Gadgets, lab surprises, odd bets, and future-shocks from this slice of the calendar.
The Sounds of
Popular recordings and roots/country selections associated with the year
HEADLINES ON January 14, 2025
Full News Archive
- Headline: Trump's Election Case Special Counsel Findings. Impact: Had Trump been convicted, the timeline would have spiraled into an alternate universe where political campaigns were replaced by reality TV contests, and debate moderators were replaced by game show hosts. America would be voting for the most entertaining candidate rather than the most qualified, leading to a world where a talking cat could run for president.. Fact: Did you know that if you stack all the special counsel reports ever written, they would reach a height high enough to touch the ego of every politician involved?.
- Headline: China's Trade Surplus and U.S. Relations. Impact: China's $1 trillion trade surplus triggered a series of events leading to the birth of the 'Trade War Olympics', where nations competed not just in sports but in tariffs and trade negotiations. Eventually, this would culminate in politicians competing to see who could build the biggest wall of regulations.. Fact: Funny enough, the only thing more confusing than U.S.-China trade math is trying to explain it to someone who thinks 'deficits' are just bad grades in school..
- Headline: Cease-Fire Agreement Between Israel and Hamas. Impact: The cease-fire talks led to an unexpected phenomenon: the invention of a new form of diplomacy known as 'Ceasefire Karaoke', where negotiators sang their way to peace. Unfortunately, this resulted in a lot of off-key renditions of 'Imagine' but also some surprisingly effective agreements.. Fact: Did you know that 'on the brink' has been the official slogan for peace negotiations since time immemorial? Apparently, it’s the international phrase for 'we're still yelling at each other.'.
- Headline: Can the Only Grocery Store in a Rural Michigan Town Stay Independent?. Impact: If the grocery store in rural Michigan had closed, it would have led to a dystopian future where people bartered with homemade jam and baked goods. This would eventually evolve into a new currency system based entirely on the value of pies.. Fact: Fun fact: the phrase 'one grocery store town' was originally coined by someone who thought it was a really bad sitcom premise, not a real-life situation..
- Headline: Where the Police Used a Taser on a Bible-Reading Great-Grandmother. Impact: The great-grandmother incident led to the establishment of a new law: the 'Bible-Reading Protection Act,' which mandated that anyone reading the Bible in public must be provided with a comfy chair and a cup of tea to prevent further taser incidents. It also inspired a wave of viral videos featuring grandmothers reading scripture in increasingly outrageous places.. Fact: Did you know that in Mississippi, the most common response to 'What would Jesus do?' is apparently 'get tased'? Who knew?.