“Several people were killed during unrest in Iran on Thursday, an Iranian news agency and a rights group reported, as the biggest protests to hit the country for three years over soaring inflation sparked violence in several provinces. The semi-official Fars news agency cited a ‘source with knowledge’ as saying several people were killed in clashes on Thursday morning between police and what it said were armed protesters in Lordegan in western Iran. The rights group, Hengaw, also reported deaths in Lordegan, saying security forces had fired on protesters, killing and wounding several of them.” (01/01/26)
“Ukraine and Russia exchanged drone strikes on each other’s energy grids as the New Year began, according to local officials. Ukrainian drones on Thursday struck an energy storage facility in the Russian city of Almetyevsk, causing a fire that has since been extinguished, Russian media cited the press service of the local governor as saying. Ukraine’s military said on Thursday it had hit Russia’s Ilsky oil refinery in Russia’s Krasnodar region overnight, as well as the Almetevskaya oil preparation facility in Russia’s Tatarstan region. Meanwhile, a Russian drone attack damaged power infrastructure in several Ukrainian regions overnight, Ukraine’s energy ministry said on Thursday.” (01/01/26)
“Zohran Mamdani, the democratic socialist and former New York State Assemblyman whose star quickly rose over the last year, was sworn in as New York City mayor early Thursday. Mamdani was sworn in as the 112th mayor of the country’s largest city during a ceremony at an abandoned subway station near City Hall in Manhattan. The first Muslim to serve as New York City mayor, Mamdani took the oath while putting his hand on two different Qurans. The Qurans previously belonged to Puerto Rican historian Arturo Schomburg and Mamdani’s grandfather, according to The New York Times. … Mamdani shocked the political world after he defeated former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic primary for New York City mayor in June, leaning heavily into the issue of affordability on the campaign trail.” (01/01/26)
This is our final edition of 2025 … putting us a few editions into our 24th year as Rational Review News Digest (before that, Freedom News Daily; before that, starting in 1991, Libernet).
In THEORY, we’ll be back on January 5 (Americans tend to treat the Fridays after holidays that fall on Thursday as holidays themselves), but it’s likely that there will be at least a short New Year’s Day and/or weekend special edition between now and then.
Thanks for another great year, and here’s wishing you a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2026!
Yours in liberty,
Tom Knapp
Publisher
Rational Review News Digest / Freedom News Daily
“A top Russian official on Monday issued personal threats against Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after Russia claimed that Ukraine launched a drone attack on one of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s official residences. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov alleged that Ukraine launched a drone attack on Putin’s state residence in Novgorod region on the night of Dec. 29. Lavrov offered no evidence to support the assertion, which Zelenskyy was quick to dismiss as a Russian disinformation effort. Dmitry Medvedev — the former Russian president and prime minister now serving on the country’s Security Council — posted to X accusing Zelenskyy of ‘trying to derail the settlement of the conflict,’ referring to the ongoing U.S.-sponsored peace talks. ‘He wants war. Well, now at least he’ll have to stay in hiding for the rest of his worthless life,’ Medvedev wrote.” (12/30/25)
“Israel on Tuesday said it had suspended more than two dozen humanitarian organizations, including Doctors Without Borders and CARE, from operating in the Gaza Strip for failing to comply with new registration rules. Israel says the rules are aimed at preventing Hamas and other militant groups from infiltrating the aid organizations. But the organizations say the rules are arbitrary and warned that the new ban would harm a civilian population desperately in need of humanitarian aid. … The new regulations included ideological requirements — including disqualifying organizations that have called for boycotts against Israel, denied the Oct. 7 attack or expressed support for any of the international court cases against Israeli soldiers or leaders.” (12/30/25)
“Throughout 2025, many instances of Americans exercising their right to bear arms to protect themselves, their families and their property made headlines across the country. As of Dec. 23, the U.S. had seen 14,249 gun-related deaths and 25,606 injuries since the start of the year, according to the Gun Violence Archive. Of those instances, 1,119 shootings were deemed to be in self-defense, with many cases going unprosecuted due to various laws throughout the country permitting the use of guns in life-threatening situations.” [editor’s note: And that doesn’t count the times when merely having, or being known to have, a gun prevented or put a stop to a “life-threatening situation – TLK] (12/30/25)
“The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday issued an order rebuking the Trump administration’s efforts to defund and shutter the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Earlier in the month, the court agreed to hear an ongoing lawsuit brought by the National Treasury Employees Union, representing CFPB employees, against OMB director and acting CFPB director Russ Vought. The court upheld an injunction from a lower court ahead of its February hearing, which stated that the Trump administration must cease its efforts to shutter the bureau while the case is ongoing. In the case, Vought and the Trump administration have argued that requesting funds from the Federal Reserve, which provides resources to the agency at the director’s request, would be against the CFPB’s founding rules, as the central bank had not been running at a profit. Without a new infusion of funds, the bureau will likely run out of funds sometime in the next month.” (12/30/25)
“Thieves used a large drill to break into a safe at a high street bank branch in western Germany and steal an estimated €30m (£26m; $35m) in cash and valuables, police have said. A police spokesman likened the break-in to the Hollywood heist film Ocean’s Eleven, telling AFP news agency it was ‘very professionally executed’. During the heist at Sparkasse savings bank in the city of Gelsenkirchen, thieves broke open more than 3,000 safe deposit boxes containing money, gold and jewelry. Gelsenkirchen Police said they became aware of the crime after a fire alarm was set off in the early hours of Monday morning. Currently, no arrests have been made and the perpetrators remain at large.” (12/30/25)
“Russia’s nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile system has entered active service, Russia’s Ministry of Defense said Tuesday, as negotiators continue to search for a breakthrough in peace talks to end Moscow’s war in Ukraine. Troops held a brief ceremony to mark the occasion in neighboring Belarus where the missiles have been deployed, the ministry said. It did not say how many missiles had been deployed or give any other details. … Putin has praised the Oreshnik’s capabilities, saying that its multiple warheads, which plunge toward a target at speeds up to Mach 10, are immune to being intercepted.” (12/30/25)
