Random News: October 17, 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 October 17, 2023, and it’s a Tuesday. There’s so much stuff going on, but luckily you have me breaking it down into fun-sized chunks, and I do it for free.

• President Joe Biden will travel to Israel tomorrow to show support for our key ally that is still reeling from the series of surprise attacks by Hamas that left roughly 1,400 Israelis dead earlier this month.
• Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the president is coming to reaffirm America's solidarity with Israel and "our ironclad commitment to its security.” He will also reiterate that Israel "has the right, and indeed, the duty to defend its people from Hamas and other terrorists and to prevent future attacks."
• President Biden will also receive a briefing on Israel's war aims and strategy, and he'll hear from Israel "how it will conduct its operations in a way that minimizes civilian casualties and enables humanitarian assistance to flow civilians to Gaza in a way that does not benefit Hamas."
• That’s a gutsy move, but I think it’s the right one. Stay safe, Joe.
• In other news…
• El Dumpo got gagged.
• The federal judge overseeing the case against former President and current accused felon Donald John Trump related to the 2020 election agreed yesterday to impose some limitations on what Dumples can say publicly about the case.
• U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan restricted the former president and his attorneys from making inflammatory statements targeting special counsel Jack Smith, his staff, court personnel, and possible witnesses who may testify in the proceedings.
• Like any other defendant in any other case. Imagine that. It’s almost as if no one is above the law. Conventional conditions of release prevent criminal defendants from threatening or persuading potential witnesses. True for you, for me, and for El Dumpo.
• “This is not about whether I like the language Mr. Trump uses. This is about language that presents a danger to the administration of justice.”
• Chutkan also ruled that Dumpy will still be allowed to make statements about the District of Columbia (where his trial is being held in March), and to criticize the Biden administration and the Justice Department. But she made this part clear…
• “Mr. Trump is a criminal defendant. He is facing four felony charges. He is under the custody of the criminal justice system. He does not have the right to say and do exactly as he pleases.”
• That’s goddamn right.
• While we’re in Dumpster news…
• That piece of shit said yesterday that he would bar refugees from Gaza and immediately expand his ban on Muslim people traveling to the USA if he wins a second term.
• Disgusting racist pig scum fucker.
• Let’s move on.
• At noon ET today, Jim Jordan (R-OH) will head to the House floor for a speaker election.
• Jordan needs a majority of all members present and voting for a specific candidate in order to win the GOP nomination. There are two vacancies in the House right now, due to resignations of one Republican (Chris Stewart of Utah) and one Democrat (David Cicilline of Rhode Island), making a total of 433 members. House Republicans have 221 members, while Democrats have 212.
• That means a majority of the House right now is 217 members — the number often referenced as what Jordan needs to win the Speakership.
• All voting Democrats are expected to vote for House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) for Speaker. So if more than four of the 221 Republicans defect from Jordan, he is below 217 and in hot water.
• There are at least six Republicans who’ve stated they won’t vote for Jordan, but I never believe what Republicans say, so whatever happens in a couple of hours is anyone’s guess.
• Meanwhile, I can tell you that the Democrats already have a plan in place should Jordan claw his way into the Speaker role. 
• They’re going to use it to even more easily take back the House in 2024, less than 12 months from now.
• They released a two-page internal memo with a list of key examples of Jordan’s extremism, citing his attempts to block the certification of President Joe Biden’s victory in 2020, his noncompliance with a subpoena by the House Jan. 6 Select Committee, his role as a co-founder of the far-right Freedom Caucus, his opposition to bipartisan bills on immigration and his support for aggressive tactics that caused multiple government shutdowns.
• “A Speaker Jordan means extremism and far-right priorities will govern the House of Representatives. It is imperative that our caucus makes clear to voters just how extreme Congressman Jordan is and how his Speakership would negatively impact working families across the country, threaten democratic norms, and weaken relationships with our allies.”
• Get his ass. Also, there’s a list going around of 18 GOP House members whose districts were won by Joe Biden. If any one of them vote for Jordan, they are in extreme peril facing reelection next year.
• Here they are: Don Bacon (NE), Lori Chavez-DeRemer (OR), Juan Ciscomani (AZ), Anthony D’Esposito (NY), John Duarte (CA), Brian Fitzpatrick (PA), Mike Garcia (CA), Tom Kean (NJ), Jen Kiggans (VA), Young Kim (CA), Nick LaLota (NY), Mike Lawler (NY), Marc Molinaro (NY), George Santos (NY), David Schweikert (AZ), Michelle Steel (CA), David Valadao (CA), and Brandon Williams (NY).
• By voting for the election-denier Jordan (if they do), they are spitting in the face of their constituents who voted for Biden in 2020, and will never be able to get elected in their respective districts again. We will make sure to note their votes today.
• Let’s move on.
• Some very good news out of the Supreme Court yesterday. They allowed the Biden administration to continue regulating so-called ghost guns – untraceable homemade weapons – as firearms under federal law.
• The court’s brief order grants the Justice Department’s request to wipe away a lower court order and allow the regulations to remain in effect while a legal challenge brought by firearm manufacturers continues to play out in the lower courts.
• There were no noted dissents to the order. Suck on that, ammosexuals.
• Ghost guns are kits that a user can buy online to assemble a fully functional firearm. They have no serial numbers, do not require background checks and provide no transfer records for easy traceability. They are attractive to people who are legally prohibited from buying firearms.
• Here’s a tale of two headlines.
• “Killings and violent crime fell in 2022, FBI says” - Washington Post
• “Car thefts surge as FBI data reveal latest crime trends” - Fox News
• Now use your powers of deductive reasoning to ask why these two media outlets skewed this information from the sam report as they did. Fox does not want you to know that violent crime is headed downward.
• And now, The Weather: “Arrival” by Lunar Isles
• The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service removed 21 species from its endangered list yesterday… because they’re fucking extinct.
• Goddammit.
• Let’s talk about Bandcamp, the artist-centric indie music platform that I’d supported strongly for years. It was the best place to hear and purchase new music that was also fair to the artists creating it.
• Even after the company was sold to Epic Games about 18 months ago, it had continued as such. Then a few weeks ago, it was sold to Songtradr, a music licensing service for brands and ad agencies.
• And then yesterday, as soon as the acquisition was complete, they immediately laid off half the staff.
• Anything good in the world gets killed by greed. Sorry, but it’s true.
• From the Sports Desk… MLB conference championships are in full swing, and the Texas Rangers have jumped out to a 2-0 lead over the Houston Astros in the ALCS, winning both games on the road. They take the series back to Arlington for Game 3 on Wednesday.
• In the first game of the NLCS, the Philadelphia Phillies took a 1-0 lead with a 5-3 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks. Game 2 is tomorrow in Philly.
• Today in history… Poczta Polska, the Polish postal service, is founded (1558). Kepler's Supernova is observed in the constellation of Ophiuchus (1604). The nine regicides who signed the death warrant of Charles I of England are hanged, drawn and quartered (1660). British General Charles, Earl Cornwallis surrenders at the Siege of Yorktown (1781). Eight people die in the London Beer Flood (1814). Aboriginal Australians kill nineteen Europeans in the Cullin-la-ringo massacre (1861). Marconi begins the first commercial transatlantic wireless service (1907). Al Capone is convicted of income tax evasion (1931). Albert Einstein flees Nazi Germany and moves to the United States (1933). The first commercial nuclear power station is officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II in Sellafield, England (1956). OPEC imposes an oil embargo against countries they deem to have helped Israel in the Yom Kippur War (1973). Mother Teresa is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize (1979). The 6.9 Loma Prieta earthquake shakes the San Francisco Bay Area and the Central Coast, killing 63 (1989). The recreational use of cannabis is legalized in Canada (2018). 
• October 17 is the birthday of poet Jupiter Hammon (1711), drummer Cozy Cole (1909), playwright Arthur Miller (1915), actress Rita Hayworth (1918), actor Montgomery Clift (1920), actor Tom Poston (1921), guitarist/composer Luiz Bonfá (1922), NFL coach Don Coryell (1924), daredevil Evel Knievel (1938), singer-songwriter/guitarist Jim Seals (1941), actor/musician Michael McKean (1947), actress Margot Kidder (1948), actor George Wendt (1948), astronaut Mae Jemison (1956), bassist Pino Palladino (1957), actor/comedian Norm McDonald (1959), singer-songwriter/guitarist Ziggy Marley (1968), rapper Wyclef Jean (1969), actor Wood Harris (1969), rapper Eminem (1972), actress Felicity Jones (1983), and NFL player Jamal Adams (1995).

Well, that’s all the time I have for now to spread the news. Time to go down and workout… the last thing I want to do, but probably the only thing that probably keeps me alive and well. Enjoy your day.