Random News: January 17, 2025

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.

---

Good morning. It’s January 17, 2025, and if you can believe it, it’s a Friday once again! No preamble today; we don’t have the luxury of time. Let’s jump right in.

• Things continue to go well in the effort to fight the Loa Angeles County fires. Ten days into the destructive blazes, the Palisades fire stands at 31% containment, while the Eaton Fire is at 65%. The death toll in the disastrous events is up to 27, and could grow higher.
• Now that firefighters are starting to get an upper hand on the blazes, the attention is beginning to turn to thousands of families and business owners who confront the monumental task of rebuilding what was lost and charting a path forward.
• The scale of the effort will be vast — the area scorched by the major fires is equal to three times the size of Manhattan, if you can imagine building that much area from scratch.
• It starts with the epic job that will unfold over years: clearing Altadena, Pacific Palisades and other ravaged communities of toxic ash and debris.
• Then the rebuilding of homes, restaurants, schools, boutiques, banks and houses of worship — all while finding financing for the work.
• It will be at least another week before residents can even get to most areas to see what’s left of their homes. Yesterday, LA County prohibited any cleanup or removal of fire debris until a hazardous materials inspection is completed by government officials.
• The federal government has already approved $100 million to remove paints, cleaners, asbestos, batteries, and other household waste from the rubble before crews can begin clearing debris.
• Moving on.
• In what seems like very promising news for peace in this world of ours, Israel’s security cabinet has recommended that the government approve a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal.
• The security cabinet met early this morning. “After considering all political, security, and humanitarian aspects, and understanding that the proposed deal supports achieving the objectives of the war,” the cabinet “has recommended that the government approve the proposed framework,” the statement said.
• A government meeting on the ceasefire deal will be convened later today. Keep in mind, this happened in part due to the successful negotiations of Joe Biden’s administration. It’s a done deal before Dumpy takes office on Monday.
• Let’s move on.
• This morning, the Supreme Court unanimously upheld the federal law banning TikTok beginning Sunday unless it’s sold by its China-based parent company, holding that the risk to national security posed by its ties to China overcomes concerns about limiting speech by the app or its 170 million users in the United States.
• A sale does not appear imminent. The app will not disappear from existing users’ phones on Sunday, but new users won’t be able to download it and updates won’t be available. That will eventually render the app unusable.
• The Biden administration doesn't plan to take action that forces TikTok to immediately go dark for U.S. users on Sunday.
• Let Dump deal with it the next day, if he wants.
• TikTok could still proactively choose to shut itself down that day — a move intended to send a clear message to the 170 million people who use the app each month about the wide-ranging impact of the ban.
• But really, why would the Biden administration enforce a law that most people seem to dislike that goes into effect one day before he leaves office? I sure as fuck wouldn’t.
• Let’s move on.
• SpaceX tried to flight test a 400-foot rocket powered by 33 Raptor engines yesterday. It didn’t go so great.
• They lost communications with the Starship as it headed into space… because it blew up.
• No people were on board, so that’s good. Following the loss of the spacecraft, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) briefly announced it was slowing flights in and around Florida due to the possibility of falling debris from the SpaceX launch.
• And footage of said debris falling from the sky was seen over the Turks and Caicos Islands.
• Some good news, I suppose: the super heavy first-stage booster successfully executed a controlled descent back to the launch tower, where it was caught by the launch tower's giant robotic arms.
• Good job Elon (golf clap).
• In other news…
• Former New York City Mayor and current national joke Rudy Tooty Giuliani reached a settlement with two former Georgia election workers over ownership of his Florida condo and three World Series rings.
• They had been sought as part of a $148 million judgment against Giuliani. The deal means that a bench trial that had been set to go forward yesterday is no longer needed.
• Giuliani, 80, did not appear in court yesterday morning. As the hours ticked by, the witness chair remained empty. 
• Seems like he got off pretty easy, being allowed to keep his condo and some personal belongings. Plaintiffs Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss issued a statement…
• ”The past four years have been a living nightmare. We have fought to clear our names, restore our reputations, and prove that we did nothing wrong. Today is a major milestone in our journey. We have reached an agreement and we can now move forward with our lives. We have agreed to allow Mr. Giuliani to retain his property in exchange for compensation and his promise not to ever defame us.”
• As long as they’re happy, that’s good enough for me.
• Moving on to a reminder…
• More than 120 million people live in a zone that will experience subzero temperatures this coming week — affecting more than a third of people living in the United States — while around 30 states and nearly 50 million people could experience temperatures below minus-10 degrees.
• This is potentially lethal cold, with a high risk of hypothermia and frostbite. The plummeting temperatures can cause frozen and bursting pipes, and threaten the power grid. The cold will also be a danger to pets and livestock.
• I’m not sure what you people can do about it other than to be aware and be prepared.
• Moving on.
• Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has joined Texas Governor Greg Abbott in shitting on the legacy of American President Jimmy Carter by ordering the flags to be raised to full staff on inauguration day.
• As you’re aware, US law proclaims that flags remain at half-staff for 30 days following the death of a president or former president.
• But DeWine and Abbott would rather kiss Dump’s ass than obey the law and honor a man who led our nation.
• Fuck them both. And fuck Mike Johnson most of all, who ordered the flags at the Capitol flown during the inauguration.
• I’ll talk a little about that event soon, but let it be known that it may be the coldest one in recorded history.
• It would be a shame for certain people to have serious health effects from standing outside in this freezing temps, all for the love of their orange god.
• And now, The Weather: “i’m in love” by Andy Bell feat. Dot Allison and Michael Rother
• And here’s a story I wish I didn’t have to report.
• Rest in peace to David Lynch, the groundbreaking director of films and shows including "Twin Peaks" and "Blue Velvet.” He died yesterday at the age of 78 (and would have turned 79 on Monday).
• His surreal film “Eraserhead," created as a student project, attracted the attention of producer Mel Brooks, who brought Lynch aboard to direct "The Elephant Man.”
• Brooks famously told the younger director, "You're a crazy man. You're hired."
• For those of you who are unaware, this very report you’re reading was highly influenced by David.
• In fact, if you scroll to the top right this moment, you’ll see the words, “Good morning. It’s January 17, 2025, and if you can believe it, it’s a Friday once again!”
• I got that phrase directly from David’s daily weather report on YouTube (and on local public radio stations) that ran from 2020 until stopping abruptly in December 2022.
• He’ll be profoundly missed.
• Another RIP going out, this one to a funny man who put a smile on the face of the world via his self-deprecating humor.
• Bob Uecker, the voice of his hometown Milwaukee Brewers who, after a short playing career, earned the moniker "Mr. Baseball" and honors from the Hall of Fame, died at 90.
• Uecker signed with the Milwaukee Braves in 1956 and reached the majors in 1962. He lasted six seasons in the big leagues as a backup catcher, finishing with a .200 average and 14 homers.
• But he also won a World Series ring with St. Louis in 1964, and became a household name in Miller Lite commercials, and he later starred in 195 as the family patriarch on the ABC sitcom, "Mr. Belvedere."
• From the Sports Desk… tomorrow’s NFL divisional round playoff games include the 4-seed Texans at 1-seed Chiefs (1:30PT/4:30ET), and the 6-seed Commanders at 1-seed Lions (5PMPT/8PM ET).
• KC is favored by -8, while Detroit is favored by -9.5. Despite that, upsets do happen. I find it doubtful that either underdog has a real chance, but you never know.
• Today in history… Giovanni da Verrazzano sets sail westward from Madeira to find a sea route to the Pacific Ocean (1524). Captain James Cook leads the first expedition to sail south of the Antarctic Circle (1773). Continental troops under Brigadier General Daniel Morgan defeat British forces under Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tarleton at the Battle of Cowpens in South Carolina (1781). A group of Modoc warriors defeats the United States Army in the First Battle of the Stronghold (1873). The United States takes possession of Wake Island in the Pacific Ocean (1899). Anton Chekhov's ‘The Cherry Orchard’ receives its premiere performance at the Moscow Art Theatre (1904). The United States pays Denmark $25 million for the Virgin Islands (1917). Alcohol Prohibition begins in the United States as the Volstead Act goes into effect (1920). Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg is taken into Soviet custody while in Hungary; he is never publicly seen again (1945). U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower delivers a televised farewell address to the nation three days before leaving office, in which he warns against the accumulation of power by the "military–industrial complex" (1961). Capital punishment in the United States resumes after a ten-year hiatus, as convicted murderer Gary Gilmore is executed by firing squad in Utah (1977). During a visit to South Korea, Japanese Prime Minister Kiichi Miyazawa apologizes for forcing Korean women into sexual slavery during World War II (1992). The 6.7 Mw  Northridge earthquake shakes the Greater Los Angeles Area with a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX, leaving 57 people dead and more than 8,700 injured (1994). Matt Drudge breaks the story of the Bill Clinton–Monica Lewinsky affair on his Drudge Report website (1998). Former cyclist Lance Armstrong confesses to his doping in an airing of ‘Oprah's Next Chapter’ (2013). 
• January 17 is the birthday of physician/botanist Leonhart Fuchs (1501), botanist Gaspard Bauhin (1560), publisher/inventor/politician Benjamin Franklin (1706), author Anne Brontë (1820), illustrator A. B. Frost (1851), politician Douglas Hyde (1860), actor/director Konstantin Stanislavski (1863), film producer Carl Laemmle (1867), mafia boss Al Capone (1899), saxophonist Peggy Gilbert (1905), boxing trainer/manager Cus D’Amato (1908), actress/animal rights activist Betty White (1922), actress/singer Eartha Kitt (1927), hairdresser/businessman Vidal Sassoon (1928), actor James Earl Jones (1931), actress/puppeteer Shari Lewis (1933), boxer/activist Muhammad Ali (1942), computer scientist Anita Borg (1949), actor/comedian Andy Kaufman (1949), guitarist/songwriter Mick Taylor (1949), pianist/composer Ryuichi Sakamoto (1952), bass player Jeff Berlin (1953), singer-songwriter/actor Steve Earle (1955), singer-songwriter Paul Young (1956), actor/comedian/TV host Steve Harvey (1957), singer-songwriter/guitarist Susanna Hoffs (1959), actor Jim Carrey (1962), lawyer/first lady Michelle Obama (1964), animator Genndy Tartakovsky (1970), NHL player Jeremy Roenick (1970), rapper Lil Jon (1971), actress/singer Zooey Deschanel (1980), NBA player Dwyane Wade (1982), MLB player/rapist Trevor Bauer (1991), and YouTube guy/boxer Jake Paul (1997).

That’s plenty of news. I wish this was a Friday where I’d have a relaxing weekend coming up, but nooooo… tomorrow is a full-on work day for me. That’s okay. I have plenty of other Saturdays in which to to fuck around and be a fool. Just not this one. Enjoy your day.