Author: Thomas L. Knapp

Expanding FDIC Deposit Insurance Does Not Help Main Street

Source: Cato Institute
by Norbert Michel

“The ICBA wants people to believe that the nation’s small banks are the backbone of America. At the same time, though, they’re telling everyone that it’s critical to supply these banks with more federal backing.” (10/22/25)

https://www.cato.org/commentary/expanding-fdic-deposit-insurance-does-not-help-main-street

Thomas L. Knapp

US government “shutdown” becomes second longest in history

Source: CNBC

“The U.S. government shutdown on Wednesday entered its 22nd day, becoming the second-longest federal funding lapse ever, with no end in sight. The milestone means that the two longest shutdowns have both occurred while President Donald Trump was in office. The longest shutdown began in December 2018, in Trump’s first term, and dragged on for nearly five weeks. That shutdown stemmed from a dispute about funding Trump’s contentious immigration policy.” (10/22/25)

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/10/22/government-shutdown-trump-democrats.html

Thomas L. Knapp

Two Things (Hybrid Thursday AND Year-End Fundraiser Update)

Hey, everyone …

It’s a “Hybrid Thursday” at the freedom movement’s daily newspaper. We’ve got a full email edition (65 items) going out this morning AND another 30-35 news stories, opinion pieces, and audio/video links lined up for you here at our web edition.

While you’re here …

Yesterday was, thankfully, NOT a “zero-dollar day” in our year-end fundraiser. Steve tells me that an unnamed supporter donated $10 in cash, in person, at a Nashville-area libertarian event. THANK YOU, unnamed supporter! That brings our total to $685.50 (as of 5:30am on Thursday).

Our goal is $5,501. Thanks to supporter GL’s generous “matching funds” pledge, we only have to raise $2,750.50 from our other readers … so we’re only $2,065 short of wrapping this thing up.

$65 seems like a reasonable “mini-goal” for the day. Please help us get down to the $2,000 mark before tomorrow morning at:

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

The sooner we wrap this fundraiser up, the sooner I stop talking about money entirely for the rest of the year and mostly until NEXT October. THANK YOU in advance for help making that happen!

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

Have a great day!

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

Thomas L. Knapp

The Dark Righteousness & Dark Priesthood of The Socialists

Source: The Findings Substack
by Paul Rosenberg

“Socialists (by a variety of names) lorded it over the late 20th century by hijacking the sensibilities of Westerners and weaponizing their imperfections. This may sound new to you, but it’s really not; it’s something we’ve all lived with. There’s a long history behind this, of course, but I’ve covered that elsewhere and will leave it aside for today. What matters now is to see how the people of the West have had their virtues used against them, effectively and at length. The first part of this is what I’m calling dark righteousness, and it’s a trick we’ve all seen in practice.” (10/22/25)

https://thefindings.substack.com/p/the-dark-righteousness-and-dark-priesthood

Thomas L. Knapp

Palestine: Israeli Knesset approves bill to annex occupied West Bank

Source: Jerusalem Post [Jerusalem]

“The Knesset approved advancing a private member’s bill to apply Israeli sovereignty in the West Bank on Wednesday. … The vote passed by a narrow margin of 25-24 following a heated discussion in the Knesset. It will now be transferred to the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, where it will need to be brought up for discussion before undergoing a second and third vote in the plenum. … According to Israeli law, the current status of the territories it captured from Jordan in the Six Day War, save for east Jerusalem, is that of a ‘temporary belligerent occupation,’ and the legal governor of the territories is the IDF Central Command’s commanding officer. … In 2024, the International Court of Justice in The Hague issued an advisory opinion that Israel’s presence in the West Bank was no longer temporary and therefore unlawful under international law.” (10/22/25)

https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/politics-and-diplomacy/article-871299

Thomas L. Knapp

WA: City’s ex-treasurer sentenced to probation, $937k in restitution

Source: Seattle Times

“The former city clerk and treasurer of a small town in Lewis County was sentenced to five years’ probation and ordered to repay nearly $1 million in city funds that she’d embezzled over the course of nine years. Tamara Clevenger, the former Morton city clerk-treasurer, embezzled $937,584 from taxpayers from 2013 to 2021, according to charging documents. Federal prosecutors sought a 36-month prison sentence followed by three years of probation. A federal judge in Tacoma declined to order any prison time last week.” [editor’s note: If the government of a city of about a thousand people can have a million bucks go missing and not even notice until a state audit, that government has WAY too much money – TLK] (10/22/25)

https://archive.is/ukvak

Thomas L. Knapp

NFL stands by Bad Bunny as Super Bowl halftime headliner despite criticism from Trump

Source: CBC News [Canadian state media]

“The NFL is not considering dropping Bad Bunny as its Super Bowl halftime headline performer, commissioner Roger Goodell said Wednesday, reaffirming a decision to put the Grammy-winning Puerto Rican artist on the league’s biggest stage — a decision that led to criticism from U.S. President Donald Trump and some of his supporters. Goodell addressed the Bad Bunny question at his news conference following the annual fall owners meeting. It’s the first time he’s commented on the decision, announced in late September. The choice has garnered worldwide attention, including both an increase in streams of Bad Bunny’s music — and backlash.” (10/22/25)

https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/bad-bunny-halftime-nfl-9.6949081

Thomas L. Knapp