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 May 4, 2025, and it’s a Sunday. It’s a much more relaxing morning than yesterday, when I was readying myself to go assert my people power. Today is just me chilling in the quiet of an overcast morning with my cup of Peet’s Sumatra and being ensconced in terrycloth.
- So yes, I went to another protest yesterday afternoon. It was absolutely great.
- I shook hands and spoke briefly with my congressman, Ted Lieu, and got interviewed on Los Angeles’ ABC7 news.
- But since I’ll write another whole-ass report on that, let’s get to some real news first.
- In every single swing state that Dumples the Inept Clown allegedly won in the 2024 election, his approval rating is underwater, as his approval rating has also plunged nationwide, new polling shows with registered voters.
- So?
- Well, heh heh… the president's approval ratings in swing states offer an early snapshot of how his unpopularity will affect the 2026 midterms.
- How bad is it for Dumpy?
- In Arizona, 49 percent of respondents disapprove of Dump. That’s about six points down from the margin of his election victory.
- In Georgia, 51 percent in the state disapprove of Dump. In Michigan, Dump is 4 points underwater in Michigan, with 50 percent of the state disapproving.
- Nevada has 49 percent disapproving with approval at 47 percent. Pennsylvania has Dumpy down 6 points, with 51 percent disapproving and 45 percent approving. Wisconsin shows 51 percent disapproving Dump.
- Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) said it well: "Let me explain to you why Donald Trump's sinking approval ratings matter. His enablers and backers will get cold feet as they feel the country turning against him. And it's proof that our activism and our protest is working."
- Fuck yes. Let’s fucking go.
- Moving on.
- This morning, The Dumpster was asked on national TV whether he believes that he needs to uphold the Constitution during his presidency.
- And he responded, “I don’t know.”
- THAT IS LITERALLY THE JOB DESCRIPTION YOU FAT FUCK.
- The interview on “Meet the Press” with NBC’s Kristen Welker was taped Friday at his Mar-a-Lago golf motel, and aired this morning.
- She asked him directly whether U.S. citizens and noncitizens both deserve due process as laid out in the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution.
- “I don’t know. I’m not, I’m not a lawyer. I don’t know,” replied the guy whose entire job is to know exactly this.
- See if this sounds familiar to anyone…
- ”I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."
- For Dumpy, or you, or your methed-out cousin, or your MAGA boss, or anyone the fuck else: the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution provides “due process of law,” meaning a person has certain rights when it comes to being prosecuted for a crime.
- Also, the 14th Amendment says no state can “deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.”
- Nothing in these laws of our land are limited to a citizen or even a legal resident. They used — VERY PURPOSEFULLY — the words “any person.”
- Sigh. Let’s move on.
- And yes, there are better things to discuss here than Dumpy, but I’d be negligent for not mentioning these next items.
- Most of you have seen it already… the AI-generated image that Dump posted of himself dressed as pope.
- He did that within the period of official mourning following Pope Francis’ death, and just days before the conclave to elect his successor is set to begin. He and his people think it’s funny.
- They’re all laughing at the Pope’s death, but groups representing Catholic people aren’t finding their joke very funny.
- Beyond being offensive and in poor taste, the image is outright mocking the beliefs of Catholic people.
- The New York State Catholic Conference correctly accused Dump of outright mockery.
- “There is nothing clever or funny about this image, Mr. President,” they wrote. “We just buried our beloved Pope Francis and the cardinals are about to enter a solemn conclave to elect a new successor of St. Peter. Do not mock us.”
- Let’s move on.
- I suppose this is no big shock, but Dump’s budget proposal would entirely eliminate the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities.
- This comes after the NEH slashed its workforce and the NEA canceled grants in compliance with Dump’s idiot directives to reduce the federal workforce and shut down diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
- Established by Congress in 1965, the NEA serves as the largest funder of the arts and arts education for communities across the country, primarily through grantmaking. The NEH helps fund humanities programs by supporting museums, libraries, universities, and public television and radio stations.
- Dump’s horrid budget also targets the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
- Which is why the observant among you noticed me wearing my 1980s-vintage PBS shirt at the protest yesterday. See? I am not as random as I appear on the surface.
- Dump’s plan — like most evil assholes — is to control the kinds of information accessible to people, and that includes extinguishing efforts to extend the reach of the arts to diverse communities and shifting funding to causes he deems more in line with his white nationalist, Christo-fascist goals.
- And now, The Weather: “Birdhouse” by Colin Miller
- Today is Star Wars Day. I think I’ve mentioned this before… I don’t mind there be a day for fans of a franchise.
- In the Star Trek universe, for example, the day April 5 is celebrated because as part of that lore, humans make first contact with an intelligent alien race on April 5, 2063. Fair enough.
- But — I’m just gonna say it — “May the 4th be with you” has no actual connection to the franchise, and just sounds like someone pretending to be Obi-Wan Kenobi with a severe speech impediment.
- From the Sports Desk… a couple of game 7s in yesterday’s various playoffs.
- In the NBA: the Nuggets gave the Clippers a beatdown, winning 120-101 and winning the series 4-3.
- In the NHL: The Stars came from behind with four goals in the third period, beating the Avalanche 4-2 and taking the series 4-3.
- And in other Sports Desk news, a shout out to Gregg Popovich, who has been the coach of the San Antonio Spurs for 29 years.
- On Friday, the team announced that Pop will no longer coach the team and is transitioning to a full-time role as president of basketball operations.
- He ends his coaching tenure as the league's career wins leader with 1,422 regular-season victories, and has five championships and an NBA record-tying three Coach of the Year awards.
- But above and beyond his coaching prowess is that fact that Pop is an exemplary human being who never hesitated to fiercely defend equality and human rights.
- Today in history… Assassination of the Swedish rebel — later national hero — Engelbrekt Engelbrektsson (1436). Rhode Island becomes the first American colony to renounce allegiance to King George III (1776). The National Association, the first professional baseball league, opens its first season in Fort Wayne, IN (1871). The United States begins construction of the Panama Canal (1904). Student demonstrations take place in Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China, protesting the Treaty of Versailles, which transferred Chinese territory to Japan (1919). The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is incorporated (1927). In Atlanta, mobster Al Capone begins serving an eleven-year prison sentence for tax evasion (1932). Ernest Hemingway wins the Pulitzer Prize for ‘The Old Man and the Sea’ (1953). The 1st Annual Grammy Awards are held (1959). The Ohio National Guard, sent to Kent State University after disturbances in the city of Kent the weekend before, opens fire killing four unarmed students and wounding nine others (1970). Margaret Thatcher becomes the first female Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1979). Former White House aide Oliver North is convicted of three crimes and acquitted of nine other charges, but the convictions are later overturned on appeal (1989). Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and PLO leader Yasser Arafat sign a peace accord, granting self-rule in the Gaza Strip and Jericho (1994).
- May 4 is the birthday of abolitionist Horace Mann (1796), first lady Julia Gardiner Tyler (1820), biologist Eugenie Clark (1922), actress Audrey Hepburn (1929), bassist Ron Carter (1937), guitarist/songwriter Dick Dale (1937), journalist George Will (1941), actress Pia Zadora (1953), singer-songwriter Randy Travis (1959), actress Ana Gasteyer (1967), actor Will Arnett (1970), bass player Mike Dirnt (1972), sportscaster Erin Andrews (1978), singer Lance Bass (1979), golfer Rory McIlroy (1989), and NBA player Victor Oladipo (1992).
That’s enough for now. I’ll give you a full writeup of the May Day event from yesterday after I get showered and dressed and feel more like a functioning human being. Enjoy your day.
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