Thanks to subscribing contributor IH, whose $2.50 monthly donation over the weekend brings our year-end fundraiser total to $1,358.34!
I’d hoped for a bigger weekend. We’re now 2/3 of the way through the fundraiser period, but less than halfway to our goal.
We need to raise another $1,392.16 (after which supporter GL will “match funds” to get us to the final goal of $5,501) by December 31. And the sooner the better — once we hit the goal, I get to stop yammering about money entirely for the rest of the year and mostly until next October.
So please, help us over the hump by supporting the freedom movement’s daily newspaper at:
Have a great day!
Yours in liberty,
Tom Knapp
Publisher
Rational Review News Digest / Freedom News Daily
Source: BBC News [UK state media]
“Ukrainian naval drones hit two oil tankers from Russia’s so-called ‘shadow fleet’ as they travelled through the Black Sea, Ukrainian officials have said. Footage verified by the BBC shows waterborne drones speeding through the waves into the vessels, before detonating into a ball of flame, sending black smoke into the air. The targeted tankers were named by Turkish authorities as the Kairos and Virat, both flagged to the Gambia. Both were hit off the Turkish coast on Friday, with the Virat reportedly struck again on Saturday. No casualties were reported. The attacks appear to be an escalation by Kyiv as it tries to hit Russia’s oil revenues, which are critical for funding its war in Ukraine.” (11/30/25)
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp9ky5z2gx0o
Source: Orange County Register
by Steven Greenhut
“The Mamdani-Trump meeting was the embodiment of what I’ve long predicted and feared. The populist right swept away conservatives’ traditional belief in limited government and market-based reform — and replaced it with a cultural agenda fueled by anger and dependent on the wiles of a Dear Leader. It’s been successfully politically (although not economically and it’s dangerous to the health of our democracy). It was only a matter of time before Democrats gave up on their flaccid approach and embraced left-wing populism in return. This is the dictionary definition of the Horseshoe Theory, where extremes on the right and left are not divided at the far ends of a long line but at the ends of a horseshoe. Populists on both sides believe in an activist government, although they have different motivations. As fundamentally collectivist, both movements are remarkably similar.” (11/28/25)
https://archive.is/HXQnR
Source: Unattended Baggage
“The more we know, the less we understand.” (11/29/25)
https://unattendedbaggage.substack.com/p/episode-319-the-more-we-know-the
Source: CBC News [Canadian state media]
“Lawmakers from both U.S. parties said Sunday they support congressional reviews of military strikes ordered by U.S. President Donald Trump against vessels suspected of smuggling drugs in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean, citing a published report that Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a verbal order for all crew members to be killed as part of a Sept. 2 attack. The lawmakers said they did not know whether last week’s Washington Post report — which Hegseth called ‘fake news’ — was true, and some Republicans were skeptical, but they said attacking survivors of an initial missile strike poses serious legal concerns. ‘This rises to the level of a war crime if it’s true,’ said Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia.” [editor’s note: It rose to the level of a war crime when the first strike was ordered – TLK] (11/30/25)
https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/military-boat-strike-review-trump-venezuela-9.6998143
Source: Responsible Statecraft
by Kelley Beaucar Vlahos
“The Trump administration has literally killed more than 80 suspected drug smugglers by blowing their small boats out of the water since September, but this week the president has reportedly decided to pardon one of the biggest cocaine traffickers of them all. If that doesn’t make any sense to you, then join the club.” (11/29/25)
https://responsiblestatecraft.org/trump-pardon-drug-trafficker/
Source: United Press International
“Swiss voters have rejected a tax on ultra wealthy residents and turned down a proposal to extend mandatory military service to women, initial poll results showed Sunday. Nearly 85% of voters rejected military or civic service for females, and 79% voted against a 50% inheritance tax for the most wealthy Swiss.” (11/30/25)
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2025/11/30/switzerland-voters-reject-inheriance-tax-female-military-service/8121764544891/
Source: Free Association
by Sheldon Richman
“What work does democratic perform in the phrase democratic socialism? It’s a fig leaf intended to conceal what would presumably be repugnant to most people: the coercive regimentation inherent in socialism, whether international (Marxist) or national (fascist). Socialism has a nasty record dating back to 1917, so socialists have felt compelled to clean up its image. Democracy is supposed to do the cleaning up. But does it? Could it? Before we get to that, we should remind ourselves that no single conception of socialism exists.” (11/28/25)
https://sheldonfreeassociation.blogspot.com/2025/11/tgif-socialism-with-fig-leaf.html
Source: CBS News
“Despite wider economic uncertainty hovering above this year’s holiday season, shoppers turned out in big numbers for Black Friday — spending billions of dollars both in stores and online. Adobe Analytics, which tracks e-commerce, said U.S. consumers spent a record $11.8 billion online Friday, marking a 9.1% jump from last year. It was a slight increase from the company’s spending estimate of $11.7 billion.” (11/29/25)
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/u-s-consumers-spent-a-record-11-8-billion-online-during-black-friday-sales/
Source: The Bulwark
by Mona Charen
“To be unmasked as an Epstein crony is about the most embarrassing revelation for a public figure one can imagine at this moment, and sure enough, former treasury secretary and Harvard president Larry Summers, who exchanged scores of emails with the convicted pedophile, has seen his reputation shredded. … Summers has withdrawn from the Center for American Progress, the Yale Budget Lab, the board of directors of Open AI, the Center for Global Development, the Brookings Institution, and the Peterson Institute for International Economics, and has taken a leave of absence from Harvard. … Why has there been no similar accountability for another of Epstein’s pen pals — Steve Bannon?” (11/30/25)
https://www.thebulwark.com/p/steve-bannon-jeffrey-epstein-comeback-consultant
Source: USA Today
“President Donald Trump is issuing a warning to avoid Venezuelan airspace as his administration is ramping up its strikes against drug trafficking organizations. In a Nov. 29 post on social media, the president told ‘all airlines, pilots, drug dealers and human traffickers,” to keep clear of the flying areas ‘above and surrounding’ the South American country as he contemplates land strikes. Tensions are rising in the region as observers suspect the Trump administration may [attempt to] topple Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro …. The U.S. positioned its largest aircraft carrier, two guided missile destroyers, and a special operations ship near Venezuela and around 12,000 troops are stationed in the area.” (11/29/25)
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/11/29/trump-venezuela-airspace/87525104007/
