Random News: August 31, 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 August 31, 2025, and it’s a Sunday. It’s been a rather quiet morning so far, which is nice. I know we all live in different places with a different ambience from country to country, state to state, city to city and so on. But my Los Angeles-area beachside city — with over 11,500 people per square mile — is inordinately noisy far too often, so as Depeche Mode once wisely sang, I do indeed enjoy the silence when it’s available.

• It’s not always easy knowing where to start my news each day.
• I shouldn’t have to explain the reason. I hate the fact that I’ve been forced to mention the evildoings of Fascist Don and his little gang every fucking day, and since the impact of his actions are so broad, it often feels like I have to lead with some shitty story about him.
• But equally important, there are constantly events going on around the world that merit everyone’s constant attention.
• And then there are the bigger-picture things that I like to discuss with you… things that are more focused on your happiness and fulfillment rather than your survival.
• In a real civilized world, this Random News report would be more philosophical and thought provoking than what it is today, by necessity.
• Anyway, let’s do some news.
• If we didn’t know before, we definitely know now why the USA hasn’t lifted a finger to fight against the genocide of the people of Palestine.
• A postwar plan for Gaza circulating within Dumpy’s team of evil — based on Dump’s own vow to “take over” the enclave — is going to turn it into a trusteeship administered by the United States for at least 10 years.
• And the plan is to transform Gaza into a gleaming tourism resort and high-tech manufacturing and technology hub. But what about the people who were born there and whose ancestors lived on the land for thousands of years?
• Dump’s team has put together a 38-page prospectus showing that they want to “temporarily relocate” all of Gaza’s more than 2 million population.
• They’re going to do it either through what it calls “voluntary” departures to another country, or into restricted, secured zones inside the enclave during reconstruction.
• Sounds like more concentration camps to me.
• But wait. What if someone actually owns land there? You can’t just take it away, could you?
• Apparently, those people will be offered a digital token (what?) in exchange for rights to redevelop their property. The token could be “eventually redeemed” for a currently-imaginary apartment in one of six to eight new “AI-powered, smart cities” to be built in Gaza.
• What the fucking fuck? All this makes me sick to consider. Anyway, this plan was put together by Dump’s team along with Israel, as you probably could have predicted.
• They’re getting people to invest in this horrifying plan, which is being marketed as the Gaza Reconstitution, Economic Acceleration and Transformation Trust, or GREAT Trust.
• A presentation deck for investors uses the headline, “The GREAT Trust, From a Demolished Iranian Proxy to a Prosperous Abrahamic Ally.”
• People disgust me.
• While we’re on this topic, some related news…
• Today, a flotilla of ships departed from Barcelona, heading to the Gaza Strip with humanitarian aid and activists on board in the largest attempt yet to break the long Israeli blockade of the Palestinian territory by sea.
• And who’s onboard the ships? Among hundreds of people, perhaps the most recognizable figure is Swedish activist Greta Thunberg. She’s joined by other activists, politicians (such as the former mayor of Barcelona, Ada Colau), and journalists.
• This comes as Israel has stepped up its offensive on Gaza City, limiting the deliveries of food and basic supplies in the north of the Palestinian territory. Food experts warned earlier this month that the city was in famine and that half a million people across the strip were facing catastrophic levels of hunger.
• “The story here is about Palestine. The story here is how people are being deliberately deprived of the very basic means to survive,” said Thunberg.
• The Global Sumud Flotilla is a maritime convoy of about 20 boats and delegations from 44 countries. They’re carrying food, water and medicine, and activists on board demanded safe passage to deliver the much-needed aid and the opening of a humanitarian sea corridor.
• They will be joined by more ships from ports in Italy and Tunisia in the coming days, on the route from the western end of the Mediterranean to the Gaza Strip.
• Brave folks. Admirable effort, though I find it unlikely they’ll be allowed to complete their mission. I wish them the best of luck.
• Let’s move on.
• As we reported awhile back, Dumpy thinks he can get rid of mail-in ballots across the country by his own decree. Earlier this month, the Demented Orange Maniac continued his long-running criticism of voting by mail, falsely claiming that the United States is the only country that allows such a method and calling the practice “corrupt.”
• He’s not letting it go. Late yesterday, Dump indicated that he could act unilaterally and abolish mail-in balloting through an executive order ahead of the 2026 midterms.
• Of note: 30% of all votes cast during the 2024 U.S. general election were submitted by mail. I’ll also note that every American overseas — including those in our military — relies on vote-by-mail to not be disenfranchised.
• There are a few obstacles blocking Dump from waving a wand and making VBM disappear. The biggest one is the U.S. Constitution.
• It explicitly gives the right to each state to determine the “times, places, and manner” of House and Senate elections.
• Another roadblock on this area of Dump’s fascist plans: the Senate.
• While Dump and his ass-kissing House could try and shove some bullshit through, it would require a supermajority in the Senate, where there are enough Democrats to block legislation.
• Chuck Schumer (D-NY) already addressed this. “Senate Democrats will make sure that any and every measure that would make it even more difficult for Americans to vote will be dead on arrival in the Senate,” he said in response to Dump’s threat.
• But there’s one other issue, and that’s his own fucking party.
• Most Republican election officials stay aligned with Dump on topics like voter ID and proof of citizenship, but the GOP has benefitted every bit as much as the Democrats on getting higher voter turnout by allowing mail-in balloting.
• Regardless, keep your eye on this attempt to stop tens of millions of Americans — including our own military — from being able to vote.
• Moving on.
• The chaos at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention after the agency director was ousted has resulted in a wide swath of people demanding the resignation of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr..
• One of them is our friend Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT).
• Sanders, the ranking member on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, said that he agrees with Dump and RFK Jr. on making the public “healthy again,” but warned that the problem is that “since coming into office President Trump and Mr. Kennedy have done exactly the opposite.”
• Thank God for Bernie.
• In an op-ed he wrote for the New York Times published yesterday, Bernie wrote, “Despite the overwhelming opposition of the medical community, Secretary Kennedy has continued his longstanding crusade against vaccines and his advocacy of conspiracy theories that have been rejected repeatedly by scientific experts. It is absurd to have to say this in 2025, but vaccines are safe and effective. That, of course, is not just my view. Far more important, it is the overwhelming consensus of the medical and scientific communities.” 
• He added, “Secretary Kennedy is putting Americans’ lives in danger, and he must resign. In his place, President Trump must listen to doctors and scientists and nominate a health secretary and a C.D.C. director who will protect the health and well-being of the American people, not carry out dangerous policies based on conspiracy theories.”
• Of note: on Thursday, Sanders called for a bipartisan investigation into the ouster of Monarez, hammering the administration for making a reckless and dangerous decision. 
• We coulda had that guy as our president back in 2016. What would the world be like today in that alternative universe? Pretty sure it would be a fuck of a lot better than the one around us now.
• Let’s move on.
• Yesterday, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson signed a sweeping — but pretty much completely symbolic — executive order to protect residents' rights in preparation for federal agents possibly arriving in the Windy City.
• The order also seeks to bar any federal agents working in Chicago — such as ICE — from wearing masks, and to require them to wear badges and other identifying information.
• We tried similar legislation in LA, and none of it seemed to matter for shit.
• Johnson's signing of the "Protecting Chicago Initiative" comes amid growing concerns of a military deployment to America's third-largest city sometime this coming week. The order seeks to ensure that residents know their rights, and every part of the city government is directed to protect residents from federal action.
• Except, as I mentioned in regard to Los Angeles, there’s no conceivable way to enforce this kind of thing, unless you expect violent conflict between the city’s law enforcement agencies and the federalized troops coming in.
• And I wouldn’t count on all local law enforcement people to be on the side of their own people.
• We’ll be keeping an eye on Chicago. The latest reports have troops coming in on Friday. We’ll see.
• Moving on to a musical note from the Immigration Desk…
• After a violinist who has played with high-profile orchestras was detained by ICE last week, members of Utah’s music community are rallying in support of his release.
• Donggin Shin is a 37-year-old pro musician who came to the U.S. from South Korea with his father when he was a child.
• ICE goons grabbed him at a hotel parking lot while he was on a work trip in Colorado. He was placed in ICE detention on August 18. With a hearing slated for early September, his colleagues from the Salt Lake City area are hoping to send a message to the administration and beyond that Shin, who goes by the name John, is a valued part of the community.
• Conductor Gabriel Gordon said, “John has been in this country since he was 10 years old and he was brought here by his parents. He didn’t get a choice in the matter. He is not somebody that is taking from the community, but is giving.”
• Why was Shin arrested? He got taken by ICE’s Fugitive Operations Team, intended for apprehending immigrants who have committed the most serious crimes and are considered threats to national security.
• And what did Shin do? He had an old misdemeanor impaired driving offense. He’d pleaded guilty to his DUI conviction, served his probation and the matter was resolved.
• His wife, DaNae Shin, said she got one call from John. “Honey, I don’t have much time. I’ve been arrested by ICE and they are sending me to a detainment center. I love you and the kids, I will be okay, please call our attorney.”
• She continued, “John is not a criminal, he is an amazing husband, father, and person, and I will do whatever it takes to bring him back home.”
• Get used to these stories, folks, until we clear out the cancer that’s spreading through the White House.
• And now, The Weather: “Falling on my Sword” by TOPS
• Let’s do a chart.
• It’s the last day of August 1993, 32 years ago. I am 24 years old, a college graduate, working in a career job, and married.
• In retrospect, I probably should have been less responsible when I was at that age, but I was making up for years of being horribly irresponsible.
• At this time, my then-wife and I have recently moved into our first apartment of our own, a shitty one-bedroom place on Artesia Boulevard in Torrance just east of the 405. I’ve just adopted a jet black cat from a local shelter. We named her Yoko.
• Here’s the top of the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart at the time. With a couple of exceptions, it’s pretty fucking awful, top to bottom. If I gave a shit, I’d tell you how and why there were two different one-hit-wonder songs with nearly the same title by different bands, but I do not give a single shit.
• 1. Can't Help Falling In Love (From "Sliver") (UB40). 2. Whoomp! (There It Is) (Tag Team). 3. Dreamlover (Mariah Carey). 4. Lately (Jodeci). 5. Runaway Train (Soul Asylum). 6. I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) (The Proclaimers). 7. If (Janet Jackson). 8. Slam (Onyx). 9. If I Had No Loot (Tony! Toni! Tone!). 10. Weak (SWV). 11. Right Here (Human Nature)/Downtown (SWV). 12. Will You Be There (Michael Jackson). 13. I Don't Wanna Fight (From "What's Love Got To Do With It") (Tina Turner). 14. The River Of Dreams (Billy Joel). 15. Whoot, There It Is (95 South). 16. One Last Cry (Brian McKnight). 17. Baby I'm Yours (Shai). 18. Rain (Madonna). 19. Alright (Kris Kross Featuring Supercat). 20. Dazzey Duks (Duice).
• From the Sports Desk… yes, NFL football actually begins this coming week, starting on Thursday.
• I have been in NFL pick ‘em pools for about 30 straight years. Since 2010, my pool of choice has been my friend Jess Smith’s “Border Battlers” that she runs on Yahoo.
• I am the current defending champion, having won in 2024 (as well as 2021, 2018, and 2015). No, I don’t know why I win exactly every three years. It’s probably a coincidence.
• I love being in the pool. There’s no money involved, but being involved inspires me to stay on top of what’s going on in the league… not just for my team, but every team.
• My picks for Week 1 are due soon, and I’ve already been consulting all manner of sports gurus to try and figure out what this new season — with tons of roster changes and so on — is all about.
• So I’m ready for that, and ready to enjoy that process nearly every week from now through next February. If you’d like to play, let me know and I’ll have Jess send you an invite. All you do is pick the winning teams each week — straight up win or lose, no point spread — and then enter confidence points for each game.
• If there are 16 games that week, for example, the team you’re most confident would win gets 16 points; the pick that you’re least confident in gets 1 point. It’s fun.
• Today in history… Byzantine Empress Theodora dies childless, thus ending the Macedonian dynasty (1056). King Henry V of England dies of dysentery and Henry VI becomes King of England at the age of nine months (1422). Union forces led by General William T. Sherman launch an assault on Atlanta (1864). Mary Ann Nichols becomes the first of Jack the Ripper’s victims (1888). Ferdinand von Zeppelin patents his navigable balloon (1895). The USA passes a Neutrality Act to try and stay out of the tensions concerning Germany and Japan (1935). Malaysia gains its independence from the United Kingdom (1957). Princess Diana dies in a car crash in Paris (1997).
• August 31 is the birthday of Roman emperor Caligula (12), Roman emperor Commodus (161), Chinese emperor Zhang Zong (1168), educator Maria Montessori (1870), radio/TV host Arthur Godfrey (1903), actor/educator Sanford Meisner (1905), novelist William Saroyan (1908), journalist Daniel Schorr (1916), composer Alan Jay Lerner (1918), actor Buddy Hackett (1924), actor James Coburn (1928), saxophonist/bass player Wilton Felder (1940), illustrator Roger Dean (1944), singer-songwriter Van Morrison (1945), violinist Itzhak Perlman (1945), singer-songwriter/guitarist Bob Welch (1945), actor Richard Gere (1949), track and field athlete Edwin Moses (1955), drummer Gina Schock (1957), voice actor Dee Bradley Baker (1962), singer-songwriter Debbie Gibson (1970), comedian Chris Tucker (1971), golfer Pádraig Harrington (1971), NFL player Larry Fitzgerald (1983), and NFL player Sauce Gardner (2000).

That’s all I’ve got for now. Try and do reasonably good things today, or at least avoid doing things that make the world shitty. I’m not asking too much here. Enjoy your day.