Annual Fundraiser Update: Holiday, But We’re Here Anyway

Hey, everyone …

It’s “Veterans Day” in the US and variations thereof (some more appropriate, such as “Armistice” or “Remembrance” Day) in many other countries — but we’ve still got a full edition for you today. You’re welcome!

I kind of thought my 60th birthday appeal yesterday might bring a few bucks in for our annual fundraiser, but nope. It was a “zero dollar day.” Nobody likes me, everybody hates me, guess I’ll eat some worms.* Our total remains, as of 5am, at $1,287. So:

PLEASE SUPPORT THE FREEDOM MOVEMENT’S DAILY NEWSPAPER!

https://news.rationalreview.com/support-rrnd

Our goal is $5,503. Once we’ve raised the first half, supporter GL has pledged to “match funds” for the second half — and hitting the goal means I get to stop bellyaching about money for the rest of 2026 and most of 2027.

Have a great day … after you click on that link, of course.

Yours in liberty,
Tom Knapp
Publisher
Rational Review News Digest / Freedom News Daily

* The zero-dollar day notwithstanding, I had a happy but semi-relaxed (no day off work!) birthday including a short motorcycle ride and tacos for lunch. In my family, we do a meal out together on the weekend to celebrate a birthday, so I’m looking forward to Chinese buffet food on Saturday.

US DOJ sues Lyft over service animals, mobility devices

Source: United Press International

“The U.S. Justice Department has filed a lawsuit against Lyft, saying the company discriminated against passengers with service animals and those who use some mobility devices. The lawsuit, filed Monday, seeks $53 million for people with disabilities against whom Lyft allegedly discriminated and who have filed complaints to Lyft or the Justice Department. … The department filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. It alleges the company violated Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, which prohibits private transportation companies from discriminating based on disability.” (11/10/26)

https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2026/11/10/justice-dept-sues-lyft-alleging-discrimination/5841794336724/

The Hegseth Impeachment is Far From Over

Source: The Volokh Conspiracy
by Ilya Somin

“Today, House Republicans managed to block the impeachment of Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, by voting 211-204 to send it to a committee for further “study.” But this fight is likely to be far from over. The Republicans may be able to effectively bottle up the impeachment in committee for the rest of the current Congress (which ends on January 3, 2027). But it will almost certainly come back in the new Democratic-controlled Congress. … And, though it’s a steep hill to climb, it is by no means impossible he might actually get convicted, as he is very unpopular on Capitol Hill (and elsewhere), and the evidence against him is strong. It is notable that House Republicans chose to use this procedural maneuver rather than just vote down the impeachment directly. It suggests they might not have had the votes to do the latter.” (11/10/26)

https://reason.com/volokh/2026/11/10/the-hegseth-impeachment-is-far-from-over/

The Personality Cult Closes Ranks

Source: Liberal Currents
by Adam Gurri

“[Stephen] Miller is the epitome of everything that is petty, cruel, illiberal, and anti-democratic in the Trump administration. To elevate him to chief of staff after the enormous rejection of the administration by voters last week says everything we need to know about how it will comport itself for the next two years. Members of the personality cult wasted no time rallying behind Miller. … Absolute loyalty, unwavering commitment, total devotion. The personality cult will survive the midterms defeat, and Miller will use every tool available to him to ensure it does so.” (11/11/26)

https://www.liberalcurrents.com/the-personality-cult-closes-ranks/

What’s in a Word? Why Deportations Must and Will Continue

Source: American Greatness
by Raw Egg Nationalist

“Some words have a force all of their own, a power that precedes them and makes even uttering them a risk; these words elicit great anticipation and the most powerful emotions—anxiety, fear, anger, and jubilation. Their use is often hedged around with elaborate rituals and taboos. A well-known example: The ancestors of modern Europeans refused to call bears by their actual name. Instead, they invented a series of gentle circumlocutions like ‘the brown one’ and ‘the honey eater’. … Today, ‘amnesty’ is such a word, at least on the American right. Its specter is so great, so terrifying, that the mere suggestion of its utterance is enough to send right-wingers into paroxysms of rage, with much wailing and gnashing of teeth.” [editor’s note: The column, and its author, seem as pure a distillation of evil as I’ve seen lately – TLK] (11/11/26)

https://amgreatness.com/2026/11/11/whats-in-a-word-why-deportations-must-and-will-continue/

A model for caring action against rising seas

Source: Christian Science Monitor
by staff

“The latest round of global climate ​talks started this week with a new type of mental focus. Rather than simply seeking more agreements among the 190-plus countries, the 12-day conference in Turkey stresses action, especially on a worrisome climate-related hazard – rising sea levels hitting low-level land. Attendees can easily find an example of practical action on that front, one anchored in a concept of caring for those most vulnerable. Australia is now in its second year of providing visas to hundreds of residents of Tuvalu who want to be prepared to flee their South Pacific country someday. With an average elevation of 6.5 feet, Tuvalu’s residents are already experiencing damage to underground water supplies from a sea-level rise of about 15 centimeters (5.9 inches) in recent decades. No one knows for sure how many people worldwide will be forced to flee submergence due to rising seas. Estimates range from 2 million to 20 million by 2100.” (11/10/26)

https://www.csmonitor.com/Editorials/the-monitors-view/2026/1110/A-model-for-caring-action-against-rising-seas

SC: Missing 11-month-old baby found buried alive in a crate

Source: BBC News [UK state media]

“Michael Comer was arrested on Monday evening, but his son Sharpe was not with him. Comer was seen travelling to multiple locations without the baby and was later arrested in Lexington County. A search party of 100 police and fire department officials were then sent to search for the child, the sheriff said. He added that when they asked Comer where his son was, he ‘did not have much to say’ about his whereabouts. Koon said that rescuers searched the woods near Comer’s father’s house and saw some ‘freshly disturbed dirt’. As they began to dig, they heard a baby crying …. He said the crate was wrapped in a towel that probably provided enough air for Sharpe to survive for as long as he did, while the cold weather kept him from getting too hot.” (11/11/26)

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8e391xzg6z2o

JD Vance has no idea what 2028 voters actually want

Source: Los Angeles Times
by Jonah Goldberg

“I regret to inform you that we are now one week into the 2028 presidential election cycle. This is the stage where various factions try to shape the conventional wisdom to support their particular agenda. For Democrats, that’s a difficult process, because they so wildly overperformed in the midterms that every faction has a favorable story to tell. For Republicans, it’s tougher and uglier. Enter Vice President JD Vance. In a lengthy social media post the day after the election, Vance offered an explanation for the carnage that was gobsmacking in its intellectual dishonesty, brazenness and rhetorical restraint. The tone was corporate PowerPoint presentation, the content was balderdash, but the intent was deeply cynical.” (11/10/26)

https://archive.is/Z7NUA