“Preliminary results in Colombia’s legislative elections on Sunday showed President Gustavo Petro’s left-wing bloc maintaining its status as a dominant force, but with congress continuing to be divided. The results offered a glimmer of hope that Petro’s party may contend against the resurgent right in the May 31 presidential vote, which is projected to head to a runoff in June. Petro, Colombia’s first leftist president, is barred by law from running for re-election and had been eying to push through reforms ahead of his term running out. While the makeup of the lower chamber remained uncertain, Petro’s leftist coalition was expected to be among the biggest, while in the Senate it was expected to be the largest.” (03/09/26)
“Two men who brought explosives to a protest outside New York City’s mayoral mansion said they were inspired by the Islamic State extremist group, a court complaint said. Emir Balat and Ibrahim Kayumi are awaiting arraignment Monday on charges of attempting to provide material support to a terrorist organization and using a weapon of mass destruction. Kayumi blurted out, as he was being arrested Saturday, that ‘ISIS’ was the reason for his conduct, the complaint said. Balat, 18, later told authorities that he had pledged allegiance to the extremist group, and Kayumi, 19, asserted that he was affiliated with the Islamic State group, the complaint said. Officers asked Balat whether he was aiming to accomplish something akin to the bombing of the Boston Marathon in 2013, when when two pressure-cooker bombs exploded near the finish line, killing three people and wounding hundreds more.” (03/09/26)
“The Justice Department said Monday it has tentatively settled its antitrust lawsuit against Ticketmaster and parent company Live Nation Entertainment, striking a deal to ultimately lower ticket prices for consumers and end an illegal monopoly over live events in America. But some states signaled they won’t join the deal and will continue an ongoing trial. … Live Nation would pay a $280 million [bribe] and divest itself of at least 13 amphitheaters nationwide while opening its ticketing processes so competitors can share in the sale of tickets, the official said, adding that at least 10 states were expected to join the deal.” (03/09/26)
“Two brothers of one of Jeffrey Epstein’s most prominent accusers visited the sex offender’s former New Mexico ranch on Sunday for the first time to demand the Trump administration release unredacted documents to reveal the identities of men their late sister alleged sexually abused her at the property. With Epstein’s hacienda-style mansion in the background, the brothers of Virginia Giuffre, who took her own life in April, joined hundreds of protesters at a roadside rally to mark international women’s day near the gate of the ranch located 30 miles (48 km) south of state capital Santa Fe. Giuffre’s brother Sky Roberts, 37, called on the U.S. Department of Justice to release documents showing, among other things, names of visitors to Epstein’s Zorro Ranch where he and his acquaintances are accused of sexually abusing women and girls.” (03/08/26)
“Sen. Cory Booker [D-NJ], facing a re-election campaign in 2026, announced a new tax-cut bill, the Keep Your Pay Act, that would eliminate federal income taxes on the first $75,000 of income for most households and expand key tax credits for working families. Booker’s plan increases the standard deduction to $75,000 for married couples filing jointly, with proportional relief for single filers and heads of household, reducing federal income tax on the median American family by an estimated 85%. ‘New Jerseyans are working harder than ever, but they’re struggling to get by because they’re facing out of control costs and an economy that is stacked against them — so we need big ideas to start making the American Dream possible for everyone again,’ he wrote in a statement unveiling his bill. ‘No income tax on the first $75,000 families earn would be a game changer for working people.'” (03/09/26)
“Bangladesh has closed universities and launched fuel rationing amid a worsening energy crisis linked to the conflict in the Middle East. Authorities shut all public and private universities across the country from Monday, bringing forward the Eid al-Fitr holidays as part of emergency measures to conserve electricity and fuel. Officials said the move will not only reduce electricity consumption but also ease traffic congestion, which leads to fuel wastage. They said the university campuses consume large amounts of electricity for residential halls, classrooms, laboratories and air conditioning, and the early closure would help ease pressure on the country’s strained power system.” (03/09/26)
“Gen Z has shredded a long-held dynamic in the cannabis industry. For centuries, cannabis flower has been the king of marijuana. And since legalization, flower has always been the most popular product at legal pot shops in California. But that dominance is now all over, largely thanks to Gen Z. Cannabis vapes surpassed flower in June and are consistently the top-selling product category in California, according to state data. California shoppers spent over 10% more on cannabis vapes than flower last month, and more than 170% more on vapes compared to edibles, according to state data. This growth is being driven primarily by Gen Z, who have an overwhelming preference for the handheld vapes and are the first generation to prefer vape pens over any other type of cannabis product, according to data shared with SFGATE by cannabis analytics company Headset.” (03/09/26)
“A man is recovering in the hospital after he was shot by a CCL holder while allegedly attempting to break into a home on the city’s South Side early Saturday morning. … According to police, the suspect, a 59-year-old man, allegedly broke into a garage in the area but was confronted by the homeowner amid the attempt. The homeowner, a valid CCL holder, then pulled out a gun and opened fire on the suspect. Officers said the suspect suffered a gunshot wound to his right leg and was later hospitalized in good condition.” (03/08/26)
Today’s edition of the freedom movement’s daily newspaper is the six thousandth edition as “Rational Review News Digest.” The first edition under that brand came out on December 23, 2002.
Of course, we’ve been around since 1991 as Libernet and then Freedom News Daily (I tell that whole story at least a couple of times a year, so I’ll spare you the extended verbiage today). but wow … 6,000 editions! Very cool! And thanks to our readers for sticking with us!
Side note: Over the course of more than 24 years, it is quite possible (indeed, likely) that I have occasionally forgotten to manually add one to the edition count, or maybe (less likely) accidentally incremented that count by two instead of one. So I guess this COULD be the 5,997th edition or the 6,001st edition. I apologize if that’s the case.
And, of course, the note that I always append to these moments: We’re reader-supported. You’re a reader. Please consider supporting us with a one-time donation or a little something every month at:
“Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of Iran’s slain supreme leader, and widely viewed as a hardliner, has been named his successor. … Oil prices have surged past $100 per barrel as the war intensifies, though Trump said the spike will be ‘short term’ and ‘a very small price to pay.’ Israel hit Iranian oil depots over the weekend, while Tehran has targeted energy sites across the region and throttled the key Strait of Hormuz waterway. The U.S. military announced the death of another service member, bringing the total killed in combat to seven.” (03/09/26)
