Random News: January 2, 2024

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 January 2, 2024, and it’s a Tuesday. Woke up with that panicky feeling from when you were 12 and it’s back to school day and you were suddenly aware of all the things you were going to do on vacation and didn’t. Then I remembered that I’m old and I can do whatever the fuck I want (including a bunch of work that’s necessary). Let’s see what’s going on.

• Man, Japan’s had a rough time of it in 2024 so far.
• While still reeling from the 7.5M quake that caused mass destruction in the Suzu area, today a passenger plane and a Japanese coast guard aircraft collided on the runway at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport.
• All 379 people on JAL-516 got out safely before the plane was engulfed in flames. The pilot of the coast guard plane escaped but the five crew members died. Fucking awful.
• They’re still searching through rubble for survivors of the quake, and then that happens. Send some good thoughts their way, please.
• Side note: I’ve been working with Japanese brands for well over 20 years. I find them to be an admirable and proud people who are very resilient. They have snapped back from many instances of adversity over the years and will continue doing so. 
• Moving over to Ukraine, where the country’s two biggest cities — the capital Kyiv and Kharkiv in the northeast — were bombarded by Russian hypersonic missiles overnight. The attack came after both Russia and Ukraine carried out major aerial assaults against one another in recent days.
• Debris from the Russian attack hit apartment buildings, supermarkets and warehouses in Kyiv, cutting power to parts of the city. As I’ve mentioned before, no matter where you live, any day you wake up and you can go to work, go shopping, take your kids to school, and lead a normal life without fear of bombs dropping on you should be appreciated.
• Back in the USA…
• A deadly car crash outside a New Year’s concert in Rochester, NY is being investigated by the FBI as domestic terrorism after the suspect allegedly left a suicide note and journal in his hotel room.
• Two vehicles – one laden with gas canisters – crashed and plowed into the crowd outside the concert at the Kodak Center, killing two people and injuring five others. The suspect, Michael Avery of Syracuse, has died.
• Sigh. Moving on.
• Today is the day when it’s expected that a long list of people associated with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein will be made public, as per our previous reporting.
• Why are these names being made public? Because that was part of a lawsuit against Epstein’s associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year prison term for the crimes she committed with Epstein.
• There are 187 mentions of "J Doe" in the court papers, and many of these will now be given their real names. Judge Loretta Preska noted that many of the individuals named in the lawsuit have already been publicly identified by the media or in Maxwell's criminal trial.
• In case you were wondering (and I was), some of the names on the list will remain sealed, including those belonging to child victims, as one would expect.
• Also, some individuals may have appeared more than once under different Doe numbers, so the exact number of names to emerge is unknown. But even if the names on the list turn out to be already known, new light may be shed on the exact nature of their relationship with Epstein and Maxwell.
• Some potential good news out of Mississippi. 
• A federal appeals court has temporarily delayed that state’s officials from creating a state-run court in part of the majority-Black capital city of Jackson that was to have started yesterday.
• The U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals granted a temporary administrative stay, blocking the court’s creation until at least Jan. 5. The decision followed a request from the NAACP.
• The court was created by the majority-white and Republican-controlled Mississippi Legislature. Jackson is governed by Democrats. Jackson residents say the new court undermines democracy because local voters or local elected officials won’t choose its judge or prosecutors.
• “The NAACP stands firm in our belief that this legislation is inherently undemocratic. We will continue to do everything in our power to fight for Jackson residents’ rights to have control over their own institutions and live free from state-driven discrimination.” - NAACP spokesperson Alicia Mercedes.
• Here’s hoping.
• In another judicial stay, a California law that bans carrying firearms in most public places took effect yesterday after an appeals court halted a federal judge’s ruling against the law.
• On December 20, U.S. District Judge Cormac Carney temporarily blocked the law from going into effect, calling it “sweeping, repugnant to the Second Amendment, and openly defiant of the Supreme Court.”
• But the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit delayed that order Saturday to give the court more time to consider the constitutionality of the law, meaning it could take effect January 1 as planned.
• Our Governor, Gavin Newsom (D), praised the decision in a statement Saturday. “Californians overwhelmingly support efforts to ensure that places like hospitals, libraries and children’s playgrounds remain safe and free from guns.”
• He’s right.
• Let’s move on.
• Actually, let’s back up to New Year’s Eve, when pop punk icons Green Day performed on ABC’s “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest.”
• Frontman Billie Joe Armstrong made the Dumpy supporters bigly angry when he swapped out the original lyric from their 2004 song “American Idiot” — “I’m not a part of a redneck agenda” — for “I’m not part of a MAGA agenda.”
• Hee hee. What always cracks me up with some of these people is that they can listen to a song for 20, 30, 40 years, and never understand what the song is about, even while seemingly singing along.
• I’ve seen plenty of social posts over the years with people suddenly discovering that Rage Against the Machine was raging against a machine that they strongly support. And most of them still haven’t found out that Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the USA” is about as liberal a tune as one can sing without being Woody Guthrie.
• Morons.
• While some of you folks snickered at my adrenaline rush from the relatively minor 4.1 earthquake we had yesterday morning, it barely made headlines even locally. 
• But today, the Washington Post had a screaming headline that read, “Earthquake felt in D.C. suburbs, startling residents.”
• The size of the temblor? 2.3M. Pffft.
• In comedy news, congresswoman Lauren Boebert (R-CO) has blamed “Hollywood elites” including singer Barbra Streisand and actor Ryan Reynolds for her decision to switch districts ahead of her 2024 re-election campaign.
• Her proof? Her Democratic opponent Adam Frisch’s campaign had received a $1,000 donation from Streisand in April and a $500 contribution from Reynolds in March.
• Those sums combine for approximately 0.03% of the $7.7m Frisch has raised – compared with his Republican opponent’s $2.4m – since he narrowly lost against Boebert during the 2022 midterm election.
• But yeah, blame Babs and Deadpool. Jesus Fucking Christ.
• And now, The Weather: “A Room Up In The Sky” by Eyedress & The Marías
• From the Sports Desk… let’s take a look at every one of the remaining NFL playoff scenarios.
• Starting with the AFC.
• The top seed is set with the Ravens, who get a first round bye in the playoffs. Seeds 2 and 3 are set respectively with the Dolphins and Chiefs. Seed 4 is currently the Jaguars, at 9-7 and atop the AFC South. They’re tied with division mates Indianapolis and Houston, but have the top spot based on head-to-head win percentage. Any one of them could end up taking this slot. Seed 5 is set for the Browns. Seed 6 is currently the Bills, and Seed 7 the Colts, but that could change after next week as well. Though unlikely, the Steelers are not yet eliminated either.
• Over in the NFC, a somewhat similar circumstance is set. The Niners have the top seed and first round bye. Seeds 2 and 3 go to the Cowboys and Lions. Seed 4, again, is a mystery. It’s currently the Buccaneers at 8-8, and win the tie break over New Orleans based on best win percentage in common games. Seeds 5 and 6 are Eagles and Rams. Seed 7? Well, it’s the Packers at this moment, but they win the tie break over Seattle based on strength of victory, and over New Orleans based on best win percentage in conference games. The Vikings and Falcons are still mathematically alive at 7-9.
• Everyone else is out: Broncos, Bengals, Bears, Raiders, Jets, Giants, Titans, Chargers, Commanders, Cardinals, Patriots, and Panthers.
• For those not in the bullet above, every game next weekend will affect playoff inclusion and seeding. Should be fun. I’ll be watching.
• Today in history… The Alemanni cross the frozen Rhine in large numbers, invading the Roman Empire (366). American forces under the command of George Washington repulsed a British attack at the Battle of the Assunpink Creek near Trenton, NJ (1777). Georgia becomes the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution (1788). American statesman and diplomat John Hay announces the Open Door Policy to promote trade with China (1900). The second Palmer Raid, ordered by the US Department of Justice, results in 6,000 suspected communists and anarchists being arrested and held without trial (1920). Luna 1, the first spacecraft to reach the vicinity of the Moon and to orbit the Sun, is launched by the Soviet Union (1959). Ronald Reagan, past movie actor and future President of the United States, is sworn in as Governor of CA (1967). United States President Richard Nixon signs a bill lowering the maximum U.S. speed limit to 55 MPH in order to conserve gasoline during an OPEC embargo (1974). Sharon Pratt Dixon becomes the first African American woman mayor of a major city and first woman Mayor of the District of Columbia (1991).
• January 2 is the birthday of Hawaii Queen Emma (1836), physician Una Ledingham (1900), environmental activist Bob Marshall (1901), politician Barry Goldwater (1909), writer Isaac Asimov (1920), televangelist Jim Bakker (1940), speaker of the house/convicted felon Dennis Hastert (1942), zoologist Jack Hanna (1947), actress Tia Carrere (1967), actor Cuba Gooding, Jr. (1968), mode Christy Turlington (1969), actor Taye Diggs (1971), actress Kate Bosworth (1983), and MLB player Fernando Tatís Jr. (1999).

Well, here we go. Holidays are done. It’s time to shift into gear and move back to the faster pace of normal life in a new year. I’m both sad it’s over and happy to be moving forward. Since none of have a choice in the matter, let’s not bemoan things we can’t change and instead focus on what’s happening in the present. Best way to go, if you ask me. Enjoy your day.