Random News: September 21, 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 21, 2025, and it’s a Sunday. I’m just getting up and getting my first couple of sips of Peet’s Sumatra in me while yawning and blinking. Might have to take this process slow at first, though with the amount of important news I’m seeing in front of me, we’ll have to pick up the pace if I want to get this done and enjoy my Sunday.

• But first…
• Ba-dee-ya! Happy Earth, Wind & Fire Day. I do remember the 21st night of September.
• Let’s do some news.
• My state of California will be the first to ban most law enforcement — including federal immigration agents — from covering their faces while conducting official business under a bill signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom yesterday.
• The ban is California’s direct response to a recent series of immigration raids in Los Angeles where federal agents wore masks while making mass arrests. The raids prompted a dayslong protest across the city and led Dumpls the Fascist Clown to deploy National Guard troops and Marines to the area.
• 27% of the residents of California — more than one in four — are foreign born. In my state, we welcome diversity and hugely benefit from it. It’s one of the reasons that if California was a country, we’d be the fourth largest economy in the world.
• Now the reality: it’s unclear how — or whether — the state can enforce the ban on the federal agents who have been carrying out those raids. But I’m still glad our state has made its position clear.
• The new law prohibits neck gaiters, ski masks, and other facial coverings for local and federal officers, including ICE agents, while they conduct official business. It makes exceptions for undercover agents, medical masks such as N95 respirators, or tactical gear. It doesn’t apply to state police.
• According to Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin, federal agents are already instructed to identify themselves and wear vests with ICE or Homeland Security markers during operations.
• But we’ve all seen with our own eyes that this is not always the case. Many of the events where a person was abducted off the street, the federal agents wore no identification or insignia.
• Let’s move on.
• Despite wild and baseless claims to the contrary, the federal investigation into the assassination of far-right conservative activist Charlie Kirk has yet to find any link between the alleged shooter — 22-year-old Tyler Robinson — and left-wing groups.
• This is despite Dumpy and his administration having pledged to crack down on Democrats and anyone else who doesn’t worship Kirk after the killing.
• And in fact, Robinson may not be able to be charged at all at the federal level. Complicating that effort is the fact that Robinson, a Utah resident, did not travel from out of state. Additionally — as many people seem to need to be reminded — Kirk himself was not a federal officer or elected official.
• Regardless, as of now there’s literally zero evidence that Robinson was “radicalized” by the left. Despite that, Stephen Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff, said left-wing organizations amounted to a “vast domestic terror movement.”
• So — as any smart person can see — Dump’s government is simply attempting to use Kirk’s assassination as an excuse to go after their political foes.
• Let’s stay on this related topic for a little while.
• Veteran TV host Jimmy Kimmel and Disney seem to be working toward reaching a compromise that would allow “Jimmy Kimmel Live” to return to ABC. But I wouldn’t count on it working out.
• Kimmel is certainly not going to offer any compromise that involves him apologizing for something he never did.
• Despite the lies you’ve heard from MAGA people talking out of their assholes, Kimmel’s show has been profitable for the network. Ad spending on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” totaled $51.1 million in 2024, accounting for 21% of all advertising on late night programs.
• But the bigger picture here — not matter how you feel about Kimmel — is whether or not you want to live in a country where the government can shut down free speech whenever it goes against their political outlook.
• And this is nothing new. Most dictatorships go after popular media programming in this same way.
• A great example was in Nazi Germany. 90 years ago, in February 1935, Hitler’s then-Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels attempted to end the careers of five cabaret performers  due to their “lack of positive attitude toward Nazis and party comrades.”
• The five were the best-known German stage comedians at the time, including Werner Finck and Peter Sachse — kind of the Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel of their era.
• One thing about bullies — they can’t handle being made fun of. And true strong leaders can just laugh along with the comedians.
• Can you imagine Barack Obama being such a pussy that he’d have gone after comedians and late night hosts? Obama was always far above that. And he had a country to run and didn’t give a shit what was on TV.
• Not everyone on the right is supporting Dump’s oversensitive whiny fight against American culture.
• Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) said that Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr's comments threatening to take action against Disney's ABC last week were "absolutely inappropriate."
• Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) accused Carr of acting like "a mafioso" in the suspension of Kimmel, adding that Carr's threat to ABC over their comedian's monologue about Kirk was "dangerous as hell".
• And Cruz — who is an asshole but one who often sees the bigger picture — warned that if the government gets into the business of bans and regulating what the media says "that will end up bad for conservatives".
• He said, ”Going down this road, there will come a time when a Democrat wins again – wins the White House … they will silence us. They will use this power, and they will use it ruthlessly. And that is dangerous.”
• You bet, little buddy.
• And a slew of conservative podcasters and other media entities see this side as well.
• Tucker Carlson warned the Dump administration that it was stepping on free-speech rights.
• “You hope that a year from now, the turmoil we're seeing in the aftermath of his murder won't be leveraged to bring hate speech laws to this country,” said the former Fox News host
• Conservative radio host Ryan Gorman also said Carr went too far when he threatened retaliatory action against ABC.
• He said, “I see a million ways this could go bad down the road. This is not a good step here. The FCC chairman is in way too far with how he’s trying to control things and get different companies to bend to the Trump administration’s will. You do not want government having that kind of power.”
• Even the super-conservative editorial board of The Wall Street Journal slammed Carr's threats toward ABC. “The squeeze on Disney looks to be a case of cancel culture on the right," the editorial said.
• Correct.
• Let’s move on for now with some important news from the International Desk.
• This morning, the U.K., Australia, and Canada confirmed that they are formally recognizing a Palestinian state despite arguments from the U.S. and (obviously) Israel.
• The coordinated initiative from these long-time allies of Israel reflects growing outrage at Israel’s conduct of the war in Gaza and the steps taken by the Israeli government to thwart any efforts to create a Palestinian state.
• British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said, “We recognized the state of Israel more than 75 years ago as a homeland for the Jewish people. Today we join over 150 countries who recognize a Palestinian state also. A pledge to the Palestinian and Israeli people that there can be a better future.”
• More countries are expected to formally recognize Palestine at the U.N. General Assembly this week, including from France, which like the U.K., is one of the five permanent members of the Security Council.
• I’ve tried to be clear for some time that Israel’s actions would end up costing them the support of the international community.
• And that could be far more detrimental to the longterm security of that country than any ongoing terrorist threat, be it Hamas or others.
• Let’s move on.
• A huge story coming out of the Dump administration, where in an undercover operation last year, the FBI recorded Tom Homan — now the White House border czar — accepting a $50,000 bribe in cash.
• Homan said he could help the agents — who were posing as business executives — win lucrative government contracts in a second Dump administration.
• Not only was Homan not punished… but in recent weeks, Dump appointees officially closed the investigation after FBI Director Kash Patel requested a status update on the case.
• This wasn’t the only bribe Homan took. The federal investigation was launched in western Texas in the summer of 2024 after a subject in a separate investigation claimed Homan was soliciting payments in exchange for awarding contracts should Dump win the presidential election.
• Homan did not reply to requests for comment. But all of this was captured on video. Almost exactly a year ago today, on September 20, 2024, hidden cameras recorded the scene at a meeting spot in Texas where Homan accepted $50,000 in straight cash.
• Maybe while they’re releasing the Epstein files, they could release the Homan video as well. I’m sure that will clear everything up, and if everyone is innocent as they claim, no harm will be done.
• Moving on to more evidence of the starting point of World War III.
• On Friday, Russian pilots in MIG-31 fighters ignored signals from Italian jets responding from NATO’s Baltic Air Policing Mission when they violated Estonian airspace.
• The 12-minute incursion was the latest test of the alliance’s ability to respond to Russian airborne threats after around 20 Russian drones entered Polish airspace on September 10.
• Yesterday, Russia’s Defense Ministry — as is standard for them — simply denied that its aircraft flew into Estonia’s airspace, after Tallinn reported three fighter jets crossed into its territory without permission.
• But Estonian officials showed that the violation was confirmed by radar and visual contact, and suggested it could be a tactic to draw Western resources away from Ukraine.
• More and more countries are getting involved in this burgeoning conflict, with British fighter jets flying over Poland on Friday night as part of an operation to bolster NATO’s eastern flank.
• And as a NATO member, it’s only a matter of time before U.S. forces will have direct involvement as well. That’s assuming Dump honors our commitment to NATO, in which an attack on one member country is an attack on us all.
• Moving on.
• The National Park Service has removed signs that make reference to climate change amid Dumpy’s wider effort to remove information that it says undermines “the remarkable achievements of the United States.”
• A sign has also been removed from at least one additional park that referred to slavery, the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II, and conflicts with Native Americans.
• Dumpy has ordered all federal institutions, including the Smithsonian museums, to remove information on racism, sexism, Indigenous persecution, gay rights, and climate change. At the Fort Pulaski National Monument in Georgia, Dup had them remove an iconic photo of a formerly enslaved man displaying the scars on his back.
• The attempt to whitewash history is another page out of the fascism playbook. Let me tell you now: that info isn’t going anywhere, and the moment we drive Dump and his ilk out of power — and we will — that info is going straight back up where the public can see.
• And it will be accompanied by the more recent history of when fascists tried — and failed — to destroy the USA.
• In other — and yet related — news, this emboldened right-wing isn’t exclusive to the USA at all.
• Yesterday, a right-wing demonstration in the Netherlands erupted into violence and chaos as rioters clashed with police and vandalized a political party's office, just weeks before the country holds a general election.
• A group of 1,500 anti-immigration protesters blocked the A12, a major highway that connects The Hague to the border of Germany.
• Some of the people in the crowd were carrying the Netherlands flag with an orange stripe instead of red, a symbol of the pre-war Dutch Nazi party.
• The unrest comes weeks before an October 29 general election that was called after anti-Islam lawmaker Geert Wilders pulled his party out of the ruling coalition in a dispute over moves to rein in migration.
• And now, The Weather: “Tim Burton's Tower” by Laveda
• An RIP going out to Sonny Curtis, a guy who rarely gets enough credit for shaping the sound of rock music. He was 88.
• An original member of Buddy Holly’s Crickets, Curtis started writing popular songs before he was even 20 years old.
• His tunes were as diverse as “I Fought the Law” (a huge hit for the Bobby Fuller Four), “More Than I Can Say,” (a hit for Bobby Vee, and later for Leo Sayer), and then wrote and performed the iconic theme song for television series “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” called “Love Is All Around.”
• Curtis wrote or co-wrote hundreds of songs in multiple genres, creating beloved tracks for Keith Whitley, the Everly Brothers, Bing Crosby, Glen Campbell, Bruce Springsteen, and the Grateful Dead among many others.
• Let’s do a chart.
• It’s 39 years ago in late September 1986, and I… don’t know what I’m doing.
• I’d spent my first year out of high school being a complete fuckup at San Diego State, and then moved back to my hometown where my mom and dad had, by then, separated. So I didn’t have a home. I was sleeping on the couch at my mom’s rented condo.
• I’d spent the summer working for the City of Rancho Palos Verdes being a laborer. It was hard physical work and in some ways, I liked it.
• But everything in my life was on shaky ground. No real home, no real plan for the future. Continuing to abuse drugs and alcohol, not good at maintaining relationships. Not my favorite time of life.
• Here’s the top of the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart at the time.
• 1. Take My Breath Away (Love Theme From "Top Gun") (Berlin). 2. Dancing On The Ceiling (Lionel Richie). 3. Stuck With You (Huey Lewis & The News). 4. Friends And Lovers (Carl Anderson & Gloria Loring). 5. Venus (Bananarama). 6. Higher Love (Steve Winwood). 7. Sweet Freedom (Theme From "Running Scared") (Michael McDonald). 8. Words Get In The Way (Miami Sound Machine). 9. Walk This Way (Run-D.M.C.). 10. Baby Love (Regina). 11. Don't Forget Me (When I'm Gone) (Glass Tiger). 12. Dreamtime (Daryl Hall). 13. Love Zone (Billy Ocean). 14. Papa Don't Preach (Madonna). 15. Man Size Love (From "Running Scared") (Klymaxx). 16. The Captain Of Her Heart (Double). 17. Two Of Hearts (Stacey Q). 18. When I Think Of You (Janet Jackson). 19. Rumors (Timex Social Club). 20. Throwing It All Away (Genesis).
• From the Sports Desk… yes, it’s Sunday and I’ll be monitoring NFL games today. That’s what I do.
• Note that I didn’t say “watching.” Yes, I’ll sometimes tune in to the game live, but far more often I’ve just got the ESPN app open with the scores and gamecasts going so I can see the entire league at once.
• Meanwhile, we’re keeping an eye on the end of MLB’s regular season. The playoff race is starting to solidify some, with some crucial games that will determine the final seeding.
• But especially in the AL, just a couple of games separate most of the contenders. Check out the standings as of this morning.
• American League: 1. Blue Jays (89-66). 2. Yankees (87-68). 3. Mariners (86-69). 4. Tigers (85-70). 5. Red Sox (85-70). 6. Guardians (84-71)/Astros (84-71).
• Note: Cleveland has come out of nowhere with 10 straight wins to be part of this discussion. Well done.
• National League: Brewers (95-60). 2. Phillies (92-63). 3. Dodgers (88-67). 4. Cubs (88-67). 5. Padres (84-71). 6. Mets (80-75). I’ll also mention the Reds at 79-76.
• Only Milwaukee, Philly, Chicago, and LA have all officially secured their playoff spots. The rest are still up for grabs.
• Today in history… The Kingdom of Dublin falls to Norman invaders (1170). A Hanoverian army is defeated in ten minutes by the Jacobite forces of Prince Charles Edward Stuart (1745). Benedict Arnold gives the British the plans to West Point (1780). France’s National Convention abolishes the monarchy (1792). Empress Dowager Cixi seizes power and ends the Hundred Days' Reform in China (1898). Salvador Lutteroth establishes Mexican professional wrestling (1933). In Dunaivtsi, Ukraine, Nazis murder 2,588 Jews (1942). Malta gains independence from the United Kingdom (1964). Bahrain, Bhutan and Qatar join the United Nations (1971). Sandra Day O'Connor is unanimously approved by the U.S. Senate as the first female Supreme Court justice (1981). The Defense of Marriage Act is passed by the United States Congress (1996). The Galileo spacecraft is terminated by sending it into Jupiter's atmosphere (2003). 
• September 21 is the birthday of painter Barbara Longhi (1552), actor Maurice Barrymore (1849), actor John Bunny (1863), novelist H. G. Wells (1866), US Secretary of State Henry L. Stimson (1867), composer Gustav Holst (1874), publisher Allen Lane (1902), animator Chuck Jones (1912), physicist Donald A. Glaser (1926), actor Larry Hagman (1931), singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen (1934), film producer Jerry Bruckheimer (1943), songwriter/guitarist Don Felder (1947), author Stephen King (1947), actor Bill Murray (1950), guitarist/keyboardist Dave Gregory (1952), Japan prime minister Shinzo Abe (1954), drummer Phil Taylor (1954), film director Ethan Coen (1957), actor Dave Coulier (1959), actress Cheryl Hines (1965), singer-songwriter Faith Hill (1967), talk show host Ricki Lake (1968), actor Luke Wilson (1971), singer-songwriter Liam Gallagher (1972), NFL player Jon Kitna (1972), media personality Nicole Richie (1981), and NFL player Doug Baldwin (1988).

Believe it or not, that’s not all the news, and not even all the important news. But sometimes — most of the time, maybe all of the time — you get what you get, and it’s usually better than nothing. I’m going to put on some clothes and get ready for football. Enjoy your day.