Random News: September 5, 2023

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 September 5, 2023, and it’s a Tuesday that feels just like a Monday. I’m getting my brain working — c’mon, you stupid brain! — and drinking coffee and checking out the news, which seems to be helping. I also have a crazy day ahead that includes a bunch of work, grocery shopping, a live show in Second Life to perform, and a visit from my significant other’s mom. Therefore, let’s get this rolling…

• As mentioned yesterday, I’ll be keeping an eye on Texas AG Ken Paxton’s impeachment trial that starts today. I’m not rooting for the fellow Republicans who are impeaching him; I’m just wanting him to fail because he’s a piece of shit.
• Moving on… but I’ll give you info later.
• In global news that just can’t be good, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un plans to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin this month to discuss potentially providing Moscow with weapons to support its ongoing war in Ukraine.
• US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters last week that Russia's defense minister recently traveled to North Korea to "try to convince Pyongyang to see artillery ammunition" to Russia, and after the visit, Putin and Kim exchanged letters "pledging to increase their bilateral cooperation."
• Kirby warned that the U.S. will take direct action, including by imposing sanctions, against individuals and entities that work to facilitate the supply of weapons between Russia and North Korea.
• None of this should be terribly surprising, given the long relationship between North Korea and Russia. Still, it’s not at all great news for anyone on this planet.
• Today is the sentencing for Former Proud Boys national chairman Enrique Tarrio. He’ll be the final Proud Boys leader convicted of seditious conspiracy in the January 6, 2021 failed coup attempt to receive his punishment.
• The Justice Department wants the 39-year-old Tarrio to spend more than three decades in prison, describing him as the ringleader of a plot to use violence to shatter the cornerstone of American democracy and overturn the election victory by Joe Biden.
• Keeping an eye on that.
• Two states have primary elections today: Rhode Island and Utah. Their voters will choose party nominees for US House seats.
• In Rhode Island, a crowded Democratic field will be narrowed down to one in the race to succeed Democrat David Cicilline, who resigned in May to lead the Rhode Island Foundation.
• In Utah, Republicans will decide their nominee in the state’s 2nd Congressional District, which GOP Rep. Chris Stewart is expected to vacate on September 15, citing his wife’s health concerns.
• Moving on…
• WIC, a federal program that helps poor families afford healthy food, could see substantial benefit cuts starting in October. Roughly six million low-income Americans could become some of the earliest victims of an unresolved Washington budget battle.
• Congress now has just weeks to shore up the program’s finances, fund the federal government, and avert a potentially catastrophic shutdown.
• WIC provides financial support for low-income pregnant and nursing women, as well as children up to age 5.
• They’d rather take away food from the mouths of these folks than touch the tax rates of people who make billions of dollars each year, which could easily pay for these programs many times over.
• In other news…
• Along with about 50 people I know or have heard about in the past couple of weeks, first lady Jill Biden tested positive for COVID-19 yesterday.
• She is currently experiencing only mild symptoms and will remain at the Bidens’ home in Rehoboth Beach, DE. President Joe Biden tested negative.
• And now, The Weather: “Heaven” by Mitski
• More tropical storms are forming in the Atlantic this week. Florida, the Caribbean, and the Gulf areas should be keeping an eye on things, as they do.
• RIP to singer-songwriter Gary Wright, the synth-heavy musician best known for his hit singles “Dream Weaver” and “Love Is Alive,” who died yesterday at 80.
• I jammed a couple of times as a teen with his son Justin, a singer who sounds very much like him. We grew up in the same area.
• A lot of folks don’t know that previous to his solo career, Gary was a founding member of the U.K.-based band Spooky Tooth, and then became an in-demand session keyboard player from the late ’60s on, playing on all of George Harrison’s solo albums, on Ringo Starr’s early singles, and did records with Nilsson, Tim Rose, B.B. King and many others.
• Elon Musk said U.S. ad revenue for X, the social network formerly known as Twitter, was down 60% in a series of tweets Monday. Elon then blamed it on the Jews.
• He said the ad sales were off due to critical statements from the Anti-Defamation League, a Jewish non-governmental organization that seeks to fight antisemitism and extremism around the world.
• Musk then said, “If this continues, we will have no choice but to file a defamation suit against, ironically, the ‘Anti-Defamation’ League.”
• The ADL released several reports detailing how antisemitic posts have spiked on X since Musk purchased the platform, then unblocked a number of users who had previously been kicked off the site for violating hate speech policies and loosened the platform’s content moderation policies.
• Google turned 25 yesterday, I distinctly remember the moment in 1998 when I was searching for some info on that Internet thing using AltaVista or the like, and a tech-geek coworker of mine was like, “Why aren’t you using Google?”
• I couldn’t believe how fast it was compared to everything else available at the time. The concept of a pre-indexed search was totally new then.
• 23 people were injured yesterday after an SUV plowed into the wall of a Houston-area Denny’s restaurant.
• There were some severe injuries but none appeared to be life-threatening, which is why I don’t feel so bad about calling the accident a Grand Slam.
• Did you know you can take Interstate 10 — as we we call in SoCal, “the 10” — across the whole USA? It’s true. Start in LA, on the beach of Santa Monica, CA (where it converges with Highway 1), and end up smack dab in the middle of Jacksonville, FL (where it converges with I-95).
• On the way, you’d pass through Phoenix, Tucson, El Paso, San Antonio, Houston, Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Mobile, and Tallahassee. And a lot of desert and swamp and desolate shit.
• From the Sports Desk… with the NFL season starting in just two more days, here’s a quick look at the most highly-paid player in each position based on average per year for the next three years.
• Quarterback: Justin Herbert (LA Chargers), $53.3 million
• Running Back: Christian McCaffrey (SF 49ers), $17.2 million
• Wide Receiver: Cooper Kupp (LA Rams), $26.7 million
• Tight End: T.J. Hockenson (Minnesota Vikings), $17.125 million
• Offensive Line: Andrew Thomas (NY Giants), $23.5 million
• Cornerback: Jaire Alexander (GB Packers), $21.7 million
• Edge Rusher: T.J. Watt (Pittsburgh Steelers), $30.5 million
• Defensive Tackle: Aaron Donald (LA Rams), $31.6 million
• Off-Ball Linebacker: Roquan Smith (Baltimore Ravens), $20 million
• Safety: Derwin James Jr. (LA Chargers), $19.6 million
• Kicker: Justin Tucker (Baltimore Ravens), $6.2 million
• Long Snapper: Joe Cardona (NE Patriots), $1.6 million
• Punter: Michael Dickson (Seattle Seahawks), $3.9 million
• The highest total guaranteed money? That goes to Cleveland Browns QB Deshaun Watson, who ends up with $230 million even if he doesn’t do shit.
• Today in history… Louis XIV's Superintendent of Finances is arrested in Nantes by D'Artagnan, captain of the king's musketeers (1661). Tsar Peter I of Russia imposes a tax on beards for all men except the clergy and peasantry (1698). First Continental Congress assembles in Philadelphia (1774). The Siege of Fort Wayne begins when Chief Winamac's forces attack two soldiers returning from the fort's outhouses (1812). Sam Houston is elected as the first president of the Republic of Texas (1836). The first United States Labor Day parade is held in New York City (1882). A group of youths affiliated with the fascist National Socialist Movement of Chile are executed after surrendering during a failed coup (1938). Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg constitute Benelux (1944). Cassius Clay wins the gold medal in the light heavyweight boxing competition at the Olympic Games in Rome, later changing his name to Muhammad Ali (1960). Squeaky Fromme attempts to assassinate U.S. President Gerald Ford (1975). The Space Shuttle Discovery lands after its maiden voyage (1984). Liz Truss is declared the winner of the UK Conservative Party leadership election, beating Rishi Sunak (2022).
• September 5 is the birthday of king Louis XIV (1638), composer Johann Christian Bach (1735), poet/author Aleksey Konstantinovich Tolstoy (1817), inventor Lester Allan Pelton (1829), outlaw Jesse James (1847), pianist/composer Amy Beach (1867), MLB player Nap Lajoie (1874), composer John Cage (1912), actor/comedian Bob Newhart (1929), author Werner Erhard (1935), singer-songwriter/guitarist John Stewart (1939), actress Raquel Welch (1940), director Werner Herzog (1942), singer-songwriter Al Stewart (1945), singer-songwriter Freddie Mercury (1946), singer-songwriter Loudon Wainwright III (1946), singer-songwriter/drummer Buddy Miles (1947), cartoonist Cathy Guisewite (1950), actor Michael Keaton (1951), drummer/songwriter Brad Wilk (1968), guitarist Dweezil Zappa (1969), director/musician Liam Lynch (1970), actress Rose McGowan (1973), and NFL player Mac Jones (1998).

For those of you who do Second Life, I’ll be at Hotel Chelsea tonight for my regular first-Tuesday-of-the-month show there. Should be fun. Beyond that, I’m just planning on getting shit done as I usually do. Enjoy your day.