Random News: March 24, 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 March 24, 2024, and it’s a Sunday. I definitely have some things I need to do today, but for the moment, allow me to enjoy the peacefulness of the morning. Sipping a cup of freshly brewed coffee in my robe. Ahhhhh. Nice. Okay, let’s go.

• Some of you may wonder how much of this news I work on ahead of time.
• Answer: almost none of it, with a caveat. First, I can’t pre-write these bullets because I can’t predict the future, and the things I mention here almost always are in regard to things that have happened in the past day, right up until the moment I hit the “post” button.
• However, when I am made aware of something of note on any given day, I often send myself a link to the story so I can more easily refer to it when I write my bullets.
• The bullets themselves, I write fresh each day. And now, you know.
• So here we go.
• Broke Don Dump must put up a bond of nearly half-a-billion dollars by tomorrow (March 25) if he wants to stop New York Attorney General Letitia James from collecting on the judgement against him while he appeals it.
• To recap: last month, Judge Arthur F. Engoron ruled that Dumpy, his two eldest sons, and two of his executives submitted false data to lenders and insurance companies to secure better financial deals.
• Dump and his co-defendants were ordered to pay $464 million, an amount that continues to grow at a rate of more than $100,000 per day.
• Dumpy’s lawyers told an appellate court that they tried to get a bond through 30 different insurance companies but none offered one. Selling golf courses or hotels generally takes much longer than a few days or weeks, time the Dumpster no longer has.
• Like a rat in a cage, Dump is now a cornered man who has very few options left.
• Experts say nothing will happen immediately. As much as you may want to see Tish James putting a padlock on Trump Tower, that’s not how it works.
• Legally there is nothing preventing James from calling on the New York City sheriffs or on city marshals to begin seizing his assets tomorrow morning. But the optics of seeming overages probably wouldn’t be helpful in the big picture.
• Also, the appeals court generally issues rulings on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so she’ll at least give them the time to give their ruling on Dumpy’s Hail Mary request..
• After that? Well… 
• James will probably start with New York properties, partly because the LLCs that own two of them — 40 Wall Street and his Seven Springs estate in Westchester County — are defendants in the fraud case.
• New York City marshals could go to Dump’s banks and drain his accounts at James’ behest.
• All this assumes he doesn’t miraculously find the money that his lawyers insisted he doesn’t have. That’s been my prediction, and I stated it would happen sometime today.
• El Dumpo could get money from rich friends or from entire big corporations or even countries who may be happy give or lend him money to put up a bond. But there’s a price: he’d be forever indebted to them, literally.
• And he’d owe them a lot of favors. Think about how that might affect a presidency, if he was elected.
• Why not just get a loan from a bank like a normal billionaire? Because Dump has alienated all of his banking relationships.
• If he does put up a bond, former federal judge Barbara Jones — the court-appointed babysitter of his business empire and finances — should have insight into that deal.
• The order specifically required that Jones be informed in advance of any efforts to secure bonds, including “any representations made by Trump Organization in connection with securing such bonds, any personal guarantees made by any of the Defendants, and any obligations of the Trump Organization required” by the bonding company.
• That’s very specific. So one way or another, we’ll know where the cash comes form, if it does.
• Finally, as I noted the other day, Dumperino could push all the problems back for months or even years by declaring bankruptcy.
• Big Smelly wouldn’t escape his debt and interest would still continue to accrue — but the clock would stop ticking on his need to immediately put up a bond.
• But there’s no way a guy whose entire self-promoting pitch as a savvy business guru can declare bankruptcy in the middle of a presidential election and expect to survive.
• We’ll know which option happens very soon.
• Moving on.
• Voters in about a dozen states this fall will have the opportunity to decide the fate of abortion rights with constitutional amendments on the ballot.
• Some of those are battleground states that will also determine the presidential race and which party controls Congress.
• Why go so far as to amend the states’ constitutions? Because if passed, they would supersede any law enacted by state legislatures.
• And thus far, it’s worked. Since the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in June 2022, every ballot measure that has sought to preserve or expand abortion access has been successful, even in states that skew conservative.
• Voters in deep-red Kansas defeated a ballot measure that would have removed abortion protections from the state’s constitution. Voters in Michigan, California, and Vermont approved ballot initiatives that enshrined the right to abortion in state constitutions. Voters in Kentucky and Montana defeated antiabortion ballot measures. Voters in Ohio approved a measure to enshrine the right to an abortion.
• You can divide the upcoming women’s reproductive freedom ballot initiatives this fall into three categories.
• This first category is a definite ballot measure to protect abortion access. 
• Maryland: The state already protects the right to abortion under state law and Democrats outnumber Republicans 2-1. Now they’re adding it to their constitution. Abortion is allowed in Maryland until viability.
• New York: Voters this fall will choose whether or not to bar discrimination on the basis of pregnancy, pregnancy outcome, and reproductive healthcare as part of a broader equal protection amendment to their constitution. Abortion is allowed in New York law until viability.
• The second category are states that might get abortion topics on their ballots.
• Arizona: If supporters gather about 384,000 valid signatures by July 4, they’ll add a measure to the ballot saying the state would not be able to ban abortion until the fetus is viable, with later abortions allowed to protect a woman’s physical or mental health. Current law bans abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy.
• Arkansas: They need to get 91,000 valid signatures by July 5 to get a measure on the ballot that would bar laws banning abortion in the first 20 weeks of gestation and allow abortion later in pregnancy in cases of rape, incest, threats to the woman’s health or life, or if the fetus would be unlikely to survive birth. The state currently bans abortion at all stages with few exceptions.
• Colorado: Two measures are possible in this state — one to completely ban abortion, and one to amend the state constitution to protect it. Deadlines to get 124,000 signatures for the dueling sides are quickly approaching for both; April 15 for the ban and April 26 for protection of women’s reproductive rights. Abortion is, for now, legal at all stages of pregnancy in Colorado.
• Florida: Supporters have already collected nearly a million signatures, far more than the 892,000 required, to put a state constitutional amendment to legalize abortion until viability on the ballot. In typical GOP fuckery, Florida AG Ashley Moody has now asked the state Supreme Court to keep the measure off the ballot anyway. If it makes it to the voters, 60% of them would have to vote yes for it to take effect. Abortion is currently legal in Florida only through the first 15 weeks of pregnancy, but a 2023 law would drop that to just six weeks — often before women know they’re pregnant.
• Missouri: This one seems like a long shot with two competing measures. Abortion rights advocates are pushing a ballot measure that would guarantee abortion is legal until viability. A different group comprised of moderate Republicans are calling for an amendment that would allow abortion up to 12 weeks, and after that only under limited exceptions. Abortion is currently banned at all stages of pregnancy there.
• Montana: Supporters have until June 21 to get 60,000 signatures for a constitutional amendment that would bar the government from denying the right to abortion before viability or when it’s necessary to protect the life or health of the pregnant person. Once again, GOP fuckery is at work here, with AG Austin Knudsen ruled that the measure is legally insufficient, and it’s under appeal. Abortion is currently legal until viability in Montana.
• Nebraska: Advocates need about 125,000 signatures by July 5 to put a constitutional amendment before voters to protect abortion rights until fetal viability. Abortion there is now banned after 12 weeks, with some exceptions.
• Nevada: Supporters are trying to get more than 102,000 valid signatures by June 26 to place a measure on the ballot to enshrine abortion access for the first 24 weeks of pregnancy in their constitution. It’s the same law that Nevada currently has.
• South Dakota: They need more than 35,000 signatures by May 7 to get a measure on the ballot that would only loosen some restrictions, which isn’t far enough. It would at least ban any restrictions on abortion in the first trimester of pregnancy. Abortion in the state is now banned at all stages of pregnancy.
• The final category are states that could put women’s reproductive freedom on the ballot but almost certainly won’t, and in some cases are working to curtail abortion rights even further.
• Iowa: Even before Roe v. Wade was killed by Donald Trump and his cronies on the SCOTUS, the state had already advanced a resolution to find there is no constitutional right to abortion there. Abortion is currently banned 20 weeks into pregnancy in Iowa, but they are pushing for a stricter six week law.
• Maine: As usual with their weird systems of doing things, Maine Democrats are calling for a measure to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution, but they’d need a two-thirds majority of lawmakers in each legislative chamber to adopt it and send it to voters, and they don’t have it. Abortion is already allowed throughout pregnancy there.
• Pennsylvania: Their former Republican lawmakers wanted to amend their constitution to find no right to abortion, but Democrats have since taken control of the state House, so it’s a no-go. Abortion is now legal there for up to 24 weeks.
• Wisconsin: In January, their state assembly approved calling for a binding statewide referendum for a law to ban abortions after 14 weeks of pregnancy. Gov. Tony Evers has promised to veto it. Abortion is legal there within the first 20 weeks of pregnancy.
• Hopefully that’s some useful info for you. If you live in one of the states mentioned above who are trying to get these measures on the ballot and want to support their efforts, let me know if you need help finding out how to do so.
• It’s Sunday Gunday here at Zak’s Random News. Here are some people who’ve been affected by gun violence over the past couple of days.
• Two dead in a shooting at an apartment complex in the Hermitage area of Nashville, TN. One dead, five wounded in a shooting outside a bar in Indianapolis, IN. One dead, two wounded in a shooting inside a bar in North Lauderdale, FL. One dead, two wounded in a shooting at a house party in Commerce City, CO. One dead, one wounded in a shooting in North Philadelphia, PA. One dead in a shooting in Sylvester, GA. One dead in a shooting in Orlando, FL. One dead in a shooting in Adelphi, MD. One dead in a shooting in Lafayette, LA. One dead in a shooting in Austin, TX. Three shot in Tampa, FL. Two shot at a party in Des Moines, IA. One in critical condition after a shooting occurred in the Over-the-Rhine area of Cincinnati, OH. One in critical condition after a shooting during a fight in Piedmont, SC. A woman shot in a road rage incident in Pittsburgh, PA. One shot in Brentwood, NY. One shot in Aurora, CO. One shot in Little Rock, AR. One shot in Virginia Beach, VA.
• So, a pretty light weekend for the USA. Thanks for not shooting and killing as many people are you usually do, gun fanatics.
• Usual disclaimer: these are just a few of the gun violence incidents, and only those in the past 48 hours I find in a quick scroll of depressing news. I never have the time or desire to list them all.
• And now, The Weather: “24” by KALENA & Whose Rules
• From the Sports Desk… if you’re following the NCAA Men’s tournament, some games to watch today…
• 1-seed UConn vs. 9-seed Northwestern. 1-seed Houston vs. 9-seed Texas A&M. 1-seed Purdue vs. 8-seed Utah State. 
• I won’t be watching, but you can.
• Today in history… King Richard I of England is wounded by a crossbow bolt while fighting in France (1199). James VI of Scotland is proclaimed King James I of England and Ireland upon the death of Elizabeth I (1603). The Province of Carolina is granted by charter to eight Lords Proprietor in reward for their assistance in restoring Charles II of England to the throne (1663). Johann Sebastian Bach dedicated six concertos to Margrave Christian Ludwig of Brandenburg-Schwedt, now commonly called the Brandenburg Concertos (1721). Great Britain passes the Quartering Act, which requires the Thirteen Colonies to house British troops (1765). Japanese Chief Minister Ii Naosuke is assassinated by rōnin samurai outside the Sakurada Gate of Edo Castle (1860). Robert Koch announces the discovery of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacterium responsible for tuberculosis (1882). Mayor of New York City Robert Anderson Van Wyck breaks ground for a new underground "Rapid Transit Railroad" that would link Manhattan and Brooklyn (1900). Direct rule is imposed on Northern Ireland by the Government of the United Kingdom under Edward Heath (1972). In Argentina, the armed forces overthrow the constitutional government of President Isabel Perón and start a 7-year dictatorial period (1976). In Prince William Sound in Alaska, the Exxon Valdez spills 240,000 barrels (38,000 m3) of crude oil after running aground (1989). Comet Shoemaker–Levy 9 is discovered by Carolyn and Eugene Shoemaker, and David Levy at the Palomar Observatory in California (1993). Students across the United States stage the March for Our Lives demanding gun control in response to the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting (2018).
• March 24 is the birthday of clock maker John Harrison (1693), politician Rufus King (1755), poet/composer Fanny Crosby (1820), activist Matilda Joslyn Gage (1826), SCOTUS justice Horace Gray (1828), businessman/philanthropist Andrew W. Mellon (1855), magician Harry Houdini (1874), actor Roscoe Arbuckle (1887), MLB player George Sisler (1893), animator Ub Iwerks (1901), criminal Clyde Barrow (1909), animator Joseph Barbera (1911), poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti (1919), actor Norman Fell (1924), actor Steve McQueen (1930), fashion designer Bob Mackie (1940), actor/drill instructor R. Lee Ermey (1944), harmonica player Lee Oskar (1948), singer-songwriter Nick Lowe (1949), fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger (1951), actor/comedian Louie Anderson (1953), businessman Steve Ballmer (1956), actress/model Kelly Le Brock (1960), actress Lara Flynn Boyle (1970), NFL player Mike Vanderjagt (1970), comedian/actor Tig Notaro (1971), actor Jim Parsons (1973), NFL player Peyton Manning (1976), actress Jessica Chastain (1977), and NBA player Chris Bosh (1984).

Okay. Got stuff to do. Enjoy your day.