Random News: February 11, 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 February 11, 2024, and it’s a Sunday. And it’s not just any Sunday; it’s Super Bowl Sunday, the holiest and most American of all Sundays. We’ll get to that in a moment; first, some news.

• Yesterday, Donnie Dump hit a new low in the realm of international trust when he claimed that he would encourage Russia to attack NATO member countries — our allis — whom he views as not spending enough on their own defense.
• This is an actual quote.
• “One of the presidents of a big country stood up and said, ‘Well, sir, if we don’t pay and we’re attacked by Russia, will you protect us?’ I said, ‘You didn’t pay. You’re delinquent.’ He said, ‘Yes, let’s say that happened.’ No, I would not protect you. In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want.”
• In case you’re unclear on the purpose of NATO, Under Article 5, if a NATO ally is attacked, other member countries of NATO consider it “an armed attack against all members and will take the actions it deems necessary to assist the Ally attacked.” Since NATO’s founding in 1949, the clause has been invoked only once: when our allies came to our aid on September 12, 2001, after the terrorist attacks in the United States the day before.
• NATO is first and foremost about US national security interests to prevent another world war originating in Europe. The US investment in NATO is worth every dollar.
• It’s a disgusting comment from an ignorant man.
• But of course, one gross and inaccurate statement from Dumpy isn’t enough for one day.
• At a rally in South Carolina, Smelly Fatty decided to speculate in regard to the whereabouts of his opponent Nikki Haley’s husband.
• “Where’s her husband? Oh, he’s away. He’s away. What happened to her husband? Where is he? He’s gone.”
• Big Smelly was obviously insinuating that there were problems in the Haleys’ marriage. But he walked into a wasp’s nest.
• Major Michael Haley is currently serving an active duty deployment in the Horn of Africa for the South Carolina Army National Guard.
• Mocking people who serve their country in the military has been a strange proclivity of Dump since before he took office. As you likely recall, Dumpy got out of serving in the military during the Vietnam era by claiming on his draft form that he had bone spurs.
• He has since mocked active duty, military veterans, and people captured, injured, or killed in the line of duty on many occasions.
• Nikki came back swinging.
• “I need to start with the fact that Donald Trump had a rally today, and in that rally, he mocked my husband’s military service. I have long talked about the fact that we need to have mental competency tests for anyone over the age of 75. Donald Trump claims that he would pass that — maybe he would, maybe he wouldn’t. But if you mock the service of a combat veteran, you don’t deserve a driver’s license, let alone being President of the United States.”
• She’s right.
• Let’s move on to the man who abandoned his right-wing base in one fell stroke via a sudden epiphany.
• Fired Fox News host Tucker Carlson had assumed that during his exclusive interview with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin that Putin had gone to war in Ukraine because he feared an imminent attack by the United States or NATO.
• Instead, after a two-hour interview of the evil Russian president in Moscow, Carlson said he was shocked to learn that Putin invaded for a different reason: “Vladimir Putin believes that Russia has a historic claim to parts of Ukraine,” he said.
• Ukrainians have been living for more than two decades with Putin denying Ukraine’s right to exist as a country, and yet this was shocking news for Tucky. Maybe the shock was Putin admitting the truth… something he didn’t often get from the US-based conservatives he’s used to interviewing.
• Moving on.
• Remember Florida Republican congressman Matt Gaetz? We haven’t spoken about him in awhile because he’s been laying low, trying to keep out of the spotlight. Wonder why?
• Well, maybe it’s because his former wingman Joel Greenberg, who was sentenced to 11 years in prison after pleading guilty to charges including federal sex trafficking, is cooperating with a House Ethics Committee probe with Gaetz as the target.
• Turns out Greenberg has been in contact with the Ethics Committee for weeks and has provided documents related to the case.
• Another former pal of Gaetz, ex-Speaker Kevin McCarthy, didn’t mince words.
• "I think people see how far Matt Gaetz will go and the fear he has of what's in the ethics complaint. He's trying to protect himself, and that harms our caucus, that harms our majority. In the end, people will see why Gaetz would want to do that. And I think in the end, Gaetz would have a hard time being a Member of Congress and with staying out of jail too."
• You love to see it.
• Let’s move on to an important Senate race and how the GOP just managed to, at least for now, fuck themselves once again, something we also love to see.
• In Montana, Democrat Jon Tester had been facing an uphill battle to save his seat in a typical red state. Republican businessman Tim Sheehy has seen by many members of GOP party leadership as a strong candidate who can flip the Senate seat.
• But then the MAGA world decided Sheehy wasn’t MAGA enough, which is when Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-MT) jumped into the Senate race on Friday, which now threatens the party with a bitter and bruising primary.
• Rosendale is a member of the far-right House Freedom Caucus, along with other election deniers like Andy Biggs, Paul Gosar, Anna Paulina Luna, Lauren Boebert, and Jim Jordan.
• Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) was reportedly ready to endorse Rosendale before the party machine took over. Then Dumpy formally endorsed Sheehy, as did South Dakota Republican Gov. Kristi Noem and Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT).
• That’s gonna be ugly.
• Alright. Enough on the world of reality. Let’s talk about The Big Game.
• Sorta.
• One thing you may not hear a lot about is national security as it relates to the Super Bowl, but guess what? It’s an event that’s an attractive target for terrorist activities. You can figure out why on your own. 
• That’s why the Department of Homeland Security is working with the National Football League and state and local partners to deploy an array of security technologies and measures to help protect players and fans at today’s game in Las Vegas, NV. 
• DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said his department has deployed 385 personnel across the city to provide security assistance to local law enforcement to ensure the safety of the estimated 65,000 people attending the big game. 
• Mayorkas also said agencies across DHS are working to provide the NFL and law enforcement personnel with resources and support to prevent other threats. 
• Two weeks ago at the AFC championship game in Baltimore, an unapproved drone violated the restricted airspace. Federal prosecutors later charged a Pennsylvania drone pilot who said, according to the FBI, that he wasn’t aware of the flight restrictions.
• To be clear, Mayorkas added that there were no known credible specific threats to the Super Bowl or Las Vegas. That’s good.
• Let’s talk about the halftime show. Can you imagine how much money the NFL must pay to get the top-tier talent who perform at the Super Bowl?
• The answer is… nothing. In fact — though the info isn’t publicly revealed — the NFL has solicited fees in the million-dollar range from artists to allow them to perform the show. What the NFL does pay is union scale for the performers, dancers, singers, and musicians in the show, since it’s a televised entertainment event.
• So why the fuck would someone do that show for free, or even pay to do it? Well, they get to showcase their music to more than 100 million people without having to pay any of the costs; the NFL does cover travel and production expenses.
• And that’s not cheap. The NFL reportedly spent about $13 million to cover the costs of Jennifer Lopez and Shakira's 2020 halftime show.
• Today’s halftime show stars Usher. Hey, I liked “Yeah!” back in 2004. And he seems like a good guy, so there’s that. I’m not super excited about this show like I was with the all-star group of West Coast hip hop artists led by Dr. Dre last year, but I’m sure it’ll be fine.
• We do not know who will join Usher during his set, though I’m fairly certain that Lil Jon and Ludacris would be good bets.
• Other performances at today’s game?
• Reba McEntire will sing the national anthem. Post Malone will sing "America the Beautiful.” Andra Day will perform "Lift Every Voice and Sing." 
• Oh, forgot to mention above that Matt Gaetz says he’s protesting the entire Super Bowl because of that song. Republicans hate Black people.
• And now, The Weather: “That Golden Time” by Villagers
• From the Sports Desk… uh…
• I guess I should tell you my pick for the game, but since I am at the final stage of a competitive NFL pool that has an outcome which can still change based on the Super Bowl, I’m gonna keep it to myself.
• I will say this: I am not a fan of either team, though I respect both of them. So even if the one wins who I hope will win, I won’t expressly be rooting for them, making today a pretty low-stress affair for me, personally.
• Today in history… Henry VIII of England is recognized as supreme head of the Church of England (1534). Sir Francis Drake with an English force captures and occupies the Spanish colonial port of Cartagena de Indias for two months, obtaining a ransom and booty (1586). Massachusetts governor Elbridge Gerry is accused of "gerrymandering" for the first time (1812). Giuseppe Verdi's opera ‘I Lombardi alla prima crociata’ receives its first performance in Milan, Italy (1843). The United States House of Representatives unanimously passes a resolution guaranteeing noninterference with slavery in any state (1861). The Flint sit-down strike ends when General Motors recognizes the United Auto Workers trade union (1937). The Iranian Revolution establishes an Islamic theocracy under the leadership of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini (1979). Nelson Mandela is released from Victor Verster Prison outside Cape Town, South Africa after 27 years as a political prisoner (1990). Buster Douglas, a 42:1 underdog, knocks out Mike Tyson in ten rounds at Tokyo to win boxing's world Heavyweight title (1990). Pluto crosses Neptune's orbit and is not expected to interact with Neptune's orbit again until 2231 (1999). The first wave of the Egyptian revolution culminates in the resignation of Hosni Mubarak and the transfer of power to the Supreme Military Council after 17 days of protests (2011). The World Health Organization officially names the coronavirus outbreak as COVID-19, with the virus being designated SARS-CoV-2 (2020).
• February 11 is the birthday of English queen Elizabeth of York (1466), SCOTUS chief justice Melville Fuller (1833), physicist Josiah Willard Gibbs (1839), engineer/businessman Thomas Edison (1847), boxer/actor Max Baer (1909), actress Eva Gabor (1919), politician Lloyd Bentsen (1921), actor Leslie Nielsen (1926), actress Tina Louise (1934), politician Manuel Noriega (1934), singer/guitarist Gene Vincent (1935), actor Burt Reynolds (1936), songwriter Gerry Goffin (1939), pianist Sérgio Mendes (1941), politician Jeb Bush (1953), singer-songwriter Sheryl Crow (1962), politician Sarah Palin (1964), actress Jennifer Aniston (1969), conspiracy theorist Alex Jones (1974), musician Mike Shinoda (1977), singer-songwriter Brandy Norwood (1979), singer Kelly Rowland (1981), and singer-songwriter Khalid (1998).

Well, my plan is simple… a few household tasks, some more recovery time from my Very Bad Day from almost a week ago, and then watching the game this afternoon. Here on the West Coast, it starts at 3:30. I always feel sorry for you Eastern Time folks who end up having to stay up until late just to see the end of various sporting events. Out here, the game will wrap up by around 7:30 at the latest, giving me time to chill before my weekend is complete. Enjoy your day.