Random News: July 30, 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 July 30, 2025, and it’s a Wednesday. You are likely going to have to live without my news for a little while after today; I’m going on vacation tomorrow! That being said, I might still find some time to post a thing or two while I’m gone… consider that an undecided maybe at best.

• In the continuing saga of Donnie Dump’s involvement with convicted sex trafficker and pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, some breaking news.
• The attorney of Ghislaine Maxwell — Epstein’s partner and a woman who groomed hundreds of children for use on Epstein Island — says she will invoke her Fifth Amendment rights during a forthcoming congressional deposition unless she is granted immunity, Is given questions in advance, Is allowed to testify outside of prison, and has her petitions to courts resolved.
• The attorney, David Oscar Markus, adds however that if Maxwell receives complete clemency from Dump — a “get out of jail free card” as it were — she would be willing to testify openly in public.
• Can Maxwell be trusted? She already faces a second criminal trial for perjury on two charges that she lied under oath during a civil suit in 2015 about Epstein's abuse of underage girls. 
• Let me be clear: this woman would befriend young girls, have sex with them, train them in various sexual techniques, and then put them in situations from which they could not escape where they were repeatedly raped.
• Several of her victims were 14 years old or younger.
• She did this to not one girl or ten girls, but hundreds of them. Now tell me how you’d justify Dump pardoning her.
• Which is why the House Oversight Committee immediately declined the request to grant her immunity in exchange for testifying to Congress.
• And speaking of Dump…
• Yesterday, he offered new details over what he claims led to his falling out with Jeffrey Epstein in there mid-2000s.
• He told reporters that the breakup had to do with employees who worked at the spa at Mar-a-Lago. Epstein was recruiting girls who’d worked for Dump there.
• Dump said, "People were taken out of the spa — hired by him — in other words, gone. And other people would come and complain, 'This guy is taking people from the spa,’ I didn't know that. And then when I heard about it, I told him, I said, 'Listen, we don't want you taking our people, whether it was spa or not spa, I don't want them taking people.' And he was fine. And then not too long after that, he did it again. And I said, 'Out of here.' "
• Taking people? How do you “take” a person? And what exactly did these girls do at Dump’s spa before being “taken” by Epstein, as Dump puts it?
• Relevant side note: Dump also admitted that one of the teenagers “taken” from Mar-a-Lago by Epstein was Virginia Giuffre, who was among Epstein’s most well-known sex trafficking accusers.
• Giuffre died by suicide earlier this year. She had claimed that Maxwell spotted her working as a spa attendant at Mar-a-Lago in 2000 and hired her as Epstein’s masseuse, which led to sexual abuse.
• Let’s move on.
• Yesterday, the world experienced one of the largest earthquakes in history. The quake registered a magnitude of 8.8 and was centered off the coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia’s Far East.
• The earthquake was the strongest globally since 2011 and is among the Top 10 strongest ever detected worldwide. 
• What resulted were tsunami warnings and advisories for a broad section of the Pacific, including Alaska, Hawaii and the U.S. West Coast.
• Even Chile had to upgrade its tsunami warning to the highest level for most of its 4,000-mile Pacific coastline.
• I’ll skip to the good news: no major tsunami damage has been reported. I live less than a mile from the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, and we indeed got all the alerts to be ready to evacuate and head for higher ground.
• Tsunami advisories remain in place for Alaska, Hawaii, and parts of the West Coast, due to large aftershocks. But we’re fine, and most other places seem to be as well. Our small tsunami hit here at about 1am, and I was sound asleep, I’m happy to say.
• Tsunamis are nothing to scoff at, though. In 2004, a 9.1 magnitude earthquake off Indonesia caused waves that leveled remote villages, ports and tourist resorts along the Indian Ocean across Southeast and South Asia. Some 230,000 people died.
• And on March 11, 2011, a 9.0 magnitude quake and tsunami ravaged parts of Japan’s northeastern coast, killing about 20,000 people and triggering a nuclear meltdown.
• It seems we got lucky this time.
• Let’s move on.
• A note from the Immigration Desk, and it’s a positive one. Sort of.
• Yesterday, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors took a step toward prohibiting law enforcement from wearing any mask or other personal disguise while interacting with the public.
• And yes, this proposed ordinance is aimed directly at ICE, whose cowardly agents cover most of their entire face while enacting the immoral and sometimes illegal apprehension of brown-skinned people.
• In addition, the LA County Board asked county lawyers to draft a rule that would also require all law enforcement officers “to wear visible identification and agency affiliation.”
• Supervisors Janice Hahn and Hilda Solis wrote in their motion, “Residents have witnessed countless incidents of men in plainclothes or wearing tactical gear, with their faces covered by masks or balaclavas and sunglasses, while they raid communities and detain residents. They have refused to reveal their identities or even a badge when asked, leading to fear of impersonators.”
• It’s difficult to say how this will be enforced, and by whom. I don’t know how (or if) local police departments or the LA County Sheriff will stop ICE goons as they rampage through the neighborhoods.
• And Hahn said she expected the federal government to challenge the legality of any ordinance. As she said, “It's unclear if we here at the county can regulate federal agents. Ultimately, it's probably going to be decided in court.”
• Yup.
• And if the mask ban somehow becomes law, there would be exceptions — gas masks, masks to protect from fire and smoke, medical grade masks — as well as exemptions for undercover law enforcement operations.
• But if this law passes and works for LA, we can all hope that similar laws will pop up in other cities that the ICE gestapo is targeting.
• Moving on.
• In other immigration news, here’s a weird one.
• The chief of police in a Maine resort town has called for an investigation into ICE having arrested one of its officers, who the chief said was federally approved to work in the country in May.
• ICE arrested Old Orchard Beach Police Department reserve officer Jon Luke Evans last Friday, July 25. ICE claims that Evans was illegally present in the U.S. and unlawfully attempted to purchase a firearm.
• Well yeah… most cops need a gun in the USA. That’s why he’d tried to buy one. But that triggered an alert to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, which coordinated with ICE to make the arrest.
• Anyway, ICE admits that Evans had legally entered the U.S. in September 2023, but says he violated the terms of his admission by overstaying his visa.
• However, Old Orchard Beach Police Chief Elise Chard says that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security had verified that Evans was authorized to work in the U.S. in May of this year.
• She said the department was notified by federal officials that Evans was legally permitted to work in the country and his authorization document would not expire until 2030.
• But ICE took the cop away regardless. What kind of shitty country is this?
• Moving on.
• Might as well get this shitty news out of the way…
• Yesterday, the Senate on confirmed Emil Bove to the Third Circuit Court of Appeals. He’s a compete asshole, and is one of Dump’s personal lawyers. Now he has a lifetime appointment on the bench despite a series of whistleblower complaints about his conduct.
• Bove, currently in the No. 3 role at the Justice Department, is the subject of three different complaints in recent weeks, with two alleging he suggested violating court orders and a third saying he reportedly misled Congress on the dropping of bribery charges against New York Mayor Eric Adams.
• His nomination was confirmed with a 50-49 vote, with Republican Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Susan Collins (R-ME) crossing the aisle to join all Democrats in opposing his nomination.
• Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said, “They reward a man, credibly accused of wanting to lie to judges, with a black robe and gavel of his own. And they’re confirming him for one reason only: Mr. Bove is loyal to Donald Trump, therefore Donald Trump wants him on the bench. The calculus is as simple as that.”
• Sigh.
• Let’s keep moving on.
• If you’re under the false impression that you don’t buy things that will be affected by Dumpy’s tariffs, allow me to burst your bubble.
• Yesterday, Procter & Gamble said it would raise prices on about 25% of their products in the U.S. due to Dump’s tariffs.
• Economic volatility and consumer anxiety stemming from Dump's erratic tariff policies and crackdown on immigration and employment status have forced shoppers to temper spending in order to stretch their budgets.
• P&G makes tons of household basics that most Americans use daily, spanning from Bounty paper towel to Metamucil fiber supplements to Charmin toilet paper to Dawn dish soap.
• And packaged food maker Nestle — the world's biggest food producer — also said last week consumer sales in North America remained weak after similar price increases.
• In other news…
• An announcement from YouTube yesterday: they’re rolling out a new AI-powered age-estimation technology that will identify users under the age of 18.
• Uh oh.
• The company claims that the new feature is intended to protect young teens from harmful content. YouTube will now be able to assess a person's age based on the types of videos they've watched, the categories of the videos, and how long the person has had their account — regardless of the birthday associated with it.
• If the technology identifies a person as under 18, it will take extra steps to regulate their content by disabling personalized advertising and limiting repetitive views of certain kinds of content, among other things.
• What if YouTube’s AI incorrectly determines someone's age? Then the user can upload a form of identification to fix the error.
• YouTube, as you likely know, is owned by Google. It remains the most popular social media app among teens by a mile. Ninety percent of teens ages 13 to 17 said they used YouTube last year, compared with 63% who said they used TikTok.
• They’ll be testing the age-detection AI in coming weeks before rolling out the technology to a wider audience.
• I wonder what other data that this AI is compiling on you, based on what stupid-ass entertainment you get on YouTube and elsewhere?
• Let’s move on.
• Today’s Asshole of the Day is Scott Soucek, 56, of Sturgeon Bay, WI. He’s married to Stephanie Soucek, chair of the Republican Party of Door County and former chair of Wisconsin’s 8th Congressional District GOP. 
• She was a Dump delegate to the 2024 Republican National Convention, and has appeared in photos with high-profile conservatives including Dumpy as well as Glenn Beck and RNC Chair Michael Whatley.
• Welp.
• Scott was arrested and charged this month with ten counts of possession of child pornography. The charges stem from a Door County Sheriff’s Office investigation that uncovered over 300 illicit images and videos on devices linked to Soucek.
• Fascinatingly, Scott Soucek’s public online persona is that of a staunch defender of conservative values. He’s posted extensively about issues like child trafficking and moral decay.
• Last October, in a lengthy Facebook post, Soucek wrote, "I'm voting to fight against human/child trafficking... I'm voting for my children and my grandchildren to ensure their freedoms and their future."
• Soucek’s next court appearance is scheduled for late August. He remains free on a $10,000 cash bond.
• It’s at a point now where when any MAGA person who focuses steadfastly on some controversial topic, I automatically assume that person is doing the things they complain about.
• And now, The Weather: “Lou Reed” by Cory Hanson
• I mentioned up top that I’m going on vacation, and the reason I brought it up is that it’s rather unlikely that I’ll be posting news in the morning between Thursday and Sunday.
• You’ll have to figure out life without me for a short while. Here’s a tip: I’ve probably never covered anything that wasn’t available in some form from the Associated Press (also known as AP). You could go find your own news if you wanted to.
• Granted, that news doesn’t come along with my stream of profanity, along with pithy and insightful opinions of a liberal and handsome Gen-Xer. But it is still informative.
• I should also note that my son — a man in his mid-20s who weighs 240 pounds and is most likely armed — will be occupying my home during my absence.
• I also have three vicious attack animals patrolling the premises. It would be far safer to break in while I’m here than while I’m not.
• But it is my and Kat’s 20th anniversary this week, so Thursday morning, we’re getting on a jet plane and traveling to a land of mystery and intrigue. I’ll post pics while we’re there.
• Let’s do a chart.
• It’s late July 1969, and I am about seven weeks old. While I was born toward the very end of the decade, I still enjoy being a child of the 1960s.
• Think about it. I was born in the same decade as Barack Obama, but also Dave Grohl. George Clooney, but also Jack Black. Jodie Foster, but also Hugh Jackman.
• At this time, my mom and dad and I were living in Cleveland, OH. Perhaps the best thing you can say about Cleveland is that it’s not Detroit… where we moved not long after.
• Here’s the top of the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart at the time…
• 1. In The Year 2525 (Zager & Evans). 2. Spinning Wheel (Blood, Sweat & Tears). 3. Good Morning Starshine (Oliver). 4. Crystal Blue Persuasion (Tommy James And The Shondells). 5. What Does It Take (To Win Your Love) (Jr. Walker & The All Stars). 6. One (Three Dog Night). 7. Color Him Father (The Winstons). 8. The Ballad Of John And Yoko (The Beatles). 9. My Cherie Amour (Stevie Wonder). 10. Love Theme From Romeo & Juliet (Henry Mancini And His Orchestra). 11. Bad Moon Rising (Creedence Clearwater Revival). 12. Mother Popcorn (You Got To Have A Mother For Me) Part 1 (James Brown). 13. Love Me Tonight (Tom Jones). 14. Baby, I Love You (Andy Kim). 15. Too Busy Thinking About My Baby (Marvin Gaye). 16. Get Back (The Beatles With Billy Preston). 17. In The Ghetto (Elvis Presley). 18. Black Pearl (Sonny Charles And The Checkmates, Ltd.). 19. Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town (Kenny Rogers & The First Edition). 20. Quentin's Theme (The Charles Randolph Grean Sounde). 
• From the Sports Desk… NFL football (of the preseason variety, anyway) returns tomorrow night with the annual Hall of Fame game.
• I want to take another look at the sports gurus’ power rankings going into the season, with the goal of laughing at how mistaken they were once the season is further along.
• Fox Sports has them as follows…
• 1. Eagles. 2. Ravens. 3. Chiefs. 4. Bills. 5. Packers. 6. Steelers. 7. Commanders. 8. Bengals. 9. Lions. 10. Chargers. 11. Buccaneers. 12. Rams. 13. Texans. 14. Cardinals. 15. Vikings. 16. Broncos. 17. Bears. 18. 49ers. 19. Cowboys. 20. Jaguars. 21. Seahawks. 22. Patriots. 23. Raiders. 24. Dolphins. 25. Falcons. 26. Giants. 27. Jets. 28. Panthers. 29. Colts. 30. Titans. 31. Saints. 32. Browns.
• Yahoo Sports is somewhat but not quite aligned…
• 1. Eagles. 2. Ravens. 3. Lions. 4. Chiefs. 5. Bills. 6. Vikings. 7. Packers. 8. Buccaneers. 9. Chargers. 10. Commanders. 11. Broncos. 12. Rams. 13. 49ers. 14. Bengals. 15. Bears. 16. Texans. 17. Seahawks. 18. Cowboys. 19. Cardinals. 20. Steelers. 21. Falcons. 22. Jaguars. 23. Dolphins. 24. Colts. 25. Patriots. 26. Raiders. 27. Giants. 28. Jets. 29. Panthers. 30. Browns. 31. Saints. 32. Titans.
• Today in history… Baghdad is founded (762). The Virginia General Assembly convenes for the first time (1619). Founding of Baltimore, MD (1729). Uruguay wins its first FIFA World Cup (1930). Congress decides that “In God We Trust” is the new national motto (1956). Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Social Security Act, establishing Medicare and Medicaid (1965). Apollo 15 lands on the moon with the first lunar rover (1971). Jimmy Hoffa disappears and is never seen again (1975). 50,000 people demonstrate in Communist Poland (1981). NASA's Mars 2020 mission was launched on an Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral (2020). A magnitude 8.8 earthquake hits Russia, causing tsunamis over the Pacific Ocean (2025).
• July 30 is the birthday of Ming emperor Hongzhi (1470), pianist Maria Anna Mozart (1751), novelist Emily Brontë (1818), engineer/businessman Henry Ford (1863), MLB player Casey Stengel (1890), banker Henry W. Bloch (1922), puppeteer Sid Kroft (1929), guitarist Buddy Guy (1936), director Peter Bogdanovich (1939), singer-songwriter Paul Anka (1941), saxophonist/composer David Sanborn (1945), actor/politician Arnold Schwarzenegger (1947), drummer Rat Scabies (1955), actress Delta Burke (1956), lawyer Anita Hill (1956), NBA player Bill Cartwright (1957), singer-songwriter Kate Bush (1958), film director Richard Linklater (1960), actor Lawrence Fishburne (1961), actress Lisa Kudrow (1963), NBA player Chris Mullin (1963), actress Vivica A. Fox (1964), NFL player/actor Terry Crews (1968), director Christopher Nolan (1970), actress Hilary Swank (1974), and soccer player Hope Solo (1981).

I’m out of time for more news, though more news is always out there. Again, don’t expect much news from me from tomorrow through Sunday, though you never know… I might have a few bullets to post if stuff seems important enough to interrupt my vacation plans. Enjoy your day.