150 editions of Zander's Weekend Facts
Zander's Weekend Facts #150 - Sunday, December 22, 2024
Happy Holidays and Happy 150th edition of Zander’s Weekend Facts!
Perhaps 2024 didn’t go exactly the way you wanted it to, or the way you thought it would. Totally fair, I didn’t have Elon Musk becoming the de-facto president who fights with little-known congressmen from Louisiana about the debt ceiling, either.
There’s sure to be more where that came from in the new year, but for now, I’m enjoying a few days of sanity this holiday season. I’m also enjoying a massive milestone in our ever-continuing Zander’s Facts journey. 150 editions of the Zander’s Weekend Facts newsletter!
If you’re reading this, then you’ve done your part to help support the facts as we continue to reach brand-new audiences. In a time where misinformation is running rampant, I’m sure you’ll agree that factually-based information is paramount for the masses to consume. As long as Zander’s Facts continues, providing the facts for wide audiences will continue to be the mission, and I hope you’ll continue indulging.
Salute to you all, have a wonderful holiday season, and enjoy the rest of this week’s Facts! 🎄
But before you read on, make sure to take a peak at the latest episode of Zander’s Facts… released yesterday! I’m joined by our Zander’s Facts soccer guru Emma Adams as we delve into all the latest happenings in the world of soccer. Check out Episode 143 below or wherever you get your podcasts:
Ending the year with soccer love
What better way to close out 2024 than by celebrating with some festive fixtures?
What Zander’s been reading
One of 2024’s lowest points, arguably, was the rise of a viral internet meme known as “Hawk Tuah.” The woman involved rose to the top of popular internet culture, launching her own podcast and gaining an avid following before unsurprisingly crashing out after the launch of her own cryptocurrency. Hopefully, there are some lessons we can all learn from a situation that promoted society’s worst instincts.
Check out this week’s featured article in Slate - Of Course the “Hawk Tuah” Girl’s Fame Would End This Way
Zander’s Facts Sporting Club
Here are the latest headlines from the sports world in the Sporting Club:
NFL Week 16: The NFL opens its Sunday slate today at 1:00 pm ET with seven games, including Lions-Bears, Rams-Jets, and Eagles-Commanders. In the 4:00 pm ET window, the Vikings take on the Seahawks, the Patriots face the Bills, the Jaguars visit the Raiders, and the Dolphins host the 49ers. Sunday Night Football features the Buccaneers taking on the Cowboys, while tomorrow’s Monday Night Football includes the Saints visiting the Packers. Three games have already taken place in week 16 as the Chargers came back to beat the Broncos 34-27 on Thursday night. On Saturday, the Chiefs held off the Texans 27-19, while the Ravens beat their division rival Steelers 34-17.
College Football Playoff: The First Round of the College Football Playoff featured four games that did not produce much excitement. The CFP began on Friday with #7 Notre Dame hosting #10 Indiana and winning the in-state matchup 27-17. On Saturday, #6 Penn State opened the day with a thumping of #11 SMU 38-10. #5 Texas took care of #12 Clemson 38-24, while #8 Ohio State thrashed #9 Tennessee 42-17 to cap the night. The four winners move on to face the top four seeds in the Quarterfinals, which take place on December 31 and January 1.
NFL Week 17: The upcoming week of NFL action begins early with two games on Christmas Day. On Wednesday, the Chiefs head to Pittsburgh to take on the Steelers at 1:00 pm ET, while the Texans host the Ravens at 4:30 pm ET. Both games will air on Netflix. The final Thursday Night Football game of the year features the Seahawks and Bears at 8:15 pm ET on Prime Video. A triple-header on NFL Network highlights Saturday with Chargers-Patriots at 1:00 pm ET, Broncos-Bengals at 4:30 pm ET, and Cardinals-Rams at 8:00 pm ET leading into a nine-game Sunday slate.
NBA Cup / Christmas Day: The Milwaukee Bucks captured their first NBA Cup title with a dominant victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder. In Tuesday’s NBA Cup final, the Bucks won 97-81 behind 26 points from NBA Cup MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Bucks join the Los Angeles Lakers as the only teams to have won the NBA Cup. On Wednesday, the league will mark Christmas Day with its annual five-game slate. All games will air on ABC and ESPN. Beginning at 12:00 pm ET, the Spurs face the Knicks, with Timberwolves-Mavericks at 2:30 pm ET. At 5:00 pm ET, the 76ers take on the Celtics, while the Lakers match up with the Warriors in primetime at 8:00 pm ET. The day concludes at 10:30 pm ET as the Suns host the Nuggets.
English Premier League: The annual Premier League festive fixtures began on Saturday as Manchester City lost yet another league game, falling 2-1 to Aston Villa, while Arsenal picked up a massive 5-1 win over Crystal Palace. Sunday’s action includes five games on USA Network or Peacock, featuring Everton-Chelsea at 9:00 am ET and Tottenham-Liverpool at 11:30 am ET. Thursday’s Boxing Day includes eight games with Manchester City hosting Everton at 7:30 am ET. The day continues with five games at 10:00 am ET, Manchester United visiting Wolves at 12:30 pm ET, and Liverpool hosting Leicester City at 3:00 pm ET. Liverpool are currently at the top of the league table with 36 points, followed by Chelsea, Arsenal, and Nottingham Forest in the top four.
Rapid-fire Facts
Here’s a recap of the top news headlines from the past week:
Government Funding: The federal government narrowly averted a government shutdown last week after passing a short-term funding bill. Discussions over the bill escalated last week after an initial bipartisan agreement collapsed in the House of Representatives after President-elect Donald Trump and top ally Elon Musk disapproved. A subsequent plan that Trump was in favor of failed to pass the Republican-controlled House on Friday, leaving Congressional leaders to drop language regarding the debt limit, which Trump had previously demanded. The legislation, which was signed by President Joe Biden on Saturday morning, funds the government until March 14, 2025, when Trump will be in office and Republicans will hold narrow majorities in both chambers of Congress.
Trump Defamation Suit: ABC News and President-elect Donald Trump agreed to settle a defamation lawsuit last week. Trump had filed the suit after ABC anchor George Stephanopoulos had claimed on air that Trump had been found civilly liable for raping writer E. Jean Carroll. While Trump had been found liable for sexual abuse and defamation of Carroll, he had not been found liable for rape under New York law. ABC agreed to pay $15 million to Trump’s presidential library as part of the settlement.
U.S. Economy: The Federal Reserve cut interest rates once again last week. In its final meeting of the year, the Fed slashed its benchmark borrowing rate to a target of 4.25-4.50% on Wednesday. Fed officials signaled afterward that fewer rate cuts are expected in 2025. That news contributed to another bad week on Wall Street as the stock market marked its third consecutive week in the red. While the Dow Jones Industrial Average added nearly 500 points on Friday, the index plunged by over 1,100 points on Wednesday to mark 10 straight days of losses, its longest losing streak since 1974.
German Government: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz lost a no-confidence vote in the German parliament last week. The vote effectively brings a close to the government Scholz has helmed since 2021, with elections likely taking place early next year. Scholz’s Social Democrats had formed a coalition government with two other parties, the Greens and the Free Democrats. The three-party coalition, rare in Germany, was shaky and collapsed last month when Scholz fired finance minister Christian Lindner, the leader of the Free Democrats. The Christian Democratic Union is expected to win the most votes in the next elections according to polls, which would make leader Friedrich Merz the next chancellor.
Germany Attack: An attack on a Christmas market in Germany killed five people and injured over 200 on Friday. A car plunged into a crowd at the market in the eastern German city of Magdeburg. The suspect is a citizen of Saudi Arabia who has lived in Germany since 2006, with authorities reportedly looking into his anti-Islam views as motivation for the attack.
That’s a wrap on this week’s edition of Zander’s Weekend Facts. The Facts in Print return Sunday, January 5, 2025.