ZWF: 60 years since MLK's March on Washington
Zander's Weekend Facts #81: Sunday, August 27, 2023
Inside this week’s edition of Zander’s Weekend Facts, marking a historic milestone in American history, and a look at what Zander’s been reading this past week. Plus, a compilation of the top headlines you need to know about from the last seven days.
Also, go listen to the latest episode of the Zander’s Facts podcast! Episode 115 details the fourth indictment of former President Donald Trump in Georgia, including who was charged, what the charges are, and what is likely to come next. Download the Zander’s Facts podcast wherever you get your podcasts!
Here are Zander’s Weekend Facts for Sunday, August 27, 2023:
60 years since the March on Washington
Monday marks the 60th anniversary of one of the most significant moments in the history of the United States, the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
As over a quarter of a million people descended on the nation’s capital, Dr. King delivered one of the most famous speeches given on American soil, his “I Have a Dream” speech.
CBS News published a fascinating video on YouTube of their coverage of the march from back in 1963, anchored by Walter Cronkite:
CBS News - On the March on Washington's 60th anniversary, watch how CBS News covered the Civil Rights protest in 1963
For more information on this week’s top story, here’s an article from The Hill - March on Washington turns 60 with miles to go - (Apple News link)
What Zander’s been reading
Back in 2003, the U.S. passed the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, which recently has been estimated to have saved nearly 25 million lives in Africa. But now, Republicans in Congress are threatening to cut funding to a project championed by a former Republican president.
Check out this week’s featured article at Vox - Republicans are threatening to sabotage George W. Bush’s greatest accomplishment - (Apple News link)
Rapid-fire Facts
These are top news headlines from the past week in rapid-fire fashion:
Trump Arrest: Former President Donald Trump surrendered to authorities in Atlanta on Thursday evening after being indicted for the fourth time this year. Trump’s charges in Georgia relate to his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results in the state, which he lost. Trump was able to be quickly released after a bond agreement was reached, but not before a mugshot was taken, a first for a former president of the United States. 18 co-defendants also surrendered at the Atlanta courthouse last week, including Trump’s former Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani.
Yevgeny Prigozhin: The leader of the Russian Wagner mercenary army, Yevgeny Prigozhin is presumed dead after his private plane crashed in Russia’s Tver Oblast outside Moscow. Prigozhin led the rebellion that in June marched towards Moscow before an agreement was reached for the mutiny to stand down. While the Russian government has denied involvement, Wagner media sources linked Russian air defense missiles to the incident. A preliminary U.S. intelligence report believes that an intentional explosion brought down the plane, which was carrying six people at the time.
Republican Debate: The first Republican presidential primary debate of the 2024 election cycle took place in Milwaukee on Wednesday, with the top polling candidate notably absent. Former President Donald Trump did not attend the debate broadcast on Fox News, instead opting to participate in an interview with Tucker Carlson on X (formerly Twitter.) Some of the topics discussed during the debate included abortion rights, Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election, education, and U.S. support of Ukraine.
Tropical Storms: After Tropical Storm Hilary became the first tropical storm to hit California in 84 years, the southeast now appears to be the target of tropical weather. Parts of Florida are under a State of Emergency as forecasters are watching a disturbance that could make its way onshore on Florida’s Gulf Coast later this week. If the disturbance develops as expected, it will be named Idalia. Forecasters are also watching Tropical Storm Franklin, which is expected to develop into a Hurricane in the Atlantic but stay east of the U.S.
Ecuador/Guatemala Elections: Two presidential elections took place last Sunday in the South and Central American nations of Ecuador and Guatemala. In Ecuador, establishment leftist Luisa González will face off against businessman Daniel Noboa in a run-off election next month after no candidate received a majority of the vote. In Guatemala, sociologist Bernardo Arévalo, who centered his campaign on taking on corruption, won with 57% of the vote. Both elections have been defined by rising crime and violence, especially after the assassination of Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio.
Zander’s Facts Sporting Club
Here are the top headlines from the sports world in the Sporting Club:
College Football: The college football season got underway yesterday as several teams took part in ‘Week 0.’ The most notable matchup of the day featured #13 Notre Dame’s smackdown of Navy 42-3 in Dublin, Ireland. The full slate of teams will begin play this weekend, beginning on Thursday with #14 Utah hosting Florida at 8:00 pm et on ESPN. Saturday’s top matchups include Colorado taking on #17 TCU at 12:00 pm et on Fox, #3 Ohio State visiting Indiana at 3:30 pm et on CBS, and #21 North Carolina facing South Carolina in Charlotte at 7:30 pm et on ABC. Next Sunday’s game between #5 LSU and #8 Florida State is the sole top-25 matchup of the week, kicking off at 7:30 pm et on ABC from Orlando.
Spain Soccer Chief: FIFA, world soccer’s governing body, announced on Saturday that it was suspending Luis Rubiales, the head of Spain’s soccer federation. Rubiales forcibly kissed women’s soccer player Jenni Hermoso on the podium after Spain had won the Women’s World Cup last Sunday. FIFA opened disciplinary proceedings on Thursday, while Rubiales vowed not to resign after an uproar from players and fans. All 23 members of the World Cup winning squad, along with 32 other Spanish internationals, have vowed not to play for Spain while Rubiales remains atop the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), which has threatened legal action against the players Additionally, 11 coaches in the Spanish women’s national soccer program have resigned.
PGA Tour Championship: The PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup Playoffs will come to a close later today with the final round of the TOUR Championship at East Lake Golf Cup in Atlanta. Coming into Sunday’s final round, Viktor Hovland (-20) holds a six-hole lead over second-place Xander Schauffele (-14). If Hovland is able to fend off any challengers, which could include Collin Morikawa and Keegan Bradley tied for third at -11, he will win his first TOUR Championship and FedEx Cup. Coverage of today’s final round begins at 12:00 pm et on Golf Channel and continues at 1:30 pm et on CBS.
World Athletics Championships: At this year’s World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, the U.S. have been racking up gold medals. Both the men’s and women’s 4x100 meter relay teams took home gold, the first time since 2007 that the U.S. swept the competition. For the men, it marked the third gold medal of the meet for Noah Lyles, who also won the 100 and 200, the first man to win all three at the same worlds since Usain Bolt in 2015. For the women, it was the second gold medal of the meet for Sha'Carri Richardson, who fended off Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson to win the event. The U.S. have 27 total medals, including 11 gold, to lead all nations with one day remaining at worlds.
FIBA Basketball World Cup: The FIBA Basketball World Cup tipped off on Friday in host countries Japan, Indonesia, and the Philippines. The U.S. began group play with a 99-72 win over New Zealand on Saturday morning, erasing an early double-digit deficit. The remaining group games for the U.S. take place on Monday and Wednesday mornings against Greece and Jordan, respectively, and can be streamed on ESPN+. Defending champion Spain took down Côte d'Ivoire 94-64 in their first match, with games against Brazil and Iran remaining in the group.
Wrapping up the Facts
Before this edition of Zander’s Weekend Facts wraps up, here’s another reminder to check out the latest episodes of the Zander’s Facts podcast. Download and listen to the latest episode of the podcast, along with every episode of Zander’s Facts, wherever you get your podcasts.
You can also listen to every episode of the podcast on this very website. All Zander’s Facts podcast episodes are now available on zandersfacts.com under the “Zander’s Facts” tab for your enjoyment! That includes the next episode of the Zander’s Facts Podcast, which comes out this Wednesday!
That’s a wrap on this week’s edition of Zander’s Weekend Facts. The facts in print return next Sunday, September 3, 2023.
