Random News: June 26, 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 June 26, 2024, and it’s a Wednesday. I’m here and alive and well for the most part, ready to take a look around the latest news that impacts all of us in various ways. Let’s go.

• Starting with some breaking news from the Supreme Court.
• By a 6-3 vote, the justices sided with the Biden administration in a dispute with Republican-led states over how far the federal government can go to combat controversial social media posts on topics including COVID-19 and election security.
• They threw out lower-court rulings that favored Louisiana, Missouri, and other parties in their claims that officials in the Democratic administration leaned on the social media platforms to unconstitutionally squelch conservative points of view.
• Ha ha, you fuckers.
• Justice Amy Coney Barrett wrote for the court that the states and other parties did not have the legal right, or standing, to sue. Justices Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch and Clarence Thomas dissented.
• Excellent. That’s all the decisions for the day; expect some big stuff tomorrow and Friday.
• Side note: today is a big anniversary in happy SCOTUS rulings. It was on June 26 that they 1) ruled in Lawrence v. Texas that gender-based sodomy laws are unconstitutional (2003), 2) ruled that the Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional (2013), and 3) ruled that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marriage (2015).
• Moving on to a couple of interesting congressional primary races from last night.
• In Colorado, America’s favorite handjob queen handily won her primary in the 4th district. Lauren Boebert will likely be re-elected to Congress as a result in that very red eastern Colorado territory.
• She’ll face (and likely beat) Democrat Trisha Calvarese in the fall.
• In New York’s 16th district, incumbent progressive Democrat Jamaal Bowman was soundly defeated by establishment liberal George Latimer.
• Latimer had the backing of other centrist Dems like Hillary Clinton as well as pro-Israel groups. The district includes wealthy areas in Westchester County; it’s not shocking that Bowman had trouble winning re-election.
• Latimer will beat Republican Miriam Flisser (who ran uncontested) in the fall. The district is D+20 on the Cook PVI sale.
• In New York’s 1st district, loaded on the eastern tip of Long Island, former CNN host John Avlon clinched the Democratic nomination to face off this fall against GOP Rep. Nick LaLota in a battleground district.
• This is a winnable race for the Dems. Before LaLota, the district had a Democrat rep for over a decade. Time to flip it back. 
• And in South Carolina’s 3rd district, Republican Sheri Biggs (a nurse practitioner) just barely won her runoff against Mark Burns (a pastor). I mean, really? Those were your choices?
• Of note: Burns, the guy she beat, was backed by Dump.
• She’ll easily win the solidly red seat in November to succeed retiring Rep. Jeff Duncan (R).
• Utah had its Senate primary, replacing Mitt Romney (R) who is retiring. John Curtis, a current congressional rep and former mayor of Provo, won. 
• Of note: Curtis beat Trent Staggs, who was endorsed by Dump. Sensing a pattern here?
• He’ll face (and almost certainly beat) Caroline Gleich (D) in November.
• Enough on that.
• Our Gay of the Day, celebrating Pride Month, is singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile. Her music spans many genres, including folk rock, alternative country, Americana, and classic rock.
• Carlile has received ten Grammy Awards and earned 27 Grammy nominations.
• She was the most nominated woman at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards; she received six nominations, including nominations for Album of the Year, Record of the Year, and Song of the Year.
• Throughout her career, Carlile has been involved in activism and fundraising on various issues, including humanitarian aid, COVID-19 relief, racial justice, and LGBT rights.
• Carlile is a Christian who lives in Washington. In a 2002 interview, Carlile identified herself as a lesbian. She later said, "I don't have to have a lot of formality around it… there were people before me who paved the way."
• Brandi and her wife Catherine were honored amongst People's “2023 Women Changing the World” for their work with the Looking Out Foundation that Carlile established.
• Looking Out gives financial support to and raise awareness of causes including Honor the Earth, the Bridge School, Children in Conflict, Black Visions Collective, Campaign Zero, the Women's Funding Alliance, Doctors Without Borders, and the Human Rights Campaign.
• Salute to Brandi Carlile, a great musician and, more importantly, a great person.
• Moving on.
• Seems like folks are indeed pretty interested in tomorrow’s first — and, for all we know, only — presidential election debate between President Joe Biden and his Republican challenger, some orange-tinted fool.
• According to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, most U.S. adults plan to watch at least some of the debate, and many think the event will be important for the campaigns of both men.
• Both men remain broadly unpopular as they prepare to face off for the first time since 2020.
• About 6 in 10 U.S. adults say they are “extremely” or “very” likely to watch the debate live or in clips, or read about or listen to commentary about the performance of the candidates in the news or social media.
• Both Biden and Dump supporters view the debate as a major test for their candidate — or just a spectacle not to miss.
• And I think it comes down to that more than anything. The assumption is that one or both of these guys will do or say something incredibly weird or dumb or astonishingly wrong that it’s more like watching a car accident in progress.
• I’ll watch it, though — knowing myself — I will probably get up and leave the room several times.
• In somewhat related news…
• Dumples the Clown is partially ungagged.
• Judge Juan Merchan has ended parts of a gag order on the former president and current convicted felon, letting him speak about witnesses and jurors, but shielding others involved in the case until his sentencing next month.
• It was just about four weeks ago that Dumpy was found guilty on all 34 counts of falsifying business records to cover up a hush money scheme involving a porn star before the 2016 presidential election.
• Merchan said he reluctantly lifted the part of the gag order applying to jurors, but kept in place a March order that requires their identities to remain private.
• The gag order still applies to some lawyers and prosecutors, but Dump can have a field day on Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, court staff and Bragg’s staff, and family of any of those people.
• Because Dump loves going after people’s family members. It’s his favorite thing.
• Let’s move on.
• If you’re like me, you’ve probably noticed a flurry of people with positive COVID tests happening this summer so far.
• In a way you’re likely NOT like me, you probably don’t mask up in public settings. Let me tell you, I still put that sucker on when I go grocery shopping or anywhere else with a crowded, closed setting.
• I haven’t had a cold since 2019. Longest period of my life. I may keep wearing that mask forever. Doesn’t bother me one bit, and fuck everyone else if they don’t like it.
• You’re probably under the impression that it’s only in deep red states that mask use is frowned upon, but you’re mistaken.
• While COVID cases rise here in the Los Angeles area, mayor Karen Bass announced that city officials were exploring the legality of wearing masks at demonstrations.
• Unsurprisingly, the announcement came as a response to a violent pro-Palestinian protest last weekend outside a Los Angeles synagogue.
• Bass, a Democrat, said at a press conference that she would talk to the city attorney “around what are the parameters with protests: when permits are needed, whether or not people should be masked, and establishing clear lines of demarcation between what is legal and what is not.”
• Sigh.
• And now, The Weather: “LET THE VIRGIN DRIVE” by SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE
• From the Sports Desk… okay, so basketball and hockey are finally over, and NFL football is still a good month away before preseason even starts.
• I guess that means we have to cover baseball and assorted weird sports for the time being. Sigh.
• Here’s who’s hot in Major League Baseball’s last 10 games…
• Red Sox (8-2), Mets (8-2), Guardians (7-3), Twins (7-3), Astros (7-3), Braves (7-3), Cardinals (7-3), Dodgers (7-3).
• And here’s who’s not…
• Blue Jays (2-8), Yankees (3-7), Royals (3-7), Tigers (3-7), White Sox (3-7), Athletics (3-7), Giants (3-7), Rockies (3-7).
• Before the Sports Desk goes back to sleep, though… congrats to the seven-person 2024 Hockey Hall of Fame class announced yesterday.
• The inductees include iconic NHL players Pavel Datsyuk, Jeremy Roenick, and Shea Weber, as well as former Olympians Natalie Darwitz and Krissy Wendell-Pohl.
• Also in the class are Colin Campbell and David Poile, who were selected in the Builders category.
• Clap clap clap clap.
• Today in history… Roman emperor Augustus adopts Tiberius (4). Richard III becomes King of England (1483). The Battle of Fleurus marks the first military use of aircraft — balloons in this case (1794). The first Grand Prix motor race is held at Le Mans (1906). The American Expeditionary Forces begin to arrive in France for WWI (1917). The United Nations Charter is signed by 50 Allied nations in San Francisco, CA (1945). William Shockley files the original patent for the grown-junction transistor, the first bipolar junction transistor (1948). Shirley Jackson's short story ‘The Lottery’ is published in The New Yorker magazine (1948). Madagascar gains its independence from France (1960). U.S. President John F. Kennedy gave his "Ich bin ein Berliner" speech, underlining the support of the United States for democratic West Germany shortly after Soviet-supported East Germany erected the Berlin Wall (1963). The Universal Product Code is scanned for the first time to sell a package of Wrigley's chewing gum at the Marsh Supermarket in Troy, OH (1974). Elvis Presley held his final concert in Indianapolis, IN (1977). The U.S. Supreme Court rules that the Communications Decency Act violates the First Amendment to the United States Constitution (1997). J. K. Rowling publishes the first of her Harry Potter novel series, ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone’ (1997). The U.S. Supreme Court rules in Lawrence v. Texas that gender-based sodomy laws are unconstitutional (2003). The U.S. Supreme Court ruled, 5–4, that Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional and in violation of the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution (2013). The U.S. Supreme Court ruled, 5–4, that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marriage under the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution (2015).
• June 26 is the birthday of astronomer Charles Messier (1730), novelist Pearl S. Buck (1892), engineer/businessman Willy Messerschmitt (1898), US Marine Chesty Puller (1898), singer-songwriter Big Bill Broonzy (1903), actor Peter Lorre (1904), athlete Babe Didrikson Zaharias (1911), illustrator/designer Milton Glaser (1929), pianist/composer Dave Grusin (1934), singer-songwriter/politician Gilberto Gil (1942), singer-songwriter Mick Jones (1955), singer-songwriter Chris Isaak (1956), singer-songwriter Patty Smyth (1957), singer-songwriter Terri Nunn (1961), NFL player Shannon Sharpe (1968), actor Sean Hayes (1970), actor Nick Offerman (1970), MLB player Derek Jeter (1974), NFL player Michael Vick (1980), actress Aubrey Plaza (1984), NBA player Rudy Gobert (1992), and singer Ariana Grande (1993).

That’s enough for now. Look, lots of news things will be happening over the next couple of days. I’m going to go work out to make sure my typing fingers are ready for the onslaught of information. No matter what transpires, we’ll be ready to fight for the good things, and you’ll be there with me. Enjoy your day.