Random News: September 4, 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 4, 2025, and it’s a Thursday for some reason. I’m Zak, pedaling my little digital bicycle through the neighborhoods of the internet and delivering your news each morning. No one knows why.

• Let’s jump right in.
• Yesterday at an emotional press conference on Capitol Hill, a group of women who were victimized by Jeffrey Epstein shared their stories as they called on lawmakers to support the release of records that the Department of Justice has so far withheld from Congress.
• Anouska De Georgiou, the first survivor of Epstein and his longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell to step to the podium at the press event, said the victims are coming together to have their voices be heard.
• And if Congress doesn’t make these actual records public, they will do it themselves.
• She said, "The days of sweeping this under the rug are over. We the survivors say 'no more’. I'm no longer weak, I am no longer powerless and I'm no longer alone. And with your vote, neither will the next generation. President Trump, you have so much influence and power in this situation. Please use that influence and power to help us, because we need it now, and this country needs it now."
• And indeed, Dump was asked about the press conference pushing for transparency on the Epstein files at the White House on Wednesday. His response to these victims?
• ”This is a Democrat hoax that never ends," claimed Dump.
• Marina Lacerda, a central witness in Epstein's 2019 indictment, responded, "This is not a hoax. It's not going to go away.”
• Survivor after survivor implored lawmakers to back the bipartisan push from Reps. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Ro Khanna (D-CA) to compel the Justice Department to publicly release the Epstein files.
• Epstein victim Haley Robson had this to say…
• "Mr. President, Donald J. Trump, I am a registered Republican — not that that matters, because this is not political — however, I cordially invite you to the Capitol to meet me in person so you can understand this is not a hoax. We are real human beings. This is real trauma.”
• Some of the survivors detailed the abuse they suffered at the hands of Epstein, saying hit happened when they were children.
• Jena-Lisa Jones, who was 14 years old while being raped by Epstein and his powerful friends, recounted, "I had never been more scared in my life than I was that first time that he hurt me. I know that I was just a little kid but sometimes I still feel that it was my fault this happened," she added through tears.
• Another Epstein survivor, Courtney Wild, stated, ”It’s time for us to see behind the curtain. Why was Jeffrey Epstein so protected? Who is still being protected? And who protected them all, so the world can understand how Jeffrey was able to abuse so many of us for so long.”
• What’s next? Well, with all 212 Democrats signing the Massie and Khanna discharge petition, just a handful of Republicans would needed to join the cause to uncover the list of powerful men who raped children along with Epstein.
• Four joined the cause immediately: Massie himself, plus Reps. Nancy Mace (R-IA), Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-FL), and Lauren Boebert (R-CO).
• At the moment, it seems that no other Republican man beyond Massie supports the measure.
• Not a single one.
• The measure has no practical implications, as the Oversight panel is free to continue its probe without any further action on the floor. However, the MAGA lawmakers did not at all like the aspect of Massie’s legislation that would compel the release of materials in the Epstein case in 30 days.
• Moving on.
• From the Health Desk… it’s the end of the world as we know it, and a bunch of kids in Florida won’t feel fine.
• Governor Ron DeSantis and state Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo have announced that Florida will work to phase out all childhood vaccine mandates in the state.
• Yes. All of them. Not just COVID. Polio, diphtheria, measles, whooping cough, hepatitis, mumps, and much more.
• Florida would be the first state to completely eliminate vaccine mandates. So pretty soon here, we’re going to have to start putting up travel restrictions so that people from Florida don’t spread their diseases to the rest of the country and the world.
• Ledapo was adamant that the end of vaccine mandates was all-encompassing. He did not specify any particular vaccines but repeated several times the effort would end "all of them. Every last one of them."
• In case you were wondering, Florida has required vaccines for kids attending school for decades. Those mandates for child day care facilities and public schools include shots for measles, chickenpox, hepatitis B, Diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis (DTaP), polio, and other diseases.
• But now? I’d highly recommend you avoid Florida like the plague… so to speak.
• In very related news…
• Yesterday, more than 1,000 current and former Health and Human Services employees penned an open letter calling for HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to either resign or be fired.
• The letter was released at a tense time. Last week, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Susan Monarez was fired, and several other top CDC officials resigned from their jobs in protest. Staff are also reeling from layoffs, changes to the vaccine approval system — led by Kennedy, a longtime vaccine skeptic — and a shooting outside the CDC headquarters last month.
• The letter accused Kennedy of endangering the nation's health. It cited last week's upheaval at the CDC, the FDA's decision to rescind emergency approvals that made the COVID-19 vaccines available for young children, and the elevation of "political ideologues who pose as scientific experts" to key vaccine approval posts.
• Harsh but true. It called for Kennedy to resign, and said that if he declines to leave his post voluntarily, Dump should pick a new HHS secretary.
• ”We swore an oath to support and defend the United States Constitution and to serve the American people. Our oath requires us to speak out when the Constitution is violated and the American people are put at risk," the letter read.
• Fuck RFK Jr. and all these pricks.
• Oh, and one other thing.
• RFK Jr. — the former heroin user who had a parasite eat part of his brain —  is appearing right now before a congressional committee, where he is expected to face questions about all this turmoil at federal health agencies.
• The U.S. Senate Finance Committee has called Kennedy to a hearing about his plans to “Make America Healthy Again.” But the health secretary is expected to face questions about layoffs and planned budget cuts that detractors say are wrecking the nation’s ability to prevent disease.
• Let’s move on.
• Yesterday, U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs ordered the reversal of Dump’s cuts to more than $2.6 billion in funding research grants for Harvard University.
• Thank God.
• Burroughs sided with the Ivy League school, ruling the cuts amounted to illegal retaliation for Harvard’s rejection of White House demands for changes to its governance and policies.
• Duh. I don’t think Dump is even pretending anymore that he’s not just openly retaliating his personal grudges.
• The ruling delivers a significant victory to Harvard in its battle with Dumpy, who also has sought to prevent the school from hosting foreign students and threatened to revoke its tax-exempt status.
• Of course, Dump just assumes that his personal Supreme Court will simply side with him t overturn this and any other court ruling against him.
• Which brings us to our next bit of news.
• Last night, Dumpy asked the Supreme Court to overturn a lower court decision that declared most of his sweeping trade tariffs as illegal.
• As we reported, that D.C. court of appeals found in a 7-4 ruling last Friday that Dump overstepped his presidential powers when he invoked a law designed to address national emergencies to justify his “reciprocal” tariffs.
• They knew Dump would go crying to his little SCOTUS friends, so his tariff taxes were left in place until October 14, giving the administration time to ask the supreme court to review the decision.
• So no surprise. We’ll see what happens. All experts say that Dump is on very weak footing this time as a legal matter.
• From the Civil War Desk…
• This week, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker said the Trump administration has begun staging the Texas National Guard for deployment in Illinois. He added that Illinois law enforcement agents were informed by Trump administration officials that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other federal agencies will soon begin immigration operations across Chicago.
• So hold up here.
• If Dump is sending in troops one state to terrorize citizens and residents in another state, what do you call that?
• As you’re all well aware by now, Dump in recent weeks has repeatedly threatened to deploy troops to Chicago, Baltimore, New York, and other Democratic-run cities. On multiple occasions, he has falsely portrayed those cities as being overrun with violent crime while ignoring cities in Republican-run states — some of which sent National Guard troops to D.C. — that have higher crime rates. 
• If Dump actually sends Texas National Guard troops into Illinois, it will mark the first time he’s deployed one state’s guard personnel against a non-consenting state, raising severe state sovereignty issues.
• That’s civil war, people. It’s here and now. Buckle up. Lock and load.
• Pritzker said he believes that Dump is timing the immigration raids for Mexican Independence Day, which Chicago’s Latino communities celebrate annually.
• He said, “It breaks my heart to report we have been told that ICE will try to disrupt community picnics and peaceful parades. Let’s be clear, the terror and cruelty is the point.”
• That’s correct.
• Pritzker added, “Any rational person who has spent even the most minimal amount of time studying human history has to ask themselves one important question: Once they get the citizens of this nation comfortable with the current atrocities committed under the color of law, what comes next?”
• Which is what I’ve been telling you people all along.
• Side note: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's office denies that Dump has ordered Texas to deploy troops to Illinois.
• Like many things happening now, guess we’ll wait and see.
• And back to the Health Desk for a moment, for reasons that will be clear for many of you.
• Yesterday, the governors of California, Oregon, and Washington announced that they will form a West Coast Health Alliance to begin coordinating public health guidelines separate from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
• This confederacy of states is forming after CDC Director Dr. Susan Monarez was ousted by Dump after clashing with US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on vaccine policy.
• The trio of governors in the alliance — Gavin Newsom (CA), Tina Kotek (OR), and Bob Ferguson (WA) — stated, “The new alliance represents a unified regional response to the Trump Administration’s destruction of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s credibility and scientific integrity.”
• The new West Coast Health Alliance said that in the coming weeks it will finalize shared principles “to strengthen public confidence in vaccines and public health.”
• Moving into the world of imagination for a moment, if these three states were to, say, form a country, some people are calling it Pacifica. I like that.
• I mean, look, USA… we’ve done our best to play along. We really have.
• For now, let’s move on.
• From the “Enemy of My Enemy is Still My Enemy” Desk…
• Yesterday, the conservative news network Newsmax filed an antitrust lawsuit against Fox News, saying Fox has sought to maintain its market dominance through intimidation and exclusionary business practices designed to stifle competition.
• Hahahahaha!
• Fox has sought to block television distributors from carrying Newsmax or minimize its exposure, pressured guests not to appear on the rival network, and hired private detectives to investigate Newsmax executives, said the lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in south Florida. Newsmax seeks a jury trial.
• Fox, in a statement, said “Newsmax cannot sue their way out of their own competitive failures in the marketplace to chase headlines simply because they can’t attract viewers.”
• The suit also says that Fox has also tried to deliberately block Newsmax from growing platforms like Hulu, Sling, and Fubo.
• The lawsuit also alleges that Fox used an agency to set up social media accounts that attacked Newsmax CEO Chris Ruddy, and hired private detectives to investigate Newsmax executives.
• Snorrrrrrrrtttttttt.
• And now, The Weather: “Sickness” by runo plum
• RIP to iconic fashion designer Giorgio Armani, who died yesterday at 91.
• One of the most recognizable names and faces in the global fashion industry. Starting in the late ‘70s, Armani’s ready-to-wear styles became instantly recognizable. He was known for classic tailored styles, super-soft fabrics, and muted tones.
• Over the next 50 years, Armani had put together an empire worth over $10 billion, which along with clothing included accessories, home furnishings, perfumes, cosmetics, and more.
• Let’s do a chart.
• It’s the start of September 1979, and I am just about to begin middle school. I remember being a little nervous about it… having a locker, different classes to go to, and more.
• “What if some big kid makes me take drugs?” I asked a slightly older friend.
• “No one’s gonna just give you drugs. You’d have to buy them,” he responded.
• “Oh,” I said, somewhat relieved. And he was right. And less than three years later, that’s exactly what happened, but I digress.
• Here was the top of the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart at the time. Pretty rad in places, actually. Not so much in others.
• My Sharona (The Knack). 2. Good Times (Chic). 3. The Main Event/Fight (Barbra Streisand). 4. After The Love Has Gone (Earth, Wind & Fire). 5. Don't Bring Me Down (Electric Light Orchestra). 6. The Devil Went Down To Georgia (The Charlie Daniels Band). 7. Lead Me On (Maxine Nightingale). 8. Sad Eyes (Robert John). 9. Mama Can't Buy You Love (Elton John). 10. I'll Never Love This Way Again (Dionne Warwick). 11. Bad Girls (Donna Summer). 12. Lonesome Loser (Little River Band). 13. Suspicions (Eddie Rabbitt). 14. Sail On (Commodores). 15. Let's Go (The Cars). 16. Goodbye Stranger (Supertramp). 17. When You're In Love With A Beautiful Woman (Dr. Hook). 18. Hot Summer Nights (Night). 19. Rise (Herb Alpert). 20. Heaven Must Have Sent You (Bonnie Pointer).
• From the Sports Desk… tonight’s the night.
• The NFL season makes its official return this evening with the first game of the regular season. The Cowboys are facing the Eagles.
• Tomorrow, the Chiefs visit the Chargers.
• Sunday — the first full day of games this season — has a game schedule as follows…
• Bucs at Falcons, Bengals at Browns. Dolphins at Colts. Raiders at Patriots. Cardinals at Saints. Steelers at Jets. Giants at Commanders. Panthers at Jaguars. Titans at Broncos. 49ers at Seahawks. Lions at Packers. Texans at Rams. And Ravens at Bills.
• Monday Night Football is back as well, with the Vikings taking on the Bears in Chicago.
• I don’t offer my opinions here on who will win or lose, and by how much. First, because I am in a pool and I don’t want to tip my hat to any of my competitors (I’m looking at you, Jess).
• But second because a lot of you don’t give a shit about NFL football and I don’t want the Sports Desk to be 27 paragraphs each week. But yes, I’ve made my picks. Doing so for Week 1 is always a shot in the dark, not really knowing for sure how each team has changed in the offseason.
• In other Sports Desk news, the U.S. Open semifinals Women’s bracket now also includes 6-seed American Amanda Anisimova facing 23-seed Naomi Osaka, who’s made an impressive run.
• And in the Men’s tourney semifinals, top-seed Jannik Sinner will battle 25-seed Felix Auger Aliassime. I always gotta root for the underdog, no matter how low his odds of victory are.
• Today in history… Romulus Augustulus is deposed when Odoacer proclaims himself "King of Italy", thus ending the Western Roman Empire (476). The worst day of the Great Fire of London (1666). 44 Spanish settlers found El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora La Reina de los Ángeles, now known as Los Angeles (1781). After almost 30 years of fighting, Apache leader Geronimo surrenders to General Nelson Miles in Arizona (1886). George Eastman registers the trademark Kodak and receives a patent for his camera that uses roll film (1888). A German submarine makes the first attack of tWWII against a US warship, the USS Greer (1941). The first live transcontinental television broadcast takes place in San Francisco, from the Japanese Peace Treaty Conference (1951). The governor of Arkansas calls out the National Guard to prevent Black students from enrolling in Little Rock Central High School (1957). Mark Spitz becomes the first competitor to win seven medals at a single Olympic Games (1972). Two students at Stanford University named Larry Page and Sergey Brin found something called Google (1998).
• September 4 is the birthday of businessman Stephen Whitney (1776), inventor Lewis Howard Latimer (1848),  businessman William Lyons (1901), mob boss Mickey Cohen (1913), businessman Henry Ford II (1917), chemist George William Gray (1926), actor Dick York (1928), golfer Raymond Floyd (1942), singer-songwriter/drummer/guitarist Gene Parsons (1944), guitarist Danny Gatton (1945), golfer Tom Watson (1949), drummer Martin Chambers (1951), radio/TV host Drew Pinsky (1958), guitarist/songwriter Kim Thayil (1960), actor Damon Waynans (1960), NHL player John Vanbiesbrouck (1963), MLB player Mike Piazza (1968), actress Ione Skye (1970), music producer Mark Ronson (1975), singer-songwriter Beyoncé (1981), and comedian Kyle Mooney (1984).

Well, that’s plenty of stuff to consider. I still think that if you know things, it’s better than not knowing things. Just my opinion. Enjoy your day.