Random News: July 27, 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 July 27, 2024, and it’s a Saturday. Something is in the air. The winds of change are blowing. The negative vibes are dissipating. There’s a shift in the energy, a new flow through the global chakras, powerful vortices exchanging the bad for good. I’ll stop with this hippie shit momentarily. Let’s see what’s going on.

• To get started today, I”ll ask you: what kind of man says this?
• “Christians, get out and vote, just this time. You won’t have to do it anymore. Four more years, you know what, it will be fixed, it will be fine, you won’t have to vote anymore, my beautiful Christians. I love you Christians. I’m a Christian. I love you, get out, you gotta get out and vote. In four years, you don’t have to vote again, we’ll have it fixed so good you’re not going to have to vote.”
• I’ve said the following phrase many times but it can’t be said enough: when they tell you what they’re going to do, BELIEVE THEM.
• So when Dumples the Clown says that this will be the last election where people get to vote — because he’s going to be installed as a dictator and end the democratic process that our founding fathers put in place 248 years ago — that’s exactly what he means.
• I do realize that at 78 years old, Donald Trump may not always be completely aware of what he’s saying or doing. He is, of course, the oldest presidential nominee in history. And he seems to be going downhill fast.
• But I believe it’s not symbolic or some kind of speech gaffe or sign of senility. He’s not making a joke. It’s not “just the way Trump talks.” He means exactly what he says.
• On November 5 — or, if you’re a person in a state where you can vote before the election, much earlier — you may be using your very last chance to preserve the version of the USA that you and your ancestors took for granted.
• It can be taken away from you forever in a single election. Believe what he says. If Trump wins this one, our country is gone. I’m not exaggerating or being dramatic.
• There are 101 days until the election.
• Let’s move back to the world of positivity. I like it better there.
• Got a little update regarding those white women.
• Turns out that as a result of the largest-ever room call in history on Thursday night, they raised over $8.5 million during the call and over the subsequent day to support our next President of the USA, Kamala Harris.
• I, myself, am planning on attending a “White Dudes for Harris” Zoom call rally on Monday evening at 8PM ET/5PM PT. I’ll throw a link in the comments if you, too, are pretty fly for a white guy.
• Those of us who registered got advance notice that Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg will be on the call. I’m sure there will also be other leaders from the political, entertainment, and sports world, if it’s anything like the call for the ladies the other night.
• I received a notification this morning that 20,000 white dudes have registered for the event thus far. I’m hoping we end up getting enough to break Zoom like the ladies did.
• But more importantly, this is historical fucking shit here, fellas. These calls are going to be part of the history books after Harris becomes the first woman President.
• And if you can — during the event — chip in whatever makes sense for you, whether it’s five bucks or $50 bucks or $500 or whatever the fuck, it will make a difference.
• But just being there and present will be the biggest contribution. Again, link in comments.
• Moving on.
• How’s the excitement of youth voters for Kamala Harris?
• 17 leading youth groups just fully endorsed her. Reminder: Gen Z kicked ass in voter turnout in 2020, and were crucial in the election of President Joe Biden.
• But wait. Some more huge news…
• Vote.org says that as of yesterday, more than 100,000 people have registered to vote since Harris’s campaign started on Sunday. That’s an extraordinary number over a five-day period.
• Among them, 84% are younger voters. 18% are 18-year-old voters.
• And the top states in new voter registration include Texas, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania. I keep telling you… big fucking things are happening.
• Want another cool endorsement for Harris? How about more than 40 former Justice Department officials — who have served under presidents of both parties. The illustrious group who signed onto a letter endorsing Harris includes former Attorney General Loretta Lynch, and former deputy attorneys general Sally Yates, David Ogden, and Jamie Gorelick.
• Let’s keep up the good vibes…
• I don’t trust polls. I haven’t for about 12 years. probably more, but definitely the past three election cycles. They’ve been astonishingly wrong.
• But I’m going to mention a couple of current spicy ones anyway.
• Michigan is a swing state. Black residents make up 14% of that state’s population. Easily enough to sway a close election.
• In a July 22-24 WDIV/Detroit News poll, among the Black voters surveyed, 82.1% supported Harris, 11.5% backed independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and none supported Dump.
• None. Zero. 600 Black voters polled. Not one supported Dump.
• How about another swing state poll? Here’s the news from 626 likely voters on July 25 in the great state of Minnesota…
• Harris 50%, Trump 40%.
• Want some new swing state polling via our friends at Fox News? Sure.
• Michigan: Harris 49%, Trump 49%. Minnesota: Harris 52%, Trump 46%. Pennsylvania: Harris 49%, Trump 49%. Wisconsin: Trump 50%, Harris 49%.
• Every one of those state’s numbers are up for Harris versus Dump compared to where they were for Joe Biden a week ago. And it’s still been just six days since Kamala joined the race.
• How about polling data from a staunch conservative group? This is via Liberty4pa, a GOP-aligned in-state firm, polling 800 registered voters in Pennsylvania from July 23-25.
• POTUS: Harris 47%, Trump 46%. PA Senate: Casey 51%, McCormick 40%. Generic Ballot: DEM: 49%, GOP 48%.
• In related news…
• Not long ago in late June, I talked to you about the phenomenon of “double haters,” who in 2024 are a larger-than-usual segment of voters who couldn’t stand either presumed nominee.
• Right up until last week, an unprecedented share of Americans held unfavorable views of both President Biden and Dump. It was a full 25% — the highest share of "double haters" at this stage in any of the last 10 elections.
• That factor — a week later — is fucking GONE.
• Nearly nine-in-ten voters — including Republicans and Independents — think Biden made the right call. Joe’s approval rating jumped from 36% to 43% after his withdrawal. Meanwhile, Harris' rose to 46%.
• So now, this is starting to look like a more typical matchup, with both Republicans and Democrats stating they are mostly happy with their candidate and disapproving of their opponent.
• Before we keep thinking about the future both near and distant, let’s take a quick look back and see what the team of Biden and Harris accomplished since they went into office in January 2021.
• The USA now has the strongest economy in the world. Not China. The USA.
• The Biden/Harris admin created nearly 16 million new jobs. The wealth gap between races is the lowest in 20 years.
• They made historic infrastructure investments. They lowered prescription drug costs. They have record health insurance coverage. 
• They put the first Black woman on the Supreme Court. They gave help to a million veterans who were exposed to deadly toxins. The violent crime rate is at a 50-year low… literally the lowest since I was a small child. And border crossings, while still high, are lower than they were when Dump left office.
• There is not a single metric you can look at that doesn’t show that the Biden/Harris team has been better for America than Dumpy was.
• Let’s chat about the delicious possibility of debates between the convicted felon and the accomplished prosecutor.
• Per news reports, ABC News is continuing preparations for the presidential debate scheduled for September 10, despite Li’l Dump saying he won’t consider participating.
• “I haven’t agreed to anything. I agreed to a debate with Joe Biden,” said Dump, probably with his voice quivering while hiding under his blanky. Dump had previously boasted that he’d gladly debate Harris.
• Harris told reporters she had agreed to the September 10 debate and accused Trump of backpedaling. “What happened to ‘any time, any place?’” she posted on social media yesterday.
• I want to do at least one news story that isn’t specifically about the upcoming battle to save our country. Oh wait, never mind… it’s also exactly about that.
• And it’s good.
• Yesterday, Maricopa County, AZ Superior Court Judge Christopher Whitten rejected an effort by GOP lawmakers to use the term “unborn human being” to refer to a fetus in the pamphlet that Arizona voters would use to weigh a ballot measure that would expand abortion access in the state.
• He said the wording the state legislative council suggested is “packed with emotion and partisan meaning” and asked for what he called more “neutral” language. The forced-birth team in Arizona freaked out and their House Speaker, an asshole named Ben Toma, said he’ll appeal the court’s decision to the state Supreme Court.
• Arizona’s measure will be on the ballot in November. It aims to expand abortion access from 15 weeks to 24 weeks, the point at which a fetus can survive outside the womb.
• It would also allow exemptions to save the woman’s life or to protect her physical or mental health. Plus, it would prevent the state from adopting or enforcing laws that would forbid access to the women’s reproductive health care.
• Fuck yes.
• Okay, one more note.
• Joe Biden is still President through January 20, 2025… and he does have goals to finish before he drives his ‘Vette into the sunset. The biggest one is Supreme Court reform.
• Biden has two proposals in mind: to establish an enforceable ethics code for the justices, and to subject them to term limits.
• Is it possible to do? Yes. Is it easy? No, seriously not at all. Each idea presents constitutional issues. It’s such a massive change that we don’t even know it it can be changed through ordinary legislation, or if it would require constitutional amendment.
• Also, any effort by Congress to impose a binding ethics code on the SCOTUS could violate the separation of powers.
• But the good news is that a majority of Americans agree with both concepts. So, maybe Joe has a chance of this being his last hurrah, and I’ve learned not to underestimate Joe Biden.
• And now, The Weather: “Behave” by Snoozer
• We have our first really major fire of the year here in California. Note: it’s in Northern California, which from me in the LA area is the same distance as it is from Charlotte, NC to New York, NY.
• Regardless, the Park Fire is the largest blaze so far this year in California. Thousands are threatened as evacuations were ordered in four counties: Butte, Plumas, Tehama and Shasta.
• Best of luck to my NorCal friends.
• From the Sports Desk… yesterday was the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics.
• I know most of you who watched did so for the extraordinary event production and excellent entertainment. I did as well, but I also had to for work. Long story short, my client had a musical artist performing at the event, and I had to document the occasion.
• But it was still absolutely amazing. Hats off to the French for taking a ballsy approach to the entire presentation. The headless Marie Antoinette with references to the French Revolution, the imagery of the Last Supper, a great metal band doing a heavy version of “Ah! Ça Ira.”
• I loved it. It also filled me with glee to see how butthurt some folks are today, calling the opening ceremony blatantly Satanic. I would have enjoyed that too, but that’s not what it was.
• The French — in addition to making direct references to their own history and culture — were also honoring the origins of the Olympics by celebrating Greek mythological references. It’s no surprise that the fundamentalist Christian assumed that it was aimed at them to undermine and disrespect their beliefs.
• It’s not always about you, assholes.
• In actual Olympic sports news, Team USA has won its first two medals on the first day of competition.
• Sarah Bacon and Kassidy Cook took the silver medal in the Women's Synchronized 3m Springboard diving event.
• Chloe Dygert grabbed the bronze medal in Women's Individual Road Cycling.
• Let’s go ladies! Let’s go USA! USA! USA!
• Today in history… Siward invades Scotland and defeats Macbeth north of the Firth of Forth (1054). England requires all goods bound for American colonies must be sent on English ships from English ports (1663). The Second Continental Congress passes legislation establishing "an hospital for an army consisting of 20,000 men,” establishing the U.S. Army Medical Department (1775). The USA establishes its first federal government agency, the Department of Foreign Affairs, later renamed the Department of State (1789). Maximilien Robespierre is arrested after encouraging the execution of more than 17,000 "enemies of the Revolution” (1794). The first transatlantic telegraph cable is completed, running from Ireland to Newfoundland (1866). Vincent van Gogh shoots himself and dies two days later (1890). The Chicago Race Riot erupts after a racial incident occurred on a South Side beach, leading to 38 fatalities and 537 injuries over a five-day period (1919). Researchers at the University of Toronto prove that the hormone insulin regulates blood sugar (1921). A cartoon called ‘A Wild Hare’ is released starring a new character named Bugs Bunny (1940). The US, China, and North Korea sign an armistice agreement ending the Korean War (1953). 5,000 more US military advisors are sent to Vietnam bringing the total to 21,000 (1964). The House Judiciary Committee votes 27-11 to impeach Richard Nixon for obstruction of justice (1974). Belarus declares independence from the Soviet Union (1990). A pipe bomb explodes at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta (1996).
• July 27 is the birthday of Shingon Buddhism founder Kūkai (774), Earl of Sandwich Edward Montagu (1625), pilot/engineer Geoffrey de Havilland (1882), actor Keenan Wynn (1916), writer/producer Norman Lear (1922), game designer Gary Gygax (1938), singer-songwriter Bobbie Gentry (1944), figure skater Peggy Fleming (1948), singer Maureen McGovern (1949), drummer Bobby Rondinelli (1955), singer-songwriter Julianna Hatfield (1967), wrestler Triple H (1969), actress Maya Rudolph (1972), singer-songwriter/guitarist Pete Yorn (1974), MLB player Alex Rodriguez (1975), MLB player Max Scherzer (1984), NFL player Ryan Tannehill (1988), and golfer Jordan Spieth (1993).

That’s plenty for now. I’m going to have more coffee, eventually take a shower, and at some point I might do something productive today. No promises though. I deserve a fucking break too. Enjoy your day.