Random News: September 13, 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 13, 2025, and it’s a Saturday. I started the morning in my bathrobe, but it’s definitely still not the right weather here in Southern California to be ensconced in thick terrycloth. So I’ve changed into some shorts and a t-shirt, got a big cup of Peet’s Brazil, and am glad it’s a Saturday so I can take the time to do some deep dives into some important shit going on.

• I’d said I was going to stop the big focus on Charlie Kirk’s murder, and I am. But something else has gone on over the past day or so that now takes this in a different direction, and that’s what we’re going to address right now.
• Starting with a look at Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old who shot and killed Kirk this week.
• Robinson is being held on charges of aggravated murder, obstruction of justice, and felony discharge of a firearm. Formal charges are expected to be filed on Tuesday.
• How Robinson was caught is now clear. His father recognized Tyler via the photos released by authorities and confronted him, and Tyler admitted to being the person in the photos. Hs father encouraged him to turn himself in.
• Tyler said he’d rather die by suicide than turn himself in, prompting his father to call a youth pastor close to the family. The pastor, who is also a court security officer, also called the U.S. Marshals Service, which arrived and detained Robinson.
• But who is this kid?
• Robinson is a third-year student in the electrical apprenticeship program at Dixie Technical College in Utah.
• I doubt he was radicalized at his trade school.
• Immediately following Kirk’s murder, there was an assumption that he must have been killed by a leftist of some kind. Everyone from President Dumpy to legitimate media organizations were putting out false information based on no actual evidence.
• But all the signs point to Robinson being a product of far-right internet culture. If you’re not yet familiar with the term “groyper,” I’ll give you the short version.
• Groypers are fans — almost all Gen Z, age 25 and under — of the ideology of right-wing internet guy Nick Fuentes. A lot of their interaction could be described as meme culture, or brain rot, or shitposting.
• They congregate on Discord servers, in 4chan boards, and in Reddit comment sections, among other places.
• But if they’re right wing, why would they harbor ill-will toward someone like Kirk? Here’s where it gets weird: Groypers don’t just hate the left. They hate mainstream conservatives too. 
• And it’s not just Nick Fuentes who leads them. Other influential figures in this subset of MAGA include people like Dump confidant Laura Loomer.
• Much like the takeover of the traditional Republican party by the MAGA extremists, the group who radicalized Robinson feel that conservative figures like Charlie Kirk aren’t extreme enough.
• Tyler Robinson is a textbook example of this group. White, young, male, Christian, Republican family, brought up around guns, 
• But the list of things he is not includes every false accusation brought by Republican leaders over the past few days, including the President of the United States.
• Not a liberal. Not a transgender person. Not an immigrant. Not an activist. Not Antifa. Not a leftist. Not a Democrat.
• Robinson is pretty much a product of his times, where homegrown terrorism is fomented over the internet and is injected straight into the minds of young people in their bedrooms and on their phones every minute of every day.
• If these terms are new to you, ask your child aged 15-25 if they know what a Groyper is, or who Nick Fuentes is. Ask them about Pepe the Frog. Watch their reaction. Because a whole lot of young people have been immersed in this shit for years.
• I’m not saying your kid is the next Tyler Robinson just because they’re aware of this movement. But I am saying that most parents have no idea what their kids in this age range are being exposed to and influenced by.
• A couple of last notes for now. It wasn’t just people in the private sector who found themselves out of a job for their “insensitivity” about the Kirk murder.
• U.S. Secret Service agent Anthony Pough wrote a social post saying that Kirk had "spewed hate and racism on his show... at the end of the day, you answer to GOD, and speak things into existence. You can only circumvent karma, she doesnt leave."
• Pough was immediately put on leave.
• You have to understand, it’s not a matter of whether you agree or not with what he said. It’s whether you believe he has a right to say it. And yes, potentially losing his job is not a First Amendment violation, as I mentioned.
• It just sucks that an innocuous post like that should face such severe consequences. He literally lost his job for saying the people answer to God for their actions.
• Huh.
• And across the country, at least a dozen educational faculty and staff, from school board officials to classroom teachers, have been met with fallout over insensitive posts about Kirk’s death.
• In at least two instances, universities fired staff members entirely for posts deemed inappropriate.
• And finally, there’s the imminent threat of Democrats and liberals and progressives being blamed for something we had nothing to do with.
• The rabid, cult-like fan base of Kirk needs a villain to blame for the death of their martyr. They’d wanted so badly for it to be the group(s) they already hated.
• And just because it’s becoming more and more apparent that “the killer was inside the house” for them, that hasn’t stopped them from making blatant threats of revenge against the left.
• Remember: we’re the group that doesn’t want ANY violence. We want to work through our issues and differences with peaceful discourse. It’s a concept that’s difficult to understand in the MAGA world, but it’s true.
• I’ve stated my opinion many times, and I’ll say if again here for the record: I am against nearly 100% of everything Charlie Kirk ever espoused (perhaps with the exception of the release of the full Epstein files), and I am 100% opposed to his killing and condemn any act of political violence under all circumstances.
• I can’t stand Dumpy either and think he’s destroying the whole world… but I do not want anyone to kill him. Clear enough?
• I’m sure you’ve seen plenty of people on your social media feed — ranging from current friends and acquaintances to old schoolmates and coworkers and more — making statements about how they’ll block you (or far worse) for making derogatory statements about Charlie Kirk.
• Maybe some of them will realize that — at least in this case — we’re not to blame for what’s upsetting them. Many of them won’t, of course, because it doesn’t fit the narrative that’s been installed in them for many years.
• Charlie Kirk is dead because of the schism between two far-right wing factions, made up mostly of young people who have yet to mature to the point that they’re no longer susceptible to the abhorrent ideology of influential figures.
• If you can’t accept that and deal with it, I don’t know what’s going to help you get any closure.
• Let’s move on.
• Yesterday, Dumpy announced that Memphis — not Chicago, as previously planned — will be the next target of a National Guard deployment. Dump is claiming he can use the military against civilians to fight crime in Democratic-run cities.
• The Dick-Tater’s quote: “We’re going to Memphis. National Guard and anybody else we need. And by the way, we’ll bring in the military too, if we need it.”
• Remember when you right-wingers laughed when Kamala Harris said he’d be filling our streets with military. Guess the joke’s on you now.
• Why Memphis? Well first, Tennessee has a Republican governor in Bill Lee, so it’s a lot easier than fighting a strong Democratic governor in commandeering the state’s national guard. 
• And indeed, Dump said yesterday that he “would have preferred going to Chicago” next, but suggested he was put off by such a “hostile” setting.
• That’s right motherfucker. Glad you saw it that way.
• Does Memphis have high crime? Oh, absolutely yes. Historically one of the worst violent crime rates in the nation. But the city has also9 seen a drop in crime in recent years.
• “Overall crime is at a 25-year low, with robbery, burglary, and larceny also reaching 25-year lows,” said the Memphis Police Department this week.
• Let’s move on.
• Some follow-up from the International Desk that should be our top story if all this other stupid-ass shit wasn’t in the way.
• Yesterday, Poland's most senior officials dismissed Dump's suggestion that a major Russian drone incursion into Polish airspace could have been a mistake by Vladimir Putin's military.
• A mistake. You don’t “whoops” in sending 19 lethal unmanned drones into a neighboring country. Pretty insulting to his pal Putin to even suggest that.
• Poland Prime Minister Donald Tusk replied, "We would also wish that the drone attack on Poland was a mistake. But it wasn't. And we know it.”
• Polish and allied NATO fighter jets from Holland were scrambled to intercept the drones — a first such response to aerial Russian military incursions into NATO airspace since Putin launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than three years ago.
• If Putin continues to make incursions into Poland or other nearby targets like the Baltic States, NATO will be forced to respond. And the USA is the biggest NATO member.
• While you guys are all obsessing about some other shit, WWIII is absolutely looming. It’s scary as fuck. Stay awake and aware.
• This morning, Dumpy found a new way to delay any punitive action against his pal Vladimir Putin.
• He said that he would impose major additional U.S. sanctions on Russia — but only after all NATO countries increased pressure on Putin by halting purchases of Russian oil.
• He also insists that the bloc imposes significant tariffs on China before lifting a finger to stop the spread of Russian imperialism in Europe.
• His proposal will be dead in the water with much of the 32-country alliance. Example: Turkey is one of Russia’s major customers and has sought to preserve ties to the Kremlin despite the war.
• Hungary and Slovakia, two other customers of Russian oil, have worked to shield their economies from the disruption of finding other energy suppliers.
• Knowing that, what this bullshit means is that Dump has another way to delay U.S. participation in NATO’s effort to stop Putin before it’s too late.
• Moving on.
• Yesterday, as expected, the Missouri state legislature passed a plan to redraw the state's congressional maps to try and add another Republican-leaning House seat. They’re the latest state to join a nationwide gerrymander push that is backed by Dump.
• Here’s how they’re trying to eliminate the chances of any Democrat being elected there: the new map splits up the Kansas City area, making longtime Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver's district more conservative.
• As you’re hopefully aware, after a similar gerrymandering push in Texas, California lawmakers quickly responded by passing a map that would move five Republican-held seats toward Democrats.
• Unlike the red states that shove this kind of thing down the throats of their residents and give them no say in the matter, the California plan still needs to be approved by voters in a special election this fall.
• Vote YES on Proposition 50 on November 4, my fellow Californians. Preserve our democracy. Ballots will be arriving to you in a couple of weeks.
• While we’re talking about news from the Golden State…
• This week, California’s Legislature passed a bill that ban federal and state law enforcement officials from wearing masks, with some exceptions.
• The legislation affects on-duty law enforcement officers — including federal immigration agents — from masking their faces and to require them to identify themselves.
• Senate Bill 627 includes exceptions for SWAT teams and others. The measure was introduced after the Trump administration ordered immigration raids throughout the Los Angeles area earlier this year.
• CA state Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) points out, “Law enforcement should never be easily confused with the guy in the ski mask robbing a liquor store, yet that’s what’s happening with ICE’s extreme masking. In the face of rising fascism, California must hold those who are threatening our communities accountable and restore confidence in our local law enforcement who are proud to show their faces.”
• I agree. Our cops here have no need to conceal who they are.
• Some news for the Justice Desk…
• The Justice Department has filed a $125 million lawsuit against Uber, alleging that the ride-sharing company discriminates against passengers with disabilities. 
• Interesting. And kind of out of character for the current DoJ. I wonder what’s really going on?
• The department said Uber violated the Americans with Disabilities Act, which prohibits discrimination based on disability, by routinely refusing to serve individuals with disabilities, charging cleaning fees because of service animal shedding, and charging cancellation fees to riders who are "unlawfully denied service."
• Ouch. That’s going to be hard to defend.
• Just so you’re clear, the ADA does indeed require ride-sharing companies to allow service animals accompany people with disabilities on rides, and to provide rides and assistance to people with stowable wheelchairs and mobility devices.
• The lawsuit highlighted that Uber is the largest ride-share service in the U.S., and said that "many individuals with disabilities increasingly rely on Uber's services to meet their transportation needs — including to travel to work, medical appointments, religious services, and other important places." 
• Well, regardless of why the DoJ is pursuing it now, this seems like a good thing. Carry on.
• And now, The Weather: “Blue Black Crows” by Ella Ion
• Let’s do a chart.
• It’s early September 1977, I’m about to head to school to start fourth grade, and I am definitely into music. I’m playing piano and violin, and I’m about a year into learning guitar.
• I have a Burl Ives songbook with chords, and using traditional folk music is a great step toward becoming a performing musician. The songs are easy to play, have simple and familiar melodies, and allow me to sing and play at the same time despite being just eight years old.
• Here’s the top of the Billboard 200 albums chart at the time.
• 1. Rumours (Fleetwood Mac). 2. Star Wars (Soundtrack). 3. Moody Blue (Elvis Presley). 4. JT (James Taylor). 5. CSN (Crosby, Stills & Nash). 6. Commodores (Commodores). 7. Shaun Cassidy (Shaun Cassidy). 8. Rejoice (The Emotions). 9. Foreigner (Foreigner). 10. Going For The One (Yes). 11. Floaters (The Floaters). 12. Anytime… anywhere (Rita Coolidge). 13. Right On Time (The Brothers Johnson). 14. I'm In You (Peter Frampton). 15. Here At Last… Bee Gees… Live (Bee Gees). 16. Book Of Dreams (The Steve Miller Band). 17. I Robot (The Alan Parsons Project). 18. Simple Things (Carole King). 19. Little Queen (Heart). 20. Exodus (Bob Marley & The Wailers).
• From the Sports Desk… the 2025 WNBA playoffs start tomorrow.
• With a smaller league like the WNBA, the playoffs are very consolidated. The first round is best-of-three. The semifinals is a best-of-five setup. And for the first time, the WNBA Finals will expand to a best-of-seven series (2-2-1-1-1) in which the higher seed would host Games 1, 2, 5 and 7.
• Here are the matchups: 1-seed Minnesota Lynx takes on the 8-seed expansion franchise Golden State Valkyries; 2-seed Las Vegas Aces hosts the 7-seed Seattle Storm; the 3-seed Atlanta Dream battles the 6-seed Indiana Fever; and the defending champion 5-seed New York Liberty play the 6-seed Phoenix Mercury.
• Today in history… Michelangelo begins work on his statue of David (1501). After three years of exile, John Calvin returns to Geneva to reform the church under a body of doctrine known as Calvinism (1541). Henry Hudson reaches the river that would later be named after him (1609). Great Britain, Austria and the Kingdom of Sardinia sign the Treaty of Worms (1743). The Philadelphia Convention sets the date for the first presidential election in the United States, and New York City becomes the country's temporary capital (1788). In a turning point in the War of 1812, the British fail to capture Baltimore. During the battle, Francis Scott Key composes his poem "Defence of Fort McHenry", which is later set to music and becomes the United States' national anthem (1814). American troops under General Winfield Scott capture Mexico City in the Mexican–American War (1847). Hannibal Goodwin patents celluloid photographic film (1898). Margaret Chase Smith is elected United States senator, and becomes the first woman to serve in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the United States Senate (1948). Nikita Khrushchev is appointed General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (1953). ‘Super Mario Bros.’ is released in Japan for the NES (1985). Hurricane Gilbert is the strongest to-date recorded hurricane in the Western Hemisphere (1988). Largest anti-Apartheid march in South Africa, led by Desmond Tutu (1989). Hurricane Ike makes landfall on the Texas Gulf Coast (1988). Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin shakes hands with Palestine Liberation Organization chairman Yasser Arafat at the White House after signing the Oslo Accords granting limited Palestinian autonomy (1993). 
• September 13 is the birthday of Italian cardinal Cesare Borgia (1475), pianist/composer Clara Schumann (1819), physician Walter Reed (1851), composer Arnold Schoenberg (1874), actress Claudette Colbert (1903), singer-songwriter/mandolin player Bill Monroe (1911), novelist Roald Dahl (1916), singer-songwriter Mel Tormé (1925), animator Don Bluth (1937), actor Richard Kiel (1939), actress Jacqueline Bisset (1944), singer/bass player Peter Cetera (1944), actress/singer Nell Carter (1948), producer/bass player Don Was (1952), drummer Vinny Appice (1957), singer-songwriter/guitarist Dave Mustaine (1961), journalist Tavis Smiley (1964), drummer Zak Starkey (1965), drummer Stephen Perkins (1967), actor Tyler Perry (1969), fashion designer Stella McCartney (1971), politician Ro Khanna (1976), singer-songwriter/pianist musician Fiona Apple (1977), actor Ben Savage (1980), NBA player Nenê (1982), and NFL player Darren Waller (1992).

That’s plenty of stuff to think about. I just got a fresh cup of coffee, so my morning is going according to plan so far. Not sure what’s next, but that’s fine. Sometimes it’s a good thing to go with the flow and see what happens. Enjoy your day.