Random News: December 18, 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 December 18, 2022, and it’s a Sunday. We usually have things to talk about, so today will be no exception…

• Let’s get the saddest of news out of the way. As I mentioned yesterday, P-22, the famed mountain lion who’d called the Santa Monica mountains of Los Angeles his home for over a decade, has died.
• He was about 13, which is on the older side for mountain lions in the wild.
• P-22 had been monitored since 2012 and was given veterinary treatment on multiple occasions. In recent months, he hadn’t been well, and was exhibiting behavior that was outside his usual patterns.
• When captured, it was clear he’d been in some kind of accident (hit by a car, most likely) and was underweight and thoroughly unwell. Despite being treated by experts, it was determined that humane euthanasia was the right thing to do.
• A memorial service for P-22 is scheduled for some time after Christmas.
• Here’s something I think you know but you might not know: P-22 was a cougar, a cat with many names in this country including puma, mountain lion, catamount, and panther. All the same thing.
• Here in LA, P-22 had lots of love. He had a dedicated exhibit at the Natural History Museum, was on murals all over town, and was the inspiration for the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing under construction over the 101 freeway.
• P-22 was absolutely a celebrity. Sightings of P-22 were always exciting for LA residents. Most people around here would definitely be more thrilled to see P-22 than any mere actor or music star. He was an inspiration to many. Rest in peace, King of Griffith Park. 
• Moving on.
• The House January 6 select committee has its final meeting tomorrow (Monday December 19), and it plans to refer Donald Trump and his top advisers to the justice department for criminal conduct connected to the former president’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
• At tomorrow’s final session, expected at 1PM EST, they plan to outlining their investigative findings and legislative recommendations, then vote to formally adopt the report, and then vote to issue criminal and civil referrals.
• Is this a big deal? Probably not, sorry to say. Congress doesn’t prosecute criminals, which is why they are providing their evidence to the people who do: the DOJ.
• Maybe it will add to Jack Smith’s continuing investigation. I find that likely.
• And now, The Weather: “Billions” by Caroline Polachek
• I will once again remind you to be extremely careful in pre-holiday travel. In many parts of the US, severe weather and extreme cold are making it particularly dangerous. Plan ahead.
• From the Sports Desk… congrats to Argentina for their victory in the FIFA World Cup. And congrats to me for getting another four years without thinking about soccer.
• The Sports Desk also notes that yesterday, he expressed amazement that the Colts were beating the highly-favored Vikings 33-0 at halftime. The Vikings ended up achieving the largest comeback in NFL history and won that game 39-36.
• Wacky!
• Had an unexpected blast of musical activity yesterday in the form of a band meeting with They Stole My Crayon.
• It happened when I was looking for a file and totally by happenstance stumbled over dozens of songs we’ve put together here and there over the years.
• It turns out we have more than enough strong stuff for a full new album. So that’s exciting and we’re putting together plans for what we need to do to wrap it up and get it out.
• Today in history… Kublai Khan renames his empire "Yuan" (元 yuán), officially marking the start of the Yuan dynasty of Mongolia and China (1271). New Jersey becomes the third state to ratify the U.S. Constitution (1787). US Secretary of State William Seward proclaims the adoption of the Thirteenth Amendment, prohibiting slavery throughout the USA (1865). Premiere performance of The Nutcracker by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in Saint Petersburg, Russia (1892). A meteor exploded over the Bering Sea with a force over 10 times greater than the atomic bomb that destroyed Hiroshima in 1945 (2018). The United States House of Representatives impeaches Donald Trump for the first time (2019).
• December 18 is the birthday of Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand (1863), politician Joseph Stalin (1878), painter Paul Klee (1979), MLB player Ty Cobb (1886), actress Betty Grable (1916), actor Ossie Davis (1917), music publisher Allen B. Klein (1931), bass player/manager Chas Chandler (1938), saxophone player Bobby Keys (1943), musician Keith Richards (1943), activist Steve Biko (1946), director/producer Steven Spielberg (1946), guitarist Elliot Easton (1953), actor Ray Liotta (1954), NBA player Charles Oakley (1963), actor Brad Pitt (1963), rapper DMX (1970), actress Katie Holmes (1978), singer Christina Aguilera (1980), and singer Billie Eilish (2001).

Well, I have some stuff to do today to get ready for Christmas, which is probably what a lot of people are doing today. I need to get some wrapping paper and associated supplies. I was going to go to the Dollar Tree but Kat wants to be all fancy and go to Rite-Aid. What am I, a billionaire? So at some point we might go somewhere and contribute to the strength of the economy. Enjoy your day.