican opponent Karrin Taylor Robson remains too close to call this morning.
• In other news…
• Facing a massive public backlash over their terrible treatment of US veterans who got cancers and other diseases while deployed, the Senate Republicans reversed course from last week’s “no” vote to pass the PACT Act yesterday.
• We can all thank Jon Stewart for his relentless activism in support of veterans’ rights. He was at least partially responsible for the pressure put on the Republican Senators who’d initially voted it down last week.

• 37 Republicans ended up joining 49 Democrats to vote for the bipartisan legislation. If you were wondering which 11 Senators still voted “no” to helping veterans with cancer…
• Crapo (R-ID), Lankford (R-OK), Lee (R-UT), Lummis (R-WY), Paul (R-KY), Risch (R-ID), Romney (R-UT), Shelby (R-AL), Tillis (R-NC), Toomey (R-PA), and Tuberville (R-AL).
• House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the third highest member of our government, is in Taiwan. No US official of that stature has visited in 25 years. Gotta say, sorry China, but you don’t dictate US foreign policy, and Nancy really never took any shit from anyone.
• QotD: “Music doesn't lie. If there is something to be changed in this world, then it can only happen through music.” - Jimi Hendrix
• From the Sports Desk… a heartfelt Rest In Peace to Vin Scully, the voice of the Dodgers for 67 years, starting back when they were in Brooklyn and the majority of their time in Los Angeles. My favorite sports announcer of all time, bar none. It’s only fitting that on the day of his passing at age 94, the Los Angeles Dodgers have the best record in Major League Baseball.
• Today in history… Christopher Columbus sets sail from Spain (1492). The La Scala theater in Milan is inaugurated (1778). The first ever American intercollegiate sports event happens when Harvard beats Yale in a yacht race (1852). The Firestone Tire and Rubber Company is founded (1900). Germany declare war on France in WWI (1914). MLB bands eight members of the Chicago “Black Sox” (1921). Jesse Owens wins the 100m at the Berlin Olympics (1936). Niger gains independence from France (1960). Tandy announces the TRS-80 personal computer (1977). 23 people killed and 23 injured in a mass shooting at Walmart in El Paso, TX (2019).
• August 3 is the birthday of politician Hamilton Fish (1808), UK Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin (1867), educator John Scopes (1900), football coach Marc Levy (1925), singer extraordinaire Tony Bennett (1926), actor Martin Sheen (1940), director John Landis (1950), hockey great Marcel Dionne (1951), musician James Hetfield (1963), musicians Stephen Carpenter (1970), actress and anti-vaxxer Evangeline Lilly (1979), model Karlie Kloss (1992) and NFL player Todd Gurley (1994).

I wasn’t expecting to be this enthused and hopeful about the results of a primary election, and yet here we are. Fuck yes! We’re gonna ride this tiger through the summer into the fall to the general election on November 8 and head straight to Valhalla (Howard Dean scream)! In all seriousness, this is great news, and let’s keep the positive energy flowing. Enjoy your day!