Random News: September 10, 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 September 10, 2025, and it’s a Wednesday. Enjoying this surprisingly cool morning with my giant mug of Peet’s Brazil. I suggest — if you haven’t been already — to start paying close attention to world events.

• I mean, the last 24 hours alone have had more important news events than I used to do in weeks.
• What happened since the last time I wrote this Random News collection? Well, let’s see…
• In no particular order, Nepal burned their government to the ground, the French government collapsed, Donnie Dump was confirmed to be in the Epstein files, Israel bombed Qatar and attacked a civilian aid flotilla, and then right before I went to bed last night, Russia attacked Poland and NATO was responding.
• It’s not an easy time to go about your business and lead normal lives when nothing is normal.
• I guess we’ll start with what could be the beginning of World War III if it escalates. That’s probably important.
• Early this morning, Polish airspace was violated by at least 19 Russian drones. Poland is a NATO ally of the United States, and an attack on one NATO country is an attack on us all.
• And indeed, the Russian drone invasion triggered a response from the NATO country's air force, which scrambled and downed several of the drones. Two Polish F-16s and two Dutch F-35s were deployed to help ensure safety in Polish skies.
• Poland Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that Warsaw had requested the invocation of NATO Article 4. The clause allows a NATO member to convene a meeting of allies to consult on an issue that could threaten its security.
• He said this marked the first time in history that Russian drones had been shot down on NATO territory, which he said "changes the political situation."
• I’d say it does.
• Tusk stated, “Today we must say very loudly and clearly to the entire Western world and all our allies — Article 4 is only the beginning of deeper cooperation for the security of our skies and our border, which is NATO’s border, and words alone are by no means enough. This is a confrontation that Russia has declared against the entire free world."
• How many times did we tell you that Russia would not stop at Ukraine, and would make aggressive moves to invade the rest of Europe? Hell, Kamala Harris told you that during the 2024 elections.
• Putin himself has stated that “Russia knows no borders." But perhaps he’s going to find out a thing or two about disrespecting other countries’ sovereignty.
• So what was Dumpy — the nearly 80-year-old commander in chief — doing while Poland was under attack? He was stuffing his face along with the Secretary of State and Secretary of Defense are at Joe's Stone Crab restaurant.
• Obviously, this is an ongoing story that we’ll keep an eye on. Forces from other NATO countries such as Italy, Germany, UK, France, USA, and others are on standby, ready to defend Poland and the rest of Europe as needed.
• Let’s move on for now.
• We also need to talk about Israel’s attack on Qatar. This is exactly the type of event that could destabilize the entire Middle East.
• Israel — a country getting more and more aggressive in its military actions — launched a strike in Doha, Qatar, allegedly targeting Hamas’ leadership.
• Black smoke rose over the skyline of the Qatari capital. It was the second time the energy-rich nation has been directly attacked in the nearly two years of war that have gripped the wider Middle East since Hamas’ attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023.
• Hamas says its top leaders survived the Israeli strike on Qatar — which may or may not be true — and that five lower-ranking members died.
• And in fact, reports say the the son of Khalil al-Hayya, Hamas’ leader for Gaza and top negotiator, was killed along with the head of al-Hayya’s office.
• The U.S. military claims it did not participate in the Israeli strikes. However, according to Mouth of Sauron Karoline Leavitt, the US knew about the strike in advance. She claims that U.S. diplomatic envoy Steve Witkoff passed along a warning to the Qataris once the White House was made aware of the strike.
• However, Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari derided the warning, saying that the U.S. finally mentioned it as “the explosions from the Israeli strikes were being heard.”
• You know, it’s just like Dumpy to accept a luxury airplane from Qatar and still let them get bombed. There’s no point in bribing Donnie; he doesn’t give a shit about you no matter what.
• The attack, and Israel’s action in general, have been condemned by most of the rest of the world.
• The European Union said yesterday’s attack on Doha might lead to more conflict in the Middle East in one of the strongest statements to date on from the 27-nation bloc.
• “Today’s airstrike by Israel against Hamas leaders in Doha breaches international law and Qatar’s territorial integrity, and risks a further escalation of violence in the region,” said Anouar El Anouni, a spokesperson for the European Commission, in a statement posted online by the EU’s diplomatic corps.
• Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari called Israel’s attack a “flagrant violation of all international laws and norms.”
• And in breaking news just now, Yemen’s Houthi rebels say Israel is carrying out heavy airstrikes on the capital, Sanaa. It was not immediately clear what was being targeted or if anyone was wounded.
• So, none of this is good for the stability of the entire fucking world.
• Let’s move on with a blast of good news after that.
• Democrat James Walkinshaw has won a special election in Virginia’s 11th Congressional District, bolstering Democratic numbers in the House and cutting down on an already razor slim Republican majority.
• After yesterday’s results, House Speaker Mike Johnson will now only be able to afford to lose two Republicans on party-line votes as opposed to three.
• The election in Virginia’s 11th Congressional District was held to fill longtime Democratic Rep. Gerry Connolly’s seat. Connolly died from cancer in May. Walkinshaw was Connolly’s former chief of staff and a Fairfax County supervisor. He faced Republican Stewart Whitson, a military veteran and former FBI special agent currently working as a lobbyist.
• This wasn’t an unexpected victory. The district is home to thousands of federal workers (all of whom hate Dump, of course). It voted for former Vice President Kamala Harris over Dumpy by 34 percentage points in the 2024 election.
• But wait… there’s more.
• It’s possible all three of the Democratic vacancies will get filled before Tennessee adds a Republican via special election in December, putting even more pressure on the narrow GOP majority.
• There are two more elections before then — in Texas and Arizona — and both seats are expected to stay in Democratic hands. The arrival of those Democrats could mean a timely advantage for House members looking to force a vote to release the Jeffrey Epstein files.
• Moving on.
• I’ve long said that I don’t care what other public figures are on the list of people who had a close relationship with sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
• And I meant it. This isn’t some kind of witch hunt just to get the most prominent member, Dumples the Pedo Clown. In fact, he’s not even the only U.S. president to appear in the infamous collection of birthday messages that were sent to Epstein.
• Probably shocking no one, an entry attributed to former President Bill Clinton is among some 50 greetings that appear in the 50th birthday book compiled for Epstein in 2003.
• The message from Slick Willie read, “It’s reassuring. isn’t it, to have lasted so long, across all the years of learning and knowing, adventures and (illegible), and still to have your childlike curiosity, the drive to make a difference and the solace of friends.”
• Hmm.
• Epstein’s 50th birthday event was years before the disgraced New York financier faced charges related to sexual exploitation of children. Other notes appear to come from Epstein’s relatives, including his father, and from business associates.
• Some of the entries in the collection are just basic well wishes, congratulations, and benign birthday messages. Others are weird and creepy, like the one Dumpy provided.
• Alan Dershowitz wrote a very odd fictional magazine article, inventing a story about Epstein and Clinton flying to Africa in a private jet. More messages were from super-wealthy investors, economists, and corporate execs.
• And yet others are just crude and/or sexually explicit, reminiscing about supposed past exploits or referencing Epstein’s focus on meeting women. It includes photos of Epstein, sometimes nude or in underwear, along with friends.
• I promise, I’m not a prude person. I’ve done some weird shit. But these top-tier wealthy and powerful people are on a level of weird that most of us can’t even imagine, less would want to take part in.
• In other news…
• Yesterday, the Supreme Court announced it will quickly weigh the legality of most of Dump’s sweeping tariffs, a far-reaching case that could alter the course of the U.S. economy and global trade.
• The justices asked the government and a group of small businesses and states to expedite briefings in the case, setting a deadline of September 19 to submit them. The case has been set for argument the first week in November.
• Dumpy had asked the justices last week to quickly overturn a decision by a federal appeals court that ruled the president could not impose the import taxes under a 1977 law that grants him emergency powers over the economy.
• As you’re aware, the tariffs — which are taxes on the American people — have been the central feature of the tumultuous trade war that has defined Dump’s second term.
• Those tariffs have created wide-ranging and unpredictable effects for businesses and consumers alike as Dump has repeatedly announced — then paused or modified — levies on goods from other nations.
• Those levies are then paid for via higher prices for American consumers. How high?
• The Yale Budget Lab said the effective tariff rate on imports was nearly 19 percent — the highest since the Great Depression. The typical tariff rate has hovered between 2 and 3 percent in the modern era.
• What will the SCOTUS decide? Based on all history with this current court, they’ll probably side with Dump in a 6-3 vote. We’ll see.
• Moving on.
• Let’s do some good news via the courts against the Orange Anus.
• U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb ruled yesterday that Dump’s bid to fire Lisa Cook, a member of the Federal Reserve board, is likely illegal and she must be immediately reinstated.
• Cobb concluded that Dump’s effort to fire Cook over allegations of mortgage fraud that predated her time on the Fed board violated a federal law meant to insulate the interest-rate-setting body from political pressure. Only Cook’s conduct on the job could be grounds for removal, Cobb ruled.
• And once again, Dumpy will scream for the SCOTUS to come to his rescue.
• The decision triggers a high-stakes appeals court battle that is likely to quickly land at the Supreme Court. The justices have repeatedly endorsed Dump’s efforts to fire powerful federal regulators and policymakers, but the justices have also signaled they view the Fed as a unique, “quasi-private” institution that may be entitled to more independence than other agencies housed within the executive branch.
• Again, guess we’ll see.
• Something I just learned about: September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. It’s a time to raise awareness about childhood cancer, support families affected by the disease, and advocate for research and advancements in treatment.
• Every time I launch into some expression of self pity, I remind myself that I am incredibly fortunate that neither myself nor my son (nor many other close loved ones) have had to face life-threatening diseases and maladies. Especially cancer.
• Something I do on a pretty regular basis is go to YouTube and watch stories from the Make-a-Wish Foundation. It reminds me that while I have challenges like every human being, mine are so tiny and insignificant than those faced by these courageous, resilient kids and their families.
• I would jump at a chance to help a kid achieve his or her wish. Maybe someday I’ll have that opportunity.
• The recognition of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month is somewhat new. It was first proposed via a presidential proclamation in September 2012 by President Barack Obama.
• And it became official in September 2019 when then-Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) introduced a resolution to recognize the event. The resolution passed with unanimous consent.
• If you want to show support, send some money to a children’s cancer fund. If you also want to help raise awareness, the ribbon color for childhood cancer awareness is gold. The gold ribbon symbolizes the preciousness of children and represents their amazing strength.
• And now, The Weather: “Rice” by Grumpy
• Let’s do a chart.
• It’s September 1965. I am negative three years and nine months old. Where am I?
• Music and culture are going through a rapid change at this very moment. We’re not quite in the quintessential long-haired hippie stage of the ‘60s yet; that’s a couple years out.
• But Bob Dylan is charting, and the Beatles are getting more serious than they were in their previous batch of teenage love songs. Change is in the air. Anti-war and counterculture songs are just starting to become mainstream. Music has a huge impact on the outlook of people around the world. It still can, by the way.
• Here was the top of the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart at the time.
• 1. Eve Of Destruction (Barry McGuire). 2. Hang On Sloopy (The McCoys). 3. You Were On My Mind (We Five). 4. Catch Us If You Can (The Dave Clark Five). 5. Help! (The Beatles). 6. The "In" Crowd (Ramsey Lewis Trio). 7. Like A Rolling Stone (Bob Dylan). 8. It Ain't Me Babe (The Turtles). 9. Heart Full Of Soul (The Yardbirds). 10. Laugh At Me (Sonny). 11. You've Got Your Troubles (The Fortunes). 12. Treat Her Right (Roy Head And The Traits). 13. We Gotta Get Out Of This Place (The Animals). 14. Baby Don't Go (Sonny & Cher). 15. Unchained Melody (The Righteous Brothers). 16. I Got You Babe (Sonny & Cher). 17. Do You Believe In Magic (The Lovin' Spoonful). 18. Action (Freddy Cannon). 19. California Girls (The Beach Boys). 20. Some Enchanted Evening (Jay & The Americans).
• From the Sports Desk… following the first week of play, ESPN has come out with their weekly NFL power rankings.
• I get that this is supposed to be a big-picture list and that on any given Sunday, a good team can lose or a bad team can win.
• But I also find it funny that at the moment, the winless Chiefs are allegedly the 5th best team in the league, while the undefeated Colts are at number 23. Here it is.
• 1. Buffalo Bills (1-0). 2. Philadelphia Eagles (1-0). 3. Baltimore Ravens (0-1). 4. Green Bay Packers (1-0). 5. Kansas City Chiefs (0-1). 6. Washington Commanders (1-0). 7. Los Angeles Rams (1-0). 8. Detroit Lions (0-1). 9. Los Angeles Chargers (1-0). 10. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-0). 11. Denver Broncos (1-0). 12. Cincinnati Bengals (1-0). 13. Minnesota Vikings (1-0). 14. San Francisco 49ers (1-0). 15. Pittsburgh Steelers (1-0). 16. Houston Texans (0-1). 17. Atlanta Falcons (0-1). 18. Arizona Cardinals (1-0). 19. Dallas Cowboys (0-1). 20. Seattle Seahawks (0-1). 21. Las Vegas Raiders (1-0). 22. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-0). 23. Indianapolis Colts (1-0). 24. Chicago Bears (0-1). 25. New York Jets (0-1). 26. Miami Dolphins (0-1). 27. New England Patriots (0-1). 28. Tennessee Titans (0-1). 29. Cleveland Browns (0-1). 30. Carolina Panthers (0-1). 31. New York Giants (0-1). 32. New Orleans Saints (0-1).
• I think this list will be a little more in line with reality after weeks two and three.
• Today in history… Nathan Hale volunteers to spy for the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War (1776). Elias Howe is granted a patent for the sewing machine (1846). A sheriff's posse kills 19 unarmed striking immigrant miners in Lattimer, PA (1897). Abebe Bikila becomes the first sub-Saharan African to win an Olympic gold medal, winning the marathon in bare feet (1960). Hearings began in the United States Senate on the nomination of Clarence Thomas to be an associate justice of the United States Supreme Court (1991). Switzerland, traditionally a neutral country, becomes a full member of the United Nations (2002). The Large Hadron Collider at CERN, described as the biggest scientific experiment in history, is powered up in Geneva, Switzerland (2008). Death of Queen Elizabeth II; King Charles III is formally proclaimed as monarch (2022).
• September 10 is the birthday of singer-songwriter/lute player Nicholas Lanier (1588), composer Henry Purcell (1659), mathematician/philosopher Charles Sanders Peirce (1839), activist Laura Cornelius Kellogg (1880), physicist Arthur Compton (1892), film director Robert Wise (1914), MLB player Ted Kluszewski (1924), golfer Arnold Palmer (1929), fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld (1933), journalist Charles Kuralt (1934), MLB player Roger Maris (1934), singer-songwriter/guitarist José Feliciano (1945), NBA player Bob Lanier (1948), journalist Bill O’Reilly (1949), guitarist/songwriter Joe Perry (1950), actress Amy Irving (1953), drummer Pat Mastelotto (1955), film director Chris Columbus (1958), actor Colin Firth (1960), singer-songwriter/guitarist David Lowery (1960), MLB player Randy Johnson (1963), film director Guy Ritchie (1968), policy analyst Neera Tanden (1970), NBA player Ben Wallace (1974), and MLB player Joey Votto (1983).

Trust me, this isn’t all the news. Far from it. There’s just too much shit going on for me to break it down in the time I allot to this news report. If I were you, I’d be paying extra close attention right now to what’s happening — around the world and in your neighborhood and everywhere in between. Enjoy your day.