Random News: October 15, 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 October 15, 2022, and it’s a Saturday. I’m in a bathrobe and have coffee, so let’s do this…

• The Justice Department, who resembles a deadly snail that can easily annihilate you but takes forever to do so, finally asked a federal appeals court to reverse the appointment of a special master to review documents seized from FPOTUS.
• Reason: FPOTUS had no right to possess the seized materials after he left office and that there was no legal basis for an outside review.
• Duh.
• Trump’s lawyers have until November 10 to file their response.
• A note on the new UK prime minister Liz Truss, who assumed office on September 6, less than six weeks ago.
• There is a huge push for her to immediately resign. That’s really not good.
• Truss won the Conservative Party leadership by promising vast tax cuts and deregulation that she said would shock the economy out of years of stagnant growth.
• Instead, the UK economy has tanked even harder as result, and Truss has already had to reverse two of her big campaign promises so that the country doesn’t fall into total economic chaos. She fired her finance minister Kwasi Kwarteng yesterday, whom she’d appointed 28 days prior.
• Yikes.
• Tesla stocks took a nosedive by about 50% from their all-time high last November. I can’t help but think that Elon Musk’s alienation of the people who would otherwise be buyers of his cars might be impacting his brand.
• During the Georgia senatorial debate last night between Hershel Walker and Raphael Warnock, Walker pulled out a toy police badge.
• Walker has never been any kind of law enforcement officer, though has frequently pretended he was. Like a child.
• Side note: no props were allowed at the debate, yet Walker used one anyway. If you can’t follow the rules of a simple debate, how you can you be in charge of making the rules for a country?
• And now, The Weather: “Farther West” by Anna Arrabas.
• From the Sports Desk… sigh. The Los Angeles Dodgers, who rode the league’s best offense to 111 regular season wins, have gone cold. They lost to the Padres and are down 2-1 in their NLDS series. Game 4 is tonight. In other MLB playoffs, the Phillies are up 2-1 over the Braves, while in the ALDS the Astros lead the Mariners 2-0 and the Yankees and Guardians are tied at 1-1.
• For the first time, this year’s season of crab harvesting in Alaska has been canceled entirely. The crab population is down over 80% due to climate change and the continual use of unethical harvesting methods.
• Many people in places like Alaska, Washington, Oregon and elsewhere count on crabbing as their main source of income.
• Some polls. Again, I only share these from the standpoint of how close things are and how important your vote is. Act accordingly…
• Ohio Senate: Vance (R) 47% (+3), Ryan (D) 44% (Trafalgar)
• Pennsylvania Senate: Fetterman (D) 47% (+2), Oz (R) 45%, Gerhardt (L) 3% (Trafalgar)
• Arizona Senate: Mark Kelly (D-inc) 46% (+3), Blake Masters (R) 43%, Marc Victor (L) 4% (OnMessage)
• Wisconsin Senate: Mandela Barnes (D) 48% (+1), Ron Johnson (R-inc) 47% (Morning Consult)
• Utah Senate: Evan McMullin (I) 46% (+4), Mike Lee (R-Inc) 42% (Hill Research)
• Georgia Senate: Warnock (D-inc) 49% (+3), Walker (R) 46% (Civiqs)
• Arizona Governor: Kari Lake (R) 47% (+3), Katie Hobbs (D) 44% (OH Predictive)
• Michigan Governor: Whitmer (D-inc) 44%, Dixon (R) 44%, Buzuma (L) 3%, Hogan (G) 2% (Insider Polling)
• Georgia Governor: Kemp (R-inc) 51% (+5), Abrams (D) 46% (Civiqs)
• New York Governor: Hochul (D-inc) 50% (+6), Zeldin (R) 44% (Schoen Cooperman)
• CO-03: Adam Frisch (D) 45% (+5), Lauren Boebert (R-inc) 40% (Center Street)
• MT-01: Zinke (R-inc) 41% (+1), Tranel (D) 40% (Victoria)
• FL-13: Lynn (D) 47%, Paulina Luna (R-inc) 47%
• Vote please. And get your friends and family to vote too.
• Today in history… Adoption of the Gregorian calendar begins, eventually leading to near-universal adoption (1582). Queen Marie Antoinette of France is tried and convicted of treason (1793). The Edison Electric Light Company begins operation (1878). Dutch dancer Mata Hari is executed by France for espionage (1917). The New York Municipal Airport, later renamed LaGuardia Airport, is dedicated (1939). Luis E. Miramontes completes the synthesis of norethisterone, the basis of an early oral contraceptive (1951). FORTRAN, the first modern computer language, is first shared with the coding community (1956). The Black Panther Party is created by Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale (1966). Wayne Gretzky becomes the all-time leading points scorer in the NHL (1989). The Cassini probe launches from Cape Canaveral on its way to Saturn (1997). The Dow Jones Industrial Average closes down 733.08 points, or 7.87%, the second worst percentage drop in the Dow's history (2008). 
• October 15 is the birthday of poet Virgil (70 BC), astronomer Asaph Hall (1829), philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche (1844), boxer John W. Sullivan (1858), politician Paul Reynaud (1878), author Mario Puzo (1920), singer-songwriter Barry McGUire (1935), actress Linda Lavin (1937), musician/activist Feta Kuli (1938), actress Penny Marshall (1943), musician Chris de Burgh (1948), skateboarder Stacy Peralta (1957), chef Emeril Lagasse (1959), and actor Dominic West (1969).

Okay well… enough of this bathrobe. Time to be a person. It’s overcast and raining and I love it… perfect Saturday. Enjoy your day.