Random News: October 4, 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 October 4, 2024, and if you can believe it, it’s a Friday once again! I was concerned last night that I might be coming down with something, but I appear mostly okay this morning, so I’m grateful for that. We have ten tons of news to mention today (which seems to be the new norm), so let’s dive in.

• We don’t talk about polls here. Why not? Look at two back-to-back headlines I saw simultaneously yesterday.
• ‘Trump edges Harris by 1 point in Wisconsin poll’ - The Hill
• ‘Wisconsin poll shows Harris leading Trump by 4’ - Fox News
• Those came out at the same time. I mean, they all fucking suck.
• But here’s another perspective. Data scientist Thomas Miller has crafted a model for forecasting the 2024 presidential election that, he says, is far more reliable than the polling that's constantly cited in the media as the best guide to the outcome on November 5.
• What does he use? Gambling. He built a framework based on the betting odds set by folks wagering their dollars not on the candidate they intend to vote for, but the one they expect to win.
• And his model seems to work. In the 2020 election, he correctly called the presidential race within 12 electoral votes, and he correctly predicted — with perfect margins of victory — that the Democrats would sweep both Georgia Senate seats when the polls all showed the Republicans significantly ahead. 
• So what is Miller predicting for 2024? While most pundits see a dead heat or toss-up based on polling, Miller’s numbers show the Harris-Walz ticket far in the lead and the wide Democrat advantage settling into a remarkably stable pattern.
• I won’t walk you through the details of his methodology, which would take pages. But as of yesterday, Miller has Harris/Walz leading Trump/Vance in the electoral college by 302 to 236, a substantial bulge of 66 electoral votes.
• And here is where I’ll tell you that NOTHING ANYONE SAYS MATTERS unless you have a plan to vote on or before November 5.
• I’m only relaying this info because form time to time, I see people falling into a sense of doom and gloom, which I understand is a defense mechanism to protect your psyche if things take a bad turn.
• But there are plenty of scenarios where Harris blows Dump out of contention by a large margin. It only happens, of course, if you vote. Yes, you.
• And despite that, like Harris herself advises, we should all assume that Harris remains the underdog, and to do everything in our respective power to help get out the vote between now and election day.
• Here in the Los Angeles area, we received notification yesterday that our ballots had been sent and to expect them shortly.
• I will be voting ASAP after they arrive. I am excited as hell.
• Moving on.
• An update on Hurricane Helene and the continuing aftermath…
• The death toll from Helene is now at 213 as rescuers continue to search for survivors from the storm that tore across the Southeast.
• More than half of the deaths were in North Carolina, where entire communities were uprooted and devastated by the deadliest mainland storm since Katrina in 2005.
• Hundreds of people are still missing and nearly a million homes are without power nearly a week after Helene made landfall.Tens of thousands of people still have no running water in North Carolina, which has seen some of the most severe effects of the storm.
• President Biden continued his two-day tour of the area yesterday, visiting Florida and Georgia after visiting NC on Wednesday.
• Donnie Dump has falsely accused Biden of not being responsive to the states impacted by the storm. But maybe he’s just remembering his own previous misdeeds.
• Dump was flagrantly partisan at times in response to disasters, and on at least three occasions, hesitated to give disaster aid to areas he considered politically hostile, or ordered special treatment for pro-Trump states.
• Per Mark Harvey, Dump’s senior director for resilience policy on the National Security Council staff, Dumpy initially refused to approve disaster aid for California after deadly wildfires in 2018 because of the state’s Democratic leanings.
• The only way they could convince that fat orange prick to offer aid to a disaster-stricken US state was by telling him that heavily-damaged Orange County, CA had more MAGA voters than the entire state of Iowa.
• Joe Biden was astounded by this revelation.
• “You can’t only help those in need if they voted for you. It’s the most basic part of being president, and this guy knows nothing about it,” Biden posted.
• In related news, another very important note… the Atlantic hurricane season continues until the end of November.
• And FEMA does not have enough funding to cover any more major hurricane events, which are likely to happen.
• So far, FEMA has provided over $20 million in individual assistance for Hurricane Helene.
• Let’s over on to some great economic news.
• U.S. stocks rallied on Friday after the all-important jobs data came in much stronger than economists expected.
• The Dow was up 242 points. The S&P 500 climbed 0.7%, and the Nasdaq Composite rose 1.1%.
• Jobs were up 254,000 in September, far outpacing the forecasted gain of 150,000. The unemployment rate ticked down to 4.1% despite expectations for it to hold steady at 4.2%.
• Good stuff. Look, you don’t have to be some finance wizard to know that the effects of a good economy are positive for everyone.
• Over to the presidential race for a moment.
• Barack Obama is launching a 27-day campaign sprint for Vice President Kamala Harris next week, starting in Pennsylvania. We all know that Obama carries a lot of weight, and his star power among Democrats can help propel her to the office he once held.
• Openly concerned about Democratic complacency and acutely aware of razor-thin margins in polls, Obama — who, along with his wife, Michelle, is one of the party’s most popular figures — is seeking to help Harris in any way he can.
• Aside from rallies, the former president intends to help Democrats by recording candidate-specific advertisements and lending his name to email solicitations for campaign cash, including for down-ballot races.
• Yes he can.
• In other news…
• A word of warning to anyone planning on taking steps to subvert the free and fair elections of the USA: don’t, or be prepared to pay a very big price.
• Tina Peters, a former Colorado county clerk who promoted 2020 election conspiracy theories, was sentenced yesterday to nine fucking years behind bars for charges including official misconduct in connection with a security breach of Mesa County’s voting system.
• She was convicted of four felony and three misdemeanor charges in August for using another person's security badge to allow someone associated with MyPillow founder and complete asshole Mike Lindell — an ally of Dumpy — access to county election equipment.
• Among the reasons that Peters told the judge as to why she shouldn’t be incarcerated: one, she’s a child of God, and two, she needs a special mattress. I’m 100% serious.
• Nine years, lady. Nine years behind bars for trying to throw the election to a loser who never gave a shit about you. Now you’re a big-ass loser too.
• And in other election news…
• Officials in Georgia, North Carolina, and Florida are working quickly to ensure voters can still securely cast early ballots, despite the devastating storm impacts of Hurricane Helene that have in some cases left them without power, water, and cell service.
• Potential solutions in the affected counties of the three states, which could determine the White House, could include extra polling places, extending early voting, and making it easier to drop off mail ballots.
• “This damage extends far beyond flood damage,” said Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the North Carolina State Board of Elections. “There may be polling places inaccessible because of damaged roads. There may be polling places with trees that have fallen on them.”
• Add to that the problems of mail service having been paused in a wide swath of zip codes in the three states, presenting fresh challenges to delivering and receiving mail-in ballots.
• And yet another potential concern is the number of poll workers available given the circumstances, especially if the workload may increase. They may consider an emergency authority to expand who can become a poll worker at a precinct.
• One thing that shouldn’t be a concern: the integrity of the election. In North Carolina, like many places, all of those ballots have tracking. Thanks to the tracking system, election officials can void mail ballots that were already delivered to homes that are now destroyed. New mail ballots can then be issued to voters and sent to their current location.
• Moving on.
• The FBI and Microsoft have seized more than 100 web domains that Russian intelligence used for cyber-espionage.
• The domains were allegedly staging grounds for Russia’s FSB intelligence agency in its ongoing efforts to spy on targets of interest, ranging from the U.S. Department of Energy to Russian nonprofits and media outlets critical of the Kremlin.The FBI said in an affidavit that the websites were used as part of a “spear phishing campaign,” a term for targeted efforts to trick people into divulging sensitive information, usually email login credentials.
• Once they grab your login, you’re fucked. Some advice: just never click anything from your email. Literally nothing.
• Let’s do some politics news.
• Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY), who is locked in a tight race for reelection, apologized yesterday for wearing blackface as part of a Michael Jackson costume when he was in college. 
• A photo of Lawler's Halloween costume from 2006 was published by the New York Times yesterday. He confirmed the authenticity of the photo, saying the costume was meant to be "the sincerest form of flattery." 
• I gotta say, by 2006, people knew that wearing blackface was super fucked up. This isn’t a “we didn’t know better back then” situation.
• Fuck Mike Lawler. The most recent poll shows Lawler with a narrow advantage over his opponent. former Democratic Rep. Mondaire Jones, in the lower Hudson Valley’s battleground 17th District. Vote for Jones, an actual Black person.
• Let’s move back to some more justice news.
• Three former Memphis police officers were convicted yesterday in the 2023 fatal beating of Tyre Nichols, but were acquitted of the harshest charges they faced for a death that sparked national protests and calls for broad changes in policing.
• It was a mixed verdict for Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, and Justin Smith. All three were convicted of witness tampering related to the cover-up of the beating, but Bean and Smith were acquitted of civil rights charges.
• Haley was acquitted of violating Nichols’ civil rights causing death, but convicted of the lesser charge of violating his civil rights causing bodily injury. He was also convicted of a conspiracy to witness tamper charge that the others were acquitted of.
• Five officers had been charged in Nichols’ death, but two pleaded guilty and testified against members of their old crime suppression unit.
• Does it seem fair? Probably not… but I don’t have to tell you how rare it is that cops face any justice at all for acts of brutality.
• Quote of the day: "Yes they can control the weather. It’s ridiculous for anyone to lie and say it can't be done.” - Marjorie Taylor Greene, an actual fucking Congresswoman
• From the “You Fucking People” Desk… toilet paper shortages in stores across America are giving folks nightmarish reminders of the pandemic era. But the lack of toilet paper isn’t a direct result of a major port strike. It’s because of panic buying.
• So again, to be clear: there’s plenty of toilet paper. The reason it’s not on the shelves is because You Fucking People are buying it in bulk and hoarding it.
• And, may I add, why the obsession with TP? Yes, we all need to wipe our asses. But there are lots of things we need to do. Eat. Drink. Stay warm and/or cool. Why is the first thing always toilet paper?
• The strike at ports from Maine to Texas had absolutely zero impact on the supply of TP. The overwhelming majority — more than 90% by some estimates — of US toilet paper consumption comes from domestic factories.
• Most of the rest comes from Canada and Mexico, which means it arrives by rail or truck, not ship.
• If you want to worry about an imported product, imports account for nearly 100% of the US supply of bananas, America’s most popular fruit by volume, and more than half of banana imports come in through the ports being struck.
• In fact, more than a quarter of the bananas we eat in the USA come in through just one port in Wilmington, DE.
• But of course, bananas have a short shelf life, so fortunately you can’t hoard them like you do your precious ass-wiping supplies.
• And now a pertinent side note: yesterday afternoon, the entire strike was averted. The unions agreed to a tentative deal on wages and have extended their existing contract through January 15 to provide time to negotiate a new contract.
• So — despite it having had nothing to do with the strike — you can now wipe your butts with gleeful abandon, assuming a few of you paranoid and selfish ones aren’t hoarding all of the TP.
• You. Fucking. People.
• In other news…
• Mark Chavez, one of the two doctors charged in connection with Matthew Perry’s death, has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine.
• Chavez formally pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute ketamine to Perry, who died in October 2023 due to acute effects of the anesthetic and subsequent drowning. He was 54.
• The judge set Chavez’s sentencing for April 2, 2025. He’s facing up to ten years in prison, which is the maximum recommended sentence outlined in the plea agreement.
• Chavez and Dr. Salvador Plasencia are among the five people who have been charged in connection with the death of the beloved actor.
• And now, The Weather: “Ganon” by Lutalo
• From the Sports Desk… the 6-seed Mets beat the 3-seed Brewers 4-2 yesterday, punching their ticket to the NLDS, where they’ll face the Phillies.
• All four Game 1’s of the Divisional Series happen today.

• In NFL news, last night the Atlanta Falcons surprised the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 36-30 in an overtime win. Kirk Cousins had a career night, throwing for over 500 yards and four touchdowns.
• Today in history… the Battle of Lake Poyang, one of the largest naval battles in history, has Zhu Yuanzhang's rebels defeat rival Chen Youliang (1363). The Gregorian Calendar is introduced by Pope Gregory XIII (1582). The Swedish Army defeats the armies of Saxony and the Holy Roman Empire at the Battle of Wittstock (1636). Mexico adopts a new constitution and becomes a federal republic (1824). The Crimean War begins when the Ottoman Empire declares war on the Russian Empire (1853). The Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas opens as the first public college in Texas (1876). First run of the Orient Express (1883). Gutzon Borglum begins sculpting Mount Rushmore (1927). The Metropolitan Police and various anti-fascist organizations violently clash in the Battle of Cable Street in London (1936). Sputnik 1 becomes the first artificial satellite to orbit the Earth (1957). Richard Noble sets a new land speed record of 633.468 miles per hour (1,019.468 km/h) at the Black Rock Desert in Nevada (1983). Battle of Mogadishu occurs killing 18 U.S. Special Forces, two UN Peacekeepers and at least 600 Somalian militia men and civilians (1993). WikiLeaks is launched (2006). Bubba Wallace becomes the first African-American Driver in the modern era of NASCAR to win a major race (2021).
• October 4 is the birthday of Louis X of France (1289), politician Richard Cromwell (1626), entomologist Nikolaus Poda von Neuhaus (1723), US president Rutherford B. Hayes (1822), painter Frederic Remington (1861), actor Buster Keaton (1895), activist Mary Two-Axe Earley (1911), inventor/businessman Ken Wood (1916), actor Charlton Heston (1923), author/futurist Alvin Toffler (1928), NFL player Sam Huff (1934), author Anne Rice (1941), MLB player/manager Tony La Russa (1944), actress/activist Susan Sarandon (1946), actor Christoph Waltz (1956), actor Bill Fagerbakke (1957), music executive Russell Simmons (1957), NBA player A. C. Green (1963), actor Liev Schreiber (1967), singer-songwriter M. Ward (1973), actress Alicia Silverstone (1976), NBA player Derrick Rose (1988), and actress Dakota Johnson (1989).

Well, I know that was a lot of news, but you know, a lot of things happen. And when I purposefully choose not to cover something, isn’t that a form of propaganda? Sometimes what you don’t learn is as important — and purposeful — as what you do. Something to keep in mind. Enjoy your day.