Random News: April 16, 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.

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Good morning. It’s April 16, 2025, and it’s a Wednesday. We have a ton of news for today, which should be understandable, given the times in which we live. You know, I found myself thinking that this silly little roundup of news could end up being a historical document of what happened during one of the most important phases of world history, as the USA fell under a fascist dictatorship, and what we did to fight it. And yes, it’s in multiple places so if it gets erased or forcefully edited from one, it’s always around intact elsewhere. Or maybe I’m giving myself too much credit for basically compiling and regurgitating the top news. Either way, perhaps it’s more useful than I typically believe.

• While we continue to keep our eyes on the ongoing constitutional crisis spurred by Dump’s refusal to obey the Supreme Court order to return Maryland father of three Kilmar Abrego García to the USA, there’s a bigger-picture element to keep in mind.
• Via his actions — or inactions — Dump is saying that he can deny due process to anyone… not just immigrants living in the U.S. without legal status.
• All he has to do is remove them from the country.
• ”The fact that the president has foreign affairs authority implied in the Constitution doesn't supersede that core foundational constitutional right that's guaranteed in the plain language of the Constitution," said University of Baltimore School of Law professor Kim Wehle.
• Here’s a fact that might not be clear to you: everyone in the U.S. — including those without legal status — have constitutional rights to due process under the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments.
• The right to due process — getting a trial after being accused of wrongdoing — is a constitutional right present at the founding of the country. And it actually goes back much further, based on the Magna Carta in England in 1215.
• I’ll say it again: if Dump can do this to Abrego García, he can do it to you, or your wife, or your kids, or your neighbor, or your best friend.
• Yes, even if they’re white.
• Some encouraging breaking news…
• As I write this, Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) is on a plane, flying to El Salvador to push for the release of Abrego García after the mistakenly deported man was not returned by midweek, one of the senator's conditions for embarking on the trip.
• Van Hollen said in a video post from the airport that he was about to board a flight to the country's capital, adding that his goal was show the Dump administration and El Salvador's government "that we are going to keep fighting to bring Abrego García home until he returns to his family."
• Thank God someone is stepping up and doing the courageous thing. It’s far more than any Republican politician would ever do for one of their constituents.
• Also, it seems like a good time to remind everyone that Auschwitz — a complex of over 40 concentration and extermination camps — was not located in Germany. It was in Poland.
• Much like Dump’s illegal use of a foreign prison known for torture and with no respect for human rights, Hitler moved his undesirable people to a whole other country.
• If you need absolute proof that we’re now in a dictatorship, Attorney General Pam Bondi said just now at a press conference that Abrego García is never returning to the USA. “End of story,” she stated, meaning that Dump has chosen to ignore the Supreme Court.
• In related news, a follow-up from yesterday.
• U.S. District Judge William K. Sessions ordered that immigration authorities cannot move Mohsen Mahdawi, a Columbia student tricked into appearing at a citizenship interview on Monday, out of Vermont without the court's approval.
• Again, Mahdawi is a legal and permanent resident of the United States and a green card holder. He hasn't been charged with any crime.
• Why is he being singled out? He participated in pro-Palestine protests and coordinated student groups at Columbia last spring.
• In the USA, we have guaranteed rights to assemble for things like protests, rallies, and other forms of political action.
• Let’s move on.
• No. Wait. This shit is way too important.
• We told you that US-born people would be told to leave the country. And now it’s actually happening.
• Boston immigration attorney Nicole Micheroni was born at Newton Wellesley Hospital, grew up in Sharon, MA, and was educated at Wellesley College.
• And on Friday of last week, the Department of Homeland Security told her to self-deport within seven days. The very first line in the letter they sent says that "it's time for you to leave the United States."
• The last line of the letter from DHS is equally ominous. It reads, “Do not attempt to remain in the United States. The federal government will find you.” 
• Micheroni said she knows other immigration attorneys who have received the same email.
• They can and will come for you, or me. Don’t be all shocked when it happens. I’m fucking telling you now.
• In yet more related news…
• Yesterday, U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani blocked the Dump administration from immediately revoking the deportation protections and work permits of hundreds of thousands of migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela who entered the U.S. legally under a Biden-era program.
• Dump had planned on moving forward with his evil plan to terminate the legal status of those migrants on April 24. The administration had warned those affected by its announcement that they would need to self deport by that date or face arrest and deportation by federal immigration agents.
• But Talwani suspended the deportation warnings the government had sent and prohibited officials from revoking the legal protection, known as immigration parole, that the Biden administration granted to more than half a million Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans.
• Talwani said those mass parole terminations could not happen without each case being reviewed. She said, “The early termination, without any case-by-case justification, of legal status for noncitizens who have complied with DHS programs and entered the country lawfully undermines the rule of law.”
• She’s right.
• Okay, now let’s keep on keeping on.
• California is suing Dump. I’m 100% onboard.
• Governor Gavin Newsom said the state will sue to halt Dump’s sweeping tariffs in a move that challenges the president’s unprecedented use of emergency powers to upend the global economy.
• The lawsuit is being filed today by Newsom and state attorney-general Rob Bonta. “President Trump’s unlawful tariffs are wreaking chaos on California families, businesses and our economy, driving up prices and threatening jobs,” Newsom said.
• I haven’t mentioned it here, but there’s also been some discussion for California to break off from the rest of the USA from an economic standpoint.
• Maybe this is a good spot to remind you that if California was a sovereign nation, it would represent the world’s fourth largest economy, behind the USA, China, and Germany, and ahead of Japan.
• It is the largest sub-national economy in the world, with a $4.103 trillion gross state product (GSP) as of 2024.
• Just saying.
• Okay, now moving on with some inspirational news.
• Republicans in Congress are getting complete beatdowns by their constituents. It’s about time.
• In Fort Madison, Iowa, it was standing room-only in a city hall building, where constituents overflowed out onto the sidewalk for a chance to ask Chuck Grassley (R-IA) a few things.
• Like, “Why won’t you do your job, Senator?”
• They lambasted Grassley, who is roughly 137 years old, with their concerns about the Dump administration’s deportation operation, the administration’s tariff policy, and government overreach.
• Other audience comments included, “Trump’s not obeying the Supreme Court. He just ignores them!” and “You’re allowing it to happen!”
• Well done, Iowans!
• Meanwhile, down in Georgia, three people were removed minutes after Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s (R-GA) took the podium at a town hall in her district.
• Immediately after the nightmarish congresswoman took the stage, a man was dragged out by police officers. Shortly after that, another attendee shouted from the audience. Greene ordered him to leave, and he exited, trailed by an officer.
• Moments later, a third man was tackled and dragged out by police. When he attempted to re-enter, officers tased him.
• So that went about as expected. Assuming we are allowed to vote in November 2026, we’re going to do everything in our power to remove every Republican candidate from office at every level in every state in the USA.
• Again, this is assuming we still have a country in 18 months. I can’t guarantee that we will.
• Let’s move on.
• Here’s some weird shit.
• Yesterday, Pete Hegseth’s senior adviser, a guy named Dan Caldwell, was put on administrative leave pending an investigation into an unauthorized disclosure.
• They escorted his ass from the Pentagon. Ruh roh.
• Caldwell is allegedly accused of sharing classified documents with reporters. But I know what this is actually about: Caldwell was part of Signalgate. Hegseth designated him in the infamous chat group to represent the Defense Department.
• Snort. Well, someone was gonna take the blame for including the editor of the Atlantic on a classified chat group, and I think this is the guy.
• Let’s move on.
• Another step in the dictator’s playbook — perhaps with the most well-known example being that of Kim Jong Un of North Korea — is to isolate the country in many ways, including economically and diplomatically.
• So it’s no huge shock — to me, anyway — that the Dump administration is now looking at closing nearly 30 overseas embassies and consulates as it eyes significant changes to its diplomatic presence abroad.
• Even in countries that have been key to US counterterrorism efforts, like Somalia and Iraq, the US is planning on reducing its diplomatic missions.
• This is apparently another element of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency. It is unclear as of yet whether Secretary of State Marco Rubio has signed off on the proposed closures.
• For context: embassies and consulates serve as important outposts for the State Department. They provide services like visa processing and assistance for American citizens in need.
• And in terms of Elon’s excuse for cutting the government staff and saving money, most consulates do not have a large workforce.
• You know who likes this kind of isolationist plan? Assholes. All of them.
• Moving on.
• One reason I had to visit the DMV on Monday — apart from the fact that my driver’s license had expired some time back and I need to rectify that — was applying for a Real ID.
• Why? Because after nearly two decades of delays, the federal government says it will finally begin enforcing the national Real ID law starting on May 7.
• On that date and moving forward, without a Real ID or a valid passport, you won’t be able to get through security, much less board flights, at U.S. airports. Yes, even domestic flights.
• As it turns out, I didn’t have an actual certified copy of my birth certificate with me when I went, so my quest got delayed slightly.
• The good news: it took five minutes to apply for and purchase a copy, which is already in the mail to me now. I’ll finish my Real ID process sometime next week.
• According to the TSA, 81% of current U.S. travelers already use a Real ID license or an approved alternative form of identification, such as a passport.
• What do you need to get a Real ID? The DHS says you'll need to provide documentation showing your full legal name, date of birth, Social Security number, and lawful status, as well as two proofs of address (as in, utility bills mailed to you at your address).
• That said, it varies a bit state by state, so you should check on your details where you live.
• Let’s wrap up this horrible shit with a story that shows there’s something on this planet that is much better than shitty humans.
• Dogs.
• A 2-year-old boy who spent the night alone in the remote Arizona wilderness and walked seven miles through mountain lion territory was led to safety by a rancher's dog.
• More than 40 rescuers including rangers joined the search, and a DPS helicopter spotted two mountain lions in the area.
• But 16 hours after the toddler went missing, rancher Scottie Dunton found him on his land. The boy was safe and well, and had been led to his property by the rancher's dog, Buford.
• Buford had discovered the child while patrolling the property, and then protected him and directed the missing boy to safety.
• Dunton said Buford, an Anatolian Pyrenees, normally patrols his land and wards off coyotes.
• Good doggie.
• And now, The Weather: “bole” by juno roome
• Let’s do a chart.
• It’s April 1978, 47 years ago from today. I am in fourth grade. I have already mostly given up on piano, am playing violin in my school’s orchestra, and have already started learning my first chords on the guitar.
• Here’s the top of the Billboard 200 albums chart at the time.
• 1. Saturday Night Fever (Soundtrack). 2. Slowhand (Eric Clapton). 3. The Stranger (Billy Joel). 4. Even Now (Barry Manilow). 5. Aja (Steely Dan). 6. Weekend In L.A. (George Benson). 7. Running On Empty (Jackson Browne). 8. Point Of Know Return (Kansas). 9. News Of The World (Queen). 10. The Grand Illusion (Styx). 11. Earth (Jefferson Starship). 12. Waylon + Willie (Waylon & Willie). 13. Blue Lights In The Basement (Roberta Flack). 14. Foot Loose + Fancy Free (Rod Stewart). 15. All 'n' All (Earth, Wind & Fire). 16. Double Live, Gonzo (Ted Nugent). 17. Thankful (Natalie Cole). 18. Rumours (Fleetwood Mac). 19. Street Player (Rufus And Chaka Khan). 20. Bootsy? Player Of The Year (Bootsy's Rubber Band).
• From the Sports Desk… with both basketball and hockey playoffs starting, I suppose I should mention baseball before I forget about it once again for the next month or so.
• Current batting leaders: 1. Jonathan Aranda (TB) - .395. 2. Brendan Donovan (STL) - .391. 3. George Springer (TOR) - .375. T4. Paul Goldschmidt (NYY) - .367. T4. Aaron Judge (NYY) - .367.
• Home run leaders: T1. Wilmer Flores (SF) - 6. T1. Mike Trout (LAA) - 6. T1. Aaron Judge (NYY) - 6. T1. Kyle Schwarber (PHI) - 6. T1. Fernando Tatis Jr. (SD) - 6. T1. Tommy Edman (LAD) - 6. T1. Jazz Chisholm Jr. (NYY) - 6. T1. Tyler Soderstrom (ATH) - 6.
• Today in history… Masada, a Jewish fortress, falls to the Romans after several months of siege, ending the First Jewish–Roman War (73). In Dodge City, Kansas, Bat Masterson fights his last gun battle (1881). The oldest existing indoor ice hockey arena still used for the sport in the 21st century, Boston Arena, opens for the first time (1910). Mohandas Gandhi organizes a day of "prayer and fasting" in response to the killing of Indian protesters in the Jallianwala Bagh massacre by the British colonial troops (1919). Albert Hofmann accidentally discovers the hallucinogenic effects of the research drug LSD (1943). The United States Army liberates Nazi prisoner-of-war camp Colditz (1945). Bernard Baruch first applies the term "Cold War" to describe the relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union (1947). Cuban leader Fidel Castro declares that he is a Marxist–Leninist and that Cuba is going to adopt Communism (1961). The launch of Apollo 16 from Cape Canaveral, FL (1972). The New York Times and the New Yorker win the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service for breaking news of the Harvey Weinstein sexual abuse scandal (2018).
• April 16 is the birthday of monarch Jungjong of Joseon (1488), actor/director Charlie Chaplin (1889), transgender woman Dora Richter (1892), madam Polly Adler (1900), actor/comedian Spike Milligan (1918), actor Peter Ustinov (1921), composer Henry Mancini (1924), NFL player Night Train Lane (1928), flute player Herbie Mann (1930), music manager/film producer Robert Stigwood (1934), singer Dusty Springfield (1939), NBA player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1947), singer-songwriter Gerry Rafferty (1947), NFL coach Bill Belichick (1952), voice actor Billy West (1952), actress Ellen Barkin (1954), keyboardist T Lavitz (1956), actor Jon Cryer (1965), actor Martin Lawrence (1965), singer-songwriter/actress Selena (1971), NBA player Boris Diaw (1982), actress Claire Foy (1984), NBA player Luol Deng (1985), and actress Sadie Sink (2002).

I know that was a lot, but like I said up top… after all the more well-known histories get erased, I promise you that this shit is backed up on so many servers and unconnected storage devices,  there’s no way in fucking hell it doesn’t survive the apocalypse. So if you think you’ve found this and are getting ready to hit the delete button, suck my big fucking dick. You got nothing. Enjoy your day.